CH 4

In general, when a child from a noble family went missing, not only the whole house but also the whole territory was likely to be turned upside down. However, Souvri was peaceful as usual, even though the only son of Duke Armanty had disappeared.

The child had contracted the Krug disease, which made even his parents ignore him. The fact caused Robert’s position in the mansion to plummet. Except for Monica, those who entered his room were rare, so the fact that Robert had disappeared had not yet been disclosed.

Given the current situation, he could have entered and exited the mansion again, but it was not easy.

Izeline closed her eyes, and when she couldn’t sleep for a while, she quietly opened it again.

It was the first time she had experienced anything since she had possessed the body of a four-year-old child. Whenever she rested her head, she would quickly fall into a deep sleep, though this time, her mind was filled with complicated thoughts.

All of her thoughts were about the child lying next to her.

She glanced at Robert’s face quietly while feeling the peaceful air. The child had a small but sturdy nose, white skin that shone under the moonlight, plump cheeks, and a sharp gaze contrasting with his short and stout face.

“What awe you thinking about?”

When he suddenly asked the question, she slowly turned her head.

“Nothing.”

“Did you wake up?”

Although she hadn’t fallen asleep in the first place, Izeline nodded. Robert stared at her for a moment and then turned his gaze to the ceiling. The patterns on the ceiling were strangely clear despite the dingy light.

Izeline could naturally feel that he was carefully observing everything inside the room and engraving it in his heart. She wondered why the young lord, who lived in a luxurious mansion, seemed to value this old house more.

She felt her heart constrict and asked again.

“What awe you thinking?”

“…Nothing.”

He didn’t even flinch, but there was sadness in his red eyes.

“Thinking about the past.”

Without realizing it, Izeline placed her hand on Robert’s chest. He flinched in surprise and looked at her. Instinctively, he wanted to push her hand away…

“Just gwo to sleep. Sleep.”

“Y-you…”

“Sleep, sleep. Ywo must be tired.”

Robert became quiet like a person who had lost his voice, soothed by her gentle touch as his pupils trembled slightly.

Did this girl even know what she was doing?

To avoid revealing his wounded skin under his thin clothing, Robert bit his lips and didn’t move much. He eventually took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak. He had heard that true friends shared not only joy but also sadness. If it was her, maybe she would accept him as he was.

“Hey.”

Perhaps because he was nervous about asking the question, he blurted that out awkwardly.

“Hmm?”

He gulped, hearing the innocent answer.

Why was he so tense about this?

“Are we fwiends?”

Hearing the trembling voice, Izeline momentarily stopped her hand. Seeing him avoiding her gaze like he was lost in thought, she couldn’t help but smile, seeing his innocence.

‘Was it true that he would really become the ultimate villain?’

It was unbelievable.

Truly, it was unbelievable.

If he had a happy childhood, would things have been different? A desire to give happiness to this child sprouted in her mind.

Izeline’s eyes were sparkling as she smiled.

“Hmm. Of cworse.”

“….”

Robert didn’t respond though his cheeks were tinted pink.

Finding his reaction so cute, she patted his chest again, when suddenly, he grabbed her hand tightly. Izeline widened her eyes in surprise. It was because his hand was tense and wet with sweat.

“Why?”

As she asked worriedly, he gulped. Hesitation flickered in his red pupils. He wondered if Izeline would remain his friend even after he revealed his greatest flaw, Krug disease.

But…

Was it even something he should tell her? He was scared that he might lose his only friend he had gained in just one day.

“Hey. What’s wong?”

However, seeing her smiling face, he mustered up courage in an instant. Robert squeezed Izeline’s hand tightly and opened his mouth.

“Izeline.”

“Yes, Lemo.”

“….!”

At that moment, he felt as if someone had hit his head with a hammer. His red eyes shook fiercely like a butterfly caught in a hurricane.

Even the name he had given her was fake.

…What sadness could they share?

The eyes that had looked at him with disgust—his parent’s cold gaze, and even the expressions of the people around him who avoided him like dirty garbage, came to mind one by one. Sadness swept over him, then gradually, the bright smile in front of him changed into a frown. Robert tried to calm his labored breaths and tightly shut his small lips.

Looking at him like that, Izeline urged him, as if she was dying to know.

“Why did you hwesitate?”

“…I have something to say.”

“What is it? Fish boy?”

Izeline couldn’t help but say that because of his bulging cheeks. Robert was despised because of the disease, but he wasn’t a fool to not understand that she was teasing him. He merely laughed upon hearing that.

“Haha! You said something funny.”

“Haha! Weally?”

Although it wasn’t very funny, she started laughing out loud while clutching her belly. Even though he had been insulted, Robert was infected by her laughter and began to laugh as well.

If she said he was a fish boy, so what?

Izeline liked it, so he let her be.

“Lemo.”

Suddenly, Izeline called him while looking at him with her pretty eyes.

“Cwome often. Let’s sleep twogether like this fom now on.”

Robert’s heart raced at the sudden invitation.

“Why dwon’t you answer?”

“….”

“Ywo don’t want to?”

