#Chapter 29. Damian’s Study

Ariel entered the study and immediately checked the bookshelf.

Among the numerous books, Ariel confirmed where the Eastern Continent history books were located and reached out to gauge the height.

Since it was Damian’s study, there were no chairs around like in a library that could be used for a running start.

Moreover, there was only one chair nearby, and it was too heavy for a child to lift.

Then how did Lucy take a book from a height that Ariel could barely reach even when stretching her hand?

There was only one answer. Someone helped her.

If it had been the butler, he would have informed Ariel of this fact immediately after helping, so it wasn’t him.

“But it doesn’t seem like Damian would have stepped forward to help. Lizzy turned away after asking for a tutor to be called, so it wasn’t Lizzy either……”

Only Bella remains.

Then it was better to think that Bella had been won over by Lucy long ago.

Following Lucy herself, not the Duke of Zenova. For a maid to listen to the words of a mere seven-year-old child. Both Lizzy and Bella.

Ariel frowned.

The child might be more outstanding than she thought. It wasn’t just about being smart.

She had reached a certain level of skill in managing people too.

But a seven-year-old child…… how?

The only assumption was that because she was a genius, she could accurately pinpoint what others were thinking or wanting…….

Well.

Ariel shook her head.

Damian was also an unparalleled genius.

Though he was recognized as an outstanding knight in terms of military prowess due to war, before that, he was a talent among talents who had been called a genius from childhood for his exceptional intelligence.

Even Damian had clumsy aspects when it came to managing people, so could seven-year-old Lucy do it just because she was smart?

Since she resembled Damian, if she inherited his brain, she could be a genius.

She might be a genius who surpasses Dad. But…….

“Even if she resembled me, it wouldn’t make sense. No matter how much she resembled me, she couldn’t inherit that experience too.”

Ariel passed by the bookshelf where the Eastern Continent history books were placed, then suddenly turned around.

She wondered if the books here were clearly visible from Lucy’s perspective.

The Eastern Continent history book that she said she looked up because she was worried her dad might not be able to go on the family trip.

Of course, even inferring from the child’s words, it was clear she had come looking for history books from the beginning.

But why did she take a history book of all things? Ariel moved while feeling the books lined on the wall with her hand.

There were definitely many books related to the Eastern Continent even if they weren’t history books.

Wouldn’t it have been better to learn about Alento territory, where they were going for the family trip?

What information could she get from history books?

Ariel came back to where the Eastern Continent history books were placed and took out a book on tiptoe.

She opened the quite thick book and looked around to see if there might be any notes inside. However, the book was clean.

Ariel was about to close the book without much thought when she suddenly had a flash of realization.

“The book is…… clean……”

She might have scribbled in the book with colored pencils, but Lucy had never done such a thing while growing up.

She only played in designated places, and sometimes even seemed bored with that.

She thought it was because she was so precocious…….

The time when she could read and write was also much earlier than her peers.

Ariel’s eyes became thin.

“She seems to be a genius for sure. But even if I ask, she probably won’t tell me properly.”

Ariel recalled the green eyes that resembled her and closed the Eastern Continent history book.

While putting the book down on the table, her gaze happened to fall on an empty bookshelf.

Introduction to Political Science should have been there originally. The spot where the book belonged remained empty.

“It feels like yesterday when the previous duchess said Damian read Introduction to Political Science when he was eight. She was very proud……”

So did she give Introduction to Political Science to a seven-year-old child to read?

It was the book that made Lucy ask for a tutor to be called.

Though it was hidden tightly in the child’s room, finding the book wasn’t difficult.

Lucy said some book was too difficult right after reading the Eastern Continent history book.

She was curious about what was so difficult that she would ask for a tutor to be called, so she secretly searched Lucy’s room.

She must have received Introduction to Political Science from Damian.

It definitely wasn’t a book Damian called her first to give, and Lucy must have gone to find Damian.

She either asked him to teach her, or said something completely different, but Damian liked what she said and gave her the book.

He thought it might be okay to expect something from Lucy.

It meant Lucy made Damian think that way…….

She had only thought it was natural as a parent to want his daughter to be a genius since Damian was also a father…… But looking back step by step, there were too many puzzling aspects.

It wasn’t in Damian’s nature to think such things.

The important thing was that it was Lucy who led to such behavior from Damian.

Something…….

“There it is.”

Ariel sighed. Just as she was about to leave the study, she saw a sparkling box.

Ariel slowly opened her eyes and reached for that box.

