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ORIGINAL AUTHOR/S: 히세빈

There was a fishy taste in my mouth. When I opened my eyes, the chains that bound my arms and legs were in my mouth.

I was hungry, so it looked like I bit it in my mouth.

As the vision gradually became clearer, tangled hair came into my eyes because I couldn’t organize it properly.

In the meantime, rats were moving back and forth.

“She has rat-colored hair, so she looks like a real rat when next to a rat.”

“I know right.”

A guard who was laughing at me threw me the bread he was eating.

In a hurry, I crawled and bit the bread in my mouth. Tears came out while eating bread.

I hurriedly wiped away my tears. I don’t know how many days it’s been since I put food in my mouth.

The Duke of Enotis and the temple seemed to abandon me like this.

“What if they know?”

“Well, since she has worked so hard, I think bread is okay.”

“Well.”

I heard guards laughing at me, but I didn’t care.

Because it’s true.

Tears came out.

I didn’t expect such an end. I dreamed of a day when I would live even if I had to work for it.

I never imagined starving to death in such a cold prison on the floor of a cold orphanage.

I was abandoned when I was two years old, and my divine power was revealed when I was five.

They said it was such a powerful power that they had never seen.

When the Duke of Enotis and the Priest came to visit for the first time, I thought it was really lucky. Because I was adopted by the Duke family.

I didn’t even know it was the beginning of hell.

*****

The Duke of Enotis had a daughter. A precious daughter born with divine power.

As soon as I arrived at the Duke’s mansion, I had to go inside the magic chamber.

It was to put my divine power into the holy stone so that the princess could use it. (The put it as 공녀, like the princess of daughter in the Duke family.)

“Ugh— Uh!”

AD

It was painful to transfer the divine power. It felt like my whole body was being ripped apart, and at times it felt like being stabbed with a knife.

Although I crawled and struggled on the floor, the priests did not move.

After a frightening time was over, no one talked to me. That was all my value.

“I, I’m hungry—”

When I didn’t talk, it gradually became difficult to talk.

Stuttering seemed to have become a fun thing among the maids.

They would throw me bread only after seeing me stuttering or counting with my pronunciation.

They threw bread and disappeared every time they heard that it had withered as well.

It was inconvenient to climb up to the rooftop room, which is the highest point in the Duke’s mansion, for fun, so they eventually forgot about me.

In addition, the more the divine power was transferred to the Holy Stone, the longer the time spent in the rooftop room.

I gradually lost my words and thought more.

“Now, let’s go.”

“I, I don’t want to—”

Helplessly dragged along, I learned the word give up.

It was a word that I learned without realizing it after hearing the priest’ words a few times that it was time to give up.

I entered the Duke’s mansion at the age of five and repeated this every day for ten years.

I’m losing my mind and begged for help, and later I begged for them to kill me.

But no one listened to me.

I tried to run away, but all I got back was whipping and a more hellish magic trick.

10 years since I was 5 years old. When I was fifteen, I lost all my powers and was thrown into a dungeon.

“Rather… Kill… Please kill me…”

Outside the cage, I grabbed the guard’s leg and prayed, but all that came back was a cold refusal.

My powers have already been taken away and I am no different from an ordinary person, but people are reluctant to kill me directly.

At one time, it was a body that had as high a level of divine power as the high priest.

All of the divine power I had was taken away by the daughter of the Duke of Enotis, but they were also afraid of punishment from the God.

AD

It was funny.

If there was God, there was no way I would be like this.

Princess Enotis became a saint of the empire with the divine power she took from me.

“Oh God—”

Tears that seemed to have dried up formed around my eyes again.

God, don’t abandon me.

I cried and fell asleep and when I woke up, I cried again. And one day I couldn’t open my eyes.

*****

AD

….?

I blinked. I wondered if I came out of the dungeon, but when I looked around, it was strange.

This was the room at the orphanage that I had been thinking about over and over again because I wished I could go back.

“No…”

“Oh, yesh… Kwindness…”

It was really an orphanage when I looked at the kid, who habitually struggled with sleep.

Looking at both hands, the palms were really small. I was confused if it was my hand, so I opened it up, but it was really my hand.

AD

And the pain that I always felt was gone.

