Episode 3
The middle-aged priest was stunned.
He couldn’t understand what had just happened.
Wooden shards floated mid-air, looking like they might fly straight into his eyes at any moment.
Just as fear chilled his spine, someone jumped between him and Ellie.
A man suddenly appeared and grabbed the priest’s wrist—the same hand that was holding Ellie’s arm.
The priest leaned back to avoid the flying wood and saw the man’s face.
It was someone he’d never seen before.
The man’s icy-blue eyes sparkled like frozen lakes.
“W-Who are you?”
The man, Lydel, answered shortly:
“I’m Ellie’s dad.”
The priest’s eyes widened.
Even the children in the hallway whispered in surprise.
Lydel ignored them and checked on Ellie.
She was still shaking in fear, unable to lift her head, crying quietly while the priest gripped her arm.
Lydel felt the blood in his body go cold.
“Please let go of her.”
Even then, the priest didn’t let go.
He thought letting go now would make him look guilty.
So, trying to save face, he held onto Ellie’s arm even tighter.
“I’m disciplining her. If I stop now, it won’t work. Please step aside and wait.”
He didn’t realize Lydel heard his muttering.
Thinking he could keep his dignity by scolding Ellie a bit more, the priest pretended to stay in control.
Lydel sighed.
He clearly remembered how the priest had been threatening Ellie with a rod.
“Ellie, it’s okay now. Daddy’s here.”
“H-huuh… Uuh… Da… ddy…”
Lydel gently stroked her head as she sobbed and buried her face in his leg.
He covered Ellie’s ears with his warm hand, casting a faint spell.
Suddenly, Ellie couldn’t hear anything from the outside world—everything went quiet.
At that moment, the priest screamed:
“Aaaagh!!”
He immediately let go of Ellie’s arm.
The spot where Lydel touched him burned like fire.
“I-I let go! I let go!”
In agony, the priest thrashed and yelled, completely forgetting his pride.
Lydel shielded Ellie from seeing any of it.
“Stop!!”
The priest shouted and tried to use holy magic with his free hand to heal himself.
But then the floating wooden shards, once a rod, now needle-sharp, suddenly shot down.
They pierced the arm he raised to use holy magic.
“Aaargh!”
His magic vanished.
“Heal yourself later. Somewhere out of my sight, Priest.”
Lydel picked up the still-crying Ellie and gently patted her back.
He looked at the trembling priest and spoke calmly:
“I’m not going to abandon Ellie like her mother or grandfather did.
Please don’t speak carelessly.”
The priest yelled in frustration:
“T-This child is cursed…!”
But he stopped.
Lydel’s cold sapphire eyes stared down at him—eyes that looked exactly like Ellie’s left eye.
Lydel left the orphanage with Ellie.
He had planned to take her the next day, but after what happened, he couldn’t leave her there another second.
‘Calm down. I need to stay calm for Ellie.’
Holding her close, he walked to a nearby park.
Birds chirped gently and the breeze was cool.
Children played on the grass while walking with their parents—a peaceful family scene.
‘If I hadn’t collapsed… would Ellie have lived like that too?’
Exhausted from crying, Ellie leaned against Lydel’s shoulder, barely breathing.
Her small back rose and fell slowly.
Lydel gently patted her back with his large hand.
“I’m sorry, Ellie. Daddy woke up too late.”
…She shook her head softly.
Her hair tickled Lydel’s cheek.
He smiled and asked:
“Did you miss Daddy a lot?”
She nodded, then hugged his arm tightly.
Lydel felt a lump in his throat.
He felt moisture near his neck, where Ellie’s cheek rested.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry, Ellie. Daddy will always be by your side from now on.”
“…Mm-hm.”
He sat down on a bench with Ellie in his arms.
Gently, he placed his hand over the marks left by the priest on her arm.
Warm magic flowed from his hand.
“Daddy won’t let you hurt anymore. Pat, pat. Daddy’s hands are healing hands~”
He started humming in Korean, like a typical Korean parent.
The melody and warmth comforted Ellie.
She hoped this moment would last forever.
Even after she stopped trembling, Lydel kept holding her, whispering:
“Daddy’s hands are healing hands~”
Physical pain could be soothed like this—but what about the pain in her heart?
Lydel couldn’t bring himself to let go of her.
As he sat there, a group of children passed by.
They were the same ones from earlier, now leaving the park holding their parents’ hands.