She felt bad about doing the same thing after teaching Lucy not to open other people’s belongings carelessly, but she still wanted to check.

Click—.

Inside the opened box, a clean handkerchief was neatly folded without a speck of dust.

Since she had given him the handkerchief before the ship departed for war, he must have placed it there after coming back.

“Both Dad and daughter.”

Ariel bit her lower lip and closed the box again.

*

“Your Grace!”

The butler, surprised by Damian returning to the mansion earlier than expected, rushed out the door.

“Where are Ariel and Lucy?”

“……Well, ah…… Fortunately, the lady has awakened. She was examined by a physician, who said there are no problems. But the madam is……”

The butler was about to mention Ariel when Lucy poked her head out from the top of the second floor. She immediately moved her lips urgently upon seeing Damian.

The lip movement she used when threatening contained quite different content this time.

“Dad. Big trouble.”

Damian read the small lip movement and raised one eyebrow.

“Big trouble?”

As soon as Lucy heard Damian’s voice, she shook her head frantically with a shocked expression.

After making an X mark over her mouth, she then put her fingers on her head one by one like horns.

“Mom is really angry.”

The moving lips wriggled cutely, contrary to the seriousness of the situation.

Damian almost burst into laughter at that sight, but regained his composure upon seeing Ariel’s face that appeared afterward.

No warmth could be found in Ariel’s face, which was flowing with coldness.

Despite being expressionless, the temperature difference explained how angry Ariel was.

“Damian?”

Ariel appeared from behind Lucy and tilted her head upon seeing Damian.

Lucy had been making horns on her forehead with her fingers in front. She flinched and quietly lowered her hands.

Then she swallowed and began coming down the stairs with an awkward smile.

“Ah, Dad! Y-you’re home?”

Lucy came running down and drew other words on her lips.

‘Tell Mom let’s have dinner.’

Damian naturally lifted Lucy up, nodded, and examined the child’s body.

“The physician said you were fine……”

At Damian’s words, Lucy raised both arms high.

“Oh, right! Yeah yeah! I’m not hurt at all! Not at all!! The physician said I’m so healthy! And I’m so happy to see Dad! Right? Dad’s happy too because you came early, right?”

Lucy smiled brightly. As if to show off, she turned her head to show her smiling face to Ariel too.

“Mom, it’s good that Dad came early! Right?”

This was probably a statement meant to draw Ariel’s reaction, but it didn’t seem to work at all on Ariel, who was coming down the stairs with a calm smile.

Rather, it seemed like the coldness was blowing even more because of that.

“Dad must be tired. Come down, Lucy.”

Ariel gently spread her arms toward Lucy and approached Damian.

The child had been reluctant to come to her from Mom’s embrace, but this time went into Ariel’s embrace while shooting anxious glances at Damian.

Her pupils contained a threat to quickly bring up dinner.

“Ariel, how are you? Are you alright?”

“……I’m fine. You must be tired. Rest, Damian.”

Ariel patted the child’s back and slowly turned her body, then headed straight for the stairs.

While tightly hugging Ariel’s neck, Lucy widened her eyes and moved her lips greatly.

‘Dinner! Dinner!!’

It was a silent outcry.

“Ariel, I’d like to have dinner together to talk about the rebellion matter too.”

At Damian’s call, Ariel quickly turned her head back.

“I’m too tired today. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

Lucy reacted faster than Damian and quickly turned her head at Ariel’s refusal.

“Mom?”

“……Yes?”

“With Dad…… dinner…… aren’t we having it?”

“Mom is too tired today.”

“Bu, but……”

When Lucy’s pupils shook violently, Ariel tilted her head.

“Does Lucy want to eat with Dad? Then do you want to eat with just Dad?”

Ariel asked instead.

“Ah, that’s……”

Unable to answer easily, Lucy’s head moved from Ariel to Damian.

The staring green eyes fixed on Damian’s face.

“Let’s do that. Today I’ll eat with the child, so you go in and rest.”

Damian approached Ariel and reached out to Lucy. Lucy had been reading the situation and also nodded naturally.

“To, today, I’ll eat with Dad. But…… Mom will eat together with us next time too, right?”

Lucy moved into Damian’s embrace and urgently grabbed Ariel’s sleeve.

“Of course.”

Ariel calmly pulled up the corners of her mouth and gave a positive answer to the child’s words.

However, from Ariel’s back as she went up the stairs without lingering, it was impossible to predict when that next time would be.