Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Fiery Mishap
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[F-fire! It's a fire, Lucy! A fiiiire!]
“Shh! Shh! Be quiet, Cookie!”
The startled parrot flew frantically around the bedroom, screeching.
The light green flames on the curtain devoured it with the speed of a hungry beast.
*‘Oh, no!’*
Lucillea rushed over and tore the curtain down with a loud rip!
She tried to stomp out the flames on the fabric she’d pulled to the floor, but it was no use.
Lucillea glanced around frantically.
Spotting a kettle, she grabbed the whole thing and poured out all the water inside.
Even so, the fire showed no sign of dying.
Lucillea quickly ran to the bathroom, filled a bucket with water, and brought it out.
She poured the water, ran back to the bathroom, filled it again, and poured again.
It felt like she had poured every last drop of water she could find.
But the flames still crept forward, eating away at the curtain.
Half of it had already been devoured and turned to ash.
[Fire! Somebody help! No! Save the parrot!]
*‘Cookie! Shut your beak!’*
She was trying to put out the fire, lugging water back and forth, all while trying to shut Cookie’s noisy beak.
In the midst of the chaos, the flames grew larger.
[L-Lucy! The fire's getting bigger!]
Panting as she reached her limit, Lucillea threw the bucket of water at the flames and shouted.
“I know! I think it’ll go out if I just get a little more water!”
[Really?!]
“Yes! Don’t worry, Cookie!”
Lucillea tried to sound brave, but in truth, she was just as anxious.
*‘Just like Cookie said, the fire is getting bigger. Is it because it’s a magical flame that ordinary water can’t extinguish?’*
Then how in the world was she supposed to put it out?
*‘At this rate, the entire Grand Duke's residence might burn down…’*
If that happened, she wouldn’t just be kicked out; she might even be killed by the enraged Grand Duke.
*‘I could die even sooner than in the original story!’*
Oh, that couldn’t happen!
With a grim expression, Lucillea glared at the blazing fire and wiped the tip of her nose with the back of her hand.
Then she took another deep breath, ran to the bathroom, and fetched more water.
*‘Somehow, I'm going to put this fire out no matter what!’*
Let's see who wins, you or me!
Lucillea took aim at the fire, gritted her teeth, and hurled the water from the bucket.
In that moment.
With a gurgling sound, sploooosh—!
The water from the bucket soared over the curtain, dousing the flames, and the fire that had clung to the fabric vanished as if by magic.
“Huh?!”
[Whoa!]
“…”
Cookie raised both wings, as if cheering.
[Lucy put out the fire!]
But Lucillea, rather than feeling relieved, blinked in confusion.
*‘No, Cookie. Didn't you see that? It looked like there was a lot more water than before.’*
[Who cares! Maybe you just carried a bit more this time! Isn't the important thing that the fire is out?!]
“…”
Lucillea glanced at the bucket lying discarded on the floor.
*‘That's not it… It was heavy, so I couldn't have carried that much…'*
The gurgling sound at the end, and the amount of water that seemed greater than what she’d brought.
Though the questions remained unanswered, one thing was certain: the fire on the curtain was completely gone.
Lucillea tilted her head, staring at the faint smoke rising from the extinguished curtain.
*‘Something… something’s strange…’*
It was then.
The door burst open, and Mei’s welcome voice rang out.
“Lady Lucillea! What happened?!”
It seemed the commotion from her firefighting efforts had drawn them over.
Whatever the circumstances, Mei’s arrival brought a sense of relief.
“Mei—.”
The moment Lucillea turned to call out to her.
“If you didn’t like the bedroom, you could have just said so.”
Her eyes met the red irises of Elbadin, who stood behind Mei.
Gasp. Lucillea’s mouth fell open in shock.
[Eek!]
I-It's the Grand Duke!
Cookie shrieked before flying straight into his cage to hide.
It even remembered to lock the cage door behind it.
“…”
For a moment, Lucillea shot the cage a look that screamed, *‘You traitor!’* but Cookie avoided her gaze.
