Balzac Astra had recently been suffering from a strange illness.

It wasn’t that he was angry, but sometimes he felt a strong urge to smash things.

At random times, his chest to his throat would itch, and sometimes the corners of his mouth trembled.

The doctor who heard Balzac’s explanation swallowed dryly.

“I haven’t seen such an illness until now...”

Balzac suddenly frowned deeply.

The doctor flinched and shrugged his shoulders.

Balzac Astra’s notorious reputation was well-known.

A really scary kid.

They say if he loses it, he can fold even an adult horizontally and vertically. No one wanted to imagine how.

So when such a terrifying kid frowned, it sent chills down the spine.

“If you give me time, I will identify the nature of this illness!”

“As soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

Clicking his tongue, Balzac got up and stormed out of the infirmary.

‘Maybe I should have visited a healer instead of a doctor?’

He might be cursed like Joshua.

The doctor had never even heard of this illness.

As I thought that while walking, distant shrieks caught my attention.

“Grrr! I’m gonna eat you~”

“I’m gonna catch you! Yeah~”

Maids were chasing something.

Looking closely, I saw the little yellow back of a head, curled up on both sides today as well.

Erilot was waddling along.

‘Ah, again.’

The urge to smash walls.

Watching her waddling like a duckling, though she wasn’t one, I realized the symptoms had started again.

Yesterday, seeing her tiny hands clutching a cookie like maple leaves.

The day before, watching her chubby cheeks jiggle while chewing food.

“We caught the young lady!”

“Ahh!”

As soon as the scream rang, Balzac dashed over.

“You—!”

Balzac scolded the maid harshly with a fierce expression.

“How dare you harass a member of the Astra bloodline!”

His loud voice startled the maids.

Erilot, still in the maid’s arms, stared wide-eyed at him.

‘Do I look really cool?’

Balzac usually didn’t care much about others.

But Erilot was so small, almost fragile, so he decided to pay a little more attention to her.

Balzac told the maid,

“Put her down.”

“Y-yes...”

Erilot jumped down from the maid’s arms.

Then she stared intently at Balzac.

Clearing his throat loudly, Balzac said,

“No need to thank me so much.”

“I’m not tired.”

“What?”

“We’re playing tag. Haven’t you played with Balzac before?”

“......”

The twins were all born with powerful offensive Gaho.

When they were young and couldn’t control their Gaho well, their parents kept them apart to prevent injuries.

By the time they could control it, they had become rivals and never played together.

Erilot blinked and looked at Balzac.

“You’re the tagger. We’re trying to catch you.”

Then she shouted, “Start!”

Erilot and the maids took off running.

‘W-what...?’

He hesitated for a moment, then took a few tentative steps.

“Save me, yeah~”

“Ahh, yeah~”

The maids were running leisurely.

Suddenly—whoosh, snap!

Balzac leapt forward, closing the distance in an instant.

As Balzac charged with fierce intent, the maids’ voices changed.

“Help!!”

“Ahh!!”

It was like a wild beast chasing behind them. Like rabbits fleeing a tiger, their hairs stood on end.

They ran madly, but it took only three minutes.

In three minutes, Balzac caught the two maids side by side and abruptly turned his head.

Erilot, who was watching the capture calmly, flinched and took a step back.

The moment our eyes met, she dashed off crazily.

Waddle waddle waddle waddle waddle waddle.

She ran so hard but couldn’t shake off Balzac.

It took exactly thirty seconds to catch Erilot.

“Ugh!”

“Caught.”

Balzac grabbed Erilot’s side with both hands and lifted her up.

The child’s eyebrows drooped as she pouted.

“Balzac won.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Now I’m the tagger.”

Erilot jumped down from Balzac’s arms.

“Now I’m hiding. Start!”

Balzac started to run slowly.

Erilot’s eyes shone as she chased eagerly.

Though soft-looking and expected to give up quickly, she was surprisingly stubborn.

No matter how far she ran, she never gave up chasing him.

‘Kind of... fun?’

Balzac matched his pace, then suddenly sped up just when she almost caught him.

“Yikes!”

Flushed with frustration, Erilot jumped to catch Balzac.

“Danger.”

Someone caught Erilot.

It was Joshua.

Balzac scowled sharply.

“What?”

“I saw you on the way to the library. Hello, Erilot.”

