Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 44

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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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Hearing a name I never expected, my body went rigid and my heart began racing wildly.
As I froze in place, the sound of footsteps drew closer.
“Hmm? They don’t look alike at all.”
The red-haired boy spoke.
“Lucio, could this be your younger sibling? They look quite small and young. And the clothes….”
He gazed down at my dress—far too fine in quality for a maid to wear—then tilted his head in confusion upon seeing the apron tied around my waist.
It was then that an indifferent voice came from behind.
“My younger sibling has the same silver hair as I do.”
The boy nodded at this and asked me directly.
“Then who are you?”
I stood frozen, my breath caught, biting the soft flesh inside my mouth.
I wanted to answer quickly, but my mind had gone blank and my lips refused to move.
Just as I was barely managing to part my lips—
“An unfamiliar face.”
Exactly as in the moment of my death, he stood before me.
I gazed up at Lucio in a daze.
Silver hair that gleamed so brightly it stung the eyes, and between those strands, cool blue eyes that seemed to pierce through everything.
Though his expression was cold—as if breath had been breathed into an ice sculpture—his features were so exquisitely beautiful that merely looking at him was enough to captivate.
Yet his face was far younger than I remembered it.
“Is this a child Mother brought home?” Lucio asked me.
But I could not answer.
At that moment, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“But why are you trembling like that?”
In that instant, I was pulled backward into the past.
* * *
“Lia, did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“That scary person from back then.”
The El… whatever the Duke’s name was.
Emily frowned as if she couldn’t quite remember.
I asked quietly.
“…Duke Elrad?”
“Yes, that’s it! That scary Duke.”
“What about him?”
“His son apparently attends the Academy here.”
“So he’s the older brother of that crybaby?”
At Emily’s words, the other children from the Orphanage who were nearby began joining the conversation one by one.
“Don’t call her a crybaby. We were told to call her a young lady.”
“Pfft. We’re never going to see her again anyway, so what does it matter?”
“Jack’s lucky. He must be eating well and living comfortably now that he’s caught that person’s favor.”
At the children’s envious words, I turned my head blankly.
From the mountain where the Orphanage stood to the village, and then from the village to the Capital City.
Over the course of several months, we wandered through various places before settling here, in the Soiten District where the Gifted Institute and Academy were located.
True to its nature as a place where the Empire’s future leaders resided, the streets were immaculate, devoid of unsavory adults, and most importantly, ideal for begging.
Perhaps because the students, despite their youth, wished to play the role of benevolent and dignified nobles, they occasionally gave us substantial sums of money.
‘Of course, there were also plenty of nasty children who despised us and tormented us.’
In any case, there was a park near the Academy, and within it a water fountain where I could fill my hungry belly with water, and the surrounding area was lined with restaurants where rummaging through trash bins yielded discarded food worth the effort.
‘There were guards, but as long as we avoided their sight, it was an ideal place to live.’
…or so we believed.
I would have preferred to be caught by the guards, end my vagrant life, and enter any ordinary Orphanage instead.
My younger self and the children, ignorant and naive as we were, felt a terror that those people might kill us if we were captured by them.
This fear was partly due to our believing the words of the gang members who had taken us in.
〈Anyway, you know that Duke’s son? What was his name again? Lu… Ah! Lucio Elrad, that’s what they called him.〉
That was when Emily clapped her hands and spoke.
Lucio Elrad.
I whispered that name to myself once. No, several times.
But I had no way of knowing. That I would come to meet that person.
* * *
〈Lu… cio…? Hmm.〉
As I traced letters on the ground with a twig, I scratched my matted hair.
〈I thought it would be easy, but it’s difficult.〉
Having lived without even knowing the existence of written characters, I only learned that letters existed after leaving the Orphanage.
But whether in the Orphanage or on the streets, there was no one to teach me.
Still, the world had signs.
I was gradually matching the words spoken by people’s mouths with the letters I saw.
〈I was glad my own name was easy.〉
Of course, there was no one to verify whether what I had written was accurate, but in any case, I was satisfied that I could write my own name.
And with gaps full of holes, I learned letters while pondering the names of the Orphanage children. Then, suddenly, I wanted to write Lucio’s name.
The reason was simple. It seemed like it would be easy.
But I could only write “Lu”.
〈Lucio. Lucio Elrad.〉
Disappointed by the characters being more difficult than expected, I muttered that name over and over again for no reason.
It was something I would come to regret.
Why, of all days, did I keep calling out that name like that?
〈Who are you?〉
Startled by a voice suddenly coming from behind, I turned around and immediately met a pair of blue eyes.
In that instant, every hair on my body stood on end, and the world spun before my eyes.
