“What are you glaring at? You have two eyes, but can’t decide where to look? Should I reduce them to one?”
Daihan said with his eyes wide open.
“Where did you get those rude eyes?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Allegro’s vassals lowered their eyes.
And Daihan stared at Sephiel.
His expression had softened.
“Well done. Even a child should be able to distinguish between sincerity and pretense.”
“Heheh.”
Daihan stroked Sephiel’s head expressionlessly.
–Gulp
The Minister of Finance, who was the representative of the family who was watching the scene, spoke desperately.
“Please, at least grant us a repayment extension.”
“No, go back.”
Daihan said coldly.
“The maximum extension I can give is three months. Not a single penny will be deducted. The legal interest is 10%. If you’re even a day late, I will execute the collection immediately.”
“That’s too…!”
The finance minister’s face turned red and blue.
Sephiel knew him.
Whenever no one was around, he would sneak in under the pretense of visiting prostitutes and gaze at Sephiel lustfully.
Well, at that level, he was someone who didn’t deserve to have his name written in the Death Note.
“If you don’t like it, then one month.”
“Oh, no, I understand. Thank you for your mercy.”
The Minister of Finance responded hurriedly to Daihan’s words.
“Since I’m giving three months only because of this child’s father, you should be thanking the child.”
The vassals, looking as if they had swallowed something bitter, reluctantly bowed toward Sephiel.
“Thank you, Princess.”
“We are deeply grateful for your kindness.”
Sephiel rolled her eyes and giggled.
‘Hmm, I like this guy’s personality. So cool.’
Sephiel looked at Daihan with satisfaction.
“What are you waiting for? If you’re done begging, then get out.”
‘His arrogant demeanor was just like Erga’s, but somehow, it looked pretty cool.’
“Oh, and you can take the human queen with you. She’s useless to us.”
The vassals reluctantly thanked him once more before leaving with grim faces.
‘Hmm. Even if they leave with her, Erata’s end will be miserable.’
Wittegar never forgave anyone who betrayed him.
‘But it’s all their own doing!’
Sephiel nodded.
A mini table was placed next to the dragon’s small chair.
She picked up a glass of milk from the table and drank it.
Milk with honey tasted absolutely delicious.
“Is it delicious?”
“Mm!”
Sephiel smiled brightly, leaving a milk mustache on her lips.
Daihan tapped the armrest of his chair.
“How carefree.”
“…..”
“By the way, it’s strange. Ever since you visited Erata in prison, she suddenly sent a letter to her family asking for help.”
“……”
“And right after you met with Erata, I heard you went to the post office under the pretext of delivering snacks to the guards in charge of communication. Isn’t that strange?”
Daihan asked in a whisper.
“The revelation and betrayal of Erata’s family, I keep seeing a connection to the Baby raccoon.”
“…..”
“Baby Raccoon, what do you think?”
“W-what?”
Sephiel swallowed hard, not even thinking about wiping off her milk mustache.
“I have a feeling that someone is using me for some cute little revenge.”
Daihan spoke without changing his expression.
“And I believe you’re old enough to understand that naughty children get punished.”
“That’s…”
“That’s what?”
Sephiel swallowed hard again
“They said… that humans are like yabbits or yaccoons to drawgons.”
“What?”
“I hweard that to drawgons, humans are no diffeyent from yabbits or yaccoons.”
“…..”
Daihan frowned slightly.
“What kind of excuse is that?”
“Ywour Highness, if a yabbit or a yaccoon fights among themselves, can ywou tell which one is the bad one?”
Sephiel grinned as she spoke, regaining her composure.
“I’m just one of those animals!”
“……So, you’re saying you’re one of those fighting rabbits or raccoons?”
“If ywou bully me, I might fight back too.”
Daihan was silent for a long time. Sephiel’s smile slowly faded.
And then, in the next moment…
‘Ah, thank goodness.’
Sephiel thought as she saw Daihan smirk.
“That’s true. A predator watching rabbits fight wouldn’t judge which rabbit is good or bad. To them, they’re just…..”
Daihan lifted Sepiel up and looked into her eyes as he spoke.
“Just a rabbit.”
“Mhm.”
“But some rabbits are more likable than others.”
“Huh?”
“The ones that come into my nest.”
Daihan spoke briefly. And then pulled on Sephiel’s cheek.
“In this case, it’s you, baby raccoon.”
Sephiel blinked.
Daihan stroked Sephiel’s head.
“Since you did well, I’ll let it go this time.”
“What did I do well….?”
“You remembered your name.”
“…….”
“Your people had all forgotten your name.”
“Th-that’s tyue.”
“You have been protecting your own precious name all by yourself. It must have been hard for a child, but you did well. You’re a smart and strong child.”
<I am Sephiel.>
The first time she saw Daihan, Sephiel said that and bowed in greeting.
‘And…. I’m sorry.”
“……”
“When you first said your name and greeted me, I didn’t know the value of your name. I almost threw you out of the wyvern. I apologize for that.”
Sephiel suddenly felt like she was about to burst into tears.
It was all true.
‘My name is Sephiel, Sephiel….’
When she was locked in prison, the nanny had called her name a few times.
She had tried so hard not to forget it.
There was a time when she had forgotten it, but a private tutor had helped her remember.
‘Ah, so this is the personality of the Grand Duke.’
For the first time, Sephiel realized the fairness and ruthlessness of the fire dragon—along with his hidden kindness.
“O-okay.”
Sephiel sniffled.
“Thank you….Duke uncle.”
Seeing such a Sephiel, Daihan reached out his hand.
