The Adopted Princess Hopes to Escape the Genre - Chapter 7
The Duke took me to a café.
The café seemed to cater mainly to young noble ladies, with an interior that was not only luxurious and pristine but also exuded a charming, playful vibe.
“Do you like sweet things, by any chance?”
“A little.”
The Duke handed me the menu and said,
“Order whatever you like, don’t hold back.”
“Yes.”
“How can I help you with your order?”
“I’ll have everything from here to here, please.”
The server, as if mishearing me, asked again.
“Pardon?”
“The entire menu, please.”
“The entire menu?”
“Yes. Not a single thing left out. Everything.”
“……”
Even the Duke, seemingly taken aback by my lack of restraint, opened his mouth to speak but ended up saying nothing. After a moment, he instructed the server to bring everything as I had ordered.
“I never say no to things like this.”
“Ah, I see….” said the Duke.
“So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?”
Not wanting to prolong this uncomfortable moment, I got straight to the point.
The Duke seemed surprised that I’d take such an active approach, his eyes widening slightly. Then he let out a deep sigh and finally spoke.
“By any chance… What kind of people are your parents?”
Is he seriously asking about my parents right off the bat, is this an insult to my family?
Having no immunity to the flowery speech of nobles, I couldn’t tell if this was their polite way of being rude.
“What do you mean by that? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“Well… I was curious about what kind of people they are.”
“I don’t know. When I woke up, I was alone, getting drenched in a strange place.”
“Ah…”
I spoke nothing but the truth, yet the Duke seemed to interpret it differently. His eyes, now glistening with moisture, made it clear what he thought, whether I wanted to know or not.
‘At least he won’t have to worry about dry eye syndrome.’
Unlike the Duke’s watery gaze, my own dry, lifeless eyes darted around as he suppressed his emotions and spoke again.
“Do you have somewhere to stay?”
“No.”
“If you have no parents and no place to stay… would you consider coming with—”
“No.”
Before he could even finish his sentence, I answered swiftly.
Despite my firm rejection, the Duke didn’t give up.
“If you come with me, at the very least, you won’t go hungry. And you’ll get to wear beautiful dresses… I can buy you all the jewelry you want.”
“……”
“You’ll live a much better life than wandering the streets.”
The Duke continued listing the benefits I’d gain if I followed him, as if trying to persuade me to reconsider my firm rejection.
I must really resemble his daughter. To think he’d go so far as to offer such generous terms to a beggar he just met today, all while speaking so deferentially.
The suspicious intent behind it all only made my hesitation grow.
As the Duke waited for my answer, he eventually called over his coachman. I wasn’t sure what he intended, but he appeared to be passing on instructions.
Meanwhile, the desserts I’d ordered began arriving one by one on the table. I quickly scanned the plates being set down and was promptly struck by shock.
‘What the hell is this? Why is the portion size like this? Did the chef sneak some bites while preparing it? What do they think I am, some kind of dessert-tasting court lady? Why is it so small?’
I discreetly leaned toward the server and asked, “Is this an omakase? Is this the first course?”
The server gave me a confused look, followed by an awkward laugh, and then disappeared.
Grumbling over the bite-sized portions, I poked at the dessert with my fork.
Maybe eating something sweet would help me think more clearly. Shoving the dessert into my mouth with an almost combative energy, I reconsidered the Duke’s proposal.
Honestly, it was a very tempting offer. I had no place to sleep tonight, and here he was, offering to take me in, feed me, clothe me, and shelter me for free. There was no reason to refuse.
The problem was, I couldn’t figure out if this world was a childcare story or a family-regret story.
If it were a childcare story, I’d get adopted and live a decent life, just as the Duke promised. But if it were a family-regret story, things would turn out very differently.
