He Likes Me a Lot More Than I Thought!

Marius’s abnormal behaviour surprisingly worked wonders. Shuel and Rieta immediately lost their spirits, and the table once again became peaceful.

While I was tearing the butter bread into small pieces and placing them in my mouth, I glanced at the children. The children, who had finally become quiet, were eating the soup without even glancing at each other. 

‘….Cute.’

Hukf. When I choked slightly, Shuel and Rieta’s eyes both widened, and they immediately rushed to find a drink.

Their hands touched the jug filled with water at the same time.

“Let go.”

“You let go!”

I take back what I said.

‘Hey, these guys.’

I had a headache. The battle that ended thanks to Marius lasted for all of a second.

Please don’t fight again because of me. This sounded like a cliche line from an old romance novel…

“No, it’s alright-”

I was about to wave my hand when something suddenly bumped against my elbow. When I turned around, there stood a glass half filled with water.

‘That was not there before, was it?’

I stared at Marius, who sat on the seat to my right, but she merely gave me a glance before turning her gaze back to her meal.

Did you pass this to me? Without making a single sound?

…Why?

“Thank you.”

Although I could barely believe it, I still said my gratitude. Just in case.

When Marius nodded her head lightly, I raised the glass of water with one hand.

“Here, I have water!”

The moment the children’s eyes finally focused on the glass I held, an elated laughter was heard. Kendrick stood by the doorway, smiling.

“Oh my, what a show. Did you need water?”

Kendrick pushed the cart in with a smile on his face. I lowered my hands, enduring my burning face. It was embarrassing to the point I wanted to stick my face in the soup bowl right away.

No, I’m young. I was still nine years old.

It must have been an adorable sight as a nine year old…..

While I was internally rationalising with myself, Kendrick approached me, looked at my plate and raised his eyes angrily.

“I knew it had always been like this, but I’ll say something about it today. You eat as much as a bird does!”

I instantly forgot about my shame, and my eyes opened wide in shock. Kendrick’s eyes quickly lowered as if he was sorry.

“Darling, you are as cute and pretty as a little lark, but you are obviously human. You have to eat more than this to survive.”

It was clearly a scolding, but it felt sweet. It was my first time ever hearing it and I felt touched.

Kendrick smiled and took my spoon to scoop a spoonful of the thick soup. He then moved his hand back and forth before bringing the spoon closer to my mouth.

“Here comes the airplane~”

…It was ‘a plane’ that I never had when I was a kid.

I couldn’t resist it, so I swallowed a bite and managed to finish the soup.

TL/N: ( ╥ω╥ )

I ate two to three times the amount I would normally eat in the Broschte estate, so I felt full to the brim.

I was wondering if I could even eat desserts, but I ended my concerns after another spoonful of soup. I couldn’t eat anymore.

Meanwhile, Kendrick was now tearing up the bread with a gentle look on his face.

Sa-Save me.

“Well, I don’t normally eat this much…..”

Kendrick’s face instantly shifted when I spoke vaguely.

He dropped the bread and grabbed a hold of my face.

“Oh no! Did you just swallow everything? Does your stomach hurt? Do you feel like throwing up?”

Kendrick scanned quickly over my complexion, restlessly. His face darkened when I couldn’t say anything, feeling regretful.

“Rwen, then you must have not felt well after eating all this time…..”

“Rick. Enough.”

Marius’ calm voice interrupted the middle of Kendrick’s words. Even though the words weren’t directed at me, I still froze. She didn’t raise her voice nor frowned, but she had a certain presence where one couldn’t disobey.

The same applied for Kendrick as he sighed and stepped back. The soft and warm hands that caressed my cheek, patted me gently before falling off. 

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll prepare a light soup.”

Marius said calmly as she drank her tea. I nodded my head at her consideration.

“If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to let me know. There is nothing that can’t be prepared at the Duke’s mansion.”

At the formal words, I rolled my eyes and lowered my gaze.

It’s true that my stomach did not feel good after eating rich meals since I was used to restricted meals for a long period of time. However, I didn’t want to be picky so I ate the food as normally as I could.

