Translated by EunEun

Edited by Zil

‘Is she saying that she wants the Duke’s Castle?’

He reviewed what he had heard so that it would make sense.

The Main Castle is inherited by a person who becomes the lord of the family. It was more understandable if Baby wanted to have it and was begging for it.

“Uhm, it’s alright even if it’s not a nice room like now. It’s alright even if it’s on a lower floor or in a corner!”

However, it wasn’t.

“Really! Or even if it’s underground without windows, it’s alright!”

So it was that my daughter just wanted to have a room where she could stay in the castle where her family was.

The Duke was dumbfounded.

‘What is the meaning of this?’

Why is my daughter asking for it as if she doesn’t have the rights she deserves?

Even before she was born, the space was prepared one by one.

The brightest room in the mansion. With the upper part overlooking the garden lake with soft sunlight coming in from each window. It is all hers.

“Was she not shown the room properly?”

“I know that she had looked around with Young Master Carl, but I will check it again.”

Leonhardt checked to see if there was any mistake, but the aide just replied with a puzzled expression.

When irrelevant Duke’s pursuit bounced off another person, Beatty hurriedly intervened.

“No, I received a proper guide!”

“Then why?”

The Duke’s forehead furrowed, having his doubts not been resolved.

“I mean, it doesn’t matter if it’s not such a nice room.”

Beatty put her tightly clenched hand on her chest, which began to pound.

Hoping that the sound of her heart, which keeps growing, will be covered, even if it’s only a little.

“I want to stay here, not in the Capital.”

“In here..?”

“Yes. If you let me stay here until my Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”

At those words, the Duke’s expression was distorted.

Flinch.

Beatty flinched at the Duke’s sudden change.

‘What is the meaning of that?’

It was hard to read the frowned expression.

Beatty doesn’t know if he’s angry because something in her words was bothering him or...

‘By any chance, is he hurt somewhere?’

Since he returned from the battlefield right away, she even thought that there might have been an injury.

At first glance, the Duke’s distorted expression seemed as if it were painful.

“You can’t.”

Beatty, who was agonizing, missed the Duke’s answer at that moment.

“..Yes?”

No. It was a word that she didn’t want to accept, so she may have pretended not to understand it unconsciously.

“Go back. This isn’t your place.”

‘To think that he rejects it immediately... Why is it?’

Beatty was taken aback for a moment.

“T-Then, with another thing. I’ll think of a price that you’ll be more satisfied with!”

To the point of bringing up an unscheduled proposal.

To be honest, she didn’t think the Duke would reject her proposal which was already that much, so her words got tangled up momentarily.

“I don’t care about that kind of thing.”

However, the Duke’s stiff expression did not change.

“I have other plans as much as you want! I’ll be able to pay for my stay in the castle with that. I’m sure there’s a price that you like...”

Rather, the longer she said, the deeper the furrow was between the Duke’s forehead.

Haa.

Beatty flinched at the deep breath which came out from the Duke.

‘What should I do? I didn’t know that he’d be so reluctant to me that it didn’t work even if I had brought a solution to the food shortage...’

Beatty’s fingernails dug into her palm in a small fist that she clenched without even realizing it.

‘I have to think. Something.. a way to solve this situation...’

Perhaps because she was young, she could feel her eyes swaying at this point.

Beatty bit her lips tightly and held back her unreasonable tears.

‘Calm down. You’ve practiced a lot. Calmly.. look like a cool-headed trading partner.’

Pressing herself, Beatty opened her mouth with a firm look, and at that time, the Duke’s words were one jump ahead of her.

“You don’t have to pay for staying at your house.”

“..Yes?”

At the strangely friendly sound, Beatty, who was trying to continue the next word, paused.

Beatty had been absent-minded for a while after losing what she was going to say. Then, she shook her head.

‘N-No! Let’s not be swayed!’

But when she came back to her senses, it was already after the Duke got up from his seat.

“Ah! W-wait—”

“Stop.”

The Duke firmly blocked Beatty, who was in a hurry to bring the conversation up.

“Aide.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The aide understood the instructions just by the Duke’s gesture without a word, and brought in the maid in charge who was waiting outside.

“Now go back to your room.”

“But..!”

Beatty spoke out of sadness, but when she saw the Duke’s forehead crumpled more at her words, she closed her mouth without realizing it.

“It’s time for you to sleep.”

