Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 68

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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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“Y-you, what, what are you doing!”
Since Lia was shorter than Allen, the scene looked rather odd, but Allen was too flustered by Lia’s upturned face to notice anything strange.
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
“Miss’s class is….”
“…What?”
“It seems like her class is almost finished. Should we go stand in front of our room and surprise her?”
“Uh… y-yes!”
Normally, Allen would have grumbled that there was still plenty of time left, but instead he nodded urgently. The moment Lia’s arm dropped, he bolted away as if fleeing.
Allen, exhaling a sigh of relief without quite knowing why, tilted his head in bewilderment at his own nervousness.
Lia, glancing at Allen, turned her head and examined the bookshelf area he had been reaching toward moments before.
That was close. He almost discovered it.
The Main Library of the Elrad Duke’s Mansion harbored a secret space. The artifact wedged among the books on that particular shelf was proof of its existence.
When I first arrived, I was too flustered from meeting Lucio to notice, but I realized it soon after.
My former self would have examined it discreetly, but now, as a servant, it was a place I had no business investigating.
Whether it was a secret space passed down through generations in House Elrad or Lucio’s personal sanctuary, I had no intention of uncovering its truth.
Lucio probably never expected me to discover this space, but since he had entrusted it to me regardless, I could not allow even Allen to carelessly enter the secret chamber.
Of course, infusing mana was necessary to deactivate the artifact, but one could never be too careful.
‘I’ve felt it before, but his instincts are sharp.’
He didn’t seem to know it himself, but given how his aura sensitivity had developed, it appeared he would soon begin wielding aura.
“What are you doing? Let’s go to Diana!”
Just then, Allen, scratching the back of his neck and scowling, suddenly shouted.
He was currently blaming Lia, claiming he had been startled because she appeared so suddenly.
“Yes, let’s go!”
Unaware of his thoughts, I hurried to move before Allen could throw another tantrum.
* * *
“Walk faster, will you? At this pace, when will we ever reach Diana’s Room?”
“We still have time….”
“We’re supposed to surprise her, aren’t we? We need to get there early and prepare.”
“Prepare? Miss would be startled just by us waiting in front of her door, wouldn’t she? She’d be even happier if we played hide-and-seek.”
I could already picture Diana breaking into a bright smile with a delighted squeal, and I tilted my head.
Allen, unable to strongly refute my words, furrowed his brow before speaking again.
“If you’re going to do something, do it properly. If you live so carelessly, you won’t be able to earn a living anywhere.”
Hearing this from Allen, who had never shown dedication to anything except sword training, I felt deeply disgruntled.
‘I work so diligently at the tasks entrusted to me, and he says I live carelessly!’
After Lucio left, I read the books he told me to read every day and studied magic and medicine earnestly. And I certainly hadn’t neglected caring for Diana either.
I pouted slightly.
“I won’t starve to death anywhere, so don’t worry.”
“What?”
Allen stopped, seeming taken aback by my words, hesitated, then suddenly flared up again and asked.
“Hmph! What would you even eat to survive?”
“Why wouldn’t I do anything? I’m young, that’s all. I’m quite good at cleaning, and I know letters and numbers—I could find work at any shop. I could even formally study magic or medicine. Besides, you said it yourself, didn’t you? That I seem to have talent for swordplay. Why not become a Mage Knight like Bianca of Bellus Duchy? Wouldn’t that be impressive?”
Of course, I had no intention of learning martial arts again, but faced with Allen’s dismissive remarks, I found myself boasting and rattling off various possibilities.
I felt a bit childish arguing with a kid, and I regretted it somewhat, but seeing Allen’s face scrunch up in frustration as he listened to me, I honestly found it amusing.
“Y-you! Fine, you’re so great!”
Allen finally burst out shouting and began leading the way with a sullen expression.
Watching him stomp along deliberately, I couldn’t help but shake my head.
‘When will he ever mature.’
Allen was clearly working his body every day to burn off that temperament of his.
It just happened that training was cancelled, so I’d become an unwilling scapegoat.
“…Young Master? Why are you so angry?”
At that moment, an innocent voice came from the landing—another potential victim besides me.
“You are… ah, no. You’re Vice-Captain now. What brings you to the Main Building?”
“I’m on my way to formally inform the Duke that I’ve adopted Jack.”
“Already?”
Allen blinked as he looked at Taize and Jack beside him.
“I never expected Vice-Captain to adopt a son before even getting married.”
So that was his first move.
I shook my head and stepped forward.
