Back in their childhood, Rachel was actually recovering in this very countryside village. Meanwhile, Vivien was just a simple commoner.
You can't just walk up and see the Duke's daughter whenever you want. So she came up with plan A. Get buddy-buddy with the servants and gather intel on Rachel and the Duke. There'll definitely be a chance to get close to Rachel later.
The little girl sprang into action. She didn't waste a single second saying hello to everyone, but most of them just ignored her.
But she didn't let that get her down. She stepped right up and introduced herself.
"Hi, I'm Vivien, Diaz Hassan's daughter. He runs the bakery down in the village. I'm nine years old. I heard you all just moved in today, right? So I came over to say hi. I walk by every day and see this huge, amazing mansion, and it's just so cool. If you guys have any questions about our village, just ask me. I've lived here for practically my whole life. Oh, the general store in the town square sells this amazing skin toner. The lady next door uses it every single day, and her skin is super soft."
Just as she expected, one of the maids leaned in, completely hooked.
"Oh, and how much does it cost?"
"Just one silver coin. And right now, they're actually running a buy-one-get-one-free sale. And then there's Uncle Pierre's tavern. The booze there is supposed to be incredible."
This time, a knight chimed in with a teasing grin. "And how would you know that, little one? Have you been drinking it yourself?"
"No way. There's just this one old guy who drinks there every single day. He always swears, 'I'm quitting tomorrow.' But the very next day, he's right back at the bar."
The servants burst out laughing. The ice was completely broken.
"Hey, kiddo. Do you happen to know where we can buy some really good quality cheese? We need to go pick some up tomorrow."
Vivien proudly tilted her chin up. "Of course I know. I know this area like the back of my hand. Just trust me on this."
"Well, then, I'll be taking my leave. See you tomorrow."
Honestly, with something like this, I'll get the hang of it in no time. It's a shame I didn't get to say hi to Rachel, though. But there's still plenty of time for that.
Just as she casually glanced up at the villa, she locked eyes with a girl peering down from the window.
She had straight black hair that struck a sharp contrast against her porcelain skin, an almost unreal beauty and an icy, unreadable expression. She knew the second she saw her that girl was Rachel, the very person she'd been hoping to meet.
Snapping back to reality, she quickly waved her hand in greeting. But seeing this, Rachel simply turned on her heel and disappeared into the room.
She awkwardly lowered her hand. Oh well, we can just take our time getting to know each other. Anyway, today's mission accomplished.
The very next day, Vivien took the Duke's attendant out to buy some cheese. She finally managed to win over that stubborn old cheese vendor, successfully sealing the deal.
Neighbors are supposed to look out for each other, right? Well, now it was his turn to return the favor.
Right after that, she dramatically clutched her stomach as if completely drained. "I came all the way out here. I'm starving. I really need to head home now."
Her stomach let out a loud, thunderous growl. "Well, I'll be on my way."
It's not that easy to just turn a blind eye after receiving a favor, especially when the one who helped you is a hungry little kid. Just as expected, the man called out to stop Vivien.
"Hold on a second. Come on inside and have some snacks before you go."
The girl smiled, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. "Oh, are you sure? Can I really? Thank you."
A maid invited her to tour the garden.
"The view here is absolutely amazing," the girl replied with genuine wonder. "It looks exactly like a princess's palace. I've always wanted to see it."
"An ice princess really does live here, you know."
"I saw a young lady on the third floor yesterday," she added, feigning curiosity. "That's the princess, right? What kind of person is Her Highness?"
But before she could finish, the door was suddenly shoved open by another girl.
"Give me another piece of cake."
Spotting Vivien, the girl scowled and angrily demanded to know who she was. After the servant introduced her truthfully, the maid suggested, "Why don't you take this chance to make friends with Vivien?"
But Sally just struck an arrogant pose. "You want me to play with that country bumpkin?"
The maid leaned in and whispered to Vivien. "She's just a lady-in-waiting's daughter. She's a commoner too, you know. But she struts around acting like a noblewoman. She probably thinks that just because her mother is favored, that makes her an aristocrat too."
Sally screamed in a furious rage. "I can't believe you brought a filthy little street rat into the Duke's mansion. She's dirty and disgusting."
The maid stood up to defend her. "You're being way too harsh to your friend."
"Who the hell is friends with that piece of trash? Kick her out right now."
"What is all this shouting about?"
The Duke followed the noise into the back kitchen. Seeing him, the servants frantically bowed in respect. Vivien quickly stood up as well. This man was none other than Duke Carts Edwin.
Sally jumped in first to tattle. "That brat sneaked in here without permission. How dare she trespass into Your Grace's home."
Vivien was utterly speechless. Still, if she can make a good impression in front of the Duke, she might just get a chance to meet Rachel.
"Who allowed this child into the mansion?"
A servant stepped forward and explained the whole situation to the Duke. "This child not only managed to get the cheese, she even convinced the shopkeeper to lower the price."
Carts's sharp gaze shifted toward Vivien. A child this young was able to negotiate with a merchant.
Just then, Vivien stepped forward cautiously. "I am Vivien, daughter of Diaz Hassan. Greetings, Your Grace. If it wouldn't be too presumptuous of me, may I be so bold as to say a few words? The mister who brought me here told me that the Duke is a very reasonable man and would never ignore a favor. He said, 'If you just let a benefactor walk away, His Grace would be furious.' So he said he was simply acting on Your Grace's behalf, to properly reward me."
The Duke instantly understood. This little girl was trying to stop him from punishing James. Otherwise, he would look like an ungrateful, unreasonable tyrant.
So he ordered the butler to give Vivien plenty of food and to pay her fully for her help.
Sally was in total disbelief. "Are you saying you're going to pay that little beggar? Aren't you going to punish her?"
"Just as the child said, it would be dishonorable to mistreat someone who helped the Edwin family. Do you think I am in the wrong here, Sally?"
Sally shook her head and answered in a small, trembling voice. "It is a merciful judgment."
Vivien bowed deeply to show her gratitude. "Thank you so much, Your Grace. The kindness you've shown me today, I will do everything in my power to repay in the future."
Carts held back an amused chuckle. Was she implying she'd be visiting often? Not only was she highly observant, she was even a bit cunning.
And as it happened, he needed a girl exactly Rachel's age, to cover up the fact that the young miss was actually a boy.