Just in case, I raised a very small divine power. A white light gathered at my fingertips and then disappeared.

“I, I cowme bawck—”

The first time I received my divine power was in the early spring when I was five years old.

Seeing the wind blowing through the thin walls of the orphanage, it seemed that I had returned to the time I first received divine power.

Tears came out.

“God… Thwank ywu…”

I express my gratitude and stood up from my position. I couldn’t let go of this opportunity I was given again.

AD

In a few days, or even tomorrow, the temple and the Duke Enotis who felt divine power will come to visit me.

Before that, I had to go to a place that could protect me.

Fortunately, it was night now.

Kiiik—.

I opened the door and leaned down. My legs were short, but I walked as fast as I could.

There was a fixed place to go.

“I hwave to live thwis time.”

I have heard many things unintentionally in my past life. The nobles of the Inoten Empire were divided into two groups.

An aristocratic group formed by the Duke of Enotis and the temple. An Imperial faction formed by the imperial Family and the Duke of Biherville.

Duke Enotis didn’t allow me to study, so there was little I could understand, but I knew only one thing.

To live, I had to go to the Duke of Biherville.

*****

It was easy to sneak out of the orphanage. It was because the director was not interested in the children of the orphanage and the security was poor.

I quickly left the orphanage. I had see the Duke of Biherville only once.

In the beginning when Princess Enotis started losing her powers, I followed her everywhere in order to stably store her powers in the Holy Stone.

I can’t remember the details, but it was certain that it was ‘from the orphanage all the way to the right’.

I wanted to go back to the orphanage, so I looked at the orphanage outside the carriage over and over again.

I ran to the right unconditionally without thinking about how far it was. It was a large mansion to see at a glance, so it wouldn’t be difficult to find.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The Duke mansion was farther away than I thought. I didn’t know if it felt that way because my legs were short, or if it was really far.

I was out of breath, but I didn’t stop my legs.

The sun will rise soon. It is obvious in the eyes if a child is alone. Even more so if it’s near an orphanage.

Before that, I have to arrive at the Duke mansion and hide near it.

“Rwun—”

The Duke mansion’s gate was still huge. I looked for a opening space nearby, but couldn’t find it.

The main gate will be guarded by knights, so I hide in the nearby bush—.

“….!”

I was lucky. The Duke’s huge iron gate was opening. There was the sound of horses running in the distance.

My legs were numb, but I ran hard. Even if I die, now was my chance.

Hihihiing—.

Seeing me stopped in front of the gate, the carriage stopped quickly. I screamed out loud and ran towards the carriage.

“Dwuke!”

“Hey! Get out of my way!”

“Hey— Get out!”

“Dwuke!”

I screamed hard, barely avoiding the knights trying to hold me. It was desperate.

If the Duke doesn’t look outside, I’ll be done in this life.

“Dwuke!”

“Ah! I got you.”

“N, no—”

“I don’t know where you came from, but you can’t do something like this.”

The knight carefully held me so that I wasn’t hurt, but it wasn’t important right now.

“Dwuke! Plwease save mwe!”

Tears came out without realizing it that the same life would be repeated if I caught like this.

“W, what to do—”

The knight holding me seemed flustered, but that wasn’t the problem.

I tried to shout one more time, but the door to the carriage opened.

“Bring her here.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve seen a lot of people who see me and cry for their life, but this is the first time I’ve seen a child like that.”

The knight looked at me with an anxious look.

“Hurrwy!”

Excitedly, I pointed my hand into the carriage. The knight put me into the carriage with a strange expression.

“Hellwo.”

First, I politely said hello. I had to look good unconditionally.

“Let’s hear it. Why I have to save you.”

In the dark carriage, the Duke was staring at me expressionless.

The first thing that caught my eye was a dazzling blonde. It was blonde so beautiful that it was dazzling even in a dark carriage.

It looked so noble that it was incomparable to my gray hair.

I looked at the Duke with the most respectful expression in his cold blue eyes.

“Head—”

“Hmm?”

“You have a headache.”

My main ability was to find a person’s pain and heal him.

There were many priests with healing ability, but I was the only one who could find the sick place.

