Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favorite

“Now, we will move directly to the capital through the magic circle.”

As soon as the wizard finished speaking, fierce light began to emanate from the magic stones installed in a hexagonal shape around him. The moment she opened her eyes wide to see the golden mana stone, her body floated in the air. She involuntarily closed her eyes at the scattering of light, and felt her heart pounding and getting hot as if it was reacting to something. Did she look at the magic circle too closely a moment ago? The magic circle was spinning in her head, and the pattern came to mind clearly. Her feet touched the ground just as he felt an insatiable thirst for something. When she opened her eyes, the scenery around her had completely changed. It was the capital of the empire, Lunderhill.

* * *

“Tsk, of course the weather.”

The Duke clicked his tongue as soon as he came out of the teleport area. Even without saying a word, the Duchess also looked disappointed. She was expecting a warm spring day, but the capital was pouring rain. Thanks to the announcement of his return in advance, servants from the Duke’s residence in the capital came to meet him with a carriage and horses. The Duchess looked at the Duke wearing a raincoat over his best-dressed uniform, and she put on a very upset expression.

“You must go on horseback? You can just take a carriage to the front of the imperial palace, drop you off, and we can go to the Duke’s residence.”

“Then I can’t make it to the entrance time. Don’t worry, get in the carriage quickly. Because it’s cold.”

On the contrary, the Duke worked hard, worrying about the Duchess’s light clothes, as if she were going to a spring outing.

‘I mean, they’re kind.’

Even though time seemed to be running out, the Duke put them in the carriage first before getting on the horses. The direction was the same, but the destination was different, so she said hello in advance because she had to part on the road without saying hello.

“See you at home.”

“Yes, please be careful.”

It’s not a special expression of affection, it’s just a casual conversation. Looking at the Duke and Duchess of Elad, for some reason, her cheeks turned red.

‘No, it’s because the carriage is too warm!’

While blaming the warming magic placed inside the wagon for no reason, the wagon started moving. It was raining, but maybe it was spring rain, so it was green and tasteful. After a while, when the carriage passed the relatively quiet entrance to the capital, a bustling street came into view. Entering a place where even the air was familiar, she felt her heart beat wildly. Terencium’s headquarters on the busiest street in the capital and the first-floor cafe were also right here. They were places she knew so well that she could walk around with her eyes closed.

‘Well, I’ve lived in the capital city for half my life.’

In the past, after Duke Elad left, she and the children from the orphanage went down to the village. However, the small remote village had nothing to share with the orphans who suddenly arrived. In the end, she started living on the streets, walking and walking, hoping that life would be better if she went to the capital city, the largest city. However, even in the capital, there were not many places where children who were no different from street children could stay. Naturally, she joined a beggar group and begged, living a precarious life between legal and illegal. She was small and didn’t know how to do anything. She wasn’t even pretty, so she didn’t receive alms properly, so she hated the children even more. Still, she never thought of leaving the group. It was because she felt like she was going to starve to death by myself.

‘I wasn’t mistaken.’

The day she reached her limit. The first day she thought she’d rather die. On that day when the rain poured down, she impulsively left the group and collapsed on the street. There was no one to help. If she hadn’t been picked up by the Master then, she would have really died. In a moment of strange remorse, the carriage passed a huge arched bridge. As soon as she did, she saw the huge golden palace located in the center of the capital in the distance. The higher-ranking nobles were closer to the imperial palace and the mansion, and the Duke Elad’s residence was especially close to the imperial palace. Unlike Diana, who had never left the manor, Allen raised his voice, telling Diana that she would arrive soon, no matter how many times she had been to the Duke of the Capital.

“…”

For some reason, cold sweat broke out on her palms. To be honest, she didn’t expect to use the teleport, so she knew there would be a few more days at the end. 

‘Although I thought I had already made enough mental preparations.’

Unlike when she was confidently planning to practice spiritual practice, her physical condition was a little strange. And when the blue roof finally started to come into view.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

The front door opened wide as if waiting for the carriage to be seen. As it was, the carriage they rode passed through the maze garden of the Duke’s residence and stopped in front of the wolf statue. She was at least relieved when she got off the carriage. Because the rain had put a haze in it, blurring the spire where she died. As she hurriedly entered the courtyard of the main building to avoid the rain, she saw the workers waiting in line. Behind it was a huge spiral staircase, a high ceiling that made you almost have to bend your neck to look up, and an imposing pillar supporting it. And the inside of the mansion filled with golden chandeliers, antique furniture, and paintings caught her eye.

