"Thank you-"
I bowed my head and continued.
"—Conrad."
"… … !"
"… … !"
"… … !"
"It's cute. Conrad Joa. (Flowers are pretty. I like Conrad.)"
When I said with my hands together, Conrad said, "Ah… … ." I laughed.
"It's the Phrygian horse I gave you. I'm glad you liked it."
Conrad looked very pleased with my greeting.
His eyes were more crooked than usual.
It was then.
"Cheup."
Where did you hear the sound of gasping?
Turning my head slowly, I saw Viscount Debussy, whose face was about to explode.
It seemed that he was trying to hold it in somehow, but as soon as he looked at his grandfather out of the corner of his eye, he exploded.
Ha ha ha! Hak Hak Hak!
It's the first time I've ever seen someone laugh like that.
'At first, he seemed polite.'
It was surprising to be able to laugh this loudly in front of my grandfather.
Thinking about it, I remembered what I saw in
'My grandfather is best friends with Viscount Debussy.'
Grandpa was the 11th son of his predecessor, who had nothing in his youth.
It was Viscount Debussy who had supported such a grandfather ever since.
To the extent that the viscount's older brother died protecting his grandfather instead.
'That's why he doesn't know how scary he is and he laughs like that.'
Viscount Debussy, who laughed until his eyes were wet, spoke.
"Ah, I never thought I would see the duke's expression like this."
"… … ."
"I live and live and try all these sights, I."
Grandpa had a very scary expression on his face.
It looked like he would tear the viscount to pieces.
'The atmosphere is bad.'
It seems wrong to talk to Conrad today, so I'll just do my thing and go.
I took out the things I had brought from the room.
The crumpled thing was a picture I drew.
Then he went up to his grandfather and held out the picture.
"What is this?"
"It's in the lower part. (It's my grandfather.)"
Lately I've been leisurely and I've been drawing a lot.
I drew this person and that person a lot, and among them was my grandfather.
"Yes. go downhill I'll give you some bread, and I'll sleep the blankets. (Yes. Grandpa gives me bread and blankets.)"
"… … ."
"Yes. If you have a lower no one poops (And, no one bothers me when I have a grandfather.)"
"… … ."
"Thank you."
Originally, bribes are the best way to like a high-ranking person.
Having learned a dirty social life, I still remembered those words.
Grandpa opened my picture.
It's a crooked mess, but it was a picture that showed that I worked hard.
The grandfather, who was staring at the painting, shouted out loud.
"You should have given me this first!"
I was startled and hid behind the maid without realizing it.
Viscount Debussy laughed maniacally again, and Grandpa glared at him.
'Why, why are you doing this?'
Grandpa looked at the frightened me and then strode away.
with my picture in hand.
* * *
Conrad was holding my hand with a smile on his face.
It was the road that led me to my room.
'Grandpa is gone, so we have time to talk.'
I confirmed that the maids were far away, and looked at Conrad.
"Conrad."
"Yes, lady."
"Come, mani. (A lot of people came today.)"
"Yes, you were greeted by the collaborators."
"Can you come tomorrow too?"
"no. From tomorrow, the castle will be quiet again."
"Then what about tomorrow?"
I subtly asked Conrad about the castle schedule.
"Miss, you can have fun. I have a couple of months to spare."
"why?"
"Because it got complicated in many ways, so the class was delayed for a long time."
"… … ."
"The handling of Major Tolly, and the disbanding of the enlisted men in his immediate family… … . Well, that must be too difficult for a lady."
Conrad, who likes me very much, made things easy.
Maybe it's because I think I don't know.
'Did you have your direct descendants disband the enlisted?'
There was no such thing in the novel.
I thought to myself, 'Aha.' I realized.
This time, I realized that Conrad was the bait.
Conrad didn't betray, but the escort information was passed over.
There are more people who can know the escort information.
There is only one person who knows as much information as the closest adjutant.
'The duke's children.'
That's why you disbanded the enlisted.
'Wait a minute, then isn't this an opportunity?'
They succeeded in entering the castle safely.
Now it was time to take the next step.
'To save my father.'
Now was the right opportunity.
Having disbanded the enlisted soldiers of his immediate family, he now needed someone to fill them up.
"It's worth coming with adults and children."
"Yes, the collaterals brought their children."
"Let's do this together as father and son. But Erilotte takes care of her father."
"… … !"
Conrad flinched.
Conrad, who looked at me with a puzzled face for a long time, immediately bent his knees.
"Your lady has a father too."
He had a very sad expression.
"I'm sure he's still thinking of you from afar."
"… … ."
"The lady, the duke is also there. The duke thinks of you a lot too."
"… … ."
"The collaterals came to say hello today, right? The duke asked me to say hello to the lady."
Was it like that?
Somehow, too many came.
'The raid must have caught my eye!'
