Chapter 167

༻━━━━━━༺✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧༻━━━━━━༺

It seemed like they were talking about too many things at once.

This time Soliaphe and Evelyn came to the Duke’s office, and the conversation was interrupted.

“Our Luciel is here?”

“Mom, Grandma!”

When she saw the faces of two people she had longed to meet, Luciel somehow burst into tears while approaching and hugged them.

“My oh my, look at this cute puppy. After hearing the news that Luciel was here, we turned the carriage around.”

Evelyn touched Luciel’s cheek and hugged her for a long time.

“Why didn’t you take your time? I’m back for good now.”

As Luciel wiped away her tears, Evelyn handed her a handkerchief.

“I wanted to see your face as soon as possible. Seeing you cry, it seems you are still a baby.”

“No, I’m just relieved to see everyone’s face.”

Luciel, who took the fragrant handkerchief and wiped away her tears, made Topaz with a tororong sound.

Soliaphe came over and hugged Luciel lightly, her blue eyes moistened.

“Luciel, let me hug you too.”

“Mom. I missed you.”

“Me too. Welcome home Luciel. Without you, the castle was so quiet and lonely.”

“Are you taking your mana supplements daily?”

“Of course. Thanks to that medicine, I am very healthy.”

She as fully recovered from Manaris, but Luciel asked the question perhaps still feeling impatient, and Soliaphe answered her by nodding her head.

Evelyn, who looked at them with delight, said.

“They really look like mother and daughter. By the way, Luciel, you are back as a fairy. Whose granddaughter-in-law would be so pretty?”

Soliaphe and the Duke also nodded their heads and their eyes lit up.

“Really, Luciel. It’s a beauty that all young girls in the social world will be nervous about.”

“Our Luciel is a beauty that shakes the country. I must strengthen the escort knights.”

“No. I have a long way to catch up with the beauty of my grandmother and mother.”

In the past, she has seen other beauties who were said to be pretty, but in Luciel’s eyes, Soliaphe and Evelyn were more elegant and beautiful than any other. Elegance flows from the atmosphere they create and she wanted to be like that.

“You’re a good talker, aren’t you?”

Evelyn smiled and looked at her family. When her eyes fell on Luciel, she was still wearing a robe from the tower.

“You didn’t even change your clothes and came to talk about work, didn’t you? You must be tired.”

“Ah, that’s because Dad was here, so I came to greet him first, but the story got long.”

“Then it would be better to wash up first and get a good rest. Then let’s have a delicious dinner. What do you want to eat? I’ll tell Chief Seth.”

“Well……There are so many things I want to eat, Grandma. But anything is just as fine.”

How much I have missed Chef Seth’s cooking skills.

The chef at the Northern Branch of the Tower was not very good at it, so it was better to go out to eat or to cook separately in the kitchen. Because of that, she was even on cook duty.

At first, Luciel also struggled a bit because she couldn’t cook, but now it seems that all of that will remain as a memory.

She knew that her homemade creamy stew and baked pies were pretty good too.

“Our Luciel’s cheeks are somewhat thin. Oh my, he didn’t starve our child in the tower, right? I’ll have to ask him.”

‘The high-ranking executives in the tower have different restaurants, Grandma.’

Avoiding the eyes of her good-natured grandmother, Luciel said.

“Then I’ll see you at the dining hall.”

“Go on. See you later.”

Luciel greeted the grown-ups who couldn’t take their eyes off her and left the Duke’s office.

Every corner of her heart was warm and soft.

She felt okay living in the tower, but she liked her home the most.

Luciel wandered around the hallway in the garden for some reason and headed towards the private residence. The luggage bag that Luciel was carrying was already empty as someone had already cleaned it up.

On the table, Rose, who was arranging a bouquet of pretty lilies, hydrangeas, lysianthus, and mist flowers in a glass vase, looked at Luciel and smiled broadly.

“Little Madam, welcome home. Since you were coming back, I asked him to choose the prettiest one in particular.”

“It’s really pretty. Thank you, Rose.”

The fragrant smell of flowers seemed to fill the cozy parlor of the detached palace.

Luciel cautiously asked Rose, who had her hand on her waist because of her swollen belly.

“I thought you were taking a break from work just because of the baby. Can you move like that?”

“I think I’m going to die of frustration because I’m so still. Do not worry. Besides, it was the day our Little Madam came back home, and I couldn’t help it. It’s good to do simple things, but it’s more like exercise.”

Rose’s freckled face was brighter and more beautiful than ever.

She was in a steady relationship with Charlie, a young gardener, and Rose even had a baby. Suddenly, seeing her bulging belly, Luciel felt that the years passed quickly, and she felt new feelings about it.

“I’m glad you look happy, Rose. When is the wedding?”