I could see the energy tangled in the Duke’s head. It was evidence of a headache.

The Duke’s gaze has changed a little.

“I can hweal you.”

I carefully grabbed the Duke’s fingertips and managed my divine power.

I felt nauseous when I used my divine power with a young body, but it was an opportunity to prove my value.

A twinkling light flickered on and off in my hand.

“I will— treat you myself—. So please, please save me.”

My eyes were blurred as I bent down.

“Uhh— Ugh—.”

It should look pretty, but blood was mixed in my cough.

It hasn’t been long since I was given the divine power, but I used quite a lot of it, so it seemed to be the reaction.

Once Princess Enotis used my energy excessively and I vomited blood.

“Cough— Uhh—”

But now I shouldn’t have vomited blood. I didn’t know what punishment I would get if I put blood on such a precious carriage.

I desperately covered my mouth as I remembered being beaten when I vomited blood in the Duke’s hallway.

“Do it— right now!”

At the end of hearing the Duke’s voice faintly, I passed out.

I felt like I was lying on a cloud. In the end, I didn’t want to open my eyes because I thought I was dead.

“How come she doesn’t open her eyes?”

“This is a rebound for using too much divine power, so if she gets enough rest, she’ll be able to wake up slowly.”

” ‘She will’.”

“She can wake up!”

A strange but familiar voice was heard somewhere.

It was the Duke’s voice. I opened my eyes wide.

“She opened her eyes!”

My eyes meet the Duke’s eyes.

I definitely treated him, but there was another black thing tangled in his head. But it was less than before.

I slowly got up and bent my knees.

“I’ll treat you again.”

“You can’t use your divine power, Miss.”

“buth, thhe duwe hash a headache.” [But, the Duke has a headache.]

“That’s—”

It wasn’t the priest’s robe, but a person wearing a similar white robe looked at the Duke.

I approached the Duke on my knees and reached out to him.

“i’ww threath you. So pweashe give me your hand, duwe.” [I will treat you, so please give me your hand, Duke.]

The Duke only looked at me quietly and said nothing.

I became more anxious.

“i’m noth thired. I can do thhish!” [I’m not tired, I can do this!]

“….”

“Please save me… Please…”

I bowed my head, begging with both hands. The Duke, who was looking down at me quietly, opened his mouth.

“Promise me you won’t use your divine powers.”

“Yesh?” [Yes?]

“Hurry.”

If I don’t use my divine powers, I will lose my value—.

However, the Duke’s gaze was firm.

So I nodded without realizing it. First of all, it was important to listen to the Duke.

“I won’t use it.”

The Duke lifted me up more gently than the day, he nodded again.

“Dwuke?” [Duke]

“It’s a bit strange.”

“I’m sworry.” [I’m sorry]

I bowed my head again.

“Can you see where I’m sick?”

“Yes.”

“The temple’s eyes will be on fire just to find you.”

My whole body trembled at the word temple. The painful memory came to mind at once and weighed down my whole body.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I think she’s afraid of something.”

“What?”

“….”

The man in the white robe looked into the Duke’s eyes. Looking back, it seemed like I was doing something wrong.

“I’m sorry…”

“What?”

“ith’sh aww my fauwth—” [It’s all my fault—]

Duke Enotis said that if the princess was wrong, it was all my fault.

The divine power that should have gone to the princess fell on me by mistake, and the princess suffered like that.

In fact, the princess was born with a fairly strong divine power.

However, while the divine powers usually get stronger as they grow up, the princess began to weaken strangely.

It seemed right to say that it was all my fault because I appeared right after that.

“I, I’m the probwem—. This is all my fwault—” [I’m the problem. This is all my fault.]

“Shane.”

The Duke called the brown-haired man behind him.

A man named Shane took a step forward.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Burn the orphanage.”

“Yes.”

How come?!

*****

With all my might, the orphanage survived.

The more I begged, the worse the Duke’s expression looked, but as a result, it was fortunate that the orphanage survived.

“Miss— Please try this.”

“Thanw you.” [Thank you]

I greeted them politely and accepted cookies. The maids screamed, ‘Kyaa’.

I don’t know why, but I’m glad they looked happy.

The people of the Duke of Biherville were strange.

