The eyes of a pretty child with a red ribbon in her hair filled with year, and soon began tearing up. Then the child began crying, as if the world was ending.
She was having a seizure, as if she saw a monster.
Duke Paul Voreoti, whose face was filled with annoyance, frowned and waved his hands.
One of the orphanage staff members, who had been watching nervously behind the door, quickly took the child out.
As the child’s crying faded away, a voice spoke.
“How long do I have to put up with this?”
Whew, his black hair swayed with his short sigh.
His uninterested black eyes were filled with boredom, and Paul soon turned to leave after staring at where the child had been for a moment.
There was a bottle of whiskey on the orphanage director’s desk.
“You’re the one who asked for it, Duke.”
His secretary, Loupe, replied.
“This is a new record.”
“What is?”
“All the kids cried when they saw your face, Duke.”
This was the fifth orphanage Paul had visited.
“They all get so scared after seeing his excellency’s face……”
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since my sword has drawn blood.”
“……They’re quite rude, aren’t they? This is the problem with kids.”
They weren’t able to see the Duke’s greatness. Loupe, who quickly changed his attitude, was also exhausted.
They were in a hurry to return to the Voreoti mansion, but it was tiring because they had to stop by every orphanage.
Loupe stared at the back of Paul’s head.
Paul Voreoti, ruler of the Voreoti land, which was famous for its violent and dangerous nature, was famous for his looks in two different ways.
The first was his handsome looks, and the other was his violent look.
His hair and eyes were black, his light colored lips were just the right thickness, his nose and chin were sharp, and his neckline was also well built.
His body was also revealed clearly through his thick clothes due to his long training.
On top of it, he belonged to one of the only two Dukedoms in the entire empire.
He was the most popular husband material in the empire.
However, despite being like this, Paul’s violence was enough to hide even his handsome looks.
He was a representation of how the ‘beasts of the north’ held power in their eyes and could kill with a single look.
Even Loupe, who had worked by his side for a long time, got scared from time to time, so how could those children not?
‘But why does he suddenly want a child…….’
Loupe thought of what had caused this mess.
‘I’m going to adopt a child.’
After returning from the royal palace, Paul threw his coat to the butler and said this nonchalantly.
And he really was going to every single orphanage on the way home and making all the children cry.
‘He should just get married instead.’
Then he’ll have a child of his own, even if it does take a while. Loupe couldn’t understand Paul at all.
Although he was violent, he was still the most popular husband candidate in the empire.
The number of women and families who wanted him was neverending.
Loupe then thought of what happened last winter. There was a false rumor that Duke Voreoti was planning on getting married, and families whose daughters were at the age to marry began sending letters to the mansion, and because of this, winter had been a bit warmer than usual.
“Was that the last child?”
Loupe had been thinking about the warm fire that didn’t go out thanks to all the papers he had burned, but returned to reality at Paul’s voice.
“With the last one, we have seen all 18 childs in this orphanage.”
Loupe signaled with his eyes at a knight standing nearby. Understanding his message, the knight left first and told the others to prepare for departure.
Paul and Loupe appeared when the huge carriage was ready for departure in front of the orphanage.
“Are you leaving already?”
The orphanage director followed Paul, rubbing his palms together. Despite the chilly weather, the director’s red face was oily and sweaty.
“We’re sorry we weren’t able to treat you well enough.”
His expression seemed way too relieved compared to his statement.
At the same time, he revealed his greed.
“They are truly beautiful and angelic children. They’ve used up all the luck in their lives now that they’ve met his excellency. But I’m not sure if they’ll last, since winter is coming up.”
Loupe was skeptical.
All the orphanages they had been to were not in good states. However they still prepared warm clothes for the children, and the facilities looked taken care of, to a certain extent.
But that was not the case for this place.
The playground looked as if it had been in ruins for a long time, and the glass window hidden behind a huge vase was broken, and the walls were cracked.
It showed how disinterested the director was in operating the orphanage.
It was the same with the children.
In the other orphanages, the kids would go looking for their teachers after running away from the Duke, but the children here flinched when the staff or teachers grabbed them.
Currently, Paul was going around these orphanages, using his intention to donate to them as an excuse to look for a child to adopt.
So this place would also receive the Voreoti family’s support.
When thinking of how the director would take all the money instead of using it to operate the orphanage, Loupe, for the first time, was unwilling to spend the Voreoti family’s money.
‘Although it’s nothing more than dust compared to the Voreoti family’s wealth.”
Right then.
“Nia!”
A sharp scream came from behind.
Everyone turned around to see who dared to disturb the Duke on his way out.
And there was a teacher from the orphanage, scolding a child with a flustered expression.
