🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 13
After finishing his audience with the Emperor, Duke Valent left the building with a weary expression.
The one who greeted him was Count Matteo, who unilaterally insisted they were childhood friends.
“It seems His Majesty gave you quite the scolding. So, what words of wisdom did he offer the newly born duke?”
“He told me to stop doing a knight’s work and start doing a duke’s work. Even suggested I try my hand at the food business.”
“What? Ahahahaha! Knights do love to eat, so isn’t that the perfect business? Or wait—do they like food, or just rations?”
It was meant as a joke, recalling how knights welcomed military supplies, but Duke Valent was not someone who laughed at jokes.
In wartime, food was a matter of life and death—hardly something to joke about.
“Ehem.”
Count Matteo coughed awkwardly, abandoning his failed joke and changing the subject.
“Ah! Then how about founding an orphanage? The children who grow up there will shout ‘Duke Valent! Duke Valent!’ and spread your name far and wide. Isn’t that a great idea?”
“I can’t stand children.”
“Your young lord would be saddened to hear that.”
“Damian is less like a child and more like… a baby animal.”
“That might also sadden him, if he heard.”
Count Matteo found himself understanding the Emperor’s feelings.
Duke Valent was not someone who easily bent his own opinions. Simply put, he lacked flexibility.
A man meant to live as a knight had suddenly become a duke—how confusing must that be? Like wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
Thinking he should help as an old friend, Count Matteo leaned in and whispered.
“I believe I can give you some excellent advice. Why not sponsor an orphanage and spread the word about it?”
“Didn’t I just say I hate children?”
“These days, you know, there are professionals who manage sponsorships for you so you don’t have to get directly involved.”
When one business flourishes, layers of subcontracting inevitably follow.
At the Emperor’s command, orphanage support initiatives began. Nobles endorsed them with donations, and since even that was troublesome, middlemen appeared to handle sponsorships on their behalf.
“I was supposed to meet the headmaster of the orphanage I support, but would you believe it? He vanished without a trace. While killing time, I ran into someone new. I think they might be exactly what you need, Duke—so I’ll introduce you.”
What a convenient world—no need to visit an orphanage or meet children at all, just sit back and hand over the money.
“Let’s head to the garden for now. There are plenty of people waiting eagerly to greet you.”
Duke Valent followed Count Matteo with a reluctant expression.
└ [What’s with this sudden scene change?]
└ [I thought I opened the wrong novel LOL]
└ [Rose, we’ve come to find you a new dad]
After successfully making contact with Duke Clark, I waited in the hallway for his conversation with the headmaster to end.
Even if the headmaster didn’t know Leon’s family background, he would definitely know how Leon ended up at the orphanage.
But the comment fairies—who had just been badmouthing Duke Clark—suddenly started chattering noisily in my ears.
‘Weren’t you just with me?’
Their reaction was like they had seen an entirely different scene in the brief moment Duke Clark stepped out into the hallway.
The comment fairies often seemed to peek into other protagonists’ stories, but this reaction felt different.
└ [Go meet the duke ㄱㄱ]
‘But the duke is still talking with the headmaster.’
Duke Clark didn’t fully believe me yet.
It seemed he planned to send one of his men with us back to the orphanage first, to confirm whether the child I mentioned actually existed.
└ [No, don’t go back to the orphanage]
Why? Did something happen there?
‘Don’t tell me the teacher started a fire with a cigarette?’
I’d firmly told Leon and Edin to watch even the extinguished embers carefully while I was gone.
If something happened, we should return even faster…
└ [Matteo? Meteo? Find that person fastㅠㅠ Find the headmaster]
└ [The garden!!!!! Hurry, to the garden]
When I only tilted my head in confusion, the comment fairies urged me impatiently toward the garden.
‘The garden? Why the garden?!’
Maybe because it was my first time coming this far from the orphanage, but today the comments were especially strange.
Their reliability was questionable—but they definitely knew more than I did.
Sometimes the most unthinkable things turned out to be true. Like Leon’s birth.
‘Hmm…’
I worried that acting unnecessarily might draw suspicion.
Still, I decided to trust the comments this time.
“Um, excuse me, Sir Knight.”
“What? Stay still.”
“Well, uh…”
To head toward the garden, I’d first need to leave this annex.
I recalled the layout from before my regression, when I used to come and go from the imperial palace.
This annex only had a few rooms meant for brief conversations—so to go elsewhere…
“The restroom is that way…”
Saying that, I gently grabbed the guard’s hand.
Small, warm, soft things break down emotional barriers quickly.
Add in the sparkling eyes unique to children.
“Ah…”
The guard, who had been stiff-faced, suddenly flustered when he met my gaze.
When I even started hopping in place like I was desperate, he told another guard he’d step away briefly and took my hand.
The power of children—amazing!
└ [Now THIS is a childcare story]
Even the comments seemed satisfied.
Alright, while heading to the restroom, let’s figure out why they’re rushing me.
I glanced around cautiously, but since it looked like I was just anxiously needing the bathroom, even the guard holding my hand didn’t grow suspicious.
‘What’s in the garden?’
└ [Your father-in-law]
└ [You got betrayed by the noble faction once—this time, royal faction is the right choice]
└ [Is it adoption-daughter this time?]
└ [Since they mentioned a young lord, maybe he has a son—could be a daughter-in-law]
└ [Ugh… why is Leon’s dad such a mess personality-wise]
While the comment fairies searched for this mysterious “father,” I spotted Count Matteo—the person the headmaster was supposed to meet—first.
He was talking to someone, completely unaware that the orphanage headmaster was currently tied up with another duke.
‘That’s Duke Valent!’
└ [Father-in-lawㅎㅎ]
What father-in-law?!
Do these comment fairies have some kind of high-noble detection ability? The moment they gave up on Duke Clark, they locked onto another duke.
└ [No, there was separate narration—it’s really the fatherㅋㅋ]
I couldn’t even see what they saw, yet they kept claiming they did…
The comment fairies insisted this time it was real.
“I’ll be right back!”
“Alright.”
I entered the restroom building, then peeked out from a window to observe the situation outside.
‘There are so many nobles here. If the comments singled out Duke Valent specifically, there must be a reason.’
But I couldn’t just charge at a duke blindly.
A guard of Duke Clark was right beside me. If I acted suspiciously, I might be mistaken for a spy using a child’s appearance to approach high-ranking nobles.
That would complicate Leon’s situation. The headmaster could end up blamed as an accomplice.
So I needed a natural excuse to approach them.
└ [Just go—protagonist buff will handle it]
└ [It’s a childcare novel, just melt them with cuteness]
‘That’s not how things work…’
└ [Here.]
The answer itself was just as unreasonable.
Instead of focusing on Duke Valent, I carefully observed the people gathered around him.
If I recognized someone, I could use my pre-regression knowledge to slip in.
Beside the duke stood Count Matteo—and… another familiar face.
‘Ah! That person!’
└ [See? Protagonist buff worked, right?]
I didn’t want to admit it, but the comments were right.
I hurried out of the restroom and headed back toward the annex, holding the guard’s hand again.
Though the Valent group stood a little distance away, their voices still carried.
Pointing my finger at someone standing beside them, I shouted loudly:
“Huh? That’s a scammer.”
└ [NO HESITATION LMAOOOO]
└ [You’re the most unreasonable one here LOL]