I wondered if he was preparing to take away my divine power, but I didn’t hear that there were people born with divine powers in the Duke of Biherville.

‘Maybe they need a lot of things to transfer the divine power—?’

I didn’t study, but I heard a lot about that.

In order to transfer the divine power, a holy stone capable of containing the divine power was needed.

And the only people who could handle holy stones were those who had even a little bit of divine power.

In the past, the princess had found a way to make it only available to her in a certain way, but I didn’t know how to do it.

If so, I would use myself for his treatment, but the Duke said nothing.

Every time I ran into him from afar, there was always something black tangled on his head.

“Whoo—”

I sighed softly. Even the room that the Duke gave me was a very good room, not a room used by the maid.

The bed was soft and there was a maid in charge of the room.

“They’ww be here shoon—” [They’ll be here soon—]

In a little while, the temple will find me. They were not one of those who would give up because I was in the Duke of Biherville.

Until then, I had to prove my value somehow.

“Oway!” [Okay!]

I couldn’t stay still. The Duke is a very busy man, so he might not have time to visit me.

“i’ww have tho meeth him!” [I’ll have to meet him!]

*****

I strode out. I tried to walk as fast as I could although my legs were short.

When I arrived at the Duke’s office, the knights began to look at each other.

“Pweashe open thhe door—” [Please open the door—]

The knights looked into each other’s eyes. If I couldn’t go in, it’s all over.

I knelt down and fell flat on the floor.

“Pwease…”

“What are you doing?”

“Your Excellency.”

“Your Excellency!”

“Dwuke—!”

The Duke hugged me and glared at the knights. The knights strangely shook their heads from side to side quickly.

“The L, Lady ask to let her in and suddenly—”

“We apologize!”

The Duke passed the knights and entered the office.

The door was closed with the knights sighing loudly.

“Duwe, pweashe weth me heaw you.” [Duke, please let me heal you.]

“I have decided not to use your divine powers.”

“Buth thhe duwe ish shicw—” [But the Duke is sick—]

“It’s not for you to worry about.”

“Then I can’th be here—” [Then I can’t be here—]

“What does it mean?”

“I have tho threath you tho shthay here.” [I have to treat you to stay here.]

“….?”

Thoughts were just tangled in my mind. I hadn’t done any conversation, so I couldn’t speak well, of course.

“if you don’th need me, i’ww be abandoned—. If i wash abandoned, i’ww die—”  [If you don’t need me, I’ll be abandoned—. If I was abandoned, I’ll die—]

This was the result of explaining as hard as possible. This wasn’t wrong either.

It was vivid to see the Duke of Enotis abandoning me and throwing me to the dungeon as soon as he transferred all of my power.

Orphans like me will be thrown away when they don’t need it anymore. In order to remain in the Duke of Biherville, I had to prove my value.

The Duke looked down at me silently.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m No. 12!”

Asking for my name was a good sign. So I replied loudly, but the Duke’s expression was distorted.

I was called an orphan by the Duke of Enotis, but should I have just called myself an orphan?

“I’m Orphan!”

“I’d prefer you didn’t have a name.”

“ith’sh noth wiwe thhath.” [It’s not like that.]

“Why?”

“withhouth a name, no one ish cawwing me.” [Without a name, no one is calling me.]

“….”

“I wiwe ith when shomeone cawwsh me.” [I like it when someone calls me.]

It was something I felt deeply in the past. I could hardly see anyone in the dungeon.

The guards took turns coming and going only once a couple of weeks. There, I felt pain, hunger, and loneliness.

Even for me, who had never felt human affection, it was a lonely day. That was something I didn’t want to go through again.

“Then it’d be better to call you with a proper name.”

“Yesh?”

“I’ll give you a name next time.”

The Duke put me down at the desk and stroked my hair warmly.

He still had an expressionless face, but the touch of petting my head was so warm that I felt like crying.

******

“I feww ashweep—” [I fell asleep—]

I buried my head and hugged my knees. I should have proven my value this time, but I fell asleep.

Still, he said that he would give me a name from a vague memory.

To give a name means that I can stay a little longer.

“To aim more—”

I got up from bed and cleaned the bed.