Left all alone, Lucillea tried to subtly push the ruined curtain on the floor out of sight with the tip of her toe. Splish, splash. Every time she moved her foot, the water pooled on the floor made a sound.
“I-It’s nothing, really. Ahahaha.”
Elbadin’s red eyes slowly swept across the water-soaked bedroom, as if searching for something.
“You’re a bold one, I see. To call this ‘nothing.’”
“…”
His gaze then settled on the half-burnt curtain.
Though the fire was out, a palpable heat still radiated from the fabric.
As Lucillea stumbled backward in a panic, the heel of her foot brushed against the still-hot curtain.
A faint crease appeared between Elbadin’s brows.
He walked toward Lucillea and lifted her into his arms in one swift motion.
“Oh!”
Startled by the suddenness of it all, Lucillea froze.
Just then, Riat arrived, having rushed over late. Elbadin gestured toward the curtain with his eyes and said.
“Take this to Noa. Tell him to deal with it immediately, in case it reignites.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Then he looked down at Lucillea in his arms and remarked.
“Perhaps I should fireproof the entire residence.”
Hic. With a thoroughly intimidated look, Lucillea’s lips trembled.
“…I-I’m sorry. I, uh, had homework, so I was practicing on my own…”
“Homework? From Noa?”
Lucillea gave a weak nod.
“Yes…”
Elbadin looked down at her without a word.
It seemed she’d been quite busy putting out the fire by herself; she was as soaked as the bedroom carpet.
So much so that he could feel her small shoulders, pressed against his chest, trembling from the cold.
Still holding Lucillea, Elbadin turned to leave the room and spoke to Mei.
“We’ll have to move her to another room. Prepare a warm bath.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
***
The new bedroom Elbadin brought her to was also on the fifth floor.
Looking down at Lucillea, who was nestled in his arms, he asked bluntly.
“Do you like it?”
“…Pardon?”
“The new room. I asked if you like it.”
“…”
Lucillea was at a loss for words.
*‘This isn't exactly the time for me to be deciding if I like it or not…’*
She was in a position where she’d have nothing to say if he decided to throw her out, a position where she should be begging to be allowed to stay even in a corner of the stables.
And yet, he was giving her another room!
Lucillea nodded instinctively.
“I-I love it! It’s much better than my last room! It’s perfect!”
In truth, it looked to be the same size, and aside from having more bookshelves, the decor seemed similar.
*‘Still, at least he’s not kicking me out!’*
At that, a corner of Elbadin’s mouth lifted in a smirk.
“The size is the same, and the decor is similar. There’s no reason for it to be ‘much better.’”
“…”
This man, honestly…
Sometimes, when she talked with Elbadin, she couldn’t help but wonder if her head was transparent, her thoughts on full display.
Lucillea pouted.
“But… you’re not going to kick me out, are you?”
Elbadin, who had been facing forward, glanced at Lucillea before turning his gaze back to the front.
“Do you want me to?”
“No?”
“Then why ask?”
“So I can prepare myself, just in case you are.”
“I have no intention of kicking you out. Not yet.”
“Even though I set my room on fire?”
“You said you were doing homework.”
“Well, yes, but.”
“I can’t very well kick out a child who was burning with such passion for her studies.”
“…”
“However, doing homework late at night is now forbidden.”
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll start another fire?”
“You won’t grow.”
“…”
Cradled in Elbadin’s arms, Lucillea stared up at his face.
She wondered if he was a good person or a bad one. He was impossible to figure out.
Just then, Lucillea said.
“You can put me down now.”
But Elbadin, watching the maids bustling about to set the room in order, replied calmly.
“Just until the fire is lit in the hearth.”
“…”
Lucillea quietly nodded.
*‘He's right, the room is cold.’*
Lucillea was soaked, and the air in the new bedroom was chilly.
Just a moment ago, her body temperature had dropped so much that her lower jaw had been chattering.
But now, thanks to Elbadin's warmth, her shivering had stopped.
So.
*I'll just stay like this until the fire is lit.*
*This warmth… isn’t so bad, after all.*