The Duke’s voice had become frightening, but it was really impossible to eat more.

Even now, it’s hard for me to breathe and I’m panting.

‘What should I do…’

It was when I was unable to do anything.

“Your Grace.”

The maid sister, who had been guarding the seat as if she didn’t exist, stepped forward and kneeled down.

“May I speak?”

She had a determined face.

It was a familiar atmosphere from somewhere.

It was like when a loyal subject in a historical drama speaks out against a tyrant with patriotism in his heart.

What is she trying to say?

“The youngest miss’s stomach is small. It’s different from the young masters. If she eats more than this, she will have indigestion.”

Huh?

The words she spat out, as if she were prepared to die, sounded strange.

The Duke of Phaeraton looked down at the maid sister without saying a word.

His face was so cold that I couldn’t read anything from it.

Finally, his perfectly shaped lips moved slowly.

“And you?”

“I’m Anna.”

So it was Anna.

She was someone I saw every day, but I only found out her name now.

I thought about asking her name several times, but I gave up before even speaking because of her attitude that seemed like an impenetrable wall.

I was used to giving up because I was so neglected in the Marquis of Tarenka ‘s house.

Anna trembled as she spoke, but the Duke just turned his head coldly.

“You will be in charge of this child from now on.”

That’s all he said.

Anna looked up at the Duke, then bowed deeply.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As I watched her bowing hesitantly, a thought crossed my mind.

If he’s assigning a personal maid to me, then maybe…

“Can I stay here?”

“Useless words.”

A cold response came back.

But I understand that he has no intention of driving me away.

‘Well, even from the Duke’s perspective, it would be a bit much to kick out his legally recognized daughter on paper.’

I was left at a relative’s house.

That much is possible.

But bringing a child who was abused at that relative’s house and then kicking her out again is a completely different problem.

‘Because he’s a nobleman, things like honor are important.’

Even if he thinks poorly of me, he won’t send me somewhere else.

Mmhm. Good.

My safety is secured.

“I should have thought about it sooner. Was I too scared all this time?”

Since I was born here, I’ve been denying my existence for almost my entire life.

There was nothing I could do.

“You can’t you eat anymore?”

The Duke asked with sharp eyes.

I was afraid he would tell me to eat more, so I quickly nodded my head and said, “Yes.”

“Okay.”

And there was a moment of silence.

Um.

I tried to act as nonchalant as possible in the awkwardness and looked around with my eyes.

The Duke continued to stare at me without taking his eyes off me.

It was very uncomfortable to receive that gaze while not doing anything now, as opposed to when I was eating earlier.

I nervously clasped my hands together for no reason.

‘It’s like the gaze of someone thinking about how to deal with this rat.’

Someone save me.

“Your Grace.”

Did he hear that plea?

The Duke’s subordinate opened the door and came in with a knock.

Thanks to that, I was able to escape the Duke’s piercing gaze.

Oh, I really thought my cheeks were going to have holes in them.

“I’m sorry. We received a message from the palace because you had to return home urgently today….”

The Duke, who had been glaring at the subordinate with a face like a thunderbolt, stood up with a light sigh.

I wondered why he came home early for once, but it seemed like it was because of an unexpected event.

Before leaving the dining hall, the Duke turned to me.

“Don’t do anything unnecessary and just stay still.”

Hmph, how dare he call my noble work unnecessary.

But I only thought that to myself and nodded like a good child, “Yes.”

Why bother arguing with the landlord when I’m just a tenant?

‘Life is hard.’

I held onto my full belly and shuffled along with a limp.

There’s no need to try hard for someone who doesn’t think of me as his daughter. I had realized that in my past life.

‘If I continue to live here, I won’t have to worry about anything.’

When it’s time to eat, food comes out and when it’s time to bathe, warm water comes out. What could be difficult?

Even compared to life at the Tarenka Marquisate, it was great.

“Um, Youngest Miss.”

Anna, who I thought would leave the room immediately, hesitated and then spoke to me as if she had made up her mind.

“Do you understand now? His Grace has no intention of driving you away.”

“Yes.”

I realized that being kicked out of here could be a problem for the reputation of the Duke of Phaeraton.

“You don’t have to do any menial work like cleaning or washing here.”

“Yes.”

“You’re still very young, and you’re His Grace’s only daughter.”

Huh?

“So just relax and think happy thoughts.”

Relax?

I thought I hadn’t shown any signs of being anxious, but apparently Anna thought I looked very uneasy.

When I didn’t say anything, the other maids also cautiously spoke up.

“When you’re in pain, please tell us. Don’t suffer alone. Your calf must have been difficult to treat too…”

Huh?

I looked at the maids with a little surprise.

Weren’t these people annoyed with me?

I thought they only took care of me because it was their job and had no interest in me.

