<CHAPTER 3>
Kabil clutched a small wooden sword, glancing anxiously at Elodie the entire time.
Whenever their eyes met, Elodie would cheerfully raise her hand and wave at him.
In between, she read books on magical potions. A maid had brought them from the library in the castle.
Making magical potions wasn’t difficult. Perhaps it was thanks to her genius-level mind when it came to magic potions, but she found herself understanding the entire structure with ease.
If she closed her eyes and imagined a potion, the ingredients and the general method of preparation would more or less come to her mind.
The key to brewing magical potions was knowing exactly where and how much mana to infuse at each stage.
The nature of one’s innate mana was important as well, and Elodie happened to have an affinity for earth and wind attributes.
And I’m supposed to be the villain with a cheat-like setup like this…….
Well, whatever. It was a useful ability, so she considered herself lucky.
The problem was the ingredients.
She needed all sorts of herbs and fruits.
She could create seeds with magic, but finding an environment where they could actually grow was another matter.
A greenhouse would be perfect.
There was a greenhouse at the ducal castle, but it had been unusable for a long time.
Repairing and reinforcing it would cost a fortune. It might even be better to make it larger while she was at it.
I really should hurry up and raid that hidden vault.
It was technically Kabil’s money……
But surely he’d understand if she paid him back later with the profits from selling the potions.
With that thought settled, Elodie turned her attention back to Kabil’s lesson.
Kabil was a knight who would later become renowned for his exceptional swordsmanship, earning great merit on the battlefield.
In the novel, it was said that no one could defeat him one-on-one. He possessed overwhelming strength and skill.
But the Kabil standing before her was just a tiny little boy.
And he’s going to grow up to become that incredible?
Tears of emotion were already welling up in Elodie’s eyes.
Huh? But, Teacher…….
Isn’t this lesson a little too hardcore?
Today was his very first lesson.
So naturally, Elodie had expected the instructor to teach him peaceful basics, like how to properly hold a sword.
But they were starting with a sparring match right away?
Apparently, his teaching methods were geared toward actual combat from the very beginning.
“Get up, my lord.”
Brien was a cold and stern instructor. He didn’t even offer a hand to Kabil as the boy lay sprawled on the ground.
Kabil slowly got back on his feet, tears glistening in his eyes.
Watching him, Elodie clenched her fists.
It’s nice watching the male lead grow, but…… Teacher! Our baby is crying!
With the heart of an overprotective parent, Elodie glared at Brien. He paid her no attention and continued the lesson.
After Kabil fell several more times, his little body was soon covered in dirt. Every now and then, Kabil would glance toward Elodie, checking to make sure she was still there.
His anxious eyes broke her heart, but Elodie forced herself to stay out of it.
“You need to grip the wooden sword tightly. Now, again!”
Brien pointed the battered wooden sword at Kabil, who had fallen once more.
Seeing the sight head-on, Kabil’s face slowly crumpled.
“Hic…….”
“What are you crying about? I haven’t even done anything to you…….”
Brien muttered indignantly as Kabil began to sniffle.
Elodie shot to her feet.
I’ve had enough!
“Hey, Sir Bedos!”
……
Brien looked at Elodie as she came stomping toward him.
Unlike the quiet, mature girl she’d been earlier, Elodie’s face was now brimming with anger.
“I told you before. Kabil is afraid of adults! So how can you point a wooden sword at him like that? Do you have any idea how terrifying that must look to someone that tiny?”
“……It’s not like I hit him…….”
“Threatening him is practically the same as hitting him! Until Kabil gets used to you, you need to be more considerate and teach him gently! This is his first lesson!”
“……Understood.”
He scratched his head.
Brien Bedos had never taught anyone gently before, so he found it awkward.
It was also the first time he’d ever been lectured by a girl this young.
Still, Elodie was right. His student was a child, and he was afraid of adults.
Brien had never once remembered being afraid of adults, even when he himself had been a child. It was only natural that he couldn’t empathize.
But there was nothing wrong with Elodie’s reasoning.
Perhaps until Kabil adjusted to his training, it would be better to rein in his temperament and teach him with a gentler hand.
He was certainly a troublesome student, but Brien couldn’t say there was no enjoyment in teaching him.
Even through the fear in Kabil’s eyes, there were moments when they suddenly gleamed with something raw.
It was the instinctive gaze of someone searching for an opening in his opponent. It reminded Brien of a young cub of a wild beast.
Whenever he saw that look, a strange thrill seemed to shoot down his spine. It was a sensation he’d never experienced before.
That was why it was fascinating. It was fun.
Brien found himself looking forward to the lessons to come.
If only it weren’t for that overzealous parent.
“Oh, goodness! Our baby’s knees are all scraped up!”
Elodie crouched beside Kabil and gently patted him.
Without even realizing it, Kabil reached out and wrapped his arms around Elodie’s neck.
As he was enveloped in her warm embrace, he felt another wave of tears rising in his throat.
By then, the pitch-black clouds overhead had begun releasing one or two drops of rain.
“Sir Bedos, you worked hard. It’s raining, so let’s call it a day.”
“……Yes, my lady.”
“Come on. Get on my back, Kabil.”
“Okay…….”
Elodie carried Kabil on her back and marched proudly toward the castle.
Brien could only stare after them with a dumbfounded expression.
Elodie headed to the bathroom, where a maid had already prepared a bath with warm water. She helped Kabil out of all his clothes.
Since Kabil was still afraid of adults, Elodie washed him herself.
Despite all the food she’d been making sure he ate, he was still so small that he looked no more than four or five years old.
“Is the water too hot?”
Kabil silently shook his head.
