BGDBP 04

Chapter 04

The young ladies screamed, imagining Dang-gang’s severed head hanging on the mansion’s gate.

“Oh my goodness!”

Everyone’s faces turned pale. Even Leah, who seemed unflappable during such stories, looked queasy.

Piani also shuddered.

‘Eeek! That’s truly brutal!’

The cruelty and cold-blooded nature of Grand Duke Hespia were well-known facts within the Loroan Empire.

Thus, rather than respecting him, the empire’s citizens feared Grand Duke Hespia.

For a man who even beheads dark mages, eliminating an ordinary person would be nothing.

‘I hope I never meet him.’

While Piani was the daughter of an ordinary eastern count, Grand Duke Hespia was the highest of the high nobility.

Moreover, since Grand Duke Hespia disliked social activities, it was safe to say the chance of meeting him was virtually nonexistent.

Yet Piani hoped and prayed. Please, let us never cross paths.

To that extent, Piani was terrified of Grand Duke Hespia.

Inside the carriage returning to the Lebe Count’s estate.

Piani was as crumpled as a poorly dried doll.

“Hng…….”

Today’s tea party was only half successful. In other words, it was half a failure. She had been so looking forward to it, as it was her first time attending a tea party alone.

‘That pretty person from the west kept acting weird towards me!’

First, she said something like ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen a young lady with such full cheeks, like a baby still on milk,’ then added, ‘Oh, that just means you’re adorable.’

Then she said I looked like I had absolutely no thoughts in my head, and concluded with, ‘It’s really nice to see someone living so innocently.’

‘And she also called me childish! I’m all grown up!’

As the sharp remarks kept repeating, when Piani, thoroughly angered, tried to retort, Leah put on a pitiful expression just like she did at first.

―Why do you look like that? I was complimenting you…

Under those eyes that looked ready to shed tears at any moment, Piani ultimately kept her mouth shut.

‘It was a truly ambiguous and unpleasant day.’

It felt like being beaten up one-sidedly.

Piani never wanted to see Leah again.

‘Her face was to my taste…… but anyway, I hope she returns to the west quickly!’

Today, the young ladies hinted that they wouldn’t invite Leah to their tea parties again. But if Leah continued staying in the east, there would be plenty of occasions to run into her.

‘There are formal dinners, and also balls…’

The moment Piani was thinking of various gatherings like this, the carriage stopped. They still had a ways to go before reaching home.

‘Huh? What’s going on all of a sudden?’

Piani lifted the window curtain to assess the situation. There she saw Delis, who was about to knock on the window.

Startled by Piani’s sudden appearance, Delis widened his already large eyes even more, then soon broke into a dazzling smile.

“Miss Piani!”

Many women dream of meeting the prince from a fairy tale. A handsome, rich man who loves only me, tender only to me—that perfect man.

Delis, now smiling beautifully with the sunlight at his back, was that man to Piani. Probably, other women would covet him too.

‘But Delis is my man!’

Piani energetically turned the handle and lowered the window.

“Sir Delis, what brings you here?!”

Seeing Piani’s face, damp with sweat from her enthusiastic window-lowering effort, Delis blinked slowly and then—

“Pfft haha.”

Laughed out loud.

Piani tilted her head, not understanding why Delis was laughing.

Gazing at her lovingly, Delis murmured softly.

“Ah…… truly, Miss Piani, you are a lovely person.”

Piani had heard her parents’ loving praises since birth and received compliments from countless people. So she could brazenly accept most compliments, but Delis’s praise was one she found hard to accept boldly.

‘So embarrassing!’

As Piani blushed and floundered, Delis smiled and said.

“Actually, I was on my way to see you, Miss Piani. But then I happened to see your carriage and urgently stopped it…… Were you displeased?”

Delis scratched the back of his head. How could even his embarrassed look be so dashing?

Piani squinted her eyes at that dazzling face and thought.

‘Perfect. A hundred points. No, giving a thousand points wouldn’t be enough!’

With a satisfied smile, Piani waved her hand.

“Not at all. If it’s you, Sir Delis, anytime is fine.”

Touched, Delis asked again.
“Really?”

Piani nodded. If not for her drooling, she would have said, “If it’s you, Sir Delis, even making the carriage brake suddenly would be fine.”

‘Truly a cheat-level beauty……’

For someone like this to like Piani. Piani was really a blessed woman.

‘Even though I have short arms and legs, so what! Someone this tall and slender likes me!’

Later, if the two got married and had a child, it would be a tall, slender child resembling Delis.

