Chapter 43 …………………………………………………………
“That’s enough for today.”
“Haa… ha… I-I can do more… hah, Master.”
Being called “Master” by such an extraordinary disciple was always pleasant.
Gurter let out a small laugh and pulled a water flask from his belt, handing it over.
Ron hesitated as he received it.
His red eyes, half-hidden beneath his long hair, stared intently at the water.
Because the water was not clear.
Seeing Ron’s reluctance, Gurter snapped sharply.
“It’s medicine. Medicine a master gives his disciple.”
“…Yes, Master.”
Ron gripped the bottle tightly and began drinking.
Seeing that, Gurter burst into a satisfied laugh.
“Ke-hahahahaha!”
“…ngh.”
Between Gurter’s laughter, a harsh cough escaped Ron.
Dark, blood-tinged liquid spilled from Ron’s mouth.
He tried pressing a small hand to it, but the coughing wouldn’t stop.
Gurter finally stopped laughing and spoke.
“It is medicine—but it’s poison. Ke-heh. How is it? Your master’s gift.”
“……”
Ron lifted his gaze to Gurter—his eyes sharp with venom.
He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then, without hesitation, Ron lifted the flask again and drank the remaining contents to the last drop.
“…!”
Gurter’s eyes flew open.
He smacked his lips shut and pressed a hand against his thundering heart.
Yes, he had mixed only a very small amount of poison powder—just enough to build resistance over time.
But Ron was still only twelve.
His body shouldn’t have been able to handle it… yet he drank everything.
“What a terrifying brat. Just like that damned Duke Kereis!”
Gurter cursed Ron inwardly with his eyes, then turned with a sharp flick of his cloak.
“You’ll feel dizzy and sick today from the poison, so go in and rest.”
He was about to walk away when Ron’s voice held him back.
“Master. There’s something I want to ask.”
Gurter turned again, facing Ron.
The boy’s dark blue hair fluttered in the wind.
Scarlet eyes looked up at him.
What could trouble him enough to hesitate like that?
Gurter, curious about the thoughts crowding inside his one and only disciple, waited—
But the question that came made him frown instantly.
“It was definitely a boy… but suddenly, he became a girl.”
“You mean that imaginary friend of yours?”
“It’s not imaginary, Master.”
Gurter relaxed his expression and let out a small laugh.
A child raised inside Devel—cut off from the outside world.
There was no way he had any actual friends.
It was probably someone from a dream or fantasy.
Still, whenever he saw Ron brighten while thinking of that “friend,” Gurter simply let it slide with a chuckle.
“So this friend of yours was a boy, then suddenly became a girl?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. You’re wondering why that happened, aren’t you?”
Ron’s small blue head nodded.
Gurter stared at him briefly, then answered as if it were nothing important.
“No one has both male and female forms. It was likely magic meant to hide their true appearance.”
“Magic?”
“Yes. And the spell probably unraveled halfway.”
Ron fidgeted with fingers scarred from harsh training, tilting his head.
Gurter continued.
“If they used magic powder, then your friend must’ve had circumstances. Something they couldn’t speak of—so they hid their real identity.”
“Then what should I do?”
The conversation dragging on made Gurter almost yawn; he stopped himself and replied.
“What else? Put yourself in your friend’s place. Then you’ll find the answer. You also have things you don’t want others to see, don’t you?”
“When I was a slave.”
“…R-right. Something like that.”
“I don’t want to tell my friend. I just… like things the way they are now.”
“Exactly. Your friend must also have things they don’t want to talk about.”
Seeing Ron relax his shoulders as if understanding, Gurter let out a deep sigh.
For some reason, a heavy stone seemed to settle in his chest.
He had never seen the life Ron lived before this—yet somehow, he could picture it too clearly.
If this continued, he might end up comforting the boy, so Gurter deliberately hardened his expression and urged him.
“It’s late. Go inside.”
“Yes, Master.”
A few days later, in the morning—
There was a knock at my door.
“It’s me, Ann.”
Before the servant could announce him, the duke’s urgent voice echoed.
I had Britta open the door.
The duke stood there with Cauts beside him.
“Here, a letter arrived.”