Joshua smiled softly and greeted her.

Without Daymond around, Joshua’s kindness felt unfamiliar.

“I heard you like reading picture books?”

“...Yes.”

“A new book arrived at the library. Want to come?”

Balzac barked sharply.

“She’s playing with me.”

Joshua narrowed his eyes and glared at Balzac.

“Who she goes with is up to Erilot.”

The brothers’ gazes clashed sharply in the air.

“You’re playing tag with me, right? I’ll let you ride later.”

“Don’t you want to go to the library? I’ll tell them to bring snacks to read with.”

Erilot looked back and forth between her twin brothers who were vying for her attention.

Then,

Rustle—

Daymond was walking from afar.

He held a fluffy ball of fur in his hands.

“There’s a puppy.”

“Mommy—!”

Erilot’s face lit up as she ran quickly.

“You can play with it inside the castle. Want to go?”

“Yes!”

Then she grabbed her father’s pinky finger and followed him off.

Daymond glanced back at the twins with a crooked smile.

Balzac and Joshua ground their teeth.

‘So sneaky.’

‘So dirty.’

The two were silently burning with jealousy.

I gently stroked the back of a fluffy black puppy.

“Soft.”

My cheeks flushed rosy as I held its face, and the maids and soldiers watching sighed in delight.

Betty trembled with excitement.

“Cute plus more cute equals super cute...”

Heidi smiled warmly.

“It’s good that Enzo brought the puppy.”

“Enzo’s mommy?”

When I looked at Enzo, he said,

“Yes. Since both brothers are often away, their mother was lonely, so she brought one.”

“I see.”

The puppy licked my hand.

‘Cute!’

When I was Yoo Hyemin, my wish was to have a dog.

My younger sister Saeun hated dogs, so it wasn’t possible.

After becoming an adult, my stepfather’s business declined, so most of my salary went home, and I couldn’t afford a pet.

I ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) looked at the puppy in a daze.

Just watching it was never boring, and before I knew it, quite some time had passed.

The small, cute puppy yawned widely, then rubbed its head on the blanket it sat on.

“Sleepy.”

“Yeah.”

“Then, mommy’s leaving?”

I asked with a voice dripping with regret.

Enzo looked troubled.

Other maids and soldiers groaned in sympathy.

My father watched me petting the puppy with his mouth turned down and asked,

“Shall we raise a dog in the jurisdictional castle? If you promise to take good care, I’ll bring one.”

“Really?!”

My face brightened, then immediately drooped.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m going to Grandpa Astra’s now. Mommy’s alone.”

There are many people in the castle, but if the dog regarded me as its owner, it would be lonely without me.

Heidi tried to persuade me.

“But he does come during breaks. We can take good care until then.”

“I have to work hard for Grandpa. If there’s a puppy, I’ll want to keep coming to the jurisdiction castle.”

‘Is it about ten days before I go to Grandpa?’

Now that I thought about it, peace was almost over.

There had been various incidents in the jurisdiction castle, but nothing that threatened my life.

Entering the factory meant the start of the full-scale 3rd generation war.

Betty tilted her head, looking confused.

“Do you really have to work that hard so you don’t miss the jurisdiction castle? You’re wise and wonderful.”

“I have dirty blood.”

A child mixed with commoner blood.

If I don’t work hard, it’s obvious what people would say.

‘Children with commoner blood don’t work.’

That’s what they’d say.

‘Now my position has changed.’

No one would call me a neglected child from the Twelfth Tower.

Besides various achievements, my father had returned.

And my father’s jurisdiction now only needed growth.

‘I’ll make a foothold in the hierarchy.’

Then my life would be smooth.

Though the life of a bullied villain is miserable, being a duke’s daughter is sweet.

I smiled to myself, but something felt odd.

It had grown very quiet around me.

‘Ah, I shouldn’t have mentioned dirty blood!’

I was so distracted by the puppy that it slipped out unconsciously.

This damn side character penalty.

I hesitated and looked at my father.

His face had hardened.

Night.

I went to bed earlier than usual.

The castle’s atmosphere had become too gloomy, and I found it hard to endure.

Heidi and Betty glanced at me cautiously.

“Miss...”

Heidi approached carefully, followed by Betty.

“You’re precious.”

“You’re the treasure, happiness, and joy of this jurisdiction castle.”

