What?
"I think you've got your words tangled up there."
"Urk."
He looked quite flustered.
An adult fumbling about because he thought I was angry somehow felt both unfamiliar and fascinating.
Looking up at his oddly imposing yet strangely diminutive figure today, I spoke clearly and deliberately.
"I'm not angry. I was surprised yesterday, but I wasn't in a bad mood either. If anything, I'm sorry for shouting so rudely."
I even bowed deeply, all the way to my navel.
A sharp gaze bore into the crown of my head.
Plink, plink. Fragments of a bust fell.
When I snuck a glance, half of the first family head's face had been utterly blown away…….
"So it wasn't that you hated me?"
"Why would I hate Nogong? I actually thought I was the one being hated by you."
"What kind of person would hate a tiny booger like you?!"
I couldn't tell if he was picking a fight or trying to make up.
But by now, I more or less understood Nogong's pattern.
His words and actions were so loud and rough, but if you chewed them over, most of it was praise for me.
"Where did you pick up such manners!"
Like this.
"Please don't rub my cheek……."
Nogong, who had scooped me up before I knew it, thrust his bushy chin at me. I gently pushed his face away.
"Enough, let's go!"
"Yes!"
We crossed the lobby and went outside.
Hya, the weather's nice.
In front of the castle sat a carriage with no roof, open on all sides.
"You said you can't ride in enclosed ones? Hmph, the weather is somewhat warm today, at least."
At Nogong's gesture, Morris brought another outer coat from somewhere. Ugh, stifling.
I climbed into the carriage with my bundled-up body.
"……Are you a chick today?"
"Huh?"
Nogong, sitting beside me, flicked a pin with his thick finger.
"Since when do you have so many of these pins……."
His gruff voice suddenly cut off.
Nogong turned his head toward Hazel, who was standing quietly near the carriage.
"Hazel."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Surely he didn't give you the key to the east room?"
Hazel answered with a small affirmative.
"……I see."
A dark and chilly shadow suddenly flashed across Nogong's wrinkled face.
An emotion that seemed like sorrow, like anger, like longing.
'Just what is in the east room?'
'I'll explore it later.'
I made a small vow and gazed at the scenery outside the slowly moving carriage.
Rattle, rattle.
The carriage shook.
The main gate of the ducal castle had been wide open for some time.
"Oh! It's my first time in Jellokseu city, so I'm super excited!"
When I spoke without hiding my excitement, his thick eyebrows twitched.
"Can we look around places other than the clothing store?"
Rattle, rattle.
"We can't?"
"Eh, of course you can! Stop talking! You'll bite your tongue!"
A large, thick hand held my body firmly.
* * *
I might have misunderstood Nogong a little.
He possessed such an incredible spirit that ordinary people would naturally find him intimidating and avoid him…… or so I thought.
Wherever he went, people parted like the Red Sea, sending gazes filled with awe yet unable to easily approach him…….
'The Northern Duke is supposed to be like that!'
At least, that's how the capital's people were when they saw Uncle Leviathan.
But.
"Your Grace! Long time no see!"
"Lord Ballok! How have you been? Your beard is impressive today too!"
"Your Grace, take a look at some ores! I'll give you a good deal!"
I calmly turned to the side and asked.
"……Nogong, are you a celebrity?"
"What's a celebrity?"
"Like someone famous."
"Heh! Famous, my foot."
And so it was.
The former head of House Jebert was truly a grandfather beloved by all!
We left the carriage at the entrance to the shopping district and walked the streets. The gazes of people looking at Nogong were simply full of delight.
'Come to think of it, it was like that when they saw Uncle Leviathan too.'
I recalled when I first entered Jellokseu with him.
Of course, I was so nervous then that I couldn't see clearly…….
'The people of Jellokseu must like the ducal family.'
Trust and affection. That wasn't built up over a year or two.
It felt something like the camaraderie unique to those who survived harsh territories together.
'Wow, this is nice.'
