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Chapter 03
Ever since a little while ago, the two children had been causing a commotion every morning by running laps around the training grounds to build their stamina.
Honestly, everyone wished Winter would just stay inside and rest comfortably instead. But since she had been given only a limited time to live, they pitied her and let her do whatever she wanted.
“B-but if this keeps up…”
Miss… it looks like you’re going to collapse.
Meidillion couldn’t bring himself to finish the words stuck in his throat and only stammered awkwardly.
Watching him tilt his head in confusion, Winter quickly soothed him in her usual gentle voice.
“Don’t worry, Mei. People don’t die that easily. When you grow up, you’ll become a strong, handsome young man.”
She never even imagined that the person Meidillion was worried about was actually her.
“I-is… that so?”
Scratching the back of his head shyly, Meidillion didn’t seem to fully understand what she meant either.
“T-then… sh-should we… run one more lap?”
“Sure. That’s the spirit! Let’s see who reaches the finish line fi—ah!”
Excited by Meidillion’s rare suggestion, Winter dashed ahead, only to lose her balance and pitch forward.
“M-Miss!”
Fortunately, Meidillion caught her before she could fall, preventing disaster.
It was only possible because this had happened so many times before.
“…This is seriously so annoying.”
There were more and more things she knew she could do in her mind, yet her body simply refused to cooperate.
Winter clenched her teeth, her expression quickly darkening.
Carefully watching her, Meidillion gently guided her beneath the shade of a nearby tree before speaking in a small voice.
“T-then… I’ll… r-run your laps too, Miss….”
Winter blinked in surprise before smiling again.
“You’re saying you’ll run my share too?”
She asked with a cheerful laugh.
Embarrassed, Meidillion merely nodded.
Then he turned around and started running again.
Watching his retreating figure, Winter quietly placed a hand over her heart.
It pounded impatiently, as though even sitting still had become exhausting.
In this world, some people underwent an Awakening once they reached a certain age.
Simply put, it was the awakening of magical power.
The nature and level of the magic awakened during that moment determined a mage’s rank.
Winter, for example, possessed such abnormally immense magical power that she was said to have the potential to become a Grand Archmage.
Unfortunately, her heart was not strong enough to withstand that level of magic.
Even the magic that had only just begun awakening had already placed such a burden on her body that she had collapsed. Once she reached adulthood and completed her full Awakening, her heart would fail to endure it and simply burst apart.
That was why Winter had been sentenced to a short life.
Magical Awakening usually coincided with puberty, but if there were children nearby whose magic had already begun awakening, the process could accelerate.
The magical waves released during Awakening were especially harmful to someone like Winter, whose mana was abnormally vast.
One of the reasons Duke Vladimir had sent his cousin Albert away to the provinces under house arrest was precisely because of this.
He intended to remove anyone whose unstable magical power might affect his daughter.
However, there was one person the duke had completely overlooked.
Meidillion.
The boy who would one day awaken the second greatest magical power in the world, surpassed only by Winter.
Because of Winter’s presence, Meidillion might also awaken his magic earlier than expected.
But if she revealed all of this, the duke would separate them immediately.
For now, Winter decided to keep it a secret.
“Miss.”
Winter had been sitting beneath the tree, quietly watching Meidillion run when a maid with green eyes approached her.
“Hi, Nyla.”
Nyla had served Winter since she was little.
As a side job, she also worked as an assassin.
According to the original story, despite her young age, she was also the captain of the duke family’s secret guard. That wasn’t particularly important right now, though, so there was no need to dwell on it.
“How was your vacation?”
Whenever she carried out one of the duke’s assignments, Nyla would disappear under the pretense of taking a vacation before eventually returning.
Sometimes she came back with injuries, but fortunately she appeared perfectly fine this time.
“It was quite enjoyable.”
“I see.”
“It seems you’ve made a new friend while I was away, Miss.”
Although Nyla already knew that Winter had received a terminal diagnosis during her absence, she deliberately chose not to mention it.
Touched by that cool yet comforting consideration, Winter smiled warmly.
“That’s right. Aren’t you jealous?”
“I suppose I am. Though… the stable master’s son? Whatever possessed you?”
“I just felt like it.”
True to his word, Meidillion was faithfully running even Winter’s share of the laps.
His sweat-soaked silver hair gleamed brightly beneath the sunlight.
His crimson eyes resembled peonies blooming long after their season.
