<CHAPTER 2>
That night.
Elodie gazed at Kabil, who was sleeping soundly on the large bed.
Seeing his fair little face peacefully asleep without a care in the world filled her with pride.
Only a week ago, when she had first seen him, he had been plagued by nightmares. But now, it seemed he no longer had them.
Don’t worry, my baby. Your big sis will chase away all your nightmares!
Elodie gently patted Kabil’s chest in a steady rhythm before climbing down from the bed.
She needed to carefully plan what she was going to do from now on.
Hmm. First things first.
Raise Kabil well and make sure he eats plenty until the day he leaves for the battlefield.
She would rather not send him at all, but participating in the war at the Emperor’s command was the duty of the Duke of Serenua.
And it wasn’t as though she had the power to stop a war…
Kabil would be only thirteen when he was sent to the battlefield. In the original story, he had been abused and poorly fed, and went off to war with his tiny, emaciated body.
There, he endured all kinds of contempt and eventually grew into an impressive man.
“……”
Just imagining sending that little baby off to war already brought tears to her eyes.
If he has to go anyway, then I’ll make sure he’s well-fed and strong before that day comes.
And number two.
Protect the territory properly so that it would be ready when Kabil returned.
The lands belonging to the House of Serenua were vast and incredibly fertile. However, they had been neglected for far too long, leaving very few people living there.
Naturally, productivity had fallen as well.
In the original story, Elodie ruined the fertile lands of the ducal estate beyond all hope of recovery.
She had been researching magical potions and dumping all kinds of harmful concoctions into the lakes and forests.
Fortunately, none of that had happened yet. The land was still unpolluted, which meant there was plenty of hope.
Then I should start by researching a magical potion that can make the soil even more fertile.
And if we’re going to farm anyway, it would be even better to grow some expensive crops.
And there were definitely gold coins and precious gems hidden somewhere in the castle by the former duke.
In the original story, Elodie discovered them and blew every last one of them.
I’ll have to look for them later.
And number three.
Research a cure for an incurable disease.
This was the real problem.
Elodie was destined to receive the consequences of her own sins in full.
She had tried to poison the princess with a drug that would turn her entire body to stone, only to contract an incurable disease that would cause her own body to harden.
If I were looking at it as the villainess’s deserved downfall, I’d say it was pretty satisfying.
But when she thought of it as her own future, she really, really didn’t want to die.
She wanted to live a long, healthy life. Quietly and peacefully, for as long as possible.
“Mmm…”
Elodie was busily scribbling away with her pen when she heard a muffled sound coming from the bed.
Startled, she hurried over to the bed.
“Sniff… Big sis… Sister… Big bro…”
Perhaps because he had never been properly taught at the orphanage, Kabil wasn’t familiar with forms of address either. He seemed to call people whatever he happened to have heard before.
“Yes, your big sis, your big sister, and your big bro are all right here.”
He must have been frightened to wake up and find himself all alone in the bed.
Tears shimmered in Kabil’s large eyes.
Elodie pulled the tiny boy’s head into her arms. Then she climbed back under the covers and tucked the blanket around them both.
“Come on. Rest your head on my arm. I’ll put you back to sleep.”
“Mmm… Don’t go anywhere, big sis.”
“You should call me Madam, Kabil.”
“Madam?”
“That’s right. Until you bring home the princess, I’m still your madam.”
“Princess?”
Elodie gently patted Kabil’s bottom and pulled him closer. She liked the warmth of his little body against hers.
Maybe I missed this warmth, too.
She had intended to heal Kabil’s heart, but somehow, she was the one being healed instead.
Kabil wriggled closer until he was nestled snugly in Elodie’s arms.
“Is Madam the princess?”
“No. The princess is someone else.”
“Mmm.”
“I’ll raise her well and send her to you, so don’t start looking for a princess already.”
Kabil made a little grunting sound, as though he couldn’t understand what Elodie meant.
He’s so young, and he’s already talking about princesses.
Elodie clicked her tongue and stroked Kabil’s hair. She almost wanted to give him a playful knock on the head.
No, no! I can’t do that!
