Chapter 4

Chapter 4

+

I wore a new dress with the maid, Amber’s help. During our interaction, I learned a new piece of information.

I thought she already knew things about me and my appearance. The reason being that the color of the room given to me matches the color of my hair and eyes.

However, I wasn’t too surprised because I can understand the reason for a color scheme like that based on the history between the Duke and my Father. Instead, I could feel a lot of consideration from his decision to give me this room.

However, the sight of my new dressing room full of my new dress was a bit shocking.

All of the dresses were also perfectly tailored to my size.

How the hell did they know my size? I felt a little creeped out, but I shook my head to calm down.

First of all, I am indebted to the Duke, so I had to be grateful enough.

No matter how the original story ends, if he hadn’t come for me, who knows what the creator of this world would have in store for me.

Although I can remember the general details of the events from the novel, I do not have enough knowledge about the world we are currently in to survive on my own.

I’m especially unsure about the more precise details of my role in the story, which is just a supporting character.

So I can’t let my guard down.

If my future in the story is to be horribly destroyed, I have to be more alert.

“Lady, I’ll show you to the dining room.”

“Yes.”

I wore a dress that was the same color as my hair and had my hair pulled back and held together with a pink ribbon.

Wearing my matching cute pink shoes, I followed Amber out into the hallway.

The castle of the Duke’s estate is so large, that the Count’s mansion I grew up in could not compare. I think it will be difficult to learn all of the directions without help.

I could tell that she is a pretty good maid just by looking at Amber walking confidently in front of me.

It is because she walked slowly to match my steps, just in case I would struggle to keep up.

There are so many things to do in the future.

I had to prevent my favorite character’s unfortunate ending and change the novel’s keywords.

[T/n: keyword is named as you see in Novel Updates.]

To do so, I have to change the attitude of the duke first. He is also a wounded man, so I didn’t want to criticize him recklessly and push all of the blame onto him.

The person, who is the creator of all of these problems, has long been deceased.

Oh, by the way, the Duchess will be at the dinner tonight, right?

It hasn’t been long since I’ve come here, but I haven’t seen the Duchess at all yet.

She is known to suffer from depression.

So, it’s difficult to determine whether she is just not interested in the treatment her son is receiving, or if she is in a situation where she can’t do anything about it.

There’s no one in this house who doesn’t have any signs of mental illness or trauma.

Amber looked at me as I breathed out a small sigh.

“We’ll be there in a little while, my lady.”

Maybe she thought it was because I was having a hard time. Well, the dining hall is actually a long distance from my room.

“It’s fine.”

While we were talking for a while, the antique door of the dining room came into view. I took a deep breath just outside before taking a step in.

“Here comes the lady.”

Amber knocked and opened the door for me. I moved my feet quickly to make my way from the dark hallway to the bright dining hall.

“You’re here.”

A gentle voice from the Duke was heard.

I was surprised when I finally looked towards the Duke after my eyes finally adjusted to the bright light of the dining room.

W-why…did you prepare so much food?

The Duke was sitting alone at the end of the huge table. I checked the other side of the long table just in case, but no one is there.

Neither the Duchess nor Lucian.

“Isn’t anyone else coming?”

I asked the question casually.

No, look at the amount of food. Is this an amount meant for two people? There was even a roasted piglet placed at the center of the table.

I kept turning my gaze between the crowded table and the duke.

“I want to spend time with my daughter.”

Did you already change your relationship to me?

It’s weird to be so quick to become my parent, no matter how much you say you are my godfather. Don’t you think?

That quick acceptance was why Rachel was so proud of herself in the original. I cursed a lot while reading it.

“Thank you.”

I answered simply. I appreciate his affection, but it is burdensome.

I felt uncomfortable because I kept thinking that I was stealing affection that was originally meant to go to Lucian.

I walked quite a bit to get to the Duke’s immediate vicinity and sat down on the chair with Amber’s help.

Sitting on a solid chair with a soft cushion, I was amazed to see the place setting prepared for me.

The duke asked, perhaps because he noticed my reaction, as his eyes focused on my face.

“Do you like it?”

“……yes.”

A cute pink porcelain dish was placed in front of me.

I’m not a child, mentally I’m a 25-year-old adult, but I just feel good when I see something cute.

And I feel like I’m filled with my thirst for affection again that I couldn’t fulfill when I was a kid in my past life.

I looked at the duke. Aside from the Duke bringing me here, I wanted to thank him for the other thoughtful actions too.

