The Little Demon King is Too Bothered by Her Brave Dads - Chapter 81

***

The next day.

I encountered the head of Lintz for the first time at a luncheon.

Of average height and build, he wasn’t particularly thin or overweight. A middle-aged man one might come across anywhere.

I know that you shouldn’t judge people solely by their appearance.

But he doesn’t look like the kind of guy who could take an ordinary shop and turn it into a thriving business in a matter of years, let alone manage the entire supply of goods for the duke’s household………

“Good day, Lord Norcourt.”

As soon as he entered the dining hall, Lord Linz bowed his waist and reached for my grandfather’s hand.

Then, he turned his gaze to Siegfried with a twinkle in his eyes.

“It’s truly a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace, the hero of mankind.”

“Ah, yes…….”

Taken aback by his overly friendly approach, Siegfried shook his hand with a slightly awkward expression.

After the handshake with Siegfried as well, he looked at me.

“This is…….”

“My daughter.”

“My granddaughter.”

Both Siegfried and Lord Norcourt responded in unison.

I offered a polite greeting.

“Hello, I’m Tatiana von Orleans.”

“Ah, are you the famous princess?”

Lord Linz looked down at me with an amused expression.

“I heard rumors that both the Duke and the Lord Norcourt hold the princess in high regard, and I would imagine that I would too.”

“Indeed, you see her that way as well?”

“My daughter is rather cute, to say the least.”

…Um, Dad. Grandfather. Could you stop with the compliments and let your expressions relax?

“Please come and take a seat here.”

My grandfather gestured for Lord Linz to sit.

Appetizers were served alongside an aperitif for the adults, and I was given a glass of apple juice.

After that.

The food began to be served one after another.

And then Lord Linz spoke.

“I’m only now telling you, but you don’t know how envious the other merchants were when we, the Lintz, won the duke’s direct trade.”

“Oh, really?”

“Of course! We always make sure not to burden the duke’s household. We are very mindful of that.”

While he verbally downplayed himself, his shoulders were held upright with strength.

Moreover, there was a subtle hint of “aren’t we impressive” in his demeanor, wasn’t there?

‘Wow, he’s quite the self-assured individual.’

I looked at Lord Linz with a mixed feeling.

Still, he seemed rather affable.

He had a way of keeping a conversation flowing.

“By the way, I just got word that the Carolingian support items you ordered have been delivered.”

“They have? That’s good.”

“You’re welcome. The supplies you ordered for the mansion will probably arrive first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll share the status with the butler.”

“I see.”

Grandfather nodded then turned his head to me.

“Child, would you like to try this?”

He placed the food in front of me, a shrimp that had been cleaned and peeled to make it easier to eat.

“I will enjoy it!”

I eagerly shoved the shrimp into my mouth.

As I happily chewed on the shrimp, Siegfried placed a bite-sized piece of lamb on my plate.

“Tatiana, try this, too.”

Then, he gave Grandfather a sidelong glance.

“To grow up well, you should eat more meat than seafood.”

“What’s wrong with shrimp? She should eat a balanced diet without being picky about food!”

Grandfather protested.

“Don’t you dare teach my granddaughter to be a picky eater just because you avoid seafood……!”

“No, when have I ever been a picky eater?”

“Go ask the people of the duke’s castle, when you were fifteen years old……!”

“Really, how long are you going to bring up stories from my childhood? It’s been over 10 years since I became an adult!”

“Whether it’s 10, 20, or 30 years, does the fact that you were a picky eater disappear?”

…Are the two of them really having an eating contest while Lord Linz is sitting here?

I felt dizzy.

Meanwhile, Lord Linz, who had been observing their interaction closely, spoke up subtly.

“I can see that both of you truly treasure the princess.”

Upon hearing this, Grandfather and Siegfried both turned to Lord Linz with surprised expressions.

“What an obvious thing to say. She’s my granddaughter, after all.”

“Does the lord have any children yet? My daughter really, it truly doesn’t hurt to look at her.”

