Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 302

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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When I first brought Lia to the Grand Duke’s Castle, the Grand Duchess had simply assumed our daughter would quickly grow accustomed to receiving the family’s affection.
She was so indulgent that I worried her temperament might spoil.
Knowing my husband’s nature—that he always repaid affection several times over—I understood Lia would never become a spoiled child, yet I’d sometimes entertained such fanciful imaginings.
Particularly since I’d had a younger sister with a notoriously vicious disposition since childhood, I’d firmly resolved that if any signs of such behavior appeared, though it would pain my heart, I would discipline her firmly.
But now, looking at the situation…
‘It would be better if she grew up selfishly, like Regina.’
I never imagined I’d think such a thing, but the Grand Duchess was sincere.
Watching my daughter—precious beyond measure, down to every strand of hair and every breath—treat herself with such callous harshness for the sake of her family left me utterly heartbroken.
Of course, judging by her expression now, she seems to have realized her mistake…
The Grand Duchess wanted to remind Lia once more that she was a child whose very existence was noble and precious.
So she quickly nudged her husband’s ribs.
“You agree, don’t you, Your Highness?”
Only then did the Grand Duke, who had been wearing a stern expression as he realized Lia’s words about eating and sleeping little were no jest, flinch slightly.
He spoke seriously.
“Adriana. When I said I was proud of you for growing up so healthily, I meant every word.”
Lia hesitated for a moment before carefully opening her mouth.
“But… you said you were sad that I’m growing up too quickly.”
“That’s true. I do feel sad that you’re growing so fast. But more than that—the fact that I get to see you grow like this makes me so much! So much happier.”
At those words, Lia’s heart, which had been heavy with self-reproach for speaking foolishly, lifted considerably.
Perhaps because of that, whereas normally such direct expressions of affection would have made her too embarrassed to speak and she’d only nod, now she strangely felt like pouting.
“…Even if I grew as tall as the trees in the Back Garden by tomorrow?”
Of course, the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted asking such a childish question!
She’d been so taken aback by Askart’s remark, yet here she was saying the exact same thing.
Just as Lia, so embarrassed that her cheeks and ears had turned crimson, was about to take back her words—
“Of course!”
The Grand Duke answered with such joy, his face beaming with delight.
The Grand Duchess and Askart also gazed at Lia’s question with fond amusement, their eyes crinkling.
The Grand Duke, chuckling softly, gently stroked Lia’s hair and spoke in an affectionate voice.
“Adriana, no matter what you look like, it’s all fine with me. Even if you grew into an adult by tomorrow.”
“…!”
Unable to resist Raezl’s persuasion, Lia hadn’t told her family about her regression.
Yet she’d been concerned about possessing a mental age that differed from her outward appearance, and hearing the Grand Duke’s words brought her immense comfort.
Of course, the fear remained that once her family learned the truth, they might find her repulsive.
Moreover, skipping meals and tossing through sleepless nights had been as routine as breathing for Lia in her previous life.
For her family’s sake, Lia resolved once more that she must never tell them she had died once and was now living a new life.
The Grand Duke, unaware of what thoughts occupied his daughter’s small head, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if savoring his own words.
“Now that I think about it, I’m really curious what our daughter will look like as an adult.”
While Lia’s eyes resembled the Grand Duke’s, overall she was the spitting image of the Grand Duchess, so imagining her grown form wasn’t particularly difficult.
But because his wife and daughter were clearly distinct to him, the thought of what Lia would look like grown already made his nose sting with emotion.
“How beautiful she’ll be, our daughter…”
Seeing this, the Grand Duchess let out a hollow laugh.
“Just moments ago, you were worried she’d grow too quickly, and now you want to see her all grown up?”
As the Grand Duchess teased him about his greed and fickleness, the Grand Duke blushed but admitted it.
“But it’s all sincere. If I’m being honest, I’m more curious about her childhood that I missed than the future I’ll see….”
In truth, the reason the future held relatively little curiosity was because he was already worried about it.
