Chapter 23
A ten-year-old child was asking for work so she could repay a kindness.
It was admirable.
And yet…
For some reason, the Duke felt as though part of his heart had frozen over.
After silently looking at Liriette with his usual cool expression, he finally said,
“I’ll think about it a little more before giving you an answer.”
It was a vague response.
Still, it wasn’t an outright refusal.
Satisfied with that, Liriette nodded.
Beginning the very next day, Liriette started looking for every kind of work she could find around the castle.
She would wake before dawn and wipe every window clean.
She also cleaned forgotten rooms tucked away in corners that the maids rarely had time to visit.
“Maybe a fairy has appeared in the castle! Every time I look away for a second, all the work is already done!”
At first, the maids laughed, wondering what mysterious force was at work.
Then they discovered the “fairy” was Liriette.
“L-Lady Liriette! We’ll do it!”
The maids desperately tried to stop her.
It was useless.
Liriette always worked where no one was looking.
Simon reported,
“Lady Liriette wishes to work so earnestly that some of the maids have started pretending they didn’t see anything, even when they catch her working.”
Simon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Duke.
The Duke’s face remained expressionless.
Not a trace of emotion showed.
Yet Simon could clearly sense the icy aura surrounding him.
Swallowing nervously, Simon asked,
“Should I order the maids to make absolutely certain Lady Liriette doesn’t do any work?”
The maids would obey immediately.
But then…
Liriette would no longer be able to do what she wanted.
That ridiculous notion of repaying a kindness.
Raising one eyebrow, the Duke answered,
“Leave her alone for now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Several days later…
The Duke frowned.
There was a cut on Liriette’s cheek.
Feeling his gaze, Liriette hurriedly covered the wound, her face turning bright red.
“It’s nothing.”
“I accidentally dropped a glass ornament while cleaning it, and a small piece flew up and scratched me.”
Both the maid and Simon had assured her it was fine.
Even so, Liriette had felt guilty ever since.
“I’m sorry.”
“Such a valuable ornament was shattered because of me.”
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
At that moment, the Duke spoke in a low voice.
“That’s not the issue here.”
“…!”
Liriette’s heart sank.
It was the first time she had ever heard the Duke speak in such an icy tone.
I made a mistake.
So I knew it was only natural for him to scold me.
But…
Why did she suddenly feel like crying?
What right do I have to cry?
Biting her lip, she desperately held back her tears.
Watching her struggle, the Duke knitted his brows.
After a long silence, he let out a small sigh.
“I lost my temper unnecessarily.”
“I’m sorry.”
“N-No…”
“I was the one who made the mistake.”
“I’m sorry.”
Even though the color had drained from her face…
Even though both her hands trembled…
Liriette stubbornly refused to cry.
That sight weighed heavily on the Duke’s heart.
He slowly clenched his fist.
* * *
Looking down at a parfait topped with colorful fruit over creamy white ice cream, the Duke asked,
“How is Liriette?”
Simon answered with a troubled expression.
“She has stayed in her room all day again.”
Ever since the Duke had raised his voice, Liriette had completely stopped busily running around doing work.
When the castle chef heard about it, he created his finest parfait in hopes of cheering her up.
It hadn’t worked.
Liriette hadn’t widened her eyes in amazement at the beautiful dessert.
She hadn’t cried tears of joy over how delicious it was.
She had simply said,
“Thank you.”
Nothing more.
“The kitchen maids are saying it’s the chef’s fault for failing to comfort Lady Liriette.”
“They’re currently beating him.”
“The chef has accepted his punishment without resistance, believing he deserves it.”
One of the Duke’s eyebrows twitched.
He couldn’t care less whether the chef’s life was being threatened by a group of furious maids.
What concerned him was Liriette.
Eventually, without taking a single bite of the parfait, the Duke rose from his seat.
Click.
Hearing the door open, Liriette turned around in surprise.
