0. The Boy from the Novel
Yurina couldn’t hide the excitement on her face as she carefully examined the boy in front of her. Though he was unwashed and scruffy overall, the boy’s fair skin and unusually bright blond hair—rare even in the capital—stood out unmistakably.
And then—
‘Red eyes.’
Eyes so vividly red, like rubies, that you couldn’t see unless the person was an albino. Even in this world, where hair and eye colors were more diverse than on Earth, red eyes were an unnatural phenomenon.
People who didn’t know any better often said such eyes were cursed, but in truth, red eyes were a sign of the goddess’s blessing.
That alone was enough to convince her. This child would one day become one of the greatest mages in the Empire.
She had searched relentlessly for him—visiting not only every orphanage in the capital but also those scattered around nearby territories—for the past six months, all for the sake of finding this one boy.
She had even started to worry that winter would arrive before she could find him. But finally—
‘Looks like the goddess is on my side after all.’
Originally, it would’ve been Marquis Defron who visited this orphanage during his winter relief efforts and discovered the boy, taking him in. But that would no longer happen.
‘Because I’m taking him today.’
That’s what she had been waiting for.
“Come with me.”
At Yurina’s calm words, the nanny behind her blanched.
“Miss, you mustn’t.”
“Come with me.”
Ignoring the nanny, Yurina extended her hand to the boy.
“I’ll protect you. If you come with me, you won’t go hungry again or have to worry about freezing to death in the cold.”
“Why?”
The boy shrank back, his eyes wary.
“I don’t believe in things like pure goodwill. What do you really want from me? Planning to use me as a plaything?”
“What?”
Yurina was so stunned that she was momentarily speechless. Meanwhile, the boy clutched the buttons near his chest tightly.
“Nobles like kids that look like me. I’ve seen a lot of nobles like you.”
He had a remarkably objective view of his own appearance.
‘Well, he is handsome.’
About eight years from now, after graduating from the academy and making his debut in high society, this boy would captivate people of all ages and genders with his stunning looks.
Even now, in his dirty, tattered clothes, he looked far more refined than any noble boy Yurina had seen in the capital.
Still, it wasn’t something you’d expect a boy his age—who looked about the same as Yurina—to say. But she knew he was actually two years older than her, and she also knew exactly why he was saying this.
“How dare you say such a thing! Miss, please don’t listen to him and let’s return to the carriage right away!”
Yurina raised a hand to gently stop the nanny, who was trying to pull her away in a panic.
“You’re right. There’s no such thing as pure goodwill in this world. I won’t sweet-talk you by pretending I’m helping you out of pity. But I can promise you this—my intentions aren’t as impure as you think. I might be young and naive, but I’m still a lady. Do you even know what that word means? A plaything?”
The boy didn’t reply. His lips moved as if he were trying to speak but failed, suggesting he had merely repeated something he’d heard adults say without fully understanding it.
Should she scold his baseless boldness or praise his nerve? Yurina folded her arms and shook her head.
“You’d better watch that tongue of yours, or you’ll end up dead without anyone even knowing. If you’re going to say things like that, at least know who you’re talking to.”
As Yurina spoke with a composed voice—somewhere between persuasion and intimidation—the boy shrank back a little. He asked again, this time in a smaller voice than before.
“Then why?”
“I’m going to invest in you.”
“Invest?”
“Yes, invest.”
Yurina closed her eyes for a moment and recalled the events that would unfold in the future.
“If you stay here, you’ll die before this winter ends. This winter is going to be especially brutal.”
It was half true, half a lie. This winter would indeed go down in history for its deadly cold and high number of frost-related deaths.
But the boy wouldn’t die. According to the original story, he would be taken in by the Marquis Defron’s family and live in comfort.
Still, what did a little lie matter when it concerned someone’s life?
“So come with me. I’ll sponsor you under the name of the Cartia family. What do you say? Isn’t that a better option than dying?”
“But why? What are you basing this on?”
“Your red eyes. You might not know this, but they’re a symbol of the goddess. Historically, people born with those eyes have always shown extraordinary talent in magic. There’s even a record that the Great Mage William had red eyes too.”
It wasn’t widely known. The fact that red eyes symbolized the goddess would only come to light later, as this boy made a name for himself in the field of magic. For now, very few people knew.
The reason Yurina knew was simple—she had read it in a book.
“So what do you want from me in return? You said it was an investment.”
He was articulate. Yurina liked that.
“Remember this day. And someday, when I’m in danger, you must save me. Just like I saved you today.”
“What if I say no?”
“Well… I suppose I can’t force you.”
Yurina looked straight at him and smiled gently.
“But do you really think you could?”
She looked ten years old on the outside, but inside, Yurina Cartia was twenty-two. For someone like her, getting a little boy like this on her side was no big deal.
