~Chapter 113~
I stood up, following Calix, and pouted.
“Are you testing my feelings right now?”
“Of course not.”
Calix smiled brightly and stroked my shoulder.
“I was only joking.”
“……”
“You react so cutely whenever I tease you, I can’t help it.”
“……”
That man, really…
Without a word, I snapped my fingers.
Above Calix’s head, a huge droplet of water appeared in the air.
When he saw the water bomb bigger than his body, his face went pale.
“Uh, Rena. You’re not actually going to drop that on me… right?”
His voice shook pitifully.
‘Hmph.’
I had no intention of sparing him.
“I am.”
Splash!
A cold, soaking punishment.
A little while later, Calix and I were walking down the mansion’s hallway.
With every step, squelching noises came from him. Water dripped everywhere, leaving a trail behind.
Every servant who passed by widened their eyes in shock, then quickly bowed their heads. After this repeated several times, Calix finally surrendered.
“Rena. I’m so cold.”
“It’s good for your health.”
“What if I catch a cold like this?”
“I’ll take care of you with the best treatment.”
“……”
From his conflicted face, he seemed to be weighing whether it was better to catch a cold and be nursed by me, or to act pitiful and dry himself properly.
“By the way, I’d make someone else do the nursing. Not me.”
“…You’re so cruel.”
We exchanged such light words as we walked, and I realized we were heading toward the annex where the knights lived.
I frowned, curiosity rising.
‘Who could he possibly want to introduce me to here?’
I already knew most of the knights.
Without explaining, Calix led me deeper inside. His hair was slowly drying.
I almost felt like I should help warm him up… but before I could decide, we ran into a familiar face.
The man stopped when he saw us.
It was Tan.
“…Tan is the one you wanted to introduce me to?”
Now? After all this time?
Tan noticed Calix’s dripping appearance and gave a look of familiar exasperation mixed with disbelief. His eyes briefly met mine — as if looking at a troublesome little sister.
“Tan, where is Melrn?”
At Calix’s words, Tan’s expression shut down. He returned to his usual loyal knightly self and bowed.
“If you mean Melrn, he should be resting in his room right now.”
“I see.”
As we passed Tan, I asked Calix:
“Who’s Melrn?”
“…Rena.”
Calix suddenly stopped and looked back at me. His eyes were unusually serious.
“What is it? Is this important?”
Why so serious about this Melrn person?
His lips moved as though choosing his words. Finally, rubbing his forehead, he said:
“I told you before — I’m sorry for not realizing sooner about your parents.”
“I said it’s fine. It wasn’t your fault…”
“No, I was too careless. If I’d realized earlier, I would have introduced him to you long ago.”
“…This person you’re talking about? Melrn?”
“…Yes.”
Then that means…
“He knew my parents?”
“I’ll explain on the way.”
My heart pounded as I followed Calix.
Soon we reached a door.
Knock knock.
“Melrn. Are you inside?”
—“Please wait a moment.”
Footsteps approached. When the door opened, I stepped back unconsciously.
The man called Melrn was very tall. I had to look up to see him.
As soon as he saw us, he bowed.
“Greetings, Duke.”
“….”
I stared at his face. I recognized him faintly — he had been beside Tan during the commotion at Troxia.
“Tan’s friend…?”
At my whisper, Melrn looked at me. His eyes held kindness, surprise, and longing.
Then he spoke:
“…Lady Regiana.”
“…!”
My heart dropped with a heavy thud.
Since the burning of Troxia, no one had ever called me that.
That old, familiar title made a strange fear well up inside me.
“Who… are you?”
“Rena, Melrn is—”
“Who…”
“Milady.”
Memories flashed in my mind.
‘Milady! This way! Hurry, you must escape!’
‘Lady Regiana! Please…!’
That was how they all called me, those who risked their lives to help me escape.
“…You were at Troxia?”
My voice shook. His eyes flickered with faint hope.
“Do you recognize me?”
“….”
I shook my head weakly. Disappointment passed over his face, but quickly faded.
“That’s fine. You were so young back then, and it’s been a long time.”
“You were at Troxia?”
“Yes. I was a knight of the Troxia family since before you were born.”
Melrn had been at Troxia. He knew my parents. He knew me.
I turned toward Calix, my voice cold.
“Explain.”
He nodded with a stiff expression.
It took me a while to calm down. When I did, we sat for a three-person talk.
Melrn explained his life after Troxia’s destruction.
That night, he had fought in front, blocking the imperial knights. My mother had battled with magic. Imperial mages cast a large spell to suppress all mana, cutting off their power. In the chaos, I was smuggled out through a secret passage.
But the Troxia knights were defeated. Most died. Melrn, badly injured and buried under rubble, was mistaken for dead and left behind. When he awoke, everything was already over.
“…After that, Duke Hertrio found me.”
From there, Calix explained.
In his search for me, he tracked down anyone related to Troxia. That led him to Melrn, who had recognized him instantly as the boy once raised at Troxia. Melrn then followed Calix and helped in the long search for me.
When the story ended, silence filled the room.
I replayed in my mind the images of my parents’ final stand.
Mother — a proud, powerful mage, devoted to Troxia. Father — also a mage, though not as strong.
The imperial mages had suppressed all mana. My parents lost their magic. Without magic, they were ordinary people.
“…So.”
Calix added, piecing together Melrn’s story with his own memories.
The moment the imperial mages suppressed the mana coincided with the time I had jumped off the cliff. That shattered his old belief that I had survived through magic, but even so, he had never stopped searching for me.
“…I see.”
I nodded. My body felt numb, as though floating in the air.
“So my father and mother died there.”
Their bodies were lost in the flames of the mansion.
‘It’s fine. I already expected this.’
I rose slowly.
“I’ll be going. I need to rest.”
“Rena…”
I heard his voice behind me but didn’t turn back. I needed time alone.
I walked quickly, almost automatically.
Within minutes I was alone, back in my room.
As soon as I entered, I sank to the floor.
I already knew this. It had been years. Nothing was new.
Then why did it feel so suffocating?
Tears did not come. I was fine.
If I rested for a while, I would be even more fine.
Lying down on the floor, I closed my eyes.
