33 - Not Your Son, But Your Father
Episode 33
I clenched my lips, which were threatening to turn into a triangular shape, and attempted a conversation.
“Do you really believe there are Spirits in the Clock Tower, young master?”
After blurting out whatever came to mind, Rigen munched on a cookie and said,
“…I want to believe there are.”
“Then I’ll believe it too.”
Am I doing this right?
If I build up a friendship like this, Rigen might give up on running away from home, and at least give me a heads-up if something happens, right?
…Right?
“Um.”
I had been preparing for this day in my own way.
It wasn’t the first time I had tried to get close to children.
But Charles’s younger sibling liked me from the start, and the distant relatives from my mother's side only acted respectfully because they thought they were lower in the hierarchy than me, and they were reluctant to open up.
I even visited an orphanage sponsored by the Morgana family… but it would have been better if I hadn’t gone.
Seven out of ten children were scared of me, and two ran away without even looking at me.
Only one showed me any favor.
“Grand Duchess.”
That kid was so worldly. Sending a letter at the same time every month was extraordinary.
The letter, which always started with the phrase, ‘To our generous benefactor,’ ended with a simple update and a request for specific items to be sponsored that month.
At first, I thought the orphanage director was sending it under the child’s name, but after investigating, I found out that the kid was famous for being a ‘miser.’
Having the nickname ‘miser’ at that age was quite impressive. Anyway, he was a kid who would grow up to be someone great.
Now my mother will be receiving those letters, and I wonder what she’ll think. There’s a high chance she’ll keep an eye on him as a promising talent…
“Um, Grand Duchess?”
Ah.
“Yes?”
I hurriedly returned to reality and answered, and Rigen stared at me intently.
It was a look that gauged whether my soul was properly in my body.
“Did you have something to say?”
“Well… um….”
Huh? I faced Rigen with a face that said I had never been spaced out.
Rigen swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice.
“What did Brother do wrong?”
Ah, I was wondering why he hadn’t asked.
Rigen’s personal maid fidgeted and glanced at me.
Gilbert was still being watched by knights on rotation even after coming to the Grand Duke’s territory. I think it was Azena's turn right now.
“E, everyone just glosses over it and doesn’t tell me the details.”
I put my arms on the table and leaned slightly towards Rigen.
“Did you ask Edith, I mean, Grand Duke Edith?”
“No….”
Rigen flinched as if he had done something wrong, but I wasn’t checking to blame him.
Let’s see, I should answer the question first.
I can’t say that he beat someone to death and was planning to do the same to me…
Appropriate sanitization was needed.
I focused on the books Rigen had. I quickly scanned the bookshelf connected to the desk from top to bottom.
There were quite a few books neatly arranged, though not as many as in a study.
Among them, one particularly colorful spine caught my eye.
I pointed to the title <Collection of Northern Fairy Tales>, which seemed cute, appropriately censored, and suitable for children’s emotions.
Just by looking at it, it seemed full of stories where villains who tormented princesses or princes were outsmarted and suffered greatly.
“He did something similar to the villains in those books. So he’s being punished.”
Rigen’s face turned pale.
“Th, that can’t be….”
I was a little taken aback by the more intense reaction than I expected.
Isn’t that a fairy tale book?
I glanced at the maid, wondering if I had made a mistake.
But the maid, who met my eyes, quietly gestured that it wasn’t an exaggeration.
I really did well to sanitize it. Rigen at this age seemed to have a much more tender heart than I thought.
If he was so shocked by the fact that Gilbert did something like a villain in a children’s fairy tale, I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like when he found out the truth.
Rigen bit his lip tightly.
I placed my hand on top of Rigen’s trembling hand on the table.
I felt Rigen flinch, but I didn’t take my hand away.
“Can I ask you something too? Why did you ask me instead of Edith?”
“……”
Edith would have been different from the others. He wouldn’t have glossed over it and would have explained everything truthfully.
Both Rigen and I knew that.
“Are you scared?”
Rigen dropped his head.
