Fortunately, I was not an ordinary 8-year-old, and I was used to this look, so I laughed awkwardly to let go of my guard.
However, the reaction seemed to have stimulated Allen.
“Why are you sitting there?”
“Allen.”
“I don’t want to eat with her!”
Despite the Duchess’ soothing voice, Allen rose from his seat with a hint of contempt.
‘I thought he wouldn’t spit on a smiling face.’
At that moment, I regretted not even pretending to notice, thinking that this would happen. But soon Diana shouted, “Don’t bully!” and my head turned pale.
Allen must have felt deeply betrayed by Diana, who had repeatedly sided with me.
However, after looking at Diana with hurt eyes for a while, Allen frowned and glared at me terribly.
And without a moment to hold on, he spurred on and left.
“I’m sorry. He’s just shy around new people. He’s still young.”
Allen’s departure seemed to be my fault, and I felt down, but the Duchess spoke softly to comfort me.
And then, I heard all the unknown aspects of the Sword Master that would surprise the Empire later on, such as Allen’s unbalanced diet of vegetables and the attachment doll he slept with even though he was 10 years old.
‘If he had held it in a bit, he wouldn’t have been talked to like this.’
You left your seat because you didn’t want to eat with me and found out about this shame.
I silently expressed my condolences to Allen.
***
“I don’t know why I feel so dirty.”
As if he wouldn’t look back, Allen, who came out of the greenhouse and walked around, frowned.
And with eyes dripping with regret, he looked toward the greenhouse.
I thought my cute younger sister would chase after me, saying “Brother!” If I left like this, angry.
But she didn’t come after me.
Only the cold winter wind followed behind him.
Whi-ing.
Suddenly, feelings of injustice and disappointment overwhelmed me.
‘How anxiously I have been waiting for the past week.’
Allen regretted going outside because he couldn’t refuse his younger sister’s cuteness, who wanted to attend the festival, regretted going out.
Was it the problem that I was conceited about my skills, which the knights praised so much?
Or was it because I trusted the secret Knight too much?
While his father, the Duke of Elard, was trying to find Diana with the Lexion Knights, Allen also wanted to search for Diana, but there was nothing he could do as a young child.
It was to the point of envying my older brother, who couldn’t come because he was attending an academy in the capital.
Unable to do this or that, he was imprisoned in the duchy, blaming himself all the time and praying for Diana’s safe return. He couldn’t eat or sleep properly and kept going.
She was his little sister whom he had finally met after what felt like ten years in just one week.
He checked Diana’s face with the fear that she might blame him for losing her, but fortunately, there was no sign of resentment in his youngest sister’s eyes.
But…
“There’s something like a beggar sticking to her.”
The child that Diana followed cutely was unworthy in his eyes.
According to my father’s words, the child supposedly took care of Diana at the daycare center. Although I thought I should be grateful in my head, I couldn’t help but feel angry and unable to accept it easily.
“She’s not someone who easily gives her heart away,”
I wonder how difficult her life must have been for her to follow someone just for a moment of kindness.
Thinking about that, I was so tormented by the thought of letting go of Diana’s hand and losing her that it was enough to make me want to die.
And I didn’t like the kid who kept reminding me of my guilt.
It was also disgusting for her to monopolize Diana’s attention and love.
Growl
As Allen clenched his fist, revealing his resentment towards Lia, a loud growl echoed from his stomach.
“… Damn it.”
Before finding Diana, Allen had put off eating together, but now he was willing to eat with her.
Blushing with embarrassment, Allen looked back towards the greenhouse.
“…”
While growing up, he was very hungry.
***
On the table set with clean white tablecloths, gorgeous flower decorations, gold candlesticks, and gold utensils, steaming, appetizing dishes began to be prepared.
I gaped in amazement at the steak, which seemed to be bigger than five of my little palms put together.
“Kkochi!”
T/N: its skewers ‘meat on a stick.
As Diana clapped and shouted, the Duchess gave a small smile and cut up the meat to eat, putting it on Diana and my plate.
At that moment of awkward consideration, a piece of meat slipped into my mouth.
It was offered to me by Diana, who was sitting next to me.
Reflexively, I started to chew the large piece of meat that had entered my mouth, savoring the soft texture and juicy flavor that filled my mouth.
‘Huh. This taste like heaven!’
Was just as good as the restaurant in the capital city that the Master had taken me to after I completed my first mission. My face naturally softened with pleasure.