I glanced at the maids nervously and pulled the blanket over my head.

“Sleep well.”

‘I’m really uncomfortable.’

Outside the blanket, I heard the maids sigh deeply.

They tapped my chest a few times.

“Have sweet dreams.”

“Very happy dreams.”

Only then did I hear their footsteps leave.

I peeked out from under the blanket.

‘Maybe I worried them too much.’

I decided to be braver tomorrow.

I liked these jurisdiction castle people very much.

Brave Heidi.

Kind Betty.

Smart Michelan.

And gentle Enzo and Mosco.

They all looked at me with very, very kind eyes.

For the first time in my life, I felt the sense of being “inside a fence.”

I had a baseless belief that none of them would ever hurt me.

‘I never planned to get along this well with people.’

If the plan failed, all I thought about was running away.

So I tried not to get attached, but when I see such warm eyes, my nose twitches.

I tossed and turned, then turned onto my side.

Then.

Behind me, I heard the bedroom door open.

Shortly after, someone sat in the chair beside my bed.

‘Father’s scent.’

When I turned over, he gently rubbed my eyes.

“Mom...”

“I didn’t know how to say it, so I couldn’t say anything to you.”

“....”

“I wasn’t good with words, afraid I’d hurt you, and thinking you might have heard those things, I couldn’t bring myself to talk.”

“....”

Father looked at me intently.

“I first met your mother on the battlefield.”

“...!”

I was wide-eyed, not expecting him to talk about mother.

“She came to me when I was near death from the curse.”

“....”

“We were together out of necessity, and you were born.”

His eyes were very blurry.

He seemed reluctant to tell me that I was born without love.

He closed his eyes tightly soon after.

I carefully sat up in bed and looked at him.

“So, Mom, do you not like me?”

Father hurriedly opened his eyes.

My reflection shone in his pained, twisted eyes.

“No. No, Erilot.”

Father reached out and stroked my cheek.

“Your mother was from a land far from the Astra estate.”

“....”

“For her to come to Astra, heavily pregnant and overcoming countless dangers... it means she had the same heart as me.”

“....”

“She treasured you. Loved you so much.”

Father slowly hugged me.

Patting my back again and again.

“You are our breath, our life, our everything.”

“....”

“Your blood is full of our love.”

It was a very awkward thing to say.

So awkward it was almost embarrassing.

Father was a man of few words. I wondered how much he struggled to tell me this.

‘Actually, it hurt a little.’

I pretended not to care, but who would want to hear things like “dirty blood”?

But now it was really okay.

Because the parents who loved me so much were here.

“Yeah!”

I smiled and hugged my father’s neck.

Father gently stroked my back.

Then.

Thump!

A commotion came from the door.

“I told you not to push.”

“Can’t hear you!”

Turning my head, I saw the twins fallen in front of the door.

When Father and I looked, they awkwardly got up.

Balzac scratched the back of his head.

“Erilot heard the dirty blood talk. We want to find out who said that... We’ll kill them all.”

“....”

Joshua lowered his head silently.

Even until Balzac approached me, Joshua didn’t move.

‘Why is that?’

I blinked.

Father and Balzac looked at Joshua, who was clenching his fists and staring at the floor.

“...Sorry.”

“....”

“Sorry.”

Balzac looked at Joshua, puzzled.

“What? You said I have dirty blood?”

“....”

I never said dirty blood. I said illegitimate child.

But he was cursed and in pain, and I wouldn’t let him dig up the cursed garden.

‘Hmm.’

I waved at Joshua.

“Read me a picture book.”

“...!”

“I want to hear the story about the chick family.”

Joshua’s eyes opened wide.

Balzac frowned.

“Come on. You sinner!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah!”

Father gave way so Joshua sat and opened the book.

Balzac sat down carelessly on the carpet, resting his arms and head on the bed.

I lay down on the bed, and Father stood with his arms crossed, listening together.

“Once upon a time, long ago, there lived a chick family. Outside it was cold and dangerous, so the family huddled together...”

The pitch-black night.

Only the lamp on the nightstand lit the room.

Joshua’s sweet voice echoed in the space, which was not scary at all.

I vowed.

I would never let anyone take away this kind space from me.

.

.

Time passed, and the edge of spring came.

It was time to return to the factory.