Chapter 3
“Do not let them know you’re scared”
Intentionally throwing out words that could be misunderstood, but the child’s way of thinking was peculiar.
“He doesn’t take the word ‘not appearing’ as death.”
Typical for a child.
Blake neither affirmed nor denied, but brought up another question.
“What about your parents?”
“My father wasn’t there since I was born, and my mother passed away two days ago.”
An orphan, then. Sold off once the guardian disappeared.
Blake inwardly clicked his tongue. Your uncle isn’t dead, but the child seemed indifferent, nodding as if it didn’t matter.
“So your uncle is dead.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you didn’t deny it.”
Blake raised his eyebrows.
He hadn’t felt good since the child spoke about death so casually.
“Do you know what dying means?”
“Dying means… everything ends. Things you wanted to do later, you won’t be able to do once you’re dead. Like how my uncle can’t sell me anymore.”
“…Am I scary to you?”
“Why?”
“If I killed your uncle, I could kill you too.”
Blake’s eyes darkened for a moment, taking on a sinister hue.
The child, without a flinch, casually responded.
“If you want to, go ahead. Since Lord said you’re not alive anymore.”
Blake, who had intended to instill fear, ended up feeling like he was the one who got hit.
What kind of child is this?
Whether they’re a good or bad person, a 7-year-old child shouldn’t casually accept the death of someone they know.
He wondered for a moment what expression the child had.
Blake lifted the hair covering the small face with his index finger.
“Huh.”
What he saw was incredibly surprising. Despite the child’s face being as messy as the hair, there was one thing that stood out.
Clear silver eyes resembling morning dew. Two fearless eyes shone, staring straight at him.
“These aren’t just a child’s eyes.”
Agnes, avoiding Blake’s gaze, spoke in a steady voice.
“You bought me and brought me here. Whatever the master does, the slave must follow.”
Blake’s bones seemed to ache.
What interest? Now he was irritated.
He’d asked if she would follow, not told her he would buy her.
What kind of education did she receive to have such a mindset at her age?
Meanwhile, Agnes was desperate to hide her emotions from the nobleman in front of her.
“Don’t go against his will. Don’t let him know you’re scared.”
Blake Rodwick.
Agnes had known that name for a long time.
The first time she heard it was right after being sold to Duke Gerwer, when she received six months of education from nobles.
“The Locke Empire is maintained by the balance of the four major ducal families more than the Emperor himself. Gerwer, Serdia, Hibetzman. These three families are praised by the people of the empire, but only one. The Rodwick Ducal Family is infamous.”
The tutor paused for a moment, frowning.
It was as if he smelled something foul in what he had to say.
“Rodwicks have been assassins for generations. The previous heads of the family built their positions on countless corpses. The current head, Blake Rodwick, is no different from them, a ruthless killer.”
“A killer…?”
“Remember, Miss, there’s only one place for you, and that’s here, in the Gerwer Duchy.”
The frightened Agnes nodded at the tutor’s words.
If she were asked the same question now, she would kick the tutor’s backbone and run away.
“I received a promise not to hurt you. I shouldn’t let my guard down just because I received a promise not to hurt you. Like Duke Gerwer, this person might change anytime.”
He’s even a killer Duke.
Even if he doesn’t reveal himself as a Lethiom, he could hurt her in ways other than purification.
“I knew he was a Duke, but I didn’t know he was a Rodwick. I shouldn’t have followed him. …No. Still, I shouldn’t have been sold as a slave. Escaping would be difficult.”
Even knowing he’s a Rodwick, in the situation earlier, this noble was the best choice. So now, she had to adjust to survive.
No matter how scary the noble in front of her was.
“So even if the master says he killed my uncle, I-”
“Enough.”
Blake interrupted Agnes.
As he withdrew his finger, the hair fell over Agnes’s eyes again.
“Stop talking. Your uncle is not dead.”
At Blake’s words, Agnes’s eyes welled up with tears.
It seemed her emotions had already been disturbed.
“…”
“…”
After that, the carriage fell silent.
Blake closed his mouth, and Agnes stiffened her body even more, trying not to make any mistakes.
In the lengthening silence, Agnes eventually succumbed to sleep.
She had been tense since morning, and, in addition to that, being dragged around with the body of a tired child had worn her out even more.
Agnes struggled to keep her nodding head up until she finally fell asleep.
Blake watched her, lost in thought.
“This child is Deon’s playmate…”
The children of the Rodwick family were inherently indifferent to others.
To the extent that, even when they saw a mouse or a person by the roadside, they didn’t recognize the difference between the two.
If the child didn’t possess some degree of sociability, it wouldn’t be a problem, but with the Rodwicks’ immense power and authority, it was necessary.
