Chapter 90
90
The shop owner's eyes widened. The group of boys also gaped.
"No way..."
The large boy muttered, but I really did stamp the receipt with a thwack!
And I gathered up all kinds of toy bows and handed them to Lionel.
"Here."
"Y-Young Lady!"
Letitia quickly approached me and took my hand.
"Please take it back, even now. You shouldn't give such expensive toys. And it's not just one or two."
"I'm lending them!"
"Pardon?"
"I'm lending them to Lionel, and I'll take them back when I want to play with them."
Only then did Letitia release my hand with a sigh of resignation.
I sent the two of them to the confectionery shop first, then glanced at the boys who were still staring at me with surprised faces. And I asked the knights,
"Find out who those kids are."
"Yes, Little Miss."
The boys flinched and exchanged glances. Even though they were still children, they seemed to know who was in the superior position, as befitting nobles of The Capital.
Except perhaps for one.
The large boy, who had his bow taken away from me, shouted,
"Why do you need to know my name, you crazy bitch!"
'Oh dear.'
I offered a silent prayer to the child who had so refreshingly cursed.
Having insulted his master in front of the knights, it would never end with just a warning.
The knights' eyes were already fierce.
"W-What, what is it?"
I sighed and said,
"What is it? It's you causing your house to be ruined."
While Letitia went to the scriptorium, I sat by the confectionery shop window and took care of Lionel.
I wiped the corners of Lionel's mouth as he eagerly ate his bread.
"Eat slowly. Do you want some milk too?"
"Mmm..."
I poured the milk, which came in a glass bottle, into a cup.
The child began to devour the bread again. I asked the knight to bring the digestive medicine from the carriage, just in case he got indigestion.
Then I rested my chin on my hand and looked at Lionel with a pleased expression.
It had been a long time since I had seen a child younger than me.
'It's the first time since the tea party.'
Those children were all carefully selected noble children by Noth, so they knew the etiquette of the nobility, albeit somewhat clumsily.
But Lionel didn't know the etiquette of the nobility at all; he looked completely like a commoner child.
'It reminds me of the orphanage.'
Back then, there were many children younger than me, so I played the role of an older sister.
"Lionel, what do you do when you're at home?"
"Um... I watch my sister work. Or I read books, or play with blocks, or..."
"Then would you like to play with me next time?"
"Really?!"
"Yeah. Oh, should I buy you more bread?"
"But my sister said I shouldn't receive more..."
"It's just bread?"
"I got a bow too..."
"It's okay."
It's really okay.
'Because your grandmother will become my godmother and repay me 2,000 times over.'
I chuckled inwardly.
In exactly one month from now, Lionel will be revealed to be the child of Grand Duke Roccar.
Lionel sneaks out of the mansion without Letitia's knowledge and is run over by a carriage in an accident, and his condition is very serious.
Money was needed for the surgery. However, Count Bartu stole all the money Letitia had earned and used it for his sons' education and living expenses, and did not give a penny for his grandson's surgery.
In the end, Letitia, who had no other choice, went to the Grand Duke. He sent excellent doctors to operate on his son.
Lionel survived, but unfortunately, his arm became necrotic because the surgery was delayed.
He paid an unspeakable amount of money to the Temple to treat his son's arm, but it was not enough.
Lionel lived with one arm.
'I have to prevent that from happening this time.'
But if Lionel doesn't have an accident, Letitia won't go to the Grand Duke.
'Because her family might block the Grand Duke's path.'
Grand Duke Roccar was the most beloved son of the late Emperor. The throne was inherited by the eldest son, the current Emperor Alexandre, but the late Emperor gave him the title of Grand Duke and gave him the most fertile land in the empire as his territory.
'There are also rumors that he was given secret assets and private soldiers.'
Naturally, he is the biggest obstacle to the Emperor. He is looking for something to criticize with his eyes wide open.
But what would happen if he made his father, who was sure to cause an accident, the Grand Duke's father-in-law?
'He actually caused a big accident and almost ruined the Grand Duke's family.'
So, unless it's a matter of Lionel's life, it will be difficult for Letitia to meet the Grand Duke again.
'That's why I prepared this confectionery shop.'
This is Grand Duchess Camilla's, Lionel's grandmother and the late Emperor's consort, favorite place!
It's about time she came.
I glanced at the door. How long had I been looking outside?
The door opened and an old woman wearing a cloak came in.
'Grand Duchess Camilla's head maid.'
The head maid went straight to the counter.
"Is it ready?"
A woman who appeared to be the owner replied.
"We're finishing up. Please wait a moment."
I, who had deliberately taken a seat near the counter, asked Lionel,
"Lionel, where did you originally live?"
"Forest."
"Forest?"
"Yes, I lived in the Thrush Forest with my dad and mom!"
At the mention of the Thrush Forest, the head maid's gaze turned to the child.
It was only natural. It was a forest famous for Monsters, so no one lived there.
That's why the Grand Duke secretly sought it out for convalescence.
"Then did you move here with your dad?"
"No... Mom said she can't live with Dad."
