Chapter 79
79
The Chairman told me a hidden story.
Nine years ago, the predecessor who had been pushed out by Dad didn't give up until the end and brought in a thug.
Dad was away from the castle for work, and Lisette had to flee, holding her pregnant belly.
It is said that Leah, who was then an Iri, and Reina, Leah's older sister who was Lisette's exclusive maid, escorted Lisette.
The three managed to leave the castle safely, but Lisette suddenly went into labor, so they hurriedly entered a nearby mountain.
The Duchess gave birth to a child safely. It was Reina who helped with the delivery and received the child.
Meanwhile, Leah confronted the soldiers of Cain who were following them, but it was impossible for her to defeat so many soldiers alone.
In the end, the Duchess passed away, and Reina entrusted the baby wrapped in a blanket to Leah.
Reina tried to lure the pursuers by becoming bait, but she met her end at the blade of the pursuer.
Leah also desperately protected the child. But she lost the child to a hail of arrows.
"......After that, Your Excellency put down the rebellion and searched the vicinity, but we couldn't find the Young Lady."
I nodded at the Chairman's words.
"The predecessor was the ringleader of the rebellion, so they had no choice but to hide Lisette's affair."
If it was revealed that he had lost his wife and child in a sword fight with the predecessor, Dubled's honor would have plummeted.
Above all, it is said that Dad, who lost his child and wife at the same time, collapsed for a while.
If another enemy targeted Dad when things were already uneasy, the situation would have become uncontrollable.
So, it seemed that the vassals of the pro-Duke faction, led by Viscount Dubois, joined forces to cover up the incident.
It is said that it was thanks to a certain vassal that they realized the child was Dubled's Young Lady.
The daughter of an inn they were traveling in looked so much like Dad that they found it strange, and they told Viscount Dubois about it.
Viscount Dubois, who knew the truth of the matter, sent someone to check, and it turned out that a couple who ran an inn and had no children had found the child in the mountains and raised her.
"But why did they find the Baby Bird only in this life? It didn't happen in the previous life."
There is only one case where the future changes. When I intervene.
"Where did the situation change?"
As I muttered, the Chairman put a sugar cube in my teacup and said.
"Wasn't it thanks to you, Baby Bird, that the vassals got a vacation and were able to travel? It could be a coincidence of luck, or..."
"......"
"Or it could be a fake."
"The second one is almost impossible. Only a very few people in Dubled know that Lisette gave birth to a child and died."
The girl has silver hair and blue eyes, all the symbols of Dubled.
For the sake of one in ten thousand, we even checked whether her body had been changed by magic.
On top of that, the aura of Dubled.
'Dubled's Archmage wouldn't have misjudged. He is an excellent magician and deeply loyal to Dubled.'
He was a loyal subject who would protect Dad and die in the future.
It was at that moment.
The door to the greenhouse burst open! and a girl my age came in.
My eyes met the child's, and I was surprised and widened my eyes.
'It's the Baby Bird.'
"Young Lady!"
Leah and the maids of the West Wing, who followed her in, hurriedly came out and bowed to the Chairman.
"I'm sorry, Baby Bird."
Then she whispered to the Baby Bird.
"You can't just barge in like that when we're talking."
"But Mireille wanted to see her sister!"
I blinked at the Baby Bird, who suddenly called me sister.
'Her sociability is Mina-level.'
I, who am very shy and don't get along well with people, felt strange.
The Baby Bird, who came up to me, smiled innocently and said.
"Hello, I'm Mireille... Oops."
The child, who paused for a moment, spread her skirt wide and bent her knees slightly.
"I am Mireille, the fourth of the Duke Dubled's family. Nice to meet you."
Then she looked at Leah and the maids and said, "How was it?" Leah smiled helplessly, and the maids chuckled.
"Since Mireille introduced herself, you have to introduce yourself too, Sister!"
I felt incredibly awkward because all eyes were suddenly on me. I'm already shy, but I'm flustered because she keeps coming at me so suddenly.
"Hello, I'm LeBlaine..."
"Wow-!"
Mireille, who shouted like that, hugged my arm.
The maids' eyes twinkled as they muttered, "Cuteness plus cuteness is super cuteness..."
"Let's go with Mireille. We're going to have a meal."
"Ah, but I..."
I still had something to talk about with the Chairman.
As I hesitated, Mireille peeked at the Chairman and said.
"Grandpa. Mireille wants to play with her sister. Can we play?"
"It's not something you need to get permission from me for."
Mireille pouted her lips for a moment at the Chairman's polite answer, then pulled me.
"Let's go, Sister. He said we don't need permission."
As I was dragged out of the greenhouse, I mouthed "Sorry" to the Chairman. The Chairman nodded lightly.
Mireille was a really bright child. She was excited and chattering all the way.
"Mireille and Sister are actually the same age. Mireille's mom gave birth to Mireille in January, and Sister was born in February. But Mireille likes being the youngest. The youngest gets more love, right? So you be the older sister."
"That's not something I can decide..."
"Mireille is a very precious person. So the vassals told Mireille to do whatever she wants. When I said I would make you my sister, Dad didn't say no. Dad is very precious to Mireille."
Since it would be corrected naturally once Mireille's status was officially arranged, I replied, "Uh-huh."
