Chapter 16

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 16

Chapter Title: Know Your Place

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As Leblain stepped out of the room with her maid, Henri's eyes narrowed.

"What the heck is with that kid."

Was she pretending to be innocent? Or was she no ordinary child?

Henri had grown up sandwiched between his older brother—a once-in-a-generation genius who had learned to read at age three—and his younger brother, who seemed a bit dim by his own standards but still possessed brains far sharper than most.

His surroundings were crawling with sly, cunning adults.

The academy for prodigies was already teeming with peers who could rattle off foreign languages fluently.

In a world like that, Henri couldn't wrap his head around a kid who seemed so naively pure.

And besides...

'A child who confessed the church and palace affairs couldn't possibly know nothing.'

For nearly a month, he'd been endlessly warned about her.

She was a rolling stone on the verge of embedding itself deep.

Word was, the castle servants had all fallen for her cheeky charms, hook, line, and sinker.

Above all, she had apparently claimed the duke's lap as her personal throne.

His teacher, the academy professors, even his relatives—they'd all visited the castle and cautioned him multiple times about this baby.

'Guess I'll have to keep an eye on her.'

Henri neatly folded the parchment and tucked it into his book before turning to Ishak.

"If you keep spacing out like an idiot, there won't be a single spot left for you..."

His younger brother was giggling to himself while punching the wall—thud, thud.

"That kid figured out I'm made of steel and thinks I'm super cool now."

Henri made a face like he'd spotted an earthworm squirming on the roadside. Ishak flinched and hardened his expression.

"She's not cute at all."

"Feels like everyone's already fallen for her, though."

"No way!"

She really wasn't cute at all.

He'd just thought her chubby cheeks looked fun to pinch once.

And when he'd tried to yell, his throat had tickled so much he couldn't get the words out right.

He wouldn't fall for it like the grown-ups.

'I'll bully her good.'

That afternoon, Ishak seized a moment when no one was around and approached Leblain.

She looked up from fiddling with her buttons alone.

"......"

Ishak, who'd come over first, now stood there awkwardly silent, so Leblain shyly showed him a button and mumbled.

"Thewe's twelve."

"You."

"Yesh?"

"Don't covet spots above your station. If you stir up trouble—"

Leblain blinked at him, and Ishak fumbled at his waist.

Henri, passing by just then, spotted them both and furrowed his brow.

'He gonna pull a sword?'

Idiot, idiot—he really was brainless after all? The moment he threatened with steel, defeat was sealed for them.

Ishak drew something from his waist and declared cruelly to Leblain.

"I'll be super scary—!"

"......"

"—and eat bread all by myself right in front of you."

Leblain jolted in shock and retreated with a frightened face.

Henri muttered in utter deflation.

"Those two are morons, right?"

I stared at Ishak with teary eyes as he issued his terrifying threat.

'How vicious—!'

Eating bread all alone! Without sharing.

'What if I get hungry watching Ishak eat bread?'

If I fully reverted to baby mindset, with my already gluttonous appetite, I'd probably yank out Ishak's hair and steal his bread.

'Grabbing a precious young master's hair would get me kicked out on the spot.'

"Won't peek."

"Good. That's how a good kid acts."

Ishak grinned triumphantly. As he tried to walk past me, I grabbed his clothes.

"W-Why."

He asked in a fluster.

"Bwead..."

"This?"

I nodded eagerly, and Ishak's eyes darted around before he broke off half his bread and gave it to me.

I chomped down right away.

'Ah, it's the sugar, as expected.'

This stimulating sweetness.

Ishak stared at me devouring it, then glanced at his own piece.

He took a sneaky bite.

"......Not bad. Just grabbed whatever."

Before we knew it, we were crouched by the wall, munching away—nom nom nom.

Passing servants spotted us and chuckled warmly. Henri, book in hand, gave Ishak a worm-on-the-road look before walking off.

Just as we'd nearly finished the bread, Lea came looking for me.

"Oh my, Little One."

Gasp, busted.

Today's snack was supposed to be strawberries—no munching on treats.

Lea's latest worry was whether I'd get cavities from loving sweets too much.

As she narrowed her eyes, I quickly made excuses.

"Ishak gave it!"

Ishak, seeing me in a total panic, chimed in.

"I gave it to her."

"I see."

