Chapter 360 Adorably Cute
Robert, Rebecca, and Scott entered the guest room and gasped when they saw Marg. Behind Marg, who was sitting on the sofa, was a large window, and the slightly tilted winter sunlight shone in, making Marg's hair sparkle. It looked so beautiful and divine.
Marg stood up silently and walked gracefully towards Robert, elegantly curtsying as she introduced herself.
"It is a great honor to have the opportunity to meet you. I am Margaret Grandchester, daughter of Walter Vidis Grandchester."
"I'm Robert di Grandchester. I'm the second son of Marquis Grandchester and serve as the governor of the Grandchester territory. We met when we were kids, do you remember?"
"I was too young to remember the day we first met, but since I am a distant relative of the Grandchester family, I am aware of Sir Robert's esteemed face."
"I remember the color of your hair. Would you please show me not just your hair, but your face as well?"
Encouraged by Robert, Marg quietly lifted her head. Because she had been dressed as a boy until now, she had a somewhat androgynous look, but no one would mistake the dignified expression on Marg's face for that of a boy.
"You look more like your mother than Walter. You resemble Emily, who used to be so attached to Arthur."
"My mother said that Sir Arthur was her first love."
"She always worried about being 4 years older than Arthur. When her marriage to Walter was decided, she even caused a commotion and tried to run away."
Rebecca frowned slightly at Robert's nostalgic comment.
"Rob, what are you talking about in front of the young lady! Nice to meet you, Viscount Radford's daughter, I'm Rebecca Orson. I'm also this clueless Rob's fiancée."
"I've heard of Honored Lady Orson's esteemed name. I have already returned my father's Viscount title to the Grandchester family. Please, just call me Margaret."
"Then, please call me Rebecca."
"Yes, Lady Rebecca."
"You really look just like your mother. I remember her well."
The last to speak was Scott.
"Meg, you remember me, right?"
"Of course, Scott. But you've grown so tall! I used to be taller than you."
"I'm growing like crazy, it feels like I might snap."
"You look more and more like Sir Jeffrey."
"People say that a lot. Anyway, I'm glad you all are safe. My condolences for your mother."
"Thank you, Scott."
Marg turned back to Robert.
"Sir Robert, I apologize deeply for my father's and brother's foolish actions."
"Well, let's keep that conversation just between us in this room. It's not something I want to make public."
"Understood."
"And I'm sorry I couldn't help Emily."
"No, it's not your responsibility, Sir Robert. Please don't worry about it."
After finishing the usual greetings, everyone moved to the sofa for tea time. There, feeling uneasy about her sister's absence, Millie rubbed her eyes and came out of the room.
"Marg, it's lonely being the only one here."
"Millie, come over here."
"Marg, your hair is getting long!? And why are you wearing a dress?"
Millie ran over to Marg, looking at her with curiosity.
"Millie, make sure to greet properly."
"Okay!"
Millie turned around, smiled brightly, and gave a little bow.
"I'm Milliam. I'm 5."
"Wow, what a cute young lady! I'm Robert. You can think of me as your uncle."
"Uncle? But you feel more like an older brother!"
"Marg, can I keep this kid? She called me 'older brother!' When I first met Sara, she called me 'uncle!'."
"Wait, that's because you're Dad's brother, so I just called you 'uncle!'."
Sara shouted in a panic.
"Ah, Sir Robert. Don't be fooled by Millie's cuteness. This girl thinks that if she calls a guy of a certain age 'older brother,' she'll get food. There are many men in the slums and downtown who have fallen for this trick."
"Ce, certain age..."
"Hehe!"
While Marg looked troubled, Rebecca, who was sitting next to Robert, couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Millie is going to be a big deal in the future."
"I'm so embarrassed!"
Then, Millie, who was called out, started to get angry.
"Hey, Marg. You can't just spill the beans like that. If we get kicked out of here, we'll have to sleep in a cold place again!"
"I see. You've really grown strong, huh? Is that childish vibe on purpose?"
Scott looked at Millie with admiration.
"She's only 5 years old, but I think she's more mature than her age."
"Haha. I've seen a kid even more amazing than Sara."
"Really? I think Sara is definitely more grown-up than my Millie, though."
Confused and unable to grasp the situation, Millie started looking around nervously.
"Marg, what does this mean?"
"Where should I start explaining?"
Seeing Marg hesitate, Sara spoke to her.
"First, Millie, can you say your full name properly?"
"No, I haven't told my sister that she has a last name."
"Then let's start from there."
Sara made Millie sit properly on the sofa and crouched down in front of her.
"Nice to meet you, Milliam. I'm Sara Grandchester. You can call me Sara. I'll call you Millie. I'm the master of this tower, and I'm the one protecting you and Marg."
"Sara is the master? Even though Sara is so small?"
"Yes. I'm small, but I'm still the master."
Sara nodded big in front of Millie, who tilted her head.
"And your real name is Milliam Grandchester. Your sister is Margaret Grandchester."
"Grandchester? That's the name of the lord, right?"
"Yes, we're relatives of the lord's family here. Marg and Millie are too."
"That's a lie. We're just kids from the slums!"
