Please Save My Child

Dean shyly added that recreating the window with ice failed.

 

‘Why does a house made of snow look healthier than the house I lived in before?’

 

Reina stared into it with her eye sockets, making a sad comparison. Dean gave a few explanations and then left, saying he had to help make furniture.

 

“Reina Borton, so where is the snowman?”

 

“Yes?”

 

When Damian spoke while holding up a tree branch, Raina said, ‘Oh, that’s right. ‘Arm…’ she shook her head.

 

“Over there. It’s not that far from here.”

 

Raina and Damian went to where the children had made a snowman. There was one big snowman and one small snowman. The two separated again and began to put their arms into the snowman, comparing the lengths of the tree branches. Reina, who had made her arms that fit her well, looked proud.

 

“You’re working hard.”

 

“It’s the snowman Bonnie and Miss made.”

 

“Is this a collaboration?”

 

Damian stared at the snowman. For some reason, there were snowballs piled up around the area with two flies stuck together.

 

“That snowball…”

 

“These are the snow bunnies that you and Bonnie made. Aren’t they adorable?”

 

“It’s lovely.”

 

Damien, what on earth is that snowball? Just as she was about to ask, Reina closed her mouth and admitted. Then she rolled her eyes and looked down at Reina, who was sitting in her seat, carefully picking up the snow bunny and organizing it neatly.

 

“Reina Borton.”

 

When he called her name, Reina’s head rose from her squat and looked at Damien. As her bright yellow eyes met, Damien put into her mouth the suggestion she wanted to continue.

 

“I have to go up to the capital with Estelle in a few months.”

 

It had to happen whether Damien wanted it or not. If possible, he did not want to expose Estelle to social circles. But that was just his wish. The act of not showing the child outside was only one-dimensional protection. What if Damien gets into an accident and Estelle becomes alone? Hai e didn’t even want to imagine it. In order for Estelle to be safe even without Damien, the child needed a strong connection other than her dad.

 

“Reina Borton, doesn’t she have any intention of getting an education for a formal title?”

 

In order for Reina to have her own private property, she needed strength. Recently, the trend of the empire began to change, and the saying that money was power began to emerge, but it was still a title-centered society. However, even if a mere title has power, it is as good as nothing if you do not have the wisdom to use that power or an ally to advise you. Damian knew this very well. So, Damian first gave Reina a title without her fiefdom in the form of a single title, taught her enough knowledge to protect her property, and tried to give her land with a decent title by creating another valid reason. This was because he judged that there would not be many people who would oppose it if it were a single title without fiefdom. However, there were too many people who were opposed to just giving her a title. In addition, he had loyalists who gave realistic advice, so he could not blindly ignore their opinions.

 

“If you give that maid a title just because she showed her loyalty, there could be someone who wants to exploit her.”

 

Rather than kidnapping Estelle, Reina passed on information about the blackmailer. This was practically all she did. If you look at it calmly, it would have been okay to end his gratitude by giving a little compensation and providing security.

 

‘But why?’

 

Damien looked at Reina with an uncomfortable expression.

 

‘But why don’t I think that’s okay?’

 

Reina, who had no idea what he was thinking or worrying about, jumped up from her seat, unable to hide her embarrassed feelings.

 

“Well, that kind of thing is too much for me!”

 

“Something like that?”

 

“That… that kind of job!”

 

“It’s just a baronet. There’s no inheritance, and there’s no territory. Is that still a burden?”

 

“That…”

 

“As I said before, I have to go up to the capital with Estelle in a few months. Then, I plan to take you with me as Estelle’s nanny.”

 

“…”

 

“Not as a maid like you are now, but as a ‘official’ nanny.”

 

Reina was not the only maid assigned to Estelle, but Reina was the only maid that Estelle followed. Therefore, no one in the Northern Territory under Damian and within the Dukedom dared to ignore Reina.

“Once you move up the ranks, there will be people who take advantage of the fact that you don’t have a title. Even if I’m behind you.”

 

“O…”

 

Only then did Reina understand Damian’s words and nodded her head.

 

“Then is there no way to just work from this mansion?”

 

“…?”

 

But she couldn’t readily follow Damian’s suggestion. Reina thought for a moment and then said.

 

“…I thought that if Bonnie and I followed along, it would be a nuisance to the master and the lady.”

 

Leger raised his eyebrows and frowned slightly before continuing.