“Let go of me!”
The child bit the man’s hand with all her might.
“Ack!”
When the man let go of her, the child quickly ran and stood in front of the Duke.
The Duke, who had been the only one to not turn around, scanned the child from head to toe.
Her greasy hair and dirty clothes caught his attention first.
The children from before had at least been clean.
But this child was not washed, and not brought to see him. Her clothes were even worse than the rags the maids at the mansion used to clean.
However, her eyes sparkled like a jewel in a pile of dirt.
“Old man!”
Loupe and the knights gasped at the child’s word choice. How dare she call Duke Voreoti an old man? It was a statement that could cost her her life.
A few knights turned blue, as if their lives were the ones in danger.
“……Oh gosh.”
Loupe, who had finally gotten a hold of his senses, also gasped at the child’s fearlessness.
She was the first child who did not cry after seeing Paul.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
‘Her hair and eyes……!’
The child’s hair and eyes were black, just like Paul’s.
“W-We’re sorry! We’ll get rid of her immediately…….”
Paul raised his hand to stop the director from moving.
The director, who was about to drag the child away, flinched. His body was trembling from the Duke’s gaze.
“Loupe.”
Loupe quickly thought of the list of children at Paul’s voice.
“She was not on the list of children sent to us.”
The director quickly began making excuses.
“T-The thing is, that child has terrible manners, and she just makes a mess all the time……”
“That’s your excuse for lying to the Duke? Didn’t I tell you that the Duke wishes to see all the children in the orphanage?”
“I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me……!”
The director quickly got on his knees at Loupe’s anger and lowered his gaze. The other teachers did the same.
The child stared at the adults acting this way in awe.
“So.”
A voice grabbed the child’s attention.
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t have one.”
“You should have a name, even if you’re from an orphanage, no?”
“The adults call me ‘Nia’, but I hate that name.”
They always referred to her as ‘hey’, but called her Nia during times like these.
She had been so shocked when the director told her that the name came from a prostitute in an adult genre novel he had read.
Paul gazed into the child’s sparkling eyes.
“……You’re fearless.”
Paul’s black eyes filled with a red color, symbolizing violence. A strange aura squeezed the orphanage’s atmosphere.
The child shrinked her body, but did not run or fold her straightened arms and legs.
“Do you have any idea who you’re disturbing?”
The child’s arms began trembling when he began threatening her Her expression was filled with fear for the first time. Even her eyes began to water.
“It wouldn’t be strange even if I killed you on the spot.”
The child trembled even more when Paul took a step towards her.
Even so, the child did not step back. She clenched her teeth and held it in.
“…….”
Right then, Paul stopped in his tracks.
The Duke looked at the child’s eyes, which were similar to his. Her eyes sparkled for a moment, as if someone had sprinkled gold flakes on them.
“……Baby beast.”
Paul murmured.
Satisfied of his own statement, Paul rubbed his chin and examined the child.
It was interesting that she didn’t not back away despite her fear.
“Indeed, that name does not suit you.”
Such a calm and soft name did not suit the fearless child of a beast.
His black-red eyes calmed down and soon returned to its pure black state. Paul gave the child a more suitable name.
“Leonia Voreoti.”
The child’s mouth widened.
“……It’s too long.”
“Leonia is the name, you idiot.”
“I’m not an idiot!”
“We’ll have to call in a teacher once we get back home.”
Muttering that there was a lot of things to teach her, Paul grabbed Leonia and tossed her into the carriage. Leonia screamed in fake pain as she landed on the soft seat.
Loupe and knights watched in shock.
“……Y-Your excellency!”
Loupe clinged onto the carriage handle.
“Wait! What is going on……!”
Something even more shocking happened.
Paul, who was often referred to as the black beast, was pressing a finger on Leonia’s forehead and laughing.
“You old man!”
Getting mad, Leonia glared at Paul.
“Do you enjoy making fun of kids?”
“It’s more enjoyable than I expected.”
“Gasp, this old man must be a pervert!”
“Watch your language.”
Maybe this was why old men sighed whenever they talked about their children.
Paul let go of Leonia while thinking of this.
Leonia opened her eyes wide and growled. She really was like a baby beast.
“Leonia.”
Paul called his daughter’s name.
In the crest of the Voreoti family that was on the carriage, there was a black lion roaring.
A lion (Leonia) that was roaring (Paul).
There was no name that could suit Lady Voreoti more than this one.
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HIDDEN LABORATORY: Hello! This is the first chapter of the novel the Hidden Laboratory will be working on! The plan is to have weekly updates, but depending on the translator’s real life issues, schedules may change! Thank you for understanding!