Chapter 7

Before I could even examine his expression, the physician had already left the room.

Did I hear wrong?

Or did he have some kind of problem with me?

But what did I even do?

I’d only entered this house yesterday.

This was the first time we’d met.

Unlike the earlier visitors, I couldn’t even guess at a possible connection, which made it all the more irritating.

It wasn’t as though everyone who had served the Ambrose heir was obligated to be kind to me.

Still, even the young maids with yellow badges had merely found me troublesome.

They hadn’t openly disliked me.

Yet…

“So, Miss Bebe, what do you think?”

“Y-Yes…? Huh?”

I had been nodding absentmindedly out of reflex.

Now all the maids were staring at me with eyes that sparkled far too brightly.

W-What?

I hadn’t actually heard what they’d been saying.

I was busy thinking.

Whether I was confused or not, the maids excitedly declared:

“Then let’s go welcome the Master home!”

“Why would I do that?”

Oops.

That came out harsher than intended.

But seriously.

Why would I go greet that old man at the door?

The maids immediately looked crestfallen.

“If we spoke out of turn, we’re sorry, Miss.”

“But for the last ten years, the Master hasn’t had any family waiting to greet him when he came home…”

“We just thought… ever since the Madam passed away and the young master disappeared, his return home must have felt very lonely.”

“And if such an adorable granddaughter greeted him with a simple ‘Welcome back,’ imagine how happy he’d be!”

“And since you also lost your mother yesterday, we hoped the two of you might become a comfort to each other…”

“Let’s go greet him.”

I lost.

Was this punishment for all the emotional manipulation I’d used in my previous life?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I allowed the cheerful maids to drag me away.

They even tried to bring Hui and Dido along, saying we were all family now.

But both of them hid immediately because they were afraid of the scary grandfather.

Big sister doesn’t want to go either. Save me…

Complaining internally, I followed them down to the lobby.

The place was already packed with servants standing in orderly rows.

The maids placed me at the top of the staircase landing before joining the others below.

This is way too much attention.

And I’m still dressed like a little beggar.

I felt uncomfortable, but by now I could practically feel the expectations radiating from every servant in the mansion.

So I stood there silently.

After staring blankly into space with dead fish eyes for a while, a carriage finally stopped outside the open doors.

Then Duke Ambrose appeared.

“Welcome home, Master!”

The servants all bowed in unison.

The Duke walked through them toward the mansion.

How dignified.

How annoying.

With a sour expression, I felt the servants’ sparkling gazes pushing me from behind.

Reluctantly, I opened my mouth.

“Welcome back.”

“…Mm.”

An awkward greeting.

An equally awkward response.

Last night’s disastrous encounter flashed through my mind.

Judging from his expression, the Duke seemed to be remembering it too.

Tch.

Annoying old man.

Still, we should at least try to get along—

“Looks like you’ve been digging in the dirt. This house isn’t much, is it?”

“It’s difficult for someone raised on the streets to hide their lack of refinement.”

Crackle.

We both lifted one corner of our mouths in matching smiles as sparks seemed to fly between us.

Just like that old geezer.

Meanwhile, the servants watched us with emotional expressions.

I don’t know what misunderstanding they were having, but it wasn’t that.

Definitely not that.

At that moment, the butler quietly stepped in.

“How about the two of you enjoy a pleasant dinner together—”

“No.”

“I’m on a hunger strike.”

We rejected him simultaneously.

The butler simply laughed.

“Haha, now, now. The meal is already prepared. Please consider the effort we put into it.”

Then why ask?

Whether he was experienced or simply shameless was impossible to tell.

The butler practically pushed Duke Ambrose toward the dining room on the first floor.

At the same time, the maids dragged me off the staircase.

So you were all working together.

I shot them a glare, but they pretended not to notice and nearly hauled me into the dining room by force.

Plop.

I ended up sitting face-to-face with that old man at the dinner table.

A smiling head chef immediately appeared and personally began serving the food.

The servants attending us from the sides also couldn’t stop smiling.

