CHAPTER 26……………………………….
“Ah… yes.”
Even though I answered half-heartedly, he didn’t get angry the way he used to.
“I, Shebert Keraise, am the legitimate heir who inherited the pure bloodline. It means I’m the one meant to succeed the family in the near future.”
“And so?”
Shebert took a steadying breath, then declared as if making a proclamation.
“I, Shebert, will devote my life to you, who saved me, as is our family law. My life is now yours.”
“…What?”
I had heard the words, but I blinked, unable to understand them.
What kind of dog-bone nonsense was that?
When he repeated it again, it finally hit me—and I was horrified.
But it didn’t end there.
Shebert reached out his hand toward me, offering it solemnly.
“Accept my life, Anne.”
I hid both my hands deeper under the blanket.
Did he hit his head too that day?
No, he didn’t…
This sudden change in Shebert was bewildering.
He could’ve just said thank you and left.
Why did he show up acting like a completely different person?
I pulled one hand out from under the blanket and waved it quickly.
“I—I’m not feeling very well, so please… please go…”
But Shebert pressed on with a grave expression.
“There are many assassins targeting our family. You must be aware of that. Yet you dared to charge in without fear. I grant you permission.”
“Permission for what, exactly?!”
“What else? To become my fiancée.”
“…Sorry?”
“I can’t help it. You saved my life… Even though you’re a child in my eyes, I’ll take responsibility. The only way for you to avoid going to the orphanage and live in the Keraise mansion is by being my fiancée.”
“E-Excuse me. No matter what—!”
While I was still dumbfounded, Shebert raised his index finger and made a shh gesture.
“As soon as your wound heals, we’ll depart for the duke’s estate.”
“And the duke?”
“He left ahead of us for an important matter. Since you are now ‘me,’ getting you there safely is my mission as well.”
What are you talking about, you lunatic?!
After spouting that incomprehensible nonsense, Shebert limped out of the bedroom.
This is NOT what I wanted…!
Unable to lift my aching body, I repeatedly tapped my forehead into the pillow in frustration.
I should’ve let him die!
***
Once my condition improved, we prepared to depart for the Keraise duchy.
It had been roughly a week since we left the West.
The doctor said I needed more rest, but I didn’t have the luxury of time.
According to Kautz, the organization “Dveul” had already left the area with the child they purchased.
So I needed to return as soon as possible to come up with a plan.
Shebert prepared a large carriage with enough space for me to lie down.
“Are you really okay?”
Unexpectedly, he had asked that three times already.
He even seemed tempted to ride in the same carriage, but I desperately refused and protected my personal space.
“Kautz.”
“Yes.”
At my signal, Kautz closed the carriage door.
Shebert’s disappointed face peeked through the window crack, but I ignored him.
Since when did he care this much?
Honestly, I preferred when he acted indifferent.
“Miss, please lie down here.”
I lay quietly to one side—my small body barely taking up space—and looked at the luxurious interior.
My body swayed slightly with the movement of the carriage.
But why did everything change so much?
Assuming that child really was Ron, too many things didn’t add up.
Why would the second son, Ron, be sold off to an organization?
No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.
Am I remembering wrong?
At first I thought I had mixed it up with another webnovel.
But that wasn’t it.
In my previous life, I had been reading Destiny of Triya on the subway right before I died, fully immersed in escaping work through webnovels. The intense episodes stuck with me.
“Dveul Organization.”
“…Pardon? Miss? What did you just say?”
Kautz, who had been dozing, jolted awake at my mutter.
“It’s nothing. Keep sleeping.”
Looking unusually raven-like today, Kautz pushed back her long black hair.
“It’s not ‘nothing.’ Please tell me. You haven’t slept at all while I keep dozing.”
“Really? I’ve just been thinking.”
“You were talking about that organization earlier, weren’t you?”
I hesitated… then confessed part of my thoughts.
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
“A merchant group buys and sells goods normally, right?”
“Well, yes. If they’re normal. But Dveul isn’t normal.”
“Sure, but even an underground group—why would they buy children?”
Under imperial law, trading adult slaves wasn’t restricted.
But trading children was taboo and extremely rare.
“Why would a gambling-den gang suddenly get involved in the slave market?”
