TSOMFL 06

Chapter 6

‘This kid… is pretty handsome, isn’t he?’

His burning gaze and sharp features—

Even though he was still a boy with a slim build, his upper body, without a shirt, had well-formed muscles.

‘How should I say it… the type you look forward to in the future.’

The boy’s presence was not ordinary.

And with gray eyes and fast healing ability—

The puzzle about his identity started to come together in my head.

‘But to be sure he’s really that person, I need to confirm a few more things.’

But before that—

“Why did you save me?”

I should answer his question first.

Right now, he was staring at me with intense curiosity.

‘Wow… his eyes are hotter than the fire in front of me.’

I looked at him and calmly spoke.

“Well, to answer your question….”

I rested my chin on my hand and looked straight at him across the fire, then shrugged.

“I guess… because you were in front of me at that time?”

“…Do you think that explains it?”

“Ah! More accurately, you were under me.”

“….”

“That’s the truth.”

I decided to tell him honestly what I felt back then.

“I thought I could defeat that magic beast.”

That was true.

For some reason, I could read its movements.

“And it actually worked… right?”

I smirked slightly.

The boy flinched and looked away instead of answering.

An awkward silence filled the air.

“….”

“….”

‘Hmm… this isn’t working.’

I still had things to confirm about him.

‘But if this boy really is that person…?’

That person was also a very quiet warrior.

The type who only became wild on the battlefield.

‘Then I should approach him first and find more clues.’

I looked at him and said,

“I’m Jenuiere.”

My voice echoed softly in the cave with the crackling fire.

The quiet boy lifted his head and looked at me again.

“…Jenuiere? That’s your name?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded and continued,

“I’ve never really been outside before. This is my first time.”

“….”

“So I might seem strange.”

“…Your name is strange too.”

“Yeah, I know. But you look strange to me too. So, who are you? What’s your name?”

Now it was his turn.

He blinked and slowly opened his mouth.

“I am…”

But he hesitated and closed his mouth again.

I widened my eyes.

‘…Is this his first time?’

It seemed like he had never introduced himself before.

He kept biting his lips, and his face turned red.

‘That’s kind of cute.’

Then suddenly, he lifted his head and said,

“My name is Tashik.”

His voice echoed softly in the cave.

‘Tashik.’

That name stuck deeply in my mind.

“I have a mission.”

His dark blue hair moved slightly in the firelight.

“I have to hunt magic beasts. As many as possible.”

His gray eyes burned with determination.

“…Only then can I be acknowledged by my father.”

At that moment, a golden light flickered inside his gray eyes.

‘I see.’

Now I was sure.

A boy who hunts magic beasts with wolves.

A “mission” to gain his father’s approval.

And that golden glow in his eyes—

‘He is…’

The male lead of The Beloved Daughter of the Grand Duke’s Family.

The future war-crazed beast—

Tashik Febusion.

If the Enar family guarded the North,

Then the Febusion family ruled the South.

But their way of choosing an heir was different.

‘Endless competition.’

In short—

‘The one with the strongest warrior’s blood becomes the heir.’

And that meant—

‘The one who kills the most magic beasts.’

Not just weak ones—but strong ones too.

There was a special artifact in their underground vault.

It judged all achievements and decided—

‘Only one.’

Only one person could become the heir.

Because of this, children of that bloodline were forced to fight from a young age.

‘But unlike the others, Tashik doesn’t know his origin yet.’

His mother, from the wolf tribe, had no power in the family.

After giving birth to him, she was hunted.

So she fled to the northern mountains and hid his father’s identity.

‘But she still wanted him to become the heir.’

So she forced him to fight magic beasts alone.

‘She told him—his father would find and acknowledge him.’

That was the “mission” Tashik spoke about.

‘And the golden light in his eyes proves his bloodline.’

Anyway—

He would later be chosen as the heir.

And become the Duke.

‘A crazy beast-like male lead.’

A man who protects the heroine and fights brutally.

Honestly—

I really liked his role in the story.

‘A war-crazed beast.’

Before the heroine gained her power—

He fought countless magic beasts.

With incredible physical strength, like a superhero.

‘He felt like freedom.’

To my past self—

He was like freedom from a suffocating life.

I looked at him and said,

“…You’re amazing.”

“…What?”

“You’re really amazing.”

I continued,

“Having a mission like that… and following it for so long—that’s not easy.”

His eyes widened.

Then his cheeks turned red.

“…You don’t even know me.”

He turned his head away shyly.

I smiled softly.

‘Actually… I know you very well.’

But I couldn’t say that.

Then I remembered—

‘I’m 13… so he must be 15.’

That meant—

He was alone.

Fighting magic beasts.

Not knowing his true identity.

‘That’s why he looks so quiet… and a little sad.’

I looked at him in the firelight.

Then—

“Hmm…”

Tashik ran his hand through his hair.

Then looked at me again.

“Jenuiere.”

“Yeah?”

“I have a question.”

His golden eyes burned again.

“How did you make such a huge ice from up there?”

…How?

I answered simply, hiding the truth.

“…Because I’m an ice ability user?”

“I’ve seen ice users before.”

His cheeks slowly turned red.

“But I’ve never seen someone like you.”

‘…That line belongs to the heroine.’

Why was he saying it to me?

But I understood.

Most ice users only used ice as support.

‘No one can create huge ice like me.’

Except me.

Because of the crystal engine.

‘My ice is big and powerful.’

In the novel—

Jenuiere hated that.

She thought it was ugly.

Unlike the heroine’s beautiful crystals.

But me?

I didn’t care.

At that moment, Tashik stood up and walked closer.

“And you weren’t afraid of the magic beast, right?”

He came right in front of me.

“Honestly… you seem talented.”

‘Talented?’

I looked at him.

‘Talent to kill magic beasts?’

He nodded, as if reading my mind.

I shook my head.

‘No.’

I wanted to say that.

Because—

I want to become an ice sculptor.

But instead, I looked into his eyes.

Because inside those golden eyes—

I saw the burning soul I once admired.

And suddenly—

My fingertips tingled.

‘If I could capture that soul in ice…’

‘That would be beautiful.’

(To be continued)