Chapter – 02
The woman who took me into the bathroom smiled and carefully stripped me out of the uncomfortable clothes.
“Call me Lea, little miss.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, we will have fun playing in warm water. Are you looking forward to it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great!”
Lea patted me on the back.
Soon after, the maids came in and started washing me. It was very comfortable because all I had to do was sit in the warm water.
It was a little hard to resist touching the soft foam.
I have to behave myself.
A naughty child would be hated. I knew that the servants’ help was essential for a child who wasn’t cared for by their parents.
The maids’ hands moved quickly and skillfully, so my bath was over in no time.
The Duke of Dubblede is a bad guy, but he isn’t trash like the Duke of Vallua.
He hadn’t hit me like the Duke of Vallua had, and he had assigned maids to look after me. In my eyes, the Duke of Dubblede was already much more favorable.
After the bath, Lea dressed me in comfortable clothes. The outfit the Empress Dowager’s maid had put on me earlier had been fancy, oversized, and terribly uncomfortable.
As Lea fastened the buttons, the other maids chatted among themselves.
“Did our master really decide to adopt her?”
“Even if it’s the Empress Dowager’s order, he’s the type to do whatever he wants.”
“But she’s the Child of Fate.”
“About that…”
One maid glanced toward the door before lowering her voice.
“Many people think it’s a misunderstanding. The amount of divine power inside the baby’s body is so low…”
That was the reason the Duke of Vallua had treated me so carelessly. Many people didn’t believe I was the Child of Fate.
“Don’t say things like that in front of the baby.”
Lea shot the maids a glare before handing me a mug.
“Here, drink this.”
Her gentle voice eased my anxiety a little. If even the servants ignored me like they had at the Vallua estate, surviving would become difficult again.
A sweet taste spread across my tongue. Lea smiled warmly as she wiped the chocolate from around my mouth.
“Now, shall we go see the master?”
It was a shame I couldn’t scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the mug with a spoon, but I obediently followed Lea.
I have to be a good child. Compared to my previous life, this place is heaven. The Duke doesn’t care about me, but he hasn’t raised a hand against me, and he even gave me a cup of hot chocolate. It’s best if I stay here until I can defect!
Still, I never expected the Duke to agree to adopt me so easily. He’s rumored to be cold-blooded, and nothing I’ve seen suggests those rumors are wrong. But I can’t give up. I don’t want to be beaten to death by the Duke of Vallua again. I don’t want to starve to death as a sacrifice either.
Lea led me to the Duke’s office.
When we entered, the Duke was speaking with a man who looked like an officer.
The moment I saw him, I slipped out of Lea’s grasp, ran forward, and hugged the Duke’s legs.
Lea gasped in surprise, and the officer immediately moved to pull me away.
I don’t want to die miserably again. I don’t want to go back. I’ll be an obedient child. I won’t cause any trouble… so please…
The Duke grabbed the back of my collar and muttered,
“Don’t distract me.”
I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck and rubbed my cheek against his.
“Dyuke, I lwike you!”
(“Duke, I like you!”)
The Duke froze on the spot.
The Empire of Wigentra was famous for its vast territory.
Many powerful forces existed within the empire, but three stood above all others.
The Nelliard Church.
The Imperial Family.
The Five Ducal Houses.
These three powers formed an equilateral triangle, keeping one another in check while maintaining the empire’s prosperity.
Recently, however, that balance had changed.
The House of Dubblede had surpassed the other five ducal families and claimed the foremost position.
The Dubblede estate truly lived up to its reputation.
The polished stone floors were flawless, without a single scratch. Elegant hexagonal pillars were carved with intricate patterns.
Magnificent chandeliers dominated the ceilings, while priceless treasures filled decorative display cabinets along the walls.
Beyond the North Tower stretched a vast forest.
Yet despite owning such a magnificent estate, the Duke of Dubblede himself was far from approachable.
He wouldn’t adopt me just because I was cute.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a complete failure. Even if he didn’t intend to adopt me, he still gave me a room to stay in for the time being.
If he had thrown me out immediately, I would be back at the Vallua estate right now.
I covered my mouth with my tiny fist and giggled.
I really loved the room the Duke had given me.
There were so many toys and playmates that I never got bored, and every night I slept in a warm, cozy bed.
It had already been ten days since I arrived at the mansion.
I had also been diligently paying my rent.
“What else did the Hat Lady say?”
“Orihalkwon is in di old plawtew.”
(“Oriharkon is in the old plateau.”)
“Oriharkon!”
The vassals were stunned by the information.
I sat quietly on the Duke’s lap while watching their reactions.
“She’s incredible. How can she be so smart?”
“That’s why she’s the Child of Fate.”
The vassals laughed, making my conscience ache.
Actually… I’m only a fake Child of Fate.
It’s not as though I can freely recall memories from before my regression.
Thinking like an adult with my current immature brain was extremely difficult.
Whenever I forced myself to think too deeply, I either slept for days or became overwhelmingly hungry.
And when I was sleepy or hungry, I completely lost control and behaved exactly like a real baby.
One of the vassals reached out to pat my head.
Startled, I immediately wrapped my arms around the Duke’s neck.
“She really is a shy child.”
The elderly vassal chuckled, causing the other man to withdraw his hand.
“It’s amazing that she’s willing to stay so close to you.”
“Most children would burst into tears just from your intimidating presence.”
“Can you tell us about the altar and the Imperial Family?”
The reason I only spoke while sitting on the Duke’s lap was because of my trauma.
I had been abused in my second life, leaving me terrified of adult men.
…It’s strange, though.
For some reason, I feel completely comfortable with the Duke of Dubblede.
