Sikar Blake, who detests children to death, actually placed a child on his knee.
Sikar wore an expression as if he had no idea what to do with the thunderbolt that had just struck him from above.
Watching him like this was utterly delightful. I stared at Sikar with hopeful eyes and quietly cheered him on.
It was amusing to see Sikar in this situation, but I also secretly hoped that such physical contact might help bridge the awkward, uncomfortable distance still lingering between the two of them.
Grandmother, too, seemed to have sensed that awkward tension between them as if by supernatural intuition.
Sikar glanced once at Kian, who was glaring at him in apparent confusion, then turned to look at Grandmother and spoke.
“Ha, Grandmother. But Kian and I are still…”
Grandmother fixed Sikar with an even sterner gaze, her eyebrows furrowed with authority.
“Oh, hush.”
No matter how formidable Sikar was, he could not possibly win against Grandmother—the absolute authority of this ducal estate.
Actually, it wasn’t so much her authority as the fact that she was his only blood relative and the person he cherished most dearly—so he simply had no choice but to yield.
Sikar scowled at Kian and tapped his own knee a few times—a clear signal meaning, “Come over here, quickly.”
“Kian. Go ahead.”
When even I and Grandmother chimed in to encourage him, Kian reluctantly walked toward Sikar. Soon after, the maids lifted Kian and placed him onto Sikar’s lap.
At that moment, both of them stiffened completely like statues, and I had to clutch my stomach tightly to barely suppress my laughter.
“How very pleasing to the eye. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, Grandmother. I’ve never seen a father-son pair more beautiful than this.”
“I think so too, Sikar. From now on, you must sit with Kian on your lap for at least ten minutes every day.”
“Ten minutes is precious time to me.”
“Those ten minutes won’t be as precious as bonding with your child. For ten minutes, ask Kian about his day and share yours with him.”
Grandmother was so resolute that Sikar, looking utterly soulless, stared at the floor and replied.
“…Yes.”
Kian didn’t look particularly pleased either, but if they kept having moments like this daily as Grandmother instructed, it was only a matter of time before the two grew closer.
“I’ve arranged for a priest to visit today regarding my treatment, so we won’t be able to talk for long. Instead, let’s all have breakfast together tomorrow.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
The Reper Grand Temple was too far away to visit frequently. Thus, Sikar donated vast sums of money every month to the monastery in Recador, and in return, the monastery agreed to send a priest twice a week to treat Grandmother.
As we exited Grandmother’s room, Kian asked with a worried look.
“Where does Grandmother hurt?”
“Why? Are you worried about her?”
“Yes. And I…”
Kian glanced cautiously at Sikar, then looked up at me and whispered softly.
“I can heal small wounds.”
What a sweet child. Realistically, the only thing Kian could heal right now was minor scratches.
Seeing him so eager to help—even with such a small ability—was so adorable and heartwarming that I couldn’t help but smile.
“The priest is coming, so there’s no need to worry. Shall we go eat? Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes… Actually, I was just starting to feel hungry.”
“I thought so…”
“You’ll dine with me. I must also teach you table manners.”
Sikar clapped his hands together, dousing our cheerful mood like cold water, then strode ahead as if cutting through a biting wind.
And I had to say something insincere to Kian, who was wearing a disappointed expression.
“Kian, even if the Duke seems aloof, he’s truly a very good person.”
It pricked my conscience a little, but since Sikar had resolved to get along with Kian, I said it hoping he might one day become a tender, caring father.
But Kian didn’t seem to believe me. To Kian’s eyes, Sikar radiated only icy coldness.
The moment we sat down in the dining room, Sikar picked up his napkin and looked at us.
“From now on, follow my lead. You too, Yura.”
Kian and I nodded simultaneously and mimicked Sikar’s actions side by side.
“This is water for washing your hands. Remember, never drink it. Especially you, Jin Yura. No matter how thirsty you are, never drink the water in this dish.”
“I know! Why would I leave the water in my cup and drink from the dish instead?…Ah.”
That final “Ah” slipped out because Sikar was glaring murderously at me. After whispering to me to speak more politely since Kian was watching, Sikar continued his explanation.
“This fork is for meat; this one is for salad. Don’t confuse them. When eating, never make noise or open your mouth too wide. When drinking water, sip slowly and elegantly so no gulping sounds are heard. Meals are served in the order of appetizer, main dish, dessert—or you may choose what to eat. The food will now be served; follow my lead and eat in order.”
I know all this already—my world also has restaurants. No, rather, this world is based on the rules of the world I used to live in.
Soon, the meal arrived, and Kian and I began eating as Sikar had instructed. When Kian glanced at me while eating, Sikar shot him a stern glare.
“Kian. Don’t look at Yura—look at me. Yura knows nothing, just like you.”
“Sikar. Kian doesn’t even know my name yet.”
“Is that so? Then he’ll learn now. Kian, your mother’s name is Yura Blake, and your fa… that is, I, the master of this ducal estate, am Sikar Blake. It’s not a difficult name—memorize it immediately.”
Kian murmured “Yura Blake” and nodded, and Sikar resumed his explanation.
“In any case, Kian, since your mother knows nothing, learn by watching me.”
I thought I might choke on my food, but Sikar’s etiquette lesson was surprisingly satisfying.
“Once you finish dessert, go to your room. Your nanny will be waiting there. If you need anything or have tasks to assign, tell everything to your nanny.”
