The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 62

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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 62

In this moment.
Lightning struck through her entire body, as vivid as the day she’d first learned to read, discovering words for the first time.
Her mouth had become a sky—clouds drifted across her tongue in every direction.
When the fluffy clouds touched her tongue, they melted away and slipped down her throat, and how could anyone not be astonished by such a thing?
She thought that this must be what the clouds in the sky taste like if you plucked them out and put them in your mouth.
“Reponya. Is it delicious?”
Havelian wiped away the syrup at the corner of her mouth with a Handkerchief and smiled. Reponya gazed longingly even at the syrup smeared on the cloth as she nodded.
“It tastes good.”
“Should I have them bring more?”
Wait.
Reponya instinctively glanced toward Duke Craitan first.
Duke Craitan never stinted on food—if Reponya looked as though she wanted more, he’d have given her as much as she wished.
Yet that old habit of watching for the Orphanage director’s reaction still surfaced sometimes, unbidden.
“What’s this? Cotton ball. Why are you watching Father’s mood? …Father, you didn’t just use food to pressure her into submission, did you?”
“Father. How much does Reponya eat that you’d pressure her over it? …Reponya. It’s fine—eat more if you want.”
Pressed by both brothers, the Duke let out an exasperated laugh.
“I never did any such thing.”
“When we were little, you wouldn’t let us have chocolate or candy.”
Fellens voiced his complaint.
“Only because you couldn’t control yourselves and ended up with stomach aches.”
“That was—that was—”
Duke Craitan, brushing Fellens aside, turned to Reponya.
“Reponya. If you want more, it’s fine to eat more. But if you eat too much now, you’ll spoil your appetite, so perhaps just one more and save the rest for after dinner…”
“That’s definitely watching her mood. Let her fill her stomach with good food—what’s the harm in that? …Cotton ball, eat as much as you want. It’s only once, what does it matter?”
“Have them bring four more Souffle Cakes to the Conference Room. Make them large—they’re for the youngest.”
She’d said only one word about how delicious it was, glanced toward one person’s mood, and look at all the responses coming back.
‘How loud.’
This noise and bustle was unfamiliar to her, yet somehow it made her want to laugh.
So different from when she’d been locked alone in the basement of the Orphanage.
“Pfft.”
Perhaps because the whole family was gathered now—the atmosphere differed from when Duke Craitan was alone, and from when it was just him and Fellens.
Reponya, lost in her own thoughts with a smile, soon noticed the Conference Room had gone quiet and lifted her head.
Three men were gazing at her with pleased, gentle smiles.
“…Why? What is it?”
“Nothing at all.”
Fellens replied offhandedly, shaking his head.
‘What’s wrong?’
Had she done something wrong? Reponya retraced her actions, but found nothing amiss.
All she’d done was laugh while the three men were talking—perhaps they thought she was mocking them and took offense.
‘I’ll be more careful next time.’
Reponya cleared her throat quietly and suppressed her smile. Fortunately, the additional Souffle Cakes that Havelian had ordered arrived, and the awkward atmosphere vanished at once.
‘Thank goodness.’
She couldn’t predict when the mood might sour again, so it seemed better to say what needed saying before that happened.
Reponya set down her Dessert Fork and carefully opened her lips.
“I—”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”
“A request?”
Someone might say she was presumptuous, begging a favor of a high nobleman like this.
“Finally?”
“…What?”
At his unexpected question, Reponya—who had struggled to find the words and looked down—lifted her head.
The Duke sitting beside her picked up the Dessert Fork she’d set down and cut the Souffle Cake into a bite-sized piece, then brought it to her lips.
“Right. We should do that.”
“…What?”
The moment she opened her mouth, the Duke slipped a piece of the Souffle Cake he’d just cut between her lips.
“Good girl.”
He didn’t forget to praise her while stroking her hair.
“Reponya.”
Duke Craitan called her name as he patted her head.
“Since you came to this Estate, this is the first time you’ve actually spoken up to ask for something.”
It made perfect sense. Reponya had always been accustomed to solving things on her own, and the very act of asking others for help was foreign to her.
So naturally, it had been the same even after the adoption.
‘I didn’t realize he was paying attention to that.’
