Episode 12
“Hooh.”
A murmur of admiration escaped from the wrinkles around his mouth.
“To think such a method exists.”
The more Linburton read through countless texts, the more he couldn’t help but marvel at the wisdom of the sages contained within.
Linburton, aged 57.
Born as the second son of a long-established vassal family of the Aizenhart lineage and chosen as aide to His Grace the Grand Duke, he prided himself on having devoured military manuals, strategy books, and political treatises like no one else.
Yet, in other fields, he had hardly set foot.
However, through this opportunity—searching every bookstore in the Grand Duchy for the necessary texts—a world he had never known was unfolding before him.
“Hoohhh!”
A strong exhalation escaped Linburton’s nose.
The passage he was reading depicted a heated, almost battle-like exchange between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.
The climax came when the mother-in-law drank poisoned tea herself and collapsed.
“Indeed!”
Linburton clapped his knees in awe at the fearsome buildup.
The preceding events had all been carefully staged for this moment!
His eyes gleamed.
But he quickly shook his head.
The scene was magnificent, yes, but it was utterly unusable.
Offer poisoned tea to His Grace the Grand Duke?
Especially now, when he was far weaker than before?
Absolutely out of the question.
Yet…
“…what if I did it?”
The fleeting thought was tempting, but Linburton immediately scolded himself.
To presume he could take the place of His Grace was an absurd overreach.
Still, the method’s undeniably powerful effect made him chew over it again and again.
Yet no matter how much he thought, the answer remained the same.
This was the great Duchy of Aizenhart.
The domain ruled by Seres von Aizenhart.
In the Grand Duke’s fortress, the heart of this impenetrable, highly secure domain—an attempted assassination with poison?
Impossible. Unthinkable.
If such a thing occurred, it would bring grave dishonor to His Grace.
“Tch.”
Linburton clicked his tongue in bitter worry.
The more he thought about it, the harder it seemed to drive Melissa away from this place.
First, any act cruel enough to cause her to flee would damage the Grand Duke’s reputation or cast doubt on the duchy’s security—it simply could not happen.
Yet at the same time, whatever happened must be significant enough for Melissa to leave of her own volition.
These two conflicting conditions tormented Linburton as he furrowed his brows, flipping through pages.
Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up.
“This is it!”
With a rush, Linburton flipped through the pages, as if sucked in.
Turning a few more pages, he quickly dipped his pen in ink and began scribbling furiously on the nearby paper. Some ink splattered onto his fingers, but he didn’t care.
Hours passed, a relentless flurry of book-searching, page-turning, and writing.
“…Done.”
Only as the sun dipped low toward the horizon did Linburton finally set the pen down with satisfaction.
“With this…”
A deep joy spread across his wrinkled face.
He would undoubtedly be able to chase out that little thief.
“Oh my!”
Ouch.
I pulled back my foot as I felt something sharp pressing into the sole of my shoe.
No way.
Squatting on the bed, I carefully examined the inside of the shoe—and sure enough, there was something inside.
“You came again today!”
I smiled brightly and shook the shoe.
A small coral rolled into my palm. Its transparent body sparkled in the sunlight, with tiny spikes protruding like stars.
This was the star coral, proof that this region had once been underwater!
“So pretty.”
I gazed at the coral in awe, recalling a book I had read as a child.
According to “Various Customs and Cultures of the World,” Volume 6, in some regions, a man in a blue robe climbs over mountains and down chimneys on the dawn of late December, leaving gifts in socks for well-behaved children.
The legend of the chimney-climbing old man was why I had always left my socks by the bedside each December.
“One, two, three…”
There were twenty-two in total.
Each coral body glittered like a gem in the sun, dazzling in its simplicity.
Hehe. I admired the collection of coral in my hands, then carefully placed them in the treasure box I had prepared since coming to the Aizenhart household.
It was truly wonderful!
I pressed my lips together to hide my smile, cheeks flushed.
Yesterday had brought pretty pebbles, and the day before, beads scattered across the floor.
Since coming to the Grand Duke’s house, small, delightful events had occurred almost every day. Could tomorrow bring yet another surprise?
“Ah.”
No, no. I shouldn’t expect that. Too shameless.
I shook my head, but my heart still raced.
My small treasure box at the Aizenhart household already held over ten gifts.
So maybe it’s alright to have a little hope.
I hummed as I walked toward the clothes hanging on the wall. But just as I reached to touch the outfit, a sharp sensation pricked my fingertips.
My goodness.
“There’s one here too?”
I was startled by this unexpected coral, then frowned seriously.
Perhaps this wasn’t a gift from the chimney-climbing old man.
According to the book, he only visited in December, during the dawn of the 24th–25th.
But now it’s June.
And unlike the old man who came only once, these gifts had been appearing almost daily.
Then…
“Of course.”
I gasped in realization.
According to Volume 12 of Various Customs and Cultures of the World, some regions have a custom called Manhwito, where people secretly give gifts to their neighbors.
Since it’s summer and the gifts are daily, this must be Manhwito!
“Oh my goodness.”
I frowned a little. Even though I just arrived, someone was leaving me gifts every day like a tiny fairy.
‘What should I do?’
I need to repay them somehow.
Fingers twitching in a mix of guilt and gratitude, I clenched my fists.
“I’ll become someone’s Manhwito too!”
Goodness flows in circles. If I pass on kindness, one day it will return to me.
That’s the natural order of the world.
Humming a tune, I carefully inspected the rest of the dress. I found a total of 52 star corals hidden in sleeves, lining, and collar. There were no more left unseen.
“It’s like a treasure hunt.”
My parents had sometimes hidden gifts like this when I was a child.
Lost in nostalgia, I tightened the ribbon on my back neatly.
After tidying my outfit, I checked the room. Once again, no one was around the bed or sofa.
Could it be that Demius hasn’t returned yet either?
A servant who came to deliver dinner said that Demius spent so much time in his office during the day that he barely came home.
He only arrived at night, deeply asleep in his bed by the time he returned.
‘There’s no trace on the sofa, so he must have just popped in for a short while…’
He must be exhausted.
I frowned, then remembered something. I had prepared a “gift” yesterday!
“I’ll deliver it now.”
Yay! I stretched my arms with energy and determination.
Damn, she’s smiling again today.
Walking down the hallway, Linburton bit his lips as Melissa approached him, perfectly composed.
But who knows—maybe she was just pretending to smile in front of others.
Linburton frowned and gestured toward her shoes.
“Are your feet alright?”
“Huh?”
Surprised by the question, Melissa blinked, then smiled brightly.
“Yes, they’re very comfortable. Thank you!”
How kind—he even checks on the health of my feet!
Melissa felt her heart swell, placing both hands over her chest.
Then she suddenly realized something.
‘I seem to be seeing him more often lately…’
