Chapter 50
“…Then promise me one thing.”
Kahn said to me.
“Promise me you won’t get even a hair on your head hurt.”
That was… permission.
Kahn had given in and yielded to me.
I nodded belatedly.
“…Okay.”
“And later, you’ll apologize properly for today.”
“Sorry for what I said earlier.”
“Later. Do it properly.”
“…Okay.”
I answered obediently.
Kahn was the Crown Prince. I had been rude. If I hadn’t had the title of “duke’s daughter,” my head might’ve already been chopped off.
Though, of course, Kahn would never actually do that.
He gave a faint, helpless smile.
“The Duke will have my head for this.”
“I’ll keep it a secret.”
“It’s too late for that.”
What did he mean by that?
I didn’t really understand, but there wasn’t time to ask.
Kahn taught me the ring-spell used to summon the Wind Spirit.
After several tries, I succeeded.
Everything that followed happened in a flash.
<They’re in the basement of that building.>
“Is Madeline there too?”
<If you mean your friend, yes.>
I’d expected it, but hearing it for real made my heart plummet like a stone.
The Wind Spirit flapped its wings, scattering shimmering blue dust.
‘The sun’s still this bright…’
Kahn and I hid behind the shade of a tree, watching the building from afar.
He must’ve read my expression, because as soon as he saw my pale face, he guessed what the spirit had told me.
“What’s the plan? There are guards stationed there. They look like trained professionals — at least five of them. It’s just the two of us. Or rather… just me.”
I could see it too.
The place was tightly guarded. The building was hidden near a stream — terrible luck for Madeline.
It looked like a small, shabby cabin, but underground, there was no doubt a prison where children were being kept.
“You’re going to kill them?”
“What? No!”
I shook my head quickly, startled by how calmly Kahn had asked that.
But the Wind Spirit didn’t flinch — it only tilted its head innocently.
<Should I kill them for you? Is that what you want, Adele?>
“No, no!”
Kill people? I’d never even imagined doing such a thing.
“Then how do you plan to save the kids without hurting anyone?”
“…You’re a Wind Spirit. You can make a tornado or something, right?”
I whispered.
A tornado strong enough to blow people far away — but not kill them.
I turned to the Wind Spirit.
“Can you do it?”
<Sure. You want me to blow them all away? Where to?>
“Somewhere far. So far they’ll never find their way back.”
<Just give the command.>
It wasn’t a command, but a request — yet the spirit looked oddly thrilled.
“Taking out the guards won’t be enough, Adele. There’ll be people keeping watch underground too.”
“Then we’ll have to get them up to the surface somehow.”
“And how do you suppose we do that?”
Kahn fell silent for a moment, then said thoughtfully,
“This might work.”
“What might?”
“There’s nothing more precious to a person than their life. If we start a fire underground, they’ll all come up — anyone who doesn’t want to die, anyway.”
“But there are kids down there!”
“We won’t actually start a fire — just make it look like we did.”
Genius!
I looked at him, amazed.
Kahn pulled something from inside his coat.
“I brought this just in case. Thought I might need it to protect you from a large group.”
“What is it?”
“The latest invention — a smoke bomb.”
He showed me a small round object that looked oddly fascinating.
“The smoke looks just like real fire smoke. They’ll panic. The problem is how to throw it underground. I’ll have to infiltrate the place first.”
“I’ll go too.”
“You won’t. Absolutely not.”
Kahn was firm this time — unshakably so.
“Stay here. I’ll come back alive.”
“But how will you get in? The guards—”
“Every building has blind spots. And I’m good at hiding my presence. You’ve seen it before — how I slipped into the fortress.”
“…Why are you so good at that?”
“I learned assassination techniques as a hobby.”
I froze.
A hobby… of assassination.
The more I learned about Kahn, the more surprising he became.
Yet somehow… it suited him.
For a moment, he felt like a stranger — but not a frightening one.
Just like how my father was still my father, even after I saw him kill someone.
Kahn stood and brushed my hair gently aside.
“Once they all run out, it’s your turn. But if you take too long…”
He looked at me with a calm, terrifying glint.
“I’ll kill them all myself.”
…Terrifying words.
‘I don’t want anyone to die.’
I shook my head hard, then nodded.
