Chapter 26………………………………..
“Ah, yes.”
Even though I answered indifferently, he didn’t get angry like before.
“I, Chevert Kereis, am the rightful heir of a pure bloodline. That means I am the one destined to inherit the family in the near future.”
“So…?”
Chevert took a brief breath, then spoke as if declaring war.
“I, Chevert, according to my family motto, pledge my life to you, who saved me. I am you.”
“…?”
Even hearing the words, I couldn’t understand and just blinked.
What kind of nonsense was that?
Only when Chevert repeated those words again did I realize in shock.
But it didn’t stop there.
Chevert stretched out his hand toward me.
“Accept my life, Ann.”
I buried my hands deeper into the blankets.
Had I hit my head that day?
No, that wasn’t it…
Chevert’s sudden change was utterly bewildering.
A simple “thank you” would have sufficed.
Why did he have to show up as someone else entirely?
I pulled one hand out from under the blanket and waved it frantically.
“Um… I’m not feeling well, so if you could… just leave…”
But Chevert continued, his face solemn.
“You know there are many assassins targeting our family. Yet you dared to face them fearlessly. I permit it… you.”
“Permit what exactly?!”
“What do you mean? I mean you becoming my fiancée.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I can’t help it. You saved my life… Of course, you’re far too young in my eyes, but I’ll take responsibility. The only way for you to stay at the Kereis estate instead of going to an orphanage is by being my fiancée.”
“…W-wait. No matter what!”
Seeing me flabbergasted, Chevert spread his index finger and made a “shh” gesture.
“As soon as your wounds heal, we will depart for the Duke’s estate.”
“And the Duke?”
“He had to go ahead for urgent matters. Since you are now with me, it is my duty to bring you safely.”
What is this crazy guy even saying?
After spouting incomprehensible words, Chevert limped out of the bedroom again.
‘This isn’t what I wanted…!’
I couldn’t move my sore body and just kept banging my head on the pillow.
I shouldn’t have saved that mouth of his!
As my condition gradually improved, we prepared to leave for the Kereis Duke’s estate.
It had been about a week since leaving the West.
The doctor said I needed more rest, but I couldn’t afford it.
According to Kauts, the Deble organization that took the child had already left.
So I had to return quickly and prepare countermeasures.
Chevert prepared a large carriage for me, big enough to lie down in comfortably.
“Are you really okay?”
For someone so indifferent, he had already asked three times.
And when he mentioned riding with me, I desperately refused to keep control of the carriage.
“Kauts.”
“Yes.”
When I motioned to close the carriage door, Kauts did, and Chevert’s disappointed face peeked through, but I didn’t care.
Since when did he start caring about me anyway?
It might be better if he acted indifferent like before.
“Miss, lie down here.”
Being small, I lay quietly on one side and looked up at the luxurious carriage interior.
The carriage swayed slightly with the horses’ movements.
‘But why did everything change?’
Thinking about the child as Ron, there were more than a few strange things.
Why was the second child Ron sold to the organization?
No matter how I thought about it, it was puzzling.
‘Am I remembering it wrong?’
At first, I thought I was confusing it with another web novel.
But that wasn’t it.
In my previous life, before I died, I had been reading Triya’s Fate on the subway and immersing myself in web novels to escape work. The intense episodes were clearly etched in my memory.
“Deble organization.”
“…Excuse me? Miss, what did you just say?”
Kauts, who had been dozing while sitting, snapped awake at my mutter.
“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Kauts, with her raven-like appearance, brushed her long black hair back and replied.
“It’s nothing? Please tell me. You haven’t slept a wink, while I’ve been dozing off.”
“Did I? I was just thinking about a lot of things.”
“Please tell me. It seemed like you mentioned that organization just now.”
I hesitated but eventually spoke part of it honestly.
“It just feels… wrong.”
“Wrong how?”
“Merchants usually just buy and sell goods, right?”
“That’s true for ordinary merchants. But Deble is not ordinary.”
“Yes, but even for a dark organization, buying a child doesn’t make sense.”
Under imperial law, trading adult slaves had no restrictions.