“Thank you.”
It was a letter from Ron.
But something was strange—the duke’s expression, and Cauts’s as well, looked… off.
Did something happen to Ron?
I quickly unfolded the letter in my hands.
Written with careful, effort-filled handwriting, it began by thanking me for the letter I had sent.
He even responded to things I had mentioned in my letter.
“…Ron says he wants to see Loro. The last time was back in that cave.”
“Yes. I suppose he grew attached in that short time.”
As I continued reading, I froze at the final line.
“Ah… Father.”
“Yes, I thought you’d be shocked.”
I lifted my head, meeting the duke’s gaze.
Since he had already read the letter, his expression was troubled.
I glanced between him and Cauts, then reread the last sentence.
[ I want to see you, Lan. ]
And so, until the morning light filled the room with sunlight, we discussed the matter in depth.
Finally, we sent Ron a proposed meeting location and time.
Three days later, in the forest halfway between us.
Ron replied quickly—saying he would be there.
“Come to think of it, I don’t know what he likes.”
Wanting to prepare thoroughly before leaving, I began packing.
Cauts, helping me from the side, let her shoulders sag in exhaustion.
“Miss… please tell me you don’t plan to take all of this.”
Buried in a mountain of items, I looked up.
“Is it too much?”
“Yes…”
It had become quite a load.
Two large bags stuffed full—blankets, hats, toys, books.
But honestly, that was the light part.
“Ann, there’s more.”
The duke appeared with an amount of luggage so enormous it could fill an entire room.
“……”
I was speechless.
These were things he wanted to send in his place—expressions of a father’s desire to be with Ron.
I couldn’t bring myself to reject it outright.
“Wait! Everyone stop!”
Cauts intervened firmly.
She declared that for a secret meeting, we absolutely could not carry such heavy luggage.
She handed me only a small bag that could be worn on the shoulders.
“It’s far. And we’ll be riding, not in a carriage. We can’t bring all these things.”
“…True.”
Regretful but understanding, we chose only warm winter items and essentials Ron might need.
Time passed quickly, and the day finally came.
Since this meeting had to be kept secret, the duke and I went about our daily routines as usual.
But over breakfast, the duke barely ate.
I, too, struggled to steady my breathing from nerves.
“Hoo…”
Today, I will finally meet Ron.
By evening, Creamu—tired from playing—fell asleep early, and I left him with the nanny.
I headed straight to my room.
“Are you ready, Miss?”
“Yes. Please.”
I took the magic powder Cauts handed me and put it in my mouth.
A sharp tingle shot through my head—and the girl Marianne in the mirror vanished.
Standing in her place was Lan.
“As expected of you, Cauts.”
“This is the last time you’ll use magic powder, Miss. Understood?”
“I know. Just today. I promise.”
I changed out of pajamas and into overalls.
The outfit Britta had chosen before.
I added a newsboy cap, and though my frame was small, I looked completely like a boy.
“Ta-da! How do I look, Cauts?”
“Mari—no, Sir Lan!”
I had considered revealing my true identity, Marianne, to Ron.
But it felt too late for that.
And doing so might complicate future situations.
So for now, I would meet him as the boy Lan.
The moon hung high in the sky.
Cold air turned each breath into visible white clouds.
The black horse galloped swiftly and stopped at a secluded point.
A lonely forest, far from any settlement—this was the meeting place Ron and I had agreed on.
Somewhere where no one would see.
“Loro, good job.”
I lifted the little puppy, wrapped like a bundle in cloth, and set him down.
He immediately began hopping through the grass on tiny paws.
I’d debated whether to bring him—but in the end, it was the right choice.
Ron deserved to see the puppy who had warmed him back in the cave.
“Is he not here yet?”
“Seems not. It’s a little past midnight.”
Cauts helped me down from the horse.
“He said he could slip out easily, but… maybe it’s harder than he thought. Could he have—”
“Been caught on the way out…?”
It was likely much harder for Ron to escape than it had been for us to leave the Kereis estate.
I had been anxious about that very possibility.
“I think something might have happened…”
And then—
“Lan…!”
A voice called out, cutting through the cold night air, ringing vividly in my ears.
