6
As I entered the dining room, a rich, sweet, and intoxicating aroma greeted my nose.
*Sniff, sniff.* Lephonia’s eyes darted around on their own. Food so extravagant it looked like it might break the table was being laid out without pause.
In truth, I hadn’t had a proper meal in the few days since I’d been trapped in this child’s body.
Lephonia swallowed hard.
‘Is this how the Duchy eats every meal? It’s even more luxurious than other noble houses.’
The Duke carefully seated Lephonia right next to the head of the table. The plush cushion made sure her bottom didn’t hurt at all.
“There, that is your seat from now on, Lephonia.”
Food glistening with juices caught my eye.
“Eat comfortably.”
Seeing the mountain of food and the seat right next to the head of the table, I thought I understood.
‘He’s trying to find fault so he can break me in early.’
Nobles care deeply about the eyes of others. They believe that if someone finds a flaw in them, their reputation and honor will crumble.
‘I’ve been learning this since I was six.’
Having been taught by the Pope for years, this level of scrutiny was nothing.
Ignoring the burdensome gaze of the Duke pouring down from the side, Lephonia slowly picked up the cutlery appropriate for the food.
She cut the food into elegant, bite-sized pieces without making a sound, placed them in her mouth, and ate with perfect etiquette.
A quick glance showed the Duke’s face had stiffened.
He must be surprised that I was so perfect.
“Who left a knife at Lephonia’s seat?”
Huh?
“A five-year-old child is cutting meat with a knife.”
A murderous aura flared.
In an instant, the atmosphere froze solid.
Lephonia cautiously lowered the knife she had been holding.
‘Is that not it?’
Why is this so difficult?
As soon as Lephonia set it down, the Duke of Kreitan swept the dangerous adult-sized cutlery aside.
“Bring a child’s fork at once.”
At his low voice, a servant hurriedly brought new utensils.
*Peep, peep.*
A small fork with a chick drawn on it.
“…….”
Only then did the Duke heave a sigh of relief and cut all of Lephonia’s food into small, bite-sized pieces.
“You must eat plenty of meat to grow tall.”
No, you have to eat a balanced diet to grow tall.
“If you eat pieces that are too big, they might get stuck in your throat, so chew thoroughly.”
I’m chewing with my teeth, not my gums, so why would it get stuck?
“Now, like this, poke the food so it doesn’t run away.”
The Duke of Kreitan poked a tiny piece of meat with his fork. Then, he stared at Lephonia.
‘Is he telling me to copy him right now?’
He looked like he would keep staring until I followed suit, so Lephonia picked up the *peep-peep* fork.
It was much lighter and fit in my hand better than the adult cutlery, so it wasn’t a burden.
Lephonia poked the meat.
“And pop it into your mouth—”
Following the Duke of Kreitan, I put the meat in my mouth.
“And chew it thoroughly like this. *Nom, nom, nom.*”
He was chewing audibly.
He was even showing his teeth, teaching me how to chew with *nom, nom, nom*.
“…….”
Thinking he would keep going until I followed suit, Lephonia eventually mimicked him and chewed the meat with *nyang, nyang, nyang*.
‘The noble etiquette I learned wasn’t like this…….’
Did I learn it correctly?
Everything I’ve learned so far is becoming useless.
Lephonia’s pupils trembled.
“Well done. I fed my sons like this, too.”
On this dining table, the noble etiquette Lephonia had learned had long since vanished.
“Now, drink some water… Wait. The water is too cold. Who poured cold water at Lephonia’s seat? Do they not know that drinking water this cold can cause an upset stomach?”
Lephonia stared into space without realizing it.
‘Did they say the second son wasn’t returning from the academy?’
I wonder if this is the reason.
Lephonia filled her stomach diligently with the *peep-peep* fork.
* * *
Only after the meal was finished and even dessert had been polished off did the Duke get to the main point.
“I plan to submit these adoption papers to the Imperial Palace tomorrow.”
The Duke of Kreitan shook the adoption papers, which had all the personal details filled out.
It would be complete once the child to be adopted—Lephonia—signed at the bottom.
The way nobles adopted children was simple. If there was a child they wanted to adopt, they simply filled out the papers with the child’s details, had the child sign them, and submitted them to the Imperial Palace.
Adoption papers were imbued with magic, making them impossible to tear or destroy carelessly.
Once signed, the child officially became a member of the family.
Since adoption was easy, the method for annulment was just as simple.
You simply filled out annulment papers with the child’s details and submitted them to the Imperial Palace, and that was that.
That was why, even when Lephonia was at the orphanage, there were many children who were adopted and returned frequently.
Either way, the other side held all the cards.
“Do you have any questions?”
“No.”
The Duke of Kreitan’s brow furrowed. Lephonia lowered her gaze from the Duke and used her fork to scrape up the cake cream left on the bottom of the empty plate.
“You have no questions?”
“Why?”
Lephonia set her fork down on the empty plate and asked in a flat voice.
“Do you think you’ll regret it?”
The Duke’s face crumpled as if he’d heard an absurd question.
At the same time, every employee in the dining room stared at Lephonia.
“If you think you’ll regret it, you don’t have to adopt me.”
Lephonia thought for a moment before continuing.
“But I have nowhere else to go right now. You don’t have to adopt me, so just let me eat and sleep in the mansion. I’ll work in exchange.”
Either way, what mattered wasn’t the adoption, but being in this mansion.
“Lephonia.”
