Chapter 268
TL: Zimmings
I looked at the Duke of Amity with shaky eyes.
“Who is it?”
“Just some child.”
“A child followed you?”
The surroundings become noisy.
No wonder because the Duke of Amity was moving with the investigation team.
Should I run?
What’s so suspicious about a child chasing after him?
… Nevermind. It’s suspicious.
Oftentimes , a werebeast who looks younger than their age is sent as a spy. This is because they have an excellent sense and a small body, the target is likely to be careless with their child-like appearance.
Or, there is a case where a scum kills using the child as a medium and sticks them to the target. In Chul-soo’s words, it’s like a human bomb.
I’m three or four years old on the surface. There is no reason for a child to follow the duke.
‘I will be investigated whether I’m considered a werebeast spy or a human bomb.’
I started to become anxious.
They investigate me → they find that there is a strong divine power in me → go to the temple → my identity is revealed to the temple.
When I thought about it that far, I contemplated.
“I asked why you’ve been following me since morning.”
My throat became parched. If this happened, there was no other way.
“……ad.”
“What?”
“Dad!”
Huaa!
After I called the Duke of Amity my father and cried, the Duke of Amity hardened, and the surroundings became noisy.
“Dad? Did she say dad?”
“No way! His Excellency is a bachelor… even though he’s old!”
“Yes…”
“Maybe an illegitimate child?”
“The reason why he didn’t get married is because he had an illegitimate child?”
The surroundings were noisy, and the Duke of Amity burst into laughter, but I kept crying.
“Dad, I want to see you! Huwaa!
I glanced back and saw Seria with her mouth wide open.
***
As soon as me and the Duke of Amity sat at the bakery table, attention was on us.
He put a tray of milk and bread in front of me.
“You lost your father?”
I didn’t answer because I was very hungry due to nervousness, hence I was busy eating the bread in a hurry.
The Duke of Amity, who glanced at me, soon sighed loudly. Then he beckoned to the investigators who covered their faces with a menu.
“It’s not what you think, so look away.”
Knights from the investigation team quickly bowed their heads.
Meanwhile, I peeped at the Duke of Amity.
‘How can I get out of here?’
Should I keep crying and making noises?
But he would have taken me to a lost child shelter.
After my stomach made a gurgling noise, he took me to the bakery as if he couldn’t help it.
‘I’d rather be a good child.’
It’s better to be next to him than to tail behind him. This is an opportunity.
“What’s your name?”
Munch, munch.
“How old are you?”
Munch, munch.
“How did you lost your parents?”
Munch, munch.
Duke Amity touched his forehead as he watched me chew the bread without answering.
He must be pressured because of the people’s gazes.
“You can’t undrstand? How about I send you to the lost children shelter-”
“Mom went to work.”
As soon as I replied, the Duke’s eyes got a little bigger.
“Your age-”
I was going to say that I was four years old, but I paused.
‘Isn’t four years old too young? The conversation might not work.’
“Five years old.”
My body was too small as a five years old, but the Duke of Amity, who had never raised a child, did not find it strange.
“… What’s your name?”
“My name is… my name…”
Cold sweat came out.
‘I can’t say it’s Leblaine, what should I do?’
“My name… my name is… so…”
“There you go, Boo, you’re good.”
Suddenly, a memory came to mind. The Duke of Amity called me “Boo” and taught me the alphabet in my first life.
It was the first time someone called me so affectionately. Patting my head and gave me sweet compliments.
He was my first dad, so I had to be a good kid. Because I want him to keep calling me Boo with his sweet voice.
“Child?”
“… Boo.”
“Boo?”
“My name is Boo…”
There was a time when he called me so affectionately.
“Boo…”
He smiled and stroked my head.
“That’s a unique name.”
Somehow I felt like I was choking up. I felt uncomfortable and heartbroken at the same time.
Just like when I first went to the Duke Amity’s mansion with the priest.
“Good, Boo. Do you know where your mother works?”
“……Nope.”
“When did you lose your mom?”
“I don’t know.”
The Duke of Amity groaned. At that time, a knight with Amity uniform came in.
“Your Excellency.”
“I heard someone saw this kid.”
“There was a person who saw her with a woman near the front door of the shopping street.”
If it is near the main gate, it is the place where the office at the hope mercenary guild is located. Someone seemed to have seen me with Seria.
It was fortunate that I dressed Seria up just in case. As the hope mercenary guild has a lot of business with Dubblede, it may be suspicious if they knew it.
The Duke of Amity said.
“Take the child and look for her parents.”
“Yes, child. Let’s go.”
The knight reached out to me, but I hugged the Duke of Amity, shouting, “No!”
‘It’s an opportunity for me, no way I would miss it.’
I need to stick with him.
“Uncwel, scary.”
The knight looked hurt, and the Duke of Amity chuckled.
“Sir Oswalen is not scary. He’s a good man.”
“No, I’m scared. I don’t want to go with that man.”
The knight laughed awkwardly at me.
“Child, he’s a duke. So you shouldn’t be rude and bother him.”
“…Dyuke.”
“Yes.”
“I will be with the Dyuke.”
The knight was surprised as people saw this scene with excitement.
‘I thought he’d still take me away.’
I remembered my godmother’s grandson Lionel’s whining pose.
‘If it doesn’t work, let’s fall on the floor!’
I thought so, but the duke opened his mouth.
“I’ll look for the child’s parents, so you guys keep investigating.”
“What? But…”
Really?
The duke carried me.
“I’ll join you before sunset.”
“Yes.”
Me and the duke left the bakery.
I felt a little strange.
It was my first time being carried in his arms. It is unimaginable in the days when I was his daughter.
The Duke of Amity was a strict man. He was kind to Mina, no, he was quite friendly, but he set a line when he raised me and never crossed that line.
I felt so puzzled that I wondered if he was my father in my first life.
***
At that time, Duke Dubbled’s mansion.
Theodore returned home after a private meeting with the emperor. Handing over the jacket to the butler, he looked around the courtyard.
Usually, as soon as he entered the door, he would see Leblaine, who ran towards him and shouted, “Dad!”
“What about Blaine?”
When asked, the chairman, who was waiting for him in the courtyard with the butler, coughed.
the atmosphere is strange.
Theodore narrowed his forehead and looked at the chairman.
“Blaine.”
“It’s…”
“Noanoke.”
“She’s at the shopping district……with the Duke of Amity.”
Who?
Theodore’s expression became harsh.
Why is he with his daughter?
“Put the carriage on standby. I’m going to the shopping district.”
There was a war that was about to happen in the Duke of Dubblede’s residence.
***
“She isn’t here too?”
At the question of the Duke of Amity, I nodded.
He took me around for an hour and looked for the place where I lost my mother but didn’t have any result. This is because I answered no everywhere he asked.
Then, at the request of Duke Amuty, the owner of the nearby fruit stand returned from looking around.
“Your Excellency, I’ve been looking around, but no parents were looking for their children.”
“What kind of parents don’t know that they lost their children?”
My dad probably returned home by now. He didn’t know I became someone else’s child.
‘My dad must be worried. I should have told him why I went out.’
At the fruit stand, the owner said with a perplexed look.
“Is she thrown away by any chance?”
“What?”
“There are often parents like that.”
The face of the Duke of Amity was distorted.
Just then,
“Duke!”
Someone came running to us with a familiar voice.
“Just because you’re here… I kept going to the mansion, but I couldn’t meet you, so- huh?”
It was Mina.
Her expression hardened when she saw me in the arms of the Duke Amity.
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