The Adopted Princess Hopes to Escape the Genre - Chapter 11
The first law of romance fantasy, Article 1, Section 3: While confessions from male leads and critical clues are often missed, insults are always heard loud and clear.
“Excuse me, I can hear you, you know? Shouldn’t you focus on leading me to the Duke?”
“Why I…!”
The woman’s face turned bright red, but she refrained from saying anything further, likely aware that I was about to be adopted into the Duke’s family. Clicking my tongue internally, I headed toward the Duke’s room.
Knock-, knock-.
“Your Grace, I’ve brought the young lady.”
The woman’s voice transformed by 180 degrees as soon as the door opened. A quick glance inside revealed the Duke seated on a sofa, waiting for me.
“Young lady”? So this woman plans to hide her true nature in front of the Duke, huh?
Intrigued by the woman’s two-faced behavior, I sat across from the Duke. Once I was seated, he spoke.
“You seemed to be sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you. Are you feeling well enough now to have a conversation?”
“Yes. But I’d prefer it if we talked alone. Having a third party here makes me uncomfortable.”
I glanced subtly at the woman who had escorted me. The Duke motioned for her to stay outside, and her face contorted in disapproval.
Once the room was left with just the two of us, the Duke turned to me and asked,
“Did something happen with the head maid on your way here?”
“The head maid?”
That woman from earlier was the head maid? No wonder she walked around with her head held so stiffly.
“Yes. She’s supposed to help you adapt to the household, so if there’s anything you’re unsure about, feel free to ask Emma.”
Did this Duke lack judgment or was he simply clueless about the ways of the world?
“No, I’ll ask someone else if I have questions. I’d rather not get involved with her.”
I firmly rejected the Duke’s suggestion, and he asked for my reasoning.
“Why is that?”
“She seems to dislike me.”
“That can’t be. Emma was the one most excited about the news of bringing you here.”
The Duke was a tougher opponent than I thought.
“She may seem cold, but she’s actually a warm person. She practically raised our Rose herself.”
Ah, so that’s why. It explained her hostile attitude toward me.
“If it was just a misunderstanding, I’m sure it’ll clear up soon enough.”
“I’d like you to get along well with the members of our family. I hope you’ll come to feel comfortable staying here.”
“For me to feel comfortable here, your role is the most important, Duke. You know that, right? Before we finalize the adoption contract, could I hear some basic information about the family first?”
The Duke let out a small laugh at my request and began explaining the Delphinium family to me.
…The information I ended up getting was utterly useless.
How his eldest son was so dependable, how his second son was so intelligent, and how his third son was unbearably adorable—he couldn’t stop bragging about his children.
And what does the beauty of the garden have to do with adoption, you hopeless fool of a man?
I couldn’t bring myself to trust him. Could I really just leap into this adoption based solely on the fact that he was a Duke? Maybe I should refuse after all…
“And the personal assets that will be assigned to you…”
But the amount was far too large to accept.
Even if this adoption came with risks to my life, living as a noble until the real daughter showed up didn’t seem like such a bad deal.
There’s an old saying about not taking in black-haired beasts, but my hair is green now, so it should be fine.
“Shall we write up the contract now, Duke Delphinium?”
| Contract |
Sitting across from the Duke, ready to draft the contract, a major issue suddenly dawned on me.
“Duke….”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I don’t have a name…!”
