Chapter 27
“What is it!”
Rohen shouted again, but the Grand Duke just pursed his lips as if amused.
“Why are you getting so worked up?”
It was a remarkably cold thing to say to one’s own son. But Rohen, seemingly unconcerned with the Grand Duke’s behavior, was busy being angry.
“Why are you setting conditions about me!”
“Well?”
I never expected him to do something like this. I was too stunned and flustered to say anything. Throughout the carriage ride, Rohen, who had been tense the entire time, now seemed to have forgotten that tension, huffing as he looked at me.
“The way I address someone is my own choice!”
“Exactly. It’s your choice, Rohen. If you really want that orphan girl by your side, just call her ‘Dad.’”
“Are you crazy? You didn’t even come to find her until now!”
“Exactly. I thought you’d say that. You probably couldn’t bring yourself to say it. That’s why I set the condition—to see if she’s capable of being useful as someone who can stay by your side as a guardian.”
He spoke so smoothly, but I simply couldn’t understand him.
No matter how much I thought about it, he was honestly the worst kind of person. Forcing such a thing on a child who deserves love and protection? You can’t open someone’s heart by force. All it does is build resistance, making their heart even more closed.
Sigh.
“What’s wrong, hard to manage, orphan girl?”
Noticing my sigh, the Grand Duke seemed to see his opportunity and smirked.
“If you don’t want to, you can give up now. When the children get tired of you, you can just take the little money you earned and leave. Toys are toys, after all.”
God, if I had a righteous hammer, let me land it once on that Grand Duke’s head.
How could someone speak so disgustingly? My hands trembled. But thinking that the twins, who were focused entirely on me, might notice, I tried to relax and looked at him calmly.
“I’m not going to do that at all.”
“Oh? So you’re trying to win my son’s heart?”
Your son’s heart is your responsibility. I wanted to say that, but he was the Grand Duke, and I had to get the twins safely to our destination. So, reluctantly, I nodded.
“I’ll do it.”
“You’re confident, then?”
“Even if I weren’t, I have to do it!”
At that moment, Rohen kept nudging my arm, as if signaling that he absolutely would not comply.
“Good. Then a month should be enough.”
“Fine. But just one thing, Grand Duke. You just want to hear the word ‘Dad,’ right?”
For a brief moment, his gaze faltered.
“Not true? Are you changing your mind now?”
“Not exactly pleasant.”
“Anyway, you promised, so I trust you’ll keep it!”
“…Fine. Understood.”
I had to leave at least a small safety net in case things went wrong, so I smiled faintly and held Rohen’s constantly worried hand firmly.
“I’m not going to do it.”
“Yeah, I know, Rohen. You’re not the type to say that.”
“Then why’d you say I should? I’d like to—”
I chuckled at Rohen, who was full of irritation.
“Don’t worry. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just play and leave.”
“I can’t leave! You have to stay right next to me!”
“Yeah! Unnie has to live with us forever! She’s going to marry Naun!”
Following Rohen, Lari added her words as if she had been waiting to speak. The Grand Duke looked quite shocked by Lari’s comment, though no one else seemed to notice his reaction.
The twins were completely oblivious to him.
“You’re really stupid. No matter who you are—”
“Rohen. Don’t worry. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want. As I always say, I never force you to do anything.”
“……”
“The Grand Duke isn’t kicking me out, so…”
Seeing Rohen’s dissatisfied expression, I leaned back.
“Ah, let’s sleep on the way. Come on, Rohen, Lari. Sleep.”
I held Rohen’s hand tightly, even though he tried to pull it away, and forced my eyes closed. At first, Rohen resisted, while Lari, leaning happily on me, soon fell asleep with quiet breaths.
Of course, I could not fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position. I closed my eyes as if sleeping, trying to rest, but instinct kept me awake.
The person in front of me was the so-called mad dog Grand Duke. Not a single misstep was allowed.
Of course, there were already a few missteps.
The ridiculous conditions the Grand Duke had imposed for the children kept running through my mind. If it weren’t for the twins, I’d probably have been killed the moment I mentioned conditions.
I must really be insane.
The more I got involved with the twins, the more my desire for a calm and peaceful life was destroyed. They say that short-lived humans tend to stir trouble everywhere they go. Somehow, I felt like that was exactly what had happened to me.
But I couldn’t just leave the twins, delicate as wildflowers, to be trampled.
Protecting these fragile, wildflower-like children in a safe, greenhouse-like environment seemed to be the reason I had possessed this body.
Haa…
“If you can’t sleep, you don’t need to force your eyes shut.”
The Grand Duke, as if hearing the deep sigh that had risen from my very soul, finally spoke. No sleep? I squinted slightly to look at him. He was as motionless as a statue, frozen in the same position.
“No. I’m sleepy.”
“Interesting.”
“……”
Interesting for you, maybe. I wasn’t enjoying it at all. But I forced my eyes shut tighter to avoid crossing any more lines.
The carriage continued swiftly, like an endless wheel turning, whether it knew my situation or not. Despite sitting in the softest seat I’d ever experienced, my backside hurt from how long we traveled. Only after some time did the carriage begin to slow down.
By now, I might have been sleepy, but I hadn’t slept a wink.
It truly was a bed of thorns.
“We’re almost there. Get ready to disembark.”
It was perhaps the most welcome thing I’d heard in a long time. Of course, going to the Grand Duke’s house wouldn’t be easy, but it was surely better than this moment.
Breathing itself was uncomfortable right now.
I shook the twins, who couldn’t fully wake up despite the Grand Duke’s words.
“We’re here. Wake up.”
“…I wasn’t asleep.”
Unlike Lari, who clung to me groggily, Rohen opened his eyes wide and shook his head.
“You weren’t asleep?”
“No. I didn’t even get a chance to sigh.”
Despite this, Rohen’s eyes were heavy with sleepiness, and he yawned repeatedly. The Grand Duke, rumored to be emotionless, seemed to find Rohen cute and couldn’t suppress the occasional silent laugh.
Of course, I was the only one who noticed the soundless laughter.
“Naun is sleepy…”
“If you’re sleepy—”
As if wanting to interrupt our conversation, the Grand Duke suddenly spoke. Each time he said something, the three little heads moved in surprise.
As if saying, “Why are you butting in right now?” Their raw, honest emotions burst out at once—not just mine, but the twins’ as well.
Perhaps sensing this, the Grand Duke awkwardly stood.
“I only meant to say that if you’re sleepy, I can carry you whenever. Though you probably won’t need it.”
No one is born a perfect parent. The Grand Duke showed this perfectly—walling himself off from everyone else while trying to lower that wall for the children. Of course, the twins ignored him entirely.
“No need. I’ll stick to Unnie like this.”
“Very well, so be it.”
Slightly flustered that his offer was ignored, the Grand Duke got down first through the open carriage door.
“Time to disembark.”
“Okay.”
Rohen, receiving this simple instruction, stepped out first and looked at us. Just as I was about to get off with Lari clinging to me, Rohen reached out his hand.
“Grab it.”
“Oh? Are you concerned for me?”
“No. I’m just clumsy. I’m worried I might bump into you while getting down. Take it or leave it.”
As always, he spoke bluntly, but this action was unusually kind. Contrary to expectations that he’d withdraw his hand immediately, Rohen held the position until I grasped it.
