Mister picked me up and carried me into his study.
Then-
“Eat.”
He put a piece of cake into my mouth that he had prepared in advance.
It was unexpected, but the sweet cream and cake washed away my worries.
‘Strawberries. Cream. The best.’
Feeling my mood improve, Mister, who was watching me, sighed in relief.
“Is someone bothering you?”
My eyes widened at his sharp intuition.
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
But I wasn’t going to tell him about the subtle teasing from the maid sisters.
They didn’t outright hate me, and it made sense they were wary of me.
Besides, it wasn’t right to bother adults with small matters as a good child.
However…
“……”
The incident of someone watching me from my bedroom window still bothered me.
As I nibbled on more cake, I asked Mister.
“Mister.”
“Yes?”
“Is there anyone dangerous in the Kreutz mansion?”
“What do you mean?”
He frowned and took off his work glasses.
“For example, someone watching me from my bedroom window…”
“Is someone bothering you?”
“Um, not exactly…”
His eyebrow raised at my vague answer.
“Who would pick on a tiny thing like you? Is it the head maid? Mai?”
“No.”
“Could it be the chef?”
“No… Ah!”
“Aisha?!”
Mister exclaimed as I slipped from his lap and lunged under the desk.
“Gotcha!”
With my spy skills, I quickly caught the little creature.
“Reveal yourself!”
“Squeak, squeak!”
The familiar sound…
‘Could it be?’
My tiny fingers opened up to reveal a small gray nose.
A mouse.
But not just any mouse. It was a message carrier from the Pose Duchy.
“Mister.”
“…Aisha. If you’re going to act like a frog, go play in the pond.”
“A message from the Pose Duchy has arrived.”
Mister, who had been sighing with his eyes closed, paused.
“What?”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
His eyes, visible between his fingers, sparkled sharply.
* * *
Now, a quiz.
As seen in Dorothy’s arrest, the spies of the Pose Duchy use their clothes to write reports and send them to their designated spots nearby.
For Dorothy, it was the ‘Percus Bookstore’ in Torn City, near the mansion.
By sending reports there under the pretext of going to town, the reports would be delivered straight to the Pose Duchy.
But how would the duchy send messages back?
Carrier pigeons?
Too cliché and easily spotted.
The answer was mice.
From the royal palace, noble mansions, bathrooms, orphanages, to the cold north, mice could sneak through hidden paths to reach their destination.
That’s why the Pose Duchy chose mice as their message carriers.
“Hold on a second.”
“Squeak?”
I let the mouse down on the floor.
The disgruntled mouse sniffed the air and headed towards me, recognizing my scent from training.
“Mister, can I borrow a pen and paper?”
“…Sure.”
With a puzzled expression, Mister handed me the pen and paper. I placed them on the floor.
Scurry-
The mouse quickly grabbed the pen with its long snout.
“……”
Mister was speechless as he watched the mouse write.
“…Is this training possible?”
“Yes, you let them hold the pen while navigating a maze shaped like letters, rewarding them with food. After a few rounds, they learn to write the letters.”
“…Incredible.”
He murmured in amazement.
“The mouse writes better than you.”
“……?”
Why did he have to say that?
My eyes turned triangular with annoyance.
“Are you saying I’m worse than a mouse?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Mister.”
“What?”
“A golden seed can grow into a tree or a weed depending on how it’s nurtured.”
“Why are you bringing up a golden seed now?”
I crossed my arms and protested.
“No matter how talented I am, your words can hurt me and hinder my growth.”
Mister shrugged without a trace of guilt.
“Sorry. You’re better than a mouse.”
He teased.
“Mister!”
I fumed, but his mischievous smile only grew wider.
He always laughed when I got mad, saying it made me look like a normal kid.
“What’s wrong with being less skilled than a mouse? You’re always my perfect daughter.”
“That’s not what I want to hear!”
“…Is this why people raise kids?”
Scratching his ear and blowing away the imaginary dirt, he added fuel to the fire.
“Mister!”
“Squeak.”
Thankfully, our argument was interrupted by the mouse finishing its message.
“Squeak, squeak!”
The task complete, the mouse rubbed its nose against my hand.
“Mister.”
“Aisha.”
One fortunate thing was…
When Mister was serious, he was incredibly reliable.
Kneeling down to my level, he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You’re not a spy anymore.”
He spoke gently.
“Don’t worry about the message. I’ll handle it.”
He always looked so cool in moments like this.
“…No, I’ll read it.”
Inspired by his confidence, I wanted to help him.
I held up the message for Mister to read.
[Mission of adoption completed.]
Luckily, we had already discussed this, so it wasn’t a surprise.
The problem was what came next.
[Dispose of Dorothy.]
Dispose.
Not execution, death, or disqualification, but disposal.
A term used for failed spies no longer considered human.
My body felt tight and tense.
Even though Dorothy wasn’t a good person, the fact that she existed…
‘Now, I’m the only one who knows.’
I clenched my tiny fingers.
After taking a moment, I continued reading.
[No further information.]
As expected.
‘No information about the princess?’
Something felt off. No further information…
‘It sounds like they know something but won’t tell me.’
[Focus on the upcoming heir test.]
The last part mentioned the heir test.
The heir test for the Kreutz Duchy was a significant event in the original story.
The Kreutz Duchy protected humanity from monsters with ice walls created by their unique abilities.
As the current duke, Kalips managed the ice walls and regularly hunted monsters. The heir would inherit these duties.
The time had come to decide the next heir.
‘In the original, it was the son of the Lilith Marquisate, but he was kicked out after a few years.’
I couldn’t remember the details, but…
What mattered now was something else.
“Mister, this means…”
When I looked up, his red eyes seemed angry.
Mister seemed to have the same thought as me.
“This means…”
“This is…”
We mumbled together.
“Pose Duchy wants me to be the next Duke of Kreutz?!”
“A letter to a five-year-old from Pose Duchy?!”
Huh?
We weren’t thinking the same thing?
Surprised, I looked at Mister.
He frowned and crumpled the letter.
“Hey! That’s evidence!”
“I suspected mice in the mansion lately. We’ll need a thorough cleaning to prevent more ridiculous orders from slipping through.”
No, no, don’t crumple it!
It’s proof against Pose Duchy!
“That’s not the point.”
Yeah, that’s not the point…
“…Huh?”
“What?”
Whose voice was that?
“I didn’t say that.”
“…Aisha, come here.”
Startled, I looked around. Mister instinctively pulled me close.
“So, the kid was a spy for Pose Duchy. That’s the key.”
A sinister voice echoed again.
“There’s more than just mice sneaking into the study.”
As Mister lifted me, his other hand reached for his sword.
Though sudden, I wasn’t scared.
‘Who is it? A killer from Pose Duchy?’
I prepared myself.
‘I won’t go down easily.’
“……”
We were ready to fight when-
Pop!
A plant pot in the corner of the study shot up.
Or rather…
“As expected, not an ordinary child.”
A man with a plant-shaped headband emerged from the soil.
It was Knox, the Kreutz Duchy’s aide.
When will the chapters be unlocked??