It was a strangely friendly tone that didn’t match with his stiff expression, but Beatty, who was in confusion, did not notice it.

Finally, with the Duke’s words, Beatty unexpectedly returned to her room, led by the maid’s hands.

***

‘I’m totally behind!’

The first proposal in her life.

Beatty, who returned after being badly brushed of, knelt down on the bed and put her hands on it.

“Young Miss..?”

The maids looked at the Young Miss who was lying down in a strange position worriedly, and opened their mouths one by one.

“Should I sing you a lullaby?”

“I’ll turn on the scented candle.”

“Do Young Miss want me to bring you warm milk? But Young Miss has to brush your teeth one more time after drinking it.”

Beatty flinched at the pouring offering, then shook her hand in a hurry.

“N-no. Everything is fine.”

The pouring kindness has now made her shoulders heavy.

‘What everyone.. is saying is like a fluffy blanket.’

Beatty is still not used to the soft tone of people treating her.

A gentle and friendly attitude that she has never encountered before. An atmosphere that seems to be immersed in a warm bath.

‘I don’t want to lose it.’

Thinking so without realizing it herself, Beatty bowed her head down with a stiff expression.

“Tail Fur.”

“Oh my, Young Master.”

“Young Miss, the Young Master came to see the Young Miss.”

“Huh?”

Carl looked at Beatty and tilted his head.

“What’s this? Why is Tail Fur so squashed?”

“Yes?”

He suddenly came and what is he talking about?

“Hm.”

Carl grabbed Beatty’s face with one hand and turned it around, then opened his mouth.

“Tell me when someone suppresses you.”

“...”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Tuk.

As usual, a hand that didn’t even consider a well-groomed hairdo messed up her hair.

Press.

Strangely, she was about to cry again, so Beatty had to bite her mouth again.

***

In a quiet bedroom.

Until the end, after people brought herbal tea, dolls, daggers—this was Carl—and other things that gave peace to her mind.

Beatty thought while fiddling with the dagger for children which was given by her brother.

‘A place to stay only until the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.’

A safe place to hide until the danger disappears.

That was the only reason she came to Duke’s Castle.

‘I definitely thought so at first...’

However, she didn’t want to stay just for that reason anymore.

“Tail Fur.”

Although he calls her weirdly.

Still, he didn’t call her with a cold voice.

It’s the place where her older brother is.

“Our Young Miss!”

A place where there are people who call her with such ticklish words.

What she learned while living in the Duke’s Castle.

It was all about what Beatty had never experienced in her lifetime.

She felt anxious that it didn’t fit her as if she had accidentally wore someone else’s clothes.

‘Not only because it’s safe here.’

Where these people are. She strongly wanted to stay here.

Beatty jumped up and sat down and clenched her fist powerfully.

“Yeah. I can’t back down like this.”

Although they couldn’t make the deal she wanted at first, will she give up at this rate?!

“Eat and run?! Not a chance!”

Shake. Shake.

Shaking her head powerfully, Beatty was full of determination to receive a fair price somehow.

“What should I do.. to get permission to stay.. let’s think.”

Tok. Tok.

Beatty was lost in thought, tapping her chin with her small finger.

‘But...’

Then, suddenly, she remembered the words of the Duke that she couldn’t let go of.

“You don’t have to pay for staying at your house.”

Tightly.

Her fist on the knee put strength on it.

‘..What did that mean?’

The words that came to mind without her realizing it, weren’t erased quickly.

Beatty couldn’t sleep easily that night.

***

On another side, it was the same with the Duke who couldn’t fall asleep easily.

To be exact, the Duke had no intention of leaving the office until late at night.

The aide approached the Duke, who was staring somewhere with a stiff face, and reported.

“They said the Young Miss has fallen asleep safely.”

“Yeah.”

“Your Excellency, even if you don’t worry now...”

Johanna, who came with him, also helped the aide.

“Master, I’d looked at everything carefully during the Young Miss’ sleep time. After coming to the Main Castle, she always went to bed early and slept well until the morning.”

Hoo.

Only then did a sigh come out from the Duke, as if he was a little relieved.

“Since she’s a weak child.”

The frowned forehead represented the depth of his worries.

“The Young Miss...”

Johanna, who was looking for words to comfort her owner, couldn’t even keep talking. This was because the nightmares of the past were still clear in their memories.

The Duke, who recalled that painful time, spoke in a sarcastic tone.

“That delicate child can’t endure the harsh winter here.”