I'm sorry, it has grown into a trilogy... This is the middle part!
Life at the duke's mansion was peaceful.
...There were not a few people who gossiped, saying I was the child of a lover, but Lord Ryu-Ryu protected me. The duke also, as promised, gave me the opportunity to study.
Even so, I never thought of myself as their child—part of this household. I considered myself protected by kind adults because I was still young. I thought that naturally, I would leave on my own when I grew up.
Therefore, I was never sulking or being rebellious. However...
"Mio! You're going out again without permission...!"
I was grabbed by the nape of my neck like a stray cat and dangled by Lord Ryu-Ryu.
"A six-year-old girl going out alone is dangerous, you know? Really, how do you keep escaping? The mansion is surrounded by iron gates, and there are gatekeepers."
Lord Ryu-Ryu and the duke tilted their heads in confusion.
Actually, it's simple if you know the trick. I dug secret tunnels all over the garden, broke down stone walls and covered them with wooden boards, climbed over trees higher than the gate, and forged keys to the back gate... I did all this with the wisdom and strength of a six-year-old, quite normally.
I often fled the duke's mansion to look for work.
Childish wisdom? No, the capital at the time was economically unstable, children's rights were low, and child labor was rampant. Since I could read, write, and do arithmetic, there should have been jobs for me in the market.
Every time I went to the market, I was found by the Granado family's messenger.
Every time I was brought back, I was scolded severely. Lord Ryu-Ryu was always genuinely furious. Sometimes, he even shed tears—
"Don't worry me like that..."
—while holding a young boy in his arms.
I was cherished by both Lord Ryu-Ryu and the duke, raised as if I were their real child.
However... because of that. I thought this couldn't go on forever.
Their two biological children were this boy. At two years old, his dignified features were a perfect match for the duke. His skin, hair, and vivid green eyes were the same as Lord Ryu-Ryu's.
I, with my burnt brown hair and blue eyes, didn't resemble either of them at all. Of course not.
I wasn't their child—this was something I hadn't even considered until the boy was born. But every time I saw him, it felt like a harsh reality.
...Seeing that baby made me feel uneasy. I was scared and couldn't bear it. I wanted to leave this mansion as soon as possible. I wanted to escape before being kicked out or hearing the words, "After all, blood is thicker than water"—
I thought about nothing else every day.
Lord Ryu-Ryu never pressed me for the reason behind my escapes. He must have sensed something. He knew that words wouldn't change my mind.
There was a clear sign that I would eventually succeed in my escape. Perhaps next year.
However, one day...
"Mio, I have a favor to ask. Could you please take on a job?"
Lord Ryu-Ryu said this, clasping his hands in front of his face and bowing to me. What could it be? A delivery? I nodded—still a six-year-old girl—and he pressed his real son into my hands.
A two-year-old boy, standing upright with his arms and legs hanging, was fast asleep.
"...What?"
I looked back and forth between the boy and his mother, puzzled. Lord Ryu-Ryu gave me a playful wink.
"Cyros' babysitting. Please take care of him."
"...What?"
"See, I can only speak the kingdom's language so crudely. I don't want to pass that on to my son. Mio, you speak more beautifully, so please talk to Cyros a lot."
"E... E? E!?"
"To be honest, I'm tired of parenting! I thought he was finally weaned, but he keeps following me around and is a wild child. I'm so tired! Mio, please help me with babysitting?"
"Eh...?"
I understood what he was saying, but the situation was incomprehensible, and I was thoroughly confused—then, in the next moment, the boy in my arms let out a loud cry.
A baby's cry is not a cute thing. It's like a wild animal. A roar of a beast. Kicking and flailing, he flew out of my arms and clung to his mother. He seemed to be quite shy of strangers.
Lord Ryu-Ryu, holding both of us in his arms, smiled.
"At first, let's live together as a trio. Once Cyros understands that Mio is part of his family, he'll start to depend on you."
"Eh... E...?"
The wild animal—no, the two-year-old—didn't seem to mind being close to strangers as long as his mother was nearby. He looked at me intently, with a curious expression.
His small lips formed words.