"Well, it's because bad people tricked your mom and tried to kidnap you all."
"Is it because of the bad guys?"
"Yes. Your mom hid in the slums, desperately trying to protect you. I'm sorry I was late to come get you."
"I don't remember mom. Jack said she looked like Marg."
"I haven't met her too, but people say she really looks like her."
Even though she was young, Millie was slowly trying to think about and understand Sara's words.
"Um, can Millie stay here forever?"
"You can stay here, but you could also live in a bigger mansion."
"I like it here. Thomashiina sings lullabies for me."
'Wow, the golem is still so talented.'
"So, Father, I understand you plan to protect these children, but what about their living situation?"
"I will respect their wishes. If they want to be connected to another family, they can live in the capital mansion."
"Father, we must first educate them as ladies; we can't introduce them to the capital's social scene yet. Marg might manage, but Millie can't stay like this──"
"I don't plan to be apart from Millie. If my sister Millie can't go to the capital, then I won't live there either."
Robert and Rebecca exchanged glances.
"I have no intention of separating you sisters. I plan to adopt you as my daughters, Ed or I, but there's no need to rush. In the future, one of you will marry and help restore the Viscount Radford family, but if you don't want that, you can refuse."
"Wait, Father, does that mean Marg could become my big sister?"
"That's how it is. But if they become Ed's adopted daughter, they will both be the daughters of Marquis Grandchester in the future."
"Condition-wise, that sounds much better. When I think about my father and uncle, being the adopted daughter of the main family feels a bit too much. Plus, it's hard to think about adding more daughters for Father, who is getting married soon."
"I won't pass the parents' sins onto the daughter. Besides, they're hiding the incident itself. Well, for us, it's already decided that Sara will be adopted. I think adding one or 2 more is just a minor detail. I brought Revi along to show that she's not against it."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Maria, who had been waiting, asked who it was, and to her surprise, it was Edward and Elizabeth.
"Oh, Ed and his wife are here too."
"I was worried that Rob might be going off on his own."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I was wondering if you would make them your adopted daughter."
"Of course, I'll respect their opinions."
Marg, who was stunned by the sudden visitors, remembered that she hadn't greeted the Young Marquis couple and quickly stood up to curtsy.
"You must be Marg. Adam seems to have been in your care."
"No, the injury to your son was caused by my lack of consideration. I have no way to apologize. Also, I can't make excuses for what my father and brother have done."
Marg deeply bowed her head to the Young Marquis couple.
"Lift your head. Adam's situation is his own responsibility, and I don't intend to blame you for Walter's actions. I'm truly sorry for not being able to help you for over 2 years. I also feel very regretful about the Mrs. Viscount."
"Marg, please show me your face."
When Elizabeth called out to her, Marg looked up and noticed that there were faint tears in Elizabeth's eyes.
"W-What's the matter, Mrs. Young Marquis?!"
"You look just like Emily! She was an old friend of mine."
Overcome with emotion, Elizabeth hugged Marg tightly.
"Emily didn't even send me a letter, so I thought she all had run away with Walter. You must have gone through a lot, right? I'm really sorry."
While being embraced by Elizabeth, Marg quietly spoke.
"I thought I would be blamed for Sir Adam's situation. I never wanted to cause such terrible injuries to help me and Millie."
"As my husband said, that's Adam's own issue. If he had talked to an adult, it wouldn't have become such a big deal. That means we also have a problem for not being adults he could trust. By the way, I heard you cut your hair short."
"I had Sara help me grow it out. Sara is amazing! At her age, she can use healing magic, just like Lady Rebecca."
At that statement, the adults and Scott all showed complicated expressions, but the Young Marquis couple decided to continue the conversation for now.
"Ah, that's right. I'm just glad your hair is back to normal."
"Yes, I'm really glad..."
"Which one of you will become Rob's adopted daughter?"
"Considering my father and brother, it's hard to imagine us becoming adopted daughters of the Grandchester family. But at the same time, I feel uneasy about increasing the number of adopted daughters for Sir Robert, who is about to get married..."
Seeing Marg's confused expression, Sara chimed in from the side.
"Isn't it difficult to decide right away, Aunt? They just got over their fever. For now, let's keep them safe at Maiden's Tower, and I think it's okay for them to take their time to decide."
"Hmm. That's true. Marg, Millie, take your time to think about what you want to do. No matter what answer you come up with, I will support you."
"Thank you very much."
Elizabeth turned to Sara to confirm.
"Sara, I plan to send Adam back to the main residence tomorrow, but please let him stay in the guest room until today. I have preparations to return to the capital, so I intend to go back to the main residence. Is that okay?"
"Understood. We have maids here, and there are golems as well, so it's safe."
"That's true. It might even be safer than the main residence. Also, Marg, Adam has been wanting to see you. Could you meet him before he returns to the main residence tomorrow?"
"Of course. I wanted to thank Sir Adam in person."
"He's really changed thanks to Miss Cordelia, and you, Marg. I would be happy if you could stay by his side from now on."
"If you allow it, I would be glad to."
"That's great to hear."
Elizabeth suddenly gave Marg a meaningful look. Sara and Rebecca noticed that look too, but they chose not to say anything.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)