🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 10
“They said it was an accident caused by touching a sword infused with mana before being fully prepared.”
But since no one had witnessed the situation, the only thing left to judge was the ruined body.
After that, other successors entered the ducal estate as well—but every single one of them had to leave in a less-than-whole condition.
It became the moment people saw with their own eyes what they had only heard in rumors: a ‘living underworld.’
The nobles who had approached in hopes of a possible rise in status hurried to hide their children. All that remained were street orphans—but at the mere mention of the name Stukia, they would burst into tears….
In the end, the temple and the imperial family could no longer pressure the duke about a successor.
‘Of course, that’s still far in the future.’
Right now, the pressure had only just begun. No one had entered as a successor yet, and his infamous reputation hadn’t fully formed.
The duke would need a suitable child to fill the role—and this was exactly the right timing.
That was why I hadn’t sneaked in like those thieves. I had opened the door myself.
To face the duke directly.
“So, you don’t know who your father is….”
The duke, who had been muttering slowly, asked again.
“And?”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t there… another reason?”
He lifted a brow slightly, as if telling me to speak my true intentions.
“Ah, well.”
I hesitated for a moment.
Honestly, it didn’t have to be Stukia. Since I’d been abandoned here anyway, Duke Agnito would surely announce me as dead or missing.
Even so, I had wanted to come to Stukia because it was free.
The master of this heap of trash wouldn’t care what I did.
And besides…
“Miss.”
“What was your name?”
“Yes, Hanisha. I know my face is so handsome it can make even a bride-to-be lose her senses, but perhaps you could try to keep yours?”
Before my regression, the Duke of Stukia had seemed to take a stance as if protecting me.
I didn’t know why he had tried to protect me—an Agnito.
But whatever the reason, it was true that he had tried.
He was the only adult who called me by my name, even though I had shown no remarkable achievements.
It felt like that adult would accept me even if I stayed here.
Like he would let me breathe.
‘Of course, I can’t say that out loud….’
I just needed to give another reason.
So I declared confidently:
“Because, Duke—”
“Yes, me.”
“I think you’re the strongest and most handsome!”
Before my regression, I had seen the duke’s face without his eyepatch.
Even in the middle of chaos, his striking looks had been impossible to miss.
That part wasn’t a lie in the slightest.
But something felt off.
The thieves behind him were staring with their mouths wide open. Even the shadow covering his mouth seemed small in comparison.
Only the cold wind filled the space between us.
Did I make a mistake? Reading the mood, I hurriedly added:
“A-and I like the cold!”
I emphasized the one thing I had learned in Agnito.
“And I like the dark, too.”
Among kids my age, it would be rare to find someone as used to darkness as I was.
I preferred brightness, sure—but enduring dark spaces? I was the best at that.
Still, the duke said nothing.
“I-It doesn’t have to be as your daughter. I-I could be a servant….”
“…….”
“Or I-I could become your eyes, Duke— Gah!”
So bold just a moment ago.
Yet as I walked toward him, I tripped over the thief already collapsed in front of me.
At this rate, I’d fall.
Onto the snow covered in shattered glass!
I squeezed my eyes shut—
“……?”
But I felt nothing.
When I opened them, the first thing I saw were my two feet dangling in midair.
The duke had caught me.
More precisely, I was draped over his shin like laundry.
“You’re quite a handful.”
The duke, who had grabbed my coat before I fell, let out a languid sigh.
“Th-Thank you. You’re really kind. I like kind fathers….”
“Mm. I just didn’t want more corpses piling up.”
He answered lazily, then extended his other hand toward me—meaning for me to grab it and stand.
The moment I took that hand, I would be kicked out of the ducal estate.
‘What do I do? I can’t say I regressed. Should I spill the secret vault of Duke Agnito instead?’
As my mind spun rapidly, the duke suddenly grabbed me by the back of my neck.
“Best stop—”
“Ah!”
“—thinking too much.”
