TGHB 40

Chapter – 40

Sleeping on something soft for the first time after always sleeping on hard surfaces wasn’t easy.

It felt like I would be endlessly swallowed by the plush bed, so I couldn’t bring myself to close my eyes.

In the end, on the first night, I grabbed a blanket and slept on the floor instead.

“Mm. I’ll sleep here!”

The fluffy carpeted floor made for an excellent sleeping spot.

Of course, even then, I couldn’t actually fall asleep.

The pleasant scent clinging to my body.

The soft blanket.

The smooth pajamas and the quiet room.

Everything surrounding me—aside from the bed—was unfamiliar.

‘But from the next day on, I really did sleep in the bed.’

A noble sleeping on the floor?

I’d never heard of that before.

‘Well, I am a fake lady.’

Which meant I had to be even more faithful to the role I’d been given.

Even though I often woke up during the night and tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

Even so, I endured without complaining, without showing how sleepy I was.

So how did he figure it out—?

“Yaaawn.”

…Ah. Like this?

The yawn that slipped out without me noticing betrayed me.

The duke looked at me with a relaxed expression, as if to say, See?

“I gathered every bed made by the most famous furniture craftsmen in the empire.”

“A—all of them…?”

“Yes. All of them. So surely there must be at least one you like.”

That wasn’t wrong.

With that many, at least one should be comfortable.

“Go pick one. Or you can just roll around and sleep here.”

He set me down on the floor like he was releasing a stray cat.

I shuffled cautiously up to the entrance, but I couldn’t bring myself to go inside.

“What is it? Nothing you like?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…”

“If there isn’t, it can’t be helped. Hudson, immediately start searching for more furniture craftsmen. We’ll have to bring in even more beds—”

“N-no?! I don’t need any more beds!”

At my desperate cry, the duke narrowed his eyes.

“You said there wasn’t one you liked.”

“N-no? I was just so excited I couldn’t talk!”

If this went wrong, we might end up with yet another bizarre room.

Bracing myself, I kicked off my slippers.

Then I marched up the little steps toward the beds.

And then—

“Waaah!”

Dive!

“Wahaha, this is fun…! It’s so nice!”

As I bounced around, I glanced sideways and felt the duke and Hudson watching me.

Good. This is it.

Encouraged, I rolled around even more energetically.

But then—

“…W-whoa.”

What is this?

“Kyah!”

This is really fun!

Rolling around on the squishy bed felt like tumbling through the clouds.

It was fun.

So fun.

Way too fun!

So fun it hurt my pride!

I was completely absorbed.

“Kyaha!”

At some point, I’d forgotten my original goal and was only focused on rolling around.

I even forgot that there were two people watching from outside the door.

The duke and Hudson leaned quietly against the doorway, watching Meloni.

Her smile, awkward at first, gradually softened into something purely innocent.

“Heehee!”

As she rolled around laughing, the duke popped a candy into his mouth.

“She’s like a rolling marshmallow.”

“That’s a relief. It seems the young lady likes this strange room. Though it feels more like a playroom than a bedroom.”

“Well? We’ll see.”

At the duke’s relaxed shrug, Hudson tilted his head in confusion.

Anyone could see she was using it as a playroom—so what did he mean by we’ll see?

But not long after—

“…Yaaawn.”

Meloni’s rolling gradually slowed.

Sleepiness replaced the smile on her face.

And after she let out about three long, lazy yawns—

“Mmnh.”

Rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands, she toddled somewhere.

Toward the bed decorated with pink rabbits.

When she reached it, she flopped face-down and blinked heavily.

Her eyelids drooped on their own.

And then—

Kuuuul, kuhl. Kuuuul, kuhl.

Snore.

The soft, steady breathing of a sleeping child filled the room.

“The rabbit one.”

“Yes. The rabbit one.”

Having witnessed everything, Hudson shook his head and looked up at the duke.

“…I suppose with this many options, she was bound to find one she liked.”

“Shh.”

The duke lifted a finger to his lips and snapped lightly.

Slowly, darkness crept into the once-bright room.

Not too bright.

Not too dark.

“Sweet dreams, Marshmallow.”

“Mmnh… Papa, you too… good dreams… mmm.”

Beneath the gentle darkness, the child’s expression relaxed even further.

Chirp, chirp.

I opened my eyes to the sound of birds outside the window.

“Haaah—”

I stretched and yawned widely as I sat up.

Right on cue, there was a knock, and Eina entered.

“Good morning, miss. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. I slept well. Did you sleep well too, Eina?”

“Haha. Yes, I slept very soundly.”

Eina smiled brightly as she pulled the curtains wide open.

“We really should have changed your bed sooner. You used to struggle every morning, but these days you’re already awake before I even arrive.”

She was right.

Surprisingly, ever since the duke’s shocking bed-room gift, I stopped having trouble sleeping.

‘I couldn’t possibly sleep in that room, so I only moved the rabbit bed to my bedroom.’

Even that alone made a huge difference.

Sleeping well and waking refreshed every day.

It made me realize all over again how happy good sleep could make you.

After helping me wash up, Eina brushed my messy bedhead smooth.

Once I’d changed clothes, I was ready to start the day.

“Whew. You’re perfect again today.”

“That’s thanks to you, Eina.”

“Ahh… I’m so happy I get to serve you, miss.”

…If you’re happy, why are you tearing up?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Eina held out her hand.

I quickly grabbed it.

“So, where would you like to go?”

“Hmm.”

Let’s see.

‘I don’t really feel like eating alone today.’

Louis was probably still asleep.

The former duke was… a pass.

That left—

“I wanna eat breakfast with Papa.”

Eina brought me to the dining room.

As I sat there swinging my legs, someone opened the door.

I raised my hand, assuming it was the duke—

“Papa— huh?”

“Ahem.”

“H—Grandpa?”

The one who entered was the former duke.

Blinking in surprise, I watched as he cleared his throat again.

‘Ah—greeting!’

I hurriedly bowed.

“Good morning, Grandpa.”

“Yes, well. Did you sleep well, Marshmallow?”

“Yes. I slept well.”

“Ahem. Good. You’re fulfilling a child’s duties properly.”

Nod nod.

“I’m doing very well. I’m gonna eat breakfast too. ’Cause that’s a child’s duty.”

I clenched my fist and declared it solemnly, making the former duke’s lips twitch upward.

“Good! I like that spirit! Much better than that damned bastard.”

“Is that coming from someone who abandoned his title by pretending to be sick?”

“Startling me like that—at least announce yourself!”

“Is it my fault you’re too dull to notice?”

The duke replied with a smile as he strode over to me.

“Looks like you slept well.”

“Yes. I sleep well every day now. Papa gave me a holy relic.”

“Haha. I’m glad to hear that.”

He sat down beside me.

“How long are you going to stand there? If you’re eating, sit down. If not, leave.”

“Tsk. Such a way of speaking.”

Shaking his head, the former duke walked over and sat down.

But then—

‘Why… next to me?’

Blink blink.

As I looked up in confusion, our eyes met.

“H-hehe?”

Startled, I laughed awkwardly, and the former duke quickly turned his head away.

‘Ah, how awkward.’

…Come to think of it, I’d momentarily forgotten because of Louis.

‘This was another mountain I had to climb…’

And a massive one at that.

Ugh. How am I supposed to overcome this trial now?