Until now, they had quietly appeared, done their work, and disappeared.

Even when I tried to talk to them, they answered briefly and I ended up keeping my mouth shut.

But…

“Did you worry about me?”

“Of course!”

Anna, who had been shouting loudly with a teary face, suddenly blushed.

“Ahem, you’re saying the obvious.”

“I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Why would you have such a misunderstanding…”

“You don’t talk to me and when I talk to you, you seem like you don’t want to answer.”

“How dare we…”

The maids looked at me with cloudy faces and asked quietly.

“Do you want to talk to us, youngest miss?”

“Yes.”

As I nodded while looking up, a faint smile appeared on the maids’ faces.

“You’re different from other noble children.”

“Yes. I’m just like an ordinary child.”

Haha, Anna was amused by my words and said, “Nancy…!” in a small voice.

Nancy. So Anna and Nancy.

As I pondered the name, Nancy’s face became contemplative.

“I’m sorry, miss. I misspoke…”

Well, I was reborn, so I’m not an ordinary child.

But was it necessary to apologize like this?

“It’s okay. I like being ordinary.”

It was true.

I always wanted to be ordinary.

An ordinary child. An ordinary student. An ordinary office worker.

I wanted to live like that.

“You’re also kind…”

Nancy looked at me with a touched expression, and I laughed, haha.

It was awkward to see someone who had been acting as if they had no emotions be moved so easily.

But I didn’t hate it.

It was as if the maids, who had looked like still lifes, had come to life.

It was the first time since I came here that I felt such liveliness from a person.

Without realizing it, I smiled.

* * *

After the maids left, I quietly walked across the room and stood in front of the mirror.

‘An only daughter.’

The words I heard earlier echoed in my chest.

‘…family.’

Family.

Can I call it family just because we live in the same house?

I don’t know. I’ve never had a family before.

But…

“Your foolish mother gave birth to a child outside and it’s obvious.”

“That’s why the Duke of Phaeraton abandoned you. You’re not even a mage, are you?”

“Be grateful to me for saving the family’s honor.”

A mother I’ve never seen before.

I tried to convince myself that my mother wasn’t that kind of person, but I grew up hearing those words my whole life.

‘Yes, if Anna is right and I’m the Duke of Phaeraton’s ‘real daughter,’ then there’s no need to worry.’

After all, they won’t reject me.

But what if I’m not of the Duke’s bloodline?

If I’m a bastard born from my mother’s affair, won’t I be kicked out as soon as it’s revealed?

No matter how you look at it, having a child out of wedlock would damage the family’s reputation.

I bit my lip and looked at myself in the mirror.

The Duke of Phaeraton and I didn’t share any similarities.

The Duke’s face was sharp like a polished sword.

My face was undeniably soft and round.

The Duke’s eyes were a bright red like blood.

My eyes are like a dazzling shade of turquoise.

‘And my hair is…’

Unlike the Duke’s jet-black hair, my hair was a very delicate shade of pink like flower petals in the spring.

‘I don’t look like him at all.’

And I don’t have any magic either.

I don’t know much about it, but there must be a reason why the Marquis treated me like a bastard and talked about magic.

‘The Duke of Phaeraton must have magic running in his bloodline.’

I was even told that I was given abilities, but the Duke’s family doesn’t even have any magic.

The puzzle pieces are coming together, and it seems like I’m not the Duke’s biological daughter.

‘If I really am a child born out of wedlock because of my mother’s affair…’

Will it end with me being kicked out, or will they betray me and kill me out of disgust?

My romance fantasy radar is telling me that the Duke of Phaeraton has the attributes of a tyrant/black curtain/villain.¹black curtain or ?? is used to describe a person who is seen as mysterious, secretive, or potentially dangerous; it can also refer to an antagonist or a character with hidden motives

‘Well, I’ll have to work hard from my side to survive.’

Act like a real daughter.

At least so I won’t be killed because of affection.

I know exactly what to do in situations like this.

‘After all, I’ve read thousands of romance fantasy novels!’

In the mirror, I smirked with a mischievous grin.

* * *

I took a deep breath while clutching my potato-sized fists²Korean potatoes are generally smaller in size compared to potatoes from other regions tightly, staring at the massive door in front of me.

Huff, huff.

Alright, I can do this!

I promised myself with shining eyes, but the pressure was so intense that my courage quickly dissipated as I stared at the intimidating door.

It’s supposed to be the Duke’s office, but even the door is this imposing.

‘Enough with the excuses.’

I know it.

The reason why I’ve been pacing back and forth in front of the door for several minutes now.

Approaching someone who might reject me and who might hate me takes a lot of courage.

“What kind of rat is this little brat?”

The words the Duke said when he first saw me kept coming to mind.

