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Chapter 5
It was the butler of House of Edelwein who had stood beside the Duke yesterday.
The butler approached us with long strides ‌‌‌‌while my father ‌‌‌and I stared at him blankly.
"Hello, Vivian."
My father's gaze, which had been wary of the butler, shifted down to ‌‌me.
"Vivian~?"
Unlike the gentle smile that usually graced his eyes when he saw me, his golden irises had sharpened slightly, demanding an answer.
It was a silent question: how does this man know you?
I pretended not to notice that gaze and turned away, greeting the butler instead.
"Hello, sir. What brings you here? Did you come to buy bread?"
"I came for another matter."
"Another matter?"
Instead of answering, ‌‌the butler lifted his gaze to look at my father.
"I am Owen, butler of House of Edelwein. Are you Dias Hessen, Vivian's father?"
"I am, but...."
"I shall speak plainly."
The butler, whose gaze had briefly turned to me, continued.
"The Duke wishes for your daughter to become a playmate and companion to the young lady."
'Wow, jackpot!'
For me, who had been waiting for an opportunity to enter House of ‌‌‌Edelwein, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
But my father's brow furrowed slightly.
"I'm not sure what you ‌‌‌‌mean by that so suddenly...."
"Yesterday, after the Duke heard about Miss Vivian, he seemed to recognize her potential."
Upon hearing that I had met the Duke, my father's gaze pierced down at me.
'This man's going to ‌‌kill me with those eyes.'
I quietly dodged that stare and wrapped my ‌‌‌arms around my father's waist.
After the butler left, there would certainly be a barrage of nagging, but for now, I was trying to smooth things over with an embrace.
The butler continued.
"Miss Vivian will attend lessons and study alongside the young lady. We will provide everything necessary under the name of Edelwein."
"...."
"Of course, it won't be every day—just four ‌‌days a week at the Estate."
This was a favorable arrangement even setting aside my purpose of getting close to Rachel.
I had no doubt that my father would accept this proposal.
But....
"I appreciate the offer, but ‌‌‌there is still much I have yet to teach her. Though she is precious ‌‌‌to me, I fear she would be quite lacking as a companion to the young lady."
'What?!'
Watching my ‌‌father refuse outright, I screamed silently.
'No! What kind of opportunity is this?!'
I pinched my father's firm side and cried out.
"Dad! We need ‌‌to talk ‌‌‌about this."
I dragged ‌‌‌‌‌Father away without hesitation, then belatedly turned back to call out to the butler.
"Please wait and browse the Shop, Butler. It will only take a moment!"
I pulled Father ‌‌‌into the alley beside the Shop.
But Father spoke before I could open my mouth.
"Vivian, why did you go there?"
His eyes and voice had turned unusually cold and sharp.
'Damn. I thought I could get away with some cuteness and whining, but that won't work.'
I quickly changed tactics and began stammering out a lie.
"I was just curious... I only wanted to look from outside, but I ran into the Duke."
Of ‌course, I couldn't bring ‌‌myself to meet his eyes.
Father studied me ‌‌‌‌for a moment, then sighed and ‌spoke ‌‌‌‌in a cautionary tone.
"I'll have a word with the butler about this, so let's not go to the Villa. Understood?"
I urgently grabbed at Father's ‌sleeve as he turned to go back to the butler.
"No, I have to! I need to go there, Father."
"Why do you need to go there?"
Father asked, sensing I had another purpose.
I was about to answer honestly without thinking, but I quickly closed my mouth ‌‌before the words could escape.
'I can't tell him what I know from the original story.'
Rachel's constitution—the ability to absorb mana from the surroundings—was kept secret publicly to avoid the Emperor's interference.
In other words, there was no way I should know about Rachel's condition.
'And I certainly can't ‌‌‌tell him this is a world from a novel or anything like that.'
Beyond the fact that he might not believe me, I didn't want to add the worry that his already ailing daughter had lost ‌‌‌her mind.
I told him the truth, ‌‌leaving out everything about the original story.
"I want to cure my illness."
But instead of helping, my ‌‌words had the opposite effect—Father's already pale face turned ashen.
"W-why suddenly? Are you in more pain these days? Are you hiding something from me—"
"No, it's not like that! I'm fine, so ‌‌calm down, Father."
I quickly reassured him before his worry could spiral further.
"I just want to get better soon so I can live a long, healthy life with you. ‌I hate seeing you worry."
"...."
"The Duke surely knows skilled physicians and mages in the capital, so wouldn't he help if I asked?"
Despite my earnest persuasion, Father seemed reluctant.
There was something almost sad in the way he looked at me.
'But I can't back down this time.'
Whenever Father made that expression, I usually gave in without resistance, but this time I truly couldn't afford to.