His daughter would certainly grow into a beautiful woman, so it was inevitable that men with dark intentions would circle around her.
Among them, there might even be someone as persistent as the Emperor.
The Grand Duke, unable to even imagine that the Demon’s claws—far more vicious than anything comparable to the Emperor—had already reached toward his daughter, spoke in a light voice as if to change the mood.
“Our daughter is so adorable even now, so when she was younger, she must have been truly so charming and lovely that the world would be amazed! Come to think of it, why is magic that changes appearance commercialized as magical tools, but magic that adjusts one’s physical age…. Huh?”
And as he continued speaking, he stopped with an expression of realizing a very important and tremendous fact he’d been overlooking all this time.
The Grand Duke’s eyelids blinked rapidly, and his eyes shone with a strange light.
Lia didn’t understand the meaning of that expression and gaze.
For the past two years, aside from his duties governing the Grand Duchy and managing the Magic Tower, the Grand Duke had poured all his time into his family.
But the Grand Duchess and Askart recognized it immediately.
It was the look in the Grand Duke’s eyes when he became obsessed with magical research!
He’d had that same look when he’d formulated the hypothesis for mana-tracking magic to find Adriana back then.
As expected, the Grand Duke apologized with a deeply sorry and urgent expression, then rushed to his private research laboratory for the first time in ages.
* * *
Three months and ten days passed.
During that time, aside from recording Lia’s growth and sharing meals together, Grand Duke Bellus devoted himself to research, even cutting back on sleep.
After completing countless safety tests since it would be used directly on his daughter.
“Done, it’s done!”
He finally succeeded in creating a magical potion that could adjust one’s physical age.
“Father, happy birthday!”
“Happy birthday, Papa!”
“Your Majesty, thank you for being born.”
By coincidence, that day was the Grand Duke’s birthday.
Lia and her family greeted the Grand Duke, who emerged for breakfast, with a surprise party.
“Father, I made the batter and baked it! Mother and Lia decorated the top!”
Seeing the cake made by his family, the Grand Duke—despite being someone who’d gone sleepless for days—showed not a trace of exhaustion, his face radiant as he grew tearful.
“Thank you. And thank you so much, my dear.”
Had he not met his wife, he would never have known such happiness.
The Grand Duke, offering his thanks in a choked voice, cut the cake with his family, shared the gifts he’d prepared separately, and spent the most joyful birthday he’d ever experienced.
And as the party was coming to an end.
“Adriana, would you like to try the magical potion Father made?”
Unable to contain himself any longer, the Grand Duke spoke to Lia.
“A magical potion?”
“Father, did you succeed?”
Lia and Askart, who’d thought he’d simply come out of the research laboratory to have breakfast with the family as usual, were taken aback.
Of course, the Grand Duchess had already noticed from the Grand Duke’s subtly confident demeanor compared to yesterday, but she was deliberately enjoying her husband’s eager reaction.
Unaware of this, the Grand Duke smiled shyly and spoke.
“Well, those are the experimental results.”
The potion’s efficacy lasts approximately one week, and the only side effect is an increased need for sleep compared to usual.
After hearing a brief explanation from the Grand Duke, Lia found herself wearing an expression of blank astonishment.
She never imagined he could actually create a magical potion that reverses age, let alone succeed in such a short span of time.
‘My body is already far too young compared to my mental age, and there are times I’m embarrassed by it. And now I’m supposed to become even younger?’
The sheer helplessness of merely imagining it washed over her.
Yet Lia could not turn away from the Grand Duke’s eyes, brimming with such eager anticipation.
Even if today were her own birthday, she wouldn’t have been able to refuse—and refusing a magical potion he had so carefully crafted on his own birthday was simply impossible.
She understood the hearts of her family members who desperately wished to see her in her childhood form.
Deciding to view this as finally fulfilling her filial duties all at once, Lia steeled her resolve, squeezed her eyes shut, and extended her hand.
“Please, Father.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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