"Big sister?"
"...I'm not your sister. I just lived with your mother before you were born..."
...That was just the truth, but a two-year-old couldn't understand it. I sighed and faced him, using the most polite language I could.
"My name is Mio. Nice to meet you, little boy."
The boy's green eyes were wide open. He looked a lot like the duke, with a strong and handsome face. He blinked his long, black eyelashes and looked at me... and the two-year-old 'little boy' whispered.
"I pooped."
I screamed and ran away.
After that, my life changed completely.
The little boy, who was shy on the first day, soon recognized me as a substitute mother. Whenever Lord Ryu-Ryu was absent, he followed me around.
Was this a common trait of two-year-olds? Every time I got up to go to the toilet, bath, or fetch water, he would cling to my feet like a puppy.
Being clingy wasn't the only thing. His wordplay was endless.
"Mio, Mio, Mio, do you know 'gozu'? It's 'gozu'."
"Gozu? I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's 'gozu'."
"Right, I don't know. What is 'gozu'?"
"It's 'gozu'."
"...Gozu, okay. What's wrong with Gozu?"
"Do you know 'gozu'? It's 'gozu'."
I thought about throwing him out the window by his ankles.
Despite being so affectionate, he never listened to a word I said.
"Little boy, playing in the water is fun, but it's getting dark. Let's get out of the water and warm up in the bath before you catch a cold."
"No."
"...If you get sick, you'll be the one suffering. If you cry all night with a stomachache, it will be a problem."
"No."
"Little boy."
"Mio."
"Yes?"
"I pooped."
"Just stay there."
The little boy was, to put it mildly, a handful. Lord Ryu-Ryu might have been telling the truth when he said, "I'm tired, please help."
...Yes. To be completely honest... I was exhausted.
He was so annoying and troublesome, and I couldn't take my eyes off him. I was so tired every day that I couldn't even think about running away.
Such a life continued for two years...
The four-year-old little boy... was still a silly child. However, his language skills were quite solid.
"Mio, there are lots of earthworms here. I'll catch them and give them to you."
"No, you shouldn't. They are good for the soil, so leave them alone."
"But Mio, you'll eat them."
"Do I look like a mole or something?"
It was a bit absurd, but he became a well-behaved child who would correct himself when scolded. He was physically larger than his peers, and his strong, handsome face was becoming more dignified, resembling an adult male.
I felt more like a slightly older playmate than a babysitter. At eight years old, I didn't find the games of a four-year-old boy particularly enjoyable, but he was less demanding.
He also seemed to have overcome his shyness. He would report to me about his conversations with the servants and merchants he met that day.
"Today, Lady Laura patted my head. She said she'll bake cookies and asked me to tell her my favorite flavor."
I frowned. Lady Laura was the duke's first wife—no, his legitimate wife. They were a politically arranged marriage, and the duke said they were indifferent to each other.
Indeed, it wasn't a lie; they hadn't spoken to each other for years. However, it was different when it came to a concubine. Lady Laura fiercely hated and insulted Lord Ryu-Ryu.
—The barbarian prostitute should know her place! Get out of here immediately!—
To escape from this hysteria, the mother and child lived in a separate building...
"Lady Laura is kind. She's a good person."
The little boy, speaking happily. Did Lady Laura, who hated the concubine, think that children were innocent? I decided to accept this, though it felt odd.
Perhaps... the little boy was just cute enough to be liked normally.
...What? What are you talking about?
I didn't think of the little boy that way. No, that's not it. Please don't misunderstand.
...Yes, really, it's not that. I never thought of him as a brother. I'm not his sister.
Just—
"Mio, do you want a dragonfly?"
...I was certain that this calm, mischievous, and kind young master would become a good successor to the Granado family. His back, chasing after insects, had become strong...
"...It's time."
I whispered softly.
—The Granado dukedom will eventually be inherited by this boy, Cyros Granado—
The duke said this the next day.
I wasn't there. I was in my room, preparing to leave the house that night.
However, my escape plan was thwarted when Lord Ryu-Ryu rushed into my room.
