Chapter 11
A music box shaped like a fairy playing a harp—made from dozens, even hundreds, of tiny gears so small they were almost invisible.
A porcelain doll wearing a dress embroidered with the patterns of the finest couture, its eyes made from real gemstones. Even the dollhouse looked exactly like the Einhardt mansion itself, recreated in miniature.
There was even a model train as thick as a child’s arm, circling endlessly around a miniature town with mountains and fields.
And there were toy swords carved from solid wood, along with a gun decorated with silver.
For reference, the gun’s barrel was wrapped in a rose vine so delicately carved that each individual leaf vein could be seen.
“Ahem! The gun is… well. Perhaps it’s a little early to give such a thing to a four-year-old child.”
You’re seriously saying that…?
When I stared at Müller, she awkwardly avoided my gaze.
Everything was good. Everything was wonderful, but…
“…Is this… real gold?”
When I turned away from the children’s toy paradise, a dazzling brilliance awaited me.
It was so bright that I had to narrow my eyes before realizing what was causing the glow.
There, piled up like a mountain, were gold bars.
“No one would dare forge the Einhardt family crest.”
Just as Müller said, each gold bar was stamped with the family crest, a serial number, and a bank’s guarantee certifying its value.
Facing such absurd wealth, I felt like I might lose my mind.
What kind of grandfather gives gold bars to a fourteen-year-old child?
‘Who else but my grandfather…!’
There weren’t just one or two bars either—they were stacked like firewood, making the whole thing feel completely unreal.
“You’ll have to get used to it.”
Müller said it sympathetically, as if comforting me.
At this point, I was too afraid to even turn my head toward the dressing room.
Of course there would be princess dresses…
But surely there wouldn’t be a crown, right?
…Right?
And the moment I stepped into the dressing room with trembling steps alongside Müller, I finally understood the saying never tempt fate.
“Miss? What’s wrong?”
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
It didn’t help much.
Staring at the magnificent crown in front of me—a crown so luxurious I had only ever seen something like it in newspaper special features—I asked stiffly,
“…Why is this here?”
Müller cleared her throat, as if she had been waiting for the question.
“Miss, do you know which of the Master’s noble titles is the most prestigious?”
“…That would be Prince-Elector, right? One who holds the right to vote for the Emperor.”
Nowadays the Robenheim imperial family held the throne firmly, but in the past the prince-electors had chosen the next emperor through an election.
Even now, the tradition remained in the form of formal approval and the temple’s blessing.
The Einhardt family had ruled the northern region of Flügelberg for generations and was one of the most influential prince-elector families.
The crown before my eyes—so splendid it could be placed on the Emperor’s head without shame—was proof of that.
“You know quite well. Then you must also understand why this crown is here.”
No. Not at all.
“Thanks to you, this crown is seeing the light of day again after a long time. Since you are fourteen this year, there will soon be an official debutante ball. It seems the Master has given it to you in advance for that occasion.”
Müller actually placed the crown on my head.
Terrified that I might drop it, I froze on the spot.
“It seems the Master cherishes you greatly.”
“Grandfather… does?”
“…Aren’t you happy?”
I let out an uncertain sigh.
Why wouldn’t I be happy? All these treasures were supposedly mine.
But after reading the intention behind them, I couldn’t honestly feel happy.
“…I think Grandfather wants me to forget about my parents completely.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
Instead of answering, I sighed again.
Since entering this room, I had been so busy being shocked that I had completely forgotten about my parents.
Grandfather wanted me to forget them.
And yet, he filled the room with things children loved so that I wouldn’t feel lonely or sad—even for a moment.
A bitter smile rose to my lips at his twisted form of consideration.
If he truly cared for me, it would be better if he stopped smoking those disgusting cigars…
No. That was asking too much.
“Please tell Grandfather I’m truly grateful for the wonderful room and these amazing gifts.”
“I will. Ah, look at the time. Dr. Floren should be arriving soon.”
As we left the dressing room, Müller checked the time.
“Dr. Floren… you mean the family physician?”
“Yes. More precisely, he is your great-granduncle.”
Great-grand… what?
