CH 31

He still recalled it vividly.

In that cold winter, the helpless feeling of a father, who had to let go of his hand and could only watch the disease of the young deepening.

As the cold in the North intensified, Baby’s breathing slowed down.

‘Baby….’

Then, it became increasingly difficult to control his hands and feet, and in the end, he lost his consciousness.

Later, it was rare for him to have the time when he came to his senses altogether.

Tightly.

Recalling the nightmare-like time, the Duke frowned.

“That’s why she was sent to the Capital of mild weather.”

As soon as the rumor came to people’s ears, the noted doctors who were famous in the continent were also immediately sent to save—and kidnapped—her.

Fortunately or unfortunately, according to the messenger’s report, which was continuously sent even when he was on the battlefield.

‘The deterioration, it was said that it stopped, right?’

Although it was said that Baby’s condition did not improve, it also did not progress any further.

“Even the Madam also caught the Young Miss in her eyes until the very end….”

Johanna’s eyes became red as she recalled the Duchess who went up to the Capital together for the weak child.

“If she was here.”

Recalling the only person who left early, the Duke muttered in an empty voice.

If only he had known that she would leave like that while he was on the battlefield….

If so, no matter how much she told him not to worry, he wouldn’t have gone.

His wife left him in vain and his weak baby… No matter how much she said that she was Baby’s maternal family, whenever he thought of his baby growing up without her parents, his heart sank.

‘How lonely must she have been.’

Press.

The Duke bit his lips roughly.

“Please do not worry too much. She’s her niece, but didn’t the Viscount certainly take care of her properly?”

Count Zealot, who had been quiet so far, mentioned Firina Seaulus, Beatty’s aunt, who was named as her guardian in the Capital.

“Compared to the North, where the battlefield is close, the Capital with relatives who always take care of her would have been better for the Princess.”

Count Zealot’s words, which were saying that it was the most realistic alternative, were not heard by the Duke.

“So she came because she missed her home. That young thing….”

At the Duke’s words which were muttered in a sad voice, the office became solemn.

‘To think that she even risked running away with that small body to this far North.’

Thinking of the loneliness and pain that Baby would have suffered, the Duke’s chest tightened real hard.

He felt bad for his daughter who he had to keep far away.

‘Baby.’

In the meantime, it was so lovely to see that young thing came running because she missed her father, whom she couldn’t even see his face.

“….”

The thick hem of his clothes was badly wrinkled in the Duke’s hands, who clutched his stiff chest without realizing it.

‘T-the Duke, that kind of expression?’

Meanwhile, the aide who was standing next to his superior and saw his sentimental face for the first time was surprised.

To think that it’s the sorrow of the man who dominates as the Fear of the Battlefield?!

The enemy country bastards who were shaking just by hearing the name of the Golden Lion Duke, will fall down in surprise if they saw this.

Not caring at all of the aide’s agitation, the Duke opened his mouth again resolutely.

“Even so, it shouldn’t be shaken. If I’m thinking about Baby’s health…!”

“That’s right, Master!”

“Hm. But don’t you think that the Young Miss’ goal was quite firm?”

At the aide’s point out, the Duke’s gaze was focused on him.

The flustered aide stuttered as he quickly told the reason.

“I know because I have a niece as old as the Young Miss, but the children’s stubbornness at that time is really amazing.”

“…So?”

“Uhm, this is the method my niece used. In the past, there was a doll that she was really into.”

Johanna expressed sympathy for the aide’s story.

“There surely is a time where children are like that.”

“Yes. She was begging for it. The child’s parents just cut it off, saying that she had already received her birthday present and she can’t have it. In the end, she was fasting until they bought her the doll.”

“Oh my. The child starved?”

The Duke flinched.

‘Doesn’t… eat?’

What if by any chance Baby fast as a protest if he said that he wouldn’t grant what she wants?

Weakly.

He recalled the figure of Baby turning her head and covering her mouth with both of her bracken-like hands in front of the dining table.

Flow.

Cold sweats, which had never occurred even on the battlefield, were flowing.

Even now, if a small child starves even one meal, how much less will she shrink from there?

The Duke couldn’t even imagine it at all.

‘But she’s already small.’

If the child doesn’t eat, then she doesn’t have any strength, and the already weak body will worsen.

“Uhmm.”

A groan out of anxiety came out from the Duke’s mouth as he recalled a small Baby collapsing helplessly.

‘But I’m trying to send her to the Capital for the child’s health.’

What if the really important child is determined enough to harm her health because she doesn’t want to go?

The Duke’s complexion darkened.

‘…Since it’s not cold yet, it would be okay to set the date of sending her to the Capital a bit later, right?’

The hurdles in the Duke’s heart went down slightly.

And like that, the Duke chose the postponement plan, which was unlike himself.

It was contrary to the figure of the Lion Duke on the battlefield, which had always made a firm decision.

Of course, his soft coping, which he didn’t even know existed, was limited only to Beatty.

