Chapter 28
“Good grief, look at your hair. Why is it so messy?”
“Don’t even get me started! He was dancing around like crazy even though he’s not my husband!”
“Oh my, hohoho! At this rate, you’ll crack another egg!”
‘Ugh, what now? So noisy.’
As soon as I opened my eyes, I looked around for the source—it was outside the open window. But absurdly, there were only two small birds there.
‘…Oh my. That was just the sound of birds chirping?’
Was this some advanced druid ability…? No, a curse! From now on, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy peaceful bird songs anymore!
Pressing my forehead and letting out a deep sigh, I got up and looked around my room. Cream-colored, stylish furniture, brightly colored wallpaper, piles of dolls, and even a wooden tea set for pretend play. While I didn’t know about the outside, my room was fairly well-decorated for a five-year-old’s space.
‘Oh, so this is a mansion in the capital, huh?’ I thought just as the door opened.
“Oh? Lady! You’re awake? My lady!”
“Oh, you have no idea how worried we were! A kidnapping?!”
It was Linda and Rosy. They fussed over me, asking, “Does it hurt anywhere? Are you hungry?” Hearing their concerned voices made it hit me that I had actually escaped from the prison, and I felt a pang at my nose.
‘Ugh, don’t act all friendly. And now you’re trying to make me cry too.’
I deliberately pushed them away before feeling attached, speaking with a teasing tone.
“Stop the tears! I’m fine, really. By the way, what about Dad?”
“The Duke went to the palace early!”
I blinked at this sudden news.
“Why? I thought the audience would be in a week?”
“Seems like he has to settle something before that. We don’t know the details, though.”
“That’s right, we really don’t know.”
Suddenly, they avoided my gaze. Just as I narrowed my eyes to press further, something popped up from the open window.
“It must be about how to deal with that woman.”
“Could it be Lady Diana? What happened, what happened?”
I asked Juno since the maids wouldn’t tell me. He explained that the Duke had found out my parents were threatened by her, and that she had orchestrated my kidnapping. Because it involved the royal family, he had boldly confronted the emperor.
Even the head maid didn’t provide details about my parents, so perhaps the last time I saw them was truly the end. It was a bitter thought, but not sad—it was their choice.
Strangely, I found myself more worried about the Duke at the palace. If the emperor cherished his younger sibling, the Duke, being in a weaker position, could be facing unimaginable humiliation.
‘All because of me…’
I knew Lady Diana was at fault, but I felt bad for causing trouble. Suddenly, the large eyes of the magical beast showed the whites in fear. A familiar expression—probably one I had seen when frightened.
“Back! Back! Be careful!”
“Huh? What is it?”
In an instant, I found myself staring at the unfamiliar ceiling from that morning. The drawings on the ceiling kept moving closer and farther from my eyes. That’s right—I was being juggled by someone!
“Eek—kyaaah!”
“Lady! What do we do? Who are you? Guards! Guards! Hurry, you can’t let her go!”
“Stop this! I said stop! Please! Oh no, she’s grabbing the lady!”
Amidst the chaos, I tried to see the face of the person above me, but it was a woman I had never seen. While I couldn’t answer, below, Juno bit her ankle and shook her head.
“Grraaar!”
She didn’t seem hurt and spoke calmly.
“Oh. This little beast is the so-called magical beast?”
‘What? Her teeth aren’t sinking in? She’s not human!’
“Hmm, I see. Judging by everyone stopping, she might still be too young and scared.”
Thankfully, the terrifying juggling ended, and I landed below, seething.
“Who the hell are you?!”
I wanted to scold her for threatening my life, but she introduced herself, leaving me speechless.
“I’m Jeanne. I’m Arzanne, your parents’ closest friend. Nice to meet you.”
I couldn’t possibly not know her. She was the leader of a unique mercenary guild that had traveled the entire continent with the Duke. Despite her muscular body, she had a calm and gentle smile.
‘Am I really getting off a carriage right now?’
I was sitting on her forearm. But what was this smooth, stable ride?
“Wow! I could even sleep here!”
