🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 04
After finishing their meal, the two headed to the library.
Lately, Winter had been making Meidillion read everything, from fairy tales to legal tomes, without discriminating by genre.
Fortunately, Meidillion absorbed everything he learned like a sponge, making him an incredibly rewarding student to teach.
“Brenda!”
The moment she entered the library, Winter looked for the librarian.
Brenda, who managed the duke’s library, was an elderly grandmother nearing seventy. She had overseen the library ever since the previous duke’s era, but lately she had been rubbing her aching back more often before quietly disappearing somewhere.
“Hm, looks like she’s gone again today.”
Winter pouted as she looked around the silent library. Seeing her expression, Meidillion suddenly raised his hand and called out,
“I-I’ll go get it for you. What book do you need?”
“Mmm, no. I can’t make you do everything. Let’s go together.”
The book Winter planned to make Meidillion read today was the Imperial Family Genealogy.
Unfortunately, the book she wanted was placed far too high.
Staring up at the very top shelf, Winter frowned thoughtfully. Meidillion immediately dashed over and brought the ladder from one corner of the library.
“I-I’ll climb up and—”
“No. I’ll do it.”
“You, my lady?”
“Of course. I’m the older sister.”
In reality, they were only one year apart, but mentally, the gap between them was much greater. Winter wasn’t heartless enough to make a frail nine-year-old boy do something like this.
“What kind of book are you looking for?”
Normally, Winter would have given up immediately, picked another book, or simply run out of the library. Today, however, she seemed unusually determined about her choice.
“You’ll see.”
Winter grinned.
Finally, her hand grasped the Imperial Family Genealogy.
It was a book Meidillion absolutely needed to read.
Because every name written inside belonged to his family and ancestors.
The truth would come out eventually anyway.
Meidillion was the hidden imperial prince.
Nine years ago, the emperor had realized that her death was near. She had a full-blooded sibling who constantly coveted the throne. Fearing that the child might be murdered, the emperor secretly smuggled the newborn Meidillion out of the palace, beyond her sibling’s reach.
Of course, things hadn’t ended well back then.
But this time would be different.
Winter simply wanted Meidillion to know his family before the truth was revealed.
“Here, take this.”
As Winter handed the book down from the shelf, she suddenly frowned.
Her mana became unstable for an instant, and her head spun.
“My lady, hurry and come down—My lady!”
Meidillion’s eyes widened as he reached for the book.
Winter staggered on the ladder before completely losing her balance.
It felt as though time slowed to a crawl.
Winter squeezed her eyes shut.
Meidillion threw both his arms wide toward her.
Crash!
A loud noise echoed through the library as both the ladder and the books came crashing to the floor.
“Ugh…”
Winter had apparently struck her elbow on the way down. Holding her arm, she cautiously opened her eyes.
Oddly enough…
The floor wasn’t very hard.
“Huh? Mei!”
As she pushed herself upright, she saw Meidillion lying beneath her, still holding her protectively in his arms.
“Urgh…”
“Are you okay?”
Forgetting all about her aching elbow, Winter hurriedly helped him sit up.
His shoulder trembled in pain, as though he had injured it badly.
Yet even then, Meidillion worried about her first.
“M-My lady… Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
Her elbow stung a little, but that was all.
Meidillion, on the other hand, was clearly not fine.
He had been clutching his side ever since the fall and couldn’t even stand properly.
Cold sweat had already formed across his forehead from the pain.
Concerned, Winter carefully examined him.
The moment she touched him, Meidillion flinched again.
“What’s wrong? Did you break something?”
“N-No!”
“What do you mean, no? Let me see—”
Winter brushed away the hand covering his side and carefully lifted his shirt.
Her expression instantly turned ice cold.
His back and side were covered in deep blue bruises.
They looked exactly like the marks left by repeated kicks from heavy boots.
“You…”
“I-It… it probably happened when I f-fell just now. I-I’m… f-fine now. It… it d-doesn’t h-hurt at all.”
Panicking, Meidillion hurriedly pulled his shirt back down, stammering desperately.
His crimson eyes trembled pitifully as he nervously watched Winter’s face.
There was no way injuries that severe had come from the fall just now.
Watching him desperately try to hide them, Winter found herself speechless.
Anyone could tell these were the unmistakable marks of a brutal beating.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
Right…
She had momentarily forgotten that the piece of human trash beside Meidillion was still alive and well.
A slow fury began rising inside her.
Grinding her teeth, Winter called quietly,
“Mei.”
“Y-Yes, my lady.”
Suppressing every trace of her anger beneath an unusually gentle voice, she said,
“First, let’s treat your injuries.”
“F-First… then…”
Normally, Meidillion would have simply answered, “Yes.”
Instead, he hesitated.
