Chapter 04
But instead of the pain I expected, my body floated lightly into the air.
Startled, I opened my eyes and met the golden gaze of the Duke.
The Duke didn’t hit me or curse. He simply lifted me up.
“You had to hurt your leg, didn’t you? Now I have to carry you myself.”
While I was panicking at the completely unexpected situation, the Duke, still holding me, headed somewhere.
The place he arrived at was the infirmary.
He gently placed me on a white bed, knelt on one knee in front of me, and examined my wound.
“Does it hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
I nodded calmly.
It’s not like my leg was cut off or anything. This was nothing.
Then the Duke began to clean my wound with a cotton swab soaked in disinfectant.
It stung a little, but it was bearable.
“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?”
“Yes.”
But it seemed the Duke didn’t like my brave response.
With a complicated expression, he looked at me, then rummaged through a drawer full of medicine.
‘What’s his problem? Was I supposed to say it hurts? Does he, like the Evil Dragon, prefer seeing me in pain?’
While I was lost in thought, the Duke came over and handed me a black pill.
“Take this.”
The small, round black pill looked just like the ones the Evil Dragon used to give me.
‘Those used to make my stomach feel like it was ripping apart…’
I looked at him, unsure if I really had to take it, but the Duke’s face was firm.
“Take it. Or do I need to feed it to you myself?”
From experience, I knew better than to resist at times like this.
I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the pill the Duke gave me.
“Huh?”
Contrary to my expectations, the pain in my knee disappeared instead of my stomach being torn apart.
Looking down, I saw the gash in my knee healing.
Not just that—the bruises all over my arms and legs were disappearing too.
‘This is such a rare medicine that even the Clasta family probably has trouble getting it… Why would he give it to me? Ah, maybe he’s worried I’ll die too soon from being sick?’
Well, if the successor he brought in died less than a week after arriving, people would definitely laugh.
While I was nodding to myself, I met the Duke’s gaze again—he was leaning against the desk, watching me.
‘He really is good-looking.’
The pressure he gave off made it hard for ordinary people to meet his eyes, but when you actually examined him, he was probably the best-looking man I’d ever seen.
Still, what caught my attention more than the Duke was the apple in a basket behind him.
The shiny red apple looked freshly picked and absolutely delicious.
‘I want it…’
The porridge I’d eaten for dinner had long since been digested.
As I stared at the Duke, he asked,
“What? Do you have something to say?”
Ack, maybe he didn’t like me looking at him.
I quickly lowered my eyes, and the Duke ran a hand through his hair irritably.
“Your leg. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Oh, that’s what this is about.
I didn’t expect him to be so bothered by such a minor injury.
‘He’s actually a better person than I thought.’
“I know. I’m fine.”
The Duke then crossed his arms and looked at me again, seemingly annoyed.
He was a hard person to understand.
An awkward silence followed, and I just kept glancing at the apple behind him, unable to even say I wanted to leave.
As time passed, the apple looked more and more delicious.
The Duke noticed my gaze, picked up the apple, and asked,
“Do you want this?”
I hesitated, then nodded.
He had treated my injuries, so I didn’t think he’d get mad over something like this.
He tossed the apple to me.
‘Is the Duke of Clasta an angel?’
After all, no one who gives food can be that bad.
Excited, I bit into the apple.
With a crisp crunch, sweet juice filled my mouth.
‘This is the best apple I’ve ever had.’
I was happily munching away when the Duke asked with an incredulous voice,
“You call that eating?”
What now?
Looking at the apple, I saw that my small bites had made it look kind of ugly.
“It looks like a rat nibbled on it.”
Hey, I’m eating what you gave me—no need to insult me.
“Give it here.”
He levitated the apple with magic, then sliced it into eight even pieces in an instant.
He looked at me as if asking, ‘Impressed?’
I used to be able to do that in my past life, too.
Apparently not satisfied with my reaction, he peeled the apple in midair.
“Rabbit.”
“?”
I tilted my head in confusion, and he floated another apple, slicing it midair again.
“This one’s a swan.”
‘It all tastes the same once it’s in your mouth…’
I tilted my head the other way. The Duke asked,
“Isn’t it cool?”
“…It’s amazing!”
Afraid he might take the apple away again, I clapped enthusiastically.
“Say ah.”
I opened my mouth wide to receive the apple.
The apple floated toward me but stopped right in front of my mouth.
I looked at the Duke in confusion, and he smirked.
“I’m not giving it to you.”
‘How mean!’
Nothing’s worse than giving and taking back.
Seeing my expression, the Duke chuckled.
“Alright. Now say ah again.”
I obediently opened my mouth, but once again, he took it back at the last second.
Why offer if you’re not going to give it?
