TYF 13

Chapter 13

* * *

Watching Rierusha disappear far away while tugging Sona’s arm along, Rosinante burst into laughter.

“It seems Lady Rierusha is shy around strangers.”

“……Shy around strangers?”

“Yes.”

“With this face?”

Pernoer, rubbing his face, asked back as if he couldn’t accept it.

Rosinante thought, ‘That’s not what I meant,’ and clicked his tongue internally.

“Yes. She is shy around that face.”

“…….”

“Since the young lady is meeting you for the first time, Young Duke, it’s only natural she would feel awkward.”

Pernoer furrowed his brow at the unexpected difficulty.

Over the four-year gap, the child recognized Pernoer as a stranger.

Rosinante’s eyes glittered with interest.

Who would have thought he would see Pernoer like this, fretting before his daughter?

Pernoer Arakrene, watching the mood of his four-year-old daughter.

Recalling how Pernoer had been sitting beside Rierusha earlier, Rosinante held back the laughter that wanted to burst out.

The sight of him unable to say a single word to Rierusha until everyone gathered in the Tower of Truth had left would be unforgettable even if he closed his eyes.

“By the way, Rosinante.”

“Yes, Young Duke.”

“Why is Rierusha so small? She should have received provisions from the main fortress.”

“……That is because the collateral lines interfered with the supplies, and the young lady has suffered trouble because of it.”

“Those damn collateral-line bastards. I knew it.”

In an instant, killing intent rippled around Pernoer. Rosinante nodded in agreement.

Four years ago, Pernoer had no choice but to step down from the title of young duke in exchange for putting Rierusha on the family registry and securing her safety.

Because there had been backlash from the collateral lines insisting that with Rierusha’s mana problem, she could never be recognized as an heir.

It had also been the day Ackmund, a man of principle, fell silent for the first time.

Needless to say, Ackmund’s standing had been shaken because of that.

Breaking the rules created many problems, but to protect Rierusha, there had been no other choice.

However, the biggest problem lay elsewhere.

The imperial family, which had been looking only for a chance to put a leash on the House of Arakrene, began to move.

It seemed someone had leaked that the inside situation of the ducal house was not good.

Pernoer, looking troubled, swept his hair back.

For now, the most urgent matter was…….

“First I need to get close to the kid, and I should bring back the one who ran off too, right?”

“Yes, that seems to be the order, does it not?”

Rosinante replied, agreeing seriously.

“Then I need to beat down those damn collateral-line bastards.”

“Yes. That would be best. But, Young Duke.”

“What.”

“…Would you consider being careful with your speech and behavior from now on? With the way you speak, Young Duke, the young masters’ personalities are…….”

……isn’t that why they’re like that?

Rosinante thought of the young masters and let out a long sigh.

When they were young, they had some cute sides, but now it was hard to find any of that.

If someone tried to get even a little close, they would bristle and hiss as a matter of course.

Considering what they had gone through, he understood—and yet, in another way, he was worried.

Rosinante shook his head and spoke.

“A few days ago, Young Master Ricador sent killing intent at me and my knees went weak, I tell you. Not exaggerating—truly, you need to make sure my hazard pay is generous.”

“What?”

“That was a slip of the tongue.”

Meeting the flashing red eyes, Rosinante hurriedly shut his mouth.

But he couldn’t retreat like this.

Because he still had something to say.

Rosinante cleared his throat and straightened with a serious posture.

Pernoer’s temperament could hardly be called gentle. Having lived for years on the battlefield with his life threatened, it would be difficult to expect gentleness from him.

But…….

“Ahem, anyway, the reason I brought this up is because I am concerned for Lady Rierusha.”

“Why Rierusha.”

“Imagine that the young lady learns from you like just now and says she has to beat down the damn bastards.”

Pernoer, about to retort, fell silent.

He wanted to say that would never happen, but thinking of his three sons, he was left at a loss for words.

“So from now on, you must use proper and beautiful words as well.”

“……Was raising a child always this full of things to mind?”

Pernoer briefly tried to recall how he had raised the other brats.

“Since the young lady is at an age where she watches and imitates anything, if you spend time with her through battle play like you did with the young masters when they were young, it will be a disaster.”

“…….”

“Absolutely not.”

Rosinante warned him again and again.

* * *

Rierusha’s room in the annex.

“Lady Rierusha. Why did you come back without spending more time with the young duke?”

Sona asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Rierusha let out a deep, anguished sigh.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”

“He feels like a stranger.”

She had met a father she had never seen even once in the past.

But to immediately call him Father, her mouth wouldn’t readily open.

Because there was a long gap between the two of them.

A gap of ten years.

‘Even though I’m four right now.’

To Rierusha, who held memories up to the age of ten, it was in fact a gap of exactly ten years.

If you really counted it, the more familiar side was rather Ackmund.

And she was deeply moved by the fact that he had thought of her and taken her side in this disciplinary committee.

“Is the young duke difficult for you?”

“Mm.”

Rierusha nodded obediently, saying yes.

She had no sense at all of how she should treat Pernoer. Especially since he had a cold impression, it was even more so.

The moment she saw Pernoer rush in to the disciplinary committee, her chest had swelled with joy.

For the first time, she learned what a sturdy fence called a guardian was.

She also learned how much stability it gave.

But separate from that…….

“It’s too awkward.”

At Rierusha’s honest feelings, Sona nodded, saying that could be so.

Since Rierusha hadn’t been able to live warmly mingling with people until now, the process of growing close to Pernoer would be twice as difficult as for others.

‘The young duke will have to work hard so that Lady Rierusha can approach without fear.’

……Would that even be possible?

Sona smiled awkwardly to herself.

“It’s only natural that things are awkward between you two. You can become close from now on, can’t you?”

“Do you think I can?”

“Of course. Perhaps the young duke is worrying about the same thing as you, young lady.”

“Dad too?”

Rierusha made an expression that said she couldn’t believe it.

Like her, was Pernoer also worrying about such a thing—truly?

“The two of you simply still need time. There’s no need to be so impatient.”

“…Mm.”

“Shall we think together about how you can become close?”

“Uum.”

Rierusha blinked, her face full of worry.

Long eyelashes moved up and down, and with deep thought her lips stuck out.

After waiting a long time for an answer, Sona recalled how she had grown close to a certain person she had made her target. Applying that to Rierusha, a fairly reasonable solution came to mind.

“Then how about this? We make a gift and give it to him.”

“A gift?”

“Yes! Since you like accessories, young lady. You’ll surely be able to make something pretty.”

Rierusha flinched.

The “accessories” Sona was talking about were the things Rierusha had hurriedly packed when she was trying to leave the ducal castle not long ago.

Since she had been found in the forest wearing toy accessories all over her body, it seemed a misunderstanding had formed.

That she liked flashy, glittering things.

“…Actually, the accessories are……”

“Yes, the things you cherish most, young lady?”

Sona smiled fondly, as if she already knew.

After hesitating, Rierusha gave up on explaining. There was nothing good to gain from saying she had been thinking of leaving the ducal castle.

“Then shall we try making them?”