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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: A Glimmer of Warmth
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Perhaps they thought he was a child they could just kill off once they grew tired of him.
The novel, **, never delved into the minds of the Duke and Duchess—they were just minor characters who eventually got what they deserved. All I could do was speculate.
Not that my situation as Cheria was any better.
I glanced at the scenery outside the window as the sun began to set.
The sweet, violet night sky, my favorite thing about the world of **, appeared hazy through the glass.
After being confined here, Kivrin must have only ever seen a murky sky.
I decided I would smash the window after checking how thoroughly the servants searched the inside of the manor.
Sunlight is so important for a growing child.
I led Kivrin back to the bedroom.
I went into the dressing room connected to the bedroom first and paused for a moment.
Several dresses tailored to my size were hanging neatly.
There was a splendid dress studded with diamonds and emeralds, and another with frills stacked in layers like a three-tiered cake.
“…”
These were the new clothes the original Cheria from ** had so desperately wanted, but I was just dumbfounded.
How am I supposed to change into something like this by myself, without a maid? Are they mocking me?
After making a mental note of the jewels, I left the dressing room.
As I climbed onto the bed and sat quietly, Kivrin peeked his head out, steam rising gently from his body.
It suddenly occurred to me that it was a relief we had hot water.
To think I had to worry about such basic things after marrying into the wealthiest ducal family in the empire.
I patted the spot next to me, just like before.
“Come on up. It’s okay.”
Kivrin shuffled his feet. He seemed wary of the bed.
Perhaps it was because it was too large for a small child.
Still, it was far better than sleeping on the floor where a cold draft rose from.
I tucked Kivrin under the covers and dimmed the light from the lamp, which was fitted with a fingernail-sized mana stone, as much as I could.
Thankfully, the mana stone was easy to operate.
When I lay down beside him, Kivrin gasped.
*What’s with this reaction?*
“Are you still scared?”
“W-Well.”
Are you scared of me, or are you scared of the bed?
…I had a feeling it was both, but I reached out my hand.
“Should I hold your hand?”
Kivrin stared blankly at my outstretched hand.
“If you touch me, you might become a m-monster…”
Just how many people had bombarded this child with such awful things?
I took Kivrin’s hand and gave it a gentle tug.
Before he could try to pull his hand away, I quickly asked.
“Young Lord, do I look like I’ve become a monster?”
Kivrin, his eyes wide, shook his head frantically.
“N-No, you don’t. Not at all…!”
“When morning comes, if I’ve turned into a monster, will you not hold my hand?”
“I-I’ll hold it. Because you’re a g-good person, Cheria…”
Tears welled up in his clear, golden eyes.
I touched my forehead to Kivrin’s.
Kivrin flinched, shrinking his shoulders, but he didn’t run away.
I wished I could undo this whole possession thing, but this kid was just so endearing.
“I also hope you become a good person, Young Lord. But that doesn’t mean you have to be nice to everyone.”
“…”
“It’s a little hard to understand, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
“I’ll teach you, slowly. We’ll be together for a long time, after all.”
I deliberately used words like ‘we’ and ‘together.’ I hoped it would reassure Kivrin, even just a little.
In my past life, before I possessed Cheria’s body, I’d never raised a child, so I was worried. But thankfully, Kivrin seemed to be calming down bit by bit.
“T-Tomorrow, too…”
“…”
“Can we s-sleep together tomorrow, too…?”
“Of course.”
*I was sold to the ducal family, I’ve already been possessed, and it’s not like I have anywhere else to go.*
The small hand held in mine fidgeted.
His large, golden eyes looked at me before shyly darting to the side.
“I-It’s cozy under the blanket. I didn’t, didn’t know before.”
“…”
“It’s warm…”
“…You won’t be cold tonight. So have sweet dreams, Young Lord.”
His long eyelashes fluttered as his eyes closed.
Soon, the sound of his soft, even breathing filled the air.
It had only been two days since I was possessed.
And of all things, I was in the role of a ten-year-old girl who hated the female lead and could hardly do anything on her own.
