Chapter 15
15
Noth swallowed hard.
"Th, that is, I was trying to deliver His Excellency's message to Duke Teramore when I saw the little one, and she seemed bored, so I just spent a little time……."
Pitifully, his face turned as white as a sheet.
'The Duke is really scary, isn't he?'
I looked at him with sympathetic eyes, and the Duke stared at him with very cold eyes.
"She's usually shy with strangers, but for some reason, she seemed very affectionate."
"N, no, it's not that-"
"You have a great talent."
The Duke said it in a sarcastic tone.
Duke Dubled must be a petty boss. To threaten his adjutant so frighteningly for playing a little during work hours.
'Poor Noth.'
Noth stealthily put me down.
"Come here, LeBlaine."
I'm scared to go.
I feel like I'm going to get caught in the crossfire.
But when I hesitated, Noth's face turned pale, almost blue, and the Duke's glare became even more ferocious.
"Come here."
I had no choice but to approach him hesitantly.
No sooner had the Duke picked me up than Noth bowed as if folding his waist in half.
"W, well then, I'll go back to work……."
Even if the Grim Reaper was chasing him closely, his tone wouldn't have been so desperate.
After Noth ran away like an arrow, only the Duke and I were left in the room.
I fidgeted with my hands, intertwining them, because I was scared of the Duke, whose eyes seemed sharper than usual today.
I only played with the adjutant a little, he wouldn't punish me, would he?
When I looked up at him with an anxious face, the Duke's eyebrows twitched. Then he muttered something small.
'She seemed so happy with Noth, -is that what he said?'
I tilted my head and looked at him.
He stared at me intently, then grabbed my side and lifted me up slightly.
"High."
"……."
"High."
"……."
What is this?
Is this a sophisticated way of giving me a scolding?
What was that yesterday?
I narrowed my eyes as Leah dressed me, recalling the Duke from yesterday.
[High, high. ……Isn't it high enough?]
When I was flustered and stiff, he put me in the room and left. And in the evening, I heard Noth's wails.
'He might have been trying to play with me.'
Is he trying to act like a Dad because he adopted me?
I didn't know because he was called the villain of the world, a demon mixed with the blood of monsters, but he might be quite humane…….
Thinking that, I shook my head.
In the end, he was about to throw me into the air, saying, "Does it have to be higher?"
I pretended to be happy because I thought he might really throw me, and my mouth almost tore.
At that time, Leah, who had buttoned up all the buttons on my clothes, said.
"Shall we go to the dining room now?"
Why not eat here?
I usually had most of my meals in my room.
The Duke was always busy, so he preferred to eat roughly in his office.
When I looked at her with puzzled eyes, Leah chuckled and took my hand.
She looked like she had prepared a gift and was excited all by herself.
'I have to go eat first.'
It's harder to think like an adult when I'm hungry.
I took Leah's hand and trotted down the hallway.
When I opened the dining room door and went inside, I saw the Duke sitting at the head of the table.
'Huh?'
And on the Duke's left, boys were sitting side by side.
"Lane."
Then, the Duke patted his knee and called me. I trotted over to him and reached out my hand.
The Duke picked me up and sat me on his lap, showing me the children in detail.
"This is the second one, Henri."
The child the Duke pointed to smiled brightly.
The child had dazzling silver hair and chilling sea-like blue eyes, and was incredibly beautiful.
If the Duke was a handsome man carved by a sculptor, this child was like a delicately crafted doll.
He was so pretty that he looked like a girl at first glance, and he had a very sweet impression.
"This is the third one, Isaac."
The child he pointed to this time looked the opposite of Henri.
He had the same silver hair and blue eyes as Henri, but he had a cool feeling.
Although they were very different, both children were truly beautiful. Besides-
'Miniatures of the Duke!'
His eyes, nose, face shape, and lips resembled him.
The first one was said to be at an academy abroad, so he didn't come.
The Duke finally introduced me.
"LeBlaine."
Henri, with his sweet impression, smiled brightly and grabbed my finger.
"Hello, LeBlaine. Please take care of me."
Then he poked Isaac, who was having a staring contest with a carrot next to him, in the side.
Isaac had a grumpy expression, but he looked at the Duke and gave a short introduction, saying, "Isaac."
'He's huge for his age.'
To someone who doesn't know him, he looks about ten years old. His features were also incredibly distinct.
'So it's true that handsome men and beautiful women are born perfect.'
I, who was naturally slow to grow, couldn't help but be envious.
Besides, a brilliant future awaited them.
The children born in the wild Dubled were all extraordinary, and the three young masters were special among them.
'Those who climbed to the top of the pyramid without the help of the family.'