‘Hehe. Just thinking about it is satisfying.’

Then Delis slowly blinked his gentle eyes. As if wanting to capture even a little more of Piani’s satisfied expression.

“Miss Piani, would you mind if I imposed for a moment?”

Delis whispered, touching the corner of his mouth.

Piani naturally stuck her face out the window.

Delis, seeming shy, hesitated for a moment before bowing his head and whispering into Piani’s ear.

“Would you come to Dulys Lake around 9 o’clock tonight?”

Piani’s eyes grew as big as fists.

‘Dulys Lake!’

It was the lake rumored to be the most beautiful in this vicinity. But even more famous than its beauty was the legend that couples who kiss on the shore of Dulys Lake on a night with a clear moon would be happy forever.

‘Gasp! Then could it be?!’

Piani’s small chest began to pound madly.

“Then—!”

Just as an excited Piani, like an unleashed puppy, was about to answer, the voice of the Countess of Lebe flashed through her mind.

―Sweetie! You absolutely must not go out at night!

Piani frowned deeply with three creases and pondered. Should she listen to her mother?

Piani opened her eyes and looked at Delis. Seeing the expectant look in Delis’s eyes, Piani couldn’t bear to refuse.

“Alright!”

Piani nodded her head so vigorously that her soft cheeks wobbled.

Delis, who had been nervously waiting for her answer, blushed and smiled.

“Okay. Then I’ll wait.”

At that trembling voice, Piani’s heart also fluttered finely.

‘Finally, my first kiss!’

Time steadily passed, and before she knew it, night had fallen.

Piani used her tea party attendance as an excuse, pretending to be tired.

“Yawn. I should go to bed early today.”
“Oh, is that so?”

When Piani, having finished her preparations, slipped into bed, the maid bid her goodnight without suspicion.

“Miss, sweet dreams.”

As the maid left, Piani’s eyes sparkled, and she jumped up from her spot.

‘Heh.’

With a sly smile, Piani laid a large teddy bear under the covers. Then she changed into the dress she had prepared before sunset. It was a convenient, thin dress she could change into alone.

‘It might be a bit cold, but it should be okay, right?’

Piani checked her state in the mirror and nodded.

‘Mmm. As expected, I’m cute.’

Satisfied, Piani carefully exited through the terrace into the garden.

‘Today is the first time I’m glad my bedroom is on the first floor!’

Keeping her senses sharp to avoid the guards, Piani successfully slipped out perfectly through the mansion’s back door. No, to think she could get out this easily.

The security of the Lebe Count’s estate—is it okay like this?

‘No. This is possible because I’m lucky!’

Piani nodded, clenching her dainty fist. Piani had been lucky since childhood.

―Kyaaah!
―Ah! Piani, don’t run around! You’ll get hurt!

During her childhood, when running around like crazy was fun!

―Huh?

She eventually tripped over a rock.
―Oh dear!
―Eek!

As she heard her parents’ screams and her body tilted precariously, a hand caught Piani’s body. And she landed safely on the ground. Piani saw nothing.

‘There was even an incident like this before!’

It happened when Piani was seven.

Count Lebe was agonizing over two investment proposals.
―Which one should I invest in to be praised?

Then Piani folded one investment proposal into a paper airplane and sent it flying far away. Why did she do it…… Just because?

―Oh dear, Piani! Don’t play with Daddy’s documents, you’ll ruin them!

The Countess gently admonished Piani, and the Count rubbed his face all over Piani’s soft cheek and laughed.

―Phew. It’s fine! I couldn’t decide after days of agonizing anyway. This is for the best!

So Piani’s father invested in the remaining option, and it hit the jackpot.
―Wha—, what is this?!

Faced with unexpected profits, Piani’s father was more shocked than happy. It turned out the investment Piani had sent flying was a scam, or something like that.

And there was also this.

―I think I can only save one character here……

The Countess was struggling with the pains of creation while planning a new work. Then Piani looked over the characters’ faces and picked one decisively.
―This one’s a handsome guy.
―Piani, do you like this child?
―Yeah. I hope he appears a lot.
―Hmm, in that case……

The Countess of Lebe adopted the character Piani chose as the protagonist and revised the story again.

And, oh my, that comic became a huge hit. The protagonist’s individual popularity was no joke.

“Author! How did you come up with a character like this? You really have good taste.”

After reading the fan letter, the Countess laughed brightly and said.

―Honey, how is it that our daughter’s choices are always right? It’s as if luck is on Piani’s side!

As the Countess said, it seemed as if luck followed Piani as if someone loved and cherished her specially.