Chapter 53
“It’s flawless!”
Erne couldn’t take her eyes off her reflection in the mirror, fascinated by the magical ink that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard she scrubbed. Wizard rubbed the bridge of his nose, wearing a satisfied smile.
Just seeing Erne so happy made him smile as if he owned the whole world.
“I brought plenty of extra, just in case.”
Erne looked at him with eyes full of gratitude at his thoughtful gesture.
He had come straight to her after work, without even changing his clothes, so she had thought something urgent had happened…
Erne put the magical potion back into the box and then, hesitantly, walked toward Wizard.
“Thank you.”
His eyes went wide as saucers.
“Think nothing of it.”
They exchanged shy, ticklish words. The atmosphere turned warm and friendly, and that was when Erne realized that in the midst of her grand plans and busy days, she hadn’t really had a proper conversation with him.
I kept telling myself I’d say it someday…
She had even threatened Belli that she’d make sure he knew exactly what insilX meant.
Seeing the look on her face, Wizard straightened from his relaxed, sideways lean.
“If you have something to say, please speak freely.”
Encouraged, Erne hesitated for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
“My problems are one thing, but actually… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. If I don’t say it now, I might never get the chance. It’s a very important matter, and I think it needs to be addressed.”
What could possibly be so grave? Wizard’s eyes sharpened with anticipation.
No matter what she was about to say—whether it was to pluck the stars from the sky—he looked ready to badger the palace mages until he made it happen.
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
“You’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had the chance to say this. Granted, the reason you’ve been busy is mostly my fault, so… I take a lot of responsibility for that…”
Her confident start faltered, her words growing quieter.
She worried that what she was about to say might upset him.
And then—
Am I even allowed to interfere in someone else’s family affairs?
Erne had decided to tell Wizard about Madam Linnel’s misdeeds. The problem was, she wasn’t a member of House Douglas, and she had no right to interfere in Shuknen’s upbringing.
Still… emotional abuse is abuse. A child’s emotional development is so important. Yes. I’ll speak to him as Shuknen’s teacher, offering a parent some advice.
The flickering confidence inside her began to swell again, buoyed by her self-image as the stern “headmaster” of Cheonghakdong. She had one reason for her resolve: she believed telling Wizard about Madam Linnel was necessary for Shuknen’s sake.
Even after starting her preamble, Erne’s expression kept shifting as she fell silent for a long while.
“You can speak freely. No matter how busy I am, if it’s to talk with you, I’ll make time even if I have none.”
Watching her expressions change by the second, Wizard waited for her to speak first. But hearing his words, Erne bit her tongue hard.
He was always extreme—never in between.
She quietly swallowed a sigh he didn’t notice, hesitated, then asked,
“What is Shuknen’s position within House Douglas?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… the staff seem to treat him too…”
“Too…?”
“Too carelessly.”
Erne’s words were cautious and vague, but their meaning was vast. Wizard, quick-witted as ever, immediately understood. Sure enough, his expression darkened as he fell into silence.
Seeing the clouds gather on his face, Erne began to doubt if she had done the right thing.
When she looked at him with nervous eyes, he spoke in a sober tone.
“Shuknen is my adopted son.”
It was the first time Wizard had plainly said that Shuknen was adopted.
Erne was a little surprised but hid it, listening closely.
“Shuknen first came to House Douglas when he was an infant. Someone had placed him in a cradle and left him at our front gate.”
“How irresponsible!”
“It happens often. When finances are dire, citizens decide they can’t care for the children they’ve borne. There are orphanages, but they seem to think leaving them at the home of someone of high rank means they’ll grow up better.”
“Unbelievable. That really happens?”
While Erne was furious, Wizard only shrugged lightly.
His nonchalant attitude made her grit her teeth again.
I thought I was the only one with a mysterious birth, but apparently everyone has one!
Not hearing her silent scream, Wizard went on.
“Perhaps they hope the child will at least grow up doing odd jobs in a noble house. They think that’s better than an orphanage.”
“That… is a stark reflection of Nesheld’s financial situation.”
If such cases were common, it meant the kingdom’s decline was no joke.
It was no longer a problem to be complacent about. Erne was preparing to reclaim the crown, but facing these real problems firsthand left her feeling unbearably heavy.
