TDPMVI 19

Chapter : 19

It was the adoption document I had seen yesterday.

“The Duke said you should keep it, my lady.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes. He also said you may freely obtain signatures from anyone you wish.”

Then he added, “However, they must be people related to Stukia.”

Still dazed, I took the papers and scanned the remaining blank spaces.

There were about twenty lines left—many, or perhaps few, depending on how you looked at it.

No… considering this was a ducal house, maybe it was fewer than expected.

So from here on, he’s telling me to handle it myself. To earn recognition from the people of Stukia with my own hands.

Still, it was better than having no opportunity at all.

There was nothing more certain than being acknowledged as one of them by the very people I met myself.

I sprang to my feet.

And the first people I went to find were—

“Pardon? Our signatures?”

Anna and Hattie.

Of course, it would be better to get signatures from those close to the Duke—but there was no way those people would even agree to meet me. Let alone sign.

So my goal was simple: Start with the people close to me and work my way up, until I can even get the Duke’s signature!

Fortunately, unlike the vassals, the servants didn’t seem to dislike me.

“That man—he pretends to be kind on the outside, but behind the scenes he looks down on everyone!”

“He was the type to divide people by rank. A truly insidious person!”

Count Roman’s reputation among the servants was absolutely terrible.

Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to secure their signatures.

“If there’s anything you need done in return, I’ll do it.”

So I proposed a deal.

“I’m good at laundry, cleaning, running errands—everything. I’m small, so I can even get into narrow, dark places.”

“My lady! We can’t possibly make you do such things. Even without that, we would—”

Hattie looked troubled as she spoke, then exchanged a glance with Anna.

Anna asked calmly, “Even if it’s something difficult, are you sure?”

I nodded.

“Very well,” Anna said resolutely.

Were they going to make me do something terrifying?

Bracing myself to accept anything, I waited for their request.

“Then please allow us to touch your hair.”

“I would like to help you change your clothes.”

“Yes! I’ll work hard—… Wait? My hair and clothes?”

Wasn’t that just a maid’s job?

I tilted my head in confusion, but they wouldn’t have made such a request for no reason.

When I nodded in agreement, Anna and Hattie approached me.

With Anna’s help, I changed clothes, and Hattie gently touched my hair.

“It’s a bit messy. I’ll tie it again.”

“Yes!”

When I answered brightly, Hattie smiled fondly and patted my head.

It seemed like an unconscious, reflexive gesture.

“Hmm?”

But then she tilted her head and continued stroking my hair.

“Hattie, what are you doing to the young lady right now?” Anna whispered reproachfully after finishing with my clothes.

“But Anna, you should try touching it too. The texture is—!”

“No matter how cute she is, she’s still our lady. You shouldn’t just—”

Before she could finish, Hattie grabbed Anna’s hand and placed it on top of my head.

“…!”

I felt Anna’s hand freeze on my crown.

Then, soon enough—stroke, stroke, stroke.

As if enchanted, she began petting my hair.

She suddenly startled and pulled her hand away.

“My apologies, my lady. It just felt so nice that I lost myself…”

“It’s okay.”

They looked so apologetic that I quickly waved my hands.

“And, um… actually, I kind of wanted someone to pat my head.”

Before my regression, whenever I accomplished something rare and commendable, the Duke of Agnito would pat my head.

It was just a light tap on the crown, but the feeling of his hand brushing through my hair had always felt especially nice.

Because I thought that kind of touch was only allowed for Esther.

Of course, every time the Duke ruffled Esther’s hair, she would complain that his hands were too rough and ruined the hairstyle she had carefully arranged.

So I had assumed proper head pats would hurt.

“It doesn’t hurt… it feels even better than I thought…”

I muttered in realization.

For some reason, the room had gone quiet.

When I looked up, Hattie was biting her lip, the corners of her mouth trembling downward. Anna wore her usual composed expression, but the tip of her nose was slightly red.

Had I said something wrong?

