Chapter 16
The child flustered and blushing was adorable, but the maids who made him that way were not so pleasant in my eyes.
‘It’s fine if I bully him, but I don’t like it when others do.’
“Leave.”
“…Pardon?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. I’m being nice now — get out. Right now.”
“S-Sorry, my lady!”
Startled by my cold tone and icy expression, the maids quickly scurried out of the drawing room.
The door shut, and silence fell. The boy, face and ears still burning red, hung his head low. His eyes were fixed on his fingers, which were smeared with cream and twitching slightly.
Sigh.
The sound of my sigh made the boy flinch. Holding back another sigh, I reached for the boy’s navy-blue hair, sticky with cream.
Flinch!
Rant squeezed his eyes shut and shrank back in an instant. His reaction startled me even more than I had startled him.
I drew back my hand and simply watched. With his face buried in his arms and his little body curled up and trembling, he was telling me one thing:
‘Has he… been abused?’
I didn’t know how Rant had lived up to now, but one thing was clear — it hadn’t been a good environment for him.
“This is troubling.”
I muttered under my breath, tapping the table with my finger. The boy curled up even more. His trembling figure reminded me of my little dog, Ttorong, whining as he curled into a ball when hurt.
‘This really is troubling…’
Sigh.
In the end, I let out the sigh I’d been holding back. I had no intention of forming deep bonds with anyone here, but I couldn’t ignore what I’d just seen either.
‘Well, keeping a child by my side isn’t going to change much, is it?’
Following my heart, I placed my hand gently atop Rant’s head. His trembling reached my palm. I slowly stroked his navy hair, waiting for him to calm down. The silky texture of his hair was rather pleasant.
“……”
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, Rant’s trembling stopped. Leaning in slightly, I whispered into his ear.
“Are you hungry?”
Growl.
Right on cue, I heard a low grumble. His ears, which had seemed to be calming down, instantly turned bright red again.
“Would you try lifting your head for me?”
As I softly tapped the petals of his red ears, he buried his face deeper between his knees.
“Oh dear, I’m not used to being rejected, you know. If you don’t show me your face, I might just leave. I may never come back.”
At those words, the curled-up boy froze.
“Should I go, then?”
Shake shake.
He still didn’t lift his face, but he shook his head fiercely. I already knew the boy held affection for me. Rant didn’t greet me warmly or approach with ease, but every time I came to the annex, he never took his eyes off me. His gentle, dark brown eyes followed me like a loyal pet follows its owner.
‘Just like my puppy.’
I gently held his head in both hands and slowly lifted it. His face followed my movement without resistance.
“Ah.”
“……”
Not knowing why, his small lips parted just like mine. I took some of the cream from his cheek on my finger and slipped it into his mouth.
“…!”
“Tastes good, doesn’t it?”
His brown eyes widened in surprise. I then placed a piece of cake, covered in cream, into his still-open mouth.
“…!”
He covered his mouth with both hands, eyes still round as saucers.
“What, does it taste bad?”
Shake shake.
“Then why are you covering your mouth?”
Instead of answering, Rant rolled his eyes awkwardly and lowered his head. Before he did, I noticed his gaze flick toward the door. As if he were wary of someone behind it.
“Rant.”
At the sound of his name, he looked up. I deliberately sucked the cream off my finger. Rant paled, glancing nervously between me and the door. Contrary to his worry, the door remained firmly closed.
“Should I punish them for you?”
“……”
“You saw how they trembled at just one word from me, didn’t you?”
Confusion flickered in his brown eyes.
“If you want, I’ll punish them. Shall I?”
I whispered like a devil making a tempting offer. Rant frowned and shook his head.
“Why? They laughed at you.”
He shook his head so hard it made a buzzing noise.
“If someone does wrong, they should be punished. Treating you badly in this house is a grave offense.”
“…Hurts.”
“What?”
It was the first time I’d heard Rant’s voice. I already knew he wasn’t mute, thanks to past memories, but since arriving here, he hadn’t spoken even once.
“…It hurts when they get punished.”
I gently pulled him into my arms. The dampness slowly soaked the front of my dress. Though his speech was slow and stuttering, its meaning pierced straight into my heart.
“It… it hurts when they’re punished.”
“Alright. If you don’t want it, I won’t punish them.”
I patted his small back gently.
“You’re a kind child, Rant.”
