# 14
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I say this, but...
“I guess I'm a coward after all.”
I was frustrated because I felt like I was trying to leave before I was abandoned.
However, there was no change in his intention to remain in the Duchy of Ellard until he was ready to take Jack's place again and stand on his own.
“By then, Diana won't need me anymore.”
Perhaps, once I arrive at the Duchy, you may forget my existence.
But for now, seeing Diana sleeping in my lap, snoring loudly, made me happy.
Duke Elrad rode a horse outside, perhaps for our comfort during the journey, and only Diana and I rode in the carriage.
Even when Diana realized I was going with her, she couldn't stop crying.
In the end, I felt sorry for the baby who had fallen asleep from crying, and I loved him too, rubbing the remnants of tears around his eyes lightly with my finger. Then Diana whimpered and hugged me closer.
My depressed heart seemed to feel better because of the baby's warm body temperature.
In particular, the soft, plump cheeks were so addictive that once I touched them, I couldn't put them down.
“Now that I have entered the Duke’s Castle, I don’t know when I will be able to touch it again.”
I bit Diana's cheek for a while, thinking it was my last chance.
As I did so, the thought that had stopped for a moment continued.
〈If you want to meet me, come to the Principality of Apelos, I mostly stay in the Grand Duchy, so if you tell them my name, you will be able to meet me.〉
That's what Bianca said to me when we parted before leaving the inn.
“The Principality of Pylos...”
It's a place I've only heard about, but I don't know if I'll ever go.
However, in the future, when I developed more abilities and gained more courage, I wanted to go see Bianca.
“Anyway, you've been friends since the beginning.”
I don't know much about Archduke Bellus, but I do know that he later became Diana's godfather.
In the past, he was the only mage and was called the Empire's Shield after he made the principality independent before I was born, and he didn't interact much with the empire.
So, I thought it was a bit unexpected to hear the news that he was Diana's godfather.
Not only had Bianca come to the empire to look for Diana, but even when she remembered the conversation she had with the Duke before leaving, she felt that the relationship between Duke Elad and Archduke Belos had been going on for a long time.
“Then would you like to see him sometime?”
In fact, when I was somewhat older, the person famous as Belos was not the Archduke, but his son, Archduke Belos.
“I said he was a handsome man of unparalleled beauty.”
So, it was said that when I was with Prince Elad, it felt like the sun and the moon were rising at the same time.
As soon as I thought about it, I remembered a fact I had been trying to ignore.
My mouth became dry again.
Since we have decided to stay at the Duke's house for a while, we will probably meet again.
The moment I died, the man I saw for the last time.
* * *
I felt the carriage, which had been moving non-stop all night, stop for a moment and then move again.
I fell asleep and looked out the window in surprise.
Under the dawn sky, I saw a plain that seemed even wider with snow, an endless wall on the horizon, and a huge castle elegantly built with blue brick.
The duke's residence in the capital that I had seen in the past was by no means a small palace, but the castle in the duchy was much larger than that.
She saw this feeling a little tired and shook Diana who was still asleep to wake her up.
“Diana, Diana?”
"Yes."
“Wake up, Diana, I think we're home.”
“House....?”
Diana, who was half asleep with sleepy eyes, opened her eyes wide when she heard the word “home.”
Is it really good?
I laughed, guessing the feeling I seemed to know but couldn't comprehend.
After a while, the carriage entered the castle completely, and as soon as the wheels stopped, the door opened.
“Diana!”
At that moment, I was astonished by the sight that unfolded before my eyes.
The young noble who suddenly broke into the carriage and kidnapped Diana was also surprising, but he was not the only one.
After that, there were servants, maids, gardeners, coachmen, and even cooks working in the kitchen.
A large crowd of people surrounded the carriage, as if all the staff working in the duke's castle had gone out.
Some people even wiped their tears with tissues, showing how much everyone worried about their precious little lady.
“Diana!”
At that time, a woman with orange hair as warm as sunlight approached Diana.
“Do you know how worried your mother was? And your brothers too, really...”
Diana, who was being held by a silver-haired boy who looked just like me, reached out to hug her even though she was crying at the woman's words.
Seeing this, the woman's expression, which had been stiff with worry and nervousness, slowly relaxed.
She smiled as if she couldn't help it, hugged Diana and rubbed her cheeks.
