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Chapter 55
The commander of the knights, Willis, shouted at the top of his lungs.
“All thanks to the Duchess’s generosity! Everyone, loosen your belts and eat with gratitude!”
“Woooooahhh!! Long live the Duchess!!”
With just a small spread of snacks, I had somehow become their savior. The knights looked genuinely delighted. Training must have been extremely harsh lately. Cheres’s eyebrow twitched.
“It’s too loud.”
As Linette began personally pouring iced fruit drinks with floating ice, murmurs spread among the knights. Linette looked far too small standing among them. The largest knight hesitated before stepping forward to accept a cup.
“…Thank you, young lady.”
The moment he drank it, a sigh of bliss escaped him.
“…So refreshing.”
The suffocating heat dissolved instantly. Knights drenched in sweat gathered one by one. Linette silently poured drinks and handed out snacks. Lady Yurein walked among them, personally offering pies and encouragement. All of it was being done under my name.
Lady Yurein had once told me:
“If you get too distant, that’s also not good. A proper distance creates loyalty. So I and Linette will handle the work. The Duchess should just stay quietly with the young master.”
I trusted Lady Yurein completely when it came to affairs in the South. She had never been wrong even once!
Everyone was shouting “Long live the Duchess,” but in my heart, I was really cheering “Long live Lady Yurein.”
* * *
“You’ve had a long journey. Good work.”
After all the snacks had been distributed and everyone enjoyed their sweet break, it was time for the “intruders” to leave. Cheres came out to see us off, along with Willis.
The name Willis was familiar to me. He was said to be the one who led the knights alone after Cheres died and returned alive with the corps. He had also protected Hayden until the very end. Without Willis, Hayden might not have survived.
I shifted so that Willis could see Hayden better. Hayden was now in my arms.
“No, Cheres. I really didn’t do anything,” I said.
It was true. Lady Yurein had prepared everything, and Linette had handled the serving. All I had done was stand there like a trophy, smiling and waving. At most, I had taken care of Hayden a little.
Then it happened.
Hayden, who had been quietly playing with a toy in my arms, suddenly stretched out his body.
“Eeeh, ddeh!”
His gaze landed on Willis, who stood beside Cheres.
Willis’ eyes widened. He was a legendary warrior in the South, known for countless beasts slain beneath his blade.
But now he was facing something far more terrifying than any monster—a 14-month-old baby.
“Ddeh-deh-deh-deh!”
Hayden waved his hands toward Willis, offering the toy he was holding. It was a maraca—his favorite one.
“…?”
Willis’ pupils shook as if struck by an earthquake. He glanced between Cheres and me, completely flustered.
“Little master?”
“Ddeh-deh-deh-deh!”
Every time Hayden flailed, the toy made a rattling sound. Willis hesitantly extended his hand.
The moment he did, Hayden stopped moving and dropped the maraca onto his palm like an imperial decree.
It looked exactly like a king bestowing a royal gift upon a knight.
Willis’ hand trembled as if he had received something dangerously hot.
“…Th-thank you very much, young master. I will treasure it.”
He looked around nervously. The sight of a hardened middle-aged knight blushing over a baby’s toy was quite something. As expected of our Hayden—he really knew how to pick people.
If Willis was going to serve Hayden in the future, this was actually a very good investment. A loyal subordinate, marked early.
But then came the real problem.
A chilling gaze.
Cheres was staring at the maraca in Willis’ hand. The temperature around us seemed to drop below freezing instantly.
“….”
His eyes slowly moved from the maraca to Willis’ face. It almost felt like he was saying, “Why does he get it when I didn’t?”
For a moment, I remembered the paper Hayden had given Cheres earlier. I swallowed.
So Cheres really thought these things weren’t given to just anyone.
“Willis,” Cheres said lowly.
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“That is an item bearing the seal of Beryden.”
“Y-yes? But this is just something the young master was playing with…”
“A gift is not something given to just anyone. And it is not something to accept carelessly either.”
There was a strange edge in his voice. I could barely hold back my laughter. This was too entertaining—but also tense.
“Y-Young master!”
Willis tried to return the maraca in panic, but Hayden had already lost interest and was now tugging at my hair while wiggling his hips.
So he was just going to abandon the maraca like that? Well, I guess he was done with it…
Willis ended up frozen in place, still holding the unfortunate toy like a statue.
“…Something better than a scrap of paper?” Cheres muttered very quietly—so quietly that only I could hear.
I almost burst out laughing. This man—he looks like a sculpture, but emotionally he’s basically a child who got his toy taken away.
I leaned in and whispered, “Cheres, if you’re that jealous, I can get you one too. One without drool. A better one than Hayden’s.”
I was serious, but he shook his head.
“…That’s not what I mean. I was just… worried Hayden might want it back.”
His ears were bright red, like a ripe apple. He rubbed his face.
Right. Babies don’t have intentions. Feeling slighted by them is an adult problem—even if it’s ridiculous and petty. Cheres kept glancing at the maraca in Willis’ hand.
I found him funny… and a little endearing. Maybe he really did care about his nephew that much. That simple act of Hayden’s “gift-giving” must have hit him harder than expected.
Still, I said, “But Cheres, Hayden only lets you hold him.”
Hayden stopped wiggling and looked up. His tiny teeth showed between his lips as he smiled.
I gently passed him into Cheres’ arms.
“Like this.”
Cheres held him carefully and nodded slowly. Hayden clearly felt safe there—as if he knew this was the same person who protected him.
Willis finally sighed in relief and tucked the maraca deep into his coat. Hayden, meanwhile, happily kicked his legs in Cheres’ arms.
“Ddeh-deh!”
Watching Hayden smear drool all over Cheres’ face, I said with a smile, “And only Cheres gets kisses like that from him too.”
Only then did Cheres’ expression fully soften.
Hayden laughed softly, copying him.
Even when he smacked Cheres on the forehead with his tiny hand, Cheres just kept smiling.
It was a warm afternoon.
