Chapter 15

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 15

Chapter Title: Meeting the Brothers

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Nos swallowed hard.

"Th-that is, I was on my way to deliver Your Grace's message to Duke Teramore when I spotted Little One. She seemed bored, so I just...

His face had gone completely pale, poor thing.

The Duke really is terrifying.

I looked at him with pitying eyes, while the Duke fixed him with an icy stare.

"She's usually shy around strangers, but you two seemed awfully chummy."

"N-no, it's not like that—"

"You've got quite the talent."

The Duke's tone dripped with sarcasm.

Duke Duvered must be a petty boss. Threatening his adjutant like this just for a bit of playtime during work hours.

Poor Nos.

Nos carefully set me down.

"Come here, Leblain."

I didn't want to go.

Something told me the sparks would fly my way too.

But as I hesitated, Nos's face turned from white to ashen, and the Duke's glare grew even more menacing.

"Come."

I had no choice but to toddle over to him slowly.

The moment the Duke scooped me up, Nos bent at the waist in a deep bow, practically folding in half.

"Th-then I'll get back to my duties...

Even if a demon from the depths were chasing him, he wouldn't have sounded that desperate.

Nos bolted from the room like a shot. Now it was just me and the Duke.

His eyes seemed sharper than usual today, and it made me nervous. I fidgeted with my fingers.

Sure, I'd played a little with the adjutant, but he wouldn't punish me for that, right?

As I gazed up at him anxiously, the Duke's eyebrow twitched. Then he muttered something under his breath.

'She seemed to enjoy herself with Nos, but—' or something like that?}

I tilted my head and looked at him quizzically.

He stared right back before grabbing my side and lifting me a little higher.

"Higher."

"......"

"Higher."

"......"

What was this?

Some kind of advanced scolding technique?

What on earth had that been yesterday?

I kept my eyes narrowed the whole time Lea dressed me, replaying the Duke from the day before.

[Higher, higher... Not high enough?]

While I froze in confusion, he'd plopped me back on the floor and stormed off. And that evening, I heard Nos wailing somewhere.

Maybe he was trying to play with me after all.

Was he trying to play dad now that he'd adopted me?

The Villain of the World, the demon-blooded monster—they'd called him all sorts of things, but maybe he had a human side after all...

I shook my head vigorously at the thought.

In the end, he'd looked ready to toss me into the air with a "Does it need to be even higher?"

I'd faked enjoyment with a smile so wide my cheeks nearly split, terrified he'd actually do it.

At that moment, Lea finished buttoning my clothes and spoke up.

"Shall we head to the dining hall now?"

Why not eat here?

We usually took most meals in the room.

The Duke was always busy and preferred scarfing down something quick in his study.

I gave her a puzzled look, and Lea giggled, taking my hand.

She had the excited face of someone who'd prepared a gift and was buzzing with anticipation all by herself.

Guess we should go eat first.

Hunger makes it even harder to think like an adult.

I took Lea's hand and waddled down the corridor.

When we pushed open the dining hall doors, there was the Duke at the head of the table.

'Huh?'

And lined up to his left were some boys.

"Leblain."

The Duke patted his knee, calling me over. I toddled to him and reached up.

He lifted me onto his lap and presented the boys up close.

"This is the second son, Henri."

The boy the Duke pointed to smiled gently.

He had dazzling silver hair and icy sea-blue eyes—stunningly pretty.

If the Duke was a chiseled statue of masculine beauty, this boy was a delicately crafted doll.

His features were so refined he could almost pass for a girl, with an incredibly sweet impression.

"This is the third, Ishak."

The next boy was the total opposite of Henri.

Same silver hair and blue eyes, but he gave off a chilling vibe.

Yet both boys were breathtakingly beautiful. And moreover—

Mini Dukes!

Their eyes, noses, face shapes, lips—they all took after him.

The eldest must still be at the overseas academy, since he wasn't here.

The Duke introduced me last.

"This is Leblain."

Sweet-faced Henri beamed and took my finger in his hand.

"Hello, Leblain. Nice to meet you."

Then he poked Ishak's side— the boy who'd been glaring at a carrot.

Ishak looked grumpy but glanced at the Duke and muttered a curt introduction. "Ishak."

He's huge for his age.

To a stranger, he might look around ten. His features were strikingly defined too.

Guess it's true what they say—real beauties are perfect from birth.

I was jealous; my growth was naturally slow.

