Forgotten Juliet

* * *

“Hiccup.”

It was rather a relief that he hiccupped. Onyx, finding it difficult to respond, cowered like a rabbit caught in a trap, carefully observing the Duke’s reactions.

“Master!”

“Huh? Why is there a child here…?”

The knights from the Duke’s house, who were nearby, approached and looked at Onyx with puzzled expressions. It seemed odd for a child to be in such a deep forest.

“Master, do you know this child?”

“No.”

The Duke, Carlyle, gave a firm answer but didn’t avert his gaze.

“…”

Only then did Onyx look around.

In the bustling hunting grounds, there were not only knights from the Duke’s house but also unfamiliar knights milling about.

While Juliet was hosting guests in the castle, knights from various families were betting on hunting outside.

“Judging by his clothes, he seems to be a child from a guest’s house… Perhaps he got lost.”

“Should we take him to the castle?”

“Did you follow your parents, little one?”

The Duke’s knights didn’t seem wary of the young Onyx.

However, Onyx kept sneaking glances at Duke Carlyle.

This human man made him feel uneasy.

Not the type to annoyingly chase after him to teach him letters or magic like other humans. But rather, annoyingly grabbing him abruptly by the neck or, more likely, trying to monopolize Juliet.

Moreover, those piercing red eyes were somewhat frightening.

‘But I’m in human form now, right? He wouldn’t recognize me.’

Thinking this, when their eyes met, Onyx unknowingly shrank back.

Perhaps feeling pity for the child under the Duke’s intense gaze, one of the knights stepped forward.

“With your permission, I’ll take him to the castle.”

What? Take him to the castle?

Onyx, who had been carefully observing the Duke’s reactions, was startled by the knight’s words.

“No, wait!”

“Hm?”

I need to take that flower!

Onyx desperately looked at the platform.

“That one…”

And the Duke Carlyle didn’t miss Onyx’s desperate expression and the rolling pumpkin-colored eyes.

“You.”

“Uh, yes?”

“Do you want that?”

“Yes…”

Forgetting his usual fear of the human man, Onyx nodded as if entranced.

With that, Juliet will praise me!

‘And I need to apologize and say it wasn’t my fault.’

Duke Carlyle, seemingly pondering, casually asked:

“Shall I let you have it?”

“How?”

Duke Carlyle gently lifted Onyx.

It was such a smooth and natural motion that Onyx, entranced by the flower, hardly noticed.

“If we play a simple game, and you win.”

“Game?”

“Yes.”

Ah.

Only then did Onyx come to his senses. Somehow, he found himself in the Duke’s arms.

The Duke seemed quite skilled at holding a child.

Onyx’s eyes darted around.

Was he discovered? No, that can’t be.

“What’s the game?”

“Just beat those idiots over there.”

“…Pardon?”

“Um, Master?”

Who are these idiots?

Onyx blinked in curiosity, but the knights around the Duke looked stunned.

The situation was as follows:

The hunting bet that started early in the morning had concluded rather blandly. When the game ended early with a clear win for the Duke’s house, other nobles lost their enthusiasm. Then, Count Gruber made an unusual proposal.

“It’s too boring to end like this. And today is the first day of the Star Birth Festival, Children’s Day.”

“And so?”

“So, how about we decide the winner with a joust for the children?”

Suggesting a mock joust as a side event after being overwhelmingly defeated in hunting.

The mock joust, a variation of a horse race, was a simple game enjoyed by knights during training. Two participants charge at each other on horses, and the first to unseat the other wins. The only weapon allowed, however, was a blunt wooden sword. It was a game testing agility, tactics, and horsemanship.

However, the unique rule was to limit participants to children under 15 who came for hunting.

“After all, it’s also Children’s Day.”

Count Gruber shamelessly used such an excuse.

But it was clear that Count Gruber had this planned.

The relatively young knights of the Duke’s house mostly were unmarried, and those who had children had ones too young to bring to the hunting grounds.

On the other hand, the older Count Gruber’s house brought six boys who were fourteen.

“How can that be fourteen?”

“What are kids eating these days to grow so big?”

Other nobles clicked their tongues at Count Gruber’s audacity, but rules were rules.

The boys from Count Gruber’s house were unmatched in physique compared to children from other houses.

“Hehe, I look forward to the future of the Gruber house.”

Nobles outwardly smiled and praised, but behind his back, they mocked him.

“No wonder Count Gruber was so quiet.”

“He probably wants a title for defeating the Duke no matter what.”

The mood wasn’t great for the knights of the Duke’s house either.

‘Well, we did win the earlier hunting bet, so it should be okay, right?’

‘Does it look okay to you?’

‘…It doesn’t seem okay.’

