***
Just as promised, Carlisle sent a pastry chef from the palace over to Blanchet Mansion.
Of course, Julianne really didn’t seem to be happy with the situation, but she couldn’t just reject the Second Prince’s kind gesture…
She couldn’t just sit back and watch me eat all of the desserts either.
Eventually, Julianne came up with a compromise of having me share.
So, the three brats were invited to the mansion every weekend that the pastry chef came.
Of course, even that couldn’t dampen my love for desserts.
‘That’s just life, Lia.
If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t have left me alone and participated in the noble assembly…’
Either way, it seemed like Julianne wasn’t the only one who wasn’t happy with the imperial pastry chef coming over.
“Did you not like the dessert that I brought, Lili?” Michael knelt in front of me and asked kindly.
Beside him, Allen sat in the same position, gazing at me.
‘Hey, I ate the desserts you two brought a moment ago.’
I stared at them for a moment before opening my mouth.
“I already ate everything you brought.”
“But you enjoyed it less than usual…”
“Are you paying attention to that, old man Allen?”
Allen confidently nodded his head when I asked with a curious look in my eyes.
‘Do you really have to pay that much attention to someone when they’re eating dessert?
I am cute, but still…’
I wrinkled my nose once and immediately retorted.
“The desserts that the imperial pastry chef made are more delicious.”
“But we went out of our way to buy those desserts this morning…”
“That’s why I ate them all!”
‘And that was just a trick to use me and look good in front of Julianne!’
It would’ve been better if they hadn’t brought anything at all, just like Cedric.
Of course, that was probably because he didn’t even know why they were bringing me desserts in the first place.
“But feeding you desserts has become my only joy lately… you and your chubby cheeks look so adorable when you eat…”
Allen Lowell’s voice was laced with sincerity, an indescribable sorrow lingering in his blue eyes.
‘Come on, since when did the roles reverse…’
I looked at him with a regretful gaze.
‘No wonder he didn’t speak to Julianne when I ate his desserts.
People get captivated by my cuteness.
I don’t think the original Lilianne was this loved though.
She didn’t really appear in the novel, but still…
maybe it’s because I’m just too cute.’
“Please enjoy the desserts I brought too, Lili…
Next time, I’ll bring even more delicious ones.”
Allen muttered as he stuck his lower lip out and pouted.
‘But what can I do?
My taste buds have already ascended to heaven.’
I nodded my head indifferently, then shifted my gaze to look at Michael.
Of course, like the nutjob he was, Allen had such a strange reason not to be happy with the situation.
But anyone would’ve thought like Michael and not like the fact that they just lost a chance to score points with me.
After all, he would naturally grow distant from Julianne, making him anxious that Cedric would seize that opportunity…
Moreover, luck was already on his side to the point where I didn’t need to help him.
It was only natural for Michael to feel anxious and dissatisfied.
“Why don’t you play with big bro today, Lili?”
Soon enough, Michael smiled softly and opened his mouth.
‘Trying to redirect my attention since you can’t beat the imperial pastry chef, huh?’
I gave him a pretty smile in return.
“But what if you get sick and collapse again tomorrow?”
“…
“You don’t even have a good back, old man.”
Perhaps because my frank advice was shocking, Michael’s smile began to fade.
‘It’s true though.
What kind of man gets tired enough to collapse just because he gave an eight-year-old girl a piggyback ride?’
Cedric had lasted for more than five hours.
Of course, I knew that was just because he had monstrous stamina, but opportunities to tease Michael weren’t that common.
If not now, when would I ever get to tease him again?
“Don’t you want to play with this old man, Lili…?” he asked with a slightly disappointed voice.
‘At least he corrected himself after I called him an old man.
That quick-witted bastard…’
I shrugged my shoulders and huffed.
I wondered what trick Michael would pull out of his sleeve if he couldn’t lure me with food or playtime.
After all, it already seemed like he was feeling a bit inferior to Cedric.
‘Yeah, that’s right.
You should’ve worked out a bit instead of studying all the time.’
“Michael, Allen, leave Lili alone.”
However, at that moment, Julianne entered the room and scolded them.
I immediately rushed into her arms and tightly hugged her.
I had been wondering where on earth she was.
She wasn’t one to just leave me with those guys.
I managed to eat plenty of desserts thanks to her absence though.
