Chapter 5: CH 5

Lucas, who was cleaning up the situation outside the orphanage, ran to see his boss coming out with a child in his arms.

Seeing the black hair, which was rare not only in the Britina Empire but also in the closeby  Larvian Empire, he thought it was a  child of this family. Really, blood can’t lie.

The white skin of the child, who was sleeping like a doll, had bruises on it.

Lucas frowned at the sight that seemed like it would hurt just looking at it.

“You’re a bastard who isn’t even as good as a real beast.”

Because the orphanage was in the middle of a dark and rough mountain, it took some time to get there. Still, they thought they had come diligently. But If they had come just a day or an hour earlier, the child wouldn’t have been hurt so much.

Despite Lucas’ low swear words, Grand Duke Estin just looked at the child in his arms.

Lucas looked at him for a moment and said.

“Shall I carry her?”

“It’s okay.”

“According to the child she was with…… It seems that the director was embezzling the orphanage subsidy. So they tried to steal it and give it to the kids.”

Estine, who continued to listen to Lucas, fixed the child’s posture.

The child was quietly held in Estin’s arms as if dead.

Estin, who suddenly felt an inexplicable ominous and strange feeling, raised his index finger and placed it under the child’s nose.

Only read this at europalation (dot) wordpress (dot) com, please do not repost

When he felt the child’s soft breath like a quiet candle, he lowered his index finger with an expressionless expression.

“What kind of a bastard……”

Estine looked down at the child and muttered with a sigh.

She must be around ten years old.

Yet she tried helping the other children in the orphanage by stealing the embezzled gold?

With a much smaller and softer body than her peers, he didn’t know what the hell she was thinking trying to play the role of a hero.

Judging by the clear color of her hair and eyes, this child was clearly a member of the Conler family.

The legend that the Conler family, which had exceptionally black hair and black eyes that resembled the deepest night sky, was widely known all over the world along with the legend of their blood being mixed with demons.

It wasn’t a legend that ended with only black hair and eyes. Member’s of Conler’s direct lineage had a particularly strong aura, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach them.

In particular, Grand Duke Estin Conler, who was said to have brought so much prosperity that the sun did not set under the Britina Empire, strengthened the belief because he was as beautiful yet cold as a well-crafted ice flower.

There were also rumors that the Grand Duke Conler, who was rumored to be beautiful and emotionless, was a well-made marionette for the imperial family.

“Righteous Conler.”

“It’s really fascinating.”

He asked the child to open her eyes to check the color of her eyes, but in fact, he could tell even without her having to open them.

Even if she didn’t open her eyes……Except for her hair and eye color, the child’s facial features were very similar to Helena’s.

All this was the sin of him daring to swallow the sun.

Grand Duke Conler is said to have brought prosperity enough to the point that the sun never sets, but that family was a damp place without sunlight.

This child was lost, and Helena died just like that.

‘Dad……’

‘……’

‘Why would you come…… now?’

It felt as if the slender voice of the child who had spoken to him was buzzing through his ears.

Even in the midst of everything, she managed to find out that he was her father.

Thanks to this unconventional Conler, a strange feeling he had never felt before in his life enveloped Estin.

Estin, who looked expressionlessly at the child locked in his arms, spoke in a voice that seemed to freeze his surroundings.

“Where did that mouse go?”

“That……ran away. It seems that it is difficult to search because it is dark and the surrounding area is mountainous.”

“Find him somehow and bring him to me.”

“All right.”

“It doesn’t matter what shape he is in, but he has to be alive.”

If it was up to him, it would be cool to dig out an eyeball, cut off a limb, and throw it to a wild beast, but the probability that the director was the kidnapper and the possibility that there was a true culprit behind the kidnapping couldn’t be ruled out, so he had to be able to communicate with him.

Due to Estin’s hideous aura that felt like it would freeze everything, no one could approach him.

FOnly his cousin Lucas, who had been educated alongside him since childhood, was able to withstand the energy.

‘Still, this is the first time I’ve seen you so disorganized……’

“By the way, the youngest girl is really Conlerdaus.”

“……what?”

“What she thinks she should do, she just does it.”

“So you are saying she is stubborn.”

“Ah, maybe.”

Only read this at europalation (dot) wordpress (dot) com, please do not repost

Only then did a small smirk appear on Estin’s mouth, to which Lucas responded with a small smile.

“I will send the children to the orphanage in the estate.”

“Okay.”