Noticing Duke Carlyle’s foul mood, the Duke’s knights exchanged glances as if they were in trouble.

They momentarily forgot, but Duke Carlyle hated losing.

And during a brief rest, while the House of Count Gruber was overwhelmingly ahead in the mock battle.

It was all because Duke Carlyle suddenly brought a child who seemed lost from the bushes.

“Master, this child looks too young to compete.”

“Moreover, we don’t even know which family this child belongs to. Maybe it’s better to just send him back to the castle…”

Listening to the knights’ persuasion, Duke Carlyle looked intently at the child in his arms, then spoke with a meaningful tone.

“But what if we never win and go back? Wouldn’t Juliet be disappointed?”

“Really? Why would she?”

Jude, who knew Juliet’s temperament well, laughed lightly as if that wouldn’t be the case.

However, to someone who was leaning against Duke Carlyle and lowering his head, this was a shocking story.

Onyx, who was fiddling with his hand, raised his head at the mention of Juliet’s name.

Onyx, with sparkling eyes, asked Duke Carlyle:

“If I win… will Juliet like me?”

“Yes.”

“Will Juliet say I’m pretty?”

“Yes.”

“Then I want to do it.”

As Onyx decisively took the bait, the Duke smirked meaningfully.

But before the knights could notice his smile, Duke Carlyle headed to where other nobles were gathered, taking Onyx with him.

“Count Gruber.”

“Hmm?”

“Change the rules.”

“What did you say, Duke?”

“For the remaining game, this child will compete on my behalf.”

“Who is this kid?”

Count Gruber also looked confused.

“He’s the hidden son of my knight, Sir Jude Hayon.”

“What?!”

Jude, who was silent until now, looked furiously shocked.

With a single statement, Duke Carlyle insinuated Jude was the father of the child, yet the Duke remained calm.

“You’re saying Sir Hayon has a son like that? What’s his name?”

The Duke’s piercing red eyes lingered on Onyx for a moment. Onyx flinched.

“Call him Nick. Just Nick.”

‘But earlier, you said you didn’t know the child?’

The Duke’s knights were startled but maintained their expressions. Suddenly, the child brought from the forest was now a participant.

‘It seems he really hates to lose.’

‘But to involve such a young child…’

The knights of the Duke’s house were getting more confused. The suddenly appeared child looked more and more like the Duke.

To be precise, he looked like a younger version of the Duke, which Juliet cherished in a portrait.

Bright pumpkin-colored eyes and an innocent expression were the only differences. Otherwise, he could easily be mistaken for a distant relative or a hidden child of the Duke.

“You want to change the rules now, Duke?”

“But if you win, I will concede our previous hunting bet as well.”

“Hmm.”

Count Gruber was a man of suspicion.

He suspected there was an ulterior motive behind the Duke’s sudden proposal. However, the child that the Duke had suddenly brought from the bushes looked small and frail.

Fair skin and black hair. Soft white cheeks and sparkling eyes. He looked just like a cute child and didn’t seem to harbor any tricks.

‘So, Duke Carlyle has some ulterior motive…’

Count Gruber hesitated for a moment, but the offer was too tempting to refuse.

The influence of Duke Carlyle was soaring, and both the imperial palace and the temple were recently paying heed only to the Duke’s household.

But if he could defeat such a Duke in a game?

Of course, Count Gruber was already overwhelmingly winning, so he didn’t need to accept the Duke’s proposal.

However, it would surely look impressive if he humored the Duke by accepting the rule change, and still emerged victorious.

Count Gruber was confident of victory. He was certain he was in a winning position.

“Hmm. Well, it’s against the rules to let a non-candidate join halfway, but… Why not? Let’s do it!”

Count Gruber, with a smug look, pretended to reluctantly agree.

Of course, the Count had someone he believed in. Count Gruber called the boy who had recorded a complete victory in the mock battle.

“Come here, Toby.”

Toby was Count Gruber’s eldest son.

This year’s 14-year-old Tobias Gruber frowned upon being told to have a horse race with the small, frail child.

“Huh? Father, even if I win against such a little kid, it won’t be something to brag about.”

“Ah, Toby! A true knight always does his best, even when facing a rabbit!”

The conversation between Count Gruber and his son was overheard by the members of the Duke’s house who were a little distance away.

Until then, Onyx, who had been awkwardly leaning against the Duke, also shone his eyes after hearing their conversation.

‘I remember.’

Onyx recalled where he had seen Toby before.

It was the little human boy who had spoken ill of Juliet yesterday and thrown a stone at Onyx!

That is, the boy who threatened Onyx with a wooden sword.

The kid named Anton, who rushed to Juliet this morning to give her a red flower, was Toby’s younger brother.