CH 24

A signal sent in a way that only I can recognize. 

Rico’s guild members planted in our house were none other than my two dedicated maids. 

They must have broken through the 50-to-1 competition rate to collect information.

‘Goosebumps.’

I cautiously got up. 

“U, unnies…” 

And whispered quietly to the two sly faces. 

“I look forward to working with you in the future…?” 

The two smiled brightly.

“Of course, Lady!” 

“Of course!” 

* * *

The next day.

Enoch was astonished to receive a report that someone had sent to me anonymously. 

‘That kid…he was the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Onyx?’ 

The day he arrived at the Capital, he ran into a commoner boy who was being bullied by a nobleman. 

He was looking for someone because Lilith asked him to, but he hasn’t made much progress so far. 

In the meantime, the anonymous tip that flew in was surprisingly written about the child.

‘It said L.’

All clues to infer the informant are the initials L.

There was no wish or request, only the child’s situation was conveyed as it was.

The illegitimate son of the Marquis of Onyx, who is now almost confined to his mansion and is being abused—.

‘L. I don’t know who it is, but the intent is clear to save the child.’

Among institutional aristocrats sensitive to reputation, illegitimate children were often considered shameful.

Even that child seems that only his life has been spared now. 

‘If this is true, then I must save him quickly.’ 

It was unknown how long the aristocracy’s whims, which kept the illegitimate child alive, would continue.

“Damn it. But why onyx?”

Enoch rubbed his forehead nervously.

He had no personal acquaintance with the Marquis of Onyx. He had never seen his face when he was in the capital seven years ago. 

Even Onyx was a fairly powerful and well-known aristocrat in the Capital—.

No matter how much Enoch was, there was no justification for him suddenly invading the Marquis’ mansion and asking if he was abusing his child by hiding it. 

‘I can’t just go without plan.’

Enoch himself has to pay attention to the eyes around him.

He returned less than a week ago, and he couldn’t openly make a fuss.

Is there any way to visit the Marquis’ mansion as quickly and naturally as possible?

“Just how—” 

“Dad!”

“Uh-huh, princess!”

Just then, the office door swung open.

Enoch, who quickly hid the report letter, met Lilith.

“My daughter, is class over?”

“Yes yes!” 

Lilith ran with her teddy bear bag, so Enoch put her on his lap and gently stroked her hair. 

“Princess, what did you learn today?”

“I took art class today for the first time and it was so much fun. The teacher also taught famous sculptors and artworks?”

“Is that so?”

“Ung, Dad, do you know this?”

With her eyes shining brightly, Lilith took out a book from her bag and opened it.

“It’s a work of art by a sculptor named Lindel, and it’s very famous. The title is <The Gate of Heaven> and it’s so pretty.”

“Oh.” 

It was a work of art that made a door out of bronze and sculpted baby angels on it. 

“I really want to see this, can I?” 

“Why not? Where is this? If it’s a famous piece of art, would it be in the Shrine Art Museum? Daddy will take you there.” 

“No, it’s not there. I asked the teacher. Is this Marquis of Onyx? That uncle bought it. That’s why it was in his house?” 

“What? Onyx?”

Enoch’s eyes got bigger.

“The angel is so pretty…Actually, I’m really looking forward to seeing….” 

“You can see it!” 

“Ah! Really?” 

“Yeah! Princess, you can see it!” 

Enoch smiled brightly and jumped up, holding Lilith.

He naturally needed a reason to visit the Marquis’ house—.

“Dad is going to call that uncle. Let’s go see it.”

“Wow, really? Daddy is the best!”

After solving his worries and hugging Enoch with a cool expression inside, Lilith secretly grinned.

* * *

Marquis of Onyx.

Duke Rubinstein’s visit made everyone’s day busy from the moment they heard about it in the morning. 

Of course, it had nothing to do with someone who didn’t get any sunlight because he lived on the second basement floor of the Marquis. 

“Eat quickly today! This room stinks, so I don’t want to stay for long!”

The maid shouted loudly and threw a piece of hard bread and a tray of water. 

Then she ran away to the door as if she didn’t want to be any closer.

‘Where did she put it?’

