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Chapter 06
A message arrived at the temple from House Sladeyche.
[Priest Nana will remain under House Sladeyche’s care.]
It was a clear-cut declaration.
The message had been sent directly to the High Temple Overseer. Upon receiving it, the overseer was thrown into confusion.
“High Priest Amelia… have you lost your mind?”
He had never signed any dispatch order to Sladeyche.
After priests sent there, blinded by greed, had begun disappearing under the label of “missing,” he had stopped all assignments to that place.
On top of that, he had recently discovered that the orphanage head had been secretly sending children out under the guise of “missionary work” without his knowledge.
The Overseer slammed his hand on the desk, furious.
“A four-year-old child from the orphanage—sent to Sladeyche without even a proper dispatch order!”
“I am sorry, Overseer. I thought she would only be visiting briefly to observe the area.”
High Priest Amelia bowed her head deeply, answering dutifully.
“And how do you explain the children who were sent before this?!”
“Most of them volunteered to go on their own. I am deeply sorry I could not stop them.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Amelia’s head remained lowered, but her fists trembled.
Still, now was not the time to resist.
“What matters now is Sladeyche. It seems Nana is causing some… unpredictable trouble. I will investigate immediately.”
“Ensure the child’s safety first. Time is of the essence.”
The Overseer let out a long sigh and closed the letter.
“And since she has now earned merit by visiting Sladeyche… immediately promote her to the Academy.”
“Yes, sir.”
The orphanage director, Priest Amelia, left the Overseer’s office—only for her eyes to darken the moment she stepped outside.
So she actually came back alive.
She had assumed the child would die there. She had never expected the consequences to return to her.
“How insolent.”
And now—promotion to the Academy.
That benefit should never have belonged to that useless child.
And with Sladeyche’s name now attached, things had become even more complicated.
I need to find a way to remove her.
* * *
The Duke said nothing even after catching me secretly eating two pieces of candy.
Soon after, his aide arrived and guided me to an elaborately decorated room.
“…This bed is so luxurious I feel like I shouldn’t even lie on it.”
I poked the mattress out of curiosity.
It was unbelievably soft.
Do I… really get to sleep here?
When I lay down, the sensation was entirely different from what I had expected—like being wrapped in clouds.
If a bed feels like this, I’ll fall asleep instantly.
I closed my eyes tightly.
…
I’m not sleepy.
“I slept too much in the carriage…”
I sat up, hugging the fluffy pillow, then slowly got off the bed.
No one’s here, right?
After checking my surroundings, I crouched and pulled out my candy jar from under the bed.
“Hup!”
Wiping the glass clean with my sleeves made it shine even brighter.
“So pretty.”
Knowing it was mine made my lips loosen into a smile.
Just one more candy.
I had already eaten some earlier, but I had forced myself to stop.
I can’t get scolded for being useless again.
Still… since no one was here, maybe just a little more wouldn’t hurt.
I sat down properly and picked up a candy.
Even in the dark, it shimmered faintly.
“…Why are you there?”
A large hand suddenly reached out from behind.
“KYAAAAAA!”
I screamed and threw the candy.
“G-GHOST! A GHOST!”
But even after my scream, it didn’t disappear.
“God… please save me! It’s a gh-ghost!”
“Calm down.”
The low voice that followed felt strangely familiar.
The Duke of Sladeyche?
And indeed—it wasn’t a ghost at all.
It was the Duke himself.
“Are you alright now?”
“…yes…”
He let out a small, incredulous laugh when he saw tears forming in my eyes.
“I’ve seen monsters before… but this is my first time seeing a ghost reaction.”
My heart was pounding so hard I hugged the candy jar tightly.
“Why are you here… Duke…?”
“I came to check if you were properly settled.”
His cold gaze fell on my open candy jar.
“You seem to be doing quite well.”
I fidgeted awkwardly like a child caught misbehaving.
Then I suddenly remembered the candy I had dropped.
It had rolled on the floor and gotten dusty—but surely I could just wipe it off…
The floor here is so clean anyway.
As I reached for it, the Duke snatched it away.
“My candyyy!”
“You shouldn’t eat things that fall on the floor.”
I thought wiping it would be enough…
But if the Duke said so, I had no choice.
“…Understood.”
“And don’t eat candy before sleeping. It will rot your teeth.”
I quickly hid the jar behind me.
The Duke patted my head.
“I’m not taking it away.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. Instead, if you behave well, I’ll give you one more tomorrow.”
One more… from this big jar?
My heart leapt.
“I will behave properly!”
Satisfied, he nodded.
He really is a kind person.
He had taken my candy earlier, but… he was the first adult to treat me gently like this.
“Go to sleep.”
He laid me down and tucked me in.
I poked my head out of the blanket.
“B-but what about you… aren’t you sleeping?”
“Me?”
The Duke blinked slowly, as if the question was absurd.
“I don’t need sleep.”
“That can’t be true…”
“There are such things. Now sleep.”
For some reason, his voice sounded faintly bitter.
He’s still human…
No one can live without sleep.
I had barely slept at the orphanage—I knew how exhausting it was.
Maybe the rumors about him being a villain are just because he can’t sleep.
Clutching the blanket, I said softly,
“I still hope… you sleep well, Duke.”
“Why?”
“Because… you’re a good person.”
The Duke’s red eyes shifted faintly.
“…What?”
“Because you gave Nana candy.”
He pinched my soft cheek.
“You really do say strange things.”
“Do I?”
Tilting my head, I suddenly sat up and reached out, patting his head.
“Duke… sleep sleep.”
“……”
“Good Duke… sleep sleep.”
After watching me for a moment, he raised a brow.
“…What is this supposed to be?”
I smiled brightly.
“Blessing from God!”
* * *
Else, the Duke’s aide, entered the office.
He’s probably still working through the night again…
The Duke of Sladeyche rarely slept due to mana-induced insomnia.
He worked through the hours when everyone else was asleep.
Even His Grace must be exhausted…
Knock knock.
“My lord. Are you inside?”
There was no response.
Feeling uneasy, Else opened the door.
“My lo—?”
The Duke was asleep, leaning back in his chair.
Else blinked in disbelief.
The Duke slowly stirred at the presence of his aide. Morning sunlight streamed through the window.
Morning?
He checked the clock immediately. He had slept longer than usual.
…I fell asleep?
Else approached, startled.
“Good morning, my lord. Did you just wake up?”
“Yes.”
“Then… does this mean your mana has stabilized?”
For months, the Duke had barely been able to sleep due to constant use of mana.
He flexed his hand slowly, testing his body.
It felt… light. Rested.
Even my mana… is calm.
The violent surge that had tormented him had disappeared completely.
Why?
Suddenly, a child’s clear voice echoed in his mind.
“I still hope the Duke sleeps well.”
“Duke… sleep sleep.”
“Good Duke… sleep sleep.”
A clumsy lullaby—hardly even a lullaby.
Yet it had put him to sleep instantly after months of insomnia.
Without him even realizing it.
“…It actually worked.”
Then he remembered her smiling face.
“Blessing from God!”
Absurd as it was… it had worked.
Why does that lullaby feel so familiar?
Most lullabies are similar.
And yet, this one felt painfully familiar.
As if…
The Duke’s expression hardened.
“Even if I can’t calm your mana… I can help you sleep. Sleep well, my husband.”
For a moment, the image of Nana overlapped with a long-lost memory.
He clenched his fist tightly.
Then he spoke.
“Check whether the child priest is well rested.”
Else hesitated.
“Of course… and after that, my lord?”
The Duke looked out the window.
“…No. I will go myself.”
