ASDM 04

Chapter : 04

I put my hands on my waist and proudly snorted.

Then Duke Bastion, who had been staring blankly as if he had been hit on the back of the head, suddenly let out a chuckle.

‘Wow… when he smiles, he looks even more handsome in a different way.’

I was happily watching the ice-cold beauty of his face slightly melt when—

There was a short knock, just like when the butler entered earlier.

At the same moment, all traces of amusement disappeared from the Duke’s face.

He returned to his cold, composed self.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Maids in perfectly pressed uniforms entered, pushing a trolley.

In the blink of an eye, they set the table with food, placed a yellow blanket and indoor slippers neatly on the sofa, and even added firewood to the fireplace—then vanished like the wind.

Was what I just saw their afterimage?

Stunned, I could only stare with my mouth open.

The Duke spoke.

“Eat. Warm yourself up.”

“Ah, thank you, but…”

I hesitated.

“Like you said, I wouldn’t catch a cold even if I fell into ice water.”

“Even so, it doesn’t mean you can’t feel cold.”

“Guilty.”

“What?”

“That’s a crime, Your Grace.”

If you treat me like this and still don’t accept me in the end, I’ll sentence you to life imprisonment.

I shook my head and sat on the opposite sofa.

‘So this is the legendary “gives everything except affection” noble type.’

I sighed deeply and looked at the food.

This overly cute meal could be summed up in one phrase:

‘Amusement park kids’ set meal…’

I am technically a child right now, but still… the 22-year-old me inside is a little offended.

I hesitated with my fork, then carefully started eating around the decorative flag stuck in the omelet.

“…Huh!”

What is this? It looks simple, but it tastes nothing like an amusement park meal!

Fluffy eggs, fragrant mushrooms, finely chopped vegetables, cheese, and rich cream sauce blended perfectly together.

My legs started kicking under the table as I shouted at the Duke:

“This is really good, Father-in-law candidate!”

“…Pardon?”

“Father-in-law candidate.”

You were the one who called me a daughter-in-law candidate first.

The Duke looked at me with a face caught between disbelief and amusement.

I ignored him and focused on my food.

Ahem. It’s not like I’m overly excited or anything. It’s just basic manners.

…If I’m honest, I didn’t get to eat like this in my past life, so I was a bit excited.

‘Not that I have good memories of amusement parks though…’

Suddenly—

Something touched my bare foot.

I looked down quickly.

The Duke’s hand had already reached me, holding my cold foot.

“Didn’t I tell you to warm yourself up?”

As if he had been bothered by it all along, he clicked his tongue and complained.

Then he slipped a yellow indoor slipper onto my foot.

“Still too small.”

He muttered and put the other slipper on my other foot as well.

He also unfolded the neatly folded blanket and draped it over my shoulders.

His movements were rough rather than gentle, but somehow that made it feel even more ticklish.

I looked away awkwardly.

“W-well, I’m only nine years old…”

“Franz isn’t this small.”

“Franz…?”

Who’s that? I think I’ve heard it before.

The Duke chuckled.

“You don’t even know his name while saying you’re different?”

“What?”

“The second son.”

Ah.

I clapped my hands a beat late while holding my fork.

Right. The Duke of Bastion had two sons.

And the second son was also nine years old.

I smiled and said seriously:

“So he’s my same age… then he must be my young master candidate.”

“Young master?”

“Yes.”

I thumped my chest proudly.

“I’m going to become the eldest daughter-in-law candidate!”

So give me the eldest son.

So did Duke Bastion immediately give me his eldest son?

No.

He laughed at me for a long time, then sent me away.

To a spare maid’s room in the basement of the mansion.

‘Isn’t this emotional whiplash a bit extreme, Your Demon Grace…’

Of course, I was a guest who came uninvited, so I should be grateful for even food and shelter.

But still! He held me, worried I was cold, even put slippers on me himself!

He made it feel like I was going to live a fairy-tale noble life!

And now I was just… dropped here like nothing.

“What a scam.”

At night, after all the lights in the mansion went out and the maids had bathed me thoroughly, I lay on a moderately soft bed in a small room, tossing and turning.

It was still better than the temple’s wooden plank bed, but I still felt oddly lonely.

Other reincarnated girls apparently just casually enter contract marriages…

Why am I like this?

‘Is it because I’m fated to marry the male lead?’

Wait.

When exactly did I stop reading <A Lotus Blooming in Mud>?

No, better question—why did I even start reading it?

It was because of this review:

“Surprisingly fresh. There is zero romance, but it was the most intense romance I’ve ever read. The author has opened a new frontier of romance novels. One star.”

It sounded like a genius marketing trick.

Wouldn’t anyone get curious?

‘How weird could it be?’

If I had known it would waste my precious time like this, I would’ve never read it.

Before adulthood, I survived on part-time convenience store jobs.

My only luxury was buying one novel per month.

My favorite genre was romance fantasy.

Since I couldn’t buy sequels easily, I preferred short series.

And that book happened to be a standalone romance fantasy novel.

‘It felt like fate.’

So I bought it happily… and then—

‘I got served a mountain of frustrating drama.’

As mentioned, <A Lotus Blooming in Mud> was full of frustrating misunderstandings between the male and female leads.

And stuck in the middle of it all… was me, Saint Asha.

The male lead, Crown Prince Mercedes’ late wife.

The female lead, Sophie’s admired friend.

Asha, who I thought would only briefly exist in the background, remained like a nail stuck between them.

‘I didn’t want emotional frustration disguised as tragedy-filled love triangles.’

I kept reading, hoping it would improve… until midway through I hit the breaking point:

[The Bastion family’s young duke has died…
…
Sophie burst into tears, saying Asha’s power must have exploded…
The truth of Asha’s death is revealed…]

And I threw the book away.

‘Just live together, all three of you!’

Why is everything about Asha?!

Even when happy, they think of Asha. Even when sad, Asha. Even when falling in love—Asha!

‘Asha, Asha, Asha!’

And now—

‘I became that Asha.’

Great.

Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown the book.

Anyway, one useful thing was revealed in the prologue:

The Bastion ducal family, descendants of demon blood.

And the truth that light and darkness—holy power and mana—can heal each other.

‘And that I would “blossom” at age fourteen.’

Blossom.

In temple teachings, it meant the moment holy power fully awakened.

Basically, it was the sign of reaching divine status.

And I supposedly did it at fourteen.

‘No wonder I became the crown prince’s late wife.’

But…

If contact with mana could prevent my death, what about this “blossoming”?