Chapter 53

How could holding me be so delicate that it might hurt me?

The Duke seemed to think I was as fragile as a child who would fly away with the wind.

The three maids and Sir Rainer looked as if they had been hit on the head, their faces blank.

"This is..."

At that moment, the Duke muttered, looking down at the bow in my hand.

His expression was full of suspicion. Worried that he might misunderstand, I quickly spoke up.

"It's a bow that Baron Amantha gave me as a gift!"

"..."

"It's better than other bows! Most importantly, it's incredibly light..."

I added explanations to inform him of Baron Amantha's achievements.

However, the more I spoke, the more the Duke's face turned fierce.

"Franz."

"Yes, Duke."

Franz, who had approached without me noticing, was sweating profusely.

"Why is the child holding this bow?"

"..."

"Where is the one I gave her?"

His voice was colder than the biting wind.

It seemed the Duke had also given me something related to the bow, but it hadn't been delivered to me.

'Franz isn't the type to intercept things. It must have been a miscommunication.'

But if I said that, Franz might lose his life.

I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him slightly.

The Duke looked down at me with a fierce expression.

"The Duke's gift is better."

"..."

"Much better."

'Whatever it is, it must be good. After all, it's from Schuets.'

My thoughts seemed to resonate with him, as the corners of his mouth began to lift slightly.

"You're a child who can tell the difference."

"...I'm not a child."

"Right. A child."

Anyway, he said. I looked up at him without resentment and glanced behind me.

Franz was clasping his hands and looking at me with a grateful expression, as if he was about to cry.

'This isn't free. It's all for a stable future.'

I wiped the smile off my face and looked up at the Duke again.

"Please put me down now."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

The Duke looked at me as if he was genuinely curious.

"Well... it's heavy...?"

The Duke chuckled.

"If you were heavy, you wouldn't even be able to lift a teaspoon, you weakling."

"...Am I heavier than a teaspoon?"

"Are you eating properly?"

The Duke seemed to ignore my question. He frowned as he looked at my arms and legs.

"You look as if you haven't eaten a bite."

The Duke clicked his tongue.

"In my castle, to have such a scrawny child."

This won't do.

With that, he began to carry me somewhere.

* * *

I opened my mouth wide. The food was piled up like a mountain, all sumptuous.

The meals provided to me at the Duke's castle had always been of high quality. My cheeks had been steadily growing as proof.

But this is too much.

"Do you not like it?"

The Duke raised an eyebrow, puzzled by my wide-eyed stare.

"I told them to prepare it properly."

The Duke clicked his tongue. The kitchen servant who brought the food was trembling as if he expected to be executed.

"Well, I'll eat well!"

I quickly picked up the utensils to save an innocent life.

The milk was fresh, as if it had just been milked, and the savory cheese went well with the buttery bread.

The roasted meat, seasoned with herbs, oozed juice with just a bite.

And the tart, garnished with fresh strawberries and golden honey, was another delight.

'This is the taste of heaven.'

I ate without stopping, but the food seemed endless.

'I can't eat any more...'

I patted my bloated stomach with a satisfied look.

"Is that all?"

Leaning back in his chair, the Duke asked in a disbelieving tone.

"That's why your build is so small."

He frowned and pushed a plate in front of me.

"Eat more."

"..."

"Hurry up."

It seemed the Duke wanted to make me eat until I burst.

"Ugh."

I shook my head, holding my stomach at its limit.

"Without eating more."

The Duke then pushed another plate toward me.

The last dessert was a pie filled with sweet cream mixed with perfectly ripe sweet pumpkin.

It seemed it would melt in my mouth without chewing.

But I had reached my limit.

I shook my head vigorously.

"Hmm."

The Duke didn't push further, though he looked displeased. He seemed to realize I had truly reached my limit.

'Now it's over, right?'

I wanted to lie down right here. I thought I should go to my room and rest, but suddenly my body was lifted.

"Wh-what...!"

The Duke had picked me up.

As I gaped in shock, the Duke clicked his tongue and wiped the corners of my mouth.

"Such a mess."

"Ah."

