Chapter 42

In the space where the commotion had finally subsided, the sun had set, and a red sunset spread across the sky. Amid the descending twilight, a lone shadow remained.  

Whether it was because of her small stature or her seemingly insignificant presence, Jizel stood there, blankly staring at the backs of the departing group.  

The child walked aimlessly, almost in a daze. Her older sister, whom she had relied on in the slums, turned out to be none other than a noble Princess.  

The first emotion that struck her was betrayal. She couldn’t believe her sister had hidden her identity even from her.  

But almost immediately after, Jizel felt guilty. Sylvia had revealed such a monumental secret because of her, something she had kept hidden even from her closest companion.  

Sylvia Kettlin, the Princess. Even as her heart raced from the shock of her sister’s true identity, another realization hit her.  

‘Duke Herrington? And the Duchess?’  

She had overheard the soldiers’ chatter during their journey. Through this, she learned the true identities of the commander and the young lady, which left her even more stunned.  

Living in the slums didn’t mean she was entirely ignorant of the world’s affairs.  

Even if she wasn’t well-versed in worldly matters, as a citizen of the empire, she couldn’t possibly not know about Duke Herrington.  

The youngest Sword Master in history and a potential future national treasure.  

The hero of the empire who had led the recent border war to victory.  

Jizel’s trembling eyes locked onto the Duke and duchess walking at the front of the group.  

The moment those extraordinary soldiers appeared, she had suspected that the young lady who had been pickpocketed wasn’t just anyone.  

But for the most intimidating commander to turn out to be Duke Herrington, and for the young lady to be his wife—she had never imagined they would be such prominent figures.  

‘Wasn’t His Majesty planning to pair Duke Herrington with the Princess?’  

The rumors that had circulated quietly—were they just baseless gossip?  

Oh, come to think of it, she had vaguely heard rumors about a successor appearing in the Herrington household.  

Piecing together the stories she had picked up here and there, Jizel frowned and resumed walking. The group had already moved far ahead. At the very back of the group, her older sister was walking.  

Beside her was the man who had shown hostility toward Jizel from their very first meeting. Leopold Kettlin. His identity was equally shocking—a Prince of the Kingdom of Kettlin.  

‘I won’t let her be taken!’  

Though she had lived like a real sibling with Sylvia, the appearance of her sister’s actual blood-related brother made Jizel feel a sense of crisis.  

Moreover, amidst the chaotic situation, Jizel’s sharp instincts quickly grasped that Sylvia’s position was precarious.  

While she didn’t understand the complexities of noble politics, she knew better than anyone how powerless commoners survived.  

If there was a way for her and her sister to survive safely at this point…  

Jizel quickened her pace. Soon, she darted between Leopold and Sylvia like a squirrel, creating distance between them.  

Leopold’s expression hardened momentarily, but he quickly masked his displeasure with a smile directed at the child.  

However, Jizel turned her head abruptly, ignoring Leopold, and strode forward. Before long, she caught up to Euphrasia and Eric, who were walking ahead, and boldly called out.  

“Madam! Madam!”  

Her exaggeratedly loud voice made Euphrasia stop and turn around. Jizel, who had already grabbed the hem of Euphrasia’s dress, lowered her head deeply.  

“I’m sorry, Madam. Earlier, the coin pouch… I… I was blinded by the gold coins and made a mistake. I wanted to return it after coming to my senses, but I accidentally got caught by the Duke first…”  

“Huh?”  

Jizel’s voice was tinged with tears, and her eyes began to glisten.  

Eric, who saw through the child’s audacious act, raised an eyebrow. Startled, Jizel clung even tighter to Euphrasia’s dress.  

“I didn’t know you were such an important person. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me. I’ll repay my debt—with my labor! I promise to work hard!”  

Euphrasia looked at the child clinging to her dress, unsure of what to do.  

Now that she thought about it, she had been so distracted by the Princess’s sudden appearance that she had momentarily forgotten about the child.  

Judging by her presence among the soldiers, it seemed likely that the child had been caught while trying to escape after stealing the coin pouch.  

Although it appeared that she knew the Princess, that didn’t excuse her theft of a noble’s belongings.  

While Euphrasia had been hurt by her trust being betrayed, she didn’t wish to see the child punished.  

‘Growing up in such harsh conditions, anyone could…’  

After witnessing the dire state of the slums firsthand, her sympathy naturally outweighed her anger.  

