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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Shopping Trip
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A good while later.
Unlike when she had walked into the boutique on her own two feet, Lellia emerged on a knight's back.
She had tried on so many outfits that she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion.
The knights who had accompanied her followed, their hands laden with shopping bags.
Though they had volunteered for the unexpected role of shopping assistants, the knights' faces were filled with amusement.
It wasn't just due to Duke Superion's influence; the knights had genuinely taken a liking to Lellia.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Do you have any errands for me?"
"Sir Knight, shall I bring you some water?!"
A smile would naturally form on their faces whenever the little girl trotted after them, asking such questions.
They often had nothing for her to do, but seeing her crestfallen face, they would sometimes invent trivial tasks and call them errands.
Seeing Lellia beam with pride after completing her "mission," the knights would exchange glances.
*She's adorable.*
*So cute.*
She was a world apart from the squires they had left back at the estate. Perhaps it was because she wasn't a squire aspiring to knighthood, but to them, Lellia seemed as fragile as a paper doll.
And for good reason. Just as they had noted when they first saw her, she was incredibly small and thin. They had been shocked to learn she was ten years old.
But seeing her gain some weight and her skin grow smooth, so different from the gaunt, grimy child they had first met, filled them with a sense of pride.
It was like transforming an abandoned stray into a cherished family pet.
"Is this not enough clothing?"
Duke Superion mused, stroking his chin.
Since they had to leave the city for his domain the very next day, all the clothes they had purchased for Lellia were ready-to-wear.
Once they arrived at his estate, Duke Superion planned to summon all the most renowned tailors in the Superion domain.
"It does seem a bit sparse."
"Yes. Even I have more clothes than this."
"Still, they looked wonderful on her."
The knights bantered, responding to the Duke's comment.
Duke Superion watched Lellia sleeping on the knight's back and let out a faint sigh.
He was convinced the child was the daughter of the late Elizabeth.
But the world could be cruel.
Perhaps she wasn't of Elizabeth's bloodline after all. But that didn't matter much.
In any case, the fact remained that the child resembled Elizabeth. The mere thought that she was a child sent by Elizabeth was a great comfort.
*Someday, she will open up and tell me herself.*
The child had yet to even tell him her name, but Duke Superion had no intention of pressing her.
The child was clearly hiding a significant secret.
The fact that she was being pursued from the imperial palace proved that much. They no longer had to worry about the checkpoints, but a sense of unease remained.
The checkpoints continued each time they crossed the outer boundaries of a city.
Duke Superion had simply declared the child to be his granddaughter.
Duke Superion's children were well-known to the public, but most people were unaware of how many grandchildren he had or their ages.
As a result, the soldiers at the checkpoints in each territory let the Duke pass without a second thought.
They wouldn't dare question the maternal grandfather of the imperial princes and the head of the great noble house of Superion.
*Why on earth is Emperor Perseus pursuing this child?*
Duke Superion longed to ask the child immediately, but he decided to wait patiently until she was ready to speak of her own accord.
