The Adopted Princess Hopes to Escape the Genre - Chapter 26
The Delphinium estate was bustling from the early morning.
Everyone was busy preparing to welcome guests. Naturally, as the newly titled Princess of Delphinium, I was swept up in the commotion as well.
It seemed everyone was paying meticulous attention since this was the first occasion I’d meet people outside of the Delphinium estate in my new role.
Before I could fully gather my senses, I was whisked out of bed and seated in front of a vanity. The maids diligently brushed and styled my half-asleep hair.
Though it had been rough and dry not long ago, my hair now gleamed with a silky sheen, as if it had been well cared for over months. Absentmindedly fiddling with the strands cascading to my collarbone, I stared blankly at the mirror.
Afterward, I went through nearly ten dresses purchased from yesterday’s trip to the boutique before finally settling on one. Only then was I deemed ready to receive guests.
When I descended to the first floor, I saw the Duke and my brothers already waiting by the front door.
“Who’s coming today?”
“Ah, Lassetia. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes…”
I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
“Today, Duke Baccharis and Lady Baccharis will be visiting the Delphinium estate.”
“Lady Baccharis?”
“Yes, someone like Lady Baccharis would make a fine friend for you.”
Lady Baccharis… just hearing the title sounded villainous. However, if the villainess were to meet a reincarnator early in life, the story could take a different turn. I’d make sure to block any chance of her going astray.
‘I’ll destroy the original plot as much as I want.’
Soon after, the sound of hooves echoed as a carriage entered the Delphinium estate. A luxurious carriage halted in front of the building, and from it emerged a man who appeared to be a duke and a young boy.
‘Didn’t they say the Duke’s daughter was coming?’
Could it be… a high-ranking noble lady rebelling against the corset-obsessed aristocratic society? A girl-crush character like that wasn’t unheard of in novels. Such characters typically sided with the female protagonist, which would work out well for me.
“Thank you for making the trip.”
The Duke of Delphinium and the Duke of Baccharis exchanged a handshake, while I and my brothers followed behind the Duke.
Peeking out from behind him, I studied the Duke’s daughter.
Duke Baccharis’s daughter was a stunning beauty with jet-black hair and vivid green eyes. Though there were no unattractive ducal families, her looks were striking enough that, if she were a man, she could have easily secured the role of the main male protagonist.
‘Oh, our eyes met.’
As I blinked repeatedly, staring intently, the Duke’s daughter quickly averted her gaze. What’s this? A snooty city girl?
“Theodore, Lucian, Kaiden, and Lassetia. Go ahead and introduce yourselves.”
“You’re the new addition to the Duke’s family, I see. Pleased to meet you.”
The Duke of Baccharis extended his hand to me.
“I’m Lassetia.”
I shook his hand lightly before turning to the Duke’s daughter to greet her.
“Hello, my lady. I heard you’re three years older than me. Is it alright if I speak casually?” I said.
Smiling brightly, I took the initiative to speak, but the Duke’s daughter’s face turned crimson upon hearing my words. She began trembling, her hands shaking as she shouted furiously at me.
“Hey!”
Startled by the loud outburst, my eyes widened.
“What makes you think I’m a duke’s daughter? Are you blind?”
I could only blink in shock, rendered speechless. That slightly lower-pitched voice sounded exactly like…
“A boy…?”
“Yeah. And you’re seven years old, right? So am I.”
“But I was told the Duke’s daughter would be visiting?”
“My sister couldn’t make it today, so I’m here in her place.”
A handsome face and the setup of a childhood friend meeting for the first time.
Could he… be my male lead?
Male leads always had something special about them—something that set them apart. Either extraordinary abilities or the rare insight to uncover the female lead’s secrets.
Right now, I was nothing more than a perfectly ordinary girl, save for the bonus of my memories from a previous life. The only “unique” feature I had was an inexplicable filter that automatically censored profanity.
The only way I could test if this boy in front of me was truly the male lead…
“♪♩♬♬♪♩♬♬♬♪♩♪♬♬.”
…was to throw a curse at him.
