Lucillea blinked as she looked up at the boys standing before her.
Those eyes.
And this situation.
It wasn't unfamiliar at all.
They're exactly the same as the brats from Mille Village.
Cookie nodded as if he agreed with her thoughts.
[I thought chosen kids would be different, but I guess kids are just kids! Tiny little punks who've learned nothing but bad habits!]
Seriously. That hostility is impossible to miss.
Those sharpened gazes.
Was it because they possessed abilities and enjoyed special treatment within the Grand Duke's household?
Beyond hostility, Lucillea could sense a twisted sense of superiority from them.
Most of the stares she'd felt while walking down from her room had been the same.
They'd look surprised when they saw May, then immediately glare at me.
Especially the chosen children.
The servants' gazes hadn't exactly been warm, but the children's had been particularly sharp.
Maybe I should've asked May why they're all staring daggers at me.
But May had been so cheerful that Lucillea hadn't found the heart to bring it up.
Could it be some kind of competition between the children selected by the Elite Order?
But she hadn't done anything.
She'd only spent a single night in the Grand Duke's estate.
She hadn't displayed any remarkable ability.
The only thing she'd received was what everyone apparently got—a few dresses and several pieces of jewelry.
I've never done anything worth attracting attention, and I have absolutely no intention of doing so in the future.
Lucillea's goal was simple.
Gain what she could from the Grand Duke's household.
Develop her abilities as much as possible.
Then become independent.
There was no desire to defeat others and climb to the top.
She didn't want the position of heir.
Nor did she want her father's affection.
That made this sort of conflict even more unwelcome.
Lucillea casually got to her feet and dusted the dirt from her dress.
May picked this dress out for me...
Looking at the dirt stains and the torn frills hurt more than the scrape on her palm.
Still—
Endure it.
Hadn't she promised herself she'd live quietly?
This is my first official walk around the estate. I don't want to cause a scene already.
After taking a short breath, Lucillea spoke.
"Sorry. I think I was blocking the way."
With a harmless smile, she pressed herself closer against the pillar.
"Go ahead and pass."
The boys merely snickered.
Instead of leaving, they stood where they were and began mocking her.
"She looks stupid. This thing was really chosen?"
"If she wasn't wearing that dress, I'd think she was one of the maids. Actually, maybe she's just a servant they accidentally dressed up."
"Does she even have an ability? Can you pick those up from a trash heap these days?"
The boys laughed among themselves.
"......"
Crunch.
Lucillea clenched her teeth.
Endure it.
They had shoved her down.
Her scraped palm stung.
Mockery and childish insults poured down endlessly.
But—
I can't get angry at a bunch of ten-year-olds.
Because mentally, she was the older one.
Well... sort of.
Even with memories from her previous life, her emotional maturity wasn't that far beyond her eight-year-old body.
Still.
She would endure it.
Compared to what I heard in Mille Village, this is barely an itch.
Forcing a smile, Lucillea lifted the corners of her mouth.
At that moment, the red-haired boy standing in the center stepped forward.
He appeared to be the leader of the three.
"Hey. Are you seriously smiling after hearing all that?"
"......"
Because if I stop smiling, I'm going to start swearing.
Keeping that thought to herself, Lucillea answered,
"I'm still getting used to life in the estate. I'd like to get along with all of you. Even if we don't become friends, I don't want us fighting."
"Oh? Is that why you were hiding over there like a rat?"
"A rat?"
Apparently that word was comedy gold.
The other two boys burst into laughter.
Lucillea lowered her gaze and looked at herself.
Her skin was clean.
Her dress was immaculate and beautifully made.
If someone had called the old Lucillea from Mille Village a rat, she might have accepted it.
But now?
She was dressed in expensive clothes and surrounded by the finest things House Descartes could offer.
May worked hard to make me look nice.
And these brats dared insult her efforts.
Still.
She endured.
For the sake of her long and peaceful life in the Grand Duke's estate.
Three acts of patience can save a life, right?
So I'll endure exactly three times.
Living quietly was important.
But if she was going to spend her days being trampled like she had in Mille Village, there was no point in coming here.
They had shoved her down.
Mocked her.
And insulted May's efforts.
That's three.
No more chances, little brats.
Then the red-haired boy spoke again.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"What?"
"What trick did you pull?"
"What trick?"
"What did you do to His Highness to get sent to the fifth floor the moment you arrived?"
"......"
Why was everyone so obsessed with the fifth floor?
Judging from the situation, her room clearly wasn't ordinary.
This is bad.
The anxiety she'd been trying to ignore suddenly became very real.
Ever since waking up in the Grand Duke's estate, she'd been uneasy.
Because of something May had told her.
"Normally, children selected by the Elite Order go through at least a month of evaluation."
"But in your case, His Highness approved everything overnight."
May had said the entire estate was shocked.
