Chapter 86

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 86

Chapter Title: A Heap of Elza Trees

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As I stepped out of the jail cell, the inquisitor and my brothers began Baron Sugaoi's interrogation, and anguished screams echoed from underground.

While I was eating with Dad, Nos came in and relayed what the baron had spilled.

"He planned to create a lady of House Duvered himself to seize control of the family."

"Baron Sugaoi doesn't seem to have known that someone used alchemy to make Mireyu appear younger."

"His brain must be made of cotton."

"Since Your Grace dotes on Little One so much, he must have been chasing pipe dreams."

This was the second pipe dream for that fool.

The late elder who had tried to adopt Cattleya had pulled the same stunt for that reason.

'But that's not the whole story.'

Someone had clearly grilled Baron Sugaoi to extract that information. The man with the red mole that Mireyu had spotted.

'Why would the guy with the red mole go so far as to use alchemy to fabricate a lady of House Duvered?'

I popped a piece of meat into my mouth and pondered.

'Whatever.'

If they truly needed a lady of House Duvered, she'd show up right in front of me eventually—no need for me to chase down the red mole.

'And when I catch you, you're dead.'

I neatly sliced away a bit of meat where blood had pooled inside.

At that moment, the butler arrived with the mail.

"A letter for Little One."

"From who?"

"The head of House Dubos."

I sprang to my feet and snatched the letter.

[A love letter offered up to Little One's precious hands. I was overjoyed to hear you'd awakened. When I learned you'd collapsed, I was so heartbroken that I even set out to kill that wicked child...]

I flipped quickly through the preceding twelve pages to find the final one.

[...and so I bring you glad tidings. Long-distance teleportation was a success.]

'Yes!'

I cheered inwardly.

Enclosed in the letter envelope was a thick stack of cards. My darling lotto—or rather, long-distance teleportation arrays.

After finishing my meal, I headed upstairs.

'Let's test one out first, just to confirm. Wasteful, but I need to check it myself.'

I walked down the dim corridor toward my room, thinking that.

It was mealtime for the servants, so the halls and rooms were deathly quiet.

'Perfect chance to try teleporting... Huh?'

There were two familiar figures on the terrace.

Lady Javelin and Lea.

The two were chatting quietly.

"In the end, we failed to find the little bird again this time."

Lea answered Lady Javelin's words without hesitation.

"Lady Javelin. I've decided to let go of Lady Lisette and the young miss now."

Her voice, always so gentle and kind, was rigid like a knight's. Somehow, it felt like this was the real Lea.

"Because of the Child of Destiny?"

As Lady Javelin eyed her, Lea stared off into space and said,

"How pathetic am I? I always put other things first and miss what's truly important."

"..."

"That day Lady Lisette and the young miss died—if I hadn't gone to retrieve my dead sister's body, I might have protected the young miss."

The late general's forces had invaded that day. It was Lea the knight escort and her sister, Lady Lisette's personal maid, who had smuggled Lady Lisette out of the castle.

"In the end, I couldn't even reach my sister and stupidly let the young miss slip away."

"..."

"And this time too. If I'd watched more carefully, I might have realized Mireyu was a fake."

"..."

"I wouldn't have left Little One so alone and lonely."

Lea dropped her head weakly.

"Little One won't call any servants by name except for me and the three maids. She's affectionate, but her abandonment wounds run deep—she's afraid to form bonds."

"..."

"She knew, but because she believed that girl was the fourth miss, she tried to steal away the rest of the maids too. How hurt she must have been."

"Can my wounds compare?"

Lady Javelin let out a self-deprecating chuckle, and Lea's breath hitched faintly.

"I'm retiring. I don't deserve to serve Little One."

What?

I flung open the terrace door.

The two, lost in conversation, hadn't noticed me—they widened their eyes in surprise.

I glared at Lea.

"I'm not some fragile glass figurine!"

"...Pardon?"

"Taking a maid out temporarily for a bit doesn't leave a massive wound like that."

"But to be alone in this enormous castle for weeks on end..."

"Plenty of other kids deal with that. So many eat meals alone when their parents are off working!"

I smacked her apron—pat, pat—as I yelled.

"No Lea is way, way scarier. Sleeping alone, eating alone—those are nothing. Do you think I'm some infant?"

"Little One..."

Lea's eyes welled up. I scowled and glared at her.

"Cancel that retirement!"

"Yes..."

Soon she burst into tears, and I let out an exasperated sigh.

To think even reliable Lea was making me feel like I was raising a child.

As Lea started bawling snot and tears, I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped her face—swish, swish.

