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Chapter 22
The Next Morning
Drawing on the tenderness of last night as my motivation, I clenched my whole body with all my strength.
“Grrrngh!”
“My Lady?”
Ah, wait. I told her not to talk to me.
“Oh dear, my Lady. What are you doing with that flowerpot? If you need to poop, you should go to the restroom.”
“Ah—aaah! I said don’t talk to me! It’s not poop! You broke my focus! Get out, get out!”
With a sigh, Linda shook her head and left the room. Watching her go, I almost hurled the flowerpot in my hands like a proper wicked noblewoman.
The problem was that the method of using the holy relic’s power was utterly lacking in elegance.
‘Ugh, I’d rather have a staff! Or at least something stylish—like a finger snap!’
Even when I’d first enlarged the divine beast, I’d been dissatisfied. To use the power, all I could do was clench both fists, strain every muscle, and tremble as if I were… well, fighting a desperate battle on a toilet.
Anyway, I tried again.
“Grrrghh!”
And then—
Pop!
A single sprout poked out from the tiny pot.
“……?”
That’s it?
Disappointment wasn’t enough; despair followed close behind. Seething, I stormed to the window and shouted at the small creatures tapping at the glass.
“Go away! You’re so noisy! You’re distracting me!”
Flap flap! Flutter flutter!
Like lovers heartbroken by rejection, every bird and squirrel fled with teary eyes.
Yes, the druidic power I’d gained last night allowed me to accelerate plant growth and communicate with animals. When I first learned about it, I’d jumped up at dawn dreaming of a beanstalk that would reach the heavens.
But the result? Utterly pathetic.
‘Just one shy little sprout? Useless!’
As I fumed over the flowerpot, Lord Juno spoke.
“Hey now. I told you—you can’t use much power yet. Hmm, but since you’ve gathered one soul, maybe you can handle an amplification spell?”
Oh? Right! That’s true!
Surely, after all that hardship, this ability couldn’t be only for finding the voice of a fat cat!
Eyes sparkling, I reached out to him, my fingers wiggling desperately.
“Come on, come on! Give it to me! The spell! The amplification spell, please!”
“What’s with that creepy hand gesture? I can tell you, but are you sure you can handle it?”
“Of course! This little sprout won’t do at all!”
At that, Juno squinted and smirked slyly.
“Alright then. I’ll teach you. But once you cast it, you’ll collapse after a minute or two.”
“What the—then it’s no different from this stupid toilet struggle!”
“Kyahahaha! Oh my god, that’s hilarious!”
That wretched obese cat!
I lunged for him, ready to tear out his mane, but he leapt onto the wardrobe and cackled from above. Still laughing, he yawned widely.
[Yaaawn… Ah, I can’t. Let’s keep this secret for now. Go wake another soul—you’ll get stronger that way, yeah?]
“……That shameless creature!”
It had been a miracle just awakening the druid’s soul at all!
But as frustrated as I was, I couldn’t waste time arguing. I still had to find the duchess, and today was an especially busy day. Outside the window, I could already see the servants hurrying about.
And just as I expected, soon enough, the sound of rolling wheels echoed, and several trolleys came in one after another.
“My Lady! Should we pack this dress too? Or would you rather buy new ones in the capital?”
“Linda’s right! You can’t appear before His Majesty looking plain! I’ll suggest to His Grace that we commission something new, hohoho!”
“Oh my, in that case we’d better make a reservation first! Rosy, check if we can use the communication crystal!”
“Got it! Let’s see, which designer is the most famous right now…?”
It was clear that my opinion didn’t matter at all. Linda and Rosy were practically glowing with excitement—this journey seemed a delight to them.
Today was the day we were leaving for the capital to attend an audience with the Emperor.
I gave up chasing after Juno and plopped down on the sofa, watching their busy movements in a daze.
‘What’s so great about going to the capital? I feel like every lie I’ve told is about to burst at once…’
In my previous life, I’d never met the Emperor.
Even though I was technically a duke’s daughter, my name had never been listed in the hereditary nobility records managed by the Imperial family.
Now that I think about it, it was because I was acting as a fake noble all along, and they already knew it.
But this time was different.
Unlike before, once your name was recorded as hereditary nobility, you were automatically invited to every imperial banquet and gathering.
Which made me wonder: would the Duke really be alright with this?
It had all started because of the Duke’s contract, but the reason we were now going before the Emperor was partly my fault—and the divine beast’s.
