***

Hallik Lockshire, the butler of Basilinte’s main castle, had been on a business trip for three months.

As Hallik became the new butler after his grandfather, the previous butler, retired, he had to inspect each of the Basilinte family’s mansions scattered throughout the Grand Duchy.

Cursing his father who had fled to join the military to escape becoming a butler, Hallik returned to Basilinte’s main castle after completing his business trip.

And on his first day back at dawn, Hallik encountered a five-year-old child walking on all fours with a leash, and Chamuka holding the end of that leash in the corridor.

“……”

“……”

“Woof.”

The child on the leash barked.

‘Is this a dream?’

Hallik doubted his eyes and ears. As he remembered, Chamuka didn’t even put leashes on the dogs he kept.

‘I think that dog’s name was Tan…’

“Hallik, this must be your first time seeing this. Say hello. This is Tan.”

“……”

What should he say to the boy who gave a dog’s name to a child and was walking them on a leash?

The pupils of Hallik, a three-month butler who hadn’t yet been fully briefed on the family secrets like the western tower or Tan’s identity, trembled.

“…That leash…”

“Ah, without this, he keeps running away.”

Hallik pondered over Chamuka’s incomprehensible muttering about ‘it’s fine now since he’s human.’ Does it mean it’s okay to put a leash on humans but not on dogs?

That’s even stranger.

“Good timing. Follow me, Hallik.”

Without further explanation, Chamuka walked down the corridor holding the leash.

The child on the leash started crawling on all fours but then stood up and walked on two feet, presumably because their knees hurt.

And Chamuka paid no attention to this change.

If it weren’t for the leash, they could have looked just like brothers walking together…

“…?”

Studying the two children’s striking resemblance, Hallik’s mind filled with questions. Their similarity was so profound that it would be more surprising if they weren’t blood relatives.

Indeed, he had never encountered that distinctive shimmer of silver hair outside the Basilinte family, even in the soft light of dawn. That ethereal shade—entirely different from the white of age—was so unique that even skilled artists struggled to capture it on canvas.

Their refined features, too, bore an unmistakable resemblance.

Both possessed the appearance of expertly crafted porcelain dolls.

Hallik had always mused that whatever delicacy the Basilinte family lacked in temperament must have been channeled into their physical appearance instead.

‘More importantly, where are they going at this dawn… His Grace’s bedroom?’

Chamuka stopped in front of the Grand Duke’s room, and Hallik wore a puzzled expression.

The Basilinte family members weren’t particularly affectionate with their blood relatives, so even father and son wouldn’t meet without a reason.

But it didn’t seem like there could be anything so urgent that required barging into the Grand Duke’s room at dawn…

Click.

The Grand Duke’s door opened. And through the gap, a tiny head peeked out.

“…?”

Why was a child coming out of the Grand Duke’s room?

The child, who looked no more than six or seven years old even being generous, spoke to Chamuka.

“Lord Chamuka, I’m awake. You can come in.”

Hallik momentarily admired the drowsy, disheveled face that was barely half-awake.

It was a face so handsome that the future looked promising. Though still more pretty than handsome due to youth, the distinct features suggested they would grow into quite the beauty.

Still, he couldn’t understand why this child was acting like the owner of the Grand Duke’s room, telling Chamuka to enter.

“Sleepy?”

“Yes…”

A mumbling response followed.

It was still dawn, before sunrise.

The child was so drowsy they hadn’t even noticed Hallik standing behind Chamuka. It was amazing they could even stand.

Chamuka naturally took the drowsy child’s hand, acting as a walking stick for the child whose eyes were already closed, and entered the room.

“Grrrr…”

The silver-haired child who looked suspiciously similar to Chamuka might have made some dog-like sound, but Hallik, following his common sense, dismissed it as mishearing.

Hallik quietly followed Chamuka into the Grand Duke’s bedroom.

The drowsy blonde child quickly climbed onto the bed and burrowed under the covers.

Hallik was startled to see the woman already lying in that bed.

“Grand Duchess?!”

“Shh. You’ll wake the child.”

Chamuka coldly warned Hallik.

While Hallik stood frozen at the reality of seeing someone who died five years ago lying in bed, the silver-haired child with the leash hopped onto the bed, curled up, and closed his eyes.

Soon, the sound of steady breathing filled the air.

In the peaceful atmosphere, Chamuka quietly took out a blanket and wrapped the silver-haired child in it. After finishing the wrapping, Chamuka handed the blanket-wrapped silver-haired child to Hallik.

“Take him to the central room on the second floor.”

Then Chamuka lay down in the empty space where the silver-haired child had been.

Though wearing the same expressionless face as three months ago, there was something satisfyingly eerie about the atmosphere that made Hallik shiver slightly.

It felt like witnessing a doll’s eyes move.

As if in a trance, Hallik followed Chamuka’s instructions and carried the blanket-wrapped silver-haired child out of the Grand Duke’s room.

He stood in the corridor, dumbfounded, trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed.

Why had the Grand Duke been absent from his chambers, how was the supposedly deceased Duchess lying in bed, who was that fair-haired child claiming that room, and what had possessed the First Young Master to behave so uncharacteristically with that blonde child?

‘And who is this silver-haired child, anyway.’

Too many unknown things had happened in the castle during his mere three-month absence.

Even as Hallik headed down to the second floor, he wondered if this was right.

“It’s been a while, Butler.”

The appearance of Yen, who could potentially explain what was happening in this castle, was like a ray of light to Hallik.

“Have you finally returned to the castle? It’s been about three months, hasn’t it?”

Yen greeted him casually.

Hallik was grateful for Yen’s unchanged attitude from three months ago.

“It’s been a while indeed, Aide.”

“Are you on your way to see His Grace?”

“Yes. Um… His Grace wasn’t in his room.”

“These days he’s in his office from dawn. It’s because he tries to finish work early to spend time with the Grand Duchess.”

By this point, Hallik wondered if his memory of the Duchess dying five years ago was just his own delusion.

Yen grumbled lightly as if stating something obvious.

“Since they stay together until late at night, the prince also keeps staying up late, which should really be moderated. The young prince is already small enough, what if this affects his growth…”

“……”

Who was this prince he was talking about?

Hallik firmly decided that after reporting his business trip results to the Grand Duke, he needed to thoroughly investigate what had happened in this castle.

“If you’re heading to the office, shall we go together?”

Meanwhile, Yen glanced at Hallik’s arms.

Only then did Hallik realize he was still holding the blanket-wrapped silver-haired child.

“This child, well…”

“If you need to see His Grace urgently, shall I move the Second Young Master for you?”

“…The Second Young Master?”

“Yes. “Has he been visiting the prince since dawn again, only to be shooed away by Lord Chamuka? Between the young masters stirring up trouble in the morning and His Grace causing a commotion in the evening, I wonder when the prince ever gets any rest…”

“……”