Chapter 21: The Yellow Bird (2)

The guards who had initially tried to stop the twins lowered their swords as the grand duke raised his hand.

After being swept away by an avalanche and exploring the Heroic King’s tomb, then fleeing its collapse and trudging through snow all day, Louis and the twins were covered in soot from searching the burned-down house. Anyone would have taken them for survivors of the village raid without a second thought.

“Oh dear…”

“Were these the only children who survived?”

Thanks to the twins’ acting skills combined with Louis’s cunning, they pulled off the perfect deception.

“You poor dears…” Unconcerned about dirtying her pristine white dress, the grand duchess hugged the twins, tears welling up in her eyes.

The twins’ acting skills were on full display.

Sniffle!

“I-I was so scared!”

Their incredible performance almost made Louis stop crying altogether. He internally rolled his eyes at them.

These little rascals… Were they pretending to be clumsy all this time?

Seeing their masterful tearjerker act raised suspicions, but there wasn’t time for that now. Louis also had to keep up appearances.

Sob, sob.

Tears streaked down Louis’s soot-covered face, making him and the other children look even more pitiful.

The grand duke emerged from among his guards and bent down in front of Louis, who continued to fake tears.

“Do you live here?”

Sob.

Louis nodded.

“You’re the only survivors?”

“…Yes.” The quiver in his voice added authenticity to the lie.

“What about your parents?”

“…” Louis didn’t have to outright lie; his somber expression said it all.

Actually, Louis didn’t need to answer; his somber expression said it all. The grand duke’s face fell as well, confirming Louis’s thoughts.

“…What a hardship.” The grand duke patted Louis on the head before standing and walking toward his wife.

She gazed at him pleadingly. “Your Grace… No, dear.”

The desperate longing in her eyes brought a wry smile to his face.

“You wish to take them with us?”

“…Yes.” A glimmer of hope appeared in Madam Eleanor’s sorrowful eyes.

The grand duke couldn’t deny her request and nodded accordingly. Meanwhile, Louis’s eyes widened as he listened to their conversation.

Huh? W-wait!

Things were taking an unexpected turn.

B-but ma’am? You can just keep going, you know.

But the die had already been cast.

Louis’s first mistake was not realizing that the grand duke, being a kind and wealthy man, wouldn’t simply pass by those in need. When asked about their parents’ whereabouts, Louis should have claimed they were waiting for them to return home.

…Did I mess up?

His second error was underestimating the twins’ acting skills. As he panicked, guards grabbed both his arms.

Wait! C-can you let go of me so we can talk this out?

By the time Louis started flailing, the grand duke’s bodyguards had already picked up the twins like teddy bears and placed them inside the carriage.

N-nooooo!

Before long, Louis followed suit as the carriage carrying him and the twins set off.

Rustle.

A moment later, Fin’s small head popped out from beneath the pile of broken planks.

In a frantic voice, he called out, ”…Master Louis?”

Caught completely off guard at suddenly losing his master, Fin could only stare helplessly after the carriage disappearing into the distance.

Thud, thud.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was warm and cozy. The grand duke took off his cloak to cover Louis and the twins. Originally, the duchess had intended to do so herself, but her frail health prompted her husband to step in instead. The large cloak easily enveloped all three children with room to spare.

Wrapped snugly under it, Louis blinked nervously.

I-I don’t know why you’re being so kind to me…

Louis felt both overwhelmed by their generosity and unsettled by this unexpected turn of events.

What should I do…?

His eyes darted around as he tried to think of a solution. Seeing him fidgeting, the madam mistook it for shyness and gently stroked his hair with a warm smile.

“It’s okay. You can relax.”

“…” The best Louis could manage was a silent nod.

The grand duke and his wife watched this exchange with delight.

“How old are you?” Madam asked Louis, who briefly pondered her question before responding.

He licked his lips slightly…

“…I’m ten years old.”

“You look younger than that. I thought you were around seven.”

“It’s because…I don’t get much to eat.”

“Oh dear…” The grand duke’s wife looked saddened by Louis’s half-truth, half-lie response, which seemed to indicate that she believed his excuse.

“And those children next to you, your older sister and brother?”

“No, they’re my neighborhood friends.” Although Louis spoke firmly, no one questioned him. Instead, everyone admired how articulate he was for his young age.

“Heh-heh. You’re quite sharp, aren’t you?”

“…”

Madam couldn’t wipe the smile from her face, clearly taken with Louis. As this conversation unfolded between them, the grand duke quietly observed their interaction.

Just then…

Thud.

Louis felt something heavy resting on both his shoulders.

Breathe…breathe…

Soon, he heard steady breathing from either side as Khan and Kani fell asleep using Louis’s shoulders as pillows. Despite being dragons, they were still children at heart. The forced march through unfamiliar territory had exhausted them.

Louis was no exception.

Yawn…yawn…

His eyelids drooped as sleepiness washed over him.

He jolted awake.

Snap out of it! What would you do if you fall asleep here?!

The situation had taken an unexpected turn. If this continued, they might end up stranded somewhere unpredictable. They needed to find a way out urgently, but fatigue was unavoidable.