‘This place is the same as my memory.’

Although she had gotten used to the Duchy of the Territory, this was the home of the Duke of Elad that she had known so far. Before her last mission, where she was commissioned to infiltrate Diana’s birthday party, she visited the place only once, but the memory was clear. Even though it was 10 years from now, the atmosphere of the mansion was almost the same, perhaps thanks to the well-maintained property.

“Are you here, ma’am?”

At that time, the old butler, who was standing at the head of the servants, bent down with a flushed face.

“Albert, long time no see.”

“Yes. Welcome, madam.”

The Duchess smiled faintly at his greeting. From the face of the old butler in charge of the Duke’s residence in the capital, it was felt that he was sincerely waiting for the hostess, the Duchess.

It was the moment when she looked carefully at that expression. She startled and looked at the woman standing upright behind her butler. For some reason, she sensed hostility toward the Duchess from the woman.

‘No way, it must be an illusion.’

She must have felt that way because his expression was so stiff. Occupational diseases from the past keep popping up and trying to figure out and judge people. Thinking it was never a good habit, she shook her head inwardly, but the butler suddenly called out in a loud voice.

“Ah! This is Lady Diana. You look exactly like our master.”

He briefly greeted Allen as if he was already familiar with him, holding Allen’s hand and looking at Diana looking around, admiring her elongation. At those words, the gaze of the woman standing behind the butler also reached Diana.

“My lady, nice to meet you. My name is Albert, the butler in charge of the Duke’s residence in the capital.”

The old butler smiled kindly and bent his knees. The woman also took a step closer and bowed her back.

“Nice to meet you, lady. This is your maid-in-waiting…”

“Huh!”

Then, suddenly, Diana burst into tears. The servants who were paying attention to the new lady to serve were surprised and did not know what to do.

“Diana?”

The Duchess too, as if embarrassed, opened her eyes wide and soothed Diana. She ran to Lia and hugged her as if running away.

“She is not a child who cries easily.”

The Duchess, who had been speaking with her embarrassed face, looked at Diana with embarrassment and called Allen.

“Allen, take Diana and go up first.”

“Huh? Huh!”

Allen nodded his head, and the butler quickly took the lead.

“I’ve decorated a new room for you, so I’ll show you around.”

And, of course, the Duchess caught Lia trying to follow the children.

“Lia, you stay here for a while.”

She tilted her head. Even for the sake of the crying Diana, she would have to go with her. Allen also had a puzzled look on his face, but he seemed to think that Diana was his priority.

When the two children and the butler disappeared, the Duchess told the woman who introduced herself as her maid of honor.

“Helen, long time no see.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you always for taking good care of the Duke’s house.”

“I was just doing my job.”

The Duchess smiled awkwardly at her straight back stiff reply.

“In the meantime, Helen was there, so she could be trusted. Speaking of which, this child is Lia… No Lia, what’s wrong with your face?”

The Duchess was taken aback when she saw Lia’s face, and she asked. Lia didn’t know why, so she touched her own face.

“Your face is white. From what I’ve seen before, it doesn’t seem to be motion sickness. Could it be that your condition has deteriorated since you first used teleport?”

Occasionally, she said, worryingly, that there were people who reacted negatively to receiving such a large wave of magic power suddenly, and that Diana might have cried because of that too. But aside from the tension, she was in the best condition of her body. Thanks to her sensitive ears, she heard everything.

“Who is that kid? She even used teleport to come with the madam?”

“She is dressed as a maid…”

“Did you see the young lady hugging her?”

The voices of the maids whispered very quietly from the moment they entered the Duke’s residence. Lia could hear it so clearly in her ears, but the Duchess was preoccupied with examining her body.

“…Madam, I’m fine. I guess it’s because I’m a little nervous.”

She struggled and pretended nothing was wrong. The Duchess affectionately stroked her hair, as if understanding. Then, the curiosity and vigilant gaze grew stronger.

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Translator Note:

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