He reached out to the large scarf that was around her neck.
Berry had given Sephiel that morning, saying the weather was cold.
Daihan clumsily wiped Sephiel’s soft cheeks with that.
“For now, call me whatever you want—Duke or Duke uncle. But when you grow up and marry my son…”
Daihan said.
“Then, you will call me father.”
“Father?”
Sephiel blinked.
‘That man is going to be my father?’
“Yes. If you marry my son, you’ll be part of my family. Of course, not a real daughter, but a daughter-in-law. Still, family is family.”
“……”
It was something Sephiel had never even imagined.
‘I’m going to have a family?’
Her real family.
The people who had tormented and abused her.
But this would be a different family.
‘Maybe… it could happen.’
Sephiel’s small heart started beating faster.
‘Of course, I don’t know if it’ll really happen. I’m just a bride in the name. But…’
But for the first time, Sephiel thought that maybe, just maybe, marrying Erga might not be so bad.
In the Kingdom of Allegro, Sephiel had always been a hidden child.
Even when she was brought out into the world, her father introduced her like this:
<She is a child I took in as a charity case.>
She had only called him ‘Father’ once.
It was the day she had clung to Wittegar, begging him.
‘Yeah, and that day, I was dragged to the lab and used as an experiment for spirit transformation!’
Thinking about it made her feel even stranger.
‘He’s not my real father, but… maybe I finally have a protector.’
But she couldn’t bring herself to be that shameless just yet, so she wiggled her toes inside her new shoes.
“Do you hate it?”
“No!”
Sephiel shook her head.
“Later… later…”
Telling herself not to hope too much for that “later,” she gave a small nod.
“Baby raccoon.”
“Yes?”
“If you marry Erga, then you will become my daughter and daughter-in-law. That relationship must be respected. Even if I treat you like a real daughter, you are someone I cannot treat carelessly.”
“Reawlly?”
Sephiel found that way of thinking unfamiliar.
Because the Allegro royal family didn’t respect their daughters very much.
She heard that other principalities within the union of kingdoms didn’t do that.
“Hmm.”
Daihan nodded as if affirming himself, then added,
“So when you become my daughter-in-law, I will call you Sephiel. But until then, treating you casually like a daughter doesn’t sound too bad either.”
“Okay…”
It wasn’t about keeping a distance.
Sephiel understood—it meant that when she grew up, he would respect her.
“Until then, you’re just a baby raccoon. Got it?”
“Do I have to be called that…?”
“Humph.”
Daihan pressed Sephiel’s cheeks with his fingers, making her lips pout like a fish.
“You really do seem more like a baby raccoon than a human right now.”
“Ywou’re not even human, so why are ywou saying I don’t seem like one?”
Daihan chuckled and let Sephiel go.
“Now go back to your room.”
“Okay.”
Sephiel jumped down from the chair.
“I’m going now, Duke Uncle.”
She gave a polite bow before stepping out of the room.
Daihan unknowingly smiled again.
Realizing how easily he was smiling, he pressed his lips into a straight line.
Soon Elton entered the audience room.
“Your Highness, Allegro’s vassals have left.”
“Okay.”
Daihan nodded indifferently.
“By the way, what does the baby raccoon usually do for fun?”
Daihan didn’t know what a human child usually did.
“She seems to enjoy playing in the forest.”
“The Grand Duke’s castle has a garden, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, the Grand Duchess’s garden.”
“……”
Daihan fell silent.
Erga’s mother.
After she passed away, Daihan sank into deep sorrow.
It was he who had ordered the doors leading to the once beautiful garden to be locked—he never wanted to see it again.
“Since you commanded the Grand Duchess’s garden to be locked, no one has set foot there.”
“That’s right.”
Daihan muttered.
‘It must have become desolate since no one tends to it.”
“……”
Elton kept his mouth shut.
Daihan looked like he wanted to say something but eventually just shook his head.
“Never mind.”
Elton gave a small nod before carefully changing the subject.
“Your Highness, what should we do about the enormous compensation that the Allegro royal family will have to pay? Should they be allocated to the Grand Duke’s estate budget?”
“We don’t particularly need the money right now, do we?”
“Yes. Rather, we are in the process of gradually reorganizing the Grand Duke’s assets in accordance with the relocation plan for about ten years from now.”
Daihan thought for a moment before speaking.
“The baby raccoon didn’t bring a dowry?”
“The Allegro royal family declared they wouldn’t spend a single coin on her. Quite the despicable lot.”
Daihan laughed.
“Then, put all that money aside as a dowry for the baby raccoon. Don’t touch a single coin of it. Put it away in a trust for use when the baby raccoon is fully grown.”
“It is a merciful decision.”
Elton said.
“With that much money, her dowry would be the largest in the history of the union kingdoms, right?”
“Yes, the amount of compensation to be received from the Allegro royal family is so enormous. Let’s see. A few years ago, a marriage between the relatives of the Grand Duke of Fuller and the Duke of Volun was the highest dowry ever recorded.”
Elton hummed before adding,
“That dowry was about half of this one. So yes, this would be the highest in history.”
“Then add more. Make it three times that amount.”
“That much?”
“Yes. When we leave this land, she will be left behind. Eventually, people will say she was abandoned and divorced… so…”
“So you’re saying that it would be helpful to make this wedding grand and extravagant? Then, when should we announce it?”
“Keep it secret until the wedding. Too much money can ruin a child.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it accordingly.”
Elton nodded.
“Wow, our Lady Baby will be shocked when she finds out. She has no idea she just became a billionaire.”
“Shut up.”
* * *