Lea smiled helplessly and brushed the crumbs from my mouth.

"Since you shared nicely with the young master, we'll let it slide today."

"Ung."

"Then, young master. I'll take Little One now. It's naptime."

"Sure."

Lea picked me up and turned away. I waved at Ishak, who was slowly standing.

Lea stroked my hair as she headed to my room.

"I heard you looked so adorable at lunch in the dining hall."

"......"

"Everyone falls head over heels for our lovable Little One. I knew the young masters would like you too."

No, Lea. Henri and Ishak don't like me.

I let out deep sighs.

After barely climbing the Duke Duvered mountain and getting adopted, now Henri Mountain and Ishak Mountain loomed ahead.

'Think positive. Henri and Ishak are people I need to get close to anyway, right?'

I had to live here for years until exile. Better to earn their favor.

To do that, I'd have to chase after them diligently.

Familiarity breeds affection, after all.

'Win over the Duvereds' hearts and freeload until exile.'

With that resolve, I clenched my tiny fist.

The next day.

Aiming for the duke's luncheon, I got up early and headed to the dining hall.

Lately, the duke and I ate together often, but breakfast was the exception.

His mornings were brutally early for a child like me. To join him, I'd have to nod off like a sickly chick all day.

But today, I'd risen at this hour because...

'Nos said they'd announce at luncheon that Henri and Ishak are back!'

In other words, both boys would attend today's luncheon.

I rarely saw Henri and Ishak because they were so busy.

If not for chances like this, I'd have to trail after them all day, wobbling.

But that would annoy them and backfire.

'So after luncheon ends, I'll naturally suggest playing together.'

I peeked through the dining hall doors.

The duke sat at the head of the long table.

Henri and Ishak sat to his right in order, surrounded by familiar retainers and new faces packed in.

"Isn't that Little One?"

Nos was the first to spot and acknowledge me.

All eyes in the dining hall turned to me at once. Even the duke looked over.

'The vibe's too stiff—what do I say to enter?'

As I pondered, Nos grinned.

"You must've missed His Grace!"

Not exactly, but with nothing else to say, I just blinked.

I glanced at the duke—he seemed inexplicably pleased.

"Come here."

I toddled over to him, pitter-patter.

As I reached his chair, he scooped me up onto his lap.

After eating on his knee so many times, this position felt natural now.

I acted unfazed, but the new retainers looked like they might have heart attacks.

"The rumors... are true."

A stranger muttered, and familiar Viscount Dubos burst out laughing.

"Little One's been right at home on His Grace's lap from the start. Still eats there now."

"No way..."

"Little One's so gentle and sweet."

"Ah..."

"Doesn't even picky eat. Isn't it amazing how this young child devours bell peppers and carrots?"

Ishak flinched at the carrot mention.

Unaware, some retainers kept chattering.

These talkers were the duke's inner circle, who'd been through the 'palace and church informant incident,' the 'Marco incident,' and the 'fraudster purge' with him.

'Looks like they didn't just pull the wool over the servants' eyes.'

They boasted confidently, chins high.

Great memory too.

Sharp as a tack.

Even picked carnations herself.

"And such perfect manners~!"

Viscount Dubos chuckled heartily after saying that.

Eyes turned to me again.

The gazes of Dubos and the familiar retainers practically screamed 'Show 'em,' 'Make us proud,' 'Do it!'

My cheeks burned under their fervent stares, but for social survival, I opened my mouth.

"......Hewwo."

Dubos and the others laughed proudly.

They'd done the bragging, yet the embarrassment was all mine. I averted my eyes.

My targets for the day, Henri and Ishak, stared at the gawking retainers like they were lunatics.

To me, Viscount Dubos was just a kindly grandfather, but he headed Duvered intelligence.

I'd once seen a spy from Ballua House caught by him return mangled beyond recognition.

Tongue shredded, fingers missing—he barely looked human.

Even after barely surviving, he'd foam at the mouth and faint at the mere mention of 'Dubos.'

So this goodwill was proof of my tireless networking.

Starting with my greeting, the retainers began sharing this and that.

As dull political talk dragged on, the dining hall doors opened once more.

"My apologies. I'm terribly late."

The newcomer was an elderly man with snow-white hair.

'Duke Teramore.'

The very retainer Nos had eyed suspiciously before.