“A letter from our parents just arrived, Lili,” she said in a kind voice, kneeling in front of me.
Even though I didn’t really feel anything, I stared at her and acted like I was surprised.
After all, she would likely feel hurt again if I reacted indifferently, and she might’ve even thought it was strange.
Whenever family matters like this came up, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
I secretly sighed as I looked at the envelope she had taken out.
I wished I’d actually been reincarnated.
I wouldn’t have needed to feel so guilty if that was the case.
Or at least, I wished for the original Lilianne to show up in my dreams and say,
“It’s okay, this body is yours now.”
Of course, in contrast to what I wished for, since coming here, I’d slept so soundly it was to the point where I hadn’t had a single dream.
“Would you like to read it and write a reply, Lili?”
Julianne, sitting in front of me, asked as she handed me the letter.
I nodded my head cautiously.
I didn’t think I could do it though as I had to have that much affection for a person when I wrote a letter to them…
It would’ve been different if I was writing to Lia, but there was no way I’d be able to write to someone I’d never even spoken to before.
“I’ll read it later when everyone’s gone.”
I handed the letter back to Julianne, who patted my head gently and nodded lightly.
“Alright, Lili.
Oh, there’s something else…”
‘Good, the topic changed!’
But just as I secretly let out a sigh of relief…
“We received a notification that you have to take a magic power test, Lili.”
Julianne opened another letter as she spoke.
I stared back at her, even more surprised than before.
‘A magic power test?’
“Oh, we got the same letter for Aiden too.”
“Luca too.
Kids grow up so fast.
It feels like just yesterday he was clinging to my finger and babbling.”
Allen continued talking as he took over.
I blinked several times as I mentally summed up their conversation.
It seemed to be new information that wasn’t in the original novel, and seeing as Aiden and Luca had also received the same notice, it seemed like they conducted a standardized magic power test for children around the age of eight.
‘Maybe it’s an evaluation of academic achievement or something, but… why then?
These kids haven’t even entered the Academy yet.’
“What’s good about taking this test?”
I widened my eyes as I asked, and then Julianne gently pinched my cheek and replied.
“It’ll determine whether you can attend the Academy, Lili.”
“You can’t enter the Academy if you don’t have magic powers?”
“That’s right.”
I narrowed my eyes in disbelief as soon as Julianne finished speaking.
‘How unfair is that?
Even if I can’t use magic, shouldn’t I at least be given the opportunity to learn?’
“It’s okay, Lili.
Even if you can’t get into the Academy, we can still enroll you in a private school later on.
Or you can take private lessons at the mansion.”
Julianne patted my shoulder as she tried to comfort me.
Anyway, the Academy was supposed to be a place for people who had magic powers and could use them.
‘Come to think of it, the curriculum at Delire Academy mostly consisted of magic.’
“They sometimes accept people who can’t use magic, like Royston.
Although, that’s only because he’s an absolute beast,” Allen remarked casually, making Michael’s mouth twitch slightly.
‘As expected of Aiden’s uncle.
He gets jealous even with the name of Cedric, doesn’t he?’
“Do you want to go to the Academy, Lili?” Julianne asked with a gentle expression when she saw me pouting.
I hesitated for a moment, chewing on my lip.
‘I did dream of attending the Academy when I read the novel…
and I’ll be able to meet new people if I go there.
By that time, this messy situation will probably also be resolved.’
“I dunno.”
It was still true that I didn’t want to leave Julianne’s side, and above all, I might not even have any magic powers.
Based on the fact that I hadn’t felt anything special inside me, it really did seem like this character had no powers.
Besides, it’d be seven years until I was eligible to attend the academy anyway.
“So, when exactly is the test?
I didn’t see it because Luca threw the letter into the fireplace as soon as I gave it to him.
The guardian gets punished if a child misses the test, after all.”
Allen approached me and Julianne as he asked, but Michael immediately replied instead.
“One month from now.”
“When though?
Exactly one month from now?”
“Why don’t you find out for yourself, Lowell?”
“Please don’t smile like that when you talk.
You’re making my heart skip a beat.”
Michael frowned as Allen cheerfully laughed.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen Michael frown so openly.
That must be Allen’s hidden ability.’
From then on, I let their meaningless conversation flow in one ear and out the other, wondering how Julianne even managed to stay friends with them all this time.