"Blow. Honk."

"I'm sorry..."

"Hmph. Done."

Honk!

Lea blew her nose loudly and rubbed her eyes with her palm.

"Now go do your work."

"Yes."

She stood obediently. Then she looked at me and gave a faint smile.

"You have no idea what a great honor it is for me to serve you, Little One."

I lifted my chin with a click and replied arrogantly,

"I know."

Lea smiled warmly at that and kissed my cheek.

After she left, I went over to Lady Javelin, who was seated at the terrace table and chairs.

"Thanks for talking her through it."

"Nothing to thank me for."

"But Lea's my person."

"...You really do remind me of Lisette."

I took a seat beside her. The table held a bottle of strong liquor and an empty glass, reeking of potent spirits.

'That's expensive stuff.'

It was one of Duke Ballua's most treasured liquors. He only brought it out for honored guests.

I sniffed—sniff, sniff—and Lady Javelin lightly rubbed my nose with the back of her hand.

"You're still too young to crave liquor."

She then took a fresh glass from the nearby tray, added some prepared ice, and handed it over.

I took the glass in both hands and crunched on the ice—crunch, crunch.

"Spring's already here."

"Yes. Violets are blooming down at the base of the mountain."

"You like violets?"

"Actually, I prefer something else."

"What?"

"Elza trees."

They were money trees.

Most people thought you only used the leaves, but drying and selling them made for nice pocket money. The bark was material for long-distance teleportation arrays, and if they grew near volcanoes, the soil could be used for spinel variants.

The leaves made excellent ointments and tea with an ecstatic aroma—they fetched top prices.

A single Elza tree was worth a decent manor house.

'My land has a bunch of Elza trees too, but they're sickly ones...'

They barely met the conditions for spinel variant soil.

That's why the original owner, Viscount Roman, had sold the land with the Elza trees for a song.

And you couldn't just buy them with money, either. They couldn't be cultivated by human hands, so owners rarely sold.

"I see."

"What's your favorite plant, Lady Javelin?"

"I don't like plants."

"Why not?"

"I get them as gifts every day—too much hassle to deal with."

I nodded with an "Mm," recalling the rumors that capital ladies and gentlemen piled flowers mountain-high on Lady Javelin's birthday.

'Being that popular sounds exhausting.'

I chatted idly with Lady Javelin in the night breeze.

As the night deepened, she said,

"Time to head in and sleep."

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Leblain."

I was so shocked my eyes went wide.

'La, La, La, Lady Javelin said my name!'

She always called me Child of Destiny before.

As I covered my mouth with both hands in astonishment, she chuckled softly.

"Gotta remember my drinking buddy's name."

"Yes...!"

"Sweet dreams."

I beamed.

The next day, I was in a great mood.

I'd gotten the long-distance teleportation arrays, Lady Javelin had called me by name, and I'd decided which of Paimon's kin to claim as my own familiar.

Humming a little tune, I headed down to the dining hall for breakfast.

Lady Javelin, who never usually joined family meals, was seated at the table.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Leblain," she replied.

My brothers shot me surprised looks.

"What? When did you two get so chummy?"

"Yeah, starting to get jealous here."

I sat down and answered,

"Lady Javelin and I are drinking buddies."

Clang! Utensils clattered to the floor.

"Li, Li, Little One's turned into a delinquent..."

"A de, delinquent Little One..."

The servants trembled and muttered as Ishak yelled,

"Aunt, are you insane?! How could you give booze to a kid?!"

Ishak, the real delinquent, spouting such common sense—impressive, I thought inwardly.

"Nine years old isn't a baby anymore."

Lady Javelin dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Henri furrowed his brow.

"Liquor is bad for a child's body."

"Don't lecture me—you two who got hauled out of the genius academy dorms for chugging booze."

I gave Henri and Ishak cloudy glares. They flinched. Yohan's lips twitched upward.

Then Lady Javelin spoke.

"I bought you a gift—go check it out, Leblain."

"A gift?"

"It's out the window."

"Can I look now?"

"Go ahead."

Wondering what it could be, I opened the window connecting to the dining hall. What I saw was a mountain of Elza trees.

Dozens of massive Elza trees were piled from the garden all the way to the castle gates.

'How many teleportation arrays is that...'

My mental calculator went ding, ding, ding! before flashing an endless string of zeros.

"You said it was your favorite."

Clutching my mouth, I gazed at Lady Javelin with utter bliss.

I rushed over and hugged her tight.

"Auntie!"

She chuckled.

"Worth every coin."

Rich aunties are the best!