Chapter 10

The child had a shocked look on his face when he saw Reinhardt appear with Dietrich as her escort at the Thanksgiving dinner.

Dietrich escorted her to the middle of the table in a classy manner and then tried to sit next to the child. But the child leapt to his feet and hid behind the pillar of the dining hall, making the maids waiting to serve the meal feel embarrassed in the process.

Reinhardt remained calm and kindly called Wilhelm over, but the child did not come out and just shook his head. Dietrich mouthed, “Do you want me to bring him to you?”, but she just shook her head.

“He was abused. An unfamiliar adult would be scary.”

“Is that so?”

Reinhardt deliberately made loud, exaggerated noises during dinner instead of forcing the child to come out. The wild goose that the captain of the guard had caught was chubby in preparation for the winter.

“Wow, this is good! It’s so delicious!”

“…….”

“There’s a lot of meat and a lot of oil running through it. Yum!”

Dietrich shook his head at her table manners. She looked rather glutinous and like this, no one would have recognized her as the same woman who was once the crown princess. Reinhardt didn’t care that much though.

“If you didn’t eat this much, you wouldn’t be tempted by children’s whines.”

“Someone would think you’ve raised a child….”

At the sight of the talkative Reinhardt, the child sneaked out from behind his post, but that was it.

When Dietrich looked at him while grabbing some cheese, the child ran out the hall. He couldn’t believe that a kid who liked bread so much had actually run away without a spoonful of dinner. But it was understandable that he hated adults he didn’t know.

Reinhardt sighed. But of course, she still finished her dinner. This would be the last time this year that she would have such a big dinner in this damn estate after all.

‘If he starves for a few days, he’ll come to his senses.’

That’s what Reinhardt had thought.

* * *

Turns out the little one was pickier than she thought. Reinhardt put her hand on her waist.

“Wilhelm.”

Will, put the bull on and put Helm, would usually stick his head out and smile after noticing her, but today the kid was acting very stubborn and naughty.

“No, I don’t want to.”

“What do you mean no? Why don’t you come over here?”

“….No….”

The child replied sullenly from behind the pillar of an embankment and still wouldn’t show his face. Dietrich, who was standing behind her, clicked his tongue.

“As expected, it’s my job to….”

“No, it’ll only be counterproductive if you step up.”

They were in Wilhelm’s room. The child had locked his door since Thanksgiving and hadn’t left his room for two days. He also didn’t finish his favorite meal. So today Reinhardt stamped her feet and decided to visit Wilhelm. Dietrich came along and paid a visit too for her sake. It was just a bonus for him to see Reinhardt cheerfully clap her hands even though she looked as if she was about to break a door off its hinges.

“Wilhelm, come out.”

“…….”

“If you don’t come out….”

Reinhardt said that much and trailed off. She felt troubled and asked Dietrich, “What terrible threat should I make to a child at this age?”

Dietrich frowned.

“How old is he?”

“16 years old?”

“Crazy b*sta*d.”

Dietrich let a few bad words slip out in between his chatter. Reinhardt raised her eyebrows.

“Are you calling your boss crazy?”

“Oh, no, no. I’m just surprised that he’s sixteen years old.”

“That’s what I thought too. He’s too small and too thin.”

Even though he’d been eating well lately, Wilhelm was still small.

Dietrich shook his head.

“What are you talking about? Dwarfs at sixteen are everywhere. The number of soldiers who haven’t been able to eat well isn’t small.”

“I-is that so?”

“Not all soldiers come from rich lands.”

“So?”

Dietrich sighed at Reinhardt’s question, which was mixed with curiosity.

“I can’t believe there are sixteen-year-old children doing more childish things than a newborn foal.”

“…….”

“When I was sixteen, I followed Sir Hu Linke to war and took orders from the Marquis.”

Reinhardt sneezed at the sudden mention of her father and laughed.

“Yes, you did. You were my father’s servant after all.”

It was a story from a long time ago. Dietrich looked down at her with his friendly emerald eyes, sighed again, and asked.

“What are you going to do with that little boy?”

“Well…”

Dietrich would treat her like a madman if she told him that he’d grow up to be the empire’s hero.

It’s quite plausible for the princess who had stabbed the Crown Prince to have gone mad in roughly two months. Reinhardt opened her mouth and replied with a bitter smile.

“He saved my life.”

“…Do you usually go this far to repay someone for saving your life?”

“Why? Isn’t it common for a girl to devote herself to the man who saved her life?”