He overheard their parents chatting:
“Such nice weather today.”
“Yeah, it really feels like spring.”
“Let’s buy some spring clothes for the kids.”
“Great idea.”
…
Lydel looked down.
Ellie’s worn-out dress came into view.
It was a faded teal color, clearly secondhand.
‘I used to wear donated clothes like that too in the orphanage… Ellie’s dress was probably secondhand from the start.’
They probably didn’t even wash it often to avoid wearing it out.
‘How could they… leave her like this? She’s still just a child… my child…’
Lydel’s arms held her tighter without thinking.
“Daddy?”
Her voice brought him back to himself.
“Sorry, Ellie. Did I hug too tight? Did that hurt?”
“No… I’m okay…”
Then Ellie hugged him tighter, too.
Her tiny, fragile arms squeezed him as hard as they could.
Lydel’s heart softened.
His face relaxed.
“Daddy’s gonna hug even tighter. Hee-yah!”
He hugged her tight and swayed side to side playfully.
He thought he heard Ellie giggle.
‘Did she… just laugh?’
Was he imagining it?
Lydel tried to lift her face to check—
But her long, messy hair covered half her face.
As he peeked through the pale pink strands, Ellie quickly bowed her head again.
‘She’s still shy to meet my eyes…’
No need to rush.
Instead of her face, Lydel looked at her fluffy pink hair swaying in the breeze and spoke gently:
“Want to go buy spring clothes, Ellie?”
Ellie tilted her head.
“…Spring cloze?”
“Yeah. Clothes for spring.”
“Spling… what’s that?”
Hmm… how to explain?
“It’s just clothes you wear in spring.”
He stood up from the bench and lifted Ellie into the air with both hands.
“Kyaa!”
Suddenly, Ellie’s view rose high.
She sat on Daddy’s shoulders and saw a brand-new world.
“W-Wow~!”
“Not scary?”
“I like it… so breezy!”
She felt the wind from every direction and smiled brightly.
Lydel didn’t notice her smile—he was too focused on holding her safely as they headed to the shopping district.
The capital city Sharin’s marketplace was full of life.
Shops lined the roads, and footsteps and chatter echoed everywhere.
Ellie, who had never been outside much, was overwhelmed.
“……!”
Through glass windows, she saw all kinds of colorful things.
Some shops sold cute trinkets, others glittering gems.
Street vendors sold colorful candy.
It was all new to her.
While Ellie stared in awe from Daddy’s shoulders, Lydel searched for a children’s clothing store.
‘Why are there only adult clothing stores?’
Men’s clothes, women’s clothes—even armor shops—but no children’s clothes.
“Ah!”
Lydel gasped.
“Ellie! Look, a clothing store!”
Behind a glass window were a few children’s outfits.
Holding Ellie firmly, Lydel quickly walked toward it.
Once they arrived, he gently set her down from his shoulders and stretched his shoulder.
Ellie noticed and tugged at his clothes.
“Daddy… does your shoulder hurt?”
“Huh? How did you… oops!”
“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Startled, Lydel waved his hands.
“N-No! Daddy’s not hurt at all!”
Actually, he was sore—but not because Ellie was heavy.
It was from being asleep for four years.
He knelt down.
“Daddy’s okay. I’ve been working out. Thought maybe my muscles were growing, haha…”
“I won’t ride your shoulders anymore…”
“Haha, it’s fine.”
Just then, a bell rang as the shop door opened.
A friendly shopkeeper popped out.
“You two look close~ Are you here to shop?”
“Ah, yes, we are!”
Lydel smiled awkwardly.
Ellie dusted dirt off Daddy’s knee.
The shopkeeper asked:
“Here to buy clothes? Or… maybe for a haircut?”
She glanced at Ellie’s fluffy hair.
“We do haircuts on the second floor—my sister’s great with kids! Didn’t you know? But wow… her hair’s covering her whole face! Isn’t that uncomfortable?”
Ellie whispered:
“My… eyes…”
If she shows her eyes, the priest gets mad.
“Hmm? What was that?”
“N-Nothing…”
She shook her head.
The shopkeeper looked puzzled but smiled at Lydel.
“Come on in! It’s spring—time for a new look!”
Ellie was a little scared by her bright energy, but when Daddy held her hand, she felt brave.
“Shall we go in, Ellie?”
“…Yes!”
Gulp.
It was her first time in a store, and Ellie walked in stiffly, nervous but excited.
