CH 11

My Aunt and Theo shouted in surprise. Leon was surprised by the fuss and pulled his hand away. 

“Uhh.”

From the looks of it, there weren’t any particular bad intentions, and it just seemed like he had failed to control his power. 

‘Whoa, but the timing wasn’t good!’

I was thinking of the sad part of the original story in which Leon died. The tip of my nose was already burning, but— huge tears flowed down my cheek as he pinched it hard. 

“Oh, my. Baby, Lilith. Are you all right?”

“Ah, I. Uh…”

“Leon! You troublemaker! Who the hell pinched a Lady’s cheek so hard!”

My aunt comforted me with tears in my eyes and scolded Leon. 

“I, I just….”

“Oh no. You must be in a lot of pain. Don’t cry, Lilith.”

Theo raised his sleeve and wiped away my tears with a sad expression. It hurt, but I didn’t mean to cry like a real kid. 

It was such bad timing. 

“It’s just because she’s cute….”

I was the only one who could hear Leon pouting his lips and whispering. 

“Can’t you apologize right away?” 

“A, aunt. I’m fine. Ung.”

As my aunt continued to get angry, Leon, who was just swinging his toes, muttered quietly.

“…Sorry.”

Uh. Don’t be sad. 

I sniffled and took another deep breath, then ran over to Leon and hugged him around the waist. 

“No! I’m really fine, brother. It doesn’t hurt at all. I’m sorry I cried all of a sudden.”

“….”

“But.. Ung. Please please, pinch it…a little gently.”

Leon, who had hardened, blinked a few times and looked down at me for a long time. Soon, the corners of his mouth twitched, and so did the rest of his face, which was red.

“W, well I will do it!”

****

Rubbing. Fumbling. 

“Please stop bothering Lilith.”

Theo, who was watching Leon touch my cheek every three seconds, said as if he was dissatisfied. 

“I’m not bothering her?”

“You keep touching her.” 

“She said it’s okay to touch it gently.” 

“Do it in moderation.”

“Brothers.”

I said, sitting between them.

“I’m okay!”

Cute babies always get their cheeks pinched, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Rather, now is the time to focus. 

“However brother, it’s meal time now. After you’ve finished eating it all, you can touch it as much as you want.” 

“Uhm, okay, well.” 

Leon let go of the hand that had been stroking my cheek as if disappointed. 

Now, we’re in the dining room. 

When I went straight to dinner time, I was nervous. It was because I watched a luxurious scene unfold before me. 

‘Wow, what a luxury!’

A huge table seemed to be 3m wide and 10m long. There is a luxurious candlestick in the middle, as well as colorful flower and fruit baskets and gold and jewelry decorations. On a very luxurious table, there were rare foods that I had never heard of in my life. 

‘Is it all out now?’

…If I wanted to, the chefs and servants would laugh at what I was thinking and keep bringing me food without stopping.

‘No I mean, how do you eat all this? Of course, I didn’t mean to eat them all, but—’

I swallowed my saliva as I looked at my aunt and the twins. It seemed too extravagant for just one meal, but it seemed like a normal routine for them. 

“Have a good meal. Lady and Young Masters.”

The chef, who was dressed like a chef in a five-star hotel restaurant, put plates and cutlery in front of the twins and me. 

The first thing that was laid out was the soup and bread to eat before meals.

“Eat a lot, Lilith.”

“Yes!”

Aunt on the other side of the table smiled and raised her spoon first. I hesitated and swallowed my tears. 

‘Why are there so many dishes…?’

Several knives, forks, and spoons. 

I glanced to the side and saw Leon holding the biggest spoon, so I followed closely.

“Oh my, father. You have come.”

Then. 

Grandfather entered the dining room with a force. 

“Yeah.” 

Grandfather, who immediately glanced at me, sat in the upper seat with dignity.

“What about Enoch?”

“He said he would come after unpacking his luggage. Let’s eat first.”

After my grandfather came, I began to sweat. For the first time in my life, I was able to experience the atmosphere of a formal dining room. 

How am I supposed to fit in here?

‘S, save me. A person is trapped in the dining room—’

With trembling lips, I looked around the dining room, which had become quiet as Grandfather appeared.

