Chapter 10

Having monopolized the youngest princess's favor, everyone is now fixated on me (10) Chapter (10/247)

"It's okay. Diana, are you hurt anywhere? You must have been very scared."

As Ria, whose face showed clear signs of exhaustion, gently stroked Diana's cheek, Diana rubbed her cheek against her hand like a kitten.

The people of the ducal family, who had been watching this, forgot the seriousness of the situation and all wore surprised expressions.

'To think the usually picky young lady would act so docile!'

Only Ria, who didn't understand the situation, tilted her head at their reactions and then met the duke's gaze, who was looking at her with a blank expression.

At that moment, the duke spoke in an unexpectedly gentle voice.

"Diana, come here now. We need to go home."

With those words, the duke picked up Diana, who was excitedly jumping, in one arm.

"I was going to scold you, but since you didn't cry and were so brave, I'll let it slide this time. But in return, you'll listen to me now, won't you?"

"Hmm."

Diana rolled her eyes and acted coy, then smiled sweetly.

Despite her greasy hair and dirty face, she looked adorable.

"You look like a crow, sister. No one will recognize you."

Even though he recognized his daughter at first glance, the duke playfully teased her, and the knights watching chimed in.

"That's true."

"If you go like this, even Lady and the young masters will be surprised."

The young Diana, not realizing they were teasing her, puffed out her cheeks.

Finding her adorable, the duke pinched her nose gently and laughed, and the knights' lips curved into smiles.

The fatigue from their frantic search for the young lady seemed to vanish.

Ria, who had been watching this scene blankly, met the duke's gaze again.

Her heart sank for no reason, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

Seeing the duke's indifferent gaze, which was different from the gentle one he had given Diana, made her feel as if her secret had been exposed.

Fortunately, the duke turned to Diana without saying anything else.

"If we go back like this, you'll be a laughingstock for life. I can't hear complaints later. We'll stop at an inn on the way back. Prepare the carriage."

It was time to really part with Diana.

Though she knew it, Ria felt a sudden sense of loss and lowered her gaze.

At that moment,

"Father, what about Onni?"

"…If you wish, she can come with us."

Hearing this, Ria's head snapped up, and she looked around in confusion.

The duke, who had been watching her with narrowed eyes, said,

"If you were looking for that child, don't worry. Once she regains consciousness, she will be sent to the same orphanage as the other children."

Ria realized her mistake.

"Will you come with us?"

"It's not me, Jack should come with us!"

"Hmm?"

"Jack was injured trying to save Diana."

"…."

Ria became anxious when the duke's expression didn't change.

In her previous life, when the duke saw Jack, who had been rescued with Diana from the attic, he immediately took him into the ducal family.

So she thought that if she told him Jack had risked his life to save Diana, he would take him in again.

At that moment, the duke spoke again.

"Fine. I'll talk to him when he wakes up. But don't you want to come with us?"

"I, I…."

Ria hesitated, and the surrounding adults looked at her with pity, thinking she was just a child who didn't understand the world.

But Ria knew.

Without a doubt, following the Duke of Ellard was a better choice than staying at the orphanage.

'With my status, I couldn't even enter an ordinary noble family. But if I can be employed by the Duke of Ellard…'

It was an opportunity far beyond what a mere orphan deserved.

But Ria still hesitated to agree readily.

She had only vaguely thought about going with the other orphanage children and had never considered the option of following the Duke of Ellard.

"Onni, are you not coming?"

At that moment, Diana looked at Ria with a face like an abandoned puppy.

The tension in the air rose as it seemed she was about to cry.

Ria, who had been clenching her lips, finally nodded.

'First, I'll calm Diana down and make sure Jack's position is restored.'

She thought she could worry about her own situation later.

* * *

While the Duke of Ellard was giving instructions about the orphanage, I waited with Diana in a corner of the orphanage yard.

After hastily eating the bread and soup the knights had given us, I felt drowsy.

Then a knight suddenly approached.

Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, young lady, for being safe. And I want to thank you, child, for taking good care of the young lady."

The man, with a heartfelt expression, bowed again.

"I will fully accept the punishment for failing to protect the young lady when I return."

