CH 14

Episode 14

When I saw the protagonist, they were much different than I had imagined. I thought it was just an ordinary protagonist.

At first, when I possessed May’s body, I spent all day admiring my beauty in the mirror. But soon I got tired of it and realized it was just a face.

But this child is different. Even after seeing them only once, they are so lovely that you never get tired of seeing them every day.

Soon, Heint introduced Stella.

“Oh, this is my niece, Stella. Stella, say hello. 

Stella gracefully took the hem of her skirt and slightly bowed as she introduced herself, “Nice to meet you. I’m Stella Nazet. Please call me Stella.” Seeing her introduce herself as a Nazet, it seemed like she still didn’t know that she was an outsider.

Stella’s eyes immediately searched for Persis. She seemed to feel something as she looked at him, and her eyes sparkled with joy.

It appeared that Stella had taken a liking to Persis.

So, what about Persis?

I lifted my head and looked up at Persis’ face, but was startled when his gaze was directed at me.

… Why is he staring at me like that?

‘Oh, you want me to say hello?’

I politely greeted Stella.

“I’m May Flotina. Nice to meet you, young lady”

However, Stella didn’t seem particularly interested in me. She was only sending sparkling looks to Persis.

I awkwardly smiled and looked back and forth between Persis and Stella.

Unexpectedly, Persis didn’t seem very impressed with Stella.

The first meeting doesn’t feel like a fateful encounter. It might not be the right time yet.

Stella spoke to me.

“By the way, Prince May.”

Stella asked with a fleeting, innocent face.

“Who do you resemble to be so pretty?”

I was momentarily taken aback by that question.

Who do I resemble to be pretty? Well, I resemble my physical appearance, but…

Looking back on my situation, it wasn’t a question I could answer pleasantly.

Instead of answering, I defused the situation with a compliment.

“You are more beautiful, Young Lady.”

Stella smirked and seemed to accept it naturally.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

“Well, now that the greetings are done, shall we go enjoy dinner?”

“Okay, Uncle.”

Stella jumped up and down in excitement, and I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable watching her.

At the restaurant, Stella couldn’t take her eyes off Persis, who was sitting diagonally across from her. Her gaze seemed to sparkle as if she had sprinkled glitter on it.

That’s how it looked to me, sitting right in front of Stella.

It seemed like Stella was interested in Persis. If Persis fell head over heels for Stella and adopted her today instead of next spring…

Do I have to start calling Stella my sister? No, I would still be a boy while I was in Flotina, so should I call her ‘nuna’ (older sister)?

However, Persis, whom I briefly caught sight of, seemed to have no interest in Stella, making my thoughts irrelevant.

It didn’t seem like he was at the stage of falling head over heels yet.

He spoke to Heint, who was sitting in front of him.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been to Flotina, you always come uninvited.”

“Stella wanted to become friends with May, so I agreed to her request as her only uncle.”

Stella wanted to be friends with me?

I opened my eyes wide and looked at Stella, who showed me a smile before fixing her gaze back on Persis.

… Not Persis?

“May, please be good friends with Stella.”

“At the moment when I was about to nod my head and respond with “I understand” to Heint’s request,

Clang-

I accidentally dropped the fork on the floor.

What should I do…!

I felt my whole body stiffen.

How could I drop the fork so loudly? And at a place where I was invited.

Especially in a place where I should avoid any noticeable behavior.

I must have touched Persis’s nerves.

I was so scared that I closed my eyes tightly.

He is a person who can kick me out anytime. Although it may seem like just dropping a fork on others, it could be a reason for me to be kicked out of the orphanage.

His voice flowed into my ears.

“You’re useless.”

Fortunately, it seemed that he didn’t touch his nerves. I opened my eyes relieved, with a tone devoid of any emotion.

Heint kindly reassured me, “It’s okay. It happens. I also drop things sometimes.”

Oh, what a great person. Heint Nazet should have been my father, sobbing.

I started to curse in my mind and then began to cut the steak in front of me.

However, either the knife was not sharp or the meat was not easy to cut.

I struggled to cut the steak even with the new fork and knife the maid brought me, exerting force on my hands and face.

That was when Persis sighed.

“You can’t even cut with a knife, just like that woman.”

After saying that, his arm appeared in my sight.

