005. The Boy
The boy, lips moving hesitantly as if unsure, finally spoke.
“How do you know all that?”
“Huh… huh? W-well? This much is, uh, common knowledge.”
Ah, I was doomed. If I kept stammering like a broken machine, wouldn’t he get suspicious?
But caught off guard by his sudden question, it was hard to maintain a composed expression.
The boy didn’t seem satisfied with my answer. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced between me and the injured spot on his body.
I had no idea how he sensed something suspicious in such a brief encounter, but I worried that if we continued talking, he might discover that I was possessed—or that I had strange abilities.
At times like this, running away was the best option.
“I’ll be going now! Be careful not to trip again!”
Without looking back, I dashed into the mansion, hearing the boy shout something behind me.
There was a strange emptiness in my chest, but all I could think about was returning to my room, so I ran straight ahead.
As soon as I caught my breath, I realized why I felt so unsettled.
“Ah—my elephant doll!”
It seemed to be Nadia’s cherished toy. I should at least pretend to look for it.
I rang the bell and called for a maid, asking her to go outside and find the elephant doll.
I can’t have another encounter with that boy if I go back outside.
Perhaps mistaking my pensive expression for sadness, the maid went out without a word.
“Anything?”
The maid returned after a long while, bowing her head low.
“It’s nowhere to be found, Miss. Are you sure you lost it near the flower bed by the mansion?”
“Yes, I’m certain it was there…”
“It’s not here. I went around three times and even searched the surrounding areas thoroughly, but it’s nowhere.”
“Really nowhere?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. There were some wet marks near the flower bed… Could a thief have taken it?”
Panicked at the thought that the maid might rush to Count Lenart to report a theft, I hurriedly waved my hands.
“No, no! Nadia was just drinking water there. She put the elephant down for a moment and forgot it when she came inside.”
“Oh, so it was the lady’s water… Then where could the doll have gone? I can ask the other servants if anyone picked it up.”
“Thanks, please.”
With that, the maid left, assuring me I could rest.
Yet, the boy’s intense gaze from earlier kept replaying in my mind, making it impossible to shake off my unease.
A few hours later, at the luncheon celebrating my fourth birthday, I ran into that boy again.
“Hello, fancy meeting you here again.”
Hearing the familiar voice and seeing that recognizable handsome face, I quickly tried to hide my anxious expression.
Since I had been wandering alone, avoiding the busy family preparing for guests, there was no one nearby.
Was he waiting for me to be alone so he could approach?
I eyed him warily, but he didn’t seem fazed and took a step closer.
“Happy fourth birthday, Nadia.”
The boy, now in clean clothes, held up the elephant doll I had lost and smiled.
“Give… give me back my doll!”
I raised my voice, extending both hands toward him.
The boy stared at my hands for a moment, then surprisingly handed the doll over without protest.
Relieved, I clutched the doll tightly.
This time, I wasn’t trying to appear childish—it felt instinctive, as though my tiny body couldn’t bear the emptiness in my hands.
Watching me closely, the boy unexpectedly spoke.
“My name is Luke.”
I had expected him to press me further about earlier, but…
I froze, not knowing what to say. Luke scratched his head and continued.
“Thanks for earlier. I called out because you dropped the doll, but it seemed like you didn’t hear me, so I picked it up.”
Luke’s calm, gentle voice was surprisingly pleasant, especially for a boy his age.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked,
“How old are you?”
“Huh? Me?”
Luke seemed slightly flustered.
Still… asking age first is such a K-gene trait… hopefully he won’t think it’s strange.
After blinking a few times, he smiled and answered.
“I didn’t introduce myself properly. I’m Luke Edgar, a servant of the Edgar Duke family. I turned six this year.”
I had assumed he was about my age because of his height, so I was a little surprised.
He was the same age as Liam but so calm—completely different from a mischievous sibling.
Though he already seemed to know something about me, I felt it polite to introduce myself.
“I-I’m Nadia Lenart. Thank you for returning my elephant.”
Clutching the doll and giving my awkward introduction, I was interrupted by my governess, who had come to officially start the birthday party.
As I was pulled along, I heard Luke’s voice behind me.
“Nadia, let’s talk again later!”
I gave a faint wave, then returned to my family.
A separate round table was set in front of the long table where guests sat, with a large three-tiered cake on it.
Gifts brought by the guests were stacked around the table.
Count Lenart beamed, seating me in a high chair at the round table.
But where’s Liam?
He sat upright at the end of the long table, while the seat next to him remained empty.
Scanning the room, I soon spotted Liam running about like a little colt nearby.
Following my gaze, Count Lenart shook his head with amusement.
“The guests are waiting, so we’ll start. After all, today’s guest of honor is Nadia, our daughter.”
He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my cheek.
Ah, a doting dad—still hard to get used to.
Despite my inner embarrassment, the guests cooed at his affection.
“Thank you all for taking the time to attend my youngest daughter Nadia’s birthday party. It feels like only yesterday she was born, and yet four years have already passed…”
The speech concluded with Count Lenart expressing gratitude that his youngest daughter had grown up healthy.
For the next part, a servant lit the candles on the cake. As everyone sang happy birthday,
“Ahhh—!”
Liam’s loud cry coincided with a leather ball flying through the air.
It struck the cake tray and rolled off, knocking the cake over and setting the tablecloth and presents on fire.
In an instant, chaos erupted.
Count Lenart scooped me up from my chair, shouting, but his voice barely reached me.
The sounds around me faded, and multiple voices echoed in my head.
“There’s a fire…”
“What if it all burns?”
“You can’t go in there!”
My ears rang as distant sirens sounded like a high-pitched hum.
Even though I had been moved to safety, the heat seemed to cover my entire body.
Breathing became difficult. My vision blurred.
Struggling to stay conscious, I eventually collapsed into someone’s embrace.
Opening my eyes atop that body, I saw deep black eyes sparkling like a starry universe.
Seeing those eyes, my heart, which had been racing wildly, began to regain its rhythm.
Luke had been supporting me from behind as I fell.
Only then did the distant sirens fade, and I could hear the sounds around me again.
Servants were putting out the remaining flames and calming the frightened guests.
“Nadia! Are you okay?”
Count Lenart shouted from afar, noticing his daughter had collapsed despite having been moved to safety.
As I tried to stand, Luke stepped forward to support me.
“Thanks.”
“You were really scared, huh? Are you alright now?”
“Uh… yeah…”
Once I was upright, Luke quickly withdrew his hands.
My long golden hair slipped through his fingers as he stepped back.
“I’m glad! Now that the Count has arrived, I should go. Take care, and let’s meet again!”
Luke smiled brightly and walked away.
I nodded and waved, but a question lingered in my mind.
We only know each other’s names… will we really see each other again?
