TYHL 23

~Chapter 23~

What?

“I think you misspoke just now.”

“Uh.”

He looked thoroughly flustered.

Seeing an adult so awkward because he thought I was mad felt strange and a bit fascinating.

Looking up at that massive body—which somehow seemed less imposing today—I spoke clearly.

“I’m not mad. I was surprised yesterday, but I wasn’t upset. I’m the one who’s sorry for yelling so rudely.”

I bowed deeply from the waist.

I could feel a prickling stare on the top of my head.

Crash. Pieces of the bust statue fell.

When I glanced over, half the face of the first lord’s statue had been completely destroyed…

“So you weren’t mad at me?”

“Why would I hate you, Grand Duke? I actually thought you hated me.”

“Who could hate a little booger like you?!”

Was he picking a fight or trying to make peace?

By now, I was starting to understand his pattern.

His words and actions were always loud and rough, but when you thought about them, they were usually compliments.

“Where did you pick up such a polite little thing?!”

Like that.

“Please don’t rub your cheek on me…”

At some point, the Grand Duke had picked me up and was pressing his bristly chin toward me. I gently pushed his face away.

“Enough, let’s go!”

“Yes!”

We crossed the lobby and stepped outside.

Wow, the weather was nice.

In front of the castle was a carriage with no roof and open sides.

“I heard you can’t ride enclosed ones? Hmph, well, the weather’s warm enough today.”

When he gestured, Morris brought another outer coat from somewhere. Ugh, stifling.

I climbed into the carriage, now all bundled up.

“…So today you’re a chick?”

“Huh?”

Sitting beside me, the Grand Duke tapped the hairpin with his thick finger.

“When did you collect so many of these…”

His gruff voice trailed off.

He turned his head toward Hazel, who was standing nearby.

“Hazel.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Don’t tell me you gave them the key to the east room?”

Hazel quietly answered yes.

“…I see.”

A shadow of something dark and cool crossed his wrinkled face—sadness, anger, longing…

What in the world was in the east room?

‘I’ll explore it later.’

I made a small promise to myself and looked out at the slowly moving scenery.

Rumble.

The carriage shook.

The castle’s main gate was already wide open.

“I’m really excited—it’s my first time in Zerlox city!”

Unable to hide my excitement, I spoke up. His thick eyebrows twitched.

“Can I look around somewhere other than the clothing store?”

Rumble, rumble.

“Not allowed?”

“Of course you can! Stop talking before you bite your tongue!”

His large, thick hand held me securely.

Maybe I’d been misunderstanding the Grand Duke.

Because of his overwhelming presence, I thought normal people would naturally fear and avoid him.

Like the sea parting before him, people stepping aside and watching with awe but unable to easily speak to him…

‘That’s the image of a northern duke!’

At least, that’s how people in the capital saw Leviathan.

But—

“Your Grace! Long time no see!”

“Lord Balok! Have you been well? Your beard is magnificent as ever!”

“Your Grace, check out my ore! I’ll give you a good price!”

I glanced at him calmly.

“…Grand Duke, are you a celebrity?”

“What’s a celebrity?”

“Like someone who’s really popular.”

“Heh! Popular, my foot.”

Turns out, the former head of House Jebert was loved by everyone.

We stopped the carriage at the start of the shopping district and walked. People’s eyes shone with joy at seeing him.

‘Now that I think about it, it was the same with Uncle Leviathan.’

I remembered the first time I entered Zerlox with him.

Back then, I’d been too tense to notice much.

‘The people of Zerlox must like the ducal family.’

It was trust and affection built over many years, like the camaraderie of those surviving together in a harsh land.

‘Wow, this is nice.’

Unaware that the attention on the Grand Duke was spilling onto me too, I walked on, lost in thought.

“Welcome… Oh my! Your Grace, what brings you here?”

We had arrived at a large, elegant clothing store.

“I came to buy clothes for this one.”

“And this is…?”

The place smelled lovely. A beautiful woman in a fine dress looked down at me.

Suddenly shy, I hid behind the Grand Duke’s cloak.

“H-hello?”

“Hello! I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Yusana, the designer here!”

Her face lit up instantly, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. But…

‘Heard about me?’

What kind of rumors?

“But Mrs. Iveline won’t be back for a few days…”

I noticed the sign above the entrance read Iveline Boutique. I’d assumed this beautiful woman was the owner, Mrs. Iveline, but apparently not.

“We’ll just get her some ready-made clothes for now! Look at her like this!”

The Grand Duke pulled me out from behind him.

Something about how his son was hopeless with this sort of thing, blah blah…

He started complaining about his son again, but no one was listening.

“I see. So she needs something to wear temporarily?”

Yusana’s eyebrows slanted in sympathy at the sight of my sleeves hanging far past my hands.

“Alright, I’ll alter something existing. Give me three hours.”

“O-okay…”

I answered awkwardly. Honestly, clothes weren’t really my thing.

“Shall we take your measurements first?”

That woke me up instantly.

“I don’t want to take my clothes off!”

“But to be accurate, you should change into something lighter.”

“N-no way…”

I instinctively clung to the Grand Duke’s leg.

“Huh?” Looking down at me, he suddenly roared.

“Hey, if the little booger says no, then no!”

The best ally is a loud ally!

“Then we’ll measure over what you’re wearing. Can you at least take off your coat?”

“Yes, that’s fine!”

I quickly took off my coat and let them measure me.

Snap! At Yusana’s finger snap, maids moved in perfect sync. Racks upon racks of clothes rolled in.

Surely all of that wasn’t for me? Especially when Mrs. Iveline would be coming in a few days to make more clothes for me…

“Prepare ready-mades like they’re custom! Alright, I’m off!”

The Grand Duke barked like a gangster and spun on his heel. I lost my chance to ask questions.

“I’m coming too!”

“Eh, you’re a bother. Just sit and eat cake or something instead of tagging along.”

“Hehe, but I want to see the forge…”

When I gripped his cloak tightly, he looked down at me and shouted, “Ahh, that tickles!”

Did he have a bug on him or something?

Meanwhile, at Iveline Boutique—

“That’s strange. Did I hear wrong?”

Yusana frowned at the measurements she’d just noted. The junior designer unfolding children’s shorts asked,

“What’s wrong, Yusana?”

“I’m sure they said a fine young boy…”

Something…

She didn’t finish the sentence. It was just a feeling—a designer’s instinct, an aesthetic sense.

“Was it just me?”

Those in the boutique exchanged glances. Some of them had thought the same thing but hadn’t said it aloud.

The junior designer waved it off.

“Oh, no way. Probably just a very, very pretty boy. You know, like how the Fourth Prince is more beautiful than most girls.”

True—thinking someone was a girl just because they were cute could be an insult.

“That’s… true.”

“No matter how blunt and sword-obsessed our duke is…”

“Right?”

“He wouldn’t be clueless enough not to know a child’s gender.”

“Right?”

Hahaha, yes, yes. Bright laughter filled the boutique.

Feeling a bit more at ease, Yusana held up a boy’s shirt with a large collar.

Ah, cute. The color would go perfectly with that lovely child’s eyes.

“….”

Still, the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.