“When it gets cold enough to freeze, ice forms first in the tower here. They say that the ice shines like a star from afar.”
“It’s wonderful. ”
When Ariel spoke, Allen’s expression softened in a moment.
He had an infinite sense of pride in this mansion and this family.
With less tension, he began to brag a little more about the wealth of the Grand Duke.
“This building is the capital’s grandest residence, and there are two more mansions in the estate.”
“Two more? “
“Yes, it’s just in case of a generation separation, and one is bigger than the capital city, the other one is a little small but very colorful. You and the Grand Duke will inherit it when you become adults.”
‘I don’t think that will happen.’
When she becomes an adult, Lucian and her marriage will be over.
Ariel closed her mouth and nodded only.
“It’s not a large garden due to lack of land, but the estate has a large area.”
“This…is a small garden? “
Ariel had already seen the garden where they are right now.
The garden can be clearly seen through the window of her new room.
It definitely doesn’t look small no matter how she looks at it.
But the old butler Allen continued with a look of regret.
“Some gardens of the land were so wide that they sometimes hold horse racing or hunting competitions in there.”
‘Uh…I don’t think that’s still a garden.’
Ariel couldn’t even imagine how big the alternate archaic estate was.
Maybe that’s why she suddenly wondered.
“Well, by the way, Allen.”
“Yes, milady.”
“Umm….The mansion is so spacious, how do you clean it all?”
Allen’s expression grew unusual when he heard her naive question.
He looked as if he were holding back his laughter.
‘Ah, did I said something wrong?’
But for Ariel, it was a really valid question.
She saw the maids sweep and wipe here and there all day long when she still lived in the Marquis.
It took a great deal of labor to keep an aristocratic mansion clean.
But she heard from Susan that there aren’t that many people who work for the Grand Duke.
But Ariel still hasn’t seen a single dusty spot while she was walking around.
Allen cleared his throat, rebuking himself, who almost laughed upon hearing Ariel’s question.
“Ehem, ehm. About that… “
The new Young Lady had the ability to release even his serious and solemn self.
He finally came to his senses and answered.
“There is a wizard dedicated to the Grand Duke here. He does the large-scale housework.”
Ariel’s eyes were as big as glass.
‘There’s a wizard here?!’
She had never heard of anything like this from Lucian. Ariel seemed very surprised and Allen explained further calmly.
“He wasn’t doing housework from the beginning. He was originally the head wizard of the imperial family….”
Ariel’s jaw dropped a little lower.
The Head Wizard of the Imperial Household?!
“But he quit for some reason, stayed here as a guest, and established a small business…”
Ariel was completely speechless.
‘T-then, what for did I offer Lucian to be his magician for?’
‘Did he thought of making me a cleaning servant?’
‘Is that why he told me to get stronger?’
‘Shouldn’t I learn some magic now that is useful for cleaning then?
Regardless of Ariel’s confusing situation, Allen continued.
“He’s not only cleaning, but also controlling the temperature of the mansion.”
“He’s controlling the temperature?”
“Yes… “
Ariel replied in a low voice, full of worries,
‘What if I was just a petty wizard to Lucian?’
So Ariel looked around the mansion with Allen all morning, but the mansion was so big that she could only look around a fraction. She wondered if they even had seen even a tenth of it.
Allen checked the watch he was wearing in his vest pocket.
“It’s time for your snack. I’ll leave you alone.”
“Ah.”
Ariel realized why she was hungry.
‘It’s because it’s time for snacks.’
Allen took Ariel to Susan himself.
“I’ll show you the gallery with artworks and sculptures in the East Wing tomorrow.”
“Yes! Allen, thank you.”
Ariel greeted him brightly and Allen bowed politely.
“No, I’ve only done my job.”
“I’ve learned a lot from Allen.”
Ariel held Allen’s wrinkled hands and leaned her cheek against it.
“See you tomorrow, Allen.”
After Ariel followed Susan’s footsteps and disappeared, the old butler Allen paused at the spot.
It was unusual behavior for Allen, who worked for the Grand Duke did not sit still even for a moment.
The old butler Allen, who had stopped, looked down at his hands.
“……”
The warm warmth from the little girl’s soft cheeks remained in his hands.
--------
Susan served a savory yellow cheese cookie and a cup of milk as a snack.
Ariel who tasted the flavor of the fragrant cheese cookies now has cookie crumbs on her lips.
Susan taught her to put cookies in milk.
“If you soak cookies in milk and eat them, you will feel more flavor.”
“……I’ll try.”
