Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Fleeting Smile
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***
A few days later.
After her morning classes, Lucillea clutched her wand and headed to the fountain in the main building's garden, where Serdian and Reiden were waiting for her again.
Meeting in the glass garden would have been nice, but the outdoor garden wasn't bad either.
Besides, thanks to the heavy snowfall last night, it was the perfect day to build a snowman.
“Serdian! Reiden!”
Lucillea ran toward the two boys who had already arrived, waving her hand.
Crunch, crunch. With every step Lucillea took, the snow piled beneath her feet sank.
“Where are your gloves? Did you just come out without them?”
Reiden asked worriedly, looking at Lucillea's reddened fingertips.
He was about to take off his own gloves when, thump.
Serdian tossed his gloves onto Lucillea's palm.
“I didn't know there was an idiot who walks around the North without gloves.”
“I just forgot, okay?!”
Shooting Serdian a sharp glare, Lucillea grinned playfully and slipped his gloves onto her hands.
They were obviously too big, but Serdian's warmth still lingered inside them.
*This kid, look how sweet he is.*
No wonder the female lead falls for him.
His words were gruff and harsh, but his actions were filled with kindness. A kindness that was plain for Lucillea to see.
Lucillea smiled to herself and began to gather snow from the ground.
Her tiny hands were surprisingly deft as she packed the snow.
Serdian watched her with a look of indifference, while Reiden crouched down beside Lucillea and helped her make snowballs.
Just then, two girls who looked to be around Serdian's age walked out of the West Wing.
One of them, Keilin, who had a purple bob, spotted Serdian in the distance and stopped.
Keilin poked her friend's arm and whispered.
“Irnel, look over there. It's Serdian. Lord Reiden is with him, too.”
“…”
At her words, Irnel also stopped walking.
Irnel elegantly tucked her sky-blue hair, fluttering in the wind, behind her ear and turned her head to look at Serdian.
It was just as Keilin had said.
Black hair scattering in the sharp northern wind, and red eyes that shone alone in a world blanketed in pure white snow.
Irnel stared intently at the boy, who looked like a painting on a white canvas.
Keilin let out a small, scoffing laugh and said.
“What's this? Who is that little kid to be with two heirs?”
The heir to the Grand Ducal family and the heir to a Marquisate. And between them, something short and stumpy.
Ah, Keilin sighed as if in understanding.
“Oh, it's her.”
At Keilin's fuss, Irnel's gaze shifted to the small child standing next to Serdian.
“Her?”
“You know, the famous kid. The one who just came to the grand duke's estate a while ago.”
Ah… Irnel spoke as if she had just remembered.
“The one who was assigned to the fifth floor as soon as she arrived?”
“Yes, that's her! Exactly!”
At that, Irnel looked at Lucillea again. Her gaze grew a little sharper than before.
Keilin snorted, hmph.
“Serdian and even Lord Reiden are being strange. What's so special about that kid? Could there be some other reason? Maybe she's the hidden illegitimate child of some high noble.”
To that, Irnel spoke firmly.
“You should watch your mouth, Keilin. It sounds like you're disparaging His Highness the Grand Duke's judgment in choosing that child.”
“Huh…? No, I—”
As Keilin stammered with a flustered expression, Irnel cut her off with a cold gaze.
“Whatever your intentions, simply repeating baseless rumors can be seen as questioning His Highness the Grand Duke's decision.”
Irnel didn't want to view the child Elbadin had chosen in such a negative light.
She considered it an insult to the grand duke who was her sponsor.
But Keilin's complaints continued.
“No, are you really okay with this situation? I can't even understand why they assigned Mei as her maid.”
“What does that have to do with us?”
“What?”
Keilin was left speechless by Irnel's retort.
Of course, it wasn't that Irnel didn't find that part strange as well.
But that, too, was Grand Duke Elbadin's decision, and since it didn't change her own life, she saw no need to get worked up over it.
*Mei…*
There were too many rumors about Mei. It wasn't clear which were true and which were false.
The only thing that was certain was…
*…that Mei was a dangerous person.*
It had happened not long after Irnel arrived at the grand duke's estate.
Irnel had been training alone late into the night, as usual, and had stepped out for some fresh air, feeling stifled.
Then, late at night, near a secluded wall of the west annex where even the moonlight didn't reach, she had encountered a figure.
It was Mei, not in her usual neat maid uniform, but in a jet-black, form-fitting night suit.
-“Shh.”
-“Shh.”
-“Shh.”
When their eyes met, Mei smiled sweetly and gently, just as she always did.
Then, she leaped soundlessly from the wall and vanished.
Irnel froze, holding her breath without realizing it.
Was it because it was the first time she had smelled such a thick scent of blood, or had she frozen at the killing intent she glimpsed in Mei's light green eyes?
Though she was young, Irnel knew.
That smile was both a warning and a threat.
She realized it after that day.
Mei, who could come and go from the grand duke's estate reeking of blood so brazenly, might be just as dangerous and deadly as Elbadin himself.
*A child personally chosen by His Highness the Grand Duke, and with someone like Mei assigned as her maid…*
But that, too, was none of her business.
Mei's escapades, who she had thought was just a maid, or the newcomer who kept that fearsome maid by her side.
For the chosen children, what mattered was skill and proof.
Irnel watched Lucillea's group quietly and said to Keilin.
“It's not that I don't understand how you feel. But it will all be proven in the upcoming practical training, so we should just stay quiet.”
If she fails to show any real ability in that training, she'll be weeded out on her own.
*Though, the same goes for me…*
The Grand Ducal family holds practical training sessions periodically.
It also served as a test to directly evaluate the skills of the children who were chosen and brought to the estate.
Generally, for the practical training, different missions were assigned depending on the situation in the territory or the empire.
The difficulty was adjusted based on the children's age and skill, so the missions were never overly dangerous.
A faint shadow fell over Irnel's golden eyes as she looked at Lucillea.
*I hope you show us something truly amazing.*
Because I don't want to doubt or be disappointed in His Highness the Grand Duke's choice.
*So you'd better show a level of skill that everyone can understand. For your own sake.*
Just then, ahahaha! A burst of laughter came from where Lucillea was.
Irnel's gaze, which had been fixed on Lucillea, shifted to Serdian.
A timely gust of wind sent Irnel's sky-blue hair fluttering.
Her long hair flew wildly, obstructing her view, but as she caught a glimpse of Serdian's expression through the strands, Irnel's golden eyes trembled faintly.
*Serdian, you…*
Did that boy… even know how to smile like that…?
It was just for a fleeting moment. A smile had graced Serdian's lips.
Witnessing that brief moment, Irnel was quite shocked.
Until now, Serdian had never spoken familiarly with anyone, nor had he ever shown emotion on his face.
If someone who didn't know his origins saw him, they would have thought he was born and raised in a noble family, so elegant and aloof was he.
Irnel liked that air about Serdian.
That unique elegance, which she could never grasp no matter how she tried.
He hadn't become like that after rising to the high position of Young Lord. Serdian had been like that from the very beginning.
From the day he arrived at the grand duke's estate until now.
He had always been indifferent to others and never revealed himself.
As if he were a person whose emotions had all dried up.
Perhaps that was why her eyes were drawn to him.
But…
*Has he changed…?*
Somehow, the Serdian in the snowfield didn't seem like the Serdian she knew.
Upon realizing this, for some reason, an unpleasant feeling surged in her chest.
“Let's go.”
Irnel turned away immediately. She didn't want to see any more.