Chapter 65
This game was, in every sense, a treasure hunt. And since Riersha had prepared the treasure, it was surely something she herself considered precious.
But when the egg was cracked open, five figures came out: Fernoer, Risideon, Ricador, Riscall, and Riersha.
“I wanted to make more, but I didn’t have enough time.”
Riersha answered gloomily.
If she’d had a bit more time, she could have made Ackmund, Sona, and everyone else as well.
“Is that okay?”
When Riersha looked up at Sona and asked, Sona bent down as if to soothe her and met her eyes.
She knew how Riersha had agonized every night over what to do because she didn’t have enough time.
“No, Miss Riersha. We understand your feelings completely.”
“Mhm.”
As Riersha nodded, her complexion brightened.
“My treasure is my family.”
“I’ll cherish it well, Riersha.”
Fernoer, who had been looking at the doll with a complicated expression, replied with a smile.
And so, as the sun began to set, the treasure hunt came to an end.
After returning to her room, Riersha soaked her tired body in the bathtub.
Surrounded by thick foam, she smiled languidly.
“Miss Riersha, you’re very tired, aren’t you?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Hm, but your eyes are full of sleepiness.”
Riersha shook her head, insisting that wasn’t true, even as her heavy eyelids drooped shut in the tub and she forced them back open.
But just as Sona said, Riersha was utterly exhausted.
She had been running around the forest from morning until afternoon, and her stamina was completely drained.
Riersha let out a big yawn. Then she met Sona’s eyes and hurriedly snapped her mouth shut.
It was embarrassing—she had just said she wasn’t sleepy, yet she yawned until tears welled up in her eyes.
“Let’s hurry and wash up and get out!”
“Okay.”
“By the way, what kind of wish did you tell the young duke?”
Sona asked curiously as she washed Riersha’s hair.
Before leaving the forest, Riersha had hesitated, then taken Fernoer and disappeared somewhere.
It seemed clear she had used her wish, and that it was something others shouldn’t hear.
“It’s still a seeecret. You’ll find out later.”
“…Hmm, I’m curious, but that means I’ll know later, right?”
“Yep.”
Riersha nodded, fiddling with the bubbles.
Sona watched her fondly, then finished washing her, put a robe on her, and left the bathroom with her.
Fresh and clean, Riersha ran barefoot straight to the bed.
“Miss Riersha, you’ll catch a cold. You need to dry your hair!”
“Mmm, but I’m sooo sleepy. Sona…”
Riersha made a pitiful face, wanting to crawl under the blankets.
“You haven’t even had dinner yet…”
But Riersha was already fast asleep, completely unaware of the world.
Sona looked at her in mild distress for a moment, then shook her head and smiled faintly.
Watching Riersha grow day by day made her feel like she could treasure her endlessly.
After tidying up the room before turning off the light, Sona glanced back.
She could hear Riersha’s steady breathing as she lay buried under the blankets.
“Sleep well, Miss Riersha.”
In case Riersha woke up in the middle of the night, Sona planned to stay nearby tonight.
She turned off the light and quietly closed the door.
Beneath the Aracrene Ducal Castle.
The corridor was pitch-dark, not a single ray of light permitted, but Fernoer walked through it with practiced ease.
It had already been three days since Oberon was imprisoned.
“I want to see Oberon. He didn’t do anything wrong, so please let him out.”
Recalling the wish Riersha had made today, Fernoer frowned.
“No.”
“But—”
“Even if you’ve obtained a wish token, that’s not something I can grant, Riersha.”
Fernoer had expected no more than a request to own a family villa or a mine. This completely unexpected wish gave him a headache.
Riersha’s request was the kind of thing that could never be granted, wish token or not—especially when Oberon’s innocence had not been confirmed.
And yet, the reason Fernoer had come to the underground prison was because of what Riersha said at the end.
“…I asked you to help Oberon believe in himself. Please meet him just once, Dad.”
“…I’ll consider it.”
Meeting Oberon was not difficult for him.
And because Riersha had pleaded so earnestly, Fernoer’s resolve weakened, and he couldn’t bring himself to refuse outright.
Seeing his master head straight from the forest to the underground prison, Rocinante shook his head.
At this rate, wasn’t Fernoer being led around by Miss Riersha?
“The young duke is far too soft when it comes to the young lady.”
“I know.”
“…You do?”
Knowing that and still acting this way?
Rocinante couldn’t help but be impressed.
He would revise his earlier thought. Fernoer was far, far weaker to Riersha than Rocinante had imagined.
“There’s a high chance Oberon said something unnecessary to the young lady.”
“I know that too.”
He might have tried some trickery to sway a child.
He could have intended to exploit Riersha’s innocence, gain her trust, and use her.
Perhaps even asking Fernoer to meet him just once was part of Oberon’s scheme.
‘There’s no real point of contact between the two.’
According to the investigation, Riersha and Oberon had met directly only once—
When she went to demonstrate her abilities to Ackmund.
Aside from that, they had only brushed past each other, with no real acquaintance.
And yet Oberon had said such a thing—to Riersha of all people?
Asking a child barely four years old to “help him believe in himself” honestly didn’t seem normal.
And that…
Probably applied to Oberon as well.
‘Which makes it all the stranger.’
Fernoer remained lost in thought as he walked down the corridor.
He couldn’t understand why Oberon—known as a capable man who handled the duchy’s major affairs—would make such a judgment.
“Open the door.”
“Yes, Young Duke.”
When Fernoer gave the order upon reaching Oberon’s cell, the guard released the lock.
As the door opened, Oberon was revealed bound from head to toe, wearing a magic-suppression device. The sight was unpleasant enough to make Fernoer frown.
“…I greet you, Young Duke.”
Oberon bowed his head as soon as Fernoer entered.
Seeing a chair already placed there, it seemed someone had visited earlier.
Fernoer sat down and looked down at Oberon.
“You look terrible.”
“……”
“Do you know why I came to see you?”
Oberon silently met Fernoer’s gaze.
“I came at Riersha’s request.”
At that moment, Oberon’s silver-gray eyes wavered. His expression changed instantly at the mention of Riersha.
“I’ll ask only once.”
“……”
“Why were you lingering around Riersha and saying such things to her?”
As Oberon listened to the question, he suddenly looked dumbfounded—
As if he had never expected to be accused of lingering around Riersha.
“I can see how that misunderstanding might arise.”
“…A misunderstanding?”
“I was not lingering around Miss Riersha.”
Oberon shook his head firmly. Then a completely unexpected name came out of his mouth.
“I was only keeping watch on Ian Charlotte.”
