CH 9

After Clarisse’s treatment was fixed, a banquet was held in Sheridan. 

It was a place to console the souls of those who failed to return from the war and celebrate the returnees.

During the three days of the banquet, the Duke’s mansion, Clarisse’s room, and even a village far away were all full of splendor and noise.  

But things were a little different in Clarisse’s pretty room.

No one in the room told Clarisse about the banquet.

“Perhaps he cares about me.”

Clarisse said as she lay on the bed and yawned.

“This is a banquet to commemorate the defeat of the kingdom of Grezekaia, and I was the Princess of that place. Besides, I’m a prisoner who’s forbidden to make a fuss.” 

That’s why everyone shouldn’t talk about the banquet in front of Clarisse.

She was very thankful for the people who took care of her heart, which was at best a sinner. 

“Still, I’m a little curious.” 

Clarisse turned and kissed the pebble.

“I’ve never been to a banquet before.”

Although Clarisse was a princess, she was treated as a non-existent existence. 

Unlike her brother, who was always invited to banquets and gatherings, she was never formally invited to any party. 

Probably will in the future.

Because there will be no party where sinners are invited as guests.

“Coo? (Do you want me to dance for you?)”

Clarisse’s eyes were widened with her pumpkin-colored eyes when Mallang gave her a short arm.

“…Mmhm?” 

“Coo. (Well, beat me if you don’t like it.)”

“No, no! I love it! Please dance with me, Prince Mallang!” 

“Coo! (Who is the Prince!)” 

Clarisse jumped out of bed, grabbed Mallang with both hands, lifted it high, and opened both the window and the shutters wide.

Along with the white moonlight, the pleasant sound of the banquet heard from afar echoed faintly all the way to her room. 

The girl twirled around the empty room with the small Mallang. 

She had never learned to dance, but her twirling step slowed down and sped up a little according to the sounds she heard outside.

Clarisse immediately became happy. 

As much as she was frantically spinning around the room.

“Coo! (I’m dizzy!)”

By the time Mallang started screaming, Clarisse was very dizzy, so she fell on the carpeted floor. 

Mallang went back to the pebble and scattered, and Clarisse fiddled with the soft floor while lying down on the floor. 

It was so nice to feel her breath run up to the tip of her chin.

Clarisse closed her eyes without moving as she was. She felt like she would have a good dream.

* * *

Maximilian had a routine every evening.

It was to get a report of Clarisse’s day from Rosalie.

He wrote down Clarisse’s meals, sleep and worried conversations from Rosalie by date.

Since it was a law-abiding business, he marked the papers recording this schedule as ‘really important’.

Of course, this wasn’t the end.

Clarisse was a really important person to leave everything entirely to Rosalie.

Isn’t she a child who can be the legitimacy to rebuild the collapsed kingdom? It was also necessary for him to examine the situation himself. 

Maximilian left his office and went to Clarisse’s room.

He walked across the hallway with his long legs, but at some point his pace slowed down a bit.

Coincidentally, it was also in front of the Duchess’s room.

‘That thing… I didn’t inform the Count’s family directly… should I talk?’ 

He stopped now and began to ponder.

｢Please, I beg you.｣ 

Then, the eager eyes of that day immediately came to mind, and Maximilian unknowingly grabbed the stone protruding from the wall nearby.

There was something wrong with one side of his heart.

He was confident that there was no problem with his health—.

“Duke, are you okay?”

Knight Benson, who happened to be in the hallway, approached him.

He was from a commoner in Sheridan, and he was the one who took the position of a knight only with his excellent swordsmanship.

Maximilian nodded slowly.

“No problem. More than that, has anything happened?”

“That’s…” 

Benson hesitated for a moment before answering cautiously.

“I was going to check because I think there’s a sound over there.”

“Sound?”

He followed the direction Benson pointed out and turned his gaze to Clarisse’s room.

The Duke hurriedly knocked on her room. No answer was heard, but the door shook slightly.

“….?” 

As he opened the door, a cool breeze blew through the Duke’s hair.

Apparently, Clarisse fell asleep with the window open and the door shook.

“The sound of the banquet must have been loud… Hmm?” 

He found Clarisse asleep on the floor and hurried over to her.

“Oh my.” 

The child’s face was cold beyond words.

He hurriedly laid Clarisse under the phoenix blanket and examined her condition from the side.

“Why are you sleeping on the floor…?” 

“I think she was playing with a stone.”

The knight, who knew that Clarisse was friends with stones, picked up the pebble that had fallen on the floor and put it by Clarisse’s side. 

