CHAPTER 43

Lowering my voice, I leaned on Colin’s shoulder and spoke. 

I was about to mention that dolls are expensive and that we can only play with easily accessible items, but I stopped myself. It didn’t seem appropriate to talk about the games I used to play in the past when I don’t even know my name or age.

“Why latte?”

“Um? Oh, no. I just suddenly felt like having some latte.”

As I said that, a maid standing nearby handed me a glass of white milk. I smiled awkwardly at the sense of bringing me milk when I mentioned a latte and gulped it down.

“Aunt!”

“What?”

As soon as Colin finished his glass of milk, he pressed his lips against my sleeve and wiped away the milk stains. It was evident that the unintended early education through romance novels had an effect.

“Now, can I marry you, Aunt?”

Upon losing the bet, Colin looked crestfallen. Then, with his teary eyes, he looked at me and pleaded for one more chance. Unintentionally, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Let’s think about it another time. I’m too tired now. Whooaah.”

After conquering chess and marble play, I found myself unexpectedly exhausted and involuntarily yawned.

“Miss, please go inside and rest for a while.”

Having been standing by and watching without saying a word until now, Kai spoke, urging me to go inside. I nodded in agreement.

“I want to play with Aunt.”

“I’m sorry, but Master, the private tutor has arrived.”

“What? No, why does this always happen? Aunt just arrived.”

Colin gave Arnold a protesting look as if asking why he had to study on a day when Aunt came. Even under the sharp gaze of the future Duke Aquila, Arnold remained unfazed.

“Heh, Mother.”

As Arnold didn’t step back, this time Colin called his mother. Seeing my sister giggling behind, Colin’s gaze shifted to her shoulders.

“I’ll take care of Aunt, so our son should go and study quickly. By the way, Aunt is so smart that she can even read ancient languages.”

“Really?”

“Well, then, our Rafi likes smart men.”

“I’ll study hard to become a smart person.”

What? Is my sister trying to sell me out and make me force her son to study? Hearing my sister’s words, I shook my head in disbelief.

“Colin went to study, and Jerome went to work. Shall we play together, sis?”

“Why, what do you want to do?”

“Well, how about this?”

Not knowing what it was, I tilted my head in confusion, and my sister hugged me and gently pinched my cheek.

“You’re as soft and sticky as freshly made rice cake. In the Tigris Duchy, you were called ‘soybean powder-coated rice cake,’ right?”

“Sis…”

“Although you became a soybean powder-coated rice cake because of taking care of the grand family of the Duke Tigris, there won’t be such things here. You’ll have enough time to preserve the bean powder stuck on the rice cake.”

Smiling brightly, my sister carried me into the room while holding me.

“Oh, from here on, it’s not allowed, Count Gabriel.”

“I am an envoy sent by Duke Panteur to accompany Lady Rafi. However, if you separate me… I will have no choice but to contact Duke Panteur immediately.”

No matter what happens, Kai gently smiled and threatened, saying that he must stay by my side. 

The moment Kai mentioned contacting my father, there was a 100% chance that he would rush in and take me back to Duke Panteur’s estate.

“Well, I guess there’s no other choice. I’ll allow you to be by her side, except when she sleeps and bathe.”

“Of course, that goes without saying.”

Seeing my sister allowing Kai to enter the room under Kai’s threat, I realized that Kai was bluffing.

“Hmm, what is this?”

“Well, your sister has prepared several outfits that fit our Rafi’s size.”

She didn’t think it was fun to change her son’s clothes, so my sister had already prepared dresses for me to wear. The problem was that there seemed to be dozens of dresses hanging on the hangers.

“Lady Rafi… I’m sorry, but it seems that I won’t be able to help with this. Please accept my condolences in advance.”

Even Kai, upon seeing the clothes hanging on the hangers, exclaimed in awe and shook his head. I didn’t know when these clothes were made, but from now on, I had to become a clothes hanger.

“Hmm, it’s like a chick hatching from its shell in a yellow dress. It matches our Rafi’s hair color… silver.”

I won’t say anything as long as there are clothes. Hats and shoes were provided to match the outfits. Every time I changed into a new outfit, I was completely transformed. It was fine up to three or four outfits, but when it went beyond that, I started to feel tired.

“Sister, I’m exhausted.”

“What? You’ve only tried on a few… Let’s try on a few more. Huh? It was my wish to dress up my daughter.”

“If that’s the case, you’d better have a baby. Jeez…”

“There’s no guarantee that a daughter will be born just because you give birth.”

“Then hold hands with your husband until a daughter is born.”

“Ugh!”

There was a sound of air escaping from everywhere at once. However, pretending not to notice, I looked up at my sister with a tired expression. 

