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Chapter – 09
It was a little past lunchtime that day.
“Let me go check on Jeanne for a moment.”
“’Kay.”
Left alone, I took out my sketchbook and began to doodle.
‘Don’t get all gloomy for no reason—just draw.’
I was fully absorbed in my drawing when—
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
A sharp voice echoed through the halls.
My eyes widened and I turned toward the sound.
‘That voice…?’
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Running hurriedly, I arrived at the front of Ricky oppa’s room.
A crowd had gathered there.
“Oh no…”
“What is happening…”
Judging from the looks on their faces, something serious had gone down.
‘What in the world happened…?’
No matter how much I tiptoed, I couldn’t see a thing.
Curse this pitifully short 4-year-old body.
Ugh.
‘No choice, then!’
I stuck my face between people’s legs.
“’Scuze meee, Meloni comin’ throoough.”
If your head fits, your whole body fits—someone once said!
Thankfully, that theory proved true.
After squeezing and crawling my way through, I eventually reached the front.
And the scene I saw was—
“When did you even steal it? I hid it so no one could find it.”
“Steal? I told you, I just found it.”
Dominic smirked, while Ricky oppa’s face twisted with anger.
‘Steal? Dominic stole something from oppa?’
Looking closely, there was a small glass vial in Dominic’s hand.
Ricky oppa snapped, his face fierce.
“You think that makes any sense?! I wrapped it tight in a handkerchief and hid it behind the bookshelf. How could you have found it?!”
“Hmm… Maybe I found it in the bathroom? Can’t remember.”
“…Enough with your word games. Give it back. That’s extremely important to me.”
“Oh, really? So this is that important to you.”
The moment he murmured that ominously—
Crash!
“No!!”
It all happened so fast.
Dominic threw the vial, and it shattered on the ground.
And then—
“Oh dear, oops. My mistake.”
He stepped on the contents that spilled out of the broken vial and crushed them.
“What a shame. Really. My bad.”
Beneath his foot was something mashed beyond recognition.
“No… This can’t….”
Oppa collapsed to the ground, mumbling blankly.
“Lina’s medicine…”
Thump, thump, thump.
My heart pounded rapidly.
‘Lina’s… medicine?’
And suddenly, I remembered.
“I don’t care if I’m trapped here for the rest of my life. I only worry about my little sister out there. I wish I could’ve at least delivered her medicine. To think I got dragged here the very day I obtained it…”
Oppa often said that.
‘So that was the medicine.’
The medicine he never got to deliver.
I clenched my tiny fists and glared at Dominic.
‘How could he…’
In a place this small, it was impossible that Dominic hadn’t heard oppa mention his sister.
Which meant Dominic did this knowing exactly what it was.
Unbearable anger shook my whole body.
“H— how c-could yoou…”
How could a person do that?!
Why not just pick on me like he always did?!
Hit me in the head a few times and call it a day!
“…No forgiving. Bad person— evil! Never forgib!”
I screamed with all my might and sprinted straight toward Dominic—
—then bit his leg as hard as I could.
“What the— Agh!!”
“Mmph! No forgib!!”
It was the greatest special move available to any 4-year-old:
The Calf Bite Attack!
‘What if all my baby teeth fall out…?’
Whatever. Sacrifice the baby teeth for justice.
I chose justice over dental health.
“You crazy brat— Argh!!”
Dominic grabbed the back of my neck, but I held on like a bulldog.
Don’t underestimate a desperate Meloni!
Of course, I couldn’t win against an adult’s strength for long.
“Get the hell off!!”
He flung me away roughly.
‘Aah, my butt’s gonna split in half!’
Wait… wasn’t it already in two halves?
I shut my eyes tight, bracing for pain.
But—
‘Huh…?’
There was no pain.
Someone had caught me midair.
A large hand supported my back—one I faintly recognized.
“You really do go flying all over the place, Marshmallow.”
And the voice from above—
It was familiar too.
My nose stung. Heat flooded my eyes.
Sniffle, sniff-sniffle.
No matter how much I sniffed, I couldn’t stop the tears.
I was suddenly reminded of a little kid I once saw begging on the streets.
A child who tripped while running, stood up bravely—but burst into tears the moment their parent showed up.
Why did I think of that kid now?
Tears spilled nonstop as I turned around.
“…Owi-… hic… Oliver ajjeccchi…”
“My marshmallow got all soggy. What a messy little marshmallow.”
Those blue eyes curved into a smile. His playful voice was the same as always.
I buried my face into his chest and wailed.
Then—
“G-good ajusshi, p-punish the bad ajusshi! Hic Punish him instead of Meloni!”
I tattled with everything I had.
Officer! Arrest that criminal!
Contier found this ridiculous.
He had gone to the ducal estate to finalize Count Bramsoir’s processing.
He had only been gone a few days—and chaos had erupted in his absence.
A smile masked the chill in his eyes as he surveyed the scene.
He didn’t need to ask what had happened.
“My, my. So you ignored my warning.”
Dominic paled at the sight of Contier’s bright, smiling face.
“I distinctly told you not to bark, and to stay quiet.”
Murmuring coldly, Contier patted the child in his arms and began to walk.
Sniffle… sniff…
Each sniff fractured his perfectly drawn smile a little more.
“……”
“……”
The oppressive aura around him was so strong that no one dared speak.
Step… step…
“I dislike people who don’t learn. It irritates me. Such a waste of time.”
“I-I’m sorry! I’ll be quiet! I’ll behave! I promise!!”
With Contier approaching, Dominic collapsed, begging.
The memory of Contier’s last violent display alone was terrifying—but more than that, instinct screamed:
This is someone you must never provoke.
The killing intent pressing down on him was suffocating.
Contier stopped right in front of Dominic.
“S-spare me. Please, please spare me.”
“Anyone watching would think I’m about to kill you.”
Contier shrugged lightly, rolling his eyes.
“How unfair. I’m a pacifist. I avoid meaningless killing.”
Ah… though this might count as meaningful.
He muttered that like a joke—then kicked Dominic right in the jaw.
Ugh.
Dominic flew, hit the wall, and dropped to the floor.
He twitched a couple of times, then went limp—unconscious.
“Ha— finally quiet.”
His voice sounded refreshed and satisfied.
Around that time, the sobs in his arms had stopped.
The child lifted her head.
His shirt bore three small round wet spots.
Two for the eyes, one for the nose, perhaps?
‘Honestly…’
Contier’s lips twitched.
“You really are a messy little marshmallow.”
“…Messhy?”
“Yes. Messy.”
With a playful reply, Contier kicked the unconscious Dominic again.
Crunch.
The brutal sound made the child’s eyes widen.
“Don’t look at that. It’s yucky.”
He blocked her view before she could see more.
But the child stared at Dominic’s limp foot and then at Contier—before nodding solemnly.
“Yucky bad.”
“Yes. Good girl.”
When he ruffled her hair, her expression turned strangely complicated.
