CH 11

‘…I don’t want to go back.’

It was good there. Her mom’s hometown, where there’s someone who made her smile. 

She returned a smile to the employees. The child whose cheeks were red met their eyes one by one and smiled shyly. It was a lovely look. Everyone in there couldn’t control their lips. A silent smile spread throughout the dining hall. Even the blunt butler had a hearty smile on his face. 

And the Marquis was no exception. To him, whose only child was a cheeky son, a calm child with a smile was a very strange creature. It’s cute just looking at it, but it was even affectionate because it’s his one and only nephew. Not to mention, she was a child who was so ill that she couldn’t even eat proper food until yesterday. Since such a child was eating well, even the food on her lips looked cute.

The Marquis also stopped eating and watched the child eat. His tough face softened to the point of being invisible. The butler, seeing his master’s haggard expression belatedly, cleared his throat.

‘Master, relax a little…’

The Marquis, who came to his senses at the sound of the butler clearing his throat, quickly adjusted his expression.

‘It should look serious and reassuring.’

Jayleen, the attending physician, informed them that Ariadne continued to look uneasy. Every time the door was opened, she was startled, and she was afraid that someone scary would come in. Her maid, Lucy, reports that the young lady seemed to be having nightmares because when she saw her in the morning, there were times when she was full of cold sweat.

‘I have to reassure her.’

Wouldn’t she be anxious no more if she felt that a reliable uncle would protect her no matter who came? 

The Marquis thought so and straightened his shoulders and maintained an upright posture. Naturally, his expression became grim.

Ariadne flinched when she saw the Marquis after finishing her main dish. The hulking Marquis stared at her expressionlessly, looking like a beast contemplating whether to kill her or eat her alive.

Seeing the little girl startled, the butler cleared his throat again.

‘Master, take care of your expression…’

‘Am I still making a stupid face?’

The Marquis stiffened even more without noticing. He gripped his mouth, which was about to loosen, and concentrated on eating with his back erect.

The butler grabbed his forehead.

Ariadne became increasingly uneasy at the attitude of the Marquis, who faced her without saying a word. Come to think of it, the Archmage was nowhere to be seen even though they were having dinner in the large dining room. In fact, the Archmage had never appeared before. Even though he was the person who brought her there.

She heard that the Count and Countess had left for the contaminated area before winter began.

‘The Countess was also the commander of Weaver’s Snow Leopard Cavalry Division.’

They were not in their castle, so it’s no wonder she hasn’t seen them until now. They were not due to return until after the blizzard had stopped.

‘But the Archmage said he was still staying in the West Tower.’

Lucy had told here. The western tower of Blizzard Castle was the residence of the Archmage, and the Archmage was said to live there.

‘Has he completely entrusted me to the Marquis?’

She asked to be taken away, so he brought her, and she cried, passed out, got sick, and even threw up, so he must have been annoyed. A fed up Archmage entrusted his son with his nephew, telling him to take care of her, and she suddenly fell ill.

A picture was drawn of the Marquis, who was to take care of the child. It’s pitiful at first, so he treated her well. However, if the uninvited guest who had been forced to take over had been convalescing for over a week, sympathy would have cooled and it would have been annoying.

‘Since I’m all better now, he might tell me to go back to Eldeer soon.’

Her spine grew cold. It wasn’t the time to rejoice at a good meal or smiling people. Her appetite plummeted.

Ariadne put the tableware down before the dessert was even served. She felt the touch of the things she had packed in the inside pockets of her dress. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

“Marquis.”

“Hmm?”

“I have something to tell you, no, there is something I want to show you. It is very important.”

“Have you already eaten?”

The Marquis asked curiously. Ariadne meekly bowed her head.

“Yes, enough now.”

“You eat too little. Dessert hasn’t even come out yet.”

The Marquis, tongue-tied, took out a handkerchief and held it up. He reached out and held her hand carefully under Ariadne’s chin, wiping the smudge from her mouth with her handkerchief. It was so natural that she couldn’t react right away.

It was only after the maid handed her soiled handkerchief to the butler that Ariadne realized what had just happened to her. She ate her food perfectly, but her young body didn’t seem to be moving as expected.

‘What kind of ugliness is this?’

Eating so messily that it stained the corners of her mouth.

If this was Eldeer Castle, a report would have reached the Duke already. She would have been scolded and punished.

