Chapter 15
Nos gulped down his dry saliva.
“ I thought she was bored, so just for a moment, ······.”
What a pitiful face….
‘The duke is really scary.’ He looked at the duke with pitiful eyes, but the duke looked at him back with cold eyes.
“She’s a shy child, but for some reason she looks very friendly with you.”
“Well, it’s not like–“
“You’ve got a great talent. “
The Duke spoke in a very sarcastic tone. The Duke of Dubbled must be a petty superior. I can’t believe you’re threatening an assistant just because he played a little bit during work hours.
‘Poor Nos.’
Nos put me down.
“Come here blaine”
I don’t want to go.
With my hesitation, Nos’s face became white, and the Duke became even more tense.
“Come here”
I had no choice but to approach him. As soon as the Duke held me in his arms, Nos bowed down.
“Well,….I’ll finish my job.“
After Nos fled, only me and the duke remained. Today, the duke looked at me with somehow a sharper gaze. You’re not gonna punish me for playing with your assistant , are you?
The duke’s eyebrow wriggled as i looked at him with an anxious look.
‘You seemed so happy with Nos, didn’t you say -?’
I tilted my head and looked at him.
He stared at me, lifted me up and do the exact same thing like Nos a few times.
“……..”
‘What is it?’
Is it a high-level of scolding?
***
What the hell was that yesterday? I squinted my eyes and thought of yesterday’s incident.
When I didn’t show any reaction, he took me into my room and left. ‘Maybe he was trying to play with me.’ Are you trying to be a father just because you adopted me?
At the end of the day, he throw me into the air, asking, “Should it be higher?”
I almost laughed and pretended to be happy because I was afraid of him. Then Lea said something while she buttons up my clothes.
“Let’s go to the dining room now.”
Why should we eat there?
The Duke was always busy, so he preferred to eat meals in the office. When I gaze at Lea with a curious eye, she laughed and took my hand.
‘Let’s go eat first’. It’s harder to think like an adult if you are hungry. I grabbed Lea’s hand and walked along the corridor. When I opened the restaurant door and entered, I saw the duke.
‘Huh?’
And on the left side of the duke, the boys sit side by side.
“Blaine.”
At that time, the Duke called me. I walked up to him and reached out my hand.
The Duke lifted me up and put me on his lap.
“This is Henry, the second child.”
The child pointed out by the Duke smiled. The child had dazzling silver hair and blue eyes like the sea, looking incredibly beautiful. If the duke was a handsome man, this child was like a delicately crafted doll. He’s pretty enough to be seen as a girl at first glance.
“This is Isaac, the third child.”
The child pointed out this time looks the opposite of Henry. Even though he has the same silver hair, his whole aura felt so different, but both of them were really beautiful. Besides–
‘They are miniature of the duke!’
Their eyes, nose, face, lips, resemble him.
The first child is at an overseas academy, so he didn’t come. Lastly, the duke introduces me.
“She’s Leblaine.”
Henry, who looks nice, smiled and grabbed my hands.
“Hello, Leblaine! Nice to meet you.”
He then poked Isaac who is having a staring contest with the carrots on his plate, when the duke noticed, he called his name and gave me a short introduction.
‘He’s huge for his age.’
He looks about ten years old. His features are also extremely clear. I was envious of him. My body is growing so slowly. In addition, there was a bright future ahead of them.
All of the children born in the Dubbled were extraordinary, but the three is special among them.
‘Those who have climbed the top of the pyramid without help from their families.’
Henry, will be at the top of the list every year at the Gifted Academy in the capital. He succeeds after his brother and enters an academic institute overseas.
Graduated with a perfect report card, He grows into a talent who controls the money supply of the empire at an early age. He was a genius who became the leader of a Dubbled branch in his early 20s.
‘The Duke of Amity hated him as he is a cunning fox who always escape the law.’
Isaac has a special talent for martial arts. He had beaten down the knights of the imperial family at the age of twenty.
‘He’s a violent rascal like the duke of Vallua’
I was a little nervous when I actually saw the rumored Confucius. They were like Mina’s brothers. When I was charged with attempted murder of Mina, people said I was lucky i didn’t get caught by the Dubbleds.
‘It’s okay, they’re not Mina’s knight right now.’ If they don’t scare me, I won’t have to tremble just by hearing your name like before.
I grinned at them.
“Hewlo. (Hello.)”
Anyway, they’re the masters of the family, so i have to look good.
***
An hour later.
I glanced at Henry and Isaac.
‘Scary…..’
After the meal, I was pretty content until the adults pushed us into one room to get closer to each other.It’s hard to get close to them because they’re kids.
As Isaac entered the room, he stares at me fiercely. Henry didn’t give any attention at all.
“You.”
“Yes…..”
“Do you know how to eat carrots?“
I’m not picky about anything.
“Yes.”
Then Isaac wriggled his eyebrows
“What are you?, a rabbit?”
He growled out. It seemed like a threat, but strangely enough this time it wasn’t scary. Then Henry, who looked at the bookshelf, murmured.
‘I think he just called Isaac an idiot.’
Henry didn’t seem to care much about me. As soon as he came into the room, he took out a thick book and now wrote a lot on the parchment.
I glanced at the parchment. Numbers, numbers, numbers. And sometimes difficult symbols. My curiousity perked,so i put my head over the desk. Henry glanced at me.
“Do you want to say something?”
“Leblaine,” he added, in a gentle tone.
“I wantwed to see what it is (i wanted to see what it is)”
Then Isaac, who picked up the wooden sword lying on the floor, snorted.
“He’s trying to count the money thing again.”
“It’s called the formation of a slush fund. Stupid.”
I opened my eyes in amazement. Do kids understand slush funds?
Then Henry mumbled , taking out the newspaper.
“The situation is getting out of hand at home and abroad. In times like this–“
“I know. I learned it last time. You’re buying iron, aren’t you? When war breaks out, the price of iron that makes weapons first goes up.”
As Isaac spoke triumphantly, the corners of Henry’s mouth rose.
“You’re right, in some parts.”
“That’s what merchants think. A nobleman should dedicate his irons to the state in the event of war.”
When Isaac clucked his tongue, Henry shrugged.
“In times of war, it’s gold. As the value of money decreases.”
I could see why people here weren’t so surprised to see a four-year-old who knew the words ‘unannounced tax’. There is another child who speaks such difficult words.
‘I feel like I’m in a strange world.’
“You! pretend you didn’t hear that or you’ll die.”
I quickly opened my eyes wide and shook my hands.
“Don’t try to flatter yourself because you’re a child of fate. I’m a very strong kid. So-“
Henry, with his face half covered by the newspaper, looked at Isaac with a pathetic look. Then he bent his eyes sweetly and told me.
“We need to conceal our feelings. That’s what the Dubbleds does. Dubbled’s own flesh and blood. The thing between parents and child does not matter.”
“……”
“So please don’t be over ambitious.”
Henry’s eyes glowed with a blue hue.
‘Oh, it was uncomfortable to eat on the duke’s lap, so I ate too little.’
I’m so hungry I can’t think straight. Yeah, i have no idea what you’re talking about.
‘But i need to answer first.’
A child who is good at answering is loved. I answered loudly,
“Yes!”
….Henry looked somewhat embarrassed.