"Eating is already a struggle, and you manage to get it all over your face. You really are a handful."

His gesture to wipe my lips was a bit rough.

"It hurts."

"Moreover, you're so delicate."

...I can't say anything.

The Duke seemed to think I was so fragile that I couldn't even move a finger.

I wanted to argue, but the feeling of being full from the food left me no energy.

'But why did he pick me up again?'

Wasn't it unnecessary to carry me? I looked up at the Duke, puzzled.

"A child with weak stamina won't grow properly."

"Excuse me?"

"We'll start with light exercise."

Would an heir under Schuets' name be of any use if they were this weak?

With that, the Duke left the room, still holding me.

Even if I said I could walk on my own, the Duke didn't bat an eye.

Exhausted, I let my body relax.

'Oh... the ride is amazing.'

His rock-solid body supported me with a sense of security that even the most expensive carriage couldn't match.

"Do you have a place you want to go?"

"Can you take me there?"

"Do you think I'm a baggage cart?"

The Duke narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.

Still, he adjusted his hold on me and asked,

"So, where do you want to go?"

* * *

"Here?"

The Duke frowned, looking incredulous.

"Yes!"

I nodded with a smile.

The knights greeted the Duke and me with tense expressions.

They seemed surprised that the Duke would come to the training ground, their faces full of dismay and despair.

'I'm sorry for bringing such a scary person, but the ride was too comfortable to resist.'

I gave them a silent, sympathetic look.

"Are you really here for training?"

The Duke looked at me skeptically. I shook my head.

"No, this training is too difficult for me."

"Then why..."

"Ellie!"

Before the Duke could finish, a familiar voice called out from a distance.

Demian was running toward me.

His face lit up like a dog that hadn't seen its owner in years.

"Demian."

I tried to approach Demian but realized I was still in the Duke's arms.

"Duke, please put me down."

"..."

"Duke?"

Why is he doing this?

As I tilted my head, the Duke reluctantly set me down.

"Demian!"

I quickly ran to Demian. His round cheeks were flushed from training hard.

"Are you doing well with your training?"

"Yes! How about Ellie?"

"Of course, I came to see you. We did promise to visit often, didn't we?"

Demian's face brightened. Seeing his flower-like expression, I couldn't help but smile too.

"Right. Demian, have you had lunch?"

"Ah, I'll finish quickly! Just a bit more..."

I grabbed Demian's arm as he fumbled.

"Ah, Demian. I've already eaten."

"Who with?"

"With the Duke."

I looked up slightly, meeting the Duke's gaze.

Demian's expression darkened as he followed my gaze to the Duke.

Demian's clear blue eyes and the Duke's chilly red eyes met in the air.

It would have been a reprimand for rudeness to others, but Demian hadn't yet opened his heart to the Duke.

After all, he had grown up being abused by adults.

The Duke, knowing this, didn't scold or rush Demian.

As I expected, the Duke only frowned and stared intently at Demian.

Of course, Demian didn't back down either.

'Wow.'

I quietly marveled.

'This is a mental battle between the strongest in this world and the next strongest in the next world, isn't it?'

It was like a wolf and a lion standing at the edge of different cliffs, glaring at each other.

A common scene in fantasy novels, but it was a bit surprising to witness it firsthand.

I watched the mental battle between the two with shining eyes.

* * *

'His face will be pierced.'

Erhardt looked down at Demian with a blank expression.

Demian's gaze was not just hostile but filled with enmity.

'How did it come to this?'

Originally, he should have been wary of Ellie and protective of Demian, but the opposite had happened.

At first, he had brought Ellie, suspecting her to be a lackey of the emperor. But now his thoughts had changed.

Ellie was a smart child who could see the bigger picture. She would definitely be of help to Demian.

Since he had already announced their marriage, he could just watch them happily.

But...

Erhardt stared intently at Demian.

His gaze was like that of a predator observing its prey.

Demian, not willing to lose, glared back with intense eyes.

He looked like a white puppy with its fur bristling.

'Even if it's a small dog, it's still cute.'

Erhardt chuckled at the adorable gesture. Demian shuddered in response.