Chapter 6
“Wouldn’t it be better to stay a few more days? We haven’t even properly held a celebration for the adoption yet.”
“It’s not like she’s going somewhere we’ll never see again. Why make such a fuss? How about it? You can leave with me right away.”
As if convinced that talking with the priestesses would no longer lead to the outcome he wanted, Marquis Collin shifted his gaze toward me.
“Okay!”
“Rubie! Still… shouldn’t we at least consult the temple about something like this?”
“But I really want to leave as soon as possible.”
“If we keep delaying her here, I’ll be the one looking ridiculous. From my perspective, it almost feels like you’re making such a fuss because you’re worried I might take the child and harm her or something.”
Marquis Collin openly voiced his discomfort toward the priestesses. Only then did the priestesses force awkward smiles and nod.
“She’s simply a child we’ve grown very fond of. It can’t be helped. And since the child herself seems to want it as well, you may take her today.”
“Then I’ll be going now.”
After that, I immediately picked up my small bag and boarded the Collin Marquis family carriage.
Not long after, we finally arrived at the Collin estate. As soon as the carriage door opened, the Marquis got out first and proudly gestured toward his mansion. I, who had struggled to climb down with the coachman’s help because of my small body and short stature, quickly moved to stand beside him.
“This is… my home?”
“Yes. This will be the place you live from now on.”
“Wow…”
The Marquis’s estate was said to be as splendid as the imperial palace itself. And as rumored, the sight before me was exactly that. In fact, it resembled the imperial palace so closely that it was almost off-putting.
Even the layout of the mansion—and even the flowers—felt like they had been copied outright.
‘Anyone would think this is the imperial palace.’
I had never liked Marquis Collin to begin with, but my dislike deepened even further. Of all things to imitate, he chose the imperial palace. Having once lived inside that palace as the lost imperial princess—living there until the day I died as a ruby gem—I felt a wave of nausea rise in me.
But the Marquis, unaware of my feelings, smiled proudly.
“Impressive, isn’t it? It’s the second most beautiful place in the Empire after the imperial palace.”
“I’ve never been to the imperial palace, but I think this place is even more amazing! Wow.”
“Isn’t it?”
He nodded in satisfaction, a pleased smile on his face.
“Then, will I really get a big doll and the best room?”
“Yes. Everything has already been prepared.”
The Marquis, as if determined to appear kind, extended his hand to me. I took it and smiled brightly as I followed him.
At that moment, two children approached us.
With bright red hair and pale pink eyes, it was obvious at a glance they were the Marquis’s children.
“Children, you’ve been waiting. First, let me introduce you. This child will be living with us starting today. Her name is Rubie.”
“I’m Rubie!”
“Yes… Rubie. These are my son, Ruchel, and my daughter, Andasia.”
The Marquis’s children were not ordinary children.
Ruchel Collin, a foolish and hot-headed boy who would inevitably cause trouble and chaos wherever he went, and Andasia Collin, who would one day become the shining star of high society and bring about her own kind of storm across the Empire. The two, who not only resembled their father in appearance but had completely inherited his personality, were nothing less than troublesome pieces that would be of great use to me in the future.
The moment the Marquis finished the introduction, I immediately walked toward them. As twins, they clearly had pride that reached the skies. What annoyed me most in this situation was that I was shorter than them. We were supposedly the same age, but Andasia was still slightly taller than me.
Still, this wasn’t enough to make me shrink back. I smiled at them confidently.
“Hello.”
“Pfft. ‘Hello’? Does she think she’s in any position to talk to us?”
“How old are you two?”
“Who do you think you are, speaking informally like that out of nowhere when you don’t even know your place?”
Ruchel tried to establish dominance from the very beginning, curling his lip in open hostility, but I completely ignored him.
“We’re going to be living as siblings from now on, right? Then we should get things straight first. I’m eight years old.”
The two who absolutely could not tolerate being ignored. And so, without even waiting a few seconds after speaking, I turned my gaze toward Marquis Collin.
“Marquis. Are your children idiots who can’t even say their own ages? That’s something even three-year-olds manage. Are you saying they’re not even three?”
I had decided to ignore them first. For that day. For the day of their eventual tantrums.
“Ah, no. They’re just shy, that’s all.”
Marquis Collin tried his best to present his children in a good light. However, the children themselves didn’t care about his efforts and continued looking down on me.
Well, this reaction was entirely expected. In fact, I rather liked it. So I smiled brightly.
“Oh! Maybe I’m just too special, so it’s overwhelming for you? Don’t worry. You might not understand since you don’t have any special abilities, but for me, it’s as natural as breathing. So don’t feel pressured by it.”
At my shameless words, Ruchel and Andasia’s faces turned red. Though they were twins, they didn’t actually resemble each other that much, but in that moment their expressions were identical—twisted in annoyance as they glared at me. Truly twins, after all.
‘Kids really are predictable. They must’ve already talked about it before I arrived. Decided to completely ignore me.’
As expected, they ignored my words and didn’t even look at me. Knowing their personalities made everything too easy to predict. So I pressed them even further by deliberately ignoring them in return. As expected, they couldn’t hold it in much longer.
“What do you mean special? You were just bought from the temple by our father.”
“Do you even understand your own situation?”
Yes, this was exactly what I needed. For a moment I thought I might have come to the wrong house because they were being too well-behaved.
“Nope. I was the one who chose the Marquis. The Marquis almost didn’t get chosen by me, you know?”
“Pfft. So what? You were still bought after paying money. And you’re talking about being siblings?”
“Ohhh. I get it now! You two keep talking weirdly because you’re younger than me, right? You don’t want to call me big sister? I understand. Kids at the orphanage act like that too. But you should still use proper titles if we’re going to live under the same roof.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! We’re eight too! We’re twins, so we’re the same age! Where did this tiny thing come from?!”
“Really? Are you sure you’re eight? Then what month were you born in?”
The greatest debate among children of this age: who is older when they’re the same age. Normally, a parent would step in to stop it here—but Marquis Collin simply watched silently.
A child brought from the temple. A very special child. Even if he didn’t treat her as his real daughter, he would initially treat her well, just as he had with Rubleon.
Realizing that arguing with me only led them further into my trap, the twins both turned their eyes toward me.
“Father! She keeps saying strange things.”
“Marquis! Am I the one saying strange things?”
At Ruchel’s words, Marquis Collin gently stroked my head with a benevolent smile.
“She isn’t saying anything strange, Ruchel. Rubie is just trying to get along with you. You should respond kindly.”
“Why should we be kind to someone like her?!”
“You’re being foolish. She’s family. You should treat family well. So tell me, what month were you born in?”
Still fuming, Ruchel turned his gaze toward Andasia.
“Ruchel. There’s no reason we have to answer her.”
“And Father told us to get along with her, but I have no intention of getting along with someone like her—a worm who doesn’t even know her own parents.”
“Andasia! That’s too harsh. Rubie, please understand.”
“Father!”
“Father!”
Trying even harder to appear composed, Andasia straightened her posture and insisted on calling him “Father” despite her age.
“Both of you stop. It’s not good to see family arguing like this on the first day.”
“It’s fine, Marquis. They’re just jealous of me. Ruchel and Andasia only have their noble background—they have nothing else. But I have power. Please don’t be too hard on them. They’re just at that age.”
“What?!”
“And in the end, the reason you can’t say your birth month is because you were born around December, right?”
“No way! We were born in November!”
At last, Ruchel blurted out the truth in frustration.
“Ruchel!”
“Ah…”
Andasia hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
“November, huh. So you really are just little kids. I was born in March.”
