Chapter 13
Gradually regaining consciousness, the first thing Winter noticed was how heavy her body felt, as if submerged in deep water.
Even though she seemed to be lying still, her head spun as if on a whirlpool.
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped her lips from the nausea.
Her mouth was bitter from the medicine she had been forced to take while unconscious.
“Awake, huh?”
A gruff voice came from the darkness.
When she opened her bleary eyes, she saw icy blue eyes in her dim vision. It was Aisel.
“…M-Magician…?”
Seeing Winter trying to move her parched lips, Aisel clicked his tongue lightly and immediately stood up.
He poured lukewarm water into a cup and carefully fed it to Winter.
Despite his usually cold expression, his delicate movements made Winter smile unconsciously.
Aisel frowned and spoke.
“Three days, and you’re smiling already, you little brat.”
Three days? Winter was shocked. She had assumed she had only been unconscious for half a day at most.
“Well… normally, the medicine you gave me… hmm… it worked just fine,” Winter said, coughing slightly.
Aisel shook his head with a sigh.
“That medicine is only a temporary stabilizer for your mana. Can it really help when you’re stuck with such an unstable mana cluster all day long?”
Winter pressed her lips shut.
She had realized from Aisel’s words the cause of her recent mana backlash.
An unstable mana cluster. That must be Medilliane.
“Well, I suppose you couldn’t have known that,” she murmured, averting her gaze.
But Winter did know. She understood that the waves of a person just awakening their mana could have an adverse effect on her.
And she knew Medilliane’s mana was about to awaken.
Still, in the story, it had only been mentioned as mildly dangerous. Winter never imagined she would fall so severely ill from it.
“Winter!”
Breaking the awkward silence was Duke Vladimir.
Having heard that Winter had awakened, he had rushed over and hugged her tightly.
“Winter, my child! Are you okay now? Really?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Winter said, forcing a brave tone.
She noticed how tense the Duke had become while she was unconscious.
“That’s enough. That’s all that matters,” the Duke said, trying to suppress tears in a trembling voice.
After a few blinks, he returned to his usual stern expression, then smiled warmly.
“Now that you’ve woken up, I should start with some news you’ll be happy to hear, right?”
“Some news?”
Winter’s mind immediately wondered about Medilliane, who she had not seen and had been worried about.
The Duke, seeing her excited reaction, smiled contentedly and said:
“The ruffian who dared to climb over the walls to kidnap you? He’s currently locked in the underground prison.”
“…Excuse me?”
The news was completely unexpected.
Underground prison? A ruffian?
At least the clue about him climbing over the wall helped.
“I left him untouched as a gift for you once you woke up.”
“Could it be… Hanta?”
“Oh, yes. That seems to have been his name.”
Winter put her hand to her forehead at the Duke’s words about locking Hanta in the dungeon.
The Duke, thrilled to present his daughter with a special “gift,” had no idea what she was thinking.
“Feel free to cut off his wrists or ankles or whatever you like. You love that, don’t you? Heh heh.”
“Don’t laugh like a villain, Father,” Winter sighed.
“You did well not touching a single hair,” she continued.
“Right? I left him entirely for you….”
“No, I won’t touch his wrists or ankles. That man is Uncle May.”
“…What?”
The Duke’s delighted expression immediately twisted into a frown.
Winter had just decided that about thirty minutes ago, much to his shock.
“Well, first, I want to see what he looks like,” Winter muttered, trying to sit up from the bed.
But she hadn’t even managed halfway before she swayed and fell.
The Duke helped support his suddenly frail daughter and called one of the knights stationed by the door.
“Sir Yuster.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Assist Winter.”
Yuster entered the room and lifted Winter lightly.
Once her dizziness eased slightly, Winter puckered her lips and spoke to him.
“Sir Yuster.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“It’s a bit embarrassing to be carried like this, you know.”
“Is that so?”
But the mischievous knight didn’t adjust his hold at all and simply smiled.
Seeing this, Winter slapped his shoulder with a soft thump, but it barely affected him.
Sighing, Winter said again:
“…Just carry me, then.”
“Yes, as you command.”
Winter was carried on Yuster’s back as they made their way to the underground prison.
Descending the dark stairs, they saw the torchlight flickering along the walls.
The place smelled damp, slimy, and vaguely fishy, yet both Winter and Yuster showed no change in expression.
“This is it, my lady,” Yuster said, stopping at the innermost cell.
Peering inside, Winter grinned slyly.
“So, you’re suited for a dungeon, huh?”
She had intended to mock Hanta for the terrible state he would surely be in after three days without proper food, sleep, or hygiene—but surprisingly, he looked fine.
Winter secretly felt relieved.
“Hmm? That voice…”
Suddenly, a child’s voice echoed in the dungeon, catching Hanta’s attention.
He noticed Winter dangling on Yuster’s back.
Their eyes met, and Winter gave a small, sly wave.
“Hello, sir.”
“Oh! Little one! You’re okay now?”
Hanta jumped up, grabbing the bars.
Yuster frowned and issued a solemn warning.
“Do not act rashly in front of my lady.”
“Eh? Lady?”
Hanta blinked innocently, clearly confused.
Winter sighed deeply.
“That adult… how is he even surviving in this cruel world?”
“I am the lady,” she said firmly.
“You… the little one… you’re…?”
“Yes. I’m the precious lady of this house.”
Hanta was shocked. So that’s why she treated the prince like a dog. She was the heir of the Duke Vladimir household?
It all suddenly made sense: her bold speech, her strangely arrogant attitude.
Of course, Winter wasn’t acting this way because she was the heir—it was just her nature.
“So that’s why all the knights came running. Hmm…”
Now, Hanta seemed to understand everything, muttering to himself.
Winter shook her head, incredulous at how clueless he had been until now.
“Honestly, I was surprised you surrendered so quietly.”
Hanta towered over ordinary people, his body and martial skills exceptional from birth.
Yet here he was, imprisoned quietly without resisting the Duke’s knights.
“Can’t risk causing trouble when a precious little… uh, my lady, is here,” Hanta said with a grin.
Winter clicked her tongue, secretly amused that he never considered her knowing his martial skills.
She pointed at Yuster, who had carried her all this time.
“By the way, introduce yourselves. This is Sir Yuster, May’s sword instructor.”
“Eh?”
Hanta blinked, as if asking why he needed an introduction.
Winter, eyes wide, spoke clearly.
“Sir Yuster, this is Uncle Hanta. Medilliane’s uncle.”
Yuster, who had never imagined meeting a “parent” in a dungeon, sighed deeply.
Meanwhile, Hanta pointed at himself, verifying what he had just been told.
“Me? I’m… Uncle… uh, Medilliane’s uncle?”
Winter nodded vigorously.
Hanta had only learned this about thirty minutes ago, after Winter decided it.
True to form, he quickly accepted it, smiling sheepishly and placing his thick hands on his cheeks.
“Uncle… me? Well, I am honored to be Medilliane’s… uncle! I’ll take good care of her, hahaha!”
His childish laughter echoed loudly through the dungeon.
