Chapter – 06
I sneakily turned my head and glanced around.
Everyone’s eyes were trembling.
“Did you come forward for me?”
…
I’m embarrassed.
A cheesy line had just come out of the mouth of that emotionless man.
Actually, I just wanted to hit Marco.
Marco rubbed his swollen eyelids and grunted.
“No way! Why would I say that? That’s a lie…!!”
“That’s enough.”
His low voice brushed against my ears.
It was Duke Dubblede.
When the Duke turned his gaze toward Marco, Marco flinched.
The Duke spoke again.
“She is the child under my protection.”
His quiet voice was chilling.
Marco instinctively shrank back.
Forgetting even to make excuses, he swallowed hard.
Baron Jude hurried forward.
“Wait, Your Excellency!”
“It’s unfair. Don’t you think so? My son would never have called you that…!”
The Duke of Dubblede stepped toward Marco.
A large hand grabbed Marco by the chin.
“Since your father insists, I’ll give you a chance.”
“…What?”
“Prove that what you said is true, even if your tongue is torn out and your eyes are gouged.”
“……”
“And if you fail to prove it, it won’t end with just you.”
There was no way Marco could prove it.
You’re basically telling him to die.
Marco’s face turned pale.
His entire body stiffened as the Duke’s gaze bored into him.
“I’ll ask again.”
“Are my child’s words false… or true?”
“……”
The Duke’s pressure was far beyond what an ordinary child could endure.
Marco’s hands trembled like leaves in the wind.
His trousers became wet.
A yellow stain trickled down his legs.
“T-Tr…true.”
In the end, Marco confessed.
Baron Jude’s face turned deathly pale.
Now that his own son had admitted everything, there was no room left for excuses.
The Baron collapsed to his knees and lowered his head.
“P-Please spare me, Your Excellency! I deserve death for my sins!”
The moment the Duke released him, Marco collapsed onto the floor, completely drained of strength.
“Take them away.”
At the Duke’s command, the soldiers immediately surrounded them.
As Baron Jude and Marco were dragged away, they desperately cried,
“Forgive us… Your Excellency!”
But the Duke’s expression never changed.
Now that the Duke had personally remembered them, surviving in the Empire would probably become impossible for them.
As I watched Marco and his father being dragged away, the vassals gathered around me with completely different expressions.
“How admirable.”
“It was amazing to see such a little child stand up against a bigger boy.”
“You stayed calm and explained everything clearly.”
Compliments poured in from every direction.
It seemed the misunderstanding that I had thrown myself at Marco because he insulted the Dubblede family still hadn’t been cleared up.
My conscience stung a little…
But I decided to think positively.
Everyone gathered here was among the Duke’s closest supporters.
And the Duke himself had taken my side.
I secretly glanced at him.
He was looking at me a little more kindly than usual.
Relieved, I unconsciously let out a sigh.
One of the vassals reached out his hand.
“Are you tired? Of course you are. Come here. I’ll carry you back to your room.”
The vassal looked extremely kind…
But I instinctively stepped back.
It’s my first time seeing you…
Seeing my wary reaction, the other vassals burst into laughter.
“This fellow. Didn’t you hear? She’s very shy around grown men. You’re probably scaring her because you’re so big.”
“But doesn’t she let His Excellency carry her?”
“Well, that’s because the child likes him.”
“She always smiles whenever she sees His Excellency.”
The Duke’s eyes landed on me.
As soon as our gazes met, I quickly smiled.
It was like backing away from a wild beast without ever turning your back.
I won’t provoke you…
So please don’t attack me.
The vassals grinned.
“The little one really likes His Excellency.”
“I suppose so…”
“The people from the church said she was always sitting on his lap.”
What…?
“You must be happy to be loved by the child.”
“It’s nothing.”
Although he spoke indifferently…
For some reason, the corners of the Duke’s lips looked slightly raised.
I told myself we should get along…
But he’s still so difficult.
I sighed inwardly.
Didn’t they say that after hardship comes happiness?
Meeting Marco had been unpleasant…
But afterward, something good happened.
Everyone started liking me.
They seemed proud that such a tiny child had stood up against a bigger boy for the sake of Dubblede.
And once I caught the attention of the powerful people…
Everything changed.
Even the administrators and estate managers began treating me differently.
Originally, I only used whatever things the servants happened to provide.
After all, I would be returning to the capital soon.
There was no reason to spend money on things meant just for me.
But now that I had gained the attention of the estate officials…
I was finally allowed to buy my own necessities.
