Chapter 61

“Today’s atmosphere is so gloomy that I think there’s a ghost in the castle!”

“…”

The Duke also raised his eyebrow in wonder. No, not a puzzled expression, but a slightly bewildered expression?

Duke Anais looked around.

All the vassals of the Duke Castle who received his gaze shuddered.

“Perhaps…”

“What day is it today? Something like the Castle’s Freak Day?” Astel said jokingly.

Castle Freak’s Day was an anniversary of welcoming the ghost, with frequent events such as trick-or-treats.

The Duke, who was watching me chattering brightly, slowly opened his lips and answered,

“Yes.”

“…Really?”

I just said something to lighten the mood.

“While Astel was away for a while, I just made something like ‘Castle Freak’s Day’, and now you know it.”

…It was real?

Not only Astel but also the maids’ eyes widened in surprise.

At that time, Rudel, the head of the head maid, came up with an unusually stiff look than usual and added,

“No, that’s right.”

I flinched at the momentary appearance of her sloth-shaped hand. I don’t think Rudel’s in good shape either.

As I tilted my head, the Duke smiled at the vassals and said,

“Yes, there’s a lot more that I prepared for Astel.”

It was a significant remark.

“Myaa!” (Mom)

Fortunately, there was one person who was exactly the same as the hour before I left.

The only thing that shines in this dark Castle.

The child between Sally and Jenny found me standing and started to walk with a chuckle.

“Aste!” (Astel)

That kid keeps calling out his aunt’s name in front of people!

‘After this, I must teach him the word aunt later.’

I waved my hand at the child who was busily running towards me.

“Come here, baby!”

But it was strange…

The moment the child and I held hands, the atmosphere in the castle changed to a more glacial atmosphere.

In particular, I could see the maid’s legs trembling, who had been standing strong in everything, as if not a single drop of blood would come out even if they were stabbed with an awl.

“This… I’ll take you to the pantry. Your Excellency, Miss Astel.”

The Duke nodded his head with a smile on his cold face, and I nodded bitterly.

“Ah yes.”

“That…”

The maid tightly closed her eyes and opened them, then asked, hesitatingly.

“…In the evening, for the baby’s meal… Shall we also prepare?”

Why are you asking that with such a determined face? I was somewhat puzzled and realized that there were still important procedures left.

So, I turned my head and smiled at the Duke.

“Duke, do you know this kid? It’s my friend’s child. Last time, you said I could bring my friend!”

“Oh, yes, your friend’s child…”

“Yes.”

I glanced at the Duke’s side. His eyes were still looking down at the child.

But the Duke doesn’t seem to be able to make eye contact with the child… It couldn’t be, but something seemed a little sad from his gaze.

Closing his eyes slowly seemed reverent, as if he was determined.

In short, it means that an indecipherable emotion that I had never seen before flashed across his face.

“Well, Duke?” I called him carefully.

Then he slowly opened his eyes, and calmly glanced at me and opened his lips.

“Well… now, shall we have dinner, the three of us?”

As expected, the Duke looked determined.

The voice asking for us to have a meal was as sweet as usual.

‘If the Duke is the final villain, I will have to leave quickly with the child…’

So far, nothing is certain.

Everything would be clear when I catch the next spy.

Until then, I should not have made any noticeable change.

“Yes, let’s have a meal together! The three of us.”

I held the child’s hand tightly and smiled brightly.

ꕥ

Along the hall of the Duke Castle.

Three people were seated at the table prepared for dinner.

Duke Anais sat on the left side of the table and Astel and the baby sat on the right side of the table.

It didn’t take long before the appetizers came out.

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The food tasted sweet and delicious as always.

If there was a problem, it was the little baby who sat in the highchair and whined.

Clankㅡ

At the same time, there was a clatter of forks on the silverware.

Astel, who felt awkward with aristocratic etiquette, was distracted by the child and used the wrong tableware.

“What’s that?”

The baby continued chattering.

“What’s this?”

Pointing to the silverware spread out on the table and the food on it, the baby giggled.

“It’s just a bowl…!”

“Then what’s that?”

The child’s questions continued.

As I answered every time, the meal became longer, but fortunately, the child seemed to have faithfully moved to the question-and-answer domain.

Soon the child looked somewhere and smiled bashfully.

“It’s scary, Misto!” (Scary Mister)

Astel’s mouth opened as she swallowed food, thinking she might have heard it wrong.

“Pretty clothes!”

The child eventually raised his head and began to point at the Duke.

“Pouting puppy!”

“…Who, who’s a puppy…”

Astel wanted to deny reality.

But the little banana-like fingertips of the child were clearly pointing towards the Duke.

“Puppy!”

Are you saying that the Duke is a dog?

…Astell gasped and covered the child’s mouth.

There was still a growing suspicion that the Duke could be the final villain.

Astel paid attention to the child, thinking that if he provokes the Duke without knowing the future, there’s a high chance that it would be a big problem someday.

“A scary, scary-looking man? That’s not true at all! Well, even though he looks like that, he has a good heart… And, what do you mean, a puppy…!”

Even Astel did not know what the Duke was thinking, and was unsure, so calmly blurted out the end of her words.

Astel patted the child’s head awkwardly.

“No!”

The child shook his head and stared at the Duke Anais with a keen gaze.

The Duke, who had been eating quietly until then, faced the piercing gaze of the child who had become sulky.

“Astel is right.”

“What? What?”

“…Yes?”

The knife the Duke of Anais was holding, snapped down on the table. The bloody wine on the table shook at the blow.

“I’m a very nice and kind person.”

“Ugh…”

There was no credibility when a person who might have been the villain said that in a low-pressuring tone.

But I could not refute it…

Astel rolled her eyes and grabbed the fork. ‘I should eat when I have nothing else to say.’

As soon as she reached out to the tableware, a fierce search battle began between two men who only knew Astel.

The Duke of Anais stared intently at the blond, green-eyed child who closely resembled Cassian Gray’s features.

“How old is that child?”

“Oh…”

Astel glanced at him and smiled faintly.

“I heard he’s two or three years old this year.”

“Kiss! Kiss!”

The child, who jumped from his chair and climbed onto Astel’s lap, did not care about the subtle atmosphere surrounding him.

“Oh, you have to stay still.”

“Uhm.”

The baby wriggled carefully and dug into Astel’s arms.

Astel smiled slightly as she removed the silverware.

“How cute.”

And was it a momentary hallucination? There was a gnashing of teeth that was heard in Astel’s ear.

A little startled, she looked straight up.

“Do you have anything to say…?”

When I asked carefully, the Duke with a stiff expression like a piece of hardwood glanced at the child quietly.

He stared at the child without blinking.

Then, he spoke in a low-pitched voice so that the hairs all over Astel’s body stood up.

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“It’s cute.”

Astel then saw a phenomenon of brilliance.

The silver knife in the Duke’s hand was slowly bending, deflecting light.