Chapter 56
The one who came looking for Lucillea’s room was Irnel.
“Hey, can we talk for a moment?”
Lucillea nodded readily.
“Yeah, come in.”
Irnel stepped inside, and for a brief moment, silence fell over the room again.
Even though she had been the one to seek her out, Irnel couldn’t open her mouth easily.
The awkward, uncomfortable atmosphere dragged on.
Why isn’t she saying anything?
No, more importantly—why did she even come? This is so awkward I could die.
Lucillea scratched her cheek in discomfort, and finally, Irnel spoke with difficulty.
“About Kaelin… thank you.”
“Huh? Oh, that? Uh… well… I mean, yeah, sure.”
Lucillea stammered at the sudden words of gratitude. Irnel, too, seemed awkward, unable to meet her eyes.
“Kaelin should be fine by tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“It’s thanks to you. Because you had the courage.”
Lucillea scratched the back of her head.
“Well, I mean… honestly, I was the only one around who could’ve gone to look for Kaelin at that moment anyway.”
“You don’t need to be modest. You risked yourself to save a comrade—that takes courage.”
Then she pulled out a pouch about the size of her fist and held it out.
Lucillea blinked at it.
“What’s this?”
“I figured you were gathering monster materials.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“While you were away, I… dismantled—uh, I mean, gathered some materials from the monsters we took down.”
Lucillea’s eyes widened.
“…For me?”
Irnel gave a quiet nod, still looking down at the floor.
Slowly, Lucillea accepted the pouch.
When she opened it, it was stuffed with venom sacs from ice spiders.
Eek!
[Eek!]
Lucillea and Cookie gasped at the same time.
Ice spiders were monsters native to the northern mountains. They usually lived in caves, but during spawning season, they emerged to hunt beasts and humans.
They often paralyzed their prey with venom before feeding, and that venom was highly prized—useful for brewing either paralysis potions or antidotes.
But one wrong move during harvesting, and the sac could burst, poisoning the collector. Because of that risk, Lucillea had given up trying to gather them herself.
And yet, with that cool and aloof face… she managed to gather this many?!
Staring at Irnel in shock, Lucillea had a sudden realization.
She’s got insane talent for gathering!
No longer did Irnel seem like a cold, stiff “Serdian”-type girl.
Now she looked like an incredible ally—a powerful partner who could support her material collecting.
It was as if a radiant halo shone behind Irnel.
Lucillea quickly tied up the pouch and tucked it into her material box. Then she stepped closer and grabbed both of Irnel’s hands tightly.
“Sis.”
“…Huh?!”
Irnel’s face turned red with confusion at the sudden address.
“S-sis?!”
“Yeah, Irnel-sis!”
“…”
Irnel’s lips opened wordlessly. Lucillea continued brightly.
“Saving Kaelin—it wasn’t just you. It was because we’re teammates, comrades. If I were in the same danger, I believe you’d do the same for me. So honestly, I wasn’t expecting thanks.”
She smiled wide.
“But for you to think of me and even prepare such a precious gift—I’m really grateful! I’ll treat you well from now on, sis!”
She thought, I hope we keep going into field training together in the same group from now on!
“Ah, I… I’ll… I’ll do my b-best too…”
Just as Irnel began to stammer a reply, a knock came from outside.
“Dinner is ready,” came the voice of one of the baron’s servants.
Lucillea looked toward the door and answered cheerfully.
“Yes, I’ll be right there!”
When the servant’s footsteps faded, Lucillea grabbed Irnel’s hand and tugged her toward the door.
“Come on, let’s eat, sis! You must be starving, right? Let’s dig in!”
With a dazed expression, Irnel let herself be led toward the dining hall.
***
The dining table was set in a large, luxurious hall.
From the ceiling, a grand chandelier cast a warm glow, and the long table was lined with golden candlesticks and lavishly prepared dishes.
The children arrived and sat at the far end of the table.
Soon after, Elbadin and the baron entered.
Baron Jaeger sat down, gazing warmly at the children who had arrived earlier.
“It is an honor to share a meal with the chosen children of the Grand Duke’s house.”
Elbadin gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
“Your consideration for the children will not be forgotten.”
Shortly after, the meal began.
The center of the table overflowed with roasted meats, herb-seasoned vegetables, steaming soups, golden pies, and an array of colorful jams and cheeses.
Baron Jaeger tilted his head slightly toward Elbadin.
“How was your journey?”
“As usual.”
Elbadin’s tone was as calm as ever.
The baron’s eyes shifted toward the children. Smiling, he continued:
“To see with my own eyes the chosen of the Grand Duke’s house—it is truly an honor. Each one radiates an extraordinary presence.”
“Presence alone isn’t enough,” Elbadin replied curtly, sipping his wine.
Meanwhile, the children spoke to each other quietly.
“That meat—wow, the basil aroma is amazing,” Lucillea whispered.
Raiden chuckled softly.
“That kind of spice is usually only used in the South. Surprising to see it here.”
Lucillea raised her brows.
“You know about this stuff?”
“A little.”
He gave a short answer, though a faintly bitter smile touched his lips.
“I like cooking.”
“Ahh, I see.” Lucillea nodded knowingly.
“So that’s why the sandwiches you made were so good?”
“That was Mei’s recipe.”
“Even if someone tells you the recipe, not everyone can make it taste good.”
“I’ll make it for you again sometime.”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
Lucillea nodded eagerly, fighting a grin.
Then she turned to Irnel, placing a big piece of meat onto her plate.
“You too, sis—eat plenty!”
“Uh… o-okay…”
The word sis still sounded foreign to Irnel, who looked flustered and awkward.
Just then, Baron Jaeger’s gaze rested on Lucillea as he continued eating calmly.
“When you first arrived, I recall seeing a parrot on your shoulder. Yet now, it’s nowhere to be seen.”
Lucillea froze, fork in hand, glancing at her bare shoulder.
“Oh, I left it in my room. At an important dinner like this, it might cause trouble. Parrots are far more mischievous than they look, you see.”
The baron nodded with a gentle smile.
“Such rare thoughtfulness in a young lady.”
Lucillea gave a small grin.
“You flatter me.”
The baron raised his wine glass, lowering his gaze quietly.
“I wish my own child could be as resolute and sharp as you.”
At that, Elbadin turned his eyes toward him.
“You have a child? I never heard of your marriage.”
Baron Jaeger laughed awkwardly, his expression a little strained.
“Haha, I recently adopted.”
“Adopted?”
“Yes.”
At the word adopted, Lucillea glanced sideways at Raiden, because she thought of his father, Diego.
Is adoption… some kind of trend lately or what?
