I Start with a Bad Hand!

“Is it really true?”

Yuri turned around at the unusually excited voice of her senior. The seniors who shared a room with her were, as always, talking among themselves, excluding her.

“You mean the statue in the eastern garden. The one of the first Duke. They say if you touch the gem in that statue, your eyes turn the same watery blue as the Duke’s.”

“No, they say the first Duke promised to grant the wish of anyone who touches that statue.”

If Yuri were her current self, she would understand the meaning of the glances and the barely suppressed laughter behind those words. But at the time, she couldn’t grasp those gestures and looks. She only felt her heart pounding at hearing a secret of the mansion for the first time.

‘…It grants wishes?’

Yuri immediately thought of her lady, who had recently quietly celebrated her birthday. Her lady’s eyes, sometimes appearing black, navy, or gray, depending on the light, made her stand out in the Duke’s house. Even the second son born from the new Duchess had light blue eyes.

“Hey. Did you hear that?”

“What? Me?”

“Yes, you.”

A senior maid, who had been pretending not to notice Yuri eavesdropping, spoke to her. When Yuri answered with a trembling voice, they couldn’t hold back their laughter any longer and burst out laughing.

“Don’t tell anyone we talked about this. It’s a ‘real’ secret only for those in the Duke’s household.”

“Who knows? Maybe it’ll grant ‘your’ master’s wish.”

They laughed until they cried, then adjusted their clothes and left the room. Yuri now knew how disrespectful those words were. A mere maid referring to the only daughter of Elexion as “your” master was unacceptable.

‘The reason my lady hears such things is because of the Duke. He should have ensured she was respected, even if not loved.’

Yuri occasionally wanted to confront the Duke, feeling a surge of resentment. However, at that time, Yuri was solely focused on one thought. She wanted to verify if the tale was true, and if it was….

‘My lady could truly become part of the Elexion family.’

She could finally give her lady a proper birthday present. Yuri quickly led her lady, who rarely left her room, to the garden. She had just promised to pick the prettiest rose for her, who was quietly sitting and touching the rose petals. Looking around cautiously, she approached the statue of the first Duke of Elexion.

However, as she got closer to the statue, her excitement began to fade.

‘It’s impossible.’

The statue was towering, and although it seemed to look straight ahead, it felt as though it was looking down menacingly. She felt the statue’s imposing presence even though it was made of stone. Yuri swallowed hard as she looked up at the statue. There was no way she could reach the gem at her height.

‘It didn’t seem this tall from a distance.’

While she was fretting over the unexpected obstacle, a thin voice called from behind.

“Who’s there?”

She turned instinctively and met the same watery blue eyes as the gem in the statue.

“E-Evan.”

She bowed her head quickly, and his clear voice rang out.

“You’re my sister’s personal maid. She’s looking for you over there. Why are you here?”

Yuri cautiously looked at the second son of the Duke, who was a head shorter than her. His clear eyes showed no reproach, only pure curiosity. One of the few in the mansion who were kind to her lady. He was shorter than her, but as the Duke’s second son, he might be able to reach the statue. Yuri hesitated, then carefully explain.

“…Is it true?” 

Yuri nodded with a fervent heart. Evan, who was a head shorter than Yuri, who in turn was a head shorter than her lady, looked up at the statue.

“Be careful, sir.” 

Evan, wandering around the garden, found a wooden chair left by a gardener. He carefully stepped on it, but even with outstretched arms, he could only barely touch the statue’s shoulders. 

“If I step on the backrest instead of the seat, I might reach it.” 

“The backrest? That seems dangerous…”

Muttering to himself, Evan tried to reach the gem by stepping on the backrest and kneeling on the statue’s shoulder. It all happened in an instant—Evan and the statue tumbled to the ground together.

“Ah!” 

Yuri crouched down, covering her head as fragments scattered. When she cautiously opened her eyes, she saw the statue’s two eyes right in front of her. She could hardly breathe as she quickly searched for her other master. She saw Evan clutching his chest, sprawled on the lush bushes.

