21 - Adopted by the Villainous Noble Family

Nobelpia - A World Dreamed Through Web Novels! - Adopted by the Villainous Family The clear sound of birds chirping playfully brushed against my ears with the morning breeze. "Miss, it's time to wake up." A neat and calm voice roused me from slumber. As I groggily blinked my eyes open, a vision of pure white hair swaying like snow filled my view. "Eek..." In an instant, my face flushed at the sight of Sierra gazing down at me with her poised face. I hastily threw off the blanket, rose from the bed, and awkwardly looked at her. "Ah, good morning... Sierra." "A good morning to you as well." Sierra responded with her usual impassive expression and gently bowed her head. Today marked the fourth day since I entered the Count's household of Laheltani. Sierra still felt like a stranger to me. Having lived as an orphan across two lifetimes, the presence of a maid was more burdensome than comforting. After all, I'd never lived a life that involved commanding others, nor was it in my nature to do so. "Thank you for waking me up." I tried to give her my brightest smile as I spoke. "Is there anything you need me to do?" She remained standing properly, asking me in her usual manner. "No, I've told you before." I slightly straightened my shoulders, mustering a somewhat confident voice. "I won't trouble you. It's okay to take it easy." I've taken it upon myself to handle the room cleaning, laundry, and even the dishwashing after meals. Though the maids insisted I let them take care of these tasks, shifting responsibility onto others was something I despised. In the end, it was the maids who first conceded to my relentless stubbornness. "I'll make sure to explain the situation to the Countess properly." I looked at Sierra with satisfaction, fully opening my shoulders. A noble who enabled her dedicated maid to relax at ease... I quite liked the idea. "I'm perfectly fine with being given tasks, though." Sierra's tone remained indifferent and expressionless. Quietly, she rummaged through her pockets and presented a small, brown cloth pouch to me. "Here are today's herbal ingredients." "Oh, yes... Thank you." I accepted the pouch with both hands. Inside, it contained three delicately glowing silverbloom flowers and a variety of strictly organized herbal ingredients. "And the Countess requests your presence for a meal." "Oh, really?" "Yes, she awaits you in her office." "…Understood." "I will guide you there." I still found it difficult to fully grasp Rosaria's true intentions. When I first arrived here, I thought all I had to do was consistently supply herbal bundles. Could she really mean it when she spoke of wanting to build a mother-daughter bond? 'There's no real need for that, though.' However, regardless of my thoughts, I could not defy Rosaria's wishes. Eventually, I followed Sierra's lead towards the dining room within the mansion. "You've arrived." Rosaria greeted me with a warm smile as I approached. She indicated the seat next to her with a gentle pat of her palm, inviting me to sit beside her. Slowly, I approached her. The chair was a bit high, so I had to carefully step onto the footrest to take my seat. "Did you sleep well?" I cautiously initiated the conversation, to which she gave a short reply. "Thanks to you." With that, her hand reached out towards my head. I tensed up reflexively, but Rosaria merely pretended to stroke my hair before withdrawing her hand. Though her touch didn't reach me, her intent was palpably clear. "Huhuhu." Rosaria gave a light chuckle. Not understanding the curious smile forming on her lips, I tilted my head slightly in confusion. She was like this yesterday too; I couldn't quite grasp what she was attempting. "Let's eat. Camilla is still asleep, so she won't be joining us." "Oh... okay." Rosaria picked up her utensils. I mimicked her, grabbing the small fork tailored to my hand. An impressive array of lavish dishes, enough to make my eyes widen, was neatly arranged on the table. Juices sizzled on the golden-brown roasted meat, while the aroma of freshly baked, tender bread wafted alongside. The steaming soup emitted a rich, deep fragrance. For someone like me, who had only ever eaten stale bread, this scene was still unfamiliar and overwhelming. Rosaria delicately dipped a piece of well-torn bread into the soup with her fork, and then gently blew on it to cool it down. "Here, open wide, my dear." The fork extended cautiously toward me. I looked at her with a bewildered expression. "Even if I don't hand-feed you, this is acceptable, isn't it?" "…Is this also part of developing a mother-daughter relationship?" "Yes." At Rosaria's concise and determined answer, I finally parted my lips. The small piece of warm bread entered my mouth along with the soup. Its mild warmth, the sweet taste of the creamy soup, and the crisp yet moist texture of the bread slowly filled my palate. '…Delicious.' The taste was so delightful that I couldn't help but smile. Watching me, Rosaria narrowed her eyes slightly before reaching out her hand toward my head once more. But just like before, she only went through the motions of patting, withdrawing her hand without touching me. "Eat plenty. You need to gain some weight." Her voice was decisive, almost sounding like an order. "…Even if you say that, I can't eat much." My stomach was naturally small. Back at the orphanage, if someone asked who ate the least, almost everyone would say my name. Not that I saw it as a bad thing. In fact, I considered it a beneficial trait. I could satisfy my hunger with small amounts, which saved resources, and I didn’t have to chew cold bread for too long. "Then from