CH 8

She is a daughter raised as the son of a duke

Episode 8

May spoke as vigorously and confidently as possible so that it would not be obvious that she was nervous or trembling.

All of this will be for nothing if I don’t show that I have the confidence to do it well.

“I know it may sound absurd that I, as a woman, would pretend to be a boy… But please wait until I’m an adult, then decide whether to kick me out or not. I’ll pay you back for raising me if I get kicked out because it doesn’t benefit the family. That’s twice as much.”

As expected, his reaction was cynical.

“Well, isn’t the result too obvious? In the end, I think I’ll kick you out, but from my point of view, I wonder if I should make such an effort to get double the price I barely raised.”

“Because there is a high possibility that I am His Excellency’s bloodline. My mother also said that I am His Excellency’s blood. If it’s His Excellency’s real child, then I can use the power of the family.”

Family power. The power that is said to be suddenly manifested by Flotina before becoming an adult is Floa’s magical power.

When Floa signed a slave contract with the first Flotina family, he promised to share his power with the Flotina people.

Floa did not directly grant magic power, but the magic power itself tried to contact the Flotina people and caused it to suddenly manifest.

“It will be until my coming-of-age birthday at the latest when it will be determined whether I’m His Excellency’s real child, so please take care of me until then.”

There were two conditions to use the power of the family.

One must be the person who inherited the lineage of the first Flotina family.

The other is to be recognized as a Flotina by taking the surname of Flotina.

Therefore, if Persis does not register May on the family register, even if she is indeed his blood relative, the power of the family will not be manifested.

“If His Excellency doesn’t have a son to inherit the family for the rest of his life, he’ll need a daughter. There is also a way to pass on the family line to the grandchildren of his own daughter.”

Even if you don’t want to, I’ll leave this house without a word and pay you back.

“I’m prepared to do that.”

May, with great confidence, persuaded him to lean.

“Treat me like a lottery ticket. Even if you lose, it’s a lottery ticket that at least doubles the value you raised. I don’t think there is any need to throw it away without even scratching it.”

Persis put down the knife and thought.

Certainly, it’s a deal with no reason to refuse. I have no intention of getting married, and probably never will.

Worst of all, even if this child gives up and leaves home as soon as she becomes an adult if she lives as a son until then, it will help strengthen the family’s position.

‘You’ve got the right way to live in this house.’

What a strange kid. How can he not be intimidated in front of her parents, who are about to abandon her? Why can you propose to raise yourself because you will live as a son so boldly? A child who is only ten years old.

While Persis was agonizing, May secretly sweated.

‘Please say yes. If this doesn’t work, then I really have to leave this house…!’

I could go to an orphanage, be adopted by a swindler, be sold into slavery, and be beaten to death by the count’s daughter!

I wonder if God has recognized that desperate heart.

“… I see. Instead, if you don’t like the successor’s class, I’ll kick you out anytime, so be aware.”

When Persis agreed, May’s face lit up like a rainbow.

I’m alive! It worked!

I don’t have to leave this house! 

May couldn’t control the corners of her mouth, her mouth wide open.

“Thank you, Father!”

Somehow, Persis seemed to have a smile around his mouth.

‘The title is self-indulgent. Excellency, then father…’

But strangely, it didn’t feel bad to see the little boy cutting the steak with an excited face.

May munched on the steak with the happiest expression in the world.

‘Pretend to be a son, and when I become an adult, I’ll leave this house and live a free life!’

For that moment, I put aside my worries about living as a son.

***

“Ellen, Joan! I did it!”

When I came back from eating with Persis, I was very excited.

Ellen choked with emotion.

“Oh, my God, is that true?”

“Yes! He allowed me to live as a son.”

Joan smiled and rejoiced.

“Then you’re staying here all the time, right?”

“Of course!”

“Wow! I knew my lady would make it!”

Joan and I held hands and jumped to express our joy.

But I was also moved that I didn’t have to go to an orphanage for a while. Ellen gradually became pale.

“By the way, miss, are you sure you’re all right? It will never be easy to live as a son. There will be many trials.”

It’s not just a son, it’s a son who’ll be Flotina’s successor.