As Elodie gently scrubbed his thin, small back with a soft sponge, she spotted deep scars marring his skin.
She still remembered how horrified she’d been the first time she’d bathed Kabil and seen those wounds…….
The orphanage’s director had a habit of locking the children up and beating them whenever he pleased.
Someday, I’ll make sure they pay for every one of these scars.
Elodie ground her teeth together in determination.
But similar scars could be found on Elodie’s own body.
Her father, Count Meclaire, would sometimes beat his wife and children whenever he was in a bad mood.
The burn mark on her thigh was a remnant of that abuse.
“Kabil, does your knee hurt a lot?”
Perhaps remembering the lesson had brought his sadness rushing back. Kabil began to sniffle again.
But he didn’t burst into tears.
Come to think of it, he doesn’t cry very often.
She thought it was admirable how hard he tried to hold himself together.
Then, suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.
“Kabil, did the adults at the orphanage scold you whenever you cried?”
……
Kabil slowly nodded.
Elodie felt a pang of regret.
She had thought it was admirable that he tried to stop himself from crying.
How foolish of her.
Children—or rather, people—should cry when they feel like crying.
That was normal…….
Holding everything inside was bound to make you sick.
“Kabil, you don’t have to hold back when you want to cry.”
“Huh?”
“You can just cry. There isn’t anyone here who’s going to scold you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I might scold you sometimes…… but even then, I won’t.”
“Okay! I’ll be a good boy and listen to you, Madam.”
“Good. Make sure you keep that promise.”
After washing Kabil thoroughly, Elodie wrapped him snugly in a towel and sent him out.
Then she carefully washed herself as well.
It would have been more convenient to have the maids help her, but she felt more comfortable bathing on her own. In truth, she hated the thought of anyone seeing the small burn mark on her thigh.
After bathing, Elodie put on the clothes she’d prepared and woke Kabil, who was dozing in a blanket in front of the fireplace.
She applied lotion to him and helped him get dressed. Once awake, Kabil gazed at Elodie with bright, sparkling eyes.
“Kabil, come sit here.”
“Okay.”
As they ate the vegetable soup a maid had brought them in front of the fireplace, Elodie called Kabil over.
“Kabil, earlier, when your teacher pointed that sword at you…… were you very scared?”
“Yeah……. I was scared.”
“Did they ever punish you with clubs like that before?”
“Yeah. It hurt really, really bad.”
Kabil nodded as he answered.
Elodie took his hand in hers.
“That teacher from earlier isn’t going to hit you, Kabil.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Never. He’ll never hit you.”
“But he’s scary.”
“He can’t hit you. I’ll be right beside you watching the whole time.”
Just let him try.
I’ll run over and kick him right between the legs.
Elodie clenched her fist as she made the vow.
Then, seeing Kabil’s frightened face, she continued.
“Kabil, you know those people who used to hurt you?”
“Yeah.”
“Those adults who hurt you and left you with those scars—they’re nothing.”
……
“They’re nobody. They’re nothing to you.”
“But I’m scared.”
“You don’t have to be scared. I’ll scold them all for you! You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
“But…… but what if they scold you too, Madam?”
Kabil bit his lip tightly, as though the thought of that was truly unbearable to him.
Even now, he was unbearably adorable.
Elodie snorted, pretending to be tough.
“Hah, please. You don’t know how strong I am, do you?”
“Really?”
“Of course. I’ll beat them all up with my fists someday. Like this! Look.”
Elodie grabbed an innocent handkerchief lying beside her, crumpled it mercilessly, and threw punches at it as she spoke.
Finding the sight amusing, Kabil broke into a small, bashful smile.
Elodie, however, was completely serious.
Someday, she truly intended to punish those people with her own grown-up fists.
Suddenly, as though she’d thought of something, Elodie went to the desk and brought back a sheet of paper and a pen.
“Kabil, do you remember what those people looked like? Tell me everything you remember.”
At that, Kabil thought for a moment before hesitantly beginning to describe them in a halting voice.
He seemed a little frightened while talking about them, but Elodie’s playful expression reassured him.
“Really? So his nose was this big? And he had thick lips?”
As Kabil described them, Elodie began drawing on the paper.
Her drawing skills were crude, but she managed to put together rough sketches that resembled composite portraits.
How dare those bastards hurt my baby…….
I’ll kill them all!
The two of them finished every last drop of soup, then remained in front of the fireplace, chatting until they eventually fell asleep.
They should have gone to bed, but the fireplace was so wonderfully warm that neither of them could bring themselves to move.
Outside the window, rain poured down.
Even the sound of raindrops tapping against the glass felt like a lullaby.
Much later, a maid came in to collect the dishes and smiled when she saw the two children sleeping peacefully in front of the fireplace.
“Oh my, how adorable…….”
The maid carefully bent down to carry Elodie and Kabil to bed.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
The maid glanced at the sheet of paper lying beside Elodie.
It was covered in crude drawings of several people’s faces.
“Were they playing at drawing? Oh my…… How cute…….”
With an affectionate smile, the maid gently carried the two children to bed and tucked them in.
The room was filled with the soft, warm scent of children.
She carefully placed the paper covered in drawings on the desk before leaving the room.
Once outside, the maid excitedly told the other maids about the adorable scene she’d just witnessed.
Of course, Elodie’s cute drawings were part of the story.
“Oh my, they were drawing pictures? How adorable!”
“Who did she draw? Maybe the butler? I should ask her to draw me, too.”
Unlike the maids, who were lost in their fairytale-like imaginings, the truth was that the drawings were Elodie’s precious death-note lineup—a collection of composite sketches of the people she intended to make pay.
