52. Genes Are Defeated
‘For a moment, my heart skipped a beat.’
Was my taste like a third generation chaebol?
Unlike my surprised self, the staff nodded peacefully. As if it happened all the time.
“Yes. Should we send it to the Imperial Palace?”
“Yeah.”
Buying an enormous amount of dresses was the end of my dress shopping. Because the person I was with was an opponent, I lost all my energy from nervousness.
Standing in shock, I was quickly washed with shame when Duchess Donovan turned around.
Duchess Donovan spoke smiling towards me.
“Then, Your Majesty. Let us go.”
“Are we going back to the Imperial palace now?”
Can I finally get some rest? I asked with anticipation, but an unexpected answer came out.
“What are you talking about?”
“…yes?”
“We have to go to other boutiques.”
“T-that…”
“We’d better hurry.”
I followed Duchess Donovan, who was rushing me, with a puzzled look.
She really stopped at another boutique. And I had to wear a lot of dresses there, and Duchess Donovan spoke her famous line again.
“I’ll buy everything.”
Next was a jewelry store. The Duchess looked at the products and bought them immediately. Then, she clicked her tongue quietly.
“Tch. Nothing catches my eye.”
Do you live without hesitation?
It was unimaginable for me to buy precious metals the price of a castle like cheap accessories sold on the side of the road.
‘I’ve never spent money like this, it’s scary!’
The ego of the small citizen within me was afraid of Duchess Donovan.
It wasn’t like buying; it was like robbing!
It was time to be exhausted by the relentless purchase march. In the fifth boutique, I faced an unexpected person.
Blonde hair as bright as honey and pumpkin-colored eyes as bright as jewels.
‘Isn’t that… Enrique?’
At first, I thought it was Enrique, but I belatedly thought it might not be. The Enrique I knew was a pretty boy, not a boy who grew up like that. He couldn’t have grown that big in just three years.
“I greet Her Majesty, the Emperor. Have you been well?”
…It was.
Enrique smiled softly and greeted me.
Before I knew it, the little boy became a well-grown boy. Both were the same boys, but there was a clear difference.
He was the same age as Oscar, so he must be 11 now.
Of course, Oscar grew a lot in three years. However, Oscar’s growth wasn’t as noticeable since I saw him everyday.
On the other hand, Enrique, who I saw after three years, was so big he was unfamiliar.
‘Really, he grew up perfectly…’
After enjoying his beauty in a daze for a moment, I hurriedly came to my senses after he called out to me in confusion.
“Long time no see, Enrique.”
“Enrique… I see.”
“Yeah. Enrique!”
I had a great sense of pride that I could finally call him Enrique and not ‘Enwique.’
No one would know, but I had been practicing pronouncing other people’s names from time to time…
With his smiling eyes, Enrique turned to Duchess Donovan, who was standing next to me. He greeted her with courtesy.
I greet Her Excellency, Duchess Donovan. I am the Javier Family’s Enrique Javier. I’ve heard a lot about you from Father.”
“Enrique Javier. So you’re the Javier Family’s successor.”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“I’m Pacifica Donovan. Nice to meet you.”
Watching them greet each other, I felt someone staring at me.
‘I think a hole is being burned through my cheek.’
I slowly turned my head and ran into golden eyes watching me closely. The main character was a girl with a sour expression and red hair.
Who was she?
She was the girl next to Enrique when I first saw him.
Was she seven? Eight? The child who had her hair tied in pigtails was very cute.
As soon as our eyes met, the girl smiled.
“Ah, this child is my little sister, Emily Javier. Emily, greet her Majesty.”
Enrique, who finished greeting Duchess Donovan, introduced the girl to me. The child gently lifted her skirt and greeted me with courtesy.
“I greet Her Majesty, the Emperor. I greet Her Excellency, Duchess Donovan. I am Emily Javier of the Javier Family.”
Even though she was still young, Emily looked more mature than her age when she greeted us cleanly.
‘Kids these days seem to grow up so fast.’
How could Enrique and his little sister, Emily, be so precocious?
“Nice to meet you, Emily.”
Although Emily was younger than me and the lady of the Javier Family, it was right to treat Emily without a title. Although, I still can’t get used to it.
When I was embarrassed and let out a ‘hehe’, Emily held brought her hands together and looked as if she were thrilled.
“I have heard a lot from Father and Brother. Your Majesty is such a wonderful and lovely person. That’s why I’ve always wondered, but they were really correct! It’s such an honor to meet you like this.”
“H-huh?”
My eyes widened at Emily’s sudden drop of words. But that wasn’t the end.
“Light pink hair like cotton candy, light blue eyes that seem to have been moved from the sky on a clear day. Even fair skin and lovely cheeks! It’s exactly as I’ve heard!”
“H-huh?”
I didn’t know what to do with the excessive praise. But was what she heard from Duke Javier or Enrique?
Enrique smiled awkwardly and grabbed Emily’s arm.
“Emily. What rudeness is this towards Her Majesty?”
“What do you mean rude… I was just saying how I sincerely felt. Didn’t Brother say so? That Her Majesty is such a lovely person!”
“That…”
Enrique, who was trying to say something, closed his mouth soon.
The atmosphere quickly became desolate.
‘Enrique must think of me like Emily.’
I remembered that one day when he told me a story of his younger sister.
I felt a strong sense of responsibility to deal with this awkward situation. So I smiled brightly at Emily.
“Thwank you, Emily. Emily is also very lovely.”
“Oh my. Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, I’m so happy.”
It wasn’t empty words. The excited Emily with dyed cheeks was really lovely.
My heart cooled down suddenly when I remembered that the brother’s and sister’s father was Duke Javier.
‘His genes… lost.’