Dietrich snorted.

“I’d like to dispute that being considered a man.”

“I agree with some of that statement, but still.”

“In that case, you should have been very sincere with me before.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When I was nine years old, I fell off an apricot tree…”

“Gosh, stop talking.”

Reinhardt laughed while swearing.

It was Dietrich who took care of her during her time as a tomboy. How many days full of heartache did Dietrich have when he fell off an apricot tree and saw her emerald eyes that took his breath away? Reinhardt giggled and snapped back.

“That’s why I asked you to marry me.”

Dietrich sniffed and responded as if he wasn’t praying for that to happen.

“Even if His Grace is avenged, I won’t.”

“She’s about to become Crown Princess soon you know.”

“Speaking about that, when that woman proposes to the Crown Prince and confesses her love, what do you think will happen to the Ernst Estate?”

“First of all, my father and his precious daughter will set fire to her quarters because they were possessed very late!”

The two giggled and then suddenly became serious. This was because the child had sneaked out from behind the pillar.

Reinhardt, who had immediately forgotten about snickering, gave Wilhelm a stern look.

“Wilhelm, why are you just coming out now?”

“…….”

The child continued staring at the two without saying a word. To be exact, he was staring at Dietrich.

Dietrich, who was looking at the child with his arms crossed, snorted.

“I can’t believe he’s sixteen. So Viscountess…”

“What?”

“Why don’t you let me take care of him for just ten minutes?”

Reinhardt raised her eyebrows. Dietrich was being sarcastic again with his arms still crossed.

“You must think he’s a kitten-like big boy who’ll become independent and carry his own weight.”

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s exactly what it seems like though.”

Dietrich gave her a smirk. It was a very insolent and rude move but Reinhardt just shrugged, turned her back, and retreated.

When she was about to leave the room, Reinhardt stopped. She hadn’t intended to leave the room in the first place. That child must be afraid of adult men, and if she really left, Wilhelm would have no one to turn to.

When Dietrich noticed that she wasn’t leaving the room, he snorted lightly and strode up to the child.

The child recoiled, but Wilhelm’s room wasn’t that spacious, so Dietrich could still drive him towards the corner. Dietrich looked down at the child for a moment and stood with his arms crossed right in front of him.

“Wilhelm.”

“…….”

“I heard that your name is Wilhelm. It’s the name she gave you.”

The child looked up at Dietrich with unhappy eyes.

Reinhardt stood far away and watched the whole thing nervously. Dietrich is an incredibly big man just to look at. Reinhardt is also quite tall, but Dietrich is one head taller than she is. His shoulders were wide enough to completely hide Reinhardt. So imagine how much pressure Wilhelm, who is rather skinny, must be feeling.

“You’ll never be a man worthy of that name in your life.”

“…….”

“You’re sixteen. I proposed to Reinhardt when I was eighteen.”

Reinhardt’s face turned red with his sudden confession, and she squealed when she heard her name.

“Dietrich, you crazy bastard!”

Dietrich grinned by her side and turned away at the cry of his childhood friend. The child was now blatantly hostile to him.

“See? My words are true.”

“…….”

“Don’t pretend you don’t understand. I’ve noticed that you’re a smart guy. I’m sure you already knew this much. No matter how young you are, a man like you has already hit sixteen.”

Reinhardt was seriously amazed. Dietrich, what the hell is he talking about with a kid who can’t even talk?

However, Dietrich didn’t care and tapped the floor with his right foot. The sound of high-quality leather boots knocking on the floor was quite loud. Maybe it’s because Luden Castle was built and well equipped with good materials.

Reinhardt was distracted by the sound, but the child wasn’t. Wilhelm just constantly glared at Dietrich. It was to the point where he still wouldn’t look at the floor even when the loud noise resounded in his surroundings. Dietrich grinned.

“Focus on what’s worth watching.”

“…….”

“When you’re eighteen, will you still look at Reinhardt from behind the pillar with that rabbit-like pose?”

“Don’t call your Viscountess’ name like that, you crazy b*st*rd.”

Reinhardt’s complaint interrupted him, but Dietrich didn’t care.

“Will you?”

“…No.”

They were the same words from a while ago, but she could clearly tell that his tone had changed. Reinhardt was rather amazed. Before she knew it, the child had come out from behind the pillar, clenched his fist, and continued staring at Dietrich.

“No, I won’t.”

“Good.”

Dietrich grinned.

It was at that moment when the worst teacher and disciple pair of Luden Castle met.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────