Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Tense Family Dinner
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I'd clearly heard that Erich was staying at the main estate. That Grandfather was personally looking after him.
"I heard that my brother is staying at the main house?"
"That's correct, but Young Master Erich is receiving territory inspection training. He's gone down to the Pallenberg Marquisate in the south."
"Erich is getting main house education too?"
Dietrich asked with a slightly surprised look on his face.
Yeah. That's kind of surprising to me too.
Does Grandfather really think of Erich as something special?
Unlike Nana or me, whom he hasn't even laid eyes on, he's having Erich join the main house education with the other relatives.
"Of course. Young Master Erich is a genius who's never once lost his top spot since starting his main house education."
Hmm.
My gaze met Dietrich's in midair.
We both realized at the same moment that we felt a sense of distance from Erich deep down.
Not just me, but Dietrich too—being Dietrich...
"But why only Ewi going down? Other peopwe not?"
"Territory inspection training is an honor bestowed only on the top student each quarter."
The moment I heard that, the mental distance to Erich grew even farther.
"Of course, even so..."
The maid muttered something to herself. But her voice had gotten so quiet it was barely audible.
I couldn't quite catch her trailing words and glanced over, but she just shook her head as if it was nothing.
Well, it's a shame we can't meet right now, but if he's in the marquisate, there's no helping it.
We can see him later when we return to the main house.
"Ta-da! What is this?"
By now, I was pretty sensible.
I practiced my letters and played on my own without anyone telling me to.
The nurse grinned suspiciously as she held out her hand in front of me while I was coloring one of the imperial letters, Naksen, with my crayons.
Whoaaa! That's...!
"Buttewfwyyy!"
"Correct. This nurse made a butterfly doll just for our lady."
"Weally? Weally?"
"Really. Where will the butterfly fly and land~?"
"Me, me! Mariella howds out hand!"
"Look at this. The butterfly landed on the Mariella flower."
The butterfly doll the nurse gently placed in my hand was perfectly round and fluffy.
My precious attachment bunny, Kiki, had burned up in the monster attack.
I'd been suffering from doll withdrawal ever since, so I hugged the butterfly doll tight.
'Our nurse is the best!'
She must have been so busy with all sorts of things after we moved to the main house, but she still prepared this!
"Nuwseee, I'm so touched!"
"Oh my, really?"
"Nuwse is the bestest nuwse in the wowld! The best!"
"Our lady is the kindest lady in the world too."
I hugged the nurse tightly while clutching the butterfly doll to my chest.
"You have to dine with the duke tonight, but you can behave properly, right? Our kindest lady in the world."
But my body stiffened at her next words.
I turned my stiff-as-a-board neck with a creak to look at the nurse.
She gently pried me from her embrace and spoke in the softest voice possible.
'I know this pattern.'
Whenever she tried to feed me eggplant—which I hated for its mushy texture—she'd use exactly this voice.
"The duke has invited the master, lady, and young master to dinner."
"Just our family?"
"Um, no. Young Duke Dominic and Lady Katrin, and the other cousins too..."
I don't wanna goooo!
Of course the uncle and aunt would come to a family gathering!
Just seeing their slimy smiling faces made my stomach churn, and now add the terrifying grandfather on top.
The thought alone made me feel nauseous, so I rolled around on the floor, and the nurse laughed awkwardly.
"Still, you have to go at least once and greet him properly. You know the duke is your grandfather, right?"
I know, but I don't wanna goooo!
I really didn't want to go, so I threw a full tantrum on the floor, but nothing changed.
It wasn't something the nurse could refuse on her own anyway.
If it could be refused, Dad would have done it already.
'Actually, sending just Dad without me or Dietrich would worry me more.'
From what I'd observed, Dad seemed like a man with strong paternal instincts.
I had some faith that with me and Dietrich watching, he wouldn't clash too badly with Grandfather like last time.
"You can go, eat nicely and quietly, and come back properly, right?"
"Yees..."
If I had to go anyway, it was better to worry the nurse a little less.
I tried my best to muster a positive reply, even if I was pouting.
The dinner took place in the main building's dining hall.
It was called a dining hall, but it was more like a vast hall big enough to host a decent small banquet.
There was even an orchestra set up in one corner, playing strings.
The scale of the duke's family...
Not just the size of the family dinner—their flattery was on another level too.
I watched my uncle vigorously rubbing his palms together toward Grandfather.
"Father, the meat is exceptionally tender today. Please eat plenty."
"I see."
"Looks like the kitchen put in extra effort since brother is here. Even the garnishes are splendid."
"Everyone's wasting their time on nonsense."
A model of social grace.
Grandfather and Dad both had those icy faces that seemed utterly devoid of any social charm no matter how hard you squeezed, but Uncle was different.
Constant flattery toward Grandfather was standard.
And occasionally chatting with me and Dietrich sitting across from him—that was the bonus social skill.
"Mariella, is the food to your taste?"
"Yes."
"Good to see you eating well. Live without worry from now on. You can treat Katrin aunt here like your own mother."
I could see strength entering Dad's hand gripping the knife.
Knowing Dad could stab Uncle dead even with a blunt dinner knife, cold sweat trickled down my back.
Uncle, who had deliberately provoked Dad, just smiled innocently as if oblivious.
Even though he knew full well Mom was Dad's reverse scale.
Before Dad could step in, I decided to handle it myself and brightly countered Uncle's words.
"Waa, Auntie pwetty enough not even Mama's meaw?"
"Wh-what...!"
"What nonsense is that at the dinner table? How did you raise this child, brother?"
Uncle and Aunt's faces flushed red as if they'd been personally insulted.
Being four years old was great for times like this.
An age where I could blurt out anything cluelessly.
Grandfather, seated at the head of the table, fixed me with arrogant, chilling eyes.
The same as Dad's, but laced with far more coldness.
"Who taught you to say such a thing?"
I pretended to cower a little at Grandfather's scolding tone and let my mouth corners droop.
"Coachman and buttew said... Mariella's mama pwetty enough for Mama's meaw. Thanks to pwetty mama who died fighting big beast, famiwy eats good."
Uncle opened his mouth as if to cut me off, but Grandfather raised a hand to stop him.
Thanks to that, I could finish my words.
"So if Auntie instead of Mama..."
"Did you just say coachman and butler?"
"Gwandpa sent them."
An icy silence descended over the dining hall.
Grandfather tapped the table lightly a couple times with his fingertips.
Then the chilling gaze he'd fixed on me shifted to Dad.
Dad's blazing glare clashed head-on with Grandfather's stern one at utterly different temperatures.
"The child's words..."
"It's the truth. Is there anyone in this family who doesn't think so?"
Even though he'd cut him off mid-sentence, Grandfather didn't call it out.
Instead, he simply shifted his gaze from Dad to Uncle.
As Grandfather's slow gaze reached him, Uncle's face drained to a sickly blue.
'Nyah nyah.'
Insult our mom, and you pay the price.
Mom was still Dad's deepest wound. He would never utter such words himself.
The servants must have gotten cocky knowing that.
'But I'm just a baby, right?'
A four-year-old toddler who could repeat anything she heard right in front of Grandfather!
Pretending to be an innocent baby just parroting what she'd absorbed, I fiddled pointlessly with the end of my napkin.