YOWV~13

Chapter 13

‘What did I just witness?’

Until now, everyone had resented Aisha.

The child had nearly put their master in danger with a blatant lie.

So when her deception was exposed, people expected her to be thrown out.

No—they prayed for it.

Calypse wasn’t the only one protecting Crost. This ducal castle was a place guarded by everyone who worked within it.

But instead of kicking her out, he adopted her as a direct heir?

No, even worse—he was luring a child who said she didn’t want it… with steak?

“…His Grace really…”

The chef, who had just witnessed the shocking truth, muttered blankly.

“Seems he likes the child a lot.”

“Far more than we thought.”

“If anything, the child looks absolutely horrified…”

Among the dazed murmurs, the butler Brad spoke with a dubious expression.

“That makes it even more suspicious. How exactly did she wrap him around her finger?”

“Yes… but…”

Head maid Mai couldn’t finish her sentence.

It had simply been too long.

Too long since the Duke had removed his mask.

Too long since he had smiled with such playful amusement.

In the end, Mai came to a bitter conclusion.

“…His Grace ordered that she be treated like a lady equal to the young miss. We have no choice.”

At those words, everyone nodded.

And just like that, the observation diary of the Duke and his sudden adopted child ended anticlimactically.

Once everyone had left—

“…Still suspicious.”

A man who had secretly watched everything from behind muttered under his breath.

“I’ll keep watching.”

Flash—

Adjusting his gleaming monocle, he disappeared like a shadow.

* * *

I think I got scammed.

That gardener ajusshi was Duke Calypse?

…In other words, I got adopted by Duke Calypse?

“Trying to destroy the original story only made me follow it even more closelyyy!”

Flop flop—

After flailing on the bed for quite a while, I let out a deep sigh and sprawled out flat.

Well, that part couldn’t be helped anymore.

What really bothered me was something else.

Something felt off.

“The surroundings changing based on my actions? Fine, I can understand that. It happened with Dorothy too.”

But the real young lady, who should’ve been far away, suddenly disappearing?

“Hmm.”

Impossible to understand. Completely impossible!

Narrowing my eyes, I pressed my tiny fingers against my temples.

Maybe I remembered something wrong, so I tried to recall the original story’s details about the young miss—

But strangely, compared to the other children, her descriptions were painfully lacking.

“The Duchess is the same.”

Other than the fact that she disappeared alongside the young miss, there was basically no information.

“…Hmm. Something smells fishy. Really fishy.”

Former spy, age five.

A pitiful résumé, perhaps—but my instincts were tingling.

There’s definitely something going on with the Duchess and the young miss.

There was only one way to find out.

Probe the Pose Duchy’s side.

I opened the small wardrobe in my room and pulled out my pajamas.

Even though I’d abandoned my spy mission, the Pose family probably still hadn’t realized my betrayal.

After all, Dorothy—my only contact—had been captured.

My mission from the start had been to impersonate the true young miss as a fake direct descendant.

So asking about the real young miss shouldn’t seem strange.

[Successfully adopted into the Crost Ducal House. What’s Dorothy’s status? Where is the real direct young miss?]

Then I sprinkled poison infused with special powers over the message, and before long, the crooked handwriting vanished.

That was when—

Knock knock—

At the sudden sound, I dove under the blanket and flawlessly pretended to be asleep.

Soon, Head Maid Mai’s businesslike voice came through the opened door.

“Wake up, Lady Aisha. It’s already morning.”

“Mmmnngh, okayyy.”

Rub rub.

Classic child eye-rubbing complete.

Classic child yawning complete.

“……”

Despite my meticulous morning acting, Mai paid no attention at all and simply prepared the food on the trolley.

“For breakfast, we’ve prepared a simple citron salad and mushroom soup.”

“Thank you! But this is a lot… would you maybe like to share—”

“Yes, certainly.”

I stabbed a piece of chicken from the salad with my fork and held it out to her—

Click.

Mai had already closed the door and disappeared.

“……”

The chicken awkwardly hovered in midair.

“…Guess I’ll eat it.”

Munch munch—

A little embarrassing, but honestly, I’d expected this.

