Chapter 07
TL-Mechatronic
“…… Did you get there safely, Father?”
“Yes, as you can see.”
Gillard shrugged his shoulders. Beneath the dazzling blonde hair, red eyes like rubies rolled to the side. The lips of the man who saw Luciel moved.
“Is there a visitor looking for me?”
He was a man who looked just like Kizef von Bellstein. Luciel was breathtakingly nervous.
‘This person is…..’
The current Duke of Bellstein.
His pressure and charisma are also on par with that of Kizef, whom Luciel met before her death. Grandfather Duke had a different kind of pressure from him, who made the opponent nervous as if they were looking at a well-forged blade.
‘It feels like my whole body is being crushed.’
Luciel got up from her seat without even having time to be scared. Sweat dripped from her hands, and she grabbed the hem of her robe.
“Yes, my lord.”
Eva bowed her head and Gillard, who was by her side, stepped out.
“Yes, I brought this kid with me because she wanted to meet the head of Bellstein.”
‘Is this a place where just anyone can meet the head of Bellstein?’
“She’s a trustworthy little girl. This is the child I brought myself.
There was a silent conversation with implicit glares flying between the father and son.
The Duke’s eyes glanced over Luciel. The tension that made even fluffy hair stand up shook her body once again.
“I greet the Duke of Bellstein. I am Luciel from Count Orbia. Although I’m an illegitimate child, I also have the blood of a noble.”
In the past, my sister once told me that we were nobles with a family tittle before becoming a slave. So it’s not technically wrong.
I barely finished saying my greetings. I tried to not be discouraged, but my body trembled like a prey in front of a wild beast.
“I-1 ha-have something to tell you so I came.”
Luciel swallowed her breath and barely added the last words. Instead of answering, the Duke ordered Eva.
“Eva, you guide the guest to the study.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Having said that, he went up the stairs again, waving his navy blue coat over his broad shoulders. As soon as the Duke left, her legs relaxed and she collapsed onto the couch. Luciel bit her lip.
“He’s a more difficult person than I thought.’
Gillard, who was looking at Luciel like that, said to relieve the child’s tension.
“Hey, Luciel. Don’t worry too much. Because this grandfather will follow along. I like you very much.”
He gave Luciel a smirk and a wink.
“…… Thank you, Grandfather!”
A natural smile passed between the two, and Gillard beckoned Eva to prepare refreshments. Eva understood the signal and came in front of Luciel to ask.
“Excuse me, lady, what kind of drink would you like?”
“What?”
Luciel, who was bewildered, asked back without knowing. She glanced at the Grandfather Duke, who nodded as if it was okay to ask anything.
“Oh……….”
When Luciel, who was shy, blushed her cheeks, Gillard answered instead.
“What kind of sweet things do we have? Bring something that a little girl will like.”
“Well……If so, I’ll bring a strawberry parfait to you. They just happened to have harvested fresh strawberries from the farm.”
At the words of ‘strawberry’, Luciel’s crimson eyes grew as big as a rabbits.
“Right. Then I’ll have the same thing.”
Eva, who heard it, asked back, as if she had heard it wrong.
“You mean the strawberry parfait, sir?”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, my lord. Then, I will take you to the office first.”
“I’ll take Luciel to the study, so prepare the strawberry parfait first.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Tak.
Luciel changed into fluffy white slippers that Eva had given her, and went into the study with Gillard.
She bit her dry lips tightly. The Duke, who took off his coat, sat in front of the desk and raised his head. His eyes turned to the two people who entered, side by side.
“It’s a strange scene.”
The Duke finished singing the paperwork with his characteristic dry eyes, and got up.
“It’s a scene you’ll see often in the future. Come on, let’s sit down.”
Gillard and Luciel headed to the sofa in the center. On the other side, the Duke walked over the middle and sat down.
There was an awkward silence, and Gillard spoke first.
“Aren’t you curious about how I met Luciel?”
“….. I’m more curious about the business of the guest who came to me.”
The Duke’s red eyes stared at Luciel.
“Ah………”
Knock, Knock.
Luciel licked her lips, and a knock on the door was heard. Eva brought two strawberry parfaits and Earl Gray tea in a tray.
How high, ice cream, strawberries, and snacks were stacked on the parfait, Luciel even thought it was dizzying to see them. But Eva skillfully took it and put it on the table. Gillard and Luciel’s parfait, and finally the Duke’s Earl Gray.
Seeing Luciel’s round, crimson eyes focused all over the strawberry parfait, Gilliard burst out into laughter
The Duke sat in a sluggish position with his chin on his hand, observing the little girl. The child’s clear and sweet eyes were very close to the strawberry color.
