Chapter 5
Now that I’d strayed from the original story, how events would unfold—and how much my powers would grow—was a complete unknown.
‘…Anyway, marriage is the key. Right now, marrying Young Lord Bastion is the only solution.’
What if I awakened my powers even after all this?
Then there was no way the people around me would just let me be.
Just like in the original, not only the imperial family but possibly even other factions would covet my abilities.
To avoid being sold off like property, I had to secure the protection of a prestigious household—not someone like William the merchant, but someone with enough power that I wouldn’t be treated carelessly.
‘But just being adopted or sponsored won’t be enough. An adopted child can’t exactly refuse a royal marriage proposal, can they?’
Right, no matter how many times I thought about it, becoming a daughter-in-law was the best position to be in.
How could anyone dare touch a girl who’d already married into a noble family? Especially that demonic Duke Bastion’s family!
So, I had every reason to push for this marriage.
Besides, it wasn’t like I was doing this just for myself.
If I could save the soon-to-die Young Lord Bastion—and even uncover the truth—I might be able to keep future generations of the Bastion family alive as well.
‘The problem is, no one here knows that too much holy or magical power can be poisonous…’
I let out a deep sigh.
Taking the long route when there’s a shortcut was already making me feel tired.
But even a young child like Asha could guess what would happen.
If I suddenly claimed, “I’m going to die from an overdose of divine power,” I’d definitely be labeled a heretic.
‘They’d burn me at the stake, minimum. Probably get stoned to death too. Bye-bye, life.’
So until I built enough trust for someone to believe me even if I said the moon was made of red beans, my only option was to win over the Duke and his son.
‘Hmph. That much is nothing.’
With confidence in my eyes, I declared,
“Prepare yourself, Bastion.”
Hehehe.
And so, the first night in the Devil Duke’s mansion passed with a wicked smile.
Knock knock!
A short, crisp knock.
Bang!
The door flung open boldly.
Swoosh!
The curtains were thrown back cheerfully.
“Good morning, future father-in-law!”
A lively greeting!
Bathed in the morning sunlight pouring in through the windows, Duke Bastion frowned as he looked at me.
‘Whoa, even just-woken-up, he’s like a painting.’
He had a different charm from his usual sharp perfection. Disheveled but never shabby—how rare and impressive.
He truly looked like someone worthy of being my father-in-law. He ran a hand through his messy hair and muttered with a cracked voice,
“What is… going on?”
“Wake up! It’s already past nine!”
I shouted brightly and clapped my hands.
I’d heard that the Duke was notoriously hard to wake up in the morning.
Apparently, it was so difficult that it was better to jolt him awake all at once rather than coax him.
‘Like a nurse waking up a patient under anesthesia!’
Before he could mutter anything like “I want to be pirate king,” I rushed over and yanked his limp arm.
‘Ugh, he’s heavy…! He’s not budging at all!’
But if I gave up now, five minutes would turn into ten, and ten into an hour.
Grinding my teeth, I tugged with all my might, and finally, his upper body began to rise.
As I grinned in victory, he looked at me with sleepy eyes and asked,
“…What are you wearing?”
“Oh, the maid sisters tailored some spare clothes for me.”
I twirled proudly in front of the dumbfounded Duke.
My white headband, apron, and fluttering black maid outfit fit me perfectly.
Heh. Do you know how I’ve survived this long with nothing to my name?
‘Number one: cheerfulness. Number two: also cheerfulness.’
With that alone, I could get away with being late on rent and still be gifted different types of kimchi.
I was always praised for my sunny personality, melting the hearts of Korean aunties like snowmen under spring sunlight.
So naturally, winning over the mansion staff in one morning was a piece of cake.
‘And next up, of course, is you—Duke Bastion!’
I lifted the hem of my skirt and smiled brightly.
This was my killer smile, the one I’d practiced in front of the small mirror in the maids’ room since dawn.
“How do I look?”
Sure, all kids are cute, but objectively, Asha had a particularly pretty face.
Even that greedy William, who saw children as goods, considered her his most prized possession.
With fair skin, delicate features, silvery hair, and amber-like eyes that shimmered softly—
Other than being tiny and skinny, she had no visible flaws.
‘Well, except for this outrageously curly hair that kind of looks like a mop.’
On top of that, her hair was thin and fine but absurdly thick, so she looked like she’d survived a bomb every morning.
No matter how much I brushed it, it never seemed to smooth out.
Still, it wasn’t all bad.
‘It gives me an energetic and lively charm!’
The maid sisters couldn’t stop petting me and squealing about how cute I was.
Thanks to that, my self-esteem was soaring so high it could punch through the ceiling.
I looked up at the Duke with sparkling eyes.
Still caught between confusion and sleep, he frowned and said,
“…You look like a dog.”
“You mean a puppy!”
I almost bit him.
My foot stomped in indignation, but he chuckled.
Then, in an instant, his smile vanished, and an icy chill filled the room, sharp enough to freeze my heart.
As I flinched, he looked down at me with cold eyes and asked,
“By the way, who helped you scheme up this nonsense?”
