Chapter 25
Chapter 25
"Are new people coming here?""
"Yes. We held an exam last month and selected the brightest ones. The secondary exam, which is also for training, will be held tomorrow. If they pass, they will become administrators of Dubled."
Dubled doesn't consider background when selecting people.
They are selected solely through exams, and because the treatment is good, talented people from all over the country flock here.
So, Dubled has many outstanding talents, but on the other hand, there were also disadvantages.
Criminals could be hiding.
'I'll be able to catch wanted criminals more easily than I thought.'
At that moment, the library door burst open, and Henri and Isaac entered.
Seeing them, Noth subtly got up from his chair and vacated his seat.
Isaac, who came straight to me, suddenly stuck his face out.
"Are you all better?"
"Huh?"
"Your cold. Are you all better?"
"Yes."
In response, Isaac narrowed his eyes and hummed. Then he looked at his brother.
"Why is she so weak?"
"Because she's a kid."
"I heard I was super healthy when I was this age?"
"That's because you're a Monster."
Henri pushed Isaac's face away from right in front of me and asked.
"Hello, LeBlaine."
"Uhh."
"Have there been any strange things since you collapsed? Like spots appearing on your body, or something wrong with your Divine Power. They're signs of a curse."
His voice was very gentle, and he deliberately dropped the honorifics he used in front of others, as if building a wall.
I blinked, wondering what was going on, and Henri said with a pitiful and wistful expression.
"I'm sorry for saying harsh things last time."
"Huh?"
"I wanted to keep apologizing. If you're okay with it, will you forgive me?"
The words Henri had said back then had hurt me a little, but they were nothing to me, who had heard all sorts of hurtful things in my previous life.
"Uhh, it's okay."
As I replied, Henri brushed my hair back and said, "You're so kind."
'Wow.'
It was a sweet act worthy of someone who would line up followers in the future.
The maids sighed, "Haaah," at the spring breeze-like smile.
A handsome man is different from the start; indeed, his destructive power is tremendous.
I was inwardly amazed by his incredible beauty, but Isaac frowned at Henri.
"You act so differently with me."
"I only care about my people."
"Why is a little kid your person? She's my little kid!"
"She's my sister."
"She's my little kid!"
As the brothers glared fiercely at each other, I nervously watched them both.
'No, why are they doing this!'
At that moment, someone entered through the open door. It was the Duke Valois.
He stared blankly at the brothers glaring at each other and at me, unable to do anything in between.
'Duke Valois's sons are acting strange!'
Please take them away quickly.
As I insisted with my eyes, the Duke Valois suddenly picked me up.
"She's my daughter."
--he said.
Henri and Isaac frowned at the Duke Valois, who was holding LeBlaine in one arm.
'How unfair.'
'How petty.'
The young masters had been lingering in front of LeBlaine's room for the past few days.
But they suppressed their desire to meet her, saying she needed stability.
However, unlike the two, the Duke Valois visited her room once a day to check on LeBlaine's condition.
And yet, he was taking her away again today.
'I told them to prepare LeBlaine's favorite snacks.'
LeBlaine would clap her hands and be happy. And she would have said, 'Ishak is the best.'
Isaac looked up at the Duke Valois with a very dissatisfied face.
"It's unfair."
"Unfair?"
"Only Duke Valois always holds the little kid!"
"What's unfair about a father holding his child?"
"That's... but..."
Isaac couldn't find a word to answer and rolled his eyes, so Henri stepped forward.
"We also need time to spend with LeBlaine. If she's always with Duke Valois, won't it always be awkward?"
"Henri is right!"
They usually couldn't wait to fight each other, but today they were perfectly in sync.
"There's plenty of time to get close later. The child's condition isn't good today, so step back."
"The little kid said she's all better!"
"Yes, LeBlaine's opinion is important."
The father and sons, who had been glaring at each other with fiery eyes, simultaneously looked at LeBlaine.
"Don't you want to be with your Dad?"
"Little kid, don't you want to play with us? Huh?"
"Who?"
"Who do you like? Huh?"
LeBlaine, who was nervously looking back and forth between the Duke Valois and the young masters, wiggled her fingers.
"Umm, I..."
Everyone in the library focused on the child with tense expressions.
"Leah!"
Then she jumped out of the Duke Valois's arms and ran to Leah, who had just entered the library.
"I like Leah the best."
"Oh my, young miss. I like you the best too."
"Yeah!"
"Shall we go have lunch?"
"Yeah."
As LeBlaine took Leah's hand and toddled out of the library, a gust of wind passed between the three men.
I, walking down the hallway with Leah, had a subtle expression.
'Why are they doing this with me?'
It's ominous.
'Did I do something wrong?'
On the surface, it looked like a Dad and older brothers keeping each other in check over their daughter.
'But I'm not letting my guard down.'