The maids stand in a row in a polite position to serve the meal. 

The chef delivers the individual plates one by one.

My Aunt and Grandfather who eat with elegance and dignity—.

‘This is the meal time for the nobles.’

The soup must have been of the highest quality with only expensive and precious ingredients, but—.

‘I have no idea what it tastes like.’

I was so nervous that I couldn’t taste anything and left half of it. 

“Leon.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Grandfather called Leon in a stern voice while they were eating.

Leon was tense and straightened his back. It seems like even a naughty boy would be quiet in front of Grandfather.

“I heard you made a fuss.”

“Father, Leon apologized to Young Lady Valerin. I feel sorry, too, so I’d like to have some tea with Countess Valerin before I go back.”

My Aunt smiled awkwardly and answered instead of Leon. It sounds like it was a bigger accident than I thought when they said something about the big spider earlier. 

“Your mother has told me a lot, but I have to talk to you because you’ve also caused trouble here.”

Grandfather put down the tableware, put his hands together, and stared fiercely at Leon.

“You are also a Rubinstein. You’re twelve, so you should know the weight of your name.”

“Yes.”

“You should always look at and control your actions one by one so that they don’t cause problems in the future. Be faithful to the etiquette, don’t be reckless, and maintain an attitude that can be a role model for everyone at every moment.” 

“Yes, Grandfather.” 

“I hope I don’t hear the sound of tarnishing the family’s name in the future.” 

“I apologize…” 

When Leon answered with despair, I felt like I had been stabbed for nothing. It was as if they were telling me to live as an aristocrat from now on. 

‘Grandfather really took off from the original story.’

A perfect example of a noble to the bone. Taking a word from the original story, Cheshire questioned whether or not Grandfather really did maintain the same expression and posture 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

He was the kind of person who would risk his life for formality and etiquette, and he hated being dignified more than anything. 

So—.

‘The timing is crazy.’

I felt like crying. 

Now that the steak came next to the soup, this situation was pretty desperate for me. Because I never learned the etiquette of aristocrats.

‘W, what should I pick up?’

Three knives. Three forks.

There was a 1 in 9 chance that I would pick the right tableware.

However, if I cheat, there might be some chance—.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Lilith, are you full already?”

—the moment I tried to look sideways thinking.

The unhelpful twins managed to draw attention. 

“N, no. It’s not like that….” 

“What’s wrong, Lilith?”

My Aunt asked while tilting her head.

Even Grandfather was looking at me. 

The maids all looked at me as if trying to figure out what was wrong.

‘What’s with this spotlight!”

Mealtime must be a very normal routine for Aunt, Grandfather, and the servants. 

‘What should I answer? Wouldn’t it be better to be honest and say that I don’t know how to eat? My grandfather and aunt all know that I haven’t used these tableware anyway—’

Still, I was a little embarrassed to tell the truth.

Didn’t everyone have heartache because of my dad and me? 

I didn’t want to remind people of the past seven years by showing them a side of myself that I didn’t learn anything about. 

‘Ugh. What is Daddy doing that he is taking so long to come?’

In the end, that time I picked up a knife while keeping my sights spinning.

“I’m late.” 

When the door to the dining room opened, my dad came in after he had changed into nice clothes. 

‘Ah, here it is! Mr. James Brown!’

My savior!

“Oh, Lilith. With Dad…” 

The quick-witted Dad looked at me and tried to approach me. 

Then. 

“O, oh my. Leon!” 

My Aunt freaked out.

‘What is it?’

Looking sideways, Leon was holding a fork and eating an uncut steak.

“W, what are you doing without etiquette! You have a younger sister next to you!”

While I was opening my mouth in surprise, I heard a noise of dish clashing from the other side.

When I turned around, Theo was cutting steak wildly.

“T, Theo, you too? Who the hell cuts a knife so frivolously! Can’t you stop!”

My Aunt started to think, and my Grandfather, who was standing next to her, looked at the twins and couldn’t say a word out of embarrassment. 

“Here, eat. Lilith.”

Theo, who cut the meat into bite-size pieces in one minute, quickly changed my plate and his plate. Then he picked up the fork in front of me and held it for me.

“Ah.” 

It was only then that I realized. 

That the twins took care of me.