Growing up without needing care and caring for the younger children are the first things I learn at an orphanage.

I was confident in those two things.

I often walked to wash and clean my face. I also made sure to stamp on the towel and squeeze it with my feet.

It took a long time because of my small body, but I did it every time at the Duke of Enotis.

“What are you doing?”

“I cwean up!” [I clean up!]

Startled by the low voice, I turned around and saw the Duke. First of all, I had to answer well, so I answered in a loud voice.

“Who made you do that?”

“ith’sh noth wiwe thhath!” [It’s not like that!]

I answered confidently in the meaning of asking to take a good look at myself because I did a good job.

“Dwuke—?”

The Duke hugged me without saying anything special. The Duke’s arms were very comfortable as always.

When I was lifted from the Duke of Enotis, I always felt like my body would be torn apart, but the Duke always held me comfortably, so I felt a little strange.

“There is no need to do such a thing in the future.”

“then whath shhouwd i do?” [Then what should I do?]

“You don’t have to do anything.”

I was confused. I don’t have any value if I don’t do anything.

Is there anything else the Duke wants? But what’s that?

“I won’t kick you out if you stay still.”

“Why?”

“…I said I’d give you a name.”

“Yes—”

It feels like I’m turning around, but I nodded quietly with excitement to give me a name.

“Lione would be nice.”

“Lione?”

“Yeah.”

“ith’sh wiwe thhe duwe’sh name—” [it’s like the Duke’s name—]

When I said that, the Duke stroked my head.

I felt like I had to say proper greetings, so I stomped my feet and the Duke put me on the floor.

I knelt down and put my forehead on the floor. It was a posture that I had done countless times in the past in the Duke’s place, but I have never been as happy as I am now.

I said it was good to have someone calling me, but I knew that the name orphan and No. 12 was not a good name.

It’s a name that didn’t exist in the last 15 years of my life.

Tears came out.

“Thwank you…”

“Who taught you to put your head on the floor?”

The Duke lift and hugged me again and asked.

“That’s—”

It was the butler of Duke Enotis who taught me, but I couldn’t say that now, so I blurred my words and the Duke patted me on the back and nodded.

I don’t know why he’s nodding his head, but I also nodded.

I went to eat in the arms of the Duke after nodding for a while.

“Shane.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The Duke of Biherville, who put the child to sleep, called Shane, who was standing like a shadow.

Shane answered and came closer.

“What about the temple’s movements?”

“They are constantly asking to meet. They seem to be aware of the Lady’s existence.”

“What about Enotis?”

“There is no movement yet. They know that we can’t reject the temple’s request until the end, so it seems that they’ll stay still at first.”

“That’s right.”

The Duke laid the child on the sofa and brushed the hair that had fallen down to the child’s face.

Then he looked down at the child quietly.

“Prepare for adoption.”

“Your Excellency. She’s a child with divine power. The temple won’t give up easily.”

“How much damage did we lose because Serena Enotis was born with divine powers?”

AD

“Eight business acquaintances have moved to Enotis, and public opinion is also flowing in favor of Enotis.”

“Get it ready now.”

“Yes.”

Even while he was calculating, the Duke could not take his eyes off the child strangely.

Her body was smaller than Jerion, and her skinny cheeks caught his mind.

A child with gray hair and gray eyes sometimes reminded him of someone.

It was a child who was strangely caught in his eyes.

*****

AD

In the meantime, I ate in the room, but today I moved to the dining room with the Duke.

It was strange that there was no sink to call it a dining room, but when the Duke sat down, the food was carried out.

I thought the nobles were eating in places like this.

But the Duke sat me on his lap and picked up the meal.

I was hungry, but there was no way I could have a meal in such a precious place, so I quietly leaned on the Duke.

“Here.”

“Yesh?”

AD

The Duke cut the meat into small pieces and give it to me.

When I looked up at the Duke with an embarrassing look, he once again put a fork around my mouth with no expression, as usual.

“Aa.”

“Can i eath thhish?” [Can I eat This?]

“Yeah.”

He carefully put the meat in my mouth.

“Hngg—”

It was so delicious that I breathed out strangely without realizing it.

I hurriedly looked into the Duke’s eyes, but the Duke didn’t seem to care.

