Chapter 082
Janice and Lorencia had been spending time quietly lately. Lorencia seemed unhappy about it, but thankfully, she understood Janice’s warning:
‘If you don’t want to be dragged down with Count Mers, you’d better stay still. If you do want to go down with him, then I won’t stop you.’
Though Lorencia called her a traitor and said other nonsense, Janice succeeded in keeping her in check. At least she stopped hanging around Cassius and getting on everyone’s nerves.
Everything was finally under control.
Besides, Count Solovis had come and stirred up trouble in the North, which helped everyone quickly forget about the past.
“I made the right decision.”
To make better use of the chaos that Count Solovis brought, Janice needed help. So she wrote a letter.
She had done this so many times that hiding her identity while sending letters was easy now. She was genuinely curious to see how the seeds she planted would grow.
Count Solovis read the letter he had received.
[I heard you’re interested in the story of the Duchess.]
His eyes widened, and he compared the handwriting with a letter he had received before—the one that told him about the divine power. It was the same handwriting.
“Damn it… so you’re finally showing yourself.”
The insults and humiliation he had suffered flashed through his mind.
[People in the North won’t tell the truth right now. But there’s another way to prove the divine power exists.]
Another way? His eyes sparkled.
[For some reason, the Duchess cares deeply for the young lord. Hurt him. If she truly has divine power, she will use it to save his life.]
Janice’s judgment was right. When Cassius was seriously injured, Charlotte didn’t hesitate to save him with her powers.
But hurting Duke Cassius would be too difficult—so they suggested an easier target.
“She ignores her own father but protects a child who’s not even related by blood?”
He remembered how that child didn’t even come to greet him during his visit to the Duke’s house. The thought made him grind his teeth in anger.
[You could try the High Priest, but he fears the Duke. In the North, the Duke is like a god. The fastest way is to target the young lord.]
The young lord… Count Solovis smirked coldly. He had felt stuck, but now he saw a path forward.
Targeting a child would be easy—they are always easily tempted.
He called his assistant.
“Find out everything about the young lord. Who he’s close to, how we can approach him—everything.”
“Yes, Count.”
In the end, I was dragged out of bed and ended up watching over Theo and Stephanie as they had snacks.
They had such a great time during their last outing that they couldn’t stop talking.
“I didn’t know barbecue was that fun! Let’s do it too! The pig spins around like this!”
“The meat cooked on a hot fire. I thought it would burn, but it didn’t. Human skills are amazing! I want to know how it works!”
“Sounds like you had a lot of fun.”
It felt like my energy was being drained in just 30 minutes. Just listening to them was exhausting—but I smiled and nodded anyway.
“And we set off fireworks! The sky lit up! Stephanie can do it too!”
Then Stephanie opened her mouth wide, and I saw sparks inside. I quickly snapped my mouth shut.
“No fire when you are playing inside! No breathing fire!”
Fssshhh.
Smoke came out from the sides of Stephanie’s lips.
I hoped what started inside wouldn’t be seen outside. I had warned her not to do this.
Stephanie pouted.
“Humans can breathe fire, but dragons can’t? That’s not fair!”
Well, the difference is… you literally breathe fire from your mouth. Do you want to be captured for research?
There might not be such labs in this world, but the Emperor would surely be interested. Dragons were supposed to be extinct.
“No breathing fire. Fireworks are okay. I’ll let you do those outside.”
“Ooooh! Can we do it now? Humans are amazing!”
Stephanie’s eyes sparkled. I patted her head. Maybe because she’s a dragon, she really loves fire.
“What about meat? Stephanie can cook the meat too!”
“That’s banned too!”
Both Theo and Stephanie pouted. So they had a plan all along.
I spoke to them firmly.
“No breathing fire. What happens if someone sees it?”
“We get taken away. To a place with strange people.”
“Right. Don’t forget that.”
They looked sad, and I felt my heart soften again.
“But… we can make a small campfire.”
We didn’t have time for a full barbecue, but roasting sweet potatoes or marshmallows on a small fire would be fine.
I winked, and their faces lit up immediately.
With the help of the head maid, we made a campfire outside. The kids looked so happy just playing outdoors.
I handed them sticks with marshmallows on the ends to roast.
The children watched with sparkling eyes as the marshmallows melted and stretched.
“Now! Eat it!”
“Ouch, hot!”
Theo stuck out his tongue, while Stephanie bit and swallowed hers in one go. She even snatched the marshmallow Theo dropped and popped it into her mouth.
“It’s delicious! So sweet! Stephanie’s never had this before!”
Guess they didn’t eat marshmallows at the barbecue.
While the kids were busy roasting marshmallows, I took out sweet potatoes from the campfire.
“I’ll do it!”
Stephanie grabbed one right away.
“Isn’t it hot?”
“Not at all.”
With starry eyes, she peeled it. I shook my head as I watched her take a big bite of the golden inside.
Theo just stared at his sweet potato.
So I put three layers of gloves on his hands, and only then did he start peeling and eating it.
Watching those little ones, with ash all over their faces, I couldn’t help but smile.
They were so innocent and adorable, all my worries and yesterday’s troubles just disappeared.
I was tossing more sweet potatoes into the fire as the kids asked when—
“I knew something smelled good.”
Cassius stepped into the scene.
“Cassius?”
“Whoa, big brother!”
“Look at your face. Anyone would think you were a street kid calling me brother.”
“Hehe, this is so tasty! I thought the meat yesterday was the best, but this is even better!”
Theo laughed and handed his precious sweet potato to Cassius.
Cassius took it and sat beside me.
Feeling awkward, I scooted away a bit. He glanced at me.
What?
Aren’t you awkward? I sure am.
I awkwardly smiled.
Cassius chuckled, pulled a sweet potato from the fire, peeled it, and offered it to me.
“You haven’t eaten, have you? You’ve just been watching the kids.”
Oh, he noticed?
I didn’t even have time to eat, busy stopping Stephanie from putting her hands in the fire and calming down Theo.
And then—
Stephanie reached toward the fire again, but Cassius swatted her hand away.
“Ah!”
“No putting your hands in the fire. If you do, I’ll put it out right now and never let you play with it again.”
Cassius was strict.
Hearing that, Stephanie’s eyes lost their sparkle. Looking shocked, she muttered,
“Humans… are cruel. I’m going to grow up fast.”
“Yeah! Let’s become adults quick!” Theo agreed.
Cassius laughed lightly.
“Even if you grow up, I’ll always be more grown-up than you. So listen to me.”
“…That’s unfair.”
Cassius handed Stephanie another sweet potato.
“Here, eat this. I’ll roast a turkey for you too.”
“Wow! Humans are the best!”
The word “meat” brought the stars back to Stephanie’s eyes.
“A turkey?”
“I asked the head maid to prepare it when I saw you having fun with the kids. If you bury it underground, it cooks well. I used to do that in the forest when I was hungry.”
Cassius spoke gently.
“How do you do that?”
“First, wrap it in leaves, then cover it with mud…”
While we were casually chatting, Theo chimed in.
“Then let’s invite Illia next time!”
“Yes! Mia will love it too!”
They must be the new friends they made.
“Looks like we’ll need to have a little party.”
“Seems like it.”
While we were having that conversation, Cassius naturally held my hand.
It was warm… and made me feel strange.