Ellen, who always stood by me with her mother’s heart, had enough reasons to worry.

I stopped running and looked at Ellen.

“I can’t help it because it’s already happened. Hold on, hold on, if it’s too hard, I’ll tell my dad that I’ll give up pretending to be a son. If he says he’s going to kick me out, I’ll save up and go out and live, well.”

My goal is to stay in the dukedom until I’m old enough to earn a living alone.

For now, I plan to leave home after I become an adult.

Depending on the situation, I’m willing to get married before then. Here, women are adults from the moment they celebrate their 16th birthday, but even 14 or 15 can find jobs.

In any case, I will never give up in the next few years, even if it is hard to pretend to be my son.

When Ellen said she was worried about living as a son, Joan, who was happy that I didn’t have to leave, became depressed.

“Lady, then I must now call you Master…?”

“Maybe you should, right?”

“How can you call our pretty Miss May a young master…”

Joan drooped her shoulders with a sullen face.

“If you keep calling, you will get used to it. Come on, follow me. Master May.”

“Master May…”

I praised Joan, even though she said it in a weak voice.

“You’re good.”

And Ellen looked at the dress I was wearing.

“If you live as a young master, you’ll have to dispose of all your dresses, or accessories like ribbons and necklaces. I have to fill your closet with men’s clothes, so I also have to shop.”

“That’s right…”

Lovely dresses and cute accessories that flutter in the wind cannot be worn when I become a son. The obvious fact was a little regrettable.

“Thank you for getting me clothes to wear, Ellen and Joan.”

Ellen and Joan had saved her because she couldn’t buy clothes with her money while she was secretly living with Persis.

“My older sister… No, she has a daughter two years older than the lady, so I just brought clothes she doesn’t wear? I’m glad they fit you well.”

“I also got it because I asked for clothes from my friends who have children… I’m just sorry I couldn’t go out and get new clothes.”

“No. I really liked my clothes? Thank you.”

What’s important about new clothes and old clothes? I liked it and wore it well, so I was satisfied.

“It’s a waste to throw away clothes that have memories… Can’t we put them in a box?”

“It is.”

Ellen and Joan immediately began to organize my clothes.

When Joan brought a large box from outside, Ellen folded the dress finely and put them in one by one.

Meanwhile, I hugged the rabbit doll that was on the bed.

The rabbit doll I held in my arms every day. If I become the son of Persis Flotina, I’ll have to say goodbye to you.

The good times of living in peace, like now, are over. But I’m not frustrated.

To be sold as a slave. This is nothing compared to being beaten to death.

So do my best to act like a son.

I took the stuffed rabbit and went to the box containing the dress and various trinkets that I had inherited some time ago. 

In front of the box, I hugged the rabbit doll one more time and put it on the dress.

“Goodbye, pretty ones.”

The lid of the box was covered over it.

***

In just two days, everyone at the Duke’s residence found out that May had come to live as a son. It was the result of Joan warning the attendants.

“Everyone, you can’t call Lady May a lady anymore. She will live as the master’s son from now on. That’s why she should be called young master.”

The attendants didn’t believe it at first, but after seeing May walking around wearing men’s clothes with her hair cut short, they believed it.

It wasn’t intentional, but the attendants, who looked down on her because May might not be Persis’ real daughter, felt sorry for her.

Yohan also had a bad heart. He wanted the young lady to stay in this house, but he didn’t want her to stay in this house even pretending to be a son.

As Persis went to the dining room for breakfast, Yohan fearlessly grumbled at his master.

“Are you really going to raise yourself as a son? I can’t believe that a cute and lovely girl will live as a man… This doesn’t make sense. I’m all upset.”

“It’s noisy.”

I had no choice but to close my mouth when my owner said it was noisy, but I blamed him inside.

‘Your master is too much. How can you say that you want to raise a small and fragile girl into a boy? I feel sorry for the lady…’

Yohan breathed a deep sigh of regret.

Update 1

This note is to thank the person who has sent me a donation. Thank you soo much, this is the first time I have ever received anything like this. Because of this, I owe you two chaps of both novels. I don’t know which novel it was for, but I’ll upload both anyway.