Saved by Crazy Stepfather!

Looking at the details from head to toe, he didn’t speak, as if he was thinking.

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‘There’s no way he’s gonna listen to this.’

As expected, the Grand Duke moved again without saying anything.

But unlike before, his walking pace had slowed down.

At first, I thought it was an illusion, but I feel like he really hit my stride.

“Did I slow you down on purpose?”

“No way.
You are not a special child, so there’s nothing special about it.”

With the way he spoke, the Grand Duke’s pace became a little faster, but less so than before.

‘Well, as expected, the Grand Duke wouldn’t do that for me.’

I then followed him, looking ceaselessly at him, reminiscent of the huge build that was ahead of me.

How do I get that person to know that I am special?

I really am a special person.

“I’m a little lost, but…”

“What did you say?”

“No, it’s nothing!”

Speaking from the bottom of my heart, words popped out of my mouth.

“Anyway, we have finally arrived.”

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“Y-Your Highness! No… Why is the Lady’s appearance…!”

Looking around the Grand Duke’s back, I turned my head at the sudden voice.
There stood a helpless Cecilia.

As she tried not to give me a fierce look, the archduke naturally blocked ahead.

“Your Highness, the young lady is…”

“Why is she with me? Is that what you wanted to say?”

“Yes, I thought she’d be in her room.
What is this look? She’s covered in dust…!”

“Is that important? It’s important that I’m back in my room.”

Cecilia hesitated for a long time, as if she had a lot to say to my appearance and bowed her head.

“Don’t argue about what you are doing.”

“…Okay.”

“She got dirty after doing something important with me for a while.”

“Pardon?”

“So wash up.”

“Oh… yes!”

That was the end of the scene.

She would have said another thing, but the Grand Duke tried to turn around after taking me to Cecilia.

But then…

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“By the way.”

“Hmm?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you tell me again?”

“…What do you mean?”

“No, I’m talking to the kid.”

Cecilia, who came up to me and was about to drag me in, but I stepped back in a hurry.

“Oh… yes.”

“To me?”

“Well, why don’t you tell me again?”

“What do you mean?”

But when I asked him back, the Grand Duke shifted his body and shook his head.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“No, you don’t have to.
Then I’ll get going.”

The Grand Duke, who looked like he said everything he had to say, turned around and left.

Yet I didn’t get to say thank you.
He even gave me an excuse for my recent appearance so that I wouldn’t be embarrassed.

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“Maybe he really is a good man…”

Because of that I waved at the air for a long time.

My body soared into the sky until he was finally invisible.

“Kya!”

“Be quiet.
Sigh.
I can’t believe this is what the Grand Duchess looks like.”

It was Cecilia, hugging me without a moment’s hesitation.
She approached the door without any change of expression, despite the obvious dirtiness of her clothes.

“Let go of me.”

“If I let go of you, you’re going to run away again, right? Wash up and eat first.
I’ve been looking after four of you in the Grand Duchy, but I think you’re even more boyish.”

Meanwhile, she held me tight and opened the door with a key.

“Can I help you, Ms.
Cecilia?”

“It’s fine.
I’ll wash myself, so leave me alone.”

The maid, who approached me with firm words, stepped back.

Only then did Cecilia take me into the room.

“Let go!”

“Are you going to go to your mother like this?”

“…What?”

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“I asked if you’d like to go to your mother covered in dirt that came from unknown places.”

“…”

“Then you are going to make your mother more ill.”

I had stopped struggling due to Cecilia’s determined words, though I knew she wasn’t wrong.
I couldn’t see my face or appearance at the moment, but I can roughly guess how I am feeling just by looking at my hands.

Disappointed, I drooped, and Cecilia took me into the bathroom.

Only after that did I see myself.

I was so dirty.

The dress, which was so long that it dragged down to my feet, had already turned black at the bottom.
My blonde hair was covered with dust.

“Achoo.”

Cecilia quickly undressed me, and that made me cough.

“Where the hell did you get these from! I thought you did something important.”

“You don’t need to know.”

“…If you’re ever gonna come back like this again, you’d better go out naked.”

In a short while, I was stripped completely…

By the woman I didn’t really like.

“Sigh, what do you think of me as if I’m taking care of you like this?”

“Who would want to be taken care of?”

“…So are you going to be like this to someone else if it’s not me?”