Chapter 13 …
“The Daughter of a Disgraced Heir!”
Perhaps it was because she was still a child.
Inside the carriage, the Duke of Shurman stared down at Erusha, who had fallen asleep sprawled across his lap.
The moment the carriage departed toward the ducal estate, Erusha had fallen asleep—and now she was so deeply asleep that it looked like she could be carried away without noticing.
From her tiny nostrils came a soft, snoring “drururung… drururung…”
“You little loach brat….”
At the Duke’s intimidating murmur, Nockton, sitting opposite him, tilted his head in confusion.
“Loach, sir?”
“Yes. That mangnani daughter loach.”
“Ah… yes. You mean Lady Erusha.”
“I can’t even get rid of this thing… how absurd.”
The Duke clicked his tongue again.
It was ridiculous. Up until now, he had never once let any of his own blood rest on his knee.
For the stern head of House Shablain, even granting a grandson—or any descendant—his lap was unthinkable.
“I can’t believe a child of my blood is so utterly lacking in manners. To think she followed me all the way here and now dares to sleep on a duke’s lap.”
“I did offer to move her—”
“Enough.”
Kheung.
Duke Shurman snorted sharply and looked out the window, still seething.
His leg had gone numb.
That tiny head was so heavy it felt like his veins were being blocked. He wanted to give her a proper scolding, but she was asleep, so he couldn’t.
While he fumed, Nockton spoke a little more seriously.
“By the way… how did Lady Erusha know that Sir Joseph Colson incurred gambling debts again?”
“Hm.”
That was a question Shurman had also considered—but he dismissed it lightly.
“Perhaps she overheard rumors somewhere.”
“Do you think so?”
“So what, are you saying she went out of her way to clear her father’s name?”
“……”
Nockton adjusted his glasses without answering.
What Erusha knew was extremely specific—exactly “Lutmund Gambling House,” and even the circumstances of Lord Leo’s confrontation with Joseph.
To anyone looking, it clearly seemed like information deliberately gathered to clear her father’s name.
Duke Shurman, however, still thought of her as an invisible, neglected child. Nockton saw it differently.
“Still, it seems His Excellency the Marquis may also have been wronged in this matter.”
“Wronged? Wronged, you say? The Shablain Ducal House was made a laughingstock, and you call that wronged? I cannot even lift my head from the shame.”
“……”
The Duke’s furious low voice filled the carriage.
Nockton coughed awkwardly.
It seemed the young lady’s efforts had little effect.
Which was only natural.
The Duke’s resentment toward Marquis Leo ran too deep—there was no way trust could be restored so easily.
At that moment, both Nockton and the Duke recalled the same scene.
‘I’m sorry I hit daddy. I’ve hit lots of people before. But this time Daddy was also used. Please forgive Daddy.’
‘I’ll try not to let Daddy upset Grandpa anymore. So please trust Ersha. Don’t throw me away.’
‘Who said I was throwing you away?’
The Duke’s eyes, recalling those tearful pupils, sharpened once again.
“My legs are going numb. Don’t ever appear in front of me again!”
With that stern shout, Duke Shurman limped into the mansion.
I froze in shock.
‘W-what? Why is he so angry?’
He had only just woken up, yet he seemed even more displeased than at the baron’s estate.
What I wanted was for even a tiny bit of his anger toward Father to be reduced—but had I made it worse instead?
‘Hmm… I don’t know. I’m too sleepy.’
With the body of a five-year-old, my stamina was also limited. After running around so much these past few days, exhaustion finally hit me.
As I yawned widely and turned around, I saw Evot approaching.
“Lady!”
“Evot!”
I smiled brightly the moment I saw her.
Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to expose Joseph Colson.
“Welcome back! Do you know how worried I was?”
“I’m okay.”
“How did it go?”
“It went really well. Joseph confessed!”
“Oh my! Then did His Grace calm down too?”
“Mm… no. But it’s okay. Thank you, Evot. It’s all thanks to you.”
I kissed Evot on the cheek, and she squealed in delight.
Even though Grandpa’s anger hadn’t subsided, I had a feeling things would somehow work out.
“Your Excellency the Marquis! You’ve moved houses since I last saw you!”
Croby Weist.
He was the Marquis Leo’s secretary, the third son of the Weist Count family, and Leo’s longtime friend.
With slightly wavy vivid blue hair and fresh green eyes, he looked like someone just returned from vacation—tanned, with a flower necklace still hanging around his neck.
Leo, who was soaking in a bath filled with flower petals, glared at him in displeasure. His golden eyes shimmered even brighter in response.
“The mansion is impressive. Quite elegant. Even a modest place like this has its own charm. Though of course, it doesn’t suit you at all, Your Excellency.”
“It’s a rotten house. Needs repairs everywhere. Get it rebuilt properly as soon as possible.”
“Just from a glance, you’re already over budget. You might as well build a new mansion. And what about the construction noise? At this rate, it won’t be a noble residence—it’ll be the duke’s doghouse.”
“…You do realize I don’t tolerate your behavior because I favor you, right?”
“Of course. If you fired me, you’d just have to hire someone else, and eventually fire them too. It’s less trouble to just keep me.”
“One day, I will definitely fire you.”
With that, Leo rose from the bath.
Water shimmered over his bare body, tracing the lean lines of his muscles.
“As long as you don’t cut my head off, I’m fine—urk!”
At the sudden display of attractiveness, Croby turned away and covered his eyes.
No matter how many times he saw it, it was impossible to get used to.
“No matter how overwhelmingly charming you are, you don’t need to flaunt it in front of me.”
“Tch.”
Clicking his tongue, Leo grabbed a towel nearby.
Croby thought he would finally cover himself—but instead, Leo simply shook out his wet hair and tossed the towel aside.
Croby’s jaw dropped in admiration.
“The Marquis’s strengths are that he never cares about others’ gazes, and his flaws are also that he never respects others’ gazes. Is that all confidence? If I were born again, I’d want to be as perfectly beautiful as you.”
“…Do you think that’s possible?”
Leo scanned Croby from head to toe.
Though Croby had his share of admirers, to Leo he was just an ordinary-looking man.
“Hey, that’s a bit hurt—”
“It wouldn’t be easy to be me.”
Casually replying, Leo stepped out onto the terrace and sank into a lounge chair. He opened a bottle of alcohol that always seemed to cling to his hand like a shadow.
Reclining with his bare chest exposed, he looked like a flawless sculpture.
As Croby admired him again, a small knock sounded.
Unlike the usual servants, it was soft—almost delicate.
Croby tilted his head, curious, while Leo ignored it completely and continued drinking.
Soon the door opened, and a bright voice slipped through the gap.
“Daddy.”
“!”
“Pff!”
Leo instinctively spat out his drink, and Croby’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden affectionate address.
“Father?”
Croby couldn’t take his eyes off Erusha.
With a tiny four-head-tall proportion, mysterious purple hair, cherry-like lips and nose, and eyes that looked like they held an aurora—
Croby rubbed his eyes with both hands.
Where had this child come from?
She didn’t look like an ordinary child at all. She was so adorable it almost stole one’s soul.
So unbelievably cute that it felt insane.
But… Daddy? Did she just say Daddy?
“Your Excellency!”
The startled Croby pointed at Erusha and turned to Leo.
Leo had already turned away, hastily throwing on a robe and tying it shut in panic.
