Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 36

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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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“By the way, about your cleaning….”
Just then, one of the maidservants aggressively poked her finger into the window frame I’d just finished cleaning, then her words faltered.
It seemed she’d been looking for fault to criticize me over, but there wasn’t a speck of dust on her finger.
I’d been doing cleaning work at the Orphanage for years—this level of work was nothing.
Unable to find any flaw, the maidservants exchanged bewildered glances before speaking.
“There’s a mountain of laundry piled up in the quarters, so go handle that if you can.”
“Yes.”
Once again, I nodded without complaint and turned to leave.
* * *
“Lia? Ah… are you referring to that young lady’s attendant?”
The maidservant who had been treating me kindly until moments ago dropped her smile and asked.
Jack nodded, sensing something odd about the question.
“Why are you looking for that girl?”
“…Do I need to explain that?”
“No, that’s not it.”
At Jack’s curt response, the maidservant laughed awkwardly and spoke.
“That girl should be at the Laundry Area by now.”
“The Laundry Area….”
“Shall I show you the way?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jack turned away. For some reason, the way she was looking at me felt unpleasant.
Jack, who had arrived in the Capital City not long ago and entered the Duke’s Mansion in his apprentice knight uniform, had begun noticing peculiar gazes directed at him from the moment he crossed the threshold.
Though Jack didn’t know it, Taize Seidian—whom Duke Elrad had personally appointed and granted a knight’s title—was far more renowned than he realized.
So much so that Sid Valery, who had followed the elite path and already risen to the rank of Vice-Captain, viewed him with wariness.
And Jack was the apprentice knight whom Taize had personally taken as his disciple.
In truth, there was no better opportunity for a commoner to gain a title and rise to a high social position than by becoming a knight.
Since Jack had been selected for the Lexion Knights, his future was essentially guaranteed.
Moreover, after entering the Duke’s Estate, Jack had grown visibly day by day thanks to good food and training, becoming so robust that he appeared several years older than his actual age.
It was only natural that the maidservants, estimating Jack’s age and seeing his handsome features, couldn’t hide their excitement.
When Jack appeared at the Laundry Area where the maidservants came and went, attention instantly converged on him, and the atmosphere grew restless.
Lia, sensing the strange mood, turned her head.
“Oh, Jack?”
“Lia.”
“What brings you here?”
Lia, who had been about to jump up in delight, froze.
The maidservants at the Laundry Area were staring at the two of them in surprise.
Just like Lia, few knew the details of how Jack had come to the Elrad Duchy, so they were curious about the seemingly familiar relationship between the two.
“What brings me here? Is that all you have to say?”
“Huh?”
“It’s been several days since I arrived in the Capital City. You didn’t hear that I’d come?”
Noting the slight disappointment in Jack’s tone, Lia laughed awkwardly.
She’d naturally known he’d come, but she hadn’t planned to meet with him separately.
Given his personality, she’d assumed he wouldn’t care at all—she never expected him to seek her out feeling hurt like this.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been rather busy.”
“It seems that way. Allen mentioned he hasn’t seen you much lately either.”
While Diana and Allen had often shared meals before, Allen too had grown occupied since arriving in the Capital City—juggling sword training alongside various social engagements and studies, making it difficult to find time together.
Lia nodded and glanced subtly around her surroundings.
The maidservants who admired the Lexion Knights, the pride of House Elrad, were still stealing glances in her direction.
Among them were some who showed particular interest in Jack.
Knowing how much of a sensation Jack had become among the maidservants in just days since arriving at the Duke’s Mansion, Lia instinctively lowered her voice.
“Anyway, I’m glad to see you, Jack. But I’m rather busy at the moment….”
Jack’s eyes narrowed slightly, catching the hint that she wanted him to leave.
His gaze drifted to the laundry she’d been wringing out.
Seeing the pile of clothes stacked higher than Lia herself, Jack’s expression darkened involuntarily.
“You’re doing all of this alone? Weren’t you supposed to be attending to a young lady?”
“Ah… I do this when I have spare time. I’m not constantly by the young lady’s side here.”
“Would you like help?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“But still….”
Jack was about to insist again when Lia gave her firm refusal.
“Lia, it’s time for the young lady’s meal. She’s looking for you—hurry!”
A maidservant who’d come from the Main Building to find Lia called out urgently.
Lia looked troubled, glancing between Jack and the unfinished laundry.
“Here, Lia… I’ll finish this, so go ahead.”
At that moment, another maidservant approached with a shy voice.
“We should help each other. The young lady will be waiting, so hurry along.”
Urged on by the maidservant, Lia awkwardly replied, “Yes, thank you,” and said goodbye to Jack.
“See you next time, Jack!”
Jack stood dazed, watching Lia’s retreating figure without turning back even once.
Then the maidservant who’d offered to take over Lia’s laundry spoke to him.
“Excuse me, sir knight?”
“… I’m not yet a formal knight.”
“An apprentice knight is still a knight.”
“… What is it?”
