Me, a Princess? My Lord! - Chapter 98

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 98

The Dalton couple exchanged glances.

‘Weren’t we going to see our Heidi?’

‘But if the Princess is calling for us, we can’t refuse. We have to go.’

They began following behind the maid with small steps. After spending quite some time looking around in admiration at the unfamiliar palace scenery, a lush rose garden spread out before the two of them.

“…that’s what I heard! Hoho.”

“Oh my, how strange.”

“So shocking, isn’t it?”

Noblewomen in splendid attire were sitting around a large table having tea time. The Dalton couple’s mouths fell open at the dazzling colors that made their eyes spin.

The maid who had brought the two of them approached the one sitting at the head of the table with quick steps.

“I’ve brought them.”

Anastasia tilted her head slightly and examined the unfamiliar faces. Her red lips curved into an arc.

‘So this is Princess Anastasia.’

Anastasia was indeed a very sophisticated and beautiful woman, just as the rumors said. She had sharper features compared to Heidi, but at a glance, there were quite a few similarities. Enough that they could be believed to be sisters.

The Dalton couple, reading the atmosphere, hesitantly approached her.

“We, we greet Your Precious Highness.”

When Raymond stammered from nervousness, snickers erupted from here and there.

Anastasia looked around at the ladies with her and said.

“These are the people I mentioned earlier. The Daltons.”

At those words, the ladies stirred. They began glancing at the Dalton couple’s faces and whispering something among themselves.

“Ah, should I call you Baron and Baroness Dalton now? Right?”

At Anastasia’s question, the two answered awkwardly.

“Yes? Yes…”

“You received land and money, so buy some bright clothes to wear. You’re too modest, even excessively so. Doesn’t Heidi take care of you separately?”

Anastasia laughed while looking at the Dalton couple’s attire. Though they had dressed neatly in what was their finest quality clothing, it couldn’t compare to the butterfly wing-like dresses the ladies were wearing.

“How terrible. You must have felt hurt. After feeding, housing, and raising someone for a lifetime, they don’t even visit because you’re poor parents.”

At Anastasia’s words, Raymond and Nora’s faces hardened. They could endure being mocked themselves, but they couldn’t just listen to words that disparaged Heidi.

“It’s not like that…”

“It’s just a joke, why are you making such serious faces? I’m too scared to say anything.”

Anastasia chuckled. The ladies who had been reading her mood also laughed out loud together.

“Smile a little. The weather is nice. Do you even know how to smile?”

Anastasia’s eyes sparkled brightly. There was an intimidating pressure in her gaze that could freeze people.

Raymond and Nora, who were breaking out in cold sweat, had their lips trembling. Making expressions that were neither smiling nor not smiling, the two just hoped this time would pass quickly.

Watching them, Anastasia burst into loud laughter.

“Ahaha. It’s a shame there’s no mirror here. You probably don’t even know why I’m laughing like this.”

The ladies sitting beside her nodded while pulling up the corners of their mouths. Some looked uncomfortable with this situation and their expressions weren’t bright, but no one tried to stop Anastasia.

“Don’t just stand there blankly, eat with us.”

Anastasia picked up a cookie from the tray and held it out forward.

“Here.”

Flick.

As if telling them to hurry and take it, she flicked her wrist. It was an insulting gesture, like calling a pet dog.

Nora bowed her head and answered politely.

“We’re truly grateful, but we’re fi, fine.”

“Don’t refuse.”

Anastasia seemed determined not to back down. Realizing that they never had the right to refuse her offer in the first place, Nora suppressed her surging emotions and answered.

“…Thank you.”

“Yes, eat it deliciously. You probably haven’t had much chance to eat things like this.”

Anastasia, who was about to place the appetizing cookie on Nora’s palm, suddenly released the strength in her fingers.

Thud.

The cookie fell somewhere between Nora’s dry hand and Anastasia’s toes.

“Oh.”

Anastasia said with drooping eyebrows.

“Could you pick it up? My hand slipped.”

“…”

It would have been fine to just leave it, or to have a maid do it. But specifically asking someone to bend down and pick up what had fallen was clearly intended to humiliate them.

But what could they do? Anastasia was a princess of the kingdom, and they were low-ranking nobles in name only. They didn’t want to cause trouble here and harm Heidi either.

Nora bent down and reached toward the cookie that had fallen at Anastasia’s feet. At that moment, the pointed toe of her shoe pressed down firmly on the soft pastry, crushing it.

Crunch.

“Oops.”

“…”

“Another mistake. Sorry. Don’t pick it up, just leave it.”

Nora’s face reddened with humiliation. Just as she was trying to steady her disturbed breathing.

“What are you doing right now?”

* * *

Heidi, who had heard from a maid that her adoptive parents had gone to Anastasia’s palace, immediately headed there.

And when she arrived at the rose garden where Anastasia was said to be holding a tea party, Heidi’s vision went completely white.

In front of Anastasia and the ladies sitting crookedly, Nora was bending her waist, and Raymond was hesitating as if he didn’t know what to do.

“Ha.”

Was this what it meant for blood to boil? Her head throbbed from the surging anger.

‘I can’t forgive this.’

Heidi examined the faces of the ladies gathered there one by one. Most were those who always stayed by Anastasia’s side, like the Morein Countess.

‘…Evangeline?’

But Heidi also saw several who had been close to her and frequently socialized with her. After her past as a maid was revealed, they seemed to have switched sides to Anastasia.

Heidi, who had firmly pressed their names and faces into her mind, and Anastasia looked at each other. When their eyes met, Anastasia chuckled and said.

“Why are you so angry? If anyone should be angry, it should be me. You appeared at a party without an invitation and are ruining the whole atmosphere right now.”

“…”

“Ask them directly. Whether I did anything harmful.”

Heidi silently helped Nora to her feet.

“Escort them to my palace.”

Heidi gave a brief order to the maid and met Anastasia’s eyes again.

“There’s no reason for you to meet my adoptive parents.”

“There isn’t. But I’m curious, you know. What kind of people they are. That’s all.”

Anastasia’s gaze swept Heidi up and down.

“Heidi, your clothes are made of such precious silk… You should have had some clothes tailored for your parents too. Watching them made my heart ache a little.”

“…”

“Well. If they were proper parents, they wouldn’t have lived off money their daughter earned working herself to the bone as a maid. I understand if you don’t particularly want to help them.”

Anastasia delivered what she thought was a decisive blow toward Heidi.

“Is that so?”

But Heidi wasn’t greatly shaken. She answered in an indifferent voice.

“I don’t understand you very well.”

At this unexpected reaction, Anastasia’s lips twitched.

“…What don’t you understand?”

Heidi tilted her head slightly and asked.

“If you’re curious enough about what kind of people my adoptive parents are to have such interest, why aren’t you curious about the biological parents who gave birth to you? If it were me, I would have been very curious… It’s not like you lack the ability to search for them like I used to, right?”

Heidi chuckled and murmured.

“Or are you not curious because you already know?”

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