Chapter 39

Chapter 39

* * *

It was Saturday. My mouth dropped open when I saw the so-called pet Kallen had brought over for me to take to the park.

“I-is this a joke?” I asked. “You were raising this at the manor?”

“Of course I was. What’s mine is yours, so go ahead and bring it with you to the park. Its name is Pepper. It becomes quite docile when you call it by name and stroke its head.”

I stared at the animal sitting obediently beside Kallen, its eyes glistening as they held my gaze. Are we allowed to raise this type of pet in the capital? I took an instinctive step back.

“If it’s not to your liking, there are other animals to consider,” Sion said.

“Other animals? Such as?”

“Well, aside from the aquatic ones… Ah, we were recently gifted an elephant from abroad. We donated it to the zoo, but we can always reclaim it.”

I let out a heavy sigh.

Never mind. Sion smiled. He looked oddly determined today.

“Worry not, my lady. Pepper doesn’t bite.”

“That’s the least of my concerns.”

“It’s time to get in the carriage, my lady.”

“Really, Sion?” I said, my mouth agape. “How are you so calm right now?”

At that exact moment, Jade walked out dressed to the nines. He held a glove in one hand.

“Leticia,” he said. “I know everything.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes widening.

What did these three discuss without me? Is it really such a big deal that my classmates belittled me? Sure, it hurt my feelings, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days, but…

“I’ll be going with you,” said Jade.

I raised an eyebrow. “Why would you…?”

“Considering your age, I’m sure I can be of some help. A boy who isn’t much older can serve as an accessory, you see.” Jade grinned and climbed into the carriage. We finally left for the park.

* * *

Jade stepped out of the carriage first and handed me Pepper’s leash.

“Go on, then. Your friends must be waiting for you,” he said.

I gripped the lash, feeling like I was being pulled forward against my will. They said the gathering was at the greenhouse, right?

“At the last ball…”

“My mom said I will inherit it once I’m grown.”

My classmates were seated at tables in small groups in the park’s greenhouse. They were all chatting, laps occupied by cats or dogs. However, as soon as I arrived, the scene descended into chaos.

“What in the world is that?!”

“My goodness!”

Everyone screamed—dogs barked and yelped, cats meowed and yowled. It was unsurprising, considering Pepper was… a tiger the size of a house. That’s right—a real tiger, like the ones found in the jungle.

Pepper stalked around the greenhouse with its nose in the air and eyes searching, as if looking for prey. It made sense that everyone was scared to death. Pepper then bared its teeth and began to growl like a true wild animal. The situation had spiraled out of control. Dogs urinated where they stood, and children were crying and falling over themselves.

“Ahhhhh!”

“P-please save us! Spare our lives!”

Pepper dragged me along in its wake as it prowled around. The other children seemed ready to faint, but Lavine turned away from them and addressed me.

“Wh-what is that thing?” she asked.

“My dad let me borrow his pet,” I explained. “Its name is Pepper. We’re raising it at the manor.”

“Your dad? Y-you mean His Grace?” Lavine’s face was deathly pale.

Pepper growled. As the beast took a step toward her, Lavine immediately knelt and pressed her hands together.

“Please don’t eat me!” she cried.

“Don’t worry, my lady. Pepper doesn’t eat humans…” Jade said, stepping in front of me. “Unless its owner commands it to, that is.”

Only then did Lavine become aware of his presence and flutter her eyelashes.

“I was looking forward to this gathering because I heard it was for walking pets, but it’s duller than I expected.”

“Lord Jade?” Lavine’s face resembled a traffic light, the shade of it shifting from green nausea to a red blush as she glanced between Pepper and Jade. Jade grinned as he watched her. His smile was angelic, as usual.

“Princess Lavine,” he said.

She’s a princess? I had no idea. Does this mean I’m tussling with a royal family member?

“I heard you were kind to my younger sister, so I came to say hello.”

“Oh, that’s right. We asked to be friends, but she declined… I assumed she despised us. Please don’t misunderstand, my lord. We just…”

Jade’s smile vanished. His expression was now ice-cold. “You may be young, but you must exercise some tact if you want to survive at the royal palace.”

Lavine flinched.

“Is Your Highness the fourth or the fifth-born princess? When did the fourth one die again?” Jade asked gently. I had never seen him like this before. “There are many people who could take your place in the royal family, but House Lewelton only has one daughter. Do you believe His Majesty will still cherish you if you continue to act arrogantly and relations between the royal family and the Leweltons deteriorate?”

Lavine’s entire body began to tremble.

