The Adopted Princess Hopes to Escape the Genre - Chapter 27
With eyes brimming with anticipation, I looked at the potential male lead, but he didn’t react at all.
Instead, the boy seemed uncomfortable under my gaze, awkwardly fidgeting with his hands and avoiding eye contact.
As his indifferent reaction quickly dampened my excitement, another thought surfaced, being a transmigrator, I knew the more allies I had, the easier it would be to survive later.
‘Think of it as laying the groundwork for an ally in the future.’
To increase my survival odds, I forced myself to muster some non-existent social skills and took the initiative to speak to the boy.
“You’re the same age as me? Then we can be friends.”
“Why would I want to be friends with you?”
True to the cold first impression he’d given, he wasn’t about to give up the spot of “friend” so easily.
“Fine, suit yourself. So, what’s your name?”
Of course, the attitude of a prickly seven-year-old didn’t faze me in the slightest.
“Rashid Baccharis.”
“Alright, Rashid. Let’s get along from now on.”
Grabbing Rashid’s hand, which showed no intention of initiating a handshake, I shook it firmly. Startled by my sudden action, Rashid smacked my hand away in surprise.
My hand hung awkwardly in mid-air for a moment before I casually lowered it, pretending nothing had happened.
“Touchy, aren’t you? Well, I guess it makes sense since we just met. Let’s head inside for now.”
Confusion crossed Rashid’s face as he stared at me, processing my words. Ignoring his stunned expression, I stepped into the mansion, leaving him to trail after me.
“Are you the one showing me around the estate?”
“Me?”
“Who else here could it be?”
“Why would I? I’ve only been here for two days.”
“Two days?”
His brow furrowed deeply, his expression a mixture of disbelief and irritation.
“You… aren’t Roinez?”
Roinez? Oh, he must mean Rose. Looks like he wasn’t paying attention during introductions earlier.
“Nope. I was adopted two days ago.”
“Then where is Roinez?”
Was he serious? Was this some kind of joke?
“Roinez has been missing for four years,”
Rasid’s face turned pale at my response. He stepped closer, his voice hurried and almost frantic.
“She’s been missing? For four years? How could that happen?”
His reaction was unexpectedly extreme. Did he know her personally? But four years is a long time not to know about something like this.
“Did you know Roinez?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t? Our families have ties,” he retorted, his voice tinged with frustration.
“Then how come you didn’t know she was missing? It doesn’t seem like you two were particularly close. Isn’t this a bit much for a reaction between families with just formal ties?”
“Father never mentioned it. And honestly, I don’t remember much since I was so young, but the impression I had when I first met Roinez still lingers faintly.”
Rashid surprisingly answered my question without resistance. His eyes, unusually subdued for a child, seemed to be tinged with sadness.
‘Something stirred when you first saw her? Isn’t that just falling in love?’
This was bad. Rose must have been Rashid’s first love.
The first love of someone with main-character-level backstory and credentials turned out to be the biological daughter of the Delphinium Duke’s household.
I swiftly removed Rashid from the list of potential male leads. It’s best to drop bad stocks early.
Given that even the Duke’s household saw me overlapping with their real daughter, the idea of my future husband doing the same was horrifying.
If the flower wouldn’t bloom, it was better to cut the bud. Sure, someone might argue that letting it sprout a bit wouldn’t hurt.
But that’s for others to decide.
As someone who prefers stability, there was no need for me to take the thorny path.
“Sounds like she was your first love.”
“F-First love?”
Rashid’s face flushed red at my words. I chuckled softly, murmuring as if to myself.
“So bold for someone so young.”
I made sure he could hear it, which caused his face to redden even more, turning him into a walking tomato.
‘Teasing others really is the most fun.’
My habit of teasing friends and younger siblings naturally surfaced. At my laughter, Rashid flared up and quickly added,
“It’s not some first love or anything like that. It was just… something unfamiliar. That’s all. I just wanted to confirm it when I met her again.”
“Sure, sure. Or maybe it’s just how you feel?”
Unable to come up with a retort, Rashid simply glared at me, trembling slightly.
His reaction made me laugh even more. Seeing my amusement, Rashid seemed about to say something in fierce rebuttal, his lips moving as if to speak.
I waited with gleaming eyes, eager to hear what he had to say, but no words came.
It seemed he quickly realized any response would just lead to more teasing and chose to shut his mouth instead.
Disappointed, I clicked my tongue lightly, but just then, the Delphinium Duke, who had been at a distance, approached us.
“Emma, guide the young master to the guest room. Lassetia, you will begin lessons starting today.”
Lessons?
The Duke’s sudden announcement wiped the grin off my face, and I quickly raised my head.
“Lessons? What kind of…?”
“It would be easier for you to adjust if you take etiquette training and basic education in advance.”
“E-Education? E-Etiquette training…?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected academic plan, I stammered, repeating his words.
I’m only seven years old…! Are they serious about starting early education here too? What kind of child abuse is this…?
As expected, nothing in K-romance fantasy comes easy.
