TBRFC 15

“What do you mean? You said your feet hurt.”

The woman called Lady Camilla fussed dramatically as she looked down at her daughter, Ruby.

“It’s okay! Ruby is already eight years old now, so I can endure waiting this much.”

As the child beamed brightly, the twin braids hanging at her sides bounced lightly.

Just like her mother, she had dazzling blonde hair and large, round eyes.

Dressed in a cute, delicate gown, the little girl looked exactly like a princess from a fairy tale.

‘But who are they?’

A mother and daughter who could enter the main residence of House Abner—guided personally by Jaden Abner, no less.

“What brings you here today, my lady?”

At Roger’s question, Camilla openly displayed her displeasure.

“I heard the Abner family took in a sponsored child?”

“……”

“How could Sister-in-law do this? When I asked her all this time to take care of our Ruby, she never even gave it a glance!”

“……My lady.”

Camilla fanned herself repeatedly with her hand.

“When I heard the news, I was just so hurt……”

“Where exactly did you hear such a story?”

Camilla let out an incredulous scoff.

“I’m Camilla Coel. The Camilla Coel who knows everything happening in the capital—even the location of mouse holes in abandoned kitchens!”

“So Young Master Jaden told you.”

Camilla’s constantly chattering mouth snapped shut.

Apparently, that was the correct answer.

I sighed inwardly.

Jaden Abner.

I already knew he was human trash, but—

‘He spreads information about the estate without even getting permission from his mother, the head of the family?’

Even in my previous life, I had heard plenty about how awful Jaden’s behavior was.

Unlike Sharon Abner, who was flawless and wise in all things, Jaden was violent and impatient.

‘That’s why he still hasn’t received the title of young duke.’

What mother would want to hand over her family to such a disaster of a son?

The image of him casually slapping Roger across the face earlier resurfaced in my mind.

Meanwhile, one of the maids hurried off toward Sharon Abner’s office.

She was probably going to announce that visitors had arrived.

“For now, please wait in the drawing room. I will inform the mistress of your visit.”

Camilla glared at Roger, but eventually moved toward the drawing room as if she had no choice.

That was when—

“Huh?”

Ruby, who had been following behind, suddenly stopped after spotting me standing in one corner of the hallway.

“Ruby. Stop getting distracted and come over he—”

Camilla, who had been urging her daughter along, noticed me too.

Her eyes widened as she stared at me, then narrowed, then widened again.

“No way. No way.”

Her lips trembled before she pointed a finger at me.

The trembling fingertip swept over my long hair—carefully brushed by Miel and Soya—and my plain indoor clothes.

Unlike Ruby, I wore no ornaments in my hair, no luxurious dress, no fancy shoes.

Only then did I realize why Camilla was making that expression.

This was the mansion of the grand ducal House Abner, one of the greatest powers in the Taranta Empire.

From floor to ceiling, the place was adorned with rare stones, gold, and expensive furniture.

And standing in the middle of it all was a plainly dressed little child.

“When I heard the rumors, I doubted it, but you really are a commoner?”

What happened next occurred in an instant.

“My lady!”

“Mmph—”

Before Roger could stop her, Camilla strode toward me.

Then, with a hand covered in jeweled rings, she grabbed my cheek harshly.

“How could they make such a decision…!”

She turned my face this way and that as she inspected me.

A scream burst out from among the maids behind her.

“Young miss!”

I could see Soya covering her mouth, her face pale white.

“Answer me, Roger. Is this child really… really…!”

“Ah… it hurts……”

A weak groan escaped my lips.

The gemstone-studded rings dug painfully into my cheek.

“She is unquestionably the mistress’s ward!”

Roger immediately rushed forward and stepped between Camilla and me.

As her hand was pulled away, a throbbing ache spread across my cheek.

Ruby still stared at me with curious eyes.

“A ward? A ward?! Then the child Sister-in-law decided to sponsor really is a commoner?!”

Camilla clutched the back of her neck dramatically.

Roger hurriedly called for the servants.

“Miel, Soya. Come escort the young miss!”

Miel and Soya rushed over at once.

“Young miss…!”

Miel tearfully touched the red mark left on my cheek with extreme care.

“I-I’m okay.”

After answering quietly, I let Soya carry me as we hurried up the stairs.

Ruby continued staring at me intently the whole time.

“Has she completely lost her mind?! No matter what, how can she grab a child’s face like that?!”

“Miel, calm down.”

I kept my eyes tightly shut as I listened to the hushed voices of Miel and Soya.

After receiving treatment, I sat on the sofa, still shaken, with my eyes firmly closed.

Thinking I had fallen asleep, Miel gently covered me with a thick blanket.

“Even if she’s Lady Camilla, wasn’t that too much? She’s always so rude, barging in whenever she wants—and now she’s even doing this to the young miss…!”

“M-Mistress will probably take proper action……”

Despite Soya’s attempts to calm her, Miel still seemed furious.

“Seriously, how long is she planning to milk the fact that she helped the family during hard times?! They already repaid all the money they borrowed—with interest!”

‘Borrowed money?’

My tightly closed eyes slowly opened into narrow slits.

Through my blurry vision, I saw the two of them standing a short distance away.

“I-I’m sure the mistress has her reasons. L-Lady Camilla’s wealth isn’t something small, after all.”

“But still……”

“She m-must think the relationship is worth maintaining. That’s why she tolerates it.”

“But that crazy woman keeps crossing the line!”

“Miel! W-watch your words! What if you get beaten again like last time…!”

When Soya’s gaze shifted toward me, I quickly shut my half-open eyes again.

“What are we going to do about the young miss?”

A brief silence settled.

“She must have been hurt by all that ‘commoner’ talk.”

“……She’s someone who understands everything unusually well.”

The two of them were worried about me.

But honestly, I was fine.

‘Technically, I am a commoner.’

It wasn’t exactly new for nobles to throw fits over social status.

I had already experienced contempt and humiliation from nobles dozens of times in my previous life.

Even back when I had been a duke’s daughter in my past life, I heard every insult imaginable because I came from an orphanage.

‘Of course, having someone roughly grab a child’s face and manhandle me like that was a bit shocking.’

Still, I wasn’t the type to get emotionally wounded by this sort of thing.

Maybe because I had a child’s body now, my hands were trembling and all the strength had drained from my legs.

But thankfully, I had more or less figured out the situation.

‘They said Marchioness Camilla is rich.’

Hearing that reminded me of something I had forgotten.

Before Sharon Abner rose to power, the Abner family had been on the verge of complete ruin.

Turning around a situation like that wasn’t easy.

Not unless someone with substantial funds backed you up.

‘Looks like Sharon Abner borrowed money from Lady Camilla during the early days of her rule.’

If so, it explained why she had maintained a friendly relationship with that woman until now.

There was nothing bad about keeping a wealthy person close.

‘And Lady Camilla…’

At present, House Abner had surpassed House Longton in the fields of military power and weapon manufacturing.

And of course, their future growth potential was enormous.

The northern lands, once considered barren, were filled with untapped resources.

‘The problem is the future.’

Right now, Sharon Abner was leading the family without issue.

But her only heir was Jaden Abner.

‘And Sharon Abner doesn’t trust Jaden at all.’

Even in my previous life, people talked endlessly about that fact regarding House Abner.

In short, it was a tremendously powerful family with no suitable successor to inherit it.

I nodded inwardly.

‘Then the answer is obvious.’

I could already tell what Lady Camilla wanted.

She wanted to push her daughter into becoming the adopted daughter of House Abner.

“What? Oh, there she is.”

Her eight-year-old daughter, Ruby.