The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 92

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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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Chapter 92

Since her body might still be tender, Reponya changed into a light, comfortable dress, and Becky braided her hair up and secured it for her.
Embarrassed by her unevenly cut hair, Reponya had specifically requested that Becky handle the styling today instead of Duke Craitan.
“Noble ladies do this sort of thing quite often.”
Becky’s understanding of her desire to look mature and a year older brought a flush to Reponya’s cheeks.
Of course, the bluntly cropped bangs only added to her cuteness rather than any sense of maturity.
After finishing her preparations, Reponya had the physician examine her condition and then made her way to the Dining Hall.
The moment she stepped inside, three pairs of eyes fixed upon her.
“Cottontail. I’ll have a meal sent to your bedroom, so don’t push yourself today—wait, huh?”
Fellens, who had been speaking naturally, tilted his head to one side. His gaze locked directly on Reponya’s forehead.
“…Pfft.”
A stifled laugh escaped. Buddy and Becky, who had followed behind Reponya, desperately gestured at Fellens and shook their heads in warning.
Unfortunately, Fellens didn’t catch the signal.
“Ha. Ponya, what on earth is your hair?”
Reponya’s lips pressed firmly together. Fellens pressed his palm against his mouth, struggling to contain his laughter. But giggles continued to leak through the cracks.
“Did mice run through here in the night?”
Reponya’s fists clenched as she glared at Fellens. Havelian, who had lived a few years longer and possessed sharper instincts, hastily rose from his seat and began clapping.
“Our youngest is so beautiful.”
“Cottontail looks even more like a cottontail now—”
“Fellens. Stop teasing the youngest and tell her she’s pretty if she is. …Ponya, come, sit here. And you truly are adorable.”
Havelian cut off Fellens’s words and seated Reponya. Duke Craitan regarded Reponya and nodded approvingly.
“It suits you well, Ponya. Did you cut it yourself?”
Reponya nodded.
“You have fine handiwork to trim it yourself. But Ponya, scissors are dangerous, so always be careful and never use them alone when no one is around. Especially when cutting your hair—scissors can poke you in the eye….”
Duke Craitan seemed far more concerned about the fact that Reponya had wielded the scissors alone than about the uneven cut itself.
Reponya had long since learned to let Duke Craitan’s overprotectiveness go in one ear and out the other as she began her breakfast.
Having been ill for two days straight, her first meal tasted milder and softer than usual.
Fellens, resting his chin on his hand beside her, continued to chortle as he watched her.
‘Irritating.’
Reponya stabbed at the food Fellens had passed to her with her fork, then pushed it back onto his plate.
“Huh?”
Only then did the smile vanish from Fellens’s face.
“What? Why?”
“You eat it.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“I don’t like it. I’m not going to eat your food.”
“Cottontail. You shouldn’t be picky.”
“Says the one who passed it to me in the first place?”
After all, he was the one who had shoved the food onto her plate to begin with.
“I don’t like it. I hate pickled cabbage.”
Fellens, his chin still propped on his hand, poked at the food on his plate with his fork, his expression turned sour.
“Brother. You should set an example for your younger sister. Eat it quickly.”
“Cottontail. That sort of rigid thinking isn’t good. Why must only your older brother set an example for his younger sister? Your younger self can set an example for me too. Did you forget what the Duke said before—that learning knows no age?”
“Just eat it.”
Reponya stabbed the pickled cabbage with her fork and held it up to Fellens’s mouth.
“It’s too crunchy, which I hate. But the taste is too strong, which I also hate.”
“Brother. Say ‘ah.'”
“…I won’t laugh anymore. Look, I mean it.”
Fellens jerked his head back in refusal. He clearly detested it.
Well then, she’d just have to make him eat it.
After all, who asked him to laugh?
“Brother. If I’m giving it to you, you’re not going to refuse, are you?”
Reponya lowered the fork slightly, letting her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth droop as if wounded. Playing this expression came easily to her.
“I want you to try it because I think it’s delicious.”
Fellens froze.
“Cottontail. You… are you really taking revenge on me like this because I laughed….”
“Hurry up and open wide—ah! My arm hurts. It hasn’t been that long since it healed, and if I hold it up much longer it’s going to ache.”
Fellens recognized this as Reponya’s petty revenge, yet he found himself unable to refuse.
Fellens opened his mouth, and a forkful of pickled cabbage disappeared inside.
“Ugh. Ugh-ugh. So much—you’re really stuffing it in. Ugh. Ugh-ugh.”
With his mouth crammed full of pickled cabbage, Fellens moved his jaw in visible distaste.
‘I thought he’d spit it out.’
Reponya’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re not going to spit it out?”
“Ugh. Cotton. Ugh. You’re the one who gave it to me. Ugh. How could I spit it out? Ugh.”
A crisp crunching sound filled the air—one she’d never heard from Fellens before. Despite his obvious displeasure, he swallowed every piece of pickled cabbage she’d fed him.
Reponya felt a twinge of guilt. She’d expected him to spit it out, not actually eat it all.
“Ugh. Tastes awful. Reponya. Now that I’ve finished, tell me the truth.”
“About what?”
“A rat really did appear last night and eat your bangs, didn’t it?”
Guilty, her foot.
Reponya stabbed at the next piece of cabbage with her fork.

