-Lift your head and look into mine.
-Aren’t there any other children? That one is far too thin.
-There’s a hierarchy even in sponsorships. Being a guardian of such a pitiful child would lower my status.
-My spouse and I would prefer to be the guardians of a child with a healthy physique.
-Did she dye her hair? That girl, her hair color is so unusual. She wouldn’t be able to be taken to social gatherings like that. Are there no children with a more ordinary appearance?
The comments about Mint—her small physique, rare turquoise hair, excessive volume, and extreme curls—had become so familiar that they no longer hurt.
However, Duke Elkedonia chose her without hesitation.
From the start, it was as though the other children didn’t even matter, as if Mint was the only one he was interested in.
Something was definitely wrong.
“I… I want to stay here.”
She mumbled, her gaze lowered to the floor.
“Please let me work. I can sweep the floors and wash the dishes well. So…”
For a moment, a soft laugh was heard.
It was a mocking sound, like disbelief. Though small, Mint felt like she had been struck by a storm, embarrassed.
“You want to work?”
Fortunately or unfortunately, his voice did not carry the same anger as before.
Instead, it was calm, but ominous. It was the voice of someone looking down on a small creature from a great height, laced with mockery.
“What kind of work would someone with a fragile body like yours do? Do you think you could even scrub with those thin arms?”
I can do it.
For the past two years, Mint had taken on all the chores at the orphanage: cleaning the hallways, washing windows, organizing the trash, and laundering blankets and clothes.
She was confident in housework, so she began to explain her strengths, fumbling with her words.
“I-I can do it…”
“When you speak, you should look the other person in the eye.”
The Duke interrupted Mint, his tone stern.
“Lift your head and look into my eyes.”
It was a simple command, but it was incredibly difficult. Mint summoned every ounce of strength to lift her trembling face. It felt as though looking directly into the Duke’s golden eyes would break her.
“Good. Well done.”
The Duke’s lips curved slightly.
“Keep talking.”
Mint, her face pale and lips trembling, tried to continue. The Duke patiently waited.
“I can… work.”
The Duke coldly cut her off.
“You can’t work here. I won’t employ a little thing like you. And especially not a child as thin as a reed.”
It felt as though the ground was collapsing beneath her. Mint, wanting to collapse, steadied herself, pushing strength into her knees.
What should she do? If she goes back to the orphanage like this…
“I’ve made no mistake, and nothing’s wrong. I’ll be your guardian, and I have no intention of changing my mind.”
His words struck Mint’s head like a boulder. After a brief spasm, Mint managed to speak.
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.”
Mint’s expression was completely dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe his words.
She wanted him to explain more. Why her, of all children? Among those much younger, cleaner, prettier, and healthier children—why her, the oldest, thinnest, and least beautiful?
However, the Duke seemed unwilling to elaborate. He suddenly looked sharp, as though recalling why he was there.
“I heard you have bruises on your body.”
Mint’s body stiffened. It was a brief reaction, but the Duke didn’t miss it.
“I need to check.”
The authority in his voice was terrifying. Mint found herself nodding without realizing it. As soon as she gave permission, the Duke swiftly turned her body.
“Lower your gown.”
As she pulled the gown down to her waist, her thin back was revealed. Her spine stood out starkly against her skin, and red and blue bruises bloomed all over her body. When the Duke saw these marks—evidence of violent abuse—he let out a heavy sigh.
“…That’s enough. You can pull it up now.”
As Mint fastened her gown again, the Duke grabbed her shoulder and turned her body.
“Who did this to you?”
Mint clenched her jaw and lowered her head. This was a question she could never answer.
The Duke did not press further, though his eyes narrowed, and he seemed to expect an answer. However, he did not ask any more questions.
“You must be tired. Rest for today.”
“….”
“Rest well. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m sure you must be tired from the long journey.”
With that, the Duke abruptly turned and left. Mint, staring at his retreating back, muttered after him.
“…Good night…”
—
In the orphanage
“You wretched girl!”
Whack! Mint’s eyes snapped open to the sound of a violent kick. Through her blurry vision, she saw the distorted face of the orphanage director, Shala—one of the people Mint feared most in the world.
He shouted like a monster.
“Who told you to sleep in this late? What are you doing without cleaning!”
Another kick came, and Mint curled into herself, the unbearable pain shooting through her shoulder. A scream involuntarily escaped her.
But Mint clenched her teeth and suppressed the scream. If she cried out, she would be accused of being a weakling, and then she would be punished even more.
Fortunately, the director stopped after five more kicks. He ordered her to clean the hallway and left.
Mint slowly opened her tightly closed eyelids. The small, dark closet room. One room with nothing but a mattress she was hardly allowed to keep.
