Chapter 65: A Dream of Losing a Front Tooth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: A Dream of Losing a Front Tooth
“Is something wrong with your front tooth?”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head at Veronica’s question. But soon, I realized something was indeed strange.
“Mom, my front tooth is wiggly.”
“Oh, you’re right. It’s time for your teeth to start falling out.”
“My... my teeth?”
Before I was reincarnated, I was an adult who had already graduated from university, so my childhood memories were a distant blur.
Come to think of it, the first teeth to grow in are baby teeth, and they all fall out as children grow. Claudia is five years old, but if you go by Korean age, she’d be around six or seven, so it’s about time for her teeth to start coming out.
Talk about a reality check.
I’d taken countless mental hits since being reincarnated into this child’s body, but today felt different. To think I’m losing my baby teeth.
[Eek! Master’s baby tooth! I want it so badly!]
[Shut up, you creep.]
Bibi was already squealing with excitement beside me, while Desmond scolded her with pure contempt.
Swallowing a sigh, I looked up at Veronica, who was watching me with a worried expression.
“Mom, what do I do?”
“Hmm, does it hurt?”
“Nooo.”
“Then maybe it’s not quite time for it to come out yet?”
Veronica, who was also a first-time mother, looked flustered and unsure of what to do. For now, the front tooth was just loose.
“Let’s ask the nanny.”
“Okay.”
Sophia wasn’t that much older than Veronica, but she had experience looking after younger siblings and knew a lot about children.
A moment later, Sophia arrived and inspected the inside of my mouth.
“I think we can pull it out later. It’ll hurt if we force it now.”
“Right. We’ll call a doctor when the time comes.”
“Ah, but the doctor is…”
“...?”
As they spoke, the expressions on Veronica’s and Sophia’s faces suddenly turned serious.
Then, avoiding my gaze, the two of them began to whisper. Their voices were so low I couldn’t hear a thing.
What is it?
Is there a problem with the doctor? This is a townhouse, but there should be at least one resident physician.
As I sat there blinking in confusion, Veronica approached me again.
“Let’s get washed up and eat. We should only eat soft things today.”
“Okay.”
Something is suspicious.
Narrowing my eyes, I shot a look at Veronica and Sophia—who seemed more awkward than usual—before climbing out of bed.
*
“Dia’s front tooth is loose?”
“Is she losing her baby teeth already?”
At the breakfast table, the members of the direct lineage showed an intense interest in my front tooth. Everyone stopped eating and became obsessed with inspecting my tiny, fingernail-sized tooth.
“Stop it and let Dia eat.”
“Hmph, fine.”
Only after receiving a sharp word from Veronica did they clear their throats and back off.
Because my tooth was loose, I couldn’t eat anything hard and instead had some soup and soft bread. Since I was a child anyway, I felt full quickly without needing to eat much.
Come to think of it, I think I dreamed about my teeth falling out.
I couldn’t remember the details of the dream, but it seemed my body had subconsciously realized the tooth was loose, triggering the dream.
Was it just a simple dream, or a prophetic one?
But isn't a dream about teeth falling out an omen of bad luck? I heard that losing a front tooth specifically is a bad dream signifying that something will happen to your family.
“....”
I can’t believe I’m having such ominous thoughts.
Snapping out of it, I shook my head vigorously.
“Are you planning to go to the Imperial Palace today?”
“Yes, it’s about time I went.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“...?”
Duke Winston and Veronica were also whispering behind my back. Once the Imperial Palace was mentioned, I started to get a feel for what was going on.
They must be getting ready for the wedding.
Since they didn’t know I already knew Veronica had accepted Dantalion’s proposal, they seemed to be trying to hide it from me. They probably thought a young child like me would be shocked.
The real Claudia might have been, but not me.
However, I sat there with a look of indifference, trying not to let it show. Veronica turned to me and asked, “Dia, do you want to go to the Imperial Palace too?”
“Huh?”
My eyes went wide as I chewed on the bread Sophia had prepared.
They’d been telling me it was too dangerous to even step outside, and now this, all of a sudden?
But I’ll take it!
I had been bored out of my mind anyway, since they’d kept me cooped up in the mansion, claiming the outside was dangerous even after the capital terror incident.
I replied with a bright smile.