“Sir! Are you okay?” 

“Mm-hmm.” 

Although his face was slightly scratched by small branches, Evan looked better than the decapitated statue. Without those bushes, Evan might have ended up shattered like the statue. 

With a cold shiver running down her spine, Yuri turned back to the statue’s face. If she touched those eyes and made a wish…

“Yuri!” 

Before Yuri could reach out, a familiar voice called out. 

“…Evan?” 

Her lady’s face went pale as she saw the two of them and the broken statue. Seeing the completely ruined statue, her lady stood silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

“What are you two doing here? Are you hurt?”

Her face, already pale, turned as white as a sheet of paper. Yuri followed her lady’s gaze to the shattered head of the first Duke.

“What is all this commotion?”

The icy voice of the Duke echoed through the rose garden as he approached, and her lady’s face froze, becoming as hard and pale as the decapitated statue.

“Who did this?” 

Yuri couldn’t lift her head to look at the Duke, and neither could her lady. Instead, her lady looked at the two of them, sprawled in disarray beside her.

It was just after her lady’s uncelebrated tenth birthday. Yuri still had seven months until her own tenth birthday. Evan was either just past nine or about to turn nine.

Her lady looked down at her maid, who was shorter than her, and her half-brother, who was even shorter. A sense of responsibility grew on her lady’s face.

With a face colder and harder than marble, her lady spoke up. 

“…I did it.”

***

“Did you do it?” 

Before I could fully raise my bowed head, the Duke asked me. I slowly lifted my head and looked him straight in the eye.

‘Of all the people here, he had to ask me directly.’

That’s right. Strictly speaking, I didn’t break it myself. If the torch held by the guard hadn’t occasionally illuminated his face, I might not have been able to distinguish him from the real Cedric in the darkness. But before I could answer, the Duke spoke again.

“You’re still running wild like a mad colt. Staying with Baron Degoph, is this all you’ve learned?”

“Duke,” Icarus stepped forward, frowning at the remark.

“I already explained to the young duke, but this commotion started with me. Blaming an innocent person is unnecessary.”

“The Prince?”

The Duke turned his rigid body towards Icarus. Icarus met his gaze, smirking.

“As you’ve aged, it seems you’ve grown dull, Duke. In this attire, it’s impossible for Lady Degoph to cause a ruckus in the garden of the Duke’s residence.”

“Of course, the statue will be compensated through the Imperial treasury.” Despite Icarus’s mocking tone, the Duke didn’t blink and responded with unwavering composure.

“…I apologize. I failed to consider that the Prince, having been away from the Empire for so long, might not be well-versed in our customs. It was my oversight.”

At those words, I felt Icarus’s grip on my shoulder tighten as he supported me.

“It’s been a long time since I last had an audience at the palace…. Is the Empress still in good health?”

A smooth smile graced the Duke’s lips, but his eyes remained cold. He didn’t wait for Icarus to respond and instead commanded Cedric, who stood rigidly beside him, without even glancing at him.

“Clean up this mess. There’s no need to drag this out.”

The agitated crowd began to gather the fragments of the statue. Amid the commotion, the Duke slowly approached me. It was peculiar. Without laying a hand on me, merely his gaze and each word he spoke tightened the grip on my heart.

“A bad seed ruins the soil wherever it is planted.”

The Duke’s voice echoed through the quiet garden, clearly directed at me, making my body freeze.

‘Here we go again.’

Honestly, the Duke’s words were the gentlest insult I had heard since I arrived here. Comparing me to a colt and a bad seed—there was almost a familiar warmth to it. Yet, my body reacted as if paralyzed, conflicting with my thoughts. A pressure, akin to the pain of being hammered in the ribs, overwhelmed me, making my breathing rough.

The Duke adjusted the fit of his gloves, which had already been perfectly snug.

“And weeds growing in the garden only attract more of their kind.”

His gaze fixed on me. Despite the insult, everyone remained silent, entering a temporary lull. The rose garden was filled with the sound of my labored breathing.

