Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: First Quarrel
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Lucillea blinked, looking up at the boys.
That look.
‘And this situation.’
It wasn’t unfamiliar.
‘They’re just like the kids from Mille Village.’
As if hearing Lucillea’s thoughts, Cookie nodded in agreement.
[I thought chosen children would be different, but I guess kids are kids. Little things, learning only the bad stuff from who knows where!]
‘You can say that again. Their eyes are definitely full of hostility.’
That gaze, sharpened like a blade.
Was it because they held special powers and were treated well in the grand duke's household?
I could even sense a twisted sense of superiority from them.
Most of the stares I'd felt on my way down from my room to the first floor had been just like this.
‘They looked surprised to see Mei, but their expressions sharpened when they looked at me.’
Especially the chosen children.
The servants' gazes hadn't been kind either, but the children's were particularly sharp.
‘Maybe I should have asked Mei why they were glaring at me like that.’
But Mei was so cheerful that I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
‘Don't tell me... is this some kind of competition between the children chosen by the Elite Corps?’
But I haven't even done anything.
It's only been one night since I arrived at the grand duke's residence.
I hadn't shown any remarkable abilities, and all I'd received were a few dresses and three or four accessories like a necklace, which was supposedly the standard support everyone got.
‘I haven't done anything to attract attention, and I have no intention of doing so in the future.’
Lucillea's goal was clear.
To gain what she could from the grand duke's family, develop her abilities to the fullest, and become independent.
There was no competitive desire to crush someone and climb higher.
She didn't want the position of heir, nor did she want her father's affection.
That's why this kind of friction was all the more unwelcome.
Lucillea got up nonchalantly, brushing the dirt from her dress.
‘Mei picked out this dress for me...’
Seeing the dirt-stained, torn frill hurt more than her scraped palm.
Still.
‘Endure it.’
I decided to live a long, quiet life, keeping my head down.
‘It's my first official walk in the grand duke's residence. I don't want to cause a scene already.’
Sighing softly, Lucillea opened her mouth.
“Sorry, I must have been in your way.”
Hehe, Lucillea gave a harmless-looking smile and pressed herself closer to the pillar.
“There, you can pass now.”
But the boys just snickered, staying where they were and starting to hurl insults at Lucillea.
“She looks stupid. This thing was really chosen?”
“If she weren't wearing a dress like that, you wouldn't be able to tell her apart from the maids. Ah, maybe they accidentally put the dress on a girl who came here to be a maid.”
“Does she really have a special ability? Can you get powers by digging through the trash these days?”
The boys chattered among themselves, snickering.
“……”
*Grind.* Lucillea clenched her jaw.
‘Endure it.’
They were the ones who had pushed her down, her scraped palm stung, and a torrent of childish insults and mocking laughter rained down on her, but...
‘I can't get angry at kids who look like they're barely over ten years old.’
I'm the older sister, after all. Mentally.
Of course, since she only had memories of her past life, her depth of thought and patience weren't much better than that of an eight-year-old's body.
Still, I'll try to bear with it for now.
‘Compared to what I heard in Mille Village, insults like these are nothing.’
Lucillea forced the corners of her mouth into a smile.
Just then, the red-haired boy in the middle stepped forward and spoke.
He seemed to be the leader of the three.
“Hey, you. You can still smile after hearing all that?”
“……”
Because she felt like she would start cursing if she didn't smile, Lucillea hid her inner thoughts and spoke.
“I'm still not used to life in the grand duke's residence... I want to get along with you all. No, even if we don't become friends, I don't want to fight like this.”
“Ah, so that's why you were hiding over there like a little rat? Because you don't want to fight?”
“A little rat...?”
As if the word 'rat' was a trigger for their laughter, the other two boys standing behind him burst out laughing.
Lucillea glanced down, checking the state of her clothes and skin.
She saw her dress, not just neat but meticulously arranged, and her clean skin.
If they had called her a little rat before she came to the residence, she would have let it slide.
But now, wasn't Lucillea adorned with all sorts of 'precious' and expensive things from the grand duke's household?
‘Mei worked so hard to dress me up.’
How dare they belittle Mei's efforts.
Still, I'll endure it.
For the sake of a long and quiet life in the grand duke's residence.
They say patience, three times over, can save a life, right?
‘So, I'll endure it three times.’
Living a long and quiet life here was important, but if I was just going to be pushed around like in Mille Village, there was no point in coming to the residence.
Pushing me down and not apologizing, mocking me and calling me stupid, and now belittling Mei's efforts with that 'little rat' comment.
‘That's three times now.’
You're out of chances, little brats.
Just then, the red-haired boy spoke again.
“Let me ask you one thing. What kind of trick did you pull?”
“A trick?”
“I'm asking what kind of trick you pulled on His Highness the Grand Duke to get sent to the fifth floor as soon as you arrived.”
“……”
The fifth floor? What's so special about it that they're acting this way?
From the looks of it, her room on the fifth floor was no ordinary room.
‘I'm in trouble.’
The anxiety she'd been trying to ignore was becoming a reality.
In truth, Lucillea had been feeling anxious ever since she woke up in the grand duke's residence.
It was because of what she'd heard from Mei.
-“Normally, when someone chosen by the Elite Corps arrives, they have a verification period of at least a month.”
-“Normally, when someone chosen by the Elite Corps arrives, they have a verification period of at least a month.”
-“Normally, when someone chosen by the Elite Corps arrives, they have a verification period of at least a month.”