If the Duke hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have met my favorite.

I am very grateful for that.

“Thank you very much, Duke. I don’t know how to repay this favor. But I have a question.”

The Duke nodded slightly at my question.

“What do you mean I’m going to be a Leon?”

Even if I knew the original setup, I needed to be clear about his actual intentions.

It would mean a lot to change my last name.

The duke held his chin in his hand and straightened up.

He replied to me, with what could be, a serious or scary expression.

“Literally.”

“Then… You mean I’m going to be adopted.”

“……I don’t like the word adopted, but if I have to say it, it’s…I guess it’s just me.”

It is the same as in the original story as I had expected, so I nodded my head in quick understanding.

Is it adoption again?

I was absorbed in my own thoughts for a while on my own, and then the Duke asked in a friendly voice that contrasted strongly with his attitude from a short while ago.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Well…”

When I saw the grilled piglet in the middle of the table, it made me think of a related topic.

I asked something that weighed on my mind.

“Did my brother eat already?”

I tilted my head as I spoke.

I was acting cute to match my body’s age, but Lucian wasn’t shaken by my act at all earlier.

I was a little hurt.

I’m not bragging because it’s my face, but objectively speaking, my face is pretty cute.

My pale and small face, with big eyes, a button nose, and thick red lips is very cute and lovely even to me.

I acted cute awkwardly, but Lucian showed no change in expression.

But it will probably work on the Duke.

He burst into a small fit of laughter, despite me mentioning Lucian, but he didn’t show any sign of displeasure.

“Lucian eats alone. That child. That’s how it goes.”

Once again that schedule…

Why are you making that schedule so hard for him? Because when he grows up, he’ll just hear that he’s an emotionless doll.

Isn’t the word doll written twice in the title?

I think the first doll means Lucian and the second doll means Sue.

“But… I want to eat with my brother. My wish is to have an older brother!”

I was the only daughter here.

So I wanted to have a brother. It shouldn’t be too strange to say that.

However, the Duke’s expression was subtly crumpled. I was depressed when I saw the Duke’s reluctant expression.

“…If you want it so badly, I can’t help it.”

“Then are you going to call for my brother?”

“Well, shouldn’t you call him if you want him to come?”

The Duke, who answered kindly, called a servant over with his eyes.

“Bring the child.”

And ordered coldly.

He could not help but listen to my request.

But I couldn’t help but think Lucian would like to eat delicious food like this.

I never thought, at that time, that my hasty sympathy would make him even more distressed.

I was just happy to think that I could eat with my favorite.

“Thank you, Duke.”

I just simply thanked him, but the cold Duke’s face became as gentle as the misty morning sun.

“You are always thanking me every single moment. Now you’re part of the Leon family. Relax.”

I don’t know who I like as characters anymore.

I am quick-witted. It was like that even before I transmigrated.

Therefore, I am very sensitive to the changes in a person’s mood and I always tried to quickly figure out how people felt.

I’m glad that I know that the reason for his love was my Father, and if I didn’t, it wouldn’t be strange to have been like the Rachel from the original novel.

The servant quickly brought Lucian. Lucian, who came down with a hint of confusion, noticed me and paused for a very short time, but sat across from me in the end.

The Duke did not hide his smile directed towards me throughout the meal together.

In the original novel, he is always so cold, so it is strange to see this side of him.

I eagerly devoured the food on my plate while stealing glances at my favorite while we were eating. I guess I was more hungry than I thought.

“Oh, you must have been hungry.”

I told myself I would hide it as best as I could, but the Duke called the chef over with a simple hand gesture to see if he had noticed my condition already.

The chef, who was waiting nearby, skillfully cut some more meat off of the grilled piglet and put it on my plate.

I was comparing my plate with Lucian’s and turned to the Duke.

“Duke, this roast pig is so delicious. I think it would be good for you to eat some of it with me…”

The Duke, who had been watching me for a moment without saying a word, spat out his next words at random.

“Shouldn’t you call me Daddy from now on?”

The meat in my mouth almost blocked my throat from my surprise. I can’t believe he said something like that in front of Lucian.

I could feel Lucian looking at me.

Please take your time, Duke.

I have barely been able to handle the fact that this place is in the BL webtoon of “Another Doll Lives in the Dollhouse”.

I felt like my already complicated thoughts are becoming even more twisted like a tangled thread.

As much as I wanted to swallow my embarrassment, I swallowed the meat I had put into my mouth instead.