Chapter 3

“Haaah!”

I jolted upright with a gasp.

I hugged the blanket tight to my chest, the soft fluffiness calming me down a little.

‘…This isn’t a dream, right?’

I hurriedly looked around.

Then down at my hands.

Still small and fragile.

There was ink on them, probably because I fell asleep while writing last night.

Under the pillow, I spotted the notebook I had hidden in a last shred of rationality before bed. When I turned my head, I saw a bowl of cold porridge left on the table.

The maid who came early must have brought it.

“Brr, so cold.”

The fireplace that had crackled so nicely through the night was now cold and lifeless.

Thud. I climbed down, stuffed some logs into the fireplace, tore up the notebook I had scribbled in yesterday, and crumpled the pages into kindling.

I had already sorted out my thoughts, so there was no need to leave evidence lying around.

“Where are the matches?”

Ugh, it’s freezing.

I shivered, then spotted the matchbox sitting on top of the fireplace. I stretched on my tiptoes to reach it.

“Urgh…”

Too short.

Way too short.

With a sigh, I dragged a chair over to the fireplace.

After some grunting, I climbed onto the chair, stood on tiptoe again, and barely managed to grab the matches.

So small…

Even I had to admit my younger hands looked tiny.

I gripped the match tightly, scraped it against the rough side of the box, and lit it.

I set fire to the paper and quickly tossed it into the fireplace. The flames caught on the dry logs.

I pushed the chair aside and crouched down, blowing warm air onto my hands and body to thaw out.

Father usually came at night.

Right before going to bed or after I had fallen asleep.

Which is why my fireplace only got lit in the late afternoon or around dinnertime.

‘Honestly, even the maids are sly.’

Well, I was used to their petty bullying.

They never openly hit me or harassed me, so I never felt the need to get back at them.

If I were a commoner, lighting the fireplace myself would be nothing.

And I should probably be grateful that they still brought me meals at all.

The fact that the family gave a useless granddaughter like me at least one maid instead of ignoring me completely was something to be thankful for.

I thought about that as I dragged my thawed body back to the bed and sat down.

I slurped up the cold porridge like soup and set the bowl aside.

‘I should go get today’s newspaper.’

At this time of year, I hadn’t started reading it yet, but if I asked the butler, I could get the newspaper Grandpa had finished reading.

The butler was one of the few people in this house who didn’t look at me with prejudice.

I climbed down from the bed, changed into a dress from the wardrobe, and wrapped a shawl around myself.

My little hands fumbled and made it a bit crooked, but warmth was all that mattered.

The residence where Father and I stayed was a separate annex, away from the main house.

I’d heard that Grandpa had kicked us out when Father brought me home because he didn’t want to see our faces.

‘…He looked terrifying.’

I remembered seeing his face a few times in the past.

Unlike Father, whose features were refined and elegant, Grandpa had a rugged, fierce face and always frowned deeply whenever he looked at me.

That’s why I found Grandpa…

No, the Duke, terrifying.

I bundled myself up in the shawl and stepped outside.

It was winter, and the cold bit through me. A single shawl wasn’t nearly enough.

I passed by the statue of a beast standing on four legs with long, pointed fangs.

It was a black tiger, the symbol of the family.

The Ducal House of Tigreto.

They ruled over a vast southern territory and were one of the true pillars of the empire.

Legend had it that their ancestor was the black tiger that guarded the golden dragon, which was why the black tiger became the family’s emblem.

The current head of the family and my grandfather, Magnum Tigreto, was a true hero of the empire who had brought peace to the southern lands by defeating countless barbarians.

I’d heard something about his divine ability, though I couldn’t remember exactly. All I knew was that wherever he went, the air would reek of gunpowder, and nothing would be left standing.

Back then, I had tried to win his favor by researching all kinds of information about him, so I knew a lot.

What he hated most were insubordination and illegitimate bloodlines of unknown origin… and Father had committed both.

