Chapter 38

Chapter 38

I was lying in bed, holding my doll Tutu without any strength in my grip.

When I had finally made it back to my room after getting lost, I was exhausted and it was difficult to move.

“Tutu, why does my heart become happy very suddenly and then depressed again?”

Everyone took care of me earlier, and the issues with the teacher worked out well, but I felt depressed when I was left alone.

I grabbed Tutu and shook it for answers, but, like a doll, it remained silent.

Because I often played with Tutu in front of other people, I got into this habit of asking it questions even when I was alone.

After all, it’s just a doll. I threw Tutu away from me, but then hugged it again because it was a gift from my brother.

‘I have to think about finding out more about the teacher.’

Why have I become so helpless? My heart was broken.

It hurts even more when I get hurt while I’m floating with happiness.

While I was closing my eyes, I suddenly sensed a presence behind me.

“Nina?”

It must be Nina, so I turned my head to see….

‘That’s the kid!’

It’s the ghost I saw in the treasure trove!

A boy standing with an expressionless face was staring at me.

“Who are you?”

The boy tapped on his lips as if he was trying to answer my question, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

I got up slowly and approached the boy.

I know I need to be on the lookout for danger, but somehow I wasn’t wary.

‘I won’t let you get hurt.’

I felt a strange sense of familiarity. Even though he is a child I’ve never seen before.

I slowly approached the boy. Then I reached out to grab him. I have to hold onto him and ask who he is.

‘Oh?’

However, my hand swiftly passed through the boy’s body.

As if sensing my confusion, the boy whispered something to me again with no change in his expression.

As I approached and looked up at him tentitively, I could finally grasp what he was trying to say.

“Cau….tious, no, be careful.”

(T/N: The first word the boy said means ‘be cautious/조신, while the second one means’ be careful/조심’. Shuelina mistook the 조신 with 조심 because they have the same first syllable, but different last letter in the second syllable [ㄴ/ㅁ]. They also have the same pronunciation. )

Maybe it’s ‘be careful’! When I realized that, the boy disappeared again.

What is it, a real ghost? I still have a headache, but what kind of ghost was it?

‘What do you mean to be careful… ‘

In the current situation, it must be about Teacher Rima. Because that ghost didn’t seem to be trying to harm me, but rather trying to help me.

‘Okay, I have to find out Teacher Rima’s secret and find out why I kept seeing him!’

Because of what happened before, I sat in front of the desk in my room to make a plan.

To deal with someone who might be an enemy, careful planning is essential.

First of all, let’s reorganize my position at this point.

I am the only Grand Princess of the Grand Duke of Vaillot. Although I’m an adopted child, I’m his youngest daughter. My right to inherit property was also recognized, and I was also listed on the family register.

I’m extremely loved by the Grand Duke of the Grand Duke’s mansion.

Normally news of my adoption and entrance into the world of nobles would be published in the newspapers and accompanied by splendid and grand celebrations…

‘It means that my adoption hasn’t been published in the newspapers yet.’

Teacher Rima doesn’t really know about me.

It’s strange if I think about it. My teacher was very quick to emphasize that I was a commoner, despite me being the princess of the Grand Duke’s house.

‘The teacher acted as if she had a lot of my personal information right from the beginning… ‘

Teacher Rima said that she must be in charge of me. ‘I have to do it’ means that there was coercion that was fueling her decision.

Even if the teacher is expelled from the Grand Duke’s estate, she could always return to the academy.

I was told she was taking her sabbatical this year so she came here to be my teacher.

A situation where you have a job and have a side job. She seems to have a place to go back to no matter what happens with her job here.

Even if your reputation becomes a little lower, it’s not something you have to defend so desperately.

Since the distance between the Grand Duke’s territory and the Imperial capital is quite far, even if someone was kicked out while teaching the Grand Princess, it would not have a tremendous effect on imperial capital gossip.

So, was there any reason to desperately avoid being fired?

‘The teacher indeed has another reason to be in charge of me!’

For example, someone told her to spy on me and scorn me.

Was it the Empress? Or was it a vassal of the Grand Duke who hates my adoption? It was possible for multiple people to be behind this.

Since she’s from the Imperial capital, it was more likely because of the Empress.

Or else? Or else not. There’s no harm in being careful when someone’s after you, right?

‘As expected, it was better to watch from the sidelines to monitor their movements, while digging around to know who’s behind everything.’

Nina was making her way back to the garden swing. She was heading back down to the first floor after retrieving a blanket to cover Shuelina who was resting outside.

Shuelina is still a child, so she has to take better care of her, and she has to pay special attention to her mannerisms because of her history of collapsing while eating.

She brought and dressed Shuelina in a fluffy cotton coat, but she was still not satisfied, so she even went to go get a thick blanket for her.

‘Our lady is fragile so I need to take extra care of her.’

Nina liked Shuelina.

The strongest but most lonely masters in the world, the Grand Duke and his sons.

When a six-year-old girl was held in the arms of her masters, who were unable to clearly express their human emotions to others because no one could approach them out of fear.

When she thought about how comforting her presence has been to the masters… .

She concluded she had no choice but to like Shuelina.

All those who gathered in this house were those who owed a debt of gratitude to the Grand Duke of Vaillot.

The same was true for Nina. She was orphaned by the age of ten, and she’s grateful that she didn’t die of starvation or was thrown away, instead she’s been well taken care of.

The Grand Duke didn’t dismiss Nina after her parents’ death just for the reason that they were employees of the Grand Duke.

Because of that, Nina, ten years old, was determined to remain loyal until her death at the Grand Duke’s estate.

Then six-year-old Shuelina came, whom she was older than.

A child who became an orphan immediately after birth. She said she was abused throughout her time at the orphanage.