‘It was just a dream.’
It was all too familiar—the closet, the spiders in the corner, and the rats that scurried past her feet. Mint bitterly smiled. This was her home, the only place she could be after losing her parents. The only hell she knew.
She thought of the world she had seen in the dream—the vast mansion, the delicious hot chocolate, and the Duke who had declared he would sponsor her.
It was hard to believe it was real—indeed, it had been just a dream.
But who could expect such a miracle?
‘That hot chocolate really was delicious. I should have had more in the dream…’
The taste she had experienced in her dream was truly fantastic. Ah, if only she hadn’t spilled it on the carpet, she could have had more…
—
“Miss!”
The moment Mint opened her eyes, the sharp sunlight pierced her vision. She blinked in a daze before suddenly sitting up.
“…Huh?”
“Huh, what do you mean? Oh my, you didn’t even wear proper pajamas… you slept in just a robe!”
A short-haired, silver-haired woman fluttered around, helping Mint to sit up.
Mint stared at her with a dazed expression, then trembled as if burned.
Kilian. The kind woman who bathed her body the previous night.
So, this place is—
“…It wasn’t a dream?”
“What? What do you mean?”
Mint hurriedly looked around.
The white lace canopy, the bed as soft as whipped cream. This dazzlingly beautiful room was not an orphanage. It was not the wardrobe with mice running around.
This was the mansion of the Duke of Elkadonia.
“…It wasn’t a dream.”
From the orphanage’s pestilence to the Duke’s noble ward.
A miraculous, unbelievable thing had happened.
“Miss, just trust me.”
Kilian boasted that she would make Mint the cutest little noble lady in the world. After the bath, she applied a balm, and as it soaked into Mint’s skin, it began to shine.
After the amazing skin treatment, Kilian also tidied Mint’s voluminous hair.
“You have such beautiful hair, Miss. The color is like the sky’s emerald shade, and it’s so wonderfully naturally curly. And most of all, the volume! It’s the kind of hair that everyone with hair loss would envy. It’s a blessing!”
The word “Miss,” along with the formal address, felt so awkward that Mint’s face turned red. She muttered shyly in response.
“I’ve never heard anyone say that. Everyone else said my hair was like vines. It’s so thick it tangles up easily…”
Her coarse and rough hair, thick as it was, would always get tangled if left alone.
“The Miss is simply lacking in nutrition. That’s why your hair is rougher and more tangled than others. It’s inevitable. But, you know, hair care can change its fate.”
Kilian continued chattering as she applied camellia oil to Mint’s hair.
“Do you know what this is? It’s the finest oil that noble young ladies can’t even get their hands on! Just one drop, and hair as thick as a broom can become smooth as silk!”
Before long, Mint’s usually tangled hair transformed, gleaming with shine, soft and flowing as though by magic. It was hard to believe.
Mint opened her mouth in surprise, staring into the mirror.
Her sparkling hair, smooth skin. Even the bangs that usually covered her face were neatly cut, making her look exceptionally tidy.
“…Is this really me?”
She couldn’t speak properly from shock. Just by styling her hair, she felt like a completely different person.
“Your hair was so thick that it could cover your entire face, Miss. But if you care for it with love, ta-da! Look how beautiful it is now.”
It was true.
Her once tangled mane, which looked like a lion’s mane, had turned into pretty, curly hair like an expensive bisque doll.
But even with just that, Mint couldn’t recognize the girl in the mirror.
For a while, Mint stood frozen before the mirror, and Kilian gently tugged her away.
“Miss, it’s time to go for your meal. His Grace the Duke is waiting.”
His Grace the Duke. At those words, Mint quickly turned away from the mirror, startled.
The Duke of Elkadonia. The one who had promised to become her guardian.
She still couldn’t quite believe it.
“I can’t believe it. I’ve become a young noble, and he’s become my sponsor.”
Mint followed Kilian to the dining room. The sound of their footsteps echoed softly as Mint’s mind became tangled in confusion.
She didn’t know why such a miracle had happened, but now, she was under the patronage of the Duke of Elcadonia. She had become a noble through sponsorship. It only felt real now that she had been dressed up like a doll.
“I don’t want to go back to the orphanage.”
Here, she could sleep with her legs stretched out, and there would be no more kicks from the orphanage director.
Mint didn’t want to leave this paradise. She would do anything to stay here forever. Whatever it took.
She steeled her mind and entered the dining room with a bright smile. But the moment she lifted her head, everything stopped.
“…!”
Her steps faltered. At the head of the table sat Duke Elkadonia, and across from him was a middle-aged man with a full belly.
Unlike the relaxed Duke, the man was pale with fear.
