TL: Zimmings
I rolled my eyes and looked at the three men, who didn't say anything.
Why was the atmosphere strange?
"That's right. Human reproduction-"
"Stop, stop!"
"...."
Isaac and Henry covered my mouth this time.
While I struggled to say something, I could hear laughter next to me.
"It's not wrong."
It was Taylor.
I glared at the frowning Henry and Isaac to say I was right.
Henry sighed and straightened his posture. And he spoke in a curt voice to Taylor.
"Let's talk for a moment."
"Why should I talk to the spoiled brats who invaded my sanctuary?"
Isaac burst out laughing.
"What kind of sanctuary is that? Is there a sanctuary in the kitchen?"
Taylor laughed softly.
'Dubblede's genes are amazing.'
I thought to myself as I admired him. His smile was very similar to Henry's. Come to think of it, I think he resembles Henry more than my father.
While Dad and Johann had a neat and stoic impression, Taylor had a more relaxed appearance like Henry.
I thought that when Henry grew older, he would have a face like him.
'Then they must look just like their ancestors.'
Henry resembles his ancestor the most among the three brothers.
If we look at it that way, the hostility between Henry, Isaac and him was understandable.
I wondered if it wasn't just because they hated Taylor or because he had a history of trying to poison our father three times. Maybe because he reminds them of their ancestors, some of the most horrific memories in their childhood.
Just as I was thinking about it, the door opened and an old man with a hat came in.
"Master, there's a carriage outside…"
Taylor put his arm on the shoulder of the old man, who seemed to be his henchman, and approached Henry.
Henry didn't blink an eye, and Taylor's smile widened.
"Do you still have nightmares? That's too bad."
Me and Isaac's expressions hardened.
'He knew about Henry's gerontophobia.*'
*TL Note: An irrational or disproportionate fear of old age, especially of growing old, could also be a fear of, disdain for, or aversion to old people.
Henry was abused by Terramore, which made him have such a phobia.
'Taylor was probably aware of Henry's trauma.'
The corners of Taylor's lips rose slowly.
"It was pretty cute to see you shivering just by looking at some old people."
"I'm glad I don't have that trauma anymore. It's repulsive to be considered cute by trash."
"Did Theorodre teach you to speak like that to your uncle?"
"Well, it's the same as you. Your slave mother must've not taught you manners."
I was startled and looked at the two men who didn't lose their smiles even as they casually exchanged attacks.
Isaac suddenly covered my ears and shouted.
"Stop it! Don't pollute the kid's ears!"
I wanted to say, 'Why did you cover my ears if you're going to scream?'
But I pulled Henry's sleeve instead because I wanted to avoid his prolonged friction with Taylor.
Henry, who was staring at Taylor with cold eyes, turned his head. Taylor just shrugged his shoulders.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
I removed Isaac's hand and opened my mouth.
"I know what Taylor is looking for. Do you remember what I said when we first met?"
"You haven't got a clue yet about the antidote right?"
"...!"
"I know it."
I heard that Taylor Dubblede was looking for an antidote.
'I really know the place.'
As I said with a smile, Taylor's lips curled slightly.
"I don't remember saying that."
"Yes! So the deal-"
"You only told me to close the door."
Huh?
Taylor went towards me.
"So I went to close the door, very, very tightly."
I laughed awkwardly and said, "Is that so…?" and pretended to be innocent. Taylor tried to grab my chin lightly…
Then Isaac drew out his sword and pointed the tip of his sword at Taylor. At the same time, Henry let out his aura.
Taylor raised his hands lightly and glanced at me.
"Isaac, Henry. Stop it."
"But-!"
"...."
"Stop it."
My older brothers immediately withdrew their hands.
Taylor chuckled slowly and said.
"As I thought this would be fun."
***
That afternoon, Taylor, who was seated with his glasses on, said while flipping through the pages of a book.
"Coffee."
"Coffee!"
Answering hastily, I put the coffee on the table with a coaster.
"Syrup?"
"Syrup!"
I quickly put the syrup on the table.
"Where's the refreshments?"
"Refreshments!"
I took out a cookie bag I had shoved into my pocket and set it down on the desk.
"It's hot."
After brewing the steaming coffee, I lightly lift the cup and take a sip in case it was too hot.
"Kiss."
"Ki… Hey!"
I screamed impatiently and glared fiercely at Taylor's mischievous face.
"Can't your uncle get a kiss from a cute nephew?"
"Why should I, to an uncle who always makes fun of his nephew!"
Taylor didn't just look like Henry, but also had good observation skills like Henry.
He noticed at once that I had something to ask of him.
"I have no assistant. If you help me, I might be inclined to help you too."
Me, who was by his side, was better off than my brothers. Henry and Isaac have become woodcutters and are diligently chopping wood. Of course, staring intently at this place where Taylor is.
I said to him,
"Every hours matters. What if she dies first!"
"If she collapsed yesterday, there would still be a lot of time left."
"But…!"
"You're a clever girl, you trust me right?"
I pouted my lips.
'He's like a ghost who knows everything.'
Just in case, I gave Cecilia the medicine I had for my haro allergy so as to not make the condition worsen. I took a deep breath as I stared at Taylor with my eyes narrowed.
"Please let my brothers come inside. It's going to be winter soon and they might have caught a cold…"
Taylor, who was holding a cigarette, stared at me.
"... Why?"
"What do you mean by why?"
"Thinking about your competitor's well-being?"
"We're siblings, not competitors."
At my words, Taylor leaned on the chair and glanced at my older brothers who were planting trees outside the window.
"Can I give you one piece of advice? If you're not vigilant, poison can get into your cookies at any time. You will only know after swallowing the poisoned cookie. Being too innocent is a sin"
"It's not like that."
"What?"
I sat in the chair opposite Taylor and tore the cookie wrappers I had brought.
"Why are innocent people sinners? The one who poisoned them is the sinner. The moment I swallow a poisoned cookie, I won't blame myself. In any case, the victim is not responsible."
"Is it because I wasn't born in Dubblede?"
"Pardon?"
"It's funny that Theodore's adopted daughter says something that makes sense."
Then Taylor grinned and said,
"Coffee."
"... Huh?"
"Coffee."
Only then did I understand that he wanted me to make a new cup of coffee, so I got up with a sad face.
We finally got out of Taylor's hand at night.
We gathered on the first floor and waited for our carriage.
"That bastard. He even sent our carriage back so it wouldn't get into my father's ears.
"No, he's trying to make our father worry. He wouldn't know what he's doing to us as we are out of reach."
"He's a lunatic."
Isaac gritted his teeth. Even though winter has yet to come, he ordered Isaac to chop off the trees, even with his monstrous stamina, he looked a little tired.
"Bastard, I'm going to kill him once this case is resolved."
"Me too."
Henry, who would normally not do anything hasty, immediately agreed. I wanted to be silent, but I also felt very offended.
Isaac glared at the room on the second floor where Taylor had entered.
"Kid, are you fi... what are you doing?"
Isaac narrowed his brows as he saw me tiptoeing. Henry also looked puzzled.
I said, "Shh!" and pressed my index finger to my lips.
'Taylor's notebook.'
"What?"
I looked around and whispered to my brothers.
"Taylor's notebook. There must be a cure."
"And?"
At Isaac's words, I raised the corners of my lips.
"Let's go."
There's really no way I wanted to serve Taylor readily. I have to pretend to be a hard-working child so that he won't be vigilant.
"He's dead if I find it."
As I looked into Taylor's room with an evil face, the expressions of Henry and Isaac became just as evil as mine.