‘This person is the Duchess.’
He gave the impression that he seemed healthier and more cheerful than I thought.
'Anyway, what if the Duke forgets me and doesn't hand me over to the maid?'
I carefully got off the carriage to avoid the crowds and was a little worried.
“Noona!”
Then my worries were in vain, and a loud voice rang out.
Diana, who was surrounded by people, ran towards me through the crowd as if she was parting the sea.
People seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, which they didn't even know existed.
"Diana! Why did you suddenly jump like that?"
“Because Noona is here!”
"What?"
The boy who hurriedly followed Diana narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down.
“Who are you? Why is my sister related to you?”
Strictly speaking, it was not me, but Diana who was clinging to me.
But instead of answering, she smiled awkwardly.
Then I looked at the boy in front of me in an unfamiliar way.
‘He is the guardian of justice. …?’
Not that the silver-haired boy who broke into the carriage and took Diana with him was actually Allen Ellard.
The second son of the Duke of Elad, who would later become another genius and sword master who would lead the Rexion Knights with Jack.
Who will be called the defender of justice?
‘When I saw him passing by, he was very tall and had a massive physique…’
The boy in front of me was taller than others my age, but he still looked small.
“Don't talk to Nona like that!”
At this time, Diana cried out softly and Allen looked embarrassed.
When he saw how his golden eyes, full of caution, quickly became bright, it seemed as if he was clearly seeing the side of his “foolish little brother,” which was his other nickname.
I bit the inside of my mouth thinking I might laugh a little, but Allen suddenly stared at me creepily.
Feeling uncomfortable from the glaring glare, I lowered my head to avoid Allen's eyes.
Then suddenly Diana screamed as she covered my face.
"Stop looking at me, you bug! Noona is my princess!"
huying —
A cold wind blew, and the calm atmosphere suddenly calmed down.
Perhaps this is because Diana's statements were so shocking.
Most people froze with their eyes wide open, as if they were shocked by the word “bug” coming out of Diana’s little angelic mouth, and some were flicking their ears and doubting that they had heard correctly.
That was lucky enough.
Even the elderly servants and frail young maids stumbled as if they were going to faint.
"Diana! I told you that's a bad word, you can't use it."
I spoke urgently.
Diana, who was curious about the director's words, should have been properly controlled.
"I ?"
“Huh, everything the director said is bad, so you shouldn’t say it, okay?”
Fortunately, Diana, who is smart and kind, nodded to me.
The problem was that Duke Elad, who came next to me, gave off a foul aura and said something while rubbing his chin.
“It's him again, after I get his confession, I'll have to rip out his tongue first.”
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
While she flinched and stared, the Duchess walked over and said, smiling.
“Dear, even after seeing Diana, are you talking so carelessly in front of the children?”
“...Huh.”
The Duchess, who summed up the situation with just one word, smiled and looked at me.
“But this little girl...”
“Oh, I brought her from the orphanage. This is the child who took care of Diana so well all this time. I benefited a lot from the research.”
“Yes! Leah Nouna, she is my princess!”
As soon as the Duke's introduction was over, Diana, who was holding my waist tightly, cried out loudly.
The Duchess looked at me and Diana in astonishment.
For a moment my face turned red.
Everyone could see that the princess was Diana, but I wondered how strange and funny she looked now.
“This is ridiculous!”
exclaimed Allen, who was looking at Diana and me in disbelief.
“Diana, come here, to your brother....!”
“No! This is my princess, Noona is mine to protect!”
But Diana's harsh words came back to him immediately and he became frozen like ice.
As if that wasn't enough, Diana waved her hand at her second brother as if she were repelling insects.
At that time, the Duchess clapped her hands and said without paying attention to Allen, who froze in shock.
“That's good, we've found Diana, and an unexpected little guest has arrived, so we need to get ready!”
I caressed Diana's cheek lightly as she clung to me, busy giving instructions to the butler and head maid.
When I was asked to prepare a meal and a room, I wanted to say that I was not a guest who came to receive such treatment.
“But your name is Leah? You are beautiful too.” I was so surprised by the Duchess's pat on the head that I couldn't say anything.
“That's right, that's right!”
Diana's frantic chatter also played a role.
Although I could still see Allen's frozen expression...
This is how I entered the Grand Duchy Castle of Elad.