My body lifted off the ground!
Startled, I instinctively reached behind my head and grabbed his wrist—the bare wrist exposed beneath his short glove.
And in that instant—
The duke froze.
I slowly opened my eyes.
He was looking down at me. More precisely, at the wrist I was holding.
‘Well, he can’t actually see….’
Worried I had offended him, I quickly let go.
“……It’s been a while since someone tried that.”
He murmured in a voice as low as a cavern.
But it didn’t sound displeased.
If anything… it sounded amused.
Before I could question it—
“Not bad.”
“…….”
“Eyes… Yes. Perhaps that will do.”
With a lazy mutter, he extended his hand again.
‘This is…?’
I just blinked at the gloved hand.
As if tempting prey, he waved it slightly once more.
Take it.
I felt as though I heard a whisper.
Without thinking, I clasped his hand.
Still, he didn’t move.
“……Perhaps not?”
“……?”
“Hmm… Should I remove the glove like before? I’d rather not….”
He only continued muttering incomprehensible words.
Was there some noble etiquette I didn’t know?
After hesitating, I gently brought over the paw of the puppy-like monster and placed it on top of our joined hands.
“Ha.”
A small chuckle escaped the duke.
“Your Grace!”
A voice called from afar. People in knight uniforms and a man wearing a monocle approached.
At that moment, the duke suddenly lifted me into his arms.
‘I-I’m being held…?’
While I stared wide-eyed, he calmly faced the newcomers.
The knights noticed me and halted.
“You were here… Who is that child? Surely you’re not planning to kill her?”
“Kill? I ought to treasure her.”
“Treasure…?”
“Who in the world is she?”
“This child is… hmm.”
As if thinking, the duke looked back at me.
“What was your name? You told me, but I forgot.”
“Ah, I haven’t actually said it yet….”
“If you concern yourself with trivial matters, you won’t grow into a great person. So, your name?”
He flicked his hand impatiently.
“Hanisha….”
“Yes. Hanisha.”
Repeating my name, he smiled brightly.
“Let me introduce her. My daughter.”
“……Your daughter?”
“Yes. Isn’t she pretty? I can’t see, but if she resembles me, she must be. I don’t even know her mother’s face, but she gave her a lovely name.”
He answered shamelessly.
“Ah, I see.”
“Your daughter. Yes.”
The knights’ expressions turned indifferent.
Every one of them had the look of, ‘There he goes again.’
It was understandable. It wasn’t the first or second time he’d joked that abandoned orphans in Stukia were his children.
Then the duke tilted his head slowly.
“Hmm? The reaction’s rather lukewarm. Weren’t you all pestering me to adopt someone?”
But his next words made them stiffen.
“……Adopt?”
“You truly intend to take her as your daughter?”
“Is there anyone who adopts falsely? That would be disgraceful.”
“That’s not what we meant…!”
A knight exclaimed in frustration.
Amid the commotion, I could only blink blankly.
For real?
Not just accepting me—but actually planning to adopt me? This easily?
While I stood there stunned, someone approached the duke’s side.
“I suspected you might cause some sort of incident, but I didn’t expect it to be so sudden.”
It was the calm-faced man with the monocle.
“I’ll escort the young lady inside first. This way, miss.”
Once I was set down from the duke’s arms, the monocled man naturally extended his hand.
It looked so familiar that I unconsciously took it.
“Oh, but Your Grace.”
As we were about to head inside, the man turned back to the duke.
“What shall we do with those men?”
At the question, the duke cast them a sidelong glance. Even without eye contact, the thieves trembled.
“Ah.”
As if remembering belatedly, the duke spoke to the monocled man.
“Retrieve what they stole.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And.”
The thieves, who had looked relieved thinking that was the end of it, froze again.
“They dared to steal from us. It’s only fair we steal something in return.”
“Shall we take their eyes?”
“That would be best. It happens to be exactly what I’m lacking.”