Which was why we ended up in the annex.

Lost in thought, I walked briskly for nearly an hour before I finally reached the main house.

When I used to be carried in Father’s arms, it never took more than twenty minutes.

“Phew, it’s cold.”

I should just deliver my message and leave quickly.

As I approached, the gatekeepers stationed at the entrance stared down at me in confusion, then frowned.

“…Who are you? The servants’ quarters are that way.”

Of course, they wouldn’t recognize me. At this age, this was probably only my second or third time visiting the main house.

“Uh… no. I came to see the butler.”

“The butler? Did someone send you on an errand? We didn’t hear anything… Hey, do you know whose kid this is?”

“What are you talking about? Knowing the Duke’s temper, who would send a child on an errand.”

While the guards talked among themselves, one of them knelt on one knee and pulled something from his pocket.

Candy.

“Sorry, kid. This isn’t a place just anyone can enter…”

“What’s the commotion?”

At the sound of a voice, the soldier flinched and quickly stood up.

Ah, a slightly younger but familiar voice.

“Butler Bell. We were just about to send this servant’s child back after explaining she came to the wrong place.”

“A child who came to the wrong place…?”

A tall, middle-aged man in a well-tailored tailcoat peeked between the two guards with a puzzled expression.

“Ah! Butler!”

I broke into a bright smile.

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly!”

I jumped up and down, waving one hand high in the air, worried he might not see me.

“You told me before that if I ever needed something, I should come to you… D-do you remember me?”

The butler stared at me for a moment, then his eyes widened.

“…Young Lady Ledeia?”

“Yes! It’s me!”

“My goodness, did you come all by yourself in this cold weather? What brings you here… No, never mind that, come inside first.”

“Uh…”

Was it really okay for me to go in here?

I tilted my head slightly.

I could vaguely remember Grandpa telling me to never set foot in the main house.

‘If I go in, I might get the butler in trouble.’

I shook my head quickly with a bright smile.

“No, I have to leave right away! I actually came about the newspaper!”

“…The newspaper?”

“Yes! Could you send me the one Grandpa already read with the evening meal?”

The butler’s eyes widened in surprise, then he gave a dazed nod.

“That’s not a difficult request… but before that, at least come in to warm up and let me call for a carriage…”

“No, it’s fine! I can manage on my own.”

I clenched my fists to show confidence.

It was my little way of proving I wasn’t troublesome and could be useful, but for some reason, the butler’s brows furrowed slightly.

‘Ahem, maybe I overdid it. I should leave before I lower my score.’

Honestly, it was freezing too.

“Thank you! Then I’ll be counting on you! Please don’t forget! I’ll be going now!”

I bowed deeply, then hurried down the few steps.

“Young Lady! At least take a scarf, wait a moment…”

The butler called after me, but I waved my hand, telling him it was fine.

‘Yes!’

My heart pounded as I pressed a hand to my chest. Thankfully, I hadn’t stuttered and managed to say everything clearly.

‘My body may be small, but I’m sturdier than I used to be.’

I had walked for an hour and still had the energy to walk back.

The stamina of children was amazing. I started heading back the way I came, my little legs moving energetically.

My cheeks stung from the cold, and I shivered.

My legs were starting to ache a little too.

“Urgh.”

Maybe I should rest for a bit.

I looked around and spotted some cats huddled together under a small bush.

‘…Looks warm.’

I crept closer, lowering my body.

The cats meowed unhappily as I approached. I slid my hand into the warm cluster of fur.

“Let me warm up with you for a bit.”

I slowly picked up one of the bigger cats. It let out a disgruntled mewl, then quieted down.

The other cats seemed to like my body heat too, because they snuggled up against me one by one.

It was so warm that my eyelids started to droop.

‘I’ll just rest for a moment…’

Thunk. My head drooped as I drifted off.

“…Hey, what on earth is this.”

I didn’t even notice the harsh, stern voice filled with bewilderment above me.