I Was Adopted by the Villain Grand Duke Who Killed My Favorite Character - Chapter 28

“Then let’s go receive education, just the two of us, Grand Princess.”

Gerard’s slick smile couldn’t have been more annoying. Accepting defeat, I was led by Gerard’s hand and boarded the carriage.

Gerard handed me what seemed to be a pre-prepared bundle of clothes.

“I’ll be outside, so please put on these clothes.”

“Okay, I got it.”

As I unfolded the clothes I received from Gerard, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

‘It’s a maid’s uniform!’

Moreover, the maid’s uniform Gerard gave me fit perfectly, as if measured with a ruler. This was a situation that couldn’t help but raise suspicions.

I couldn’t understand why I had to wear a maid’s uniform for whatever education this was. After hurriedly changing, I asked Gerard.

“Gerard, do you like this kind of thing?”

“No! It’s absolutely not for personal reasons.”

“Is this outfit necessary for the education?”

“It’s not for any private purpose at all, there’s a reason for everything.”

The fact that there was a reason made it even more suspicious.

I’d heard there were perverts who liked dressing up children in such outfits, could it be? In particular, the meticulousness of having secured my clothing size in advance was concerning.

‘Is he really a pervert?’

I didn’t see him that way; how regrettable.

As my gaze mixed with discomfort, Gerard jumped up and hastily explained.

“This is because it’s unavoidable to take you to the person I’m serving…”

“So that person is a pervert.”

“They’re not a pervert, but a very normal person who’s been feeling down lately…”

“So I’m wearing this outfit to cheer them up?”

The more the conversation continued, the more I felt like we were sinking into a swamp of perversion.

There was no way that job experience requiring a maid’s uniform could be the gifted education he said I’d be receiving. I was curious about why he had lied to deceive the maids and me.

“Neither I nor the person I serve is a pervert.”

“Okay. I understand.”

While not believing him even a tiny bit, I nodded to him.

‘Should I quit now?’

Reason told me to shake off Gerard’s perverted hand and run away. But the kindness Gerard had shown me so far weighed on my mind.

“That person needs a companion, but we need to disguise you as a maid.”

“Okay.”

“Due to circumstances, we can’t reveal your identity as the Grand Princess to that person. Are you listening?”

“Yes. I’ll believe everything then.”

You’ve even come up with a setting for your lie.

If it were the usual Gerard, he would have suggested we stop when I showed signs of dislike. But today, he looked very desperate.

‘Let’s go along with it once.’

Even if the situation turned out for the worst, it would just be meeting a pervert excited by a maid’s uniform.

“Don’t worry. I’ll receive the education you mentioned, Gerard.”

“Grand Princess!”

How could such a small thing make Gerard’s face light up so brightly? Seeing him repeatedly expressing gratitude with a bright expression made me feel better.

A little while later, our carriage went to a mansion far from the main building, avoiding people’s eyes.

As Gerard opened the iron gate of the mansion with a key, he earnestly pleaded.

“You must never tell that person that you’re the Grand Princess. And use the alias Sion.”

“Okay, don’t worry.”

“It’s also a secret that you came here, so don’t tell the other maids under any circumstances.”

I hope it’s not an unknown vicious criminal I’m about to meet?

I prepared myself mentally as I followed Gerard around the mansion’s garden.

The person Gerard mentioned was sitting in a rocking chair set up in a corner of the garden. From where I was standing, I could only see their back.

“It’s the same color as Juno’s.”

The first thing that caught my eye was hair like burning flames.

As the woman sitting in the chair stood up and looked at me, it felt like the world had stopped for a moment.

“…Are you the little one I saw before?”

Abundant red hair falling to the nape of the neck and ash-gray eyes shining like jewels.

I stared, mesmerized, at the features that exuded dignity. The sharp jawline and slightly upturned eyes reminded me of someone.

‘She looks like Juno.’

It was as if an adult Juno was standing there.

I was speechless from the shock of facing in reality what I had imagined countless times. The woman who walked up to me spoke with a smiling face.

“We met in your garden, do you remember?”

“The person who was annoying back then.”

“Yes. The person who kept talking to you despite your ‘don’t bother me’ expression.”

Looking closely, differences from Juno started to stand out one by one. Like the tear mole near her eye, or her somewhat irritable impression.

Having finally regained my senses, I greeted her as previously agreed with Gerard.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Sion, the maid who will be serving you from today.”

“So you’re a maid. When we met then, I thought you were a noble child.”

After looking me up and down, the woman soon smiled with overflowing friendliness.

“Well, if you were a noble child, your greeting as a maid wouldn’t have been so perfect.”

I still clutched my pounding heart and fixed my gaze on the woman’s face. My mind was hazy, as if I had encountered a person from a dream.

