Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Didn't Like the Snack?
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Didn't like the snack?
But the cookies she ate in the kitchen were the same kind, weren't they? And the ones sent to the training grounds must have been baked there too.
Who was near that knight before the nurse and I arrived?
'...A servant from the main estate.'
I recalled the face of the person who had been startled when they saw us but kept pretending to clean the cupboards nearby the whole time.
It might have been pure coincidence that they were just nearby, but if it felt this off, I should've kept a closer eye on them.
Should I keep watch on that knight and the servant for a while?
Lost in thought, I reflexively chomped down on the small piece of cookie Dietrich fed me, then winced as pain shot through my tongue and snapped back to reality.
"Baby, have more."
"It's too sweet?"
"Then where can we hide it? The nurse will take it all if she catches us."
Exactly.
But my room was managed meticulously by the adults, as befitting a nursery, so it wasn't suitable for hiding anything.
Especially not cookies that reeked of sweetness—they'd be discovered immediately.
I couldn't eat them all right now, and I couldn't hide them either, so...
"Ah, wait! Didi, you know? Guest in Eri's room."
"Huh? In Erich's room? Who?"
I should keep the prince part secret for now.
"Dunno much. Take these cookies to him?"
That kid seemed like he wouldn't touch the food provided by the mansion.
He looked as thin as a sheet of paper at first glance.
'He's bothering me.'
In my past life, I grew up in an orphanage.
All sorts of kids came through, including some who hadn't received proper care from adults before arriving.
'That prince kid seems just like...'
Hostile to everyone, body gaunt like a stick figure with bones poking out.
It resembled a few kids I knew a bit too closely.
'What would Director Kang have done?'
From what I remembered, the director would prepare the best food she could at the right times, give them fluffy blankets to sleep soundly under.
They'd refuse the food and blankets at first, but melt away once she hugged them once a day.
I knew I couldn't compare to her, but I had these super sweet and delicious chocolate cookies.
No matter how guarded he was, wouldn't he take some cookies?
'...The orphanage kids keep coming to mind.'
And that weird power subtly reminiscent of the imperial family's divine grace...
I wanted to check a bit more.
Curious Dietrich agreed right away, and we sneaked up to the third floor without the adults noticing.
"This is Erich's room, right?"
Dietrich and I stood side by side in front of Erich's door and exchanged glances.
Three knocks for this.
In winter, he'd ask if we were making snowmen.
"Eri, wanna eat cookies with us?"
We knocked politely and asked, but no answer came from inside.
I could see Dietrich looking a bit disappointed.
"He's really in there?"
"He is!"
No reply, but we'd knocked, so my part was done.
I cracked the door open and peeked inside.
As Dietrich and I peered in side by side, we saw the back of a child lying on the bed.
That cup from earlier...
I frowned briefly at the empty cup on the bedside table, then relaxed.
'He did drink it, huh?'
Couldn't even trust the water from our house?
To the point of drinking rainwater.
"Hey, you asleep?"
That was the moment.
The kid, who had ignored us completely while we knocked and peeked, shot up the instant he heard Dietrich's voice—judging it unfamiliar.
Pretending to sleep while awake?
A blast of heat surged toward us in an instant, and Dietrich barely blocked it with his outstretched hand.
"Hot! So hot!"
...Why was he doing the exact same thing I did earlier?
Was I living at the same level as Dietrich?
I was grateful Dietrich pulled me back and shielded me, but it felt oddly frustrating somehow.
'Me... on the same level as Dietrich!'
While I reeled in shock, waves of scorching heat singed the air near his remaining hand several times, making Dietrich grit his teeth.
"You little...!"
"Cookies! Brought cookies!"
Our goal wasn't to fight some imperial kid.
To calm Dietrich, I thrust my arm forward first, unfurling the cloth wrapped around the cookies.
They were already crumbled from when Dietrich yanked me back earlier and I dropped them.
The kid scowled at the chocolate smeared on the cloth.
"Don't need 'em. Take 'em out."
"Choco melted inside, super sweet..."
"Ella, enough. He says he doesn't want any. Let's go."
If I held out longer, either Dietrich would punch him or the kid would hurl a fireball—or both.
As I quietly backed out of the room, Dietrich slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
It shut so hard I thought I heard something break inside the door handle. Hope it doesn't break.
Dietrich looked furious, but we'd confirmed what we needed.
'That power is definitely divine grace.'
Dad's grace came with a bluish glow around him, and I clearly saw a reddish one on this kid too.
When it hit me earlier, I was too flustered to notice beyond the hot gust, but seeing it extend toward Dietrich made the principle clear.
Flames shot up like a thin, low wall from under our feet and vanished, leaving only heat.
Fire divine grace meant he was definitely imperial.
'Why'd he come to our house?'
And as royalty, he should be at the top of the hierarchy.
'Why's he in such a state?'
Really bothering me.
"Aww, all the cookies got smashed. Such a waste."
"I'll eat 'em all now."
"The nurse will scold us if she finds out... Come here, Ella."
We sat side by side on the small back stairs leading out from the kitchen and nibbled on the crumbled cookies.
"Eww, too sweet and sticky."
"Be glad you have a brother like me. I saw these cookies and thought of you right away, so I snuck 'em out."
The sweetness made even Dietrich's not-quite-heroic hero story tolerable.
"Hey, you little chicks! Scram!"
After breakfast, while taking a walk around the mansion grounds to aid digestion, I heard Ralph's angry shout.
What was going on?
As I approached the kitchen, I saw Ralph—two sacks of flour slung over one shoulder—doing a tap dance on the stairs to avoid stepping on chicks smaller than his feet.
Those chicks were from the ones we raised behind the mansion.
"Why'd all the peepers come here?"
"Good day, young miss. Tell me about it. They usually play over there, but now they're swarming the stairs..."
Huh?
Wasn't this the exact spot where Dietrich and I sat yesterday, spilling crumbs everywhere?
Squatting down to eye level with the chicks, I spotted cookie crumbs scattered near the stairs, as expected.
Sweet cookie crumbs attract ants, ants attract chicks.
Balancing carbs and protein in their pecking, I watched the chicks with misty eyes, then stood up with a little "up!"
"Ralph, sorry..."
"Pardon? Why?"
"Just really sorry for the mess."
Ralph looked bewildered, but I couldn't admit that Dietrich and I were the culprits who spilled and ate cookies here.
Once they're full, the chicks will leave.
"You lot! Get lost!"
I watched Ralph still wrestling with the chicks, then turned away.
Despite his mountain-like build, unable to handle one tiny chick and just stomping around—he really was a good guy.
Thinking that, I rounded the corner when suddenly I heard a bird cry.