I was so excited as I went shopping with Lea and the other maids.
The shopping district of Dubblede was paradise.
It couldn’t even be compared to Vallua.
There were specialty stores that only existed on the main streets.
Just looking around was fun.
There’s a toy shop.
The toys displayed here were far more luxurious than the ones noble children usually played with.
Children walked out hugging their new toys with delighted smiles.
A little girl around five or six years old, wearing a large bonnet, tightly hugged a fluffy doll.
Right…
That doll has already been released.
It came in the shapes of different animals.
Whenever someone hugged it tightly, it would say,
“I like you.”
Suddenly…
A memory from my first life resurfaced.
That doll had been the first…
And the last thing…
I had ever asked Duke Amity to buy for me.
“Fwather, I want twhat doll.”
(Father, I want that doll.)
Duke Amity looked down at me as I clung to his trousers.
“If you donate the money instead of buying that doll, you could save many starving people.”
“Do you still want it?”
“N-No…”
“Good.”
“You’ll gain compassion and consideration instead of a doll.”
He smiled gently.
I loved that smile so much…
That I never asked him for anything again.
But…
I really wanted that doll…
When I was eighteen…
He bought that very same doll as a gift for Mina.
Watching her hug it happily like a child…
He smiled even more brightly than he ever had at me.
No…
Let’s stop thinking about the past.
“Little Miss?”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to pick out a toy?”
They must have thought I was staring because I wanted one.
Lea is so kind…
“Choose anything you like.”
Anything?
My eyes sparkled.
The maids immediately began recommending toys.
“How about this puzzle?”
“I think building blocks would be fun too.”
Toys…
It felt as though my childish body was screaming,
Buy one!
But I firmly closed my eyes.
Instead, I looked away…
And pointed toward something else.
A red carnation corsage.
“But that’s not a toy.”
Lea tilted her head in confusion.
I wriggled my fingers together as I answered.
“Twe kwids at twe nuwsert twold me to gwive it two someone they like.”
(The kids at the nursery told me to give it to someone they like.)
“Oh… that’s right.”
“Thanksgiving Day is almost here.”
In Wigentra, children traditionally gave carnations to their parents on Thanksgiving Day.
And I’m going to give one to an adult too.
To Lea.
Originally…
I had planned to give it to the Duke.
But then I imagined him saying,
“It’s a meaningless gift.”
So I gave up.
He couldn’t possibly be more unpleasant…
Instead…
I would give it to Lea—
The kindest person in the world.
Completely unaware of my thoughts, Lea smiled warmly.
Dubblede Castle
The Duke and his vassals walked together toward the conference room to discuss territorial affairs.
As they made their way down the hallway, they chatted casually.
“Oh? A carnation corsage.”
“Did your daughter give you that?”
The vassal proudly puffed out his chest.
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.”
“I’m jealous.”
Finding the perfect opportunity to boast, the vassal grinned.
“When my daughter handed me this corsage…”
“I truly felt that life was worth living.”
The others laughed and shook their heads.
“There’s no greater happiness than having children.”
“Indeed.”
“What use are honor and wealth?”
“What’s the point of filling warehouses with riches if you can’t experience happiness like this?”
“Exactly.”
“Carnations are the greatest happiness of all.”
Then another vassal turned toward the Duke.
“Your Excellency must have received carnations as well.”
“You must understand that feeling.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“What?”
“I’ve never received one.”
Silence instantly filled the hallway.
It felt as though freezing water had been poured over everyone.
The vassals swallowed nervously.
The Duke continued calmly,
“I have three sons.”
“Yet not once have I ever received a carnation.”
The Duke…
And his three sons…
Were all famous for their beauty and talent.
Yet they were equally cold and indifferent toward one another.
It wasn’t a family that sought affection.
“N-Now that you mention it…”
“Boys usually aren’t very thoughtful.”
“They often struggle to express gratitude.”
“I’ve never even heard those words.”
“……”
Another vassal hurriedly tried to change the subject.
“Words and flowers aren’t what matter.”
“On Thanksgiving Day, simply embracing each other is enough.”
“……”
The Duke remained silent.
The vassal swallowed again.
The more they talked…
The deeper they buried themselves.
The Duke frowned slightly as he watched the flustered men.
The vassals desperately searched for a way to escape the awkward atmosphere.
Then—
Someone spotted Leblaine and the maids walking toward them from the opposite end of the hallway.
She had apparently just returned from town, still wearing her outing dress.
And then…
They noticed it.
The carnation clutched tightly in Leblaine’s hand.
