TMOWM~34

Chapter 34

According to the original timeline, Tybern should have died from Kiera’s poison. And the monstrous outbreak caused by the spread of the contamination source was supposed to occur three years after that.

That would’ve been when Hyder turned sixteen. But things had started three years early, and the chilling winds of war had already descended upon what had once been the peaceful land of Catieron.

Tybern clutched the letter in his hand and immediately returned to the mansion. Hyder and I chased after him.

“Grandfather, what’s going to happen now?”

I asked Tybern, who was hastily packing with the help of his aide.

“I must return immediately. If the contamination spreads into the city, there will be no turning back. And I cannot recklessly request reinforcements from the Imperial Capital either.”

Tybern’s voice was cold as he answered, hurrying all the while.

“If we take the portal now, we can cross over immediately.”

“Then what will happen to this place?”

At Hyder’s question, Tybern paused. He turned to look at him.

A deep sadness clouded his gaze.

“I’d take you with me if I could, but you’d be in danger too. It’s safer for you to stay here and continue your training with Hilden.”

Tybern sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

He began pacing the room. If Tybern left like this, Kiera might sneak her way back in again.

Of course, I was confident I could chase her out with the ghost scare trick again. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I wasn’t planning to let her get away with anything.

As I renewed my determination, Tybern’s gaze turned to me. He seemed to ponder something before issuing an order to his aide.

“Bring Hilden.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hilden arrived shortly after, his expression grave—he’d clearly already heard the news.

“Hilden, as you know, the situation is urgent.”

“I’m aware.”

“I’m going to give you a few orders. I don’t know when I’ll be able to return, so I’ll have the mansion sealed until then. Not even Herden is to open the doors without my express orders. Understand?”

“Yes, Lord Tybern.”

Tybern was doing everything in his power to protect Hyder.

Even as he spoke, his eyes kept flicking toward me.

“Of course, that means you won’t be able to receive any outside support. You’ll have to manage everything from within. Work with Luella to reduce the number of staff and only keep trusted individuals around. Can you handle that?”

“I’ve survived worse, Lord Tybern. I’ll find a way to live. I’ll endure.”

“Good.”

Tybern gritted his teeth slightly.

He walked toward me, knelt down to meet my gaze, and said:

“Lani. Let’s make a promise, just the two of us. Until I return, will you protect this mansion and Hyder?”

“Yes. I can do it!”

He was a hero of the Empire—how long could it possibly take? A year at most? I’d already proven I could take care of Hyder, so I wasn’t afraid at all.

Sealing the mansion meant nothing could come in or go out—not even food or firewood.

But I was the only one who could still smuggle in what we needed to survive. I had stealth skills. That should be enough, right?

“Just trust me!”

“I do, Lani. If you keep this promise, I’ll keep mine too. I’ll give you even more than I already have. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

Even more…?

For a moment, my head spun. I’d already been promised a lot—if there was more than that… Wow, I could live in luxury for three generations.

I swallowed hard.

“Just leave it to me!”

“Good.”

Tybern gently patted my head, then turned to Hyder.

“Train hard. Hilden will be your best teacher. Keep pushing forward until the day you become a Sword Master. Understood?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

After giving a few more instructions, Tybern departed—just as suddenly as he had arrived.

After Tybern left, Hilden and Lady Luella quickly carried out his orders.

The number of staff in the mansion was drastically reduced, and the gates of the Ducal estate were sealed shut.

Before the closure, Lady Luella had practically emptied the markets, stocking up on supplies.

I figured Tybern would be back before we ran out. Surely.

I glanced at my status window and nodded. I calmed my nerves before they could unravel.

Hyder acted as if nothing had happened and focused solely on his training. Day by day passed in that manner.

Dania stayed by my side, though she seemed a bit uneasy.

“There’s no other place that pays this well anyway.”

Of course, money was a big reason too.

One month passed. Then two. We were still managing with our stored food. The weather hadn’t turned too cold yet.

No one came knocking on our sealed mansion doors.

The silence was broken by a newspaper that had flown over the wall.

It was on a day when white snowflakes began to dust the ground.

“Catieron’s Catastrophe.”

The sensational headline dominated the paper, which reported on the situation in the north.

**“This battle is expected to be prolonged. The northern front is being pushed further south. The contamination source is spreading downward, and the monster attacks are growing more severe.

But more critical is the disappearance of the northern hero, Tybern Catieron.

Duke Herden, who had been staying at the Aites Villa, has now headed north after a long retreat…”**

Hyder’s face turned pale as he clutched the newspaper. His eyes shook as he turned to me.

The safety net that had always protected him was now collapsing.

“It’ll be okay, Young Master.”

I comforted him, quickly scanning my status window.

[Name: Tybern]
Status: Severely Injured.

He wasn’t dead. There was no indicator that his life was in danger. He may be missing, but he was alive.

“It’s Tybern we’re talking about. He wouldn’t die so easily. He’ll come back to you. He’s that strong.”

“…You’re right,”

Hyder muttered with a shaky voice.

But Catieron’s misfortune didn’t end there. The newspaper kept delivering more troubling updates from the outside world.

“Kiera Catieron—Entrusted With All Ducal Rights.”

This news hit as hard as Tybern’s disappearance.

**“Kiera Catieron, who had been staying at the Aites Villa, returned to the capital with her children.

Marquis Aites requested the emperor transfer the Catieron family’s authority, and the emperor accepted—claiming the family needed an acting leader.

However, Kiera declared she had no intention of returning to the Catieron estate without her husband.

The mansion remains sealed and is not receiving visitors. What fate awaits the Catieron household is…”**

We had no choice but to hold an emergency meeting at the mansion.

We still had enough firewood, but our food was running low. I had been sneaking in vegetables from the garden to restock the pantry, but even that had its limits.

We had to survive the winter locked inside this mansion.

“We’ll have to start farming. If the Young Master permits, I’d like to turn part of the garden into a field.”

“Go ahead.”

“But that won’t be enough. It’s not like crops grow instantly after planting. We’re also running out of dried fish and meat.”

Lady Luella let out a deep sigh. Hilden added with a grave look:

“We’ll also run low on firewood. But an even bigger problem is…”

Hilden furrowed his brows. With no head butler, he had taken over managing the estate’s finances.

“There will be no financial support at all. Kiera will cut off everything.”

We had no money, no food, and no way out.

A heavy silence settled over the table.