Chapter 13
“Repeat after me. ‘Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve never worn such beautiful clothes before. For someone of my status to dare wear such attire, I am truly grateful.’”
“Uh-huh! Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve never worn such beautiful clothes before. For someone of my status to dare wear such attire, I am truly grateful! Like this?”
“Yes.”
Ah-hah.
Lorr nodded her head up and down enthusiastically.
So when showing etiquette, I should call Daddy “Your Highness” and speak formally!
Well, she had also said to the fruit store lady, “Ma’am, thank you for giving me such delicious fruit~!”
Thinking like that, since Daddy is a duke, I should say, “Thank you, Your Highness!” Got it!
“Ugh… but etiquette is so hard…”
“All done. Now, take a look in the mirror.”
Amy, looking slightly proud, led Lorr to the full-length mirror.
Lorr gasped when she saw her reflection.
Wow…! I look like a princess in a fairy tale.
The hem of her pink dress, shimmering with gold, fluttered like fairy wings whenever she moved.
The large ribbon at the center of her waist was so cute.
And the transparent gem embedded in the ribbon sparkled, making Lorr’s eyes shine just as brightly!
This really is the kind of dress a fairy-tale princess would wear!
Lorr couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mirror. Seeing this, Amy chuckled quietly.
“She looks quite presentable like this. You too.”
The once shabby little girl had transformed so completely.
Truly, clothes are wings—that’s our boutique’s clothing.
Amy said this proudly, tilting her chin up.
Hearing this, Lorr laughed and clapped her hands.
“You look good too, unnie!”
“W-What?”
Amy’s cheeks turned red.
Only high-ranking nobles could come to Madam’s boutique, so even the staff wore refined, elegant clothing.
Seeing the tiny gems on Amy’s sleeves and skirt, Lorr mimicked the praise, though it wasn’t exactly a compliment.
Dodo-do!
Startled, Amy watched as Lorr flung open the dressing room door and ran off.
Lorr remembered the way she had come.
After dressing her so beautifully, seeing Lorr dash away like a mischievous child made Amy frown.
But she couldn’t disrupt the presence of esteemed guests, so she hurried to follow.
Lorr went straight to Alcade, who was waiting on the sofa, and jumped right into his arms.
Dressed in her pink dress, looking well-groomed, Lorr was so adorable that Alcade was momentarily speechless, staring wide-eyed.
“Tha… no, wait!”
Suddenly remembering something, Lorr wriggled free and stepped back, bowing politely as Elaine had taught her.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve never worn such beautiful clothes before. For someone of my status to dare wear such attire, I am truly grateful!”
Using the greeting Amy had taught her…
In that instant, Alcade’s face turned icy. Giselle, clapping nearby, looked equally shocked.
‘What is going on…?’
Giselle felt as if a bolt from the blue had struck her and replayed Lorr’s words in her mind.
No way… why would the young lady say that?
But no matter how much she thought about it, she had heard correctly.
Hearing the duke’s cold, almost frozen voice, full of anger…
“…What?”
Alcade frowned at the words that slipped from Lorr’s mouth.
While she was trying on clothes, the way the child addressed him had changed.
What had happened in such a short time?
This was the same child who had always called him “Daddy” in front of many watchful eyes.
It had always warmed his heart every time she did.
He had felt grateful to be called Daddy by a child who he hadn’t done anything for.
“Your Highness?”
Alcade furrowed his brows. The sudden change in address brought a sense of distance—and then irritation. But what irritated him the most…
…was the line, “For someone of my status to dare wear such attire, I am truly grateful.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Suppressing his anger, Alcade tried to use the gentlest tone he could muster, hoping the child wouldn’t be scared.
He got off the sofa, knelt on one knee before her, and gently wrapped his hands around her shoulders.
Meeting her eyes naturally, he nodded reassuringly at the hesitant Lorr.
“No!”
“What’s happening…!”
“The duke is kneeling…!”
Madam and the boutique staff, who were unsettled, quickly covered their mouths at Giselle’s sharp glare.
But the duke kneeling? The very same duke who only kneels before the emperor…!
The boutique staff, well-versed in etiquette for nobles, knew not to speak out.
Yet Madam couldn’t stay silent, glaring at her uneasy employees.
But Alcade didn’t care. He only wanted Lorr not to fear him.
“But… unnie said I had to call him Your Highness! Since he let me wear pretty clothes, I had to greet him that way!”
“Unnie?”
“Uh-huh!”
“Can you tell me which unnie that is?”
“Uh-huh? This one!”
Lorr’s tiny finger pointed at Amy. Amy gasped and went pale as the boutique air seemed to freeze.
Alcade followed Lorr’s pointing finger. When Amy met his piercing gaze, she turned even paler and trembled.
“You taught her to say that?”
Alcade’s voice was flat, emotionless, making it all the more terrifying.
The staff shivered.
But Lorr, oblivious to the tension, nodded cheerfully.
“Uh-huh! She said I have to use proper etiquette! I have to politely say Your Highness.”
Alcade clenched his teeth, suppressing the rising anger, and met the child’s eyes.
Lorr tilted her head, puzzled by the deep, dark emotions in his gaze.
‘Hmm… I wonder what Daddy said to unnie!’
After pondering, Lorr added cheerfully,
“And I have to know my place. I know my place in the park! With the fountains shooting up!”
The fairy-tale book her mother had read to her had a beautiful park with a magnificent fountain.
‘Now unnie knows I know about the fountains, right?’
Lorr’s words, meant to correct Amy’s misunderstanding, echoed through the boutique.
Alcade smiled slightly, biting the inside of his lip.
He laughed at Lorr’s innocence, but his heart ached at the same time.
The fact that such an innocent child believed in such absurd teachings as “correct” was infuriating.
Alcade stood and gently lifted Lorr into his arms.
“Whee~! So high!”
Lorr laughed, leaning against Alcade, feeling the warmth spread through her.
“My dear.”
“Uh-huh!”
“You don’t need to hear that. No one in this empire is allowed to look down on you. No one.”
Not even his noble brother or the young crown prince.
He would protect this precious child, no matter what.
Alcade slowly raised his hand and patted Lorr’s head. Lorr still didn’t fully understand what was happening.
But she couldn’t help smiling at the gentle touch.
Hehe. Daddy’s hands are so big!
Lorr grabbed Alcade’s hand and pressed it against her face.
Her soft cheeks sank into his firm palm.
She liked the warmth radiating from their contact.
‘Rough, but so warm!’
Lorr laughed brightly and rubbed her cheeks against Alcade’s hand.
“I like this! Do it more!”
