Chapter 30
Youngest Lady in Contract
âOh my.â
Baroness Terran also realized it was a mistake, but it was late.
âOh no, Iâve touched this kidâs wound.â
It was then that Baroness Terran was in a bind. Elisabeth grinned with tearful eyes.
âYes. I said hello to my father and mother every morning when I lived on a farm near Ethen.â
Elisabeth bowed to Baroness Terran and left the drawing room. Baroness Terran was left with a surprised look at the door where Elisabeth had just disappeared.
âI said that on purpose because I didnât want to be in an awkward situation. How can a little child do that?â
I could see why Victoire, my brother who was colder than ice and harder than the wall, called me for Elisabeth.
âIâm glad sheâs comforting Victoire, but Iâm still different. I have to stay away from her and keep her from the center of this family.â
She was sorry towards Elisabeth, but Baroness Terran had no choice.
Dylan frowned at Jeremy standing with a bouquet of flowers.
âWhat is it? Why are you here again?â
âWhatâs with those disdainful eyes? Iâm not here to see you, either. I came to see Elisabeth.â
âWhatâs the hideous flower in your hands?â
âHideous thing, you say! I specially chose this for Elisabeth.â
âGive it to me.â
Dylan reached out his hand. Jeremy quickly backed away.
Dylan tried to come back at him. Even if Jeremy tried with all his might, he couldnât beat Dylan.
Then Jeremy opened his eyes wide and waved at Dylanâs back.
âOh, Elisabeth!â
âDonât even think about cheating me.â
Dylan flung himself at Jeremy.
Jeremy and Dylan are tangled up and down. Jeremy rolled around desperately so as to avoid losing the flowers. But he couldnât beat Dylan.
âRather than being taken away by Dylanâ¦!â
If she canât have it, Iâll destroy it!
Jeremy flung out the flowers.
Roughly blown flowers poured down the floor, scattering petals everywhere in the air.
âAhâ¦..!â
Dylan jumped up from his position when he heard a familiar voice.
Elisabeth had an enraptured look on her face as she watched the petals falling from the sky.
âSee, Iâm right. Itâs really Elisabeth.â
ââ¦..â
Standing among the pink petals fluttering like snow, Elisabeth looked unrealistic.
Dylan looked at the figure blankly. Then Elisabeth looked at Dylan with a happy face.
âIs this an event prepared by two people?â
âWhat?â
âThatâs right, thatâs right!â
Jeremy, who stopped Dylan from answering blankly, urgently shouted.
âItâs so pretty. How did you come up with this? I donât think Dylan seems to be one doing this with Jeremy.â
Dylan was about to deny it right away, but Elisabeth was so happy that he just shut up.
When Jeremy saw it, he tapped Dylan on the back as if he had been surprised, but Dylan pretended not to know.
Instead, he took the petals off Elisabethâs cheek.
âBut whatâs the occasion? Is today my birthday that I didnât know?â
âNo, no. Itâs an event to soothe our Elisabeth, who is suffering because of Baroness Terran.â
Jeremy said. Elisabeth had rabbit-like eyes.
âBaroness Terran? Iâm not suffering at all.â
âUck. Did you hear me wrong? You mean that famous baroness Terran, not Tiran or Terrang?â
âNo, I heard you right. Baroness Terran. Sheâs a very nice person.â
Elisabeth tilted her head as she could not understand.
Dylan frowned his eyebrows.
âElisabeth, you can be honest. My aunt is family, but honestly, sheâs a little bit notâ¦â
âA little bit?â
âShall I say not easy.â
With those words, Elisabethâ¦
âDylanâs not easy, either!â
â¦wanted to say those words but didnât.
âMy auntâs strictness pierces the sky.â
âSheâs strict, but not enough to pierce the sky.â
âIf youâre not being honest because you might get scolded by my auntâ¦â
âNo, Dylan! Baroness Terran is very kind. She doesnât throw away cookies she doesnât like.â
Dylan and Jeremy were astonished by what Elisabeth said in a naive way.
âElisabeth, thatâs a given! Even if you donât like the gift from others, you donât throw it away.â
âWell, if you donât like it, donât you just flip the plate over?â
Elisabeth looked at the two men as if she really didnât know.
âIs your class with aunt not overwhelming?â
Dylan asked.
âItâs adequate. All I did was memorize foreign language codes, read 10 comedies, and write a book report.â
The two men opened their mouths wide.
âAnd she complimented me and said !â
âHey, itâs not just pretty good, thatâs great!â
â? You memorized the foreign language book and even wrote 10 book reviews?â
Elisabeth grinned whether the two men were astonished or not.
âAnyway, Baroness Terran is a very kind lady. She also took out early morning classes for His Graceâs morning visit. Iâm really satisfied.â
Jeremy whispered to Dylan.
âHow did this child really grow up?â
ââ¦..â
âBe sure to succeed. Revenge on the Cabezos.â
Dylan nodded emphatically.
Baroness Terran, whose hair was being groomed, glanced at the door to the drawing room.