That terrifying person I had seen at the Orphanage!
〈You keep calling my name.〉
…No, it was his son, Lucio.
In that instant, seeing his resemblance to Duke Elrad was enough for me to recognize him immediately.
Lucio took a step closer to me.
‘Oh no. He must be angry that a mere servant like me dared to call him by name without permission.’
There were noble children who would rage at the mere sight of someone like me, claiming their eyes had been defiled.
And worse, he was the son of that terrifying Duke Elrad—just thinking of him made my heart clench with dread.
I froze in place, unable to utter a single word.
The boy’s indifferent, languid expression slowly twisted into a frown.
He asked again, regarding me with what seemed like bewilderment.
〈Why are you trembling like that?〉
* * *
“Lucio, is it possible this child… can’t hear?”
The one who yanked me from my spiraling thoughts back to reality was a red-haired boy.
I hastily lowered my head and spoke.
“No, no, Your Highness. I was simply startled and behaved rudely. I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me.”
Though Lucio was also a high noble I could scarcely look upon directly, the person beside him was someone I found even more daunting to address—so I offered my apologies with utmost deference.
I worried he might think House Elrad had failed to properly educate its servants because of me.
‘Perhaps he’s already found fault with my appearance.’
“But who are you, exactly? I’ve never heard of another young lady in House Elrad besides the youngest daughter.”
He seemed to assume I was one of the daughters from a vassal family that the Duke had brought to the Capital City.
“You’re mistaken, Your Highness. I’m a maid employed by House Elrad.”
“A maid? But then why…”
Doubt flickered across his face as he scrutinized me from head to toe.
It was then that Lucio suddenly stepped between us and spoke.
“Your Majesty, I find myself in poor spirits when you interrogate someone under my roof in such a manner.”
“What?”
The boy addressed as Your Majesty—Nicholas Lakshten—let out a hollow laugh.
“What did I do? I was merely curious about having such a young maid. That’s all.”
“You’ll find similar servants at the Imperial Palace if you look carefully enough.”
“You really don’t give an inch, do you?”
I stood uncomfortably between Lucio, the eldest son of Duke Elrad, and Nicholas Lakshten, the Empire’s Crown Prince.
Given their stations, I couldn’t simply excuse myself, yet it felt equally awkward to merely stand and listen to their exchange.
That was when it happened.
“Have we met before?”
“…Pardon?”
Lucio’s question startled me, and my expression betrayed my shock.
Unable to answer, I stood frozen until Nicholas suddenly spoke with a sly grin.
“Lucio. Didn’t you just say you’d never seen her before? Are you making a move on her now? So your taste runs this young!”
Nicholas laughed as though Lucio were some depraved pervert engaging in crude seduction, while Lucio regarded him with utter disdain. I alone stood caught in the middle, mortified.
“Brother!”
At that unexpected, welcome voice, I turned to see Allen rushing out from the Main Building, holding Diana’s hand.
“Why did you arrive so late? Do you have any idea how long Diana and I have been in the Capital City?”
“The exam period was unavoidable. But I came as soon as it ended.”
“Really? So you’re staying the night?”
“I plan to stay for a while.”
“Wow!”
Allen raised both hands in delight.
This was the first time I’d seen him express joy so brightly.
‘He’s quite different when he’s with Diana. He really does seem like a little brother.’
After all, Lucio was six years older than the eleven-year-old Allen, making him quite the senior sibling.
Just then, Nicholas clicked his tongue and spoke.
“My, what a touching reunion between brothers. And here I thought I was forgotten.”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth, Your Highness. I hope you’ve been well?”
Allen greeted him warmly, but Nicholas maintained a sullen expression as he replied.
“Spare me the formalities. I came here to see that notorious youngest princess anyway.”
As he turned his head, his eyes widened.
Diana, who had arrived with Allen, clung to me without sparing a glance for her older brother whom she hadn’t seen in ages.
“Oh, Lia! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You were here the whole time?”
Unlike the startled Nicholas, Allen seemed accustomed to this sight and spoke to me with a gentle smile.
“It’s been a while since you wore that outfit. Are you playing dolls with Diana?”
Before he could finish, Diana’s eyes sparkled, and I nodded with a smile.
“Ah, I see. So you’re the princess’s playmate maid.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as the prince accepted the explanation without further questions.
“By the way, brother, what about Askart? Didn’t he come with you?”
“Askart said he was tired and returned to the dormitory.”
“Aw, I wanted to show Diana to him. He’s never even seen her before.”
As Allen’s face fell, Nicholas, who had been listening, laughed and spoke.
“Ha ha. Young Lord Allen, if you keep boasting about your little sister to the Grand Duke, he’ll grow to dislike you.”

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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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