"Cyros is having a seizure! Mio, help!!"
He wasn't injured or feverish, but suddenly became breathless and collapsed. Even though there was a live-in doctor in the Granado household, why did they come to me...? It turned out that I had a similar seizure when I was his age.
"Alfred announced that Cyros would be the heir right after. It must have been a shock... I was surprised too. I thought the heir would be one of Lady Laura's children."
Indeed, that was shocking, but I thought there was more to it. The little boy was only four, and he couldn't understand the heavy responsibilities of the Granado family. He didn't realize that he was a child of a concubine and was in a position to be hated by the legitimate wife.
It wasn't clear, but it seemed to be a psychological reaction. I and Lord Ryu-Ryu comforted him, and eventually, he fell asleep peacefully.
Next to the sleeping child, Lord Ryu-Ryu yawned.
"...Hey, Mio. Do you have any dreams for the future?"
When asked, I shook my head.
"...I see. Then—listen. Do you have any interest in becoming Cyros' wife?"
I was taken aback and lost for words. Since Lord Ryu-Ryu sometimes made jokes like a child, I thought he was being silly.
However, his green eyes were serious.
"The dukedom is not just any noble title. It was originally a frontier lord of the king's brother and a war hero. It has a large territory and is not a position where one can casually ruin their own house.
Alfred didn't choose Cyros out of affection for the concubine. It was because the legitimate children were no good. He thought a young Cyros could be corrected.
...I don't know if this will make the child happy or unhappy. I don't want to preemptively destroy the child's potential out of worry.
I want to let him do his best—believe in his talent and strength—"
His words were strong, like Lord Ryu-Ryu. With the same strong and resilient gaze that decided to raise me at fifteen—then, a large tear rolled down his cheek.
"...But Mio, I... I'm still worried. I love my son. Poor thing, he looks like me. This skin and eye color will surely hurt him one day. Will my comfort be enough? Someone other than a mother needs to touch his cheek and say, 'I like you, Cyros.' Someone other than a mother—"
"...... But, the difference in status between me and the little boy is too great."
"I'll find a way. I'll arrange for you to be temporarily adopted by a high-ranking noble. You'll get a last name and serve for a few years, and then you can be on par with the duke's son."
Lord Ryu-Ryu's proposal was both unlike her and very much like her. She would do everything possible for the children, no matter how dirty the work.
It was the pride of a strong mother.
"Of course, the final decision is up to you. If you find someone you like when you're older, you can break the engagement. But preparation is needed for that day.
Mio, I'm not asking for an answer right away. But please think about it. For your own sake, think about how you want to live in the future."
I couldn't say anything.
I just looked down at the four-year-old, who was sleeping soundly with his mouth open... feeling a strange mix of emotions.
Lord Ryu-Ryu didn't say anything more.
We lay down together, with the little boy in the middle, and chatted about trivial things. It wasn't particularly hilarious, but I felt a vague sense that I wanted this life to continue.
An eight-year-old girl doesn't have deep thoughts about a four-year-old boy. But perhaps in ten or twenty years...
At that moment,
A sweet scent tickled my nose.
A faint, aromatic smell of cookies carried by the breeze from the window.
"...Cookies... Is someone baking cookies?"
When I whispered, Lord Ryu-Ryu lifted his head.
Perhaps the sleepiness of the child was contagious, his green eyes were glazed over, and he looked dazed.
"Oh... That's it. ...It's Lady Laura. ...Lady Laura is in the kitchen..."
"The duchess is baking cookies?"
"Apparently, it's been a hobby since she was single. It's not that unusual..."
Indeed, many nobles enjoy making things by hand. The noble society values hospitality, and the hosts often handle flowers and table settings themselves. Some noble ladies even serve homemade dishes. Making cookies, which can be expensive, is a hobby for the wealthy or noble daughters.
However...
On the night the dukedom was taken by a child of a concubine—
—especially now...?
The little boy and Lord Ryu-Ryu, who had started to snore, were lying side by side.
I pressed my finger to my lips and fell into deep thought.
At that moment, Lord Ryu-Ryu's proposal was completely out of my mind.