CHAPTER 05
“I knew it.”
Diana looked at the ragged clothes she would have to wear later and let out a small sigh.
She was so cute and pitiful at the same time that I had to hold back a smile.
“I’ll wash your clothes for you tomorrow, okay?”
“Unni
“Yeah, Unni.”
Diana tilted her head like a tiny bird. She was so adorable that I absentmindedly patted her head.
We didn’t have soap, but if I washed them several times in the lake, they should get somewhat clean.
Of course, the path to the lake was rough.
The reason Thomas could act so bossy all the time was because he and his group were the ones who fetched water from the lake.
‘It’ll be hard, but I promised.’
As I sighed at the thought of going to the lake tomorrow, I suddenly lifted my head.
“Am I stupid?”
I had completely forgotten something important, as if my brain had also reset along with my younger body.
“How could I forget that?”
I lightly tapped my head and broke into a wide grin.
Even though I was born with little mana and could never become a great mage, I was still pretty skilled at simple spells.
“I can just use a weight-reduction spell!”
If I showed the kids tomorrow that I could easily lift heavy buckets of water with both hands, their jaws would drop.
“I should show Thomas too.”
Even though I knew it was childish, I covered my mouth and giggled. Diana, who had been blinking her big eyes at me, copied me and laughed softly.
“Alright, let’s wash your feet now.”
Feeling reassured since I could replenish water with magic, I scooped up a full ladle of water and poured it over her dirt-covered feet and legs.
Diana shrank back.
“Huh?”
I thought it was because the water was cold. But once the dirt washed away, I saw scratches all over her legs and even a large wound on her foot.
My eyes trembled.
I hadn’t noticed. Not in the past. Not even until now.
She had suddenly been left alone, and on top of that she was injured like this—and I had thought she was troublesome and avoided her.
When my face grew serious, Diana suddenly shouted,
“No! It doesn’t hurt!”
She shook her head stubbornly.
Her chubby cheeks wobbled, but her eyes were anxious.
Like a frightened rabbit.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad. You can tell me the truth.”
“…Really You won’t yell?”
I nodded.
Still hesitant, she sniffed.
“Dana hurts…”
“I’ll make it stop hurting right away.”
“Will you blow on it?”
Her innocent question made me laugh.
I couldn’t leave such a small, lovable child in pain.
I placed my hand gently over her foot and silently recited a healing spell.
Brilliant light burst from my hand.
The light wrapped around her foot, and the wound healed instantly.
“Woooow!”
Diana’s eyes widened in amazement.
“Unni is so cool!”
She clapped her hands.
Normally, I would’ve felt shy about her reaction to such a simple spell. But the light had been much stronger than usual. Even I was startled.
Smiling at her, I closed my eyes to check my mana.
A strange warmth spread from deep within my heart.
Mana filled it completely.
‘Wasn’t the amount of mana you’re born with fixed?’
I was confused.
The Master had clearly said I had too little mana to become a proper mage.
I had accepted that and focused on physical training instead.
“So what is this?”
Why was my heart overflowing with mana I had never felt before?
As I struggled to understand, Diana suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Unni, thank you.”
Her warm little body pressed against me.
Sharing warmth like this felt unfamiliar.
Awkwardly patting her back, a question I had never thought about before crossed my mind.
How had the House of Elard lost such a precious child?
***
That night, to soothe Diana as she fussed in her sleep, I brought her to the large window by the stairs instead of staying in the shared bedroom.
The full moon shone above the trees. It was beautiful, but cold enough that our breath turned white.
“Unni, read me a book…”
I laid one thin blanket on the floor and covered her with the other. She rested her head on my lap.
“A book?”
“Mm! Princess!”
“A princess story?”
She nodded eagerly.
I felt troubled.
I had heard that normal children had parents who read fairy tales to them before bed.
But we had no books. And no one here could even read.
“No books?”
Diana looked disappointed.
I gently stroked her hair and began telling a story from memory instead.
“Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was an orphanage. One day, a large carriage stopped in front of it…”
***
She listened with interest for a while but soon fell asleep, softly snoring.
Carrying her back, I felt extremely hungry and tired.
‘Maybe it’s because I used magic…’
I fell asleep almost immediately.
Because of that, I didn’t notice someone playing with my hair for quite a while.
But when the bed creaked and I opened my eyes—
“…Dana?”
“Unni’s awake!”
She smiled brightly.
I was surprised.
I thought she’d wake up crying like before.
But she was calm and cheerful.
“Why are you up so early?”
