I'm The Only Granddaughter Of The Strongest Duke
Ch. 39

"Well, the meeting is over today. You may leave your seat."'

After the meeting, my grandfather looked so proud, as if he had achieved his goal. But I was a little worried. 

Mainly because the vassals' expressions weren't very good throughout the meeting. 

"Finally, the meeting is over, haha..."

"How should I call you? Miss Eve or Princess?"

"Oh my god, look at these tiny hands and feet! Princess, don't you want me to introduce you to a friend? My granddaughter just happens to be about the same age as you."

"Plump cheeks and round eyes. The Princess will surely grow up to be a beauty!"

...Huh?

As soon as the meeting was over, the vassals' tense faces melted away like snow. 

Even though my grandfather was still around, they approached me and greeted me warmly. 

"You don't look well throughout the meeting, are you sick?"

"Princess, I have a grandchild, too..."

W-What's wrong with these people?

The vassals who looked at me with a cold expression until a while ago disappeared, and what was left in the room was a bunch of smiling elderly. 

I clung to my grandfather with a look of confusion. 

'Did you suddenly become kind because my grandfather announced that he would choose me as his successor?'

If that wasn't the case....

"I like that today's meeting was short. Your Grace, I hope that the next meeting will continue to be this short..."

"That's right. It's been hard to sit down for a long time recently because I'm old..."

Are they just happy that the meeting ended early?

While I didn't know where to look, one of the vassals held out a candy to me. 

"I told my daughter that there's an eight-year-old Princess in the Ferdinand family, so she brought me this candy. This is a precious candy from the east."

One of the vassals said with a warm expression. 

I accepted the candy without much thought, and opened my eyes wide when I saw the face of the old man who handed me the candy.

"Oh...?"

"Hahaha, my name is Hubert. I must've been making you uneasy a little while ago. I apologize for that. But it was a necessary question for us."

Hubert took out a pocket full of candies from his arms. 

"You look a lot like Mrs. Astrid. We could tell that you are her daughter just by looking at you once. But we can't help it since this is a meeting between adults, so..."

He offered the whole pocket to me. 

"We won't bring it up again. We promise to never hurt your feelings ever again."

I accepted the pocket full of candies with a dazed expression and nodded.

So that question was just a formality?

Does that mean my grandfather wasn't really angry?

I looked back at my grandfather. 

He left me among these elderly vassals and stood in front of the secretary who was writing the content of the meeting. 

What are you doing over there?

I perked up my ears as the lively elders kept talking. 

Then I heard my grandfather talking from a distance. 

"It should be noted explicitly that Hubert raised his concern regarding her legitimacy, and I strongly refuted them, then they decided to accept it and follow my will."

He urged the secretary to write down the 'truth' rather than the actual content of the meeting.

So you're directing him? No way...

"Ahem, ahem! See you later! And don't be surprised at what you hear today."

Is this what you mean?

[What's up with humans? Why did they go to such lengths to be dramatic and leave my little master behind?]

That's what I'm saying.

I sat there like a fool without even hiding my bewilderment. 

"Princess, are you feeling uncomfortable...?"

A man who looked a little younger than the other vassals looked at me with a worried expression. 

I quickly shook my head.

"No, I'm fine."

I was just a bit shocked, so there was nothing to feel uncomfortable about...

"Excuse me, but I have a question."

"Yes, please ask me anything."

"What does it mean to be recognized by the Dragon? I've never heard of anything like that..."

"Let me explain, Eve."

My grandfather approached me and held out his hands. I clung to my grandfather's arms immediately.

I was used to his arms since he had been carrying me a few times. Thankfully, someone handed me Excalibur so I could hold him while in my grandfather's arms. 

My grandfather then said to the vassals.

"You may leave now."

"Pardon? But, Your Grace...!"

"We've just said hello to the Princess..."

But my grandfather was cold to them. 

"How much longer are you going to have a conversation with an eight-year-old? Please leave now. Let my granddaughter rest."

In the end, the vassals who couldn't win against my grandfather's stubbornness left the meeting room disgruntledly. 

Most of them said that they would visit again with regret all over their faces. 

"Goodbye!"

Did I get a little attached to the vassals?

I was quite relieved when I heard them leaving, but there was also some sort of emptiness. 

I waved my hand to the vassals who left the meeting room.

Thud-

And the meeting room door closed just like that. Now there was only me, Ex and my grandfather in the spacious room. 

My grandfather, who still held me in his arms, poked me in the cheek and said. 

"Eve, do you remember the incident that happened last time?"

"I walked out of my bedroom at night and sat in front of my mom's portrait."

"Yeah, let's talk about the room with your mom's portrait. I couldn't ask at that time because the situation was not appropriate, but did you feel something strange?"

"Umm, something strange....?"

"Yes, was there anything like that?"

"I was a little scared of those statues."

"Wouldn't it be normal to be scared to see statues of terrifying dragons?"

"Yeah, but it didn't scare me that much."

I added in a firm tone.

"I'm eight years old, and I'm a brave little girl who doesn't get shocked to see a hundred scary-looking statues. But those particular statues gave me a spooky vibe. I guess it's because of the shadow from the moonlight? It seemed like they were going to attack me..."

"Alright. Anything else?"

I tried to rack my brain to dig up what happened that day. 

After much thought, I was really awake that day as if I had a dream with my eyes open, even my memories were blurry.

'As expected, the weirdest thing is that voice.'

I looked at my grandfather.

"Didn't you put me to sleep that night?"

"Yeah."

"Did I tell you about the voice that called me to that room?"

"Yes, you told me. That was why I asked you if you had a dream."

"Was it really a dream? No matter how much I think about it, I don't think that was a dream."

I tried to convey it with a voice and expression filled with conviction. 

"It didn't feel like a dream. I definitely heard a voice that led me to that room. It told me that the door would open if I waited for a little longer."

The door really opened as I waited. 

My grandfather, who listened to my story attentively, tilted his head with a puzzled expression. 

"I still cannot be sure whose voice that was, but I could tell you this for sure, Eve."