Chapter 44
“Uncle?”
“Hurry up and wash already—what are you dawdling for?”
“I did wash!”
“……”
Rabian stared down at Nina in silence for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
“I don’t know what exactly changed, but… did you really wash properly?”
Nina froze, flustered.
Of course, it wasn’t the same as when the maids helped her, but thanks to the memories she had picked up in her dreams, she had at least gotten the hang of washing and dressing herself.
But from an objective standpoint, for a six-year-old princess she managed decently well—though “decent” was still far from “proper.”
“I really did wash properly…”
She trailed off awkwardly. Rabian gave a mocking snort.
“Oh right, I forgot our baby is the Princess. Shall I hire a maid to follow you into exile too?”
“No! I can do everything by myself!”
“And who taught you that?”
“I just… practiced on my own. You know, in case I ever had to run away in exile.”
She pouted, blurting out excuses.
Rabian bent down and pretended to comb through her tangled hair with his fingers.
“So all that ‘practice’ gave you this? You’re so grubby a mummy would come running, thinking you’re one of its own.”
“…I-Is it that bad?”
Her wide eyes trembled violently.
The cold reality hit her like a blow, and her tiny face flushed bright red in shame.
Katia had told her she smelled nice, and she had secretly been reassured by that…!
“D-Do I smell bad?”
“Yeah. You reek of baby’s milk. Come here.”
Though it was closer to the smell of cookie dough than milk—a strangely addictive scent—Rabian shook his head, trying to drive out the dreadful thought that he was starting to understand why the mummy had been drawn to her. He grabbed the shocked Nina and dragged her toward the bathroom.
The bathroom adjoining her bedroom was small, but perfectly suited for a child.
As Rabian filled the tub with water, Nina slowly began to regain her wits.
What is he trying to do?
“But Uncle—”
“What? If you’re about to ask about your friend’s interview, they passed. Be happy all you want.”
Her blue eyes flew wide.
That wasn’t what she had intended to ask, but either way, it was wonderful news.
“Really?”
“Do I look like the type who lies?”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
Her voice rang out bright and buoyant, as if she had never been flustered at all. Rabian paused mid-motion, frowning slightly.
Suddenly, something about it irked him.
And what bothered him most was that he couldn’t even put a finger on why it bothered him.
“But Uncle—”
“Now what?”
“You’re staying here with me too, right?”
“Of course. You said you’d protect me, didn’t you?”
“Uh-huh! I’ll definitely protect you!”
Her little fists clenched tightly, her eyes shining with fierce resolve.
Then, just as quickly, she brightened with a smile.
“Then where’s your room, Uncle?”
“Why, you gonna find my safe and rob it?”
“…Why would I steal from your safe?”
He was clearly baiting her, but Nina replied with the utmost seriousness.
So Rabian played along in the same tone.
“You need a lot of money to go into exile. The more money, the better.”
“Still, I won’t steal your money.”
“Oh? So you’d steal from your parents, but not me? And why’s that?”
Unsure whether he was joking or serious, Nina hesitated—then answered honestly.
“…Because you’re precious.”
“What was that? Couldn’t hear you.”
“Because you’re precious to me!”
Precious… precious…
Her resounding little confession shook the tiny bathroom walls.
Rabian, who had just been about to turn off the faucet, swayed and nearly smashed his forehead against the tap.
Barely steadying himself, he looked up—and nearly burst out laughing.
“Uncle?”
Nina tilted her head, fidgeting shyly with her toes.
A groan escaped Rabian.
“What on earth are you going to grow up to be…?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
He rubbed his temples.
He hadn’t slept properly, and his workload was already piled sky-high. He had no time for this nonsense.
He’d already hired Katia, so it wasn’t as if bathing or dressing Nina couldn’t be left to her—or even to another trusted servant.
And yet, here he was, insisting on doing it himself. Why?
Perhaps because after reading the Hameln article and rushing back in a hurry, he’d heard Nina had fainted that morning after reading the same article herself.
But what he intended to accomplish by this—he couldn’t even say.
“Kid, you’ve got a syndrome right now.”
“A… syndrome?”
“Yeah, that thing. Ugh, what’s it called…? It’s from the founding myths. Didn’t you study history?”
Who was he to lecture anyone about history?
As Nina blinked at him in confusion, she ventured carefully:
“The story about the fox sister’s daughter and the hunter?”
“Oh right, that one. Exactly. She fell for him, handed everything over, and even bound her whole bloodline in a slave contract. Her mom nearly lost her mind over it.”
Her mother had been such a temptress she could charm the first emperor himself—yet her foolish daughter had sold out their entire clan for a mere human who used to hunt her.
Frankly, Rabian thought Nina’s personality was closer to the fox sister herself than the gullible daughter.
“But I’m not the fox’s daughter. I’m me. And you’re not the head of House Czerny, either.”
“Thank heavens for that. Otherwise I’d already be wearing a wig.”
Rabian shrugged, tossing his shirt onto a shelf so it wouldn’t get wet.
Nina’s gaze lingered on the scar along his left shoulder.
“I’m just saying, be careful. Okay, arms up.”
She obediently raised her hands, but still questioned him.
“Then why do you say things like that to me?”
“To act like a nice uncle, obviously.”
With that, Rabian plopped her into the tub.
His tone was playful, but it wasn’t as if the thought had never crossed his mind.
Even if her attachment to him was only the false bond of a child’s defense mechanism, it was still useful.
And ordinarily, he would already be taking advantage of it.
“If it’s too hot or too cold, say so.”
Floating in the water, Nina looked up at him with steady eyes.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Uncle. But I’m not under some syndrome. To me, you’re the most precious person in the whole world. Even if you tried to use me or treated me badly, that fact would never change.”
Her words were so bold they nearly made him flinch.
And it wasn’t some childish parroting of grown-up phrases, either.
Rabian stilled, staring into Nina’s clear eyes.
Or rather—into the reflection of himself shining in them.
Her eyes were like crystal lakes, holding him as though he were something extraordinary—more wondrous than a rainbow.
Suddenly, an eerie déjà vu gripped him, and a dull ache spread through his ribs.
The exact same pain as the day he first met Nina.
“…Your poor parents,” he muttered, feigning composure though his eyes wavered.
It was ridiculous, reacting so seriously to the words of a mere child—yet it was beyond his control.
“I told you not to fall for me so easily. We’ve barely known each other and you’re already like this? By your logic, that means your mom and dad aren’t as precious as me, so you’d rob them instead?”
“Well… that’s true.”
“What do you mean, that’s true…? Ah, your poor father. He’s about to lose his daughter. Not that I’m complaining.”
Rabian smirked slyly.
And Nina, meeting his eyes, smiled sweetly.
“I’m not complaining either.”
Meanwhile, as Rabian bathed Nina, chaos was erupting outside.
“This is outrageous! No, no, absolutely not! I forbid it!”
Kis was foaming at the mouth, raving furiously.
Messi and Smoky exchanged glances.
Finally, Smoky sighed and barked:
“Calm down, you lunatic! The boss already gave his permission, and Nina herself agreed. Who the hell are you to forbid anything?”