Anyone would think I was suspicious.

I lied about knowing where the real young miss was and got adopted because of it. Of course I look like a little scammer.

I understand, everyone. Even I think I seem shady.

Really, Calypse was the weird one for accepting me.

Still, compared to my old spy training, this level of social coldness was nothing.

I scraped my plate clean.

“A child who eats well is a child who gets loved!”

Then I pulled the service bell rope, and when the maids arrived—

“I finished everything without leaving any!”

With puffed-up cheeks and a bright grin, I proudly announced it.

But the maids simply took the dishes and trolley and left the room.

Hmm. Our big sisters are really shy, huh.

It’s okay. I’m the one at fault!

Thinking that, I was climbing back onto the bed when—

“Who goes there?!”

Feeling someone watching me, I leapt off the bed and struck a combat pose.

Aka: Squirrel Fist Technique.

A barehanded style that took advantage of my below-average size for my age.

But—

“…Was I imagining it?”

Only peaceful sunlight streamed through the open window.

“Could’ve sworn I heard something near the window.”

Pat pat pat—

I ran over and looked outside, finally letting out a relieved sigh.

Seriously, who would climb up to a second-floor window?

Thankfully, no one was there.

…Or so I thought.

“……?”

When I leaned my head out farther—

A shadow hurried around the corner of the castle and vanished.

It lasted only a few seconds, but I was sure.

Tied-up hair. Adult.

That probably meant a maid.

“…I understand being suspicious of me. But spying on me? Absolutely not.”

I’m being watched? Me? A former spy?

My pride was wounded. And honestly, it felt unfair.

I need to clear this misunderstanding fast…

Whoever it was, I was now on twenty-four-hour alert mode.

* * *

But despite my determination, my daily life remained peaceful.

No—not just peaceful.

Shockingly, no one paid any real attention to me at all.

“Lady Aisha. I’ll help you get dressed.”

“Thank you! By the way, what color do you like, unnie?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“I think I like blue. Maybe because it’s like my eye color?”

“……”

“What do you think? Does it suit me?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“A lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“……”

Silence.

Then, my ultimate move: Big Sparkly Eyes.

Shine shine—

Come on, unnie. Look at me. Don’t you want to stan me?

No one had ever resisted my clear, lake-like blue eyes before—

“Very much.”

With a long sigh, the maid answered flatly.

“You’re ready. I’ll be going now.”

And before our eyes could even meet, she bowed her head and hurried away.

…So there are people immune to me. Even my acting teacher said this expression was a perfect score.

“Maybe I need acting lessons again.”

Feeling weirdly bitter, I swung my chubby little legs.

Every conversation, every request—it was always like this.

Shuffle shuffle—

Back in my bedroom, I buried my face into the pillow.

I’d done basically nothing, yet I felt utterly exhausted.

“It feels like talking to a wall.”

Big sisters. If you’re going to ignore me like this, why were you spying on me from the bedroom window?!

“…At least be wary of me, you jerks… Fight me or something…”

Thud. Thud.

My powerless legs flopped against the mattress.

People say hate comments are better than no comments.

Now I finally understood.

That was when—

Knock knock.

The usual sound at the door.

Right now, I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with more uncanny-valley expressions from the maids.

“Aisha is sleeping right now. Please come back tomorrow.”

I closed my eyes and fake-snored lazily.

Then—

“Now where could I find the little brat who eats strawberry cake before bed?”

“…Huh?”

That voice was much lower than the maids’.

Slowly turning my head, I saw Duke Ajusshi standing there, smiling lazily in the doorway.

He must’ve come straight from work, because he was wearing glasses, making him look even more intellectual than usual.

“Well, well. Before adoption, you were running around all day. But now that you’ve been adopted, you’ve turned into a lazybones?”

“That’s not iiiit—”

I tried to protest, but he pinched my cheek.

Then he tilted his head as though something seemed strange.

“Huh. This little brat’s expression doesn’t look too good.”

Has it occurred to you that maybe it’s because you’re pulling my cheek?

“What’s wrong?”

“Mmffhhh.”

“…What? Too miserable to even talk?”

No, it’s because you’re pulling my cheek, you menace!