“I was like that when I was younger too. There was a time when I fell asleep while playing, so I fell asleep as it was and it’s freezing.” 

The Duke glanced at his face.

“Ahaha, I’m fine now. Because it all happened when I was young. Anyway, since the child has been living in the room for days, it must be boring.”

“I thought she was still tired.”

“Children are different from adults. If she sleeps for a day, she quickly recovers her stamina and wanders around looking for the next thing to play.”

“Play… Is it necessary?”

Maximilian touched Clarisse’s forehead.

It must have been a short time since she fell asleep in the cold, and there was no sign of the fever rising.

The child had returned to normal body temperature in no time. 

“As long as there is no problem. Treat her as a sinner from now on, but be careful not to injure her even the slightest scratch.”

At his warning, the knight quickly raised his guard.

“Yes.”

* * *

Even after that, Clarisse kept her promise to the Duke.

It means being quiet in the room.

Even when she went to the bathroom, she would quietly raise her hand in the hallway, wait for someone to pass by, and ask for permission. 

She never complained about the daily bath, and she always made sure to clean between her toes.

She always ate all the meals prepared by the chef with balanced nutrition.

Despite Clarisse’s correct attitude towards life, Maximilian seemed to be worried about her.

“The furry clothes are late.”

He sat in his office with frightened eyes and murmured like that.

His tone wasn’t particularly emotional, but Quentin could tell that Maximilian was quite agitated.

“That’s why, didn’t I tell you before that fur clothes take a long time?”

“Isn’t that why I directly provided the processed fur?”

“Take your time, the seamstresses all over the village are busy making cute prison uniforms. Surely you won’t order me to bring a seamstress from a neighboring village at a high price, right?” 

“I see.” 

“Yes, no way for such common sense…” 

“We can bring a seamstress from the next village.”

“….” 

“It doesn’t matter how much it costs.”

Quentin clattered his glasses. He was wondering what was wrong with this Duke.

No matter how precious the prisoner is, he’s doing this to the extent just because the child’s winter clothes are delayed a little?

“Duke.”

“It is an urgent matter. The delivery of prison uniforms is being delayed after the prisoners have been brought in.”

“Excuse me, this is just my thought.” 

Quentin looked into Maximilian’s eyes and spoke carefully.

“Anyway, the child… only stays in the room.”

Of course, this statement omits the question, “But will fur clothes be needed that soon?”

“Yes, so we need to make fur clothes as soon as possible.”

“Yes?!”

“I will send her outside.”

“In this a severe winter?!”

Quentin pointed his finger out the window.

Pure white snow was piled high beyond the castle that was stuck to the glass.

He can’t believe he’s driving her to such a cold place!

The Sheriden children have been accustomed to the cold since they were little, so it’s okay, but isn’t Clarisse different?

Even though she was a prisoner, it was such a terrible thing to do.

“Yeah.” 

However, the Duke nodded his head without feeling the slightest bit of remorse. 

“She needs to use her energy. After reading the book, it is said that proper outdoor activities are the secret to longevity. It also helps people grow.”

Quentin opened his mouth wide and was at a loss for words.

What longevity! To put it bluntly, dying at the age of eighteen should be called short-lived. 

For a child who will die when she grows up, helping growth is terrible! 

“For the sake of Clarisse’s health, we will have her outside.”

“Really, the Duke is so cruel no matter what you do!” 

Even though Quentin thought he was a demon who didn’t cry or bleed, he brought the seamstresses from the next town on a sleigh.

* * *

The prison uniform has been completed.

When the white fur covered the child’s whole body, Clarisse became just like a winter rabbit.

“It’s warm.”

Clarisse put on her gloves and even boots and looked down at it.

Maximilian took a step back after making sure that no cold wind was blowing through her clothes. 

The giant man and the tiny child now faced each other.

“Thank you for making me a nice prison uniform, Duke.”

“Yeah… Then you can do outdoor activities from now on.”

“Outdoor… activities? Me?” 

The Duke nodded his head.

“Every prisoner must spend a certain amount of time outside to protect his mental and physical health.”

“Ah…” 

Clarisse immediately lowered her head.

She was embarrassed by her complacent thoughts, which she had when she thought that was all she had to do in her room.

“I’m sorry. From now on, I will do outdoor activities every day to strengthen my body.”

“You should be.”

“I, but…” 

Clarisse awkwardly wrung her gloved hand and cautiously asked the question.

“What do I do for outdoor activities?”