Grand Duke’s Beloved Granddaughter

Jeffrey’s cheeks quickly turned red at my words.

Jeffrey seemed more innocent than I had thought. Well, maybe not innocent, but rather like other kids his age. After all, he’s only eleven.

Well, I didn’t mean to tease him intentionally, but his delicate reactions to every word and action of mine were truly adorable. It was still the same now.

As I watched Jeffrey, his ears turning as red as ripe tomatoes, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

Thinking that I was laughing because it was a joke, Jeffrey snapped at me.

Laughter still erupted from deep within me, but I didn’t want to create misunderstandings, so I tried my best to hold back the laughter. After a while, I managed to suppress my laughter.

“Sorry. I laughed because you looked cute.”

“D-Don’t tease me!”

Jeffrey shouted, visibly upset. I shrugged my shoulders and said to him,

“Teasing? I’m not teasing you at all. I just spoke what I felt.”

With a slight smile, I reached out my hand towards Jeffrey’s head.

I expected him to avoid my hand, but unexpectedly, he didn’t. 

Thanks to that, I was able to touch Jeffrey’s hair. His silky, silver hair scattered between my fingers, reflecting moonlight and sparkling.

“You have silver hair. These silver strands reflecting the moonlight are really beautiful.”

“Really? You like the color of my hair?”

“Yeah? Mm-hmm. It’s pretty. It’s unique.”

Unlike the common brown hair that you can see anywhere like mine, Jeffrey had unforgettable silver hair.

Moreover, it looked beautiful when it shimmered under the moonlight like this.

I withdrew my hand and examined Jeffrey.

He was staring at me with tightly pressed lips. I pulled him closer, hugging my knees as we faced each other.

Jeffrey remained silent for a while. I didn’t feel the need to say anything more either. The sound of cicadas crying mixed with the noise from the banquet hall. Jeffrey looked at me with his blue eyes, then finally parted his lips as if he had made up his mind.

“You’re beautiful too, Mirabel.”

For a moment, I blinked my eyes, unable to understand Jeffrey’s words. Then, belatedly, I raised my finger and pointed it at myself, asking.

“Me?”

“Yeah. You.”

In response to Jeffrey’s words, I instinctively checked my own hair.

My hair was tied into two braids, flowing long.

It was hard to take his words at face value when he said such things while looking at my ordinary brown hair. It was a color that could be found everywhere, no matter where you went. It wasn’t special.

“I don’t have pretty silver hair like you. I have common brown hair. It’s a color that’s found in every other person. It’s not special.”

“No, you’re special and beautiful just the way you are.”

Jeffrey said to me, as if forgetting his shyness.

Still, I didn’t want to reject his compliments, so I let out a bashful laugh.

“Thank you for saying that, Jeffrey.”

“Really!”

Thinking that he might have misheard his own words, Jeffrey shouted again, as if bursting with energy.

“Yeah, I know. Thank you.”

After my response, I paused for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“Jeffrey, would you like to stay here?”

Though the warrant against Jeffrey had been lifted, it didn’t mean that there was an easy place for a young child to settle down.

However, Jeffrey was a boy, and he was eleven years old, so there were places where he could be taken in and given work to do. But those places were severely exploitative.

If he could barely scrape by without starving, it would be considered fortunate.

I know. Jeffrey wouldn’t choose that kind of life.

He was destined to become the King of Mercenaries.

From a young age, he took on menial mercenary tasks and grew up to become a prominent figure in the mercenary world.

However, the world he would experience on his path to becoming the Mercenary King would not be easy.

If possible, I thought it would be better for Jeffrey to stay here in this mansion and learn swordsmanship with me. The Crichton Dukedom could provide him a place to stay.

Jeffrey possessed the skill in swordsmanship that could rival anyone, even while living as a mercenary.

So, if he received systematic training in swordsmanship from a skilled knight like Brian, he would undoubtedly become an exceptional swordsman.

He might become an even stronger person than the Mercenary King Jeffrey Coleman I knew in the past.

Of course, I wasn’t hoping for him to become stronger than before.

I simply had the thought that an eleven-year-old child like Jeffrey shouldn’t have to go through a harsh world and suffer unnecessarily.

If he didn’t have any opportunities, I couldn’t say for sure, but now I had an opportunity.

I didn’t know how much the Duke of Crichton would listen to my request, but I believed that I could at least save one young child.

If it didn’t work out, I would ask my mother. If that didn’t work either, I would ask the Duaana Temple.

“How about it? If it’s just you, I will talk to my grandfather. If you stay here, you can also receive knight training at the request of your adoptive father.”

Jeffrey stared at me intently in response to my proposal.

