Chapter 22

The little boy was rushing about in the burning mansion.

“*Young-sik! Here!” (*what sons of nobles are called)

The gray-haired old man grabbed the boy.

“Marquis Dalton!”

When an old man called the Marquis Dalton pushed the wall, a secret passage appeared. The two rushed for the secret passage.

“Catch them! The children are gone!”

The sounds of the knights yelling diminished through the crack in the closing wall door.

“Marquis Dalton, uh, what happened? Why did the Emperor’s knights raid our mansion? Traitor, what else is that?”

“Something’s wrong. Don’t worry, Young-sik.”

The Duke of Leschine only sent a letter to his daughter, who was married abroad. But the letter, which disappeared in the middle and reappeared in the hands of the Duke of Cabezo, was fabricated as evidence of treason.

The little boy couldn’t understand what it meant yet. Dalton looked down sadly at the boy in fear and confusion. He has been a rival to the Duke of Leschine since childhood, but has recognized and respected each other.

‘I know Leschine better than anyone. He’s not the one who will attempt treason.’

Dalton swallowed his tears and ran down the aisle with the boy.

“Here you are, you rat bastards! I’ve been waiting!”

At the end of the passage, a man with a torch revealed a mean face. It was the Duke of Cabezo. When did they come all the way here?

Dalton hid the boy behind his back.

“Haha. It’s no use hiding! The last blood of Leschine’s blood will be dedicated to our Cabezo!”

The Duke of Cabezo lifted the sword. Then came running towards the boy and the Marquis Dalton.

“No!”

It was then. Someone held the screaming boy’s hand tight.

Very warm hands.

The boy looked around. A girl smaller than himself held his hand tightly.

“It’s all right, Your Grace. I’ll protect you in your dream. So stop waking up from a bad dream.”

Victoire slowly opened his eyes.

Under the bluish light of the moonlight at dawn, a tiny silhouette of Elisabeth was seen.

I thought it had died down, but it was a nightmare that came back. A nightmare like a bad disease not long after he intentionally turned a blind eye to Elisabeth.

The last day of the Duke of Leschine.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“…..”

“Forget it all.”

He had to tell Elisabeth to go back to her room. But Victoire couldn’t push out the tiny body temperature with his hands tightly attached.

Victoire needed it now.

Instead of pushing Elisabeth away, he smiled softly.

“What’s the matter, Elisabeth.”

“I’m scared.”

Elisabeth, who bravely comforted Victoire, returned as a young girl and shrugged.

“Is the night scary?”

“No.”

Elisabeth gave more strength to her hand, attached to Victoire’s.

“I’m afraid it’s all a dream.”

“….”

“When I wake up, I’m afraid Your Grace is gone.”

“Elisabeth.”

“You don’t even want to see me these days, so it’s all just an illusion.”

“Elisabeth, come here.”

Victoire raised himself and opened his arms toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth was surprised and only stood still, with her big eyes wide open.

Victoire gave Elisabeth a gentle hug.

‘Ah….’

He could feel the heart of the girl who came into his arms. A presence smaller than his fist spread throughout Victoire’s body.

When he was hugged, he could feel his heart beating fast and slowly stabilizing. It was a very lovely beat.

This was really force majeure. He couldn’t push this girl out anymore.

“It’s not a dream.”

“If it’s not a dream then?”

“I’m your father.”

“…..”

“You can rest assured.”

Instead of giving a vague answer, Elisabeth put her head down in the arms of Victoire.

On that day, a new dream arose in the life of a barren Victoire who had lived with only revenge as his destiny.

‘I hope that someday Elisabeth will really call me [Dad].’

***

A key with a teddy bear shaped ring went into the keyhole in the study. Elisabeth crept through the open door of the study and went inside.

‘I had a really hard time playing today, too.’

Today, Dylan made me a golden pinwheel. Of course, the pinwheel didn’t turn because it was a day without a single wind. When Elisabeth was disappointed, Dylan used an aura to spin the pinwheel wildly. Later, the artificial wind that the aura created was so strong that all the grass around her was swept away.

Dylan grumbled and cleaned the garden.

‘It was fun!’

But all that was just for access to the study. Victoire and Mrs. Marian always said, ‘Do it right, have fun, and play a lot,’ but that’s far from it.

‘It’s all just for the study.’

Elisabeth laughed and took out a book without hesitation.

【The Secret History of the Empire】

This book was classified as a third-rate gossip book. However, the book’s 345 pages contained conspiracy theories about the families of Cabezo and Leschine, which were not covered in any book.

Of course I had to pass through a lot of crap to get to page 345.

‘I seriously wrote down the fact that the current emperor was the crown prince and that the northern part of the empire had a door to hell. Who made up the story that if you give your life, [Trikol] will grant you a wish? If he knew that, the Duke of Cabezo would have used it already.’

It was such a third-rate book that it did not seem to be designated as a taboo. Conspiracy theories about the Cabezos and Leschines were also likely to be less credible. Still, it was worth reading. It’s better to know than not to know.

