CH 11

Are you planning on going like this? am I i innocent?

Unlike me, who was confused, Kiverin could not hide his excitement.

Kiverin was lying on the bed, unable to fall asleep right away, and was looking at me with dazzling eyes.

“Young master, you should sleep.”

“I-I’m not sleepy at all.”

Kiverin answered quickly.

I am very sleepy.

Should I even read a storybook?

But the bookshelf was too far away.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes.

“Can I tell you a story?”

“Cheria, everything you say is good to hear.”

Kiverin pricked up his ears.

I began to gibberish, half immersed in dreamland.

“Well. Once upon a time, there lived a worker ant.”

“…….”

“There was a worker ant who woke up at 5 in the morning and left work at 11 at night….”

“…….”

Suddenly Kiverin seemed lost for words, but I was doing my best.

“She still regrets that she couldn’t quit even though they delayed her salary and she was deceived by the news after she took care of overtime work and she hasn’t received her salary at all… They look down on her because she’s young…”

At the tragic story, Kiverin murmured with blurred eyes.

“I hope the worker ant is happy in the next life, and I hope they lose.”

It was difficult to answer now.

I fell asleep as I felt Kiverin cover me with the blanket.

… But what was my previous name?

*****

In the morning, my body felt like cotton soaked in water.

Besides, I felt bad because my skin was itchy as if I had been bitten by an insect.

I grabbed Kiverin and managed to go down the stairs when I heard a loud noise from the hall.

Kiverin, who had figured out the cause of the commotion before me, stiffened his shoulders.

“The temple, people.”

I lifted my head off the railing and looked down at the hall.

Priests surrounded Winter.

… At least I know why my skin is itchy.

Because of divine power.

“Are you really going to deceive the temple? I am so sorry, Duchess.”

“…….”

“I will take all of the maids belonging to the temple. You will have to send the young master out of the capital before the day changes.”

Winter, who was pounding the fan, tilted her head at an angle.

“Is that all you want to say?”

Winter’s attitude seemed to offend the priests.

Even though I could only see Winter back, it was very clear that the priests’ faces were wrinkled.

“… You’re still arrogant. Aren’t the people of the empire destined to be sacrificed to a young master who came out of the world with pity?”

“Madam knows nothing. Because you’re  not an imperial citizen.”

Winter said relaxedly at the ridicule of the priests.

“Certainly I know nothing, but I think the god of the Empire is merciful. I’ll let you play with your sassy tongue.”

“What…!”

“You haven’t come back yet? It was you who told me to leave before the day changed, are you really going to hold my ankle?”

“… Sending a young master away was the wrong choice. You will regret this.”

The priests turned around after pouring slanderous accusations in the name of warning.

Can you just go quickly? I mean, my skin is itchy.

I went down the stairs with Kiverin at a very slow pace.

Winter sharpened her teeth.

―We, no, I will hurt you. So I…

Even in the rain last night, Winter couldn’t get close to Kiverin.

Even though she pretended to be calm in front of the priests, Winter kept everything inside.

Winter captured her expression and looked back at me.

“We will leave the capital as soon as we’re ready. Maybe we’ll never come back for the rest of our lives. If there is something you want to do, hurry up.”

I don’t have anything… 

I remembered Mera’s words that you should take a walk in the garden when it’s sunny.

“Can I see the garden?”

Winter’s eyes went down.

“No one walks around with permission in your own house, Cheria.”

“…….”

Winter threw those words away and passed me by with the maids.

What is it? The person who looks this sweet and cold… 

Even though she seems cold, she nails the fact that I am a Duke person with her own mouth.

At that moment, it occurred to me that Winter might not be a bad person as described in the novel.

Also, I was deceived by the novel.

Come to think of it, neither Winter nor Menelik were old in the novel.

Now that Kiverin is ten, Winter will be thirty-one.

Menelik was three years younger, so he must be twenty-eight.

As the priests ridiculed, Winter was not from the Kalista Empire.

As she was the last descendant of a long-destroyed royal family, she had no relatives.

