DTBTHS Chapter 11

'...I don't want to go back.'

She liked it here. Her mother's homeland, where people smiled at her.

She returned their smiles.

The child, cheeks flushed, met each person's eyes in turn and smiled shyly.

It was an endearing sight. No one could control the corners of their mouths. Silent smiles spread throughout the dining hall.

Even the taciturn butler wore a pleased expression.

The Margrave was no exception.

To him—whose only child was an impudent son—a docile child who beamed so sweetly was an utterly unfamiliar creature.

She was adorable just to look at, and being his only niece made her all the more precious.

Moreover, until yesterday this child had been too unwell to eat proper food.

Now that she was eating well, even the food smudged at the corners of her mouth seemed endearing.

The Margrave stopped eating and simply watched the child eat. His stern face softened to an unseemly degree.

The butler, belatedly noticing his master's slack expression, cleared his throat.

'Master, your dignity...'

Recalled to himself by the cough, the Margrave quickly composed his features.

'I need to appear steady and reliable.'

The attending physician Zailyn had informed him that Ariadne showed constant signs of anxiety.

She startled at every opening door, afraid someone frightening might enter.

The maid Lucy reported that the young miss seemed to have nightmares.

Some mornings she was drenched in cold sweat.

'I need to make the child feel secure.'

If she felt her sturdy uncle would protect her no matter who came, she wouldn't be anxious anymore, would she?

The Margrave thought this and straightened his shoulders further, maintaining proper posture.

Naturally, his expression grew severe.

Ariadne, who had glanced toward the Margrave mid-meal, flinched.

The large Margrave staring expressionlessly looked like a predator contemplating whether to kill her before eating or eat her alive.

Seeing the small miss startle, the butler cleared his throat again.

'Master, please manage your expression...'

'Am I still making that slack-jawed face?'

The Margrave, oblivious, hardened his features further. He clamped his mouth shut to prevent it from softening and focused on his meal with rigid posture.

The butler pressed his hand to his forehead.

Ariadne grew increasingly anxious at the Margrave's attitude—scowling without a single word.

Come to think of it, the Archmage wasn't visible despite the formal dinner in the great hall.

In fact, the Archmage hadn't appeared even once. Despite being the one who'd brought her here.

She'd heard the Countess and Young Count had departed for the Blighted Region before winter began.

'The Countess doubles as captain of Weaver's Snow Leopard Knight Order.'

Since they weren't at the castle, naturally she hadn't seen them. They were scheduled to return only after the blizzards ceased.

'But the Archmage is supposed to be staying in the west tower.'

Lucy had told her. The west tower of Snowstorm Castle was the Archmage's quarters, and he was staying there.

'Has he completely dumped me on the Margrave?'

She'd begged to be taken away, then cried, fainted, fell ill, and even vomited—of course he'd be irritated.

Fed up, the Archmage had probably told his son: she's your niece, you deal with her—foisting the sick child onto him.

The Margrave might have been kind at first out of pity.

But with an unwanted guest forced upon him doing nothing but convalescing for over a week, his sympathy could easily cool into annoyance.

'Now that I've recovered, he might tell me to return to Eldier quickly.'

Her spine went cold.

This was no time to be delighted by delicious meals or people who smiled at her. Her appetite vanished completely.

Ariadne set down her utensils before dessert even arrived.

She felt the objects she'd stored in the dress's inner pocket. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"Margrave."

"Mm?"

"There's something I need to tell you—no, something I want to show you. Something very important."

"Finished eating already?"

The Margrave asked, puzzled. Ariadne lowered her head obediently.

"Yes, I've had enough now."

"You ate too little. Dessert hasn't even been served yet."

Clicking his tongue, the Margrave drew out a handkerchief.

He reached out and carefully cupped Ariadne's chin, using the handkerchief to wipe what remained at the corners of her mouth.

It was so natural she didn't react immediately.

Only after the Margrave handed the soiled handkerchief to the butler did Ariadne realize what had just happened.

She'd thought she'd eaten perfectly, but apparently her young body hadn't moved as intended.

'What a disgrace.'

To eat so messily that food remained around her mouth.

If this were Eldier Castle, a report would have gone straight to the Duke.

She would have been severely scolded and punished.

Ariadne flushed crimson and bowed her head deeply.