Gulp.
That question wasn’t because he didn’t know. He already knew.
Denying it now would only provoke the sleeping lion.
Time to charge head-on.
Meeting his piercing gaze, I answered,
“P-please don’t punish Grandpa Hugo. I begged him.”
“Grandpa Hugo…?”
“And while we’re on the subject, Betty and Joan said they’d rather scrub toilets than wake you up. That’s how rough your mornings are! I heard they’ve broken five teacups because their hands were shaking! Super expensive imported ones, too! Grandpa Hugo said he was heartbroken about those teacups. So, I think today’s incident is slightly your fault too, Father-in-law Candidate!”
I blurted everything out in a single breath.
Duke Bastion mumbled like he couldn’t understand a word.
“When did you even… have time for introductions and such useless chatter? Wait, what time did you wake up?”
Wake-up time? I just got up like usual.
I folded a short thumb and replied,
“Around four.”
“…Four?”
“Yes. The maid sisters start preparing around then too.”
“Didn’t anyone teach you that kids need to sleep a lot to grow?”
“They taught me that lazy people get hit.”
He paused, then looked away silently.
Tch. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but I was hoping to get some sympathy. Did he see through me?
As expected of the impregnable monster Duke.
While I pouted, he sighed and slowly got out of bed.
Looked like the morning invasion incident would pass without issue.
‘Thank goodness. I was worried Grandpa Hugo and the maid sisters would get in trouble.’
Even though the head butler Hugo had readily agreed to my plan, I’d been nervous.
No matter how soft the Duke might seem to me, his reputation was terrifying.
Just the rumors that popped into my mind were intense.
They said a lady who flirted with him almost died of a heart attack… or that he broke an earl’s legs just for standing nearby…
‘Even if exaggerated, smoke doesn’t rise from an unlit chimney.’
Judging from how the maid sisters tried to stop me from waking him, it was clear:
The Duke really was the infamous devil.
Even if, right now, he looked like a sleepy mess barely able to stand.
‘…Low blood pressure?’
Even the devil can’t control his blood pressure, huh.
Clicking my tongue, I grabbed his arm with both hands.
I was just about to walk slowly in step with him when—
Whoosh! My view shot upward.
“Huh?”
Why am I suddenly flying?
I dangled from the Duke’s arm, staring at the distant floor below.
“W-what are you doing…?”
“Weren’t you clinging to be picked up?”
“I was trying to support you!”
“Oh. I see.” He set me down.
Like I was a speck of dust on his arm.
The moment my feet hit the ground, I let go awkwardly and stepped back, but he looked at me as if to say, Why are you letting go?
“Didn’t you say you’d help me walk?”
“You don’t seem to need it.”
“I do.”
Why, though?
Despite my confusion, he shook his arm expectantly, so I instinctively grabbed on again. I even smiled for good measure.
Hmm. Was it just me, or did his expression soften just a bit?
Still woozy, Duke Bastion walked slowly like a turtle, dragging me along.
Thanks to our huge height difference, I had no trouble keeping up.
As we left the bedroom for the antechamber, I marveled silently.
Even though I’d already walked through it once, the view was still jaw-dropping.
You couldn’t call this place just a room.
It was like a luxury house had been transplanted into the Duke’s quarters.
The massive antechamber had several doors, not just the one to the bedroom.
While I was wondering what they all led to, the Duke sat me on the sofa and disappeared through one of them.
A little while later, he returned—his hair and face wet, like he’d just washed up.
‘So that’s the bathroom.’
Then he popped into another door and came out in a different outfit.
‘Ah, that must be the dressing room. Second door from the right. Got it.’
As I nodded, the Duke in his casual shirt asked,
“Breakfast?”
“Oh! Sorry, I should’ve asked earlier. Would you like it in your room or in the dining hall? I heard you usually eat in the dining room. I’ll escort you!”
I answered cheerfully and hopped down from the sofa.
Finally, I could put my hard-earned knowledge to use!
I’d spent hours shadowing the maids to learn the layout of the mansion.
Just as I confidently stepped forward to lead the way—
“Not that.”
“Huh? Oh, so you do want to eat here? I’ll go tell them to bring it—”
“No.”
He shook his head and motioned toward me with a nod.
Oh… me? He’s asking if I ate?
I tilted my head and replied,
“The maid sisters gave me some cookies…”
“Snacks aren’t meals.”
True, but I wasn’t hungry. Asha’s body was used to eating very little.
She’d grown up in the temple since she could remember.
Whether she’d been taken there at birth like the Duke said, no one knew. But what was clear was that she’d survived on a miserably restricted diet for a long time.
So I didn’t have the stomach to eat a separate full meal on top of snacks.
“You haven’t had a proper meal then.”
“Um…”
While I hesitated, the Duke walked past me.
Huh? Where’s he going?
Afraid of being left behind, I scrambled to follow.
He walked through the hallway, down the stairs, and turned left in the grand hall.
Toward the dining room—the one I’d memorized earlier.