Knowing the Duke’s heart for his daughter, the aide opened up his mouth to speak about the newly-acquainted side of the Young Miss in order to evoke the calm atmosphere of the Master.

“Anyway, I think the Young Miss really thought about the territory while she was in the Capital.”

“Hm?”

“How could she know about the territory’s situation without listening to it with interest, and how did she countermeasures against it?”

“Right.”

“At that early age, she’s already amazing.”

The Duke listened to the fierce praise for Beatty with a pleased look.

Seeing the Master’s lips raising up, the aide made a proud smile as well, as he thought inside.

‘Just following the discovery of the alternative food, and even to the recipes of that food to be distributed widely. This is certainly an amazing matter.’

The aide didn’t simply praise the Young Miss just to lift the Master’s mood.

‘It is not just an accidental discovery. It is a policy that considers all the progress of work and its ripple effects. This is really….’

The Young Miss is not just such a gifted person.

‘As expected, our Young Miss was a genius!’

A clear solution that can be applied to the actual work right away.

To think that it’s an 8-year-old’s possible way of thinking. This has already gone beyond the level of smart.

She’s an unprecedented genius!

“Just by imagining how much our territory can change with the Young Miss’ policy, it’s incredible!”

“Hm.”

“It’s not just the ways that are excellent. But also how much thought has she done for the hungry territory people until she came up with this…!”

He was sincerely touched by the Young Miss’ heart of gold.

‘Although I’ve known it since she sent the alternative military supply to the battlefield, our Young Miss is amazing!’

The Duke, who was satisfied with the aide’s admiration for Beatty, nodded and opened his mouth.

“Yeah. I didn’t expect my Baby to have even this kind of talent.”

Even for her to breathe healthily, he would be grateful just with that, but moreover for her to be cute, and even smart, too?!!

“But.”

A cold voice suddenly came out from the Duke’s mouth, who was smiling with a proud heart.

“Why didn’t the Viscount tell me about my daughter’s figure up to now?”

In an instant, the Duke’s eyes became sharp.

“Since I told her to deliver everything, not missing even a bit, about Baby.”

The fierce energy quickly filled the office.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Count Zealot interfere in a hurry.

“No matter how you think and see it, the Princess is still young. So wouldn’t the Viscount be worried that Your Excellency would be pressured by uncertainty if she said that the Princess was a genius since she was young?”

“….”

“Didn’t the Viscount struggle much with her niece’s education? Also, didn’t she care a lot about the Princess’ health?”

As he asked the Duke that didn’t she had spent almost every day writing about the Princess’ health, Count Zealot defended the Viscount based on the reports that had been delivered so far.

Anyway, she’s the younger sister of the deceased Duchess. 

The Duchy is spending a huge amount of child support is one thing, but anyway, she is the family that has been taking care of the Young Miss since childhood.

“Perhaps the Viscount was also very surprised by the Young Miss’ runaway. Didn’t she even plead to the Royal Palace and contact us through the Royal Family’s communication device?”

“Well, I did hear that it was like that, but….”

‘Even in the future, if the Young Miss returned to the Capital, we will be indebted to her, but she did hold largely responsible for this one mistake.’

Secretly grumbling inside, the aide opened his mouth again.

“Even if it’s like that, the responsibility for not stopping the Young Miss from coming all the way to the North all alone is big.”

It was the part that he had been dissatisfied with since he heard the news of the Princess of the Great Aslan’s runaway.

At those words, the Duke nodded and asked the aide.

“How about the unit that I ordered?”

“I brought the draft plan here.”

The aide took the documents out of a bundle of paper he was holding proudly and delivered them.

“It is a plan which includes not only escorts around the Young Miss but also personnel who will be dispatched to the capital mansion to strengthen the security.”

“Do you think this is enough? Recruit a bit more knights.”

“Ah. Yes! I will fix it immediately!”

Dozens of guards and 15 regular knights. Even including the escorts, this isn’t enough.

The escort, which was already greater than a considerable number of factors, has been changed to a stronger iron-clad escort more than any royal escort.

The Duke, who checked the revised number again, nodded satisfactorily and opened his mouth.

“How about the other list?”

“Yes! That is in here…. This is the list that was picked as Your Excellency ordered.”

The aide hurriedly took out the report materials that had been prepared.

From the people in charge who were appointed to take care of the Young Miss while she was in the capital, the mansion’s employees, and to the messenger who had been in charge of reporting during that time.

What did you do while the Young Miss was on the road alone? They were the ones who had to answer Aslan’s sad questions in the future.

“Since I had sent the informants with the fastest Aliphe horse, Your Excellency will be able to get the results in a few days.”

At the aide’s words, the Duke nodded as he captured each name on the list, one by one, with a cold gaze.

(t/n: for the loyal readers who followed this story from the beginning and didn’t reread in these past few weeks, you guys might haven’t known yet… but I’ve changed Beatty’s title of ‘Young Lady‘ into ‘Princess’ and also changed her aunt’s title from ‘Viscountess‘ to ‘Viscount‘ which in this matter is a general title. Thank you~)