‘It’s the most detailed book I’ve ever read in the study.’

From the beginning, Elisabeth was allowed to enter the study to learn about the two families, Leschine and Cabezo.

Elisabeth only knew that Leschine was a family that collapsed after plotting treason. But the Daughtry’s thought Leschine was framed by Cabezo.

Elisabeth read the rest of the parts that she had read until yesterday.

Elisabeth turned over the pages.

The fall of the Leschine was in Elisabeth’s grandfather’s time. At that time, Victoire would have been a young boy like herself.

‘Any book is all about gossip. I want to know something more accurate. I thought there’d be evidence of that in Victoire’s study.’

Elisabeth looked round the high and wide study.

Knock, Knock

Then someone knocked on the door of the study.

“Who is it?”

Elisabeth asked. The door opened slightly and Marian stuck out her head.

“Miss, how long are you going to keep reading? Come out and have a snack.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“In the middle of growing up, you have to feed even if you’re not hungry.”

Marian came into the study and held Elisabeth in her arms.

“Ah! Mrs. Marian! Let me down, I’m 12 years old! It’s heavy for Mrs. Marian.”

“That’s… a little true.”

Marian smiled embarrassedly and put Elisabeth down.

“I wanted to hug you too, because His Grace and the young masters hug you so brightly.”

“You don’t have to. I’m really good at walking.”

“If you had come when you were a little younger, I would have carried you around every day. I’m sorry I couldn’t.”

Elisabeth smiled and took Marian’s hand.

“Let’s go get some snacks!”

“I prepared a delicious peach tart and chocolate cake. Look forward to it.”

Elisabeth walked down the hall with light steps, holding Marian’s hand.

“The Miss looks happy. Is something going on?”

A passing employee asked Marian.

“I’m going to eat peach tart and chocolate cake!”

Elisabeth replied instead. He could not hide his smile as his employer was cute with her boastful way of speaking. Employees would always gaze at Elisabeth with a warm look as they walked around the mansion.

Elisabeth was like a cute little squirrel that appeared in a dreary, dark mansion. The expression of those who had been rigid with her existence began to unravel. It was the same for Elisabeth that this mansion brightened up.

‘I like it here.’

People were kind to Elisabeth. Elisabeth always smiled at everyone. She generously shared her heart with those who gave her affection.

When she was Emilie Cabezo, no matter how hard she tried, everyone was cold. Her father disapproved of everything Emilie did. Emilie sent desserts for the employees who finished an event, but Polia put the medicine in the middle, causing all the employees to have stomach aches and become her public enemies.

That’s why Elisabeth’s small smile on her face was so precious.

‘People here may have other plans, but I just want to like them now. Let’s enjoy this moment until we’re all grown up.’

Elisabeth’s mind was also relieved because of Dylan’s work not long ago.

‘It’s funny that oppa was protecting me.’  (i’ll be using oppa[older brother] and orabeoni[elder brother] from now on.)

When Elisabeth thought of that time, she laughed. Sixteen year-old Dylan spoke quite maturely. Since then, he has not even said get out.

‘I don’t know how lucky that is.’

I couldn’t say anything, but every time I was told to go out, the inner wound was no joke.

“Elisabeth!”

A familiar voice was heard from outside. Elisabeth held her head out of the window.

“How are you? Long time no see!”

Jeremy Dalton smiled brightly and waved.

“I saw you yesterday. How has it been a while?”

“Of course. I missed you so much I thought I was dying! A day seemed like a year.”

Jeremy was a friend of Dylan’s, but he had a different personality from Dylan. Everyone was friendly and active. There was so much playfulness that Elisabeth would burst out laughing once a minute when she talked to him.

“Come down. Let’s play!”

Jeremy was a sixteen-year-old boy and liked to hang out with Elisabeth, a twelve-year-old girl. Elisabeth went down to the garden where Jeremy was often waiting.

“I’m playing with you instead because Dylan won’t play.”

“You come here so often that Dylan doesn’t play with you.”

“Aing. That’s too much. You know much I love Dylan.”

“R-really?”

Elisabeth asked with her golden eyes wide open. Jeremy laughed at it, holding his stomach.

“Puhahaha. Do you really believe that?”

“What. You shouldn’t play with love.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Then what are you going to give me as an apology?”

Elisabeth asked graciously. Jeremy, who had his eyes wide open, soon realized that Elisabeth was playing a prank and bowed his head, pretending to be troubled.

“Hmm, I’ll make you a grass flute as an apology.”

Jeremy tore off a few leaves of grass in the garden and folded them around to create a plausible flute shape.

“Wow. Does this really make a sound?”

“Of course. Listen.”

Jeremy blew the grass flute. It was small and clumsy, but clearly there was a ‘Ppoo-Ppoo-’ sound.

Elisabeth rumbled and laughed. Jeremy looked at Elisabeth, bewildered.

“Is this so funny?”

“Yes. It’s a lot of fun. I want to blow it, too!”

Jeremy gave Elisabeth the grass flute.