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chapter 33
No one had pointed it out until now, so I never really paid attention—was my behavior that strange to others?
And they were the ones who got sick of my baby talk first!
└ [Bold opinion. I liked her baby talk, it was cute.]
└ [I’m here for the childcare vibesㅠㅠ]
The fairies in the comments suddenly changed their stance.
Maybe I should’ve practiced speaking with a lisp beforehand.
I hurried to act as much like a five-year-old as possible.
“Heh, hehe? Smawt? I dun weally know….”
└ [No, this just sounds slow]
└ [Ugh, tongue-tied speech]
What do they want me to do?
My attempt to look childlike failed quickly, and the governess—who had stepped back up to now—joined the conversation.
“Rose is remarkably clever for her age. Her lessons are at the level of academy freshmen, and she keeps up perfectly. And since she’s here, young master Damian focuses much better in class.”
Well, if even remarks like that exist, acting like an ordinary five-year-old isn’t going to fool anyone.
I gave up on the lisp and watched quietly. The Duchess still looked unconvinced.
“I still can’t believe the Duke brought home a child to sponsor.”
But her suspicion didn’t seem directed at me.
“Does a position really change someone? Did becoming a Duke change his mindset?”
“Oh, actually he hasn’t taken me as a ward yet. He keeps telling me to go back to the orphanage…”
“What?”
This time her brows drew together.
“No wonder something felt off—like why you were wearing Damian’s clothes!”
I awkwardly looked down at my outfit.
So… I really shouldn’t have worn the young master’s clothes?
Even if he gave me permission, these clothes were chosen and tailored with care for him.
Meaning, they weren’t meant for me.
“Let’s go.”
Looking displeased, the Duchess took Damian’s hand.
I must have offended her.
Well, I am just an unwelcome guest here.
└ [Ma’am is being SO petty—]
└ [Don’t talk to Rose when she becomes a Saint later, okay?]
└ [Nothing’s progressing thanks to the Duke’s family. Why is she even staying there? Dropping this story, I’m frustrated.]
Just when the comment fairies began fiercely criticizing the Duke’s family—
Something warm touched my hand.
I looked up to see the Duchess holding my hand with her free one, meeting my eyes.
“Today, we’re going out.”
└ [Ma’am you’re the best~~^^]
The Duchess—no, Hestina, the former Duchess—took Damian and me to a shopping street near the ducal residence.
I wondered what she intended to do there…
“How adorable. This green dress suits her well.”
“Little lady is so pretty, everything looks good on her. And with this dress—this hairpin! The color combination is elegant and refined.”
“Her hair being short is a bit of a pity, but whatever. Everything she tried on—please wrap them all.”
└ [Yes, THIS is it]
└ [Did ma’am have some soda today? She’s refreshing as hell]
└ [Ugh finally, satisfaction~~]
Hestina continued shopping without hesitation, as though she’d found a bit of fun in her dull life.
The comment fairies were equally excited.
But from my perspective—being showered with clothes was… complicated.
“Is it really okay for me to receive all this?”
“Don’t children like gifts? Why wouldn’t you?”
“Uhm… because I have no reason to receive them…?”
I didn’t think twice about accepting donated goods at the orphanage.
But personal gifts felt different—like I’d need to repay her somehow. I had nothing.
└ [Repay with cuteness]
└ [Sigh… FL thinks too much. They’re gifts, not bribes]
…Maybe living in Tortoga has corrupted my way of thinking.
Back there, nothing was ever “just given.”
└ [Rose never gets to receive giftsㅠㅠㅠ]
└ [This reminds me of the 2nd prince’s ring gift delivery incident]
└ [I’m angry. Let’s gift disaster upon the world.]
The fairies, cheerful just moments ago, suddenly turned violent.
W-was it really that wrong for me to think like that?
Even my small moment of doubt made them turn this negative.
Hestina didn’t get violent, but my reply clearly didn’t please her—she sighed quietly.
“Act your age.”
“Ah—yes. Thank you.”
Even so, since I still looked uneasy, she added in a soft voice:
“This is something I should be doing.”
“…Something you should do, Lady Hestina?”
“Yes. Spending money is what nobles are meant to do. If wealthy people don’t spend, how will merchants make a living?”
└ [True words]
└ [Noblesse oblige realness]
└ [A refreshing Duchess in a cliché-filled ducal family… what is this house]
Judging from her expression, she genuinely enjoyed spending, too. That made me feel better.
Hestina wasn’t only interested in shopping, but in the district itself, chatting with the shopkeeper.
“The street is quieter than I expected. Is business going well?”
“Since the capital is close, most big stores moved there. With the war over, people want to spend money again, so they say now’s the chance to relocate.”
There seemed to be another reason. The owner lowered his voice.
“The family that used to own this territory collapsed, didn’t they? Merchants tend to stay close to their lord. Some fled fearing the trouble might spill over.”
Ah. He’s talking about the former Duke who was purged.
Some fled to the capital, some far away to avoid being associated with him.
Because of that, this land—prime location personally granted by the Emperor to Duke Valentin—had relatively underdeveloped markets.
“I see. If the location is good, perhaps I should consider buying some property. With the Duke’s knights around, safety shouldn’t be an issue.”
The shopkeeper, unaware that she is the Duke’s former wife, whispered again.
“Actually, some say they avoid moving here because of that.”
“Hm?”
“They say the knights draw their swords at the slightest issue. Since they’re used to solving things with force after serving in war…”
This matches what the maid sisters told me.
└ [Wait—is it okay to say that IN FRONT OF the Duchess??]
I also glanced nervously at Hestina, but surprisingly, she looked calm.
Was she hiding her identity on purpose to hear the honest truth?
“I see. I’ll look around a bit more. If the packaging is done, shall we head out?”
“Yes.”
Meanwhile, Damian had gone separately to browse the weapon shop with the guards.
When our carriage reached the weapon shop, Damian came out holding some long object in his arms.
“Rose! I found the perfect sword for training—!”
He excitedly began to boast about it, but froze the moment he saw me—now wearing a dress.
His mouth fell open in shock.
└ [Is it because she’s too pretty?]
└ [IS THIS the beginning of romance???]
└ [Wait—is he moving from big brother to ML candidate??]
“That outfit is absurd! You can’t move properly in that!”
└ [Ah… never mind. He’s just her older brother.]
The fairies rapidly built expectations and crushed them within three seconds.
What even flashed through their minds just now?
“Damian. In situations like this, you’re supposed to say she looks cute.”
“But Rose is my subordinate No.1. She can’t go into battle dressed like that.”
I wasn’t expecting praise, but did he really have to dislike it this much…?
Lady Hestina gave this to me. And honestly, the dress is cute.
With the gift-giver right here, his reaction was too stiff, so I whispered quietly:
“Lord Damian. Actually, skirts have an incredible function.”
“What kind of function?”
“When you wear them… you can hide weapons completely.”
“!!”
Damian stared at my dress with wide eyes, as though he’d discovered a new technology.
“I see. So it’s similar to a cloak?”
“Yes, something like that.”
Maybe studying really did improve his comprehension.
└ [Improved comprehension WHERE?]
└ [How does skirt = cloak make sense lol]
└ [He just listens to whatever Rose says…]
Hestina watched our exchange, then gently stroked my head.
“So you are unusually smart, aren’t you?”
As if to say:
Our son isn’t lacking—this child is simply exceptional.
Her expression said the rest. I nodded sheepishly.
Damian ran to the knights’ training grounds the moment we returned, eager to show off his new wooden sword.
…Wasn’t he trying to skip class this morning to spend time with his mother?
└ [LOL he just didn’t want to study…]
