The Duchess stuck her tongue out.
‘I thought she was cute because she was going to be my daughter and family. The young one is fearless. This is why the child must grow up under her parents.’
She regained her senses and scolded her Grand Princess step by step.
“Grand Princess, you may not know that you are still young, but the Grand Duke must not marry a witch. Reality is not a fairy tale. Even in fairy tales, witches are just villains.”
“My brother’s marriage is a matter for him to take care of himself. Why is the Duchess, a complete stranger, coming forward?”
“I’m saying this because I’m worried because you’re blind. She is a witch and he is a Grand Duke. She is on her way to burying the Grand Duchy’s reputation in the mud.”
The entire Grand Duchy was blinded by the witch and was unable to see the distant future.
“When this war ends and peace comes, the Grand Duchy will need political allies. What noble would take the side of a family whose mistress is a witch with an ugly past? I hope you choose a wise and rational path for you and your family’s future.”
The Grand Princess, who seemed to be listening in silence, blurted out.
“It’s disgusting.”
“…what?”
The Grand Princess said the same thing as her brother. Her brother was a Grand Duke, but she was such a young Grand Princess that she dared to say something disgusting to an adult. She was extremely arrogant.
“You pretend to serve the Grand Duke’s family, but in reality, you’re only interested in satisfying your daughter’s selfish desires. Is there anyone in the Grand Duke’s residence who doesn’t know? If you had proudly revealed your selfish desires, I would have enjoyed watching.”
“Grand Princess, as an old person in the social world, let me give you some advice. If you behave so rudely, your future in society will be difficult.”
If she didn’t listen to her words, she threatened to ruin Luna’s reputation even before she entered the social world. However, in Luna’s eyes, an adult using such a petty trick against a child just seemed ridiculous.
“I am only twelve and immature, but why don’t you have the manners of a Duchess?”
“What? Oh my goodness, Grand Princess!”
“What will the social world say if I tell them about the evil you have committed? I’m curious.”
She could just dismiss her planned rudeness as the childish behavior of a child. However, what could be said about the Duchess’s excessive interference in internal affairs?
“This is the first time in my life I’ve seen such rudeness.”
Luna cast her gaze behind the Duchess, who looked like she was about to faint at any moment, just like her daughter. She asked the princess, who had been peering out of her bedroom door a little while ago, if she had heard the commotion.
“Princess, do you know the meaning of the word uninvited guest?”
“Of course I know.”
“Then do you know the celebrant?”
Only then did Bella realize that the question wasn’t asked in disregard of her level of knowledge.
“The Monette Dukes will be the first person I ever use the word congratulatory.”
The Grand Princess snarled fiercely, like a wild beast growling, then turned around and walked away without even looking back.
“Uh, hey, Miss Lunabel… mother! Please say something!”
Once again the princess’s cries echoed through the annex. It was when she was helping Luna in the office to check if the calculations on the mansion’s expense statement from last month were correct.
“What about the jewels?”
Luna glanced at her and she asked.
“I left it back where it was?”
As soon as the princess went to the annex, all of the previous Grand Duchess’ jewelry was removed and placed in the Grand Duke’s jewelry safe. Because it was heavy and cumbersome when working.
“Isn’t this the right place?”
Luna pointed to the nape of her neck with disapproving eyes. In her eyes, she has a free nape, but in Luna’s eyes, it looks like an empty nape.
“But since I keep using Luna’s mother’s jewels, I feel like the dukedom is going over the line because I’m provoked…”
“Leave it alone. Why do we, the owners, care about the guests?”
She was at a loss for words because it was true.
“Ugh…”
All she could do was sigh.
‘At first, I wanted to be nice to you.’
When she heard about her grandmother’s tearful life as a refugee during the Korean War, she thought that the people of the Duke family would be in the same situation. So, she felt like she wanted to be nice to them, but as she watched them do it, that feeling was worn out and tattered.
‘I heard Luna had a fight with the Duchess today…’
When she heard the rumor that it happened because the Duchess was caught investigating her background, she looked at Luna’s face. Luna’s face when she’s focused and her face when she’s angry were very similar, so it’s hard to tell them apart.
‘But there’s no way she would feel okay after fighting with an adult who is her mother’s age.’
Just right. She snapped her fingers. A human-shaped cookie popped into Luna’s hand, which was holding her quill. Cookie, who climbed up the back of her tilted hand like a rock wall, waved her hand at Luna and held out her heart-shaped chocolate from behind her.
“Am I still seven years old?”
Luna giggled as she scolded her and stuffed her chocolate and cookies into her mouth. Luna’s expression brightened, so she should have been in a good mood too, but she couldn’t. It was because she realized why she had been feeling uncomfortable ever since the last tea time until today.
