Chapter 11
TL-Mechatronic
It was the first time in her life that she slept so comfortably.
I used to fall asleep exhausted after being beaten, or take a quick nap like being chased when no one was there,
The blackout curtain blocked the warm sunlight, so Luciel slept like a puppy until lunchtime passed. As long as there was a soft and cozy bed, Luciel was thinking that she could make some jewels for Bellstein.
When I opened my eyes, I heard a gurgling sound in my stomach. There was a small silver bell on the round nightstand by the bed.
‘Wave this bell when you need something.’
I remembered the words Rose had told last night while covering me with a blanket.
Luciel looked at the wall clock carefully
It’s way past noon.
It was lunchtime, so I thought that Rose and Bessie would have gone to eat. Luciel’s turn always came after the servant’s meals, so she was used to putting up with hunger,
“Shall we wait a little longer?”
Luciel leaned back on the large cushion and closed her eyes. She only opened and closed her eyes once, but an hour had already passed.
“It should be okay now, right?
Luciel waved the little bell, and Rose appeared with a bright face.
“Miss, did you sleep well? I waited for you to wake up. Good morning. Wait, it’s not a good morning, but good afternoon? Are you hungry?”
“……Yes, a little.”
“You must be very hungry.”
Rose seemed to have penetrated Luciel’s heart.
“Today, Chef Seth prepared lamb stew for Miss Luciel, You’re still comfortable eating in your room, right? If you want to go down to the restaurant, you have to dress up.”
It wasn’t necessarily because of the clothes, but Luciel seemed more comfortable in the room.
“I will eat in my room.”
Fresh salad and bread arrived with lamb stew. It was a savory smell that made my mouth water. When I took a bite out of it, I was amazed.
Stew was a food that Luciel had already eaten, but it seemed that the food made in Bellstein had magic to make it delicious.
The hot stew glided into her stomach, and the thick lamb was savory and flavorful. Luciel, who emptied the entire bowl of stew in an instant, picked up a fork. There was also a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, lemon and cheese, and toasted rye bread.
I felt like I was finally gaining strength in my body.
Rose, who had been cleaning Luciel’s blanket for a moment, said as if she was sorry.
“Oh, are you done eating already? Miss Luciel, do you have any space left for snacks?”
Luciel’s eyes shone brightly, and she nodded her head as if she had been waiting.
“Anytime.”
“You’re so cute. I’ll go quickly and get you a plate or two!”,
Rose looked at Luciel, shook her body, and hurriedly ran to the kitchen.
Luciel, who was enchanted with two plates of soft custard pudding, got great news from Bessie. It was news that Luciel would own one of the city’s famous children’s clothing stores.
“The Florine Boutique dresses are known for being cute, Ah, I want to see you wearing it.”
“That’s right, they’ll be so lovely.” Luciel thought the two of them were making fun of her and her head trembled with awkwardness.
‘Is that a joke? Buying a whole clothing store for a nine year-old kid doesn’t make sense.’
“Oh, my lord!”
The two of them shook their heads in surprise. A lowpitched voice came from the back of Luciel’s neck.
“You woke up just in time.”
As Luciel turned around, she met the Duke’s eyes as sharp as the tip of an almond. Ellington and Eva, following him from behind, bowed their heads towards Luciel.
She hurriedly grabbed the hem of her robe and set up with courtesy.
“Greetings to the Duke….”
Cutting Luciel’s greetings, the Duke presented the documents he had received from Ellington.
“Sign here.”
“……What?”
Florine Boutique. The documents he brought out belonged to the clothing store in question.
‘It wasn’t a joke. It was real?’
Her big eyes grew even bigger. It’s not a joke, but if it’s real, wouldn’t it be a bigger problem?
‘I may have to pay back all of this later.’
“… I can’t take it.”
Luciel shook her head.
“You need clothes.”
The economic notion of buying the whole clothing store when you need clothes…not even the royal family would do that.
The Duke asked, rubbing his sharp but firm jaw. A gray light flashed in his red eyes for a moment.
“You don’t like it?”
Luciel dropped her silver eyebrows.
“It’s too much of a gift.”
“It’s not a gift.”
Are you going to tell me to pay it back later?’
Anxiety spread across Luciel’s face. How many jewels does it take to buy a store? Besides, if it’s a famous store in the City, it’s usually more than expensive…..
Sweat seemed to run down her face.
“I don’t want to be in debt.”
The Duke tilted his head at Luciel’s words.
“It’s similar to me.”
“But, why…..”
