Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Bellstein’s bloodline was originally born with strong mana and a strong body. That is why Leoni has grown up without getting a single cold so far.

Kizef suffered a few times because of the strong mana compared to his body, but likewise, there were very few minor illnesses.

So it was natural for him to be worried when he saw Luciel, who looked so small and fragile.

‘I should feed her well and nurture it with everything so that she doesn’t get sick.’

One thing that he was relieved about was that Luciel eats food evenly. She was so cute that it made him want to feed her something repeatedly.

Seeing Luciel shining with joy while eating chocolate, Louivid grinned and pulled out another biscuit from the chest of drawers.

“Luciel. Look at this.”

It was an animal shaped biscuit. Round biscuits like the faces of rabbits, dogs, lions and bears.

“Oh, it’s so cute I can’t eat it.”

“Don’t be shy.”

Thanks to the Duke’s consideration, Luciel was able to receive not only a hearty snack but also herbal seedlings, seeds, and soil full of nutrients from Eva that same afternoon.

“Thank you, Eva. I’ll grow it well.”

“It shouldn’t be that difficult since there are magic tools.”

The tools in the greenhouse garden were almost all enchanted, so even a child could easily use them.

Eva smiled and walked away from her seat. At the same time, Cicline rushed over wearing a white robe.

“Little Madam! Sorry for being late. I was checking the nutrition of the Knights.”

“Huh? Isn’t Dr. Cicline a pediatrician?”

“Yes. But speaking of children, there are only two in the Duke’s Castle: the youngest master and the Little Madam. There is always a shortage of medical personnel on the Knights Order. They also frequently get bruises due to rough training. So I’m making a simple pain relief patch for the affected area.”

“Can you make something like that?”

When Luciel asked a question with her eyes wide open, Cicline smiled brightly.

“Of course, the main ingredient is the Ruga tree that you will plant! In fact, I was surprised that all of the herbs you picked were three important and basic ones.”

“I see. Then, can you mix medicinal herbs to make medicine?”

“Of course.”

Seeing Cicline answering confidently, Luciel thought to herself that her guess was right. She almost laughed aloud without realizing it.

‘I may be able to get mana supplements sooner than expected.’

“What’s wrong Little Madam?”

“Oh, nothing. Shall we plant this first?”

“Let’s! “

The two rolled their sleeves and looked at the supplies placed on the simple table in front of the flower bed. Tatea and Thierry were seeds, and Ruga trees were seedlings.

“Let’s see. First of all, we need to dig out the flower bed with a shovel and then plant the Ruga tree saplings.”

“Then I’ll find the seedling shovel first.”

The two found a seedling shovel in the toolbox to dig up the flower bed. The toolbox contained a shovel, a watering can, and scissors, all of which were covered in gold.

“Oh my god. I have never seen such expensive gardening tools. Actually, this greenhouse garden is on another level. It’s really wonderful.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Luciel asked.

“Will herbs grow well here?”

“Yes!”

At a glance, you could see the Cicline seemed to like this greenhouse garden. Luciel looked carefully to get her words across.

“Dr. Cicline, the flower bed here is quite large, so if you have any herbs to plant, please use them together.”

“……Can I do that?”

Luciel nodded her head.

“Yes, I got permission from the Duke, so don’t worry. Instead, take care of my herbs, and please do one thing for me later.”

“If it’s a request from Little Madam, I’ll do anything.”

“Hi-Hi.”

‘Now I have to wait for the herbs to grow well.’

“Oh, let’s dig this side first.”

“Yes!”

Luciel laughed and was about to dig up the soil with a shovel, but the shovel floated in the air.

“Oh.”

“They have magic, so you just have to give them an order!”

“Come on! Dig here!”

When Luciel rose to her short height in tiptoes and waved, the seedling shovel went up higher as if it liked to tease her. Luciel stamped her feet with a sad face.

“It’s not listening to me… At times like this, if I had a wand, I would use magic.….”

However, when Cicline gave the command, the shovel that was soaring up high flinched and quietly came down, settling gently in the flower bed. The shovel that moved its body diligently was working hard. The dirt on their skirts dripped down, but it seemed to be progressing smoothly.

“Now we are almost done.”

Luciel planted all the seeds and seedlings and patted them several times.

Shuuuh!

She brought an enchanted golden watering pot and gave water to the herbs. Somehow something was missing, so she even put a name tag on the front.

It is still just the beginning, but a very joyful and plausible flower bed was completed.

“It’s done. It’s all thanks to Dr. Cicline!”

Luciel sat down on the floor and smiled, wiping away the sweat dripping from her face.

“I want it to sprout and grow quickly.”

“Surely it will.”

