Chapter 3
3
After that, Adrian looked straight at Nina. Nina smiled brightly whenever she met his gaze.
From a certain day onward, Adrian also began to smile. It was an aristocratic, elegant smile.
The shadow in his eyes didn't completely disappear, but it was still alright.
'What did the original say again?'
Nina, now accustomed to the low chair, sat with her legs spread and peeled potatoes with a brisk scrape.
According to the description of Fiona, the original heroine, Adrian was like this:
[Duke Louveaen was a perfect gentleman, belying his infamous reputation. An elegant smile, a gentle tone, and a refined aristocratic demeanor.
A voice that exuded composure.
However, Fiona sensed a cold rage behind that perfect smile and delicate consideration. She sensed hatred.
That was why Fiona could never bring herself to like Duke Louveaen.]
But our Young Master isn't at that stage yet!
Nina threw the last smooth potato into the water with a splash and stood up, carrying the potato container.
As she returned to the kitchen to put down the potatoes, the older maids were whispering.
"I heard they called in the jeweler again?"
"Yeah, this time they bought a Moonlight Pearl necklace from the northern island of Badun."
"Oh my, a Moonlight Pearl. Just hearing about it is amazing."
"One of those pearls could feed us for life."
"It seems they've also hired a new Swordsmanship teacher for Gerald Young Master."
The two, who were talking, discovered Nina.
"Did you peel them all? Good job. There should be bread left in the cupboard."
"Thank you."
Nina greeted the older maids and quickly took out bread from the cupboard.
The good thing about being a kitchen maid was that you would at least never starve. All the food left by the master's family was theirs. Other servants were also quite kind to the kitchen maids in order to get something to eat.
Nina put the bread in her arms and headed to Adrian.
Over the past year, Adrian's treatment had worsened, and the Duke no longer invited him to family meals.
No, it would be more accurate to say that the Duchess prevented him from coming to meals rather than the Duke not inviting him.
When Adrian didn't appear at the table, the Duke asked, "Where's Adrian?" The Duchess simply replied, "It seems he's uncomfortable dining with us."
'What on earth.'
Nina wanted to crack open the Duke's head and see what was inside. Acknowledging an illegitimate child was no small matter.
But to make that important acknowledgment and then neglect him.
Moreover, he had remarried and gained a new heir, hadn't he?
At this point, it would be easier to just sort out the succession, but he didn't do that either. According to the other maids, he seemed indifferent to the other Young Masters as well as to Adrian.
Perhaps that was what angered the Duchess even more. Of course, the Duke was also indifferent to the Duchess, never interfering with how she managed the mansion, finances, or personnel.
According to Adrian, the Duke had only called him to his private room once.
"Your mother is dead."
That was all he said.
'It's a good thing there were people around Adrian at that time...'
Before marrying the Duchess, Adrian, as the only Young Master of the mansion, had been cherished.
'This is also just a story I heard, though.'
In any case, thanks to the Duke's attitude, Adrian's situation only worsened.
Not content with banishing him from the dining table, the Duchess even interfered with the meals given to Adrian.
After the Duchess told the cook, "Adrian doesn't eat with us, so you don't need to prepare separate meals for Adrian," he was given food for the servants.
No one dared to bring food to Adrian because they were watching the Duchess's mood, so Nina secretly carried food to him.
It became natural that no money was allocated for daily necessities. If it weren't for the supplies that Nina, the kitchen maid, smuggled in like a mouse, Adrian's life would have been even more difficult.
"Young Master."
Adrian, who was reading an old book in his room, looked up.
Nina took the bread from her arms and cut it in half.
"This side is for Young Master."
Adrian reached out and exchanged her bread, which had a lot of hard crust, for his bread, which was at least soft.
"This is enough for me."
"It's hard."
"I'm older, so I'm stronger."
Adrian smiled and closed the book.
Because Adrian was ignored as if he didn't exist inside the mansion, he could go anywhere in the mansion.
As long as he didn't run into the Duchess, Gerald, or Jayden.
The mansion's library was a place where the three of them didn't go, and Adrian fully enjoyed that privilege.
He read like crazy and devoted himself to swordsmanship practice.
Nina was most heartbroken that he was eating so poorly during his growing years.
Nina nibbled on the hard bread crust and said,
"It seems the Duchess called the jeweler again. She bought a Moonlight Pearl necklace. Do you know what that is?"
"I heard it's a pearl that shines with a subtle silver light. It faintly glows at night."
"I see."
Nina's eyes widened.
There were so many amazing things in the world.
She hesitated before saying quietly,
"And they're assigning a new Swordsmanship teacher to the first Young Master."
"Is that so?"
Adrian replied with a smile. Nina pouted.
"I want to change our Swordsmanship teacher too. Every day..."
Nina bit her lip.
It was because of that Swordsmanship teacher that Adrian was always bruised.
He always engaged in beatings disguised as teaching. He often beat him until his bones broke.
"It's still better than nothing."
Adrian chewed and swallowed the hard bread.
A meal of only bread and water, without butter or jam.
'Someday, I'll eat as much soft bread as I want.'
Nina always dreamed of such a future. Even though things were tough now, Nina had a dream.
Adrian quietly said as he reopened the book,
"Nina, you should go. It's not good if you stay too long."
"Okay. I'll come again next time."
Nina smiled and said goodbye as she left the room, and Adrian looked up. He stared at the door Nina had left through for a long time before sighing.
He was worried about what would happen if the Duchess found out about Nina.
But he couldn't bring himself to advise her not to come.
He barely managed to turn his gaze back to the book.
It was a rare day off. Nina had nowhere to go, but the kitchen maids were busy getting dressed.
"Nina, is there anything you want me to get you?"
"No."
Nina, now twelve years old, still wore pigtails.
"How do I look?"
One of the maids showed off the lace attached to the edge of her dress. It was a masterpiece lace that she had invested a year in.
"You look really pretty, sister." What if someone proposes to you?"
"Oh, you."
The maid giggled, feeling pleased. Another maid said,
"Strangely, everything Nina says sounds real."
"That's because I say it sincerely."
When Nina widened her eyes, they all laughed.
Another maid said to the maid wearing the lace dress,
"Who knows? If you go out dressed like that, you might catch the eye of a noble lord?"
"What good would that do? Just look at 'that child'."
'That child.'
That was what people called Adrian Young Master.
"His mother was an opera singer, right? A great beauty who received so many gifts and bouquets that her dressing room overflowed."
She pursed her lips.
"So what? Her child is in that state. The Duchess is too much. It's not like she didn't know he existed, right? She planned to marry him from the start."
"Shh, watch your mouth."
"Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything."
They shushed each other and said to Nina,
"Did you understand?"
"Yes?"
"You, be careful with your behavior. People like us are finished if we get on the wrong side of the higher-ups."
"Yeah, it's better to stop playing with 'that child'."
"But I like Young Master."
They stopped nagging at Nina's carefree words.
"Ugh, really."
"I don't know anymore."
The older maids said that and went out, promising to buy candy when they returned.
Everyone was a good person.
At that time, the cook Karin came in and saw Nina, who was left in the kitchen, trimming vegetables, and shouted,
"Why are you still here?"
"I don't have money to go out and play."
"Don't mess up the kitchen."
"I won't."
When Nina said seriously, Karin glanced at the vegetables Nina was trimming and said,
"If you finish trimming them all, there are snacks in the right cupboard."
"Wow!"
"It's a secret from the others."
"Yes."
The hands trimming the vegetables became faster. Nina trimmed the vegetables twice as fast as usual and grabbed the snacks.
