HSDTVM| Chapter 6

Episode 6

“…Riheel?”

Luel asked gruffly.

“He already ate, took his medicine, and is sleeping. You should sleep too, Luel.”

Luel nodded his head big and dug into the bed. Only when Ilia saw him that did she leave the room.

“Did Luel eat?”

“Yes. Luckily, he ate well today.”

The head maid gave Ilia a surprised look. It had been so hard getting Luel to eat or take medicine before. But now, seeing how Ilia had melted his wariness, it made sense that Luel, who liked pretty things, had started to like Ilia.

This also made the Duke’s family, including the head maid, like Ilia more.

Two days had passed since Ilia spoke to the butler, and finally, she got to meet Norman. Norman was one of the busiest people in the Duke’s family, handling all the family affairs since the Duke and Duchess passed away.

Still, Norman, who had heard a lot about Ilia from the Duke’s family, made time to meet her.

Norman opened the Duke’s office to meet Ilia. Even though she was young, Ilia was to be the lady of the Duke’s family, and since Norman was technically an outsider, it was the most fitting place to meet.

Ilia, who was dressed neatly for the meeting, visited the office.

It smelled like thick oak wood. This was exactly the kind of setting one would expect in a romance novel, right?

“Hello.”

Ilia greeted with as much politeness as she could muster, trying to look respectful but also elegant. She wanted to make a good first impression on Norman.

Luckily, from the way Norman looked at her, it didn’t seem like he was too disappointed. In the original story, Norman had been the one to track Ilia and tell Riheel her location.

“Hello, Lady.”

Norman received Ilia’s greeting with a calm smile.

“The weather seems really nice today. Lord Norman, have you decided to invest in the Sprout Research Institute?”

This was a very important question. Ilia needed the medicine to help Luel fight his illness.

“Of course,” Norman nodded. He had heard about the Sprout Research Institute from the butler but didn’t believe it at first. He thought the royal family was just using the young girl for money. But after spending five days looking into the research institute, he found out Ilia was telling the truth.

The Sprout Research Institute was researching medicine that could not only help those with Kerrita disease but also those with magic stones growing inside their bodies.

In fact, the medicine for Kerrita disease had progressed enough to ease the pain of those suffering from it.

Norman was so moved by this that he almost wanted to pick up the squirrel-like lady and carry her around. But he held himself back, remembering that Ilia was sensitive and cried easily.

Norman quickly cleared his throat to suppress the feelings of affection building up inside him.

“I’ve decided to invest in the Sprout Research Institute, and in return, they’ve promised to provide medicine once a week.”

“Wow! That’s such a relief!” Ilia, smiling brightly, looked just like a girl who resembled a squirrel.

Her kindness was as soft as silk.

Actually, there were three potential brides the royal family had suggested for the Duke’s family. The Emperor, who was a playboy, had many illegitimate daughters, and it was Norman who chose Ilia. He felt like he wanted to bow deeply to his past self for choosing her.

He remembered that an old woman once told him that pink and purple were lucky colors for the Duke’s family. He was glad he remembered that! Of course, he could only think like this because he didn’t know the real Ilia.

Norman secretly planted seeds of affection for the squirrel-like lady in his heart.

“And Lord Norman, I have one more proposal for you.”

Ilia swallowed hard and cautiously started speaking. She wasn’t sure how to explain this, but it had to be done. Norman’s success in the medical field would be important later, but it needed to be accelerated. There were people in the Duke’s family who could benefit from the medicine, and saving them would help Riheel and Luel.

Norman leaned in closer, signaling that he was listening intently.

“Anything.”

“Well, I heard that in the Colosseum Empire, there’s a medical method called ‘surgery.’”

“Colosseum, huh… I’ve heard their medical field is very advanced.”

Ilia thought she should reveal her sources to add credibility to her suggestion.

She whispered in a secretive voice.

“This is really, really secret.”

This was probably the safest approach.

“Please, go ahead.”

“While I was at the royal palace, I overheard some people talking about it.”

Norman’s eyes lit up. “Ah, so you overheard it secretly! I’ll keep it a secret, Lady.”

He didn’t need to know the source of the story; he would just take her word for it.

“If surgery can remove the magic stones from people’s bodies…”

“…I should contact them right away.”

Norman didn’t question Ilia’s words. The best way to protect her secret was for him to discreetly investigate. It was a much more gentlemanly approach.

The head maid had told him that ladies usually have many secrets, so it wasn’t hard to go along with Ilia’s story.

Plus, if surgery could indeed remove the magic stones, it would not only advance the medical field in the empire but also raise the Duke’s family’s status and, on a more material level, make them money.

Norman’s mind started racing, thinking about sending doctors the Duke’s family was supporting abroad for further study.

Ilia’s secret plan was starting to fall into place.

Norman looked at Ilia with respect.

“Well, then, I’ll go ahead and handle this. I’ll make sure to report back to you, Lady.”

“Yes!” Ilia answered confidently. Everything was going according to the plan she had set out. If things continued this way, she’d be able to help Riheel and Luel soon.

For a week after Riheel woke up, he observed Ilia carefully. He knew she was older than him—she was 12, two years older than him—but sometimes it felt like she was more mature than that. She gave orders confidently and helped manage the Duke’s affairs.

As the head of the Duke’s family, Riheel was often sick, which meant that Ilia had to take on many responsibilities. No one could blame her for it. She didn’t complain and worked hard. Even though no one told her to do it, Ilia helped run things at the Duke’s mansion.

No one could dislike someone who worked hard, and it was clear to everyone that Ilia had been earning their trust. She had been caring for Riheel and Luel without any complaints for an entire month.

One day, while Riheel was deep in thought, Ilia called out to him.

“Riheel, do you know who Count Hirozen is?”

“…They are the family that deals with grain for the Duke’s family.”

“Ah, thanks! One more thing!”

Ilia eagerly turned the page of her notes. Her tiny hands were struggling with the thick documents.

“Why is the price of barley suddenly so much higher? It doesn’t seem that necessary right now.”

“…It’s because there’s no one else in the Duke’s family to take charge, so they’re trying to take advantage of it.”

“Ah.”

Ilia nodded seriously this time.

Actually, Ilia had read the entire novel, but she didn’t know the small details about the Duke’s family affairs. She planned to help until Riheel recovered and could take over properly, so she asked questions and worked hard to learn.

‘Even so, how could they sell something unnecessary for so much money? What do they think I am, just some poor citizen from Korea?’

Ilia decided to reject this deal and let Norman handle the negotiations with the same method they were using. She would send a letter to Norman for that.

As Riheel watched Ilia write the letter with determination, he couldn’t help but admire how hard she was working. She wasn’t shy about asking questions, unlike other royalty. Ilia was more mature than most 12-year-olds.

And she… was a crybaby too.