Chapter 15.1

‘Let’s not be greedy.’

I grabbed the rest of the flower tightly again. My life has always been like this anyway. If I try to be greedy, I always lose everything. I just wanted to live happily with my mom, but everything in my life was often taken away.

“I don’t care if it’s just this much.”

After going out today, the best thing I could do was to bring a whole flower to my mother.

Then, Cecilia, who stood up straight as if she had something to say, slowly opened her mouth.

“Now I’m going to tell you all there is about the members of this family. First of all, this place consists of the Grand Duke and four children. Oh, it must be five now that you’re in.”

“Five?”

I stretched out five fingers.

“Yes, there are five of you: Lady Astor, who turned sixteen this year, eight-year-old twins Lexit and Allen, and a five-year-old Lady Harris.”

“And then there’s me. I’m five years old.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard your name yet.”

“Bebe…”

“It’s Bebeshi.”

Only her head nodded loudly.

For some reason, the way she looked at me only made me wince in shame. I was mumbling because of it, but I changed the topic all of a sudden.

“But I don’t think I’ve seen anyone named Astor. Who’s that person?”

“She’s the first of the great family. She’s the next head and heir to the Grand Duchy.”

“Ah… but you said she was a woman.”

“Yes, as I said so, My Lady.”

“Can a woman be an heir here?”

“Of course, Your Highness is a man who puts strength before anyone else. In that respect, Lady Astor is stronger than anyone else.”

I felt overwhelmed at that moment. I couldn’t believe a woman could be a successor and strong enough to be the heir.

I didn’t intend to become the successor of this place, but just hearing those words made my heart pound. How strong was she? The Grand Duke was also strong, but how strong was she?

Cecilia continued to talk, raising the corners of her mouth slightly.

“Lady Astor is the top entrant to the academy, and she has never missed a senior position. From swordsmanship to magic to being clever; she is that perfect.”

“I see…! But why did you…”

“You can call me Sister.”

“Oh, yeah. Why are those ugly twins eight years old when she’s sixteen?”

It was just out of pure curiosity, but Cecilia’s face turned dark momentarily. I was also worried that I might have asked something I shouldn’t have asked.

“I’ll tell you the story in my room.”

“Oh, okay.”

It’s not that we haven’t, but we happened to arrive in front of the room.

But now that I came here, the pattern of her visit became a little different. There were usually no patterns on the numerous rooms we passed by, but the room in front of us had a dragon with a knife, known as the mythical animal.

“Why is the door different?’

But without a moment’s notice, the door was opened.

“Let’s go in.”

“Okay!”

Fortunately, no one came into the room while we were inside. I thought someone would come in, slightly touch my mother and electrocute their whole body. However, I do regret that the number of people who antagonize us might decrease a little.

Cecilia, who followed, locked the door tightly, and I put the withered flowers beside my mother’s pillow.

“Mom, the garden is so beautiful. Next time… please wake up and let’s go to the garden together!”

There was no answer, but I even felt that my mother’s face had a smile on it today.

While I was talking to my mother for a while, Cecilia brought a chair by the bed.

That natural act made me jump in there.

Then she started talking again.

“So let me finish what I was talking about. There is only one woman that the Grand Duke had ever loved. That was Ellinson Eivelant. Grand Duchess Ellinson became ill after giving birth to Lady Astor. So it took eight more years for her to give birth to the twins.”

“I see.”

It wasn’t an interesting story, but it was a story I have asked, and at least every single one of Cecilia’s words had engraved in my ears, feeling that it was part of the common knowledge I needed to know for me to live here.