“Nanny?”
As he asked, Kian deliberately ignored Sikar and looked at me instead. Sikar didn’t seem to care, but I answered with a slightly awkward expression.
“Yes. Someone who will take care of you, Kian. Although… not exactly human.”
At the word “not human,” Kian’s eyes widened dramatically.
“Not human?”
“Oh, no—I mean, not entirely human.”
“Not human at all?”
“Huh? I mean… she’s human, but…”
Sikar, watching us, crossed his arms as if signaling “enough,” glanced briefly at me, then looked at Kian and said,
“She’s half-human. Half-elf.”
No child dislikes elves, so Kian brightened with expectation and smiled radiantly.
“An elf? I’ve only ever seen elves in fairy tales—are there really elves here?”
Kian was expecting the kind of elf from fairy tales—snow-white skin, gentle, angelic White Elves.
‘He’s going to feel cheated when he meets Vika.’
I couldn’t help worrying that Vika might frighten Kian—after all, she’s a combative Dark Elf!
“Kian. Just in case Vika…”
I almost said “tell me if she scares you,” but stopped myself, remembering Sikar might read my thoughts.
“Vika… what about her?”
“Oh… nothing. I just wanted to say—don’t be too disappointed if she’s not what you expected.”
Instead of being discouraged, Kian smiled at me reassuringly, as if telling me not to worry.
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
How beautifully he speaks.
Perhaps because I looked so worried, Sikar glanced at me once, then turned to Kian with a serious gaze and said,
“Vika is someone you command. Don’t be intimidated by her presence—if you have anything to ask, order her without hesitation. Never forget you outrank her. Remember that.”
Kian nodded as if he understood, but he wasn’t taking it too seriously—not having met Vika yet, he was simply excited that she was an elf.
He was so thrilled that when told Vika was waiting, Kian dashed straight to his room without even looking back.
Yes. No matter that she’s a Dark Elf—he won’t be intimidated. Our Kian is the protagonist, after all!
Watching Kian leave, Sikar stood up as if signaling it was now my turn.
“We should get up too. To keep the plan on track, I must properly educate you in refinement.”
I stood up, following Sikar, hoping his “refinement lesson” wouldn’t turn into a horror lesson.
‘They definitely said elf.’
Kian stood frozen, staring blankly at the white-haired woman seated by the window of his room.
Her face, hidden within the long white hair flowing down to her waist, was dark-complexioned, and even seated by the window, her legs were long enough to touch the floor.
He’d never seen an elf like this in any fairy tale. He recalled his mother’s words—Vika wasn’t human.
She seemed human, yet her tall stature and long legs made her seem not quite human—a strange person indeed.
He felt no warmth from her at all. Like the Duke, she radiated only chilling coldness. Father always said to be careful around people like this.
“Young Master.”
Kian nearly conjured a spark of flame without realizing it, but flinched at the voice calling him and extinguished the spark.
Vika descended from the windowsill and slowly approached Kian. Her stride—long legs stepping boldly forward—lacked grace but carried an air of fearless arrogance.
“Hello. I am Vika Lamberst, your nanny starting today.”
Her tone was polite, but her expression was cold and carried a strangely unsettling aura.
“Ah, hello.”
After an awkward greeting, the two stared at each other as if sizing one another up. A subtle tension lingered between them.
Remembering Sikar’s words, Kian, who had been wary of Vika, thought to himself:
‘Vika is someone you command. Don’t be intimidated by her presence—if you have anything to ask, order her without hesitation. Never forget you outrank her. Remember that.’
‘Right. I’m the one in charge.’
Kian paused briefly to think what to ask, then realized it had been a long time since he’d read a fairy tale.
“Um… could you read me a fairy tale?”
Vika frowned as if she’d heard something absurd and tilted her head questioningly.
“That’s harmful.”
Harmful? A fairy tale harmful to a child? Kian was bewildered.
“What?”
“How about ‘The Biography of Dark Elf Raivil’ or ‘The Chronicle of Demon King Valat’?”
“What… are those?”
“‘The Biography of Dark Elf Raivil’ tells of Raivil, the Dark Elf who harvested all life and turned lush green meadows into barren wastelands. ‘The Chronicle of Demon King Valat’ recounts how Valat, in ancient times, unleashed monsters and briefly reduced Recador to ruins. Truly thrilling tales, wouldn’t you agree?”
“De…mon King?”
Kian, hearing the word “Demon King” for the first time, had meant to ask what it meant—but Vika, assuming he was interested, enthusiastically launched into an explanation.
“The Demon King is the sovereign of all evil monsters, who delights in submission and destruction…”
‘This person is weird…’
Though Kian didn’t fully grasp the context of Vika’s story, he decided it definitely wasn’t suitable for children.
He recalled how, whenever he acted up, his father Valije would put candy in his mouth.
‘In ancient times, they scattered sugar by the door to drive away demons—demons dislike sweetness. When bad thoughts arise, holding candy in your mouth calms the mind—it drives out the demons inside. But never misbehave just to get candy.’
Just then, Kian’s eyes fell upon the basket on the table, brimming with candies.
“One day, the dimensional gate of the northern highland snow mountains opened, unleashing the gates of the demon realm…”
Kian promptly shoved a candy into Vika’s mouth as she enthusiastically rambled on. Vika blinked at him as if asking, “What on earth are you doing?”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
