The Villainous Noble Lady Turned Into a Child, and Her Cold Duke Husband Became Kind - 5 – Son in Law (1)
A few days have passed since I became a child, and life here is very comfortable.
When I first came here as the duke’s wife, the servants were cold and distant. I barely saw them. But now, as a child with no memories, they are all very kind to me.
Even though I find it a little strange, I spend my time enjoying delicious meals, taking naps, and walking in the garden.
By the way, I haven’t seen the duke since the day I turned into a child.
…Well, I guess it would be a problem if your wife suddenly became a kid.
It seems the mages are investigating the cause, but honestly, I wouldn’t mind staying like this for a while.
Humming cheerfully, I walked through the duke’s mansion.
The mansion is large, luxurious, and beautiful. It feels like living inside a museum filled with art.
“You seem happy, young lady.”
A maid spoke to me, and I nodded with a smile.
“Yep! The duke’s mansion is fun!”
Since it felt weird to call a little girl “madam,” they started calling me “young lady” instead.
There’s a lot to see in the mansion—furniture, paintings, the beautiful garden—so I never really get bored.
Today, I was looking at paintings in a hallway I’d never been down before.
There were many landscapes I hadn’t seen before, and it was really fun.
“Where is this painting from?”
I asked the maid, but a different voice answered from behind me.
“That’s Lake Charle, at the foot of Mount Arnea.”
When I turned around to the calm, quiet voice, I saw a boy with black hair and red eyes.
He’s probably Julius Alvis, the duke’s son.
And in the original novel, he’s my stepson—the one who ends up killing me, Elicia…
“Lake Charle? It looks like a big puddle!”
“You’re not wrong.”
Julius slowly walked toward me.
If I remember the original story correctly, he should be around ten now. He’s pretty expressionless for a kid.
But he’s tall and has a handsome face just like his father, the duke.
In the future, he’ll probably grow up to look exactly like the duke.
“I’m Elicia! What’s your name, big brother?”
“I’m Julius Alvis. …You really did turn into a child.”
He stared at me, so I tilted my head and looked up at him.
Smiling, I touched his hand.
“Big brother, wanna play?”
He looked surprised at first, but then he softened his expression.
“Sure. …You can just call me Julius.”
“Julius?”
“Yes.”
Julius reached his hand out to me.
Then he picked me up easily.
He held me gently, like he was trying to confirm something, then adjusted his hold.
“Where do you want to play?”
“The garden!”
“Got it.”
Julius started walking.
“You’re not very cautious, are you?”
“What’s cautious mean?”
“You’re not scared of strangers.”
…Well, I know both the duke and Julius, after all.
I smiled and looked up at Julius.
“You’re not a stranger! I know your name, Julius!”
“…I see.”
Maybe he realized it was pointless to say more, so Julius just looked ahead.
We walked through the mansion and stepped into the courtyard.
Julius put me down on the ground.
“What do you want to play?”
“Um, tag! I’ll chase you, so you run away!”
“Okay.”
In the original novel Where Love Goes, Julius was cold and distant to others. But like this, he didn’t feel cold at all.
He doesn’t show much emotion, but he talks normally. He just seems quiet.
…But I can’t catch him at all!
Even though he’s just walking—or maybe jogging—his steps are too big for me.
And even when I almost catch up, he dodges me at the last second.
We ran around the courtyard for a while, but I couldn’t catch him even once.
When I sat by the fountain to rest, Julius came back.
He leaned in close while I panted and breathed heavily.
“You don’t have much stamina.”
He sat next to me.
We didn’t talk, but the breeze felt nice and calming.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the wind. Then Julius spoke.
“…Can I pat your head?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
His hand gently touched my head.
He carefully patted it, like he was checking the shape.
“You’re small.”
“I’ll grow up too!”
“We’ll see.”
Being patted like this wasn’t bad at all.
…Elicia never got her head patted like this.
Maybe her mother did when she was little, but there’s no memory of it.
I reached out and hugged Julius.
“Hehe.”
…It would’ve been nice if I really was the duke’s child instead of his wife.
Elicia Vander, who would become his stepmother, had apparently turned into a child because of black magic.
Julius went to see her with his own eyes.
There, he found a girl much smaller than him.
She had bright red hair with a bit of a curl, and green eyes—an adorable child.
Instead of being scared of him, she asked him to play, totally unguarded.
When he picked her up, she was so light, small, and soft, it shocked him.
…Are children really this small?
She was so pure and cheerful, so different from the woman known in high society as a wicked lady.
She laughed without worry and chased after him. Her small hands reached for his clothes again and again, and he dodged each time.
While they played in the courtyard, Julius felt someone watching. When he looked up, he saw his father at a window upstairs.
As soon as their eyes met, the duke disappeared.
He usually didn’t pay attention to things that didn’t interest him, so it seemed this child had caught his eye.
The little girl next to him was playing by touching the fountain water.
He didn’t know about other kids, but no adult would play like this.
She really had turned into a child, even on the inside.
“Julius, pick me up~”