Chapter 56
“Sophie!!”
As the banquet reached its peak and attention on Sophia had waned, Stella came running toward her.
With a soft “plop,” she threw herself into Sophia’s arms. As always, her hair was tied back with a blue ribbon.
“This time you tied it in one!”
“Yeah! I thought the two pigtails were a bit much. Does it suit me?”
Spinning once to show off, Stella’s deep green dress matched her eyes perfectly.
“It really does.”
“And you look amazing too, Sophie!”
Stella hugged her again, and Sophia hugged her back tightly.
They chatted for a while until Stella’s gaze fixated on something.
“There are a lot of people around Mr. Peyton.”
“True.”
“I heard from my mother that he’s someone incredible, but I didn’t expect that many people.”
Peyton’s legendary reputation was a thing of the past. Still, he wasn’t exactly unknown either.
His name had spread quietly, almost mythically.
His distinctive hair and eye color made him stand out, and the fact that the so-called “doctor who belongs to no one” had become someone’s personal physician was bound to attract even more attention.
It was understandable that people gathered around him.
“Even if they talk about patients, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear a thing—because I’m now Sophia’s exclusive physician.”
Peyton was smiling vaguely at the people talking to him, clearly not very engaged.
“What’s the point of offering money to a mage? He’s someone who can live without it.”
Although Sophia couldn’t hear the exact words, she could roughly guess what was being said.
Watching with her was Benjamin, who spoke in awe.
“A physician who almost started a religion really is different. Even the way people flock to him is extraordinary.”
“Religion?”
“Yeah. His power is just that great. And since Peyton was active so long ago, there were a lot of people back then who blindly worshipped special powers.”
Though, to be fair, that hasn’t really changed.
Listening to him, Sophia realized a religion forming around Peyton wouldn’t have been so far-fetched. He could heal any wound or illness just by laying a hand on it. What could be more divine than that?
To the people, he must have seemed like a walking miracle.
And if you were someone who had been healed by him, reverence would be inevitable.
As she thought about how amazing he was, Joshua quietly contradicted Benjamin.
“But things are a lot different now.”
“Different how?”
Stella asked curiously, and Joshua let out a small sigh before answering.
“He quit being a physician very suddenly. Didn’t see a single patient.”
“Oh…”
“When people get something good for free, they start thinking they’re entitled to it. And when that ‘right’ disappears, resentment follows.”
He spoke calmly, suggesting that somewhere, people were definitely criticizing Peyton.
Sophia looked at Peyton again. Despite his past glory, he no longer fit the title of “physician.”
He didn’t take any patients and didn’t seem to have the desire to save anyone. Even his role as her personal physician seemed to stem from respect for her mother, not from any personal conviction.
“Why did he decide to be a personal physician? Hmm…”
Just then, Peyton’s gaze turned toward Sophia. When she looked at him curiously, he smiled and waved.
Caught off guard, she waved back. Then he turned his head back to the person speaking to him.
“Just because!”
After enduring a barrage of questions and attention, Peyton finally managed to escape the crowd and stand beside Sophia.
He stopped a servant carrying a tray full of champagne glasses, took one, and sipped it before beginning to complain about how much he had suffered.
“People are supposed to be afraid of mages, but they just waltz up to me like it’s nothing.”
“Probably because magic benefits them. You’re not exactly threatening.”
“Maybe… Anyway, it was exhausting!”
If Peyton hadn’t been there, all that attention might’ve been on her. Knowing that, Sophia patted him on the back in appreciation.
Then she remembered what Vice had said earlier about giving her an island. Peyton had shown interest in the prize, hadn’t he?
“I received the winner’s prize from the hunting competition.”
“What? He gave you the island? So that island’s yours now?”
“Yep.”
Peyton stared at her for a moment, then his eyes sparkled.
“Let’s go there!”
He just wanted to play. What a hopeless doctor.
As she tried to brush him off, Lorei came up beside her and whispered quietly enough that only Sophia could hear.
“Would you like to visit the greenhouse?”
“The greenhouse?”
Sophia looked at Lorei with questioning eyes, wondering why she suddenly brought that up. But Lorei only smiled mysteriously and didn’t explain.
She wasn’t someone who would deceive Sophia or recommend anything bad, so Sophia decided to trust her and head to the greenhouse.
“I’ve already informed the lord, so feel free to go, miss.”
What in the world…?
Still puzzled by Lorei’s smile, Sophia exited the banquet hall through the back door. There, she met the eyes of two guards.
One was a castle guard. The other was…
“Oh, we meet again like this.”
Eren. Eren Gurt Roash—it was him.
If he came from Central Castle, shouldn’t he be inside the hall?
It felt a little off, but since the other guard didn’t say anything, it didn’t seem to be a problem.
Why hadn’t he gone inside? Then she remembered—Stella was inside.
They couldn’t meet.
As a knight who had cut off all ties and pledged loyalty to the central power, he couldn’t acknowledge Stella’s presence even if they met. He’d have to act like a man gone blind.
Better to not meet at all. Seeing her again would only hurt Stella.
Sophia paused, lost in thought about Stella, when Eren spoke up.
“Thank you for your help back then.”
“Back then…?”
She tried to recall—had she met Eren before?
Seeing her silent, Eren added,
“The day before the festival. You helped me find someone.”
Only then did the vague memory return. For some reason, her memories of that day were hazy.
“Oh, right. Were you able to find them?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“That’s a relief.”
Sophia gave a small smile, genuinely glad he had achieved what he needed.
Perhaps because he had once been a companion, it felt strange yet familiar to see him again like this.
“Please thank the person who was with you as well.”
“…The person who was with me?”
“Yes. The woman with hair the same color as those flowers.”
He pointed to a vase down the corridor. Inside, pink flowers were in full bloom.
Weird. I don’t remember anyone like that.
She had been alone. That’s why she’d been caught by the kidnapper.
Besides, Lucion had said the culprit had red hair.
“…Who was I with, then?”
She didn’t know anyone with pink hair.
“Well… okay.”
Since she couldn’t recall that moment clearly anyway, maybe she really had forgotten being with someone, even briefly.
So she nodded, said goodbye, and continued walking.
If someone had been with her then, they could have told her what happened and who she was with.
“…No, nothing. I can’t remember.”
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall anyone like Eren had described. Had he seen a ghost? That would be the easy explanation—but it didn’t feel realistic.
Maybe Lucion knew something… but if it was before the kidnapping, even he wouldn’t know.
The fact that the description didn’t match the kidnapper’s suggested it was someone she met before the incident.
Lost in thought, she quickened her pace and soon arrived at the greenhouse.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
It wasn’t the kidnapper anyway. Just a fleeting encounter. No wonder the memory didn’t stick.
With that, Sophia gathered her thoughts and opened the greenhouse door.
The bell chimed sweetly, and a familiar voice tickled her ear.
“Did you forget something?”
“No…?”
“…Oh, m-my lady?”
Surprisingly, Lune was inside the greenhouse.
He looked at her, wide-eyed with surprise.
So this is why Lorei sent me here…!
