CH 13.2

“This is Irenberg’s mansion.”

I spoke as kindly as I could, and Rupert muttered softly, ‘Irenber, Irenber.’

“The Duke of Irenberg. Don’t you know that name?”

“I… know.”

I was glad he knew about my family. If he didn’t know, I had to introduce my family first.

“But why am I here? I’m sure I was in–”

Rupert hesitated in horror.

He stepped back with a frightened look. I could almost get what he thought because he was involved in an underground market.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of handing you over to the authorities. Why don’t you sit down and finish this first?”

I pushed the plate toward him.

Not letting his guard down, Rupert stood as if he had been nailed to the spot.

“I will explain why you’re here if you sit down. Sit down and eat it.”

Only then did Rupert move his legs.

He sat on the edge of the sofa. I pushed the plate toward him and gave my fork so that he could eat easily.

“But it’s yours!”

Janice stared at Rupert with a panicked face.

“He looks hungrier than I am. Did you write my name on the food?”

I  scolded Janice, but Rupert said.

“I don’t eat children’s food.”

Rupert turned away from the plate full of food.

Seeing his adam’s apple move, it seemed that he wanted to eat it so much that his mouth was watering.

That took a lot of patience. However, his reason for putting up such an excuse was unique.

The age difference between Rupert and me was only three years.

In addition, he suffered from malnutrition, so his stature was not much different from mine, who ate well and grew just fine.

Of course, Rupert was taller than me.

Somehow…. Wasn’t it something that I should feel empathetic about?

‘But I think I look younger than him; that’s why he won’t eat my food.’

Did he try to be considerate to me?

It would be nice to feel taken care of if we were in a normal relationship, but in reality, we weren’t.

We couldn’t, at all cost.

‘Rupert is someone I summoned. At least someone to trade with.’

“Do you think I’m weaker than you?”

“Because you’re smaller than me and younger than me…·.”

Rupert muttered.

He sounded discouraged when he noticed the cool tone in my voice. Why was he scared of a girl who was smaller than him?

Anyway, it would be difficult if he treated me like I was weaker than him.

I wanted Rupert to be afraid of me. It would help me to use his potential skill efficiently.

“This is the House of Duke Irenberg, and I am the one who will be the head of the family. Do you know what I mean?”

Rupert’s eyes were clouded with various thoughts.

“Ask me if you have any questions.”

“Uhm… Are you able to be the head of the family?”

Rupert raised his hand to point at me.

However, he belatedly recalled that he should not recklessly point his finger at the nobleman, so his finger stayed in the air and dropped.

“Yes, I can do it.”

Throughout the history of the Kingdom, there hasn’t been a head of the family at my age.

I would definitely try to be the first.

“You don’t have to know in detail. This is all you need to know. I have more money and power than you. So I don’t need you to be considerate to me. I am the one who will protect you.”

“Protect… me?”

Rupert’s eyes shook.

“Yes. You can eat what you want to eat here and do what you want to do. Is there anything you want to do?”

I knew what Rupert wanted to do.

He wanted to make a cheap and effective medicine. And he wanted to be a doctor who had the skill to perform a proper surgery.

‘Because not everyone can receive treatment that relies on magic or divine power.’

Rupert looked at me with a questioning look why I would do that for him. Suspicions were also buried in his gaze. If I were in his shoes, I would suspect the intention as well.

Since the kidnapper was telling the kidnapped that they could do whatever they wanted to do.

“Hmm. You don’t have to tell or know complicated stories right away. You should eat first.”

Was he going to shed tears of emotion? It would be hard if he cried, though.

I was about to ask Janice to prepare a handkerchief, but what I heard from him was an unexpected answer.

“I don’t receive favors without a price.”

It was a very solemn voice.

I failed to lure Rupert. The unexpected rejection made me sigh.

‘Nothing goes easily for me.’

But I didn’t give up.

From the moment he was kidnapped, Rupert had no option to return to where he was before.

‘How could I send him back to the underground market? It would be considered as intentional abandonment and abuse.’

“You can just pay me back.”

If you didn’t like to receive favors without price, he could just give me something in return.

Indeed, it was a simple problem to be solved.

And Rupert had something to give me.

I didn’t mean to do charity work for Rupert in the first place.

Perhaps because I was too insistent, the gap between Rupert’s eyebrows narrowed.

“I… don’t have anything to give you, though…”