34.
Only after I had finished bathing in the expansive tub, pampered by maids who showered me with relentless compliments, did the reality settle in: my status had shifted from a commoner orphan to a duchess.
The maids deftly dressed me in a bright, sunny yellow gown.
I couldn’t fathom why a ducal household that only raised a son would keep a dress for a young girl. Had they bought it in anticipation of my adoption? No, that seemed impossible. Even if the Duchess had been looking forward to my arrival, surely she wouldn’t have gone that far.
Perhaps because the dress fit so perfectly, my self-esteem soared, and I became uncharacteristically self-conscious.
When I entered the dining room, looking polished and prim, the Duchess welcomed me with a beaming smile.
“Come in. You truly are a beauty; you shine with just a little bit of care.”
“Hehe, thank you! The dress is so pretty!”
I bloomed with a smile, spinning in place to show it off. The hem of the dress blossomed like a flower before folding back into a bud. I knew that when someone gives you a gift, you must react with genuine joy so the giver feels proud and inclined to do it again.
Sure enough, a satisfied smile lit up the Duchess’s face. I glanced around and saw the servants mirroring her expression.
Except for one person.
“But Duchess, who might that be…”
I cast a sidelong glance at the boy sitting in the second seat of honor.
Lucian Papiope.
He was the Duchess’s first adopted child and my new legal brother. He had blond hair like the Duchess, but his fiercely assertive eyes and red irises gave off a sharp, cold vibe that was decidedly different from hers.
The Duchess seated me opposite him and introduced us.
“Ah, this is Lucian. My first son. He will be an older brother to you.”
“Hello, I’m Tania.”
His red eyes scanned me from top to bottom.
“Lucian.”
He offered nothing more than his name, then turned his gaze away, entirely uninterested.
…Huh.
Seriously? A new sibling had arrived to compete for the heir’s position, and he wasn’t even curious? He was eleven this year—exactly one year older than Elision had been. Back when Elision was the Papiope ward, none of the three siblings had possessed particularly close ties. For better or worse, Elision and Rosemary had remained lukewarm about the succession race. They hadn’t engaged in bitter, backstabbing fights; they had simply been indifferent, like roommates sharing a house.
Seeing Lucian’s chilly attitude, I understood why.
But now that we were legally family, I didn’t want to be strangers. Even without a drop of shared blood, this was the home I had prayed for in my previous life. I hadn’t been interested in the Duchess’s successor position in the first place, so there was no reason we couldn’t get along.
As I stared blankly at him, the Duchess tried to smooth over the tension.
“Lucian is naturally the quiet type, so don’t pay it too much mind.”
He’s not quiet; his manners feel like they’re on their deathbed.
“Now, you must be hungry. I told the chef to pay special attention to this meal, just for you.”
The table was set with food far more luxurious than a typical noble meal. Seeing the spread, my mind drifted to Aiden. I should have told him about my victory; he must be waiting for me. I should have asked if I could send a letter to the temporary maid.
I shoved those thoughts into a corner of my mind and began to eat, following the Duchess’s lead. I would find a way to make contact after the meal.
“That’s right, Tania. I haven’t congratulated you yet.”
With a faint smile, the Duchess lifted her wine glass and tapped it against my water glass.
“Congratulations on becoming a member of the Papiope family. Thank you for becoming my daughter.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Daughter. The word felt awkward and ticklish. I had never expected it would be easier to become the Papiope Duchess’s daughter than Aiden’s.
“Every evening is a time to spend with family. No matter how busy I am, I make sure we eat dinner together.”
“Are there any other members of your family?”
“My father—your grandfather—isn’t present today, but you will see him soon.”
I blinked. Declan Papiope. I had been planning to ask about meeting the former Duke, so I felt a pang of disappointment.
“Is the former Duke busy?”
“No, he’s pouting.”
“…Yes?”
When I raised my voice in surprise, the Duchess shrugged as if it were nothing.
“Father wanted me to get married, have children, and pass on the title of heir.”
Ah, so it was because of me? I understood now. It was well known that the former Duke Declan cherished his only daughter immensely. To have raised her so preciously, only for her to refuse marriage and adopt children instead—it must have been frustrating. And since this was the second time, he was likely staging a formal protest.
“Father still wants me to meet someone I love and build a traditional family.”
The Duchess sighed, but as she caught sight of me and Lucian, she waved a dismissive hand.
“Don’t pay it any mind. He was the same when I first adopted Lucian. After a few months, he’ll join us for meals as if nothing ever happened.”
“…But even if he eats with you, that doesn’t mean his anger has cooled, right?”
“He pretends he’s annoyed, but he actually takes a great deal of interest in Lucian. He’s just acting out because he’s secretly pleased.”
At her words, the corners of Lucian’s mouth—previously frozen in an expressionless mask—twitched slightly.
Oh my. It seemed he liked the grandfather’s attention, too, even while pretending he didn’t. I turned back to the Duchess.
“Grandfather might be like that, but I’m curious, too. Why did you choose adoption over marriage?”
Isn’t it human instinct to pass wealth and power to children of one’s own blood?
The Duchess replied with a look of absolute confidence.
“I’m a proponent of love marriages.”
“…Yes?”
“Someone I love has to appear for me to even think about marriage, right? I can’t just marry anyone and have kids. This is my life at stake.”
It was hard to argue with that logic, eccentric as it was for a Duchess.
“Father is pressuring me, I’m getting older, and there’s no one I want to marry. So, I adopted.”
…Usually, people chose from collateral branches, not complete strangers. I swallowed my retort and gave a soulless, “I see.”
“But Tania, even though I selected children through a competition, I won’t treat you like a stranger.”
The Duchess reached out, placed her hand on my cheek, and gently held my chin.
“You are my daughter. Don’t ever forget that, no matter where you go. If someone looks down on you, stand up to them proudly as a Duchess. That is your inherent right.”
I widened my eyes. I hadn’t known the Duchess could be such an affectionate mother. Having heard only the rumors of her eccentricity, this was entirely unexpected.
She suddenly laughed, a playful glint in her eye, and stretched my cheeks like cheese.
“So, please feel free to call me Mother or Mom.”
My face stiffened. I wasn’t mentally prepared for that. Calling a friend’s mother “Mom” didn’t come easily. If I had been asked to call her Mother after marrying Elision, I might have said it without hesitation.
After much deliberation, I finally squeezed my eyes shut and answered.
“I-I’ll try to get used to it.”