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Chapter – 07
“You’re an orphan, so it doesn’t even make sense that you know your birth month!”
“That’s actually the opposite. I entered the orphanage in March, so that means I was born before that. Oh, sorry. You probably wouldn’t understand something like that. From now on, this older sister will teach you properly. Go on, Lucel—call me ‘noona.’ And Andasia, try calling me ‘unnie.’”
“Why should I call you my sister?!”
“She’s insane, I swear. Father! That girl is completely out of her mind!”
But there was no way Marquis Colin would fault me for something like that.
“You two. If you keep treating Rubié like that, I’ll ban shopping for a month, so stop it.”
“What kind of punishment is that?!”
The most outraged was Andasia.
‘Now’s the chance.’
I lightly tapped Marquis Colin’s arm again, deliberately provoking her. This was the perfect moment to stir Andasia’s temper.
“Ah… my feet hurt. I’ve been moving since morning, I’m exhausted. So, Your Grace, instead of standing here, could you show me my room?”
“Yes. You must be very tired, Rubié…”
“Yes! You said I’d get the best room, right?”
“Yes. You said you wanted the best room and a teddy bear as big as your body.”
Marquis Colin gently patted my head like a kind father, then turned his gaze to his daughter.
At the mention of the “best room,” Andasia’s brow immediately furrowed.
“The best room…?”
“Andasia. We’ll be giving your room to Rubié.”
“What are you talking about?! Why are you giving my room to that orphan?!”
“Because I promised. As a daughter of the Marquis family, you wouldn’t want to make your father a liar, would you? So behave and give it up.”
“Are you serious?!”
“And I’m older, so it’s only right I use the best room.”
Every time I tilted my head and acted just shameless enough to cross the line, their faces turned bright red. The color matched their hair so well it was almost funny—like ripe tomatoes I wanted to poke.
“Dad! Are you really going to just let this happen?!”
“She’s right, you know. In fact, this is rather nice. Seeing the siblings bicker already.”
“Let’s go, Rubié.”
Marquis Colin offered me his hand. I naturally took it and looked back at Lucel and Andasia, shrugging provocatively. Without hesitation, they followed behind as if they wanted to devour me alive.
“Look at her! Acting all nice in front of Dad and then smirking at us!”
“My smile must’ve been too charming for you. Is that it, little brother?”
“Don’t call me little brother!”
Lucel screamed in outrage from behind, while Andasia only glared silently.
‘They’re reacting so easily. This will be easier than I thought.’
I had already predicted everything before even entering this house. And every prediction was coming true perfectly.
“Wow. I can really use this room?”
“Of course. Go inside.”
The room on the second floor of the Marquis’s estate had the best sunlight. It was clearly Andasia’s room—filled with expensive dolls and dresses.
The moment we entered, a servant brought a large box toward me.
“This is a gift for you.”
The moment she finished speaking, I tore open the box.
Inside was a teddy bear as big as my body.
“You really kept your promise.”
“Of course. Unlike certain people, I always keep my promises.”
It was clearly a jab at someone—likely the Duke of Anecroxa. Marquis Colin seemed to enjoy showing his superiority over others through such remarks, but he was abruptly cut off by Andasia’s scream.
“Dad!!”
Andasia, who had been trying to act like an adult by calling him “Father,” now shouted so loudly the entire hallway echoed.
“What is it, Andasia?”
“You’re the loudest in the Empire, little brother.”
“Shut up.”
Andasia glared at me as I casually interjected, then I hugged the teddy bear tightly on purpose.
“Andasia! That’s enough.”
“You’re the one crossing the line, Father! That teddy bear was mine! I asked for it first! I waited six months for it!”
The room, the teddy bear—it was all supposedly Andasia’s. How unfortunate.
“Well, a promise is a promise.”
“My promise came first!”
Andasia stormed toward me, trying to snatch the teddy bear.
“Give it back!”
“Your Grace, it’s okay. If my little sister wants it, she can have it. I don’t mind. Please consider it fulfilled. I’m used to things being taken from me at the orphanage.”
I smiled innocently. Marquis Colin, instead of sympathizing with her, looked at Andasia with disappointment.
“How can two children the same age be so different? Andasia.”
“Of course I’m different from that orphan trash. I wasn’t born lacking anything, so I don’t have to give things up.”
Andasia Colin—troublemaker daughter of the Marquis family, even in my past memories.
Within ten years, she would debut into high society and become infamous—tearing dresses off nobles wearing similar outfits, or pouring boiling water on girls who copied her speech. A future “mad noble lady” in the making.
Eventually, when I gave her the teddy bear, Andasia immediately tore into it with all her strength.
The once grand teddy bear—half a year in the making—was instantly reduced to a wreck, stuffing spilling out as its head tore apart.
“Ah—Andasia!!”
“There. Take it if you want, orphan trash. I don’t care.”
As expected of her.
“Then I’ll be going. Father, you really need to take responsibility for this.”
“Haah… this… what am I supposed to do…”
The only true victim here was the teddy bear, sentenced to death the moment it was born.
“I’m sorry, Rubié.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’ll buy you another one.”
“No need. You already gave me this one. That’s enough.”
I hugged the torn teddy bear head rolling on the floor.
“What a good child you are. My children are just shy. Please understand them. I’ll get you an even better teddy bear soon.”
“Thank you. You really are kind, Your Grace. I think I made the right choice choosing you.”
“I’m glad you think so. Now rest.”
“Yes!”
A servant soon brought my bag into the room, and the door closed.
I placed the doomed teddy bear in the corner.
“Sorry, teddy bear. I knew she was crazy, but I didn’t think she’d go this far on the first day. Don’t worry. I’ll fix you.”
Orphanages didn’t give children toys. They claimed it was to avoid fights, but the real reason was that temple-managed children shouldn’t look shabby.
So children often learned to sew their own dolls. I was no different.
At eight years old, I wasn’t great at sewing—but fixing a torn teddy bear wasn’t difficult.
After some stitching and rearranging, the teddy bear slowly regained its shape.
That first day passed like that.
The next day, Marquis Colin, still trying to earn my favor, came again.
“How about we have dinner together?”
“Yes!”
“I’ll invite you to family dinners every day. I’ve decided to consider you family.”
“I’m so touched.”
I walked happily toward him.
“See how much I care about you?”
“Yes!”
“But that…?”
“It’s my first gift from family. I couldn’t leave it alone! I tried my best to fix it.”
The teddy bear was impossible to hide.
Marquis Colin, who came to invite me to dinner, was immediately met with the sight of a roughly repaired bear.
“You fixed it yourself?”
“Yes. It’s very special to me. Thank you again.”
“I told you I’d buy you a new one…”
“This one is enough for me.”
He stared at the teddy bear for a long time.
Was he feeling pity? Sympathy?
But in the end, he was still the father of those twins.
“Still… the gift I gave is the best after all.”
