LGHTNOVELBOOK 3 - Leon de Normann (2)
“Aren’t you going to tell the Duchess about your plan?”
“Maria has a loose tongue, so I cannot tell her about my plans. Besides, most of the current issues would be resolved if she just gave birth to a son.”
“I see.”
“By the way, do you think you can get along well here?”
“I’ll have to.”
“You’re really an old soul in a young body. Are you perhaps an old man who’s been cursed to become younger?”
‘Actually, I’ve recalled memories from my past life.’ But saying anything about past life memories would just make me look like a lunatic.
“…I’m not sure myself. I just suddenly matured one day. Does that bother you?”
“No, I like it. I didn’t want a child; what’s more important is that you’re the person I need for my plan. I don’t care whether you’re a child or an adult.”
“Aren’t you being too careless? What if I harbor ulterior motives…”
“Then I’d have to kill you.”
Instantly, the air around us froze, and I felt goosebumps as my hair stood on end.
“That was a joke.”
“I was joking too.”
“If you joke one more time, I might die of a heart attack.”
“Then it seems neither of us has a talent for jokes.”
“Like father, like son, I guess.”
“…Let’s get to the point. As I said before, you will learn the deportment and knowledge of nobility while being treated as the heir outwardly until Maria gives birth to a son and he becomes an adult.”
“What if she doesn’t have a son?”
“Then I would have to take a concubine to have a son, but my health is not good, so you’re necessary just in case.”
No matter what, telling my adoptive father to put more effort into his bedroom activities seemed like crossing a line, so I kept that thought to myself.
“From now on, I will prepare a ‘will’ in advance. If a son is born, you will hold the position of heir until the child turns 15 and becomes an adult, and then pass it on.”
“If no son is born, you will remain as the ducal heir, but internally all actual authority will be transferred to my eldest daughter, Tania. When she becomes an adult, she will bring in a husband who will take her family name, and ultimately Tania will become the Duchess.”
“In both cases, after my death and before the ducal family stabilizes, you, known as the heir, must fend off all assassination threats and attacks from other nobles targeting our territory.”
“You seem to have many enemies.”
“Countless. And judging by how much the atmosphere in the mansion has changed while I was on the battlefield, there are likely many spies among the servants.”
“So that’s why you need me.”
“That’s right. That’s also why I can’t tell Maria, who has a loose tongue, the purpose of bringing you here. Regardless, you will be the one exposed to the threat of assassination.”
“Hmm…”
Using me as bait against attempts to assassinate the heir—from this moment, I withdraw my support for the Normann ducal family.
“Of course, I won’t leave you to die helplessly, so don’t worry too much. I will make sufficient preparations so you won’t be assassinated as long as you don’t act carelessly.”
“Then what will happen to me after all your plans succeed?”
“You can freely choose and take anything you want except for the Normann ducal title, the territory, and the mansion. Of course, I won’t remove you from the family register, so you can continue using the Normann family name.”
“I’ll do my best, Father.”
And I, Leon, will become one with the Normann ducal family, and any attack on the Normann ducal family will be considered an attack on me, ‘Leon de Normann.’
Ah… Normann, my light… my salt…
Meanwhile, Serena, who had stormed out of the dining area, and Tania, who had followed her, were venting their frustrations in the room they shared.
“This is ridiculous, sister! How could Father do this to us?”
“I think so too.”
“That Leon or whatever his name is—he’s a complete thief! This ducal family belongs to our family, so who does he think he is, intruding between us?”
“You’re right. I heard he’s just a lowly commoner orphan. And they say an orphan is a child abandoned by their parents.”
“So a commoner with no mother or father stole our father? I will never forgive him.”
After thinking for a moment, Tania seemed to have a good idea as her lips twisted into a smile.
“I have a good idea. Let’s teach that lowly commoner a lesson and drive him away.”
“How?”
“Listen, we’ll keep bullying him secretly without Father knowing. Then he’ll eventually get tired of it and run away from the mansion crying, never to return.”