I was excited.
But Conrad still had a heartbroken expression on his face.
I whispered over and over again.
"My lady is not alone. My father is far away."
'Yes, let the grandfather know as well as now.'
my father is far away
Far enough not to be involved in the raid incident.
So, the father said to the grandfather, 'Among the current children, he is the most trustworthy person'.
Conrad took me to my room and left.
I rested my chin on my hands and lost myself in deep thought.
'But why is Grandpa angry?'
No matter how much I thought about it, there was only one answer.
Say hello to Conrad first.
I groaned and grabbed the armrest.
'Was my grandfather such a naive person?'
Judging from the novel, he was heinous, but he wasn't such a mean person... … .
Fortunately, though, it didn't seem like he would do anything to me.
When he really thought about what to do, he was rather cold and reticent.
'Anyway, let's be careful for now.'
You shouldn't look bad for nothing and get in the way of bringing your father.
I came to that conclusion and got down from my chair.
I was about to grab the doorknob when the maid, Hilda, called me.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm off to play."
"Don't go out of town? The collaborators who came to say hello today will be confused because they are still in the castle."
Greta, the other maid, frowned at Hilda's words.
"Why don't you go back?"
"It must have been intentional. I will somehow have a conversation with the powerful in the castle."
"Is it because of the Marquis of Tolisso?"
"okay. The person in charge of the land has not yet been decided. They're going to get some beans and eat them somehow."
"You do that to the lady. without conscience."
"When were people of conscience?"
The maids grumbled with grim faces.
Meanwhile I opened the door.
Only then did the maids finish talking and shouted at me going out into the hallway.
"Bye!"
I came out into the hallway, being escorted by the maids.
'I have to learn the geography of castles.'
In the meantime, I was afraid of the guard monsters, so I couldn't go around well. I don't know what will happen to this little body if I run into a monster.
But today was a day when a lot of people came in and out, so it seemed that the monsters had been removed.
Because you can't attack the collateral by mistake.
Instead, a huge number of soldiers were guarding the castle.
So I decided to take this opportunity to explore the castle.
Wandering around the castle was fun.
'It feels like an adventure!'
It's huge and colorful, so it's fun to look at.
I wandered around inside the main castle.
'Wow, the weapons depot. It's really like a fantasy novel.'
'The kitchen is here. I love the smell of baking bread!'
'The end of the corridor on the 4th floor is connected to another building.'
how long did you travel
I came out of the west exit on the first floor... … .
"and?!"
There was an incredibly beautiful garden.
A vine wall with fresh roses blooming even in winter.
Grass soft like a carpet.
There was a statue of a goddess holding a water jug in the fountain, and clear water was coming out of the water jug.
I ran excitedly into the garden.
It is more beautiful to see from the inside than from the outside.
There were pretty stones around the fountain.
I wish I could pick it up and give it to the maids.
I crouched down to find the prettiest stones I could.
'By the way, I need an opportunity to make my grandfather recognize my father more clearly... … . Oh, this is pretty.'
Just as I was about to pick up the stone, something hit my head! bumped into
"Auk-!"
I was in so much pain that I collapsed to the ground.
'what?'
Startled, I looked ahead and saw a child of about five or six years old.
I guess what I bumped into was the top of his head.
Judging by the luxurious clothes, he was a noble child.
He said he was wandering around to talk to the authorities, so he must have been brought by one of them.
"Uh, uh… … ."
The child who was touching the top of his head cried.
yet,
"Ahhhhh—!"
The child cried out loud.
'Oh, no.'
I was startled by the blow to the head.
However, when the other person cried so loudly, I lost my mind.
'If this happens, there will be a penalty for supporting actors.'
As expected, the lips are already pouting out.
My nose was swollen and tears welled up in my eyes.
My mind seemed to be slowly becoming a child.
I twisted the hem of my skirt tightly.
'You can't cry. This is near my grandfather's office.'
A crying child is annoying.
Grandpa might think I'm a nuisance.
But no matter how much I tried to hold it in, the runny nose kept coming out.
Just then, an adult's voice was heard from outside the garden.
"Julien, where are you?"
"Mom—!"
The child cried even louder, and she hurriedly came running.
Then she hugged the crying child.
"Why. huh?"
"Wow!"
"Did you bump into it? Let's see."
It was a very worrying tone.
"Who the hell doesn't care—"
The woman frowned and turned her head to me.
Only then did I see my face properly.
It was the nobleman who had greeted me earlier.
Whether the woman remembers me or not, her eyes widened when she saw me.
"miss."
"… … ."
As if she couldn't say anything to me, the granddaughter of the duke, the woman sighed.
"Excuse me, my child."
"… … ."
"You are still young. Please understand."
She stood up holding the child in her arms and ignored me.
"Then I'm done."
The child continued to cry even while his mother was carrying him.