My life depended on it!
And besides, this was for Father's sake as ‌‌‌well.
After studying my earnest gaze for ‌‌a long moment, Father finally surrendered, raising ‌‌both hands in defeat.
"All right. Let me ask the Duke ‌‌‌for help."
At last hearing the answer I'd hoped for, a smile bloomed across ‌‌my face. ‌‌‌
It was a dramatic negotiation between father and daughter that had finally reached an agreement.
* * *
The next ‌day.
I arrived at the Villa in ‌‌a carriage sent by House of Edelwein.
'Wow!'
Though I had slipped in through a side gate a few days prior, ‌‌‌the sensation of entering through the grand main entrance by carriage felt entirely different.
Only then did it truly sink in that I would soon meet Rachel.
Before long, the carriage came to a halt.
Just before stepping down, I quickly assessed my appearance.
'Since this is my formal first meeting with Rachel, I need to look my best.'
I checked that my hair was tied neatly without ‌‌‌a single strand out ‌‌of place.
I even pinched my ‌‌‌‌cheeks once, soft as glutinous rice cakes.
After smoothing out the wrinkles in my dress that had creased ‌‌‌‌slightly during the carriage ride with a few pats.
I finally descended from the ‌‌carriage.
"Welcome, Vivian."
The person greeting me was, naturally, the butler.
"Good day, sir."
"You've arrived well, Vivian. I ‌‌‌‌shall inform the young lady of your presence, so please wait in the Greenhouse."
"Yes, sir."
As the butler ascended toward Rachel's chambers, a nearby maid guided me to the Greenhouse in the Backyard.
Once the maid who had guided me ‌‌‌‌disappeared, I found myself alone in the Greenhouse.
I sat at the table positioned in the center of the Greenhouse and gazed around in wonder.
'House of Edelwein certainly has deep pockets.'
Despite being a Villa built in a small leisure Village rather than the Main Estate or Townhouse, the Greenhouse was impressively vast and magnificent.
I was admiring an exotic bird perched on a branch, chirping away, when—
I heard the sound of a door opening behind me.
But the person who entered the Greenhouse was—
"How did you get in here again?"
Not Rachel, whom I had been waiting for, but Sally.
Seeing Sally's irritated expression—she who had been so desperate to drive me ‌‌‌away—filled me with a delightful sense of triumph.
I greeted her with an annoyingly radiant smile.
"I've become the young lady's companion. I look forward to working with you, Sally."
I even extended ‌my hand.
Upon seeing this, Sally let out a scoff.
"Someone like you?"
Then she swatted my hand away and snapped at me.
"Who exactly are you?"
"What?"
"Who let ‌‌‌someone like you in here without our mother's permission!"
I chuckled softly and replied.
"Does the ‌‌‌‌Duke need your mother's permission too?"
"...What?"
Sally's expression, which had been twisted with anger, shifted to shock.
No matter how arrogant Sally was, she couldn't defy the Duke's words.
"Go tell your mother: 'The Duke arbitrarily brought a beggar ‌girl from the Market ‌‌District as the young lady's companion.'"
"Ugh...!"
Sally glared at me with fury etched across her face, but unable to contain herself, she stormed out of the room.
I watched the direction Sally disappeared and stuck my tongue out playfully.
'Still, quite some time has passed. Rachel hasn't arrived yet.'
Half anticipation. Half worry.
I ‌‌‌was waiting for Rachel, holding these conflicting emotions, when it happened.
Thump.
Suddenly my heart pounded violently, and breathing became difficult. At the same time, a searing pain surged through me.
"Ugh...."
My mana overload symptoms were usually dormant, but they struck like this—sudden and convulsive.
A pain so familiar, yet never something I could grow accustomed to.
There was no cure, no way to ease the symptoms. I could only endure.
I staggered to my feet.
'I should hide ‌‌somewhere until it passes.'
I hadn't told House of Edelwein about my illness yet.
Even though it wasn't contagious, they wouldn't want a sick ‌‌‌‌‌child as a playmate for the young lady.
Besides, since the problem would be solved the moment I met Rachel, I saw no reason to mention it.
But I didn't know how long it would take for the symptoms to disappear ‌even after meeting Rachel.
If that happened and my illness was discovered, I'd have to explain it to Rachel—better to avoid that altogether.
Clutching my aching chest, I ‌‌reached toward the Greenhouse door.
But then....
'Huh?'
The door opened from the outside first, and I tumbled forward.
Into the arms of someone blocking my path.
"I'm sorr—"
As I hurriedly pushed myself up and lifted my head.
Our eyes met.
With that child who had been watching me through the window these past few days.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support ‌‌‌‌‌our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------