"You know, Mireille has never seen such a wonderful castle before. And everyone is so nice to Mireille?"
"Everyone is a good person."
"But that grandpa seems bad."
"Huh?"
I was startled and looked at Mireille.
"I asked him nicely, but he gets angry."
"He's not angry. The Chairman is not used to children."
"Why? That grandpa must have children too, why isn't he used to children? Doesn't he have children?"
"He does. But the Chairman's son had an accident a long time ago..."
"His son must have died because Grandpa has a bad heart. Right?"
I was so surprised that I stopped walking and looked at Mireille. My face frowned involuntarily.
"You can't say things like that!"
"......Huh?"
"Those are bad words that make people sad."
Mireille became sullen and drooped her eyebrows.
"......Okay."
I sighed and gently grabbed Mireille's shoulder.
"The Chairman really loved his son. If you say things like that, it will hurt him so, so much. Don't ever say things like that again, okay?"
"Okay....... I guess Mireille was wrong....... Don't be angry, Sister. Okay?"
I nodded. Then Mireille became cheerful again, as if she had never been sullen. She didn't stop talking even as she entered the dining room.
Dad, Noth, and a few vassals were in the dining room.
When I took my seat and greeted Noth with my eyes, Mireille also sat close to Dad and waved to Noth.
"Hello?"
The vassals who heard Mireille's voice flinched and looked at the child.
"Her voice is like Lisette's..."
"Yes, it will be hard to tell when she grows up."
Meanwhile, Mireille was engrossed in a conversation with Noth.
"We saw each other yesterday, right?"
"Yes, Young Lady."
Mireille covered her mouth with both hands and laughed, "Young Lady." and was happy.
"Mireille feels awkward being called Young Lady."
"You will get used to it soon."
"Yes, I have to get used to it quickly. The sound of Young Lady, the way I talk, everything! Otherwise, I'll keep making mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
"Mireille made Sister angry today. She said I was saying bad things. I guess it's because Mireille isn't used to the noble's way of speaking yet."
Everyone in the dining room turned to look at me. Then they changed the subject with an awkward expression.
"By the way, where will the Young Lady be staying now?"
"Why are you asking? The West Wing, of course."
"I wonder if there are any rooms left in the West Wing for a young Young Lady."
Dad extensively renovated the West Wing, where the Dubled family lived, after the predecessor died.
He removed the predecessor's room and the rooms of his dead brothers and completely renovated them.
Because there were so few rooms for children, I had to have my room renovated after I was registered in Dubled before I could have my own room.
Dad asked Noth.
"Has construction started?"
"Yes. Unlike when we were building the Baby Bird's room, we have Spinelle stockpiled, so it shouldn't take long to install the security system."
"How long will it take?"
"We expect it to take two weeks. The Young Lady's luggage has been unpacked in the room next to the Baby Bird's for now, but would you like to stay there?"
At that time, Mireille raised her arm and shouted, "Suggestion!"
"Mireille wants to use the same room as Dad!"
"Young Lady, that's..."
"It's too big here, so I think I'll be scared at night. Huh? Please-? Dad!"
"......"
"Is it okay?"
The vassals had somewhat troubled expressions, but they seemed to find the spoiled child cute.
"The Young Lady is the first person to be so spoiled with Your Excellency."
"Yes, the Baby Bird was a dignified person even when she was young."
"Mireille is dignified too. She eats beans well too."
When she picked up and ate the beans that came with the dish, the vassals laughed and said, "You are very dignified."
Meanwhile, I ate quietly by myself. It was easier to eat because the vassals didn't talk to me as much as usual.
That evening, a vassal approached me as I was about to return to my room. He was a familiar vassal who usually liked me very much.
"Um, Baby Bird..."
"Huh?"
"It would be best not to argue with Mireille for the time being. All eyes are on you."
It seemed that they thought we had argued because of Mireille's words that I was angry.
"No, we didn't argue."
"That's a relief then. I thought the Young Lady was worried about being scolded by the Baby Bird."
The vassal smiled in relief, so I nodded.
If the vassal came to give me advice separately, it seemed that everyone was concerned about our relationship.
'I should tell Mireille to get along.'
I went to the candy room that Dad filled with candy every time and took out some snacks.
The bear-shaped cookies were my favorite, and they melted in my mouth when I ate them with milk.
I carefully placed the cookies on a tray and took the milk with me to Mireille's room.
Just as I was about to knock, a bright voice leaked out from the crack in the door.
"The inn Dad always read fairy tales to Mireille. It's become a habit, so I can't sleep without reading fairy tales now. Can you read them to me too, Dad? Dad's voice is so good, I think I'll fall asleep easily."
Following the whining voice, Isaac's grumbling voice was heard.
"Just sleep. I wondered what was going on when you called us all, but you're being annoying."
"Why don't you get into the habit of sleeping without fairy tales from now on."
This was Henri's voice.
"But, it's Mireille's first day here. I want to sleep together. Aaaah, don't go, Big Brother. Tell Dad not to go!"
"Let go."
"Mireille, lie down here."
It seemed they were spending time with their family.
After all, they needed affectionate time with the family they had found after nine years.
I stood there blankly, fiddling with the edge of the tray, and turned around.
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