Then he precisely split the gemstone decoration on his sword in half.

My eyes widened.

"Please accept this memento left by my father. Even if I lose my knighthood, I will dedicate my life to protecting the young lady…"

At that moment, the Duke of Ellard punched the back of the man's head.

"Stupid."

"Your Excellency…"

"You are the only one, Teyze, who would use your parents' memento as a symbol of your failure."

As I listened to the Duke of Ellard scold him, I was certain.

Teyze Sadian.

The knight who wore a gemstone decoration split in half on his sword.

In the future, he would become Jack's adoptive father and the deputy commander of the Lexion Knights.

Many knights who admired him had speculated about the decoration he wore, thinking it was split during a life-or-death battle, a gem that saved his life, or a token shared with a deceased lover. I never imagined it had such a mundane backstory.

Though a bit anticlimactic, I thought this information might be worth selling for a good price someday.

"The carriage is ready, let's go."

At the duke's words, Diana grabbed my hand as if she had been waiting.

She seemed worried that I might change my mind and not come with her.

Despite only spending a few days together, she clung to me more desperately than a long-lost family member, making me feel a bit embarrassed. Moreover,

"Am I riding in this carriage too?"

The carriage, which was clearly hastily arranged to come to this mountainous area, looked impressive.

I thought I would ride in the carriage with the doctors and mages at the back, as I couldn't ride a horse like the knights.

"Come on, Onni, ride with me!"

Diana, holding my hand, and…

"You can fit a small child like you easily, so get in."

With the duke's indifferent voice, I found myself climbing into the carriage.

The seats inside looked soft and very clean, and they seemed to emit a pleasant scent.

In contrast, I felt dirty and my clothes were dirty, so I wondered if it was appropriate to sit comfortably.

But I couldn't stand the whole journey, so I awkwardly sat down.

Soon, I felt the carriage start moving.

Looking out the window, I saw the orphanage getting farther away and noticed the children boarding other carriages in a line.

'In my previous life, I watched Jack board a carriage from among those children.'

Riding in this departing carriage gave me a strange feeling.

The realization that the future had changed and the thought that I could live a new life filled my mind.

Feeling both vague and fearful, I fidgeted with my fingers and then suddenly looked up.

Diana, who had been excited when the carriage started, was now asleep in the duke's arms.

Meeting the gaze of the Duke of Ellard, who was watching her, he asked,

"What is your name? How old are you?"

"R, Ria. I don't have a last name. I'm 8 years old…."

Being an orphan, it was natural not to have a last name.

I blamed myself for adding unnecessary words due to my nervousness and wondered if my face was turning red.

Before I could worry further, the duke spoke again.

"Did you know about Diana's identity? And who I am?"

"…!"

Surprised by the unexpected question, my eyes widened.

'He finds me strange. Is he suspicious?'

Despite his indifferent tone, his piercing gaze made my heart race.

* * *

The Duke of Ellard found Ria peculiar and suspicious.

The child in front of him was an ordinary, unremarkable child.

Dressed in tattered clothes like the other children at the orphanage, she was a dirty, pale-faced child.

If he hadn't seen her separated in the attic, and if she had been among the other children, he would have simply passed by.

But when the child, who had regained consciousness, clung to him with a terrified look, begging to be saved, he felt as if he had been struck on the back of the head.

He froze, like someone caught off guard by an unexpected ambush during a war, unsure of what to do.

Then, as if she knew someone would come to solve all her problems, the child presented the evidence he had hidden in advance.

Evidence that could thoroughly destroy the orphanage director.

It was not something a child from such a small orphanage could recognize, and even if she did, it was not an easy action to take.

Only then did the duke truly notice the child.

Under the loose clothes, her body was as thin as a stick, and her face, marked with bruises and scars, was pale enough to see the veins.

Her brown hair, cut unevenly, was stiff and rough at the ends, and her cheeks, unlike Diana's, were not plump or rosy.

Perhaps sensing that he was observing her, the child lowered her head and said,

"I could tell that Diana was someone important."

Seeing the child avoid his gaze, the duke felt inexplicably angry.

He also felt a sense of suffocation, as if something was tightly constricting his chest.