In an instant, Duke Winston’s expression changed completely. He was no longer the cold northern duke I had known just moments ago.
“Jjyeo?” Jjyeo? What kind of word was that? Was it a northern dialect?
However, before I could dwell on it, all sorts of voices bombarded my ears.
“Father, move aside a bit! I want to see too!” “Father-in-law, me too!” “Ah! Brother and sister-in-law, that’s so unfair…!” “……”
The man struggling to push Duke Winston aside was Vincent, the duke’s eldest son and the heir. And the woman beside him must have been Henrietta, his wife. The one whining in the background was the second son, Brandon.
[Wow, Master, you’re really popular.]
Ignoring Desmond, who seemed to find the situation amusing, I let out a small sigh. With the mansion entrance turning into a marketplace in an instant, I slowly opened my mouth again.
“Achoo!”
“Gasp…!”
At the sound of my sneeze, the surroundings fell silent. Then, someone shouted loudly.
“What are you doing, Berry? Hurry and bring the child inside!”
“……?”
Berry? Was that a nickname for Veronica? It was a lot cuter than I had expected. I stared at the man who called Veronica ‘Berry.’
It was none other than Vincent, Veronica’s older brother and the heir of the ducal family. With the characteristic black hair and red eyes of the Winston lineage, he closely resembled his father, Duke Winston.
Because of that, he seemed a little intimidating at first, but strangely, I no longer felt that way.
“Yes, brother.”
Veronica nodded and looked at me worriedly.
The first sneeze had been due to the cold, but the second was mostly an excuse to get out of this situation. Looks like I’ll have to endure Veronica’s concern for a while.
Either way, that was how Veronica and I successfully entered the ducal mansion.
In the end, my worries that the Winston family might dislike me were completely unfounded.
Including Duke Winston himself, every single person in the household fussed over me the moment they saw me. Each of them seemed desperate to win my favor.
In my past life, my mother had been an orphan, so I had never met any maternal relatives. My father’s family, on the other hand, was arrogant and selfish, just like him.
Back then, I had thought that the only person who would ever love me was my mother, Veronica. But to think I would meet people who showered me with so much affection…
At first, I was flustered by their unexpectedly warm welcome, but I gradually adjusted to it.
I took a bite of the strawberry cake that Brandon, the second son, had offered me. He had the gentlest expression among the direct bloodline of the duke, making him the easiest to approach.
As it turned out, Sir Raven’s stern expression was simply his natural face, and when he saw me, who strongly resembled Veronica, he had been too nervous to know what to do.
No wonder he kept hesitating to talk to me in the carriage. He must have wanted to get close to me.
Too bad he lacked the social skills to succeed.
I chuckled and took another bite of the cake.
“Dia, is it tasty? Hm?” “Mhm.” “Do you want more dessert? Oh, do you need any toys? There are way cuter ones than that filthy teddy bear.”
At that, Desmond shrieked in outrage.
[Shut up, you insolent human! This shabby teddy bear may be dirty, but I am a noble and pure being!]
“……”
Ignoring Desmond’s rants, I spoke up.
“Toys?”
“Yeah, I actually bought some when you were younger, hoping to give them to you…”
“……”
Brandon trailed off awkwardly. I gazed at his face.
With his black hair and red eyes, he bore the hallmark features of the Winston bloodline. But compared to the others, his expression was much softer.
I heard he wasn’t much older than Veronica, but he looked young enough to be her younger brother.
“Give me the toys.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Uncle.”
“U-U-Uncle?!”
Brandon’s eyes widened in shock.
As far as I knew, Brandon wasn’t married yet. Only Vincent, the eldest, was. But even he and Henrietta didn’t have children.
I must be the only child in this otherwise solemn ducal estate. Their first niece.
“Dia, can you call me that one more time?”
“Uncle?”
“Yes!”
“Uncle!”
“Hngh!”
Brandon was so overwhelmed that he eagerly nodded his head.
Seeing how happy he was, I grinned even more brightly.
“Alright! I’ll be right back!” “Okay, Uncle.”
Brandon dashed out of the room in a hurry. I watched his retreating figure quietly.
[Master, you’re practically an old soul. Why do you need toys?]
“Just wait.”
I replied calmly to Desmond’s puzzled question.
Soon, Brandon returned with a mountain of toys.
“Dia, what do you think? Hm?”
“Hmm…”
“Look, this one is made of pearls from a kingdom across the sea…”
While Brandon eagerly explained the toys, I secretly asked Desmond,
“See anything you like?”
[Hmm…]
At the marquis’ estate, we barely had any toys, so Desmond had never been satisfied with a body before. But with so many here, I figured at least one might suit his taste.
[There are a few that meet my refined aesthetic standards, but…]
“But?”
[They’re all too small and dainty! I can’t use these!]
“Hmmm…”
Now that I looked at them, most of the toys Brandon had brought were stuffed animals, clearly meant to suit a young girl’s tastes.
Pink rabbits, green parrots, yellow chicks, and hamsters, among others.
Some had luxurious pearl eyes, but they were still just rabbits. Hardly the kind of body a demon would want.
[This old teddy bear is still much better!]
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing, Uncle.”
I flashed Brandon a bright smile.
“Thank you!”
“Oh? You like them?”
“Mhm.”
Desmond didn’t actually like any of them, and as someone with an adult’s mind, I didn’t need toys either.
But winning over the Winston family was crucial. So I put on my best business-like smile.
“Then shall we throw away that old teddy bear now?”
“Oh…”
[Aaahhh! Master! This rude human is tormenting me! Help!]
Hearing Desmond’s desperate wail, I quickly shook my head.
“No! I won’t throw it away!”
“Huh? But you have new ones now.”
“No! Mom gave me this one!”
“Ah…”
Thinking about it, I didn’t actually remember who had given Claudia that teddy bear. But knowing Cedric, he wasn’t the type to carefully pick out toys. It must have been Veronica’s gift.
Seeing Veronica’s radiant joy, I felt deeply satisfied.
I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure her happiness—even if it means opposing the protagonists.
Meanwhile, back at the marquis’ estate, Cedric seethed with rage.
“Damn it!”
A flowerpot smashed against the wall.
Purple eyes burned with fury.
‘It’s all because of that child.’
Grinding his teeth, Cedric cursed under his breath.
Heheh thanks