"I'm sorry."

"Hm? Why so suddenly..."

"I failed to maintain proper table manners. I apologize. I won't make such a mistake again."

The Margrave's face hardened hearing Ariadne's reflexive apology. After a moment of silence, he sighed.

"Ariadne, how old are you?"

"Seven."

"Right, you're still seven. Yet you try to act like you're seventeen. No—you try to behave even more adult than that. You don't need to."

Did he mean it was unchildlike and unsettling? Like her past-life grandmother had said.

Come to think of it, when they first met he'd also said she was excessively adult.

Ariadne lowered her eyes.

"...Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

The Margrave was flustered by her response. Wait, that's not what I meant.

He'd intended to comfort and reassure her, but somehow it had turned into scolding.

What words would the child understand? While he fumbled, Ariadne raised her head and spoke.

"Margrave, could you please summon the Archmage as well?"

"Mm?"

"What I need to show you—the Archmage absolutely must see it too."

"What are you trying to show us?"

The Margrave raised his eyebrows quizzically. Ariadne took a breath and answered.

"I want to tell you what my fa—what my father did, using me."

She nearly bit her tongue, hating to call him father.

The Margrave was silent for a moment. He gazed down at her quietly, then suddenly reached out.

A warm, large hand gently stroked her head. He sighed heavily.

"Just telling me would be sufficient, Ariadne. I'll convey it to the Archmage myself."

So the Archmage had grown tired of seeing her after all. It matched the original story, so it wasn't particularly strange.

'The kindness was the anomaly.'

Still, the Archmage needed to see this directly.

It was difficult to believe without seeing, and difficult to demonstrate twice.

She'd stolen exactly one drop of Blighted Essence. Therefore demonstrating the incomplete Elixir was limited to once.

'Honestly, I can't bear to do that twice.'

She knew how agonizing it was and wanted to finish in one attempt.

She looked up directly into the Margrave's green eyes and continued.

"No. I absolutely cannot tell you until the Archmage comes."

"Do you mean this uncle alone is insufficient?"

"...Yes. I need the Archmage."

She couldn't help appearing presumptuous. She hadn't expected to earn favor anyway.

'I'm not confident I could.'

Clear, rational benefit was far more reliable than vague goodwill or sympathy.

The Margrave studied her with an inscrutable expression—one she found difficult to read.

Ariadne trembled but straightened her spine and met his gaze.

She couldn't afford to look like a child throwing a tantrum.

Silence flowed for some time. After a moment, the Margrave called the butler.

"Bring Father here."

The butler showed slight difficulty.

"Master, as you know, the Archmage..."

"Stubborn old man."

The Margrave muttered briefly and gestured for the butler to approach.

He whispered quietly near the butler's ear so Ariadne wouldn't hear.

"Tell him if he doesn't come immediately, I'll send the duchess back to Eldier. You understand what I mean?"

"...Understood."

The butler bowed and withdrew. The Margrave rose and simply picked Ariadne up.

"Let's taste dessert while we wait. I heard the head cook poured his heart into preparing something for you."

Carrying her with one arm, he moved to a small room adjacent to the great hall.

As he seated Ariadne on the velvet sofa, the Margrave lamented inwardly.

'Too light.'

Holding her revealed the child was excessively small and light. He feared applying even slight pressure.

'Erich was much larger and heavier at this age. I need to feed her well.'

He instructed the servants to bring additional sweets the child might enjoy, beyond just dessert.

Soon the table overflowed with sweet things.

The dessert the head cook had supposedly poured his heart into was a chocolate cake decorated with a sugar sculpture of Snowstorm Castle.

The presentation was naturally admirable, but Ariadne remained too tense, glancing toward the door, to touch the desserts much.

'I absolutely can't eat right now.'

Conscious of the Margrave's attention, she forced herself to taste a bit before setting it down.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, footsteps filled with anger soon echoed. Someone approached thundering down the corridor and kicked the door open.

"Boy, have you lost your mind? Sending the child where?"

The Archmage entered, face flushed scarlet. He shouted without preamble.

"Heartless wretch! Lower than a beast! Do you want to die by my hand..."

Spotting Ariadne seated on the sofa, the Archmage's words trailed off. His reddened complexion went white, then ashen.