Abandoned Empress's Survival Manual Beside the Male Lead - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 61
* * *
And so Atil became my servant.
What’s more, I’d paid him ten years’ wages upfront!
‘Good heavens. Sometimes I feel rather magnificent.’
“Is… is my name really Atil?”
Atil approached me, his voice trembling as he asked.
I reached out and stroked his acorn-round hair. The texture was utterly fascinating.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“Yes! It’s so pretty!”
“You’re prettier.”
Atil’s eyes went wide, and he covered his cheeks with his small hands.
Then he let out a small squeal.
“Eek!”
Atil was strikingly beautiful, smooth as a polished pebble.
True, he was so thin his cheeks had hollowed, but there was no denying his fine bone structure.
‘Besides, his bloodline is noble. I’m not the only one who can sense that subtle aristocratic air.’
“What are you doing?”
Atil suddenly crouched down and lifted the hem of my skirt, which startled me.
“I’m going to polish your shoes, Grand Duchess. I’m quite good at it, really.”
“Good heavens…”
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Atil had been limping the entire time.
A broken bone is agony even for an adult to bear—how much worse must it be for a five-year-old child?
Yet Atil showed no sign of complaint.
“Atil, get up. Here—why are you giving this to me? It’s yours. Keep it.”
The moment the Council of Elders’ retinue left, Atil had emptied all the copper coins from his small bundle of belongings and pressed them into my hands.
He’d looked so pitiful, just like a dog begging not to be abandoned.
“Why are you giving me more money?”
“You came as my servant, didn’t you? I’ll pay you wages, but I don’t have any silver coins at the moment.”
My private finances were polar extremes.
All I had was copper coins left from selling eggs, or the gold coins Sherkan had sent.
So I distributed wages in copper coins…
Atil received the handful of copper coins.
I didn’t know how long this small child had labored in the Mine, but what he held now was surely dozens of times more than all the copper coins he’d earned in his entire lifetime.
Atil stared down at the coins, glanced around, then looked up at me and murmured.
“You’re like a princess from a fairy tale…”
I laughed and turned to Briget.
“Briget, where is Gabin?”
“I’ve just sent for him.”
“Grand Duchess, did you call for me?”
Gabin entered.
“Gabin.”
I told him to fit a splint on Atil, and he nodded at once.
After examining the ankle bone, Gabin spoke gravely.
“It will hurt a bit.”
As the bone was realigned, cold sweat beaded on Atil’s face.
Though he was in pain, Atil barely made a sound.
After the splint was placed on his leg, bandages were wrapped around it, he drank pain-relieving medicine, and hesitantly accepted a sweet candy, Atil asked.
“Why are you fixing my leg? You said it was good that I didn’t run away.”
He’d actually believed that.
No wonder he’d shown no sign of his broken leg and tried to polish my shoes first.
My heart ached a little.
I crouched down in front of Atil and spoke.
“Atil, listen carefully. You mustn’t trust outsiders.”
Atil’s mouth fell open in a small triangle, and he blinked. He looked like a baby bird.
“Outsiders can’t be trusted, so I lied to you on purpose.”
“Does that mean all outsiders are bad people?”
“Not exactly—it’s more that everyone within these walls is good.”
I added this with the ulterior motive of purchasing the young Grand Duke’s loyalty, which might one day become my refuge.
“And I care for Atil very much, so you can always trust me.”
“…….”
Atil stared at me intently.
I found myself wondering if I’d laid it on a bit thick with the child…….
“Atil? Why are you crying?”
Tears spilled in droplets from between Atil’s wide eyes.
“I’m not crying. This, this is like the sweat and tears of a farmer, something like that…….”
Atil’s words faltered, and then he broke into loud sobs. “Wahhhhh.”
He clung to me, his shoulders heaving endlessly.
After crying himself nearly to exhaustion for a long while, Atil ate some of the soft milk stew Briget had made herself — though he ate sparingly — and soon fell asleep.
“Briget.”
“At your service, Your Grace.”
I called a maid and told her to take Atil to bed, then turned back to Briget.
“But when exactly did you start writing in that name book?”
Briget suddenly became embarrassed.
As I felt a wave of confusion sweep through me, Briget spoke with a bashful smile.
“I am reluctant to say, Your Grace.”
“Hmm?”
“Surely it is time for you to strengthen the bloodline of the Grand Duke’s House?”
“……What?”
“I have humbly collected some three thousand names, hoping for the birth of a young lady or young master between you both.”
“…….”
“Atil has such a clear and gentle heart that he would make an excellent companion for the young lady or young master of this House when they are born.”
Ah…….
