Chapter 22

The only difference is that the blue bricks on the roof of the Grand Duke’s Mansion are sapphires in the dollhouse and there are real diamonds embedded on the top of the Ice Star Tower.

When the mansion was split in half and opened, she saw wooden dolls sitting, standing, or lying down inside.

Ariel smiled broadly at the little red-haired girl doll among them.

‘That’s me!’

When she saw a boy doll with black hair, she blushed slightly.

“Lucian…. “

Ariel, who put the two dolls together nicely, felt better.

‘It seemed that I could create a hundred stories just by looking into the pretty dollhouse. 

After all… this looks exactly like the La Carte’s mansion.’

Ariel hugged a large doll house about two-thirds of her height.

‘If I had this, I would be able to keep remembering this place even if I divorced and left this mansion someday.’

Ariel looked at the gifts for a while.

It was great enough even for adults to have.

Both toys had the name of the craftsman written in cursive.

“Did you like it?”

Mathius, who was staring at Ariel looking at the toys, asked.

Only then did Ariel come to her senses and ran to Mathius.

She hesitated for a moment, but then, she hugged Mathius’ leg.

“Yes. I like it so much. Thank you, Sir Mathius.”

Ariel was so short and Mathius was so big that Ariel couldn’t even fully hug him because she was only less than half his size.

Mathius made a distorted face that seems like he was very eager to stroke her head.

“This is not all.”

“What?!”

When Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise, Mathius narrowed his eyebrows and smiled coolly.

“Look out the window.”

Ariel ran and opened the window.

In the garden, there were bright outing carriages and white ponies for a young girl.

“Sir Mathius! That’s-…. “

“It’s yours. You can play with it when the spring comes.”

“……..”

Ariel looked at him because she didn’t know what to do.

“I liked it but it’s a bit scary. Are they really for me?”

Mathius looked down at Ariel calmly and coolly.

“Nothing is too good for you. Ariella.”

And he looked at the play area that still had a lot of space left.

“By the way, Allan told me that you played with the stuffed eagle. How many stuffed animals do you want?”

Ariel jumped up and down.

The stuffed animals were amazing, but they were also a little scary.

“No, that’s… it’s still…”

“Then I’ll give you some full-sized dolls.”

Such a large deer, jaguar, rabbit and sheep stuffed animals were erected on one side of the room.

They were luxurious dolls that looked just like real animals and had the same glossy furs.

‘There’s too many….’

Ariel’s mind went blank because of the gifts she received all day today.

Still, she was tickled by the fact that everyone cared about her.

Mathius, who was about to leave the room by saying ‘see you later in the evening’, looked back.

He felt a subtle lingering feeling inside him.

“How many glass greenhouses do you want?”

‘No. I really think all of these is enough now, Grand Duke.’

Overcoming the trauma of her own appearance, Ariel diligently wandered around and tried to get close to the people in the mansion.

‘It’s nice to hear the sound of the heavy hand of the clock, ticking. ‘

She sat in front of a large clock in the middle hall and listen to the sound of seconds passing by.

‘Ah, the jewel in the eye of the lion statue looks different.’

The stone fountains on each floor were found to have different shapes.

One day, she was played with a deer stuffed-toy in the hallway and fell asleep on the deer’s back.

“Hhmm….? “

When she woke up, she was puzzled because people were gathered around her and watching, her holding their breath.

Getting to know the people in the mansion and making herself feel at home was a new experience for Ariel.

It was only natural for Ariel who had never had a home before.

The House of Marquis Lucilion, where she was born and raised, was like a nightmare, and the residence of the sorcerers where she got sold was only the place where she vomited blood every day.

But the grand duke’s mansion was different.

For the first time, Ariel learned what home meant.

The smell of the sun from a freshly pulled blanket.

The feathered pillows that the maids beat with a bat to make it fluffy.

The canopy that melts in her sight at sleep.

The soft fur rug that embraces her even if she stumbles and falls, and Susan’s kiss whenever she had a bad dream.

Ariel put them in the word “home” step by step.

Ariel didn’t know but with the people of the Grand Duke who treated her with kindness and affection, she didn’t even have to try to win favor.

The mansion had been quietly turned upside down since the Grand Duke Mathius, who had been eating his dinner alone for more than 15 years, asked  Ariel’s seat at the dinner table.

Since most servants have worked here for more than 10 years, the ripple effect was even greater.