My procedures were finished unusually quickly... and then I was assigned to the fifth floor...
The situation she'd feared most seemed to be unfolding.
Could my ability actually be something special?
Special enough to be given a room on this supposedly amazing fifth floor?
Countless questions filled her mind.
But she had no answers.
No way.
My ability can't be anything special.
Special powers are for protagonists.
After calming her thoughts, Lucillea smiled brightly.
"I don't know either. When I woke up, that's where I was. Nobody explained anything to me. How would I know?"
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
She smiled even wider.
"If you don't believe me, let's go ask His Highness."
"...What?"
Lucillea's smile sparkled.
"The best way to clear up misunderstandings is to ask directly."
The three boys looked at one another.
"She's not stupid."
"I think she's just insane."
"Nobody sane would say that."
At that moment—
Grab!
Lucillea seized the red-haired boy's hand.
Then she beamed.
"Let's go! We'll hold hands and ask together! Let's ask His Highness what kind of trick I used to fool him!"
She grinned innocently.
"Because I'm curious too!"
Maybe while they were there, they could ask the Grand Duke for snacks.
And if he had time, maybe he could play with them too.
The boy immediately recoiled in horror and yanked his hand away.
"Y-Y-You're crazy!"
"Hm? Why are you running?"
Lucillea stepped forward.
"Come on. Let's go together. We'll clear everything up."
Her smile grew wider.
"I told you. I don't want to fight. I want us to be friends!"
"T-This little—! Get away from me!"
As Lucillea continued approaching, the panicked boy suddenly raised his hand.
Flinch!
Her shoulders tensed.
Then her eyes narrowed.
Go ahead! Hit me!
I grew up getting beaten every day by drunken adults!
You think I'm scared of a brat like you?
Just then—
Grab!
His raised arm stopped in midair.
"Now, now. We can't have that, young masters."
It was May.
She had appeared out of nowhere and caught the boy's wrist.
Relief washed over Lucillea.
Meanwhile, the moment the boy recognized May, his face turned pale.
"M-May?!"
"That's right! It's me!"
May replied cheerfully before walking over to Lucillea.
"...Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No."
Lucillea shook her head.
"I almost got hurt, but May saved me."
A look of guilt crossed May's face.
"I'm sorry I was late, Lady Lucillea."
"It's okay."
"......"
May's gaze dropped to Lucillea's scraped palm.
"How generous our Lady Lucillea is."
Her smile remained sweet.
"Unlike me."
"Huh?"
Before Lucillea could react, May turned toward the red-haired boy.
"And Lord Tesian."
So his name is Tesian.
Lucillea glared sharply at him.
I'll remember you.
Meanwhile, Tesian rubbed his wrist and exploded.
"What did I even do?! Did I hit her? Did I kill her?! Why is everyone acting like this?!"
"Oh my."
May tilted her head.
"If I hadn't stopped you, you would have hit her."
"......"
"And our tiny, delicate Lady Lucillea might have lost her life from a single blow."
"What?!"
"No, she absolutely would have died."
May nodded firmly.
"Because Lady Lucillea is a soap bubble."
"...A what?"
Without missing a beat, May continued.
"Violence. Murder."
She smiled sweetly.
"Do you understand?"
"......"
"You nearly committed both."
"N-No! That girl started it first—!"
"Started it?"
May's smile sharpened.
"Wonderful. Shall we discuss from the beginning who picked the fight?"
Then she carefully gathered Lucillea into her arms as though handling an irreplaceable vase.
"After all, someone as fragile as a soap bubble couldn't possibly have started it."
"......"
A soap bubble again.
I'm not that weak.
But somehow...
She didn't dislike hearing it.
For some reason, being treated as someone worth protecting made her chest feel warm and ticklish.
Like actual soap bubbles were floating around her heart.
As Lucillea shyly fidgeted in May's embrace, May continued.
"Lady Lucillea has only just arrived."
Her smile remained bright.
"If anything were to happen to her, naturally a report would be sent to His Highness."
The boys stiffened.
"You all know that."
Her eyes curved pleasantly.
"So why behave this way?"
The smile never left her face.
"Surely you aren't hoping to see the Grand Duke lose his temper?"
Watching her, Lucillea came to a realization.
May isn't normal either.
Children chosen by the Elite Order supposedly possessed authority equivalent to that of an imperial baron.
Even if barons were the lowest-ranking nobles, a maid normally couldn't oppose them.
Yet May had blocked Tesian's hand without hesitation.
And she was speaking to him as though scolding a naughty child.
More importantly...
Tesian couldn't push back.
If anything, he seemed wary of her.
Afraid of her.
Seeing that, Lucillea deliberately snuggled deeper into May's arms and wrapped both arms around her waist.
Then she looked directly at Tesian.
And grinned.
I have May.
You don't.