I know from my experience in the Valua Duchy that something will definitely happen behind my back when I get excited about such a 'family appearance.'
Leah smiled at me, who had a triumphant expression.
"Are you that excited about lunch?"
"Huh? Uh-huh, I am."
"It's your favorite cream stew, young miss. I asked them to put in lots of meat."
I quickly felt better and held Leah's hand tightly.
'Leah is the best after all.'
I'm glad I said I'd go with her.
The stew Leah gave me was even more delicious than I thought.
I patted my full stomach after eating two bowls of the generously filled stew, and the maids looked at me with expressions that seemed to say they were dying of cuteness.
Isaac, heading to the training grounds with Henri, thought with a gloomy face.
'Why does the little kid want to be with the maid more than us?'
Come to think of it, it wasn't just once or twice that she would quickly leave when that Leah came while she was with him.
"Does she like the employee more than me? That's strange. That can't be?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Henri, who was walking with him, frowned and asked.
"When I gave the little kid a cake, she said, 'Isaac is the best! Awesome!'"
Isaac said triumphantly, and Henri narrowed his eyes.
"She's just saying that."
"No, she really likes me. She greets me happily when she sees me."
No one greets Isaac so happily.
The employees and retainers bowed deeply and gave businesslike greetings, and the children at the academy always avoided him when they saw him.
Henri narrowed his eyes and replied.
"LeBlaine greets other people happily too."
That's why even the employees near her were completely smitten.
Something small like a kitten suddenly appeared in the desolate Dubled Castle and went around saying, "Hi!"
It was an appearance that people couldn't help but be captivated by.
Isaac stopped walking abruptly.
"So, the little kid doesn't really like me the most?"
He had an incredibly disappointed face.
Henri shrugged and said.
"She probably doesn't dislike you. She might like you a little. But you're not the best."
"Then what do I have to do to make her like me the best?"
At his brother's question, Henri frowned in frustration.
He was the one who wanted to know that.
Originally, Henri had an easier time gaining favor with others compared to his other family members.
Unlike the Duke Valois, who attracted people even when he was still, or his older brother Yohan, and his younger brother Isaac, he was the owner of a sweet appearance. Moreover, he knew well how to make people kind to him.
But LeBlaine was different.
She was very fair.
She was equally uninterested in his Dad, himself, and Isaac.
'No, I'm at a disadvantage.'
His father and Isaac hadn't incurred her displeasure, but he had poured out a lot of hurtful words.
'I need to restore the relationship, and at least something that can surpass Duke Valois and Isaac.'
It was at that moment.
He saw servants walking with some toys.
"Did you buy one too?"
"Yeah. The 'Children's Day' is coming up, so the toy store was so crowded that I wandered around for a long time to get this one."
Henri and Isaac, who had inadvertently heard the servants' conversation, said while fixing their gaze on the gifts in their hands.
"Isaac."
"Yeah. Do you have the same idea, Henri?"
"Yeah."
"Cooperation this time?"
"Good. Let's have our match after shaking off the leader first."
Even if it wasn't as much as that maid Leah, they would shake off the Duke Valois, who interfered with their time with LeBlaine every time.
For the first time in their lives, the brothers were on the same page.
But the boys didn't know. There was a hawk's eye watching them.
"So, the two young masters have left for the shopping district to prepare gifts."
The Duke Valois, who was receiving the report from Noth, let out a chuckle.
"Buying gifts from a store. How shallow."
Noth smiled awkwardly and said.
"Well, bribing the young miss's heart with a gift is..."
"Buy the store."
"Yes?"
The Duke Valois looked at Noth and the officials and administrators with an overwhelming gaze and said.
"Buy the biggest toy store in the shopping district."
Noth, who was scheduled to fall into document hell once again at those resolute words, let out a silent scream.
The next day.
After confirming that the new administrators had reported to work, I headed to the first-floor courtyard where they were.
And I stuck to the corner of the courtyard and watched the new administrators.
'My money. Which one is the criminal who will become my money?'
They all seem normal, although they seem a bit clumsy because it's their first day.
Well, criminals wouldn't walk around with 'Wanted' written on their foreheads.
Just as Noth, the chief of the administrators, was announcing the precautions and assigned departments, I made eye contact with one of the new administrators.
"Oh? It's a kid."
There are a few people among the new administrators who noticed that I was there.
But they were all pretending not to know me, even though they knew, because they were watching Noth's reaction.
'That man is so clueless that he probably can't do his job well.'
As I was thinking that, Noth and the existing officials discovered me and bowed their heads.
I also hesitantly came out from behind the wall and accepted their greetings, saying, "Hi..."
Noth picked me up and headed to the center.
"This is LeBlaine, the youngest daughter of His Excellency."
Then he stared intently at the official who had called me "a kid" and continued.
"Not just 'a kid'."