Menelik was hurriedly married to protect Winter.

On the day of the wedding in the novel. It was stated that Menelik’s arm was fine.

However, when time passed and he reappeared, Menelik had lost one arm.

Since the Duke and Duchess were supporting characters, there was only a result, and the cause was not explained.

While chasing Winter, who seems to have a hidden circumstance, I found Kiverin.

Kiverin suddenly ran to the window and looked out.

“Young master? What are you watching?”

“Uh, remember the face, I’m going to keep remembering it.”

Who? Are you talking about priests?

“I… I’ll scold him when I grow up.”

“It’s amazing.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

Huh?

“No, that’s a bit…”

I got you out of the Snake Cave, but you can’t follow the villain’s route!

Kiverin looked at me with innocent eyes.

“I can’t…?”

“… If the young master kills the priest, won’t the problem increase?”

I tried to persuade.

However, Kiverin’s next words surprised me.

“Bu-but… I heard Mother talk… She wished he was dead….”

Who is it? Who said that?

Why are his parents cursing in front of a child?

“It may be okay if you don’t get caught and that you are the culprit… No! Young master still has a long way to go before he grows up, so think carefully about how to get revenge.”

Kiverin nodded.

I almost got involved. I’ll be in big trouble if I let my guard down because he’s still young.

I shifted the topic to keep Kiverin from looking out the window again.

“I want to go to that garden. Will you show me around?”

“I-Is it okay to spend time with me…?”

Kiverin seemed to think I would have a lot of regrets about the capital.

I wondered for a moment if I could purify myself to say that my biological parents sold me to the Dukes.

Yeah, it’s impossible.

“I like being with the young master.”

It was a bit of a blur, but Kiverin responded enthusiastically.

“Me too! I like it too!”

I couldn’t help but smile at him.

So cute.

I followed Kiverin, who boldly took the lead, half a step behind.

It was the moment when the outside wind tickled my cheeks. Dizziness came over.

Ugh, I felt like I was going to fall, so I grabbed Kiverin tightly without realizing it.

“Cheria?”

“… I’m okay.”

The ground trembled. I grabbed Kiverin and breathed heavily.

“It’s okay, so don’t call anyone.”

I tried to make my voice as clear as possible.

I wasn’t in good shape originally, but after feeling the divine power, it seemed to have gotten much worse.

“Whew….”

It will just be a mild cold. That’s the way it was.

If it is a disease that is harder to cure than a cold, my parents-in-law may change their mind and say that they will not take me.

Not in the future of returning to the Count again!

“I told you it’s all right with me, oh, you don’t have to.”

“…….”

I managed to stand upright.

Kiverin’s complexion caught my eye. Last night Kiverin had been in the rain a lot more than I did, but he was still okay.

… Maybe I wasn’t in a position to worry about Kiverin.

Without realizing it, I wrinkled the back of my nose, and my body suddenly floated in the air.

Someone lifted me up from behind and softly clicked her tongue.

“I forgot for a moment that the other kids were different from Kiverin.”

When I lifted my head, Winter’s alluring face was upside down.

“Mother?”

Winter winked at Kiverin.

“I will take you to Yelena, you can go back.”

Kiverin nodded with a worried look on his face. Winter carried me forward, carrying me like a pack.

“I can walk on my own…”

“There won’t be, so just be quiet.”

Yes.

It was a soft but firm voice.

The place Winter took me, who had become calm, was a room full of all kinds of junk.

A woman with short hair has been welcoming and pretending to know me.

“Hello, Lady Cheria! My name is Yelena Lilier, the Duke’s doctor. Please feel free to call me Yelena.”

She had a cheerful voice that made even those who heard it feel good.

Having worked for a long time in the Duke’s family, it didn’t seem like she was having a lot of trouble with Winter.

“Hello.”

When we greeted each other unexpectedly, Yelena drew a smile around her mouth.

“I am going to look at your condition from now on. It doesn’t hurts at all, so don’t be afraid.”

But the warm atmosphere was only for a moment.