“F-Fire! It’s on fire, Lucy! Fire!”
“Shh! Shh! Quiet, Cookie!”
Startled, Cookie darted frantically around the bedroom, screeching at the top of his lungs.
The pale green flames clinging to the curtains were devouring the fabric with the hunger of a starving beast.
No, no, no!
Lucillea rushed forward and ripped the curtain down.
She dragged it onto the floor and stomped desperately on the flames, trying to smother them beneath her feet, but it was useless.
Panicking, she looked around.
A kettle caught her eye.
She grabbed it immediately and dumped every last drop of water inside onto the fire.
Even then, the flames showed no sign of dying.
Lucillea bolted into the bathroom, filled a bucket with water, and rushed back out.
She poured it over the curtain, ran back for more, filled the bucket again, and poured it out once more.
Again and again.
It felt as though she had emptied every drop of water she could possibly find.
Yet the flames continued to nibble away at the curtain.
Already, half of it had been consumed.
“Fire! Help! Someone save us! No—save the parrot!”
Cookie! Close your beak!
She was busy hauling water, trying to put out the fire, and at the same time trying to keep Cookie from screaming the entire mansion down.
Meanwhile, the flames only grew larger.
“L-Lucy! The fire’s getting bigger!”
Breathing hard as she reached her limit, Lucillea dumped another bucket of water onto the flames and shouted back,
“I know! Just a little more water and I think it’ll go out!”
“Really?!”
“Really! Don’t worry, Cookie!”
She forced a brave smile.
But the truth was, she was just as frightened.
Cookie’s right. The fire really is getting bigger.
Is it because it was created with magic? Can’t ordinary water put it out?
Then how am I supposed to stop it?
At this rate, the entire Grand Duke’s residence might burn down...
And if that happened—
Being kicked out would be the least of her worries.
The furious Grand Duke might kill her.
I could die even earlier than in the original story!
No.
Absolutely not.
Wearing a grim expression, Lucillea glared at the blazing fire and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Then she sucked in a deep breath and ran back to the bathroom.
Somehow.
No matter what.
I’m going to put this fire out!
Let’s see who wins—you or me!
Grinding her teeth, she took aim and hurled the bucket’s contents at the flames.
And at that moment—
A strange sloshing sound echoed.
WOOOOSH—!
The water surged across the curtain in a massive wave and swallowed the flames whole.
In an instant, the fire vanished as if it had never existed.
“Huh?!”
“Wah!”
“......”
Cookie threw both wings into the air like a victorious hero.
“Lucy put it out!”
But instead of feeling relieved, Lucillea only blinked in confusion.
Wait, Cookie. Did you not see that?
There was way more water than there should have been.
“So what? Maybe you carried more this time!”
Cookie flapped excitedly.
“Isn’t the important thing that the fire’s gone?!”
“......”
Lucillea glanced at the bucket lying on the floor.
No...
It was heavy. I definitely didn’t bring that much water.
The strange sloshing sound.
The impossible amount of water.
The questions remained unanswered.
But one thing was certain.
The fire was gone.
Tilting her head, she stared at the faint wisps of smoke rising from the charred curtain.
Something about this is weird...
Just then—
Bang!
The door flew open.
“Lady Lucillea! What happened?!”
May’s familiar voice rang out.
She had apparently heard the commotion and rushed over.
Whatever the circumstances, Lucillea felt an immediate sense of relief at seeing her.
“Maaay—”
She turned toward the maid.
And froze.
“If you disliked the bedroom that much, you could have simply said so.”
Standing behind May was Elvadin.
Their eyes met.
Those crimson eyes.
“Keh—!”
Lucillea’s jaw dropped.
T-The Grand Duke!
“EEK!”
Cookie shrieked.
Then he immediately shot into his cage and hid.
Not forgetting to slam the cage door shut behind him.
“......”
Lucillea stared at him with a look that clearly said,
Traitor.
Cookie carefully avoided her gaze.
Abandoned to her fate, Lucillea nudged the half-burned curtain behind her with the tip of her foot.
Splash. Splash.
Water sloshed across the soaked floor.
“I-It’s nothing! Hahaha...”
Elvadin’s red eyes slowly swept across the drenched room.
“I see. You’re a child with remarkable courage.”
His gaze settled on the burned curtain.
“For someone who calls this ‘nothing.’”
“......”
The fire was gone.
But heat still radiated from the blackened fabric.
As Lucillea nervously backed away, her heel brushed against the hot curtain.
Elvadin’s brow furrowed slightly.
Without a word, he strode toward her.
Then—
He lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
“Eh?!”
The sudden movement left Lucillea frozen.
At that moment, Riat arrived, having rushed over behind them.
Elvadin nodded toward the curtain.
“Take that to Noah. Tell him to dispose of it immediately. It could reignite.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Then he looked down at the little girl in his arms.
“Perhaps I should have the entire estate treated with fireproofing.”
“Hic.”
Lucillea shrank in on herself.
“I-I’m sorry... I had homework... and I was practicing by myself...”
“Homework? Noah’s?”
She nodded weakly.
“Yes...”
Elvadin gazed at her in silence.
Judging by her appearance, she had worked hard trying to extinguish the fire alone.
She was soaked through from head to toe.
Even the tiny shoulders pressed against his chest were trembling from the cold.
Holding her securely, Elvadin turned and walked out.
“Prepare hot water.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
May bowed.
The new bedroom Elvadin brought her to was also on the fifth floor.
Looking down at the child tucked into his arms, he asked bluntly,
“Do you like it?”
“Huh?”
“The new room. Do you like it?”
“......”
For a moment, Lucillea was speechless.
I’m really not in a position to be picky right now...
If he decided to throw her out, she would have no grounds to complain.
She ought to be begging for permission to sleep in a corner of the stables.
And yet—
He had given her another room.
Instinctively, she nodded.
“I-I love it! It’s much better than the old room! I really like it!”
In truth, it looked exactly the same size.
Aside from having more bookshelves, the furnishings seemed nearly identical.
But hey, at least he’s not kicking me out!
A faint smile tugged at one corner of Elvadin’s mouth.
“It’s the same size and decorated almost identically.”
His crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
“So there’s no particular reason it should be better.”
“......”
This man, seriously...
Sometimes, when she spoke to Elvadin, she genuinely wondered if her thoughts were somehow visible through her skull.
Pouting, she asked,
“You’re not going to kick me out, right?”
Elvadin glanced at her briefly before looking ahead again.
“Do you want to be kicked out?”
“No?”
“Then why ask?”
“So I can prepare myself mentally if you’re planning to.”
“I have no intention of throwing you out.”
He paused.
“At least not yet.”
“Even though I set the room on fire?”
“You said you were doing homework.”
“Well... yes, but...”
“I can’t very well throw out a child who’s so dedicated to her studies that she stays up late working on assignments.”
“......”
“But staying up late to do homework is now forbidden.”
“Why? Because I might start another fire?”
“No.”
His answer came immediately.
“You won’t grow.”
“......”
Lucillea stared up at him.
Was he kind?
Was he terrible?
Honestly, she had no idea anymore.
Just then, she spoke.
“You can put me down now.”
But Elvadin merely watched the maids bustling around the room.
“Once the fireplace is lit.”
“......”
Lucillea quietly nodded.
The room is cold, after all.
Her clothes were still soaked.
The air of the new bedroom was chilly.
Only moments ago, her body temperature had dropped enough to make her teeth chatter.
Now, however, thanks to the warmth radiating from Elvadin, the trembling had stopped.
So...
Just until the fire is lit.
Because this warmth...
...isn’t so bad.
Even if she hated to admit it.
