CICN 108

Chapter 108

Ibi, Arsel, and the Duchess walked into the dining hall.

At the end of a long table—similar to the one Ibi had seen at Irene’s house—sat Duke Caelan.

The middle-aged man, with dark black hair and blue eyes, fixed his gaze on them the moment the three entered.

As they approached, the Duchess was the first to introduce Ibi.

“Dear, this is Ibi Alden, Arsel’s friend from the Academy for Gifted Children.”

“Yes, Arsel has spoken of you often. Hello, Ibi. My name is Edgar Caelan.”

Despite being a duke, he stood and bent slightly at the waist so that his eyes would meet Ibi’s as closely as possible. Then, as he would with any other guest, he extended his hand.

A little flustered, Ibi took his hand.

There were plenty of people who treated her kindly, but there were just as many who didn’t like her. Since he was Arsel’s father—and a high noble at that—she expected him to keep some distance. But…

“Hello, I’m Ibi Alden. And… right now, I’m at the Academy, but before that, I was at the orphanage in Elam City.”

Ibi mentioned the orphanage first without thinking.

Arsel might not have told him yet. If the Duke were to find out later and dislike her, it would hurt more. Better to say it up front—even if he rejected her, at least she could prepare herself.

But instead of showing dislike, the Duke kept holding her hand, staring at her intently, as if trying to find something in her face.

Ibi looked back quietly.

He really did resemble Arsel so much that anyone would know he was his father.

Of course, unlike young Arsel, streaks of white were beginning to show in his dark hair, and the weight of years gave his face a dignified presence.

Still, his good looks were undeniable.

Once, he too had captured the hearts of society’s ladies in his youth. A beautiful boy becomes a handsome young man, and a handsome young man becomes a strikingly dignified middle-aged man—it was natural.

Looking at him, Ibi thought: So Arsel will grow up to look like this.

He’s the cutest now, but later… he’ll be incredibly handsome.

But in Ibi’s eyes, the most handsome person was still the Emperor.

“Dear?”

Noticing her husband still staring at Ibi without letting go of her hand, the Duchess called softly.

But the Duke’s sharp gaze remained fixed on the girl.

“…?”

Ibi tilted her head.

It wasn’t dislike. If it were, he would have shaken off her hand already. It was more like he was searching for something.

“Father.”

Unable to stand it any longer, Arsel finally spoke up. The Duke blinked, suddenly realizing how he must have looked, and let go of Ibi’s hand with an awkward cough.

“Sorry. You reminded me of someone I know.”

At that, Arsel’s eyes widened. He thought he knew exactly who his father was talking about.

Just then, servants entered with the first course, and everyone naturally returned to their seats.

Ibi was seated next to the Duke, directly across from the Duchess. Beside Ibi, across the table, sat Arsel.

Unlike at the Academy, there were multiple spoons, knives, and forks neatly arranged, which left Ibi bewildered.

She’d read about table manners in books, but the number and arrangement here were completely different.

Seeing her confusion, Arsel tapped her side under the table, then deliberately picked up the correct spoon.

Ibi quickly copied him.

As she tried a vegetable she’d never seen before, the Duke asked her,

“Ibi, have you lived in Elam City since birth?”

“No, I’ve lived there since I was five.”

“And before that?”

“I lived in an inn…”

The Duke’s constant questions about her past made Ibi uneasy again.

Why does he keep asking? Did I do something wrong?

“Which inn? So you lived there since birth? Was there anyone who stayed with you, even for a short while, when you were little?”

“…Dear.”

The Duchess cut in with a smile, gripping her husband’s arm.

Though Ibi couldn’t see it, she gave his arm a sharp pinch with her fingernails.

“Ibi has been traveling all day in the carriage, and she spent the afternoon playing with me and Arsel. She must be tired. Why don’t you save the rest for tomorrow?”

Seeing her bright smile, the Duke realized that if he continued, he’d be in trouble later.

“Yes, you’re right. Forgive me. It’s just that, since Arsel hasn’t brought home a friend since Lusca, I got a little carried away.”

With that, he urged everyone to eat.

“Arsel, I’m so full…”

Ibi poked at her round belly.

She’d already been eating this way every day at Irene’s house, and now she was stuffed again at Arsel’s.

Next to her, Arsel walked with a satisfied smile.