That’s why I’d been praying so hard inside for this possession to be canceled.
But, well, if I can’t undo it…
If only to survive, I’ll have to take good care of this child who fell asleep clutching my hand so tightly.
…But really, you’re not going to let me go back?
* * *
*Perhaps I really am a monster…* Kivrin thought.
—Forgive my impertinence, Young Lord, but the outside world is too dangerous for you.
His mother was a strong person.
She tried her best not to show any agitation in front of him, no matter what she heard.
She would simply bite her lip and speak calmly.
“It’s all right. It’s nothing to worry about. I will find a solution.”
His father, however, was different.
“You’re a hindrance to our lives.”
Kivrin agreed with that sentiment.
Although his father deeply regretted his words a short time later, Kivrin no longer cared.
Before he knew it, Kivrin had developed a habit of rubbing the scales on his face whenever he had a spare moment.
But it only scraped his skin; the hideous scales wouldn’t disappear.
No matter how hard he tried to rip them off, they would only grow back as if to mock him.
It was a supernatural ability that ordinary humans did not possess.
At last, Kivrin realized.
*This is a disaster I can’t control.*
The dangerous one wasn’t the outside world, but himself.
—The Young Lord must be isolated.
His mother couldn’t find a solution. In that case, she had to follow the alternative.
The monster was obediently isolated.
He could hear breathing from beyond the firmly shut door.
Kivrin gently placed his hand on the door.
He could feel his mother doing the same thing on the other side.
“Just wait a little longer. Just a little…”
Her voice was laced with resentment. So Kivrin said.
“I-I’m okay.”
Even after his mother finally left and he was all alone, Kivrin repeated it like a mantra.
*Even if I’m not okay, I have to be.*
*I have to get used to this.*
That way, everyone would let their guard down, thinking he was a docile monster.
* * *
This was a very important moment that would determine our meal for the day.
I gripped the long rod with both hands.
“Please catch what I drop. Be careful not to get hit in the head.”
“Yes…, yes!”
Kivrin, who answered twice as if afraid I hadn’t heard him, held out the decorative cloth.
We were in the pantry.
The pantry, kept relatively cool by a mana stone, had shelves so high I couldn’t reach the ingredients even when standing on a chair.
But I couldn’t just sit around sucking my thumb and waiting for help.
So, I opted for a clothes rod from the dressing room and a long, decorative cloth.
I stood on the chair and swept the inner part of the shelf with the rod.
The rod was quite heavy, and my arms trembled, but I couldn’t give up.
*Agh, if I ever get my strength back, I swear I’ll make these parents pay!*
In the end, I managed to knock down two apples, one potato, and one sugar carrot that were relatively close to the edge of the shelf.
Wiping away my sweat, I looked proudly at the ingredients Kivrin had caught.
“We can make a stew with this if we add some meat. The taste might be a bit bland without spices, but…”
Still, it would be better than just feeding him meat.
I rolled up my sleeves.
Just as you’d expect from a manor with no consideration for a child, the kitchen was incredibly user-unfriendly.
I stood on my tiptoes to get a cutting board.
My hands were so small that even prepping the vegetables was a challenge.
As I struggled with the large kitchen knife and the potato, Kivrin approached.
“I-I’ll do it.”
I tilted my head.
“Have you done it before?”
“No… B-But I think I’ll be b-better at it.”
“…”
It seemed he’d already figured out my lack of cooking skills.
In my past life, my family would get anxious whenever I even set foot in the kitchen.
I meekly handed over the items in my hands.
Kivrin began to peel the potato.
“L-Like this?”
“Yes. You’re doing great.”
He was even better at peeling than I was!
The part I had worked on was noticeably uneven.
Thanks to Kivrin’s help, the prep work was finished quickly.
While we waited for the water to boil, I asked Kivrin.
“Are you still not going to tell me what you ate while I was gone today?”
“I-I don’t want to.”
“…”
“Because you’ll th-think it’s d-disgusting.”
Kivrin shook his head frantically, making an ‘X’ with his hands.
