I'm The Only Granddaughter Of The Strongest Duke
Ch. 22

"I'm not surprised at all. You should've lifted me higher than my dad! Heheh."

"Really? How high?"

"Um, higher than this..."

My eyes lit up in excitement when he lifted me higher.

"This high?"

[Oh my god! Hey! My brat is going to fall!]

"A-Ack! Your Grace...it's too high....!"

[Put her down! Put her down!]

Ex was buzzing on my back and hurling all kinds of insults at my grandfather.

My grandfather was shocked when he watched me struggle with my legs and arms in the air, so he put me down right away.

My legs touched the ground slowly.

"Phew."

"Are you okay, Eve? I'm sorry. Grandpa is so thoughtless...."

He looked like he really regretted what he did.

Y-You don't need to apologize to me, though...!

'Since I'm having fun, too...'

[Hey, stupid. What if you fall down?'

'I don't know why, but I feel like he won't drop me.'

I looked up at my grandfather, who looked very sorry.

"Hehe, it's okay. It was fun!  You lifted me higher than my dad."

"...Really? Did you like it?"

"Yes! It was fun. So please don't worry! You don't need to apologize."

"Okay, I will do that, Eve.It's very messy here.  Let's go somewhere else and talk..."

Just when my grandfather extended his arms to me so he could pick me up again, I saw a middle-aged man with gray hair running towards us in a hurry.

My dad turned his head quizzically while my grandfather squinted his eyes in displeasure.

'Who is he?'

He was wearing a neat white shirt under his tailcoat with a golden badge fastened on his chest.

Charlotte also had that golden badge! Does that mean this person is someone in a high position?

He immediately bowed to my grandfather without catching his breath.

"Mr. Theobold."

"What's going on, Peter? If it isn't urgent, talk to me later...."

"It's urgent. It's very urgent, sir! Right now....huh? Wait, this person is..."

A man named Peter pushed his glasses up from the tip of his nose and looked at me attentively.

I curtsied and greeted him without missing a beat.

"Hello. I'm Eve Royce. I'm eight years old this year."

"Oh! You must be Miss Eve! I'm the head butler of this mansion, Peter. I apologize for not being able to greet you politely due to the circumstances."

Peter, who greeted me hastily, whispered to my grandfather.

I was very close to my grandfather, but Peter's voice was so small that I could hardly hear him.

"....Right now....very....urgent..."

I was barely able to hear Peter's muffled voice, but it seemed my grandfather could get his message clearly.

"Huh? Right now?"

"Yes, I think you should go quickly!"

"It can't be helped, then."

My grandfather sighed deeply before reaching out for my hand. His scarred hands were big and rough, but his cautious touch was rather soothing.

My grandfather grabbed my hand and said.

"Eve, I think I should go now."

"Yes, don't worry about me. You should go now."

"I'll come back before dinner. Let's have dinner together. What kind of food do you like?"

"I like meat. A well-done roast beef."

"Alright, I'll pass it on to the chef. See you later."

My grandfather stroked my head with his large hand and then left with Peter in a hurry.

Now there was only me, my father, and a maid who missed the timing and couldn't leave.

Whoosh-

There was a gush of wind coming from my grandfather retreating back. That gust of wind blew through my hair and brushed past my cheeks.

"I'm not kidding. They watched me from afar and said that I didn't look like my mom at all..."

Whoa, the weather is nice.

I sat side by side in the garden with my dad and told him about the maids' atrocities.

I told him about them saying I didn't look like my mom and nobody came to pick me up after Charlotte left.

"Eve, do you remember their faces?"

"Hm? Yes, of course. How can I forget? I never forget the faces of those who look down on me."

My principle is to return double as much kindness as I received and to repay you tenfold for any mistreatment I suffered.

I must repay them tenfold of what I suffered. That was the principle I lived by for the eight years of my life.

So I could remember all the faces of the maids who spoke ill about me.

"We can go and look for them now. But won't you be tired, sweetie?"

"Huh? Umm, that's a little..."

I'd like to do that, but it would be wiser to suppress my hatred while we were in the middle of the enemy camp.

I didn't want to get caught trespassing when trying to replace people who mocked me.

I was also worried about my dad's status as a commoner. I might be a half-noble now, but my dad was just a commoner.

Moreover, the nobility of this empire considered the commoners' lives like small flames that could go out at any time.

'What if we get on the duke's nerves and put my dad in danger? From what I saw earlier,  it seems like he doesn't like my dad, either....'

I hated to see my dad in danger.

When I shook my head firmly, my dad smiled bitterly and stroked my head.

"Alright, but you have to tell me when we stumble upon them, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Leave it to me!"

But someone interrupted us in the middle of our banter.

"Ha???"

I could hear someone's nasty sneer behind me.

...What is it this time?

"I rushed here because I heard that Astrid's daughter was here, but she didn't look like my sister at all."

Huh? What's going on? Whose nasty voice is this...?

I quickly turned back to check.

There was an insufferable-looking man standing with his chest out while looking at me and my dad.

The man with dark golden hair alternated between me and my dad with a very condescending expression.

"Seriously, such a midget is not even a threat for me."

He walked closer to me and stretched out his hand as if to gauge my height.

[What is this guy doing?]

Ex, who was neatly placed next to me, chimed in as if he was already so tired with everybody that harassed me today.

I know, Ex. What's wrong with this guy?

I was curious about that, too.

I quickly looked up at my dad to check on him. He had a restrained smile on his face.

I know this expression!

It was an expression that he made when he had to deal with a customer that he didn't like.

Then this guy must be someone who knew my dad.

I didn't want to greet him, so I just closed my mouth and looked up at the insufferable guy. He kept muttering something whether I looked up at him or not.

"Your blood is mixed with commoner blood, so I doubt you even learn to use a sword. Claude will be the heir of the Ferdinant family so-"

Why is this guy so rude?

I knew that my dad was a commoner. Therefore, he wasn't wrong if he said that my blood was mixed with commoner blood since I was my dad's daughter. But to say it right in front of our faces? It really made my blood boil.

And it seemed like my dad also felt the same way.

[What does this annoying guy want from us? Does he want to die?]

"Hahah....Sir Silvester. She's only a child, please refrain from using such words."

My dad pulled me gently and held me in his arms. My dad's big and warm hand covered my ears tightly.