Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I wanted to believe that somehow, he would be different from the director.

But the grand duke stared at my skirt with an unpleasant look. He stared at it as if he could see my legs under the ankle-length skirt.

“Gwand Duke?”

He didn’t answer my call. Instead, he stood up and dragged the serving cart closer to the bed.

Then the grand duke gently pulled my hand and sat me on the stool where he was seated earlier.

“Open your mouth.”

“Pardon?”

I wanted to ask what he’s going to do.

But the grand duke was faster. In a flash, he removed the lid that covered the dish that was placed on the serving cart.

Then he fed me a spoonful of soup. Everything happened so fast.

“Aht……! Aht, aht!”

I don’t think it has been that long since the soup was made because it was still very hot.

Tears welled up and my lips parted. The soup flowed out of my lips.

I had no time to think of what had become of my new clothes.

“Shuelina!”

The startled grand duke exclaimed as he returned the spoon on the serving cart. I looked up at him with glistening eyes.

“It too hwot!”

My already short pronunciation became shorter because of my injured tongue.

What have I done…… It’s hard to make a delicious soup……

“My cwothes…… My pajamas……”

I lowered my head, expecting that my new pajamas would’ve been ruined by the soup, but it was surprisingly clean.

It was thanks to the grand duke’s quick hands that caught the soup the moment I spit it out.

“Isn’t it hwot, Gwand Duke?”

(Isn’t it hot, Grand Duke?)

I worried about the grand duke’s hands.

‘The soup was really hot……’

What if the grand duke’s hands get a burn? He might kick me out for daring to hurt his hands.

“Clothes? That doesn’t matter right now! Stick your tongue out.”

The grand duke looked upset. He harshly told me that he didn’t care about the clothes.

‘I don’t think my tongue’s condition is that bad. Something like this never happened before……’

Surprisingly, he seemed to be genuinely worried about me. I blankly blinked my eyes.

Would it have been like this if it was the father who rejected the real ‘Shuelina’?

I couldn’t tell what emotions I’m feeling right now. They’re all mixed up. My eyes welled up with tears.

The grand duke and I were in a great uproar, not knowing what to do. Then Lucy, who had finished cleaning up the bathroom, approached us quickly.

“What’s going on? Oh my, Your Grace. Did you drop the soup while trying to give it to m’lady?”

Lucy found the grand duke supporting a bit of soup in the concave of his hands.

Then Lucy took out a handkerchief from her apron and handed it to him.

“Lucy, I think Shuelina is still sick. I fed her the soup, but she suddenly threw up.”

“Oh no, m’lady. Are you alright?”

Stupid grand duke!

I spit it out because it was too hot, but I guess he thought I threw up.

I resolved to eat the soup on my own.

I decided to snitch on someone who could help me eat the soup by myself.

“Hng…… The gwand duke gwave me soup wike this. Hng, Wucy, I want to eat on my own.”

(Hng…… The grand duke gave me soup like this. Hng, Lucy, I want to eat on my own.)

I opened my mouth wide and showed her my tongue that must’ve turned red. My gut is burning too.

“Why did you do that Gwand Duke? It was vewy hwot. You didn’t even caw me by my nicknwame.”

(Why did you do that Grand Duke? It was very hot. You didn’t even call me by my nickname.)

I looked up at the grand duke first, then I pretended to weep and resent him. I’m sure he wouldn’t kick me out at this rate.

The grand duke just stood there with a dark expression.

Lucy glanced at him before looking down and murmured.

“Because His Grace doesn’t have a daughter, he can’t tell how delicate a little girl is.”

She patted my back as she made me drink cold water.

“You’re a good girl, seeing that you didn’t cry a lot.”

“It weally huwts……”

“Ah, Your Grace. You have to feed her gently. Like this.”

Lucy blew the spoon with soup fifteen times and fed it to me. I ate it immediately.

Only then did I realize that Lucy didn’t listen to my request to eat it by myself.

I want to eat it on my own. Why are you teaching him how to feed me?

“Do female children have a cat’s tongue?”

(T/N: Cat’s tongue or ‘Nekojita’ is a Japanese word to describe someone who can’t handle hot food or drinks since cats don’t like hot foods as well. The author originally put ‘tongue-tied’ which I don’t think is appropriate and may cause confusion among the readers, so I changed it with a cat’s tongue.)

The grand duke muttered with a face that did not hide his shock.

No, it’s not my fault, it’s yours!

“Anyone would get their tongue burned if they eat something that hot right away, Your Grace.”

“Wyndert and Deleign didn’t……”

Despite Lucy’s attempt to correct him, the grand duke’s shocked face did not ease up.

I fumbled and came up with the idea that it’s probably because Wyndert and Deleign, just like the grand duke, have monstrously strong bodies.

Well, he did it without malice.

I pulled my tongue out like a puppy and let it cool down. Only then did my sore tongue feel better.