Or maybe the mother was a great beauty.
“By the way, what brings Your Majesty and Your Excellency to the boutique?”
It was Duchess Donovan who answered Emily’s question.
“We stopped by to buy Her Majesty’s clothes.”
Emily, thinking hard, nodded as if she knew.
“So the rumor that You Majesty is attending the National Founding Banquet is true.”
Are you saying that rumors have already been circulating even though it’s only been a few days since it was decided?
I realized that there were no secrets in the Imperial Palace.
When I first flipped over, when I first walked, when I first said daddy, rumors spread in less than a day.
Unfortunately, there was no privacy for me.
“It’s been decided that I will attend this time. Is Emily also attending?”
“Yes. I am also making my debut at the National Founding Banquet.”
“I see.”
When I nodded, the staff came and bowed.
“Lady Javier. The clothes you mentioned are ready.”
“Send them to Javier’s Duchy.”
“Yes.”
The employee bowed and disappeared. Enrique, who was watching Emily converse with an anxious look for some reason, intervened quickly.
“Then we will get going now. It was an honor to meet you like this today.”
“Ung, go back safely.”
“We will get going now.”
When I waved my hand, Emily greeted us calmly and followed her brother.
As the surroundings became quiet, Duchess Donovan asked me.
“Do you interact with Javier’s disciples?”
“Yes. I met Emily for the first time today, but I met Enrique a couple of times when I was young.”
“I see.”
Duchess Donovan, who replied like so, added another word belatedly.
“You should be careful with the Javier Family.”
I blinked and nodded at the advice that was not like Duchess Donovan.
***
For the first time in my life, I spent a lot of money and made my way back to the Imperial Palace. The carriage ran down the darkened streets.
My body was limp from looking at more than ten shops.
I felt like dozing off, but I was in front of Duchess Donovan, so I was alert.
‘Let’s act smart.Act smart!’
It was a long silence to endure, holding back a flood in my eyes.
The eyes of the indifferent Duchess Donovan turned to me.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Yes?”
I froze at the unexpected question.
I looked at Duchess Donovan’s facial expression, but she looked the same as usual. An indifferent face that doesn’t express any emotion.
I hesitated and answered with my head down.
“…yes.”
I didn’t want to lie. I thought that Duchess Donovan would see through my lies anyway.
Why did she ask me that? It was when I got nervous and brought my hands together.
“Please raise your head. The lord has nothing to fear.”
I looked up slowly at her firm words. But I was still afraid of Duchess Donovan.
‘It’s probably because… I don’t want to be hated.’
Because I was more conscious, I didn’t want to look like a bad kid, so I acted docile.
But Duchess Donovan didn’t mind me. Maybe that’s why.
“Doesn’t Duchess Donovan dislike me?”
The courage I couldn’t even dream of rose.
An answer came back right away.
“I have absolutely no reason to dislike Your Majesty.”
I was slightly flustered by her cold and determined answer.
No reason. There were so many though.
“However, because of me, Oscar can’t become the Emperor.”
“That is not Your Majesty’s fault. Oscar gave up the throne himself. If he was greedy, he should have finished it to the end.”
“A-and… I am the daughter of Daddy’s second marriage…”
“That has nothing to do with me.”
“And the Duchess doesn’t like ignorant people.”
“Who told Your Majesty that?”
I answered in a fluster at Duchess Donovan’s calm question.
“Oscar did.”
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
With that, Duchess Donovan blocked all the reasons why she would dislike me. It was when I was speechless and thinking about what to say.
“Even if Your Majesty thinks I dislike you, Your Majesty doesn’t need to be afraid of me.”
The sunset seeping in through the window turned Duchess Donovan’s green eyes the color of persimmons.
“Do not be swayed by other people’s assessments. Your Majesty’s position needs to be consolidated.”
Duchess Donovan’s indifferent advice. It was something no one had told me.
‘Is this, by any chance, worry?’
Of course, it was likely to be an illusion, but I wanted to misunderstand as much as possible for my comfort.
Feeling more comfortable than before, I nodded with a big smile.
“I will, Lord Donovan. Thank ywou.”
“Thank you for listening to a vassal’s plea.”
The Duchess definitely seemed less scary than before.
‘Actually, I’m still a little scared.’
***
The carriage finally stopped. There was a murmur of noise outside along with the horses.
‘What is it? Did something happen?’
It was when I got up from my squatting position.
Bam-! The door to the carriage opened without notice.
“Mabel!”
“Ahh!”
The face of my Daddy, who became relieved from fury, hugged me.
“Mabel. Weren’t you lonely without daddy? You didn’t fall down, did you?”
“Uung!”
“You must’ve been so scared. I didn’t send you to that dangerous place!”
“Ith was okay.”
“You don’t have to pretend you’re okay, Mabel.”
I was puzzled by daddy’s tremendous concern.
He lifted me up and took me out of the carriage. Then his eyes widened, and he carefully wrapped my cheek.
“Your face… how did your face become so gaunt? You lost so much weight! Just what happened?”
I’ve only been out for half a day, how could I have lost weight?
“That’s nonsense-.”
“This won’t do. Let’s sleep with daddy tonight.”
Daddy, who cut my words off, made a ridiculous request. I shook my head coldly.
“I don’t wanth to.”
“Mabel…!”
I looked at daddy’s head in frustration and sighed deeply.
Before I knew it, I met eyes with Duchess Donovan, who got off the carriage. It was embarrassing to face her.
“I’m sorry for showing you this ugliness, Duchess Donovan…”
“No. I’m used to it.”
“…get back safely.”
I felt like the distance between Duchess Donovan and me, which narrowed down a little earlier, got bigger than the first time…