OSHB 12

Chapter 12

“That was Polly’s fault.”

“Wasn’t Uncle wrong too?”

Ailesia let out a soft chuckle and gently kissed Eleanor on the forehead.

“Actually, I think he was cool. Just how much does he love you to get that angry?”

“Then do you hate Uncle, Teacher?”

“Of course not. I really like both you and your uncle.”

The moment she heard the answer, Eleanor threw her arms up and shouted.

“I like Teacher the most too!”

“Who did you take after to become so cute?”

“Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Uncle!”

What a pity. If Theremion had heard that himself, the corners of his lips would’ve reached his ears.

The smile he showed while looking at his niece would’ve been worthy of a portrait.

For now, Ailesia could only enjoy Eleanor’s beaming face instead. She gently stroked the girl’s cheek with her fingers and smiled back at her.

Shortly after Ailesia left the conference room carrying Eleanor, silence lingered in the room.

“Your Grace.”

It was Viscount Gavin, the chairman, who broke the heavy atmosphere.

“Lady Grand Duchess has safely returned, has she not? Considering the journey must have been difficult, I believe it would be best for both Your Grace and the young lady to rest.”

“…Very well.”

Theremion, who had been staring at the conference room door, finally spoke.

The heat of anger seemed to have cooled; his tone had returned to normal.

“Regarding Lady Milenov as well, I don’t think we need to decide anything here today. We may consider the matter slowly while treating her as an honored guest.”

“Indeed, I may have been a bit hasty.”

Viscount Gavin handled the situation with remarkable skill.

He did not take sides, yet managed to appease Theremion at the same time. It was proof he was not merely a decorative chairman.

“Shall I arrange a small banquet this evening?”

At Gavin’s suggestion, Theremion thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“That will not be necessary. For now, I will focus solely on Eleanor’s recovery.”

“Understood.”

“Sir Dayfold, please grant rewards and special leave to the knights who accompanied us to the Chernil Forest.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“We will continue this discussion later. This meeting is adjourned.”

With those words, Theremion rose. Barely acknowledging the farewell of his retainers, he quickly strode down the corridor.

—

“Why are we keeping the young lady here for this meeting? Don’t tell me this is some ‘duty of the Grand Duchess’ nonsense? She’s only five years old.”

Those words from earlier kept echoing in Theremion’s mind.

Even if that had not been their intention, Eleanor had still been made to suffer. And it had also been discourteous to Ailesia, their guest.

I’ll reflect later.

Right now, an apology came first.

His concern had clouded his judgment, and he had failed to consider his niece, who must have been exhausted.

As soon as he returned to the estate, he had planned to summon the retainers and gauge their reactions to identify the culprit.

Baron Bayton, the head butler, and several others had already shown suspicious behavior.

Still, I was too careless.

As Ailesia had said, there was no need to bring Eleanor into the meeting room.

Of course, he had not made the decision impulsively.

He simply wanted Eleanor within his sight.

So he could feel at ease. So he could protect her.

Because of that foolish sense of “just in case,” he had nearly lost his niece. He never wanted to experience that again.

“Lady Milenov, I am truly grateful for what you did earlier.”

Just as he turned the corner toward the stairs, Madam Hermann’s voice reached him. Theremion quickly stepped back and concealed his presence.

“About what you said to me earlier…?”

“I must apologize for that.”

“Head Maid…”

“For now, let us proceed to the Grand Duchess’s room.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded, likely heading down the stairs.

Only after confirming the conversation, Theremion who had been holding his breath leaned against the wall.

“Haah…”

A heavy sigh escaped him.

So that’s how it was.

From that short exchange, he could roughly understand what had happened.

Ailesia had forcefully turned the situation around, and Madam Hermann had skillfully supported her words. Both of them were one step ahead of him.

…This is difficult.

He had thought that growing from child to adult was difficult—but raising a child as an adult was even more so.

“…It’s difficult, Father…”

For the first time in a long while, Theremion called out to someone who was no longer there.

“Teacher.”

“Hmm?”

“Is Eli heavy?”

“Light as a feather.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I could hold you all day long.”

Ailesia had already descended to the first floor, still carrying Eleanor in her arms.

“The Grand Duchess’s room is in the west wing.”

“The west wing?”

Normally, direct heirs stayed in the main building.

Noticing her confusion, Madam Hermann added an explanation.

“She was originally on the third floor of the main building, but His Grace moved her to the west wing.”

“Is there a reason?”

“He judged that it was not good for the young lady to frequently encounter adults. I agreed as well.”

“That was a wise decision.”

If the former Grand Duke and Duchess were still alive, it would have been different—but as things stood, Eleanor alone was an easy target for ambitious nobles.

Theremion had not yet fully consolidated control over the ducal household. This incident was proof of that.

And yet, he could not keep Eleanor by his side all the time. So a place where she could live safely and unnoticed was necessary.

…So that’s why he brought her to the conference room.

He probably needed her within sight to feel at ease.

Thinking of it that way, Theremion felt even more pitiable under the weight he was carrying.

“Child, aren’t you cold?”

“No.”

“Still, your ears might get cold.”

As Ailesia adjusted Eleanor’s coat hood and fixed her collar again, someone suddenly called out to Madam Hermann.

“Ma, Madam Head Maid! Madam Head Maid!”

“What is it?”

A large servant hurried over, his face unusually pale.

“Th-the wolves from earlier, the ones that pulled the carriage!”

“Wolves?”

Madam Hermann turned to look at Ailesia.

“Our children?”

Recognizing Ailesia, the servant stammered.

“M-mage lady… forgive me, but could you please move those wolves somewhere else?”

“They were told to behave. Did something happen?”

“They’re wandering near the stables! The horses are terrified and panicking!”

“Oh dear…”

Ailesia looked slightly embarrassed after hearing the explanation.

They must have gotten bored from staying still and started moving around. For ordinary people, that alone would be terrifying. Wolves larger than horses were not exactly common.

“Sorry. I’ll call them back.”

“Y-you can call them?”

“Whitey! Blanki!”

She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out loudly.

Those two wolves always came running no matter where she called them in the forest. No matter how big the estate was, it couldn’t compare to their old territory.

“Eek!”

“M-Mom!”

“Waaah!”

Screams echoed faintly from somewhere in the distance. Madam Hermann turned pale.

“…They’ll be fine, right?”

“Probably…?”

Her uncertain reply made Ailesia look a little embarrassed.

“Woof woof!”

Whitey ran up energetically and rubbed its head against Ailesia’s waist. Blanki quietly stood beside her with its front paws neatly together.

“My word…”

Madam Hermann could no longer speak. She simply held herself together with trembling hands.

When they had been tied to the carriage, she hadn’t realized it—but up close, the wolves gave off an overwhelming pressure. Sitting on the ground, they were taller than most adult men.

“Whitey, Whitey!”

“Growl?”

“Y-Young Lady!”

Eleanor had already climbed down and was tugging at Whitey’s soft fur. Madam Hermann quickly reached out in alarm.

But then she witnessed something she could hardly believe.

Lick.

“Kyahaha! It tickles!”