The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 6

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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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Episode 6

Upon entering the dining hall, a rich, sweet, and intoxicating aroma reached her nostrils.
Sniff, sniff. Lepornya’s eyes widened of their own accord. The table groaned under the weight of lavishly ornate dishes, set down in relentless succession.
In truth, it had been days since inhabiting this child’s body that she’d had a proper meal.
Lepornya swallowed hard.
‘So the Duke’s household eats like this at every meal. Even more extravagant than other noble families.’
The Duke carefully seated Lepornya right beside the head of the table. The plush cushion meant her backside didn’t ache at all.
“There now—this will be your place from now on, Lepornya.”
A dish glistening with meat juices caught her eye.
“Eat freely.”
Looking at the abundance of food and her seat positioned directly beside the Duke, she began to understand.
‘He means to catch any misstep and drill proper habits into me from the start.’
Nobles were acutely sensitive to others’ gazes. A single flaw spotted by someone could tarnish reputation and honor—or so they believed.
‘I learned this when I was six.’
Having studied under the Pope for years, this was child’s play.
Lepornya ignored the oppressive weight of the Duke’s gaze beside her and slowly picked up the appropriate utensils for the food.
Without letting the utensils clatter, she cut the food into elegant, bite-sized pieces and placed them in her mouth, eating with flawless adherence to proper form.
A sidelong glance revealed that the Duke’s face had gone rigid.
He seemed astonished by the sheer perfection.
“Who placed a Knife at Lepornya’s setting?”
Hm?
“A five-year-old child shouldn’t be cutting meat with a Knife.”
Killing intent radiated from him.
The atmosphere froze in an instant, turning brittle and harsh.
Lepornya hastily put down the Knife she’d been holding, her eyes darting about.
‘So that’s not it?’
Why has this been so difficult from the start?
Before Lepornya had even finished setting down the dangerous adult utensil, Kraitan swept it aside.
“Bring a children’s fork at once.”
At his low voice, the servant rushed to produce a new utensil.
Chirp, chirp.
A small fork with a chick drawn on it.
“…….”
Only then did the Duke release a sigh of relief and proceeded to cut all of Lepornya’s food into tiny, bite-sized pieces for her.
“You must eat plenty of meat to grow tall.”
No, that’s not how it works. One needs balanced nutrition to grow tall.
“If you eat pieces that are too large, they might catch in your throat—be sure to chew well.”
She had actual teeth, not just gums. Why would it catch in her throat?
“Now, use the fork like this, stabbing the food so it doesn’t run away.”
Kraitan picked up a tiny piece of meat with the fork and pinned it, then fixed his gaze on Lepornya.
‘Is he asking me to imitate him right now?’
He clearly intended to watch until she copied him, so Lepornya gripped the chirping fork and complied.
It was far lighter than the adult utensil and fit comfortably in her hand.
Lepornya stabbed the meat with a little poke.
“And now, pop it right in your mouth—”
Following Kraitan’s lead, she placed the meat in her mouth.
“Chew it well like this. Nom, nom, nom.”
He was actually chewing with his mouth open.
His teeth were fully visible as he chewed demonstratively, making exaggerated chomping sounds.
“…….”
It looked like he’d keep going until she imitated him, so Lepornya finally surrendered and chewed the meat in the same demonstrative manner.
‘The Noble Etiquette I was taught was nothing like this…….’
Was what I learned even the real thing?
Everything she’d studied until now seemed to be rendered useless.
Lepornya’s pupils trembled.
“Well done. This is how I fed your brothers too.”
The Noble Etiquette Lepornya had learned at this dinner table was long forgotten.
“Now, drink some water… wait. This water is far too cold. Who poured cold water for Lepornya? Don’t they know such cold water can cause stomach trouble?”
Lepornya found herself staring into empty space.
‘Was it the second one who said he wasn’t coming back from the Academy?’
She hoped that wasn’t the reason.
Lepornya filled her belly with determined little squeaks of her fork.