He’d worried that, since Irene had bombarded her with southern dishes—saying, “I’ll show you the true taste of the South!”—Ibi might only like those.

But throughout dinner, she had marveled at every new dish, eating enthusiastically.

Not leaving a bite behind, she delighted not only Arsel but also the Duke and Duchess, who kept piling food onto her plate.

“Ibi, does it suit your taste? Would you like some more of this?”

“How about this one? It’s very delicious.”

Clearly, they weren’t the only ones who felt compelled to feed her.

Arsel took Ibi’s hand. She naturally clasped his in return, skipping happily as they walked.

They climbed to the second floor, turned at the end of the hall, and reached the last room, where maids awaited.

Arsel opened the door.

“This will be your room. I hope you like it.”

It was impossible not to.

The maids thought so at once.

After all, this was one of the guest rooms reserved for only the most important visitors of the ducal house. Recently, even a count—one of the Duke’s cousins—had stayed here with his family.

And now, it was being given to a single child. Clearly, she was no ordinary guest.

And more than that—

She’s a little girl!

The maids’ eyes sparkled.

Just earlier, when they’d seen trunks filled with dresses being unloaded from the carriage, their hearts had pounded.

“Do we finally get to dress up a cute little lady, just like in other noble households?”

“Me! I want to do it!”

“No, me! I have a younger sister—I’m amazing at braiding hair!”

Neither Ibi nor even Arsel realized how thrilled the maids were. In this household with only grown children, they were desperate for the chance to fuss over a young girl.

“Ibi, come this way.”

Arsel showed her around.

The connected suite of rooms was different from Irene’s house, but just as elegant—rich, grand, with a sense of age and dignity.

Drawn to the window, Ibi followed Arsel.

“From here, you can see not only the garden but even the distant villages.”

Sure enough, beyond the sunset-drenched fields, small villages dotted the horizon, with people heading home.

“You must be tired today. Wash up and rest. I left some books you might like on the desk, and tomorrow, we’ll go to the library and find more together.”

“Yes.”

As soon as he mentioned being tired, she suddenly yawned.

Rubbing her eyes, she asked,

“So… after I wash and change, I should go to your room, right?”

“…What?”

Arsel’s eyes widened.

“Aren’t we sleeping together?”

“Uh… did you sleep with Irene?”

“Yes. She always patted me to sleep. We’d talk until I fell asleep.”

Arsel pressed his forehead. He’d thought Irene had only teased him by bragging, ‘You don’t get to do this, but I do!’

But no—she really had done it.

“We all slept together at the orphanage, too…”

Arsel sighed. It looked like it would fall to him to explain why they couldn’t share a bed.

The next morning, Ibi awoke refreshed.

The first thing she did was straighten the bed she had slept in.

After washing her face, the maids bustled in and quickly dressed her hair and clothes.

They braided her hair into fine strands, pinned them neatly to the side, then let the rest flow down.

Tiny red ribbons were fixed here and there, making it look as though she wore hair ornaments.

Their hands were so quick and skilled, it was as though they had practiced a hundred times.

Thanking them, Ibi stepped out of her room, where Arsel was already waiting.

“Arsel!”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!”

Though she’d been in a strange place, her face was bright and relaxed.

Together, they headed to the dining room, where the Duke and Duchess greeted them warmly.

“Good morning, Ibi. Did you sleep well?”

The Duchess opened her arms, and Ibi ran straight into them.

The Duke watched approvingly from behind.

Perhaps because of his wife’s words the night before, he refrained from asking anything about the orphanage during breakfast.

As soon as the short meal ended, Ibi and Arsel excused themselves and headed straight for the music room.

Ibi had been eager to try.

With Arsel’s help—and since it was her first day—the Duchess kept things light.

“That’s enough for today. If I ask too much right away, Ibi might get tired.”

Smiling, she handed Ibi a shiny gold coin.

“Thank you for helping today, Ibi.”

They had, in fact, organized quite a number of music sheets together.

Arsel explained how to arrange them, and Ibi memorized everything at once.

“Wow!”

She had never held such a sparkling new coin before—much less such a large sum.

Overwhelmed, she kept staring at it in her palm.

Sylvia gently stroked her golden hair.

“You did well today. Now go enjoy the afternoon with Arsel.”

“Yes!”

Spinning around with her chest puffed out, Ibi announced,

“Arsel! Since you helped me, I’ll buy you candy!”