* * *

My stomach was full. It was a lazy afternoon, and I was enjoying tea time. My cup of milk had not one but two marshmallows plopped into it, and I was savoring each sip. This was the bright spot of my days lately. I didn’t think I could live without marshmallow milk anymore. When I was drinking my marshmallow milk, even my worries felt a bit lighter.

I heaved a sigh from my perch on a baby armchair. I knew it wasn’t very five-year-old of me, but I couldn’t help but keep sighing. There was no news from Daddy, even though it had been days since I’d arrived.

This was about the time I expected to be told to leave, so why wasn’t there any word from him? What if I was so small that he forgot I was here? I have to ask how much he’s going to give me in child support...

Being treated like a guest was very nice because I didn’t need to do anything. At night, I pretended to lie on the bed but snuck down to the floor to sleep, climbing back onto the bed in the morning before anyone saw me. If I didn’t do at least that, I didn’t think I would be able to rip myself away from this lifestyle where everyone was kind to me and I ate good food and wore pretty clothes.

“You look bored, my lady,” said Tina, who’d been knitting beside me.

“No, iss awigh’.” (No, it’s all right.) I shook my head. What was there to be bored about when my head was just about fit to explode?

“Actually, His Grace said you could look around the mansion. If you’d like, we could take a tour of the rooms.”

“Wook awoun’?” (Look around?)

“Yes. There’s one room that’s pearl-themed and decorated as if it were under the sea, and another where diamonds hang from the ceiling. Just looking around at all 666 rooms in the mansion will make the time fly by.”

Wow, there were so many rooms. My mouth opened in surprise.

“There’s a place called the ‘Trophy Room’ in the middle of the third floor that displays the thousands of accomplishments His Grace has achieved throughout his life. It’s the history of His Grace itself.”

“I wanna see!” (I want to see!)

It was tempting. I could learn more about my daddy there!

“Yes, my lady. I’ll be your guide, then. The mansion is big, and it would be hard for you to find your way around by yourself.”

“Okay!”

I held Tina’s hand securely and marched forward. Off we went on a mansion expedition!

* * *

Exploring the mansion wasn’t as easy as I’d expected. First of all, I felt people stealing glances at me wherever we went. It had been happening for the entire past half hour, from the moment we’d left the room to when I learned where Daddy’s bedroom and the sitting room were—the whole time!

In the end, I couldn’t help asking Tina, “Why is evwyone wooking at me?” (Why is everyone looking at me?)

“It’s because you’re so adorable, my lady. How could they not look when you’re so lovable?”

“Layuh...” (Liar...)

“It’s true.”

“Tina’s an eksajuwaytuh.” (Tina’s an exaggerator.)

Adorable? I wasn’t adorable at all. If I was, my aunt wouldn’t have hated me so much. I shook my head, then tilted it sideways. The yellow ribbon that Tina had used to tie my hair fluttered airily. Just then, I heard another gasp from somewhere. I felt like an animal in a zoo, but from the way Tina was giggling, it really seemed like the others weren’t watching me in a bad way.

“Now, this is the Solea Diamond Room.”

Had I heard wrong? Doubting my ears, I asked, “What dayamon?” (What diamond?)

Tina covered their mouth and giggled once more. “Brace yourself, my lady! I, Tina, have swiped the keys to show you this room.”

“Huh?”

Did they really mean Solea diamonds? I stood there dumbfounded, too surprised to do anything else. Even among diamonds, honey-blond “Solea” diamonds were out-of-this-world expensive. One diamond the size of a standard engagement ring could afford you a fine mansion in the middle of the capital, plus a carriage, plus three or so maids to cook and clean, a butler, and a gardener—with enough still left to live off for another twenty years without a working a day! Of course, that was assuming you just spent your days with a normal routine, didn’t waste your money on extravagances, and didn’t blow it on investments.

But an entire room that was Solea diamond-themed? Psshh, they probably just have one diamond, carefully tucked away inside. Unlike the other rooms, this one had a steel door. It even had five complicated locks on it. In my long, long third dream, I’d spent some time doing busywork at a safe company. That had taught me a bit about locks, so I knew as soon as I saw that you had to insert a different key precisely into each lock, all within a minute, to open that specific device. If not, an alarm loud enough to shake the entire mansion would blast out.

I looked on a little worriedly, but Tina must have had quite a high security clearance in the mansion, because they found the right keys from the bundle without difficulty. “Here we go... Open!”

Badum, badum.

My heart began to hammer. This precious stone that gleamed like it held sunlight inside could only be found in one mine in the entire world, called the Dragon’s Cave. Not only was the supply low, but the gemstones also dropped significantly in value if any mistake was made in their processing. But once it was made into a final product, it would never stain, no matter how dirty the hand that touched it. It stayed forever bright, a radiant sun. And now, I was looking at a tree blooming with shining light.

“Wooooow!”

“You seem to like precious and shiny things, so I really wanted to show you this, my lady.”

The room was filled up with a whole tree of diamonds, not just one or two! To be exact, it was an artificial tree whose crystal branches and stems were hung with countless Solea diamonds.

“Pwe’y!” (Pretty!)

“Isn’t it?”

Tina hastily entered the room and closed the door. I stared at my reflection in the beautiful Solea diamonds. I was so happy that I didn’t know what to do with myself.

Wow...! The position of grand duke was a very high one, so I did expect Daddy to be rich, but I’d never guessed he could be this rich! This was an entirely different level of wealth! I slumped down on the green carpet.

“Do you like it?”

“Mmhm.”

Anyone who’d been confined inside a room with only a palm-sized window to see the outside world would come to miss the sunlight. They’d long for the sunlight that they’d never once properly known. So the one time I saw a Solea diamond in my third dream, I was mesmerized by its splendor.

It’s so sparkly... Why did I feel like crying? I didn’t dare touch the diamonds, so I only stared blankly at them. Sitting under the graceful arches of the branches, it almost felt like I was nestled in the sun’s embrace. My heart felt overwhelmed with emotion. Was this what people would call a “work of art”?

But then, just as I was wiping away a tiny tear with the back of my hand, something strange caught my eye. Huh...?

It had been a mere coincidence that I’d noticed it, so after a careful inspection, I hesitantly called Tina.

“Um...”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Dese... Wheyuh wuh dey bought fwom?” (These... Where were they bought from?)

Bringing up my suspicions wasn’t an easy thing to do. If this gem tree was a piece that Daddy valued, he might not like it if I pointed out its flaw. And maybe he’d ordered imitations to be hung because he didn’t have enough money...?

“Mm, from what I know, these first to third sets of branches were manufactured fifty years ago, but the ones below them were left empty and only recently filled to the bottom.”

“Is dat so...?” (Is that so...?)

“I heard in passing that Sir Levius had a tough time acquiring only the highest-grade—or at least premium-grade—Solea diamonds.”

It didn’t sound like Daddy had deliberately attached fake gems to pretend they were real. After quietly listening to Tina, I made up my mind. I had to tell them. Maybe they just didn’t know.

I looked straight up at Tina and pointed to a diamond nearby. “Dis one, iss fake.” (This one, it’s fake.)

“I beg your pardon, my lady...?”

“Dat one, dis one, and dis one ova my head, too. Aw fake.” (That one, this one, and this one over my head, too. All fake.)