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Chapter 44
A few days later.
After finishing her morning classes, Lucillea clutched her wand tightly and headed toward the fountain in the main building’s garden, where Serdian and Raiden were waiting.
It was nice meeting at the Glass Garden, but the outdoor garden wasn’t bad either.
Besides, thanks to the heavy snowfall from last night, it was the perfect weather to play and build snowmen.
“Serdian! Raiden!”
Lucillea waved her hand and ran toward the two boys, who had arrived before her.
Crunch, crunch. With every step she took, the snow beneath her feet sank down.
“Where are your gloves? Why did you come without them?”
Raiden looked worriedly at Lucillea’s reddened fingertips.
He began to take off his own gloves, but—thunk.
Serdian tossed his gloves right onto Lucillea’s palms.
“Turns out the idiot walking around without gloves from the North is right here.”
“I just forgot, okay?!”
Lucillea glared sharply at Serdian, but then she smiled playfully as she slipped his gloves onto her hands.
Of course, they were too big, but inside them was still Serdian’s lingering warmth.
Wow, look at him being all kind.
No wonder the heroine falls for him.
His words were blunt and rough, but everything he did was laced with kindness. And that kindness was obvious to Lucillea’s eyes.
Chuckling inwardly, Lucillea began scooping snow off the ground.
Her small hands worked nimbly to form a snowball.
Serdian watched her with an indifferent expression, while Raiden crouched down beside her to help.
Just then, two girls around Serdian’s age walked out of the West Hall.
Among them, a short-haired girl with violet hair—Kaelyn—spotted Serdian from a distance and froze in her tracks.
She nudged her friend’s arm and whispered.
“Irnel, look over there. That’s Serdian. And Lord Raiden’s with him too.”
“……”
At those words, Irnel also stopped.
With elegance, she brushed her sky-blue hair, fluttering in the wind, behind her ear, and turned her head toward Serdian.
It was just as Kaelyn said.
His dark hair swayed in the sharp northern wind, and in the snowy white world around him, his red eyes shone like they alone lit up the scene.
Irnel stared fixedly at the boy, who looked like a painting drawn on a blank canvas.
Kaelyn let out a small laugh.
“What’s this? Who’s that little kid hanging around with the two heirs?”
The heir of the Grand Duke’s family and the heir of the Marquisate. And between them, something short and small.
“Ohh, I see now.” Kaelyn sighed, as if realizing something.
At Kaelyn’s fuss, Irnel shifted her gaze to the small child standing next to Serdian.
“What do you mean?”
“That kid who’s been the talk of the place lately. The one who entered the Grand Duke’s estate not long ago.”
“Ah…” Irnel muttered, as if recalling.
“The one who got assigned to the fifth floor right after arriving?”
“Yeah, that one! That’s her!”
Irnel’s eyes returned to Lucillea, sharper than before.
Kaelyn scoffed.
“Serdian and Lord Raiden are strange. Why would they bother with that kid? Maybe there’s some other reason. Like she’s secretly some high-ranking noble’s illegitimate child.”
Irnel spoke firmly at that.
“You’d better watch your tongue, Kaelyn. It sounds like you’re insulting His Grace the Grand Duke’s judgment.”
“Huh…? No, I didn’t—”
Kaelyn stammered nervously, but Irnel cut her off coldly.
“Whatever your intentions, spreading baseless rumors makes it sound like you doubt His Grace’s decision.”
Irnel didn’t want to view the child chosen by Elbadine with such a negative outlook.
To her, doing so felt like an insult to the Grand Duke himself, who was supporting her.
But Kaelyn’s grumbling continued.
“Still, aren’t you bothered? I don’t even understand why he assigned May to serve her as a maid.”
“And what does that have to do with us?”
“What?”
At Irnel’s calm retort, Kaelyn was at a loss for words.
Of course, Irnel wasn’t completely unbothered either.
But that too had been the Grand Duke Elbadine’s decision, and since it didn’t change her own life, she saw no reason to get worked up over it.
Meira…
There were countless rumors about May. No one knew for certain which were true or false.
The only clear thing was—
May is dangerous.
It had happened not long after Irnel entered the Grand Duke’s estate.
As usual, she had been training late into the night and stepped outside for fresh air.
That was when, near a dark wall in the west annex where not even moonlight reached, she came across a figure.
It was May—though not in her usual maid’s uniform. Instead, she wore tight, jet-black clothes suited for moving under cover of night.
—“Shh.”
When their eyes met, May gave her the same gentle, sweet smile she always wore.
Then, soundlessly, she vaulted over the wall and disappeared.
Irnel froze, holding her breath without realizing.
Maybe it was because of the thick stench of blood that lingered, or perhaps it was the killing intent flickering in May’s pale green eyes.
Even though she was young, Irnel understood.
That smile had been both a warning and a threat.
From that day, she realized something.
A maid who could so brazenly come and go while reeking of blood might very well be just as dangerous and deadly as Elbadine himself.
And now that same May serves as the maid to a child personally chosen by His Grace…
But still, none of that was Irnel’s concern.
Whether May broke out of her maid role, or whether the new child dared to keep such a terrifying maid at her side—
What truly mattered for chosen children was skill and proof.
Irnel quietly watched Lucillea’s group and said to Kaelyn:
“I don’t blame you for how you feel. But the upcoming field training will prove everything, so we should just stay quiet.”
If Lucillea couldn’t display her abilities then, she would be eliminated naturally.
That goes for me too, though…
The Grand Duke’s house held regular field training.
It was a way to assess, directly and clearly, the abilities of the children chosen to live in the estate.
The missions varied depending on the situation in the territory or the Empire.
The difficulty was adjusted for the children’s age and skill level, so they were rarely in serious danger.
A faint shadow crossed Irnel’s golden eyes as she looked at Lucillea.
I hope you really do show something amazing.
She didn’t want to doubt or be disappointed in the Grand Duke’s choice.
So for your own sake, it would be best to prove yourself with undeniable ability.
At that moment—“Ahahaha!” Lucillea’s laughter rang out.
Irnel’s gaze, fixed on her, shifted toward Serdian.
Just then, the wind blew, tossing Irnel’s sky-blue hair around.
Her long hair whipped across her sight, but through the strands she glimpsed Serdian’s face. Her golden eyes trembled faintly.
Serdian, you…
Does that boy know how to laugh like that?
It had been only a fleeting moment, but there was no mistake—Serdian’s lips had curved into a smile.
Irnel was deeply shaken.
Until now, Serdian had never spoken to anyone in a friendly way, nor had he ever shown emotion through his expressions.
To those who didn’t know his origins, he seemed so noble and dignified they would have assumed he’d been born into the highest of families.
Irnel liked that about Serdian.
That unreachable, incomparable dignity—something she could never hope to catch up to, no matter how hard she tried.
He hadn’t become that way because of his high status as the Grand Duke’s heir. He had been like that from the very beginning—ever since the day he entered the estate.
He was always detached from others, never revealing himself.
As if all emotions within him had dried up.
Maybe that was why she had always been drawn to him.
But now…
Has he changed…?
Somehow, this Serdian in the snowfield didn’t seem like the Serdian she had always known.
Realizing that fact, something unpleasant and hot welled up in her chest.
“Let’s go.”
Irnel turned away at once. She didn’t want to see any more.
