Chapter 4

Victoire and Damon, who kidnapped(?) Emilie, were like people from the sea. Light blue hair that shone like water under the sunlight, dark blue colored eyes like the deep sea. (t/n: the raw also has that question mark)

Victoire’s deep blue eyes looked at Emilie piercingly.

(V) “Did you sleep well?”

(E) “Yes.”

(V) “I see.”

Victoire then whispered to Damon, sitting on the seat next to him.

“I don’t think she slept well.”

‘What? You just said to me!’

“Because I’m sleeping in a strange place.”

Damon smiled and said:

“Eat properly and get a good night’s sleep. Right now you’re like a kid who’s been beaten up somewhere.”

Damon said, pushing the steak dish forward to Emilie.

‘That’s because it is a kid who’s been abused somewhere.’

I couldn’t even drink a cup of water in front of the table. When I tried to eat alone because I felt uncomfortable eating with my father and Polia, Polia vehemently opposed it.

At first glance, it seemed like an attitude for Emilie. However, the real intention was different. Polia brought Emilie to the table in order to show their father’s affection towards her and alienate Emilie. Polia especially liked the way Emilie took the blame of their father’s anger.

‘It’s ironic that someone else’s table is more comfortable.’

Of course, this table wasn’t completely comfortable either. She was under silent pressure because of the piled up mountain of food.

‘You brought all these for me to eat, right?’

Emilie looked at the ‘pile’ of food with astonished eyes, Damon said:

“Our Count Daughtry lives quite lavishly, though if you were a princess, you would be able to eat this much food at a feast, but you’re this surprised.”

“No matter how noble you…are?”

Emilie’s previous memories flashed into her mind when she was about to answer Damon’s words.

‘I remember!’

Count Daughtry, Victoire Daughtry.

A young man who looks like he’s in his early 30s. However, he is actually in his 30s. Even though he was a young man, he always had the profoundness of being a Count during his time.

‘Rising noble Count Daughtry!’

The countryside’s fallen nobleman suddenly found a gemstone mine one day. It was a huge success for families to invest on the basis of their earnings. In a flash, the fortune earned quickly developed into nobility.

People looked down on Count Daughtry, but envied their impressive wealth after the Emperor.

‘Damon Daughtry is Lord Daughtry.’

A gentle young man who took after his father but does not resemble his cold-looking face.

Rumor has it that he was a handsome gentleman in society. He’s probably about eighteen now.

‘If that’s the case then the boy last night…’

Sir Daughtry, Dylan Daughtry.

The second and youngest son of Count Daughtry and a man who was received well by the young ladies of society. It’s clearly him.

‘You mean, Young Daughtry was that rude?’

In addition, he’s absent when all family members are present in the dinner room.

Emilie felt the highest in the system, as if she had been steaming under the guise. (t/n: this is the raw form, not too sure about this cos my friends a bit busy to trans it for me; 에밀리는 제도 최고가는 영식의 실체에 김이 푹식는 기분이었다.)

“Why are you blushing and all pale by yourself?”

Victoire tilted his head at Emilie. Emilie calmed her mind by tapping her two cheeks ‘tap tap’ with her small hands.

“Damon. You have another brother, right?”

(Da) “Yeah, how did you know?”

“He came to my room last night.”

(V) “You’ve already met? That’s fast.”

Victoire said, looking straight at Emilie.

(V) “Everything he says is nonsense, so you don’t have to listen to it.”

It was as if he knew what his son had said last night.

“Do you know who I am?”

Emilie carefully asked.

“Princess Cabezo. Emilie.”

Victoire answered without hesitation.

“But why aren’t you sending me home?”

Emilie’s heart pounded as she asked. I had to hear the answer, but if the answer was, ‘I see. I’ll send you home,’ then things would get messy. Emilie’s small hands trembled with tension under the table.

“I saved you, so you’re mine.”

But Victoire’s answer was unexpected. It was more brazen than expected.

“Child trafficking is prohibited under Imperial law!”

“Brainy.” (t/n: one of the trans that popped up was smartass lmao)

“I know (that much)!”

“So, do you want to go home?”

“…..”

Emilie was speechless.

‘This man….how much do you know?’

Victoire poked a piece of steak with a fork and stuck it out to Emilie’s mouth.

“Eat for now. It’s meal time.”

Emilie did not let her guard down, but she bit the pieces of steak because she couldn’t resist.

‘Wow, it’s delicious!’

The stars twinkled right before my eyes.

The steak melted gently in my mouth. It was my first time tasting the sauce. I have never felt this taste even while living in the duchy all my life.

‘I couldn’t afford to taste it.’

Victoire’s mouth rose slightly as he watched young Emilie eat steak with twinkles in her eyes.

‘It’s like feeding a chick.’

The child thought it couldn’t be helped, but she was strangely pleased in her heart.

***

After the meal, Victoire presented Emilie with a dress. It was a luxurious purple cloth embroidered with jewelry pieces that shine like the stars.

‘This the Imperial designer Tolle’s dress you know!’

Not only the dress, but also the accessories and shoes were a set. Tolle is a designer who supplied clothes to the Imperial family. So now her dress was a price worth the call. Even as a set, the price will be beyond one’s imagination.

