“Elly…”
“Count Zamel doesn’t understand how grateful he should be that someone is taking care of the monsters for him. So, we need to remind him.”
And while we’re at it, let’s help him realize he’s lying too.
He’s a duke, after all—he shouldn’t let people treat him like a pushover.
Which means it’s time to teach him a proper lesson.
“Let’s go, quickly. I’ll help you.”
“You will?”
“Yes, just trust me.”
When Elia confidently placed her hands on her waist, the Duke of Cartellani let out a small laugh.
Because she looked absolutely adorable.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you’re just too cute.”
At that, Elia’s mouth fell open.
Cute? Her face suddenly flushed red. Hearing it so directly made her a little embarrassed.
“Hey! Don’t tease me!”
“Pfft.”
“And don’t laugh either!”
As Elia narrowed her eyes and glared, the Duke stopped chuckling.
“I’m serious.”
“You really want to go?”
“Yes.”
She gazed into the Duke’s blue eyes, and he looked right back into hers.
It was strange—when he looked into her eyes, which sparkled like sapphires, he felt like she could really accomplish anything.
He didn’t know why, but something about Elia didn’t feel unfamiliar.
When he looked at her, she seemed like a seasoned veteran who had weathered all sorts of battles.
Not just a child—more like someone who could truly get things done.
In the end, the Duke decided to go along with Elia’s plan.
He immediately called for Norman and ordered him to deliver a letter of visit to Count Zamel.
Rising from his seat, the Duke of Cartellani held out his hand to Elia.
“Let’s go, little one.”
Then he scooped her up and left the office.
Nestled in the Duke’s arms, Elia clenched her fists with determination.
Count Zamel, you better be ready.
Elia set out with the Duke of Cartellani and the Iron Eagle Knights for Count Zamel’s estate.
“Little one, to get to Count Zamel’s territory, we have to pass through here.”
“It’s Elia, not little one. My name is Elia.”
He kept calling her “little one,” and it was driving her crazy.
“Why do you keep calling me that when I have a perfectly good name?”
“Oh, were you upset? I just called you that because you’re cute.”
“Still don’t like it.”
“Got it. I’ll call you by your name from now on. Elly.”
Well, at least that was better than “little one.”
The Duke smiled gently and pointed toward the monster mountain range. It was a forest that looked dangerous even from a distance.
“Elly, that’s a scary forest. Do you still want to go?”
“Yes, I do.”
If she didn’t go, the Duke would probably just smile kindly and come back without confronting anyone properly.
“Hurry, let’s go, Duke.”
When Elia tugged on the Duke’s collar, he sighed.
“Let’s go. Dmitri.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
And so, the group entered the monster-infested forest.
Just as the Duke had said, they encountered monsters—specifically, a group of low-grade goblins.
But they were quickly taken care of by the Iron Eagle Knights.
After some time had passed—
Elly’s eyes widened.
“Stop!”
“What’s wrong, Elly?”
Elia pointed a finger at Dmitri.
“Mister, what are you stepping on? Move right now!”
“Huh?”
Elia jumped down from the Duke’s arms and ran over, pushing Dmitri’s foot aside.
“Young lady!”
Dmitri almost lost his balance, but Campbell quickly caught him.
That’s definitely Melato!
What Dmitri had almost stepped on wasn’t a weed—it was a medicinal herb.
And a rare one at that.
A Melato, good for vitality!
Melato was a famously potent herb for boosting stamina. It couldn’t be cultivated and only grew wild, making it extremely valuable.
Elia glanced at the twig sitting on her shoulder.
Twig, dig it up for me.
[What?]
I said dig it up.
[You want the great me to dig in the dirt?]
Yep.
[Hmph!]
Hurry up.
[Tch. If you weren’t my master, no chance.]
The twig leapt off her shoulder and dug up the herb.
Sure enough, it was Melato.
Wide, deep green leaves and a sharp minty scent—it was unmistakable.
[Elly.]
Yeah?
[This place is full of them.]
When the twig pointed with a tiny branch, Elia’s eyes grew huge.
Jackpot! A goldmine!
Hugging the herb to her chest, Elia ran over to the Duke.
“Duke!”
“Elly, what’s that?”
“It’s a herb good for stamina.”
“Ahem.”
The Duke cleared his throat at her blunt explanation.