“Know your place, Your Highness. It is only in this way that people will regard you favorably.”

I stared at Jade, gaping.

He turned and gestured to me. “Come here, darling. Say hello to your friends. They seem to be crying tears of joy because they’re so happy to see you.”

I nodded, overwhelmed. Jade is a Lewelton through and through, huh?

“Hi, Lavine,” I said. I clutched the leash and stepped forward. Pepper leaned back, nuzzling its head against my leg as it purred.

How in the world did they tame this thing?

“Thank you for being kind to me,” I said. “I didn’t know you were a princess, but…” I softly smiled. The tension around us suggested there was no need for me to bow and scrape before her. “Let’s try to be civil from now on.”

“What?” Lavine stared at me, her face pale and bewildered. “Surely you knew I was a princess, right?”

No, I literally just said I had no clue.

“I only discovered it today. Anyway, I’m grateful you didn’t invite me. As my brother said, this gathering doesn’t seem particularly interesting.”

Am I allowed to address a princess like this? Well, I suppose it’s too late to worry about that now.

“I’ll be taking my leave. My dad told me to return home early,” I said.

Lavine clenched her fists.

“Oh, and let’s meet with a smile next time. Wouldn’t it be nice if you smiled at me first?” I grinned, trying to look as much like Kallen as possible. Shameless, arrogant, and confident—as if I’d never been rejected in my life. To my surprise, Lavine bit her tongue. She simply stood there, her lips trembling as she glared at me.

She must be afraid because I’m a member of House Lewelton. It was then that I realized I was part of the Lewelton family and was now living in their world. When I turned around, none of the children said anything. I could only feel their eyes burning holes in the back of my head.

I gripped Pepper’s leash and walked back to the carriage. After I climbed inside, Pepper leaped in behind me. The entire carriage wobbled and, despite it being more spacious than a standard carriage, the tiger made it feel cramped.

“How obedient,” I mumbled. I stared wide-eyed at Pepper, who purred like a cat as it chewed on my dress.

It’s cute, but when it opens its mouth, it’s scary. Eek! How are there so many teeth? How are they all so pointy?

“I think it wants a belly rub,” Jade said in an indifferent voice.

I paused, then kneaded the tiger’s soft tummy like I was scrubbing laundry. Pepper’s purrs deepened.

“How did you tame such a large creature?” I asked.

“Dark magicians can induce hypnosis in animals. Father was hunting in the wilderness last year when he came across Pepper, who had been wounded by another hunter. He decided to save it for a lark, but as he treated its wound, they naturally grew closer.”

Hmm… I see. Then I suppose it really is safe. I stared down at Pepper’s belly. It looked so soft and fluffy. I gently leaned in and pressed my nose to it, then I buried my face fully in the silky fur. Ah, it’s strangely plush… I could get used to this.

Jade held a fist to his mouth and snorted. “You’re quite fearless, aren’t you?”

“You and Dad said it would be safe, no?”

Jade’s eyes narrowed as he smiled. “How do you feel now?” he asked.

“I’m all right, but I’m afraid of what trouble might await me.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Jade cocked his head. He seemed to be asking out of genuine confusion.

“I mean, all the other kids are princesses and such, but I’m not. I might even have to withdraw from school.”

They’re probably not going to hurt me because they’re afraid of House Lewelton, but seeing them at school will be awkward.

Jade chuckled. “I’ve heard that kids your age are very sensitive, and I think I finally understand what that means. You needn’t be concerned about such things, you know.”

I sat quietly, pouting.

“Listen here, Leticia. You will withdraw from school when you want to quit and play at home. If necessary, we can even expel all of your classmates except you. That’s why there’s no need for you to worry. However, if they do bother you again…” Jade narrowed his eyes. “And you fail to tell us, I will scold you as the next head of this family.”

I fiddled with the skirt of my dress. “Thank you for coming with me today, Jade,” I said.

I’ve changed. In the past, if the other kids had tried to assert dominance over me and had been cruel, I would have told myself I was powerless. In fact, I would have willingly bowed down to them because of our difference in social standing. But not anymore. Now, when people disregard me, it hurts my feelings. Why?

Because if I were to allow myself to be mistreated, I would feel terrible for the Leweltons, who always go above and beyond to look after me. I’m no longer someone to be disrespected. I’ve… truly changed.

The winter scene outside the window no longer looks cold. I’ve changed because I have people who adore and praise me, people who keep me warm. I feel like I can face whatever comes my way with confidence now. Maybe this is the real miracle of winter.