That night, Elody stared at Caville, who lay on a big bed. He looked peaceful. She felt full of joy as she looked at his pure face, sleeping without any worries. When she first saw him a week ago, he kept having nightmares, but now he seemed to sleep well.

Don't worry, my boy. I'll fight against all the nightmares!

Elody moved off the bed after patting Caville's chest with an even beat. She had to make detailed plans for the future. Well, number one: feed and raise Caville well until he goes into the battlefield. Elody didn't want him on the battlefield if she could, but it was the duty of the Duke of Cernoir to participate in the war at the emperor's order.

But I don't have the power to stop the war.

Caville was only thirteen years old. In the original book, he was abused and not fed well, so he went off the war with such a tiny figure. After surviving on the battlefield, Caville grew up into a great adult. I get already blurred with tears at the thought of sending that boy to the battlefield. If I have to let him go, I'll feed and raise him strong before then. And number two: keep the territory in a good condition for Caville's return.

The duchy of the Duke's family was very vast and fertile. But it had been left alone for so long that the number of productive people in the duchy were few. Productivity was bound to fall. In the original, Elody ruined the Duke's family’s rich territory so terribly that It couldn't be restored. This happened because Elody dumped all kinds of lousy potions into lakes and forests while studying magic drugs.

But still, there was plenty of hope since those places were not contaminated yet. Well, first of all, I'll study some magic drug that will make the land more fertile. It’s better to plant more expensive crops if I'm going to farm. And somewhere in the castle, there were undoubtedly gold coins and jewels hidden by Caville’s grandfather.

In the original book, Elody found and spent it all. . .I'll have to look it up later.

And number 3: research the cure for incurable diseases. This was the problem. Elody was a sinful person and in the end, her sins caught up with her. In the process of giving the princess a poison that hardens the whole body like a stone, Elodie instead got an incurable disease that hardened her body.

If you think it's a villain's end, it's such a story. But she didn't want to die thinking that that future was her destiny. She wanted to live a long and healthy life.

“Ugh. . .”

While Elody was scribbling down all this with her pen, a mutter from the bed reached her ears. The sound frightened her, and Elody quickly headed over to the bed.

“Boohoo. . .Sister. . .Brother. . .”

Perhaps because he didn't get an education in the orphanage, Caville was not clear on what to call me. It seemed like he was calling me whatever he’d heard at the orphanage.

“Yes, your sister. . .or brother is here.”

He seemed to have woken up from sleep, afraid at the fact that he was alone in bed.

Tears welled up in his big eyes. Elody hugged the little Caville's head. Then she went under the blanket and put it on over them

“Come on, lay on my arm. I'll put you back to sleep.”

“Yeah. . .can you stay here, sister?”

“You should call me your wife, Caville.”

“My wife?”

“Yes, because I'm your wife until you bring the princess.”

“Princess?”

Elody cuddled with Caville, patting his backside. His body temperature felt good next to her.

Maybe I’ve missed someone's temperature, too. Elody intended to heal Caville's heart, but it was herself who needed healing, too. Caville wiggled into Elody's arms.

“Is the wife the same as the princess?”

“No, they are different.”

“Yeah?”

“You don't have to look for a princess, because I'll raise you well and send you to her.”

Caville groaned as if he didn't understand what Elody said. This little one is already talking about a princess. Elody clicked her tongue and stroked Caville's head. She wanted to hit the middle of his head. No, you can't do this! If Caville brings the princess from the battlefield, don't be disappointed and run away quickly. Elody didn't want to be jealous of Caville's lover.

And Elody didn't want to bother the princess in her marriage either.

***

The next day, Elody washed and fed Caville as soon as she opened her eyes. Afterwards, she fed Caville a snack and spoke to the butler.

“I want to see the financial situation on the duchy.”

“Sorry?”

“I'm the hostess of the house of Cernoir, so I should know everything to manage it.”

“Oh, my. . .”

Norman, the butler of the Duke's family, was choked up. In fact, when he tried to bring Count McClaire's daughter, he had a lot of worries. Count McClaire was a foolish and greedy man.

So, he was concerned about whether the daughter took after the father, at least in that regard.

There weren’t any other options. No one wanted to send a precious daughter to a poor Duke’s family's heir, an illegitimate child. It was the wealth of the other family that the nobles considered most important when they got married. But Count McClaire had no qualms selling his daughter. Later, he even wrote a contract for his daughter not to be involved. Rather, he even expected Norman not to say anything else later.

The Count's daughter, Elody, would also be hurt. So, I was hoping that they grew up relying on one another, Norman thought. Elody was so mature even though she was still young.

“Yes, Madam. I'll give you a report.”

“Yes, and. . .”

“And?”

“If the finances can support it, please get a swordsmanship teacher for Caville.”

“What do you mean, a swordsmanship teacher?”

“He has to learn from an early age to lead the knights.”

“Oh! Yes, Madam.”

“Get a teacher from the knightage.”

“Yes, Madam.”

At Elody's words, the butler bowed his head and went out, thinking about how mature she was. Norman's heart throbbed. The former Duke of Cernoir was a very extravagant and alcoholic. So was the Duchess. The two were addicted to alcohol and left the land on the sidelines. Coincidentally, the two died of heart attacks as a result of their excessive drinking.

