Episode 14
When I let go of Dietrich’s cheeks, he immediately covered them with his hands and scooted back a couple of steps before sitting down.
“The nanny said so. She told me that our father is really tall. That means I’ll grow super tall too. Don’t you think so, Laura?”
“Of course.”
When Laura nodded, Dietrich scooted closer to her and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I saw my father when I was really young, so I don’t remember much. Is he really as tall as the nanny says? Taller than Ralph from the kitchen?”
Ralph was a kitchen worker with a massive build, almost as big as the side door near the kitchen. With all the sacks of flour and supplies he carried daily, he had developed impressive muscles, making him the biggest person employed in the household.
Laura paused for a moment, setting aside the vase she had been polishing, and gave a clear response.
“The master is much taller and stronger than Ralph.”
Taller than Ralph?
Just how tall is my dad?
Considering how much larger Dietrich is compared to other seven-year-olds, it suddenly felt believable. But Dietrich scoffed, clearly skeptical.
“No way! Ralph is the biggest person in this estate!”
“I never lie. Soon, you’ll have a chance to see the master yourself and confirm it.”
That’s the first I’ve heard of this.
Dietrich and I tilted our heads to the left at the same time, as if it were rehearsed.
And then, as if on cue, we both asked Laura.
“Father?”
“Dad?”
Watching us act in sync like a pair of twins, Laura chuckled softly before lowering her voice and whispering.
“I saw it in the newspaper this morning. It said that the war the master was involved in has officially ended. The Holy Council has formally declared an armistice.”
“The Holy Council?”
“They’re led by the Holy King, the highest priest of our religion. The Holy Council is where the Holy King and other high priests reside.”
If the war has ended, that means Dad will come home soon.
Dad…
While I felt uneasy thinking about someone I couldn’t remember at all, Dietrich’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he asked.
“Who won the war? Of course, it must’ve been our father, right?”
“Of course. It’s said that the northern army never loses.”
“Knew it!”
I had heard of the reputation of the northern army before.
The employees from the main household, who roamed around this house, often bragged about how the northern army was the strongest force in the empire whenever they got the chance.
Even my grandfather, the duke, was praised for spending most of his prime years on the frontlines, defending the empire’s borders.
And the heir, my uncle, was said to hold a significant position within the military.
‘Magical beasts and heretics…’
No matter how much we’d won, the more I heard, the more unnerving it sounded, and I shivered slightly.
Although the heretics and their tamed magical beasts had surrendered, other magical beasts would undoubtedly be born again with the changing of the year and start moving southward.
Will Dad have to go to war again when that happens?
“Are you cold?”
Betty, who had been tending to the fireplace, noticed me shivering and immediately came over with a blanket.
I wasn’t really cold, but I appreciated her thoughtfulness, so I hugged her neck tightly in gratitude.
Especially after what she went through with Yasmin earlier—poor Betty.
It seemed Betty had already shaken off the earlier incident.
“I like Betty.”
“And me, young miss?”
“I like Laura too!”
After hugging the two maids, who were younger than I was in my previous life, I locked eyes with Dietrich, who was standing awkwardly by himself.
Hmm.
Leaving out Dietrich wouldn’t look good.
“Dietrich… well, I don’t dislike you.”
Dietrich let out an incredulous laugh as I awkwardly spread my arms to him.
“That’s what you say to your brother?”
“Wah!”
Dietrich walked over and started squishing my cheeks, making me let out an involuntary, silly noise.
“What? You don’t dislike me?”
“It’s because you’re being annoying!”
Seeing my cheeks puffed up like a fish, Dietrich couldn’t stop giggling. He kept playing with my squishy cheeks for quite a while.
The person who finally saved me from his antics was Yasmin, who had been fixing my hair accessories off to the side, away from us.
“It’s getting late. It’s time for you to return to your room and sleep, young master.”
Glancing at the darkened windows, Yasmin spoke in a calm and orderly tone. Dietrich let go of my cheeks immediately and, looking delighted, jumped up and ran over to grab Yasmin’s hand.