But trading children as slaves was tacitly forbidden and extremely rare.
“Why would an organization that runs gambling dens even go to the slave market?”
“…Gulp.”
Suddenly, Kauts inhaled sharply.
“What’s wrong?”
“W-well…”
Her eyes darted rapidly around, then suddenly stopped straight ahead, pupils dilating.
“Kauts, are you okay?”
“Miss.”
“Shall I call the doctor?”
“I think it’s because of me that they went to the slave market!”
“What?”
“Actually… after coming out from there, I reported the gambling den.”
At first, I was stunned.
How could reporting the gambling den be connected to this?
I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and looked at her.
“It’s just a guess, but when the gambling den collapsed and their funds were cut off, those Deble scum probably turned their eyes to the slave market. Those crazy bastards did it.”
Kauts clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
The tangled mess in my mind began to untangle slightly.
I had met Kauts, the magician, faster than in the original story.
Perhaps my choice then caused a butterfly effect.
If I hadn’t met Kauts, the illegal gambling den would have continued, and the child at the slave market would still be there.
“What do we do now…?”
Everything was heading in an uncontrollably bad direction.
A child from the slave market being sold to a dark organization?
It was the worst.
After arriving at the Duke’s estate, Chevert’s dramatic instructions immediately moved me to the bedroom.
I received attentive care, barely having to lift a finger.
My head was dizzy, so I just went along with it.
“Is everything done? Everyone, please leave for a moment.”
The maids helping with luggage and bathing were dismissed.
Left alone with Kauts, the room was quiet.
“Kauts, first, we need to go to where Deble is.”
I had to save the child, presumed to be Ron.
Perhaps it all happened because I twisted the original story, so the responsibility was largely mine.
The image of the child trapped in a lion’s cage haunted me.
“That’s not possible, Miss.”
“What? Not possible?”
Kauts stood in front of me, her face worried.
“The wound on your abdomen hasn’t healed yet.”
“…But Kauts, the child was taken by a dark organization. We can’t just wait…”
I tensed my voice and felt the pain in my abdomen.
Noticing me frown, Kauts spoke even more firmly.
“I’ll go. I’ll go to Deble and find out. Please don’t move, okay?”
“Kauts…”
“I’m serious, Miss. And if you move now, your wound could worsen. Then you won’t be able to save the child either.”
“….”
Kauts was right.
In my condition, I wouldn’t make even a few steps before collapsing.
“Sigh… really…”
Tears threatened to well up, and Kauts came closer and held my hand.
“Miss, focus entirely on recovering. I’ll investigate Deble. And Miss… even though their leader is utterly vile, he won’t harm a child. I guarantee that.”
Kauts stood, then left, promising to find the child’s whereabouts.
A day passed.
While absentmindedly waiting for Kauts, I heard a maid’s voice outside the bedroom.
“Miss, sorry. Creem-sama is here.”
I wanted to rest, but Creem was always welcome.
When I invited him in, the door opened, and a tiny little figure ran in.
“Nuuna!”
Seeing Creem, my dizzy headache eased slightly.
He ran over quickly on his small legs, then suddenly stopped in the middle.
He brought his small hands together and bowed his head.
Ah, so cute.
I wanted to pinch his small blue head right away.
It was the modern greeting I had taught him before.
I had only taught it once, yet he remembered perfectly—how smart!
“Creem, come here quickly.”
“Nuuna!”
After greeting, Creem raised his arms toward the bed and came closer.
I ruffled his soft, sea-colored hair to show my joy.
Creem didn’t know I was hurt.
I had specifically instructed it that way.
I didn’t want even a child to know.
“How have you been? You seem bigger than before.”
“I ate lots.”
“Good job.”
At my praise, his chubby cheeks jiggled, and a smile with dimples appeared.
‘I wonder if Ron… has dimples like Creem?’
The thought slipped out unconsciously.
I quickly came to my senses and had a maid bring Creem a piece of cookie.
I was watching the little one absentmindedly when…
“During the evening, the Duke will visit.”
I nodded at the butler.
The maids immediately approached and cleaned my face and hands.
And thus, I was ready to meet the Duke.