He spoke as if he’d been waiting all along for her to ask him for something.
Duke Craitan, still stroking Reponya’s hair, wore a pleased expression.
“Reponya. Since this is the first thing you’ve asked of me, I’ll grant you anything. Anything at all—just ask.”
“Anything… at all?”
“That’s right. Anything.”
Duke Craitan nodded with his usual impassive face.
Fellens, standing nearby, added as if things were going perfectly.
“Cotton puff! This is perfect. Never mind whatever you were originally going to ask for—set that aside for now and ask Father for his Mining Rights and part of his wealth. Since Father always keeps his word, if you ask him now, he’ll absolutely give it to you.”
“Huh? What?”
“Fellens is right. As for your original request, Fellens and I will find a way to grant it anyway, so don’t waste this chance—ask Father for whichever of his Territories has the highest taxes.”
“Oh, that’s a pretty good suggestion too?”
Even though she could hear the two brothers’ earnest discussion perfectly well, the Duke didn’t contradict them. He simply waited, looking only at Reponya as if he truly would grant anything she asked.
‘Anything at all….’
The Mining Rights and part of his wealth that Fellens had mentioned sounded appealing, and so did the highest-taxed Territory that Havelian had suggested.
Or she could have asked for a firm assurance that he wouldn’t pursue Disadoption for a while.
But Reponya had something even more important to resolve.
‘…Still, a promise comes first.’
They all looked at her with eager eyes, waiting to hear what she would ask for. Reponya parted her lips, her face tense.
“I want my eldest brother to… take lessons with me.”
“…What?”
Fellens asked again, as if he’d misheard. Reponya, ignoring him, continued with the rest of what she had to say.
“With Rudeuum… and Duke Billemen.”
“What?”
Havelian, who had been smiling warmly at the mention of lessons, suddenly stiffened and asked, his voice catching.
But the request wasn’t over yet.
“And I’d like my second brother to give Sword Arts training.”
“Cotton puff. You don’t mean….”
“…Sword Arts training from Duke Billemen.”
…….
“That’s my request.”
Clang!
The moment her request ended, the Duke—struck with shock—let Reponya’s Dessert Fork clatter to the floor.
Fellens pressed his palm to his chest and laughed awkwardly.
“Wow. I just got such a shock I thought I could actually hear my heart drop right out of my body.”
It was a promise she’d made to Rudeuum.
If he brought the three men of Duke Craitan’s family to the Orphanage, she’d promised to keep Rudeuum close to her when she returned.
This was the method she’d devised.
To invite Rudeuum to the Estate and have him take lessons alongside her.
That would give her sufficient justification to keep him nearby, and he’d be happy to have the chance to learn as well.
Because at the Orphanage, where they couldn’t even treat injuries properly, there was no way Rudeuum could receive proper training.
Adding the Sword Arts training request was just Reponya’s being overzealous.
Of course, it seemed he could summon Spirits and was already skilled in Sword Arts.
But she thought learning properly would be different, so she’d decided to ask Fellens, who’d just graduated from the Academy.
“You said Duke Billemen was experiencing rapid growth. So, well, I thought if we studied together, I’d learn a lot and it would be helpful for both of us.”
…….
“At the succession celebration party the other day, he said he’d help me with anything I needed, so… I figure he’d probably agree if I asked him to attend the lessons with me.”
She mixed in enough lies to seem like they weren’t already familiar with each other.
“Why, why….”
“Hmm?”
The Duke, frozen in shock, dragged his large hand across his face repeatedly.
“I’d rather you asked for the Mining Rights or wealth… no, for the high-tax Territory instead.”
“Huh?”
Was it really that difficult a favor?
Reponya felt relieved, thinking to herself that she’d done well to mention the request concerning Rudeuum.
“But Your Grace… you said you’d grant anything.”
“That’s the thing—why does Father say such things without even hearing me out?”
Fellens shot Duke Craitan a sharp glare.
“Reponya. How about a different favor instead—”
“Your Grace, you’re not a liar, are you?”
“…….”
“Liars are bad people.”
“…….”
“Your Grace, do you want to become a bad person like a thief? You want to be a bad person? Should I be a bad person too?”
“Ah, ah, no… bad people are… I don’t like them. If I become a bad person… I can’t do that.”
Reponya had deployed the five-year-old’s full arsenal.
The five-year-old had won.

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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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