At least, to lead a family in this empire.
That’s why the Rodwicks invited children of similar age to play at the mansion from a young age.
Even Derkedion Rodwick, Blake’s son, was no exception.
However.
“My lord, the children who came as playmates for the young master… one fainted in the middle of the night…”
“My lord, the visitor this time also said she’d leave…”
“My lord…”
The children who came as playmates for Deon couldn’t last even a day.
Blake knew there was Deon behind this.
Whether he scared them away when he expelled them or not, now that there were so many children who would cause a commotion just at the sound of Rodwick, it seemed.
“The nobles can no longer send their children as playmates.”
Today, Blake visited a commoner’s village for that reason.
He planned to go to the school he sponsored to find a child who could be a playmate.
But.
“…”
They were dirty and smelled.
The child who collided with him didn’t seem like someone Deon would like.
“Will you come with me?”
However, despite saying so, it was because of the situation the child was in and her age that empathy arose.
A seven-year-old girl.
“Blake, I’m sorry.”
When his wife passed away from a miscarriage, the child would have been about that age if she had been born safely.
The disturbing words that came from the child’s mouth earlier, about death and slavery, may have been unsettling for that reason.
“Was it the right decision to bring her here?”
Shh. Shh.
Under the tangled hair, the sound of the child’s peaceful breathing could be heard.
Blake turned off the lamp inside the carriage and leaned against the backrest.
* * *
Agnes woke up from her slumber quite some time later.
When Agnes regained consciousness, she sat up straight and quickly looked around.
“Huh…?”
This wasn’t the carriage.
She was on a sofa in a splendid parlor.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Someone spoke to Agnes as she looked around.
It was a young woman with brown hair and a beautiful appearance.
Agnes looked at her and asked, “Where am I…?”
“This is Rodwick Manor. I’m Anna, who works here. What’s your name?”
“…”
Agnes hesitated to answer the question. She couldn’t respond immediately. Then, feeling the velvet texture in her hand, she was startled and got off the sofa.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-I can’t sit on the sofa.”
Agnes said, feeling embarrassed.
She had sat on the opposite side as instructed by Blake in the carriage to be visible to him, but now Blake was nowhere to be seen.
“Huh?”
For a moment, Anna doubted her ears and widened her eyes.
It was a ridiculous statement, considering that the child, who had covered her face a lot, was so unfamiliar with strangers.
Despite hearing about the child being brought here as a slave, Agnes wondered what kind of treatment she had received to end up in such a place.
First, it seemed more urgent to sit the child back on the sofa. However, Anna couldn’t move a few steps and stood still.
It was because of the loud noise that came from the child’s stomach as she was crouching.
“Are you hungry?”
“…”
At Anna’s question, Agnes bowed her head deeply and said nothing.
It was embarrassing not being able to speak.
‘It’s embarrassing. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday…’
Since waking up in the attic, she hadn’t eaten anything.
Although her stomach seemed to be sticking to her back, why did this have to happen in front of a stranger…
“Hmm…”
Meanwhile, Anna pondered while looking at the crouching Agnes.
It didn’t seem like a usual stubbornness, considering the firm grip on her knees.
“I’ll bring something to eat. Would you mind waiting here for a moment? It would be better if you waited on the sofa.”
Anna left those words behind and left the parlor.
With the surroundings quieting down, Agnes had time to reflect on the situation.
Alone now, Agnes organized her thoughts.
“I fell asleep in the carriage. I made a mistake.”
Not only did she disturb her feelings, but she also fell asleep.
With this kind of behavior, even if the Duke decided she was useless and kicked her out, she couldn’t say anything.
“Don’t be kicked out. At least… until I’m old enough to live on my own.”
It was harsh for a seven-year-old child to live alone outside.
Children without guardians were often sold into slavery or starved to death in this cruel world.
Since she followed Duke Rodwick, his protection was necessary for her.
“I need to be about fourteen. Then I can find work that pays enough. I have to keep my Lethiom hidden. Then, after that, I’ll find a place where there’s no contact with the nobles.”
Her arm was grabbed tightly.
Then, the sound of someone else’s voice echoed in the parlor where Agnes was alone.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Can’t you hear me?”
Lost in thought, Agnes didn’t hear it.
As irritation mixed into the voice, Agnes realized for the first time that someone was standing in front of her.
“You…?”
“If not you, then who else is here?”
There were more things to think about.
Judging by the boy’s tone and appearance, he wasn’t friendly towards her.
Shouldn’t she show respect to the son of Duke Rodwick?
Just as Agnes was about to moisten her dry lips.
