Chapter 22
[“F-Fire! It’s fire, Lucy! There’s a fire!”]
“Shh! Shh! Quiet, Cookie!”
Startled, Cookie flitted around the bedroom, squawking loudly.
The pale green flames clinging to the curtains were devouring the fabric like a hungry beast.
‘Oh no!’
Lucilea rushed over and grabbed the curtains, yanking them down.
She tried stamping on the flames with her feet to extinguish them, but it was no use.
Lucilea glanced around frantically.
She noticed the kettle nearby, grabbed it, and poured all the water inside onto the fire.
Still, the flames showed no signs of dying down.
She dashed to the bathroom, filled a bucket with water, and returned.
Pouring it over the fire, then running back to refill it, she continued this process repeatedly.
It seemed like she had poured every drop of water she could possibly carry.
Yet the flames continued to gnaw at the curtains, devouring half of the fabric already.
[“Fire! Someone help! No! Save the parrot!”]
‘Cookie! Close your beak!’
While shuttling water to the fire and trying to keep Cookie quiet, the flames only grew larger.
[“Lu-Lucy! The fire’s getting bigger!”]
Gasping for breath at her limit, Lucilea poured the bucket of water over the flames and shouted,
“I know! If I pour just a little more, it should go out!”
[“Really?!”]
“Yes! Don’t worry, Cookie!”
She forced a brave expression, though she was just as worried inside.
‘The fire really is growing… Could it be that magic flames can’t be put out with ordinary water?’
Then how on earth could she extinguish it?
‘If this keeps up, the Grand Duke’s residence might burn down completely…’
If that happened, not only would she be kicked out, but she might even face the Grand Duke’s wrath.
‘I could die even faster than in the original story!’
Ah, that can’t happen!
With a determined look, Lucilea glared at the flames and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Taking a deep breath, she ran to the bathroom again to fetch more water.
‘I’ll put out this fire no matter what!’
Let’s see who wins—you or me!
Lucilea aimed at the flames and poured the water from the bucket, gritting her teeth.
At that moment…
With a splash, whoosh—!
The water from the bucket flew over the curtains, covering the flames, and the fire clinging to the fabric went out as if it had never existed.
“Huh?!”
[“Wooah!”]
Cookie raised both wings like someone cheering in victory.
[“Lucy put out the fire!”]
But Lucilea blinked in slight confusion rather than relief.
‘Cookie, didn’t you notice? That was a huge amount of water…’
[“So what! Looks like I brought a bit more this time! Isn’t it more important that the fire’s out?!”]
“….”
Lucilea glanced at the bucket lying on the floor.
‘No… I couldn’t have carried that much—it was heavy…’
The splashing sound and the volume of water seemed larger than what she had brought.
Though the mystery remained, one thing was certain: the fire on the curtains was completely gone.
Lucilea stared at the faint smoke rising from the extinguished curtains and tilted her head.
‘Something… feels off…’
Just then, the door swung open with a bang, and a familiar voice called out.
“Lucilea! What happened?!”
Apparently, Mei had noticed the commotion while she was putting out the fire and rushed over.
Regardless of the situation, Lucilea felt a sense of relief at Mei’s arrival.
“Mei—.”
As Lucilea turned to call Mei, her gaze met the red eyes of Elbadin standing behind her.
Gasp. Lucilea’s mouth fell open in shock.
[“Eek!”]
It was the Grand Duke!
Cookie let out a loud squawk and immediately flew into its cage to hide, making sure to lock the door from the inside.
“….”
Lucilea shot Cookie a look that seemed to say, “You traitor!” but Cookie avoided her gaze.
Left completely alone, Lucilea gently pushed the wet curtains on the floor aside with her toes, listening to the sloshing sounds of the water with each movement.
“N-No big deal. Ahahaha.”
Elbadin’s red eyes scanned the water-soaked bedroom slowly, as if assessing the situation.
“You’re a bold one. To act like this was no big deal.”
“….”
His gaze lingered on the curtains, more than half of which had been burned.
Though the fire was out, heat still radiated from the fabric.
Lucilea stepped back hesitantly, and her heels brushed the still-hot curtains.
Elbadin’s brow furrowed slightly.
He approached and lifted her into his arms.
“Ah!”
Lucilea froze in surprise.
At that moment, Reat, who had arrived late, caught Elbadin’s gesture toward the curtains.
“Take it to Noah. Make sure it’s handled immediately before the flames reignite.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He then looked down at Lucilea in his arms.
“Perhaps the entire residence needs fireproofing.”
Hiccup. Lucilea’s lips quivered, clearly intimidated.
“I-I’m sorry… I was practicing alone because of homework…”
“Homework? Noah’s?”
Lucilea nodded weakly.
“Yes…”
Elbadin said nothing, silently observing her.
Apparently, she had been busy trying to put out the fire alone—her clothes soaked like the carpet in the bedroom.
He could even feel her small shoulders trembling from the cold against his chest.
Elbadin carried Lucilea out of the room, speaking to Mei:
“We need to move her room. Prepare some warm water.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The new bedroom Elbadin arrived with was also on the fifth floor.
He looked down at Lucilea, snug in his arms, and asked bluntly,
“Do you like it?”
“…Pardon?”
“The new room. Do you like it?”
“….”
Lucilea was at a loss for words.
‘I’m not really in a position to say if I like it or not…’
Even if he decided to kick her out immediately, she couldn’t protest and would have to beg to stay somewhere, even in the corner of the stables.
Yet he was giving her another room!
Instinctively, she nodded.
“I-I love it! It’s much better than the previous room! I really like it!”
Although the size was roughly the same, and aside from having more bookshelves, the décor was similar.
‘Still… at least he didn’t kick me out!’
Elbadin smirked, raising one corner of his mouth.
“The size is the same, and the décor is similar, so there’s no reason for it to be better.”
“….”
This man… really.
Sometimes, talking to Elbadin made her feel like her thoughts were completely transparent to him.
Lucilea pouted.
“But… you won’t kick me out, right?”
Elbadin’s eyes flicked to her, then back to straight ahead.
“Do you want to be kicked out?”
“No?”
“Then why ask?”
“If you were going to kick me out, I’d at least want to prepare myself.”
“I have no intention of kicking you out. Not yet.”
“But I set the room on fire…”
“You said it was homework.”
“That’s true, but…”
“You can’t kick out a child staying up late to do homework, burning with a desire to learn.”
“….”
“But from now on, no more late-night homework.”
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll set another fire?”
“No, you won’t grow taller.”
“….”
Lucilea, still in his arms, stared up at him, wondering whether his personality was good or bad—it was impossible to tell.
Then she said,
“Put me down.”
But Elbadin, watching the maids busily organizing the bedroom, replied calmly,
“Only until the fireplace is lit.”
“….”
Lucilea quietly nodded.
‘Well, the room is cold.’
She was soaked and the new room was chilly.
Her jaw had been chattering just moments ago as her body temperature dropped.
But now, thanks to Elbadin’s warmth, the shivering had stopped.
So… she decided to stay like this until the fireplace was lit.
And, surprisingly, this warmth… wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
