Chapter 23
“What did you say?”
“Uh… I think your words got a little tangled there.”
“Ugh.”
He looked thoroughly flustered.
It was strangely fascinating and unfamiliar to see an adult panic because he thought I was angry.
Today, I looked up at his large, imposing frame—somehow feeling it was less intimidating than usual—and continued speaking clearly.
“I’m not angry. I was surprised yesterday, but I wasn’t upset. And I should be the one apologizing for shouting so rudely.”
I even bowed down to the waist, giving a proper greeting.
A piercing gaze landed on the top of my head.
Crack, crack. Pieces of the bust sculpture fell.
Glancing over, half of the face of the previous head of the Zebert family was shattered…
“You weren’t upset with me?”
“Why would I be upset with you? I actually thought I was the one being disliked by you.”
“Who would hate a tiny little thing like you?!”
Was he picking a fight, or trying to make peace?
By now, I had a rough understanding of his pattern.
Though his words and actions were loud and rough, if you thought about them carefully, most of what he said was actually praise.
“Where did you pick up such manners!”
Like this.
“Please don’t rub my cheeks…”
Before I knew it, the old duke had scooped me up, his fuzzy chin brushing against me. I gently pushed his face away.
“Enough. Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
We crossed the lobby and stepped outside.
Wow, the weather is nice.
In front of the castle was a carriage with no roof, completely open on all sides.
“You don’t like riding in enclosed carriages, right? Hm, the weather’s warm enough today, though.”
At the old duke’s gesture, Morris brought out another coat from somewhere. Ugh, stuffy.
I climbed into the carriage, my fluffy coat making me look even rounder.
“…Are you a chick today?”
“Huh?”
The old duke sitting next to me tapped one of my pins with his thick fingers.
“When did you end up with so many of these pins…?”
His brusque voice suddenly paused.
He turned his head toward Hazel, who had been quietly standing by the carriage.
“Hazel.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Did that guy give you the key to the eastern room?”
Hazel quietly answered yes.
“…I see.”
A dark, cool expression flashed across the old duke’s wrinkled face.
It was a mix of sadness, anger, and longing.
What could possibly be in the eastern room?
‘I’ll explore it later.’
I quietly promised myself, staring at the scenery slowly passing by outside the carriage.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage shook.
The main gate of the castle had been wide open for some time.
“Wow! It’s my first time in Zelox city! I’m so excited!”
Unable to hide my excitement, my words made his thick eyebrows twitch.
“Can we look around somewhere other than clothes stores?”
Clatter, clatter.
“Not allowed?”
“Of course it is! Stop talking! You’ll bite your tongue!”
His large, thick hand firmly held me.
Maybe I had misunderstood the old duke a bit.
He had such a commanding presence that ordinary people naturally found him intimidating and kept their distance… or so I thought.
Wherever he went, people would part like the Red Sea, sending admiring glances but hesitating to speak to him.
‘The people in the capital saw Leviathan uncle like that!’
At least, that’s how it had seemed to me.
But now…
“Your Excellency! It’s been a while!”
“Lord Balrok! How have you been? Your beard looks magnificent today!”
“Your Excellency, come see the ore! I’ll give it to you cheap!”
I calmly looked around and asked,
“…Old duke, are you a celebrity?”
“What’s a celebrity?”
“Like a popular person.”
“Hah! Popularity, me?”
So that’s right. The previous head of the Zebert family had truly been loved by everyone!
We parked the carriage at the entrance of the shopping street and walked along. People’s gazes toward the old duke were filled with genuine delight.
‘Come to think of it, it was like this when I met Leviathan uncle too.’
I remembered entering Zelox with him for the first time.
Of course, I had been too nervous to observe closely back then…
‘The people of Zelox really like the duke family.’
Their trust and affection had clearly been built over years.
It even felt like a camaraderie unique to those living in rough territories.
‘Wow, this is nice.’
I didn’t notice that some of that attention toward the old duke was spilling onto me as I walked, lost in thought.
“Welcome… oh my. Your Excellency, what brings you here?”
We arrived at a large, luxurious clothing store.
“I came to buy clothes that fit this one.”
“This person… could it be—”
The shop smelled wonderfully of perfume. A beauty dressed in a gorgeous gown looked down at me.
Feeling shy, I quietly hid behind the old duke’s cloak.
“Hi…?”
“Hello! I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Yusana, the designer here!”
The woman’s face brightened immediately, her long lashes fluttering like butterflies. But…
‘Heard about me?’
What kind of rumors could she have heard?
“But Mrs. Evelin won’t be back for a few days. What should we do?”
I remembered the sign above the entrance: Evelin Boutique. I naturally assumed the woman in front of me was Evelin herself, but apparently not.
“Even ready-made clothes need to be fitted! Look at this mess!”
The old duke pulled me from behind the cloak.
He began complaining again about his son, my “son,” being helpless in this area, but no one paid attention.
“Ah, you mean you need temporary clothes for now?”
Seeing the long, flowing cuffs, Yusana frowned sympathetically.
“Alright. We’ll adjust existing clothes to fit. Give us three hours.”
“Y-yes…”
I answered awkwardly. Honestly, clothes weren’t really my interest…
“Shall we measure first?”
That snapped me fully awake.
“I don’t want to take my clothes off!”
“But for accurate measurements, it’s better to wear something lighter.”
“N-no….”
I reflexively clung to the old duke’s leg.
He looked down at me and shouted,
“Ah, don’t say you hate your little nose!”
My champion for loud voices!
“Then we’ll measure over your clothes. Is it okay to remove your outer coat?”
“Yes! That’s fine!”
I quickly removed my outer coat and got measured.
Snap! With Yusana’s finger snap, the maids moved in perfect coordination. Racks of clothes poured in endlessly.
Surely not all of that is for me? Mrs. Evelin is supposed to come in a few days to get more clothes made, right?
“Prepare the ready-made clothes for fitting! Alright, let’s go!”
The old duke spun around like a gangster, making me miss my chance to ask questions.
“Come along!”
“Ugh, so annoying. Just stay there eating cake or something. Why follow me?”
“Hehe, I’m curious about the blacksmith too…”
Grabbing the hem of his cloak, I looked up at him. He shouted, “Aaah, ticklish, ticklish!”
Did he have a bug on him?
Meanwhile, at Evelin Boutique…
“That’s strange. Did I mishear?”
Yusana flipped through the neatly recorded measurements, frowning. The junior designer laying out shorts asked,
“Yusana, what’s wrong?”
“I could’ve sworn this was a spirited young boy….”
Something…
Yusana couldn’t finish her sentence. It was a feeling—a designer’s keen eye, aesthetic sense, something like that.
“Did I feel that alone?”
Those inside the boutique exchanged glances. Some had thought the same thing but hadn’t dared speak aloud.
The junior designer waved her hands.
“Ah, no way. Maybe they’re just an incredibly pretty person. After all, His Highness the Fourth Prince is more beautiful than most girls.”
True. To think someone pretty and cute is a girl might itself be rude.
“That’s… true.”
“Even if our duke knows nothing but swords, he’s not that clueless about a child’s gender, right?”
“Right?”
Hahaha, yes, yes. A bright smile spread.
Feeling somewhat relieved, Yusana lifted a boy’s top with a large collar.
Ah, it’s cute. The color matches those lovely eyes perfectly.
“……”
But why do I still feel uneasy?
