Chapter 19

O Zeronias.

“Kyaaaaaa! It’s Lili!”

Truly.

“Catch Lili, catch Lili!”

That child.

“Why catch me! Why catch Lili!”

Are you truly the gift you left behind for me?

“Sword, Dorian caught Lili!”

Dangling from the side of Calisto’s aide, Dorian, Ailien kicked and struggled. She was the one who had made a fuss to play tag, and now that she had been caught, she did not know what to do with her frustration.

She came tattling to him as if she had been wronged, but Calisto had lost the will to reply.

“Did the little one not tell me to catch her?”

“That’s right, I did.”

“So I caught her.”

“But Lili is the little one, Dorian.”

“Should I have gone easy on you, then?”

“Am I supposed to say that myself?”

Ailien answered with a pout. Usually she acted as if she had seen everything in the world, but the moment she was at a disadvantage, she called herself the little one, and that was both infuriating and adorable.

“I offer you my sincerest apologies.”

“Lili doesn’t want sincere!”

The stiff-necked knights, who had not dealt with such a headstrong child much, sweated profusely but did everything the child wanted.

“Ah, I see. Then I shall convey a most amusing apology.”

“Hehe.”

And yet when Ailien smiled like sunshine, the gruff knights smiled too. At first they had not dared touch her for fear she might break, but now they lifted her comfortably. Before anyone knew it, Ailien spent more time in people’s arms than on her own two feet.

“I will be taking Ailien with me.”

But there was one person in this castle who did not go Ailien’s way.

“Nooo!”

“What do you mean, no. Come down this instant.”

“Kai is kidnapping me!”

It was Kaius.

“Put her down right now.”

“Dorian, are you going to abandon Lili? Hm?”

Dorian had no choice but to be caught between the little one and the young lord. Ailien clung to Dorian’s neck, and Kaius stood firm, showing not the slightest intention of backing down.

“You need to learn your letters quickly so you can read books.”

“The sword can read to me!”

“Father is far too busy for that, and you would say such a thing?”

Calisto, who had been nodding without realizing it, came to his senses at his son’s words. That was true. He could not read to Ailien whenever she wanted.

“Kai can read to me, then!”

“You have to be able to read on your own too. Come down.”

In the end, Dorian set Ailien down on the floor. Ailien’s hair drooped downward.

“Why do you keep being so stubborn?”

“I don’t want to go to the library…….”

“Why?”

“The library is too noisy…….”

At Ailien’s words, the three men surrounding the child were left speechless. In the looks that passed between them, it was clear they were all thinking the same thing.

The library is noisy?

The noisiest thing in Ruventain Castle is you.

“……The library is noisy. What on earth do you mean?”

The first to speak was Calisto. To get the answer he wanted from this little brat, a rather long journey was required. One that demanded great patience.

“You can’t understand Lili’s words?”

Patience, patience.

“Ailien, you may not know this, but the library in our castle has a soundproofing spell cast on it. It was only after you arrived that we realized the necessity of it.”

Calisto conveyed what he wanted to say as indirectly as possible. Ailien’s large eyes blinked slowly.

“That won’t do.”

“What won’t?”

“Lili will cast the spell again. That spell was a scam.”

“Even though it was a spell Zeronias herself cast.”

“So Mari is the scammer.”

Good grief. At Ailien’s words, the two men other than Calisto covered their mouths as if they had heard the most blasphemous thing in the world.

“What on earth do you hear, anyway?”

“You see, someone goes sob sob sob and cries.”

“Someone cries?”

“Are you sure it’s not you crying on the inside because you don’t want to learn your letters?”

In the end, Kaius, unable to hold back, spat out a word. Calisto understood his feelings perfectly, but gently stroked his son’s back as if to say, don’t do that.

Ailien snapped her eyes open and placed a small finger over her chest.

“Ooh. Is this really the voice of Lili’s heart?”

“…….”

“Lili is a smart person who can communicate on her own…….”

Ailien patted her chest a couple of times as if proud of herself. Her large eyes sparkled like the glimmer on a blue sea.

“Lili simply must become a count.”

“No.”

“In that case, it’s not ‘simply must,’ it’s ‘apparently.'”

Calisto and Kaius spoke at the same time. Ailien rolled her eyes, thinking, here we go again.

“Say it again. Come now—’Apparently, Lili must become a count.'”

Kaius looked at Ailien and enunciated clearly. His purpose was to correct Ailien’s speech habits.

“Apparently, Lili simply must become a count.”

Whether or not she understood his intent, Ailien’s eyes sparkled as she spoke to Calisto.

That was right. Apparently, Ailien had to become a count.

Because to become a hero, one needed a ‘title.’ Marilyn had said that even Zeronias had held the title of count before she became Zeronias!

“I told you no.”

“Ugh, this is so tiresome.”