Winter, whose eyes still burned with murderous intent as she stared at his injuries, looked up.
His crimson eyes still wandered anxiously.
She didn’t rush him.
She simply waited.
Finally, he spoke.
“…A-And after that?”
The faint hope hidden in his voice made Winter curl her lips into a sinister grin.
“Then we’re going to find the bastard who did this to you…”
“…and stomp him into the ground.”
“Is it finished? How’s Mei? He’s okay, right?”
The moment the physician stood up, Winter bombarded him with questions.
“Yes. I’ve treated all of his injuries. For now, he simply needs plenty of rest.”
The family physician had rushed over in a panic after hearing the young lady had summoned him.
Instead of treating the perfectly healthy young lady, however, he ended up treating the stable master’s son.
Aside from a scraped elbow, Winter was completely unharmed.
The poor little boy had taken the entire fall for her.
“Haa… Thank goodness.”
Hearing that Meidillion would recover, Winter let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps because all the tension had finally disappeared, Meidillion had fallen unconscious halfway through his treatment and was now sleeping peacefully.
Gently brushing the hair from the angelic child’s forehead, Winter muttered,
“Good grief… When is this little guy ever going to grow up?”
The servants nearby all froze.
Watching a ten-year-old sigh like someone who had lived an entire lifetime felt strangely surreal.
Then again…
Winter herself looked heartbreakingly frail.
Recently, she had been suffering from poor digestion and frequently coughing up blood.
“My lady, Sir Hanger has arrived.”
Naila quietly approached and whispered into her ear.
Winter, who had been glued to Meidillion’s bedside, immediately stood.
Eustace Hanger.
The second son of House Hanger, a vassal family serving House Vladimir.
Despite that, he possessed almost no loyalty toward the ducal family.
In the future, he would also become Meidillion’s swordsmanship instructor.
Wondering why the young lady had specifically requested him, Eustace entered the room—
Only to frown immediately.
Meidillion’s battered condition was impossible to ignore.
The knights of House Vladimir were accustomed to gruesome sights.
Even so, seeing such a small child beaten so mercilessly made it impossible not to grimace.
For a split second, Eustace even suspected Winter herself.
But the expression on her face quickly proved otherwise.
“Sir Hanger.”
Her voice was frighteningly calm.
“Bring me the stable master from Stable Number Three.”
It was a quiet voice devoid of emotion.
Yet Eustace instinctively stiffened.
The killing intent surrounding Winter was unlike anything he had ever felt from her.
He had always thought she was a devilish little girl because of her troublesome behavior.
But today…
She gave off a completely different kind of terror.
So this…
was what it meant to be the heir of Duke Vladimir.
The knights behind Eustace also sensed the ominous atmosphere and instinctively straightened.
“Y-Yes, my lady!”
“…Understood.”
As the knights hurried out, Winter quietly watched them leave.
She turned back toward Meidillion.
For a brief moment, her expression softened as she looked at the sleeping child.
Then it froze over once more.
“Naila.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Stay with Mei. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Winter left the room.
The knights had already made preparations.
The training grounds, usually silent at this hour, blazed brightly beneath rows of burning torches.
Winter stood alone in the darkness, waiting.
Soon, the knights returned.
Dragging someone behind them.
The stable master.
Apparently, he had received a few punches on the way over.
His lip was split, and a bruise had already formed across his cheekbone.
The moment the stable master spotted Winter, however, his face brightened.
When the knights had suddenly seized him, he had wondered whether it had something to do with Meidillion.
But seeing only Winter made him relax.
The duke himself would have been frightening.
A nasty little girl like her?
He figured he could handle that much.
Winter smirked.
She could practically read every thought on his face.
Just because people had started saying she treated his son well recently…
He actually thought she had gone soft.
He would soon learn that her kindness applied only to Meidillion.
“Hello, Taig.”
“M-My humble name… How could someone as noble as you remember it, my lady…”
“You’re going to give some very important testimony later.”
“So I made sure to remember.”
“Huh? What testimony…?”
Taig tilted his head in confusion at her cryptic words.
Winter waved dismissively.
“Forget that.”
“You laid a hand on our Mei, didn’t you?”
“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about…”
“There were bruises all over his body.”
At the mention of bruises, Taig’s eyes darted around.
“T-That was… discipline…”
“A-Anyway, I never ordered anyone to do it.”
Winter slowly tilted her head.
Something about that answer felt completely off.
She had asked why he beat the child.
Instead, he insisted he hadn’t ordered it.
How exactly did someone arrive at a response like that?
“You didn’t order it?”
“Well… that child has had sticky fingers ever since he was little… always stealing other people’s belongings…”
Ah.
Now she understood.
A cold smile spread across Winter’s lips.
“Mei never stole anything.”
The atmosphere instantly turned freezing cold.