“I’m… yes, call me Stephanie. Little one.”

“Yes, Lady Stephanie.”

“Drop the ‘Lady’, now let’s check your skills.”

Stephanie, wearing a gentle smile, placed a rusty frying pan in my hand.

“Then, I’ll ask you to cook. Little maid.”

The moment I saw Stephanie’s eyes shining with mischief, I realized why she was making a six-year-old cook.

She’s testing me!

Originally, I was planning to just go along with it, but my competitive spirit surged. I wanted to prove my skills to this person who resembled Juno.

***

I completed all the tasks the woman assigned, drawing on memories from my past life. My small child’s body wasn’t a big problem for me, who had been a maid.

“Here’s a sirloin steak with veal tenderloin and Arcadamy sauce.”

“Oh my, thank you.”

Seeing Stephanie amazed at my perfect service made me feel proud. As I handed her the pre-cleaned utensils in the order of the meal, Stephanie clapped her hands.

“You’re really a well-prepared maid!”

“You’re too kind.”

I asked Stephanie, who was focused on tasting the steak I had grilled.

“Is the food to your liking?”

“It’s the best steak I’ve ever eaten! How can a six-year-old grill a steak to medium?”

Oops.

My hair stood on end at the unexpected sharp observation.

At first, I was going to serve just adequately enough not to get caught. But it was because of Stephanie’s praise as she followed me around.

“How can you handle a broom bigger than your body so professionally! What? You say there’s a method to everything?”

“This is just basic ability.”

“You really could survive anywhere without starving. How can there be a child like you in this world?”

“I wonder about that myself.”

Usually, people would be suspicious if a young child showed abilities they shouldn’t have. But Stephanie showered me with praise without a hint of doubt.

Every time I saw Stephanie’s face with her bright smile, my heart sank.

‘It feels like I’m being praised by Juno.’

I thought I was indifferent to others’ praise, but I ended up being completely swayed. I wanted to see more of Stephanie’s smiling face because of me.

“Hey there, little maid.”

Stephanie suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her.

In an instant, my upper body was lifted, and I was placed on Stephanie’s lap. Normally, it was unthinkable for a maid to sit on her master’s lap.

I, who wanted to show a great image as a maid to Stephanie, struggled with my legs.

“Let, let me go.”

“I don’t want to be seen as a bad person eating delicious food alone. What should I do?”

“Even so… mmph.”

Stephanie, who had cut the steak into bite-sized pieces, pushed a piece into my mouth. As soon as I chewed, the juices flowed out, regardless of who made it.

It’s so delicious!

I stopped resisting and obediently ate the food Stephanie gave me. When I tugged on her sleeve as a signal for more food, she laughed.

“You’re really an interesting little one. Seeing you accept the food, it seems you’ve been raised with a lot of love.”

Stephanie gently pinched both of my cheeks as I chewed the meat.

“Who fed you like this?”

“A… very strong person.”

“You have an interesting guardian. Still, you don’t look like a six-year-old.”

Did I do everything too perfectly?

Maybe it was a problem that I did everything even though I knew it would raise suspicion. I expected her to question my identity this time, but what Stephanie showed wasn’t the familiar contempt.

“You must have gone through a lot.”

With these unexpected words, she rested her chin on the crown of my head and laughed brightly. Her smile, unsuited to her age, momentarily captivated me.

Stephanie’s simple words sent ripples through my heart.

“You must have lived very diligently.”

There’s no way she could know about me.

Because no one would seriously listen if I said I’ve lived over thirty times. Yet at that moment, Stephanie’s ash-gray eyes seemed to pierce through me.

Without realizing it, words mixed with discontent flowed out.

“You don’t know anything.”

“You’re right. I don’t. But there are things one can know even without knowing anything.”

“……”

“What’s bothering you that made you upset? No matter how much you deny it, you’re an amazing child.”

I’m an amazing child? Not a monstrous child or a strange child?

“……This is weird.”

My throat felt scratchy, as if the steak I was eating had gotten stuck. Gradually, my breathing became rapid and my eyes grew hot.

I buried my face in my palms, busy trying to steady my breath. Never had I felt so flustered by this young child’s body that couldn’t control its emotions.

“Little one? Can you lift your face for me?”

Stephanie’s eyes widened as she forcibly lifted my cheeks to check my expression.

It felt like the whole world was blurring with moisture.

Neither my blurring vision nor my rapidly beating heart was under my control.

When I realized tears were flowing down my cheeks, her arms wrapped around my body. I shrank my neck at the soft hair tickling my nape.

“You’ll feel much better after crying.”

Her appearance resembled Juno, and the warm affection she lavished on me. Such a warm and kind person shouldn’t be living in depression.

I had an intuition that I would inevitably come to like Stephanie.