It was barely dawn.
She placed her tiny hands on her stomach.
“Dana’s hungry…”
“Ah… you’re hungry.”
“Were you bored?”
She shook her head.
“I played with Unni’s hair. It’s pretty.”
I froze.
“…Pretty?”
“Mm! Unni’s pretty! “Sparkly
She raised both hands excitedly.
I couldn’t speak.
Had anyone ever called me pretty?
“…It’s the first time.”
***
When I was little, I thought I was very pretty.
My pastel pink hair and bright pink eyes sparkled in the mirror.
But no one ever called me pretty.
Until someone told me my hair and eyes were brown.
Every child said the same.
Even Jack confirmed it.
That was when I accepted something was wrong with my eyes.
Later, I even asked a brutally honest street painter to draw me exactly as he saw me.
And for the first time, I saw the face others saw.
I had ordinary brown hair and brown eyes.
Not ugly, but not particularly pretty either.
Still, something about it didn’t sit right.
One day, I impulsively asked the master.
“Master, do I look like I have brown hair to you too?”
He didn’t answer.
I left quickly, embarrassed.
But now, I suddenly wondered what his answer would have been.
***
“Unni
“…”
“Unni
“Oh—sorry
Embarrassed that I had been so distracted by being called pretty, I leaned forward and kissed Diana’s soft cheek.
She giggled.
It was strange that this child—beloved by the Duke of Elard, adored by powerful nobles, protected by overbearing brothers, courted by noble heirs, and destined to receive a knight’s oath from Jack, one of the Empire’s top three knights—was lying in this shabby orphanage bed.
“Unni”
“Hmm?”
“What’s this?”
Diana pointed at the red-glowing bead necklace around my neck.
“Oh, this.”
I had been wearing it since the day I was abandoned in front of the orphanage.
“Pretty, right?”
I had always treasured it, thinking maybe it was something my parents left behind.
“Mm…”
Diana stared at it without blinking.
For a moment, the strange light inside the bead seemed to spin.
“Huh?”
I grabbed it.
“When did it crack?”
There was a thin crack in it.
I had never taken it off.
“…Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
If it were important, my parents would have come for me by now.
Still, I couldn’t throw away the only valuable thing I had.
I tucked it inside my clothes.
***
“Unni, meat?”
During lunch, Diana stirred the watery soup and tilted her head.
“…What did she just say?”
“Dana! You said you were hungry. Eat.”
“Mm!”
Thankfully, she didn’t press further and chewed the bread I gave her.
She ate so well, even though it wasn’t the soft white bread she was used to.
The problem was—
“No more?”
Her appetite was far bigger than I expected.
She stared at my bowl with sparkling eyes.
“…You eat this too.”
I pushed my bowl toward her, thinking I could endure the hunger.
But I forgot something important.
Even if my mind was an adult, my body was still a weak child’s.
“Ha… haa…”
I felt like I might die.
Only a few hours later, I was exhausted.
‘I should’ve known when I got tired just walking into the forest.’
Even sensing my mana felt difficult.
If I used magic now, I might faint.
“Unni, water! There’s water!”
Diana, full of energy, pointed at the lake.
I drank first, then carefully cupped water for her.
“Drink.”
She gulped it down.
I sat her on the soft grass.
“Stay here quietly while I wash the clothes.”
“Mm!”
She nodded obediently.
I took a deep breath and started scrubbing her dress.
After wringing it out, I shook it hard.
Water droplets splashed onto Diana’s face.
She burst into laughter.
I shook it again, and she laughed even harder.
I couldn’t help smiling.
Then—
“Dana, shh.”
I heard something.
Diana copied me, putting a finger to her lips.
I slowly turned toward the sound.
***
“Haap
As expected.
It was Jack.
I hid behind a tree and watched him practice swinging a branch like a sword.
He had good posture.
No bad habits.
Even at this age.
‘So this is how one of the Empire’s top three knights trained.’
Suddenly, Jack stopped and sighed.
I held my breath.
***
‘Does she think that’s hiding?’
Jack could clearly see the edge of Diana’s dress sticking out.
“Come out. I can see you.”
“…You knew?”
Ria stepped out awkwardly.
Jack frowned.
Yesterday she was bold. Today she looked foolish again.
“How are you going to survive in this world like that?”
“I knew from the start.”
“Ah—sorry.”
He sighed.
Then his gaze fell on her small hands.
They were too small.
Too thin.
“You’re already small, and you give your food away?”
When Jack suddenly snapped like that, Diana blinked her big eyes.
