4940-chapter-17
Chapter 17
“Elliana.”
“Do you like the name?”
“Yes, it’s pwetty.”
“Good.”
The Duke reached out his hand towards the small sun floating above Elliana’s head. It was small enough like a bead, yet it was quite warm. While Khalid held Elliana, they left that place. When they entered, she was Pudding, but when they left, she was Elliana.
She wasn’t alone any longer; she had her father with her.
? ? ?
Finally, when the Duke returned to the Dandelion Palace, carrying the little girl in his arms, Elliot, the butler, and even Sarah and Noelle were taken aback, their gray ears perking up.
Elliot followed behind the Duke as he stepped into the room and cautiously asked, “M-May I ask, Your Excellency, is that child by any chance our young lady?”
“Yes, she transformed right before my eyes. She was truly my daughter.”
Feeling a lingering regret that he couldn’t recognize her as his own with just one look, the Duke wore a bitter expression but quickly raised his lips.
“Oh my goodness. Congratulations, you have finally found the youngest lady.”
Elliot carefully touched the child, lowering his head.
“She really resembles the Madam.”
“Yes, she takes after Luichel.”
“Ah, our young lady looks so adorable even in her human form.”
Elliana cheerfully greeted Elliot and the two maids with her innocent and lively black eyes.
“Ewiot, Sara, Noelle! Hewwo. (Elliot, Sarah, Noelle! Hello.)”
When the little girl looked at them and spoke with incoherent speech, the three of them seemed deeply moved.
“Y-You remembered our names?”
Elliot raised his round glasses and muttered, overwhelmed with emotion, while Sarah and Noelle embraced each other and squealed.
“Wow, you remember our names.”
“How kind of you. Thank you, young lady.”
“I’m twankful, that’s why I know youw faces and names.”
Her pronunciation might be inaccurate, but her attempts to speak were incredibly cute. Especially when she spoke with her small pink lips, her white and chubby cheeks puffed up, making everyone have the urge to touch them.
The Duke lightly tapped Elliana’s smooth cheek and asked, “Do you know my name?”
“Yes.”
Elliana nodded quickly. After all, the Duke should be the person she knows best in this vast Duke’s residence.
“What is my name?”
“…Kal.”
“Kal? What comes next?”
As if struggling to breathe, the Duke exhaled and playfully asked.
“Khalwid von Cwovache.”
After Elliana said his name, she felt a sense of relief in her chest. It made her strangely proud to be able to say such a complex and difficult name. However, as soon as the Duke see the shape of her mouth and heard her pronunciation, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Pfft… It seem like a monster name from the North.”
“You’we not a monster. You’we dad.”
Elliot praised on behalf of Khalid.
“Good job, child. It seems like you’ve heard about us, haven’t you? How old is she this year?”
“It’s been about three years since we lost her.”
“Three years, huh?”
The Duke gently stroked the girl’s fluffy head with a sad expression.
“For a three-year-old, your growth seems to be extremely slow.”
“Yes, even though she come from a lineage known for rapid growth, she’s unusually small. Perhaps it’s because she didn’t have proper nutrition during her growth.”
Elliot cautiously mentioned that, making Elliana tilt her head in confusion.
‘Was it because I’m too small like a little puppy and he doesn’t like it?’
At the same time, she looked around anxiously.
‘Is slow growth a bad thing?’
Her heart sank. She was also afraid of being rejected. In fact, she was still a lone puppy among the pack of lions. It would be really sad if she was cast aside before being accepted as a family.
‘Now I can’t go back to Theo anymore.’
Elliana muttered with a gloomy expression.
“I cwan eat well. I’ll grow up quickly, I pwomise. So pwease don’t kick me out.”
Suddenly, the child’s eyebrows furrowed, and tears welled up in her dark eyes.
“What?”
“I cwan’t go anywhere. Please just wait.”
The Duke’s brow creased deeply.
‘Does this child perhaps think that her parents abandoned her?’
Seeing the deep emotional wounds the child had endured, his own heart ached.
“As long as I’m alive, you will never be driven away. This is your home.”
The Duke gently patted Elliana’s forehead and placed her on the baby crib. His clenched fist revealed his anger towards himself. Feeling reassured by the Duke’s words, Elliana buried her face in the blankets with an innocent expression. It was a puppy blanket, so it only covered her ankles.
As the Duke coldly looked at Elliot, he spoke.
“Increase the budget. Make sure there are no shortages for Lady Elliana in her living quarters.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And first, bring clothes for the girl. She doesn’t know how to use clothes yet.”
“Ah, understood!”
Noelle quickly left to fetch clothes for the young lady, but even those were too big.
“Find a tailor to make clothes for Elliana. She’s such a small child, after all.”
“Yes, I will immediately contact a renowned tailor in the city.”
“Do whatever is necessary.”
“Yes! Please don’t worry.”
Elliot and Sarah responded with determined faces, and before leaving, the Duke approached Elliana once again and met her gaze.
“Elliana, Dad is going now.”
“…Ywes.”
When the Duke waved his hand, Elliana also waved her small and adorable hand. The Duke restrained his desire to put that small and cute hand inside his mouth and left the room. Elliott also urged the maids to take care of Elliana before leaving.
The maids were left bustling around.
“Lady, if you wait a little, you’ll be able to wear many beautiful clothes.”
“Yes.”
Sarah said to her affectionately.
Actually, Elliana didn’t care what clothes she wore. She obediently replied. More than that, she wanted to eat proper food instead of just milk and baby food. Looking at Sarah intently, she expressed her pent-up thoughts since earlier.
“When food?”
“Oh, my, it’s been a while since you had your milk, hasn’t it?”
“Not milk. Babies eat… chew with teeth…”
With a slow and sleepy voice, Elliana said everything she wanted to say. Upon hearing all the words of the baby who was acting lethargic, Sarah let out a bright smile.
“I understand. I’ll ask them to prepare a dish that you can chew a little today.”
“Mweat.”
“Yes, I’ll bring meat.”
Elliana glanced at Sarah, just in case she might bring something else, and spoke directly. Then she went down to the kitchen.
Elliana giggled to herself. It was the most convenient thing to be able to communicate now that she had become human. Even though her pronunciation was still bad. She wished she could talk when she was a puppy. It was a pity.
By the way, this time, her becoming a human seemed to last quite a long time. In fact, she was still not fully accustomed, so she looked at the back of her hand. There was a clear sun pattern on the back of her hand.
Today marked another change in Elliana’s current life. But it was a good change. It was different from before when she didn’t even know who her parents were.
The fact that her mother, Luichel, had fallen asleep under a curse was sad and regrettable. But one question came to her mind. When she approached Luichel, she could summon light and even call forth the sun.
Her heart pounded wildly.
‘I gained strength and could transform into a human because of my mother, right? Even when she was under the curse and sleeping, she helped me.’
When she thought that, tears seemed to well up. At least she believed that her mother wouldn’t abandon her. The energy emanating from her was also incredibly kind and warm.
‘I hope my mother can wake up… I’ll find a way.’
Clutching her small fist, Elliana made up her mind.