“Congratulations, Jack! Now you’re not just Jack—you’re Jack Seidian.”
Jack Seidian. One of the three great knights of the Empire in the future that I knew of.
Seeing his destiny unfold along the same glorious path of knighthood as before, I felt genuinely happy for him.
Taize and Jack looked startled, not realizing I was behind them.
Taize especially looked at me with wistful eyes.
“Lia, if you’d like to become my daughter even now, just say the word.”
“Ha ha.”
I laughed awkwardly and glanced at Jack’s expression.
Jack’s face was as stoic as always, but there was a subtle tension visible in his stiffened features.
I shook my head with a slightly bitter smile and spoke with deliberate coolness.
“I said no, didn’t I? Stop being so clingy.”
“Sigh, I like having a dependable son, but I wanted a cute daughter too.”
As I laughed at Taize’s mournful expression, I recalled a conversation I’d had with him a few days ago when he’d suddenly sought me out.
〈Hey, Lia. There’s something I want to tell you.〉
〈Me?〉
〈Yes. Um… would you perhaps like to become my daughter?〉
Taize, who had been groaning like a dog desperate to relieve itself, made me an utterly unexpected proposal.
I doubted my ears and found myself asking back.
〈What about Jack?〉
〈Ah, so Jack already told you.〉
And then he began sharing stories that Jack would never have told me himself.
How Taize himself was born a street orphan and was adopted by a mercenary, becoming the knight that was his dream, and how seeing Jack in a similar situation, he’d made the decision to take him in.
Taize had told Jack that he wanted to adopt me as well, but Jack apparently thought it would be too much of a burden for Taize to adopt both of us, so he asked Taize to adopt me instead of him.
After hearing the entire story, I asked Taize to adopt only Jack.
Originally, Taize and Jack were meant to become father and son, so it was only natural for things to proceed that way.
Of course, Taize said he didn’t mind adopting both Jack and me, and Jack, who learned the truth later, even came to try to persuade me.
“Lia. Once I become a proper knight, I’ll receive a title and lands. But you…”
“You mean I’ll stay a commoner? Is that why you don’t want to be friends with me?”
“…That’s not it at all.”
I firmly cut off Jack’s words, but truthfully, even Jack didn’t seem particularly eager to become family with me, which deflated my spirits somewhat.
However, since I had already experienced something similar before, it didn’t wound me as deeply this time.
“Lia, if you really don’t want to, then so be it. Actually, I’m fine with a daughter, but a daughter-in-law who’s like a daugh—ow!”
While I was lost in thought for a moment, Taize began saying something, but suddenly Jack stomped hard on his foot.
“There was a bug on your foot.”
Jack’s expression remained as stoic as ever as he said this.
Allen looked around saying “A bug?” while Taize groaned in pain, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Hmm, Lia.”
At that moment, Taize stopped wincing and spoke with a serious expression.
“It’s fine since we’re among ourselves now, but you shouldn’t smile like that outside.”
“What?”
“You’ve been growing more beautiful with each passing day. If you smile like that, there will certainly be foolish flies who misunderstand and try to entangle themselves with you…”
Watching Taize speak seriously while clicking his tongue, my ears suddenly flushed crimson.
If he had said it playfully, I would have simply laughed it off, but the genuine concern in his voice made it all the more embarrassing.
I wished Allen would at least shout something like “What’s pretty about an ugly thing!” to deflect.
For some reason, Allen simply pretended not to hear and looked elsewhere, while Jack remained silent and still.
Suddenly I wondered if they were all teasing me together, and confusion washed over me.
Ever since that day when I was recovering my body after the mana rampage a while ago, when the Duchess Elrad mentioned that I seemed to have become prettier, I had been hearing such remarks quite frequently.
I was deeply flustered because even when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t properly see my own face as others saw it.
“Besides, you don’t need to worry about those foolish flies. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you well even when we go to the Academy tomorrow.”
At Taize’s boastful words, I laughed awkwardly.
From the Duchess Elrad to Allen, everyone seemed to be looking forward to tomorrow, but since it was a place where I didn’t have particularly good memories, I wasn’t especially pleased about it.
At least I was fortunate that an unexpected opportunity had arisen when I had been planning to request permission for an outing soon.
The salary I had accumulated while working as a maidservant was quite substantial. Now I could finally take the first step toward my planned endeavor.
‘Of course, I’ll need to make an excuse for the next outing…”
Deciding to think about future matters when the time came, I nodded.
And finally, the next day dawned.

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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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