Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 9

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

Episode 9
“Your daughter has such lovely manners. And such a loud voice.”
“She’s not my daughter.”
Whish.
Vasili had lost for words.
That damned flyer…….
More to the point, why hadn’t she gone home?
Why was she still here?
The child peeked out again, eyes only, gauging Vasili’s reaction.
Seeing him standing motionless, she grew anxious and fumbled for a moment.
“Next, next!”
She hurried to flip through the Sketchbook with a whish, but suddenly the silver crown of her head tipped and pitched backward—tumbling right out the window…….
“Eek!”
Snatch!
“You, little pest! What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?”
Vasili shouted savagely.
From the moment he threw open the window to the moment he snatched the tumbling child’s body from midair took less than two seconds.
Haniel dangled in empty air, blinking.
She looked at her wide-opened crimson eyes, then twisted to glance behind herself. A wooden stepping stool lay overturned on the ground.
‘There’s straw layered thick on the floor, so falling wouldn’t have hurt anyway.’
Thump-thump-thump-thump. For some reason, Vasili’s heartbeat seemed to sound terribly loud.
…….
Haniel stared at the man cradling her, wide-eyed.
His arms were large and solid.
Incredibly warm. Just like Father’s embrace…….
“Thank you!”
Haniel quickly jumped down to the ground.
Vasili let out a long sigh.
“Ha, you really…… So, why did you come here anyway?”
“Oh. I wanted to apply for a Welcome Kit!”
She thrust the flyer forward with a snap, and Vasili’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t recall ever welcoming you.”
“You did! You said I’d be living here until the day after tomorrow. That makes me a Territory Resident for two nights and three days. That’s a short-term welcome, isn’t it?”
…….
Was that really what had been meant?
For some reason, it was hard to argue back.
“So, so! I was hoping you’d lend me just a little of Your Highness’s time……!”
Vasili regarded Haniel carefully.
Somehow…… the child looked even dirtier now. There was even mud smudged on her cheeks.
‘A Hoe……? Is that a Hoe?’
Sticking out from the bag slung across her back was clearly something that looked like a Hoe.
It was utterly inexplicable.
“Hey, Hama.”
“It’s Haniel, not Hama.”
“Where’s Camilla?”
“Camilla went home for a bit to get me warm bread and soup! Doesn’t it sound delicious?”
…….
The Ice Knight was completely done for.
She’d melted long ago into a spineless puddle, evidently converting herself into the Lukewarm Knight.
Vasili gave up thinking any further. He gestured to Haniel with a flick of his hand.
“Come here.”
The child scampered over and thrust out her front paws—no, her palms—with a snap, like a puppy.
Vasili, without much enthusiasm, pressed the string of some sort of pouch into the child’s hand.
“This is the Welcome Kit and the Goodbye Kit I can give you.”
“Yes…?”
“I’ll give you a pouch each of Southern Mountain Sugar and Spices. Go sell them. If you take them to the nearby territories and sell them, you’ll make quite a tidy sum. The people around here go mad for anything from the Southern Mountain.”
Mm.
“There. All settled? So go on, get out of here.”
“Your Highness? You’re handling it like that…?”
Luden’s voice came in alarm, but Vasili paid him no mind.
“Goodbye, kid.”
“Ugh! No goodbye! I can’t sell this!”
“Why not? You said there was a man outside who came with you.”
Vasili echoed Haniel’s offhand remark, adding to it.
‘Though there seemed to be a perfectly good father in the picture too.’
The drawing he’d glimpsed in the Sketchbook earlier came back to him.
“That’s not it. This is—”
Haniel’s eyes moved in quick circles, then fixed sharply on Luden. Slowly, she traced a path from his head to his feet, finally settling her gaze on one particular spot.
Luden followed her stare and noticed a piece of straw clinging to the cuff of his trousers. Ordinary straw. Yet for some reason, his shoulders gave an involuntary twitch.
Just as Haniel was about to say something, Luden snatched the bundle’s cord clean from the child’s grip with a sharp motion.
