If you know the reason why Clemens poisoned Eliza, and the reason why Clemens treated Eliza well from the beginning, the answer is easy.

Clemens judged that Eliza was worth using.

On the other hand, I am just a rolling stone with no value to use.

Since the Duke has accepted me as his daughter, the adopted dukes would not have liked me.

Would Clemens leave me alone?

I asked anxiously.

“Can I just eat in my room?”

“You can’t. Today is the first time you are dining with the young master.”

To my worryfilled question, Sophia simply thought I was nervous.

“Don’t worry, baby. Lord Clemens is a kind person.”

But that child is only kind on the outside, Sophia.

If you get in his eyes, he’ll hand over poisoned chocolate with a smile.

“Is the Duke also eating with us?”

“Yes, of course.”

Sophia answered as if it were obvious. I sighed a sigh of relief at that.

The only fortunate thing is that the Duke is also dining with us.

Since the Duke is by my side, he won’t be able to do anything to me right away.

‘I must stick to the Duke’s side.’

To avoid a villain, I have to stick to the villain’s side. I let out a deep sigh at the irony of this situation.

“Baby, come here.”

Following Delma’s hand, I stopped in front of the mirror. The result of Delma and Sophia’s busy work while I was sulking was right in front of me.

When I lifted my head, I caught eyes with a child who looked just like me reflected in the mirror.

I was unusually dressed up today, and my appearance was unfamiliar.

Above my hair that reached the shoulder, there was a yellow lacepinned hairpin, and the hem of the matching dress was a puffy dress that flared like a flower bud.

I knew without asking that Sophia and Delma had put extra effort into dressing me up today.

Perhaps they wanted me to look good to the brothers I was meeting for the first time.

“Shall we go?”

I held Sophia’s hand and left the room.

‘Please, let this pass without any incident.’

Praying fervently inside, I was slowly taking one step at a time when…

“Sophia?”

A young boy’s voice came from the end of the corridor. Light footsteps neither slow nor fast gradually approached.

I was surprised and instinctively stiffened my body.

“Young master. Have you been well?”

“Yeah, I’m always like this. Delma’s there too?”

“Young master, it’s been a while!”

“Yeah, Delma. Long time no see.”

The boy cheerfully answered with a smile. His childish voice was unfamiliar.

I turned my head slightly to calm my uneasy heart.

A blondhaired boy, whose eyes met mine, smiled at me.
“This kid is that one, right?”

“Yes, it is Lady Diane, the Duke’s daughter. Baby, this is Clements Doren, whom I mentioned earlier.”

Sofia gently pulled me over and placed me in front of Clements.

“Hello?”

The boy’s eyes softened. I couldn’t help but be a little surprised when I first faced Clements.

In the original work, Clements was often described as not looking or acting like a villain.

He always smiled and was kind to everyone.

But seeing him in person, the description in the original was insufficient. My tension was instantly relieved by his gentle and kind smile.

I knew the hidden truth, but facing him, I even doubted if he was really a villain?

The Duke’s appearance was so perfectly villainous that there was no doubt.

If the Duke is like a dark night, or a deep dawn where the sun has not risen, then Clements is, what to say.

“Like a bright sun.”

The scenery of a bright morning with the sun rising seemed to shine a halo behind his face.

“Uh…….”

Clements scratched his cheek with his forefinger, seeming embarrassed. Only then did I realize that I had been staring at Clements too much.

I quickly looked down.

It was a bit sudden, but it was our first encounter. I forced a smile and greeted him.

“Oh, hello.”

I didn’t forget to cautiously raise one hand and wave. Clements did not immediately return my greeting.

His staring eyes made me anxious, and I couldn’t figure out what they meant.

‘Was he upset that I looked at him earlier?’

“Ah…….”

Instead, Clements covered his mouth with one hand, trailing off as he stared at me intently.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem upset, but his reaction was strange.

‘Why is he looking at me like that?’

“Is that child really my sibling?”

Hmm, at that question, I unconsciously shrunk back.

This was another reason for my tension.

Unlike the adopted children who were born with outstanding talent and chosen by the Duke, I was just an ordinary child with no abilities or talents.

I was brought in under the pretext of being his biological daughter, but even that reason was a lie fabricated by the Duke.

‘In the Duke’s eyes, I can’t compare to the adopted children.’

Clements knew foreign languages as well as the common language even before being adopted.

How insignificant must I appear in his eyes? Perhaps that’s why he didn’t return my greeting.

‘No. It might actually be a good thing.’

He might think I’m too insignificant to bother with.

Suddenly, my eyes met with Clements’s. Clements clenched his fists with both hands, his eyes sparkling.

His unexpected gaze was intense.

“Heehee, our baby is really cute, isn’t she?”

I was startled by Delma’s words. It was natural for Delma to find me cute, but not Clements.

But Clements’s reaction was unexpected.

Clements’s lips curled up.

“Yes, she is.”

How Delma interpreted that reaction, I don’t know, but she chattered happily beside me.

On the other hand, facing Clements’s laughter, I felt a chilling shiver down my spine.

‘It’s even scarier when he smiles…….’