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IBP 130
“Nothing happened.”
Theodore firmly spooned carrot soup into my mouth.
Unlike me, who had been stunned while racking my brain, his assistant Caligo spoke decisively.
“Something is definitely up.”
“It is not.”
“Theodore, are you not supposed to let it be known that your child is alive? Or are you being blackmailed by someone using the child as a weakness? It seems like one of the two.”
Gasp, Caligo. He's so smart!
As Theodore remained silent, Caligo took a bite of the carrot soup and spoke like a sage.
“The carrot soup is quite bland. It’s as if it were made for a sick child.”
Theodore looked at us with a speechless expression.
‘You underestimated my deductive reasoning because I’m a kid, didn’t you?’
But you were just way too careless. Up until now, you hadn't had any contact with the people of the mansion, so no one knew.
Just as I was smiling proudly, I spotted a figure rushing toward us like an arrow from outside the window and bolted upright.
“Whoaa, it’s Chloe-unnie!”
My sister burst through the door and habitually scooped me up as if I were a puppy.
“Coco! Why are you with that human?”
“Huh? He made me yummy food.”
I was held tightly, with one of her hands supporting my armpits and the other hugging my plump bottom.
At that moment, Theodore looked over and spoke.
“Holding a five-year-old like that could hurt them. They have weight.”
Chloe-unnie glared at Theodore with a speechless expression, then immediately shifted me into a princess carry.
“...I think I hear a dog barking somewhere. Coco, Caligo. Let’s go.”
“Unnieeee...”
“My Coco, shall we eat some sweet potatoes and play drawing games?”
“Wow! Sweet potatoes! I want to share them with Caligo too, Unnie!”
As I moved away while chatting with her, I could feel Theodore's gaze.
His eyes looked as if he were seeing something he missed dearly.
Perhaps that was why.
For some reason, I felt a bit of heartache too.
* * *
Today was the only day of the week that Lucrezia, who was under house arrest, was allowed to go outside.
After spending a few minutes barely shaking off the knights, she met with Theodore.
“I find myself meeting the Imperial Concubine’s dog like this.”
“I do not know for what purpose you called me, but I cannot engage in a long conversation.”
Lucrezia laughed at the stiff response.
“I have come today to give you a warning. Even if I am under house arrest, I still have ears. I hear you’ve become quite enchanted by Lady Coco...”
Seeing Theodore's rigid expression, Lucrezia curled her lips into a smile.
“You must think of your son. Her Highness is watching your every move. Keep that in mind.”
“Of course. How could I possibly dare to defy the one who placed a magic seal upon my heart?”
Upon his heart lay a magic seal that forced him into submission by inflicting excruciating pain whenever he disobeyed the Imperial Concubine's orders.
‘It is not that I fear the pain.’
He simply feared that he might make a wrong choice due to that pain.
“You must offer Lady Coco Ardos as a sacrifice. Do you understand?”
Lucrezia stared at him intently before averting her gaze.
“...Even if you return late, there is no one who will welcome you. You will likely end up locked in a convent, like my daughter, Theresia. Remember that Her Highness is the only one who will accept you and your child.”
He had already stained his sword with too much blood as a traitor to this family.
Thus, he could never be accepted by them.
However...
‘Coco, that child. She looked happy. Chloe, Ruth, and Father all seemed joyful...’
He had heard that the mansion had been desolate since he disappeared. The flower that had taken root in that desert-like mansion was Coco.
He let out a hollow laugh and rubbed his face with his hand.
He had hated the idea of his heart softening like this, which was why he never wanted to return to this mansion even if it meant death.
‘I may have to follow the Imperial Concubine's order to bring Coco soon.’
But perhaps he could let Coco enjoy a little more happiness for just a short while.
Just a tiny bit.
* * *
I looked at my sister, who was frowning as if the drawing game was too difficult.
Unnie, who had just confessed to torturing Gillen, said she was absolutely furious because of Theodore.
She had strictly warned me not to meet Theodore.
“Unnie, aren't you actually happy that Uncle Theodore came back to the family?”
“What are you talking about, Coco. Theodore is just an enemy who takes the Imperial Concubine's side.”
“...”