After patting my head in silence for a while, my sister stood up from her seat as she heard someone calling from outside.

“I’ll be back soon, so wait for a moment.”

“Okay, take care!”

As I greeted her by placing my hand on my belly button, my sister lowered herself to my eye level and kissed my cheek.

“Where else can such a cute bean like you go? Ah, you’re so adorable. That’s why Father falls deeply for you.”

Smiling brightly, my sister went outside, and I slumped onto the sofa, completely exhausted. Changing clothes like a doll was too tiring, and I felt sleepy. As I dozed off, someone entered the room.

“Hmm? Who is it?”

Seeing what the maid brought, drool naturally dripped from the corner of my mouth. Then, Kai smoothly wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.

“Adorable Lady Panteur, this is chocolate. Erica loves chocolate, so she prepared it for you.”

“Hehe, I like it too.”

“Yes, this one is Erica’s chocolate, and this one is the chocolate for you to eat, Miss.”

I tilted my head in confusion when I saw two different types of chocolate. They looked the same, so why were they divided into separate categories?

I wondered if it was because they were afraid that I would eat all of them.

“This one is for adults. So, Miss, please have this one. It will be delicious.”

“Thank you. I’ll eat it well.”

“Oh, why are you so cute? I wish I could touch your cheeks… Oh! What did I just say?”

The maid, as if her inner thoughts slipped out unintentionally, blushed and looked flustered. I placed her hand on my cheek.

“Is it soft? Is it fluffy?”

“It’s, it’s just soft. Oh, this is really like a rice cake cheek. It’s so satisfying to touch, hehe.”

The maid, gently stroking my cheek and lightly pinching it, closed her eyes for a moment, as if savoring the action.

“Enji, what took you so long? Oh my! Enji, you’re really…”

The woman who saw the maid addressed as Enji didn’t curse with her mouth but with her eyes. However, after a moment, her eyes widened. I took her hand and pressed it generously to my cheek, and her tightly closed mouth fell open.

“Is my cheek soft?”

“I-it’s, it’s so soft. Oh, this is like a soft rice cake cheek. It’s so satisfying to feel it in my hands. Mmm.”

The woman, who regained her senses, led Enji, who still had a dazed look, outside.

“It seems that the young lady’s cheeks are imbued with a magical power.”

“Don’t say that while smiling.”

“I got caught, didn’t I?”

After briefly seeing Kai shrug his shoulders, my gaze turned back to the chocolate.

“This one is for sister, and this one is mine!”

As Enji said, I put mine in my mouth in one bite. The sweet chocolate gently spread in my mouth, and it was so sweet and delicious.

“Here, try it! Have some.”

After giving Kai my share of chocolate, I looked at my sister’s chocolate. It looked no different from the one I ate, but as they say, other people’s rice cakes always look bigger.

I quickly switched mine with my sister’s and secretly put the adult chocolate in my mouth.

Huh? What’s this? It tastes the same.

Not understanding why they were divided when the taste was the same, I bit into it with all my might. As the chocolate broke, something inside popped and oozed out. A sweet and bitter taste spread in my mouth.

What is this? Ah, is it liquor?

Even in the Benedict Empire, they sometimes put liquor in chocolate. I didn’t pay much attention because of that, but unfortunately, my body had no immunity to alcohol.

With this small body, my eyes blinked widely at the taste of liquor that I encountered for the first time. Suddenly, my mood became better, and I unknowingly became drowsy.

“Miss, did you perhaps consume the adult’s chocolate…?”

Kai reached out his hand quickly when he saw me, but I slapped it away.

“Little ones should have more, right? Hehehe.”

“Oh, Miss? It’s like drinking in broad daylight… Hmm? Did you have liquor chocolate?”

Kai’s pupils twitched slightly as he quickly ate my sister’s chocolate. Whether he said something or not, I ran out in a hurry. I laughed openly at the gaze of the employees looking at me.

“Hello, Rafi.”

“Heh, um, hello.”

“Rafi wants to go somewhere else. Rafi is bored here.”

“Even if you look at me with such cute eyes, I can’t let you. Erica will be here soon.”

I stuck out my tongue defiantly in response to the employee’s words. Then, I went back inside, and after a while, instead of my sister, my brother-in-law entered.

“I’m sorry, sister. Something suddenly came up… Huh?”

As I arrogantly sat on the sofa and looked up at my brother-in-law, I smirked and glanced around slowly. Other than making a mess in the room because I was bored, I hadn’t done much.

“Why did I give you such trouble when I’m not usually like this?”

I stretched my short legs as far as I could and barely reached the table. With my arms crossed, I spoke to my brother-in-law.

“Ah, never mind. I’ll just become a lump of rice cake since I’ve become one.”