~Chapter 24~
The situation moved quickly.
Dozens of knights subdued the employees who had remained in the circus grounds.
The fierce monsters were eliminated according to the mission, and the animals locked inside iron cages were released back into nature for humanitarian reasons.
Early the next morning.
“The duke has arrived at the castle gate. Everyone straighten your backs and stay alert.”
The sound of formal shoes echoed at the entrance of the ducal castle.
The head maid, Mai, stood at the very front of the lined-up maids and servants, preparing to welcome the duke together with the butler, Brad.
The court physician, Delta, was also there.
[Have the physician wait.]
The day before, an urgent message had arrived, ordering the physician to be on standby, though no one knew why.
“Did he get injured during the extermination? That has never happened before…”
Brad asked anxiously, but Mai was lost in thought.
Her instincts told her that Calips was not injured. Her master was not that weak.
What she was more curious about was the child who had not been seen since yesterday.
Knox had taken Aisha away somewhere, with an angry expression, placing her onto a carriage.
Watching his back then, Mai recalled their previous conversation.
‘Lord Knox, you clearly dislike Lady Aisha.’
‘Well, there is no reason to like her.’
There was indeed no reason to like her. Mai felt the same.
An orphan child who entered the ducal castle claiming she knew the whereabouts of the lost noble daughter, enjoyed delicious food, wore fine clothes, and lived in luxury.
And when her lies were exposed, she ran away.
Searching for the lost direct heir was not something only Calips had done.
Mai herself, who had cared for children since they were born, had also wished desperately.
But what had Aisha done?
Not only had she lied, she shamelessly got adopted and even occupied the position of the young lady.
‘If Lord Knox took Aisha away, she must have done something wrong.’
Her neatly folded hands slowly clenched into fists.
Calips had hurriedly returned during the extermination mission and summoned the physician. It was likely related.
She was curious about what had happened. What Aisha had done.
Just then—
“The gate is opening.”
At the guard’s words, the massive gate slowly opened to both sides.
And between them appeared three men.
‘…Three men?’
There was a boy between Knox and Calips.
A boy who looked about eight years old, wearing a hooded robe.
After a moment of confusion, the servants all bowed in greeting.
Calips nodded in acknowledgment and declared:
“I have found the direct heir, Lucas Crost.”
“……!”
Mai almost screamed in shock at those words.
Brad beside her let out a short gasp as if his breath had stopped.
“Is that young master Lucas?”
“My goodness. I last saw him when he was a newborn.”
“The young master… has truly returned…”
Servants standing like shadows began whispering despite trying to hide their voices.
“Young master… young master!”
Unable to restrain herself, Mai approached the young boy and knelt on both knees.
How could this be? He was too thin.
The black hair resembling Duke Calips was greasy and messy, and the robe was covered in dust.
“…Young master, I am Mai. Do you remember m—”
“The physician is where?!”
But Mai’s pity was shattered by the boy’s shout.
The woman beside her, Delta, rushed over.
“H–Here!”
“Save this child. Quickly! The kid isn’t breathing!”
At those words, Mai’s gaze lowered slightly.
Now that she looked closely, there was a small child in the boy’s arms.
‘…Aisha?’
Mai’s pupils widened at the face that seemed to be sleeping with closed eyes.
However, Lucas, looking slightly exhausted but still firmly holding Aisha, brushed past her and disappeared from sight.
Calips hurriedly followed behind him.
“Delta. Go to the physician’s office immediately and check Aisha’s condition. Her breathing is faint—confirm it precisely.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The two men left the corridor with the physician without even waiting to speak further.
“……?”
Mai’s expression was filled with bewilderment.
She had never expected a reunion with the young master after five years to be like this.
“Furthermore, Aisha asked for Lucas.”
“…Pardon?”
Who asked for whom?
“Yes, it is true. And…”
Knox’s mood did not seem good.
“Lady Aisha fought kidnappers in order to save Lord Lucas and collapsed.”
“…Who fought instead of whom…?”
Mai’s eyes grew round.
Knox, biting his lips, nodded as if understanding.
“Yes—well, it is a difficult situation. I am truly sorry for misunderstanding Lady Aisha. I have nothing to say.”
“…That makes me troubled as well.”
Mai nodded quietly with a dazed mind.
She remembered the days when she had been cold toward Aisha.
What had happened?
How could a five-year-old child fight kidnappers?
Why would she do such a reckless thing—
‘Although they adopted her out of pity, they probably don’t trust her. It was the young lady who lied first.’
Those words echoed in her mind.
…Could it be because of what I said?
It seemed like an excessive thought, but if Aisha had done something reckless, there must have been a reason.
If she interpreted it as wanting her to be recognized, it was possible.
She was good at talking and walking, but she was still too young.
The child who had to stand on tiptoe just to open a drawer to take out a tea bag.
The child who was much smaller than young master Lucas and could easily fit into someone’s arms.
“…….”
Her eyes closed in guilt.
She realized too late.
Aisha was too young to be hated.
At the same time.
“I am truly sorry. I have nothing to say…”
“…….”
“…F–Frankly, she seemed to be in that state from the moment Lord Lucas carried her here.”
With a blank face, Delta nervously explained to Calips and Lucas.
‘She has passed away.’
Since hearing those words, the two had not been able to blink even once.
“Aisha, please! Open your eyes!”
“…….”
“You even saved the kitten you asked me to save! So open your eyes already!”
Lucas called Aisha as if crying.
But the girl remained silent.
In the frozen space that felt like walking on thin ice, Delta could hardly breathe.
He could only bow his head and observe the duke’s condition.
The duke did not cry like Lucas.
He did not get angry, nor did he sigh.
Among the clocks that flowed at their own pace, only his clock seemed to have stopped.
That night, while everyone was asleep, Aisha lay alone on her bed.
At Calips’ insistence, the room was frozen like a freezer using ice ability.
He asked them to wait until he could accept the child’s death.
And beside the quietly closed-eyed child, someone approached.
“You died.”
Since birth, he had always been alone.
No one had ever stepped into his inner world.
Because of that, the boy’s world was clear and transparent.
When a small foot stepped into that space, the world rippled like a calm lake.
For the first time in his life, there was a being who caused such ripples, but that being had lost its life and was lying in front of him.
“You died.”
Purple eyes that did not seem human.
White hair like feathers covering a neat forehead.
The mysterious-looking boy muttered the same words once more.
Then an indescribable expression appeared on his face.
Well, if you die, you die.
While inside the cage, the boy had always thought that way.
When frightened animals died inside the cage.
When rampaging monsters were killed by humans.
Perhaps because he had seen many living beings crossing between life and death, he had become indifferent to death at some point.
But—
“I wanted to ask why you saved me.”
The boy who had been looking blankly out the window closed his eyes.
It was the first time in his life.
Someone with such eyes had looked at him.
Humans always looked at him either with fear, with greedy appraisal, or one of the two.
But this girl—
“…Hmph. Why did she have such eyes?”
She looked shocked, or perhaps stunned.
And she even asked him to save her.
Did she even know what I was?
Thanks to her, I survived.
“You died.”
This is uncomfortable, isn’t it? I couldn’t even resolve my curiosity.
‘Idiot.’
Feeling slightly annoyed, the boy crossed his arms and sat down heavily on the spot.
He couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
Even if he had to revive an already dead child just to ask.
If he could satisfy his curiosity, he was willing to give away a little of his own.
“…So.”
After finishing his thoughts, he stood up and stomped his foot energetically.
“Try living a little longer.”
Zing—
With the wind, a tremendous wave and vibration began under his feet.
The transparent world suddenly trembled and cracks appeared in reality.
Through the cracks, a dark purple veil similar to the boy’s eyes surrounded the world.
“See you later.”
The corners of his tightly closed lips curved slightly.
After the boy disappeared like that.
After a long night passed, morning came to Aisha’s world.