“I just interrogated Gillen because I wanted to find out what Theodore is plotting. Since Gillen was once a close aide to the Imperial Concubine, I thought he might know Theodore's mind.”
At the answer laced with hatred, I looked straight into her eyes and asked.
“You know, Unnie. We held hands and promised that you wouldn't lie to me.”
“I did.”
“Unnie, do you really hate Theodore?”
She remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“After Theodore disappeared, I was bored sometimes.”
“...”
“...And I occasionally missed my nephew, who died so pointlessly. That’s all.”
Unnie hugged my warm, squishy body and spoke as if to emphasize.
“That really is all. I have our Coco, so I don't need anything else. No, Theodore could even die.”
“I see.”
But as I looked into her purple eyes, I thought.
Jjek-jjeki, who said he would find a way to save me, had gone silent.
If Jjek-jjeki cannot find a way...
Perhaps I will disappear from Unnie's side very soon.
If that happens, Unnie, who only knows me, will need someone to make her happy.
Instead of saying that, I hugged her tightly and whispered softly.
“I just want you to smile every single day, Unnie.”
I hope a day comes when all the members of the Ardos family gather and smile happily.
Even if I am gone forever...
* * *
I made a plan with my assistant, Caligo.
If it were carried out properly, it was a wonderful plan that could deal with the troublesome Gillen, Lucrezia, and Theresia all at once.
‘But for that to work, Theodore has to move according to my will.’
However, opportunities to meet Theodore were scarce.
Because...
‘Once it became known that Lucrezia and Theresia had met, Duke Ardos—no, Daddy—blocked me from seeing Theodore!’
Even when I said Theodore's son seemed to be alive, everyone just said, "Coco is very tired," or "We've already confirmed the body!"
Time flowed by fruitlessly, and soon the day his leave ended arrived.
Thinking that today was the last chance, I distracted the maid sisters with sweet potatoes and rushed outside.
Standing before the departing Theodore's horse, I whispered softly.
“If—just if—the child is sick, I came to tell you that I can save him.”
“...”
“You just have to give me one minute. If you just let me meet the child...”
He glared at me with bloodshot eyes.
“Does that mean you can save him?”
I nodded vigorously, but he turned his head with an unreadable expression.
“Do not trust people so easily, and do not think of using your supernatural ability recklessly. Precious things must be used sparingly. Not me, but...”
“It’s not anything else, I trust you because you're Chloe-unnie's brother. The whole family worries about you, Theodore.”
I whispered low to his retreating back, which did not waver.
“Of course, I'll be waiting at the capital's coffee house tomorrow at three in the afternoon. Please come with the child, definitely!”
* * *
Theodore Ardos.
The man famous as the knight of the Imperial Concubine did not trust people.
That tendency had only grown stronger while serving the Imperial Concubine.
Thus, he immediately wiped Coco's proposal from his mind.
By the time he entered the Imperial Concubine's palace.
He was able to have a private audience with the Imperial Concubine, whose face was veiled.
A cold murmur reached his ears.
“You failed to carry out this mission properly.”
“I humbly apologize, Your Highness.”
“It seems my knight has forgotten something. Without my help, the child would die in an instant. Is that not so?”
“Yes. I am well aware.”
He thought of the child staying as if dead in the mansion provided by the Imperial Concubine.
The child, who had been buried in a coffin, had almost passed away with his mother due to an unknown accident.
However, he was barely maintaining life through the holy relic and the supernatural ability provided by the Imperial Concubine.
A child who seemed not to breathe for twenty hours a day.
Could Coco, with those tiny hands, really save that small child?
“Theodore, my knight. I have need of that child, Coco, so I shall give you one last chance.”
“...”
The corners of the Imperial Concubine's mouth curled up softly.
“You can bring Lady Coco here in secret, can you not?”
If she encountered the Imperial Concubine, what would happen to Coco?
If she possessed a great supernatural ability, there was a high probability she would be dissected piece by piece and sacrificed for the Imperial Concubine's 'goal.'
Just like the others.
“Think of your child, Theodore.”
The Imperial Concubine placed the lives of the two on a scale.
It was a scale that could only tilt to one side.
After long deliberation, Theodore spoke.
“I...”
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