Chapter 11: 11

Loretta never once doubted that she was the Duke’s daughter.

“But… even if you say that, no one will believe you, young lady.”

“You know? The high priest in the temple must acknowledge you as the duke’s daughter for you to become the real duke’s daughter.”

Loretta tilted her head at her words. Loretta was originally the Duke’s daughter, but the priest said that she had to do that in order to become the Duke’s real daughter. Isn’t it strange?

“Hmm… I don’t get it. Sowwy.”

Alta just let out a long sigh after Loretta apologized. It was a bit too complicated for a child to understand.

“No, that’s fine. I’d rather get more information from the Duke instead and know for certain.”

“Why?”

“Oh my gosh, so the Duke soon won’t have to wonder if this girl is a real daughter or a fake one! When we come to a conclusion somehow, we can relax a little more.”

“Loretta is the Duke’s daughter…”

Loretta answered gloomily, and the woman continued her teaching sermon.

“Anyway, be kind to the Duke, act cute, and be cheerful as much as possible. Who would love a daughter that only sits around like a stiff young lady?”

When Loretta blinked with a look of uncertainty, Alta decided to change her strategy a bit.

“This is for your sake young lady, because if you don’t get proof that you’re the real daughter, Melody, the person you like the most, will be in danger.”

“Melody?”

At last, the little girl showed proper interest, and the maid smiled slightly.

“If this continues, Miss Melody may get thrown in prison. All those other people who brought children to the Duke in the past have ended up like that.”

“……”

Loretta knew what a prison was. Her storybook said that it was a place where bad people go to be punished. A dark shadow was cast on her small face.

“So, the young lady has to be recognized as the Duke’s daughter as soon as possible. For the sake of Miss Melody as well.”

“I’ll give you another reason to think about. If you become a real daughter, you can use the princess’s room on the second floor. That is the prettiest and most colorful room in the mansion.”

Of course, the maid had never even entered the room. She didn’t even know what the general shape of the room was, because only some selected servants and the Duke’s family have access to the rooms on the second floor.

“If the lady goes to the second floor, I’ll go with you, wouldn’t that be really good?”

“It’s good?”

“Of course!”

It was a great honor for a servant to serve their masters personally. To become such a servant, many people work hard to change their physique and acquire knowledge, but few actually achieve their dreams. It would only be possible if you get the attention of your master and gain their trust.

“Please become a real Duke’s daughter as soon as possible, even if just for me and Miss Melody. Do you understand?”

Loretta nodded at Alta’s words. She didn’t know anything else, just that she had said it was for Melody.

Duke Valdwin only came back to the mansion at the start of the moonlit night. The butler greeted him and he looked around the quiet interior of the mansion for a moment.

“It has changed for the better.”

He nodded slightly, and the butler leaned down to answer.

“Yes, as the Duke ordered, all fragile or sharp objects have been put away.”

The first floor of the peacock house is a place where guests constantly come and go, and it was usually decorated with various artworks. However, some of them could be easily broken or they were sharp enough to hurt someone.

His sons seldom stayed on the first floor, and even if they did, there was no risk of injury because they were educated not to touch the ornaments. However, he was somewhat concerned about the two girls because they had a cute talent for turning anything in their sight into toys.

“What is the answer from the temple side today?”

“My apologies. The only answer was that the high priest was busy.”

“I can see what the priests think of us.”

The Duke was being ridiculed. He had no intention of leaving Loretta in an ambiguous position no matter how busy he might be. It was also an important matter for his other children.

However, the temple seems to have a different idea. No matter how urgently the Duke’s family contacted them about the issue, they made various excuses and did not set a proper timetable. It was a childish act that was nothing more than a cheap battle of endurance.

The Emperor and the high priest of the temple have always kept each other in check, and the Duke is the closest vassal to the emperor. The temple must have enjoyed the appearance of the duke, who returned several times, bowing before them and saying, ‘Prove that this is my daughter.’

The ‘anonymous donation’ he gave should have been satisfactory,

“If all they want is money, give them more.”

The butler was startled at the Duke’s order. In fact, until now, he had never tried to schedule a visit to the temple so desperately.

“Yes, I understand.”

But the butler did not reveal his feelings as much as possible and just responded calmly. He just added one suggestion.

“Duke. Would you like to meet the two girls for a moment before you go to your office?”

“At this hour?”

“It’s not even nine o’clock yet, so Miss Melody will be reading Miss Loretta a children’s book. They get along so well that her smile never disappears when they are together.”

The Duke remembered what Melody had said after hearing the butler’s words.

「I am strong and I cook. I can read a little bit, and I get along well with the villagers.」

It was enough of her to know how to read a children’s book, but it seems like she doesn’t know how to write.