When things did not go her way, Ailien raised her small hands and firmly covered both her ears.

The sight was both cute and absurd, and Calisto ended up letting out a hollow laugh.

“Your Grace, it is nearly time for the retainers’ meeting.”

“Was it said that Count Huyato will attend today as well?”

“Yes, he sent word that he will certainly visit.”

Calisto fell into thought for a moment.

“He suffers greatly, always guarding the seal stones. I always feel I owe him a debt. When he returns to his territory, see that not only supplies but also the Grand Ducal House’s storehouses are opened and precious goods loaded generously. Under the name of a bestowal, so there is no shortage.”

“Yes, I will prepare as you command.”

Calisto looked down at Ailien and added.

“Play quietly. Today is a busy day.”

“Yes! Lili will make Kai be quiet too.”

Ailien patted her small chest as if to say, just trust Lili. Kaius, who had suddenly become the troublemaker, was dumbfounded but did not bother to retort. As always, he could only wonder where on earth this creature had rolled in from.

Watching the backs of Calisto and Dorian, Ailien let out an “Ah.”

“But shouldn’t Lili go to the meeting too?”

“Why would you go there?”

“But Lili is Lili, you know?”

When Ailien tilted her head, Kaius let out a small sigh.

“That place is…… a place only adults may attend.”

Kaius pondered for a moment, then brought up something she would have no choice but to give up on, in a way easy for Ailien to understand.

“So that’s why Kai couldn’t attend either?”

Of course, he was young, but still, being treated that way by this little brat did not feel good at all.

“Sorry, but I was offered the title of marquis by the Kingdom of Deladium, so if I set my mind to it, I could participate in the meeting. I simply declined because I felt the time was not right.”

“Where is Deladium?”

“My mother’s homeland. My mother is a princess of that place, a great magic swordsman, and a hero of the continent.”

Kaius’s cheeks flushed as he spoke of his mother. Ailien’s eyes sparkled, and then she cried out loudly.

“Evangeline!”

“How do you know my mother’s name?”

Kaius asked, flustered, but Ailien only smiled brightly.

But the clever boy could easily arrive at the answer.

“Zeronias told you.”

Ailien nodded.

When Marilyn spoke of Evangeline, her throat often grew strangely tight. It was as if an emotion far deeper than simple longing was mixed in.

That was why Ailien had always been curious about her.

“But when is Eva coming?”

“She is busy training the successors right now. She will probably stop by the Kingdom of Deladium on her way back as well. She is a very busy person, after all.”

“Eva is busy, but the sword is lazing about at home?”

“What are you talking about? Father is an incredibly busy person too. Even today’s meeting was urgently convened by imperial decree. He has to go out on patrol soon as well.”

The reason Calisto was forcing his schedule forward was entirely because of the little brat before him. Watching Ailien prattle on thoughtlessly without knowing that, Kaius felt frustrated.

Ailien blinked, then suddenly spoke.

“Then Kai must have been lonely at home by himself.”

“…What?”

“Kai was alone, wasn’t he? And you’re a baby-baby!”

Even as he thought it was nonsense, Kaius could not bring himself to reply readily.

He bit his lip, stared at some random patch of air, and slowly opened his mouth.

“I wasn’t lonely.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s only natural that both of them are busy. Even though the war has ended, traces of demons still remain. We can’t afford to let our guard down. That’s why they keep going out on patrol. Both of them are great heroes, after all…….”

Kaius added, as if reminding himself.

“I inherited that blood, so I must prove my worth to match it.”

“Lili will do that!”

“What?”

Ailien thumped her chest.

Just as she had done with Calisto earlier, it was a spirited gesture as if to say, just trust Lili.

“Because Lili is going to be a hero!”

“What kind of hero are you…….”

He wanted to scoff, but his mouth would not open.

Because the child making such grand declarations was shining so dazzlingly.

“Don’t worry, baby-baby, just stay home and go ho-i-ho-it with Mom and Dad!”

“Ho-i-ho-it……? Surely you mean ‘ho-ee-ho-sik’?”

Kaius finally pressed his forehead.

“You need to study your letters before you can become a hero.”

“Lili can live just fine without studying.”

“If you study well, you can live even better.”

“Mari said Lili would become a great vessel without needing to study or anything.”

She must have said ‘become a great vessel.’ Kaius did not bother to correct her. Looking at what this little brat was doing now, it did not seem entirely wrong.

“You said earlier you wanted to receive a title, didn’t you? That is also something you receive only if you’re smart.”

Kaius brought up the title as a clever ploy to get Ailien to study. But it was a complete miscalculation.

“That’s right, a title! Lili has to receive that!”

Ailien’s eyes flashed and she began to dash off.

“Where are you going! Don’t bother Father!”

Kaius, realizing his own blunder, chased after her in a panic.