“…You don’t have to pay me back. Because it’s not a debt.”
Luciel’s small head, who was looking up at him, tilted continuously. The Duke sighed lightly. How did she grow up, so that even things such as food, clothing, and shelter, is a debt that must be repaid?
“Then why…..”
“You are a person who will be a member of Bellstein, so you have to dress appropriately.”
“Aha, that’s great.”
Luciel’s shriveled eyes gleamed with wonder. The Duke tried to pretend to be cold, but he lost his cool for a moment and collapsed at her cute appearance.
“…It’s not really a present for you.”
“Yes, got it!”
Luciel replied bravely. It seemed to be the first time the Duke’s eyes fluttered and turned away from her gaze.
Am I mistaken? I think he just felt a bit embarrassed…..After all, he’s giving it for Bellstein’s sake, not for me. Then, can I think that as a good thing?”
It is still burdensome, but I feel much more comfortable than before.
The Duke coughed in vain and asked.
“…..Do you know how to write?”
“Yes, I learned it from my mother.”
I didn’t learn it formally from a teacher, but I read the typefaces from time to time, whenever I could.
Luciel signed the blanks on the paperwork in a clumsy, crooked letter. She was not used to the long quill pen because it was a child’s hand.
<Luciel von Bellstein
A name of a strange but familiar family. It was a name that might be mine, or maybe just passing by as a contract.
It’s still just a verbal contract, but since an expensive clothing store was easily dropped on her… It seemed to mean that the surname of Bellstein was already attached to her.
The Duke looked at Luciel, who caught the real meaning of the store, once more.
For a child she is quite aware and quick to judge the situation.’
The Duke liked it, but at the same time, a corner of his heart felt sad. Perhaps she had developed a habit of noticing things and reading the mood while growing up in Count Orbia.
‘Nevertheless, she grew up bright and innocent.’
Thinking of Luciel who must have gone through countless things, he thought that he should treat the child well. Of course, it was very difficult for his blunt self.
The Duke’s red eyes touched Luciel’s attire.
“Now, let’s wear something else.”
When Eva beckoned with those words, the attendants busily carried the dresses inside. They were made of luxurious fabrics and a cute design. As a rough estimate, twenty sets were sufficient. Next to the dress were
children’s shoes, hats, and accessories such as ribbons. Her pink eyes grew bigger and rounder like a rabbit.
“This all is…”
“It’s for the Miss.”
Rose and Bessie looked proud at Eva’s words. Luciel’s pink eyes twinkled and greeted the Duke.
“Thank you.” “It’s not a gift, so there’s nothing to be thankful for.”
“Still, thank you. Because you accepted me as Bellstein.”
Luciel looked up at the Duke with eyes that were shining brightly.
It was cute no matter who looked at it. Will she flee away it I knead her flour-like face? I wanted to poke her white and soft cheeks once..
After clearing his voice for a moment with a cough, the Duke said.
“Pick dresses to wear daily. When the urgent matter is over, we will also have a family dinner….. This is all for today.”
The Duke turned his back and left, and Ellington and Eva hurriedly followed after him.
When the tension that filled the room disappeared, Bessie grabbed Luciel’s hand and started choosing a dress. Rose had already run and picked up a few suits. “How about this dress?”
“Pretty.” “Then what is this?”
“It’s pretty, too.”
Luciel looked in front of a full-length mirror and tried on several dresses. Everything was pretty and she liked it.
‘I don’t think this is me. So pretty.
I also picked out a few dresses to wear at a dinner party, a dress for going out, and a few simple dresses to wear
inside the Duke’s castle. The shoes and accessories were chosen by Rose to match the dress
When she finished choosing her clothes, Bessie put Luciel in a beige dress with white circles in it. As she was about to tie her waistband and put on white socks, Luciel snuggled up and grabbed one of her socks. She meant to do that herself.
“Okay, miss.”
Bessie brushed Luciel’s hair instead. It was simply combed, but her hair fluttered softly like silver thread.
Luciel sat on a chair rather high for her height and looked at the socks. It was a very soft and warm looking sock. Flower patterned socks with lace around their ankles,
In the past, when young Luciel walked barefoot in the basement, what she longed for the most was socks rather than dresses. Then, as she remembered that, Luciel swept the sock with her thumb.
“Miss Luciel, why are you like this?”
“…I like socks.”
As Luciel answered Rose’s question, she sewed her feet into the socks one after the other. Rose and Bessie whispered to each other, ‘Did you hear that? She liked her baby socks. So cute!’.