‘Why are you giving me something so precious? What even am I.’

As Emilie looked only at the dress, Victoire said:

“You want me to put it on you?”

“That, that’s not it!”

Emilie exclaimed in fright.

“If not, wear it quickly.”

“…..”

As Emilie continued to hesitate, this time Damon said:

“You can’t keep wearing that kind of clothes. There’s no young girl in the Daughtry house, so don’t feel pressured to wear it.”

Only then did Emilie look at the clothes she was wearing. The dress I wore last night was ruined. What I’m wearing now was a dress that an employee with a young daughter lent me in a hurry. It was old and the size did not fit.

‘It’s more of a nuisance if I keep it on.’

“Thank you. I’ll dress prettily.”

Convinced, Emilie greeted and received the dress.

“You don’t have to dress pretty. Just wear it well.”

Victoire said and left the room as if he had finished his work.

“Here, Marian will help you get dressed.”

Said Damon, who was left behind the dining room. Beside him, a middle-aged woman bowed her head.

“Call me Marian, my Lady.”

Marian approached with a smile. She was a middle-aged woman with plump cheeks and a good look.

“She’s going to help you not only with your clothes but also with many things in the future. You can trust her because her *mouth is heavy.” (*someone who speaks only a little or is very quiet.)

Damon spoke in a meaningful way.

Soon Damon left the room, and only Marian stayed and helped Emilie dress up. Strangely enough, the clothes fit perfectly as if they were custom-made.

“Oh, my. You look great in it Miss. You must have worn a lot of Tolle’s clothes since you were the daughter of a precious house, right?”

The word ‘daughter of a precious house’ naturally flowed out of her mouth. Marian also seemed to have a rough idea of Emilie’s identity.

‘How far do the people in this family know about me?’

And why are they naturally accepting this situation as if their lips were pieced together? (t/n: raw form is this; 입을 맞춘 듯 which says kissed so i did some research)

I recalled the memory of Count Daughtry that I knew before returning back to the past, but I couldn’t think of anything suspicious. Emilie responded kindly to Marian’s question, turning her head around.

“No. It’s my first time seeing such a nice dress. Thank you so much.”

Marian’s eyes widened.

‘Princess, I heard she’s Princess Cabezo.’

The young girl showed no arrogant attitude that is usually associated with a princess.

She was so cute as she put her hands together like a doll and responded gently.

Moreover, the chubby cheeks, which swell with every word she says, were so cute that she wanted to poke them once.

‘No, you can’t. No matter how cute she is, this kid has Cabezo blood.’

Marian came to her senses and had a business-like smile.

“Really? Your father must have been a very frugal man. Nowadays, no daughter of any noble homes hates Tolle’s clothes.”

At Marian’s words, Emilie’s face was numb.

‘Polia wore it, but I didn’t.’

Emilie was an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl who wants to wear pretty clothes that others wear.

But when she said, ‘I want to wear Tolle’s clothes,’ her father was furious.

But that night, my father visited Tolle’s boutique. And ordered ten dresses.

‘Everything is in the size of Polia.’

…was what my father said. But what my father said was not true.

From the moment she was born, Polia grew up without lacking anything while under the protection of her mother. Polia has a garage full of anything.

But Polia’s mother always changes Polia’s expensive clothes and Emilie’s shabby clothes when she goes in front of their father.

She used to talk subtly as if Emilie was a ‘crying child if she didn’t wear expensive clothes’.

***

Originally, there were two Ducal families in the Empire. The Cabezo family and the Leschine family, which laid the foundation for the founding of the Empire.

However, the Leschine family was driven to ruin by treason, which made the Cabezo family the only Duke of the Empire. Naturally, its power seemed to pierce the sky.

The stepmother, who had been wandering around brothels, caught the very eye of the Duke of Cabezo, laundered her identity and even became the Duchess.

‘Why did she hate me so much when she had everything.’

And why should she have given up all that and jumped off the cliff herself?

‘Even if I didn’t die, there were many ways to push me out and make Polia the only princess.’

Emilie still couldn’t understand her stepmother’s behavior. Emilie was hated by her father, as her stepmother intended. However, the ploy to keep Emilie hated was enough to keep her alive.

When Polia’s mother died, and Polia wore her expensive clothes to her heart’s content, she was still a frugal and unselfish child to her father.

Polia knew how to take after her mother and win her father’s heart. Every action of Polia came so affectionately and lovingly to the father who felt sorry for his daughter who had already lost her mother.

If Emilie had done the same thing, her father wouldn’t have liked it so much.

‘I’m not going back.’

Emilie made another vow.

“Now step out, Miss.”

Said Marian, who tied Emilie’s back ribbon tightly.

“Where?”

“The two are waiting in the sitting room. Let’s go out and show them.”

“They’re waiting for me?”

“Yes. Of course. Who else would they wait for if it weren’t for Miss?”

Emilie was embarrassed. There are two men waiting, who she thought were done with their tasks and left. She couldn’t understand that they were waiting to see Emilie in a dress.

Emilie went out to the drawing room where Victoire and Damon waited in a dazed mood.

At the sound of the door opening, the eyes of the two men sitting on the sofa turned to Emilie at the same time.