That Piece Of Trash Was Me - Chapter 9

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

Chapter 9

* * *

“Ah, Miss Tulia. You’ve come again today.”

Ruk, the chief advisor to Grand Duke Frazier, came out of the office with a smile.

Tulia, who had been looking out the window while holding a basket as small as her palm, saw Ruk and smiled back.

“Hello.”

“If you don’t speak comfortably with me, I’ll be in trouble, Miss.”

“Hi.”

Ruk chuckled and replied.

“Yes, hello, Miss.”

“Did you eat lunch?”

“Of course. Have you eaten, Miss?”

“Mm-hmm.”

To Ruk, Tulia was a unique existence, like a single tulip blooming in a pure white snowfield.

Just the fact that she was basically a direct descendant of the Fraziers yet treated Ruk like ‘some grandfather she knew’ showed that.

Of course, there were many who tried to curry favor with Ruk Kelfosher, the chief advisor to Assis Grand Duke Frazier.

But trying to curry favor and acting intimately were completely different things.

Especially considering that Tulia Frazier had shown absolutely no interest in Ruk Kelfosher for the past few years.

‘Is she doing this because I scolded the maids that day?’

Ruk Kelfosher had no way of knowing why Tulia Frazier was suddenly looking at him with eyes full of affection and trust.

Not that it felt bad.

And honestly speaking, he felt sorry for her too.

Tulia acted exactly like a young lady who had no one else to talk to in this main castle except Ruk Kelfosher himself.

‘Which is probably true.’

It was slightly bitter, but there wasn’t anything Ruk Kelfosher could do about it right now.

Perhaps because he felt sorry for her, his eyes were drawn even more to Tulia’s appearance.

‘Her accessories and clothes are quite modest.’

Both her accessories and dress were just barely adequate. It meant she hadn’t been assigned a maid with professional skills.

‘And her hair is…’

Really sorry, but this is just…

‘Is that kind of bomb-hit hair in fashion these days?’

Absolutely not.

It wasn’t like she had just let her hair down without any decoration at all.

It seemed like she had tried to be presentable in her own way, but that hair… even a commoner with proper sense, let alone a proper noble lady, would never do their hair like that.

It seemed Tulia hadn’t even been assigned a maid with common sense.

Half of the Grand Duke Frazier House’s internal affairs were controlled by Viscount Lilius and his wife.

Although their son Tedrick had been scolded by Assis Grand Duke Frazier and even had his Direct Lineage Necklace temporarily confiscated, that alone wasn’t enough to strip away their authority over internal affairs.

If this grand ducal house were just some ordinary noble family, it might be different.

But changing the manager of internal affairs for this enormous grand ducal house, which could only be described as tremendous, was similar to changing the prime minister of a kingdom.

It was the kind of matter that would draw interest from the family elders, asking what was going on.

‘His Grace the Grand Duke didn’t go so far as to give such orders.’

Still, Viscount Lilius and his wife were currently keeping low, watching the Grand Duke’s mood.

This was the main castle, so there were many watching eyes. They couldn’t openly persecute Tulia, but honestly, until just recently, Tulia had been like a ghost in the family.

It meant it would be realistically difficult for her to complain about not having a proper maid to help with her grooming.

Rather, Viscount Lilius and Viscountess Aubrey were probably hoping for exactly that.

They needed to find fault with Tulia to be in an advantageous position.

‘Wait a minute. But this is strange…’

Suddenly, Ruk Kelfosher looked at Tulia standing before him again.

Contrary to Assis Grand Duke’s lack of interest in his grandchildren, Ruk Kelfosher, as an advisor, always kept track of the characteristics of the Frazier direct descendants.

Tulia Frazier valued appearances and wouldn’t come out of her room unless she was perfectly groomed. The rumors about her loving luxury weren’t unfounded.

So why had Tulia come out confidently with such bomb-like hair?

The original Tulia would never have appeared looking like that.

Rather, she would have thrown a tantrum about not being sent a proper maid…

‘I wonder what His Grace the Grand Duke will think of this appearance.’

Ruk Kelfosher smiled and asked.

“Miss Tulia. Did you make handmade jam again today?”

“Yeah. Of course, Grandfather probably won’t eat something like this…”

Ruk could only smile at those words and couldn’t deny it.

Assis Grand Duke Frazier, who was said to have power rivaling the Emperor, was someone who received all kinds of rare delicacies from around the world every single day.

A granddaughter who hadn’t drawn even a fingernail’s worth of his interest until just a few days ago.

Assis Grand Duke was definitely not the kind of gentle person who would personally taste jam given as a gift by such a granddaughter.

‘At least he didn’t order the jam to be thrown away, but he hasn’t eaten it even once.’

However, after glancing at Tulia’s jam, Assis Grand Duke Frazier had made one passing comment.

“It seems Tulia resents me quite a lot.”

The advisors in the office at that time had broken out in cold sweat and laughed awkwardly.

‘Certainly today too.’

The jam Tulia brought didn’t look to be in very good condition.

Seeing her diligently make and bring this kind of thing, Tulia Frazier must indeed be the real daughter of Marquis Aster Frazier, who had the heart of a beast.

“Ahem.”

Shaking off his thoughts, Ruk Kelfosher smiled.

“Sometimes these simple gifts are nice too, aren’t they?”

“Right?”

“Of course, Miss Tulia.”

When Tulia smiled along, her pink bomb—no, pink cloud-like hair bounced softly.

“Oh, Miss. Shouldn’t you return to your bedroom now? The head meeting is about to end… no, I’m sorry. The retainer meeting is ending, so many retainers will be coming out.”

It was a gentle way of saying that showing such hair to the retainers might hurt Tulia’s pride… no, he couldn’t imagine how her pride circuits had changed, but it would still be better not to show it.

‘So it’s that time.’

Stars twinkled in Tulia’s eyes.

“Got it. I’ll go back.”

Ruk failed to notice the sinister smile that crossed Tulia’s lips as she turned around after thanking him for letting her know.

* * *

‘The Grand Duke doesn’t seem to eat the jam I give him.’

As expected of the head of a noble family, he’s a wise person.

Looking at Ruk’s face, he seemed inwardly sorry that he couldn’t give me confidence that the Grand Duke would eat the handmade jam I brought, but on the other hand, I thought that was fortunate.

‘I did work hard to make it, but with Skill Level -10 making jam, whether he’d be fine after eating it…’

It was much better that he just acknowledged the fact that I had diligently brought gifts I made myself.

A gift that was crude but had sincerity in it.

Contrary to his stern impression, Assis Grand Duke Frazier was a character who was weak to such things.

‘Well, it is quite crude though…’

The Grand Duke has eyes too, so he’d know just by looking, wouldn’t he?

That the apple jam I was making wasn’t food fit for human consumption.

It was jam made with a whopping Skill Level -10 penalty.

Even the color looked terrible from the start.

Still, they say most nobles can’t cook anyway.

If I bring jam every time, I might be able to gain even a little favorability.

‘Besides, thanks to coming every day, I finally figured out when I can meet the retainers.’

Probably starting next week—no, starting this very week—rotten fruit won’t be coming into my kitchen anymore.

* * *

Just as Tulia expected, a few days later.

Viscount Lilius returned to the couple’s bedroom with his face flushed red.

“Dear! Just how are you handling things!”

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