Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Jump Rope to Grow Taller
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This is gonna make him cry again at this rate.
"You're so small."
"Ugh..."
"But if you exercise, you can grow bigger. It's okay."
I was developing normally, but comparing myself to Dietrich had given me height anxiety. I totally got where Yoahim was coming from.
So I had no choice but to help.
"Hey, I have a jump rope for you. Lea gave it to me as a gift."
"What's a jump rope?"
"It's long like this, and you hop hop... Never mind, let's go to the annex. I'll show you!"
Some things are better shown than told.
Yoahim hesitated for a moment, but when I grabbed his hand and pulled, he quickly followed behind me.
We headed back to the annex, dragging Laura along—she'd been waiting outside the study.
"Are you the village chief's grandson?"
"Yeah."
"I met your grandpa before."
"When?"
"At Uncle's birthday banquet a while back, Gerard blocked my dad and me from going in, but your grandpa helped out. He was so nice to me, so I gotta be friends with you too."
"Really? You'll really play with me?"
Yoahim's face lit up as I nodded vigorously up and down.
To bully such a sweet, innocent kid by calling him beggar boy, beggar grandpa...
Thinking of Marc's personality again left me exasperated.
Still, I'd busted his nose once already, so he probably wouldn't come at us easily again.
A shadow fell over my head as Yoahim and I squatted in the garden, watching ants crawl along the ground while waiting for Laura to fetch the jump rope.
"Baby, whatcha doing?"
"Ants!"
"Ants?"
I answered without looking up, thinking it was Dietrich. Only then did I hear the slightly different voice and lift my head.
Florian was standing there.
Since changing his diet, he'd definitely put on some healthy weight. He no longer looked as skeletal as before.
And that meant he looked even more beautiful now, like a porcelain doll.
A bit embarrassed as I observed ants on a twig, I quietly set the twig down on the ground.
"Ferry, hi. Me and Yoahim friends now. So we playing."
Florian didn't really respond to that.
He just turned his eyes and stared intently at Yoahim.
Even though they both had red eyes, Florian's felt sharp and piercing, unlike Yoahim's.
Yoahim subtly grabbed my skirt hem and hid behind me. Florian raised an eyebrow.
"Hello, Yoahim."
He smiled softly, but a subtle chill hung on his face.
Timid as he was, Yoahim couldn't even return the greeting.
He looked so scared I could almost swear his floppy bunny ears drooped over his head.
...Why do these two seem to get along so badly? They just met today, right?
"Miss, the jump rope you asked for... Your Highness. You're here too."
Just then, Laura returned with the jump rope, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
I jumped to my feet and took it.
"Here ya go, Yoahim."
Basic jumps first. I demonstrated hopping neatly with feet together, timing my jumps over the swinging rope.
Yoahim watched with his mouth half-open. Good—he didn't look totally uninterested.
Once I'd shown enough, I handed the jump rope to Yoahim.
"Your turn."
"M-Me?"
"Yup. Super easy."
We weren't much different in height.
Thanks to that, after failing a couple times, Yoahim quickly got the hang of it and started jumping properly.
Small build, but not bad athleticism.
Northern blood, huh?
Most northerners seemed to have big frames and good reflexes.
Even among the servants, northern natives and outsiders differed in build from the bone structure up.
'No wonder their military's famous.'
Yoahim was jumping rope excitedly for a good while when his ankle caught the rope.
It must've stung pretty bad, but he panted with a huge grin.
"This is fun!"
"Right? Jump a lot and you'll grow tall. Can't give you mine since it's a gift, but I'll ask Lea super quick for a new one."
"Really?"
"Yup. So no more shorty Yoahim."
Yoahim looked at me with utter adoration.
Grateful, huh? Then go tell your grandpa the chief how much I stuck up for you.
To get along well with Dad—who had no real base in the main house—we needed as many allies as possible.
Better to earn the village chief grandpa's favor now.
'Bonus: Put Marc in his place too.'
He looked Dietrich's age but was already picking up bad habits, bullying kids younger than him.
I clicked my tongue inwardly when Yoahim's nanny came to fetch him.
She'd been looking for him since he took so long and ended up here.
Yoahim grabbed her hand excitedly and headed home, chattering nonstop.
The whole time, Florian stood by with a faint, icy smile.
"Getting pretty friendly with Yoahim, huh?"
"Yup. Family, right?"
"..."
"Marc beat up Uncle's son Yoahim. I was gonna hit him too."
"What?"
Mention of Uncle wiped the remaining smile from Florian's face.
"But I hit first. Marc nosebleed, crybaby go home."
I covered my mouth and giggled at his expression.
Considering we'd nearly died from Uncle's spies, this revenge was barely scratching the surface, but it felt satisfying enough.
"If Uncle says no, then we're all friends. Right?"
"...Still, don't do dangerous stuff. You're just a little baby, no fear."
"Then ignore when Marc bad?"
I tilted my head. Florian fell silent.
After a long pause, he whispered lowly.
"As you know, I can burn anything completely away."
Yeah... I figured.
But why bring that up now?
Realizing I didn't get it, Florian fixed his red eyes on me.
They shone with subtle resolve.
"You wanna kill him? I owe Sir Leopoldt a debt, so I'll do my best..."
"No killing!"
What the heck!
What did they teach him in the imperial palace?
For a kid this young to casually talk about killing.
I grabbed both his hands tightly.
He looked down at me, a bit flustered.
"Don't kill over something like this."
"Why? Others kill without a care."
"That's..."
"I was weak before so I took it, but not anymore. I'll get strong, no matter what."
Florian's face, chilled from near-death experiences at his teacher's, stepmother's, and her family's hands, stayed cold.
I didn't know every detail, but his upbringing explained his twisted morals.
'Even after coming here, poison, monsters...'
I could still see the boy drinking rainwater to survive.
But he was only eight.
He needed to live more like a kid.
"Getting strong doesn't mean kill okay. Means protect more, right?"
What would Director Kang say?
I picked simple words he'd understand.
"Can protect more..."
"If Ferry in danger, then okay kill. But we no let danger. Me, Daddy, Ditri... all protect Ferry hard."
"You, Sir Leopoldt, Dietrich..."
"So no tense, no kill anyone."
Florian repeated my words calmly, like a child learning to speak.
"Got it?"
"Yeah. I get it."
"If nosebleed, tell Daddy. Or me!"
He looked down at me, fist clenched and determined, then chuckled softly.
"From a tiny baby like you?"
"Grow big soon!"
Watching me bristle, Florian let out a very small laugh.
It was the first time I'd seen him laugh like that, so I stared blankly at his face for a moment.