Chapter 12

Mar 28, 2021

The Duke left the city for inspection as he said. Lea said it would take about 20 days for him to be back. Those 20 days were days of training for me.

‘You have to succeed and be adopted.’

So, I was putting up my socks today as well.

‘Oh, it’s a success if you cross your heel, but it’s hard. It was because I couldn’t control my delicate muscles.’

It’s already noon since I’ve been busy training. It was time for lunch. I left the room looking for Lea. I used to be with her all the time, but she was away for some reason today. The maids have been out since dawn.

“You can enter and stay in one of the guest rooms.”

“The baby… will be leaving right away”

Butlers and maids were busy discussing something. The faces of the vassals who walked in and out of the hall were also stiff.

‘What?’

When I heard a rumbling sound, I tilted my head to the butler, and soon he understands it.

“Yes, little miss.”

“I’m hungwy”

“Okay, I’ll look for Lea.”

“Wet’s go wight now (let’s go right now.)”

The butler smiled kindly and held my hand. It was when I was walking along the hall with him.

“What nonsense is that!”

‘Ak!’

There’s a loud shout out there in the distance. I held the butler’s hand tight. My heart was pounding. There are people who are so angry. Something really must be going on.

‘What could it be?’

I was thinking about it, but I heard another shout.

“How can a priest of the Temple cross the gate without permission!”

“It’s to take the baby home, take her home after his return.” 

That’s also a job. It could be an excuse to spy the inside of Dubbled’s castle.

“For now, isn’t the Pope the legal guardian of the baby? How can you refuse when her guardian is coming?”

“The guardian doesn’t need the owner’s permission to take the child.”

You’re coming from the temple? Picking me up? 

Linda, your shoulders are shaking. Then the butler called out, “Little miss?” but I couldn’t answer.

What was going on?

If they take me to the capital city, I’ll be headed for re-adoption immediately. Besides, the fact that the church, not the Empress, is coming to take me to their chosen place of adoption is bad. I know it because I’ve heard it in my previous life. The place the Temple has recommended is….

‘Vallua.’

When I remembered the Duke of Vallua, my eyes were red with anger.

***

<Dubbled>

Everyone in Dubbled is a cold-blooded person. It was due to the Dubbled’s special teaching method, which had a short history of their own. The only path as a Dubbled is to be slaughtered or slaughter.

Theodore Dubbled, the current Duke of Dubbled was one of the most completely molded in the history of the Dubbleds.

Unrivaled power, sense and intelligence that doubled the family’s fortune after only a few years on the throne. A man who thoroughly excluded emotions with such talent has aroused appalling fears of anyone.

The same thing happened to the vassals and officers who went on an inspection tour with Theodore. The restaurant remained quiet throughout the lunch. 

At that time, they felt a slight wave of mana. Theodore and other elite soldiers turned their eyes to the source of the mana. The lieutenant sweated in his pocket.

“Oh, no, this is…”

The knight sitting on his right held the lieutenant’s wrist.

“I’ll check”

The knight roughly put the Lieutenant’s hands on the table.

What came out of his hand was a magical tool, and the lieutenant sweated a cold sweat.

“It’s the latest trend….”

“It is forbidden to possess non-related equipment.”

“Well, I was asked to buy soft cloths.”

There was a very soft cloth made of special crops that only come from the area. Then the knight asked full of excitement. 

“Do you have children?”

“No, it’s for the little miss.”

“The Child of Fate that the Empress sent?”

“Yes. She’s practicing wearing socks, but it seems difficult, so the maid is trying to make a more comfortable socks.”

“But why do you need that?”

Suddenly, the knight reached out to confiscate the magic tool.

At that time, a small noise was made from the magical tool, and a screen was rising in the air.

[Come on, little miss. Try saying “Duke.”]

[Dyuke!]

[D.u.k.e!]

[Dy.u.k.e!]

[Once again. ‘Duke’]

[Dyuke….]

The baby’s sullenness made him wiggle his hands.

“Oh, she’s the one…”

“What is this?”

Recently, it was a trend to exchange cute images or videos of LeBlaine among employees of Dubbled.

This was a short video taken by Lea, which was used to pay the lieutenant for the transaction. She sent him a video instead for buying the cloth.

The knights, who had been angling closely, relaxed their expressions.

“That’s cute.”

The video continues

[Why are you so sullen?]

[What if the dyuke dowsen’t wike that I can’t pwonounce dyuke? (What if the Duke doesn’t like that I can’t pronounce Duke?)”]

The whole place burst to laughter. A middle-aged knight spoke to Theodore.

“You must be happy being loved by such a cute child.”

“Nonsense.”

“The baby is a very unusual. Even the three masters think their father can’t be easily approached.”

“She’s a unique girl.”

A boisterous knight asked with a sly look. “Honestly, isn’t she cute?”

Theodore’s eyes chilled. Then there was silence in the restaurant again, and others were in a hurry to eat. She’s not cute.

I never thought anyone was cute in the first place.

But I can’t help but notice the little thing standing in my castle all day long. I thought the mole on her neck was funny. It was a heart pattern, but when she looked up at my shoes, her skin stretched and the mole grew bigger. 

Theodore then reached out to the Lieutenant.  The lieutenant who was putting a meat in his mouth.

“Come here”

“Yes?”

“Do not carry non- related equipment.”

‘It’s not even for attacking’ thought the lieutenant. For a moment the lieutenant had a look of injustice, but he could not overcome the cold gaze and put the magical tool on his palm.

Theodore carefully put a magic tool into his bag.

‘There is a myth that if you damage a magic tool, you will be cursed.’

That was all.

 Since then, only the sound of rustling dishes filled the silence in the restaurant.  At the end of the meal, the captain of the Magistrate’s mouth opened.

“By the way, Duke, I’ve recently heard that the surrounding area is strange.”

“Why are you saying that? “

“It’s beyond the territory, but firearms are raging.”

A gunner never comes into the territory.

“Why should I care about other people’s affairs?”

“Well, that’s true but I was just wondering if there were many cases of kidnapping children.”

Then Nos nodded and said, “They sell children to the slave market.”

“A child with magical or divine powers is also used as an ingredient in gold. It’s a terrible thing.”

In that moment, LeBlaine popped out in Theodore’s mind. “Dyuke!”. While walking LeBlaine was kidnapped by some bandit. In the slave market, LeBlaine was calling the Duke and ended up bursting out in tears.

“If anyone dares to enter my estate, I can’t let them go.”

“If it happens….?”

“Kill them.”

“Which area should we clean first…”

“Let’s go to the Roxiel boundary.”

Theodore’s hand stopped suddenly.

‘When she grows up, would she want to go flower viewing?’

There’s a fine garden in the Roxiel boundary, so nobles often goes out there.

“Take care of Roxiel’s garden. It would be a good idea to show favors around.”

Come to think of it, she might want to ride a horse when she grows older.

There’s a good place to ride horses past the Roxiel border.

“Wait, plains…”

There is a good river to play in the water behind the plain. It’s good to float a boat.

“Clean up the Nogis River.”

After a slip of someone’s tongue, the faces of the knights turned pale as they went on a gunfight with hundreds of killings.

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