Chapter 75
“……”
Lord Abellus couldn’t easily reply.
He probably thought what I just said was nonsense.
After all, my body was only four years old at the time.
“I’m not afraid of you, Lord Abellus. No matter what happens.”
I spoke firmly. If he couldn’t realize it on his own, I had no choice but to tell him directly.
“…Thank you.”
His low voice replied.
Thank you?
“Do you dislike it when others fear you, Lord Abellus?”
I asked, though I was worried.
If he said yes, then what?
To be served as head of a house, some degree of dignity was necessary. If he didn’t want that, then spending the rest of his life as the Lord of Ignitus might become unbearable.
“No. I don’t dislike it. The only thing I don’t like is you being afraid.”
Relief washed over me when he said that. I loosened my expression with a breath.
While we were talking, we had already arrived at Ardentluna.
Just as we stepped onto the path leading to the mansion’s entrance, a question that had been on my mind since yesterday suddenly rose up.
“Then why did you suddenly allow me to go to the arena? You said you didn’t want me showing my authority.”
“That’s because I heard you were lonely. I thought it would help if you had people to spend time with.”
…Lonely? Me?
I stared blankly at him.
“Who… said that?”
“Ankus. He said on days when you couldn’t bear the loneliness from wasting away, you made some lowly creature your friend just to endure. So I thought I should resolve your condition first.”
‘Lowly creature?’
What was that supposed to mean?
Then I remembered the way Ankus had looked strangely at me and the mole.
Was he talking about Ululu?
Suddenly all the pieces fit. Everything that had been happening in the mansion made sense.
The maids who never left me alone for even a moment.
The attendants who always kept their senses trained on me.
Even the Lord himself, suddenly begging me to speak up if I had any problems!
‘Ankus, you idiot, how could you misunderstand things that way…!’
As I trembled, Lord Abellus looked at me with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No… I’m just really grateful that you worried about me.”
I forced a smile through clenched teeth.
Well, even if Ankus had caused me some trouble, I couldn’t bring myself to resent him.
After all, it meant he had been worried about me.
Not just Ankus—but everyone in Ignitus.
“……”
I quietly smiled, recalling each of their faces one by one.
‘I should thank them.’
At the same time, in the Telus territory in the southwest of Eterna.
“What’s that?”
The younger master of Telus, returning home after a long outing, pointed at the parchment in a servant’s hand.
“A letter for the young masters.”
“For me?”
Green-tinted eyes gleamed beneath his traveling robe.
“Give it here.”
But the servant held on tightly, restless.
“That’s odd. You were fine this morning. Did you go deaf so quickly?”
“It is addressed to both young masters. Therefore, it must be opened together—”
At that, the younger Telus glanced between the servant and the firmly shut door behind him, curling his lips into a chilling smile.
From beyond the door, warm laughter trickled out.
Inside were the rest of his family, without him.
And the servant’s loyalty was not to him, but to that wretched other half of Telus hiding behind the door.
“So that’s why you’ve been so insolent. Because of those things behind you.”
“H-how could you speak that way about your own parents and siblings…”
The servant stammered, pale.
Parents and siblings.
At those words, the boy’s teeth ground harshly.
No one in this house truly acknowledged that bond.
The three inside enjoyed their peace whenever the uncomfortable child was absent.
And the child outside, an outcast, saw himself as the only true heir of Telus.
The blood tie binding them had long since turned into shackles.
“Give it here.”
The furious younger master yanked the servant’s ear.
“M-my lord, please—”
“Insolent wretch. Go ahead, try asking them for help. But my hand will strike your ear before they can move. You don’t want that, do you? A coward wasting his life’s one moment of courage to defy his master.”
The servant collapsed trembling, and the boy kicked him once before snatching away the parchment.
[From Ignitus,
To the son and daughter of Telus, Titus and Tertia.]
“Let’s see… Ignitus? Why are they suddenly sending me a letter?”
His pale face glimmered with curiosity.
Unrolling it, he found something unexpected.
The youngest lady of Ignitus wished to build a good relationship with the Telus twins, and thus invited them formally to the Ignitus estate.
“‘Lovely red-haired young lady,’ huh?”
He scoffed at the affectionate phrasing—then his face stiffened.
A memory surged up of a red-haired child he had met on the streets of Forum.
That bright scarlet hair impossible to forget.
And the boldness of someone who never backed down, despite her unclear status.
“So she was Tiberius’s daughter?”
Suddenly, all the odd things he had wondered about made sense.
“Hahaha! What a funny girl.”
The boy burst into laughter, then fell into thought.
“Hmmm…”
If he accepted the invitation, he knew exactly what would happen.
Boring conversations under the watchful eyes of the house lords, followed by a polite farewell: ‘I had such a wonderful time today, Ignisia.’
How dull.
Meeting her chaotically like before was far more fun.
‘Besides…’
He glanced at the closed door.
If the houses met formally, he’d have to share her with that one.
“Hey, bring me parchment. I’m writing a reply.”
“Y-young master, no! You can’t just decide such things—”
“Why not? Think about it. Even if only I agree, that’s still half the vote, right? So my decision alone is enough.”
“T-that’s nonsense!”
The servant tried to protest his absurd logic, but the boy’s next words froze him.
“Say one more word, and we’ll see what happens to your shabby little hut. Didn’t you say your daughter is five this year? I wonder if she’s asleep at home right now—”
“U-ugh…”
Grinding his teeth, the servant finally obeyed.
The boy chuckled and scribbled his response.
[Thank you for the invitation, but we siblings cannot accept.]
When I returned home, I first called Io and explained everything that had happened.
“So it was just a misunderstanding! I’m so relieved it wasn’t about your outing.”
“Right? I was so nervous I thought I’d burst.”
“Well, if I saw you suddenly playing house, I’d be surprised too. After all, you’ve always been extraordinary, but then you acted like a normal child.”
“Which is why, Io… I want to properly thank the family. Do you have any ideas?”
And also, I needed to tell them they could stop now.
If I didn’t, I’d be too burdened to keep living like this.
“Hmm… Ah! How about flowers? You could gather an armful from Mount Ardeo and give them to everyone. There’s no better way to show gratitude!”
Flowers, huh. Safe enough—but there was a problem.
“That works outside. But it’s different in Ignitus.”
“…What do you mean?”
“In our house, flowers are just plants that don’t burn well.”
