Surviving as a Terminally Ill Heiress - Chapter 5

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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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Chapter 5

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“Good heavens, how did they find out so quickly? The moment the master returns home, and those shameless parasites come crawling—”
As Maya, the head maid, forcibly dragged the uninvited guests outside, the servants wearing Blue Badges muttered in lowered voices.
While I was comforting Hui and Dido, who had been frightened by the commotion, I naturally asked the question.
“Parasites?”
“Well, that is…”
“Could you tell me who they are? If they’re to be my new family, I’d like to get along with them.”
I raised my eyebrows in a pitiful slant and looked up at the maids.
It made my already downturned eyes appear even more tearful.
‘Mother used to employ this tactic quite effectively.’
Mostly on men she wanted to seduce, but in any case, the effect was considerable.
The maids, who had been trying to hold their tongues, began to whimper and confess one by one.
“…So that man was the Duke’s younger brother?”
That came as quite a shock from the start.
That drunken fool was a blood relative?
I had thought he resembled Duke Ambrose, but learning he was such a close relation was genuinely startling.
The maids chattered away as they brushed my hair.
“Yes, his second brother. The master does have three siblings.”
“And his youngest sister, you probably know her already, miss.”
“Ah, the Queen of Wagner?”
Of course I know. That much is common knowledge; I’d heard of it.
It’s not rare in history for Ambrose to have produced queens.
But I hadn’t heard much gossip about the Duke’s younger brother—it seemed he’d been overshadowed by the accomplishments of his siblings and faded into obscurity.
“Yes. And the Queen has seven sons and four daughters, and the fifth son among them has two sons and three daughters, and the second daughter of those five is the young lady you saw just now!”
What on earth are they saying?
My head spun. So she’s the fifth of the fifth, the second of the three daughters?
In any case, to summarize.
“Then she’s a princess of Wagner…”
Had I actually just met a real princess?
I’d only ever seen them in fairy tales, never imagined one would approach me out of the blue and call me sister.
I was still reeling when I recalled the pretty young girl who appeared only two or three years older than me.
The maids’ voices began to grow more animated.
“Truly, no matter how young and highborn she is, Clara is far too willful.”
“And Howard constantly getting into trouble because of his drinking habit—it’s nothing new.”
“At least the others are blood kin to Ambrose. But I cannot fathom Philip at all.”
“Philip? That man with the spectacles?”
If I recall, he’d introduced himself as an aide to the Duke’s son.
Though his demeanor was meek, his eyes behind the spectacles were remarkably sharp—memorable, in fact.
There was something almost frenzied about him.
“Philip is the eldest son of Baron Ridley, one of the Duke’s retainers.”
“Since childhood he’s been pestering the young master, and eventually became his aide.”
“But it was only a temporary post he nagged his way into before the young master departed, and he still boasts about it?”
“He hopes to catch some crumbs of favor. Susan’s much the same way.”
“A distant cousin who barely met the young master a few times, yet she claims to be his closest confidante. How shameless.”
“Sigh. The mistress’s family is truly tiresome…”
I listened intently to the heated exchange between the maids.
Thanks to them, I gained raw, unvarnished information far more candid than what they’d been carefully feeding me.
“There. All done. Would you like to see yourself?”
The maids, who had been moving their hands as busily as their mouths, now pointed to a full-length mirror.
In the mirror stood a well-dressed noble girl with lavender hair and crimson eyes.
I touched the fabric of my dress awkwardly.
It’s incredibly beautiful and comfortable. I’ve never worn anything like this before.
Even the young lady’s dress I’d handled while doing laundry wasn’t this soft.
‘How much does this cost?’
I swallowed down the question rising in my throat.
Something felt sordid about asking, and I had a terrible premonition I might faint if I heard the actual price.
“So, um, La, La-vu…”
“You can call me Bebe.”
“Yes, Miss Bebe! It suits you wonderfully! And Hui and Dido too!”
The maids, who had become quite friendly during my fitting, clapped their hands toward me and my brothers.
They’re right. It suits us perfectly—my Hui and Dido.
Not just me, but my brothers in their fine clothes truly looked like young masters from a noble house.
‘…And here we are, dressed so beautifully when all we’ve done is struggle.’
My eyes welled with tears, but I forced them back.
For Hui and Dido’s sake, this wasn’t the time to cry freely.
“Thank you. For the clothes and for telling me everything.”
“You’re most welcome.”
“And going forward… I hope I can count on your help.”
I smiled brightly at the Blue Badge servants.
Then the Yellow Badge maids, who had held back a step the entire time, wore expressions of belated realization, and just then Maya the head maid returned.
“Oh, those guests from before—where did they go?”
Did they go home? They didn’t seem like the type to leave so easily.
Maya looked exhausted, as though she’d just fought a war.
“I told them I would inform the master, and they said they didn’t wish to be a burden when he was so busy, so they took their leave.”
In other words, Duke Ambrose was terrified and ran away with his tail between his legs?
I suppressed the contempt in my eyes and spoke like a virtuous child.
“Still, they came all this way early in the morning to see me… it would have been nice to share a meal together.”
“My, how compassionate you are. Shall I send them a formal dinner invitation later?”
“Can I do that?”
“But of course—it’s the Mistress of the Household’s right, after all.”
Mistress of the Household.
Yes, since Duke Ambrose has neither wife nor daughter, it stands to reason that I, his granddaughter, would take charge of this estate.
I suppose I needed to truly grasp that.
Both I and those dim-witted maids rolling their eyes.
“Then let’s do that.”
“Yes, miss.”
Maya and the maids bowed in unison.
Conscious of my hunched shoulders at that formal show of respect, I deliberately straightened them.
It’s unfamiliar, but I need to grow accustomed to it.
As I said, I am Ambrose now.

