Chapter 9: House Winston (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: House Winston (2)
The Duke of Winston, whose expression had transformed in an instant, was no longer the cold Northern Duke I had known until just a moment ago.
Meee? What on earth was "meee"? Was that some kind of Northern dialect?
But before I could process my confusion, a cacophony of voices rushed into my ears.
“Father, move aside. I want to see her too!”
“Father, me too!”
“Hey, it’s not fair for you and your wife to hog her…!”
“…”
The man currently struggling to push Duke Winston aside was the Duke’s eldest son and the Young Duke, Vincent. The woman beside him was likely Henrietta, the Young Duke’s wife.
And the man whining in the back was the second son, Brandon.
[Wow, Master, you’re popular, aren’t you?]
“…”
Ignoring Desmond’s intrigued commentary, I let out a small sigh.
In the midst of the mansion’s entrance turning into a chaotic marketplace, I slowly opened my mouth again.
“A-choo!”
“Gasp…!”
At the sound of my sneeze, the surroundings fell silent instantly.
Then, someone shrieked.
“What are you doing, Berry? Hurry up and take the baby inside the mansion!”
“…?”
Berry? Was that Veronica’s nickname? It was a lot cuter than I expected.
I stared intently at the man who had called Veronica "Berry."
It was Vincent, Veronica’s older brother and the eldest son of the ducal house.
With the jet-black hair and red eyes that symbolized the Winston family, he looked remarkably like his father, the Duke.
Because of that, my first impression of him had been a bit intimidating, but for some reason, he didn't feel that way now.
“Yes, brother.”
Veronica nodded and looked down at me with concern.
The first sneeze had indeed been because I was cold, but the second one was closer to a tactic to escape the situation. It seemed I would have to endure Veronica’s worrying for a while longer.
Regardless, Veronica and I successfully made our entrance into the Winston estate.
*
As it turned out, my fears that the Winstons might dislike me were entirely unfounded.
Everyone in the ducal house, including Duke Winston himself, made a huge fuss the moment they saw me. They were all desperate to get into my good graces.
In my past life, because my mother was an orphan, I had never met any relatives on her side.
My father’s relatives were all just like him—arrogant and selfish people.
I had thought that, just like in my past life, the only person who would love me was my mother, Veronica. I never expected to meet people who would shower me with this much affection.
At first, I was flustered by their unexpectedly favorable reactions, but I gradually began to adjust.
I took a bite of the strawberry cake that Brandon, the second son, had just offered me. Perhaps because he had the gentlest impression among the direct lineage, he was the easiest to deal with.
‘Maybe Sir Raven wasn’t glaring at me, but was just nervous.’
As it turned out, Sir Raven simply had a naturally fierce expression, and he had been at a loss, overwhelmed with nerves upon meeting me, since I looked so much like Veronica.
No wonder he seemed to hesitate several times in the carriage as if he wanted to say something. He just wanted to be friends with me.
But because he lacked social skills, every attempt had been a failure.
I let out a small chuckle and took another bite of cake.
“Dia, is it good? Hmm?”
“Mhm.”
“Do you want more dessert? Oh, or do you need any toys? There are plenty of things cuter than that dirty teddy bear.”
At that, Desmond shrieked in outrage.
[Shut up, you arrogant human! This humble teddy bear might be dirty, but this Great One is a clean and noble being!]
“…”
Letting Desmond’s words go in one ear and out the other, I spoke up.
“Toys?”
“Yeah. I actually bought some things I wanted to give you when you were younger, but…”
“…”
Brandon spoke hesitantly. I gazed steadily at his face.
Though he possessed the black hair and red eyes of the direct line, Brandon was a man with a much softer look than the others.
I heard there wasn't a huge age gap between him and Veronica, but his face was so youthful he almost looked like her younger brother.
“Give me toys.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Uncle.”
“U-Uncle?”
Brandon’s eyes widened.
Right, Brandon wasn't married yet; only the eldest, Vincent, was. But Vincent and Henrietta didn't have any children yet.
It seemed I was the only child in this desolate ducal mansion. And to them, I was their first niece.
“Dia, can you call me that one more time?”
“Uncle?”
“Yes!”
“Uncle!”
“Mhm!”
Brandon nodded fervently, completely overcome with emotion.
I gave him an even brighter smile as I watched his joy.
“Alright, I’ll be right back!”
“Okay, Uncle.”
Brandon rushed out of the room. I watched his retreating back with a steady gaze.
[Master, you’re practically an old soul in a child's body. Why do you need toys?]
“Just wait.”
I spoke calmly to the puzzled Desmond.
Soon, Brandon returned with a mountain of toys.
“Dia, how are these? Huh?”
“Hmm…”
“Look, this one was made with pearls from a kingdom across the sea…”
While Brandon was busy chattering away about the toys, I secretly whispered to Desmond.