Can I really do this…?
Reality hit like a crashing wave, but she had already crossed the point of no return.
She shook her head and asked,
“Then what made you decide to adopt Shuknen?”
“He was a child in need of protection.”
“…”
“At first, I only intended to be his sponsor. I knew becoming a parent required great responsibility and sacrifice, so I didn’t think I could easily be a father to him.”
From his calm words, she could sense the turmoil he must have felt back then.
Erne didn’t dare offer words of comfort, praise, or even a gasp of admiration.
She just listened.
“But when I found him, there was a note in the cradle.”
His eyes grew darker as he recalled that moment.
The child’s mother died in childbirth, and the father could not be found. This child will never know parental love.
Great and noble Duke Douglas,
I know this is shameless of me, and I beg your pardon. But please, let this child grow up warm, fed, and healthy.
His mother died of childbed fever, never once nursing him.
I do not know who his father is, and so I cannot find him.
Have pity, and be a strong and steadfast shelter for this child as he grows.
—MS—
“Perhaps they knew he would never receive parental love and only wished he could grow up well-fed and warm.”
“Did that note change your mind? Is that why you adopted him?”
Erne’s eyes grew moist from the moving story. Wizard nodded when he saw them.
“I adopted him, but everyone in the mansion knew his mother had died. I tried to keep their tongues still, but it wasn’t easy. As a result, he learned things he should never have had to know at such a young age.”
His voice, which had been calm and even, now carried an edge of anger.
“That he was abandoned. That his birth mother was dead. That he didn’t even know who his father was.”
Erne looked at Wizard with new eyes.
In the original story, he was supposed to be the hidden villain, yet here he was, showing such a beautiful heart toward Shuknen. She revised her opinion of him completely.
“So I dismissed a large number of servants. Truth be told, I wanted to tear their tongues out—”
The unfiltered brutality that came out of his mouth made Erne’s forehead vein pop. She had just thought he wasn’t a villain, that she had misunderstood him… maybe it was safer to go back to her original assessment.
“Ahem. In any case, I didn’t want unnecessary words reaching Shuknen’s ears.”
“I see…”
Sensing her displeasure, Wizard coughed hurriedly.
But her expression didn’t soften.
“Then…”
“Yes?”
“The fact that you’re asking me about this suggests…”
“…”
“…the cleaning wasn’t thorough. Am I right?”
The dangerous aura rising behind him made Erne speak slowly.
“Madam Linnel seems hostile toward Shuknen. I overheard some maids in the laundry room speaking ill of him. I thought Madam Linnel would put a stop to it, but instead… If this was presumptuous, I apologize. I just thought you, as his father, should know.”
“…I see. I’ve only been cutting off the tail, when the head was still there.”
Wizard let out a faint groan, furrowing his brow.
“When morning comes, I’ll make sure to uncover the truth. Shuknen may not be my biological son, but he will inherit my name. He is my child. The sole heir of Douglas.”
His eyes gleamed sharply, like a predator declaring war. Seeing the deepened color in his gaze, Erne could guess just how angry he was. Yet the fact that he kept his composure made her a little impressed.
“Wizard, you’re… truly kind.”
How many parents took an interest in their child’s life and listened sincerely to someone’s advice?
The sight of him reminded her unfavorably of the late queen in comparison.
But aside from that, her praise was sincere.
“Am I?”
She thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
“Yes. Of all the parents I’ve seen, you’ve done the hardest, most admirable thing. And right now… as a father who loves his son, you’re the most wonderful.”
Her exaggerated praise made him grin broadly, though his smile faltered as something in her words stuck with him.
“Parent…”
“Hmm? What was that? Sorry, you spoke too softly.”
When she asked him to repeat himself, he shook his head and met her gaze.
Every time he looked into her eyes, he felt at ease—like lying in a soft, cozy cradle, wrapped in fluffy blankets, or walking on a cloud bridge in the sky.
Slowly, he spoke.
“Not as a parent. I just… want to be kind to you, Erne.”
Again! One of his sudden, blinkerless confessions made her shiver.
“Why does that stand out so much?”
He replied shamelessly,
“Don’t you know? My beginning and end have always been you.”