“Luna.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry for leaving Luna to play the villain role.”
The villain was her, the witch. She felt uncomfortable because she abandoned her role of wanting to live a good life and felt like someone else was taking on the role of a villain. However, Luna narrowed her eyes and looked at her, just like her brother did when he felt that her words were absurd.
“It’s not a villain role, it’s the role of the head of the family. I have to stay centered.”
“Wow, when did our Luna grow up this much?”
But at best, she was only twelve years old. When she was playing Luna, her only duties were going to school and doing her homework on a regular basis. But what Luna was holding in her hand right now was not an allowance slip, but an expense statement for a mansion that had hundreds of employees. Luna, who was forced to grow up because of her environment, did not fall down.
“Do you remember what I promised Luna when she was young that adults would take care of adult tasks? I’m sorry and sad that you had to step forward because you were such a bad adult.”
“Hazel is such an ugly adult.”
Luna wrinkled her nose and made her unexpected confession.
“Actually, my brother asked me to watch over Hazel.”
“Your Highness? Why?”
“Hazel is a servant with no official status, so she has no power. Because we have no choice but to look at the opinions of both the Grand Duke and the Duke. So, he said he would trust me and leave it to me.”
Her brother told her she was broken. Luna emphasized her words once again and smiled triumphantly, lifting the tip of her chin. It’s cute.
“Of course, even if my brother didn’t ask for it, this is my job as the temporary head of the family.”
“I’m glad you think so…”
Still, she was sorry. Luna seemed to have read her inner thoughts.
“If you still feel sorry for me…”
“Huh.”
“Marry my brother.”
“Huh?”
“Becoming a Grand Duchess gives you the power to protect yourself.”
She, who had been listening to Luna for the past six months as she told her to marry the Grand Duke, answered her with a humble smile like always.
‘Marriage is real.’
She was lost in thought as she looked at the + and – written on the expense statement. If you consider the Grand Duke’s profit and loss if he married her, the total would be a negative value.
“Oh, and my brother asked me to keep Hazel away from any men who show interest in her.”
She chuckled at the nonsense.
“Where is the man who shows interest in me?”
“It’s proof that I’m good at my job.”
“Huh?”
Luna smiled meaningfully and then said something else.
“So, I think the dukedom should talk to my brother and send him to the duchess’s family of origin. What do you think, Hazel?”
She shook her head.
“Isn’t it a bit much to worry about people in limbo?”
“Hmm… I guess so, right?”
In fact, kicking out the dukedom was a difficult decision for young Luna to decide on her own. It depends on your relationship with the Duke family. She may be misunderstood in the eyes of the nobles and her people as someone who cold-heartedly chases away people who have lost their homes due to war and are wandering around.
“Our lives are not in danger. It’s just that those people are an eyesore. Since Luna gave her a sharp warning, she’s going to take care of herself now.”
“That’s true, but isn’t Hazel angry at those people?”
“Well, the more twisted hatred you pour out, the worse that person becomes, not the worse I become.”
“That’s right.”
“And thanks to those people, the people of the Grand Duchy came together and took my side. It’s really reassuring. I’m so full that I don’t have to eat dinner.”
“Eat dinner. Eat three times. I don’t know when my brother will come back suddenly, and if Hazel is dry, I’ll be criticized.”
They giggled and sighed at the same time.
“I wish this war would end…”
She really missed that guy. After working in the office until late at night, she returned to her room. She washed up and lay down in bed, but she couldn’t sleep.
‘I’m definitely tired…’
In fact, one thought had been persistently floating around in her head all evening.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to talk to the Grand Duke using sensory transfer magic?’
A thought occurred to her today while she was moving cookies for the first time in a while.
‘But did the Grand Duke have an object with eyes, nose, and mouth that could transfer senses?’
As she thought about it, her portrait in the locket came to mind.
‘But…’
Even though she thought of all the ways and means, she hesitated.
‘But this is eavesdropping technology. Isn’t this an invasion of the Grand Duke’s privacy?’
However, it was dangerous for her to raise her voice as if the phone were ringing. What if he was caught because he was hiding from the enemy?
‘Then, shall we try using the hearing function first?’
But what if she eavesdropped on military secrets or very private moments?
‘Then the rocket will be closed anyway, so should I just look at it?’
She would see nothing but pitch blackness. The Grand Duke might feel his magic and know that she was casting a spell.
‘Is it okay to make the phone ring like this?’
Having solved her problem neatly, she closed her mouth, covered her ears, and recited the sensory transfer spell in her mind.
‘Necklace… My portrait in it…’
The ceiling of the bed that was in sight changed in the blink of an eye. At that moment, she made eye contact with the Grand Duke.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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