"Yes, yes."
"Mom… … ."
"Push. You have to be patient with the pain. Then you can go to the twelfth tower too."
"It just hurts. It hurts!"
The child whined terribly, but the woman didn't seem bothered at all.
On the contrary, she stroked the child's crown several times as if she was lovable.
"… … ."
I stood in Odokani until the hat disappeared far away.
And he stroked his hair with both hands.
'Even stroking it hurts, well.'
So I'm not envious at all.
… … not envious
It was then.
"Erilot."
A familiar voice came.
I quickly turned my head and saw my grandfather.
"… … ."
"later… … ."
I tried to hold it in somehow, but tears welled up.
'Crazy, crazy!'
Where is the wind of tears!
It wasn't even a few hours before I decided to be careful in front of my grandfather from now on.
I tried hard, but my body, which became a child due to the supporting role penalty, could not hold back tears.
I covered my eyes with my palms and cried.
"Dad… … ."
I couldn't call her because she didn't have a mother, and the only thing left was her father.
'It's like a fucking novel.'
Dahlia possessed it as an adult, but I possessed it in such a young body and even gave it a penalty?
The more I thought about it, the more saddened I was.
But something big came up on the top of my head.
It was the grandfather's hand that was placed on the armrest of the sofa.
It was a very, very awkward hand.
But.
but… … .
"Huh-!"
As I cried louder, Grandpa stiffened.
For some reason, I really didn't envy him earlier.
* * *
Viscount Debussy exclaimed huh.
The duke, who had left because he didn't want to see himself smiling all day, came back with Erilotte in his arms.
That's why the vicious duke was holding a child barely the size of his forearm... … .
It's been 30 years since I've served the duke.
It was something I had never dared to imagine.
Even Erilotte was sleeping peacefully in the Duke's arms.
'What kind of harmony is this? … … wait.'
The area around Erilotte's eyes was red.
"Did you ring?"
"Take your jacket off the couch."
"No, where is there to make a young lady cry like this?"
"… … ."
"He's the one who jumped off the cliff to save the duke with that little body."
The duke picked up his jacket and threw it in Viscount Debussy's face.
Ugh, the viscount who made a noise narrowed his brows.
"What did you throw at the young lady?"
"He was injured in the garden."
Only then did Viscount Debussy nod, alas.
Then the duke put his jacket on Erilotte, who had been lying on the sofa.
"What happened?"
"It looks like you bumped into a collateral child."
"Aren't you the one who jumped off a cliff and broke his hands and didn't cry? Are you seriously hurt?"
"It must have been something other than the pain."
The duke thought of Erilotte in the garden.
I looked with envy at the collateral child whose mother stroked my hair, and then I stroked my own hair.
"What do you mean?"
When Viscount Debussy asked for work, the duke tut and clicked his tongue.
"They look with envy on the collateral child who lives with their mother."
"… … ."
Viscount Debussy peered into Erilotte's face.
"It makes you feel sad."
"… … ."
"Don't you know the duke?"
Duke Astra's life was terrible.
The previous duke was frantic to 'produce' a child with a special protection.
The current Duke Cronus Astra was also a child created that way.
His father was heartless.
Enough to lock my child in the laboratory where all sorts of experiments take place.
"Did you ever envy a child with its mother when you were in the lab?"
"With something I don't even remember."
The duke sat down in his chair without speaking.
He looked at Erilotte for a moment before turning his head to Viscount Debussy.
"As for the second generation (children of the duke)."
Viscount Debussy handed over the papers.
It was a report investigating the activities of the second generation.
The duke's eyes went cold as he scanned the papers.
A guy who is frantic about taking over the vassals.
The one who contacts the imperial family.
A person who steals family property.
It was annoying in various ways.
Viscount Debussy sighed.
"I have nothing to do with the Marquis of Tolisso, but… … ."
"… … ."
"The move is excessive."
"… … ."
"You'll need someone who can keep the second generation in check."
The Duke remembered the words he heard today.
"You seem to have thought that the lady had no father. It's because you're too far away. I wish I could see my father once... … ."
Words from Conrad.
and,
"Dad… … ."
The Duke, who was silent for a moment, looked at Viscount Debussy.
"Call Daymond."
"… … !"
Viscount Debussy's eyes widened.
Daymond Astra.
There were many words to call him the second son of the duke.
A person born with the most powerful divine protection in this Astra.
battlefield monsters.
undefeated knight.
The man who boasted of being the strongest in the Empire by force was Erilotte's father.
'My relationship with the duke is the worst, but one thing is clear.'
That he who was far away could not have intervened in the raid.
But it was strange.
'Why did the duke who didn't pay attention to Daymond all of a sudden... … ?'
It was something I never knew.
After a while, a detachment departed towards the north where Daymond was.
with a return order.