Chapter 1

※This is a story set in the lake district of a fantasy world. Please note that the environment differs from the real-world lake district.

Xiangue was broken off and exiled from the country. It was my older sister, Adel.

She was denounced in front of the public by Prince Maer.

My sister has a serious personality and completed her rigorous bridal training without a single complaint.

Yet, she was treated this way merely for advising the free-spirited Prince Maer to behave and for cautioning his mistress to be less conspicuous.

The punishment did not stop at my sister alone.

All the assets of our family, the dukes, were confiscated, and we fell from grace overnight.

My mother, who was a princess from a neighboring country, left home to accompany my exiled sister.

It seems that they are now living happily in the neighboring country.

Two years after the engagement was broken off, a joyful piece of news came.

Apparently, my sister was engaged to the crown prince of the neighboring country.

It was a happy ending indeed.

As for me, her younger sister, I remained in the country with my father and lived a quiet, poor life in a small house in the lower town.

The reason I did not go with my mother was that I was tired of the social scene.

It’s not that I was worried about my father.

Incidentally, my father spends every night playing around with his mistresses.

Although we lost our assets, my father, who was known as the greatest playboy in the social scene, was not left alone by women.

My father’s mistresses take care of him, so I only had to take care of my own life.

Currently, I earn a living by delivering pastries to a confectionery shop in the central street.

I had learned how to make pastries from a pastry chef to participate in charitable activities.

I never thought that the skills I learned to help others would end up helping me. Life is full of surprises.

Today, as usual, I woke up to the quacking of a duck.

I got up and stretched.

Looking out the window, it seemed that the duck was quacking at the newspaper delivery man.

I took a deep breath and warned it.

"Hey! Don’t pick a fight with the newspaper delivery man!"

The duck stopped quacking.

We have a duck at home. It doesn’t have a name; we just call it "duck."

I rescued it from being chased by knights in a nearby park, where it was known for attacking people.

It was probably a noble’s pet or had escaped from a duck farm. I couldn’t find its owner, so I ended up taking it in.

The old house my father bought had a pond where the duck could swim and bathe, making it a suitable environment for raising it.

As you can see, the duck has a fierce personality. It aggressively warns and sometimes attacks anyone who tries to enter the property.

It’s a bit extreme, but it’s a suitable guard duck for a house where my father rarely comes home.

Incidentally, I have a sign at the entrance that says, "Beware of the violent duck!" However, some people think it’s okay because it’s just a duck and carelessly step in.

The duck brought me the newspaper it had taken from the delivery man.

"Thank you."

I reached out my hand through the window, and it came closer. To me, it’s a cuddly and cute duck.

"Well then, let’s have a good day today!"

Before our fall from grace, my day would start with a gentle wake-up call from a maid and a cup of elegant tea.

After our assets were confiscated, we couldn’t afford to have servants.

Therefore, I now do everything myself.

Changing clothes, cooking, washing, and cleaning—everything I learned at the orphanage has helped me survive.

I don’t own a single dress with frills and lace. Now, I wear an apron dress every day, like a maid. It’s easy to move in and I quite like it.

I put on a shirt I had washed and ironed yesterday. The texture is rough compared to what I used to wear, and I can never get used to it.

I went to the bathroom and looked into the foggy mirror, which I couldn’t clean no matter how hard I tried.

I sighed, looking at my plain brown hair.

My sister inherited my mother’s beautiful black hair, while I, unfortunately, inherited my father’s dull hair color.

However, I can take a little pride in my violet eyes, which I inherited from my mother.

But, I shouldn’t be doing this now.

After combing my hair carefully, I made a braid and tied it at the back of my head.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth with water from a barrel.

Previously, this would have been the time to put on makeup. Now, I don’t have any cosmetics and don’t have the time for it.

"Alright!"

I stepped out into the yard, full of determination.

The spring garden was vibrant with green. Wildflowers like thistles, daisies, and scarlet pimpernels swayed in the wind.

Even though it was spring, it was still chilly outside. I needed to finish my tasks quickly.

As I took a step, the duck flapped its wings and came over, probably asking for food.

I get vegetables and fish from the market, which are usually thrown away, and use them as feed for the duck. Sometimes, they even give me ingredients for myself.

The people at the market know I’m dirt poor and are very kind to me.

Although our family was denounced as the root of all evil by Prince Maer, we have gained sympathy from the public. Thanks to that, we have managed to get by.

Incidentally, the duck also eats pests. When I saw it eating grasshoppers and crickets that were eating the vegetables in my garden, I felt relieved.

However, the duck also loves vegetables. After eating the pests, it sometimes nibbles on the leaves, which I would appreciate if it could refrain from doing.

While the duck was eating, I peeked into its straw nest.

"There it is!"

The aggressive duck is female and lays eggs. Not as frequently as a chicken, but quite often.

The eggs are larger than chicken eggs. When made into an omelet, they are enough to fill my stomach. I gratefully took the egg today.

From the garden, I harvested potatoes and spinach. The spinach had a few marks from the duck, but I can think of it as sharing.

For breakfast, I had baked potatoes and spinach omelet, along with fresh chamomile tea from the garden.

I generously added a piece of butter to the potatoes and homemade tomato sauce to the omelet.

I enjoyed my meal while reading the newspaper.

The duck’s eggs felt slightly richer than chicken eggs. They are creamy without adding milk or butter.

The potatoes, which I had grown with care, were fluffy and delicious.

The chamomile tea had a sweet aroma that was irresistible. It was a refreshing tea, like a condensed version of spring.

I recalled my father’s comment, "It’s just weed tea," and felt a bit annoyed.

Speaking of my father, I received a card saying he wouldn’t be home today, but I quickly disposed of it.

After finishing breakfast, I started making pastries.