I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - Chapter 89

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

Rudrick’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Princess?”

I bit down hard on my lower lip.

Wh-what was I just thinking? That Rudrick was cute?!

‘That can’t be right.’

Rudrick is the male protagonist of this world.

He’s someone who will become Cecilia’s man someday.

I hastily shook off those thoughts and deliberately lifted my head with confidence.

“Fine. I’ll believe that you have no ulterior motives.”

I wanted to act as nonchalant as possible, but my face kept heating up.

“Well, I’m more comfortable with you as my teacher than as the First Prince anyway.”

I forced myself to speak casually and then strode ahead of Rudrick.

He stood there dazed for a moment before hurriedly chasing after me.

“Princess Milena? Princess!”

His urgent voice persistently followed behind me.

“What did you mean by that just now? About being comfortable with me…!”

I don’t know, don’t ask me.

I don’t understand my own feelings either!

* * *

After Milena and Rudrick disappeared beyond the maze garden, a short while later.

The First Prince, Benjamin, entered the maze garden with his face completely twisted in anger.

‘That damn bastard!’

Crack.

A menacing grinding sound flowed from between his tightly clenched teeth.

Everything had been going well.

They had exchanged some conversation, and he had planned to become partners with Milena and build more intimacy in the maze garden.

Until Rudrick suddenly interfered earlier, things had definitely been going well…!

‘Why, why does he always get in my way!’

It was always like this.

The bloodline of a ‘legitimate heir.’

Outstanding talent.

Excellent reputation.

Even harmonious relations with Lusert.

Everything Benjamin desperately wanted, Rudrick grasped so easily.

As if mocking his own desperate struggles to secure his position as heir to the throne.

‘…How irritating.’

Benjamin clenched his fists tightly.

His eyes glaring at the maze garden flashed sharply, filled with rage.

Taking a deep breath, Benjamin stepped forward with impatient strides.

* * *

‘So where exactly is the treasure?’

I began looking around earnestly with fire in my eyes, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t see any treasure notes at all.

Only the verdant arborvitae maze stretched endlessly before me.

I furrowed my brow.

‘Even something small would be fine, but I want to find at least one treasure.’

A strange competitive spirit arose in me.

If I hadn’t participated in the game at all, it would be different, but since I was participating, I wanted to achieve some results, right?

While thoroughly searching through the maze like that.

An exclamation burst from my lips.

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

Rudrick quickly approached me.

I crouched down and looked at a pure white piece of paper secretly hidden near the roots of an arborvitae.

“That looks like a treasure note, doesn’t it?”

Rudrick also bent down to look at the piece of paper.

He nodded.

“It does. It looks like a treasure note.”

The only problem was that it was hidden in a position I couldn’t reach.

More precisely, it was hidden on the opposite side from where I was, and I had only spotted it by chance.

Rudrick elegantly raised his hand.

“Shall I try to retrieve it?”

Rudrick could surely use his magic power to easily retrieve the treasure note.

But I stopped Rudrick.

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve gotten a bit better at handling magic power recently, you know?”

I said confidently.

“Let me try to get it out.”

Then Rudrick smiled with his eyes.

“Good. If you retrieve it properly this time, I’ll exempt you from homework in the next lesson.”

Huh, really?

At those tempting words, I unconsciously made my eyes sparkle.

“You promise?”

After confirming that Rudrick nodded.

I began drawing up magic power from deep within my body.

Magic power gently spread from my fingertips, and I felt a light breeze blow.

Rustle.

The note flew through the air gracefully and landed in my hand.

I turned to Rudrick with a bright smile.

“Look! I got it…!”

Suddenly I froze.

To exaggerate slightly, Rudrick’s face was close enough that our breaths could almost touch.

“…”

“…”

Silence fell.

Somehow my mouth felt completely dry.

Ice-blue eyes like a frozen sea were quietly looking at me.

That gaze focused entirely on me, as if I were the only person existing in the whole world.

“Wait a moment.”

Rudrick, who had been quietly looking at me, reached out his hand toward me.

I just stared blankly at his long, elegant fingertips extending toward me.

Strangely, it was difficult to move even a single finger.

And then.

“You have a grass blade on you.”

Rudrick’s hand picked up a single green grass blade from my hair.

At the same time, I let out a short breath.

The suffocating tension finally broke.

“…Thank you.”

While thanking him with my mouth, I felt a little confused.

Why was I nervous?

It’s not particularly different from usual.

This level of physical contact has happened several times during our lessons.

But then.

A faint smile suddenly appeared on Rudrick’s lips.

It was a strangely bitter-looking smile.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Just remembering old times.”

Old times?

I tilted my head.

Rudrick’s eyes deepened.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just… when I was young, I used to hide in the maze garden often.”

Ah.

For a moment, I hesitated.

I thought I knew what Rudrick’s ‘old memories’ were about.

Rudrick didn’t have good relationships with the imperial family.

Especially when he was young, his life was very difficult due to the Emperor’s indifference and the persecution from the Empress and First Prince.

“According to Father, I wasn’t a particularly charming child. If I had to put it bluntly, I was more of an obstacle to forming a perfect family.”

“…Teacher.”

“So sometimes I would hide in this maze garden, hoping that someone would come looking for me…”

Rudrick cut off his words there and smiled awkwardly.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. It seems like I’ve made the atmosphere rather gloomy.”

“No, you haven’t.”

I firmly shook my head and added with emphasis.

“I’m actually happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yes. It feels like you’ve opened up to me.”

His blue eyes trembled slightly.

They looked like a lake with gentle ripples.

“Whether you were a charming child or not, that doesn’t matter at all. Adults should naturally protect children.”

“…Princess.”

“At least, that’s what I was taught.”

My mother, who raised me like her own daughter despite not sharing blood.

I briefly recalled the past.

Actually, Mother and I don’t look very similar.

So there were times when mischievous neighborhood children would point fingers at me and tease, ‘Your mom is fake!’

“What’s so important about fake and real? If you love each other, you’re family.”

The rough hands that stroked my sniffling head were very gentle.

“And it doesn’t matter at all that I didn’t give birth to you. It’s perfectly natural for adults to cherish and protect children.”

Mother, who said that, hugged me tightly and immediately ran out of the house.

She chased after the homes of the children who had bullied me.

Watching Mother’s back as she raised her voice without hesitation, demanding ‘Apologize to my daughter,’ made me feel so secure.

And I gave back to Rudrick exactly what I had learned from Mother.

“So you don’t need to think about being an obstacle or not being cute at all.”

“…”

“That’s not your fault, Teacher.”

I emphasized it again.

Then Rudrick looked at me quietly with a complex gaze.

“Thank you.”

For the first time, he smiled cheerfully.

Rudrick’s eyes as he thanked me were sparkling like the sea holding sunlight.

The gloomy mood from just moments ago had completely disappeared, and he looked as lively as any young man his age…

I felt my heart swell with emotion.

“Shall we go out now?”

Rudrick extended his hand to me.

I took his hand with a bright smile.

“Ah, yes.”

Just as I was about to get up following Rudrick.

Rustle, crack!

I felt rough footsteps trampling the well-trimmed grass.

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