There was no trace of wavering in his clear blue eyes.

“No, I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”

Although I thought he would accept my proposal, Jeffrey expressed his refusal.

I was surprised that he rejected my offer, even though he must have experienced the harshness of society while being chased by guards.

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to stay here?”

Unable to overcome my curiosity, I asked him.

Jeffrey turned his head away from me and looked at the pond. He remained silent instead of answering right away.

As I waited for Jeffrey’s answer, I looked at the pond together with him.

The moonlight was shining on the pond. The moon gently flowed through the water and eventually hung on the edge of the pond.

“There’s something I want to do. And I don’t want to be more indebted to you.”

“…”

“You’ve done so much for me all this time. You shared potatoes with me in the carriage, you cleared my warrant, and you even paid off my debt…. How can I accumulate more debt here?”

It seemed that Jeffrey considered everything I had done for him as a debt. I lowered my head, feeling a little sad.

“You don’t have to think of it as a debt.”

“No. I can take care of myself in my own way, so you don’t have to worry.”

Jeffrey said with a faint smile. His face, smiling while looking at the pond, looked unusually mature.

He’s only eleven years old now. What’s so mature about him?

“Are you really okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I won’t ask you anymore.”

“Sure. It’s okay. But instead…”

Jeffrey, who was answering with a wry smile, added a condition.

Curious about what it was, I waited for Jeffrey’s answer.

Jeffrey, who had seemed very mature just a while ago, now looked awkward as he glanced at me hesitantly.

“Instead… Can I come and visit you occasionally?”

I thought he had something to ask for, but it wasn’t a request.

“Sure. But if you come without notifying and cross the garden to find me, you might get in big trouble with the guards or other people. So, it’s better to let me know and then come.”

“Yeah! I’ll do that.”

After giving my permission, Jeffrey let out a relieved laugh as if he had been worried.

“Mirabel!”

At that moment, a voice calling for me came from somewhere.

The voice belonged to my mother.

“Who is it?”

“It’s my mother.”

In response to Jeffrey’s curious question, I gave a brief reply.

“Isn’t she looking for you? Can you stay here?”

I smiled awkwardly as I looked at Jeffrey, who seemed worried.

It seemed that my mother had started to worry and search for me since I had been away for a long time.

“Go to my mother. She must be worried. I’ll leave now, so don’t worry about me.”

After taking a deep breath, Jeffrey suddenly stood up from his seat.

I also stood up, following his lead.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. I’m going to Karen today. There’s a shipment leaving tonight.”

It was a short sentence, but just like when I first met him, I could tell that he was planning to travel on the wagon again.

“You can rest here today.”

“I’d like to, but I have plans too. As you know, if I don’t time it right, I might miss it. I have to leave now if I want to go to Karen this time.”

I felt a sense of regret as I watched Jeffrey speak while patting his buttocks.

“Come anytime. Just make sure to let me know in advance.”

“Got it. But don’t scold me for visiting too often. Okay?”

“Of course not.”

I laughed in response to his mischievous words.

“You can leave through the main gate.”

I said to Jeffrey, who wanted to go back the way he came.

Jeffrey shrugged his shoulders.

“No, it’s fine. Since I’m not a formal guest today, I’ll leave like this. When I come as a formal guest next time, I’ll leave properly.”

As he finished speaking, Jeffrey passed through the garden and disappeared.

Once he was no longer in sight, and even the sound of his footsteps had faded away, I turned around in the garden.

“Mirabel, where are you?”

Once again, my mother’s voice reached my ears.

I started walking in the direction where her voice was coming from.

It didn’t take long for me to look around and find my mother, who was anxiously searching for me.

“Mom!”

As I approached my mom, she spotted me and let out a long sigh.

“Belle, where on earth were you? I was so worried.”

My mom spoke with concern and gently patted my cheek. In the comforting touch, I forgot about feeling sorry and burst into a bashful smile.

“A friend came to talk to me.”

“A friend? Where?”

My mom scanned the surroundings as if searching for my friend, but naturally, no one could be found.

“I couldn’t find him quickly because he left.”

“…”

Not understanding my words, my mom bent her knees and brought herself to my eye level.

“Mirabel, do you want to make friends?”

Misinterpreting my words, my mom asked me with concern.

I shrugged my shoulders and lowered my head.

“No, it’s not like that. When he comes next time, I’ll introduce him to you, too.”

“…Okay.”

In response to my words, my mom smiled faintly. Then she reached out both hands and gave me a gentle hug. Afterward, she let go of me and extended her hand to me.

“It’s cold. Let’s go inside.”

“Yeah.”