The Iron Eagle Knights, too, stared at her with mixed expressions.
The Duke rubbed his face with one hand, clearly flustered.
“Elly, how do you even know that?”
“That’s not the point right now, Duke. This stuff is super valuable—we can make a lot of money selling it. I actually know a lot about herbs.”
To prove herself, Elia began listing the plants around them and their medicinal properties.
The Duke and the knights were visibly shocked by her extensive knowledge.
With a glint in her eye, Elia pressed her point.
“I’m telling the truth!”
“Huh?”
“So hurry up and harvest it!”
Ellia led the Duke and the Iron Eagle Knights straight to the Melato patch.
“Young lady, this stuff really sells?”
“It’s so rare, people can’t get their hands on it.”
Impressed by her earlier demonstration, the Duke found her claim credible and decided to help.
Together, Elia and the Duke completely harvested the field.
As they looked at the huge pile of Melato, Ellia beamed.
“Campbell, bag it.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Campbell took off his backpack and opened it.
Instantly, the herbs were sucked into the bag.
Elia watched in amazement.
“Cool, right, young lady?”
“Yeah.”
Campbell kindly explained.
“This is a dimensional bag—one of the Duke family’s heirlooms.”
“Campbell, if you’re done, let’s move. Elly, come here.”
Elia was once again carried in the Duke’s arms as they resumed their journey.
This mountain range was practically a treasure trove.
All the rare herbs seem to be gathered here.
Elia had the Duke and the knights harvest them all.
Not just Melato, but also Suocho and Gujeolcho.
Suocho was beneficial for fertility, and Gujeolcho helped with joint health and muscle pain.
None of them could be cultivated—they were all wild herbs.
“Elly, you look happy.”
“I’m thrilled, Duke. You and the knights will be able to eat well thanks to this.”
The Iron Eagle Knights looked at her in amazement.
“Young lady, you’re amazing.”
“How do you even know this stuff?”
“Yeah. I thought they were just weeds.”
“No wonder the captain almost got in trouble.”
“Ahem.”
While everyone laughed and chatted, they finally arrived at their destination.
“There it is.”
In the distance stood a white castle.
With renewed determination, Elia followed the Duke and his party into Count Zamel’s territory.
“Elly, want to take a look around the market?”
Elia’s ears perked up at the Duke’s suggestion.
“The market?”
“Yes. Count Zamel’s territory has a well-developed commercial sector with a big market.”
“I want to look around!”
She couldn’t miss that opportunity.
So Elia went to explore the market.
The streets were lined with colorful stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables to spices, fresh meat, and street food.
“Duke, can I try that?”
Elia pointed to a golden, crescent-shaped pastry. The Duke smiled and approached the vendor.
“One, please.”
“Here you go.”
Elia took a bite of the pastry wrapped in paper.
Her eyes lit up.
“This tastes like banana!”
“Banana?”
“Yes! It’s a long yellow fruit. When you peel the skin, the inside is white and soft!”
The Duke and the knights all widened their eyes.
“Don’t tell me… Duke, you don’t know what a banana is?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”
Elia looked at them like the earth had just cracked open.
“You’ve never had one?!”
“That’s right.”
She stared at the Duke and the knights with pity.
Then again, it made sense. They likely had no access to tropical fruits in this harsh environment.
“This is really good. You should try it, Duke.”
She broke off a piece of the pastry and held it to his mouth.
“Thank you.”
The Duke accepted it without hesitation.
“Mmm. So this is what banana tastes like?”
“Yup.”
“Young lady, what about me?”
Dmitri looked between the Duke and Elia with puppy-dog eyes.
With a sigh, Elia broke off a piece for Dmitri, too. That triggered a domino effect—soon all the knights were holding out their hands.
After giving some to Campbell, only half the pastry remained.
Elia’s eyes sharpened.
“You grown-ups can go buy your own!”
“Ugh…”
The Duke added calmly:
“Gentlemen, stop stealing and go buy your own.”
The knights scratched their heads and apologized sheepishly to Elia.
She giggled and accepted their apology.
After that, Elia continued exploring the lively market with the group.
But then—
“It’s time to go meet the Count.”
At the Duke’s words, Elia and the knights all nodded.
Elia clenched her fists tightly, thinking of Count Zamel.
This time, I’ll make sure he stops treating us like fools.
