ISDM 22

Chapter 22

“Wow, so many trees! It’s so refreshing! It’s so spacious!”
My eyes felt refreshed at the sight of the lush green that filled my view.
The rustling leaves, the damp smell of grass and soil reaching my nose!
A forest at home!
Winterwald is really rich!
But the rich person is my dad!

“Don’t struggle. It’s distracting.”
“Lake! I want to see the lake! Let’s go!”
Dad let out a laugh of disbelief.
“You think I’ll just take you to the lake if you say that?”

And exactly five minutes later,
I was standing, looking at the lake before me.

“It’s so beautiful… the lake…”
“…There’s definitely a curse on my legs.”

Leaving behind the duke, who was wrestling with some inexplicable self-pity, I got down from my dad’s arms and looked around.
The most impressive were the ancient trees that seemed to be hundreds of years old.

“Wow… it’s like Repi Village.”
There were trees like these in Repi Village too.

Where the short forest path opened up, there was a fairly wide plain and a beautiful lake. The water, kissed by the red sunset, sparkled like golden ripples.
The green forest spread behind me, the clear waves lay in front.
Though different in detail, for a moment, I felt as if I’d returned to the cabin where I lived with Dad.

I quickly ran back to him and said,
“I have a great idea! Let’s build a cabin here just like our home! Then Dad might remember even better! We can put a garden around here, and a well and a shed behind…”

“No. We’re building an annex here.”
“Aww, okay.”

“…?”
Dad stopped talking and looked at me intently at my reply.

“Why?”
“You give up… so quickly.”
“I figured you’d say no, of course.”
“….”

I wasn’t stupid either.
Clearly, this place looked like land for a luxurious villa, not an old cabin.

I smiled and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

“It’s fine! We’ll go to Repi Village together anyway after the parade!”
I can take my time then!
The house isn’t gone!

I played, crunching leaves underfoot, discovering flowers, collecting dew drops on the grass.

“I like this place! Did you play here when you were little, Dad? What did you do?”
“Hmm. I didn’t live here as a child.”
“Huh? Why?”

Dad said indifferently,
“Children of the Winterwald family cannot enter the main estate until they turn twelve.”

I blinked. Now that I thought about it… I had heard something like that before.
“Children in the Winterwald direct line live outside until their magic blooms, then they come in, right?”

Ruska Higgins walked briskly.
He was worried about the owner with the terrible temper.
…Hmm.
Correction.
He was worried that the owner with the terrible temper might treat Lirin carelessly… no, correction again.
He was worried that the owner with the terrible temper would treat Lirin carelessly, and then, seeing Lirin sulking afterward, might vent his frustration on him.

In short, worried for himself, he quickened his pace.
‘And His Excellency dislikes that garden anyway.’

By the time they reached the lake shore,
a cheerful voice floated to him.

“Dad, did you play here when you were little? What did you do?”

‘Gasp.’
Ruska stopped walking abruptly.
He watched the large figure of Kalec standing side by side with Lirin.
‘He probably doesn’t like talking about his childhood.’

However, surprisingly, Kalec explained gently. Perhaps it was the influence of the place, but his usually sharp aura had softened a little.

“Children of the Winterwald family cannot enter this mansion until they turn twelve.”
“Eh? Why?”
“When the heir’s magic first manifests, it can clash with the power of the current head.”
“Ohhh…”

Magic manifestation, clash… Lirin repeated the words, trying to understand.

“When a child’s magic first blooms, the power gradually transfers to the heir. The problem is, no one can predict the ‘first manifestation.’ That’s why they are kept apart for now.”
“Until they turn twelve?”
“Yes. Magic usually blooms within that age.”
“It’s inefficient for the head of the family to live outside, so the child lives away until their abilities safely bloom… got it.”

Ruska nodded in agreement. Lirin was really clever.
“But… how do you know when the heir’s power appears? …Ah!”
Lirin’s eyes brightened.
“The Snowflake Dragon mark!”
“Good observation.”
“Right… so to sum up, the mark on Dad’s back used to be on Lady Elisa, right? While it transferred, their powers could clash, so they live apart!”
“Exactly.”

Kalec nodded and muttered to himself,
“So, the first eight-year-old to step foot in this garden… it’s you.”
“Wow.”
Lirin’s mouth formed a perfect “O” of admiration.

“….”

Ruska quietly adjusted his glasses.
There was actually something Kalec hadn’t told the child.
For example…
When seven-year-old Kalec, younger than Lirin, tried to sneak into this garden to see Elisa.
That first and last act of rebellion caused him to be targeted by an assailant aiming at the heir.
As a result, the nanny he trusted and followed died instead of Kalec… that incident.
‘The problem was that he had managed to shake off the guards and brought only the nanny.’

After that incident,
the first thing young Kalec did was discard his most treasured soldier doll.

“If I keep it with me, it’ll just get destroyed anyway. Better to leave nothing. Maybe someone will pick it up and take care of it.”

From that moment, Kalec changed.
He never shirked from his duties or responsibilities, controlled and disciplined his surroundings, and tolerated no mistakes or disorder.
Of course, the harshest discipline was reserved for himself.
‘Sigh. Poor seven-year-old Kalec.’

Kalec at twenty-seven wouldn’t care, but Ruska wiped his foggy glasses and watched Lirin’s small back.
‘They said one month, right?’
The period he agreed to stay near the child.
‘After a month, he probably won’t see this form. His Excellency doesn’t really seem to expect his memory to return.’

He let out a deep sigh.
‘I don’t know what His Excellency felt in the past five years… but losing his memory means he’s gone back to the beginning for the first time.’

Just as seven-year-old Kalec chose to remove his beloved soldier doll to prevent it from breaking, twenty-two-year-old Kalec would not easily allow anyone close.
If Lirin became truly important to him, even less so.

Yet Ruska felt that the current situation wasn’t bad.
At least for now, Kalec’s expression facing the garden with bad memories wasn’t as dark as before.

“Dad, want to throw pebbles in the lake?”
“No.”
“Dad, want to find four-leaf clovers?”
“No.”

Then maybe he can make different choices than before? Perhaps twenty-seven-year-old Kalec has found that answer.

“Dad, shall I pick mushrooms for you?”
“No… that’s an allergenic mushroom for you. Don’t touch it.”
“Huh. Achoo!”
“Let me see… sniff, sniff. No, what am I saying.”
“Sniff.”
“Why are you sniffing?”
“You said to.”

Heads of the Winterwald family had never raised their children with their own hands.
Their children, likewise, did not grow up in their parents’ care. It was as natural to them as the sun rising in the east or a tidal wave when the wind blew.

But here, there was a single exception.

“Dad! Let’s come see this lake again!”

‘The irony of being able to be together only because our blood doesn’t mix.’

Perhaps it was the gentle sunset light. The pink tones mixed in Kalec’s silver hair stood out unusually vividly.
‘Hmm. Maybe this is how a family can form.’

Well. People’s ways are unpredictable.
Dad! Dad!
Who would have guessed a spring-like voice calling Dad would echo in this bleak winter mansion?

‘By the way, the rule was only three times a day to call him “Dad,” right?’

By now, it seemed too natural for them to care.
Lirin held Kalec’s fingertips and leaned on him. Kalec muttered but firmly supported her so she wouldn’t fall.

Watching that, Ruska smiled a little.