-“But you were approved by His Highness the Grand Duke overnight.”
-“But you were approved by His Highness the Grand Duke overnight.”
-“But you were approved by His Highness the Grand Duke overnight.”
That's why, she'd said, everyone in the residence was surprised.
‘The fact that my process was completed faster than everyone else's, and that my room is on the fifth floor...’
It felt like her greatest fear was about to come true.
‘Don't tell me... is there something especially amazing about my power?’
Amazing enough for them to readily give me a room on this supposedly great fifth floor?!
Many questions came to mind, but there was no way to know the answers.
‘That can't be right. There's no way my ability is special...’
That kind of special thing is reserved for protagonists.
Lucillea struggled to clear her complicated thoughts, then smiled brightly at the boy.
“I don't know either. I was just there when I woke up. No one explained anything to me, so how would I know?”
“Liar.”
“It's not a lie. If you don't believe me, let's go see His Highness the Grand Duke.”
“...What?”
Lucillea said with an innocent smile.
“It's best to clear up misunderstandings like this quickly. Let's go ask him directly. Okay?”
Flustered by Lucillea's words, the three boys glanced at each other.
“She's not just stupid, she's completely crazy, isn't she?”
“Yeah, no one in their right mind would say something like that.”
At that, Lucillea suddenly grabbed the red-haired boy's hand!
Then she smiled brightly and said.
“Let's go! We can hold hands and go ask him together! We can ask exactly what kind of trick I played to fool His Highness. I'm so curious myself, you see?”
She added that once the misunderstanding was cleared up, they should ask His Highness for some tasty snacks! And if he had time, they should ask him to play with them, too.
Startled, the boy quickly pulled his hand away and took a step back.
“Y-You... you're crazy!”
“Hm? Why are you running away? I said let's go. Let's go together. Let's clear up this misunderstanding. Okay?! I told you, I don't want to fight with you. I want to be friends!”
“Th-This girl! Get away from me, will you?!”
When Lucillea didn't back down and instead stepped closer, the flustered boy raised his hand toward her.
*Eek!* For a moment, Lucillea flinched. But she quickly glared back at the boy, her eyes wide.
‘Go on! Hit me if you dare! I grew up getting beaten by a drunk adult every day. You think a little brat like you scares me?!’
Just then.
*Thwack—!* The boy's hand was caught in midair.
“Now, now, that won't do. Young masters?”
It was Mei.
Mei had appeared and snatched the vile boy's wrist.
Lucillea felt an unwitting sense of relief, while the boy's face turned pale when he saw Mei.
“M-Mei?!”
“Yes, that's right! It is Mei!”
Mei replied with a cheerful smile before walking over to Lucillea.
“...Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I'm not. I was just about to get hurt, but Mei saved me.”
“I'm sorry I was late, Lady Lucillea.”
Lucillea shook her head.
“It's okay. Nothing happened.”
“……”
At Lucillea's claim that nothing had happened, Mei's gaze fell to Lucillea's palm.
“I see. Our Lady Lucillea is so generous. Unlike me.”
Huh? As Lucillea blinked rapidly, Mei turned toward the red-haired boy with a sweet smile.
“And Lord Tesian. I suggest you watch your mouth. It hasn't even been half a day since your probation ended. It would be troublesome if you were to cause another incident so soon.”
So his name was Tesian.
Lucillea glared sharply at the red-haired boy.
‘I'll be sure to remember you.’
At that, Tesian rubbed the wrist Mei had grabbed and shouted.
“Wh-What about me! Did I hit her? Did I kill her?! What did I do to deserve all this fuss?!”
“Oh my, but you would have hit her if I hadn't stopped you, wouldn't you?”
“……”
“And our small, fragile Lady Lucillea might have lost her life from a single blow by your hand, Lord Tesian.”
“What?”
“No, she would have certainly lost her life. Because our Lady Lucillea is a soap bubble.”
“A wh-what bubble?”
Mei stared at Tesian and continued.
“Violence and murder. Don't you see? You were about to commit both just now. That's what's important.”
“N-No! That girl was the one who—!”
“She was? Very well. Shall we determine who started this from the very beginning?”
Mei carefully pulled Lucillea into her arms, holding her as if she were a precious vase.
“Of course. Someone as fragile as a soap bubble couldn't possibly have started a fight.”
“……”
A soap bubble again.
‘I'm not that weak...’
But she didn't dislike it. It felt like she was being treated as someone to be protected, and a ticklish feeling spread through her chest.
As if soap bubbles were really floating around.
While Lucillea shyly nibbled on her lip in Mei's embrace, Mei continued to speak.
“She has only just arrived at the grand duke's residence. If something were to happen to her, a report would naturally go to His Highness, wouldn't it? Why would you, who know this well, do such a thing? Surely you don't wish to see His Highness enraged, do you?”
Watching Mei speak with a bright smile, Lucillea thought.
‘Mei isn't normal either.’
It was said that those chosen by the Elite Corps held authority equivalent to the rank of baron in the empire.
‘Even if baron is the lowest noble rank, it's a position that a mere maid should never be able to defy or talk back to.’
And yet, Mei had blocked Tesian's hand without a moment's hesitation and spouted words that were sure to offend him.
‘More importantly, that brat Tesian. He can't act rashly toward Mei.’
In fact, he seems wary and intimidated by her.
Lucillea demonstratively burrowed deeper into Mei's embrace, hugging her waist tightly.
Then, she looked at Tesian and grinned.
I have Mei. You don't, do you?