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‘What…? Real sapphire?’

The unexpected revelation stunned me, and I quickly ran over to the fireplace, dragging Eugene along with me. Up close, it was clear that this wall was no ordinary surface.

‘No wonder it had that strange, shiny finish!’

The sapphire wall was distinctly different from the other walls, which lacked any sort of sheen.

“Are you kidding me…?” I muttered in disbelief.

Of course, sapphires are incredibly expensive gems. While their prices vary depending on the grade, the vibrant luster of the wall suggested that they hadn’t used low-grade stones. My modest expectation that “a room decorated with gems” might simply mean a few jewel decorations here and there crumbled into dust. 

Who in their right mind would think of making an entire wall out of gemstones?

As I shook my head in disbelief, Lily gently guided Eugene and me over to the window.

“The Sapphire Room is also special because of the view it offers. You can see the entire beautiful garden from here.”

“Wow…!”

This time, my exclamation was genuine. The Elpinard estate’s garden, which Axel had mentioned was tended to by five gardeners and several servants all year round, was displayed in all its glory. The fountain, colorful flowers, and lush green fields stretched out before us.

‘There’s even my four-leaf clover garden!’

Excitedly, I pressed myself against the window to get a better look, causing Lily to chuckle softly.

“This room has traditionally been given to the Duke’s most cherished daughter,” Lily explained. 

“Why would the Duke give such a room to me…?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

“It’s because he truly values you, Miss. It’s not just for show,” Lily replied with a smile.

‘But… why?’

If I were really just a child, I would have accepted this without question and simply enjoyed it. But as an adult disguised as a child, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of doubt. Was this kindness truly without strings attached? Could such a thing even exist?

I hadn’t done anything for the Duke, nothing that could warrant this level of generosity. The only thing I could possibly think of was the small basket of four-leaf clovers I had reluctantly handed over.

‘But that wouldn’t be enough to earn something like this…’

This room was far too extravagant for that. Everywhere I looked, there were precious, expensive items—so many that just being in the room felt overwhelming.

“Miss?”

Lily noticed my lack of enthusiasm and seemed puzzled. But before her confusion could deepen, Rose and Daisy arrived with trays laden with food.

“Thank you for waiting! Come over here, the food is ready!”

“Since we weren’t sure what your friend likes, we brought a little bit of everything,” Rose and Daisy proudly announced as they laid out the food on the table.

I guided the hesitant Eugene to sit down first, then took my seat across from him. From this angle, it was even more apparent how thin he was. His forearms, visible beneath his sleeves, were so slender.

“Eat up. It’s all delicious.”

Elpinard’s kitchen was something you could always rely on. Every dish they served was guaranteed to be delectable. But instead of eating, Eugene kept glancing around, stealing nervous glances at me and the maids, unable to bring himself to pick up his fork.

‘Maybe he’s waiting for me to start?’

I picked up my fork and stabbed a piece of my favorite meat dish—a small, tender piece of meat braised in a sweet sauce. Just putting it in my mouth was enough to make me feel blissful. As I dug into the food, Lily silently served a portion of salad onto my plate. I shot her a protesting look, but she just shook her head, her usual gentle smile on her face.

“You need to eat your vegetables too. That’s how you’ll grow up strong.”

“But you grow strong by eating meat…”

“You can eat both.”

She even added a piece of fish on top of the salad, of all things—one of my least favorite foods.

‘When I was an adult, no one cared if I was picky about my food…’

But as a child, I’d lost the freedom to choose my diet. As I glared at the plate, contemplating how to avoid eating the fish and vegetables, I heard a clattering sound from across the table.

“This… this is delicious…!”

Eugene, who had tried the meat dish I had first sampled, looked at me with wide eyes, as if in shock.

His expression seemed to ask, *What have I just eaten?*

It was clear that good food was the key to opening someone’s heart. My plan had worked perfectly!

After that, there was no stopping him. Eugene began eating hungrily, stuffing food into his mouth like someone who hadn’t eaten in days. The cautious, wary behavior from earlier was completely gone.

‘It’s possible he really hasn’t eaten in days,’ I thought, recalling the desperate plea Eugene had made earlier, begging me not to kill him and promising to eat only a little.

The memory of him crying and making those pleas suggested that his life at the Kreutz household hadn’t been normal at all.

‘What on earth did Duke Kreutz do to this child?’

I subtly pushed a dish closer to Eugene as he continued to eat with enthusiasm. The maids, who were watching us, looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, *How mature and considerate you are!

Living a child’s life, where even the smallest actions are praised, was still something I was getting used to. It was a strange, unfamiliar experience, but for now, I was just glad that Eugene was finally eating his fill.

‘At this rate, I might even get praised just for breathing,’ I thought wryly.

* * *

With his stomach full, Eugene finally let his guard down and started dozing off on the sofa. The frail little boy, unable to keep himself upright, wobbled like a sickly chick. Just as he was about to topple forward, Lily, who had been watching over him, reached out skillfully and caught him before he could hit the table.

Calmly, she laid him down on the sofa and covered him with a blanket. Despite the unusual situation, Lily didn’t ask any questions about Eugene. Her composure showed the depth of her experience as a maid.

Watching Eugene sleep so soundly, I couldn’t help but yawn, feeling the drowsiness spread to me as well. As I yawned loudly and rubbed my eyes, Rose and Daisy clutched their hearts, practically swooning.

“Oh no, she’s too cute.”

“I’d be content for life if I could just pinch those pudding-like cheeks once.”

Even their whispers sounded like a lullaby. My eyelids grew heavy, and I found myself blinking slowly when the door suddenly burst open, and an unwelcome guest appeared.

“What’s this? Did Grandpa really give you this room?”

It was Noah’s voice. The drowsiness that had been enveloping me vanished instantly. My eyes snapped open, and I looked towards the entrance to see Noah, scowling as he inspected my room.

* * *

Noah’s eyes lit up as he noticed the commotion in the normally quiet main building.

‘That’s the Sapphire Room, isn’t it?’

The rooms named after gemstones in the Elpinard estate were well-known in the social circles. It was an unspoken rule that the Elpinard Duchess would stay in the Ruby Room, and among the nobility, Ruby had become synonymous with the Duchess of Elpinard.

Moreover, the gemstone-themed rooms were a subtle indicator of rank within the family. During times when there were many siblings, there was often intense competition to see which room the head of the family would assign to each child.