Chapter 003
My earliest memory was of a feeling of envy for something I didn’t possess.
“Mom! Dad!”
“…My little one! You shouldn’t run so fast.”
I couldn’t remember the name of the boy who was running toward his parents. However, I still remember crying for no reason because I was jealous of a child who had two things I didn’t: parents and a name.
I had been called “Hey, you!” for a very long time. Often, profanity took its place, and sometimes “Fool” became the name everyone used for me.
I hated it, so for the first time in my life, I asked for a favor. Could you give me a name? I thought that even if I didn’t have parents, I could at least have a name.
Ben, who was drinking heavily, listened to the words of the girl he called “Rhett” and laughed for a while before speaking.
“You live in a place where only rats sleep, so the name Rhett is perfect. From now on, you’ll be Rhett. Rat!”
Ben’s mocking words became my name.
“…….”
I hesitated and moved my lips. I didn’t want to introduce myself with that name. Even the people in the slums laughed at me; surely, people like these would laugh even more.
“My Lady?”
Shadows gradually clouded Rhett’s face under Delphia’s prompting.
“You won’t be needing that name.”
It was the familiar voice that cut through my persistent worries—the voice I had heard last before my memory cut out. I quickly raised the head I had lowered without realizing it and finally saw the owner of that voice.
“You will receive a new name soon.”
He was massive. That was the first thought that entered my mind upon seeing him. He was two heads taller than an average man, with a muscular frame visible even through his shirt and thick limbs. His red eyes shimmered coldly even in the shadows.
Ah. I remembered. Only then was I able to turn the keys to the memories that had been appearing vaguely before.
“I heard the war hero has returned?”
Wasn’t that a story I had heard just a few days ago while delivering alcohol at an inn?
“What hero? Tsk! Born on the battlefield and raised on the battlefield. Can such a thing even be a decent human being?”
“From what I heard, that beast-like thing emerged with such power, didn’t he?”
A man with a thick beard laughed and poked my head with his finger.
“That’s why they say he’ll kill anyone who offends him. The problem is he doesn’t even know if killing people is wrong or not.”
“Well, he’s always been killing people. Even the couple who were supposed to train him are gone.”
“It’s not just that.”
The man whispered, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.
“I heard they say he feels excitement when he sees blood?”
The bearded man drained his drink and laughed.
“If you ever meet Duke Winifred, make sure not to offend him, or your head will be blown off in an instant, hahaha!”
Was I clinging to this person to save my life?
“Hic.”
A hiccup escaped me. I quickly covered my mouth, but the crimson gaze landed on me.
“Excuse me!”
The sound of the hiccup was so loud that even Delphia looked at me in surprise. The sound of my strangely distorted hiccup echoed through the gap of my tightly pressed hands.
As the hiccups continued, Duke Winifred’s eyes narrowed. Conversely, my face began to turn a bright red.
‘Stop, stop by any means!’
I squeezed my eyes shut. I had to stop the hiccups now; however, instead of stopping the violent hiccups, my breath suddenly caught and my forehead creased in pain.
“This, this, ……that. No, that.”
Delphia, caught between the Duke and Rhett, seemed to feel she had to do something and began to roll her eyes frantically.
“Sir, this…….”
“Lord Delphia.”
A low, somewhat tired voice emerged from between the tightly closed lips. When her name was called with her title, Delphia responded almost reflexively.
“Yes!”
She shouted loudly.
“Please bring some water.”
What was happening?
Duke Winifred walked past Delphia and entered the room. He used one arm to open the door and the other to guide Rhett’s breathing.
“…?”
Rhett, who sat hurriedly on the sofa in the room, covered her mouth with both hands and blinked.
‘What is going on here…?’
“I brought you water!”
Meanwhile, Delphia brought a bowl filled with water. Why was the bowl so full?
Delphia couldn’t move smoothly; every time she stepped, the bowl swayed dangerously as if it would spill at any moment. Winifred’s eyes narrowed again.
“Water for drinking.”
“Ah!”
Delphia, hitting her forehead in realization, disappeared somewhere and soon returned with a glass full of cold water.
“Here you go!”
The water Delphia brought was quickly placed into Rhett’s hands.
This time, Rhett, holding the glass in a state of confusion, blinked.
“Not with that hand.”
With that, Duke Winifred removed Rhett’s other hand, which was still covering her mouth.
