Please Save My Child

“Duke, Reina Boten wants to see you.”

“Ask her to come in.”

The Duke of Winternight sat back in his chair and set down the quill he was holding. The door eventually opened, and Reina entered. Despite having lived at the mansion for several years, Reina remained as pale and slender as that cold day. Fluffy pink hair with beautiful yellow eyes. Reina left an excessively hazy impression that did not fit her name.

“…There are forces trying to kidnap Lady Estelle.” that’s what she said

“It seems that those who are desperate to die have finally appeared.”

“I-I can help you figure out who they are.”

After that, there was a period of stillness.

“Help?” The Duke lifted an eyebrow.

Reina nodded and took out a small piece of paper from the pocket of her skirt.

“This is a letter from the person who instigated me to kidnap the young lady.”

“…!”

She hid the letter behind her as the Duke stretched out his hand towards Reina.

“What are you doing now?”

Anger flashed in the Duke’s eyes.

“I want something in exchange for this.”

Reina said in a voice holding back her tears.

“My child… Please save my child.”

* * *

Spring has come to the Duchy of Winternight, which seemed like a forever cold winter place.

Estelle Winternight.

That was the name of the princess who had the empire’s full attention. She had white hair, which some thought was unlucky for a princess, yet she resembled a cloud drifting in a clear sky, and her round pink eyes were like the first spring flowers.

Estelle, on the other hand, paid no heed to the crowds that gathered at her door, enthralled by her attractiveness. Eight years ago, while the Duke of Winternight was traveling, his domain was attacked, resulting in several injuries and fatalities. Simultaneously, the Duchess and the newborn infant that the Duke adored vanished without a trace. The two people the Duke loved most had disappeared from his life, and he had scoured the entire empire in search of them, but not a single trace remained.

His madness began then.

He tracked out and executed all of the nobility who participated in the raid on the Duke’s estate. The degree of the Duke’s ‘bad deeds’ was debatable, but at the time, no one could stop him, and he didn’t know how. Eight years later, the Duke of Winternight wielded authority that rivaled that of the Imperial Family. Just as everyone started calling him a villain, Estelle appeared.

The child appeared dirty and disheveled, with unkempt gray hair and poor skin. Furthermore, she left such a faint impression that it was difficult to notice her presence.

“…sir?”

The child called him, but the Duke remained motionless, staring at the begging child with empty eyes. Then, without hesitation, he approached the infant.

“What is your name?”

The child stared up at the towering guy for a long time, not answering. She was strange. Typically, children in the presence of the Duke of Winternight would burst into tears within one minute. However, this toddler simply stared at him with a stony gaze. After a prolonged quiet, the infant eventually opened her dry mouth.

“…”

“White?”

“Gray hair.”

“Why are you here?”

“…I’m making money.”

“Why?”

“I have to make money so the master doesn’t bully me.”

It was truly peculiar. Even though he couldn’t find any resemblance to the Winternight family in the child, the Duke couldn’t shake the subconscious conviction that this child was his daughter, so he offered her the chance to come with him. The child was wary, but thinking that things couldn’t get any worse, she took his hand.

* * *

It was terrible.

The skinny child, dressed in rags, peered out of the fancy wagon. She glanced at the large, imposing adult seated across from her.

“…”

The man, with his arms folded and his eyes closed, appeared unwilling to move or engage in conversation. Finally, the youngster maintained an eye on him and discreetly placed her hands together. Her short legs almost wavered when they couldn’t reach the floor, but she managed to keep them still thanks to her hard work. Could she then sit in a nice carriage? Why did he take her? She was certain her body smelled, but the Duke sat in front of her without a single scowl.

I’ve heard that the Duke of Winter Night eats children.

The toddler caressed her skinny arm and concluded that she was unlikely to appeal to the Duke.

“…hair color.”

“Yes, yes!”

At that time, the Duke spoke to the child in a low voice.

“Is it truly gray?”

“…well.”

The child shook her head with a frightened expression.

“No. It’s originally white, but the master said it was unlucky and dyed it every week.”

Another lengthy silence filled the carriage. As the silence persisted, the two arrived at a huge mansion. As soon as the gates of the Duchy, a mansion that was as huge as a little village, opened, the child began to hiccup.

“Heeep!”

“…”

“Hee, heep… Heep.”

Fearing that the hiccups would be too loud, the child covered her lips with both hands to stifle the noise. After a long journey through the large garden, they arrived at the mansion, where the carriage came to a halt. The Duke got out of the carriage first, took a deep breath, covered the kid in a blanket, and gently placed her into his arms.

“…!”

The youngster stared at the Duke nervously, fearful that he had smelled something from her body. The Duke directed the hired servants to meet him.

“Get a maid who can take care of the child.”

* * *

She felt nauseous, as if she had suddenly jumped into a bucket. What did she just do? She remembered talking to someone… but nothing else came to mind. One thing was certain: she was at a disadvantage due to the pressing situation at hand.

“…?”

‘No, wait. Why am I lying down?

Eugene opened her eyes in amazement and saw a girl she had never seen before, tears running down her cheeks.

“Oh my!!!”

She cried so much that she wondered if that little child’s body was full of tears.

“…”

“Oh my, Mom… I’m sorry.”

Eugene was surprised as to why the child was calling her mother. Eugene believed that first and foremost, she needed to appease this child.

“Hey, baby?” “Stop crying…”

Purple eyes, pink hair. She was crying and emaciated, yet she was a beautiful youngster. As she extended her hand to console the child, she became aware of something peculiar about her. Her hands had calluses, and the sleeves of her garments were so worn that she could see the stitching at a glance. She was able to lift her collapsed body and bend down, her pink hair receding and interfering with her sight.

“What is this?”

Eugene looked about in confusion. The house was run-down, but there was no dust. Eugene discovered a little cracked mirror and walked nearby to examine her face. She was a woman with pink hair and yellow eyes.

“Whaaaa-!!!!!!!!!!!”

What? What was this? Was this a dream? It’s so realistic! Eugene smacked herself hard on the face. The child, clinging to her body, watched her mother hit her on the cheek before contemplating and grabbing her arm.

“Mom, Mom, it hurts. I apologize. Stop it. “I’ll be nice, right?”

It hurt. Her cheeks had turned red and puffy from the pain. The child began screaming loudly again, as if she had been beaten.

“What the hell are you…”

Who the hell are you? The moment she was about to ask, she had a headache.

“Ugh.”

“…Uh, mom, are you okay?! It hurts?! Ow! Let go! Don’t hurt yourself, do you want me to lose you?!!!”

Moments that had never been seen in Eugene’s life began to fill her mind. There was a handsome boy from a noble house whom she met in the past at the magic stone smelter where she worked. A few weeks of blissful romance, a promise of love, and then one night. When she informed him that she was pregnant, he was ecstatic and vowed to take responsibility.

‘And…’

The man disappeared without leaving a trace.

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Translator Note:

This novel had some problems or issues in everal chapters. I’m sorry. I will post the first 15 again in the correct order.