Even though it was strange that so much food was placed only in front of me again today…
The food was so delicious that I couldn’t continue my thoughts for long.
As I eagerly swallowed everything that Diana and the Duchess offered me, my stomach suddenly groaned as if it was about to burst.
I had never eaten until I was full before, not even during my time in the orphanage or when I was living on the streets trying to make ends meet. I had always been undernourished, which resulted in poor digestion.
Even as an adult, I tended to have an upset stomach if I ate too much at once, so I never indulged in gluttony.
But as a child, it seemed that my body couldn’t regulate my appetite properly in the face of delicious food.
On the first day, as I worried about what would happen if I overate, the Duchess, who had been helping Diana with her meal, looked at me with a puzzled expression when I put down my fork.
“Why so soon?”
“I’m full.”
“Oh my. You haven’t even eaten half of Diana’s food yet.”
At those words, I looked at Diana.
Grease glistened around Diana’s lips as she held a chicken leg the size of her face in her hand and eagerly bit off and tasted it.
Although I felt it a little bit in the orphanage, Diana was a huge eater for her age.
“Eat more!”
“Yeah, you’re so small, so eat a little more. And then you can catch up with Diana.”
I flinched at the Duchess’s teasing.
It was too vivid to brush it off as a joke.
‘Even though she was 14, Diana was tall and slender like her older brothers.’
The last Diana I saw, even as an adult, was taller than I, who was very small.
‘If I eat well from now on, will I be able to grow a little taller?’
I thought about that for a while, but it seemed like I couldn’t eat anymore right now.
After thinking about it, I finally carefully put the fork down, and the Duchess said with a regretful expression.
“You can still eat dessert, right?” The Duchess asked.
“Yes?”
“There’s a separate stomach for dessert!”
Looking at her mischievous smile, I nodded my head without thinking.
A fruit tart, seemingly large enough to stretch both arms out and still not reach the edges, was prepared.
Various fruits, looking fresh even in the winter, were neatly arranged on top of the tart that was baked to perfection.
‘I thought I had seen a lot of desserts when I was in the guild, but this is beyond my expectations.’
My mouth gaped open at the size and visual that exceeded my expectations.
“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste, but our chef prepared his specialty dish,” said the Duchess, placing a plate of sliced tart in front of me.
Even though my stomach was already full and there seemed to be no room left, my mouth started to water strangely.
Almost unconsciously, I took a bite, and the crust was crispy, the filling was chewy, and the fruity flavor filled my mouth with freshness.
It was so soft and sweet that my tongue felt numb.
But what was even sweeter was the sight of the Duchess and Diana looking at me.
”I’m happy,’ I thought.
It feels like someone is tickling my heart.
I looked down with a bashful feeling and thought to myself.
I wondered if I could be this happy from the first day I barely followed Diana.
If it were in the past, we would have been going down to the village with the children, trembling in fear, without even being able to get food from a messed-up orphanage like now.
So this moment felt like a dream.
It was a dream that I never wanted to wake up from, more than going back to the past.
***
A few days have passed since Lia entered the duke’s mansion.
During that time, Lia suffered a serious illness.
After returning, she met Diana immediately, and the tension she had been feeling while waiting for Duke Elard to arrive was relieved.
She threw up everything she had eaten that day and had a high fever in her small body.
The Duchess was worried about what would happen to the child who took care of her daughter.
Furthermore, Diana also did not leave Lia alone for a moment.
Thanks to the care and attention of the Duchess and Diana, all the servants in the mansion also wished for Lia’s speedy recovery.
Perhaps due to everyone’s sincere care, Lia finally opened her eyes one morning.
“…!”
Lia enjoyed the soft bed and the smooth touch of the blanket as she tossed and turned, then suddenly regained consciousness.
Looking around at the unfamiliar ceiling and wallpaper, wide-eyed Lia realized that this was the room she had been assigned on her first day at the Duke’s estate.
It would have been sufficient as a servant’s quarters.
After a satisfying dinner on her first day, the duchess personally took her hand and led her to this guest room.
Lia was a little dazed, but feeling full and sleepy, she lay down to rest for a moment. However, she suddenly twisted in pain.
Lia’s face turned pale as she recalled that she had finally vomited up all the food.
“Wh-what should I do!” she cried.
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
Next chapter will be released tomorrow. To read chapters in advance support us on Patreon!!
