Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 80
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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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“Duchess Elrad, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Aiden of House Fayerunt.”
“Yes. Crown Prince of Fayrent. Thank you for traveling so far to visit us.”
“Not at all. I am the one who should be grateful for such a warm welcome.”
“My goodness. Your Highness is quite the dignified little gentleman.”
Duchess Elrad, who had been greeting him warmly, wore a look of surprise.
Upon hearing the Duchess of Fayrent speak, Aiden had assumed Diana, being his age, would be a spoiled and mischievous child—but she was nothing of the sort.
The Duchess of Fayrent suppressed an inward laugh at her son’s attempt to appear grown-up and glanced around.
“But where are the young lady and Lia? Are they waiting inside?”
“Ah, well….”
Duchess Elrad laughed with an embarrassed expression.
“Our Diana was waiting for Your Highness, but she grew impatient and wandered off to the back garden just a moment ago. Whatever shall we do?”
Aiden’s expression grew visibly displeased.
Just as he suspected. That young lady clearly despised playing with him and had fled.
Though he felt the same way about her, Aiden’s lips unconsciously pouted.
It was at that moment.
“She’s likely in the middle of hide-and-seek by now. Would Your Highness care to join her in the back garden?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“That sounds delightful. It would be far better to grow acquainted through play than to maintain stiff formality at first meeting.”
Before Aiden could protest, the two ladies had made their decision, and he soon found himself heading toward the estate’s back garden—where the young lady supposedly spent much of her time—accompanied by a maidservant Duchess Elrad had assigned to him.
“Your Highness, if you venture further in this direction, you should find the young lady.”
“Is that so? I see. Very well. You may go now.”
Aiden had wanted to say “thank you,” but feared the maidservant might look down on him for it, so he deliberately raised his chin and merely nodded.
Unaware that to a maidservant who had served only the cold and stern Lucio and the gentle Allen toward his sister, he appeared as an absolutely adorable little master.
“House Elrad is well-known, it seems.”
Alone now, Aiden kicked at the well-tended ground and grumbled to himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he believed the young lady had deliberately summoned him here to make a fool of him, and his anger grew.
“Hmph. Even if she’s young, this is hardly how one treats a guest….”
“Ugh.”
“…?”
At the sudden strange sound, Aiden jumped in fright and looked about frantically.
But all he saw were well-maintained trees and flowers.
“What, what is that…!”
“Miss, where are you?”
It was then.
“Oh my. However well you’ve hidden yourself, I simply cannot find you.”
A stiff and awkward voice—as though reading from a book—came from nearby.
To the frightened Aiden, it sounded like a ray of hope.
“Here! I’m here!”
Though the voice’s owner seemed to be searching for someone else, Aiden raised his hand and called out.
Footsteps drew near, accompanied by the rustling of leaves.
At the same time, a sound rang out—”Eee-ing!”—tinged with what seemed like anger.
It was then that Aiden, finally realizing the mysterious noise came from above his head, snapped his gaze upward.
Tree branches rustled, leaves fluttering down like snow, and through the canopy, a small face came into view.
The moment I met those brilliant silver hair that shimmered like moonlight, that pale and radiant complexion, and those sparkling blue eyes, I was utterly entranced.
The girl clinging so firmly to the tree branch looked like a fairy, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
“Hey!”
And the fairy shrieked, launching herself at Aiden.
* * *
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’
Watching Diana tumble from the tree—or more precisely, watching her tackle Aiden from above—I pressed my palm to my forehead.
Roused from her sleep early in the morning by news of a visitor, Diana was in a thoroughly foul mood.
I had planned to let her burn off steam with some playful wrestling while we waited, but somehow things had spiraled into this.
Worried she might fall, I had hidden myself at a distance and watched Diana squirm and clamber up the tree, but when I sensed the presence of a strange visitor entering the back garden, I tensed for a moment.
However, realizing it was merely a child with no real threat, I quickly recognized that Crown Prince of Fayrent Aiden had arrived.
Under normal circumstances, I would have let Diana play much longer, but given the situation, I couldn’t pretend not to notice.
I hastily opened my mouth.
“Miss, where are you? Oh dear, you’ve hidden yourself so well I simply can’t find you anywhere.”
“Here! I’m here!”
Unexpectedly, Aiden began crying out desperately, his face pale with fright.
At the same moment, I realized my mistake and rushed to move, but….
Diana, already thoroughly irritated, had already leaped from the tree with a sharp exhale.
“Miss!”
I quickly pulled Diana off where she had pinned Aiden, and the child looked up at me with a trembling face.
“Sister, he… sniff.”
Diana, sniffling indignantly, clearly resented Aiden for interrupting her play and felt deeply wronged.