“How about it? Is there a body you want?”
[Hmmmm…]
Back at the Marquis Mansion, there were so few toys that none of them met Desmond’s standards.
But with this many, I thought there might be at least one thing that would catch his eye.
[Ugh, there are a few that fit my aesthetic sense, but…]
“…But?”
[They’re all so small and dainty! I cannot enter something like that!]
“Hmm…”
Come to think of it, the toys Brandon brought were mostly dolls modeled after small animals to suit a young girl’s taste.
Pink rabbits, lime-green parrots, yellow chicks, hamsters, and so on.
Even if the rabbit’s eyes were made of high-quality pearls, it was still just a rabbit. It certainly wasn't the kind of body a demon would want.
[This old teddy bear is much better!]
“Well, nothing can be done then.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“It’s nothing, Uncle.”
I said with a wide smile toward the puzzled Brandon.
“Thank you!”
“Really? You like them?”
“Mhm.”
Even though the party involved, Desmond, didn't like any of them, and I, with my adult mind, had no need for toys…
Still, winning the favor of the Winstons was very important. I wore a perfectly professional business smile.
“Then, shall we throw away this old teddy bear now?”
“Uh…”
[Aaaagh, Master! This rude fellow is bullying me! Help me!]
I was startled by Brandon’s sudden move and looked up at him.
Then, snapped back to my senses by Desmond’s scream, I shook my head.
“No! I’m not throwing it away!”
“Huh? But you have so many new ones now.”
“No! Mommy gave it to me!”
“Ah…”
In truth, I didn't remember who Claudia had received that doll from.
But there was no way that bastard Cedric would have been thoughtful enough to provide a doll; it must have been a gift from Veronica.
There were other dolls in Claudia’s room, but the only one the nanny, Sophia, had tucked into my arms was that one.
Perhaps because it was the first doll she received from Veronica, Claudia had felt a strong attachment to it. Therefore, I had to cherish this doll as well.
“I see. It’s a doll Berry gave you.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m sorry Uncle tried to take it away.”
“No, it’s okay.”
I shook my head and hugged the doll tightly. Desmond made a stifled whimpering sound, complaining that it was cramped.
Click.
“My Dia, were you having fun with your uncle?”
“Mommy!”
Veronica entered the room.
The room seemed to brighten instantly. Veronica, who had changed her clothes and freshened up, was breathtakingly beautiful.
‘As expected of the world’s greatest beauty!’
Seeing something pretty is always the best. It’s electrifying.
I cheered internally and gave a mental thumbs-up.
“Oh my, you got a lot of toys from your uncle.”
“Mhm.”
“Did you say thank you to him?”
“Mhm, I did.”
“What a good girl.”
Veronica approached with a pleased smile and stroked my hair. She smelled wonderful, perhaps from a perfume she had applied.
Back at the Marquis Mansion, her face had been clouded despite her beauty, likely because she couldn't relax for even a moment. But after coming to the ducal house, she had transformed.
This must be the real Veronica. A dignified, beautiful, and confident woman.
I hugged Veronica and rubbed my cheek against her as if acting spoiled.
“But I like the bear Mommy gave me better!”
“Oh my, really?”
“Mhm!”
At my words, Veronica’s face flushed with joy.
It seemed certain that the teddy bear Desmond was inhabiting was indeed a gift from Veronica.
I wore a satisfied smile, seeing how happy she was.
“Shall we go eat now? Your grandfather, uncles, and aunt are all waiting downstairs.”
“Mhm, I want to go!”
Nodding, I took one hand each from Veronica and Brandon and left the room.
Even though I wasn't Veronica’s real daughter, and she wasn't my real mother…
‘Still, I will do everything in my power to make Veronica happy.’
I would surely achieve what I couldn't in my past life.
Whether I used information from the original story or manipulated others. I would use every means and method available.
Even if it meant clashing with the protagonists in the end.
I narrowed my eyes, thinking of that bastard Cedric, who was likely fuming right about now over our disappearance.
*
“Damn it!”
Crash! A flowerpot Cedric threw shattered against the wall with a loud noise.
Those standing around Cedric flinched. The master’s furious eyes landed on someone.
“What on earth were you people doing?!”
“That is… we simply couldn't stop them…”
“Pathetic fools!”
“…”
At Cedric’s roar, the knights bowed their heads deeply. Every one of them was in such a mess it was a miracle they were even standing.
“Those damn Winstons…”
His purple eyes flickered savagely. Cedric spat out a low curse.
Where had it gone wrong? Everything had been going so smoothly.
Pressing his throbbing forehead, Cedric recalled the eyes that had looked straight up at him.
Those purple eyes that resembled his own so hauntingly.
‘It’s all because of that child.’
Cedric muttered to himself, grinding his teeth.