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“…And that is the Kitchen.”
Weren’t we done yet?
I followed behind Maya with leaden feet and no energy.
I envied my brothers, who by now were probably napping soundly and had woken up already.
‘My legs are killing me…’
How long does it take to tour a single house?
And yet we hadn’t even seen half of it when the sun was already setting outside the windows.
Wait—if the Capital residence is this massive, how enormous must the main seat at Ambrose Territory be?
Unlike me, who was thoroughly exhausted, Maya seemed completely unbothered as she opened the large wooden door, and a delicious aroma wafted out.
So this was where those lavish delicacies I’d gobbled down with my brothers had come from.
And the head chef who came hurrying over to greet us wore a Red Badge on his collar.
‘The organization certainly runs like clockwork.’
I didn’t find it excessive.
This place couldn’t possibly be run as haphazardly as a minor baron’s house with barely a dozen servants.
“Now, shall we take a brief look at the Rear Garden next?”
“Oh wow…”
But the sheer scale of it was overwhelming.
I let out an awed exclamation, my eyes losing their focus, as Maya strode purposefully toward the Rear Garden.
Though it was called the garden entrance, it was more ornate than the front gates of any ordinary manor.
The winter Rear Garden beyond lacked verdancy, certainly, but it wasn’t desolate either.
The branching paths and towering trees made it feel as though I were entering the threshold of some secret forest.
Meanwhile, Maya pointed to one magnificent structure with yesterday’s fallen snow dusting its roof.
“That is the Stable.”
Right, I’m past the point of being surprised by such things now.
“And we’re planning to build an identical one right beside it.”
Now that did surprise me a bit.
Just how many expensive horses was he planning to keep?
While I stood there in bewilderment, Maya’s hand moved to gesture down another path.
“And if you follow this path far enough, you’ll come to the Knight Order’s quarters and training grounds… do visit to pay your respects soon.”
I tensed, worried she might insist we go immediately, but mercifully Maya chose to spare me.
“Now, let’s tour the East Wing of the manor!”
She was simply gathering her strength to deliver the final blow.
Just as my eyes began to tremble wildly—having seen only half the estate—
“Head Maid! Please, come look at this!”
A servant came running, searching for Maya.
I quickly pushed her from behind.
“It must be urgent. Go on.”
“But there’s still so much more to show you…”
Please, just go.
I barely managed to send Maya off, then silently celebrated my liberation.
Finally, freedom! I’d nearly become a ghost haunting this manor.
Still flushed with relief, I turned to head back inside but paused, gazing down the distant path.
Hmm. The Knight Order, then.
‘The Duke’s son was a knight too, wasn’t he?’

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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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