YOWV~16

Chapter 16

For a brief moment, my mind went completely blank, and my body froze like ice.

“…Then, I’ll be going.”

Mai, as if she had spoken without thinking, lowered her head with an awkward expression and hurried away.

A cold silence pressed down on my shoulders.

“……”

Mai was right.

In the end, I was the one who broke the contract from the very beginning.

At that same time — the office.

The space where the child’s sweet presence had been was now stripped of even the last traces of playfulness.

Especially right after Aisha had left.

With no need to keep a gentle expression anymore, Calypse’s eyes turned sharp in an instant.

So sharp that even Knox, who had just been angry, flinched.

“You really don’t know what should and shouldn’t be said in front of a child.”

At that cold rebuke, Knox finally realized Calypse had returned to his usual self.

He unconsciously snapped into attention, but that was actually a relief.

At least it meant His Grace hadn’t gone mad.

“So you even fed her strawberries and came back with her. Honestly, let me ask you, Your Grace. What exactly do you like about that brat?”

“Like her? What, is taking in a lost child and raising her such a huge matter for the ducal house?”

“In that case, you would’ve sent her to a ducal-sponsored orphanage or to a noble family wanting a child. That would’ve been the proper thing to do as an adult, as you yourself used to say.”

In fact, Aisha wasn’t the first orphan to enter the ducal household.

After the disappearance of the young lord and lady, the kingdom had been in an uproar trying to find the missing Crost children.

Or rather—

It would be more accurate to say they were desperate to create a Crost child.

Publicly known heirs could not easily be replaced, but the daughter of the duke, who had disappeared for five years without even a glimpse of her face from her parents, had become a symbol everyone was obsessed with.

All they had to go on were hair and eye color matching either the duke or duchess.

Across the kingdom, orphanages and minor noble houses went into chaos.

Whenever they found a baby who even slightly resembled the duke’s family, they insisted she must be the lost daughter.

Calypse had taken in the children who truly had nowhere to go and sent them to good homes.

But as time passed, more and more people began abandoning crying infants right in front of the ducal gates.

Knox knew how bitter Calypse had felt each time, which only made him angrier.

“After the loss of your children, you even started wearing a mask.”

Knox understood.

He knew what lay behind that mask.

“What exactly changed you, Your Grace?”

Thus, Knox threw caution aside and spoke bluntly.

Calypse was a hero, yes—but he was still human.

He could break.

He could make mistakes.

It was the job of a retainer to prepare for such moments and support his lord.

“……”

A heavy silence lingered.

Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, Calypse looked deep in thought.

As if carefully choosing words that would fit what he wanted to say.

Finally, he let out a sigh and spoke quietly.

“Nothing has changed.”

“Then why—”

“Saving that child. That was the only choice left in my life.”

“…Pardon?”

“Only choice left in my life.” “Saving her.”

Knox’s eyes narrowed as he slowly processed the meaningless-sounding combination of words.

Which meant—

If he hadn’t saved the child…

“…Your Grace!”

Realizing the implication too late, Knox’s face turned pale.

Yet Calypse did not waver.

As if it was something he had long since accepted, only a trace of exhaustion lingered in his crimson eyes.

“So much suffering… and all I gained was a medal. What reason do I have to keep living?”

“Was that why you once asked for the death potion?”

Calypse closed his eyes.

“Figure it out yourself.”

“What do you mean, figure it out?! Your Grace, even if I had to—”

“Ugh.”

I shouldn’t have said anything.

Knox was the type who cared about Calypse even more than Calypse cared about himself.

The irritated duke clicked his tongue in annoyance.

In the end, Knox had neither the option to reject the child nor fully accept her.

And so, the aide made his decision.

“…That child, Aisha. I’ll take responsibility for her instead.”

“…?”

Calypse slowly opened his eyes, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.

Knox nodded firmly.

He didn’t want to believe it, but he had to accept it.

That the child had saved his lord.

“If Aisha truly saved you, I will observe her myself. Whether she really saved you…”

“…or whether she’s planning to stab you in the back.”

And.

Completely unaware of all this, I had entered emergency survival mode.

‘Absolutely must gain their trust.’

Mai’s sincere advice had led me to one conclusion.

‘Being adopted doesn’t mean it’s over.’

The duke didn’t adopt me because he liked me. It was closer to pity.

And if even the only person who trusted me was like this…

How would others see me?

I didn’t even need to think hard.

Because there was already someone here who kept bothering me—Knox.

“Do five-year-olds normally have cheeks that puff up like freshly baked bread when they eat?”

“……”

As I chewed on my steak, a long finger poked my cheek.

Him again.

He was watching me again.

‘Best response is no response.’

I avoided his gaze, as if he were some strange creature being observed.

Then Knox, resting his chin on his hand, spoke flatly.

“Or is this brat actually a spy?”

“Eat your meat!”

I quickly shoved the fork I was eating with into his mouth.

But—

“Mmm. Not bad.”

As expected of the duke’s aide.

Even a former spy’s surprise attack didn’t faze him.

Instead, he calmly savored the steak.

‘Don’t let your guard down. He’s suspicious of me.’

Ever since that day, Knox had been watching me all day long.

Knox Ilias.

The second son of House Ilias, a vassal family of the Crost Duchy, and the duke’s closest aide.

His long blue hair was neatly tied back, enhancing his intelligent appearance.

His monocle added to his refined look, and the uncovered teal eye looked like a calm sea breeze.

By appearance alone, he was quite handsome.

But only on the surface.

Considering he was a “monster enthusiast” with a personality like an extreme T-type thinker…

And a childish adult who bullied a five-year-old former spy…

Well, aside from that, he was quite a beauty.

‘Even his opposition to my execution wasn’t because he felt sorry for me, but because it would damage the ducal house’s reputation.’

The elegant, perfect image of Knox Ilias was all carefully constructed.

All for the Crost Duchy.

‘In the original story, he was so uninterested in people I thought he’d just fade into the background.’

But he was paying this much attention to me?

He leisurely continued eating my steak like he was toying with me.

Then—

“…Aisha-nim is a sp—”

“Demaaaaan!”

“Little lady is a sp—”

“Massage is my hobby!”

“…What is ‘Spiderman’, and what is a spa massage?”

“Those are things!”

He kept provoking me.

And the reason was simple.

“Hm. Well, even for a five-year-old, your reaction speed is impressive if you’re a spy.”

He was probably testing my abilities.

Compliments appreciated—but suspicion not so much.

“You’ve got quite the talent for harassing a five-year-old yourself.”

“…Sir?”

At that moment.

A deep voice cut in.

When I turned my head, a man as large as a mountain stood there.

“Brat. Come here.”

“Yes! …Eh?”

Just as I was about to leap into his arms with my frog martial arts jump—

‘They adopted me out of pity, not trust. I was the one who lied first.’

That uncomfortable truth pierced my chest, freezing me in place.

“…Brat?”

Ah. He was calling me.

Snapping back to reality, I forced a grin.

But he had already noticed something wrong and was walking toward me, bending down.

Now his crimson eyes were level with mine.

And his arms opened.

“……”

It seemed like an invitation.

“…Aisha.”

His deep voice now carried a mix of confusion and disappointment.

‘If I don’t act cute, my trust level is going to drop…’

I quickly shook my head and smiled brightly.

Then—

“Hahaha, Ooojii-saaan~!”

In an overly exaggerated tone, I winked.

And then—

Creaaak—

I awkwardly walked into his arms.

…More like placed my head there than actually hugged him.

“……”

The man looked down at me in silence.

Then his gaze shifted upward.

“Knox.”

“Yes.”

“Kneel.”

“…Pardon?”