And then he said he would cut it himself!

I wondered what he had eaten wrong.

Why was he acting like this? Why was he so kind? Could it be that he had taken some kind of drug in the steak he had eaten?

If Heint, who had to endure Persis’s personality because he was his friend since childhood, was the culprit, I could understand the crime.

But I couldn’t figure out why he was cutting my steak anymore.

Because of Stella, who sat in front of me with a cold, frozen face.

My mind went blank at her cold gaze.

Why, why isn’t she happy…? Did I unintentionally offend her?

I hesitated for a few seconds on what to do in this situation, then decided to compliment her again.

I awkwardly spoke to Persis, who finished cutting my steak and was still eating.

“That, Father, lady Stella … Isn’t she really cute?”

Honestly, you can see that she’s lovely?

I can understand that feeling. Even though I haven’t met her in the original work, I can tell that Stella is adorable.

Persis glanced at Stella in response to my words. Stella did not miss the opportunity and made a charming expression.

A slanted look with a hint of wind in both cheeks, as if she was about to say “Ooh?”

That was truly a cute act. If someone else did it, people would think it was cheesy, but Stella’s pouty expression was also adorable.

“…”

Persis saw it, but there was no reaction.

I interpreted his lack of response as just his personality, not the type to compliment something cute that’s already cute.

But Stella seemed to think differently from me, as her expression became bleak. She finally turned her gaze away from Persis and ate her food quietly.

After thinking deeply about something, she finally spoke up.

“Uncle, can I go for a walk with Young Master after dinner?”

“I don’t mind, but ask May. May, can you play with Stella for a bit before we head back?”

It seemed like Stella wanted to get closer to me than I thought. Well, it makes sense, as she will become my family too if she is adopted by Persis.

I smiled brightly at Stella and replied, “Sure.”

After finishing our meal, we left the restaurant and walked down the corridor of the mansion together.

For some reason, Stella’s atmosphere became calmer and quieter than before. Suddenly, she seemed more mature.

As Stella walked quietly, I was about to say something when she spoke up.

“… You’re ten years old? You said that, right? I’m one year older than you, so it’s okay to talk to me. You can talk to me too.”

Her tone and voice were different from before. Something had changed.

“Yeah, sure.”

Stella leaned her face closer to me while walking, and I was startled and took a step back.

At the same time, I was also admiring her.

Wow, she’s really pretty. As expected of the main character.

Her long doll-like eyelashes, eyes with amethyst-like irises, porcelain-like skin, and cherry-like red and plump lips.

Her lips trembled slightly.

“I expected you to be pretty, but you’re really pretty, aren’t you?”

I was momentarily stunned by her words.

“I expected you to be pretty…?”

Why? No, how?

It’s not hard to expect the son of a friend of my uncle to be pretty. If I had expected him to be handsome, it wouldn’t be surprising.

“Your parents are both beautiful, aren’t they?” Stella said as if it didn’t mean anything, making me wonder if I was being overly sensitive.

Well… but…” I began, but it wasn’t that. I wasn’t the one being sensitive.

Stella shrugged and swayed her body back and forth, as if trying to play a mischievous joke.

“Isn’t it hard living as a son?”

For a moment, my heart sank.

Does she know my situation?

I pretended not to know for now.

“What do you mean?”

Stella’s eyes narrowed, and she stopped swaying, staring straight at me.

“Isn’t it hard living as a son when you’re a girl?”

“A girl?”

I tried to act like it wasn’t true, as if it was strange for her to ask such a question. I responded that way, but…

“Don’t pretend, I know you’re a girl,” she said.

I had been pretending all along, but Stella knew the truth.

‘Did Heint tell her…? My dad said he only told Heint…’

As I looked at Stella, who was full of conviction, I could no longer lie.

“Did you hear it from the marquis? He knows that I’m a girl.”

“No, he doesn’t. I read it in a book.”

A book…?

My whole body shuddered.

A book? Could it be the book I’m thinking of right now?

As the title of that book came out of the girl’s mouth in front of me,

“’The Adopted Daughter of Persis.’”

“!”

My blue eyes started shaking uncontrollably.

It was unimaginable. Stella had the same reaction as me.

“I guess you’re right, judging from your reaction. You’re a transmigrator too, huh?”

A transmigrator…