I couldn’t refuse the kind intentions from Kendrick and the children, so I endured and often overate. 

Although the food was nutritious and healthy, it was not a meal fit for a patient. I inevitably suffered from overeating.

Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks.

I would usually run around or lie down to digest the food since it was my nap time, but I was afraid someone would eventually find out….

It was meant to be an act of consideration for the others, but in Marius’s eyes, it had appeared more of a disrespectful act of looking down on the Duke’s wealth.

“Yes. Thank you, Duchess.”

“…There is no need for formal language.”

“Huh?”

From Marius’ sudden reply, I unconsciously responded.

Marius, whose eyes met my rounded ones, lowered her gaze.

“Nothing…eat.”

It felt like she was avoiding my eyes. Perhaps it was just her personality?

While I was confused, Kendrick laughed while placing a milk tea in front of me.

“Marie is adorable, too.”

I subtly made a face from Derrick’s small murmur. After spending two weeks with the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua, I had gotten quite used to it but I couldn’t help but question Kendrick’s words.

You mean that person……?

＊  ＊  ＊

In the end, Kendrick brought me to the doctor after dinner.

Thanks to that, I took some digestive medicine and left with a settled stomach.

Shuel and Rieta said they would go to the garden.

As soon as I thought of that, an ominous feeling climbed up my back.

There will be war. I’m sure they were going to fight each other.

It was dangerous to leave the two children alone that had a history of fighting and grabbing each other’s hair, whenever they were left alone with each other.

My feet fidgeted as I stared out the window where the sunlight was peering through. I halted when I noticed that there was a black haired woman standing at the end of the hallway.

It was Marius.

I became uneasy when I saw her and I immediately turned around, but soon realised that there were no stairs leading down so I became troubled.

In the end, I had no choice but to pass by Marius.

As I was about to take a cautious step, I heard Marius’s quiet and blunt voice.

“Call me aunty.”

“…..”

“…..You can call me aunty.”

The last word was slightly emphasised, but instead of saying a word, I stared at her back dumbly.

What…..

“Will you call me aunty?”

…What was she doing?

I stood still on the spot and couldn’t hide my embarrassed face. Was she…practicing something?

‘Aunty?’

Reita rarely called for Kendrick and Marius, but she would call them uncle and aunt when she had to.

There was no reason for Shuel to call his own mother ‘aunty’ so there was only one child in the mansion who Marius would request that of.

‘…..Me?’

One day, while I was playing around with Rieta and Shuel, Shuel asked me why I called Marius, Duchess.

Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks.

I laughed bitterly at Shuel, who innocently asked me to call his parents ‘aunt and uncle’, and told me that his parents were upset when I didn’t.

Rieta and I were bound to be different

By nature, Rieta was the heroine who deserves to be loved by everyone.

They were kind to me but attitude and manners were two different things. To me, calling them aunt and uncle crosses the line.

I thought that they would think the same but looking at this situation, perhaps not….

Marius continued to murmur a few more times while switching between formal and informal tones, breathed out loudly, and appeared satisfied with what she practiced.

“That’s good enough.”

Nodding her head, she turned around. As she tried to take a step forward, she noticed me, and immediately halted.

I looked up at her face and my mouth dropped without realising it.

From the first moment I met Marius until now, I had never seen her expression change. Marius rarely had a change in her expression, so it was enough for me to believe that she might be a statue. I was even more hesitant of her because of it.

One time, my thought regarding Marius being unreadable to the point you couldn’t tell if she was angry or not, was brought up during mealtime. Disbelief was apparent on Kendrick and Shuel’s faces.

“Are you sure?”

“You can see all of my mother’s thoughts on her face though.”

I definitely couldn’t understand how. But today, for the first time ever, Marius’ face was readable.

So right now….

‘I think my eyes are broken.’

“Au……”

“……”

“…..C-Call me aunty.”

[pr/n: SHE SO STINKING CUTE.]

T/N: Sorry for the lack of update this month, I fell sick T-T. I also made an announcement that I hope you guys read, its regarding next month’s updates.