“Ah.”
The moment she saw him, the nightmare from last night struck her like lightning.
You disgusting little brat!
The pain from the merciless kicks flooded her memory, and Mint unconsciously wrapped her arms around her side.
“Mint…?”
She flinched. Mint clenched her fists tightly, looking like someone who had been beaten.
The man—the director of the Merigold Orphanage, Shala—looked at her in shock, his mouth hanging open as if he had realized something.
“Mint… no, it’s the Lady of Elcadonia now.”
Her appearance had changed so drastically in just one day that Shala was left speechless.
“Come here and sit, Mint.”
At the Duke of Elcadonia’s words, Mint gritted her teeth.
Yes, the Duke was here, so no matter how much Shala might try, she wouldn’t be able to kick her or slap her cheek anymore.
However, no matter how much she tried to boost her courage, her body, conditioned by years of violence, instinctively shrank. Mint tightly clenched her trembling hands, walking stiffly.
“You’re truly beautiful! I had no idea you were such a lovely young lady.”
Shala spoke with exaggerated gestures, clasping his hands together like an actor. It was awkward, given that just the day before, she had slapped that same cheek with a heavy hand.
“…”
Mint remained silent, her face as pale as someone whose tongue had been cut off.
Seeing she wouldn’t respond, Shala tried to hide her nervousness and forced a laugh.
“Hahaha, the young lady has always been so shy, hasn’t she? That’s probably why we never had a proper conversation. It’s such a shame.”
But inside, Shala was burning with fury.
Damn it, why did that girl have to be chosen?!
Just the day before, the girl whom he had beaten had risen to such a high place overnight.
The Duke of Elcadonia’s family. A noble family with power second only to the imperial family.
In return, the orphanage had received a huge donation, but Shala couldn’t feel joy. Instead, he felt uneasy.
What if Mint spoke about the abuse she had suffered? Or worse, if she took revenge using the Duke’s power?
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have hit her.
It was no use regretting now.
Since the moment Mint had left the orphanage, Shala had not slept a wink, fearing that the violence he had inflicted would be discovered.
No, they still don’t know anything.
This morning, the butler who had come to fetch her had been respectful, and there was even a lavish meal prepared in front of him.
So why was this happening?
Anyway, the sponsorship contract hasn’t been formalized yet. I need to cancel it and bring in another child.
Mint, now a young noblewoman of Elkadonia, was like a ticking time bomb capable of destroying his life at any moment. That’s why this sponsorship should never be finalized.
“I called you here,” the Duke said, taking a light sip of his wine.
“Because you’re the one who knows Mint Elkadonia best. You must have raised her like a parent.”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
Shala smiled triumphantly. he had been waiting for the right moment to bring up the topic, and fortunately, the Duke had provided him with the opportunity.
“The young lady is very reserved, isn’t she? Because of that, even though we’ve been together until she turned fifteen, we’ve never really had a proper conversation. She’s a very cautious person.”
At first glance, it seemed like praise, but it wasn’t something a sponsor would want to hear, especially not someone who was looking for a guardianship sponsorship, rather than just a regular one.
Yeah, if it were just a small donation, it wouldn’t matter, but a guardianship sponsorship is a whole different matter.
Guardianship was on a completely different level from regular sponsorship.
It would be officially recorded in the family’s lineage as a guardian relationship, and Mint would receive the Elkadonia name as part of the family.
Though she had no claim to inheritance, the Elkadonia name attached to Mint was something not to be underestimated.
If the girl is reserved and has no charm, then this is bad for me!
As expected, the Duke’s hand stiffened slightly as he lifted his glass, his gaze now fixed on Mint with an odd expression.
Oh, so his mind has only just started changing?
Before choosing Mint, the Duke should have asked about her. If he had, he would have been able to say all sorts of things about her more comfortably.
“She’s always been so shy, so she didn’t have many friends at the orphanage. And now that she’s become the Elkadonia young lady, it’s probably for the best that she didn’t make any friends at the orphanage. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for someone of her status.”
In the end, it was like an advertisement that she had been a social misfit, with no friends by the age of fifteen.
Even after hearing this, Mint tightly shut her lips, holding her fork firmly and pushing food into her mouth without a word of protest.
Seeing this, Shala was sure.
She’s still afraid of me.
Yes. That girl had been trained through abuse.
In this mansion, where she could be
thrown out at any moment—though it had only been a single day—Mint wasn’t the type to carelessly blurt out past violence.
She’s quick to read the situation. Keeping silent is the wisest thing for her, Mint.
You’ll soon be back to me—back to the orphanage. If you speak out of turn, I’ll break a bone or two. Shala thought to himself, suppressing a sinister smile.