“No, I do… I just dwon’t know what to say.”

Izeline giggled at his honest answer.

“Twank you…”

* * *

Morning had arrived.

As usual, Monica opened the door to see her sleeping daughter before going to work.

Immediately, two soft breathing was heard. The only difference from usual was that the young lord she served was sleeping next to her daughter.

Monica looked at Izeline and Robert, who were sleeping in strange postures all night, with a complicated face. While Robert lay horizontally, Izeline was lying upside down with one leg raised on his stomach after moving 180 degrees.

Robert groaned in his sleep.

“I can’t take it anymore.”

As she nervously lowered Izeline’s leg, Robert’s expression improved slightly.

“What should I do about this?”

In fact, she couldn’t sleep at all last night.

‘How did he get out of the mansion?’

Even though he was ostracized, it was impossible for the Duke’s son, who was only four years old, to come and go outside the mansion without any guards.

She wanted to wrap him up and take him back to his home on her way to work, but she didn’t know what trouble that might cause, especially since the Duke of Armaty was in town. The news would certainly reach the Duke’s ears through the guards at the gate if she did so, and not only Robert, who had snuck out of the mansion but also the girl who had hidden him would be punished.

‘…It’s not like we’re not in enough trouble already.’

The Duke of Armaty hated Robert so much that he looked at Monica, who poured out the love that his parents couldn’t give Robert to him, with an unkind gaze. She didn’t know that her presence was unintentionally provoking his sense of guilt.

Nonetheless, what was funny was that he came down to Souvri once in a while just to see Robert.

He only looked at him with uncomfortable eyes as if checking an item. People secretly agreed that he did it because they had no children besides Robert. Monica also felt the same way.

He would need an heir to carry on the family line.

However, with Krug’s disease, it could not be certain how long Robert would live. Still, since there had been no news of a second child with the Duchess for years, the Duke of Armaty seemed to have no choice but to come down and check Robert’s health himself.

Well, the Duke’s precarious future was another matter. She had to solve the problem in front of her first.

Monica pondered on how to deal with this situation but eventually turned around and walked away since there was no way for her to sneak Robert into the mansion secretly. Though fortunately for her, she was the only one who went in and out of his room, so he might be able to go undetected for a day or so.

Monica decided just to gamble it as she left the house.

* * *

Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!

The rough sound of someone pounding on the door woke Izeline up. Normally she would wake up at the sound of Monica leaving for work, but she must have slept in late last night and didn’t hear anything.

Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, she saw that Robert was sitting quietly with both arms wrapped around his knees.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

“What’s twat noise?”

Izeline asked.

“I-I dwon’t know.”

Robert replied in a trembling voice.

This unknown visitor was making him nervous. If they found out he had snuck out of the mansion, he didn’t know what kind of punishment he would face. His body was shaking.

“Izeline!”

At that moment, the voice outside the house caught her attention. It was the culprit banging on the door.

“What, Camry? What’s gwoing on?”

Izeline asked in a serious tone.

Thinking something serious had happened, Camry let out a sigh and grabbed his chest with one hand.

“I thought something had happened to you. Why haven’t you been in touch?”

“Oh, so that’s why…”

At Izeline’s response, Camry face softened a bit and he said.

“Open the door quickly.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Getting out of bed, she looked back at Robert, whose eyes were still filled with anxiety.

“It’s just my friend Camry, so dwon’t worry.”

She said to him with a reassuring nod, without even thinking to ask why. She knew he was worried about someone from the Duke’s mansion coming to visit.

After seeing his relieved expression, Izeline left the room. She walked down the stairs and opened the front door, where Camry was waiting with a half-angry expression on his face.

“Izel.”

“Yeah?”

“I was worried about you.”

“I was just sleeping.”

“You weren’t here yesterday either. I was so worried.”

“I went to see mom yesterday.”

“Right. Auntie told me.”

Camry asked if there was any problem, then told her to come out quickly. Still, Izeline couldn’t leave Robert alone.

“I want to stay home twoday.”

“What? It’s dangerous to be alone.”

“No, it’s okay.”

When she was unusually stubborn, Camry’s expression changed. He noticed she seemed to be hiding something from him. He lowered his body to see her eyes before he began persuading in a soft voice as he wrapped his hands around her small shoulders.

“You’ll be hungry, and you’ll make Aunt Monica worried like yesterday.”

“No. It’s fwine.”

“You might be fine, but others…”

Camry, who had been talking so far, stopped. It was because, inside the house where he thought Izeline had been alone, someone was seen coming down the stairs. When he looked up, there was a boy he had never seen before.

A boy with black hair and red eyes, who exuded a dark atmosphere.

“Oh, you had a guest.”

Camry straightened up and looked at Robert. Unlike him, who spoke softly, Robert was visibly hostile, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

“Is he your friend?”

“….”

“Hi, I’m Camry.”

He smiled broadly.

When Robert glared at his hand on his friend’s shoulder, Camry’s smile changed strangely as he felt his gaze. Soon, he opened his mouth as he hugged Izeline, wanting to show off.

“Izel, how about bringing your guest to my house?”