The light of the moonlight illuminated the child. When the child received the soft moonlight, it only felt like she was going to break more.

‘Were the rumors floating around about Conler’s direct lineage being a marionette true?’

Looking at the child’s long eyelashes under the moonlight, he thought it was a false rumor.

***

“My lady! I told you that you shouldn’t pick up what you dropped and eat it!”

A strange world where the concept of the 3 second rule did not work.

I bowed my head to secretly pick up the sweets that had fallen on the floor, but was caught by Bonita again.

It’s okay since it fell within 3 seconds…… As I was about to hesitate, Bonita looked at me again with an upset expression.

“What the hell…… If you had just asked for it, I would have given it to you.”

“This is expensive……”

Seeing that it melted in my mouth as soon as I put it in, it was definitely expensive.

My only pleasure was the desserts that Bonita gave me after a simple meal because my doctor said I shouldn’t eat too much.

One of my pleasures was really discouraged.

Still, they spent 9 years looking for me, spending time and money to listen to the words ‘nuisance’, so I didn’t want to inflict any more damage.

So it didn’t fall on the ground, it fell on an antique carpet, so I just secretly picked it up and tried to eat it……I didn’t expect her to look at me so sadly.

“The reason I don’t give much is because you can’t overdo your stomach yet. As soon as you get healthy, I’ll give you as much as you want. Don’t do this because I can always give you back anything that has fallen.”

It was almost the first time that someone scolded me out of concern and not anger. I was weak to such things.

Bonita’s eyes and voice felt upset, it made me feel frustrated.

I grabbed Bonita’s index finger. My hands were smaller than my peers, so I could barely hold a single index finger with my whole hand.

“I’m sorry…… Don’t scold me.”

“What do you mean, how much did I scold you?”

“It felt like a thousand years……”

“Oh, my lady……”

Bonita finally hugged me tightly while I sat down and patted me on the back.

I held her warm arms and squinted my eyes. Bonita smelled of sweet cookies and dried laundry, it made me feel good as I was held in her arms for no reason.

It had been about a week since I came to the Grand Duke’s residence.

Strangely….. .Maybe because I was sick the whole time I came to the Grand Duke’s residence, but Bonita, Lucas and the other employees of the Grand Duke were particularly weak to me.

Only read this at europalation (dot) wordpress (dot) com, please do not repost

Even Lucas, who initially teased me for being an underdog, looked at me restlessly.

Grand Duke…… So Dad said he had to leave the mansion because he had urgent business to deal with in the Imperial Palace.

The three older brothers were currently attending the academy.

‘Ha…… I should look good.’

No, in fact, I didn’t want to look good, I just hoped that I wouldn’t be hated.

That way even if they fall for Astina later, they won’t be able to let me go easily.

Leo and the children who were at Brandon Orphanage moved to another orphanage and said that they were doing well, so it looks like I just had to plan my future properly.

I need to come up with a business idea.

While I was thinking about such things in Bonita’s arms, someone came into the dining room.

“No, why are you two so close? Hug me too.”

“Are you here, Lucas?”

“Did miss kitty have a good meal?”

“I’m still eating.”

“You should hurry up and eat something like meat.”

Lucas stroked my hair. Even when it was Lucas, I stayed silent since I liked having my head patted. Knowing that I was really like a kitten, Lucas started calling me Miss Kitty.

Come to think of it, I think someone stroked my hair while I was sleeping…… Was that also Liucas?

“Why are you tilting your head like this?”

“……Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey, when I see you look like that, you really are a part of this family.”

Bonita disappeared into the kitchen to bring me more desserts, and Lucas sat next to me, pushing me to drink some milk.

In fact, besides Bonita, Lucas was the one who talked to me the most, so it made me feel a little more comfortable.

When I drank milk and looked at Lucas, he smiled again.

……why was he smiling again.

“Hey, cat whiskers.”

Only read this at europalation (dot) wordpress (dot) com, please do not repost

At Lucas’s playful remarks, I raised my arm and lightly wiped my chin.

Ah…… I had a handkerchief, Bonita would probably scold me for wiping it with my clothes again.

It was fortunate that Bonita wasn’t here right now.

“Then why did you come?”

“Ah!”

“……?”

“The grand duke might come tomorrow.”

Hearing those words, I dropped the cookie I was holding. The cookie shattered on the floor in vain.

I was so surprised that I couldn’t pick up the cookies until 3 seconds had already passed.

‘Not yet…… Was I ready yet?’