Chapter – 05
After the bread incident, everything was peaceful.
The only thing that happened afterward was Lea realizing she had forgotten to give me the seven candies the Duke had sent.
But today was different.
Since early morning, the maids had been dressing me up.
They put me in a huge children’s dress.
On top of that, they made me wear lace socks that reached my calves, shiny shoes, and even tied a ribbon in my hair.
“Come on, little miss.”
“Try walking and see if it’s comfortable.”
As I struggled to walk, the maids all cheered.
“Wow!”
The servants of House Dubblede weren’t as bad as the servants at House Vallua.
Still…
They made me nervous.
If I wanted to live comfortably here, winning over the servants was essential.
So from the very beginning, I had been working hard to win their favor.
“Lwinda’s hwere!”
(“Linda’s here!”)
“Oh? You saw me last night.”
“Are you really that happy to see me?”
“It’s a secwet…”
“Lwinda is my fawvorite.”
(“It’s a secret… Linda is my favorite.”)
Step one…
Win over the maids.
“Hwere.”
“I’ll gwive you a cwandy.”
(“Here. I’ll give you a candy.”)
“Why do you only give me candy?”
“It’s a secwet…”
“Becwause I wike Dawlia the mwost.”
(“It’s a secret… because I like Dalia the most.”)
The snack maid’s heart has been conquered.
“If Ywuni is swick…”
“I’m swad…”
(“If Yuni is sick… I’m sad…”)
“Oh my…”
“It’s a secwet…”
“Yuni is my fawvorite.”
(“It’s a secret… Yuni is my favorite.”)
Now I’ve won over the maid in charge of my daily records.
Even if my family abandons me like House Vallua did…
The maids will secretly spoil me.
Looking at the maids smiling lovingly at me…
I couldn’t help feeling proud of everything I’d endured.
But…
Why am I dressed like this today?
I looked at Lea, who was smiling warmly at me.
“Me gwoing where?”
(“Where am I going?”)
“You’ll be attending today’s meeting.”
“The master said he’ll introduce you to the vassals.”
Introduce me?
I’d already met some of them.
There had never been a formal introduction before.
I’d assumed there was no need if I was returning to the capital soon.
So…
He’s planning to keep me here for quite a while!
Joy burst inside my heart as I followed the maids.
In the hallway, however, I noticed several unfamiliar children.
When I looked at Lea questioningly, she answered,
“They’re children applying for sponsorship.”
I see.
Today’s meeting must include the sponsorship selection.
Among the nobility, there was a sponsorship system.
Gifted children were chosen at a young age and nurtured into talented people who would eventually serve the family.
Who will be selected this time?
If House Dubblede was sponsoring them…
They had to be famous child prodigies.
When I entered the meeting room, I saw the vassals gathered around someone.
He looked too big to be called a child.
At first glance, he looked like an adolescent boy.
Although the adults blocked my view, I could hear his voice clearly.
“Hello, Mr. Dubos.”
“Mr. Martin.”
“Baron Lux…”
“And…”
The vassals smiled approvingly.
The little boy had memorized all of their names.
“Little Jude grows smarter every day.”
“My father told me I should study hard and become someone like Mr. Dubos!”
Dubos laughed before patting the boy on the shoulder.
Then one of the vassals noticed me.
Some of them had already met me before…
Back when I told them stories about the Imperial Palace and the Church.
I’ll greet them properly this time.
“Hewwo.”
(“Hello.”)
I bowed politely, imitating how adults greeted one another.
The vassals laughed warmly.
“Oh my.”
“You even learned how to greet people.”
As several of them stepped aside to approach me…
I finally saw the boy’s face.
My entire body froze.
Marco Jude.
I knew that face.
Very…
Very well.
Because he was one of the worst people I had ever met.
When I had lived as the daughter of Duke Vallua, I attended the academy for a short time.
Back then…
Marco had been my professor.
He was young.
Ambitious.
And widely praised as an excellent teacher.
But to me…
He constantly flirted with me.
He wanted to become Duke Vallua’s son-in-law.
He touched me inappropriately.
He hugged me without permission.
When he even tried to kiss me…
I reported him to the academy.
Instead…
They treated me like the criminal.
“If he really harassed you, why didn’t you report him sooner?”
“If you hated it so much, why didn’t you scream?”
I was terrified…
I couldn’t even scream.
“Then why are you reporting it now?”
“Did you simply change your mind afterward?”
“Are you trying to get money?”
No matter how much I protested…
Nobody believed me.
Marco was only suspended for six months despite molesting a student.
Meanwhile…
I was forced to leave the academy under accusations of being promiscuous.
After that…
My family considered me nothing but a disgrace.
Just remembering those days…
Filled me with the desire for revenge.
Right now…
He was still just a child.
But in the future…
He would become a complete scumbag.
Calm down.
If I attack him for no reason…
There goes any chance of being adopted.
Just then…
The Duke of Dubblede entered the room.
Everyone immediately bowed.
The first agenda of the meeting was reviewing the sponsorship candidates.
Marco stepped onto the podium.
“Oh my.”
“You’re already solving problems at that level?”
“Yes!”
“You have to be good with numbers if you want to join the Board of Audit and Inspection.”
“But I enjoy math itself.”
“My teacher and I even created several formulas…”
Liar.
Knowing his future made the lie ridiculous.
Far from joining the Board of Audit and Inspection…
Marco Jude would eventually become nothing more than an instructor at a remote academy.
Yet he always bragged about his incredible connections.
His father, Baron Jude, smiled proudly.
Judging from the warm atmosphere…
The sponsorship had practically already been decided in Marco’s favor.
After the questions ended…
Marco returned to the seat beside me.
He looked down at me before whispering,
“You saw that, didn’t you?”
“You’ll never beat me.”
…What?
I stared at him in disbelief.
He’s treating a four-year-old as his rival…
Marco seemed convinced that I had come here for the sponsorship selection.
His face was full of excitement.
He looked exactly the same as he had years later when he taught at the academy.
He probably thinks the Duke is about to abandon me…
And that he’ll be the one chosen instead.
With a grin, he continued,
“You’re that poor kid, right?”
“…”
“I heard the Empress threw you into the trash can called Dubblede.”
“So that makes you trash too.”
Marco laughed as he walked away.
My fists clenched tightly.
Back then…
I had been ignorant.
Alone.
Terrified after being abandoned.
There had been countless times when I could only bow my head in silence.
But that was before.
Now…
I had already lived through three miserable lives.
This…
Was my fourth.
Without hesitation…
I bit Marco hard on the arm.
“Argh!”
As he doubled over clutching his arm…
I immediately balled up my tiny fist.
Punch!
“Aah!”
“Aah!”
His scream echoed throughout the meeting room.
The guards and servants rushed inside in alarm.
Several people hurried to pull me away from Marco.
Before they could…
I yanked out a handful of his hair.
“What are you doing?!”
The vassals frowned at both Marco and me.
“T-That little brat suddenly attacked me…!”
Ignoring him…
I calmly pointed my finger at Marco.
“Cwome on, bwad boy!”
(“Come on, bad boy!”)
“What…?”
“He swaid Duke Dubbwlede is twash!”
(“He said Duke Dubblede is trash!”)
When I lived as a beggar…
I’d learned one important lesson.
The person who throws the first punch usually wins.
The calmer person wins the argument.
Of course…
Starting a fight in front of the Duke was reckless.
But it was still better than standing there like a fool and getting beaten without fighting back.
Still…
Something felt strange.
…Why is it so quiet?