“The Grand Duke is having dinner with his daughter-in-law, the young lady!”

“Oh, my God! “

The La Carte was a mansion of an old family, and it was really old. That’s why it was normal that it’s dark, quiet, and the atmosphere was also thick.

The family had so many secrets that most of the servants working in the mansion were quiet and heavy-mouthed.

But after Ariel came in, something started happening that made even such servants scream in surprise.

“What kind of wind did blew to make Grand Duke eat with the lady at the same table?”

“I’m not sure if she’ll be able to eat her meal properly at this point. Just seeing the Grand Duke’s shadow is already making me choke.”

The servants, who were well aware of the dark aura of the male members of the La Carte family, were heartbroken by the scary dinner table that the young lady had to go through.

But…

“The new young lady! She had a meal in front of the Grand Duke without any problem.”

But that’s not the most surprising part for the servants.

“The maid said that the Grand Duke even ordered to prepare a meal that’ll be suitable for the lady’s diet.”

No one believed this part.

“That can’t be true. Master Mathius is such a scary and cold-hearted man.”

“That’s right. Of course he will tell them to prepare it separately.”

But soon it was revealed that Mathius had dinner with Ariel every day and did not complain about Ariel’s diet, which left the mansion in a big shock.

In the morning, the employees were busy holding their breath and watching when the Grand Duke passed by with the butler.

Then they gathered in the kitchen in eagerly sang praises.

“Hey, isn’t she as different as the sky and the earth from Lucian? Even the atmosphere.”

“That’s right. She seems like a really sweet and cute girl!”

They couldn’t believe such a cute presence was next to their young master, who was nothing short of a devil.

“Did you hear that, the story? The fact that the young master fell in love with her at first sight and proposed to her.”

“I also saw the Young Master running to kiss the young lady. I thought the world was coming to an end!”

She is not afraid to marry a man of La Carte, who is notorious for his blood, contribution in the war and their madness, and is even recognized as a family.

Ariel was a great being who made the world of heaven and earth to the servants who have seen the Grand Duke Mathius and Lucian La Carte for a long time.

Not only that, Ariel’s appearance was enough to put everyone in a honey pot.

Lovely scarlet red hair that warmed people’s hearts, and white and transparent face like snow aroused a protective instinct to anyone.

Her dainty nose, fluffy cheeks, and pink lips were also cute.

Because of her height and body, which is far smaller than her peers, her appearance also played a part in her cuteness.

Within a few days, everyone began to convince themselves that the cause of the warm breeze blowing over the icy La Carte mansion was her.

“If you’re such a cute person, it’s doesn’t mean that you don’t understand…”

Things that Ariel didn’t know were being done in the mansion.

A few days later. It was the day of the party of the Duchess of Beatrice, the flower of the high society.

The ladies who attended the meeting were exchanging the same story as if they had been wanting to talk about it.

They were all whispering in a low voice like little girls.

“Have you heard the rumors? It’s about the painting by Young Lady of the Marquis of Lucill- I mean the Grand Duchess of La Carte.”

“Yes. I heard that they are going to bring it to the imperial charity banquet tomorrow.”

“What kind of painting is it?”

A lady covered her mouth with her hands and said in secret.

“I heard from an acquaintance of my in-law’s friend’s cousin….that the Young Lord is very well educated.”

“Then the painting must be excellent.”

“I heard that the the Grand Duke made her his daughter-in-law because he like her.”

“Oh, I’m really curious.”

Their voice was low and whispered, but the eyes of the noble ladies talking were glistening with unbearable curiosity.

These days, exaggerated rumors about Ariel have overflowed in the high society.

Among them, bad stories about her were still buried under the water.

But the rumors of Ariel’s strange red hair that looks different from the bronze color of the Marquis Lucilion, and the rumors that she may not be the Marquis’ real daughter, did not attract people’s attention.

They are more madly curious about the girl who’s liked the Grand Duke of La Carte and the girl the youngest swordmaster fell in love at first sight with.

‘I’m sure she’s a great girl.’

It was obvious that she’s liked by the La Carte. They offered the sapphire mine as an engagement gift, and she got married as soon as she turns 10 years old as if they were worried that she would be taken away!

In the heads of the nobles, Ariel became someone who has boundless of greatness.

Of course, none of them actually met Ariel.

Over time, the day of the charity banquet hosted by the imperial family came.