OSKV | 37

Chapter 37

A pale-faced man was dragged in roughly by other knights.

“….”

The man looked like he was about to start cursing, but after making eye contact with the uncle for about 0.5 seconds, he immediately lowered his gaze.

He realized that it was better to curse depending on the situation.

“Gag him. He might bite his tongue and die, so put him in prison with a gag. Deploy three knights for surveillance.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Thanks to the uncle’s crisp orders, the situation was quickly sorted out.

Even the other family heads who had been confused by the magical beast and Marquis Lilis were able to calm down after seeing the uncle’s stable leadership and came to greet us.

“…Young Master Lucas. Do you remember me? I saw you when you were three years old… I’m truly relieved and honored to see you again.”

“Young Master. We were very worried. To think the slave issue would arise among nobles… Marquis Lilis will definitely receive punishment proportional to his crime.”

Because people kept gathering around him, Lucas’ earlobes turned red.

Whoosh— whoosh—

He moved his wandering gaze here and there, not knowing where to look, then ran toward me as if escaping.

“M-my little sister is looking for me.”

Hmph.

Lucas pointed at me with a snort, wearing a proud expression, and the family heads’ gazes shifted toward me.

“Young lady said she was looking for Young Master Lucas? Is that true?”

“I was impressed when you dealt with the magical beast earlier. You analyzed the beast’s characteristics before fighting it. That’s not something a child your age could do.”

“You’re only five years old… How can this be…”

“Hehe. Yes. I’m a genius.”

Lucas, at times like this, you should just say “Yes, thank you.”

I smiled brightly while leaving my big brother, who was standing tensely behind me like a wary cat.

“Thank you~”

Of course, I was smiling, but many thoughts were running through my mind inside.

I looked toward a not-so-distant place.

Tex, who was crying, was being dragged away by knights, and behind Calypse’s shoulder, who was calmly leading the chaotic situation.

No—further behind.

Behind the knights standing guard and the servants waiting like shadows in case of unexpected situations.

A man dressed as a servant from another noble family was watching everything with a smile.

‘So you were watching.’

His eyes, narrowed like thin threads, looked at me. He gave me a greeting that was almost invisible before disappearing.

‘….’

After a brief eye contact, I turned my head.

That man is a spy from the Poesz Duke family.

Although he doesn’t have a major mission like me, he travels the world observing spies assigned to missions and reports the results to the Poesz Duke.

And the spy would have confirmed it.

That the medicine created by the Poesz Ducal family actually worked on the magical beast.

‘…Then an important event will probably happen soon.’

In novels, important events are usually related to the “main characters”.

If we think in terms of story structure, it would be somewhere between the rising action and the climax.

It was the event where the Crost Ducal family would collapse and Calypse would begin to be portrayed as a villain.

* * *

After the commotion settled down, the duke’s castle looked even quieter today.

Maybe because all the family heads in the north had come and left.

Or maybe because of the slave incident that Lucas had suddenly exposed during the heir candidate test.

Silent night.

The sound of shoe heels echoed through the corridor where knights occasionally stood.

Marquis Lilis. Conversations with the family heads. And overall command of the situation.

After finishing everything, one would normally feel exhausted, but instead, Calypse’s heart was pounding with tension.

His son had finally returned.

The son who had been said to be exploited in a circus.

The moment he saw the child dressed like a beggar, his heart tightened, but seeing Lucas’ unexpectedly bright appearance, Calypse felt grateful for his son’s strong spirit.

‘But slave…’

And it was Marquis Lilis, who he once thought of as a comrade since they were from the same northern nobility.

‘Just a few days ago, he was locked in a cage! If he wants to rest a little, can’t a duke at least provide that?!’

Lucas’ voice filled with resentment flashed in his mind as he clenched his eyes shut.

What he had thought was rebellion turned out to be fear.

‘During the heir test, he boldly presented the slave document… but it probably wasn’t a lie.’

The man whom Lucas thought was his father’s comrade, perhaps even sharing the same bloodline at the end of distant ancestors, had sold him.

How grateful yet how heartbroken he felt when Lucas stepped forward despite the despair and fear he must have felt.

“…Ha.”

Finally, Calypse reached the door of his son’s bedroom and wiped his face with both hands.

Should I go in? Do I have the right?

“Your Excellency, good evening.”

A knight patrolling the corridor spotted Calypse and bowed his head.

He responded only with silent eye contact.

If he kept standing in front of the door like this, it would not be right.

Even if he didn’t have the right to enter, he had to go in.

Just like one must apologize even without the right to be forgiven.

Knock— knock—

After making up his mind, he knocked and carefully opened the door.

In the dark bedroom with no lights on, the corridor light spread in a fan shape, revealing the sleeping Lucas.

‘Already asleep.’

Well, a lot had happened today.

He had come in thinking he would talk to his son, but instead Calypse felt relief and sat on the simple chair inside the bedroom.

Looking closer, there was a small golden head beside Lucas.

“…Aisha?”

It was Aisha, curled up and sleeping with her back against Lucas.

When did the two of them sleep together again?

Moreover, Lucas and Aisha were holding hands tightly while sleeping curled up.

“She’s better than her father.”

Until now, that had been the case.

Meeting Aisha was like heaven’s luck. After bringing this child, things Calypse had never imagined began to happen.

But.

“…I won’t do that anymore.”

Under the moonlight, crimson eyes flickered with obsession.

“I will make sure that Aisha and you, Lucas, will never regret having me as your father.”

It was a promise spoken by no one, but Calypse himself heard it.

He gently grabbed his son’s hand, which had come out of the blanket and was half bent.

Both Aisha and Lucas.

They were no longer children in danger.

The children were inside the safe boundary of the Crost castle and himself.

Although for the past five years he had swung his sword to protect someone he didn’t even know the face of, he would not do that anymore.

“…I’ve already protected enough people.”

Watching the peacefully sleeping children, he murmured.

“From now on, I don’t care what happens to the world. As long as you two are safe, that’s enough.”

It was a vow made after losing his family.

But at this moment, after finding Aisha and Lucas, he could decide without hesitation.

From now on, he would only look at them.

Even if ice walls collapsed and magical beasts poured in, even if people came looking for him and screamed, his priority would only be the two of them.

Even if that put everyone else in danger.

Even if it threw the hero who was once praised into the abyss of hell.

“….”

When Calypse, who was holding his son’s hand, leaned his upper body as if trying to stand up—

“Don’t throw me away.”

At the quiet, searching voice, Calypse’s movement stopped.

Lucas, whom he thought was asleep, slowly opened his eyelids.

Behind long, dense eyelashes, mysterious eyes looked at him with a half-awake gaze.

“Don’t throw me away so easily.”