MSOW l CH 04

Chapter 4

My sister’s arms are long…

My mouth was still open from surprise, so the Grand Duke kindly lifted my chin to close it.

Chew, chew.

The white bread melted in my mouth the moment it went in.

Back at the marquis’ house, the dark bread took forever to chew.

Beside me, the head lady-in-waiting carefully deboned a piece of white fish and set it before me.

Usually a maid helps with things like that…

But I’m a maid…

And she’s a lady-in-waiting—she must be a noble!

I wiggled on the cushion; the soft cushion and my fluffy dress wobbled together.

“If you wriggle like that, you’ll fall off the chair and get hurt.”

“Eek! I’ll sit still!”

“Good. Do that.”

Sister seemed done with feeding me; she picked up her fork and knife.

I put down my spoon and tried to copy her, holding a fork and knife like a lady.

“Ah—”

“Ah?”

Plop.

A piece of meat my sister had cut slipped into my mouth.

It tasted different from bread or salad.

So this is what they call “juices”?

It wasn’t tough, and when I chewed a few times, a deep rich taste spread out.

“You two are close,” the Grand Duke said.

My sister gave a little snort.

“We’re trying to get close. Still needs work.”

“…Hmm.”

He didn’t even pick up his fork—just took a sip of sparkling water.

Interesting.

They say the northern Grand Duke, a war hero, drinks the blood of his enemies…

But he’s just drinking water like a normal person.

“Is it curious?”

“Huh?”

“Yes. I’m asking you, Veronica.”

A grand duke speaking politely to me! Between him and the head lady-in-waiting, everyone here is so strange.

But… What should I say?

I can’t ask why he’s drinking water instead of blood, right? No way.

I looked to Sister for help. She only shrugged.

Is this what adults call an interview?

I quickly set down my fork and knife and tried to look serious.

Okay. I can do this myself.

I clenched my little fist—my own tiny cheer.

“Kh—” Sister covered her mouth and coughed.

Did something go down the wrong way? Is she sick?

I was worried, but… I need to do well in front of the Grand Duke first! I’ll handle this “challenge”!

“I heard y-you’re very scary, Your Grace. B-but from now on I’ll be staying with m—my sister, I mean, the lady, at House Creatore, so I’ll work hard and serve you!”

Ah— I should’ve gotten off the chair and bowed deeply when I said that.

What if he thinks I’m rude?

“Ahem.”

“Oh my.”

First the Grand Duke, then the head lady-in-waiting spoke.

He took another sip of sparkling water; she covered her smile with her hand, eyes crescented.

“It seems you didn’t explain enough, Kallia.”

Sister pressed her fingers to her forehead and shook her head.

There was clear amusement in the Grand Duke’s voice.

“I did explain…”

“Children adapt quickly. Please don’t worry too much, Lady Kallia,” said the head lady-in-waiting.

“I hope so, Dolce.”

Sister speaking so politely to the head lady-in-waiting—amazing.

Is it because the head lady-in-waiting is a noble?

“Come to think of it, I never told you my name,” the Grand Duke said.

“I—I know! You’re N—Noctis Creatore!”

I shot my hand up. The Grand Duke nodded.

“Right. Noctis. Feel free to call me that.”

“Your Grace?”

“Noctis.”

He gently corrected my “title,” but… can I really call him “Noctis” without “sir” or “lord”?

While I was thinking hard, my sister couldn’t hold back a comment.

“When do children’s teeth grow in?”

The head lady-in-waiting answered, “Soon, Lady Kallia. I saw one halfway out earlier.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But there are still baby teeth that will fall out.”

“Not a relief.”

Sister looked oddly gloomy.

D-does she hate that my tooth will fall out?

I don’t even know why they fall out, though…

“Oh, that reminds me.”

I perked up and lifted my spoon.

“We’re getting engaged, Bell.”

Clatter.

My very expensive-looking spoon rolled weakly across the table.

“Oh dear, be careful,” the head lady-in-waiting said, handing me a fresh spoon.

I barely held it, staring blankly between Sister and the Grand Duke.

“…Why?” I squeaked. Then clapped a hand over my mouth.

Sister pulled my hand away and poked a piece of salad into my mouth.

A sweet dressing burst across the fresh greens and fragrant herbs.

I’d never tasted anything so fresh before.

Crunch, crunch.

While I chewed, the Grand Duke looked at me without expression.

“So this wasn’t discussed with her yet.”

“It’s a bit difficult to explain to a child.”

He even spoke politely to Sister.

Normally, Sister spoke curtly even to the marquis and the eldest son—yet she was respectful to the Grand Duke.

“That’s fair,” he said.

“Do I need to teach you the obvious? You have more to learn than I thought, Your Grace,” Sister replied.

Uh oh—do I really know what “respectful” means?

I rolled my eyes back and forth between them.

What if the Grand Duke gets mad at Sister? My heart pounded.

If he does, I’ll protect her!

I gripped my fork like a weapon—then the head lady-in-waiting gently took it from me.

No! My weapon!

I looked up at her, panicked. She smiled and kept deboning fish onto my plate.

“Now, say ‘ah~’.”

“Ahh~”

Plop.

Soft fish with a bright yuzu sauce—delicious!

I wiggled, kicking my feet, and the cushion bounced with me.

Sister, eating elegantly, said, “Bell, you’ll get hurt if you fall off.”

“Eek! I’ll sit still!”

“Good. Do that.”

She smiled, red lips curving.

Then she picked up her fork and knife again, cutting the meat with clean, noble movements.

I grabbed my knife to copy her, looked to the head lady-in-waiting for my fork—

“Bell, ah—”

“Ah?”

Plop.

Another piece of meat went into my mouth.

Even though it was the same meat, it tasted new after the fish—rich and deep again.

I covered my cheeks and kicked my legs a little; Sister chuckled.

“Bell, your legs.”

“Ah! Yes!”

I pressed my legs down tight. Laughter sounded above my head.

After a while of taking whatever Sister and the head lady-in-waiting fed me, I even finished the fruit sorbet for dessert. My belly was so full I could hardly breathe.

The sorbet was so bright and sweet I felt like I could keep eating forever.

But if I ate more, I wouldn’t be able to walk—so I had to stop!

Just then, the Grand Duke slid his untouched sorbet bowl toward me.

“Veronica, would you like—”

“Gasp.”

A perfect round scoop waited for me.

If I didn’t know how it tasted, maybe—but I did know. My mouth watered.

I shook my head firmly—stay cool.

“I can’t. I shouldn’t eat more.”

I rubbed my very round belly. Disappointment crossed the Grand Duke’s face.

“I missed my chance,” he murmured, sounding truly sad.

My eyes went wide in surprise.

I looked at Sister. She only shrugged.

“Then I’ll eat it,” she said, quite boldly, and took the sorbet the Grand Duke had pushed toward me.

His gaze rested on Sister.

The way he looked at her was so soft that my chest felt oddly ticklish.

Noticing that I kept looking between them, the Grand Duke smiled at me—warm and kind.

But I’d heard the Grand Duke of Creatore was a fearsome war hero!