Chapter 17
Soon, Winter infused her communication stone with mana. The red mana stone flickered in the dark room.
“Mei…?”
Winter called out cautiously to Medilliane.
Even though the stone was connected, no response came from the other side at first.
“[Miss.]”
Finally, Medilliane’s voice came through. That alone brought Winter a small sense of relief.
But setting relief aside, Medilliane’s voice had grown noticeably darker over the past few days.
Everyone in the ducal household had been dancing with joy at the news that there was a way for their young lady to survive. Medilliane surely couldn’t have been unaware that Winter would soon be leaving.
“You know….”
Winter’s voice trembled faintly as she spoke carefully.
She had been trying to convince herself that she would be fine, that the research would succeed, and that she would recover fully to meet Medilliane again.
Yet, strangely, she couldn’t lie like that in front of Medilliane.
Even now, Winter worried more about Medilliane than about herself.
She knew that Medilliane would handle things well on her own, but her heart didn’t feel that way.
It was because she wanted Medilliane to reach a happy ending, one far better than in the original story.
“[I’m fine, Miss!]”
As if sensing Winter’s feelings, Medilliane deliberately spoke cheerfully.
“[It’s not like you won’t come back forever. You’re just going for treatment, right?]”
“Exactly. Of course.”
Winter nodded vigorously.
“You’ll do just fine even while I’m gone. I’ve already prepared everything, so if something difficult comes up, ask the Jenima Trading Company for help. Got it?”
“[Yes, I will.]”
Hearing Medilliane’s unusually spirited voice, Winter’s shoulders, which had been tense with worry, finally relaxed.
Soon, the two children returned to their usual, lighthearted conversation.
Calm and trivial, as if they could continue talking like this again tomorrow.
Listening to the voice she would soon miss, Winter forced herself not to succumb to sadness.
It didn’t matter whether the research succeeded or failed. If it succeeded, she could help Medilliane longer. If it failed, she would still be able to assist for eight years.
Even if she were trapped on a remote island with no contact with the mainland, she would find a way.
In the darkness, Winter’s golden eyes shone like a predator’s.
The next day, Winter stood before the carriage, seeing the ducal household come out to bid her farewell.
“Miss, don’t stay up too late at night, and stop reading strange books, understood?”
Naila adjusted Winter’s disheveled clothes and admonished her.
“Alright. You should also take fewer ‘holidays,’ Naila.”
Winter pouted slightly, worried about Naila, who often returned from her secret bodyguard missions injured.
Naila tapped her small, beak-like lips and gave a light chuckle.
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
The butler, the personal doctor, and even the head chef all waved their hands.
Winter carefully observed every face, some tinged with bittersweet emotion.
And, of course, finally, there was Duke Vladimire.
“My child, I’ll wait for the day you return safely.”
He hugged Winter tightly, sniffling. His eyes were swollen from crying the night before.
Seeing her usually stern father reveal such tenderness, Winter smiled faintly and nodded.
“Yes, I’ll be back!”
She waved energetically and climbed into the carriage.
Before the door closed, she looked out.
Medilliane was still confined to the annex and could not come to see her.
Although they had exchanged farewells the night before, Winter couldn’t hide her lingering disappointment.
“Heh, are you looking for that crying little girl?”
“Yes.”
Winter admitted it without pretending otherwise. Seeing her sulking, Aisel immediately felt uneasy.
“Time is relative. Ten years on the island will pass in the blink of an eye.”
“I know I only have eight years left until I reach adulthood.”
“……I’ll use my ability to shorten that time as much as possible.”
Winter’s expression, however, did not ease.
“I already feel lost thinking about what I’ll do on that boring island.”
“Why would there be nothing to do?”
“Well, what can I do on a remote island with no one else?”
“There may be no people, but there’s plenty to do.”
Aisel gave a meaningful smile.
Just as Winter was about to say something in response, the ducal mansion became suddenly chaotic.
