Chapter 6
Even though I clung closely to Mother and acted cute, the ban on snacks wasn’t lifted.
Ha, this isn’t easy.
Mother said she had to leave soon because she and Father had a dinner engagement to attend as a couple. Holding the nanny’s hand, I left the duchess’s office, my steps heavy.
The nanny led me toward the dining room as I trudged along.
“Miela, you’re here. Lester went to Young Master Rombran’s birthday party.”
Lionel, my eldest brother, who had arrived earlier and was already in the dining room, greeted me with a smile.
“Lionel.”
Pouting my lips like a little bird’s beak, I stretched my arms toward him.
Lionel naturally picked me up and set me on the chair before asking,
“Did something happen?”
“Yeah.”
When I deliberately answered with an even gloomier face, Lionel looked at me with concern.
“Can you tell your brother about it?”
Our eyes met directly—me sitting in a tall child’s chair and Lionel, fourteen, lowering himself to my level.
Seeing the gentle eyes filled with worry—as if something serious might have happened—my suppressed adult consciousness poked its head out.
“Well, it’s not really a big deal…”
Seeing my slightly embarrassed expression, Lionel seemed to conclude that it wasn’t anything too serious.
His relief was obvious.
“Still. I’d like to hear it.”
But Lionel had always been interested in the little things in my daily life.
With his eyes curved into a smile, he gently urged me on.
If you’re born the youngest, you’re always treated like a child by your family no matter your mental age.
Besides, physically, I was six years old.
And also…
After justifying this childish behavior in my mind, I pouted and began,
“You know, Lionel. I went to the imperial palace today…”
Dragging out the end of my sentence as if I were deeply wronged, I started explaining—and before I knew it, I had told him everything in detail like a real child.
“An entire week?”
Even the part about being banned from snacks.
“Yeah.”
I looked up at Lionel with an extremely gloomy face.
“I can’t eat macarons, éclairs, or chocolate cookies. For a whole week.”
I let out a long sigh, and Lionel stifled a laugh.
Then, with lingering amusement in his tone, he responded,
“That’s unfortunate. Miela really loves desserts.”
“That’s right!”
I nodded so vigorously that my soft baby cheeks jiggled, making Lionel’s suppressed laughter grow louder.
Normally I would’ve complained about him laughing, but this time I pretended not to notice.
Because I had a grand plan.
“But Lionel, you don’t really like snacks that much, do you?”
I asked in a subtly suggestive tone.
“That’s true.”
Pretending not to notice his little sister’s intention of stealing his snacks, Lionel obediently nodded.
I looked at him with a desperate gaze.
Lionel paused for a moment as if considering something, then lowered his voice as though we were sharing a secret.
“If Miela helps your brother with something, I could share my snacks with you.”
In other words, he was using snacks as bait to spend time with me.
Hmm.
In my mind, a scale appeared: snacks versus freedom.
The weight tipped overwhelmingly to one side.
“Okay!”
Toward the snacks.
My eyes sparkled as I held out my pinky finger. Lionel hooked his finger around mine and whispered,
“But it’s a secret from Father, Mother, and Lester.”
That was something I was about to say myself.
“Okay, secret!”
* * *
Five days had passed since our mutually satisfying negotiation.
Today, just like before, I stopped by Lionel’s room during his tea time, chatted with him, and ate cookies packed with chocolate chips.
Then, like a child who knew the perfect timing to retreat, I left before Lionel’s afternoon lessons began.
Flour and sugar are the best.
Having eaten two cookies bigger than my own hands, I was in an excellent mood.
Happily walking down the hallway toward my room with a light rhythm in my steps, I suddenly ran into Lester, who had just finished his sword training and was heading back to his room.
“Oh, runt!”
Sweaty and still wearing a training uniform covered in dust, Lester greeted me cheerfully.
But the one receiving the greeting froze in shock.
Why is Lester here at this time?
Isn’t it still training time?
While I briefly considered running away, Lester quickly approached me.
“What are you doing here?”
“Uh… I came to see Lionel.”
“Oh, really?”
Lester’s expression instantly turned sour.
His still-boyish face twisted with mischief.
A bad feeling crept in.
Unlike Lionel, who usually let most mistakes slide with a smile, Lester was rather moody.
If he found out I had just eaten cookies in Lionel’s room, I would definitely get a long lecture.
My eyes darted around nervously when Lester stopped a couple of steps away and stared straight at my face.
“Wait a second.”
“Why?”
I forced myself not to look away and asked casually.
Lester narrowed his eyes.
“Why do you always have something on your mouth?”
Even without a mirror, I already knew what it was.
“Hmm… Loveliness?”
I tried to act cheeky, but it had no effect.
After staring more closely, Lester seemed to realize it was cookie crumbs, and his eyes narrowed further.
“I thought you were banned from snacks.”
I shouldn’t have tried to run. I should’ve just kept talking so Lester wouldn’t get a chance to speak…
Regret lasted only a moment.
I simply smiled brightly.
“Geez.”
Lester clicked his tongue in annoyance and wiped my mouth with his hand.
“Mmff.”
Having practiced swordsmanship since childhood, Lester’s hands were already rough with calluses.
But I quietly endured his rough touch.
“There. Much cleaner now.”
After carefully wiping my mouth, Lester spoke with satisfaction.
It feels like the dirt and sweat from Lester’s hands got transferred to me.
Between that and cookie crumbs, I would have preferred the crumbs—but now wasn’t the time to say it.
When Lester got sulky, he stayed that way for a long time.
“Lester is the best!”
Smiling brightly, I gave him a thumbs-up.
Lester puffed up proudly.
“Right? I’m the best. You like me more than Lionel, right?”
For a question that was incredibly childish for an eleven-year-old, I nodded enthusiastically.
When Lester’s expression relaxed into a wide grin, I asked,
“But your training ended early today.”
Since it seemed like he was letting things slide, I planned to distract him completely.
“Yeah. I have to go to the imperial palace later.”
“The imperial palace? Why?”
His unexpected answer surprised me.
Was something happening around this time?
At eleven, Lester was old enough to enter the imperial palace.
However, unless there was a special reason, it was rare for children to be brought there.
Even if that child was the second son of one of the empire’s three great ducal families.
As I quickly searched my memory, Lester answered in an annoyed tone.
“To meet the Crown Prince.”
Ah, that’s right.
Hearing Lester’s words reminded me of something.
During my first life, Lester had occasionally gone to the imperial palace as well.
The Crown Prince and Lester were the same age, and the adults had arranged for them to become playmates—partly to strengthen the friendship between the imperial family and the ducal house.
It seemed that those palace visits, full of adult intentions, began around this time.
You really have it tough, being the same age as the Crown Prince.
Even if Lester didn’t like it, his regular visits to the palace were actually an opportunity for me.
I should throw a tantrum about why only Lester gets to go to the palace.
Then I might get to go once or twice as well.
I grinned while imagining the nanny’s horrified reaction to my plan.
“Hey, runt. That smile looks suspicious.”
Lester eyed me suspiciously, his instincts apparently kicking in.
But my acting skills had already reached a certain level.
“You’re the suspicious one!”
Stamping my foot dramatically, I snapped back before subtly pushing Lester toward the bathroom.
“Lester, you smell like sweat!”
It was a devastating attack for an eleven-year-old boy.
Lester’s ears reddened slightly as he jumped away from me.
“I was already on my way to wash up!”
I watched Lester run toward the bathroom before continuing toward my room.
I should check if the annex palace has changed.
As I walked, I pondered where inside the carriage I could hide to reach the imperial palace without being discovered.