Now, shall I console the grand duke who was surprised by the weakness of the general public?

“It huwts becwause it was too hwot, but it’s okay becwause Gwand Duke didn’t do it on pupwose!”

(It hurts because it was too hot, but it’s okay because Grand Duke didn’t do it on purpose!)

“……”

“But why did you suddenwy gwive me the soup?”

(But why did you suddenly give me the soup?)

The grand duke carefully grabbed my wrist. Then he turned it around and stared at my skin that clung to my bone.

“You’re scrawny. You have an obligation to eat well and get fat.”

That means, he didn’t do that because he was disgusted.

I burst into a fit of giggles as I felt a subtle sense of relief wash over me.

“Even when I’m just inswide the manswion?”

“You think you don’t have to look well just because you’re inside the mansion? Everyone will think I’m shameless if I don’t feed you.”

The grand duke spoke with a serious face. His will to persuade me seems firm.

“The diwecto said that giwls need to keep theiw bodies swim. Othewise, they’we going to wook bad.”

(The director said that girls need to keep their bodies slim. Otherwise, they’re going to look bad.)

I mentioned the director again.

I don’t intend to leave the director alone, no matter what my fate will be.

The relationship between the director and me was similar to Telin. She was a nuisance to me.

It’s clear that Wyndert already thinks negatively of the director.

In that case, I only have to persuade the grand duke to remove the director for me.

“What you’we tewing me is the totaw opposite of what the diwecto said.”

(What you’re telling me is the total opposite of what the director said.)

The grand duke’s face quickly contorted at my words.

He snorted and folded his arms across his chest. Then he asked me a question.

“Who do you trust more? The director or me?”

Isn’t it too early to talk about trust? We’ve only known each other for days.

But the grand duke’s face was very serious. He looked like he’s going to go on a rampage if I choose the director, not him.

“Well……”

I deliberately prolonged my words and watched as the grand duke’s expression changed.

He looked shocked that his name didn’t come up right away.

I actually wanted to see that expression so I didn’t say it immediately.

“Ah, Your Grace. Of course, it’s Your Grace. But if you confuse such a good girl with something like this……”

Lucy interrupted our confrontation and spoke. She has a jar of water with her.

The grand duke shook his head and washed his hands in the jar.

“This child needs to distinguish between good and evil a little more, or else how can she survive in this cruel world?”

‘Such a small kid.’

I heard the grand duke’s small add-on.

“Hey, who awe you cawing a smaw giwl!”

I cried with my hands clenched.

The grand duke has been showing me a lot of favor. Why is that?

I haven’t helped him yet.

“Then…… to the gwand duke. I wi be a good chiwd and hewp the gwand duke.”

(Then…… to the grand duke. I will be a good child and help the grand duke.)

I don’t know how to treat someone who is kind to me.

Still, I want to be able to help them.

I also wish that they will keep me by their side for a long time.

‘Since they don’t hurt me, I want to pay them back.’

I looked at the shadowed face of the grand duke under the light.

His expression was hard to read.

But at least I’m sure that he’s not in a bad mood.

“You just have to do what you want.”

The grand duke told me the same thing that Wyndert said.

Wyndert is like the grand duke’s smaller version.

‘Everyone is really stupid. They call these people villains when they’re so nice?’

It’s because of the curse that the stupid public doesn’t see the real them.

These villains dug their way through Shuelina’s life.

The people of the grand duchy are incomparably better people than those who judge them.

“Now, listen up, Shushu. If a very bad person taught you something, should you believe it?”

“Uhm, no.”

“You’re not slim, you’re skinny, and it’s bad.”

The grand duke’s expression as he said this was hard.

It’s amazing how he can be so handsome while emitting a vicious aura.

“Then, should you believe what the director says, or not?”

“……I shouwdn’t?”

“That’s right.”

The grand duke patted my head lightly.

In fact, he tried to stroke my hair, but he didn’t do it properly.

‘It hurts.’

But I like it. I tried to familiarize his touch.

“Good, then…… should you listen to the grand duke or the director?”

“The gwand duke!”

He sounded unsure of calling himself the grand duke.

Well, there are no other proper titles, so he called himself grand duke, just like what I call him.

“That’s right, you’re too small. You have to eat well and grow taller.”

“I’m taww!”

The grand duke looked at me sadly, as if he was looking at the most pitiful thing in the world.

“You can only have soup and medicine for now. I’ll give you something more delicious when you get better. The kids can’t give you anything else either.”

I said ‘I like it!’ and looked at the spoon.

“Thwen, I’m going to eat now. Thwanks fow the meaw.”

I glanced at the grand duke’s hand.

He was holding the spoon with soup.

“Whoo, whoo.”

He really blew it fifteen times just like what Lucy did.

‘Hurry up and get well, self.’

I opened my mouth and ate the soup.

The slightly cooled soup was both warm and delicious.