Juno, resting on her trapezius, shared the same impression. I secretly touched her incredible muscles. Her furious, beastly strength seemed capable of tearing even a demonic beast apart, yet there wasn’t a single soft spot—it was rock solid.
‘The Duke trusted someone like this to guard me?’
As I kept poking at her, she asked,
“Where would our lady like to go?”
“Uh, oh! Uh… I don’t mind staying home…”
In fact, we were at the Imperial shopping district. A beautiful, vibrant street, but I had no motivation. The Duke was negotiating with the emperor because of me, so why would I be excited to shop?
Linda and Rosy, however, had other plans.
“The boutique! We made a reservation!”
“It’s in that alley!”
Oh? You girls actually have plans. The maids followed eagerly, not needing my opinion, stamping their feet like children. She smiled warmly.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Oh my, the bodyguard is so bold!”
“Kyaa! Y-Yes! Sister, I mean, bodyguard!”
Linda and Rosy clung to her like little goldfish, fawning.
‘Tch. So that was why you kept insisting we go. The whole “don’t treat me casually” act was a lie!’
I felt betrayed but also couldn’t entirely blame them for their adoration. Sun-kissed skin, muscular, healthy, tall, with neatly tied dark brown hair. Scars didn’t intimidate; her straightforwardness drew attention.
Safely under her protection, we arrived at a high-end boutique.
Ding!
“Welcome, Lady of the Everhart Ducal family.”
As the doorbell rang, the designer and assistants greeted us. Linda and Rosy gasped in awe.
“Oh my! Look at these jewels! I feel like all my dreams came true! Thank you, Lady!”
“And the lace is exquisite! Thank you, Lady! You’re the best!”
I felt awkward since I only treated them as tools, but seeing their pure, rural-girl-like joy, I felt safe letting my guard down.
“Finally, a chance to roam around with the notorious young lady!”
“Me too! Now I can experience the intrigues of high society! Lady, what will you do next? I’m so excited!”
Yes. My best assets—Linda and Rosy. The distance between us was just right.
‘Also, I’ve never been in such an expensive boutique. In my previous life, Karim bought all my clothes.’
As a noble lady, I’d only come to the capital twice, both for mandatory palace events, and I didn’t even attend due to claiming illness. The boutique itself was completely new to me.
Rustle!
Amidst the maids’ commotion, trolleys appeared like chariots. Dozens of dresses, categorized by season and material, accessories matched, fabrics for allergies, metals, and more—works impossible to choose alone. Likely, it was because I was the main guest of the ball.
“Thank you for choosing our boutique for the royal ball, Lady.”
The owner stepped forward, introducing her work elegantly.
“This dress caused a huge trend last spring, and we’ve developed it for the season…”
“This dress uses a new lightweight material from foreign fabric…”
“For accessories, pink diamonds suit silver hair, and shoes are…”
I could tell each piece was carefully made, but her explanations were long and boring. Juno’s impatient yawn pierced my ears.
“Haaah…”
Just as I began yawning too, Juno whispered seriously,
“Hey, 22nd descendant, don’t you feel like someone’s watching?”
The master, Jeanne, had also gotten up.
“Airi, I’ll be back soon. Can you wait?”
I didn’t know why, but Jeanne was already scanning outside the boutique. Then, suddenly, a magic circle started spinning beneath the sofa where Juno and I sat!
“Oh my, what’s happening in the boutique…? Lady? At your feet! What do we do?!”
“Kyaa! Lady! Hurry! Move this way!”
The wind from the magic made the dresses fly, preventing them from getting close. Soon, the scenery and voices disappeared. When the wind stopped, Juno and I were alone in a boundless space.
“What the… is this…?”
Before I could speak, Juno was already shouting, baring his teeth.
“What is this?! A pocket dimension? Which insane mage did this?!”
“A pocket dimension? Here? Why are we…?”
At that moment, a shadow appeared in the strange space.
“How dare you show up in my street and try to trick me?”
“…You are…”
‘What? Some foreign kid?’
Of course, Juno didn’t know him.
The exotic kid appearing above the shadow was the thief of darkness… no, the foolish seven-year-old Karim.
