The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 82

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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 82

Carlos’s words about ordering the furniture and wallpaper I wanted weren’t a joke.

After visiting Hella’s quarters and returning, I spent several days being dragged around by Mia’s hands, looking through dozens of catalogs. Wallpaper, curtains, beds, desks, chairs, vanity tables, rugs, candlesticks, mirrors, even picture frames. I had to choose everything one by one. I even had to decide on the shape of the door handles.

‘I didn’t know choosing according to my taste would be such exhausting work.’

Honestly, it didn’t matter what I chose. But faced with Mia’s passionate eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say I’d just pick anything.

“Your Highness, how about this wallpaper?”

“Your Highness, what about the curtain color? Which do you prefer between ivory and beige?”

“You need to choose the bed frame between oak wood and walnut!”

…She looked incredibly excited.

In the end, after all the choices were made, I moved rooms four days later.

The new room was spacious.

With a bit of exaggeration, it was similar in size to the room I stayed in at the Imperial Palace. No, it might even be larger. The ceiling was high, and the windows were big. Sunlight poured into the room abundantly. Beyond the window, I could see the Duke’s Forest.

I chose a subtle cream-colored wallpaper. Anything too fancy would have been burdensome. The curtains were deep blue, and the bed frame was dark walnut wood. Just as Mia had recommended. The desk was also new. It was wide and sturdy.

‘…He really changed it.’

I remembered the room I used when I first came to the Duke’s Mansion. I thought it wasn’t bad back then, but now I could definitely see the difference. That room was for guests, and this room was.

‘Like my own room.’

It didn’t feel real. Furniture I chose, wallpaper I chose. It felt like having a truly personal space for the first time.

And I was sitting at my new desk, deep in serious contemplation.

On the wide desk, an enormous map was spread out. It was a map Demian had brought this morning, with the hunting ground’s terrain drawn in detail.

‘Where should I place the purification stones?’

The hunting ground entrance? The rest tent? The banquet hall?

I needed to calculate the flow so nobles could naturally experience the effects. If there were too few or too many, they’d feel something was off.

The effective range of the purification stones Sion made was roughly a 500-meter radius. I had to arrange them with that in mind.

‘It would be good to subtly spread them throughout the entire hunting ground.’

I marked dots on the map with a pencil. The entrance, middle rest area, banquet hall. Arranging them in a triangle would seem to cover the entire flow.

‘And at the banquet hall, more intensively…’

The banquet hall is where nobles stay the longest. It’s where the feast is held after the hunt ends. They need to definitely feel the effects there. The feeling of mana being purified. The feeling of their bodies becoming lighter.

‘The Harper Count Family is especially important.’

Both the Countess and the Young Lady have symptoms of mana poisoning. For them to directly feel the effects of the purification stones and bring up the topic at the right time, the environment was crucial above all.

Just then, the door suddenly opened and a familiar figure entered.

“…Duke?”

It was an unexpected visitor.

This was the first time Carlos had personally come to my room. Well, while I was awake, that is.

He crossed his arms and casually looked around the room before asking.

“Do you like the room?”

“Oh, yes. It’s spacious and warm… I like it.”

“Good.”

Carlos slowly crossed the room, looking around. Wallpaper, curtains, furniture. His gaze swept over everything one by one. As if inspecting. It seemed like he was checking if everything was properly done.

A moment of silence passed.

“…It’s warm.”

It was a low murmur. His tone sounded satisfied.

‘Did he come to check personally?’

Carlos coming himself to check if the room was warm. I seriously wondered if I was dreaming right now. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be a dream.

Eventually, Carlos’s gaze turned to the desk scattered with maps and pencils.

“What were you doing?”

“Oh, preparing for the hunting festival. I was thinking about where to place the purification stones.”

Carlos looked at the map. He examined the dots and lines I had drawn. His eyes were serious.

“Entrance, rest area, banquet hall. A triangular arrangement?”

“Yes. I thought this would be appropriate to cover the entire flow. Since each purification stone has an effective range of about 500 meters radius, about 80 total…”

While I was pointing at the map and explaining in detail, for some reason Carlos kept looking at my face instead of the map the entire time. Until I felt his gaze and looked up, he never took his eyes off me.

“…Is there some problem?”

“Is there nothing difficult for you to do alone?”

“Pardon?”

“Whether it’s preparing for the hunting festival or whatever. I asked if there’s nothing difficult for you to judge alone.”

I was at a loss for words for a moment. I met his eyes for a while before answering in a slow voice.

“…This is something I should do.”

Researching purification stones, spreading them to nobles using the House of the Duke’s name, utilizing the hunting festival. It was work I had started. Work I should take responsibility for.

Carlos looked at me. His sunken eyes were still unreadable.

“I am your protector.”

A calm voice flowed out.

“And you are now thirteen years old.”

I was speechless.

No one had ever said such words to me. Words that I didn’t have to do everything alone. Words that there was someone to lean on. Words that it was okay to depend on an adult.

In the Imperial Palace, I was always alone. If I didn’t handle things myself, I couldn’t survive. Whether I was thirteen or ten years old didn’t matter. It was a place where showing weakness meant being devoured.

But this person.

‘He keeps doing this, so it makes me feel strange.’

I kept having different thoughts.

What if I hadn’t been kidnapped by the Emperor back then.

What if I hadn’t been the Grand Duchess who died in a carriage accident at age two, but had continued growing up in this house.

‘If that had happened, could I have heard such words naturally too?’

As if it were natural. Without doubt. Accepting it casually, knowing that’s what family originally meant.

Sitting at the same table every morning to eat, hearing good night wishes before sleeping. Having someone worry when I’m sick, having a shoulder to lean on when things are hard.

Could I have enjoyed such ordinary things.

‘If only I weren’t Loreia.’

Right now, in this moment, would the look in Carlos’s eyes as he watched me be different? With the gaze of someone looking at a daughter, not Loreia. As a father, not a guardian.

…No, more than that.

‘Maybe it’s not too late even now.’

Such a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

If we gradually grow closer like this. When the day comes to tell the truth someday. Would Carlos accept me?

Could we become a perfect family?

Could we reclaim the lost 11 years?

‘…Such foolish thoughts.’

I shook my head.

That’s too much greed. Even this much is already more than I deserve. Just having him care for me this much as a guardian is something to be grateful for.

I shouldn’t wish for more than that. Because I’ll end up disappointed.

‘…Stop.’

I shook my head and looked at the map again. There was a lot of work to do. I could think about it later.

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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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