Bathing Together as Family
Then bathe with me.
Of course, there couldn't be better news than the fact that Haksen—who had been recuperating from the poison under the pretext of seclusion—had awakened. After all, Chloe's client had been Haksen, not Rosetta. And since he would be more sincere about protecting Marian than anyone, it would be easier to receive various supports if he stepped up to the front lines.
"Miss, may I go see the Grand Duke for a moment?"
"Chloe... is coming today...?"
"I'll just pop in for a quick visit. Like I explained, he's working hard on it, so I'll be back soon."
"Ugh...."
"Mmm...."
Did she hate being alone that much? Marian puffed out her cheeks with a sulky expression, and after a moment's hesitation, Chloe....
"Then, if you finish the snow dome before I get back, I'll put you to bed tonight."
"Put me to bed?"
"I'll sing you a lullaby and hold your hand until you fall asleep."
...made an offer she couldn't refuse.
"Chloe, come back slow! I, I'll finish it all today...!"
As expected, Marian's tension skyrocketed, and she buried her head in the snow dome crafting guidebook, diving into focus. Somewhat relieved, Chloe quietly left Marian's bedroom and headed straight to the annex where she'd heard Haksen was recuperating.
And there.
"Did you come alone?"
"Yes. I thought it might be hard to discuss sensitive topics if I brought the miss along...."
"You're spoiling her too much. Come in."
"Yes."
She joined Rosetta and entered the bedroom in the annex where Haksen was recovering.
"Kuhk, cough. My lady, you're here. Who's that beside you? A new knight?"
The black-haired Eastern Grand Duke, Haksen Evergreen, spat up black blood and looked back and forth between Chloe and Rosetta.
"It's the assassin you hired. What new knight?"
"What...?"
"The Golden Darkness you've been praising so much? She's a woman."
"No...."
He'd apparently never even considered that Golden Darkness might be a woman; his face drained of color in an instant. What he wanted was a capable assassin as a bodyguard, not a seductress who'd been through dozens of men.
"Her skills seemed solid, though? She took out an assassin right after arriving."
"Is that so? Then that's fortunate."
Surprisingly, Rosetta defended Chloe, and though suspicious, he withdrew his wary gaze since his wife of half a lifetime vouched for her abilities. True to form for a man bold enough to hire an assassin as a bodyguard, he had a refreshingly straightforward side.
"Right, Golden Darkness...."
"Just call me Chloe, Your Grace."
"Fine, Chloe. Have you checked on the child from the request letter? What's she like? Any talent?"
"Yes. After nearly a month of interaction, I've confirmed she has considerable talent in alchemy."
"Alchemy?"
"That's...."
And so, Chloe freely reported her plans without hesitation. She intended to mold Marian into a perfect being who could wield mana and master assassination techniques, ensuring she'd never be assassinated. Her plan was presented in detail over quite a long time, to the point that even Haksen, freshly risen from his sickbed, listened with a serious expression.
"Alchemy is the first button to spark her interest and get her to follow along willingly. We'll achieve results there first, then begin assassination training within two years."
"Excellent. Splendid. Focus solely on building her assassination defense for five years. After that, we'll handle additional reinforcements like teaching her magic."
"Yes, understood."
It felt a bit off to talk about "reinforcing" a person like that, but if Haksen's affection for Marian was as shallow as Rosetta's, it wasn't so strange. In fact, considering Marian's harsh environment, it was more plausible that he felt no paternal bond.
"And...."
"What else?"
She knew it was a bit overstepping, but.
"I believe the miss is in a state close to emotional deprivation. So I'm giving her affection in small ways to guide her and prevent mental issues...."
"No problem. She'll be replaced anyway once Rosetta and I have a child. Give her affection if you want, scold her if you want. What we need is a sturdy shield that lasts until the sixth child grows up."
"Is that... so?"
Chloe's voice faltered, as if shocked. Even as her biological father, she'd assumed he had some awareness of their blood ties. But putting it like this made him worse than Rosetta, who'd helped Marian suppress her hatred and begin mana training.
"Think of it as raising a useful assassin and treat her as you like. Tell me if you need anything."
"Yes, understood."