“Here.”

AD

Again, I quickly ate the meat that was brought to my mouth.

It was such an ecstatic taste that I wondered if there was such a taste in the world. I took what he gave me and ate it.

After eating for a while, the outside of the dining room became noisy.

“What’s the matter?”

“I will check it!”

The Maid Unnie, who was moving food, quickly bowed her head and went outside and then came back.

But the Unnie who came in was not alone.

“Jerion?”

AD

“Fathher!” [Father!]

The Young Master, the youngest of the Dukes of Biherville, whom I had only heard of in the past, was walking around

At the cry of the youngest Young Master, the Duke put me down on a chair and approached the youngest Young Master.

Then, he gently hugged the youngest Young Master. It was a little unfamiliar because it wasn’t different from when he hugged me.

“Isn’t it time for Jerion to sleep?”

“He woke up a little while ago, probably because he slept early yesterday. Then he heard that the Duke was in the dining room and he said he wanted to eat with you.”

“Okay.”

AD

The Duke beckoned to the one who seemed to be a nanny. So everyone stepped back and left the dining room

“Fathher. I’m hungry.” [Father. I’m hungry]

“Okay.”

The maids were in a hurry to change the food.

It seemed that the youngest Young Master was given new food. I quietly got out of the chair and stood still next to the chair.

The Duke hasn’t told me to go out yet, so I can’t go out.

The Duke sat on the chair and put the youngest Young Master on his left knee, and then he put me, who was standing on the right, on his right knee.

“Duwe?” [Duke?]

AD

“Fathher?” [Father?]

It was embarrassing and the same for the youngest Young Master. When both looked at the Duke, the Duke smiled slightly and opened his mouth.

“You have to introduce yourself.”

“Yesh?”

“You have to introduce yourself. What was your name?”

“Ah!”

I realized it only then and bowed politely.

AD

“I’m Lione.”

“Jerion.”

“I’m Jelion—” [I’m Jerion]

They introduced their names to each other and looked at the Duke as if they had promised.

“You’re done introducing yourself, let’s eat now.”

The Duke brought the fork to me first. Confused, I quickly shook my head.

“The Young Mashter shouwd eath firshth—” [The Young Master should eat first—]

“Jerion, how old are you?”

AD

“I’m 4 yearsh owd—” [I’m 4 years old—]

“Lione, how old are you?”

“I’m 5 years owd—” [I’m 5 years old—]

“Then, you’re Nuna.” (T/n = 누나 : Older Sister.)

Did my status has nothing to do with that—?

I couldn’t open my mouth because I was confused, but it was also for a while. The fragrant smell continued, so I had no choice but to open my mouth regardless of my status.

Jerion didn’t say much as if he was convinced that I was his older sister.

AD

It was a relief. It seemed that he didn’t know because he was still young. Let’s just eat for today. When will this day come again?

Like that, Jerion and I took turns having a late lunch.

Last time, the brown-haired secretary next to the Duke urged him to go to the imperial palace, but the Duke fed them all lunch until the end.

After lunch, the Duke got up from his seat and put Jerion on the floor.

“Duwe!”

“Yeah.”

“There’sh shomethhing ewse on your head!” [There’s something else on your head!]

“What did I tell you to do with the divine power?”

“Don’th ushe ith—” [Don’t use it—]

“You know it well.”

The Duke patted me on the head, but I was not happy at all.

“I’ll be back.”

The Duke spoke briefly and left the dining room. My shoulders drooped.

I turned around to greet Jerion and think about it again in the room.

But Young Master Jerion was looking at me.

“Young Masther—” [Young Master—]

“Nunya.” [Nuna]

“I’m Lione.”

“Nunya!” [Nuna!]

Jerion ran to me and hugged me.

When I fell, Jerion fell with me, and the Maid Unnies was surprised and approached me urgently.

“Are you okay?”

“Young Master!”

“Lady!”

The Unnies who approached me then raised Jerion. My back hurt, but I was more worried about Jerion.

“Are you owkay?” [Are you okay?]

“Ung!”

Fortunately, Jerion stood up smiling brightly.

The Maid Unnies around me sighed in relief. It was the same for me. It would have been big trouble if a precious Young Master got hurt.