He wanted to take a sneak peek to hear her read, but he shook his head. Everything was still uncertain. He didn’t know if his ambiguous actions would cause the children to be exposed to dangers. Moreover, Melody seemed to be completely convinced that Loretta was his daughter.

…Children are innocent.

“I won’t.”

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The butler was surprised by his unexpected answer and opened his mouth slightly, but he didn’t correct the Duke’s words.

Around the same time, Melody went to bed together in Loretta’s room. Even on a large bed, the children would sleep close enough to each other’s shoulders. There was one rule between the two of them: to keep your eyes and mouth shut when sleeping. If you don’t, they would probably play together until the sun rises in the morning.

However, on a very rare occasion like today, Loretta broke her rules and opened her mouth.

“Merody… you know.”

She hesitated slightly, as if she was worrying about something. Melody closed her eyes and quietly gave her permission to continue.

“How do act pretty?”

“Oh?”

Melody also broke her promise because of her unexpected question and opened her eyes.

“Act pretty?”

“Ugh. Doing pretty acts like aegyo.”

Loretta and Melody turned and looked at each other. When their eyes met, Melody stopped laughing. It was because Loretta, who stared at her asking how to act pretty, looked so lovely.

As Melody didn’t answer and just smiled to herself, Loretta grabbed her sleeve and pulled her with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

“Melody smiles alone, you’re too much.”

“Chuckle, okay. Okay, I’ll tell you how. Get up.”

“Hmm!”

The two children sat facing each other on the bed. Loretta added more determination to her gaze and listened to the ‘pretty acts’ that Melody would teach her.

“You have to inhale first. Like this, inhale.”

Loretta, following Melody’s words, inhaled until her stomach was full. Soon, Melody exhaled and Loretta followed her. While she was looking forward to asking her ‘What’s next?’ Melody then patted her head saying ‘Good job’.

“Anything pretty?”

When are you going to teach me? When Loretta asked, Melody shrugged and answered.

“I just told you how.”

“Loretta was only breathing.”

“Hmm, that’s right, Loretta is pretty even when she’s just breathing.”

Melody can testify to that, so she kissed the little girl’s forehead.

“Look, you’re so pretty that I want to kiss you.”

“Hmm.”

Normally when Melody did this, Loretta would laugh saying that her forehead tickles, but she only mumbled under her breath this time. Did something happen? Melody was about to carefully ask when Loretta grabbed the chance to ask a question instead.

“Do you think…… do you think the Duke also likes Loretta just breathing?”

Does that mean that the Duke will like Loretta’s ‘pretty act’? He instinctively is a fool for his daughter naturally, so he will like it enough to faint.

“Why did you ask about the Duke all of a sudden?”

Loretta hesitated for a moment at Melody’s question, but soon confessed what had happened during the day. Some of the maid’s words were transformed into Loretta’s words, but it wasn’t difficult to understand.

“……Loretta.”

“Loretta wanted to become the Duke’s real daughter, that’s why.”

Loretta remembered what the maid had said during the day. That the real duke’s daughter could use the prettiest room. But the child’s wish was far from that.

「Because Melody, the person you like the most, is in danger. 」

She didn’t want Melody to be in danger, that’s all. In fact, she was scared all day. Loretta was afraid that the person she liked the most would go to jail.

“…to act prettily to the Duke, yes! A lot!”

Are you a little excited? The urgent little voice could only shout out some bizarre words. But it was enough for Melody to feel Loretta’s sincerity.

“Loretta.”

Melody called out to the child in a calm voice, then gently stroked her hair, which was rustling slightly. After interacting in that gentle way a little longer, the excited child’s face slowly calmed down.

“Thank you for telling me everything.”

“Hmm.”

Melody uncomfortably laughed a little out of pain. Because she remembered a moment she didn’t want to recall.

「Please love me, Mom. 」

How old was she at that time? Maybe it was when she was Loretta’s age or a little older than the current Loretta. The time she spent trying hard to win over her mother’s attention through aegyo…. However, you can’t hold one’s heart forever through aegyo or acting pretty.

At that time Melody was happy with the smile that was given in return to her immediately, but that was the only time. The bubble of interest her Mom had for her would burst and disappear without a trace soon after.

“This is… a bit unnecessary.”

Melody hesitated because she didn’t know if it was okay to say this kind of thing to Loretta, who was still young.

“I think you don’t need the kind of affection you will get in return for acting cute or pretty.”

Melody looked at Loretta’s expression quietly. It felt like Loretta was still thinking about something.

“Ugh…… but Loretta wanted to be kind with the Duke…. What should I do?”

“K-kind?”

Melody asked with a little surprise.

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