* * *

Reponya sat waiting in the Education Room for Rudeuum to arrive, but her thoughts kept drifting to her shorn bangs.
‘I shouldn’t have cut them.’
She recalled Fellens struggling not to laugh through the entire meal. Duke Craitan and Havelian had said the shorter style suited her and was cute, but she’d noticed they couldn’t quite meet her eyes.
‘If Rudeuum sees them and laughs…’
Then she’d have to ban herself from the Estate until her hair grew back.
Reponya pulled her short bangs downward with both palms, turning the thought over in her mind.
Then the door opened.
Without thinking, Reponya covered her bangs with her hand.
“Reponya. Your arm was hurting, you said.”
Rudeuum looked striking today as well. He wasn’t wearing formal uniform like at the New Year Ceremony—just everyday clothes—yet why did he look so refined?
‘He must have grown taller and more mature over these couple of months we haven’t seen each other.’
How had he developed like this all on his own?
“You looked unwell at the New Year Ceremony, so I was worried.”
“…Was I?”
“Yes. From the moment you spoke with His Majesty until you left, you stayed like that the whole time.”
So he’d been watching her that closely.
“Did His Majesty say something unkind to you?”
Rudeuum narrowed his eyes as he asked, his voice tinged with displeasure. Reponya shook her head frantically, alarmed—he clearly thought the Emperor had upset her after their conversation.
“Nothing like that. His Majesty actually said he’d grant whatever I wished for.”
“Grant whatever you wish for?”
“Yes. He said if I wanted it, he’d even prevent my disownment.”
“Disownment? Prevent your disownment?”
Wait—
Reponya tilted her head. Then she spoke matter-of-factly.
“I’m adopted, after all.”
Did he not know? The Duke of Billemen couldn’t possibly be unaware of such a thing.
Rudeuum raised one eyebrow sharply.
“Surely you don’t still—”
“Hmm?”
Rudeuum, who’d been muttering to himself, clamped his mouth shut. With an expression of disbelief, he let out a hollow laugh and ran a rough hand back through his hair.
“Reponya. That’s not something you need to worry about anyway.”
“Hmm?”
“I mean—if, by some chance, no one recognized you and you were disowned—”
Rudeuum tilted his head, regarding her with an intense gaze.
“Come to me.”
“What?”
“I’ll have you abandon the House of Craitan and take the House of Billemen name instead.”
What?
Reponya blinked.
“If something like that happens, the first thing we would—”
“You’re saying you’d adopt me?”
Rudeuum fell silent. Reponya’s expression hardened with resolve.
“Rudeuum. You’re ten and I’m six, so you can’t adopt me.”
Was he weak with numbers? That would be troublesome when managing House of Billemen’s affairs.
‘…At least he’s collecting taxes properly, isn’t he?’
Reponya felt a sudden flutter of worry.
Or perhaps he didn’t understand what adoption meant at all? That would be a problem in its own right.
‘…He can read and understand contracts correctly, can’t he?’
Reponya studied Rudeuum with concern. Rudeuum exhaled heavily, as though exasperated.
“Do you think I don’t understand that? I’m telling you because I do, Reponya.”
“You said to take the Billemen name.”
“…Yes.”
“So you’re adopting me.”
“No.”
Reponya patted Rudeuum’s shoulder gently, offering comfort as she denied his words.
“It’s all right. You might not understand.”
In that same moment, Rudeuum’s gaze shifted—to her forehead.
“…!”
Right. Reponya had been about to use the same hand that comforted his shoulder to cover her forehead again.
But Rudeuum was faster. He caught her hand gently, stopping her.
…….
Rudeuum stared at the short bangs that framed her exposed forehead.
Go ahead and laugh. If you laugh, I’ll throw you out.
Reponya pressed her lips together, seized by unexpected embarrassment.
“You’re adorable.”
“What?”
Rudeuum’s lips parted in a dazed expression. He wasn’t laughing, nor was he holding back laughter.
“Your hair is this short and messy—”
He spoke with genuine wonder in his voice.
“It’s truly cute, Reponya.”
It was not the response she’d anticipated.

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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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