The Ugly Lady’s Secret Pouch

Chapter 5: Are people born a tsundere?

Part 1

Lila spent the next day touring the manor with Vincent.

She had to wake up early in the morning to make her face ugly, just like she had when she was at the barony. And she had to walk around the mansion wearing a heavy, hot wad of cotton.

“If I’d known it was going to be like this, I would have tried harder…”

Lila grumbled as she followed Vincent, then thought of Lucas, her now prospective husband.

‘He’s a better guy than I thought. I thought he was going to be a jerk.’

Vincent said to Lila, who was lost in her own thoughts.

“For now, just take a look at the kitchen, and I’ll show you the rest of the house tomorrow.”

The Duke of Montefeltra’s residence was so large that it was impossible to see it all in one day. The grounds were so vast that it was easy to get lost in them.

Lila nodded vigorously at the thought of finally taking a break.

“I will.”

It was the umpteenth time she’d been reprimanded by Vincent for using respectful language.

With a self-conscious nod, Vincent led Lila into the kitchen.

The servants were lined up like they’d been given a heads-up.

“Butler, please come in.”

A figure who appeared to be the head chef stepped forward and greeted them. Vincent’s brow furrowed at his demeanor.

“Perhaps you should offer your greetings to the prospective duchess first.”

For a moment, the head chef stiffened at the sound of the butler’s stinging words, then he turned to Lila, looking strangely distracted, and greeted her.

“I am Cooper Lu Palencia, in charge of the kitchens of the Duke of Montefeltra.”

At first glance, there seems to be no problem with his modest greeting, but Lila noticed.

It was the kind of stare she’d always gotten in social circles, and how could she not?

She wasn’t going to be here long anyway, so why make a big deal out of it, she thought, and returned the greeting with a curt nod.

“Good to see you.”

She shifted on her feet and glanced around the kitchen. It was a clean, professional kitchen, from the neatly trimmed vegetables to the soup simmering on the stove.

It was the kind of kitchen she was used to seeing, except it was a spacious and ornate one that couldn’t compare to the barony’s.

“Then we will prepare dinner.”

Once again, the chef addressed Vincent instead of Lila. Vincent’s eyes narrowed, but the chef continued to give instructions without looking at Lila.

Lila was about to leave the kitchen when she noticed a shadow lurking near the kitchen door.

The shadow looked smaller than an adult, and Lila walked a little faster to get out of the kitchen.

“Young master?”

Lila called out to Michael, who tried to run away as soon as he saw her.

“What are you doing in the kitchen?”

Her words stopped him in his tracks and he glared at her.

“Who are you to say I can’t do as I please in my own home?”

Lila almost laughed at his snarky demeanor.

She couldn’t imagine how scary it would be to be yelled at by such a small, cute boy. And his pink eyes only added to his cute and gentle demeanor.

“That’s not what I was asking, I was asking why you came down to the kitchen, is there anything you need?”

Lila asked again as Michael pursed his lips at her question.

“I’m going to take a break in a while, if you’re free, why don’t you join me for tea?”

“…”

Michael didn’t answer, his lips pressed tightly together as if he has become mute after eating honey.

“I was thinking of asking you to prepare some cool honey tea… I heard that honey from the North has a unique flavor?”

His tightly-closed lips parted at her words.

“Not to be outdone by the capital, the desserts here are delicious, too. The North doesn’t bear fruit very well, but it tastes sweeter, and fruit tarts are the best.”

Lila found Michael so cute, with his flushed neck and cheeks, and cheeky voice.

Furthermore, she had become more interested in pure Michael than the children she saw in the capital society.

In fact, when he called her ugly or piggy, Lila didn’t feel too bad.

To her, ugly and piggy were innocent slurs. Some nobles sometimes brought their younger children to imperial banquets.

But no matter how young they were, nobles are very good at passing themselves off as nobles. The first time she met a young noble child, Lila’s blood pressure shot up.

So Michael, who reddened at calling her ugly, and bragged about the North, seemed so much more innocent.

“Since you are so well informed, could you please introduce someone ignorant like me to the desserts of the North?”

“Hmph, even if the North is far from the capital, it’s only a three-day carriage ride, aren’t you too ignorant? If you have a bad face, you should have a good head. What are you going to do?”

Um, correction.

Lila decided to correct herself by saying that she liked Michael for his innocence. As Lila’s face went from smiling to grimacing, Michael said good-naturedly.

“The ignorant need education, and the most important thing is to admit that you’re ignorant. You’ve got the basics down so I’ll teach you.”

He then turned to Vincent, who was standing behind Lila.

“Vincent, bring me a tart with honey tea and last year’s tart with pickled fruits in my private drawing room.”

He glanced up at Lila and began to walk ahead of her. Lila curled her lips into a silent smile at seeing his backward glance full of determination, as if he were asking her to follow.

Lila turned to Vincent.

“I’ll have something plain instead of honey tea, please.”

She then started to follow behind Michael. Vincent was a little taken aback by Michael’s unexpected reaction and then went back to the kitchen.

Lila entered Michael’s private parlor on the second floor. It was colorful and old-fashioned, almost like a child’s room.

Sitting on the red couch, Michael said to Lila.

“Sit down.”

He doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood, judging by the way he wiggled his feet. Lila sat down across from him.

A gold vase and a tapestry with an emerald-eyed gray wolf took up one wall.

As Lila looked around, Michael spoke first.

“My private drawing room is cool, right?”

Lila thought it was colorful but not suitable for a child’s drawing room, but she didn’t say that out loud.

“Yes, it’s nice.”

“It’s a taste that can’t be compared to the dress you’re wearing. How can you wear a dress like that?”

At Michael’s words, Lila turned to look at him, scrutinizing his attire. It was the same outfit she had seen Lucas on yesterday.

Blue shirt, black pants, and a black vest.

It looked good on him, of course, but it was strangely mature. There are clothes that are only suitable when you are a child, so she felt a little bit disappointed.

“What’s wrong with my dress? Isn’t it pretty? I was so excited when I ordered this.”

Of course, even she knows that her dress is an aesthetic disaster.

“Eh, how can you look pretty in a dress like that? If you’re ugly, you should at least dress well!”

It felt strange that Michael had been saying that if Lila was ugly, she should do something.

Somehow it feels like someone is constantly asking the child to do it?