“It’s a bit too much, right? Chef Seth was excited about the dessert she baked for the first time in a while and made a parfait tower like this.”
“No, I can eat everything.”
Unknowingly swallowing her saliva, Luciel wanted to take a bite, but she held back, because sitting right in front of her, Duke Bellstein was watching her every move.
Gillard suggested first instead of Luciel, who was completely distracted after the parfait came out.
“Why don’t you postpone listening to the business until after tea time, Duke?”
“….. That’s right. Help yourself.”
As soon as the Duke’s permission fell, Luciel’s face lit up. Her cheeks rose to a blushing color. She carefully plucked the strawberry that adorned the top of the parfait tower with a fork. The juice bursts when she puts it in her mouth.
‘Wow, it’s so refreshing and sweet.’
Next, she took a bite of a cookie cut into rectangles by alternating layers of thin pastries and white cream.
Crunch.
Luciel paused at the sound coming from her mouth and looked at her surroundings.
“The cream wafers are very delicious.”
Gillard also took a bite as he answered.
“Ah, cream wafers.”
She chewed the wafers as she lowered her head. Luciel liked the savory, sweet taste and crispy texture, Next, she picked up a long stick-shaped brown cookie and ate it. As soon as she took one bite, a sweet, devilish taste filled her mouth. Luciel turned the stick back and forth.
“That’s a snack called chocolate wafer roll”.
The sight of Luciel diligently eating the parfait with curious eyes made Gillard and the Duke unable to take their eyes off her.
Louivid was skeptical.
Is it something that special to this child to eat it so carefully? Have you been starving all day?’
And yet, without realizing it, Louivid continued to watch Luciel carefully as she ate.
“You eat like a rabbit.’
At that rate, the skinny child’s body seemed to soon be able to become chubby. Gillard glanced at Louivid.
“How about it? Isn’t she cute?’
However, Louivid refused to look at Luciel again.
“…Did you even starve the child?”
“Hahaha, no way. It’s nice to see you eat well. Eat a lot, Luciel.”
“Thank you. Grandpa too.”
Parfait. Wafers. Chocolate Wafer Roll.
They were difficult names, but it was so delicious that Luciel recalled them inside over and over again. Her spoon headed towards the ice cream. At the cool and sweet taste that slowly melted, Luciel blinked her strawberry-colored round eyes.
“This is…….”
“It’s ice cream.” (Grandpa)
“Ice cream.” (Duke)
“It’s ice cream, my Lady.” (Eva)
At the same time, the three people’s answers were heard, and Luciel’s eyes grew even more rabbit-like,
Actually, I knew this was ice cream, but I was a little happy to feel that they cared about me.
‘I think the ice cream tastes even better.’
“It’s delicious. It’s like eating a handful of snowflakes…..”
“If the snow was to be this sweet, the ice cream store would be closed, Luciel.”
At her naive expression, Gillard burst into laughter. “This child has a somewhat cute corner.’
Duke Louivid had an appreciation of someone else, which was unusual. The appearance of Luciel to him, who only had a cold eldest son and a troublemaker youngest son, was new. There was no child with white silver hair that ran down to her shoulders looking like a snow rabbit, with crimson eyes and soft fur.
Her feeble appearance and funny actions were trivial and ridiculous. Nevertheless, he continued to watch the child. After seeing the little girl eating parfait greedily, Louivid realized that his lips were slightly raised, and suddenly coughed and said:
“…… Uh-hum, now, let’s hear from you, Young Lady Orbia.”
Luciel was eating the parfait with both cheeks in full capacity, and missed his somewhat gentler appearance from before. Now the Duke only had a very annoyed face.
“Ah, I was possessed with the parfait and held onto a busy person for too long. Let’s not be annoying. Let’s do well, Luciel.’
As if making a great decision, Luciel gently pushed the plate of parfait away. Then she opened her eyes more clearly and stood up.
“I have come to offer a deal to the Duke of Bellstein.”
Something resolute filled the child’s twinkling eyes. There was a bit of a bold side to it, pretending not to be interested, the Duke said calmly.
“…A deal? I don’t have time to play with the little
lady.”
The Duke chanted like that, leaning back on the sofa. His expression had a little interest but no expectation It was expected. Now, Luciel had nothing. However,
she did not feel discouraged and said what she had in mind.
“I know that the Duke has a son my age. Please let me marry the Young Master. Please protect me with a marriage contract until I am an adult.”
The Duke, who had been listening to the story in a comfortable position, raised his body and pressed his chin. Having heard something quite eccentric, his red eyes stared intently at Luciel.
“You’re saying something very interesting.”