“Don’t look at me like that. This time for real—say ah.”
With a heavy dose of suspicion, I opened my mouth again, and this time, he really did give me the apple.
The sweet taste spread in my mouth, and my mood instantly improved.
‘She’s a strange one.’
The Duke of Clasta lay sprawled on a sofa, tossing an apple up and down with one hand.
His first impression of Ariel had been of a girl who was expressionless, quiet, and not cute at all for a child.
But when given an apple, she blushed with joy. And when he took it back, she looked at him like he was the worst villain in the world.
‘She was totally unfazed by her injury, but apples make her react like that?’
He was lost in thought when someone banged urgently on the door.
“Come in.”
As soon as permission was given, the door flew open and Orwell burst in, nearly screaming.
“Master! Did you use Tears of Silettia from the infirmary?!”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Aaaaah! Are you insane?! Do you even understand what that item is?! It takes at least 50 years to acquire that! We only had three, and now there are only TWO left!”
The Duke answered casually, as if wondering why a dog was barking somewhere.
“It’s the best medicine, isn’t it?”
“Of course! It’s so powerful it can bring someone back from the brink of death! That’s why it’s called a second life! And you used it on what?! What did you even use it on?!”
“To treat an injury. Her knee was messed up.”
“You used Tears of Silettia to treat a scraped knee?! Are you actually insane?! Couldn’t you have just used some red ointment?!”
‘Yeah… that probably would’ve worked.’
But he didn’t.
He’d only pushed her slightly, but misjudged his strength.
He thought she’d stumble a little—not collapse completely.
When he turned back, she was sitting perfectly still like a doll.
It felt wrong, so he approached, and saw both her knees were scraped and bleeding.
If she’d cried and made a fuss, he might’ve ignored it.
But with bruised limbs, she simply stared at him as if to say, This is nothing.
When their red eyes met, he realized—
This child was used to violence.
And he didn’t like that.
On impulse, he took her to the infirmary and used the precious medicine.
As Orwell continued his tirade, the Duke said,
“Sending the orphanage director to prison was too kind. Maybe I should drag them out and kill them instead.”
From the moment he first saw her, it was clear she’d been through hell.
Just how much abuse had she suffered to end up like that?
“What nonsense are you spouting?! Anyway, the Tears of Silettia…!”
“I used it on the kid. It’s mine, and I wanted to use it. Is that a problem? I have a headache from not sleeping, so enough already.”
The Duke’s annoyed tone made Orwell fall silent and ask instead, worriedly,
“You didn’t sleep last night either, sir?”
“No.”
He hadn’t slept in a while.
He’d gotten used to the headaches that followed.
Still, mentioning that was a good way to shut Orwell up.
“In any case, since you used it on the young lady, her wounds and bruises should be gone. The Elder Council has been asking to see her. Perfect timing—we’ll formally introduce her tomorrow.”
“Fine.”
“I hope she lasts long enough.”
The Duke closed his eyes as Orwell continued to speak.
It still bothered him—but just a little.
He had no intention of forming any emotional attachment.
“This is my daughter, Ariel.”
At the Duke’s declaration, silence fell over the wide conference hall.
“You seemed so concerned about my heir, so I brought her myself.”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“Are you serious?! Making some unknown girl the heir of House Clasta?!”
“Do you know how much ridicule this will bring from other noble houses?!”
Still, they were nobles, so no one used any actual profanity.
‘Well, if all I have to do is endure some insults to become heir to the Duke’s house, then I’m the one who wins.’
I thought it would end quickly, but the Elder Council was more persistent than expected.
Standing without a chair, I was silently enduring their verbal abuse when Orwell gestured for Mary to take me out for a break.
‘We haven’t talked much, but Orwell seems like a good person.’
“Young Lady, shall we go for a short walk nearby? There’s a place where the flowers are blooming beautifully—I’ll show you how to make a flower crown.”
“Okay.”
While enjoying the flower field with Mary, someone suddenly shouted at me.
“Hey! You there!”
A boy, around twelve, with a sturdy build and well-trained presence, approached.
He held a jewel-encrusted sword, probably just back from training.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
I blinked in silence, and he reached to grab my head.
I quickly dodged out of the way.
The boy huffed like an angry bull.
“As if it wasn’t annoying enough hearing that the Duke adopted some brat… Who is this girl?!”
When he yelled at Mary, she hesitated and looked at me nervously.
She seemed worried the boy would cause a bigger scene if he learned the truth.
“Well…”
That only made him angrier. He raised his sword toward Mary.
“Spit it out! Is this brat the one the Duke adopted?!”
Mary had always been kind to me.
And now he was trying to hit her?
I saw red.
I threw aside the flowers I was holding and launched a kick straight at the boy.
