The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 70: Bait-and-Switch (IV)

“Someone is running there.”

Looking down the path in the garden, Heinricion said,

“Let’s hide for now.”

They didn’t know who it was, and it was important to check.

Eristella and Heinricion hurriedly hid and watched.

‘These children…?’

A young boy and girl, probably about nine years old, were running.

The boy, who was chasing after the girl running ahead, quickly fell over.

“Ugh. Did you fall again?”

The girl with her short arms crossed sighed deeply and pathetically.

“I told you not to follow me, right?”

Soon, the girl abandoned the boy and ran faster, as if the boy who kept chasing her was annoying.

“Let’s go together…!”

Although covered in dirt, the boy got up and ran with determination.

Even so, the slow and clumsy sprint only increased the distance between them.

Still, he didn’t give up and ran hard.

It was recognizable at a glance.

Those children were Eristella and Heinricion in their childhood.

‘I remember when.’

“That’s when you chased after me.”

Seeing the fallen child, Eristella giggled.

“Well, there was a time like that.”

With a frown on his face, Heinricion grudgingly admitted. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t because it really happened.

“At that time, you were small and weak…”

When Eristella was little, she thought that Heinricion was a little bit cute because he was overwhelmed following her around and persistently continued doing so.

‘He’s too big now.’

She smiled as she looked at the grown man next to her.

He frowned reflexively, pretending not to notice her gaze.

By the way…

“I guess this…”

What was in front of the two of them now actually happened in the past.

“…Do you think so?”

It was a real incident for the two of them, not a conceived one.

This was by no means a place that could be fictionalized.

If so, there was one possibility.

“It’s a memory of either of us.”

Whose is it?

Right now, it was hard to tell whose memory it belonged to.

Let’s wait and see.

Then they would know what to do.

It was when Eristella and Heinricion were watching themselves as children to some extent.

Little Eristella swerved and ran. To exactly where they were now.

Before the two panicked people could avoid the child, she ignored the two, walking past them.

“Do you think they can’t see us?”

Young Heinricion, who chased after the girl, did not glance at them as well.

He couldn’t have done that if he had at least seen something.

“Anyway. We can only watch, it seems like we are nonexistent.”

Heinricion rushed to the place where the two children were, but there was no response from either.

The two of them were here, but it was as if they did not exist.

“Why are we being shown our childhood?”

Eristella didn’t know what kind of trick the black wizard wanted to do, but she was embarrassed because it was the first time she had ever been in a situation like this.

As a result, she even had to experiment by bumping into those kids with her own body.

“Anyway, how do we find out whose memory it is?”

Since the first thing they saw here were their younger selves, it was likely that it was one of their memories.

However, it was difficult to distinguish between them because they were together.

“If you watch further, there will be something that one of us doesn’t know.”

“…….”

Heinricion’s eyes narrowed when Eristella showed an uncomfortable reaction.

“Why? Do you have any memories you don’t want to see?”

She was taken in by his provocation.

“No way! My memories are all clean, so it doesn’t matter at all.”

…Not. It was a memory that she did not want to show.

‘Please, don’t let it be my memory.’

*******

Heinricion was also nervous, fearing that the scene in front of him might be his memory.

No matter how long ago it was, Eristella wouldn’t stay still if she saw that.

Whose memory is it?

Just as both of them stared with bated breaths, hoping it wasn’t their memory.

“Uh…?”

As if he had found something, Heinricion let out a low exclamation of surprise.

“Why? Anything strange…”

Eristella found herself unable to continue the question, hurriedly shutting her mouth.

Belatedly, she noticed.

Why Heinricion was surprised. And whose memory it was.

Little Eristella just muttered.

“Ah. It really bothers me.”

Then, she turned to the young Heinricion, who was limping and chasing after her.

In the past, Heinricion did not know that Eristella had returned to him with such words.

A memory that Heinricion didn’t have.

And a memory Eristella has.

“You won’t be able to catch up anyway, so why do you keep following me?”

“…I want to play with you.”

Even though the small girl deliberately said things that would hurt, the young boy carefully grasped her outstretched hand.

Looking at the tall man next to her, Eristella would never have thought he was the same person, if she hadn’t grown up alongside him.

Eristella today would make fun of Heinricion, but when she was young, she must have been shaken by his feeble appearance.

“I don’t play with weak kids.”

She still seemed to be saying harsh words, but her face had softened before she knew it.

“You’ll get stronger soon.”

At the girl’s words, the boy made a firm resolution. It looked a bit cute.

“Really? Can you be strong?”

“Yes!”

At the question, little Heinricion nodded his head vigorously enough for his entire body to shake.

“Then can I help you? I will play with you when you become strong like me.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Do you want to become stronger?”

“I want to play with Lala!”

Unaware of the playfulness that shone in the young princess’s eyes, the innocent boy exclaimed excitedly.

“…Who said you can call me Lala!”

The little girl burst into anger one beat late.

“That’s something only my mom, dad, and brother can say!”

She was angry, but for some reason, her face was red. It revealed she was secretly flustered and excited.

‘Uh. Now that I see it, it’s obvious that I was shy.’

Eristella couldn’t bear to see her past self with both eyes open. However, little Heinricion did not notice it at all, as he was hesitating over something and paying attention to Eristella.

It was the same for Heinricion. It was stressful to have to relive his timid past and so he turned his head away.

Seeing their childlike selves was quite… It was very embarrassing.

However, contrary to their intentions, the little children’s conversation continued.

“I’ll let you call me that when you can follow me.”

“Yes?”

“You can call me ‘Lala’.”

“Really?”

The little grand ducal heir hopped with his short legs as if he was happy with the permission. Eristella was once again taken aback by how happy he was, as if he had been given permission right away.

“You have to be able to follow me to be able to call me that. Not right now!”

“Yes! I’ll catch up. I can do it!”

The young princess drew a line, firmly setting conditions, but the face of the boy was as bright as ever. That seemingly ridiculous reaction made her confused, at a loss what to do with it.

‘Why are you flustered?’

Eristella wanted to shout that she should come to her senses and dash off immediately.

‘Don’t tell me Heinricion noticed something.’

She inwardly reminded herself to only look forward, there was no way she wanted to confirm it with the man next to her.

“Anyway, you’re only good at talking. Then follow me.”

Fortunately, young Eristella regained her composure and started running again. But it was clear—

She was running at a slower pace than before.

From here on, it was the collective memory between Eristella and Heinricion.

There was nothing more to see. It had already been confirmed whose memory it was.

Distraught, Eristella inwardly screamed, suppressing the urge to tear her hair out. In the end, despite pleading and begging, she ‘won’ the ‘coin flip’.

‘Why me!’

Heinricion didn’t point out that the situation in front of them contained her memories, but they both already noticed.

‘It feels like watching a dark history. Oh my gosh. How terrible…’

Very… Extremely…

An awkward cough and silence flowed intermittently between the two.

Then, all of a sudden, Eristella’s nerves were on edge.

The dark history they had just seen might be nothing more than the blood on a cut foot.

‘What else happened?’

Having her memories exposed, stark naked, was a shame amounting to a huge tidal wave. She frantically shook her head, hyper-aware of the man right next to her.

Somehow, she must recall what happened next. 

‘But why can’t I remember!’

‘I’m going crazy and freaking out!’

Eristella’s face contorted mercilessly. And Heinricion’s face, watching the familiar yet foreign scene, was full of interest.

The more he did, the more she was convinced.

‘Ominous… A very ominous premonition that something I never want to show will appear in front of us.’