“……What? What the—no……!”
“This isn’t the time. Hurry…….”
“You……waah!”
Seeing everyone suddenly bustling about, Winter craned her neck out the carriage window.
“What is it? Did something happen?”
“Sit properly or you’ll get hurt, little colt.”
Some knights were running hurriedly somewhere, but Winter couldn’t tell their destination.
Aisel urged her back into her seat.
“Hmm.”
Winter pondered where the knights might be heading. The stables, armory, and supply storage were on the right side of the mansion.
“A thief?”
“Maybe someone’s caused a big incident.”
Aisel smiled slightly, as if she knew something.
Winter bit her lip anxiously.
The annex, which Winter had deliberately excluded from her initial thoughts, was on the mansion’s right rear. And Medilliane was there.
“Could Mei be…?”
Winter quickly closed her mouth, afraid that speaking aloud would cause trouble.
“Nothing’s happening in the annex, right?”
But before long, she couldn’t help asking again, fidgeting.
“Can’t you tell? Appearances aren’t everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“That crying little girl will manage fine even without you.”
Aisel remembered the fierce, predatory gaze of the little girl she had seen in the annex.
She had assumed Winter’s ward was naïve and innocent, but she was actually like a tiny venomous snake.
Seeing the withered grass surrounding the annex, Aisel was astonished.
How could the Vladimir household produce children whose mana bloomed like this?
‘Such power isn’t even necessary,’ she muttered, looking at her own hands gloomily.
Pressing her small head down, the child muttered that the abilities should be developed to benefit their lady.
Hearing the word “lady,” Winter’s cloudy eyes brightened as if by magic.
Aisel could only click her tongue at such a chilling, yet promising display.
As long as they lived, both children’s futures seemed incredibly bright.
There were several ways to travel from the capital to the eastern edge of the continent.
Of course, traveling by carriage was immediately ruled out. The distance was too great, making it extremely inefficient.
The second suggestion was using magic.
Since they had a summoned mage, they could theoretically teleport straight to Manutra Island.
However, the Great Sage Erquil had placed protective barriers around the island, making magical travel impossible.
And there was one more problem: Duke Vladimire.
Because of his deep love for his daughter, he had packed so many treasures that Winter’s luggage was already overflowing.
Aisel could have used her own mana to play “ruby air games” to move the items, but she didn’t want to waste her precious mana.
That left only one solution: sailing south through the grand canal to the sea.
“Wow, what is that?”
“I heard a noble house rented it entirely.”
“Then of course, it must be the Vladimir household’s!”
Seeing the massive ship moored at the canal, the bystanders murmured in awe.
Winter barely noticed the ship itself. She hesitated to board, burdened with too many lingering thoughts.
“Aren’t you going to get on? Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Seeing her constantly look back as if forgetting something, Aisel finally spoke.
“……Alright.”
Winter answered with a sigh and climbed aboard.
The ship slowly began moving along the canal.
Then—
“Miss!”
Startled, Winter turned her head.
There stood Medilliane.
How she had gotten here, gasping for breath, was beyond Winter.
She covered her mouth, stunned.
At the same time, the communication stone around her neck flickered.
“Mei! How did you…?”
“[Huhuh.]”
Winter froze, unsure what to say.
From the stone, Medilliane’s soft, sobbing voice reached her.
Unlike her composed demeanor the previous night, Medilliane wiped her eyes roughly and said:
“[I’ll become someone worthy of you, Miss!]”
Suppressing her overflowing excitement, Medilliane shouted the words she had prepared all night.
“[I’ll grow up properly, really properly, and come see you, Miss. Got it?]”
Winter nodded vigorously. This time, she saw clearly through Medilliane’s tear-streaked eyes.
“Yes, Medilliane. I’ll wait for you.”
“[……Take care, Miss.]”
“Bye, Mei.”
And so, the two little girls parted ways. Eight years passed.
