The Softest And Cutest Of The Dukes - Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

I must have pushed myself too hard yesterday because I fell fast asleep in Duke Panteur’s arms. My head ached like it was going to explode with thoughts of my brother, but it didn’t hurt now.

I sobbed, unsure of what to do next, and Duke Panteur pulled me out of my thoughts for a moment. The hand that held me was unsteady, and I clutched his collar tightly.

The last thing I wanted was to be separated and end my life prematurely. I deliberately put a flower in my mouth for Duke Panteur in the garden.

I didn’t put it in my mouth because I wanted to eat it; I felt that since I was a child in appearance, I should act accordingly to avoid suspicion. So I acted like a child who puts things in her mouth whenever she can get her hands on them.

The good news is that Oscar told me that the flower is used as a pain reliever, so I was relieved that my headache was gone.

Feeling a little embarrassed to be sitting in the garden, I looked away from the Duke Panteur, who seemed to be lacking a little bit, not knowing the names of the flowers and butterflies, and I nodded.

No one is perfect, and his inability to name flowers and butterflies made him seem a little more human, and I ran around like a child trying to catch butterflies.

It was hard to play with the distant Duke Panteur, and I clung to his robe on the way back.

I begged him to hold me with both hands, I felt so insecure. I wasn’t afraid of heights, but in his arms, I turned my head every time I saw the ground.

It was too high. I felt like if I fell from this height, I would surely break a bone or get a concussion.

As I dozed off in his arms, I dreamed of that day. I was playing with Duke Panteur in the garden when I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to go to the bathroom.

After making sure no one was around, I relieved myself on the spot. I felt a little queasy, but I quickly relieved myself and ran back into Duke Panteur’s arms.

As we rolled around on the flat floor, I began to feel uneasy. The floor was exceptionally soft. And it was so warm.

As soon as I felt the cushioning of the grass, I realized I was in a garden. I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar room, with Duke Panteur standing right in front of me, looking at me with a strange expression on his face.

Why am I with Duke Panteur? I thought to myself, and as I pushed myself to my feet, I felt a dampness underneath. I froze in my tracks and looked down.

I’m in trouble.

I wet.

Before I knew it, I was wet. My comforter and bed were wet, like I’d spilled a cup of water on them.

“Are you awake?”

I flinched at the sound of Duke Panteur’s gravelly voice. Unable to control my bladder like a child, I excused myself from the bed.

“How long will you lie there like that?”

I jumped to my feet at the sound of Duke Panteur’s raspy voice, which scratched at my lungs, and immediately begged for forgiveness.

“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me, I won’t do it again…….”

This was all my fault. That’s why I begged the Duke Panteur. I was sure he would punish me for making a mess of the bed and the quilt. When I was younger, I used to wet the bed because I couldn’t cover up.

I can still remember the fierce hands that would come flying at me. I was so scared that I couldn’t move, and after the beating, I fell on my face with my hands clasped around my head and apologized.

“You…….”

“Huhu, I’ll never do it again…….”

How much it would hurt to be slapped by that big hand. 

Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of it. I shivered and begged for forgiveness for a while, and when I recovered, I saw Duke Panteur.

I thought he was going to slap me, but instead, he lifted me with one hand and pointed to the bed.

“This is the Savannah Empire.”

“Hmph, Yes…….”

“And this is…….”

Trembling with fear, I nodded, though I couldn’t make out the details of Duke Panteur’s words.

“Alas, our Lady Seraphina has made a mistake.”

Oscar said, coming in and seeing the mistake I had made. Then, feeling unnecessarily nervous and frightened, I burst into tears.

“A handkerchief!”

“Here it is.”

It was Oscar, who put a different handkerchief in Duke Panteur’s hand than the one from yesterday. After wiping my tears with Oscar’s handkerchief, Duke Panteur put his hands in my armpits and pulled them up.

“You look like a child who will probably grow up to be a great man.”

“Hufh…….”

“Look at this. You can’t draw a single place, and you’ve drawn a map of the world. You’re going to be a big girl.”

What does that mean?

At Duke Panteur’s words, I stopped crying and blinked.

“Pfft, yes, I think she’s going to be very big, and we’re going to have to change the whole mattress.”

Looking at the soaked mattress, Oscar laughed.

“Am I…… not going to get spanked?”

“Who would spank you, I don’t know much about children, but they grow by sleeping.”

“…….”

“I don’t know about you, but children grow up by sleeping in the dirt, and some children eat dirt.”

Gulp.

Duke Panteur’s words made me wonder if he’d eaten something wrong all night, but when I looked down, I saw a few books on the bedside table.