He couldn’t see what was in front of him since yesterday, when the oil in the flashing lamp ran out.

Cheshire fumbled on the floor for a long time in the dark and managed to find bread.

“By the way, can we see the Duke today?”

“Is that so? Ah, I envy the girls who work for the Rubinstein family. If you make it look good in the Duke’s eyes, isn’t life blooming?” 

“…Do you think the Duke is crazy and stick with the maid?”

“That bug’s mother also seduced our master. It’s not impossible.” 

The two maids were far away, walking around and laughing toward Cheshire, who was buried in the dark.

The light from the lamp held only in their hands was so faint that the room was almost dark.

“Excuse me… Can you put some oil in the lamp? I can’t see anything ahead.”

“What do you mean? Do you not know how expensive oil is?”

“If we change the oil in your room lamp, would Young Master Jonathan will be happy? We will be beaten, you idiot.” 

“Eat it quickly. We must go quickly. The Duke is coming soon.”

That Duke, Duke, and Duke—.

It was because of the duke that Jonathan, his half-brother who came to beat Cheshire yesterday, felt good too.

“The Duke of Rubinstein is coming tomorrow. You bug, you don’t even know what kind of family Rubinstein belongs to, do you?”

“….” 

“This time I will definitely look good to the Duke. Hopefully, I can marry the daughter of that house later.”

Is he the second most powerful person after the Emperor?

Anyway, Cheshire would never see his face in his life.

“If you get close to the Duke, father won’t let you live anymore. It would be disgraceful if your existence even became known.”

Oh, then I’m finally going to die. 

He was scared when the end was getting closer, but it was also the moment he had been waiting for while living a life that was worse than death. 

‘Yeah, I’m going to die soon, so what do I need a light for?’

Buried in the darkness that couldn’t see an inch ahead, Cheshire thought.

At that time.

“Why are you being so late? Don’t you know that Duke Rubinstein is coming today?”

Another voice came into the room.

“Oh, Richell, I’m sorry. I have to take the tray…” 

“I’ll take care of it. Go out first.”

“Oh my, thank you.”

“Thank you. Come quickly.”

I saw the face of another maid approaching with a lamp.

Richell—.

She was one of four maids in this house who knew of Cheshire’s existence.

She wasn’t friendly, but she didn’t throw food or swear.

She just stayed by his side without saying a word until he finished eating.

They never had a conversation, but Cheshire knew that Richell felt sorry for him.

“Excuse me.”

Cheshire spoke for the first time to Richell, who approached to get the tray.

“Can you change the lamp?”

“….” 

Even though he knew it was a meaningless request, he was afraid of immediate death so he brought it out.

Before he dies, he wants to once—.

He wanted to remember that there was even a tiny bit of warmth from someone—.

“You don’t need it.” 

But Rachel got up with a tray and spoke calmly.

Then she turned and walked away.

“Anyway, today, Young Master’s world will be brighter.”

She walked away, leaving behind words he doesn’t understand.

Bang. 

The door was locked as usual.

Cheshire’s world has gone dark.

‘My world is getting brighter?’

It was a funny thing to say.

He groped the cold floor as usual, crawling into one corner and crouching his body.

And like a habit, he took out what he had put in his arms and held it in his hand.

A week ago.

A girl who felt sorry for him gave him a pink handkerchief with a rabbit on it.

Cheshire now seemed to understand why he had brought this.

Warmth.

He did it because he knew it was just the high noble’s sympathy, but he was thirsty for that stingy warmth.

Although he always said ‘I want to die’, this little boy always tried to survive and wanted someone to be with him.

The fact that he had to stay next to his mother, who strangled him every day and said she would rather die together—.

In the end, he was abandoned by his mother, and lived like an animal in this house—.

All of them, everything—.

Damn, it was because of the will to ‘live’.

“Even my father won’t let you live anymore.”

Is that so?

Cheshire is very close to death right now.

For the first time, he was feeling the emotion of fear.

His eyes have turned sour. No matter how painful it was, he never cried, but today he did.

“I…” 

Just a single warmth. 

Cheshire tightly gripped the handkerchief and cried.

He didn’t actually want to die.

More than anyone else,

“I want to live…”

He wants to live.