Just then, Anna spoke again.

“Before we sign, may we suggest one more condition?”

“Oh! What is it?”

“Please allow us to check your hair and attire at least five times a day.”

“My hair?”

“Yes. The Duke likes having his hair brushed, but our skills are rather lacking.”

“And he doesn’t dress up properly either. As a member of the ducal house, I always dreamed of dressing him in a variety of outfits… but since he refuses to, my dream was shattered.”

“Oh! So you both like dressing people up.”

Now that I thought about it, the Duke didn’t seem interested in fashion. If anything, he tended to strip layers off casually. It still suited him because of his striking appearance, but still.

In any case, it was a wonderful offer for me.

Being patted on the head felt far better than I’d expected.

“I promise!”

At my energetic reply, Anna and Hattie signed the document.

Receiving signatures from the two people who had treated me the kindest since I arrived gave me courage.

I immediately moved on to my next target.

“My signature, you say?”

It was the head chef of Stukia’s ducal castle.

“In return, I’ll do anything you ask. Peel potatoes, slice onions, eat papri— I mean, slice paprika.”

“My lady, why would you…?”

The flustered chef soon answered.

“Very well. I shall sign.”

“Thank you! What should I do first?”

“First, eat your meals properly. And please eat the desserts I make.”

“Huh? That’s all?”

“Yes. In truth, the Duke has quite a childish palate. But since there are no children here, I require your assistance.”

“Wow… He looks like he’d drink alcohol on an empty stomach all day. He’s not what he seems.”

“People have many sides to them.”

The chef’s expression turned oddly serious as he said that.

Everyone seemed to have their own struggles.

I nodded, and only after my stomach felt as round as Namsan did I finally receive his signature.

After that, things went smoothly.

“This vine is a sprout vine. Rather than cutting here, you should trim the swollen bud—otherwise it’ll tangle.”

“How could you know that at a glance?”

“I’ve seen something similar before.”

Since I could no longer walk the path of a saintess, I had once tried studying herbalism instead. Using the knowledge I gained back then, I obtained the gardener’s signature.

“These horses aren’t eating their feed well, are they? If so, try feed produced in the southernmost part of the North. There’s a grass there they like.”

“How would someone as small as you know that?”

“I’ve liked horses since I was young.”

The smelly stables were a place people rarely visited, so when I stayed there, Bert wouldn’t bother me. Naturally, I ended up learning about horses.

After solving the feed issue, I got the coachman’s signature.

“Here—it’s not ‘this side,’ it’s ‘that side.’”

“Oh, you’re right. Have you studied ancient language?”

“Not much, just a little.”

The temple’s official language was ancient speech. Since Esther struggled with it, I had learned it to help interpret for her. Using that knowledge, I assisted the librarian.

Little by little, after going through the castle’s servants, I gathered ten signatures.

With a proud heart, I stepped out of the library.

I heard the librarian often worked with the administrator. If I visited frequently, I might meet him—and gradually get closer to the Duke that way.

Good.

Smiling to myself, I nodded.

“…?”

Suddenly, it felt as though the surroundings had grown darker.

What is it?

I lifted my head.

And without realizing it, I flinched.

In this freezing weather, several burly men wearing sleeveless black shirts stood towering over me, muscles bulging.

“You the kid the Duke personally brought in?”

Rough eyes. An overwhelming presence.

“Smaller than I expected. You’re not even a mouthful.”

The coarse tone. The crooked, downward gaze.

This was clearly a hierarchy check. The kind that always happened in the underworld!

Don’t get scared. Start with a greeting—introduce yourself!

I was just about to open my mouth—

When suddenly, the man at the very front stepped toward me. He had a scruffy beard and wore an eye patch over one eye.

“Hey, kid.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“You really…”

He frowned. His expression clearly displeased, making me shrink back without meaning to.

Then he muttered bluntly—

“You really look like a snowflake that’ll melt away in no time.”

…Excuse me?