Chapter 27
At Olga’s words, Mago raised his head.
But his words did not stop there.
“But the bigger problem is that even if the young lady doesn’t manifest this ability, no one can say for sure how long she will live, or guarantee anything.”
“…….”
“Whether she manifests it or not, she will not live long.”
At Olga’s words, Mago closed his slightly parted mouth.
If his words were true, this was a worse situation than simply being born with precognition as an ability. No, to be honest, if I had to make a decision purely as the head of the Eshear family, this wouldn’t require a second thought.
Doesn’t it mean that with just Leticia, the Eshear family could blossom into an even greater house?
‘But.’
If Leticia’s sacrifice was essential…
“What about the possibility of being different from Emperor Erpius?”
“There is none.”
Olga shook his head at Mago.
“It might be better to bet on certain misfortune rather than uncertainty, Family Head.”
It was a cruel thing to say, but I couldn’t completely deny it.
As the family head, one cannot escape the fate of being responsible for the family.
‘Even if it’s my young granddaughter.’
Mago closed his eyes and rubbed the armrest.
After stroking the end of the armrest, worn smooth and shiny, for a long while, Mago finally raised his head.
“Then, about Letti… no. What about the child’s side effects?”
“They will disappear if she learns to control her ability.”
“…….”
At Olga’s words, Mago, who had fallen silent again, slowly opened his eyes.
The light dwelling in his blue pupils was shining coldly.
Under that gaze, enough to make anyone’s knees go weak, Olga slumped his shoulders and raised his head as if awaiting a command.
“Make sure this doesn’t reach Shariet’s ears, or anyone else’s.”
“…….”
“If anyone finds out, I’ll have your head first.”
* * *
At that moment.
After seeing Lilliana off to the Count’s residence, I quickly ran up to the main building.
I had something I wanted to ask Olga—
“Where are you going?”
I encountered Bennett and an unfamiliar child following him.
The unkempt black hair was tangled and matted, and his clothes were shabby, making him look like a street urchin at first glance.
He didn’t look like he belonged in the main building at all with that appearance, so I looked up at Bennett.
Blink, blink—.
As I looked at him with my blue eyes, Bennett cleared his throat lightly.
“He’s a magic swordsman. I’m planning to have him join the Knight Order.”
“Ahh.”
Finally seeming to understand the situation, I nodded with a smile.
“I see. But he’s so thin. He needs to eat well.”
“The Knight Order will take care of that.”
“Okay!”
I waved warmly at Bennett, who kindly replied, and was about to pass by when I suddenly stopped and turned around.
“Bennett.”
“Yes, young lady.”
“Can I go play at Lilliana’s tomorrow?”
“The Portlen Count’s household, you mean?”
“Yes, Lili said to come over tomorrow before lunch, no, come before lunch, see the Count’s estate, and then have lunch and she even said she’d give me snacks.”
I fidgeted with my index finger.
I knew I had to tell Aunt Belia, but after what happened a few days ago, she already doesn’t think highly of me, and I didn’t want to get into an unnecessary argument.
And if I told Aunt Belia and she said no, and then I went to grandfather, that would just be tattling and complicate the situation.
This way is better.
“Hm?”
“I will speak to the Family Head.”
“You have to tell him today! I need to go tomorrow!”
“Understood. I will speak to him right after I take this child to the Knight Order.”
“Thank you!”
I felt a laugh coming, so I covered my mouth with my hand, giggled, and turned around.
Then, from behind me as I hurried up the stairs, I heard a voice.
“Is she the Captain’s daughter?”
‘Huh, Captain?’
The ‘Captain’ the child mentioned sounded a lot like my dad, so I turned my head. But the two people, who had been standing about halfway down the stairs, were already going down the stairs and heading towards the door.
It felt a bit weird to call out to them, so I turned back for now.
‘That voice…’
It felt familiar, as if I’d definitely heard it somewhere before.
* * *
“Is she the Captain’s daughter?”
“…….”
“I asked if she’s Captain Shariet’s daughter.”
“Yeah.”
As the question was repeated several times, Bennett, who seemed annoyed, finally answered only after they had stepped completely outside, then stopped walking and looked back at Pierce.
“She is Sir Shariet’s only daughter.”