“…!”
Kautz suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“T-That…”
Her eyes darted rapidly around the carriage, then froze straight ahead. Her pupils widened.
“Kautz? Are you okay?”
“Miss.”
“Y-Yes? Should I call the doctor?”
“I think… I think I’m the reason those bastards came to the slave market!”
“What?”
“Actually… after we escaped, I reported their gambling establishment.”
I stared, confused.
How did reporting a casino lead to this?
My abdomen throbbed faintly as I looked at her.
“It’s just a guess, but after the gambling den got shut down and their money supply dried up… maybe those Dveul scum turned to the slave market. That’s probably it. Those crazed animals…”
Kautz clenched her fists tightly, teeth grinding.
The tangled mess in my head slowly began to unravel.
Meeting Kautz earlier than in the original storyline…
Maybe that was the butterfly effect of my choices.
If I hadn’t met her, the illegal gambling den would still be operating—and that child would still be in the slave market instead of being sold to the darkness.
“What do we do now…?”
Everything was spiraling in the worst possible direction.
A child once chained in a slave cage was now taken by a criminal organization.
Truly the worst-case scenario.
***
After arriving at the duchy, Shebert’s loud orders ensured I was moved straight to a bedroom.
I was treated so carefully that I didn’t need to lift a finger.
My head was spinning too much to resist, so I let everything flow.
“Thank you. Could you all leave for a moment?”
Once the maids helping with unpacking and bathing left, it was just me and Kautz.
“Kautz, we need to go to wherever Dveul is.”
I had to save that child—Ron, presumably.
If all this happened because I distorted the original story, then the responsibility was mine.
My heart ached as the image of the caged child flashed through my mind.
“That’s impossible, Miss.”
“What? Impossible?”
Kautz stepped in front of me with a worried expression.
“You still have a wound on your abdomen that hasn’t healed.”
“But Kautz, that child was taken by an underground group. We can’t just sit—ugh…”
Putting strength in my voice made pain shoot through my abdomen.
Kautz noticed my grimace and spoke more firmly.
“I’ll go. I’ll go to Dveul and find out everything. So please don’t move. Okay?”
“Kautz…”
“I’m serious, Miss. And if you move around in your condition and make your wound worse, you won’t be able to save that child anyway.”
“….”
She was right.
In this state, I wouldn’t make it ten steps.
“…Haah. Really…”
Seeing tears threaten to rise in my eyes, Kautz came closer and held my hand.
“For now, you need to focus on recovering. I’ll investigate Dveul. And Miss—
that organization’s boss is a monster, but he’s not the type to harm a child. I swear that much.”
With that cryptic reassurance, Kautz stood and headed toward the door.
Before leaving, she promised she would definitely find where the child had been taken.
***
One day passed.
I sat blankly waiting for Kautz when a maid’s voice came from outside the room.
“Miss, pardon me. Young Master Crimu has come to visit.”
I wanted to rest, but Crimu was always welcome.
I told them to let him in, and the door opened.
A tiny child toddled in with quick little steps.
“Noona!”
At the sight of Crimu, my throbbing headache eased a little.
He ran toward me on his small feet—only to stop abruptly halfway.
Then, with his tiny hands neatly folded, he bowed deeply.
Ahh, adorable.
His little blue head was so cute I wanted to bite it.
It was the modern greeting style I’d taught him previously.
He’d only seen it once, but he learned it right away. So smart.
“Crimu, come here.”
“Noona!”
After finishing his greeting, Crimu reached up to the bed with both arms.
I ruffled his soft, sea-colored hair affectionately.
Crimu didn’t know I was injured.
That was by my instruction—I didn’t want to worry a child.
“Have you been well? You look like you’ve grown since I last saw you.”
“I ate a wot!”
“Good job. Well done.”
His chubby cheeks lifted as he smiled, dimples showing faintly.
Would Ron… also have dimples like this?
The thought slipped out before I realized.
I quickly snapped out of it and had a maid bring a cookie for Crimu.
As I watched the little boy munching—
“Young lady, the duke will be visiting you this evening.”
I told the butler I understood.
Immediately, the maids began cleaning my face and hands, preparing me to meet the duke.
