Chapter 15
Although Lephonia suggested burying the incident cleanly, the Duke of Kreitan refused.
Lephonia explained that the more he did so, the more malice the vassals would harbor toward her. However, the Duke, perhaps still reeling from the shock of the event, took an even firmer stance, declaring that he would purge anyone who held ill will toward her.
Unable to find common ground, Lephonia eventually proposed a strategy to the Duke to secure her own safety.
"Duke. Then, have the children of the vassals working in the duchy serve as my personal attendants. Let that serve as their punishment instead."
At Lephonia’s suggestion, the Duke of Kreitan let out a dry, incredulous laugh.
"Ha, Ponia. How is serving as your attendant a punishment? That is a reward."
Have you no shame! How can you say such a thing so casually!
Lephonia, listening, was horrified and covered her face with her palms in embarrassment. Pretes, who had been sitting next to the Duke and nodding along, added his own comment.
"Father is right. Serving the Lady directly is something to boast about for generations; it can never be a punishment, kid."
"That’s not it. If a problem arises or I get hurt, the person in charge of me is held responsible, right?"
At Lephonia’s words, the Duke and Pretes froze simultaneously.
"In such a case, there would be no need for a separate investigation; I could immediately punish them for the crime of failing to properly serve their master."
In other words, if the vassals' children became Lephonia’s attendants:
"They can no longer attack me. If I get hurt or end up in danger, their children will suffer the consequences."
It was a despicable tactic, using their children as hostages.
"But on the surface, as you both said, it will be seen as a reward for serving the Lady, so they won't be able to argue that it's unfair."
Especially if they were vassal families of the Kreitan house. After all, their children would be serving the children of the Duke directly.
'Doing nothing would be best, but if I absolutely cannot let this slide, this is the best method.'
The Duke of Kreitan would be satisfied because he would have the vassals on a short leash.
The vassals would be unable to do anything about a result so ambiguous that they couldn't tell if it was a reward or a punishment.
Their children would have hope that if they worked hard, they might secure a position in the duchy.
And Lephonia, at the very center of it all, would be safe.
"How is it?"
Lephonia asked, looking at the two men. Pretes uncrossed his arms and leaned forward.
"Hey, kid. You aren't five years old, are you?"
Lephonia flinched inwardly. But she kept her expression hidden, pretending to be nonchalant as she lowered her gaze.
"Is this the kind of answer a five-year-old could come up with? Huh? Father, didn't you say I couldn't even speak properly when I was five?"
She thought he had seen through her, but he hadn't.
*Phew.* Lephonia let out a sigh of relief.
"…It is certainly a good method."
The Duke of Kreitan stroked his chin and nodded.
"Ponia."
"Yes?"
"It is not always good to resolve things with force, but this time, I intended to show them absolute power."
"Ah."
"It is not because of how the situation turned out; I had been thinking about it since the moment they spoke to you so rudely, just waiting for the right time."
For your safety.
That was what the Duke was saying. Lephonia slowly shook her head.
"I know what you mean. But in situations like this, it’s best if everyone keeps each other on a short leash."
Yet, Lephonia had resolved the situation without a shred of force.
"Keeping each other on a short leash, huh."
That was not something that should come out of the mouth of a five-year-old.
He knew the world was not an easy place for a child without a guardian to live alone. But still, what kind of life had she lived to be like this...?
"Ponia. Is this truly what you want? If you wish, I can make them all kneel before you and beg for forgiveness."
The Duke of Kreitan muttered as if it were a trivial matter.
"I have the power to do so, and Ponia, I intend to use it for your sake."
"Right. It’s a relief that Father saved you. If you think about it differently, a murder could have happened in the mansion..."
*Thwack!*
"Ow! Why did you hit me, Father! It’s true! You said if you had been a little late, the kid would have died!"
"Is that something to say in front of a five-year-old? What if she develops trauma from the memory of that time?"
"Hup!"
Pretes covered his mouth with his palm, inhaling sharply as if he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Then, he rolled his eyes around and spoke gently to Lephonia.
"Hey, kid. Don't worry. I’ve been installing Aura Master magic stones all over the mansion. Even if there’s another fire, you will never get hurt this time. Who would dare challenge the authority of the Kreitan family?"
"Magic stones?"
"Yeah. I stole them from the Academy in case something happened. They’re coming in quite handy. There won't be any more fires or collapsing buildings in this mansion."
As soon as Pretes finished speaking, the Duke of Kreitan let out a long, heavy sigh beside them.
Judging by the sound of it, he seemed to be calculating the amount he would have to compensate the Academy.
'He says even if there’s another fire, I’ll never get hurt. I guess I can't use the same method next time. I can't set the mansion on fire and run away, either.'
Lephonia nodded, thinking she would need to plan a way to escape after she found the heirloom.
"Duke. Like I said before, I want to resolve this quietly."
Lephonia was calm.
"If we blow this out of proportion, the story will just spread outside, and rumors that I am not welcome here will only grow."
"Who would dare say such things...!"
"Is your priority my safety, Duke? Or is it the feeling of anger you get because someone touched your people?"
