Chapter 49
“……”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
The very first words I managed to squeeze out through the swell of emotions were these:
“I don’t have to hide anymo—”
At that very instant, my vision blurred.
It was because tears spilled out, unstoppable.
I’ve come back.
That thought filled me.
My name, my face, my age—everything had changed, but I had returned to the place I loved.
After everything that had happened, finally, I was home.
“Hhic…”
“Calidora, what is it?”
When I burst into tears, the Patriarch looked flustered.
The servants murmured anxiously, wondering if their young lady was in pain.
“I…”
Shaking my head as tears streamed down, I forced the words out.
“I can be of help to Ignitus now.”
At that, the sound in the hall cut off—like the sudden snap of a violin string.
“I don’t have to hide anymore.”
Sniffling, I broke down into heavy sobs.
No one dared to touch me while I cried.
And I didn’t mind.
I knew these people weren’t skilled at handling children. What mattered was that I could feel all their worried gazes resting warmly on me.
That evening, a light banquet was held.
It was to formally celebrate the new heir of House Ignitus.
I was carried out in a maid’s arms, my face still puffy, and entered the central courtyard.
There, I was met by a sea of relatives whose faces I had never seen before.
“Oh my, she really is as lovely as they say.”
“Just look at that hair—like ripe hawthorn berries.”
They came bearing armfuls of gifts and showered me with praise.
There was none of the old talk about me being a traitor’s daughter, or unfit to be heir.
Because the one who spread those rumors is gone now.
Until then, I had mistakenly believed all my relatives disapproved of me.
The power of a loud voice really is frightening.
With that thought, I tried to open my swollen eyes a little wider.
To show up at my very first banquet looking like this—how shameful.
While I sat listening to the endless chatter, Lord Abelus approached me, two young men trailing behind him.
Though I’d never met them in this life, I had seen their faces in the true Calidora’s memories.
“Calidora, I’d like to introduce some people properly. My closest friends.”
The two boys, neatly dressed in military uniforms, bowed politely.
I hesitated, not quite able to welcome them openly.
Because I remembered—
“A traitor’s child has no right to be so bold. Sit quietly where you belong.”
That had been one of them, long ago, speaking to the old Calidora.
I bit my lip and said nothing. Sensing my reluctance, Abelus spoke.
“She is not one to approach just anyone. So do not take offense if she seems distant.”
“I understand,” said the calmer of the two.
With a faint, bitter smile, he withdrew the hand he had extended for a handshake.
“We are Lord Abelus’s friends, and his sworn vassals. As much as we are loyal to him, we pledge our devotion to you as well, young lady.”
His words softened the sting in my heart.
That’s right. Calidora never hated him. Who am I to hold a grudge?
Only then did I feel willing to accept his hand. I reached out.
“Explo…plo…”
“Please, just call me Exi, my lady.”
“Mm, Exi!”
Exi grinned, reshaping his handshake into a gentle gesture with three fingers, so my small hand wouldn’t be swallowed whole.
I clasped his hand tightly, its skin rough with scars from years of training.
“Exi!”
Beaming, I called his name again.
I no longer had to lose this hand.
“A-ah, young lady, me too! My name is Tophus!” the other boy blurted, eager not to be left out.
“Tofuu?”
“Yes! Please call me Tofu!”
Exi chuckled quietly.
“Exi and Tofu, what a perfect pair.”
“Exi sounds much better.”
“What are you talking about? Look at the way she says Tofu. Isn’t it far cuter?”
The two began bickering over nonsense.
I glanced at Abelus as if to say, Look at your friends, honestly.
But he was staring at me with a stricken expression.
…What? Was my lisp that embarrassing?
Just then, familiar voices cut in.
“Huh? Baby cried?”
“What? Baby cried? Who made her cry! I’ll scold them all!”
“Mother, she’s the baby! But she cried, see?”
“Young master, it wasn’t you, was it? I’d have a hard time scolding you, but still…”
It was the Bell siblings, running up with their parents.
They looked startled by my swollen face.
Holding their parents’ hands, they came closer.
“Lady Calidora, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“Thank you for saving our children.”
The kind couple bowed politely.
It felt odd—being called “baby” by the children, but treated with such deference by their parents.
“Baby, come play with us over there!”
“Some other cousins are here too. Let’s go ask Prima to show us something cool!”
They pointed toward a gathering of children.
Abelus gave a nod.
I smoothed down my pretty banquet dress and smiled brightly.
“Okay!”
Goodness… Who knew hide-and-seek could be this fun, even at my age?
Exhausted, I plopped onto a chair in the moonlit courtyard.
I grabbed an apple from a nearby basket and crunched into it, quenching my thirst.
The people of Ignitus, swept up in merriment, occasionally launched bursts of power into the sky.
Brilliant flames flared here and there, painting the night with fleeting fireworks.
I sat alone, entranced by the sight.
So this is another way to use authority…
While I was lost in thought, Bellikus shouted from afar with the children:
“Baby’s cute!”
“You can’t call the heir ‘cute’—that’s not praise!”
“Baby’s brave!”
“…Hmph.”
That one I could accept.
Then the children shrieked at some new amusement and ran off. The noise faded, leaving the courtyard much quieter.
That was when I noticed footsteps behind me, close—right at my back.
“Who’s there?”
Tilting my head back, I looked up to see the face of the Patriarch.
“Are you enjoying the banquet?”
“Yes!”
I’d noticed it before—he never adjusted his words for a child’s ears.
Then again, how could he? He himself had been brilliant even as a boy. And his only nephew was Abelus, after all.
“Good.”
He said nothing more, only stood beside me and looked up at the sky as I did.
Wanting to meet his eyes better, I clambered onto the table and bowed deeply toward him.
“Patriarch, thank you.”
“For what, child?”
“For making me your heir. And for making me your daughter.”
“Is that so.”
I lifted my gaze, eyes shining with firm resolve.
“I’ll be a worthy heir. I’ll work hard so I’ll have true value.”
“….”
A complex expression crossed his face.
“Then why did you cry earlier?”
“Because… I was glad I can finally work hard.”
To prove it, I summoned a long flame and twirled it in the air, showing off my practiced skill.
“Now, I am a noble Ignitus.”
“Yes. You are now the noble heir of Ignitus. Your place is not what it was yesterday.”
When I smiled proudly, he nodded.
“But that is not all you are. You have your own worth, and you must consider it in every moment. Do you understand?”
“…No.”
This time I wasn’t pretending to be a child—I truly didn’t understand.
“You’ll grasp it one day. For now, just repeat after me. Calidora—so long as you are a child of Ignitus, your life will always carry dignity. It always has, and it always will.”
“As long as I’m Ignitus… my life has dignity…”
I repeated solemnly, though I still couldn’t grasp its meaning.
That Ignitus was noble, I already knew.
But why bring it up now?