“I’ll do it right.”
So we split up — though honestly, it felt like Kahn was doing all the work.
He moved so naturally that before I knew it, he was gone.
Left alone, my nerves felt like they were going to snap.
I didn’t realize then that several shadow knights were secretly guarding me.
Of course, Kahn and I hadn’t truly been sent out alone from the fortress — the guards had been with us the whole time.
Later, I’d learn that during the cotton candy incident, we’d really been targeted by enemy agents, and the shadow knights had handled them quietly.
But back then, I had no idea.
My palms were slick with cold sweat. If anyone came for me now, I’d be defenseless.
“!”
After what felt like forever, I saw smoke seeping from the building’s basement.
Gray wisps curling through the cracks in the windows.
The guards started panicking, shouting, and running about.
Then, the sound of metal clanging — and people poured up the stairs from underground, coughing, faces covered with wet cloths.
Just as Kahn predicted.
But there were no children among them. They’d fled, leaving the kids behind.
“Now!”
I shouted, and the Wind Spirit grinned and darted forward.
It had been small — a tiny fairy — but now it swelled into a roaring whirlwind, racing toward the building.
The masked men barely had time to react before the storm swallowed them whole.
Their screams were torn away by the wind as they were lifted and hurled far, far away.
The path left behind by the tornado was a wreck.
I fought to keep my footing and ran forward.
The entire cabin had been blown apart, leaving only the entrance to the basement stairs.
‘Madeline!’
Holding back tears, I rushed down.
Inside, rows of iron bars — and countless children trapped within.
Dozens of them.
Kahn stood down the hall, unlocking cells with a key. He turned when he saw me.
“This one’s your friend, right?”
“…Please, save us too!”
“Us too!”
“Hold on.”
Kahn’s voice was calm.
I ran straight to Madeline.
She’d been taken only recently — she didn’t look hurt at all.
In fact, she looked peaceful, fast asleep.
She stirred and rubbed her eyes as I approached.
“Adele…?”
“Madeline…”
“Am I dreaming? I missed you so much I’m dreaming, right?”
I hugged her tightly.
I’d missed her — really missed her. I didn’t realize how much until that moment.
My friend.
Thank goodness I wasn’t too late.
Thank goodness she hadn’t been hurt or seen anything awful.
“I missed you.”
But I swallowed the rest of the words.
Only one sentence came out.
All the children were freed one by one.
Thirty-eight in total.
Most were young — and from what they said, once the count reached forty, they would’ve been sold off.
We’d made it just in time.
Thankfully, this seemed to be the only group in the region.
The children were weak from hunger, but uninjured.
“Connie, your mother’s looking for you. Go quickly.”
I smiled as I spoke.
Connie nodded, crying, and ran off toward the guards outside.
Madeline still looked a bit dazed, not understanding what was happening.
Kahn came up beside me.
“I feel ashamed — as their leader.”
“This isn’t your fault, Kahn.”
“Still… it’s bitter to see. To think their corruption has already spread this far. Just how wide is their reach now…”
He fell silent.
The guards were escorting children to their families one by one.
Kahn’s eyes drifted to my hands — still holding Madeline’s tightly.
He frowned slightly, as if disliking the sight, then accepted a cup of water from the captain and took a sip.
“Adele, thank you for coming to find me. Does this mean we can play together again?”
“Uh-huh! And I have good news — we’re going to the same school now!”
“Really!?”
“Yep! The Royal Fes Academy!”
“No way! I love you! I’m so happy to have a noble friend!”
Her pure joy made me laugh.
I’d worried she might feel hurt or distant, but unlike the other orphanage kids, she was just… happy.
“Congratulations, Adele. I’m so happy for you. You always wanted a family.”
“Thank you.”
I was happy — truly happy.
“Wait a second, I brought you a present!”
“For me?”
“Yep. Dandelion flowers — and madeleines.”
“Wow…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner about the adoption. I didn’t know it’d really happen.”
“Why would you apologize? Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”
She really was an angel.
Kahn still looked faintly displeased, but when our eyes met, he gave a small, crooked smile.
“So that’s your friend. Figures — birds of a feather.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant exactly, but I decided to take it as a compliment.
After all, out of everyone I knew, Madeline was the sweetest, most lovable of all.