Beside her, Pretes muttered, "I don't care how I look at it, she doesn't seem like a five-year-old." Lephonia ignored him.
"Ha. They say there is no parent who can win against their child."
The Duke of Kreitan sighed and rubbed his eyes. Then, he reached out, gently hugged Lephonia, who was sitting across from him, and brought her to the seat next to him. Pretes moved slightly to the side to make room.
"Ponia."
Lephonia, who had suddenly found herself sitting between Pretes and the Duke of Kreitan, lifted her head awkwardly.
"Seeing as I cannot win against you, you are clearly my child, and I am your parent."
The Duke of Kreitan stroked Lephonia’s hair.
"Yes. We will do as you say."
Parent and child.
At the awkward address, Lephonia lost the words to respond and just nodded her head aimlessly.
Seeing Lephonia’s awkward expression, the Duke of Kreitan smiled and stood up. He then called his aide and ordered him to bring the vassals and their children to his office.
'…This feels strange.'
Lephonia scrunched up her face, touching her messy hair just as the Duke had done a moment ago.
She had lived her life suppressing her emotions. They were things she never needed.
Especially not before her final mission.
'I need to steal the heirloom and get out of here quickly.'
If she stays here any longer, she feels like she’s going to become strange.
Lephonia pressed her small palm against her fluttering heart. As if telling the things moving inside her chest to stop and die.
Lephonia turned her gaze to Pretes to change the subject.
"Are you staying in the mansion?"
"Why? Would you like it if I stayed by your side?"
Would I like it.
She wanted to tell him to go back quickly, but she feared that saying so would only increase Pretes’s suspicions, so she bowed her head instead of answering.
"Aren't you busy?"
She asked indirectly.
"Hmm."
Pretes leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs as if in thought.
Because of Pretes’s suspicions, she hadn't been able to get near the Duke properly lately.
She had to monitor the Duke’s every move and find the location of the heirloom quickly.
"I’m going to stay here a little longer."
Lephonia clicked her tongue inwardly.
Since she couldn't follow the Duke around while Pretes was here, there was nothing she could do.
'Parent and child? If that’s the case, I’ll act like a real Lady.'
She would do her best to act like a Lady so they wouldn't be suspicious, and under the guise of studying the family, she would ask for information about the heirloom fair and square.
'Good.'
Lephonia clenched her fist. At that moment, Pretes’s hand landed on top of her head.
"What is it? Kid. You were talking so well, but now you’re quiet? Are you happy that I’m staying longer?"
Pretes chuckled and messed up Lephonia’s hair.
"St-stop it!"
"Weren't you touching your hair earlier as if you wanted me to do this? You were stroking the hair Father touched earlier all by yourself."
Pretes laughed as if it were amusing.
Lephonia’s white cheeks turned red at the mention of her unconscious actions.
"And don't misunderstand. You’re a patient, so I’m just looking after you until you’re all better. Once you’re healed, I’ll have you sent out of the mansion, and I’ll go back to the Academy then. Got it?"
Pretes warned her with a smile.
'Once I find the heirloom, I’m leaving even if you tell me not to!'
Lephonia nodded, clutching her messy hair with both hands and glaring at Pretes.
Pretes, who had been watching her with a serious face as she nodded obediently despite him saying he would send her away, stood up.
"Then, kid, shall I go find a knight to escort you while you stay here? Father must be senile, as he hasn't assigned you an escort. I’ll pick one out myself."
The Duke of Kreitan, who was ordering his aide from afar, muttered, "I should find out what on earth he learns while attending the Academy."
"…Escort?"
Since she planned to keep the vassals' children by her side as attendants, she had intended to send them on errands or give them busywork to get them out of the way when she went to look for the heirloom.
But an escort is different. An escort’s job is literally to protect their master, so she couldn't just get rid of them.
It might become difficult to search for the heirloom.
"What a useless thing to do."
Lephonia muttered to herself, her brow furrowing.
At that moment, the surroundings went quiet. Lephonia snapped to her attention and lifted her head.
Everyone was looking at Lephonia.
'Oh no.'
Perhaps because she was treated like a child so often, she had been letting her guard down more frequently lately.
"An, an escort… Even without an escort, the Duke and Senior will save me, so it’s useless."
Lephonia smiled like a five-year-old and glossed over her words.
"Se-what? Pfft."
Seeing the five-year-old Lephonia calling him "Senior," Pretes burst into laughter.
Perhaps because Pretes laughed so loudly, the attention shifted toward him.
'Phew, I think I got away with it. Thank goodness.'
Lephonia let out a sigh of relief in secret.
"Hey, kid. Doing useless things is my specialty, you know. You wouldn't know that, would you?"
Pretes laughed and lightly scooped Lephonia up into his arms. Despite his somewhat rough tone, his touch as he held her was incredibly gentle.
"If you're planning to keep the children of the people who burned down your bedroom as your personal attendants, you'll need at least one proper guard to be safe. I'll take responsibility and find you a good one, so let's go."
Pretes stepped out into the hallway with Lephonia.
0 Comments