BTVF 17

Chapter 17

“Aiyo.”

Dwayne held his head, looking like he had a headache.

The only good thing was that most of the nobles on the list were probably bottom-tier people.

It wouldn’t be strange if some of them dropped dead suddenly.

“Take out the trash only once a day!”

One of the Duke’s aides grumbled about his fate.

The Duke looked at Aria, who was staring at him quietly.

“…….”

“What is it?”

Aria rummaged in her bag and pulled out a card. She wrote:

[Father, thank you.]

“…….”

Thankful even though someone had been killed.

Watching her, Dwayne made a final conclusion:

“Perfectly fits Valentine Duke’s mercy.”

He felt like he was about to cry.

The Duke also, unusually, had the same thought as the aide:

“Is this really a moment to receive thanks?”

He didn’t tear up, surprisingly.

Perhaps this is what they call admirable behavior.

Without realizing it, the Duke placed his hand on her head.

Aria instinctively grabbed his hand.

It was so strong she could barely lift her head.

‘Why am I pressing down on a child’s head?’

The Duke tilted his jaw lazily.

Aria’s eyes went wide, as if saying, “Why are you doing this?”

“Hmm.”

He removed his hand from her head.

Even he wasn’t sure why he did it that day.

After that, Aria visited the Duke every day.

Since she stayed so long, the previously cold office slowly started filling with things—small sofa for children, flowers, books, toys, and dolls.

‘Why did I buy all this?’

Tristan, Valentine Duke, didn’t understand.

At first, he only noticed that Aria seemed uncomfortable sleeping among the wolves.

‘Wolves are soft, but their bones are thick, and they are muscular.’

So he bought a soft child’s sofa so she could fully relax when sitting.

[Father, thank you.]

She always remembered to hand him a card with a bright smile.

Then he noticed she often stared into space for long periods.

‘She looks bored.’

All she did in the office was pet the wolves, stare out the window, or fall asleep.

“She seems to really like flowers.”

The words from the head maid came to his mind.

He bought a few flowerpots.

[Father, you’re the best!]

Aria was delighted and stared at the flowers all day.

‘Window, flowerpot, window, flowerpot…’

He let her go to the library to read, thinking it might be more fun.

She reacted even more excitedly.

[Father, you’re the most amazing in the world!]

She held the cards in both hands, smiling and bouncing with joy.

Even when her father tried to sell her as a sacrifice, she had been calm.

This was the first time he’d seen her this happy.

After that, she often chose a book from the library and read it in the Duke’s office.

‘All she does is switch from looking out the window, to flowers, to books.’

Tristan felt she still lacked something.

So he bought the most popular toy store in the capital.

Even he admitted it seemed a little crazy.

‘She doesn’t seem to like it much…’

He eyed a huge teddy bear, proud of its presence, but Aria happily plopped herself in front of it.

Buying the toy store seemed like a good choice after all.

But…

“She still seems to be missing something.”

“What? Missing what?”

Dwayne looked around, wondering if this office was now a child’s playground.

Tristan was serious.

“Try fire.”

He casually held a cigarette to his lips, then paused and glanced at Aria.

“No, don’t.”

He just kept it in his mouth.

Then he met Aria’s gaze. Half-asleep, her eyes opened wide.

She rummaged around and held up a small bottle filled with colorful little beads.

[Here, this is for you.]

She looked at Tristan with pink-sapphire-like sparkling eyes.

A gift?

“What is this?”

[It’s candy.]

“Candy? Such small candy.”

He looked at the bottle, then at Aria, unimpressed.

“You mean I should eat it?”

Aria nodded.

The Duke tossed the cigarette on the desk and popped some of the candy into his mouth.

It just tasted like sugar.

Then he realized that Aria brought the bottle every time she visited the office.

It must have been something she treasured most.

‘Candy, huh… kids like sweets.’

He smiled, pleased, and kept the card and candy she had given him.

He planned to have the kitchen prepare a new dessert each day.

“Her meals are mostly soup. She can’t eat much else.”

The chef explained reluctantly.

“Except for drinks and small candies, she doesn’t eat much else.”

Tristan’s expression grew serious.

“So.”

The Duke leaned lazily with a cigarette.

“Speak. I’ll listen.”

“Your Excellency, although the lady is malnourished, she is healthy. However, her inability to eat is usually…”

“Get to the point.”

The doctor, Cure, sweating, hurriedly added:

“It’s mostly psychological.”

“Psychological?”

Cure felt wronged. All the resident doctors in the Valentine household specialized in trauma. But Aria’s injuries weren’t just physical—they were emotional.

“Though psychology isn’t officially established in the medical field, research shows it can help people grow through conversation.”

But Aria didn’t want to talk, and she avoided showing herself.

“People who cannot swallow food usually swallow something else instead.”

“What?”

“Emotions—joy, sadness, anger, frustration.”

The Duke flicked ash from his cigarette, clearly thinking, Why would anyone swallow that?

He was unmatched in ruthlessness, but empathy wasn’t his strength.

“They suppress emotions until full, leaving no room for food.”

“In short,” Cure explained, “when you don’t laugh when you want to, or cry when you want to, it blocks your body.”

The Duke slowly twisted his lips, crushed the cigarette in the doctor’s white coat, burning it.

Cure’s face went pale.

The Duke leaned on the sofa lazily.

“Handle it.”

“Y-Your Excellency! Please spare me!”

The Black Hawks, waiting nearby, tied up the doctor.

Dwayne whispered to the Duke:

“Your Excellency, this doctor is the only one who discovered her problem, but he is inexperienced in this field. Are you sure about this?”

“…Bring him back.”

The Black Hawks dragged the doctor back.

“Even if he failed, perhaps you can heal her mind, Your Excellency.”

Everyone looked at Dwayne, shocked.

“You mean me?”

“Yes. She opened her heart slightly to you—she even gave you candy.”

The Duke remembered the cards she gave him: she said he was the best, the coolest, and just being near him was enough.

“She’ll be here soon.”

He stood up leisurely, leaving the basement.

The doctor, barely alive, exhaled in relief as he watched the Duke’s back.