Later, when Kabil brings his princess home from the battlefield, I’ll just make a quick escape without getting all upset about it.
She didn’t want to become jealous of Kabil’s lover, whom she thought of as a little brother.
And she certainly had no intention of making her suffer through a miserable life as her daughter-in-law.
***
The next morning, as soon as Elodie opened her eyes, she washed Kabil and fed him.
Afterward, while giving him a snack, she spoke to the butler.
“I’d like to see the territory’s financial records.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m the lady of the ducal house. Of course I should be the one managing things.”
“Oh my…”
Norman, the butler of the House of Serenua, felt his nose sting.
In truth, he had been deeply troubled when they decided to bring in the daughter of Count Meclair.
Count Meclair was an extremely foolish and greedy man.
Norman had worried that his daughter might have inherited those traits as well…
But there had been little choice. No one was willing to send their precious daughter to the illegitimate heir of a poor ducal house.
When nobles married, one of the things they valued most was the wealth of the family they were marrying into.
Count Meclair, however, had felt no hesitation about selling off his daughter.
He had even personally written a contract stating that he would not interfere in his daughter’s life afterward.
In fact, he had gone so far as to suspect Norman, worrying that the butler might later try to change the terms.
Elodie, being the count’s daughter, must have been hurt by it all as well.
Norman had hoped that she and the young master, Kabil, would grow up relying on each other…
And yet, despite being so young, she is already this mature.
“Yes, My Lady. I’ll give you an easy-to-understand report.”
“Yes, and…”
“Yes?”
“If our finances allow it, please find Kabil a swordsmanship instructor.”
“A swordsmanship instructor?”
“If he’s going to lead the knights someday, he needs to start learning from a young age.”
“Ah! Yes, of course.”
“Find someone from among the knights in the order.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
At Elodie’s words, the butler bowed his head and left.
She truly has a depth beyond her years.
Norman’s heart began to pound.
The former Duke of Serenua had been an extremely extravagant man who loved alcohol. His duchess had been no different.
The two had fallen into alcoholism and neglected their territory.
Ironically, they eventually died of heart attacks brought on by excessive drinking—the very thing they had loved so much.
With no heir remaining, Norman searched for the maid who had once given birth to the duke’s child.
If they failed to establish an heir, the territory would fall into the hands of Count Bologna, the deceased duke’s younger brother.
Count Bologna was an evil man by nature.
Norman did not want to see the House of Serenua, to which he had devoted his entire life, destroyed by Count Bologna.
But the maid had passed away long ago, and he was told that her child was living in an orphanage.
After an arduous search, they finally found the heir to the House of Serenua.
He was a painfully thin little boy.
Judging by how he had been treated, Kabil was terrified of adults to an extreme degree.
It was heartbreaking.
Norman gathered the letter confirming that the heir had been found, along with various certificates and documents, and sent them all to the Imperial Palace.
He managed to obtain the official documents recognizing Kabil as the heir.
But Kabil couldn’t adapt to his completely changed surroundings at all.
So Norman had thought it might be best to arrange a marriage for him while he was still young, and had searched for a bride who would feel more like an older sister than a typical wife.
At last, I can face the former duke without shame…
Remembering Kabil’s grandfather, the former Duke of Serenua, Norman wiped away his tears.
Unlike Kabil’s father, the former duke had been a kind and benevolent master.
***
“Kabil, no more cookies.”
“…Yes, Madam.”
Ever since Elodie had taught Kabil the word Madam, he used it faithfully every time he addressed her.
Elodie stroked Kabil’s hair in praise, then called for a maid and ordered her to take away the cookies.
She would have loved to let him eat as many as he wanted, but too many sweets wouldn’t be good for him either.
“You need to study hard when you meet your swordsmanship instructor.”
“What’s that? Is it a snack?”
“Not a snack. A teacher. A teacher.”
“……”
Before sending Kabil off to war, Elodie wanted him to learn the basics so that he would at least be able to protect himself from injury.
She wished she could teach him herself, but unfortunately, Elodie knew absolutely nothing about swordsmanship.
There was definitely someone in the knights’ order who would eventually become Kabil’s most loyal subordinate…
She just couldn’t remember his name.