"Why?"
When I asked, the child's face became gloomy.
"I don't know. We suddenly came here. He said we'd go hunting together when Dad could see..."
"You must have been upset."
I frowned at Lionel, who was on the verge of tears.
He must have been very lonely and embarrassed to be suddenly separated from his father. I felt sorry for the child and gently rubbed his eyes with my palm.
'Don't worry, Lionel. You'll be able to go hunting with your dad soon.'
Because the head maid ran out with a stiff face.
She must be trying to guess the situation and confirm it. She was so flustered that she forgot to ask us our names.
So I deliberately paid for new bread with the Dubled seal.
So that the head maid could find me.
A while later, Letitia came to the confectionery shop with a lot of work.
"I don't know how to thank you. For being with my child and giving him such wonderful gifts. I will definitely repay you in the future."
"It's okay. I was happy to make a friend too. Right, Lionel?"
"Yeah! We're going to see each other again."
I took Lionel and Letitia to the Bartu mansion in the carriage.
The next day,
Letitia, who brought breakfast, stared blankly at her son, who was fiddling with the toy bow.
"Lionel?"
"..."
"Son."
"..."
'Why is he like that?'
He's been spacing out ever since we came back from the shopping district.
Letitia put the tray on the table and sat in front of her son.
Lionel frowned and looked at Letitia.
"Are you sick somewhere?"
"Yeah..."
She touched his forehead, but it wasn't much different from usual.
Letitia looked into the child's face with a worried expression.
"Where does it hurt? Do you have a fever? Do you feel like you're going to throw up?"
Lionel grabbed his flushed cheeks with his small hands.
"My cheeks keep getting warm, and my throat tickles."
"Is it a cold..."
"Also, I feel good and bad, and my heart is pounding. LeBlaine keeps saying 'Lionel' in my head."
Then he sighed.
[All the toys here.]
The way she held the ring in her hand with such dignity was like a hero.
[Eat slowly. Do you want more?]
And when she pours the milk, she's like a princess.
Letitia couldn't help but laugh at her son's dazed expression.
His expression was strange when he got out of the carriage, so it seemed that her son had found his first love early.
Letitia narrowed her eyes with a mischievous expression and said, "Hmm."
"You feel that way when you think of the Young Lady? Hmm, then you should eat carrots to get better."
"I hate carrots!"
"The Young Lady won't like children who hate carrots."
Then Lionel flinched and grabbed his mom.
"No, I like carrots."
"Really? Then can you eat the carrot if I give it to you?"
Letitia picked up a carrot the size of a finger joint with a fork and handed it to him, and Lionel swallowed hard. Then, with a hap, he put the carrot in his mouth and chewed it.
The strange taste kept making him frown.
After chewing it thoroughly and swallowing it, Letitia suddenly held out a new carrot.
"Wouldn't you have to eat two to make her like you?"
After eating one, he didn't want to eat the second one anymore.
Lionel looked at the fork with a very conflicted face.
Letitia suppressed a laugh as she watched her son go through the trials of love so intensely.
I rolled around in bed, fiddling with Etwal.
'It's about time they contacted me.'
It's been three days since I went to the confectionery shop.
If it was the impatient Grand Duchess Camilla, she would have already checked and done something about it.
'Did it not work? No, Grand Duchess Camilla was definitely famous for her love for her grandson...'
Just as I was thinking that, I heard a thump! thump! thump! sound from outside the door.
"Little Miss, Little Miss!"
I cheered inwardly at the sight of Laura, who had forgotten to knock and came in.
'It's Grand Duchess Camilla!'
"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
...What?
No, why is the Empress Dowager here, uninvited?
And in person?
"She's looking for the Little Miss. You should go down."
I answered with a lukewarm "Okay" and changed my clothes before going down to the reception room, which was only used to entertain VIPs.
"My dear!"
The Empress Dowager smiled and approached me.
"Glory to the Imperial Family. I greet the Mother of the Empire."
As I spread my skirt wide and slightly bent my knees, the Empress Dowager waved her hand.
"There's no need to be so polite to me. How have you been?"
"Yes."
"Come, sit here."
She pointed to the opposite side, so I carefully sat down.
"I was very happy to hear that you came to The Capital."
"I'm also happy to come to The Capital where His Majesty is."
It was at that moment. Knock, knock*, there was a knock. I looked at the Empress Dowager, and she nodded as if it was okay, so I said, "You can come in."
"I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation, Little Miss. We have a guest."
"A guest?"
Then.
"I'll explain."
With a hurried voice, an elderly noblewoman with luscious orange hair that was slightly graying came in.
'Grand Duchess Camilla!'
As soon as I saw her, the Empress Dowager's expression twisted. Of course, Grand Duchess Camilla's expression was not good either.
The two were famous for not getting along during the late Emperor's lifetime.
"What are you doing here?"
"Your Majesty, what brings you here in person?"
"I have business with the Little Miss."
"So do I."
And the two of them looked at me.
"My dear."
"Young Lady."
...Please save me.