Ariadne turned red and bowed her head.

“Sorry.”

“Hmm? Suddenly what…”

“I didn’t follow proper dining etiquette. Sorry. I will never make this mistake again.”

Hearing Ariadne’s reflexive apology, the Marquis’ face hardened. After a moment of silence, he sighed.

“Ariadne, how old are you?”

“I am 7 years old.”

“Yes, you are still 7 years old. But you’re just trying to act like a 17-year-old. No, try acting more mature than that. You don’t have to.”

Did that mean that it was gross because it was not childish? Just like her grandmother in her past life said. Come to think of it, when she first met her, she said it was overly mature.

Ariadne lowered her eyes.

“…Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

The Marquis was taken aback by her reaction. 

‘Oh, that’s not it. I was trying to soothe and console her, but it ended up looking like a scolding. What should I say so that the child understands?’

Ariadne raised her head and opened his mouth while he was stuttering.

“Marquis Baek, could you please call the Archmage as well?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to show you something that the Archmage must see together.”

“What are you trying to show me?”

The Marquis raised his eyebrows as if he was puzzled. Ariadne took a deep breath and answered.

“I want to tell you what my fa-father has done with me.”

She almost bit off her tongue because she didn’t want to call him her father.

The Marquis was silent for a moment. As he gazed down at her, he suddenly reached out his hand for her. His warm, large hands gently stroked her hair. He let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s enough just to let me know, Ariadne. I will deliver it to the Archmage.”

As expected, the Archmage seemed to hate her. Just like the original. It wasn’t a strange thing.

‘It was weirder when they were friendly.’

Still, the Archmage had to see this for himself. It’s hard to believe unless you see it in person, and it’s hard to recreate it twice.

The amount of contamination she had stolen from her dad was just one drop. Therefore, demonstrating an unfinished elixir is limited to once.

‘Honestly, I don’t even dare to do that twice.’

She knew how painful it was, so she wanted to end it once and for all. She continued her words, looking straight up into the Marquis’s green eyes.

“No. I will never be able to tell you until the Archmage comes.”

“You mean this uncle alone isn’t enough?”

“…yes. We really need the Archmage.”

She couldn’t help it, even if it seemed arrogant. She didn’t expect to be liked anyway.

‘I don’t have the confidence to do that.’

Clear and reasonable gains were more believable to her than vague likes and sympathies. Her alter-ego glanced at her with her curious eyes. Her expression was hard to read for her.

Ariadne, trembling, straightened her back and caught her gaze. It was embarrassing to see her as a child being reckless. 

For a while she was silent, after some minutes, the Margrave called the butler.

“Bring my father.”

The butler looked a little perplexed.

“Master, as you know, the Archmage…”

“He is a stubborn old man.”

The Marquis, grumbling briefly, beckoned the butler to come closer. He whispered softly in the butler’s ear so Ariadne couldn’t hear.

“If he doesn’t come right away, I’ll send the princess back to Eldeer. Do you know what that means?”

“…All right.”

The butler took a bow and withdrew. The Marquis rose from his seat and lifted Ariadne with a single lift.

“Let’s wait while tasting the dessert. I heard the chef prepared it with great care for you.”

He took her in one arm and moved her to a small room next to the dining room. Seating Ariadne on the velvet sofa, the maid lamented in her heart.

‘It’s too light.’

When he held her, the child was too small and light. It was terrifying to put strength in his hand.

‘Erich seems to have been much bigger and heavier at this age. I need to feed them well.’

In addition to dessert, he told them to bring more snacks that the child would like. And soon the table was filled with sweets.

The dessert that the chef put all his heart and soul into was a chocolate cake decorated with a blizzard castle made of sugar.

It was a natural source of admiration, but Ariadne barely touched her desserts as she nervously glanced at the door.

‘I can’t possibly eat right now.’

She could see the Marquis’ notice it, and she forced herself to taste a bit and put it down.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the sound of furious footsteps was soon heard. Knocking down the hallway, someone approached and kicked open the door.

“Son, have you become mad? Where are you sending the child back?”

The Archmage entered with a red-hot face yelling at his son.

“A ruthless bastard! You aren’t even worth the money I spend raising you! Because you want to die by my hands…”

The Archmage’s words faded when he saw Ariadne sitting on the sofa. His face, which had been red, turned white and then blue.