I gently tapped Diana’s cheek to soothe her distress, then quickly checked Aiden’s condition.
It seemed Diana had struck him hard as she fell; his face was deeply flushed.
“Your Highness, are you alright—— Gasp. Your nose, you’re bleeding!”
At my words, Aiden, who had been lying on the ground blinking, wiped his nose and discovered blood smeared on his hand.
Tears welled up in his widened eyes. Finally, Aiden burst into loud sobs: “Waaaaaah!”
Diana was startled too, stomping her feet and crying, “What do I do!”
“Just a moment, it’s alright. Don’t be frightened.”
I quickly pulled a handkerchief and medicine from my apron, pressed them to his nose, and stopped the bleeding.
It was a blessing that I carried various medicines with me, given how Diana grew more active with each passing day and might get hurt.
Of course, since I spent most of my time with her and possessed healing magic besides, I had rarely needed to use them.
“Does it hurt much?”
“Mm-hmm.”
The bleeding stopped quickly, but seeing Aiden still whimpering from the pain, I reluctantly glanced around before raising my hand to cast a healing spell.
If Tellin had seen me use magic I was never taught, he would have turned the Duke’s Mansion upside down again, but fortunately, only two children were present here.
I confirmed the swelling and redness fading away almost immediately, then lowered my hand as the light emanating from it dimmed.
Aiden, who had been sniffling, wore a dazed expression for a moment before looking at me with startled eyes.
“Are you an angel?”
“What? Ah, haha. I’m not an angel—I’m a maidservant.”
“A maidservant…?”
“Yes. Here, have some cool water. If there’s anything else that troubles you, please let me know.”
I retrieved water from the basket I’d brought to the back garden and offered it to him. Aiden hesitated, his fingers fidgeting nervously, before slowly accepting the cup.
“You’re kind.”
As I watched him drink, I turned to offer a cup to Diana, who had finally begun to calm down.
“…Say, why are you being so nice to me? Do you know who I am?”
“Of course. You’re the Crown Prince of Fayrent. I heard you were coming today.”
I tilted my head and answered his sudden question, but disappointment inexplicably flickered across Aiden’s face.
“I see.”
“…?”
“…So that’s why you’re being kind?”
“What? No, that’s not it….”
“Then what is it?”
As I stammered and trailed off, Aiden asked with growing urgency.
“Is my face…not unpleasant to look at…?”
Aiden looked up at me anxiously, his face clouded with worry.
“Not at all! Your nose isn’t red anymore—it looks perfectly fine.”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant… my skin tone.”
As I shook my head in response, tears began streaming down Aiden’s cheeks.
Finally understanding what he meant, I quickly waved my hand.
“Not at all! In fact, it’s quite beautiful. Your Highness is very handsome.”
It was no lie.
Aiden’s skin had a warm, sun-kissed bronze tone like that of Duchess Fairount—far healthier and more vibrant than the typical pale complexion of noble children.
Combined with his large violet eyes, his sharp nose and crimson lips despite his youth, and his graceful jawline, his face evoked Duchess Fairount and emanated a mysterious, ethereal charm.
“Really?”
“Of course. Your Highness, do you dislike your mother’s skin tone?”
“Ah… no. *sniff*.”
Aiden shook his head vehemently, then suddenly buried his face in my chest as sorrow overwhelmed him.
He seemed to be trying to hold back his tears with stifled sounds, but when I began gently patting his back in surprise, he soon broke into full, wrenching sobs.
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
‘Even if he’s destined to become one of the Three Great Knights, he’s still just a child.’
Remarkably, the Aiden now crying in my arms would soon become one of the “Three Great Knights” who would make their name throughout the Empire, following Allen and Jack.
And like Allen and Jack, he was an inseparable figure in Diana’s life.
He was famous for falling in love with Diana at first sight and pursuing her earnestly.
In fact, the reason he came to be called one of the Three Great Knights was thanks to his duel with Allen, who had publicly declared, “If you want to meet Diana, you must defeat me first!”
Of course, Aiden was no match for Allen at the time, but the shocking revelation that Aiden had picked up a sword for the first time then exposed his remarkable talent to the world, setting him on the path of knighthood.
‘Originally, Aiden and Diana weren’t supposed to meet for another five years….’
In this life, the situation has changed because Duchess Fairount and I have become variables.
I felt a bit sorry toward Jack.
‘Still, perhaps this time Diana and I might become good childhood friends….’
“Hey, crybaby!”
That was when it happened.
“Stop your sniffling and get out of the way, won’t you?”
“Eek!”
Diana, standing on one leg with her eyes wide open, tapped Aiden’s shoulder repeatedly.
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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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