However, it wasn’t a decision she could make on her own. She glanced helplessly at Eric.  

Sensing Euphrasia’s hesitation, Jizel didn’t waste any time and threw herself onto the ground.  

Lying flat on the ground, the child pleaded earnestly.  

“Please, let me stay by your side and do chores! I’ll prove myself useful and repay your kindness, Madam!”  

Jizel’s declaration was half sincere. If things continued as they were, she would undoubtedly be separated from her sister as soon as they reached the ducal estate.  

Though Sylvia’s status had skyrocketed from a slum dweller to a royal Princess, her naïve personality couldn’t change overnight.  

If Jizel wanted to stay close to her sister and help her, this was the only way.  

‘I’ll protect my sister!’  

As Jizel recalled Leopold’s handsome face, a competitive fire ignited within her.  

Additionally, she genuinely wanted to stay near the young lady—no, the Duchess—who had been on her mind.  

Her life of just her and her sister had already been shattered. While Sylvia would stay at the ducal estate until her situation was resolved, Jizel had nowhere to return to.  

An opportunity to become a house cat—this young, weak street cat couldn’t afford to miss it.  

Eric, who had been watching the child’s shallow ploy from start to finish, sighed softly as though he had no choice.  

“If you really want to take in that cheeky little brat, you’re free to do so, Madam. There’s no need to seek my permission for such trivial matters.”  

His voice was curt, and his furrowed brows suggested that he wanted nothing more to do with the slum child.  

However, his words were a clear approval. Jizel’s face lit up as she lay on the ground.  

Ignoring Eric’s contradictory expression, Euphrasia awkwardly smiled and crouched down.  

Then, she extended her hand to Jizel, who was still lying on the ground.  

“Get up. The ground is dirty.”  

Her voice was as gentle as it had been when they first met.  

Eric, watching the scene, frowned even more, but Euphrasia ignored him completely.  

“You must be very hungry. I don’t know how much I can do for you, but if you want to, you can come along.”  

Her hesitation lasted only a moment. Euphrasia decided to accept the child, who had been weighing on her mind and heart.  

This time, Jizel didn’t reject her outstretched hand.  

With Euphrasia’s help, Jizel sprang up and quickly bowed toward Eric.  

“Thank you! Commander—no! Your Grace!”  

Then, turning to Euphrasia, she smiled brightly and pretended to wipe tears from her eyes.  

“Th-thank you, Madam. You’ll surely be blessed.”  

A tear that she hadn’t managed to wipe away fell from her left eye, forming a round droplet before it dropped.  

Euphrasia, looking increasingly sympathetic, patted the child gently.  

Eric, on the other hand, was appalled by the cunning cleverness of the young child.  

‘If I’d known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn’t have brought them in the first place.’  

Still, it was his own doing. Clicking his tongue, he regretted his actions.  

A small act of mischief had turned into a major headache.  

Not only was he returning with a complicated situation, but now he also had an additional burden to deal with.  

What’s more, he couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.  

She had outright rejected his hand, yet she extended hers so easily to the pickpocket child.  

‘Well, even so…’  

Eric paused and watched Euphrasia’s retreating figure, already holding the child’s hand and walking.  

Her light steps seemed to reflect her lightened heart.  

If she was this cheerful, then perhaps one small burden wouldn’t be so bad.  

Thus, the chaotic group managed to return to the Herrington estate by midnight.  

***

“Guests… have increased, Your Grace.”  

“Prepare an appropriate guest room for the Princess. Assign her a dedicated maid and ensure she is attended to with utmost care.”  

Eric pressed his palms against his tired eyes as he sank into the plush sofa in the reception room. His entire body radiated exhaustion.  

The majority of the household staff had already gone to bed.  

In the middle of the night, an unexpected commotion erupted at Herrington Estate.  

Demian had assumed that Eric, who had ventured into the slums, would take three or four days to return.  

After all, the slums of the capital were too vast to be fully explored in just one day.  

However, contrary to Demian’s expectations, Eric returned in half a day—with the lost Princess of Kettlin in tow.  

Before Eric left for the slums, he hadn’t provided much explanation.  

But the moment Demian saw the Princess of Kettlin, he realized the Duke had gone to fulfill an imperial mandate.  

He also understood that Eric had successfully completed the task in an exceptionally short amount of time.