“Yeah! I want to go!”
“Alright, then let’s get dressed after you finish eating.”
“Okay!”
It had been a while since I’d been to the Imperial Palace. I hadn't gone back since Dantalion’s coronation banquet.
It was all because I’d become a target for Cedric and the Empress Dowager. I was already a character destined to die in the original story, so it was nerve-wracking.
I’ll have to be especially careful of the Empress Dowager at the palace.
The Empress Dowager is someone who made a contract with an Ancient Demon—one that even the demons in my gems are afraid of.
I almost had a major problem when I ran into her unexpectedly last time. Fortunately, she didn't touch me, so my demons weren't discovered.
But since I never know what might happen, I have to be as cautious as possible.
Even as I smiled happily at the thought of going to the palace, I didn't let my guard down.
*
“Whoa!”
Despite my resolve, I couldn't keep my mouth shut the moment we arrived at the Imperial Palace.
It couldn't even be compared to the Crown Prince’s Palace I’d visited before. That place was called a palace, but it was so different it felt like an "outcast palace."
They must have intentionally kept the Crown Prince’s Palace bleak to break Dantalion’s spirit.
The garden in front of the palace where Dantalion stayed had been decent, but for a place where the Crown Prince lived, many parts of it were shabby and desolate.
Since he had been on the battlefield for a long time, the palace staff must have been negligent, but it was too much that there were no signs of maintenance even after the Crown Prince returned.
Fortunately, now that Dantalion had seized power and taken control of the Imperial Palace, the Emperor’s Palace seemed to be very well-maintained.
“Mom, there’s a pond here too!”
“Hoho, you’re right.”
“There are fish living in it! Fish!”
“Yes, they’re beautiful.”
Actually feeling a bit excited, I squealed and pointed at the things I saw on the way into the palace.
Veronica nodded with a smile. The people nearby also watched Veronica and me with warm grins.
“I wondered why you were so late, and it turns out Dia was captivated by the fish.”
“Ah, Your Majesty.”
Dantalion, who had been waiting, stepped outside. Veronica and the others were all surprised to see him.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting...”
“It is quite alright, Ducal Lady. It’s only natural for a child to be curious.”
Dantalion looked even more dashing today. When a handsome man puts effort into his appearance, it’s almost blinding.
His bright golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and the white uniform he wore suited his tall stature perfectly.
Since ascending the throne, he seemed to be wearing his hair neatly swept back, unlike before; his clean forehead and thick eyebrows emphasized his strong masculinity.
In short, he was incredibly handsome!
“Dia, do you want to catch a fish?”
“Nooo, then the fishy will be sad.”
“Is that so? You’re a good girl.”
Dantalion reached out and stroked my hair. I looked up blankly at his face as he smiled benevolently.
“These fish came from a very distant land.”
“From a distant land?”
“Yes, a country at the edge of the Eastern Continent.”
“Heh.”
If it’s the East, is it a place similar to Asia in this world? No wonder I thought the fish looked like carp, being so plump and colorful.
I looked back at the fish puckering their mouths near the surface of the water.
When someone who looked like an attendant threw some feed, the colorful fish swarmed toward it with a splash.
“Wow!”
I clapped my hands in admiration. As I kept watching, the fish became familiar and my interest waned a bit, but I still had to keep up the act.
“The fishies are cool!”
“Are they?”
“Yes!”
“There are many other good things besides the fish.”
Dantalion showed me every corner of the garden as if he were hosting someone visiting his home for the first time.
It was so well-prepared that I wondered if he had set it all up in advance. I let out gasps of admiration as I looked at the topiary cut into animal shapes.
Huh?
Before I knew it, I was eating strawberry cake at a table set up in the garden. And I was sitting on Dantalion’s lap, no less.
I was momentarily flustered by how naturally it had happened, but I took another bite of cake as if nothing were wrong. In times like these, one must remain calm.
“Dia.”
“Yes?”
When I looked up with whipped cream smeared around my mouth, Dantalion smiled and wiped it off for me.
Then, he whispered in a small voice.
“Could you help me with something later?”
“Pardon?”
Startled, my eyes went wide.
I mean, really, this man. What is he trying to make a child with a wiggly tooth do?
However, as he continued speaking, I found myself instantly convinced.