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IBP 126
“Father! Should we fire the Captain of the Guard as of today?”
“The Captain of the Guard was the teacher who took that boy under his wing since he was young. What sin has he committed?”
“Ugh, damn it...”
“Instead of the innocent Captain of the Guard, we should fire that unfilial son from the family first.”
It was excessive bad-mouthing, but Theodore spoke with an indifferent and blunt expression.
“As you may have already heard, I am telling you myself. By the order of Her Imperial Highness the Imperial Concubine, I have received a leave of absence and arrived at the family estate. I plan to stay for two weeks.”
“There is no room to give to someone like you.”
“Yes. Then I shall start with a meal.”
Theodore stood by the table with an expression that was stiff as a board.
Duke Ardos frowned and spoke.
“What a shame. I cannot spare a single bean for an unworthy son who returns to the family after ten years.”
“As the eldest son of the Ardos family, I believe I am entitled to at least a single bean.”
Watching the sparks fly between the two, I thought to myself.
Theodore Ardos.
That man seems like a formidable opponent...?!
Meanwhile, the sister who had been feeding me "sweet potatoes" (frustratingly) threw a pointed remark.
“What is this? He ran away from home saying he hated this family, and now it's quite funny that he comes back just because he got a vacation.”
Only then did Theodore look toward my sister and smile brightly.
“Hello, Chloe. It’s been a long time.”
Theodore replied lightly, as if he hadn't been affected at all by her thorny words, and quickly shifted his gaze away from her.
Then, after scanning the room, he fixed his eyes on me.
Theodore's eyes sparkled strangely.
“Hello, you must be Coco?”
I read 'curiosity' in his gaze.
However, I couldn't tell exactly what kind of curiosity it was.
Whether he disliked me or hated me, I couldn't smell the scent of his emotions at all.
So, I bravely spoke up.
“Yes. Hello! Unnie, give me a sweet potato over there.”
...I decided to ignore the Imperial Concubine's knight who was currently rushing toward me.
First, I must escape. If I think about it carefully while running, the answer will come, right?
But it was right then.
“Don't talk to my daughter—ahem—and get lost.”
In the meantime, Theodore's expression had already returned to being stiff.
“Have you come to love an adopted child enough to call her your daughter?”
“What does it matter to you? If you've come to eat after turning your back on the family, just eat and get lost!”
It was an utterly childish war of nerves.
Theodore, who had been smiling as if wearing a mask, gave a small laugh and then suddenly stopped smiling.
“Yes, I hate this family. Still. I even loathe it.”
“You insolent brat! Then get out this instant.”
“If you won't leave, I will. Coco, come here. Let's go eat in the room with your sister.”
Chloe looked at Theodore with a cold gaze and then took my hand.
Theodore did not stop us.
He simply watched us with a strange gaze from behind his glasses.
* * *
“By the way, Unnie, about Uncle Theodore. He's your brother, right?”
On the way back to my annex.
Chloe muttered with a dissatisfied expression.
“...Yeah, well. I suppose I should call him brother.”
“But it seems like the family members all like him. Right?”
“What? We like Theodore? No. We absolutely hate him.”
Chloe answered with disgust, but I stroked my chin with a thoughtful expression.
“I think that's a lie. He seems to have a lot of interest.”
“...Well, we do share blood. But any good memories are all from a long time ago. Anyway, our Coco, why are you so interested in Theodore? It makes me jealous.”
“It's because he seems very interested in me...”
In the future shown to me by my puppy friends, Theodore tries to take me to the Imperial Concubine.
And in that future, I personally take Theodore's hand and head toward the Imperial Concubine.
'But I'm absolutely not going to the Imperial Concubine!'
Chloe looked at me intently and asked.
“Should I kick him out?”
Even as she said that, her eyes looked strangely nostalgic...
“You know, Unnie. Are you okay?”
“Mm-hmm, our Coco. Of course Unnie is okay.”
...Is she really okay?
Whenever Theodore was mentioned, I could see Chloe's emotions bouncing around like a high-elasticity ball, moving in unpredictable directions.
“But I just don't know why Theodore suddenly came... I'm worried he might cause trouble in the family, so I don't want my baby to go near Theodore.”
At her kind explanation, I answered maturely.
“...You know, Unnie. Don't worry too much. I won't be interested in Uncle Theodore from now on.”
