Chapter 40.1

Even though I knew that I would be afraid and intimidated if the knights were around me anyway, I couldn’t help but feel regret.

At that time, Cecilia, who was still listening to me, leaned toward me.

“Yes, I told him. His Highness was a little sad but said he would understand.”

“I see.”

“Instead, he decided to think about individual knights eventually, and for the time being, he said he would place knights in different places in the Grand Duke’s house.”

“Huh?”

“Then, it’ll be okay, right?”

Listening to Cecilia, my mouth opened for a moment.

What did it mean by placing knights everywhere? It wasn’t that I had been here for a long time, but I’ve never had knights guarding somewhere.

Rather, I’ve seen many servants and maids, but I have only seen a few knights.

‘That’s because… the knights are guarding the forest since it’s filled with monsters, just like what my dad said.’

Of course, I thought so…

‘Was it because of me that the knights were guarding these places?’

At that moment, something in my heart pounded.

Before I could answer, Cecilia spoke in a friendly voice, perhaps because she felt the change in my emotions at once.

“His Highness will do his best for the sake of My Lady.”

“… It’s weird.

“What?”

“Because you’re so nice to me.””

“Is that so? But isn’t there a reason why they’re so nice to you?”

And then I realized something. Yeah, he couldn’t just be nice to me. He’s definitely being nice to me because he needed me.

‘I’m sure it’s because he was sorry for this.’

After thinking about such things, my overwhelming heart calmed down to some extent.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“So you don’t have to feel too much pressure.”

“Oh! I don’t feel pressured. Daddy has to do that for me.”

“I really like how you look.”

“What…! I didn’t say I liked Cecilia!”

After my temper rose from feeling a bit shy, Cecilia grinned and put a large hair clip on my head.

“You’re already so pretty that putting this hair clip on is just enough.”

The large, sky blue ribbon swayed left and right whenever I shook my head from side to side.

“Pretty!”

“I made it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It bothered me that My Lady didn’t have any accessories… so I made it myself… Do you like it?”

When my mother was not sick, I would sometimes make these things for her. However, since we had nothing, all we had to do was make ribbons out of dull curtains or cloth from shabby clothes.

Even the Emperor and the knights often took away the ribbon after swearing at me, saying that I live very comfortably in this world.

“Yes! I love it!”

So it was even better now. I thought I wouldn’t be able to wear a ribbon again. I raised my hand and slowly stroked the ribbon.

“Pretty…”

“That’s a relief. I’ll buy a proper ribbon next time.”

Cecilia, who looked a little lonely, stroked my hair for a long time.

“If I knew you would like it this much, I should’ve made it before.”

“Cecilia.”

“What?”

“Thank you. Present!”

Cecilia’s face, seen beyond the dressing table mirror, hardened little by little by little.

I wondered if she didn’t want me to say thank you, but she looked overwhelmed.

“My Lady… I didn’t know you’d say thank you… It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s the most precious thing to me! I want it to be treasure number three!”

Allen, who was originally ranked third, should be ranked fourth. Oh, but I like Cecilia too. Then I’d have to put Cecilia and Allen in the same rank.

“I’ll… I’ll work harder to serve you, My Lady.”

“Let’s continue to take care of each other.”

“Yes!”

I jumped off my seat and headed to the table in the living room.

“Then let’s eat and go.”

“I’ll prepare for it.”

I wanted to run to the drawing room and see the clothes right away, but I couldn’t starve. Because of that, I sat at the table and rolled my feet until the food arrived.

And finally, silver utensils were placed one by one in front of me.

“Hurry up and eat.”

“You know, I don’t know if I’m mistaken, but the meal seems to come out better since I visited the kitchen that day. Of course, it was good before that.”

“Yes! I heard they were paying more attention to My Lady’s meal. Some of them have been giving better ingredients to My Lady since they’re saying that My Lady seems thinner than Lady Harris. Well…”

“Really?”

“Yes. So tell me what was delicious and what was lacking.”

“Yes! I’m sure of that!”

However, the more I ate food in front of me, the more I lost myself.