“That’s a great idea, sister. And if we tell our obedient maids to play tricks with his food and clothes, even if we get caught, no one will know it was us who ordered it.”
“My little sister is so smart, isn’t she?”
“Hehehe, let’s make plans to start bullying him tomorrow.”
The 9-year-old and 7-year-old girls, burning with vengeance, spent time locked in their room coming up with all kinds of evil deeds they could think of.
Maria de Normann—as soon as she turned 15 and became an adult, she became the Duchess by beating out numerous competitors who had their eyes on Duke Liong de Normann, the renowned Sword Master of the Frank Kingdom, esteemed Chevalier (Knight), and the lord of the Normann Duchy.
It had already been 9 years since she gave birth to her first daughter, Tania, less than a year after she married.
Now 24 years old, she was sighing in front of the office door of the Duke, who had returned injured from the three-year war with the Empire.
At this late hour, her biggest concern that made her sigh was, of course, the boy named Leon whom the Duke had newly brought in.
Her heart ached at the thought that the Duke, worried about an heir because she hadn’t given birth to a son, had adopted a boy.
She had already felt dejected because she couldn’t produce a son, and now the Duke had suddenly brought in an adopted son without even telling her, pushing her anxiety beyond its limits.
‘This won’t do. After all I’ve gone through to secure this position, I cannot hand over the Normann duchy to some lowly commoner who could have come from anywhere.’
Knock, knock, knock…
“Liong… it’s me.”
“…Come in.”
The Duke, who had been processing documents with a tired face while sitting at the desk in the center of the office, removed his glasses as she entered.
“I need to talk to you.”
“So do I… That’s wine from the Bordeaux region.”
“I think our conversation might be long, so let’s talk over a drink.”
“If that’s what my wife wants…”
‘The person who inherits this ducal family must be my child.’
Swish…
Her nightgown, which looked no different from usual, slipped down, revealing provocative lingerie hidden underneath and glimpses of fair skin illuminated by the soft lamplight.
“It’s a bit hot today, so please understand…”
“…”
The Duke’s office was always well soundproofed, but tonight the area around it was especially quiet.
Early in the morning, my eyes opened automatically at the orphanage’s wake-up time, but the soft and fluffy bed and blanket held onto my body like a swamp, not letting me go.
When do nobles start their mornings?
I don’t care about anything else; right now, I just want to close my eyes while buried in this fluffy blanket.
Knock, knock, knock…
“Young Master, it’s time to wake up.”
Not long after I closed my eyes, maids knocked on the door, entered, and carefully began to wake me.
‘So nobles also wake up early in the morning…’
I thought that maybe medieval nobles, unlike commoners, could eat and sleep as they pleased, but of course that’s not the case.
“Yeah, I’m up.”
“The Duke has ordered us to attend to you according to the morning schedule once you wake up.”
“By attending, what do you mean…?”
“Currently, our duty is to assist you with bathing and grooming.”
“Even bathing?”
“If we fail to maintain your dignity, we will be punished, so please understand.”
“Umm… alright.”
I’d prefer to wash myself at the very least, but when they put it that way, it’s hard to refuse.
For the time being, I’ll do as they say and later ask to be allowed to do the things I can manage on my own.
“The bath water is ready, so we will assist you right away.”
“…Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”
After I answered, the maids skillfully undressed me and wrapped a bathrobe around my naked body.
When we arrived at the bathroom, the maids began removing the robe. Although I had the body of a 12-year-old child, I felt somewhat uncomfortable showing my naked body to others, especially to women.
However, the maids guided me to the bathtub with expressions that suggested they were used to this, and began skillfully attending to my bath.
‘Honestly, it is comfortable.’
Seeing the maids acting so naturally made me gradually relax, and after a while, I was able to finish bathing and grooming comfortably.
Once the grooming was complete, the maids led me to the dining room.
“You’re late, stupid!”
In the dining room I arrived at following the maids, there sat an older-looking maid and two girls who were looking down at me with arrogant expressions and their heads held high.