Thanks to being well-fed and properly clothed these past months, his complexion had become much healthier.
Most of the bruises that once covered his body had faded away as well.
Watching Meidillion run freely with his chest proudly lifted, Winter smiled.
“I’m going to raise him well.”
The duke’s office was utterly silent.
Standing by the window with a glass of liquor in hand, Duke Vladimir slowly lifted his head.
He had sensed a familiar presence approaching.
A knock sounded from outside.
“Your Grace, I’ve brought the boy.”
“Come in.”
The door opened, and the butler entered.
Trailing timidly behind him was Meidillion, nervously glancing around.
Seeing him look every bit like a frightened little rabbit made the duke click his tongue.
Even that faint sound made Meidillion’s shoulders jump.
“You may leave.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The butler bowed respectfully before leaving the office.
Now left alone with the duke, Meidillion trembled uncontrollably.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
Like a lone wolf beneath a blue moon, the duke radiated untamed ferocity.
Miss Winter had the same black hair and golden eyes, yet she was as gentle as an angel.
To Meidillion, the duke didn’t seem like someone who could possibly be her mother.
“What is your name?”
Unaware of the boy’s thoughts, the duke spoke in a low voice.
“M-Meidillion.”
“Meidillion, is it? Quite an extravagant name for the son of a stable hand.”
The duke smirked.
Meidillion silently pressed his lips together.
He had no idea how to respond.
The name Meidillion had been given to him by his late mother.
But since they had been separated when he was very young, he barely remembered her.
To begin with, he wasn’t particularly attached to his own name.
“I hear my daughter is rather fond of you.”
The moment the duke mentioned Winter, something in Meidillion’s eyes changed.
Until then, he had been curled up like a tiny animal trying to survive before a predator.
Now he unconsciously straightened his back and met the duke’s gaze.
The duke noticed immediately, narrowing his eyes.
“My daughter is ill. Are you aware of that?”
Meidillion silently nodded.
Strictly speaking, it was hardly a respectful response toward someone of the duke’s status.
Besides, the duke generally preferred people who answered firmly with their voices.
So why was Winter so attached to this frail, underfed-looking child?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.
Finding everything about Meidillion displeasing, the duke released a killing intent strong enough to make it seem as though he might throw the boy out on the spot.
“If anything should happen to my daughter, who does not have long to live… I will not spare you either.”
“…Y-Yes, Your Grace.”
Watching the terrified boy nod frantically, the duke let out a cold snort.
“I shall be watching you from now on. You may leave.”
Clutching his trembling chest, Meidillion hurriedly left the duke’s office.
A little later, the duke called for the butler.
“He looked no better than a half-starved mule. Hardly worthy of standing beside my daughter.”
“I’ll see to it, Your Grace.”
The loyal butler bowed deeply.
After that, Winter brought Meidillion with her wherever she went.
Because he spent his days beside the precious young lady of the ducal house, everything he ate, wore, and experienced became completely different from before.
The boy who had once been much smaller and thinner than children his own age gradually grew taller, and the color returned to his cheeks.
There was another change as well.
“Miss.”
“Hm?”
“Why aren’t you eating? You’ve just been staring at my face.”
Since they spent every day talking, reading books, and staying together, Meidillion’s vocabulary improved rapidly.
Unless he was extremely flustered, he no longer stuttered.
Even the servants of the ducal estate were astonished by the transformation.
His carefully groomed silver hair.
His clean skin.
His neat hands and trimmed fingernails.
The dirty little boy covered in bruises had become a doll-like child with shining silver hair and crimson eyes like blooming roses.
“I feel full just watching you eat.”
Winter answered with a contented smile.
Caught completely off guard by the straightforward remark, Meidillion hurriedly looked away.
His ears turned bright red.
He was obviously embarrassed.
Watching his adorable reaction, Winter laughed before finally composing herself.
“Mei.”
“Yes?”
“Is there anything you want?”
At the question, Meidillion slowly set down his spoon.
Then he frantically shook his head.
“N-no. There’s nothing. I-I don’t need anything.”
Anyone could tell he was panicking.
Winter narrowed her eyes.
Did he actually want something but feel unable to say it?
“Come on. If there’s anything you need, just—”
“N-no! I really don’t need anything!”
“I see. Well, if you say so.”
Winter smiled sweetly as she sliced into her meat with a rather terrifying expression.
If he claimed he needed nothing, she looked ready to invent something for him anyway.
