Tap tap tap.
“…….”
Tap tap tap tap.
“…….”
Tap, tap, tap.
The footsteps that had been following since I left the bedroom rang out somewhat urgently at first, then gradually became more leisurely as the distance closed.
When I slowed my pace slightly after a moment’s consideration, arms stretched out from behind and wrapped around my waist.
“Hyungnim, good morning!”
I walked on with the kid clinging to my waist. Passersby bowed their heads toward us in greeting.
“Good morning, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
“Little Your Highness is here too. Did you sleep well?”
“You two are close as always today.”
“Hyungnim, Hyungnim.”
“……When people are around, call me Your Highness.”
“Yes, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
“Breakfast.”
“I haven’t eaten yet because I wanted to eat with Hyu— I mean, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
It was quite late to be called morning because preparations took a long time, but it seemed he’d been holding out without eating until now because he wanted to eat with me.
Sure enough, rumbling sounds were coming noisily from the stomach of the kid following along.
‘Even if I told him not to, he wouldn’t listen.’
If I’d followed Billy’s suggestion and eaten in my bedroom before coming out, I might have disappointed the kid.
When I slightly furrowed my brow, Billy, who was beside me, grinned.
“Let’s head to the dining room. I’ve prepared breakfast for both Your Highnesses.”
He had good instincts at times like this. I detached the little one who’d been clinging the whole time and took his hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
What was so wonderful about just holding hands and walking to the dining room?
Lenox was smiling brightly as if he’d been gifted the entire world. His voice sparkled with joy as he chattered about how it had snowed briefly this morning, about how beautiful the first snow he’d seen since coming to the North was.
The child’s face, which had been smiling angelically like a cherub until we sat down, was surprisingly covered in gloom just a few minutes later.
“Um…….”
I calmly spoke as I poked a boiled bean on my plate with my fork.
“No picky eating in my territory.”
If he practices eating steadily now, he won’t be a picky eater as an adult. Of course…… it might become an ingredient he doesn’t actively seek out to eat.
Lenox followed my lead and poked the red beans with his fork. Poke poke poke. His gaze looking down with his brow deeply furrowed was ominous. Even if he were looking at his parents’ enemy, it would probably be more affectionate than that.
The kid squeezed his eyes shut and dumped three beans into his mouth at once.
“Uuuuugh.”
“Good. Well done.”
“Ahhhhh.”
“Beans aren’t for eating because they taste good, you eat them because they’re healthy.”
I replied while cutting meat that had been cooked slowly in sauce.
“This place is different from the Imperial Capital. Even though we’ve received support in various ways and started new trades, food is still precious. Since it’s a place with long winters, it’ll be even more so for a while.”
“…….”
“It means those beans you’re desperately trying to leave behind—there are kids all over that cold land who can’t even eat them.”
A kid who had been lonely and sad all his life but never poor wouldn’t be able to fully understand such hardship and hunger. All the more so since he was at an age where just understanding his own reality was overwhelming enough.
But he still needed to know. It meant he needed to practice cramming it into his head even if he couldn’t understand it right away. The more noble one’s birth, the more so.
I didn’t want Lenox to be isolated because of ignorance. Even if I couldn’t change his past life, the setting assigned to him. Still, if I could teach him even one way to live less lonely, that seemed good.
As if understanding yet not understanding my words, Lenox, with an ambiguous expression, swallowed with difficulty. After that, he tried to eat a couple more times, but in the end, perhaps unable to endure that characteristic earthy smell, he hid the beans under his salad.
Alright. Since his effort is commendable, I’ll let it slide this much today. I finished my meal pretending not to notice.
“You can’t follow me into where I work.”
Lenox, who had naturally followed me to the front of the office, made a pitiful expression.
“Even if I stay quiet?”
“Especially not if you stay quiet.”
After all, ten years old is a destructive age. It was an age when one wanted to run around wildly, jump, and shout. It meant there was absolutely no need to be mindful of adults’ boring desk work.
“Go play to your heart’s content. You can do anything and go anywhere, but don’t do dangerous things or leave the castle.”
Even though I’d given permission to do what he wanted, Lenox didn’t seem particularly happy.
“I like being by Hyungnim’s side the most though.”
“…….”
“Really not allowed? I’ll just quietly read a book…….”
“……In the afternoon.”
I answered, taking out my pocket watch.
“I’ll play with you at the training grounds in the afternoon. In the morning, I also have things I need to do.”
“Really? You really mean it?”
“Yes. I’ll tell Billy, so play and eat some snacks too.”
I quickly closed the door, not missing the timing when the little one let go of my clothes. Albert, who happened to be piling documents into a mountain on the desk, saw me and smiled, lowering the ends of his eyebrows.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Find something to fill Lenox’s morning schedule. Horseback riding training or education…… Ah, also tell that mage to come periodically and check on the kid’s condition.”
“Understood. I’ll select a few options and report them.”
After a moment’s consideration, I added.
“And bring stationery. I’m going to send a formal letter to the Imperial Palace.”
“A formal letter, you say?”
“Yes. Since I’ve unavoidably ended up raising a child, I need to ask for child support.”
Preferably in money, as much as possible.
“I shall do as you command. Is there anything else you need?”
“Well…… Ah.”
I shrugged awkwardly.
“Have some tea brewed from herbs good for headaches. As strong as possible.”
Albert faithfully carried out my orders.
Drinking the bitter and astringent tea, I eventually groaned and collapsed onto the desk from the persistently continuing pain.
My condition was poor, the things I needed to do were piled up like a mountain, and every single one was work that didn’t match my talents. What was truly troublesome was that I couldn’t avoid it just because I didn’t want to do it.
‘I just wanted to live quietly and go.’
Who knew living quietly would be this hard?
[Current Chaos Meter: 72%]
The ‘Chaos Meter’ showing no signs of rising was still presenting me with constant difficulties.
I hadn’t realized because I always met that pale thing through dreams at appropriate times. I was painfully learning what it meant that there was absolutely no way for me to find him if that guy didn’t come to meet me.
“An ice tower in the permafrost zone, he said.”
The mark engraved on my solar plexus was indeed that ‘wizard tower emblem’ Albert had mentioned. When I asked the person in question, he shrugged, asking if people called him that.
I didn’t know if his identity was a mage, a magical beast, or a ghost. In fact, I wasn’t very interested in that and didn’t think it was important.
However, it was important that he was the only one who could help resolve my current situation.
“Should I just storm in?”
I’d heard that few people return alive, making even recklessness difficult, but I wasn’t particularly scared.
After all, if I died doing that, wouldn’t there be someone else who’d suffer the loss? I had a strange certainty that he’d come out to greet me if only because a less delicious soul would be an eyesore.
I’d try to endure a bit longer, and if it really didn’t work, I’d have to go find him. Thinking that, I got up and stretched my stiff limbs.
In a wardrobe placed on one side of the office were leather armor and a sword prepared for me. At first, putting that on alone felt so cumbersome and difficult, but after doing it a few times, I got the hang of it and could now change even with my eyes closed.
When I left the office with a sword at my waist, the dull headache felt considerably lighter.
“Mm, as expected.”
People have aptitudes, and my aptitude was for moving my body rather than using my head. I began to calmly organize my training plan in my mind as I walked with long strides.
100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 sit-ups, 10 laps around the training grounds.
A healthy body houses a healthy mind, and a healthy future.
It was my life’s iron rule.