The second, Henri, was the top student at the capital's academy for many years, and followed his brother into an academy abroad.
And he graduated with a perfect report card. He grew into a talent who controlled the empire's purse strings at a young age.
He was a genius who became the leader of the Dubled branch family in his early twenties for his achievements.
'Duke Amitie hated him, calling him a cunning fox who evaded the law and fattened his black ship.'
Isaac had outstanding talent in martial arts.
From a young age, he handled aura, and there was a rumor that he knocked down the captain of the Imperial Knights at the age of twenty.
'Duke Valua was disgusted, saying he was like a violent thug.'
I, who had only heard rumors about the young masters, was a little nervous.
They were like Mina's adopted siblings.
When I was framed for Mina's attempted murder, people said.
Consider yourself lucky that you didn't get caught by the Dubled young masters.
So until right before I died, my heart felt like it was sinking to the bottom of my feet whenever the Dubled young masters were mentioned.
'It's okay, they're not Mina's knights now.'
As long as I don't bother them, I won't have to tremble just by hearing their names like before.
I smiled brightly at the young masters.
"Annyong. (Hello.)"
Anyway, they're the family's young masters, so I have to make a good impression.
An hour later.
I glanced at Henri and Isaac.
'Scary…….'
I was quite confident until after the meal, when the adults put us in a room together so we could get to know each other.
They're kids, so it won't be hard to get close, they both greeted me well, I thought.
But as soon as Isaac entered the room, he glared at me fiercely. Henri didn't even pay attention to Isaac.
"You."
"Yes……."
"Do you know how to eat carrots?"
I don't have any preferences.
I think I used to when I was Duke Amitie's Young Lady, but not now after experiencing the Valua family and the beggar gang.
"Yes."
Then Isaac twitched his eyebrows.
"Are you a rabbit?"
He said it as if growling. It seemed like a threat, but strangely, I wasn't scared this time.
Then Henri, who was turning the pages of a book, muttered something.
'I think he just called Isaac an idiot.'
Henri didn't seem to have much interest in me.
As soon as he entered the room, he took out a thick book, and now he was writing something densely on parchment.
I wondered what it was and peeked over the desk.
Numbers, numbers, numbers.
And occasionally difficult symbols.
Curiosity arose, and I slowly approached and peeked over the desk.
Henri glanced at me.
"Do you have something to say?"
He added, "Little one," in a gentle tone.
It was a cold attitude that drew a clear line.
I became sullen and fidgeted with my hands.
"Wanna see wha' 'tis……. (Wanna see what it is…….)"
Then Isaac, who had picked up a wooden sword lying on the floor, snorted.
"You're just trying to embezzle money again, right?"
"It's called forming a slush fund, you idiot."
I was so surprised that my eyes widened.
A child knows about slush funds?
When I widened my eyes, Henri took out a newspaper and muttered.
"The domestic and international situation is getting chaotic. In times like these-"
"I know. I learned it last time. You buy iron, right? Because the price of iron, which is used to make weapons, goes up first when a war breaks out."
When Isaac said proudly, Henri's lips twisted.
"That's a foolish answer."
"Why? It's right."
"That's what merchants think. Nobles have to donate iron to the country when a war breaks out."
When Isaac clicked his tongue, Henri shrugged.
"In times like these, it's gold. Because the value of currency falls during war."
I think I know why people here weren't so surprised to see a four-year-old who knew words like 'unannounced tax audit.'
A child who recites difficult words like domestic and international affairs.
'I feel like I've come to a strange world.'
Isaac, who frowned because his brother ignored him, turned to me abruptly!
"You, if you look down on me for not knowing about gold, you're dead."
I quickly widened my eyes and waved my hands.
"Won' look down on you. You knew 'bout iron, too. (Won't look down on you. You knew about iron, too.)"
He smiled sheepishly, saying, "Right?" then startled, came to his senses, and glared at me.
"Don't think you're so great just because you're the Child of Destiny. I'm a super strong kid. So-"
Henri, who slammed the newspaper down, looked at Isaac with a pathetic expression. Then he turned his eyes sweetly to me and said.
"They say war doesn't distinguish between human feelings. That's Dubled. It doesn't care about blood ties, or even the affection between parents and children."
"……."
"So wouldn't a stranger with not a drop of blood be even more dangerous? I hope you don't shorten your lifespan with greed."
Henri's eyes shone blue.
'Ah, I think I ate too little because it was uncomfortable eating on the Duke's lap.'
I'm hungry, so my head isn't working.
I don't understand a word he's saying.
'But I have to answer anyway.'
A child who answers well is loved.
I answered loudly, "Yes!"
Then Henri looked somehow embarrassed.
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