Dads can be masters of parenting too.

Raising a baby by myself.

It was the easiest thing in the world.

When I looked at it, Duke Panteur covered it with a pillow.

“Hmmm. Wash the child quickly, it’s not good for the skin if the urine stays on for a long time.”

At his words, the maid who had been standing by came over and picked me up. Then we headed straight for the bathroom.

“My little Seraphina, who is going to be a big girl, woohoo. You’re scared, and still have tears in your eyes.”

She washed my face with warm water and touched my nose.

“Sniffle.”

“Huuufhh!”

I blew my nose against her hand, knowing that if I tried to burst into tears, snot would auto-load in my nose. When I smiled at the cooler air, she touched my face with her snot-wiped hand.

“Oh, that feels so good. Oh, and my name is Elena.”

“Elena?!”

“Uh-huh! My dear, you’re a quick learner after hearing it once. It took my child quite a while.”

Elena grinned like a mother and quickly stripped off my urine-soaked clothes.

“Shall we take a bath now?”

“No, I don’t want to!”

“Is our little Seraphina feeling shy?”

“Mmm…”

Elena, who, as a mother, had read my mind at once, smiled.

“It’s okay, just hold still for a second and I’ll clean you up.”

Hands fumbling, Elena sat me down in the warm tub and quickly washed me. Then she wrapped me in a fluffy towel.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Pants!”

I answered Elena’s question about the panties straight away, and she patted me on the head for doing so well.

“These are panty diapers, they’re the new thing.”

Panty diapers? Why?

“Why don’t you just wear them for a while? My little girl is smart, she’ll be able to cover her poop in no time.”

“No!”

I was fed up. It was an insult to my dignity to be expected to walk around in a diaper, no matter how much of a child I had become, so I scrambled out of Elena’s way.

“Oh my God, girl, you’re not even dressed.”

I heard Elena’s voice behind me, but I didn’t stop; I just kept running forward. As she exited the bathroom, she saw Duke Panteur changing his clothes. As I ran to see Duke Panteur getting dressed with the help of his servant, I tripped and fell.

Oops!

My fall was more painful than usual because I was still wet, but I didn’t care. Grunting, I scrambled to my feet and ran away from Elena’s hand.

“What happened.”

“The lady escaped halfway through because she didn’t want to be diapered.”

Elena flinched as Duke Panteur’s question was met with a quick bow of her head. Hearing her, Duke Panteur saw me hiding behind the curtain and held out his hand.

“Come here.”

“C’mon. Diaper diaper diaper.”

I peeked my head out from behind the curtain and shook my head at his words. Then Duke Panteur turned to me and said.

“Let’s just do it for a few days, and then, if it’s okay, we’ll just do it at night. Rafi is smart, and she’ll be out of diapers in no time.”

At that, I couldn’t help but sulk and step to the front of the curtain, and Duke Panteur scooped me up in his arms. I looked at his body, which was still not properly dressed and gasped.

I wondered if he was really a father with a child or a grandfather with an only grandchild. I wanted to ask him if he was thirty-nine years old. 

Duke Panteur’s muscles were nothing short of fantastical, as celebrities are known for their fitness regimens.

When he saw me with my face pressed against his muscular chest, he smirked.

“Rafi, what do you think you’re doing?” 

“Huh?”

My gaze must have been too innocent because he looked at me the way a normal kid would look at something new. 

Wanting to avoid answering, I stammered back that I didn’t know what he meant, and Duke Panteur shook his head and pecked me on the cheek.

“I’m suddenly curious about your identity. You look like a girl who has seen the world a few times, and even though you’re in a child’s body, you don’t look like a child at all.”

As if he weren’t doing this for a show, Duke Panteur scanned me with a sharp gaze.

“Mmm, Raffi, you’re growing more curious.”

As he said that with a cheeky smile, I snuggled closer to his chest. Unconsciously, I let drool trickle down and lightly traced his body with my little fingers.

“It seems that little Seraphina really likes the duke’s chest.”

Vance, who had just walked in, saw me cupping the Duke’s chest and said. 

“Lady, now come to me, as the Duke needs to change his clothes.”

Vance, who was as tall as a mulberry tree while sporting a shallow body, held out his hand, but I turned my head away. Vance’s shoulders sagged at not being taken by me, but he didn’t give up, still holding out his hand. 

“Come to me, Miss Seraphina, the cutest, sweetest girl in our world.”

I looked up and down at Vance, who spoke eagerly and begged, and I shook my head. Then I poked a blunt finger into Duke Panteur’s firm chest and said.

“No. I like this.”