Chapter 9
“Your daughter is very polite. And she has quite a loud voice.”
“She’s not my daughter.”
Flip.
Vasily was at a loss for words.
That damn flyer…
More importantly, why hadn’t she gone home?
Why was she still here?
The child peeked out again, only her eyes showing as she watched Vasily’s reaction.
Perhaps she was getting anxious after seeing Vasily standing there motionless, because the child fumbled around for a moment.
“Next, next!”
She hurriedly flipped through the sketchbook, but suddenly, the silver crown of her head wobbled and tipped backward…
“Eek!”
Grab!
“You little brat! Are you trying to do something dangerous?”
It took less than two seconds for Vasily to throw open the window and catch the child as she fell backward.
Haniel blinked as she dangled in midair.
After staring into his wide-open red eyes, she turned around with a quick little twist. She saw that the wooden box she’d been standing on had collapsed.
‘It’s okay even if I fall, since there’s plenty of straw on the floor.’
Thump, thump, thump, thump. For some reason, Vasily’s heartbeat seemed to be pounding loudly.
“…”
Haniel stared blankly at the man holding her in his arms.
His arms were big and sturdy.
They were incredibly warm. Just like Dad’s arms…
“Thank you-!”
Haniel hurriedly hopped down to the floor.
Vasily let out a long sigh.
“Ha, seriously… So, why are you here?”
“Ah. I’m here to apply for a welcome kit!”
Smack! She held out the flyer, and Vasily narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t remember ever welcoming you…”
“You did! You said I could live here until the day after tomorrow. That means I’m a territory resident for three days and two nights. A short-term welcome? That’s what you did, right?”
“…”
Was that really what he’d meant?
For some reason, it was hard to argue with her.
“So, so! I’d like you to lend me just a little bit of your time…! Your Highness’s time!”
Vasily stared at Haniel.
For some reason… she seemed even grimier than before. There was dirt all over her cheeks, too.
‘A hoe…? Is that a hoe?’
Something that was unmistakably a hoe was sticking out of the bag she had slung over her back.
He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“Hey, Hippo.”
“I’m not a hippo. I’m Haniel.”
“Where’s Camilla?”
“Housekeeper Camilla? She went home for a bit because she said she’d give me some warm bread and soup! Sounds delicious, right?”
“…”
The Knight of Ice was dead.
She must have melted into a puddle long ago and switched sides to become the Knight of Water.
Vasily gave up on trying to make sense of things. He beckoned Haniel over with a small gesture.
“Come here.”
The child scampered over and held out her hand like a puppy, slap, no, her palm.
Vasily casually placed the strings of a couple of pouches into the child’s hand.
“This is the welcome and goodbye kit I can give you.”
“Ehhh?”
“I’ll give you a pouch of south-produced sugar and another of spices. Take them outside and sell them. You should get a decent price if you sell them in a nearby territory. Everyone around here goes crazy for anything from the south.”
“Mhm.”
“Now, are you satisfied? So go on and leave.”
“Your Highness? Th-that’s…!”
Vasily heard Luden’s horrified voice, but he paid no attention.
“Goodbye, kid.”
“Eek! Not goodbye! I can’t sell these!”
“Why not? You said there was a man who came here with you.”
Vasily repeated what Haniel had casually mentioned earlier.
‘She seems to have a perfectly healthy father, too.’
The drawing he’d seen in the sketchbook came to mind.
“That’s not it. This is…”
Haniel’s eyes darted around before landing on Luden. She slowly looked him up and down, from head to toe, before fixing her gaze on one particular spot.
Luden followed her gaze and noticed a piece of straw stuck to the hem of his pants. Just an ordinary piece of straw. And yet, for some reason, his shoulders flinched.
Just as Haniel was about to say something, Luden suddenly snatched the strings of the pouches from her hand.
“Your Highness! You can’t! She looks like some brat who’s been crawling around in a slum, so just send her away! Is there any reason for Your Highness to go this far for her?”
The angry knight’s voice filled the warehouse.
“It’s obvious she came here to beg on purpose. Remember those people! You saved them, and they sucked you dry before robbing the treasury and running off… At least those bastards chopped firewood a few times. But why on earth would you waste your time on a brat like this who’s no help to the territory at all?!”
“Luden.”
“No, wait, that’s not it. Kids these days are even more cunning, so she’s obviously up to something like this!”
“Luden.”
That was when it happened.
At the sound of Vasily’s quiet voice, the knight’s mouth snapped shut.
As though the loose atmosphere from moments ago had all been a lie, the air around them suddenly became taut.
“That’s enough.”
Thud. A large hand closed around Luden’s shoulder.
“Do you want me to?”
The pressure was overwhelming. The Grand Duke’s menacing aura, which he’d concealed beneath his lighthearted tone and demeanor, poured toward Luden.
Vasily stared at the trembling Luden before reining in his aura. Then, as though nothing had happened, he casually brushed Luden’s shoulder.
“Hey. Have things been rough for you lately?”
“…”
“I know you worked hard going to the south and back, but why are you being so stingy over sending a kid off with a few pouches?”
“…I’m sorry…”
“I’ll take care of things here, so go get some rest.”
Luden fidgeted before finally bowing and leaving the warehouse with his subordinates.
‘What am I supposed to do about that?’
Vasily rubbed the back of his head.
‘And what am I supposed to do about this?’
He sensed the presence of the child standing behind him.
She was awfully quiet.
Was she crying?
Or had she already started?
‘What a hassle.’
A large adult had pointed at her and shouted. She must also have felt wronged at being treated like some bad kid who only caused trouble…
Vasily turned around.
“Um, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf…”
And he froze in place.
“Yeees?”
Because the child was smiling brightly.
“What for?”
“…”
An indescribable feeling washed over him.
“Um, what my subordinate just said went a little too far.”
“Ah!”
Haniel smiled sweetly.
“It’s okay! He was allowed to get angry!”
Haniel answered without a care, then apparently thought of something and suddenly made a shocked face, waving both arms around.
“But, but! I didn’t come here just to suck you dry! I swear! I’ve never tried to rob the treasury, either. Well, I was kind of aiming for the bread, but that’s something I’m supposed to receive as fair compensation for my hard work…!”
What was that supposed to be?
“Anyway, I’m not a burden anymore, so don’t worry!”
It sounded as though she’d been treated like a burden before. Or perhaps she thought of herself as one.
For some reason, Vasily felt irritated.
He plopped down onto one of the nearby crates. A long sigh escaped him.
“So.”
“Yes?”
“What are you going to do with my time?”
Haniel blinked her big eyes.
“You asked for it. One hour.”
“Oh, right!”
Haniel came running over.
“You’re really going to give it to me?”
“You said you’d be a territory resident for three days and two nights, didn’t you?”
“…!”
“Then I have to do what you ask.”
Vasily spoke reluctantly, even though he knew something was going wrong.
“I’m not a man who goes back on his word. I’m a pretty decent lord, you know.”
“Woooow! Then, then!”
The child jumped up and down, grinning from ear to ear.
Vasily stared at her.
‘I really don’t like this.’
He didn’t like children.
And children who smiled a lot were even worse.
Kids like that usually had something huge brewing inside them.
‘This is going to be a pain.’
Since things had come to this, he’d just humor her until the day after tomorrow and then send her on her way.
A six-year-old could only ask for things like eating bread together or looking around the village, so…
“Would you like to go with me to draw blood from the mad dragon’s corpse?”
“I’m sorry, but our territory is closed.”
What the hell was that kid?!
What on earth was she hiding inside her?!!