* * *

Only after the meal ended and dessert was consumed did the Duke finally come to the point.
“Tomorrow I plan to submit this Adoption Document to the Imperial Palace.”
The Duke of Kraitan brandished the Adoption Document with all the child’s personal information filled in.
All that remained was the signature of the child to be adopted—Lepornya herself—and it would be complete.
The method for a noble to adopt a child was simple: if a noble wished to adopt, they would prepare documents with the child’s personal information, have the child sign, and submit it to the Imperial Palace. That was all.
Adoption Documents were infused with magical power, so they could not be carelessly torn or destroyed.
Then the child would officially become a member of the family.
Since adoption was so easy, disadoption was equally simple.
One would simply prepare a Disadoption Document with the child’s personal information and submit it to the Imperial Palace, and that too would be done.
That was why, when Lepornya had been at the Orphanage, many children had come back and forth—adopted and then returned.
After all, the other side held all the cards.
“You have no questions?”
“No.”
The Duke’s brow furrowed. Lepornya lowered her gaze from the Duke and used her fork to scrape the remnants of cake cream from the bottom of her empty plate.
“No questions at all?”
“Why?”
Lepornya set down her fork on the empty plate and asked in a flat voice.
“Do you think you’ll regret it?”
The Duke’s face twisted as if he’d heard something absurd.
At the same moment, every servant in the dining room fixed their eyes on Lepornya.
“If you think you’ll regret it, you don’t have to adopt me.”
Lepornya paused for a moment, then continued.
“But I have nowhere to go right now. You don’t have to adopt me, so just let me eat and sleep at the Mansion. In exchange, I’ll work.”
What mattered was not adoption, anyway—it was being here in this Mansion.
“Lepornya.”
The Duke of Kraitan gestured. A servant brought fresh cake and set it before Lepornya.
‘Ah.’
Scraping the bottom of the plate—that was something only the uneducated did.
Lepornya’s face flushed as she became aware of her own behavior.
“I brought you here, and I spoke first about adopting you as my daughter.”
“…….”
“So you think I’ll regret it? No, I won’t. Instead, I should ask you, Lepornya.”
“What?”
“The situation earlier was extraordinary, and you may have made a hasty choice in your shock, but now that you’ve had time to collect yourself, I’m asking again. Even when you grow up later, this memory from today will remain with you.”
The Duke of Kraitan, who had been observing Lepornya, gripped his fork. Then, exactly as Lepornya had done moments before, he scraped the cake cream from the bottom of his plate and put it in his mouth.
Despite there still being cake on the plate.
“Ugh, too sweet.”
The Duke’s face twisted in distaste at the sweetness. Seeing this enormous man contort as if he might die over a bit of cake cream was so amusing that Lepornya nearly laughed.
When she grew older.
Even after she was disadopted, today would remain in her memory—was that what he meant?
“I’m fine with it too.”
Lepornya reached out with her small hand. The Duke of Kraitan handed over the documents.
“I already know all that. I’ve already made up my mind.”
A knife that the Duke of Kraitan had tucked away in the corner came into view.
Lepornya struggled to jump down from the high chair. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she seized the knife from the corner.
Slice—!
Lepornya drew the blade across her finger without giving anyone time to stop her. Skin split open and red blood spilled forth.
“Lepornya!”
The startled Duke of Kraitan leaped from his seat and rushed forward.
“I’m fine.”
Unbothered by the commotion around her, Lepornya pressed her dripping blood onto the bottom of the documents.
A Blood Oath was a method used to show sincerity to another—a way of saying you were willing to stake your very life on the choice.
Lepornya wanted to show Kraitan clearly that she had no regrets about this decision.
“All right, once you submit this to the Imperial Palace tomorrow—”
“Fetch a physician! At once!”
Kraitan didn’t even take the document Lepornya offered, instead wrapping his bleeding finger in a handkerchief.
“Huh?”
Lepornya’s eyes widened in confusion.
It was only a superficial cut—barely enough to draw blood—yet he was summoning a physician?
She’d had far worse injuries and never once been taken to a doctor.
Everyone always said it would heal once she’d had some sleep, and sure enough, the pain always faded by morning.
“It’ll heal fine after some rest.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Kraitan spoke firmly, his expression darkening.
“Wounds don’t heal just because you sleep. Without proper treatment, they’ll leave scars.”
Scars? Had she ever worried about scars before?
“Even the smallest wound must be shown to a physician. There’s no such thing as a wound that heals just by sleeping. Do you understand?”
“Eh?”
“This is a rule of the Kraitan Family.”
The steward looked toward the duke as if to question him, then caught Lepornya’s gaze and hurriedly nodded with a nervous smile.
“Indeed, miss.”
“Now that you’re my daughter, Lepornya, you must follow the Kraitan Family’s rules too.”
Lepornya found herself nodding in assent, and moments later the mansion’s resident physician had arrived.
“Let me examine the wound… goodness.”
The physician drew near and, upon glimpsing Lepornya’s face, caught his breath.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Lepornya tilted her head. Was the physician startled by such a trivial injury as well?
“Your Grace—”
Before the physician could finish, the steward seized his arm sharply.
“Compose yourself. Our young lady arrived today and requires treatment.”
The steward spoke in clipped tones, his voice brooking no argument. The dazed physician nodded and approached Lepornya.
“Young lady, I am honored to meet you. Might I examine the wound?”
The duke nodded and gently released Lepornya’s hand. The Knife had caught her tender skin, leaving a shallow tear. It was hardly a serious injury.
Lepornya found herself embarrassed and looked directly at her own bleeding wound.
“Just disinfect it and apply some salve. That’s all.”
“You’re quite brave, young lady. The young masters used to weep at the sight of their wounds when they were small.”
“It’s not such a grave injury…”
“Young lady, regardless of the severity, you must cherish your body.”
At the physician’s words, the steward, the maidservant, and the duke all nodded in agreement.
‘What on earth is this place?’
To make such a fuss over a mere scratch on her finger.
“Ponya.”
A gruff voice uttered the endearment.
‘Did he just call me?’
Lepornya turned her head.
“If it hurts, tell me. I’ll blow a healing wind upon it.”
“…What does that mean?”
Kraitan was an Aura user, so perhaps he could manipulate wind as well.
“Whoosh.”
With his lips formed into a small circle, the duke blew a gentle wind across her finger.
“…”
Something was definitely wrong with the people in this mansion.

* * *

Academy Dormitory.
“Father did what?”
The man reading the letter that had arrived from the steward let out a bewildered laugh.
“Has he finally lost his mind?”
The letter crumpled in his grip.
The contents were simple and direct.
The news was that Duke Kraitan, his father, had adopted a daughter.
“What kind of con artist managed to pull the wool over Father’s eyes?”
The man swept back his silver hair with a hollow laugh.
A problem child who’d already spent three years taking graduation exams without actually graduating—a fossil who haunted the Academy, as they called him.
The second son, the family disgrace of Duke Kraitan.
“I think I need to go home and see for myself.”
Felens Kraitan rose from his seat.

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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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