“Well,” a low voice cut through the stillness.

“Not everything growing in the fields is a weed, just as not everything in the garden is a flower.”

Despite speaking in his native tongue, his pronunciation was stilted, and his accent unfamiliar.

“It’s foolish to talk about the seeds of a tree that hasn’t even borne fruit.”

Godwin appeared, his posture as straight as his words. He approached us with a firm stride, his presence commanding attention.

Naturally integrating himself beside us, Godwin wrapped his arm around my shoulders. The leather of his gloves brushed gently over my dress. He didn’t say much, but his presence alone calmed my erratic breathing. As my breath steadied, his comforting hand withdrew.

“Dietrich.”

“…Director.”

The Duke’s eyes, once as calm as still water, now turned cold, as if he were looking at something bothersome.

“I didn’t know the child I sponsor was acquainted with you, Duke. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

“Sponsorship. This child.”

Godwin wasn’t asking a question; he was making a statement, his face curling into a faint sneer.

“So, even the director has a girlish side. She does resemble you, after all…”

…What on earth is he talking about? I instinctively lowered the hand I had placed on my chest, looking at him. I could already imagine the expression on my face without needing a mirror.

“You should improve your ability to judge people.”

Godwin chuckled lightly at that.

“You’re mistaken. Since I left the Empire, I no longer judge people based on their resemblance to me…”

Godwin’s gaze shifted to Icarus.

“…a fool. But it seems the Duke, having spent the same era, is still bound by the old customs of the Empire.”

Godwin’s remark made it clear that he had witnessed the entire commotion from the beginning. Damn. So he saw all our foolishness. I exchanged a sheepish glance with Icarus, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

“I am sponsoring this child because I see potential in her.”

Godwin’s clear voice carried as he gently pushed me forward. With that statement, the atmosphere abruptly shifted into a competitive discussion, reminiscent of parents boasting about their children.

“Potential, you say. The criteria for talent in Lucero must differ from those of the Empire.”

“I don’t know if Lucero’s criteria differ from those here, but this child meets the standards of Thomple. Dietrich won the autumn hunting festival, didn’t she?”

Perhaps you’re aware, but Rosamund also won that competition at the same age. For the first time, the Duke’s eyes wavered. It was the first sign of emotion, other than contempt, that he had shown.

“She also ranked first in two exams at the academy.”

At that point, Icarus suddenly chimed in, having apparently regained his usual confident demeanor.

‘This guy… you’re not my parent, so why are you so proud?’

But Godwin looked at me in surprise at Icarus’s words, his lips curling into a soft smile. Icarus continued,

“Considering that she performs on par with your children who received the Duke’s education… it seems the Elexion lineage isn’t all that exceptional.”

The Duke’s face noticeably stiffened at that. But I was the one suffering more than the Duke. Please, don’t embarrass me with such praises right in front of me. Just as the Duke was about to speak, prolonging this awkward battle of boasts, the Duke’s butler intervened at the perfect moment.

“Duke, the young master urgently needs to speak with you.”

The Duke’s expression changed slightly as he listened to the butler’s whisper. Standing beside the anxious butler, the Duke looked at us with an icy expression.

“…I’ve taken too much of your time this late. I will take my leave for today.”

Striding away, the Duke glanced back briefly before returning to his mansion.

‘Wait, what time is it now…’

As I instinctively looked at my wrist, Icarus pulled out his watch and showed it to me.

9:28 PM.

‘We bought 15 minutes, so she should be safe by now, right?’

I looked up at the calm sky. Agnes had said she would send a signal if she escaped safely from the Duke’s mansion.

‘It’ll take time for her to reach a safe place…’

The tension in my neck remained, even as the immediate crisis seemed to have passed. Cedric’s birthday banquet had ended with a bit of chaos, some intense embarrassment, and,

“…Now tell me what you were thinking coming here like this… in such a conspicuous manner.”

only the expected aftermath remained.