Chapter 66
He left only those words and fell back into his fever.
His expression was better than before.
True to my promise to Jack, I didn’t leave his side except when I went to fetch water.
Night deepened and I grew gradually tired.
If I thought about it, I hadn’t slept a wink all day….
After the festival yesterday I went straight to the Count of Simor’s house, and I hadn’t even closed my eyes there because I stayed by the count’s side.
Chirp. Chirp. The insects outside the window sang.
Jack’s breathing had already steadied.
His fever seemed to have gone down a little.
Fortunately it was lower than before. After checking Jack again, I flopped face-down on the bed.
“Just rest my eyes for a moment. In the morning, even if it’s shameless, I’ll go to Duke Krey’s household and ask a favor. If it’s the duke’s physician, maybe they can cure him.”
My head nodded and I drifted off. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep next to Jack, who was in a deep sleep.
My consciousness began to blur.
I woke up a few hours later.
I had only meant to nap for a moment, but I’d slept far longer than I expected. I sprang up.
“Jack…”
I reflexively checked Jack first, and froze.
“This is…”
For a moment I couldn’t tell if the child lying in front of me was actually Jack. No wonder — there was a reason.
“…silver hair.”
Where calm brown hair had been, mysterious silver hair now took its place.
Not only that. The face that had been freckled and the dark, tanned skin had completely changed.
There wasn’t a single blemish on the pale white skin—no freckles at all. The facial features were generally the same as before, but aside from that everything had been turned upside down.
“It’s Jack.”
Though a different child was lying there, I was certain this child was Jack.
Not only because I, in a half-dream, was mumbling “Director”—I could recognize him because I knew him.
This child was definitely Jack.
Something occurred to me. Jack had been hiding his true appearance with magic. And the woman’s hair in the pendant had been silver as well.
“Director…?”
Jack slowly opened his eyes. His irises were, as expected, a deep amethyst color.
That confirmed it.
“Jack’s magic has been lifted. This is his real coloring.”
In the book, there had never been a single scene where Jack’s magic was undone….
Then a thought hit me.
“How on earth did Ciela know Jack was the hidden prince?”
If he had been changing his appearance with magic in the first place, it should have been impossible for Ciela to recognize his identity.
Back then I had just glossed over it because the book said so, but thinking about it now, it was strange.
Now I understood. How Ciela could have exposed Jack’s identity.
“She must have seen him after his magic was undone.”
Just now—seeing him turned into silver-haired with purple eyes.
“Director? Is something wrong? Your face…”
I was pulled back to reality by Jack’s voice as I was thinking about what might happen next. He was looking at me with a puzzled expression at my frozen, stiff posture.
I quickly composed my face and answered.
“No—it’s nothing. More importantly, your fever seems to have dropped a lot.”
“Yes, I feel lighter.”
“Thank goodness. But you’re probably not fully recovered yet, so sleep more. I’ll stay by your side.”
If anyone saw him like this, it would be a disaster.
I didn’t even want Jack to know his own changed appearance, so I hurriedly tried to get him back to sleep.
Jack looked at me with a puzzled face, and then he let out a short laugh.
The sudden laugh made me blink.
“I’m just fascinated by the situation itself. I never thought a day like this would come.”
“A day like this?”
“When someone stays by my side to nurse and watch over me when I’m sick. In front of the children I never showed that I was ill, and if it was bad, I’d go alone into an empty room. Because if I moved, it would be a problem….”
A bitter smile touched Jack’s lips as if he were recalling those times. I looked at him with pity.
“You had a hard time. You don’t have to do that anymore.”
“Yes….”
I brushed Jack’s silver hair aside. His eyes slowly closed.
Watching Jack fall asleep again, I sprang up from my seat and left the room.
“Master, where are you going at this hour?” Ho-yeon asked as he approached when I put on my coat. I gave a simple answer.
“I’m going to the physician to get medicine. Ho-yeon, please guard Jack’s door. Don’t let anyone in.”
I figured it would be okay for Ho-yeon to see Jack’s true form, but I was cautious just in case.
Ho-yeon stepped forward and said, “If it’s like that, I’ll go with you. The night road is dangerous.”
“That person will only meet me. Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous.”
“But—”
“Please, Ho-yeon.”
When I spoke firmly, Ho-yeon reluctantly stepped back.
“If that is your wish, then I understand. Don’t worry about this place and go.”
“Okay, thank you.”
I gave Ho-yeon a grateful smile and quickly left the orphanage.
Then I ran without a plan. I rode a carriage for a while to put as much distance as possible between the orphanage and myself. After getting off and sending the carriage back, I walked farther.
Finally, when the buildings were out of sight and I stood in an empty field, I stopped and looked up at the sky. By then the morning sun was rising.
I glanced at the ring on my finger and a smile escaped me.
“The duke will be furious if he finds out.”
For not keeping my promise.
I felt sorry toward the duke, but to protect Jack, this was the only way.
“Count Simor said his mana was depleted.”
He had said it was a side effect of overusing magic during a healing spell.
So there was only one option left. A way to protect my child.
I immediately removed the ring of the Simor household. At that moment I felt the mana of a stranger flow through my body.
At the same time, someone’s voice reached me.
“We meet again?”
I lifted my gaze.
There he stood—an unbearably beautiful and cruel man with platinum hair and violet eyes.
The moment I saw Jack’s magic lifted, thousands of thoughts flashed through my head.
What should I do? Move the orphanage somewhere no one would be, or use a magical potion to change his appearance?
Moving the orphanage was practically impossible, and a magic potion’s effect would be short; buying a large quantity would attract attention.
As I found myself trapped, one person suddenly came to mind.
“Genius magician Vincente.”
Since it was a matter related to magic, I was sure he would find a solution.
Of course, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid.
He had openly aimed at my life—how could I be calm?
“Even so, I have to do it.”
It was the only thing I could do.
And I had a weapon greater than anything else.
“Strange. It looked like you were blocking tracking with a null ethernum.”
He looked around. He even let out a hollow laugh at the desolate field where not a single tree stood.
“I didn’t expect you’d lure me out to such a place. You won’t be able to run here.”
“There’s something I want.”
“Something to ask? You’ll be dead before you can. You.”
Vincente conjured a flame in his hand. It felt as if the flame could swallow my body at any moment.
But I didn’t back down.
“This isn’t exactly a request. It’s a bargain.”
“How amusing. It’s not worth my time to listen.”
“I know about that organization. Do you really think I’m worthless?”
He flinched.
Vincente, who looked ready to kill me at any moment, froze.
He extinguished the flame hovering above his palm and in the blink of an eye stepped in front of me, grabbing my neck.
He tightened his large hand as if to break my neck.
But I met his gaze without flinching. Vincente growled low.
“There are no knights here to protect you. Tell me everything you know. Or else…”
“Kill me if you want.”
“…”
“If you kill me, you’ll never be able to break the curse.”
“I don’t know how much you know, but even your null ethernum is enough.”
“Even a null ethernum can’t break the curse. You should know that.”
“…Who are you? Golden eyes and reddish-gold hair. Ah, I see. You’re the one who stole the beast from my auction house. Am I right?”
Vincente, who had been staring at me, pulled a crooked smile.
I didn’t deny it. That was as good as admitting it.
Vincente snorted in disbelief.
“I’ve never seen someone like you. You don’t look special at all.”
“Answer me. Will you accept my deal or not?”
