Episode 28………………………………..
Inside the training hall’s children’s section.
Theo set Lin down in the small space prepared just for her—complete with little scarecrows and targets.
Excited, Lin grabbed her handmade wooden sword and took a stance.
“Ha! Hah!”
She swung the sword very seriously, recalling all the knights’ stances she’d watched before. Holding the sword out diagonally, she turned to Theo.
“Uncle Theo, did you see?”
“Yeah. Our Lin handles a sword pretty well.”
“Hehe.”
Theo looked at his niece warmly—but then froze like a malfunctioning robot at her next question.
“Then Uncle, do you think I also have the makings of the strongest Great Swordmaster? Like, do I seem super talented?”
“…….”
Sparkle, sparkle.
Lin looked up at him with eyes full of hope, and Theo’s mind raced.
It’s natural and admirable for a child to dream big, but…
As a skilled swordsman himself, Theo had already objectively assessed his niece’s “talent” from those swings.
“…Lin. At your age, what’s more important than talent is having fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yes. You don’t have to be good. It matters that you enjoy it.”
Lin tilted her head.
“So… when you say I don’t have to be good… does that mean I wasn’t good just now?”
“…….”
Theo fell silent again.
She had made things a bit awkward, but it didn’t really matter—becoming a Great Swordmaster was only one of Lin’s dozens of dreams anyway.
Deciding to follow her uncle’s advice and simply enjoy the training, Lin learned many things from him.
Seeing her uncle during the daytime—when before she only saw him briefly before bed—made her so happy that she blurted out:
“Training with Uncle Theo is really fun!”
“Yeah? Uncle enjoyed training with you too.”
“Wow, really? Uncle, Uncle! Then let’s keep training together from now on!”
“Should we?”
“Yes! I’d love that!”
“All right. I’ll make time for it.”
When Theo offered a pinky for their promise, Lin hooked hers around it and hopped excitedly.
Her uncle had never once broken a promise like this.
“Yay! Now I get to see Uncle every single day during the day!”
Seeing the delighted Lin made Theo smile as well.
Although losing sleep to make time during the day would push his bedtime back, it was a small price for this smile.
Gently patting Lin’s head, he savored the peace in his heart that was worth more than a bit of lost sleep.
*
Some time later.
“Oh? My body feels light.”
Was the training already working?
Lin, feeling excited, walked down the hallway—where she ran into a group of her uncle’s administrators.
And then they said something completely unexpected.
“Lady Lin! Thank you so much!”
“Oh, our lucky little lady!”
They suddenly swarmed her, showering her with gratitude. Lin could only blink in confusion.
‘What’s going on?’
One administrator noticed the child slowly tilting her head and explained.
“We heard you’ve been spending playtime with the Acting Lord these days?”
“It’s not playtime, it’s afternoon training!”
“Yes, yes, the training time.”
According to them, after spending even a short time with Lin, their boss—Theo—became far more gentle. Work hours were peaceful now.
“Not that his strict work ethic has changed, but still.”
“Yeah, but the atmosphere is totally different!”
“Exactly!”
Lin nodded in understanding. Ahh, that made sense.
After thanking her again and pressing various snacks into her hands, the administrators departed.
Left alone, Lin’s lips twitched uncontrollably upward.
“So that’s it. No wonder I felt so light—peace was spreading through Uncle!”
[Your smile’s about to split your face.]
Giggling, Lin skipped down the corridor like a pudgy little deer.
At that moment, she spotted a very familiar figure in the distance.
Tap tap tap!
She ran over, hugging the long legs and grinning.
“Lin?”
Hearing the surprised but warm voice, Lin rubbed her cheek against the fabric she was holding.
‘Uncle Theo said he was happy spending time with me, right? Me too. I feel stronger.’
Too shy to say it all out loud, she rubbed her cheek like a cat expressing affection. Then she lifted her head and declared energetically:
“I’m going to get even healthier!”
Theo’s eyes widened briefly before softening. He scooped her up.
“Okay.”
You can do it.
His hand gently patting her back felt comforting.
Clinging tightly to her familiar uncle’s embrace, Lin made a firm vow once again:
‘I have to live a long, long time, until I can see Uncle Theo, Mom, and Grandpa again!’
*
An ancient castle standing firm within a mountain range buried in eternal snow.
Inside, a room darkened by thick tapestries to block the cold air.
Someone stood there.
Among the grayscale surroundings, one object alone stood out—a brightly colored invitation.
The hand holding it belonged to a young boy.
“Lin Pegasus, huh.”
Though his voice still held traces of youth, his tone was calm and heavy—not childlike.
Below the formal printed text was a handwritten postscript, likely written by the sender herself, in clumsy handwriting.
“Sir Kaidan. I really hope you’ll come to my birthday party. I miss you a lot!”
When had they even met for her to write something so familiar?
Perhaps that was why his red eyes stared strangely at the handwriting.
A flicker of some unreadable emotion passed through them.
Just then, sunlight forced its way through the curtains and spilled into the dim room.
The bright beam fell directly on the boy.
His black hair absorbed all the light, making it stand out immediately.
Thick lashes cast shadows on eyes of deep crimson, flickering like flames.
His face, devoid of any other color, looked as cold and flawless as a carved statue—so beautiful that anyone staring would forget what they were saying.
“……”
The red eyes gazing at the invitation were filled not with heat, but with cold suspicion.
Even the frown between his brows couldn’t mar his beauty.
After staring at the letter for a long time, he seemed to come to a decision.
“Seeing it now won’t hurt.”
Tap.
He placed the invitation on the desk and turned to leave.
*
Lin had once made a request to Theo when she told him about her “precognitive dream.”
“Uncle Theo! There’s someone I want to invite to my party!”
“Oh? You want to see someone?”
“Yes!”
And today, she finally heard the result.
“Lin. About the boy you wanted to invite that time—we might be able to have him meet you soon.”
Lin’s heart swelled with excitement.
I’ll meet my benefactor soon!
One of her biggest goals—alongside her personal health project—was to bring the “benefactor” from her dream into the family early and raise him.
Right now, he was just a boy around her own age, but a few years later he would become an incredible hero.
To Lin, who had witnessed his heroic future in her dream, he was special.
Not merely because he saved many lives, but because—
He would open her mother’s eyes.
That alone made him precious.
So Lin called him her “benefactor” in her heart.
