Chapter 6
I took small sips of warm cocoa. My eyes were swollen and heavy.
I’d been told to wait quietly, so I stayed on the sofa for a long time. When I opened my eyes again, I wasn’t in the study.
“I definitely waited quietly though…”
I’d never been told I had bad sleeping habits. Then again, I’d spent most of my time locked away in a tiny room at Duke Victoire’s estate, so there was no way for anyone to know.
“Kid. How did you know that was our family’s heirloom?”
The Grand Duke of Elphius asked as he set Mermaid’s Tears down on the table.
“Well… because it’s a god’s token.”
It was given to a family chosen to receive divine protection. There was no way I, as the daughter, wouldn’t recognize it.
Once my power awakened, Mermaid’s Tears would respond to me.
“So you’re really the Sea God’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
He really was suspicious of everything. Then again, the Grand Duke of Elphius must have lived a life just as harsh as mine.
“Grand Duke, have you been scammed a lot before?”
“…What?”
“You look scary, so you don’t seem like an easy mark… That’s strange.”
I genuinely didn’t understand.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, but it seemed he’d been betrayed by people many times. That, at least, I could understand. Trusting others wasn’t easy for me either.
“There must be a lot of bad people around you. Is that why you even doubt a four-year-old?”
The Grand Duke’s face twisted sharply.
See? His temper’s awful.
“The maid named Rainy has been dealt with quietly. Now, the only one left is you.”
“Eek!”
His icy gaze settled on me.
A-Are you going to deal with me too? You said you wouldn’t throw me away earlier…!
“Ariel c-can’t be dealt with quietly! I’ll be dealt with very noisily! If you harm the Sea God’s daughter, you’ll be punished severely!”
“You’re awfully noisy for such a small thing.”
At his glance, Albert placed a document on the table.
I pressed myself as far back into the sofa as I could, watching him warily.
“Let’s assume you really are the Sea God’s daughter. Why did you come to me? Until now, no guardian has ever sought out the one they were meant to protect.”
The Grand Duke still looked doubtful. If I backed down now, Victoire might find me again.
I never wanted to fall into that man’s hands again.
“Duke Victoire!”
“…Victoire? You’ve been mentioning Duke Victoire since earlier.”
Just saying his name drew a slight reaction. Sensing my chance, I hurriedly continued.
“Duke Victoire is a very bad man! He’ll kidnap me and eventually get what he wants!”
“Kidnap?”
He’d taken me wherever he pleased instead of letting me come here, so it was no different from kidnapping.
Memories of my time at Duke Victoire’s estate surfaced. My body trembled with fear, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Regretting the past and clinging to it wouldn’t change anything. I needed to get through this situation—fast.
Hup!
I tilted my head back sharply and bit my lip hard to keep the tears from spilling.
“Hngh.”
My nose ran a little, but I managed to hold back my tears.
“Victoire will use me to kill people. He wants to become emperor. Using my power, he’ll eliminate anyone who gets in his way—including the Elphius grand ducal family.”
I poured out everything I knew, speaking feverishly.
If I missed this chance, I might never see him again.
That’s right. I was desperate.
He listened in silence.
“Hm.”
After a brief hum, Elphius stroked his chin and spoke.
“I know Duke Victoire is a greedy man, but I doubt he has the nerve to defy a god’s will and aim for the throne. As long as he knows I stand behind the emperor, he can’t move rashly.”
I thought you were smart, Grand Duke. Guess not.
I widened my eyes and said,
“Grand Duke. I am that nerve.”
With someone as powerful as me in his grasp, what would be impossible?
I pointed at myself and blinked.
“I’m right here. That’s why Duke Victoire believes he can do it.”
“…If you truly are the Sea God’s daughter, then that might be possible.”
He still didn’t quite believe me.
Well, the only power I’d shown so far was a pitiful little drop of water. Anyone could think I was just playing tricks with divine energy.
“This is bad.”
I needed to earn more of his trust. I couldn’t be thrown out—I had nowhere else to go.
This was where I was supposed to be. And this time, I wanted to protect the Grand Duke of Elphius and his son.
“You and Tirier are in danger. I don’t want to repeat it.”
Since he was at least willing to listen to a child who’d shown up out of nowhere, he couldn’t be a bad person.
Back then, he hadn’t blamed me or looked down on me either. So this time…
“I’ll protect you.”
At my sudden declaration, the Grand Duke burst out laughing.
“I don’t know who you plan to protect, but you certainly sound determined. Very well—let’s hear this little one’s plan.”
“The duke originally planned to buy land chosen by the god and kidnap me, but that failed. So he’ll try another way to find me.”
“Another way?”
“The more impatient someone is, the sooner they move.”
Since my power hadn’t awakened yet, even if I met him, he might not recognize me.
If I hid my blue hair, I could fool him for a while.
“Since I came to you first, things will already be very different from before. We should wait and watch until the duke makes the first move.”
Until then, I needed to train my body diligently to grow stronger.
If I could awaken my power right away, that would be best—but if not, I had to buy time.
“So you’re saying I should raise you properly until then.”
“Grand Duke, there’s no such thing as free in this world. Everything comes back as a favor repaid.”
“True. Nothing is free. All right—then read this first.”
The Grand Duke held out the paper to me, but there was no way I could read it properly right now.
I had to show him that my power had grown, even if only a little.
“I-I made a bigger water drop than last time! I might awaken faster!”
I spread my palm and gathered my strength.
“Hup!”
The droplet that popped into existence was definitely bigger than before.
I puffed out my chest and looked proudly at the Grand Duke—then my eyes filled with confusion.
“Huh?”
The water droplet on my palm didn’t stop. It kept growing and growing.
“W-Wait! Grand Duke, are you watching? It’s not popping—it keeps getting bigger!”
The droplet floating above my hand was soon larger than my face. I thought it would burst any second, but it boldly continued to swell.
“Hey, kid.”
At the Grand Duke’s call, I peeked my head to the side to look at him.
His eyes were blazing. Like they might catch fire.
I quietly turned my head back—but his face was clearly reflected inside the rippling droplet.
Calling me a kid, when he didn’t even know how his own face looked.
“You look more like a kid, Grand Duke.”
His face looked tiny inside the droplet.
I giggled, staring intently at the miniature version of him.
“You look even smaller when seen through a water drop.”
“T-That’s impossible! You look smaller!”
“Who looks smaller—the big me, or the already small you?”
“……”
Annoying—but he wasn’t wrong.
“Well, the water drop is still useless, but it’s impressive enough to surprise people. That’s enough. Now check what’s written there.”
“Yes.”
I lowered my head to read the paper he handed me.
“But what is this?”
“It’s a pledge. That while you stay in the grand ducal residence, I will protect you as your guardian.”
…A pledge! Maybe he wasn’t a liar after all.
I remembered Victoire signing papers with people.
“It’s a contract! Then I have to read it carefully!”
My eyes sparkled.
When he said it would be valid once I signed under his name, I nodded vigorously and examined the contents.
But the shadow of the water droplet fell over the page, making the letters hard to see.
Hmm. I can’t see well.
Without thinking, I gently pushed the water droplet aside.