“Well, if you’re not too busy, I was wondering if you might help me move these clothes. They seem far too heavy for me to carry alone.”
The maidservant looked up at Jack with an affected, delicate expression.
Jack gazed coldly at the maidservant and the pile of laundry.
“Lia is younger and smaller than you, yet she manages alone—surely you’re capable of doing the same.”
* * *
As I rushed toward the Main Building, leaving Jack behind, I found myself wondering about the age of that maidservant who’d offered to take over my laundry.
Could he be around fifteen?
It was clear the maids didn’t know Jack’s true age.
Then again, even I—who’d grown up alongside him—was startled each time I saw Jack shoot up like a beansprout, so it was only natural they’d assumed he was their contemporary. They’d be shocked when they eventually learned he was the same age as Allen.
“Still, he’s quite popular already.”
A handsome boy with a promising future was certainly enough to set adolescent girls’ hearts aflutter.
Considering how he’d later captivate not just the maids but noble ladies and aristocratic wives as well, there was little reason to be surprised.
What was truly remarkable, though—
“Jack’s a complete romantic idealist, isn’t he!”
A laugh escaped me despite my embarrassment, so I clenched my fists and covered my mouth.
In truth, the Information Guild’s most generous clients were the aristocratic wives.
Whether they sought evidence of their husbands’ infidelity or wished to investigate potential suitors for their daughters, most of these requests involved relatively safe surveillance missions—easy to escape from if needed—so I’d taken them frequently. There were quite a few requests asking me to investigate Jack.
Of course, even if we weren’t particularly close, investigating someone I knew felt uncomfortable, so I’d never accepted a job involving Jack.
Regardless, I was aware that he consistently ranked among the most desirable marriage prospects.
His reputation was exceptionally good.
Unlike Allen, who occasionally enjoyed dates with noble ladies, Jack had no scandals whatsoever—not a single woman he was known to be close to.
That is, before he swore the Knight’s Oath to Diana.
Once in a lifetime. The Knight’s Oath—where one pledges to dedicate their life to protecting someone—was originally said to be a vow of loyalty to one’s liege, but nowadays it had become a declaration of love to a lover or wife.
And one day, Jack suddenly made a bombshell declaration, swearing the Knight’s Oath to Diana, shocking the many women who’d set their sights on him.
Well, anyone with eyes couldn’t possibly harbor feelings for other women when our beautiful Diana existed.
“Mm-hmm, good. Very admirable. Quite romantic, actually.”
“Who is?”
Eek! I froze at the sudden voice.
I quickly covered my mouth with my hand and turned my head—this time for an entirely different reason—only to find Allen standing there with a crooked expression.
“Y-Young Master?”
“Who’s romantic?”
“Oh… nothing. I was just repeating something I heard from the other maids.”
As I fumbled through the excuse, Allen raised his eyebrows.
I quickly changed the subject and asked.
“By the way, Young Master, it seems your training ended early today. Are you about to have dinner with Miss Diana?”
We happened to have met in front of the Dining Room.
But at this innocent question, Allen startled visibly and whipped his head around.
“W-Well! I finished early so I could eat with Diana, not because I wanted to see you, obviously!”
“…”
“Really! Diana’s been so busy studying lately that I haven’t had a chance to see her, so that’s why! Don’t get the wrong idea!”
Why was he insisting on something so obvious with such vehemence?
I watched Allen bouncing about in bewilderment.
“I’m not misunderstanding anything. Anyway, you should hurry inside. Miss Diana must be waiting.”
“W-Well, whatever.”
Allen pouted his lips.
The way his gaze shifted to the side suggested he was sulking. I had no idea why he was acting this way.
“Sister!”
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, Diana spotted me and immediately climbed down from her chair to embrace me.
‘Her pronunciation has improved so much lately.’
Watching the child grow by leaps and bounds, I hugged her back, and something warm and soft seemed to fill the hollow space in my chest.
“Young Miss, it is improper etiquette to rise so abruptly from the table during mealtime.”
The Head Maidservant standing to one side spoke with rigid formality.
Allen immediately frowned in disapproval.
“We haven’t even started eating yet. What’s the harm?”
Allen, you’re the best!
Unable to show my approval outwardly, I applauded silently in my heart as I sat down beside Diana.
“Young Miss, what did you learn today?”
Before I could even finish speaking, Diana scrambled back down from the chair she’d just settled into.
“I learned how to greet! Look, look!”
“Yes?”
“Hello. I am Diana of House Elrad!”
The tiny child lifted the hem of her dress, bent her knees, and performed a curtsy.
The sight was so adorable that I had to clap my hand over my mouth to stifle an involuntary squeal.
“Sniff… our Diana is already growing up so fast.”
Allen, sitting across from me, was getting emotional.
I understood his sentiment well enough, but I was grateful he’d kept quiet about it—seeing him like this was rather pathetic, after all.
“And what else? What else did you learn?”
“Letters! I learned letters, and I drew pictures too!”
“Pictures?”
“Yes!”

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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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