Like a dam bursting, Rant’s cries grew louder. There was some brief commotion outside the door, but no one came in.
‘They must think I’m the one bullying him.’
Let them think what they want. Misunderstandings didn’t matter. My only concern right now was the child sobbing in my arms.
More than that — his tears made me angry.
‘Looks like I’ll need to clean things up soon.’
If people were still openly ignoring Rant even with me by his side, it meant the whole mansion looked down on him.
‘But first, I’ll start with what my puppy needs.’
“Let it all out, my little puppy.”
My… puppy.
For the first time here, I had something that was mine.
* * *
Trickle.
In the suffocating silence, the sound of tea being poured echoed loudly.
“Please, talk as you wish.”
With movements as refined as if from a textbook, the butler placed the teacup before me and the marquis, then stepped back, having finished his duty.
The marquis didn’t spare me even a glance as he lifted his teacup.
‘Even sipping tea becomes a painting when you’re that handsome.’
The simple white cup looked like a luxury piece when paired with the marquis’s navy-blue hair.
‘Oh, it probably is a luxury set since it’s used by the Elient household.’
“What is it?”
As I sat blankly with wandering thoughts, the marquis had already set his cup down and was looking at me. His slightly raised eyes, sharply sculpted jawline, high nose bridge, and lips that were on the thinner side but still masculine — he really was the spitting image of the grown-up Rant I remembered.
‘This time, I won’t let him grow up into such a cold block of ice.’
Back then, Rant had been even more curt and cold than the marquis. The thought that those innocent, round brown eyes could one day turn so cold made my face twist instinctively.
“I asked you what the matter is.”
One of his eyebrows arched upward.
I picked up the teacup and downed the hot tea in one gulp. The warmth rushed down my throat and heated my stomach. Unlike the marquis, who gently set his cup down without a sound, I slammed mine onto the table.
“I need a teacher.”
His brows twitched again. He turned away from me to glance at the butler standing behind him.
“My lady already has many tutors for etiquette, culture, history, mathematics, and theology.”
Indeed, I had plenty of teachers — not that I listened to any of them.
The marquis had never shown much interest in my education, despite hiring a variety of tutors.
‘Well, he’s never really cared about me, has he?’
No matter how qualified they were, no one could treat the marquis’s daughter harshly. Most tutors tiptoed around me, and those who had any passion either quit on their own or were chased away by me.
‘So basically, I have no proper teachers.’
The marquis looked at me again, still expressionless. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I didn’t believe he would refuse my request.
The butler, ever efficient, had refilled both our teacups. This time, I lifted mine politely and savored the aroma.
“Hire the best in each field.”
“For what reason?”
“I intend to educate someone.”
The marquis paused mid-sip and stared at me, mild confusion flickering in his blue eyes.
He set his teacup down and stared. I sipped mine calmly, enduring his piercing gaze.
“Who?”
“Rant.”
The butler, standing silently behind him, flinched. A faint crease formed between the marquis’s brows.
“What are you thinking?”
“Just as I said — I need the best teachers to educate Rant.”
He stared at me with unreadable eyes. I didn’t avoid his gaze.
“And fire all my current tutors.”
The crease on his brow deepened. Unlike earlier, I set my cup down quietly and gracefully. Even in a child’s body, my years as an empress weren’t in vain. My movements flowed elegantly.
“I trust you’ll grant my request.”
I had said all I needed. The marquis remained silent, lost in thought. I stood up and turned toward the door.
“Why?”
I stopped walking at his sudden question.
“Why are you interested in that child?”
I looked back. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine.
“Because he’s mine.”
“…What?”
The marquis frowned, clearly not understanding.
I gave him a bright smile.
“I can’t stand seeing my puppy looked down on. So I’m going to make him the best. Please cooperate.”
I planned to make Rant the next marquis of Elient. Investing in him was only natural. Right now, he was just a small, cute puppy — but one day, he’d become a powerful beast no one could ignore. And the Elient household would be his wings.
Just imagining raising my puppy into a beast made my heart race. The thought alone brought a smile to my face.
‘Well, if I’ve been given a second chance at life, I deserve to have at least one thing go my way. If that happens to be my puppy… well, that’s just Rant’s fate.’
Of course, before all that, I’d need to start brainwashing him with: “Big sister is the sky.”
Lant 😭😭