So that’s why Briget had been treating Atil so favorably…….
There was a reason she’d made the stew herself.
“If Your Grace permits, this Briget would also wish to serve your young lady throughout her life.”
‘A child between Sherkan and me?’
Would such a thing ever happen?
But on the other hand, I was frightened. By Briget’s meticulous forethought.
Truly frightened!
Of Briget!
Of Briget looking a hundred steps ahead like this!
That I might lose faith and go somewhere else!
That she might stop being my shield and protector!
How wonderful it would be if she remained my devoted servant forever!
“Briget.”
I gently patted the back of Briget’s taut hand and spoke.
“I certainly hope that you will care for my child…….”
As I continued, something warm crept up to my ears.
Well, I might bear a child someday.
Though I’m not sure if it will be one made with Sherkan…….
So what I mean is…….
“I hope you will care for my child forever.”
“Ah, Your Grace!”
Briget spoke with an expression of regret that she couldn’t kneel on the spot, her voice trembling with emotion.
“I should have long ago commanded minstrels to roam every corner of the continent singing of Your Grace’s silken heart, and sent portraits of the Grand Duchess to every noble house so that all might bow before them three times daily!”
“…….”
“But this foolish Briget lacks the power, and how can I ever repay such disloyalty even in a lifetime?”
“…….”
‘Was that a verse she recited?’
* * *
For a child with a broken leg and chronic malnutrition, Atil was remarkably vigorous.
Though he did cause a small commotion at every meal…….
“Sisters, shall we eat the corn porridge together?”
He’d eat only two spoonfuls of the corn porridge served at breakfast and refuse to eat more, wanting instead to divide it among the servants.
“An egg? That’s, that’s too big for me to eat…… I took it to the chicken coop…… Would you like it, sister?”
He wouldn’t touch the egg at all, shaking his head firmly.
“Drink the milk? I, I’ll just have water. Please have it, sister……!”
He kept his eyes fixed on the milk even as he ran away from it.
“How are we going to fix Atil’s aversion to food?”
“Perhaps we should take our time and gradually reassure him?”
“If we leave plenty of food out every day and show him that eating more won’t harm him, that should work…….”
The servants and I discussed the matter in earnest, but Briget had other ideas.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“That little brat keeps interrupting Your Highness’s meals. I think it’s time he learned some proper discipline.”
“Discipline? For Atil?”
Briget nodded firmly, then dragged Atil over and seated him at the table.
And then.
“What’s this?”
“If you don’t finish every last bit of this, I’m throwing it all in the trash.”
“Wh-what?!”
She’d applied shock therapy in its most devastating form!
Atil trembled as he picked up the spoon, and Briget promptly spooned her homemade scrambled eggs directly into his mouth.
Clang!
Atil’s eyes went impossibly wide.
“It’s delicious……!”
Of course it was. Briget’s cooking skill was, well, legendary.
The yellow eggs melted into butter and curdled into a fluffy mass that seemed tailor-made for Atil’s palate.
After eating so furiously his nose nearly touched the plate, Atil jumped to his feet and declared:
“Lady, you’re the best cook in the whole world!”
Briget answered with an air of dignified satisfaction.
“The boy has a discerning eye.”
“That was wonderful!”
“And from now on, if you leave so much as a crumb from anything I give you, you won’t hear the end of it.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Furthermore, you are to address me as Head Servant.”
“Yes! Lady Head Servant!”
“Drop the ‘lady’! Have you no sense of propriety?”
“……Y-yes. Head Servant!”
His contrition was brief.
Atil cheerfully gathered his empty dish and hurried after the other servants.
“Sister, sister! What was that thing I just ate called? Is it expensive? How expensive is it?”
His chattering voice was impossibly endearing.
The servants had all grown quite fond of him.
Well, when a child as smooth and pretty as polished stone constantly said things like…….
“Sister! Let me carry it! I’m a man, aren’t I? Why should a woman be carrying such things!”
He was earnest about such remarks too.
Working in the mine had left him lean, but despite his youth he possessed considerable strength, and he would often snatch away laundry and other items the servants were carrying, then dash off with them.
The servants debated the matter seriously.
“Atil’s worth more than three of those knights from the laundry brigade.”
“What are you saying?! Our Atil doesn’t cause trouble, he’s kind, considerate, and adorable!”
“It’s so funny how he acts like a gentleman despite being just a little thing…….”
“And the way he’s only nice to women—don’t you find that cute? Lord Gabin and the other knights, even Assistant Erichi just walk past him without a glance.”
Of course, there was one being in the estate who did not share their fondness for Atil.
“Hmph.”
It was Ratku.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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