The Villainous Noble Lady Turned Into a Child, and Her Cold Duke Husband Became Kind - 4 - Is a Little Girl a Chance? (2)

That night, Leonhardt visited Elicia’s bedroom.

The new maid was in the waiting room. When he asked, she said, “She went to bed after her bath.”

If she bathed after that, she must’ve gone to bed quite early.

…Well, she is a child now. Maybe it’s not so strange.

Julius also went to bed early when he was young.

Leonhardt left the maid in the waiting room and quietly opened the door to the bedroom.

The room was dark, only Vander lit by the moonlight seeping through the curtains.

He used black magic to enhance his vision so he could see clearly in the dark.

He stepped silently into the room and approached the bed.

He wondered if the events of the day had just been a bad dream—but when he looked, a small girl was sleeping there.

Her bright red hair and green eyes were the same, yet she looked so pure that it was hard to believe she was the same Elicia Vander from earlier.

When she screamed in pain from the mage’s examination magic, she looked truly pitiful.

She looked like a small, frightened animal being attacked with magic—it was not a pleasant sight.

She was fast asleep now, looking comfortable and happy.

…That’s a face the poisonous woman Elicia Vander would never make.

She looked so innocent as she slept—it was nothing like the woman he knew.

“…Who are you really now?”

She was still Elicia Vander, that was certain. But she had lost her memory.

The mages believed, “Her memories must have become confused due to the forced age regression.”

She might suddenly get her memory back—or she might not.

At least until they found the culprit who cursed her, she would remain a little girl.

…That’s too convenient for me.

A child is easier to deal with than a poisonous woman. And she couldn’t bear children in this form, which was a good enough reason.

Even though Julius was already the heir, if no new children were born, the noble factions might start meddling again.

It might be easier if she stayed like this… he thought, then hated himself for being so selfish.

His friends used to say, “You’re a bit too rational.” And this was exactly one of those moments.

If he truly wanted things to stay this way, he could just stop the mages’ investigation.

Claim it was an unsolvable curse by an unknown person.

Maybe the girl would be happier staying innocent instead of becoming that poisonous woman again.

“…I really hate myself sometimes…”

He had been raised to always put the family’s interests first.

The former duke—his father—was a cold man who never acted on emotion. Rational and always prioritizing the house.

That wasn’t evil, but his father didn’t seem human.

Leonhardt didn’t know if he truly loved Julius, but he had sworn never to be like his father.

…He would never make his son go through the final trial of killing his parent to become the head.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw green eyes staring back at him.

…Ah, I woke her.

He reached out to put her back to sleep—but stopped. She reacted painfully to magic.

His hand froze in mid-air, but then a small hand touched his.

“Duke.”

Her clear, high voice said:

“At night, we go to bed.”

“To bed…? You mean sleep?”

“Playtime is tomorrow…”

She yawned with her little mouth wide open. Then she mumbled something, too quiet to hear.

“…Good night…”

That’s all she said before falling back asleep.

He could hear her calm, steady breathing.

Leonhardt let out a small breath of relief.

She was just a child. With no memories. Not even a young lady. And yet, he still felt guilty.

He gently pulled the blanket over her again and left the room.

…Looks like I’m really confused.

He didn’t have to check on her—but he did.

Her small hand was warm and soft. It reminded him of when Julius was just born.

Her innocent green eyes had no suspicion or fear.

…Maybe she didn’t even know how to be cautious, since she had no memories.

He returned to his study, sat down, and sighed.

He normally didn’t sigh—but tonight, he felt like he had done it countless times.

“…For now, all I can do is watch and wait.”

He sighed once more.