now on, you'll have to gradually increase your intake." However, Rosaria seemed to disagree with my perspective. She speared a piece of meat, dipped it in a creamy sauce, and offered it to me. "Open up." "I can eat on my own." "Come on." With a light frown, she held the fork closer to me. Feeling pressured by her determined gaze, I reluctantly opened my mouth, deciding it would be better to just eat quickly. The meat that entered my mouth was astonishingly tender. As I chewed slowly, Rosaria's hand reached above my head again. But once more, she didn't touch my hair. She merely mimicked the gesture of patting it. "…Why do you only pretend?" I couldn't suppress my curiosity any longer and asked cautiously. "Hmm?" Rosaria blinked at me, looking somewhat surprised. If she wanted to pat, she should, and if not, just leave it be. The half-hearted gesture made me feel like a child being coddled. "You’re startled by a woman's touch, aren't you?" "Still, I don't see what pretending like this achieves." "Well, at least now you don’t flinch when I reach out." "That's because I know you wouldn’t touch me." "Exactly. And I won't touch you carelessly in the future." Rosaria's eyes curved playfully, hinting at mischief. "So don't be too afraid." Her voice was strangely gentle, almost overwhelmingly so. "…Actually, there's something I'd like to ask." Feeling awkward, I hastily changed the subject. "What is it?" "I want to sell my herbal concoctions." I could produce about ten concoctions a day. Even if I provided two to Rosaria, eight would still remain. Despite having noble status, I intended to secure funds for academy enrollment on my own. From now on, I needed to start saving diligently again. "Is there a place nearby where I could sell herbs?" Having lived my entire life in Vinhel village, I wasn't familiar with the geography of the empire. Apart from this being the imperial capital, I knew next to nothing. "Why not just sell them all to me? I'll pay you handsomely." Rosaria offered a rather tempting proposition. "…No." But I declined. Doing so would mean relying on the family for income. I wanted to achieve at least the academy entrance on my own merits. "Hmmm…." Rosaria didn't look entirely pleased. It was evident she didn't like the idea of me going out to sell herbs myself. Just like how the orphanage director had been. "…Is it really not possible?" My voice came out slightly trembling. What would I do if she refused? Rosaria had shown considerable interest in my concoctions. Perhaps she didn't want them being distributed outside her circle. But I absolutely needed to sell them. [Flexibility is key, Bella.] The director's words suddenly echoed in my mind. Advice from someone I wanted to forget, yet maybe she was truly right. "Rosaria, how about this instead?" "Hmm?" Rosaria raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at me. "If you allow me to sell my concoctions, I'll give you 30% of the profits." "…What?" "O-of course, compared to the wealth of the count's family, it's a modest sum... but it might hold some significance." Rosaria's brows furrowed slightly. Seeing her visibly displeased expression made my heart nervously race. Was my offer too low? Should I offer more than 30%? 40%...? Come to think of it, the director initially demanded half. Would offering half satisfy Rosaria? "If 30% is too little... I'll give you half...!" "What on earth are you saying?" Rosaria's sharp retort cut through the air. It was the first time she spoke to me with such hostility. "Do I look like someone desperate for pocket change?" Her crimson eyes gleamed menacingly. Unable to meet her gaze, I lowered my head. But Rosaria wasn't finished. She grasped the back of my neck firmly and pulled me toward her, forcing me to face her. "I'm s-sorry..." The words of apology spilled out from fear before I could stop them. "Sorry for what?" Her relentless stare didn't waver. "I-I was trying to bargain with pocket change for the Countess... and..." "Hah." Despite my attempt to explain, her expression only grew colder. "I'm s-sorry..." "Utter 'I'm sorry' one more time and I'll personally touch every inch of you with my bare hands, keep that in mind." Her chilly words froze me on the spot. I swallowed back the apology rising in my throat and quietly nodded. Rosaria glared intensely at me for a while before closing her eyes and letting out a long sigh. "If you want to sell your concoctions outside, then do it. Why are you so restless?" "…What?" "I'm not imprisoning you, so why do you need to be so concerned about my reaction?" "I thought... you wouldn't want me selling the concoctions." "What parent wouldn't be proud of a child keen on earning money at a young age?" "But when I mentioned selling them outside, you seemed displeased. You frowned..." "Sure, it's a concern." Rosaria clicked her tongue and continued. "Who knows what sort of strange person you'd meet if you were out on your own?" Although I heard her words, their meaning didn't fully register for a few seconds, leaving me blinking in confusion. "...What?" "You know how many smooth-talking scoundrels are lurking around? Innocent kids from quiet villages like you are prime targets for them. How could I not worry?" "...Huh?" "That pretty, delicate look of yours... it's a recipe for trouble." Her expression was utterly serious. As her meaning slowly dawned on me, embarrassment surged within, warming my face to a bright flush. "W-what kind of worries are those?! I'm only eight!" Occasionally, I realized... Rosaria has her fair share of peculiar traits herself. 죄송하지만, 직접적인 소설 텍스트나 그 다음 화를 제공할 수는 없습니다. 대신, 어떤 점을 궁금해하시는지 말씀해 주시면, 해당 내용에 대해 도움이 되는 정보를 제공해드리겠습니다!