“Hold your nose and try to drink the water.”
“…Like this?”
Rhett held her nose awkwardly.
“Tighter.”
“Ah, yes… huff!”
Is this enough? When I blocked my nose to the point where I couldn’t breathe, Duke Winifred made me tilt the upper part of my body forward. What was he trying to make me do in this strange position?
When Rhett looked at the Duke with skeptical eyes, Duke Winifred looked at the glass of water and gestured with his head.
‘You’re not asking me to drink it like this, are you?’
But was it okay to drink water in this position? The anxiety lasted only a moment. As soon as the Duke looked at me—looking as if to say, “Why aren’t you drinking?” with his large eyes—I drank all the water at once.
“…Cough!”
Water splashed every time I coughed.
“My Lady!”
Delphia ran toward me and patted my back. As I coughed, tears flowed from my eyes. Why did he make me do this? Was it because I clung to the Duke and asked for help? Or because I thought this was Baron Barodon’s palace and was rude earlier?
Rhett, with a red face and tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, looked at the Duke who was watching her.
His face was serious. I couldn’t tell why.
My head was spinning from the coughing. Then Delphia, who was repeatedly patting my back, spoke.
“The hiccups have stopped.”
“Huh?”
The hiccups that had been bothering me a moment ago had long since vanished. I blinked in wonder. Did this happen because I drank water in a strange position? Or was there something special about the Duke’s water?
Whatever the case, I felt as though I could survive now that the hiccups obstructing my breathing were gone.
“Your hands….”
While I was shaking my head at my thoughts, the voice came from above once more.
“How did you hurt your hands?”
Duke Winifred’s brow furrowed.
“I can smell blood as well.”
“That….. Your Grace.”
There was a hitch in Delphia’s voice.
“Well, that’s because of me.”
I raised my head and made eye contact with Duke Winifred.
“I did this because I thought this was Baron Barodon’s palace…”
“Barodon?”
Duke Winifred asked again. Does he not know either? Baron Barodon was a very wealthy man with a fairly large mansion in this region. He even had a few exquisite shops on a very beautiful street. Therefore, there was no one here who didn’t know Baron Barodon.
Yet today, I met two people who didn’t know him.
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know this person either; I thought my Lord knew him.”
“I don’t know.”
Duke Winifred shook his head in response to Delphia. Whoever Baron Barodon was, he was unknown to them.
Identity should come first. All Duke Winifred had to do was recognize and connect with a few people. Among them was the woman currently sitting in front of him.
“…Duke?”
Rhett blinked. Why is he staring at me? It’s scary. I feel as though a heavy stone has been placed on my chest.
Rhett pressed her hand to her chest.
‘Maybe I did something wrong?’
“It seems you have a question for me.”
“Ah.”
Then, upon hearing the Duke’s words, I straightened my posture.
A question. I had one. I had many. Therefore, I couldn’t speak easily. What should I ask first? Why did you bring me here? Why did you save me from Ben? Or should I first ask why you promised to protect me?
While Rhett was confused, Duke Winifred’s eyes fell on Delphia.
“Delphia, tea.”
“Yes!”
Delphia, who stood up quickly, stopped as if she realized the order she had just heard.
“Well, Your Grace, I’m worried, but do you know…?”
Unlike her usual lively and cheerful personality, her speech became unclear. She was capable of doing everything above average, but cooking was an exception. Even more tragic was the fact that even picking tea leaves was included in the category of cooking.
Winifred nodded, knowing what she meant.
“I’ll be right back!”
Delphia shouted and kicked the door open.
“Hah.”
I sighed while looking at the door that was already closed. I wanted her to stay with me. It is terrifying to be alone with the Duke.
“I came to tell you why I brought you here.”
In the meantime, the Duke walked to the other side and immediately sat on the sofa.
Two people sat facing each other across a low table.
“First, let me introduce myself. I am Logan Winifred, Duke of Winifred and Lord of the Winifred Territory.”
“Yes, hello….”
Should I say my name too? However, before my worries could end, Duke Winifred naturally moved to the next sentence.
“The reason I sought you out and brought you back is that you are the daughter of Ajin and Lara.”
“Ajin and… Lara?”
I uttered the names without realizing it. Ajin, Lara. I had never heard of them before. They were strange names.
“They are the names of your parents.”