âIs there anything uncomfortable?â
As Baroness Terranâs eyes kept turning, the maid followed her and asked anxiously.
Baroness Terran was a person of great mental strength. She was a master who rarely lost her concentration while doing one thing. But today was a bit strange.
âoh,noâ¦â
Baroness Terran said, uncharacteristically embarrassed. The maid sighed with relief as she looked toward the door and soon realized something.
âYoung lady Elisabeth is already there waiting.â
âWho said I was curious about the childâs situation?â
Baroness Terran replied curtly. The maid tilted her head.
âYou seem to care about Elisabeth?â
Before heading out to the drawing room after finishing her hair, Baroness Terran took some carefully selected books last night.
Baroness Terran pretended not to know, but she was actually excited since last night.
âThat child, Elisabeth, does everything sheâs asked. In a detestable way.â
To be honest, Elisabeth was a fun student to teach.
At first, she gave a tricky assignment with the intention of making trouble, but Baroness Terranâs heart melted at the sight of her staying up all night.
âThatâs not what I like about her. I mean, I really thought about it. Well, thatâs why Iâm here, so Iâm not weak.â
Baroness Terran tried hard to deny her feelings, but she was waiting for time with Elisabeth.
Now, she has come to the stage where she doesnât even know what to teach this child in the future. Of course she didnât realize it, and even if she did, she would deny it desperately.
Baroness Terran opened the door with a book.
âBaroness, did you have a good time last night?â
At her appearance, Elisabeth sprang up from her seat and greeted with a smile. It looked like a dog was tailing a person they liked.
âYes.â
Baroness Terran answered deliberately more bluntly. But Elisabeth did not give in.
âThe moonlight would have lit Baronessâs room all night. I prayed to the moon to do so.â
Elisabeth always smiled brightly when she saw Baroness Terran, even though she had harsh classes every day.
âDonât tell me this child likes me?â
Baroness Terran, who had thought of it hardly, soon became serious.
âIt canât be. Iâve never been nice to you. Itâs just that this kid is unique. Sheâs more affectionate than Dylan or Damon, whom Iâve raised since they were a kid.â
Baroness Terran grumbled for no reason, calming the tail of her mouth that was rising unknowingly.
âYouâve done another useless thing. Read another book at that time.â
âYesâ¦â
Elisabeth sat down in a depressed state.
âIf I do that again, sheâll feel uncomfortable.â
Baroness Terran couldnât take her eyes off the disappointed Elisabeth.
âBut somehow the moon was bright last night.â
In the end, she did what she hadnât done.
âThis, so stupid!â
Baroness Terran regretted it immediately. But when Elisabeth immediately raised her head, blushed and was happy, the regret vanished like dust.
âToday, I will continue to study the history of costumes following yesterday.â
âYes, Baroness. Iâll try my best.â
âDo you know why you should learn about the history of costumes first?â
Clothes, especially expensive ones, were not just to show off luxury and pleasure.
âBecause people donât just talk. Because people speak with facial expressions, body language, and clothes theyâre wearing.â
âYou know very well.â
âYes, so you can wear the right clothes at the right time and place by knowing the meaning of each garment or accessory.â
âThen what did you feel in yesterdayâs class?â
Elisabeth stood up as if she had waited.
When Baroness Terran looked at Elisabeth with her question, she was surprised.
A light blue dress rich in skirt lace and a heart-shaped flower corsage on its waist.
âA sky blue dress rich in lace. That dress became famous 50 years ago when Princess Ares visited the Emperor for the first time. Since then, when a young girl goes to meet someone important, she wears a dress like that.â
Corsage, a flower resembling a heart, was an imitation of a flower called Bleeding Heart. Women used to express their intentions with waist ornaments at banquets.
âBleeding heart has the meaning .â
Baroness Terran was amazed by Elisabethâs tact in applying what she had learned immediately.
âSheâs coming to meet someone important and saying, ⦠is that for me?â
Instead of answering, Elisabeth was gazing at Baroness Terran.
âI hate to admit it, but Iâm a little flattered.â
Baroness Terran pressed down on her smile as it was coming out and said strictly.
âTodayâs lesson canât be compared to yesterdayâs. Youâll have to be prepared.â
It rained from dawn.
Elisabeth hung from the window of Victoireâs office and looked out in the dark.
âYour Grace, are you coming back late again today?â
Victoire, who was signing the papers, looked at Elisabethâs little back. The cute back hanging from the window made him laugh.
âIs there something in the evening?â
âNo. The weather is so bad. Iâm afraid youâll get hurt coming back late at night.â
âThereâs no such thing. Donât worry, a magic stone will light the way.â
Elisabeth turned around and approached Victoire.
âThen Iâll go outside today and see you off.â
There was no reason not to grant the girlâs offer. But one thing caught his mind.
âYouâre not going to the study today?â
âIâm 12 years old too, so I can go to the study alone.â
âDonât you like it when I walk you?â
Victoireâs logic suddenly jumped to the next world.