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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Grand Duke's Household
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Oh, this is unbelievable.
‘I really just planned to rest for a bit and then ask to be sent back...’
She must have slept so soundly; she felt so refreshed, like she'd been reborn.
Mabel slowly blinked again.
As her sleepiness faded and her vision slowly focused, the room's scenery became clear.
The large room, big enough to run around in, was filled with toys a child would love.
All of them had been gifted by the Grand Ducal family members within a single day.
Some had apparently rushed down to the village to buy them.
Despite pouring such effort into her, they asked nothing in return from Mabel.
If anything, they were desperate to give her more.
How could that be? It was amazing.
‘They say birds of a feather flock together, so I guess only good people surround other good people.’
This was a bit problematic.
“I'd only thought that even if you enter a tiger's den, you'd survive if you kept your wits about you...”
But what if I actually *like* the tiger's den?
It felt like she'd encountered an unforeseen dilemma.
“Mmm...”
As she pondered, subtly squishing her cheek against the soft duvet, Dean's words suddenly came to mind.
“—You might feel relieved that you've successfully infiltrated the Grand Ducal Castle, but that's as far as it goes. I'll expose everything soon enough.”
“Mister Assistant... for a declaration of war, it was pretty anticlimactic.”
I thought he'd lock me up somewhere, but he just brought me here safely.
“—Then rest. This will be your last day of rest.”
And then he just... left.
Only Mabel, who had been secretly tense, was left looking like a fool.
It was the same after that.
He suddenly showed up while I was bathing with the maids, and I thought he'd chase them out, but then...
“—You seem to be trying to appeal with this frugality, not even using a single toy, but you're wrong!”
He gave me a small duck toy that floated in the water and a small wind-up boat toy.
It was the same when I dozed off, nodding, while the maids were drying my hair.
“—You seem to be pretending to collapse from thirst after your bath to extend your stay, but I've already seen through your scheme.”
He suddenly appeared, gave me cool water with lime and cucumber, and a small cookie, then left.
Ella, who became Mabel's personal maid, said they seemed to be cookies Dean made himself.
They were even quite delicious.
He even interfered immensely while Mabel was being examined by the doctor.
“—Examine everything, don't miss even the slightest illness. It would be troublesome if rumors spread that she got sick here! Ah, isn't it common sense to give candy after an injection? She might sue if she doesn't get candy, bring the candy!”
“What on earth was that all about...?”
Dean was a character with little importance in the novel, so she couldn't get a read on him.
“Hmm...”
“Young Miss~ Our cute Young Miss, are you still sleeping soundly~?”
Ella's voice was heard from outside the door.
Mabel shot up from her spot and replied.
“I'm up!”
Then Ella opened the door and peeked her face in.
Her eyes, thin as slits, and her always sing-song way of speaking were charming.
“Then, shall we have our morning 'mama'~?”
And she treated Mabel more like a baby than anyone else.
Now it's not even 'food,' it's 'mama.'
At eight years old, isn't 'mama' a bit much?
And even though I look like this, I'm a Reincarnator who realized this world is a novel!
“Yes, okay! Let's go for breakfast!”
Mabel subtly emphasized ‘breakfast,’ but it was no use.
“Yes~ It's time to gobble up some 'mama'~”
Ella was a formidable opponent.
“The Chef has prepared something delicious for the Young Miss, so shall we go quickly~”
The third defeat was embarrassing and simultaneously fueled her fighting spirit.
* * *
In the dining room, where she arrived holding Ella's hand, Sigmund was already seated.
He saw Mabel and chuckled, saying,
“Every time you sleep, why does your face get so puffy? You look like a pufferfish.”
Mabel's eyes shot wide open at his teasing remark, “Can you even open your eyes?”
“They open, very well!”
At her expression, people burst into laughter.
Mabel's face, realizing she'd been played, instantly flushed crimson like a beet.
Embarrassed, Mabel quickly sat down and changed the subject.
“Um, am I eating with you, Mister?”
“Then who else would you eat with?”
“Well, you're the Head of Household, Mister...”
Compared to that, I'm a Ghost Princess, a transparent person, so can I really presume to eat with you?
That was her intention, but Sigmund gave an unexpected reply.
“Then call me Head of Household now. Not 'Mister'.”
It seemed he had been bothered by her continuously calling him 'Mister' while pretending not to care.
Indeed, he's only thirty, so he probably wouldn't want to be called 'Mister'.
As Mabel nodded to herself, the chef himself wheeled in a trolley.
“Oh, oh, this must be the Young Miss I've only heard rumors about!”
Yesterday, Mabel had skipped dinner and gone to sleep, so today was their first meeting.