Chloe bowed deeply in thanks and turned to leave the annex bedroom.
The worst.
Honestly, among all the nobles Chloe had met, Haksen was the worst. His lament in the request letter that only one illegitimate child remained of his six was ultimately grief over the reality that an illegitimate had to inherit the Evergreen Grand Duchy. It was a purely noble regret, devoid of any fatherly awareness—a bit shocking.
Maybe it's for the best.
Precisely because he was like that, his ambiguous relationship with Marian wouldn't be severed. Just as Marian found fulfillment through Chloe, Chloe felt familial warmth through Marian. Like a cute late-born little sister? No one had been as close to Marian in her 12 years as Chloe, and no one had spent as much time with Chloe in her 19 years as Marian. They were already like family.
I shouldn't have gotten so excited and talked so much.
She'd chattered for hours about the Marian training plan, assuming he'd empathize, but his mind was probably only on the illegitimate finding her use. Irritation welled up for no reason. It was already night outside. She'd essentially stood Marian up, and feeling guilty, she hurried back to her bedroom.
And there.
"Aigoo...."
She found Marian asleep, clutching a snow dome where snow fell endlessly over the polar bear family. She'd clearly tried her best to hold out, but exhausted from using mana to craft something for the first time, she'd dozed off. So, what Chloe needed to do for such a Marian was simple.
"Mmm, Chloe's...."
"Yes, it's mine, miss."
"Hehe...."
She gently removed the snow dome from the soundly sleeping Marian's arms and laid her down properly against the bed's headboard. Then she tidied the table, a mess from all the materials used. Since she hadn't kept her promise to put Marian to bed, she'd at least watch until she woke. Cleaning was a bonus.
#
"Ugh...."
Marian rubbed her bleary eyes and sat up. There was Chloe. Her teacher with long golden hair reaching her waist—Chloe. With it braided down, her hair might even be longer than it appeared. Anyway.
"Chloe?"
The important thing was that Chloe was right there in front of her. The person she wanted to see every single day. The absolute best person. No words she knew could fully describe her. Chloe was there.
"Why didn't you come yesterday! Yesterday! I! Really!"
She'd finally made the snow dome, but this betrayer and liar hadn't shown her face until she'd collapsed from exhaustion. Tears like chick peas welled up from the sorrow of being abandoned even by the Chloe she trusted, reddening her eyes. But.
"Ah, don't cry. Don't cry. That's why I felt so sorry I stayed by your side all night, right?"
"For real...? All night?"
"Yes, for real. I spent the whole night just looking at your face."
"Why look at my face?"
"Because it's pretty? Cute? Adorable?"
"Sheesh...."
As Chloe launched her skilled praise offensive, the tears retreated, replaced by a goofy grin.
"Idiot."
"Yes, I'm an idiot who only has eyes for you, miss."
And Chloe didn't stop there. That cold-blooded Haksen had essentially handed Marian's ownership to her, telling her to raise an assassin however she liked.
"You really only have eyes for me?"
"Of course. I don't have family. So you're my one and only family."
"We're really family?"
"Naturally. I spend the most time with you, miss. And you're the one who spends the most time with me. We're already like family. Or whatever."
"Then bathe with me."
"Pardon...?"
"Families bathe together in fairy tales! The queen always bathes the princess!"
"Uh...."
"You like me as much as the queen likes the princess, right? A duke's daughter is like a princess, and you're my, my.... Mom? Big sister? Anyway, like family!"
"Got it. Sure. Whatever."
There was no need to hold back now. Chloe planned to raise Marian with overflowing affection.
"For real...?"
"Would I say it if it wasn't? Guess I should tell Arona and Perona to prepare the bath as soon as they arrive."
Marian was the only one who could fill Chloe's own lack of family love. They shared the same void. Only they could understand each other, only they could satisfy each other's desires.
Is it okay to do this with a kid...?
Chloe, too, was healing her long loneliness through Marian. In some ways, she might be more pathetic than Haksen. Unlike him, who at least provided for Marian's food, clothing, and shelter as blood obligation, Chloe would heal her solitude and leave the Grand Duke's castle in five years.
"Bath time. Bath.... Hehe...."
But for now, she was so happy. No problem at all, right?