The Duke of Kreitan gestured. A butler immediately brought a fresh cake and set it down in front of Lephonia.
‘Ah.’
I was told that scraping the bottom of a plate was something uneducated people did.
Lephonia’s face turned red as she became conscious of her actions.
“I was the one who brought you here, and I was the one who said I would adopt you as my daughter first.”
“…….”
“And yet, you ask if I’ll regret it? No. I should be asking you, Lephonia.”
“Huh?”
“The situation was what it was earlier, so you might have made a hasty choice out of surprise, but now that you’ve calmed down, I’m asking again. Because even when you grow up, you will still have the memory of today.”
The Duke of Kreitan, who had been observing Lephonia, picked up a fork. Then, just as Lephonia had done a moment ago, he scraped the cake cream off the bottom of the plate and put it in his mouth.
Even though there was still cake left on the plate, he did it anyway.
“Ugh, sweet.”
His face crumpled as if he hated the sweetness. Seeing a man as large as a mountain acting like he was dying over a bit of cake cream was so funny that Lephonia almost laughed.
*When you grow up later.*
He meant that even after being annulled, I would still remember today, so was I sure?
“I’m fine, too.”
Lephonia reached out her small hand. The Duke of Kreitan handed over the papers.
“I know all that. I’ve already prepared myself.”
I saw the knife the Duke of Kreitan had cleared away to the corner.
Lephonia hopped down from the high chair with difficulty. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed the knife that had been left in the corner.
*Slash—!*
Before anyone could stop her, Lephonia sliced her finger with the knife. Her skin tore, and red blood flowed out.
“Lephonia!”
The startled Duke of Kreitan jumped up from his seat and rushed over.
“I’m fine.”
Lephonia replied nonchalantly to the surrounding fuss and pressed her bleeding finger onto the bottom of the papers.
Staining it with blood was a way to show trust, signifying that one had staked their life on the choice.
I wanted to clearly show the Duke of Kreitan that I would not regret this choice.
“There, now if you submit this to the Imperial Palace tomorrow—”
“Call a doctor! Right now!”
Without even taking the papers Lephonia held out, the Duke of Kreitan wrapped her bleeding finger in a handkerchief.
“Huh?”
Lephonia blinked in confusion.
It was just a tiny skin wound that was bleeding, so why call a doctor?
Even when I was hurt much worse, I’d never had a doctor called.
Everyone always said it would be better after a night’s sleep, and in reality, the pain would dull by the time I woke up.
“It’ll just get better if I sleep.”
“Who says such nonsense?”
The Duke of Kreitan said firmly, his face full of anger.
“How could a wound get better just by sleeping? If you don’t treat it properly, it will leave a scar.”
A scar? Had I ever worried about scars?
“Even a small wound must be shown to a doctor. There is no such thing as a wound that heals just by sleeping. Do you understand?”
“Uh, uh?”
“This is the rule of the Kreitan family.”
The butler looked at the Duke as if asking what he meant, but then, feeling Lephonia’s gaze, he hurriedly nodded with a smile.
“It is the truth.”
“Now that you’ve become my daughter, Lephonia, you must follow the rules of the Kreitan family, too.”
Lephonia nodded in a daze. In the meantime, the doctor residing in the family had arrived.
“I will examine the wound… gasp.”
The doctor, who had approached closely, saw Lephonia’s face and gasped.
‘Why is he like that?’
Lephonia tilted her head. Was that doctor also surprised by a wound of this size?
“Duchess…”
Just as the doctor was about to say something, the butler hurriedly grabbed the doctor’s arm.
“Pull yourself together. The Lady has been injured, so treat her.”
The butler ordered the doctor in a stern voice. The doctor, who had been looking at Lephonia with a dazed expression, nodded and approached.
“Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. May I examine the wound?”
The Duke nodded and slowly let go of Lephonia’s hand. Her delicate skin had been slightly torn by the knife. It wasn’t a large wound.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Lephonia stared straight at her bleeding wound.
“Just disinfect it and apply some ointment.”
“The Lady is very brave. The young masters cried a lot when they saw their wounds when they were young.”
“It’s not that big of a wound…”
“Lady. Regardless of the size of the wound, you must cherish your body.”
At the doctor’s words, the butler, the maid, and the Duke all nodded.
‘What on earth is this mansion?’
To make such a fuss over a mere finger wound.
“Ponya.”
A gruff voice uttered a cute word.
‘Is he calling me right now?’
Lephonia turned her head.
“If it hurts, tell me. I will blow a breath of healing on it.”
“…What is that?”
Is the Duke of Kreitan an Aura user, so he can handle the wind, too?
“Hoo.”
The Duke, who had pursed his lips into a circle, blew a *hoo* breath of wind onto her finger.
“…….”
Could it be that the people in this mansion have some issues?
* * *
Academy dormitory.
“Father did what?”
The man who read the letter that had arrived from the butler sneered as if it were absurd.
“Has he already lost his mind?”
The letter in his hand was crumpled violently.
The content written in the letter was concise.
It was the news that his father, the Duke of Kreitan, had adopted a daughter.
"What kind of con artist managed to sweet-talk Father?"
The man swept his silver hair back and let out a dry laugh. He was a troublemaker known as a "fossil" at the academy, a student who had been taking graduation exams for three years running but never actually graduated, lingering in the halls like a ghost. He was the reckless second son of the Duke of Kreitan.
"Looks like I’ll have to head home."
Pretes Kreitan rose from his seat.
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