Ah, whatever, whatever!
Don’t try to handle everything at once. There’s something more important right now.
“All right! Now let’s go play!”
“Play?”
“That’s right!”
Children were supposed to run around and play, after all.
Elodie took Kabil by the hand and led him out into the garden.
The expensive trees and flowers had all withered from neglect, but to the two children, it was still more than enough to serve as a playground.
“Okay, Kabil, you’re it! You have to catch me!”
“Okaaay, Madam!”
“Count to ten before you catch me!”
“Okay!”
Elodie dashed excitedly across the garden.
She had brought Kabil outside because she wanted him to run around and play, but somehow, it seemed Elodie was having even more fun than he was.
Kabil watched Elodie run off with a bright, innocent smile.
Her radiant smile was dazzlingly beautiful. More beautiful than the moon shining in the night sky, more beautiful than raindrops glistening on leaves.
But as Elodie grew farther and farther away, anxiety began to creep into him.
In the end, Kabil didn’t even finish counting to ten before he chased after her. He was afraid of Elodie getting too far away from him.
“Hey! That’s cheating!”
Despite Elodie’s protests, Kabil stubbornly chased after her.
And it didn’t take him long to catch up.
“Caught you!”
He had caught her.
Kabil beamed as he wrapped his arms around Elodie.
There was quite a persistent strength in his embrace.
Elodie soon gave in and smiled helplessly as she took Kabil’s hand.
Kabil squeezed her hand tightly.
The young Kabil never wanted to let go of this gentle hand.
He had no intention of losing it, nor of letting anyone else take it away from him.
***
The day Kabil had his first swordsmanship lesson arrived.
Elodie made sure to feed Kabil a hearty meal first. Perhaps because he hadn’t been fed properly at the orphanage, he certainly had a healthy appetite.
He ate freshly baked warm bread and stewed chicken, then drank two whole glasses of sweet milk mixed with honey.
Seeing how eagerly he ate made Elodie proud, yet it broke her heart at the same time.
“Come on, Kabil. Let’s go to your lesson!”
Elodie held out her hand to him. Since it was his first day, she had decided to sit in and observe the lesson herself.
His swordsmanship instructor was Brienne Bedos, the deputy commander of the ducal knights—and the man who would eventually become Kabil’s right-hand man.
The sky was covered with gray clouds, but there was no rain.
Elodie went to the training grounds in front of the knights’ building inside the ducal castle, holding Kabil’s hand tightly.
The butler Norman, who had accompanied them, introduced Brienne.
“Sir Bedos, I’m counting on you to take good care of His Grace’s training from today onward.”
“Yes…”
Brienne wore a somewhat reluctant expression.
He was a young man in his twenties.
Sure enough, Kabil slipped behind Elodie’s back and nervously darted his eyes around.
That coward is supposed to be the duke? Good grief.
Brienne was the sort of person whose feelings were written all over his face. It was easy to tell what he was thinking.
Elodie stared pointedly at his expression.
“Kabil was abused by adults at the orphanage, so he’s afraid of grown-ups.”
“……”
At Elodie’s words, Brienne’s expression softened.
Looking embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his head.
Elodie glanced at Kabil fidgeting behind her, then looked back up at Brienne.
“He’s still a child now, but when he grows up, he’ll be leading the knights. So please take good care of our lord, Sir Bedos.”
“Understood, My Lady.”
Brienne looked down at Elodie with curious eyes.
She’s tiny, but she’s surprisingly mature.
His expression seemed to say it all.
Elodie turned toward Kabil, who was still hiding behind her.
“Kabil, that man is a good person.”
“……”
“He’s a good person, just like Butler Uncle. Okay?”
“Okay…”
“I’ll be right beside you, so don’t worry.”
“You’ll stay beside me?”
“Yes. I’ll sit right over there. You can see me clearly, okay?”
Despite the worry in his eyes, Kabil gave an admirable little nod.
The conversation between the tiny girl and the even tinier boy was almost absurd.
A good person…
Brienne looked down at the young masters of the ducal castle with an awkward expression, while Norman, the butler, wore a deeply satisfied smile for some reason.
