Please Save My Child

Reina, who had laughed unconsciously, continued speaking.

 

“Did you say thank you?”

 

“I tried to do it, but I couldn’t because I was crying…”

 

“Then can I do well now without crying?”

 

“Yes, I can do it.”

 

Bonita wiped her cheek with her palm again and walked in front of Damien. She then placed both her hands on her belly button and bowed.

 

“Thank you very much.”

 

Damian, who had been embarrassed by the sudden burst of tears earlier, responded with a little embarrassment at Bonita’s suddenly courageous behavior.

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

“I will work hard with the sword the Duke gave me and become the best knight in the empire.”

 

“No, I just said you couldn’t practice with that sword.”

 

Bonita looked like her world was falling apart at Damien’s answer. Even though he said it a while ago, Demian enjoyed the feeling of being a bad person for no reason.

 

“That sword is too big and heavy for you to carry. It will take a few years before you can handle that sword. Of course, this is assuming that you will not get tired of swordsmanship and work hard in the future.”

 

“I will!”

 

Bonita was startled and spoke loudly, then her cheeks turned red. Then she muttered softly again.

 

“I will.”

 

* * *

 

The commotion quickly calmed down. When Bonita said that she burst into tears because she was so happy about the gift she received, the entire squad looked at little Bonita with sad faces.

 

“Bo, Bonita.”

 

Estelle carefully called Bonita. Bonita looked at Estelle, holding the gift she had received in her arms. Estelle swallowed her saliva, clutching the cookie package in her hand. Reina noticed that Estelle was trying to apologize to Bonita, and that she was overly nervous.

 

“Bonnie, the lady has prepared some delicious cookies. Should we go somewhere else to eat them?”

 

“Cookie?”

 

“Yes. I chose only the most delicious ones for Bonnie.”

 

Bonita nodded her head meekly. She didn’t even show any displeasure. Reina caught her breath inside her. Damian, who had been listening to the conversation, noticed it skillfully and called the chief attendant and told him to prepare something to drink in the glass garden. Bonita held the doll and sword in her arms and stretched out one of her hands to hold Reina’s hand.

 

Tuk-.

 

The doll and the sword slipped out of her arms and fell to the floor.

 

…Bonita stretched out her hand again, holding the gift. Also, the doll and sword fell to the floor in an awkward manner. The rest of the people could only watch the child’s repetitive actions.

 

Damian approached cautiously.

 

“…Bonita, can I carry them for you?”

 

….Bonita was looking at the fallen object with a slightly pouting expression. Damian sensed a secret stubbornness in this little boy. After thinking for a moment, he decided.

 

“I’m talking about the doll you received as a gift. I think it looks quite lovely. I thought I had seen all the loveliest dolls I could find in so many doll stores, but I have never seen anything so lovely.”

 

Only then did the gaze that had been fixed on the floor turn to Damian. Damian swallowed dryly and said, holding up the doll that had fallen on the floor in one hand.

 

“So, will you lend it to me for a moment?”

 

Only then did he see Bonita slowly nodding her head. It might be difficult to lift that sword, but it would be better than holding it with a doll at the same time.

 

‘More than anything…’

 

Damian glanced down at Bonita. He didn’t know when the child picked it up, but she was holding a large sword in her arms.

 

‘Even if I ask for that sword for a moment, I don’t think she will ever give it to me.’

 

Bonita secretly watched Damian’s notice and took Reina’s hand. Estelle watched Bonita and carefully held Reina’s other hand.

 

“…let’s go.”

 

Damien took the lead, holding a soft rabbit doll by his side. Reina looked at the cute pink rabbit and thought it seemed oddly fitting that Damian was holding a doll. Everyone who passed by Damian, who had a stuffed rabbit at his side, inhaled slightly. Then they looked at Reina walking behind him. Everyone’s eyes were filled with astonishment, asking, ‘Why on earth is the master walking around holding a stuffed rabbit?’

 

Reina could only laugh. The four arrived at the indoor garden, receiving secret and stinging gazes all over their bodies. At the table where Estelle, Reina, and Bonita had previously sat in a circle, there were now a total of four chairs and tea cups. After Reina had Estelle and Bonita sit down, she looked at Damien.

 

“Babe, Bonnie.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Why mom?”

 

Reina continued her words in a gentle tone as the two children’s eyes turned to her.

 

“I have something to say to my master… the duke, so I’ll leave for a moment. Is that okay?”

 

The two children seemed a little anxious. Damien, who did not miss that expression, continued to speak to Reina.

 

“We won’t go far. We won’t leave this greenhouse, so if anything happens, just call us.”

 

After Damian said that, the two nodded hesitantly. After putting the cookies Estelle had brought within reach of the two children, Reina and Damian headed towards the flower bed filled with bright flowers.

 

Damian said.

 

“So what do you have to say?”

 

“Are you asking this even though you know it’s nothing?”

 

“Well, no matter what the excuse is, I don’t feel like lying to a child.”

 

As Reina watched him lightly answering her own question, she lightly raised the corner of her mouth. Damian wasn’t very good at telling jokes. Nevertheless, the reason he spoke so lightly now was probably because he was considering the feelings of Reina or the children.

 

Reina said she was in a hurry now, but she was able to sense a little of Damian’s inner thoughts.

 

‘Oh, come to think of it.’

 

Reina suddenly remembered this incident and remembered that in the original work, one of the maids who became his limbs was permanently exiled. Also, there was nothing to say about artifacts in the original work. 

 

“Then, may I ask you something?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What happened to the maid named Sophia? Was she fired like the others?”

 

Reina asked, turning her gaze elsewhere for no reason and added.

 

“Master may not know her name.”

 

Wasn’t that right? There were a lot of people in this mansion… Even the master might not be able to remember their names. Reina added, muttering excuses here and there.

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Joe, just a little.”

 

Damian responded as if he didn’t care about the muttering.

 

“Because Sophia was also used by the artifact.”

 

When Sofia had just arrived at this mansion, she was the person who treated her most favorably. Even when he didn’t know the rules of the noble house, where to wash the clothes, or when she got lost, Sophia always helped her. She couldn’t help but feel bad when she thought about how she sometimes took care of Bonita too.

 

Damian said as he looked at Reina, whose complexion was gradually darkening.

 

“It may be something that makes you feel worse, but…”

 

“…?”

 

“The maid named Sophia was not brainwashed by the artifact.”

 

“What?”

 

Damian said with a disapproving look on his face.

 

“If those controlled by the artifact fall near the initiator, they may not come to their senses but will not be able to carry out their orders. There are exceptions for very powerful artifacts, but this one is quite old and on the verge of failure, so it is no exception.”

 

“So Sophia, she did it of her own volition?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Damian bobbed his head.

 

“She approached the Count of her own free will. And Embron had a horse that could move outside of his own hands, so she must have been assigned to watch.”

 

Reina’s face became cold.

 

‘Therefore…’

 

The artifact had the power to brainwash people. However, that ability only applied to people around the person who possessed the artifact. If the artifact was far away from the person who owned it, its effect would disappear.

 

“Sofia of her own will…”

 

Reina turned as white as frost in the middle of winter. People remember malice more clearly than favors given to them. Can not help it. Everyone lives with a lot of favors without knowing it, and thanks to it, they can smile.

 

To put it the other way around. Those who have lived amidst malice remember kindness more clearly.

 

“Reina Borton?”

 

Reina remembers it clearly. When she arrived at the mansion wearing rag-like clothes, Sophia, who had been kind to her, and even if she looked shabby, Sophia approached her without hesitation, even though she might have a bad odor. The kind appearance of Sophia and the current appearance of Sophia overlapped.

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: