Chapter 13

But before he could correct her, the child’s eyes were sparkling.

Her violet eyes, filled with passion, sparkled vividly, and her flushed cheeks were blushing red.

Even while making a confused expression, her voice was strangely excited.

“Hehe. It’s a deal. I’m so excited.”

Yeah, well.

‘As long as she likes it, that’s fine.’

Contie lightly shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“Should we wite a contract too?”

Here, his smile vanished for a brief moment, though.

A contract…?

She wants to write that too?

He had brought up the word ‘contract’ or whatever because the child wanted it, but.

Writing a contract document-.

‘Isn’t that a bit too serious?’

Above all, the reality of a four-year-old bringing up a contract document was absurd.

What on earth did she learn in Bramchois?

‘Ah, or is it because she’s too smart?’

That could be it.

Because the child has overly extraordinary aspects for a four-year-old.

Hmm.

‘Everyone will think she takes after me.’

The corners of Contie’s lips curled up.

Whatever it was, once again, he couldn’t beat the child’s eyes full of anticipation.

“…Fine. Well, write it if you want.”

“Wooow! Duke is the bestest!”

As soon as the answer dropped, the child jumped up from her seat and hopped around.

Contie looked at the excited Melony with a complex and subtle state of mind.

Labela, is this what you meant by a fool for a daughter?

* * *

“Mewony will do her best.”

“…You can just do it moderately.”

“No. Twust only Mewony. I’m confident.”

“Alright. Spread your dreams to your heart’s content, Marshmallow.”

The Duke, who had spoken somewhat bitterly, went ‘Ah.’ and added.

“I don’t know about other things, but keep this in mind. From now on, you are my biological daughter who inherited my blood. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“If anyone doubts it, just insist on it. Half the things in the world can be resolved by insisting hard enough.”

“Okay!”

Only after finishing the deal did my suffocating feelings clear up, making me feel refreshed.

‘I told you, there’s no such thing as free in this world!’

Thanks to that, I felt a bit relieved from the worry of possibly being kicked out soon.

‘As expected, having a give-and-take makes me feel safe.’

But I still couldn’t let my guard down.

Because in this deal, there is a clear distinction between the employer and the employee.

A sort of contract worker position, perhaps?

No. Since I haven’t written the contract yet-.

‘A probationary position…?’

For a moment, a strong sense of alertness washed over me.

‘If I make a mistake, I might get fired.’

So I have to keep my wits about me.

My goal is survival, no matter what.

Even if just for that.

‘Let’s do my part well, get acknowledged by the Duke. And become a full-time employee!’

There were three things I had to keep in mind from now on.

First, to play the role of a daughter well.

Not just a daughter, but to be recognized as the Duke’s ‘biological child’.

Second, to work hard to interfere with the Duke’s marriage.

Third, to clearly know my place.

‘The Duke not wanting to marry is definitely for the sake of his nephews.’

Judging by the story of holding the position reasonably and passing the title to his nephews, it’s certain.

Because if the Duke marries and has a child, his nephews’ position as successors would become unstable.

So one of the things I have to do is-.

‘Quietly occupying the position as the Duke’s child, and then cleanly giving up the position of successor!’

It wasn’t a position I dared to covet in the first place, nor did I have any intention of coveting it.

‘Let’s not forget that this is strictly a contractual relationship.’

I am a hired daughter.

I must not be deceived by familiarity and delude myself into thinking I’ve really become the Duke’s real daughter.

‘Acting as an illegitimate child with the Duke’s blood.’

I must not forget that this is my job.

Mmm, let’s see.

‘Then is protecting his nephews the ultimate goal of the Duke taking me in?’

Gasp. I think that’s right!

There might be a reason about becoming a fool or whatever, but this goal seems more important.

Proud of my rather plausible deduction, I raised my head triumphantly.

I was currently in the Duke’s arms. Because we were planning to use his ability to travel to the ducal estate.

Perhaps feeling my gaze, his blue eyes turned to me.

I stared straight into those eyes and clenched my fists tightly.

“Mewony will weally do her best.”

“…Alright. I’ll cheer for you.”

“Yeah!”

Aja aja, fighting!

* * *

“Ugh.”

I pounded my chest with my fist to calm my churning stomach.

“Oh my. As expected, it must have been a bit too much for a little brat.”

No. This isn’t just at the level of ‘a bit too much’.

It’s at the level of feeling like I’m going to die.

‘I never imagined the price of using spatial teleportation with an ability would be this high.’

Laughably, having been burning with fighting spirit just a few minutes ago, I was now in a state like boiled spinach.

Aigoo, Melony is dying…

It was when I was wilting away.

“Welcome, Duke. But who is that child?”

The one who threw the question was a man I was seeing for the first time.

‘Is he the Duke of Panteyebe’s secretary or aide, or something like that?’

The man with a gaunt face, his dark circles reaching down to his chin, alternated looking between me and the Duke.

“…Please tell me she isn’t.”

“I don’t know what you mean, but you’re right, Hudson.”

“Lies!”

“Oh my, such a lack of trust. I’ve noted your disloyalty to me, so go call a doctor. Can’t you see the kid is dying?”

At the Duke’s words, Hudson’s sunken eyes turned to me.

‘Ugh. I need to smile.’

A smiling greeting is essential for a good first impression.

And since I don’t want to be a nuisance from the first day, I need to say I don’t need a doctor.

It’s not like it hurts to death.

It’s a problem that can be solved by just throwing up a bit or resting.

It was the moment I opened my mouth to say that.

“Wait-, Ugh.”

“I will call the doctor.”

Hudson bolted out of the room just like that, cutting off my unfinished greeting.

Tucked in the Duke’s arms, I stared blankly at the closed door.

A moment later.

“Here, if you take this, you’ll feel better soon.”

“Thank you-, Ugh.”

Yeah. Let’s take the medicine instead of wasting time thanking them.

The doctor, brought in by Hudson, quickly examined me and handed over some medicine.

I put the round medicine, which looked like a lump of mud, into my mouth and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing.

‘Ugh, it’s incredibly bitter.’

Still, I couldn’t waste expensive medicine, so I held it in and swallowed.

As I frowned at the lingering taste in my mouth, the Duke pulled something out of the drawer.

“Say ah-, Marshmallow.”

Say ah-, he says?

“Ahh, nom.”

Gasp. It’s delicious.

What entered my mouth was a candy the size of a fist.

While I was melting into the softly dissolving sweetness, the doctor approached the Duke.

“She has taken a good medicine for settling her stomach, so she will be fine soon.”

“Is that so? But why is the kid’s face still pale? Look at her face. She’s practically a lump of flour dough.”

“Haha, that’s just a temporary-“

“Did you just laugh?”

“It is merely a temporary symptom, so her complexion will return soon. I swear firmly on my hands.”

The doctor’s words were indeed true.

Not long after, my churning stomach settled at once.

‘How is it so effective?’

I had rarely ever taken medicine when sick, and even when I occasionally did, I had never properly seen its effects.

‘Was it because it was cheap medicine?’

It seems the medicine of the ducal estate is different in some way.

Or the doctor is excellent.

That excellent doctor was currently glancing at me. Hudson’s gaze, standing behind him, was also directed this way.

‘Ah, right.’

I need to introduce myself!

Now that my body was fine, the self-introduction I had put off came to mind.

I jumped up from the sofa I had been slumped on.

Then, after bowing my head toward the two, I stretched one arm straight out.

One finger, two, three, four.

Four.

Ready complete!

“Hello! I’m Mewony, four years owd, and the Duke’s daughter! I don’t know who my mom is!”

Phew, it was perfect.

I raised my chin proudly.