His mustache, exactly like the Pringle's character, was very impressive.
“Indeed, truly adorable... Hmph!”
But then the chef suddenly frowned.
“What is this? These thin arms, nothing but skin and bones! And despite this, you put her to bed without dinner?!”
Mabel looked down at her bony wrists, revealed by her dress.
She was certainly too thin, even for being thin.
The sleeves of the ready-made clothes hastily bought yesterday were still much too long for her.
“This cannot be. Oh, oh, this is unacceptable in Jacques Van Merger's kitchen!”
And then, even before Sigmund, he promptly placed food in front of Mabel.
“Eat up, Young Miss. And grow up big and strong. Like a bamboo shoot!”
“A bamboo shoot?”
“Yes, Jacques Van Merger will take responsibility and ensure you grow so much that clothes won't fit you for long at your age!”
Before she knew it, Jacques had a small notebook and a quill in his hand.
“Now, if our Young Miss has any favorite foods or foods to avoid—”
“Jacques, aren't you going to give me my food?”
Sigmund asked, as if dumbfounded.
“Ah, yes. Take it.”
Jacques answered him curtly and refocused on Mabel.
“Does the Young Miss like sweets? What about strong flavors?”
Mabel, recalling not only the novel's plot but also the principle of respecting elders, glanced at Sigmund, wondering if this was alright.
Being cared for felt good, but she worried that the kind chef might get fired or something.
However, contrary to her worries, Sigmund sighed softly, got up, retrieved his own plate, and returned to his seat.
Judging by the attitude of the surrounding servants, no one seemed to mind, as if accustomed to it.
‘This... what kind of family tradition is this?’
It was never described in the novel, and for the Grand Ducal family to be like this in the first place...
Even rummaging through her occasionally surfacing memories of modern times...? She'd never seen anything like it.
However, it was clear that with such a family tradition, they wouldn't mind even a Ghost Princess like her dining with them.
“Jacques. Even so, I think the child eating comfortably should come first.”
“Oh dear, Jacques Van Merger apologizes for his rudeness. I will visit the Young Miss's room later, so please eat comfortably!”
At Sigmund's comment, Jacques wheeled the trolley out of the dining room.
On the trolley he pushed out, two untouched plates remained.
Mabel tilted her head and asked.
“Is someone else coming?”
“No. Don't worry about it and eat. It seems they won't be coming today.”
Sigmund replied while rummaging through some documents, and Mabel didn't ask further, picking up her spoon.
Nom.
Mabel, holding a spoon larger than her hand, took a mouthful of savory risotto.
She had felt it yesterday when she had a simple—or rather, a lavish—meal right after arriving at the Grand Ducal Castle: the food here was incredibly delicious!
Mabel, who had been engrossed in emptying her plate, noticed a stinging sensation on one cheek.
‘Why, why is he staring...?’
She didn't know when, but Sigmund was staring intently at Mabel.
The plate in front of him looked untouched, exactly as it had been at first.
‘Could it be that he's giving me a look because I ate first?!’
It was plausible.
Sigmund was the master of the Grand Ducal family, and Mabel was a Ghost Princess from an adversarial family.
He must have pretended to create a comfortable atmosphere to make her drop her guard, then ambushed her.
Furthermore, Mabel was a child who understood the principle of respecting elders.
When Mabel put down the spoon she had in her mouth, Sigmund's eyebrow twitched.
“Why aren't you eating more?”
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
Sigmund furrowed his brow at her words, spoken tentatively, when she had been eating so heartily just moments before.
Thinking that conversations with Mabel were utterly unpredictable, Sigmund waited for her answer.
“I should have waited for the Head of Household to eat, but I ate first.”
Sigmund paused in bewilderment, then burst out laughing.
This time, as Mabel looked at him with a bewildered expression, Sigmund said, with the corners of his lips turned up,
“Kids don't need to worry about things like that.”
“But you're the Head of Household.”
“And you're a child.”
“That's true, but...”
As she rolled her eyes, pondering, Sigmund let out a small chuckle and said,
“First, finish eating. Or is Jacques's food not tasty?”
“No, it's delicious!”
Mabel picked up the spoon she had put down.
As she crammed a full spoonful into her mouth and chewed, Sigmund nodded contentedly.
When Mabel quickly finished a plate, Jacques brought fruit pudding for dessert.
“Oh, oh, you finished a whole plate! How admirable!”
Jacques praised Mabel with a moved expression.
Mabel, unused to people praising her for every little thing, simply blushed.
“Now, if you enjoy this fruit pudding too, Jacques Van Merger will have no regrets!”
No regrets, even that?
Mabel was already too full, but to fulfill Jacques's wish, she picked up a small dessert spoon again.
