The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 67

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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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67

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“My, my. You’ve grown taller, haven’t you?”
“Hmm?”
“When we first fitted this dress, the hem came down to your ankles. I remember it clearly.”
Buddy bent down, placing her hand near Reponya’s ankle as she spoke.
Had it really? She couldn’t recall.
“But now it reaches only to your calf.”
At Buddy’s words, Reponya leaned forward to examine the dress’s length.
“You must have grown quite a bit.”
“Me?”
“Of course.”
In response to Buddy’s affirmation, Reponya inspected her own legs with a look of wonder.
‘When I was little, I barely grew at all.’
Reponya had always been unusually small for her age. Abandoned to the Orphanage before she could even walk properly, perpetual hunger was her daily reality—her growth had naturally come to a standstill.
That she’d fled to the Poor Relief Center only to become a target of endless abuse was also partly because of her small frame.
She’d walked on her tiptoes hoping to grow faster, practiced puffing out her chest to look bigger. None of it had worked.
But she’d actually grown taller!
‘If I keep growing like this… when I reach adulthood, I might be even taller than I am now.’
Reponya’s eyes sparkled with a racing heart.
“It must be because you’ve been eating the food your second brother picked through and rejected—you’ve shot up so much!”
“I’m going to eat even better from now on.”
Becky laughed at Reponya’s resolute declaration.
“At this rate, our young lady might grow taller than Duke Craitan and both his sons.”
She imagined towering over them—actually looking down at Craitan, Havelian, and Fellens. The thought thrilled her.
“You’ll end up tall enough to punch a hole through the Estate itself!”
“If that happens, I’ll handle the repairs.”
Buddy slipped new shoes onto her feet, laughing. Once Reponya was dressed in them perfectly, she left the bedroom.
Perhaps it was the extra bit of height—the air felt fresher somehow, clearer than yesterday.
‘If I eat well in this small body, sleep well, play well, maybe when I return to an adult form, I’ll be even taller.’
Reponya, who had always longed to be a bit taller, let her eyes shine.
She resolved to eat better from today on and headed into the Dining Hall.
The three men already there turned their heads in unison.
“Reponya. Good morning.”
“Little cotton ball. Sleep well?”
“Our youngest. Did you have sweet dreams?”
She’d grown accustomed to their greetings. Reponya nodded in response and took her seat in the child’s chair that had been prepared for her.
She wanted to share this joyful news. Until now, even when good things happened to her, she’d never felt the desire to share them with anyone.
It was a strange shift.
‘Is it gratitude for growing taller while eating and sleeping well in this Estate?’
She’d thought she’d killed all her emotions and burned away what little morality remained—yet apparently some of it still lingered.
“Ahem.”
Reponya cleared her throat deliberately, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“Hmm? Reponya. Your throat hurts? Is the water too cold?”
Havelian gestured to a servant, ordering him to bring warmer water for her.
“Oh, um, yes. Thanks, Havelian.”
No, that wasn’t it at all.
‘How am I supposed to tell them I’ve grown taller?’
How could she explain something joyful when she’d never had practice sharing good news? Reponya sat in thought for a moment, then raised her hand with a solemn expression.
“I have something to say.”
Her face had grown grave as she deliberated over how to phrase it.
The three men, who’d been enjoying their leisurely morning, felt their expressions harden in response to hers.
A five-year-old child announcing she had something to say while looking so deadly serious was unsettling.
Fellens straightened in his chair, tilting his head.
“What’s wrong? I didn’t do anything bad, did I?”
Whenever the atmosphere grew tense, Fellens habitually raced through his own recent history, searching for what he might have broken or done wrong.
Havelian poured the warm water the servant had brought into a cup and placed it in Reponya’s hands.
“Reponya. Whatever’s happened, I can handle it all for you, so don’t worry—just drink some warm water first.”
“That’s not… I was trying to say my height….”
“Reponya. You’re upset because I’ve been slow with my duties.”
“Huh?”
Her words about her height cut short, Reponya tilted her head at Duke Craitan, who was reproaching himself.
“My duties?”
“I didn’t delay—I simply judged that you’d be better off not knowing, so I said nothing. First, the Orphanage Director who tormented you will never see daylight again. You can assume she’ll never walk under the sun. Or perhaps she simply won’t walk anywhere, ever again.”
……
“Baron Drayer, who handed you over to another orphanage, isn’t in much different circumstances. Having lost everything, stripped of my protection, he’ll hardly remain whole.”
She’d assumed he’d handled it quietly and well—but he’d handled it far more thoroughly than she’d imagined.
He’d left no trace for her to stumble upon later, no possibility of future retaliation.
‘At least the bloodline of House of Craitan hasn’t continued in vain.’
If the house couldn’t manage something this routine, it would have crumbled long ago.
‘But that wasn’t what I meant to say at all.’
Reponya, swept along in the moment, shook her head and collected herself.
“That’s not it—just listen to me.”
Reponya calmed the three men who were jumping to conclusions. It wasn’t as if her height had shot up dramatically—she’d grown only a little—yet here she was managing the lot of them. Was this really worth all this?
Just moments ago, she’d been delighted about her growth and eager to share the news. Now she felt only embarrassed.
“We’re listening. Go on, cotton-puff.”
Fellens replied with perfect seriousness.
With all three pairs of eyes fixed so intently on her, this didn’t seem like anything worth saying at all. Heat crept up Reponya’s neck.
“…It’s nothing much.”
“Reponya. How could anything you want to say possibly be nothing much to us—”
“Havelian, no interrupting.”
“Mm.”
Havelian promptly fell silent.
That Reponya could cut off Havelian mid-sentence and make him comply—at the Military Academy, such a thing was unimaginable. In fact, it would have been impossible during his years as a knight, and equally so when he was enrolled at the Academy.
Of course, Reponya knew nothing of this.
“I… I wanted to say that I’ve grown taller.”
Reponya mumbled the words, her gaze averted in embarrassment.
“…Taller?”
The word caught Fellens off guard, and he repeated it softly. Then his eyes flew wide open in surprise.
“Cotton-puff! You’ve grown?!”
Fellens sprang to his feet.
“Y-yes. My dress used to reach my ankles, but now it only goes to my calves. The dressmaker said it’s because I’ve gotten taller.”
“Reponya. You’ve grown taller?”
Duke Craitan’s eyes widened with surprise as well.
She’d been afraid they’d scold her for bringing up something so trivial, but there was no sign of that at all.
“Y-yes. If I keep eating well and sleeping well, I think I’ll grow even more.”
“Our youngest has grown! This calls for celebration!”
Havelian sprang up. Then, as though she were the guest of honor at a party, he began clapping in a standing ovation. Fellens, who was already on his feet, followed suit with enthusiastic applause.
“Everyone, let’s celebrate our Reponya’s growth!”
Havelian shouted with genuine joy. The household staff of Craitan Estate beamed and joined in the clapping.
Duke Craitan rose quietly and added his own applause.
Her face burned with heat. She was embarrassed, and yet somehow it didn’t feel bad at all.
She knew it was strange to receive congratulations and applause for something so small.
Yet the way they celebrated her more than she had celebrated herself, the way they shared in her joy—this impossible situation felt genuinely wonderful.
In this moment, Reponya truly felt as though she belonged to this family.
“Good.”
Duke Craitan turned and fixed his gaze on the butler.
“Cancel all my appointments for today.”
“Sir?”
“Contact all the renowned dressmakers and arrange for us to visit today.”
Duke Craitan spoke with genuine delight.
“We’ll need to replace all of Reponya’s dresses to match her new growth.”

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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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