 

‘My role ends here.’

 

In the first place, Reina betrayed Estelle for the first time and was only a device to confirm her father’s love. Estelle later goes up to the capital and finds a better guardian than Reina. Of course, it’s just the original story. She no longer wanted to live comfortably, but she couldn’t change that child’s life.

 

‘I’ve already been very unhappy.’

 

What Estelle’s life was like could be seen through the text of the novel.

 

[The most corner of the attic where heating magic does not reach even in the cold winter.]

 

She was a child who sleeps relying on a thin blanket, without the body heat of another person like her and Bonita to hug each other. A child who was despised by everyone because her hair was white and her eyes were pink. The first page of her story about Estelle, who was always cowering due to exposure to unjust violence from her adult life, made Reina feel sad. But she couldn’t explain this part to Damien.

 

“Why do you think so? I said I would take you and your child to the Winter Knights.”

 

It was clear that there would be no blemishes on the name, and even if there were blemishes, the status of the dukedom would still remain the same. Reina, who was listening to Damian’s words, suddenly had a strange thought.

 

‘Why on earth are you doing this to me?”

 

What’s certain was that he has a crush on Reina, so he wasn’t acting like this. He cared for the missing Duchess and loved Estelle that much, making him the perfect father in the novel. So Reina didn’t understand at all.

 

“I have only a short period of time to learn and am not smart. So, I will definitely not be able to complete all the training that the master suggested.”

 

“If your education is short, you cannot tell whether your brain is bad or good. Besides, there are sure to be many nobles who are smarter than you.”

 

“Usually, it’s hereditary, so you’re given a title as soon as you’re born, so it doesn’t matter if you’re smart or not. Thanks to that, society is running strangely now.”

 

‘No, do you usually say things like that out loud?’

 

Reina opened her mouth and looked at Damien. He said that there was no one above him except the royal family and the high priests, and he really had no problem speaking.

 

“…Yes, I see.”

 

‘If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.’

 

“I can’t force it.”

 

He had planned to keep her under the protection of the dukedom until she got used to that position… but from what she said, she seemed to have no interest in that matter at all.

 

“Yes, thank you for understanding.”

 

“I made a sudden suggestion. I’ll give you some time, so think about it for a day or so.”

 

…Reina thought that even if she had more time, her thoughts would not change.

 

* * *

 

“Mom, it’s cold…”

 

The knights who said they could build a snow mansion in one day actually did it. Reina thought they were really great.

 

“That’s because we played in the snow all day.”

 

“Uuuh.”

 

The snow house was completed by the time the sun set. A voice was heard expressing regret that there was not enough time and there was only a few pieces of furniture, but Reina thought that this was already beyond the realm of humans. Estelle and Bonita were very happy when they saw the splendidly completed snow mansion, jumping up and down. The knights were proud when they saw the children and explained the principle that allowed it to be completed so quickly. He tried hard to explain how he used auras and magical powers, but Reina, who was completely unfamiliar with that field, couldn’t understand a single word.

 

‘The knights belonging to the duke’s family… isn’t each and every one of them a secret weapon?’

 

“Should I at least wrap myself in a blanket until I clean the bathtub and get some water?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Reina wrapped Bonita in a cozy blanket. The children ran around and played wildly in the huge snow mansion and only came out a little after dinner time. She was able to return home only after comforting the children, saying that it was the middle of winter anyway and the snow would not melt tomorrow either. Bonita, who came into the room after eating the warm stew prepared by the chef, continued to complain of the cold even after wrapping herself in a blanket.

 

“It’s cold…”

 

“Ugh.”

 

She was having so much fun that she didn’t even notice that the tip of her head was frozen. As she entered the warm room, the ice on the tip of her head melted and water dripped. Bonita’s body trembled without even thinking about taking off her coat.

 

“She’ll just wait a moment and mommy will fill the bathtub with water in a moment. Okay?”

 

…Reina looked pitifully at her daughter, who was curled up in a blanket curled up on her sofa, and then she went into the bathroom.

 

‘I should have paid more attention.’

 

It was a mistake to think it would be okay because the knights were looking into it. What if Bonita catches a cold? She felt bad because even her thoughts were different.

 

“It’s a cold…”

 

Reina squinted her eyes and scrubbed her bathtub, rinsing it off with water. Something about her felt uncomfortable.

 

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Translator Note: