~Chapter 23~
Meanwhile, at that same time.
“Something is indeed strange. Let’s investigate together.”
Knox spoke to those who had followed behind him. They were none other than the knights of the Crost family.
Knox had not come here alone with Aisha without thinking.
What if Aisha truly was a spy, and met another spy at the contact point?
A physical fight would be inevitable.
That was why he had naturally arranged for the knights to be on standby.
“What is this?”
“Eek! Hide!”
As armed knights from the Crost duchy stormed into the illegally operated circus venue in two rows, the spectators scattered in fear, worried they might be arrested.
And far in the distance—
“….”
Knox saw it.
The host’s face turn pale as he looked toward the knights ruining his stage.
His gaze was clearly fixed on the blue wolf emblem symbolizing the Crost ducal house.
‘Don’t tell me… it’s really….’
It was only a vague feeling, but what he encountered in the storage room was definitely ice ability.
Not ordinary snowstorms, but the beautiful crystalline structures that could only be formed through ability manifestation were proof.
While Duke Calips was currently at the far ends of the world, hunting monsters, the only ones who could use such pure ability were…
His direct descendants.
‘The puzzle is finally coming together.’
Knox let out a bitter laugh mixed with anger.
Was the Pose family colluding with the Ahil Circus to kidnap the young masters?
“Let’s go.”
His already cold expression froze even more, devoid of warmth.
If it were his nature, he would have grabbed someone passing by by the collar and demanded what they did to the young masters.
But confirming whether they were alive or dead came first.
Soon, when he reached the employee storage room marked [No Entry Except Authorized Personnel]—
“…I’m sorry, but this is restricted to authorized personnel only. You look like an esteemed noble, but may I ask why you are entering such a humble place?”
The host forced a smile while rushing over in panic.
“Open the door if you saw the emblem.”
“The owner of that emblem does not seem to be here.”
Although he bowed his head, his determination not to open the door was firm.
“I said open it.”
“Inside this door are precious items that even high-ranking nobles cannot easily obtain. If you wish to look around, you must pay fir—”
BOOM—!
At that moment.
A deafening sound, as if the ground itself were shaking, echoed from the circus entrance.
As startled spectators turned their gaze toward the entrance—
Through the dark dust, a gigantic figure over 190 cm tall appeared.
It was Duke Calips.
“…Your Grace? How did you….”
There was no time to ask how he came.
Striding with wide steps, Calips pushed Knox’s shoulder aside and stood in front of the host.
“Open the door if you don’t want to die. I’m in a very bad mood.”
It seemed he had just finished a monster hunt, as blood stains were visible on the armor covering his body.
Even though one might normally frown at the smell of blood, facing those terrifying red eyes made it impossible to control one’s facial expression.
Duke Crost Calips had a refined public image.
He had hidden his sharp expression behind the mask of a hero while passing through countless wars.
But—
“….”
The duke’s atmosphere, just returned from a slaughter battlefield, was raw and unfiltered.
“T, th—…”
The host’s face turned pale like a corpse as he stammered.
Yet he did not step aside.
It was suspicious that he was blocking the way to this extent when he should have moved aside already.
Calips thought the same.
He treated the host like invisible air and raised his leg as if ready to smash the door—
“Ahhh!”
Only then did the host, driven by survival instinct, run away.
Of course, he was soon caught by knights waiting nearby.
“Your Grace. What about the monster hunt…?”
“I can feel ice ability.”
Calips muttered, cutting off Knox’s words.
“I wasn’t the one who did it, but what is this?”
His brows furrowed as he stepped into the room.
Gulp.
Knox swallowed dryly in tension.
“…I was also suspicious, so I was about to check.”
Knox was angry, but still held doubt.
Was it really true that the spy child kidnapped the Crost young master and was trying to meet the Pose ducal family members here?
If so…
Crack—
At that moment, something broke near Calips’ foot.
When Knox raised his head, he saw Calips’ face filled with anger far greater than his own.
“I will judge for myself whether I was deceived by that child.”
“….”
“If that is the case.”
After a brief silence, Calips pushed open the innermost door and continued.
“According to convention, execution—”
“Sob… sniff…”
At that very moment.
A child’s crying sound leaked through the gap of the opened door.
‘There’s something here.’
Calips and Knox exchanged silent eye contact.
And the moment Calips kicked the door open—
“Boo-hoo… Aisha!”
They found a boy sitting on the floor, crying loudly, with a girl lying unconscious on the boy’s knees.
Knox, who followed behind, took in the scene inside the room.
Sharp icicles stood everywhere, and ice crystals floated around the boy.
The crystals hardened and melted repeatedly following the child’s loud crying, as if responding to his emotions.
But Calips’ gaze was fixed only on the fallen child.
Aisha.
“….”
A voice nearby seemed to say, “Duke, this is ice ability, that person must be…”
But Calips, who did not hear it, walked toward the children as if enchanted.
Then he knelt down and asked without looking at the boy.
“What is the situation?”
His voice cracked without him noticing.
The child lying on the small knee.
Her lips were slightly open and her eyes were curved as if she were having a good dream.
If one only looked at her face, she would look like she was sleeping peacefully.
But her golden hair was messy and loosened.
Dust and blood stains were scattered here and there.
Her shoelaces were undone. The right shoe was probably lost while running away, leaving only a sock.
Although he didn’t know what happened, he could imagine how much suffering the child had endured.
How desperately she must have needed an adult’s help.
The word “execution” that flashed in his mind faded.
Or rather, he realized how cruel that thought was toward this child…
Thump—
Superfluous thoughts quickly filled his mind. Calips bit his lower lip when he let out a dry laugh.
“…You.”
The boy, who had been looking at him with surprised eyes until then, spoke.
“How did you get here… Don’t tell me, did you finally come to save me…?”
Covering his eyes with his palm, Calips slowly shifted his gaze.
Only then did the boy who had been crying while hugging Aisha appear.
He was about eight years old.
Through the messy hair of the boy who looked worse than Aisha, familiar eyes were glaring at him.
A mysterious eye color like golden mixed with a drop of red paint.
In the past, it overlapped with the face of the baby who had cried while being held in his arms.
Calips’ eyes widened.
“Why did you come only now! Instead of you, this child tried to save me and ended up like this! Save her, you have doctors and money!”
The sharp accusation, sharper than a blade, brought him back to his senses.
Tried to save the boy and ended up like this?
Aisha?
Why?
“Excuse me, may I ask your name?”
At that moment, Knox approached and knelt on one knee, politely asking the boy.
Calips was still unable to grasp the situation.
The only thing filling his mind was the guilt that he had almost killed this young child.
But—
“Lucas. Lucas Crost.”
The poisonous tone of the child’s voice made the blood drain from his body.
Knox felt the same.
BOOM—!
While the Crost knights who arrived late quickly rushed past them, Calips and Knox could not speak.
The boy could not even be called a commoner; one might even believe he was a slave.
But from the gaze that looked straight at him, Calips realized what the sense of déjà vu he felt toward the boy was.
Those eyes.
They were too similar to the eyes Lucas had when he was a baby, the last time Calips saw him.
“During all this time…”
He had spent five years thinking.
If he met the children again, how would their reunion happen?
How would the children have grown?
Among countless imaginations, such a scene was not there.
“Why are you here…”
But—
“Don’t ask when you don’t even want to know. If you needed me now, then hurry and take me.”
The boy cut off Calips’ words while hugging Aisha.
“Please heal Aisha instead.”
The boy was wary of everyone, as if Aisha was the only person he could trust here.
Seeing that, Calips’ lips twisted.
He was afraid.
He didn’t care if accusations toward him came from that child’s mouth.
But thinking about what Lucas might have experienced before saying those words made him unconsciously tighten his grip.
“…Protect the children first. Take them to the carriage.”
In the end, Calips, unable to say anything, gave orders to Knox.
The unconscious Aisha was carried to the carriage while held in Lucas’ arms.
