Chapter 4

4

‘If I go outside, there will probably be a pond.’

I need to wash Chokchoki properly, or else it will grow mold.

‘What on earth is it made of, anyway?’

Lately, I haven’t even left Silphia, and since I’ve been living in the tower for so long, I’ve become a complete stranger to the outside world.

‘Slime...’

It would be convenient if I could catch just one.

I crossed the path with great effort.

When I got outside, I saw a much larger mansion. Honestly, even if I lay down, I can’t see the whole mansion from this baby’s body.

‘It’s too big.’

At this rate, it might take all day.

But what do I know? First, let’s just clean Chokchoki.

With Chokchoki in my mouth, I lay down and looked around. Not far away, I saw a fountain.

‘I was planning to go to the pond, but this is lucky.’

I paddled my arms and legs hard, moving straight toward the fountain.

"Haah...!"

Damn! It’s too far!

It looked close, but it’s really far.

I started to feel out of breath. With Chokchoki in my mouth, I kept gasping, and it felt like it would fall to the ground.

‘No, not Chokchoki.’

I stopped abruptly, sat on my bottom, and stretched out my legs.

Then I pressed Chokchoki, which I had in my mouth, with both hands.

"Ugh..."

Holding Chokchoki in my hands, I panted hard.

The ground feels a bit too hot.

What season is it now? How long has it been since I was betrayed?

When I tilted my head back, I felt dizzy from the high, clear sky.

‘...Is it autumn?’

I instinctively covered my eyes and fell backward, tensing my neck.

I leaned my neck forward to prevent falling backward.

‘I almost died.’

My soft head would likely lose its function if it hit anything, even slightly.

Feeling happy that I protected my precious head, I tried to rub the back of my head with my short hands...

"Ugh..."

Trying to... rub...

Stop. They’re too short.

I bent forward and hurried along the path again.

Fortunately, thanks to my relentless effort, I finally reached the fountain.

And I froze.

"Haah...!"

Damn, it’s so high!

Even if I stand on tiptoe, I can hardly see any water.

‘I spent so much time getting here...’

I felt dizzy. The way back seems even more daunting.

Deciding to give it a try, I grabbed the marble surrounding the fountain and managed to stand up.

The sound of water splashing in the fountain could be heard.

* * *

"…What is that?"

"It’s a baby, isn’t it, Duke?"

The servant standing beside him bowed and answered.

Deschar Clowen, the head of the Clowen family and a duke, immediately frowned and turned his head.

The servant quickly shut his mouth under the sharp gaze of Deschar Clowen’s piercing eyes.

"Am I asking because I don’t know what it is? I’m asking why a baby is wandering around here."

"…I apologize."

The servant bowed.

The mansion’s manager, who had just arrived, dismissed the servant and stood beside Deschar Clowen.

"Whose child is that? Which direct or collateral descendant is it? Who’s raising their child like this?"

"Perhaps it’s the child of the late youngest master."

The butler, who had been carefully observing the child’s attire, answered with a faint smile.

However, none of the people who spoke approached the child to offer help.

Deschar Clowen’s fierce expression softened momentarily upon hearing the butler’s words.

He looked at the small back of the child, who was standing alone, as if he had heard something unexpected.

"…What? Wasn’t it just a baby?"

"Yes, considering the age, it might start walking around this time."

"So, what is it doing now?"

Deschar Clowen rubbed his beard lightly as he spoke.

Despite his graying hair and beard, he had a sturdy, muscular body.

His face was lined, but his presence was fierce.

His silver eyes, which had faded with age, appeared almost gray, but his seasoned demeanor was still very much alive.

"Father, what are you doing there?"

"Sharent."

"Yes."

He was a man with a sharp expression.

His voice was sweet, but his gaze was cold, and his every movement was dignified yet domineering.

Sharent also turned his gaze to where Deschar Clowen was looking.

"Who is it?"

"It’s the child left behind by your brother."

"Ah…"

It was a small exclamation, but there was a hint of amusement beneath it.

He had run off with a woman of unknown origin and even had a child.

Unable to protect himself, he died, leaving behind only a baby who returned to the mansion.

"So, that’s it."

The term he used to refer to the child lacked any consideration.

While no one pointed it out, Sharent finally managed to stand on two feet.

However, his legs seemed to lack strength, and he wobbled.

"Ah…"

Deschar Clowen took a step forward in surprise, then cleared his throat and stepped back.

The onlookers were so tense that they almost held their breath as the child wobbled.

After flailing around in the air for a while, the child finally grabbed the fountain and stood up.

"The maid isn’t doing her job properly."

Sharent’s cold voice made one of the maids standing nearby shiver.

Though it wasn’t directed at her, it felt as if it was.

The maid, frozen in place by the cold aura, couldn’t move.

"Lower your aura, Sharent."

"Yes, Father."

At Deschar Clowen’s words, the cold aura around Sharent disappeared.

The temperature around them had dropped, and the maid clenched her fists to hide her trembling body.

"You can go now."

"Yes."

The maid bowed deeply and hurried away.

A cold smile appeared on Sharent’s lips.

Deschar Clowen glanced at Sharent and clicked his tongue.

"You’re too soft, Father."

"You’re being overly sharp."

At Deschar Clowen’s words, Sharent, with narrowed eyes, quietly closed his mouth.

Meanwhile, Sharena finally managed to stand, supporting herself with one hand while holding Chokchoki in the other.

Sharena flailed her short limbs.

She desperately wanted to clean at least the tip of the nipple, but it was all in vain.

No matter how she stretched and stood on tiptoe, her arms were just too short.

"Aah!"

Sharent clicked his tongue at the sound of the child’s young, frustrated voice.

"What is it doing? Why isn’t it being taken back to its room?"

A cold and stern order was given.

The mansion’s manager bowed to the young duke.

He gestured to a maid, who had been standing quietly behind him, and she ran toward the child.

At that moment, the child’s gaze turned toward Deschar Clowen and Sharent.

The child, who had been sitting on the ground with Chokchoki in his mouth, looked at them for a while before noticing the approaching maid and jumped up.

Then, he glared at Sharent and Deschar Clowen, turned his body, and started running away as fast as he could, making a shuffling sound.

"It’s like a cockroach."

Sharent smiled.

The corners of his mouth curved, but his eyes didn’t smile.

Deschar Clowen opened his mouth but then clicked his tongue and turned away.

He knew he should say something, but the analogy was too accurate to deny.

"Father has decided to let it go. You know that a half-blood can’t carry on the Clowen name. And the fact that it’s a direct descendant is horrifying to me..."

Sharent said with a smile, looking at Deschar Clowen, who was still staring in the direction Sharena had disappeared.

Sharent, who had always been a strict bloodline purist, had never liked his only younger brother.

He disliked him for being too carefree and promiscuous, and for mingling with anyone regardless of social status.

Deschar Clowen, who also valued bloodline, believed that diluted blood was not excellent.

Therefore, only a child born from a pure bloodline and a strategic marriage between prestigious families could inherit the Clowen name and continue the lineage.

This was a long-standing tradition and an unwritten rule that had never been broken.

"You know this without me having to nag you."

With a stern expression, Deschar Clowen turned and resumed his walk.