“We’ve brought Miss Irina.”
In a bright, tidy room filled with sunlight, an elderly doctor was waiting for me.
The moment he saw me, his wrinkled face broke into a wide smile and he opened his arms.
“Oh! Is this the young lady who is my grand-niece?”
“Greet him. He is your great-granduncle.”
The unfamiliar title made my mind go blank for a moment.
“My brother-in-law, honestly. Kids these days won’t understand that kind of explanation.”
“Hmph. Young people these days… Ahem. He is your father’s maternal uncle. Greet him.”
“I-I’m Irina Einhardt. It’s a pleasure to meet you, great-granduncle.”
My father’s maternal uncle meant he was my grandmother’s brother.
So technically, he really was my grandfather.
Since I had grown up believing both my parents were orphans, the title felt extremely unfamiliar.
The elderly doctor—with chestnut hair streaked heavily with white—looked at me with gentle green eyes.
“Irina? That’s a beautiful name. I’m Elvin Floren. You can simply call me Grandpa Floren. But goodness… you look exactly like Leona. For a moment I thought she had walked in.”
Grandpa Floren looked at me with a face full of nostalgia.
Then he beckoned me closer and placed the stethoscope in his ears.
“Hmm…”
“…Is it very bad?”
Grandfather asked quietly, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
It wasn’t surprising.
The newspaper he had been reading earlier was still open to the same page.
When Grandpa Floren only fiddled with his medical bag without answering, Grandfather pointed at me and ordered,
“Take Irina outside for a moment.”
But I shook my head.
“I have the right to hear it too. It’s about my body.”
I already knew I was terminally ill.
What I wanted to hear about was the treatment.
Grandpa Floren blinked in surprise at my bold response.
Grandfather, however, merely chuckled softly as if amused.
Grandpa Floren looked slightly flustered but soon adjusted his glasses and began explaining.
“…Well. Then it can’t be helped. Irina is, in simple terms… terminally ill.”
“T-terminally ill?”
I pretended to be shocked, as if hearing this for the first time.
Grandpa Floren’s expression darkened further.
“At most, four years.”
I already knew that didn’t mean living normally for four years and suddenly dying of a heart attack one day.
It meant four years of constant weakness.
Falling sick easily.
Collapsing from the slightest strain.
Gradually growing weaker until the day my heart finally gave out—and dying in the most painful and miserable way.
“…Is there no treatment?”
Grandfather’s voice sank gloomily as he asked.
“To be honest… I’m ashamed to say this. I apologize in advance. Since there’s no clear diagnosis, I don’t know what treatment to use.”
Grandpa Floren’s face was filled with anguish.
“The best I can do is prescribe herbs that are good for the body. Even that would be like throwing a few twigs onto a dying ember.”
As a doctor whose livelihood was saving lives, the despair and helplessness he felt at this moment was something I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
“Your heart is weak, so you must avoid sudden shocks or intense exercise. Your digestive system is weak, so no spicy or stimulating foods. Wounds will heal slowly, and if you break a bone you might end up bedridden for years.”
As I listened to the calm explanation, I regretted it again.
I really should have checked the contract conditions more carefully back then.
“Her parents said she was healthy until just the other day. Can someone become this weak overnight?”
Come to think of it, did my parents know about this?
Honestly, it would be better if they never found out.
I didn’t want them to worry.
“It’s not uncommon for someone to collapse suddenly and only then discover it’s already too late.”
“That’s for people our age! Irina is still a child!”
Grandfather burst out in frustration.
But no one could answer him.
Letting out a deep sigh, Grandpa Floren began taking out various medicines from his medical bag.
“She’s young. Far too young… Sigh. For now, I brought some stabilizers, sedatives, and medicine for wounds. Keep them nearby as emergency supplies, and…”
Grandfather, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in thought, interrupted him.
“Elvin, why not stay at the mansion for a while?”
“What?”
“If what you say is true, Irina could have a crisis at any time. It would be troublesome to contact you every time.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Grandpa Floren seemed to agree, because he didn’t immediately refuse.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded—but added a condition.
“…Very well. But I have one condition.”