Everyone here looked happy.

Everyone except me and Duke Ambrose.

The butler and Maya looked especially emotional.

It seemed as though they might start crying at any moment.

How was I supposed to enjoy a meal under that kind of pressure?

As I sat there staring at the feast before me, the Duke sighed.

“Eat first.”

“…Fine.”

I reluctantly picked up my utensils.

But before taking my first bite, I whispered to a maid standing nearby.

“What about my siblings?”

“Don’t worry. Their meals have already been sent up.”

I nodded.

Only then did I finally take a spoonful of soup.

Ah.

It was delicious.

Delicious enough to melt away all my discomfort.

I had worried the awkward atmosphere would ruin my appetite.

Instead, I diligently worked my way through everything on my plate.

This morning, Hui and Dido’s eyes had grown enormous after tasting Ambrose food.

I smiled absentmindedly as I imagined them still eating enthusiastically like baby birds.

“Seems you care a great deal about your siblings.”

I looked up.

At some point, Duke Ambrose had started watching me.

Swallowing the bread in my mouth, I replied:

“Well… why wouldn’t I? They’re precious family.”

Sometimes I felt overwhelmed by how much I loved them.

Unlike me, the Duke’s face remained expressionless.

“That may change.”

“…What do you mean?”

“For example, if one of them grows into a shameless drunk.”

I blinked.

The face of the man I had met that morning suddenly came to mind.

“Or if they fail to understand their place.”

“Or become greedy.”

Faces began flashing through my thoughts.

Young.

Old.

Male.

Female.

All mixed together.

“Or if they dare to entertain improper ambitions.”

The images became a chaotic mess.

Then my eyes met the Duke’s.

That look again.

He really was a merchant.

How could someone look so calculating?

Especially at his own granddaughter.

Feeling slightly disappointed, I grumbled like a child.

“Maybe.”

“…”

“Maybe one day I’ll have a reason like that.”

“How would I know?”

For a brief moment, he seemed dissatisfied by my answer.

I stabbed a piece of meat with my fork.

Then muttered:

“Though it seems the world’s greatest merchant didn’t realize his own family would turn into such a disaster.”

“…Ha!”

The Duke let out a sound that was somewhere between outrage and admiration.

I snorted and continued eating.

If he wanted to throw me out, then let him.

Though honestly, I wasn’t worried.

I was beginning to understand him.

He wants to test me.

Am I smart or foolish?

Bold or timid?

How much value do I have as his blood relative?

I looked at Duke Ambrose, who had covered part of his face with one hand.

Honestly.

Did he really have to test me this way?

It was like the method of a wild beast.

Throwing someone off a cliff just to see whether they survived.

Whether I was the only child of his missing son or not, he had no interest in tearful reunions.

He wanted to get straight to business.

It was irritating.

Annoying.

Infuriating.

And yet…

I don’t completely hate it.

If anything, I found it increasingly interesting.

Because his evaluation was my price tag.

My money.

My inheritance.

My glorious future!

In that case, I’ll squeeze every last coin out of him!

I crooked my lips into a grin.

The Duke lowered his hand from his face.

He wore a similarly irritating smile.

As though daring me to try.

Somewhere in the distance, I could almost hear battle trumpets.

Red banners fluttering on opposing sides.

The peaceful dinner was over.

From this moment onward,

we were at war.

As if declaring exactly that, Duke Ambrose drank his wine while I gulped down my grape juice as though it were blood.

Clack!

We set down our glasses.

Then, like negotiators leaving a failed peace conference, we exited the dining room side by side.

A dizzying silence followed us.

When we reached the staircase landing in the lobby, we both spoke.

“I’ll be sending dinner invitations to those people one week from now.”

“So?”

“You should attend too. Clear your schedule in advance.”

“For someone inviting a busy man, your manners are terrible.”

“Yes. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Then we both turned away.

As the old man and I marched up opposite sides of the grand red staircase, the servants whispered among themselves.

“That’s some serious self-hatred between members of the same species…”

I pretended not to hear them.