“Nunya!”

“Pwease caww me Lione.” [“Please call me Lione.”]

“Why?”

“Becaushe my statush ish wow.” [Because my status is low.]

“So?”

I was momentarily speechless at the sight of Jerion, who tilted his head and asked.

“Uh—”

I rolled my eyes and asked for help from the Maid Unnies around me. But all of them avoided my eyes.

“Fathher shaid you’re Nuna.” [Father said you’re Nuna.]

“Yesh—”

“Then you’re Nuna.”

Looking at Jerion, who spoke firmly, I sighed, but I had nothing to say.

What would I say as an orphan when the Duke said I’m the Nuna?

The Unnies around me were shaking their shoulders when I looked closely. Calling an orphan a Nuna seemed to make them very angry.

“Nancy.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Jerion’s nanny politely bowed her head.

“Go to the garden with Nuna!” (J)

“Yes. I’ll prepare some refreshments in the garden.”

Jerion reached out to me excitedly.

When I got up and held the hand carefully, Jerion took the lead in walking.

After repeating going and resting, going and resting in line with Jerion’s pace, my stomach became hungry again when I arrived at the garden.

“Sith down!” [Sit down!]

Jerion was put on a chair by the nanny.

I tried to climb up the chair, but the chair was quite high and kept slipping.

“Whoo—”

“Lady, please step on here and go up.”

The Maid Unnie put her hands in the air and looked at me and said.

“I don’th wanth tho.” [I don’t want to.]

“Yes?”

“It’s Unnie’s hand—”

I couldn’t remember the expression to say dirty, so I said it in words used by the children, but the Unnie seemed to understand it well.

The Unnie grabbed her heart for a moment and shook her head.

“Haha. It’s okay! I can just wipe my hands!”

Is that so? But how can I step on her hand with my shoes?

I stood still and agonized, and took off my shoes.

I can wear the shoes again later!

I thought I was stepping on it with my feet, but Unnie’s eyes were so intense that I stepped on her hand slightly and sat on the chair.

“Nuna ish amazing.” [Nuna is amazing.]

“Yesh?”

“You do ith awone by yourshewf.” [You do it alone by yourself.]

“Because Unnie hewped me.” [Because Unnie helped me]

“I’m compwimenthing you for doing ith by yourshewf.” [I’m complimenting you for doing it by yourself.]

I don’t know what he meant, but Jerion pushed the lemon tart to me as if he had made a big decision.

Princess Enotis also liked lemon tarts. It was food that I only looked at while carrying lemon tarts from the kitchen to the princess’ room several times a day.

“Ith’sh a reward!” [It’s a reward!]

“T, thank you—”

As if a big decision was coming, Jerion tightly closed his eyes.

Jerion, who opened his eyes slightly when I lifted a fork, was eagerly looking at the lemon tart.

I put out lemon tarts to Jerion again.

“You need to accepth praishe for cwimbing it up too.” [You need to accept praise for climbing it up too]

“Me—?”

“Yesh, pweashe eath ith.” [Yes, please eat it.]

Jerion quickly picked up the fork just in case.

I drank the juice in front of me and watched Jerion eat it. Even if I didn’t eat, I felt like I was eating for some reason, so I was happy.

“Lady, please try this.”

“It’s delicious.”

“Can I eath thhish?” [Can I eat this?]

“Of course!”

“Hurry up and try it.”

The nanny handed me a piece of bread with a lot of fruit on it. It looked like a lemon tart at the bottom, but it was loaded with fruits that I had never seen before.

I checked if I could really eat it, but neither the Unnie nor Nanny said much.

“Thath’sh dewicioush.” [That’s delicious.]

“Yesh. I’ll give ith to you.” [Yes. I’ll give it to you.]

“No, no. Thath’sh for Nuna! Thish ish jerion’sh!!” [No, no. That’s for Nuna! This is Jerion’s.]

Jerion pointed to another dessert and smiled brightly. The nanny quickly brought the dessert to Jerion’s house in front of her.

Jerion was dancing his shoulders with his hips up and down as if he was excited. It was so cute that I looked at it for a long time without realizing it.

For some reason, the younger children of the orphanage came to mind.