Ah, it’s not easy to act normal and be friendly in this kind of situation.

The romance fantasy heroines are really brave!

I finally realized how amazing those heroines who survived under countless tyrant fathers are.

‘Hoooooh. Alright, let’s just take three steps and go in.’

I took a deep breath and finally went inside.

I put my hand on my pounding chest and counted to four.

The thick door opened silently.

Startled, I took a step back without realizing it. Through the open door, my father’s aide spoke.

“Youngest Miss, the Duke requests your presence.”

How did he know I was standing in front of the door?

The aide opened the door wide, gesturing for me to come in. I swallowed hard and stepped into the study.

It was larger than I had imagined, and there were more people inside than I had expected.

But all those people were just background noise to me. My eyes were fixed solely on the Duke of Phaeraton, who had just entered the room.

An overpowering presence.

He sat on the sofa with a relaxed posture, more like a lazy beast than a human.

Dangerous and cruel.

The Duke’s red eyes stared coldly at me.

I smiled broadly, trying to calm my heart that felt like it was shrinking.

“Daddy!”

Step, step, step. I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his leg.

“I missed you.”

I laughed and looked up at the Duke.

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face. So smile, just smile.

I tried to withstand the Duke’s piercing gaze, but then I heard a choking sound from somewhere.

I turned my head and saw an old man clutching his collar as if he were about to faint.

Why is he scared? I’m the one who should be scared, not him.

But it wasn’t just him. Everyone in the study had frozen faces like they were about to shatter if touched.

It was like they had all seen a ticking time bomb.

‘Is this not right?’

‘Usually, people would look at me fondly and say how cute I am, or ask if I missed my dad, showering me with compliments. Isn’t that something you should do?’

I had acted mischievous before and had received love before, so I knew that much.

Even in my past life, as an orphan, it was awkward for me to act mischievous around adults.

The Duke picked me up without kicking me off, which made me feel relieved.

“Did you miss me?”

The Duke asked slowly, with a threatening tone and a dark red glare.

I nodded my head, trying to calm my trembling body.

My mischievous words were stuck in my throat, and my mouth became as silent as a mute person who had eaten honey.

“……You seemed uncomfortable.”

I’m still very uncomfortable now.

‘No, besides that, did he know that I was uncomfortable?!’

Did he look at me with a terrifying gaze while I was eating?

Did he intentionally stare at me to make me uncomfortable?

“No, I’m not uncomfortable.”

Despite my inner turmoil, I nodded my head like a puppy.

“It’s just because it’s unfamiliar.”

The Duke raised one eyebrow.

“Because I haven’t seen Daddy for a while.”

“……”

“So, do you want to be together now?”

I reached out both hands towards his face, which had moved away slightly.

“They said you have to stick closely together not to feel unfamiliar!”

Yes, that’s right. I have to get used to it.

There has to be some affection so that even if I know I’m not his real daughter, he won’t kill me.

Amam.³Korean onomatopoeia that describes the darkness or the state of being in the dark; often used to describe a situation where there is very little or no light, making it difficult to see or navigate

“……”

The Duke said nothing.

Did his arm start to ache? His hand holding onto my body shook.

As a result, I also flinched and my hands, which were reaching out towards the Duke’s face, were trembling.

“Huhk……!”

I poked the Duke’s cheek.

A suffocating sound was heard from all around.

It sounds like a choir.

Can’t those old men make any expression other than the one that looks like they’re about to die?

I took a deep breath as I looked at the old men beyond the sofa.

Stay calm.

I wouldn’t have done anything ‘pretty’ on the Duke’s cheek.

The sensation of my palm was too soft to be skin. It must have touched the Duke’s clothes. He’s wearing silk, Your Grace.

It’s warm like a person’s body temperature, but it’s not clothes.

No, it couldn’t be. Please…

I lowered my gaze for a moment.

The Duke was looking at me with a cold and expressionless face.

A charismatic face that made my heart tremble just by looking at it. His face was a little different from usual.

Well, that’s because my cute palm was pressing against the Duke’s cheek.

Haha, you’re a married man and a father, but your skin is so good.

You look like a baby.

I started sweating from my eyes.

It was at that moment.

Words appeared before my eyes.

[The conditions have been met.]

[Verifying identity… Contract holder of ?Aphthanes.? Verification complete.]

[Awakening the attribute ?Rush and Cash?.]

“What, what is this…!”

• 1
  black curtain or ?? is used to describe a person who is seen as mysterious, secretive, or potentially dangerous; it can also refer to an antagonist or a character with hidden motives
• 2
  Korean potatoes are generally smaller in size compared to potatoes from other regions
• 3
  Korean onomatopoeia that describes the darkness or the state of being in the dark; often used to describe a situation where there is very little or no light, making it difficult to see or navigate