And these boys had brilliant futures ahead.

Children born into the wild Duvered house were all exceptional, but the three young masters were in a league of their own.

'Climbers who reached the pyramid's peak without their house's help.'

Second son Henri was perennial top of the capital's genius academy and would follow his brother into the overseas academy.

Graduate with perfect scores. Become a prodigy manipulating the empire's purse strings at a young age.

Take command of the Duvered branch family in his early twenties.

'Duke Amities hated him as a sly fox dodging laws to fatten dark coffers.'

Ishak had phenomenal martial talent.

Rumors said he wielded aura as a child and floored the imperial knights' captain at twenty.

'Duke Ballua recoiled, calling him a violent thug.'

Seeing these legendary young masters in person made me a little tense.

They were like Mina's stepbrothers.

When I took the blame for her attempted murder, people had said:

Count yourself lucky you didn't cross the Duvered young masters.

Even on my deathbed, just hearing their names had made my heart drop to my feet.

'It's fine. They're not Mina's knights right now.'

As long as I didn't act obnoxious, I wouldn't need to tremble at their names like before.

I flashed a friendly grin at the young masters.

"Hewwo!"

They were the house's young lords, after all—I needed to make a good impression.

An hour later.

I kept sneaking glances at Henri and Ishak.

Scary...

After the meal, the adults shoved us into one room to "bond," and I'd felt pretty confident at first.

They're kids too, so it'll be easy to get along. They even greeted me nicely.

But the moment Ishak entered the room, he glared at me murderously. Henri ignored him completely.

"You."

"Yeth...?"

"You eat carrots?"

I had no secrets.

Maybe back in my ancient days as Duke Amities' lady, but not after Ballua and the beggar gangs.

"Yeth."

Ishak's eyebrow twitched.

"What, you a bunny?"

He growled it like a threat, but weirdly, it didn't scare me this time.

Then Henri, flipping through a book, muttered something.

'Did he just call Ishak an idiot?'

Henri seemed utterly uninterested in me.

He'd pulled out a thick tome the second he entered, and now he was scribbling densely on parchment.

Curious, I sneaked peeks at the parchment.

Numbers, numbers, numbers.

And occasional complex symbols.

My curiosity piqued, I crept closer and peeked over the desk.

Henri glanced at me.

"Do you have something to say?"

He added "Little One" in a soft tone.

It was a coldly drawn line.

I fidgeted, crestfallen.

"Wan see wha i' ith... (Wanted to see what it is...)"

Ishak, who'd picked up a wooden sword from the floor, snorted.

"Hah. Probably scheming to siphon off some cash again."

"It's called building slush funds, you moron."

I blinked in shock, eyes wide.

A kid knew about slush funds?

As I gawked, Henri pulled out a newspaper and muttered.

"The domestic and international situation's getting messy. In times like these—"

"I know. We learned it last time. Buy iron, right? Wars make iron prices skyrocket first for weapons."

Ishak boasted proudly, and Henri's lip curled disdainfully.

"A half-baked answer."

"What? It's right."

"That's merchant thinking. Nobles have to donate iron to the state when war breaks out."

Ishak clicked his tongue, and Henri shrugged.

"Gold's what you want. Currency devalues in wartime."

Now I knew why no one batted an eye at four-year-olds tossing around terms like "surprise tax audits."

Kids reciting geopolitics?

Feels like a bizarre world.

Ignored by his brother, Ishak scowled and whirled on me.

"You mock me for not knowing gold, and you're dead."

I quickly widened my eyes and waved my hands.

"No mock! Knew 'bout iwon too! (Not mocking! You knew about iron too!)"

He grinned dopily—"Right?"—then caught himself and scowled again.

"Don't go acting all high and mighty as the Child of Destiny. I'm a real tough kid. So—"

Henri slammed the newspaper shut and gave Ishak a pitiful look. Then he turned to me, eyes curving sweetly.

"They say war spares no mercy for kin. Duvereds especially. Blood ties, parent-child bonds—none of it matters."

"......"

"So wouldn't an outsider with not a drop of shared blood be even more at risk? I hope you don't overreach and shorten your lifespan."

Henri's eyes gleamed cold blue.

Ah, maybe I ate too little at dinner 'cause the Duke's lap was uncomfortable.

Hunger was fogging my brain.

I had no clue what he was saying.

Still, gotta respond.

Good responders get loved.

I bellowed a loud "Yeth!"

Henri looked oddly flustered.