Chapter 48
“Ah, I—”
Just as Miela was about to answer, Istin stepped forward and cut her off.
“Aha, you’re curious about that? Miela is my fiancée.”
“…!”
Every child present stirred at his words.
“What? No way!”
“That sweet and adorable girl is the young master’s fiancée?”
Unlike Istin, who was known for his bad temper, Miela was kind and gentle. No one could believe the two were engaged.
“The gift boxes were all empty. I’m glad everyone seems happy!”
“Yeah. It looks like the other kids follow you more than me.”
After returning inside the orphanage building, Miela chatted with a satisfied look on her face. Istin, responding to her, looked far more relaxed than before.
Just then, her stomach growled.
“Oh—huh? Why is my tummy clock going off all of a sudden…”
Miela scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Istin asked softly,
“Are you hungry? It’ll take a while to get back to the estate.”
“No, it’s fine! I saved some snacks earlier. Let’s see… I put them in here.”
She rummaged through the pockets of her cloak and pulled out two fruit-flavored candies and a chocolate cookie.
“Found them! Titi, do you want some too?”
“No, thanks. I’m full from the sugar cookie I had earlier.”
Istin declined politely. But at that moment, Miela felt someone watching.
A girl stood nearby—someone they hadn’t seen in the backyard earlier. She looked to be about seven, the same age Istin had been when he was cursed.
She said nothing, but it was easy to tell her gaze was fixed on the treats in Miela’s hands.
“Could it be… she wants the candy?”
The girl gulped. It was a faint sound, but in the quiet room, everyone could hear it.
Miela could’ve ignored her, but something wouldn’t let her. That girl reminded her of herself before coming to the duke’s mansion.
“I remember… That day when the village threw a festival and I worked so hard to help.”
The smell of roasted barbecue had been so tempting. She’d run around desperately, hoping she’d get even a small piece.
But while the other children enjoyed the feast, Miela hadn’t even gotten a glass of cool water. No one offered, and no one told her to sit.
“Ugh, why do bad memories last so long…”
After the festival, as she helped clean up, she snuck a few crumbs off the plates.
And then an adult who passed by scolded her harshly.
“Why didn’t you ask for any before? And now you’re acting all shameless!”
“I didn’t have the courage to ask back then.”
Maybe this girl didn’t either. Maybe she was hesitating, unable to speak.
Miela made up her mind to act first.
“Hey, would you like this candy and cookie?”
“Huh? Oh…”
The child flinched, surprised Miela had spoken to her. She hesitated, her eyes flicking around as if unsure whether to accept.
Part of her hesitation was likely due to Istin standing behind Miela, eyeing the girl with a sharp gaze.
Unaware of this, Miela encouraged her again.
“It’s okay, take it! I had a lot to eat at the market earlier.”
“R-really? Thank you. I’ll enjoy it!”
Finally, the girl accepted the snack. She murmured her thanks in a barely audible voice, like an ant crawling by.
As Miela watched her run off, cookie in her mouth and candy clutched tightly in hand, her heart ached.
“I wish I had more treats to give the other kids I met earlier too…”
All she had were the snacks she just gave away. Swallowing her regret, Miela turned around—
And bumped into someone she didn’t expect.
“Miela.”
“Ah! Lord Yurhan! When did you get here?”
Startled, Miela took a step back. She hadn’t noticed him approach.
“Just now. Right when you gave that candy and cookie to the child.”
In truth, Yurhan had been quietly observing and was genuinely moved.
Despite how much Miela loved food, she willingly gave her share to a child she didn’t even know.
He’d known she had a good heart—but witnessing it firsthand was something else.
And that wasn’t the end of the surprise.
“Um… Lord Yurhan. I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
She was usually someone who barely received, let alone asked for anything. For her to make a request was rare.
“Would it be okay to buy and send candy and cookies for the children at the orphanage? I’d use my allowance, of course!”
“Hmm.”
An incredibly thoughtful request. But Yurhan frowned slightly at one detail.
“Allowance? Surely she means the petty sum I give her. She even refused when I offered to increase it. And now she wants to use that tiny bit for the children?”
Yurhan spoke.
“No.”
Tears immediately welled up in Miela’s eyes.
“…I can’t?”
“That’s something I, as the lord and an adult, should take care of. You don’t need to use your allowance. Put that thought away.”
“…!”
With that, he summoned the orphanage director.
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“In addition to what we discussed earlier, I have something more to announce. I’m increasing the snack budget for this orphanage.”
“R-really?”
The director looked stunned.
“Yes. Starting today, I want you to provide treats like candy and cookies daily to all the children and staff.”
“Understood!”
Yurhan, having granted Miela’s request, left the orphanage with a satisfied smile.
The sun was beginning to set—it was almost time for dinner.
“Are we going back to the mansion now?”
At Miela’s question, Yurhan nodded.
But the carriage didn’t go straight home.
Instead, it stopped once more at the marketplace they had visited earlier.
“Here. Take this, Miela.”
Yurhan had stepped out briefly and returned less than five minutes later, arms full of candy and cookies.
Miela looked confused.
“Huh? These are the snacks we had earlier. You’re buying more?”
“Yes. This is a special gift for a kind-hearted girl.”
“…Okay!”
Though flustered, Miela received the gift with a happy smile.
On the way back to the mansion, her lips were curled in pure joy the entire time.
* * *
After that day, strange rumors spread throughout the Duchy of Valruar.
They were about the changes in the duke and the young master.
“Did you hear? His Grace dotes on the girl who’s engaged to the young master. They say he already calls her the future duchess and even brings her along on estate inspections!”
“Hoho, I saw it with my own eyes! Not just His Grace, but even the young master was smiling. I thought they were cold, but they’ve got a human side after all.”
And it wasn’t just the citizens.
Even the children at the orphanage shared stories during their new snack time.
It became a kind of local legend.
“Ever since His Grace visited, we get candy and cookies!”
“Mei said it’s all thanks to Lady Miela, the future duchess. That’s why we get snacks now.”
Mei was the name of the girl Miela had given her treats to.
“Lady Miela—isn’t she the one who came with the young master that day?”
“Yeah, she brought toys and books too! That was her.”
The children fondly recalled the day Miela visited.
“By the way… doesn’t the young master seem different lately?”
“He does. Still a little scary, but… taller. And not as sharp as before.”
Istin had noticeably grown.
Just six months ago, he was a head shorter than Miela. Now he was a head taller.
“He must have changed because he’s with Lady Miela!”