“I’m afraid Father will, will completely disown Brother….”
Even in the novel, Rigen desperately hid his wounds.
He would get beaten by Gilbert and blame himself, saying that Gilbert was angry because he was lacking.
Tears welled up in Rigen’s rabbit-like eyes. They were clear, large droplets.
It felt like they would pour out like a waterfall if I said anything bad about Gilbert.
I tried not to sigh even inadvertently and soothed Rigen with carrot-like comfort.
“Don’t worry too much. I usually believe that trash can’t be fixed, but for your sake, I’ll roll him around so he can be recycled, no, reformed.”
If I roll him around in the dung heap for about 30 years, he might become something like a human being…
“Thank you!”
Huh?
“Thank you so much, Grand Duchess!”
Rigen smiled brightly, his face lighting up.
He grabbed my hands with both of his and shook them as if he was shaking hands.
He was really positive.
To think that such a pure and innocent child would change into the complete opposite in a month.
I needed to create a lot of happy memories so that he would naturally realize that he would suffer if he ran away from home.
And he absolutely couldn’t awaken the Magical Beast.
I subtly pulled my hand away from Rigen.
“I don’t know if I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“Not at all. I can spend as much time as you want for the Grand Duchess! I can even give you a tour of the castle!”
It was a contrasting reaction to when I had first entered the room.
I looked at the very enthusiastic Rigen with a pleased expression and threw another carrot.
“I’ll take the tour of the castle later. I’m going back to have a simple tea time with Edith, would you like to come too, young master? I know you have afternoon classes left, but….”
Rigen’s face, who had been listening to me seriously, suddenly started to turn pink.
His face seems to change color too often, is he okay?
I dragged out my words and glanced at the maid again. The woman, who looked to be in her early to mid-twenties, gestured that there was nothing wrong.
I tilted my head at that, but finished my sentence.
“…if you have time.”
While I was exchanging glances with the maid, Rigen, who was jumping up and down with a reddened face, asked excitedly.
“C, can I really go with you?!”
“Of course. I’ll let you go before your class starts.”
“Then I’ll go change!”
Huh?
“You’re clean enough as you are?”
There wasn’t a single stain on him, but Rigen was more determined than ever.
“No! I have to change into my new clothes!”
It felt like I was watching an elementary school student who couldn’t sleep the night before a picnic to a very special place once a year.
Edith, how little have you met with this child…
“Then I’ll wait outside.”
I sent Sera up first after going outside.
I thought the tea time preparations would be tight, but Rigen appeared sooner than I expected.
I stared silently at the eight-year-old boy, who had neatly combed his hair and was exuding a fragrant scent.
His face, which he had groomed at the speed of light, was radiant.
“Um, young master?”
“Yes!”
“You’re wearing a tie?”
“I’m ready!”
“Isn’t the Gold Badge on your shoulder heavy?”
“I, I’m okay!”
Rigen, who was dressed up enough to go to the Imperial Palace as he was, answered firmly.
He seemed to have dressed up much more enthusiastically than when he first met me, so I felt a slight sense of betrayal, but I decided to bear with it because I was an adult.
And I threw the third carrot.
“From now on, I’ll make sure you meet Edith so often that you don’t have to dress up like this.”
Rigen’s eyelashes fluttered with emotion.
“Grand Duchess…, ah, I can’t let my snot run.”
I took Rigen, who was composing himself, and went up to the room where Edith was.
The man, who exuded a divine atmosphere with a Demon King-like face, was making a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
“I am overjoyed that you have come to find me again, my wife.”
He seemed to be holding a grudge for running out to hear the rest of Rigen’s explanation.
“You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“I’m more sensitive than you think.”
Edith said something that even a passing dog wouldn’t believe with a straight face, and then gestured.
“Rigen, come in.”
Rigen, who was standing behind me, moved his feet with an excited face.
He stood hesitantly in front of the table, but he didn’t seem to have the courage to sit next to Edith.
Well, he already seemed happy enough.