Suddenly bombarded with subtle hints, Lord Linz’s face momentarily turned blank.

“Enough of this, you two.”

I was at a loss for words.

Of course, Lord Linz quickly regained his composure and offered compliments.

“Truly, such a harmonious family. I envy you.”

Then, he looked at me closely.

He stared at me as if he were observing me, and when our eyes met, he smiled warmly.

‘What’s with that gaze?’

I reflexively returned the smile, but I felt a bit uneasy.

***

Afterward, we rose from our seats after finishing lunch.

“I had a truly enjoyable time today.”

Lord Linz opened his mouth with a satisfied expression.

“It was a splendid feast. Please convey my thanks to the chef.”

“Yes, I’m glad you liked it. I’ll definitely pass your words on to the chef.”

We were about to exchange warm farewells and part ways when suddenly…

“Excuse me, princess.”

Out of the blue, Lord Linz addressed me.

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I offer you a gift in commemoration of our first meeting?”

“A gift?”

I alternated my gaze between Siegfried and Grandfather, as if asking whether it was acceptable. Both of them nodded slightly.

“I’d be grateful to accept.”

Upon this response, Lord Linz received a large package from his servant.

Inside the transparent wrapping paper was a doll.

“Huh?”

My eyes widened a bit.

At the same time, Lord Linz added in a friendly tone.

“You noticed this doll at our shop.”

It was a puppy doll with soft and fluffy fur.

It was the same doll that Siegfried and Grandfather had playfully wrestled over at a general store before.

“It seems the princess has quite an eye for things.”

Lord Linz smiled as he handed me the package.

“This doll is the most popular model in our store.”

“…..Thank you for your consideration.”

I quickly raised a smile on my face.

Yet, in a corner of my mind, a sense of discomfort lingered…

‘Could it be that they’ve been monitoring our every move?’

This suspicion arose in my mind unexpectedly.

***

Afterward.

A peaceful day followed. I had dinner with Siegfried and Grandfather and engaged in conversation in the living room before retiring for the night.

As time passed, during the late hours of dawn when the crescent moon cast a pale light,

“Ah.”

I had fallen asleep hugging the doll I received as a gift earlier. Suddenly, I awoke from sleep.

My heart raced as if I had swallowed a burning coal.

Sweat trickled down my body, and my head throbbed with pain.

“Cough.”

I covered my mouth and coughed softly.

When I removed my hand, I noticed that it was stained with fresh, reddish blood.

“Of all times…”

Blood shouldn’t stain the fabric.

It’s hard to get rid of stains when doing laundry.

I staggered to my feet, struggling to move my damp body. With faltering steps, I approached the nightstand beside the bed.

As I reached for the handkerchief placed on the nightstand to wipe my hands, in that instant,

“Cough, cough, cough!!”

Another bout of intense coughing erupted.

Luckily, I had the handkerchief in my hand, so I quickly covered my mouth.

As I continued to cough, my shoulders shook, and I looked at the blood-stained handkerchief with a fatigued expression.

‘Maybe I should throw this away…….’

After crumpling up the handkerchief roughly.

I buried myself under the blanket and curled up like a shrimp.

This must be what it feels like to have tens of millions of tiny bugs gnawing away at your insides.

‘To have the power to attack the master… it’s truly astonishing.’

I smiled bitterly through my pain.

It was short-lived, of course, as I quickly grimaced in pain.

It’s a familiar pain.

But just because I’ve experienced it many times doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

‘I never thought I’d be so unlucky.’

Still, I usually suffer like this only two or three times a year.

The timing couldn’t be worse.

I can’t do anything about it until it subsides.

At most, I can only apply medication to alleviate the symptoms.

‘So, instead of waking up Dad and Grandfather in the middle of the night, I’ll endure this on my own.’

I closed my eyes tightly, breathing heavily.

It might be better to just fall asleep.

…Though I’m not entirely sure if I can actually manage to fall asleep.