Not noticing that the attention pouring onto Nogong was extending to me as well, I walked lost in thought.
"Welco…… oh my. Your Grace, what brings you here?"
We arrived at a large, fancy clothing store.
"I've come to buy clothes that fit this child."
"Is this child…… perhaps."
It was a place filled with pleasant fragrances. A beauty dressed in a gorgeous gown looked down at me.
Feeling somehow shy, I stealthily hid behind Nogong's cloak.
"H……hello?"
"Hello! I've heard so much about you through rumors. I'm Yusana, the designer here!"
The beauty's face brightened instantly. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. But…….
'Rumors?'
What rumors?
"But Madam Evelyn won't return for several days. What should we do?"
I recalled the sign reading 'Evelyn Boutique' hanging at the entrance. I had naturally assumed this beauty was the owner, Evelyn, but apparently not.
"We must put her in ready-made clothes that fit for now! Look at this state!"
Nogong pulled me out from behind him.
'My son may be my son, but he's truly hopeless at this sort of thing,' and so on.
Nogong began listing his son's faults again, but nobody paid attention.
"Hmm. You need something to wear temporarily, yes?"
Yusana's eyebrows tilted in pity seeing my sleeve cuffs hanging down in streams.
"Very well. I'll help by altering existing clothes. Please give me three hours."
"Okaaay……."
I answered awkwardly. Honestly, clothes were outside my interests…….
"Shall we take your measurements first?"
At those words, my mind snapped back.
"I don't want to take off my clothes!"
"But to measure accurately, it would be better to change into something thinner than what you're wearing."
"I…… I don't want to……."
I reflexively clung to Nogong's leg.
"Hing?" Nogong, who had been looking down at the floor, suddenly shouted.
"Ah, the booger said she doesn't want to!"
A loud-voiced ally is the best!
"Then I'll measure over your clothes. Is it alright to remove your outer layer?"
"Yes. That I can do!"
I quickly removed my outer layer and had my measurements taken.
Snap! At the sound of Yusana's finger snap, the maids moved in perfect unison. Rattle, rattle, endless clothing racks came in.
Surely those aren't all my clothes? They said this Madam Evelyn would come to tailor clothes for me in a few days?
"Bring out ready-made clothes like custom-tailored ones! Well then, I'm off!"
Nogong, who spoke like a gangster, turned sharply. Because of that, I missed my chance to ask.
"Go together!"
"Eh, what a bother. Sit still and stuff your face with cake or something. Why are you following me?"
"Hehe, I'm curious about the smithy too……."
When I gripped the hem of his cloak, Nogong, who had been staring down at me, cried out, "Uwaah, it tickles, it tickles!"
Did a bug land on him?
Meanwhile, at Evelyn Boutique.
"Strange. Did I hear wrong?"
Yusana, scanning the carefully recorded measurements, tilted her head. A junior designer, spreading out children's shorts, asked.
"Yusana-nim, what's wrong?"
"I'm sure they said it was a dashing young master……."
Something…….
Yusana couldn't finish her sentence. It was a sort of intuition. An eye for design, an aesthetic perspective, something like that.
"Am I the only one who feels it?"
Those inside the boutique exchanged glances. In fact, several had been thinking it but couldn't voice it.
The junior designer listening waved his hands.
"Oh, surely not. He must just be an extremely, extremely pretty person. I mean, even His Highness the Fourth Prince is more beautiful than most girls."
Indeed. Thinking someone was a girl just because they were pretty and cute could be rude in itself.
"That's…… true."
"No matter how much our Ducal Grace is a blunt man who knows nothing but the sword."
"Right?"
"He's not so much of a blockhead that he wouldn't know a child's gender."
"Right?"
Hahaha, of course, of course. Bright laughter spread.
Feeling a bit lighter, Yusana lifted a boys' top with a large collar.
Ah, how cute. It's a color that would suit those lovely eyes of that person from earlier perfectly.
"……."
But why wouldn't this nagging feeling go away.