…Since when did those two get so close?
Yasmin is technically my governess, so there’s no real reason for her to be friendly with Dietrich, is there?
“Goodnight, baby Ella!”
Why is he so excited when it’s just bedtime?
“I’ll escort you to your room.”
“Great!”
Holding Yasmin’s hand, Dietrich cheerfully left the room with a spring in his step.
His overly bright demeanor made me feel a slight sense of unease.
…Was Dietrich ever the kind of kid who went to bed so willingly as soon as it got dark? From what I remember, he wasn’t.
On days like today, when he still had plenty of energy from not exercising, he’d usually complain about not wanting to sleep and stay in my room to play for a while longer.
“Young miss, it’s time for you to sleep as well.”
While I sat there tilting my head in confusion, Betty picked me up.
Even as I lay in bed, gently patted in a steady rhythm, the questions in my mind wouldn’t go away.
“Close your eyes and sleep, young miss. If you stay up too late, the nanny will give you a scary look.”
Reflexively squeezing my eyes shut, I slowly peeked out with a squint.
“But where’s the nanny?”
I wasn’t stalling because I didn’t want to sleep—I was genuinely curious.
She’d always been by my side, but I hadn’t seen her much over the past few days. Was she busy with something?
If she were on vacation, she would’ve told Dietrich and me, wouldn’t she?
“The nanny has been very busy because of the news about the master’s victory.”
“The nanny’s busy?”
“Yes. Since the butler doesn’t yet have access to the master’s vault, the nanny, who has the authority, has been… Ah, I suppose this explanation might be too difficult for you, young miss.”
“Make it simpler.”
What? I can understand all of that just fine!
But for an ordinary three-year-old, words like vaults and access rights wouldn’t make much sense.
Pouting, I pursed my lips until Laura laughed and gave me a simpler explanation.
“The nanny is busy repairing the estate and buying new things the master will need when he returns.”
Originally, those tasks would’ve been the butler’s responsibility, but since the current butler hasn’t yet been granted financial authority by my father, it seems the nanny is filling in for now.
The nanny has been working at this estate for a long time.
Since the adults have been absent and the household has been understaffed for a while, the estate was in desperate need of repairs here and there.
For the time being, I should behave and play quietly so the nanny doesn’t have to worry about me. She’s probably very busy.
“Young miss, your father will be returning soon.”
“Aren’t you happy? When he comes back, he’ll shower you with lots of love.”
With Yasmin, who strictly upheld etiquette, and the nanny, who strictly enforced bedtime schedules, absent, the two maids stayed close to me, gently stroking my hair.
These two seem to dote on me so much.
“When the master returns, he’ll probably hire tutors for both you and the young master.”
I don’t like that idea. Studying again at my age?
“And he’ll probably bring back lots of spoils from the war. Maybe he’ll make an even bigger trampoline.”
I don’t want that either!
I understand those are the fruits of his hard work, but I don’t want anything made from magical beast remains.
“But it’s sad that your mother won’t be returning. The madam was truly a wonderful person…”
“Betty!”
“S-sorry, young miss!”
It seems Betty was close to my mother.
Without saying anything, I simply closed my eyes tightly and let out a yawn.
Whether it’s my mother or father, both are strangers to me. They don’t need to tiptoe around me.
***
There’s definitely something strange about Dietrich’s constant weight gain.
Lately, I’ve been paying less attention to him because he’s been managing his own exercise routines so well. Maybe that’s the problem.
‘Let’s think about some of my personal training clients from my previous life.’
There was one person who kept signing up for expensive personal training sessions because they knew they’d slack off and do the bare minimum when working out alone.
Dietrich might be similar in that sense.
‘It’s also about time he’d start getting bored with repetitive exercises.’
That’s why today, I’ll personally supervise his workout and teach him a new exercise routine…
“Aaaahhh!”
That voice… isn’t it Dietrich?
