Episode 26
Maybe he knew what I was doing but pretended not to see it.
His dark hair shining under the sunlight from the window, and his high nose bridge.
Even though he looked tired back then, his red eyes were more beautiful than any jewel. I used to look at him and quietly wish for his well-being.
—
“Your Grace, the Duke sent this blanket because it’s cold.”
Some days it was a blanket.
—
“Your Highness, the Duke told me to give you this. Would you like to try?”
Other days it was snacks.
Your kind and caring ways—though they seemed indifferent—made me keep coming back to that place.
—
“Ah! I shouldn’t be thinking about this now. Focus on what I have to do!”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
‘If Joseph really met someone at the party, I need to check who was there and who they’re connected to.’
I nodded seriously and raised my small hand. With my chubby fingers, I grabbed a feather pen tightly and started writing my big plan.
[Secret Mission: Find “X”!]
- Check guest list
- Investigate who they know
- Get witness statements
- Create a chance to meet again
‘What else should I do…?’
While I was focusing and writing more, someone suddenly spoke.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
I jumped in surprise at the unexpected voice.
“Y-Your Highness? Why are you here?”
Flustered, I quickly tried to hide the paper.
‘I’m doomed…’
He must’ve thought it looked suspicious. Just as I hugged the paper to my chest in panic…
“You’re so strange sometimes.”
Ian looked at me and chuckled, then sat down right in front of me.
He rested his chin on his hand and stared playfully with those red eyes.
“This place is for me, right? So why can’t I come?”
“W-Well, you usually don’t come…”
“True. But someone told me someone was using it, so I wanted to come too.”
He barely came after becoming the Duke’s heir!
Who told him I was here?! Come out now!
While I was angrily thinking…
“That.”
Ian pointed at me.
Specifically, at the arm I was using to hide the paper.
“Give it to me.”
“Nooo…”
“What is it?”
“It’s a… secret.”
“…Fine.”
He gave up quickly?
Well, even in the past, Ian never forced me to show things I wanted to keep hidden.
But then—
“Oh! Duchess!”
He looked out the window and shouted.
Without thinking, I looked too.
At that moment—
“Aah! No!”
Ian snatched the paper from me.
He tricked me… by pretending the Duchess was outside?!
I reached out to take it back, but Ian stood up. He held it high, out of my reach, and began reading it.
“What’s this? ‘Brush teeth after eating sweets’…?”
“I’ll tell the Duchess on you!”
I covered my face with my small hands, embarrassed.
But honestly—I was relieved.
Good thing I wrote nonsense just in case.
This was my backup plan all along!
“But if you brush your teeth every time you eat sweets, wouldn’t that be too often? You eat them a lot…”
“How do you know that?!”
He hit a nerve. Ouch.
“Seri said I might get cavities, so I wrote it down!”
“Cavities? You got cavities? Let me see.”
Ian carefully reached out to me.
His warm, bigger hand gently touched my chin. It felt strange.
“Say ‘ah~’.”
“Mwhuh dew yew kno~? (What do you know by looking~?)”
Ian pressed my squishy cheeks with his thumb and finger, making my words mushy.
“I have to check before it hurts. Come on.”
Feeling shy but wanting it over, I slowly opened my mouth.
His hand now supported the back of my head, and his red eyes looked only at me.
His face came closer—suddenly.
Just then, I looked up at him.
Wait… is this—
“Y-Your Highness!!”
I panicked and pushed his chest.
But my tiny hands didn’t do much.
Just when I started to really panic, Ian stepped back with a surprised face.
“A-Ah… sorry. I was just… worried.”
He turned red and looked away.
Trying to change the mood, he picked up the paper again.
“Observe how to pour tea… write in diary, go to bed…”
He was clearly flustered and couldn’t even focus on the words.
Both our faces turned red.
‘Actually… this might be perfect.’
I quickly pulled out my secret weapon—the line I wrote just in case Ian saw it.
[Practice using ability.]
Now that Ian seemed to be opening up more…
And Joseph was beginning to act strangely…
It was time for us to really begin something important.
We had to start now, even slowly.
I waited for Ian to read the next line.
But then his eyes changed. They turned cold.
Oops… was I too fast?
Did I mess up?
“…Who is ‘X’?”
“Uh… ‘X’?”
I glanced nervously at the desk.
The paper had slid out a bit and showed this:
[Secret Mission: Find “X”!]
“You must’ve seen it wrong!”
I quickly covered the paper.
But Ian just snorted.
“It’s clearly your handwriting.”
“Well…”
“Tell me. Who’s this ‘X’ you’re trying to find?”
Ian pressed me.
His voice wasn’t cold… more like sulky?
Still, I couldn’t tell him everything yet.
How could I say that his brother might be helping the imperial family?
‘What do I do?’
Suddenly, I had an idea.
‘Yes! That’s it!’
Having memories from my past life helps at times like this.
“There’s going to be a ‘Herod Festival’ among the townspeople soon!”
“…What?”
Ian looked confused, then suddenly nodded.
“Ah… yeah. They choose a ‘Herod of the Year’ every year.”
To the townspeople, the Vesperd family’s fire was a symbol of pride and protection.
The Herod Festival honored the first Duke Vesperd.
Each year, the one most like the first Duke was chosen and hints were spread around town.
The townspeople would try to guess who the new Herod would be using clues.
For example, if someone saved a child from drowning, clues would be: water, child, courage, etc.
And if someone cared for orphans all their life, clues would be: mercy, service, teacher.
“This year will be special too. The plague kept the festival from happening before.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
“We’re not going, but I told them to bring back the clue papers. It’ll be fun to guess.”
He didn’t see the bottom of the page, so this much of a lie should be fine… right?
“So… who do you think the Herod will be this year?”
“Hmm…”
I pretended to think hard, touching my chin like I was choosing a gift.
‘Who’s the Herod this year?’
Honestly, I think I know.
In my past life, the festival didn’t happen because of the plague.
So this is just a guess… but still…