At Bennett’s words, Pierce just turned his head to look at the door he had entered through, then looked up.
As if thinking of something, he tapped his fingertips on his thigh, then scratched and clenched his fist before letting out a snort and turning his head.
“She’s ruthless, just like you’d expect from the Captain’s daughter.”
“……What?”
At those incomprehensible words, Bennett furrowed his brow.
“Nothing.”
But Pierce just shrugged his shoulders lightly, not responding to the follow-up question.
“Ha.”
Seeing this, Olga rolled his eyes slightly upward and shook his head.
“Let’s not talk about it.”
Then he turned his gaunt face.
“Hurry up and follow me.”
“Yep.”
But despite his words, Pierce’s gaze was fixed on the third-floor window that had just opened.
* * *
“You’re here?”
At Arina’s greeting, I nodded roughly and looked around.
“Where’s Hail?”
“He left something in the annex, so I sent him on an errand.”
“Lynzie?”
“Preparing the meal.”
“Ah.”
It wasn’t the first or second time we were left alone, and this was the main building, not the annex.
Even though I knew she was no longer any threat to me, being alone with her felt eerie today.
Maybe I should have lingered in front of grandfather’s office.
I wanted to quickly check the hidden jewels and the gold coins dad gave me before, so I could go out tomorrow.
I glanced at Arina and bit my lip.
It’s hard to do anything with Arina here.
‘I’ll have to do it at night.’
While Arina showed no signs of leaving, I kept my distance and observed her cautiously.
But unlike me, who was fully on guard, Arina poured the grape juice from the decanter on the console near the entrance into a glass, stirred it with a spoon, and turned around with a smile.
“You must be thirsty? It’s the grape juice you like, young lady.”
Did I like grape juice?
I didn’t remember that, and as I tilted my head, Arina smiled warmly and handed me the glass.
“They say it’s from the first harvest this year at the Jangwon Farm. Please try it.”
Her uncharacteristic warmth made me look at her for a moment, but I didn’t want to make a fuss over something like this, so I took it.
“Okay!”
Then I gulped it down.
I didn’t notice the look Arina was giving me as she stared intently.
That evening.
At the hour when everyone was asleep, I quietly threw off the covers and placed my feet on the floor.
The soft, warm touch of the plush carpet enveloped my toes, creeping between them.
I wiggled my toes and quickly looked around.
‘The doll.’
I stood on my tiptoes and tiptoed silently, trying to find the pig doll I usually avoided looking at on purpose.
That’s where I had stored the 10 gold coins dad gave me every year on my birthday, two at a time, and the jewels grandfather gave me on my birthday.
How clever of me not to have spent them all.
If I scrape together these, plus my monthly allowance, it shouldn’t be too hard to buy things, right?
‘Hehe.’
I’ll give it to Rian.
Letting out a sinister chuckle, I crept into the dressing room. Among the many pieces of furniture, a chest of drawers about shoulder-height stood in one corner.
‘That’s it…’
My treasure chest.
It was the only thing I brought from the annex.
It didn’t contain much; from a shabby rabbit doll worn out from playing with since childhood, to dolls of a dog, bear, lion, tiger, and dragon.
So I liked strong animals, huh.
I let out a snort at my unexpected taste and buried my head inside the cabinet, where I saw the wooden sword dad made for me when I was a baby.
Wasn’t it a bit much of a toy to give to a child who had just turned one?
But he didn’t know, so it must have been that. He didn’t know.
Trying to think as positively as possible, I turned my head and saw a pig with a bulging belly deep inside the drawer.
‘Found it.’
I reached out and grabbed the nose of the pink pig with its head tilted at a 45-degree angle and wings.
‘Huh?’
Is it because there’s a lot inside?
The doll didn’t budge.
‘It’s heavy.’
Was it always this heavy?
It should only have about 10 gold coins and a couple of rings.
How heavy could that be?
‘Have my hands gotten weaker?’
Tilting my head, I reached out again, this time grabbing the pig’s wings on its back instead of the slippery nose.
‘Got it.’
Now, one, two, three—
I gripped it tightly so it wouldn’t slip and pulled hard! At that moment!
“Ouch!”
An unexpected shout came from inside the drawer.
It was a strange cry that sounded somewhat like an oink.