“Your Highness! This won’t do! By the look of it, this is just some street urchin from the slums. Send her off and be done with it! Why should Your Highness trouble yourself so? There’s no reason!”
The angry knight’s voice filled the warehouse.
“It’s obvious she came here to beg on purpose. You remember, don’t you? The ones we rescued who sucked us dry and bolted with the coffers—at least those wretches split firewood a few times. What possible use is this little thing to the territory?”
“Listen here.”
“No, no—these days the kids are cunning as foxes, so she must be up to some scheme like this—”
“Luden.”
That was the moment.
At Vasili’s quiet voice alone, the knight’s mouth snapped shut.
The loose, casual atmosphere that had prevailed until now vanished in an instant, and the air around them grew taut and suffocating.
“That’s enough.”
Thump. A large hand gripped Luden’s shoulder.
“Isn’t it?”
The pressure was immense. The Grand Duke’s sinister presence, which he had been careful to veil beneath a light manner and casual bearing, poured out toward Luden.
Vasili stared at the trembling Luden for a moment, then reined in his aura. With an expressionless face, he brushed dust from the knight’s shoulder once, twice.
“Listen. Are you worn out these days?”
“.…”
“I know the southern circuit was hard on you, but why are you so on edge about me sending the girl off with a few pouches?”
“…I apologize…”
“I’ll handle things here. Go rest.”
Luden hesitated, then bowed awkwardly and left the warehouse with his men in haste.
‘What do I do about that.’
Vasili rubbed the back of his head.
‘And what about this.’
He was aware of the child standing behind him.
She was very quiet.
Crying, perhaps.
Or maybe already crying.
‘This is exhausting.’
A large adult had shouted and pointed. The girl must have felt wronged at being treated like a troublesome, useless child.…
Vasili spun around.
“I’m—sorry. Let me apologize in his stead,”
And then he froze.
“Huh?”
The child was grinning widely.
“What is it?”
“.…”
He was seized by a bewildering sensation.
“Your Highness, my subordinate overstepped just now.”
“Oh!”
Haniel broke into a bright smile.
“It’s okay! He had reason to be angry, after all!”
Haniel had answered so easily, but then her expression shifted to something startled, and she waved both arms frantically.
“But, but! I didn’t come here just to take advantage of you! Really! I’ve never eyed the coffers either. Well, I suppose I’ve had my eye on bread—bread, yes—but that’s my rightful reward for my efforts, so…!”
What is this, now.
“Anyway, I’m not dead weight anymore, so don’t worry!”
The way she spoke suggested she had once been treated as dead weight. Or else she believed it of herself.
Vasili felt something sour rise in his chest.
He dropped onto a nearby crate with a heavy thud. A long sigh escaped him.
“So.”
“Yes?”
“What are you planning to do with an hour, sir?”
Haniel blinked her large eyes.
“You said you wanted an hour.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Haniel came rushing over.
“You’ll do it for me?”
“Weren’t you supposed to work as a Territory Resident for two nights and three days?”
“……!”
“Then I suppose I should do what you asked.”
Vasili spoke even as he realized something had gone terribly wrong.
“You’re not the kind of man to say one thing and mean another. I’d say you’re a pretty decent lord, actually.”
“Yay! Then, then!”
Bounce-bounce—the child laughed brightly, hopping up and down.
Vasili watched her in silence.
‘Not my favorite.’
Children were not his favorite.
And cheerful ones least of all.
Kids like that usually harbored something peculiar beneath the surface.
‘I’ve made a mess of this.’
He’d have to muddle through until the day after tomorrow, playing along.
What could a six-year-old possibly ask for—eating bread together, maybe a tour of the village…….
“Would you go with me to extract blood from a Light Dragon corpse?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re closing the territory’s gates.”
What in the world was this little thing?!
What exactly was she hiding inside that head of hers?!

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