Ariel dipped the yellow cookie in milk and took a bite.
It was crispy when she ate it as it is, but it melted smoothly when she ate it soaked in milk because it’s wet.
“It’s delicious!”
Susan laughed.
“The chef’s been putting a lot of effort into baking cookies lately. I’ll bring you more in the future.”
‘I can’t believe I can eat such delicious cookies often.’
She doesn’t know why the chef is suddenly eager to bake cookies, but Ariel thought it was very lucky.
After finishing the snack, Susan said to Ariel.
“By the way, the Grand Duke sent a doctor for the young lady today.”
“Is the doctor….going to talk to me?”
“Yes. “
Ariel, instinctively afraid of the doctor, hurriedly made excuses.
“I’m not sick.”
“She’s not here because you’re sick, she’s here to see how much better you’re going to grow. You don’t have to worry.”
Susan explained kindly.
Ariel is still scared, but she managed to nod her head when Susan coaxed her.
The doctor of the Grand Duke is a woman in her thirties.
The Grand Duke had both male doctors for men and female doctors for women.
He followed the law even when he had not been able to have a lady in the house for decades.
So the female doctor who had been called was a person who had been working on medical research for years without a patient.
“Hello, ma’am. My name is Miller.”
Dr. Miller greeted her.
She felt different from friendly Susan and courteous Allen.
‘Very professional and intelligent?’
Ariel feels like she can trust Miller because she looks so confident.
Moreover, Miller, who has a suitcase, looked so cool.
“I’m Ariel. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes. Then, I will ask you some questions for a medical examination.”
Miller saw Ariel as a patient, not as the lady or a child of this house.
She didn’t ask Susan who was next to Ariel about her condition just because she was young, She asked her directly.
“How is your appetite in the morning? How is your digestion?”
Ariel, feeling respected as a person, tried to answer sincerely.
But when Miller saw Ariel’s body, her face which had been so calm all along visibly hardened.
“This…. “
Miller was speechless when she saw the scars all over Ariel’s body.
The scars that Susan saw as very severe did not appear to be unusual in the eyes of Dr. Miller.
Dr. Miller wrote down quickly in her notebook.
[Traces of habitual assault. Presumably caused by an adult man.
Scars and bruises all over the body.
There is also a scab on the inner scalp of the hair, so it looks like he grabbed her hair and pulled it hard.]
Miller had Ariel move her arms, legs, and shoulders slowly.
“……fortunately, no bones or joints have been damaged.”
Growing tall is close to impossible when joints got damaged when young.
Dr. Miller breathed a sigh of relief.
Ariel recalled what would have happened if she hadn’t come here and got married.
Perhaps she will never be able to use her left leg properly. Just like in the past.
Miller, who had touched all Ariel’s scars, concluded.
“You’re still young, so if you eat well and rest well, most of the marks will heal and disappear…but some places are too severe. It’ll probably leave a scar when you grow up.”
Susan’s face hardened at Miller’s words.
The doctor told her some precautions about diet and exercise, prescribed medicine to strengthen her body, and then went back.
After the doctor returned, Ariel looked at Susan.
Susan seemed to be feeling low for some reason.
She didn’t smile sweetly, nor pat her on the head. Ariel approached Susan out of concern.
“Susan, what’s wrong? Did I… do something wrong?”
Susan, who was busy cleaning her room, sighed and turned to Ariel.
She held the little girl’s body tightly.
Ariel is not Susan’s own.
Even if the atmosphere was a little bad, she felt sorry for a child who immediately looked at the mood of an adult.
She was like a young animal who gave her heart to her because she was hungry for affection.
“You did nothing wrong. It’s just that I’m heartbroken.”
“Because of me? “
“……”
Susan kept thinking about what the doctor said.
‘That means you’ll still have scars when you grow up.’
Ariel had it hard.
“I’m fine now. My fa….ther, I won’t see him anymore. I’m not in pain anymore. I’m fine.”
Susan gently swept Ariel’s back.
“It’s not like that, young lady.”
Susan, who took Ariel off, pointed to the girl’s chest.
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“Sometimes body wounds leave scars here, too. And the scar inside it is much, much harder to erase.”
“Susan… “
“So young lady. You don’t have to say you’re okay when you’re not. It should be the most precious word in the world. Do you understand?”
◆◈◆◈◆◈
She thought Lucian was going to make her a cleaning wizard skssksksk why is she soo pure. I just wanna spoil her and make her happy oh my gosh, she even melt Allen’s heart. That last part was