Chapter 16
Regarding this situation, Serena spoke with a trembling voice.
*’Isn’t respecting Lie’s choice what a true caretaker should do? If he’s a time ability user… I’ll definitely give birth again!’*
Her words were correct.
Lie was a non-ability user, and she could just give birth to another ability user child.
But, respect Lie’s choice?
Does a child who’s only four years old even have a right to choose?
Lost in thought, a vein suddenly bulged on his forehead.
“…Why does this feel so unpleasant.”
He rose from his seat and roughly swept his bangs back.
The child’s vivid eyes.
That young voice calling him ‘poop carriage’ kept lingering in his ears.
It was strange.
When the child actually lived in the ducal residence, he had treated Lie like a shadow.
‘Why am I so attached to that child?’
Leaving the office, he suddenly headed to his bedroom.
There was a clear cause and effect for everything.
If the child kept coming to mind, there had to be a valid reason for it.
‘…Then that would be….’
He flung open the bedroom dresser drawer, but the notebook that should have been there was gone.
“……?”
His gaze silently narrowed.
He checked the lower drawers and even searched the entire bedroom, but the notebook didn’t appear.
Casselick was a time ability user, but if he regressed in yearly increments, he couldn’t remember the events of that period.
That was why he recorded important life events in a notebook.
If he regressed and didn’t even know why he had returned to the past, it would be like wasting his life twice.
Thus, he always wore a bracelet on his arm engraved with the words ‘Check bedroom notebook.’
“…But the notebook is gone?”
This couldn’t be.
Even the maids who cleaned the bedroom didn’t know about the notebook. He had already given them prior notice not to touch the dresser.
“That’s impossible. Where did it go?”
The answer to that question could be found by turning back time.
He took out his pocket watch from his jacket pocket and turned the second hand to the left, *click-click-*
“Hey, but if Lady Lie went all the way to the courthouse in secret to say she wanted to live with Lady Emilia herself… how much must she have disliked the Duke?”
“It’s true he never showed any interest in Lady Lie.”
“Tsk, that’s why you should treat them well while they’re around.”
As time rewound, maids walked backwards into the bedroom, chattering as they cleaned.
Casselick silently glared at the bedroom door.
And so, a day, a week. And then several weeks prior.
As the usual scene unfolded with only him and the maids coming and going, time suddenly stopped.
As if someone had intentionally stopped it.
“……?”
It wasn’t his ability.
Currently, he was the only time ability user.
His most likely candidate, his blood relative Lie, had been confirmed to be a non-ability user.
But, just in case.
“Shadow.”
“Yes.”
Casselick reset time to the present and stepped out of the bedroom, where a waiting man bowed his head.
“Keep surveillance on Lie, who resides at Viscount Birdwell’s estate, all day long. If the child is ever in a different place at any moment or shows any strange signs, report to me immediately.”
“Understood.”
“And investigate all branch family houses for any children under the age of ten.”
“Understood.”
Even if she’d been confirmed a non-ability user, it was worth checking one more time. Though there was no precedent yet, he also needed to see if an ability user had emerged from a branch family.
Casselick needed that notebook.
He had to find out why he had regressed.
Lie quickly adapted to life at Viscount Birdwell’s residence.
“I’ll debone the fish for you, so sit still. This old lady might not be able to give you meat every day, but I can at least debone your fish.”
“Granny, the best-!”
“What do you mean best? A rich house that gives you meat is the best.”
“But you know, I like Granny who debones my fish more than a rich house.”
“Such a little one, already sweet-talking…”
*Twitch.*
Though she grumbled, Morgana’s lips curled upward.
“Hey, Mary. Bring that blueberry cake we bought last time. This little Lie’s still got a skinny little belly!”
“Yes, my lady!”
“Eeek? Gra-Granny. I’m full!”
She’d already eaten three whole fish!
Flustered, Lie hurriedly stuck out her belly.
She showed off her round, hill-like baby tummy, but it was clear her grandmother wouldn’t be satisfied.
“Calling that full? Just how did the Duke raise this child!”
‘Gra-Granny is angry!’
In times like this, the only thing to do is eat without a word…!
Her cheeks felt like they were getting chubbier, but Lie swallowed her saliva and stabbed her fork into the cake.
“That’s right. To grow up strong, you can’t get tired, you know?”
Mordic, sitting beside her, looked on with a pleased expression.
‘…Granny, to make Grandfather happy, Lie has to get chubby, I guess.’
A sense of responsibility settled on her small shoulders, having been given a new mission.
Just then, someone suddenly placed a hand on Lie’s forehead.
“Who is it?”
She tilted her head back to see Emilia, now changed into herå¤åŗ clothes, standing there, looking proudly at the feast laid out before Lie.
“Lie, eat lots of delicious things. Mommy’s going to work.”
Since moving here, Emilia had gotten a job at a nearby embroidery shop.
She chose it because she didn’t want to ask her parents for money, and her goal was to save up quickly and become independent with Lie.
“Uh-ung. Bye-bye, Mommy-!”
After seeing her mother off, Lie finished her meal and, clutching her plump belly, went into her bedroom.
“Phew. That was a huge amount. If Grandfather hadn’t helped halfway through… I would’ve given up.”
Her baby belly, having endured a fierce battle, bulged out from between her shirt buttons.
“Oopsy daisy.”
Lie covered her round belly with her skirt and sat down on her child-sized chair, picking up a crayon.
It was naptime now, but she had things to do.
Namely, writing thank-you letters to Kammi and Marquis Philip!
She was able to live this fourth year of life again thanks to the time ability Kammi gave her, and without Philip, she wouldn’t have made it to the courthouse on time.
But putting that aside, Lie was curious about why Marquis Philip had looked so sad back then.
*’No. Lie can still turn things around, so I want you to be happy.’*
She didn’t know what it was about, but couldn’t Lie help him?
Lie wanted to ask about that sad expression back then, along with her thanks.
First, she had to write to Kammi!
“I’ll draw pretty flowers on the letter paper, and lots of cookies that Lie likes too.”
And so, gripping her crayon and diligently writing her letter.
*Tap-tap.*
Suddenly, a tapping sound came from the window.
Startled, Lie stared at the window, and there was Kammi, sitting on the windowsill.
“Whoa? Kammi-! Great timing! I just finished writing the letter!”
Excited, Lie scurried over and opened the window.
Kammi hopped into the bedroom and looked around with a satisfied expression.
“Hmm. So you’ve finally escaped from that bastard? It’s more modest than the last place, but there are plenty of fluffy cushions that look just like you.”
“Uh-ung, it’s all thanks to you, Kammi! That’s why Lie wrote you a letter, wanna see?”
“A letter? You could just say it, no need to bother with a letter.”
Though she acted bothered, Kammi had already spread her black wings and was waiting for the letter.
“Here, Lie wrote and drew it herself!”
Lie tore a page out of her sketchbook with a *riiiip* and handed over her carefully written letter.
Kammi’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the letter for a long while, like a teacher checking homework.
Then.
“…What’s this black thing here?”
“Kammi!”
“And this white thing next to it?”
“That’s Lie! That’s the color of Lie’s hair!”
“Hmm. A black circle and a white circle…”
Lie’s drawing skills were terrible, but her intentions were good.
The corners of Kammi’s mouth twitched upward, unable to be hidden.
