“Huh? Aaah, the one where you saved Dio? Huh, of course I remember it all, even though you were wearing a mask, and your eyes are the same, but… you had blonde hair then, didn’t you?”
It seems that children’s memories can sometimes surpass those of adults.
When Ethan blinked in confusion, Dioana smiled broadly.
“I know, it’s a secret.”
“…Dioana.”
“But you dyed your hair now. It looks a bit dull, so you should go blonde on the inside, Puffy.”
Dioana giggled as she watched Ethan fiddle with her hair.
“I like Puffy. Do you like me?”
“Of course. You’re the reason I’m here, Dioana.”
“But Puffy is better with my aunt.”
“What?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I know all about that.”
“…What?”
I was beginning to feel a little uneasy, wondering if Sir Russell had been talking to Dioana.
“Puffy, you fell in love with my aunt at first sight, that’s why you chased after her.”
“Ah….”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, you can tell me everything. I’m the puppy’s owner, so tell me. Do you have a crush on my aunt?”
Ethan seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled brightly and nodded.
Then Dioana clapped excitedly.
“Puffy would be a good match for my aunt. I’ve spied on all the men who would be her husband, and they’re all so bland, and they’re all so unattractive. It’s like they’re only looking at her money.”
“But, Dioana, they’re all noblemen. Don’t you think I, a slave, am after the Archduke’s money?”
I thought I’d scare her off.
Inwardly, Ethan regretted what he’d said, but the response was quite surprising.
“No? Dio can definitely tell, you know, because all the other uncles just look at my Auntie body, or they’re just looking around the castle, but Puffy looks my Auntie in the eye and talks to her.”
In the meantime, men who wanted to marry into the Steren family had to do one of two things.
Either they were lustful, dazzled by Daphne’s sensuous body and beauty, or they were greedy, coveting the great castle of Steren, its inexhaustible riches, and the power of the great northern province of Changeling back.
He could see it in young Dioana’s eyes.
“I noticed it, too, but auntie didn’t tell me, which is why she turned them all down.”
“Well, to be honest, it’s not as if the Archduke couldn’t marry, she just didn’t.”
“That’s right, that’s right, you do know something, don’t you, Puffy, so don’t worry about it from now on.”
At the sudden reassurance, Ethan tilted his head and stared at the child as if he didn’t understand.
Dioana gave me a proud look as she thumped her fist against my left breast, as if to say, “Trust me.”
“Trust me, Puffy.”
“What?”
“That I’ll make things right between my aunt and you. There’s a way.”
“No, you don’t have to go that far….”
“My aunt loves Dio the most, and she listens to everything she says. I’m not asking her to go out with you, I’m just helping her out a little bit, and if you two see eye to eye, it’s your business.”
At Dioana’s words, which sounded like a possible second life, Ethan paused, then asked.
“Master, how on earth do you know how to do that?”
“Children are taught these days, even things like this.”
Dio’s nostrils flared with respect.
Dio’s ‘training’ was through romance novels, which were exploding in popularity among young women.
They’re usually only available to adult women, but occasionally they’re published at full price.
She was first introduced to romance novels by her maids. They were caught reading them in secret by Dioana.
Dioana had learnt the word confiscation somewhere and had been waiting for the right moment to use it.
“I won’t tell my aunt. But you’ll have to do one thing instead.”
That’s how the romance novel ended up in Dioana’s hands, and alas, Dioana was a curious child.
In fact, romance novels were all the rage among the young and the young at heart.
Daphne, worried that her niece might already be addicted to romance novels and dreams of love in vain, had brought in no romance novels, only childish fairy tales and classical literature.
“Romance novels? They’re all fantasies, Dioana. Forbidden love and all that nonsense.”
“But Mum and Dad loved each other!”
“That’s what I’ll make them do, ah, ah, ah, ah. Reality and imagination are different. I’ll buy you a book when you’re old enough to read. You’re too young now!”
“Aaaah!”
“Ugh. Fictional romance might give kids the wrong idea of romance.”
As luck would have it, the romance novel Dio confiscated was a whole new world.
No more fairy tales about knights and princes rescuing princesses locked in towers for a hundred days and a thousand nights, this is real grown-up love!
Sometimes she would ask the maids if she didn’t understand a word.
The maids were not supposed to do this, but later, along with Dioana, they were fascinated by the romance novels.
At least they had a conscience and only brought back books that were light and wholesome.
One of the novels Dio has been enjoying the most lately is Love Transcends Status.
Dio has always disliked all the men who propose to Daphne.
As we’ve said before, their desires were so obvious that even a child’s eyes could see them.
Every single one of them, in front of Daphne and behind her, was busy stroking their egos and trying to undermine her in any way they could.
Her eyes were too piercing, her personality too strong, her speech too cold, her figure too immodest.
Not so stupid for a pretty girl, not so ugly for a witty girl.
Their words had bones. No, not bones, but sharp knives.
It seemed to Dioana that they spoke as if they were animals. No, beasts are better! My hounds would be more gentle than them.
‘Phew, I heard them talking dirty behind my back, and I’ll never let them take my aunt Daphne away from me! I’ll choose my aunt’s husband myself.’
Seven years old, maybe early, but smart Dioana realizes that respect is not something you can find on this earth without washing your eyes.
“My aunt has everything perfect, so why can’t she find someone to marry?” she once asked.
she asked one day.
“Why doesn’t she get married? Aren’t they all weird?”
“Yeah. She just wants to live with Dioana for the rest of her life.”
“But she’s got a pretty boy, Joahazana.”
“Hey, hey, hey, I like pretty boys.”
“I like pretty boys, too. That’s why I married Pierre and had Seifer. Pierre is nice, polite and pretty. He listens to me, he smiles, and he’s the only one around my aunt who’s like her. We’re a small family, but whatever. Maybe one day I’ll be an archduke.”
“Hmm. I see. I don’t know anyone like Pierre.”
“Does your aunt have one from the other family?”
“My dear Dio is asking a lot of grown-up questions today. I don’t know. I don’t particularly want a bigger family.”
“All the elder’s say you’d be a joke if your aunt married a crown prince, or a duke of some sort.”
“There’s nothing an old man can’t say in front of a child. My aunt doesn’t think so, not when I have so much money and power and can keep it.”
“Yes, you are. Isn’t it nice to be a little bit rich and handsome and nice, like Pierre?”
“Well… isn’t that right?”
There is a boy that Dioana has had a crush on for a long time.
His name was Pierre, and he was the son of a bourgeois who, while not quite as wealthy as the Sterrens, still had a pretty big top.
Just as adults have their own social circles, children have their own social circles.
That’s where I met Pierre, who was much quieter than most of the other boys his age, who were busy being conceited, kind, funny, and, above all, very pretty.
A long time ago, the Grand Duchess said to Dioana.
“My dear Dioana must be like her mum and have a great weakness for handsome men. Hoo-hoo.”
My aunt was a bit like me!
Now that I had an idea of Daphne’s ideal man, I just had to find him.
The only problem was that she was too short and leggy to get around the empire.
Worst of all, there was no way Daphne would allow her to leave the house to find her aunt’s groom.
Dear God, please let the perfect man fall from the sky to be my aunt’s groom. I’m too young to go looking for him.
The next day she fell asleep with a shameless prayer.
Dioana secretly listened to what Lockhart was saying. A man had fallen from the sky. From the walls of this lofty castle of Steren.
My aunt’s groom had indeed fallen from the sky!
Her prayers were answered!
“Handsome! Tell me, what’s his name?”
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