Nina liked Shuelina because of her sense of identity as an orphan and that she is constantly comforting her esteemed Grand Duke of Vaillot.

Even when selecting a direct maid for Shuelina, she volunteered before anyone else.

‘Our precious lady. I’ll protect her.’

Nina was able to hear important secrets from Lucy when she became Shuelina’s direct maid.

It was a story about Shuelina’s extraordinary ability. Though she was a commoner, she was born with abilities.

Lucy said that the Grand Duke announced that it was ‘the magic of growth.’ It was said that this rare magic is for creating things.

The fact that Shuelina’s bedroom which became as full of plant life as a forest was not prepared by the Grand Duke as a gift, unlike what the rumors in the mansion are saying.

‘The fact that our lady isn’t just a normal child, but also smart….’

Shuelina, whom she met as a direct maid after saying a secret pledge, was clever and extraordinary.

Nina and Lucy thought it was due to her magical talent.

Shuelina was only six years old.

Although she was born extraordinary, it’s a pity that her abilities made her a target, for enemies aiming for her life, at the age of six.

Nina was always on alert so as to not lose her young lady.

‘It’s our lady’s teacher.’

As she descended the stairs, she noticed Rima Vein’s back standing in the corner of the first floor.

A woman with a skinny face and nervous impression. A talented person who came from Imperial Capital’s academy as an assistant professor.

But Nina didn’t like her.

It was because she is a preliminary suspect as a dangerous person who could endanger Shuelina’s safety.

‘Lady, you were very depressed in your first class.’

Rima Vein earned Nina’s resentment just by making Shuelina dare to look like that after one interaction.

After receiving the warning from the Grand Duke, it seemed like the second class was a mess, but….

… Isn’t it possible that Shuelina’s broken heart is still hurt?

[e/n: this a flashback from after the Grand Duke ripped the teacher a new one]

‘Strange. I think she didn’t like me even before she met me. Why did she come all the way here while disliking me like that?’

Shuelina had a glimpse of Nina’s vigilance against Rima Vein.

‘My lady, you’re also tempted to ask the master to change the teacher.‘

‘Nevertheless…… I personally wouldn’t have come this far unless there was a very important reason. If you are fired without anyone knowing that, it’s embarrassing.’

‘Is that so?’

Nina wondered if it would be better to just talk to the Grand Duke and fire her comfortably.

However, Shuelina wanted to find out for sure if there were any hidden intentions from Rima Vein.

‘Nina, can you wait and keep a discreet eye on the teacher while passing by? If you feel like running into her is unavoidable, ignore and avoid her moderately.’

‘Understood!’

So, after receiving Shuelina’s request, Nina secretly watched Rima Vein as much as she could as she passed by.

Rima Vein, who she observed for a couple of months, was a more gentle person than she had thought.

She was moderately polite and quiet to the employees. She usually ate in her room, seldomly going out.

‘But it’s suspicious.’

However, whenever she left the room, she was always talking to someone.

Her conversation partners usually changed little by little. Though it’s not unusual to talk to the people in the mansion….

The maid of the galley, a servant of the bell tower, the horseman, the coachman.

To put it all, they weren’t people who would usually meet and converse with an important private tutor invited from outside.

‘Same with some of the people I met… .’

Although Shuelina was relatively easily accepted by the Grand Duke, she was not welcomed by everyone.

Such a child became the Grand Princess, but why not me? My child? It was caused by jealousy.

Although there were only a few people, and because they were mainly doing chores in the more hidden parts of the mansion, Shuelina didn’t encounter them.

‘Well, they are shallow people.’

Nina, who lost her parents, was taken care of by Lucy, the maid, so Nina also received such attention for a while.

When she paused to see her lady’s teacher, she suddenly heard a sharp female voice.

Nina lit her eyes when she noticed that Rima Vein was talking to someone else.

“I’m so angry!”

She had to go around the corner in the garden. The one where Rima Vein was standing.

As Nina approached the corner, she tried to look more inconspicuous.

‘It sounds like a voice I know.’

A familiar voice often heard when passing in front of the laundry room.

She heard her friend’s voice complaining with a high-pitched tone.

“I don‘t know how much frustration I endured because of those pajamas.”

“What happened?”

Following the voice of the maid who was sharply angry, Rima Vein asked calmly.

“Well, the ribbon on the lady’s white pajamas was burned a little while ironing and that made the lady cry. Thanks to that, I was scolded by the Head Maid!”

My gosh, Nina, while holding her breath and eavesdropping carefully, opened her eyes wide.

Somehow, she thought that the young lady wasn’t as lively in the garden today!

Usually, Shuelina liked to take a relaxing break in the garden, but today she clearly seemed to be disinterested and listless.

It was because her favorite pajamas were damaged!

Nina realized everything and frowned.

“It‘s the pajamas that fell over… . “

The maid shouted a little. It was a very hushed voice because it would be blasphemy for her to bad mouth the nobility.

‘Are you complaining that you did something wrong now and that the lady was crying?’

Nina clenched her fists and opened her hands when she saw the blanket she held in her hand had become crumpled.

She didn’t know why they’re being so mean to a six-year-old child.

An orphan, who lived without anything, was the first to cherish a precious object.

It was too cruel to break it and say that it was only pajamas.

Nina had also experienced it, so she understood how heartbroken Shuelina probably is.

“Oh, that‘s a pity. Maybe you need to tell the princess about the kindness of a real Lady.”

In a voice laced with sympathy, Rima Vein comforted the maid.

“Uhhhh, thanks to the professor, my mind has calmed down a little. I think I should be going then.”

Shortly thereafter, Nina heard the loud sound of the maid’s footsteps.

‘You can’t come this way.’

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