“……In fact, last month, we had a wedding just the two of us at the cathedral.”

“What? You’re lying. Why didn’t you contact me?”

Luciel was surprised and a little sad but at the same time, she was so happy for Rose that she held her hand to give congratulations.

“Congratulations on the wedding. Rose is both like my friend and like my sister. Oh, and tell me where your house is.”

I have to send a wedding gift and a pregnancy gift for the baby at once.

“Later. Little Madam has to quickly wash and change clothes first. I told the other maids to prepare bathwater.”

“All right.”

She went into the bathroom and soaked herself in the bathtub, feeling much better. By the way, when she was a kid, this bathtub felt very big, but now it was just the right size.

Soon Bessie’s voice came from outside.

“Little Madam, can I help you with the bath?”

“Ah……no it’s okay. I can do it by myself.”

“All right, call me if you need me.”

“Yes.”

She was a little shy to have them attend her bath, as she had become accustomed to staying in the Tower and washing by herself, besides her body has grown a lot these days.

Luciel dyed her cheeks pink, patted her wet hair with a towel, and hurriedly finished her bath.

Dressed in a soft robe and feeling refreshed, she smiled as Bessie brought her a towel and wiped her wet hair.

“Why are you still so shy?”

“Since I’ve grown up, it’s only natural to wash by myself.”

“She might be in the age of puberty, Bessie.”

“However, it’s kind of sad because I was always your bath attendant. I want to take better care of my Little Madam.”

“Okay, Bessie. Let’s do it like that next time.”

“Really?”

Bessie gave a delighted smile. While sprinkling moist lotion onto Luciel’s bright, white skin, it shone even in a white robe, she said.

“I don’t think you have taken much care of it, but your skin is transparent and glowing. So pretty.”

It seems like Luciel has been told that she was pretty 30 more times when she come home today. Of course, it must be because the Duke’s family and her maids all love that too much. But it was nice to hear every time.

Luciel looked at herself in the mirror. Compared to the skinny and twisted appearance in her previous life, she now looks healthy and full of vitality.

‘I have a bright complexion too. It seems that I have become more pretty than before…….’

“Oh, yes, I’m afraid you’re not comfortable with the bed you used as a child, so I’m going to redecorate your bedroom. If I knew you’d come earlier than I expected, I’d have changed it in advance.”

Bessie’s mind seemed complicated. She had to change not only the bedroom but also the curtains and the table, the dressing table in the dressing room, and there were many things to pack from one to ten, from clothes, shoes, and hats.

“The bed is still usable. I can sleep with my legs stretched out. It would only be a problem if I grew a little taller.”

“That’s ridiculous. My Little Madam, you’re too frugal. Now, change your clothes and go eat.”

Bessie said as she took out the dresses she had already bought. Among them, there was a purple silk dress that Luciel had never seen before.

“It is said that this dress was worn by the Madam when she was a teenager before marriage. It’s made by a high-end tailor, so it’s as good as new even after many years. She said it was a waste to throw it away even though it was out of fashion, so I brought it with me.”

“It’s really pretty. I will wear this.”

Luciel said with twinkling eyes.

* * *

It was time for Luciel to go to the dining room for dinner after finishing her dressing up. As she was walking down the corridor, she saw a boy coming from the other side.

Bright blonde hair and pomegranate red eyes. A boy about ten years old in a green vest rolled his eyes and met Luciel’s eyes.

However, for some reason, he turned his head around while ignoring Luciel.

‘Uh? Isn’t that Leoni?’

Leoni was the only boy in the Castle of Bellstein with such an appearance.

Every time she went to the castle, she seldom met Leoni. The last she saw him was two years ago, conversations seemed to be even older.

Still, how can you pretend you don’t know each other just because we haven’t seen each other for two years?

Luciel ran and grabbed Leoni’s shoulder and called out his name.

“Leoni! Leoni!”

“…….”

“Let’s go together. How have you been?”

Leoni turned around and shook off the shoulder that Luciel had grabbed. The very narrow forehead and the raised eyebrows were somehow cold.

‘What does he hates so much? He has a face full of dissatisfaction…….’

Still, his puffy cheeks were cute, so when Luciel tried to stroke Leoni’s hair, he turned away and said,

“What, why are you doing this?”

“……Leoni, I’m Sister Luciel, you didn’t want to see me?”

When Luciel spoke kindly, Leoni’s red eyes rolled and he said.

“Why are you calling yourself Sister when you left without saying anyting?”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

For a little boy’s sulky face, his froze quite coldly, and then he turned away first.

Even though he was ten years old, he was so tall that he was about as tall as Luciel’s gaze.

‘Leoni, you have grown so much.’

Luciel quickly followed after Leoni.