“Really? How praiseworthy. Why does our baby Coco seem so mature all of a sudden?”
“Huh? Unnie.”
I looked at her with a seriously worried gaze and explained.
“I can't lift 'mature' (iron) because it's too heavy. It's this heavy!”
“Oh, goodness. At times like this, you really are like a little child...”
Chloe hugged me tightly and rubbed her cheek against mine.
And tonight was a wonderful night!
Unnie brushed my teeth for me and gave me a piece of gum because I brushed well. I fell fast asleep in Unnie's arms...
But when the next day came, the situation began to change rapidly.
* * *
In my sleep, I heard Unnie whispering something to me.
“Baby, Unnie is going to torture that bastard Gillen... no, I mean, I'm just going out for a bit.”
“Chu...”
“Mm, a kiss.”
After receiving a firm kiss on the cheek from Unnie.
I heard a wonderful story from the maid sister.
She said the chef had prepared delicious sweet potato-flavored ice cream.
So I ran out as fast as I could!
“Hup.”
In front of my annex stood Theodore Ardos, neatly dressed in formal attire.
It seemed he had been waiting in front of the annex the whole time. There was morning dew on his shoulders.
As I hesitated and stepped backward, he approached me and spoke lightly.
“Lady Coco Ardos. Could you spare a moment of your time? There is something I wish to say.”
...He probably took me away like this in the future, too.
I spoke like a prickly hedgehog.
“I have absolutely nothing to say!”
I thought he would immediately try to persuade me to 'go to Her Imperial Highness the Imperial Concubine.'
He scanned my tiny body from head to toe and whispered lowly.
“Don't be too nervous.”
...Do I look like I'm not nervous?
Unlike a puppy that loves people, I imitated a prickly cat and spoke sharply.
“Why did the Imperial Concubine give you a vacation? Why did you come back after ten years? If you tell me that, I'll listen to what you have to say.”
Theodore's expression was visible through his rimless glasses.
But it was strange.
Why was he making a face that looked as if he had crumbled just a little bit while looking at me?
I rubbed my eyes and looked at him again.
Was it an optical illusion?
Now he had that strange expression again, just as usual.
“...”
So, I spoke more bluntly.
“And why do you have something to say to me?”
“That is.”
“Does the Imperial Concubine say she's very interested in me? Is that why she told you to bring me?”
This was the sharp intuition of a puppy. I felt like it was okay to tell this person up to this point.
As I continued to throw these fastballs, Theodore's brow furrowed.
Because I was nervous facing him, I clenched my fists tightly.
Then, Theodore looked at me and spoke as if sighing.
“Lady Coco, hand.”
“...?”
Hut. This is the 'Coco, hand!' that Unnie always does.
For a moment, I almost held out my hand, but just as I quickly lowered it again—
“Your hand will get hurt.”
Perhaps because I was so flustered, I had put too much strength into my fists.
He took a handkerchief from inside his uniform and took my hand with a skilled and natural touch.
“Your palm is chafed.”
Theodore Ardos, he really is a knight!
His strength is amazing!
I tried to pull my hand away quickly, fearing it might be a strange handkerchief stained with medicine or poison...
'I-I've been caught...!'
As I made a tearful face, he tied my hand tightly with the handkerchief.
“There, that's done. Scratches last a long time, so be careful.”
“Um...”
...It doesn't seem like there's poison on the handkerchief.
Nothing bad, either.
'He's the Imperial Concubine's spy, so why is he suddenly acting like this?'
It was when I tilted my head in confusion.
“Since the Lady doesn't seem ready, we shall talk next time. There is plenty of time ahead.”
What? That man really is a bit strange.
He said he wanted to talk, then suddenly treated my hand and left without saying much.
'Is this a tactic to make me let my guard down?'
Anyway, I don't know the reason, but in the future shown by my puppy friends, I take his hand and go to meet the Imperial Concubine.
'Is he planning something while being nice to me?'
Tensing up again, I watched his departing back with a suspicious gaze, then looked down at the handkerchief he had tied.
'Come to think of it, this handkerchief isn't ordinary.'
A thin, gauze-like cotton. On top of it was an embroidery of a cute four-leaf clover.
With a faint scent of baby powder, it was a used child's handkerchief.
But...
'Why on earth does that man have a child's handkerchief?'
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