In the absence of a successor, Norman questioned the maid who had previously given birth to the Duke's child. If a successor could not be established, the duchy would be put into the hands of the Duke's brother, Count Boulogne.

Count Boulogne was an evil man. Norman did not want to see the Duke's family of Cernoir, who he spent his entire life working for, being crushed by the Count Boulogne. But the maid had passed away a long time ago, and the child was in an orphanage. The successor to the Duke's family was a frail child. No matter how he was treated, Caville was extremely afraid of adults. It was a pity. Norman took letters, certificates, and documents saying that he found the Duke's successor and sent them to the imperial palace. He also obtained documents that Caville would be recognized as the Duke's successor. But Caville never adapted to the new environment. That's why Norman thought about marrying Caville early and found a bride like an older sister rather than someone his age. “Now I don't feel ashamed of seeing the previous Duke. . .”

Unlike Caville's father, the former Duke, Caville's grandfather was a benevolent master. Norman wiped away tears as he recalled him.

***

“Caville, stop eating snacks.”

“. . .Yes, wife.”

I taught Caville the word “wife”, and he called me like that all the time.

Elody patted Caville's head in praise and ordered the maid to clean up the cookies.

I wanted to feed him with snacks as much as I wanted, but he couldn't overeat.

“You have to focus on the swordsmanship class when you meet your teacher.”

“What is that? Is that a snack?”

“It's not a snack, it's a teacher. Teacher.”

Before sending Caville to the battlefield, I thought it would be good to let him learn the basics so that he wouldn't get hurt. Elody wished she could teach him herself. Unfortunately, Elody didn't know how to do swordsmanship at all. I'm sure there's someone in the knights who's loyal to Caville. She tried, but couldn't remember the name very well.

Oh, I don't know! Let's not try to do many things at once. There's something more important now.

“Now, let's go play!”

“Are we going to play?”

“Yes!”

A child should run around. Elody took Caville's hand and went out to the garden. Because of the lack of care, the expensive trees and flowers in the garden were all withered, but it was a good enough playground for the two children.

“Come on, Caville, you're the tagger! You're going to catch me!”

“Okay, wife!”

“Count to ten!”

“Yes!”

Elody ran into the garden with excitement. She came out to let Caville run around, but Elody seemed more excited. Caville watched Elody smile brightly as she ran.

Her face, with that big smile, was so beautiful. It was prettier than the moon at night and more beautiful than raindrops on leaves. As Elody got farther and farther away, Caville became nervous. Eventually, Caville chased Elody without counting to ten. He was afraid of Elody being far from him.

“Hey! That's cheating!”

Despite Elody's grumbling, Caville doggedly ran after her.

And soon he caught up with Elody.

“I got you!”

Caville smiled and hugged Elody. The power of Caville’s embrace was quite strong.

Elody soon smiled helplessly and held Caville's hand. Caville held Eody's hand tightly.

Little Caville never wanted to let go of Elody’s friendly hand. He didn't want to miss it or pass it to anyone.

***

Elody fed Caville a hearty meal for the moment for his first day at swordsmanship lessons.

Caville had a good appetite, perhaps as a result of being so underfed at the orphanage.

He ate hot freshly baked bread and chicken stew, and she fed him two glasses of sweet milk mixed with honey. She was both proud and sorry to see him eat that well.

“Come on, let's go to class. Caville!” Elody reached out to Caville. Since it was the first day, Elody decided to attend the class with him.

The swordsmanship teacher was Brienne Vedos, who was scheduled to become the vice-captain of the Duke's knights, and later to become Caville's right hand man.

The sky was filled with dark clouds, but it did not rain. Elody went to the training camp in front of the knights' building in the Castle of the Dukes, holding Caville's hand tightly.

Norman, the butler followed along, and introduced Brienne.

“Come on, Sir Vedos. Please do your best for the Duke from today.”

“Yes. . .”

Brienne had a sour look. He was a young man in his twenties. Sure enough, Caville hid behind Elody's back and rolled his eyes nervously.

That coward is a duke? Oh, my God, Brienne thought. Brienne was a man whose expression showed his whole heart. It was easy to see him through. Elody stared at his expression.

“Caville was abused by adults in an orphanage and is afraid of adults.”

Brienne's expression relaxed at Elody's words. He fingered the back of his head with shame.

Elody looked back at Caville, who was wriggling behind her back, and said, looking up at Brienne again: “He's a child now, but when he grows up, he'll lead the knights. Take care of my lord, Sir Vedos.”

“Okay, Madam.”

Brienne looked down at Elody curiously, thinking that she seemed very mature. Elody turned toward Caville hiding behind her back.

“Caville, that man is a good man.”

He didn’t respond.

“A good man like Norman, okay?”

“Yes. . .”

“I'll be right next to you, so don't worry.”

“Are you going to be next to me?”

“Yes, I'll sit over there. You can see where, right?

Caville nodded commendably, even with anxious eyes. The conversation between a little girl and a smaller boy was amazing.

He's a good man. . .