How can these two even sleep in such circumstances?!

Louis silently cursed the twins for sleeping so soundly, but he was just as drowsy himself. Although his mind had matured to that of an adult’s, his body was still that of a child’s. To make matters worse, their steady breathing sounded like a lullaby.

I need to stay awake…

Despite Louis’s best efforts, fatigue from yesterday weighed heavily on him, and he couldn’t resist the temptation of sleep.

Thud.

His head bobbed back and forth before finally slumping against the carriage seat. Soon, his breathing evened out.

Snoooze…

Before long, all three were asleep with the twins leaning on Louis, who was covered by a large cloak.

“Heh-heh-heh.” The sight of them was too adorable, eliciting a smile Madam couldn’t suppress.

The grand duke hadn’t seen his wife laugh like this in quite some time, and it brought a grin to his face as well.

Thus, the carriage carrying the grand duke, his wife, and their three hatchlings safely arrived at the enormous castle under the protection of their guards.

Meow…

Louis looked dazed as a yellow rubber duck floated past him, causing his grip on reality to slip further.

How did this happen…?

Unlike Louis’s conflicted feelings, the twins were ecstatic.

“Eeeek!”

“Wheeee!”

Khan and Kani splashed around gleefully until their antics sent the floating duck underwater.

Splash!

The resulting spray hit Louis squarely in the face.

“Oh…”

“Uh…?” The twins braced themselves for Louis’s scolding but cautiously resumed playing when he didn’t react.

Louis grew more concerned at their behavior.

Why do these kids adapt so quickly? This isn’t time for horseplay!

Regardless of Louis’s thoughts, the twins regained some energy and started splashing around the large bathtub.

That’s right; Louis was currently bathing with the twins—naked—in one tub.

Sigh…

One white-haired head and two silver-haired ones bobbed above the waterline. Four maids attended to them, washing Louis and the twins’ bodies. The maids couldn’t stop smiling as they worked.

“Oh my goodness… How can all three be this adorable?”

“They’re not just cute… Look at their skin! So soft and smooth!”

“Yes! I heard they were rescued from a village attacked by monsters, but…they don’t seem like country kids at all!”

“Oh my, aren’t you adorable? Come on, sweetie, say ‘Auntie’!”

The chatter of the hardworking maids was almost as relentless as their hands, and Louis felt his ears would bleed any minute now. His mind began to wander elsewhere to avoid losing it altogether.

I wonder what happened to Fin.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, he’d had no choice but to leave Fin behind. Given Fin’s abilities, he should be fine, but Louis figured he must’ve been quite startled nonetheless.

But honestly, I’m not exactly in a position to worry about anyone else…

While Louis was lost in thought, the maidens finished washing and dressing the three children.

“Oh my, he looks like royalty!”

“The white hair and outfit suit him perfectly.”

“And those purple eyes—aren’t they striking?”

The maidens continued chattering incessantly even as they dressed the children.

Do their mouths run on batteries…? Shut up already! Louis tried to maintain his composure while screaming internally.

Once the kids were fully clothed, the maids lined them up for inspection, exclaiming over how adorable they looked.

“Wow…”

“They’re so cute!”

“I want kids just like these.”

Unaware of the potential consequences should Genelocer or the twins’ father hear such talk, the maidens gushed freely. Their admiration wasn’t unwarranted, though.

Louis had fair skin and white hair with jewel-like purple eyes, dressed elegantly in shades of blue. Khan and Kani wore red outfits that accentuated their silver hair and teal eyes. The three children exuded an air of nobility while also being incredibly adorable.

The maidens were itching to run toward them but managed to restrain themselves only because the grand duchess was present; otherwise, they would’ve already swarmed around the kids.

“Are you done?” The maidens politely bowed and stepped back as the poised voice of the grand duchess filled the room.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the immaculately cleaned children upon entering.

“Oh my goodness…!”

Even when the twins first appeared dirty from their village escape, there was something striking about them. Now bathed and properly attired, they seemed to glow.

The children looked radiant after being washed and properly dressed.

“Heh-heh. The grand duke will be pleased.” With affection in her eyes, she gently asked them, “Are you hungry?”

“Yes!” Khan’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of food.

Madam de Coubertin gestured for him to follow. “Come along, then.”

She led the way, followed closely by the twins. Louis sighed but had no choice but to bring up the rear.

They arrived at the banquet hall filled with all sorts of dishes rarely seen on the average commoner’s table.

“Wow!”

“Whoa!”

The aroma from the steaming feast made their eyes glisten.

“Please help yourselves.” Madam de Coubertin smiled warmly as she personally served the children herself.

The maids were restless but held their tongues as they saw how happy it made the madam.

After this luxurious meal, Louis and his children returned to their room. And that was just the beginning.

One day, two days, three days… It had been ten whole days since Louis’s group arrived at the splendid castle of the grand duke. The duke himself rarely appeared, while the duchess visited them daily to keep watch over Louis and the twins.

Most would consider this treatment a dream come true, but not everyone felt that way.

“We should get going soon…” With worry etched on his face, Louis paced anxiously back and forth in their room.