“Your Grace?”
The Duke strode toward her with long, confident steps.
Glancing at the table, he noticed that more than half of the parfait remained untouched.
His brows furrowed ever so slightly.
“The long winter is ending.”
“Spring is approaching, and the weather has become much warmer.”
“Spring…”
Liriette repeated the word with wonder.
“It’s strange hearing that word in the North.”
The Duke looked at her.
“In that case…”
“How about going out with me today?”
Liriette’s eyes grew round.
She had never expected such an invitation.
News that the Duke and Liriette were going out together sent both Marie and Simon into a frenzy of preparations.
As Simon fastened the Duke’s cloak over his shoulders, he casually suggested,
“It may be inconvenient if only the two of you go. Perhaps I should accompany—”
“We’re going alone.”
The firm response left Simon no room to argue.
He quietly closed his mouth.
Meanwhile…
The atmosphere around Liriette was completely different.
Marie, who continued caring for Liriette despite the jealousy of countless maids, smiled brightly.
“This is Lady Liriette’s first outing since coming to the castle.”
Liriette answered with an excited smile.
“Yes.”
“To be honest, I’ve felt sorry seeing you stay inside the castle all the time.”
“Children should play outside if they’re going to grow up healthy.”
Even so…
Marie couldn’t help worrying.
Compared to children raised in the North, Lady Liriette is so tiny and frail.
So she made sure Liriette was bundled up warmly.
First came thick thermal underwear.
Then a fur vest.
Then a dress.
After that…
A thick hat.
A scarf.
Fur-lined boots.
But she still wasn’t finished.
Finally, Marie slipped a pair of fluffy gloves onto Liriette’s tiny hands.
Liriette’s eyes widened.
“The gloves are warm!”
“They’re decorated with mana stones that retain heat.”
“Mana stones?!”
“Yes.”
“His Grace prepared them.”
“He noticed that you kept wearing gloves even inside the castle and thought your hands must get very cold.”
“Ah…”
Liriette blinked.
That wasn’t why she always wore gloves.
On her very first day at the castle, she had injured her hand while healing the Duke.
She had started wearing gloves simply to hide the wound.
It had become a habit.
I never imagined the Duke would notice something like that.
Touched by his unexpected thoughtfulness, Liriette’s cheeks turned pink.
Seeing that, Marie smiled warmly.
“You’re dressed warmly enough now.”
“You shouldn’t be too cold outside.”
“Thank you.”
Liriette’s polite gratitude made Marie’s enormous muscles twitch.
She’s so adorable!
Wrapped in layer upon layer of clothing, Liriette looked like a tiny fluffy ball.
I want to scoop up fluffy Lady Liriette, spin her high into the sky, and then hug her tightly when she comes back down into my arms!
Somehow, Marie managed to suppress the urge.
She simply saw Liriette off.
“Have a safe trip.”
Liriette stepped outside the castle.
Perhaps because of all the warm clothing…
Or perhaps because spring was finally approaching…
It’s not as cold as I expected.
There was no wind.
The sunlight was pleasantly warm.
The air was still chilly enough to make the tip of her nose, sticking out above her tightly wrapped scarf, sting a little.
But even that felt refreshing.
A little while later, Liriette gasped in surprise.
The Duke had brought out an enormous stag.
This wasn’t the first time she had seen one.
When she first came to Windsorice Castle, she had ridden in a carriage pulled by deer.
Even so, she couldn’t hide her amazement.
“Don’t tell me…”
“We’re going to ride the deer?”
The Duke nodded.
“In the North, where there is heavy snow and countless mountain ranges, deer are far more practical than horses.”
“Outside the North, however, they suffer from the heat, so they can only be ridden here.”
People from the capital often laughed at Northerners for riding deer instead of horses, calling them rustic.
But Liriette reacted differently.
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled.
“That’s amazing!”
“…Is it?”
“Yes!”
Her answer was immediate.