So even as everyone else buzzed with excitement, I could only grow more solemn.
Finally, it was time to depart.
I headed to the Duke’s study to leave together, and the moment I opened the door, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
Drip, drip.
The Duke himself was watering a plant.
When he noticed my stare, he asked,
“Why are you just standing there?”
“J-just, curious?”
I quickly sidled up beside him to watch.
“Daddy, why are you watering the plants yourself?”
He rolled his pale blue eyes thoughtfully before replying,
“Because it makes me feel like a slightly less terrible man.”
“…I see. Hehe.”
His words made me smile without thinking.
After everything that had happened between the two of them, I was simply grateful they’d found even this small connection.
Just then—slam!—the door burst open.
His secretary stood there, glaring at us like a hawk.
He looked us up and down slowly before saying,
“What happened last night? You seem oddly close today.”
At that, the Duke deliberately lifted me into his arms and replied,
“Perhaps that’s the difference between a father and an uncle.”
“……!”
The fake uncle’s face twisted miserably, as if someone had just stolen his secret stash of sweets.
“She’s already calling you Daddy?! And after spending so much time alone together too…!” he cried, shredding his handkerchief in frustration.
“It’s time to go,” said the Duke coolly. “Feel free to pack your things and run away while I’m gone.”
“Why would I? I refuse. My commute’s been delightful lately—oh, to the underground prison, of course.”
The Duke just shook his head at the secretary’s sly grin.
Then the man spread his arms to me and said,
“Come now, my Lady. Let your uncle escort you to the carriage.”
His face said, He may be your fake father, but I’m your real favorite, full of confidence.
Technically, his words weren’t wrong, so I reached for him—
—but the Duke turned abruptly and strode off.
“If you’re enjoying your work so much, I can’t take up your time with farewells.”
He motioned for the guards to lock the secretary in the office and continued walking toward the carriage.
Bang bang bang!
“Open this door, Your Grace! You’re jealous of the bond between me and the young lady, aren’t you? You think I don’t know?!”
His indignant voice echoed down the hall, but the Duke didn’t so much as flinch.
The faint curl of his lips told me he was just teasing.
For someone usually so stoic, his good mood today could only mean one thing: he’d finally eased some of the burden on his heart regarding his parents.
We soon reached the carriage and climbed aboard—
—but something felt off.
The coachman, holding the door handle, looked strangely uncomfortable and didn’t close it.
Before the Duke could ask, someone else stepped inside.
It was Lady Diana, who was also joining us on the trip to the capital.
The Duke looked at her blankly.
“There should be another carriage.”
“You can be fooled too, I see.”
“What do you mean?”
“The carriage you’re in is an Imperial magic carriage. Which means—it belongs to my family.”
I gasped.
I hadn’t realized when I boarded from the main entrance, but now I could see faint magical stones glowing within.
The Duke sighed heavily, clearly exasperated. He picked me up, preparing to leave, but Lady Diana spoke again, graceful as ever.
“I’m joking, of course. This carriage is meant for the Lady and her divine beast. It’s a gift from His Majesty, so please don’t refuse it.”
She smiled sweetly.
Despite the humiliation she’d suffered last night, she showed no awkwardness speaking with the Duke.
[Whoa,] Juno murmured, [that woman’s terrifyingly shameless.]
I silently agreed.
There was something about her calm demeanor that felt like the stillness before a storm.
Regardless, we departed for the capital.
The Duke didn’t refuse because he knew what kind of carriage this was—one normally lent to high-ranking foreign envoys.
Which meant, most likely, that the Imperial family had some expectations of me.
Not because of who I was, of course, but because of the rare ability that appeared once every few generations in the Eberhardt line.
According to the family records, nearly every child born to the house was gifted in both martial and magical arts, and once every two centuries, a truly extraordinary prodigy was born.
Such children often became targets for kidnapping before they could even protect themselves.
So, in my case—someone who had inherited all of my ancestors’ talents—it was all the more important to remain hidden.
After all, the power I had came from the ring the Duke gave me; it should be used only to help him.
‘How about that, Duke? Pretty smart of me, huh?’
Feeling proud of my resolve, I looked up at him, hoping for a little praise.
When our eyes met, he simply said,
“Sleep.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Nestled in the Duke’s arms and using Juno’s fur as a blanket, I drifted off to sleep—
having no idea who we were about to meet on this journey.