Cicline smiled and looked at the flower bed.

“Oh, I have to go now. I have to study herbalism and gather the dried herbs too! Little Madam, see you again!”

Cicline rushed out of the garden. I thought she was really busy.

‘She’s a sincere and passionate person. I hope it goes well.’

Luciel returned to the parlor, wondering if there was anything she could do to help. She was just looking at the curtains inside the castle and her eyes met with Eva, who was worried about this and that with the other maids.

“Little Madam, did you plant the herbs well?”

“Yes!”

“I’m trying to change the curtains to a softer color. What color do you like, Little Madam?”

Eva held out three small samples of fabric. There were sky blue, pink, and light cocoa.

They were all pretty, but the cocoa color seemed the most harmonious with the dignified atmosphere of the Duke’s, so Luciel picked it up.

“I think it would look pretty with cocoa and ivory lace curtains.”

“My Little Madam seems to have a good eye for it. Thank you for your opinion.”

“You’re welcome.”

Luciel smiling innocently was cute, so Eva wanted to give her something.

“Aren’t you hungry? Do you want me to bring you cookies and milk?

“Yes, please.”

Luciel did not refuse and nodded her head down.

“If you go to the playroom and rest, I will bring it to you.”

“Yes!”

Luciel rushed up to the socks playroom. When she came to this room, her heart filled with happiness.

Socks, plush dolls, even the Rabbit Castle. It was full of things that Luciel liked. When Luciel was lying buried in socks and dolls, Eva came in with a sweet scent.

“Today is not just milk, but special milk. Try it.”

“A special milk?”

Luciel pricked her ears and lifted her body. Among the dolls, the cutest doll seemed to come out alive with her head raised up.

Eva moved the drink and cookies from her tray to the table. She tried to maintain a professional attitude, but Eva’s heart fluttered at the child’s cuteness.

“Look. The chocolate fell into the milk and it became chocolate milk.”

“……Eva?”

Luciel tilted her head, as it was the first time she had ever seen Eva speak so charmingly. Eva stiffened her body for a moment out of shame.

“…I’m sorry, Little Madam. I was being ridiculous…. It’s chocolate milk.”

“Aha! Two of my favorites met. Eva, you were so cute just now!”

Luciel said so while holding Eva’s hand. She couldn’t believe she’s been told that she’s cute by a cute child while holding herself with such a small and chubby hand….. Eva seemed to have lost her mind for a moment.

“My Little Madam is so lovely. Come on, let’s have a drink. It’s getting warmer these days, so I brought it a little colder.”

Luciel sucked the glass straw stuck in the glass. A soft blend of sweet chocolate and milk quickly entered her mouth.

The taste made Luciel’s eyes bigger.

“I think it’s cocoa we eat in the summer!”

“Yes, that is correct. For the time being, I’ll bring this to you.”

Luciel nodded violently. As expected, the Bellstein people had a talent for making Luciel feel really good, as if she were sitting on a fluffy cake.

It was a very special and precious feeling. After Eva left, Luciel enjoyed a sweet break in the playroom. She was buried in a doll and fell asleep for a long time, and everyone who came to see her turned back with their fingers on their lips, careful to not make noise.

So that the child could sleep soundly.

* * *

If the whole Empire was to be divided into five parts, there was a joke that one of them was the Duchy of Bellstein.

From the Pine snowfields beyond the northernmost border, to Ricardo, a trading and wine-producing region connected to the imperial capital, to Stella Island, the beginning of the western sea.

The territory was not only wide, but the influence it had on the Empire was also great. During the war, more than anyone else, the support they gave with magical forces was beyond simple duty, and they sometimes spared no large sum of money for the Empire.

The mobile gate project, which dramatically reduced the travel time between cities, would not have been possible without Bellstein, who possesses powerful magical prowess and magic crystals.

However, there were many nobles who only pretended to be with Bellstein, who became the object of fear because of the mixture with demon blood. The fearful opponent soon became a common enemy and turned into a villain without doing anything to be labeled as such.

Although they still had friendly relations with the imperial family, they were in danger of not knowing when the Imperial house would take the side of the nobles.

There were frequent rumors that the relationship between the Emperor and the first head of the household, Gillard, was not as good as it used to be, and it was true that the exchanges had deteriorated.

However, the imperial family still leaned heavily on Bellstein.

In the capital Arte, rumors were rampant over the young daughter-in-law who entered the Bellstein Duchy.

There were rumors that she was a child who was taken as a hostage from a distant foreign country, others said that she was an illegitimate daughter of a Duke, or that she was newly adopted as a daughter.

After hearing all of it, Louivid’s lips drew a beautiful arc.

“The last one is really what I had in mind, how did they know?”