🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 5
Esiel stared blankly as Ferudin disappeared, then began counting the numbers.
Afterward, she rushed around the wide garden with short, hurried steps. At first, she thought it would be simple, but Ferudin had hidden far more thoroughly than expected, making him difficult to find.
This is his home turf, isn’t it?!
Catching her breath, Esiel clenched her small fist tightly. With the thought that this was her last chance, she searched around a small storage shed tucked in a corner of the garden.
Ferudin was hiding inside that very shed. Holding his breath, he peeked through a crack in the door, watching Esiel wander around outside, unable to find him, and snickered.
And just as he was thinking, Of course a hostage like her can’t beat me, he heard a dull thud.
Looking through the crack, he saw Esiel lying face-first on the dirt ground after tripping over a stone.
“Ow…”
Esiel groaned as she pushed herself up, brushing the dirt off her clothes and body and lowering her head.
That was when—
“Hey!”
Ferudin burst out of the storage shed, slamming the door open. Looking irritated, he stomped toward her.
“Ah! Ferudin! Found you!”
Esiel widened her round eyes and pointed at him as he approached.
“You getting hurt just makes things annoying for me!”
“Huh…?”
Ferudin quickly reached her and brushed the dirt off her clothes with surprisingly careful hands, despite his rough attitude. It seemed he didn’t care about winning at all.
“Why are you so troublesome, even though you’re just a hostage?”
He kept fussing while checking if she was injured.
“I won!”
Esiel’s confusion quickly faded, and she broke into a bright smile. Her arms lifted on their own, and her lips curved upward without stopping.
“Tch. So what’s your wish?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“What? That’s not how it works!”
“It’s my choice, isn’t it? Hehe.”
Despite his glare, Esiel’s smile did not disappear.
“If it were me, I’d have made you my servant for a week. Anyway, I accept your wish!”
Ferudin said this in a rather solemn tone. Esiel quietly felt relieved.
“Anyway, do what you want. I’m leaving. I’m not in the mood to play anymore.”
“Eh? Really?”
Esiel asked with widened eyes, but he was already walking away without answering.
“Ah!”
Ferudin suddenly stopped after only a few steps and rummaged through his pockets.
Whoosh—
“Ah?!”
Something he threw hit Esiel’s shoulder and fell to the ground.
“That’s… a ball. No, actually—it’s yours, Esiel. Eat it or don’t, I don’t care.”
Esiel picked it up absentmindedly. Inside the transparent wrapper was a slightly crushed cookie, no longer perfectly round.
* * *
The Grand Duke’s shadow-like butler was a deeply loyal servant who had unwavering faith in his master. Because of that, he immediately carried out the sudden order to investigate Duke Bergeil.
And now, he was presenting the results of that swift investigation.
“I heard it clearly. They said everything would go smoothly because the Emperor is backing them. They also said there’s nothing to worry about since they’ve distributed jewels bought with embezzled taxes to the nobles…”
Romford cast a cold gaze at the man kneeling before him. The one bowing miserably was a subordinate of Duke Bergeil.
“B-but are you certain about the payment in jewels…?”
The man, glancing nervously, forced an awkward smile. He looked visibly restless—an absurd sight.
Luring him out had not been difficult. It was only natural that those serving under a weak master were equally incompetent.
“Tch. Ridiculous.”
Coincidentally or not, the child’s choice had been correct. But Romford chose not to dwell on it, considering it a fifty-fifty chance anyway.
“Lente.”
“Yes.”
“Take him away.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Ah, and cut off his insignia and send it to the Duke.”
The butler, Lente, simply bowed in response, already understanding the man’s fate would not be a pleasant one.
Romford boarded his carriage. Yet something felt off. He shifted restlessly in his seat, unusually uneasy.
“This is… irritating.”
Muttering to himself, he eventually closed his eyes, cutting off his vision. It wasn’t as if the carriage was uncomfortable—he had ridden it countless times.
In truth, he already knew, faintly, what was bothering him. He tried not to give it meaning, but the image of a small child with bright eyes and stubbornly raised fingers kept coming back to him.
* * *
On her way back to her room after yet another round of hide-and-seek with Ferudin, Esiel paused in front of the garden when she noticed the well-kept flowers.
Should I take a quick look? I haven’t been caught so far anyway…
Nodding to herself, she crouched down in front of the flowers after checking her surroundings.
“What’s your name?”
One flower caught her eye—it looked just like her own eye color. Small green blossoms clustered together into a single bloom. She gently touched it with her finger, and it swayed softly.
And from a distance, someone silently watched her small back.
It was Romford. He had stopped walking toward the mansion and was observing her. Lente, standing beside him, sensed the atmosphere but could not fully grasp his thoughts.
Only one thing was clear: his master’s gaze was fixed on that child.
“…Your Grace, there is something I should report.”
Lente spoke carefully, aware this was not a situation for unnecessary words. Romford briefly glanced at him before resuming his steps.
“Speak.”
“It concerns the hostage child. According to the servants who bathed her last night—”
Lente took a deep breath before continuing.
“She had many injuries. Quite severe ones. They did not appear to be from accidents.”
“Is that so.”
Romford responded indifferently, continuing to walk.
“It seems she may have been abused.”
“Abused?”
Romford finally stopped walking. Turning his head, he met Lente’s gaze with a subtle expression.
“Her entire body was covered in scratches. Some wounds had not been treated properly and had turned into scars.”
“….”
“And… there has been no contact from the Kingdom of Anais whatsoever.”
“Even though their child is being held hostage?”
Romford repeated the words as if confirming them. His gaze returned to Esiel, who was crouched in the garden, unaware of anything. Her small head moved cheerfully as she played, her dress hem dragging across the ground.
His long lashes cast a shadow over his red eyes, making them appear even darker.
“If she is of no use as a hostage, perhaps it would be better to discard her.”
Lente offered the suggestion, carefully reading his master’s temperament.
“No. Leave her be.”
But the answer that came was unexpected.
Before Lente could respond, Romford was already walking forward again. His stride was firm, unhesitating. Lente quickly followed, suppressing his confusion.
Soon, Romford stopped. A shadow fell over the small child crouched below.
“…Huh?”
A bad premonition flashed through Esiel’s mind.
“You are still wandering around my estate quite freely.”
His cold voice was like something out of a horror story. Esiel slowly turned her head—and let out a scream.
“Eek!”
She lost her balance and toppled over instantly.
“Trying to ruin even the garden.”
For a moment she felt weightless, and then a large hand seized the back of her neck.
Instead of the sky, Romford’s red eyes filled her vision.
She had ended up facing him again.
“I-I’m sorry…”
That was all she could manage.
Unable to avoid his gaze, tears welled up in her eyes. She rubbed them quickly with the back of her hand.
“Why are you crying?”
“Huh?”
“You… just what are you—”
Grrrrowl—
A sound came from Esiel’s stomach.
