BMPEW 24

Chapter 24

“Well.”

As I kept gazing up at him with sparkling eyes, Lord Abelus finally gave in and spoke.

“Ten years.”

…Was he joking or serious? I couldn’t tell at all.

He was telling me to wait ten years over a single request? I don’t even know if I’ll be able to stay in this house that long.

“Couldn’t it be sooner…?”

I asked with a pleading expression, but he didn’t budge.

“If you can’t wait, give up.”

“Sigh…”

I slumped over the snack bowl and let out a deep sigh.

“You’re giving up fast this time.”

“It’s not that. I was just thinking about counting out ten whole years…”

“…I realized how shortsighted I’ve been.”

Right then, I heard a rustling sound coming from the grass behind us.

Startled, I turned around.

“Whoa! A squirrel!”

A tiny squirrel was standing there, staring straight at me.

I jumped down from the chair with the still half-full snack bowl in my hands.

“Abel-nut! Look, look!”

But he didn’t even move, still resting his chin on his hand.

“Go by yourself.”

“Okaay!”

I sat on a flat rock nearby and tossed peanuts to the squirrel that circled around me.

“Hehe. So cute.”

I hadn’t known there were squirrels living in the Ignitus estate.

Maybe because some childlike instincts still lingered in me, but my heart thumped helplessly at the sight of a small animal.

“Eat lots!”

When its cheeks were stuffed full, the squirrel bowed its head toward me.

‘It’s like it’s saying thank you!’

Was it affected by divine power? It’s so smart.

“Take care!”

I waved my hands wildly as I stretched my neck to watch the squirrel leave.

And in that moment, as I leaned forward a little—

“W-whoa?”

My body tipped and I tumbled headfirst into the grass.

‘Ah, my head’s too heavy…!’

Just like that, I collapsed in the same posture I’d been using to wave goodbye.

“Argh…”

Of all times, it had to be in front of Lord Abelus.

As I brushed off my clothes and tried to act like nothing had happened, I glanced toward the table—and froze in place.

Lord Abelus was smiling.

Not only was it the first time I’d seen him smile since arriving here, but even back when I only knew him through written records, I’d never imagined he could smile so brightly.

‘What’s going on? Was I really that funny just now?’

No, it didn’t feel like he was laughing at me…

Heart racing, I used the momentum to dash straight toward him.

“Abel-nut, what made you happy?”

What memory made you smile like that?

Surprised, Lord Abelus blinked and asked back.

“Me?”

He hadn’t even realized he was smiling.

“Yeah! Abel-nut, you were like this!”

I lifted both hands and used my index fingers to stretch the corners of my mouth into a smile.

“It’s nothing.”

He said that, then lightly flicked his finger against my forehead, which was now very close to his face.

I stepped back, cradling my forehead dramatically with both hands.

This should stop him from flicking it again.

“What would you even do if you knew?”

He didn’t deny my question about being happy.

“I want to give you whatever it is that makes you happy.”

But what came next caught me off guard.

“Really?”

He asked, smiling faintly again.

“Yup!”

“I…”

Just as Lord Abelus was about to say something—

I suddenly ducked behind the back of his chair.

An alien surge of magical energy had just struck the area.

It felt nothing like the magic I’d felt in the annex.

“Abelus, are you there?”

A moment later, an elderly man’s voice—one I’d never heard before—called out.

“Oh, it’s been a while, Councilor Plautus.”

Holding my breath, I clung tightly to Lord Abelus’s robes.

“There’s no need to hide. He’s the one who verified your magic.”

“Verified?”

“After your divine power awakened, I asked Councilor Plautus to examine it. As expected, it matched your biological father’s magic.”

So that’s possible?

Come to think of it, the head of the house never once questioned my bloodline despite my lack of magical ability.

So there was a way to confirm it all along.

Relieved, I cautiously peeked out from behind the chair.

There stood an old man with a gentle face.

His eyes were closed as if he couldn’t see, and he held a cane for the blind.

“What brings you here?”

“There was something I was asked to look into, so I stopped by. Ah, little one, we meet again. You’ve been well, haven’t you?”

“Y-yes!”

Even though I had no memory of meeting him before.

‘He must be a member of the Senate. And if he verified my magic, he must know my secret…’

I quickly came to a conclusion.

This man—Plautus—was likely someone the head of the house trusted deeply.

“You two look good together. Little one, I think it would be wonderful if you became Abelus’s little sister.”

He smiled warmly as he spoke, but I was so stunned I couldn’t say a word for a while.

‘S-sister?!’

Me, become Lord Abelus’s sister?

Even if I now possess Calidora’s body, my soul is still just some shabby descendant!

And age-wise… well, I guess I’m slightly younger now.

But sister? Sister?

How could I possibly…

“Um… I couldn’t possibly…”

“That won’t be happening,” Lord Abelus interrupted coldly.

Ah, guess I didn’t even need to worry about it.

I mean, it’s not like it was my decision to make in the first place.

Councilor Plautus let out a bittersweet chuckle.

“Councilor, you’ve arrived! We’ve been waiting.”

From a distance, one of the head’s close aides rushed out.

After briefly greeting me and Lord Abelus, he quickly escorted Councilor Plautus away.

“As I mentioned briefly in my letter, we’ve discovered an unidentified man who seems to be a collateral member of the Ignitus line…”

I didn’t know what it was about, but it seemed urgent.

Once the two had moved off, I spun back toward Lord Abelus.

“Abel-nut! Let’s continue what we were talking about!”

“No.”

Lord Abelus shook his head.

His voice was now low and somber, completely different from earlier.

“This pointless conversation ends here. Don’t ask me anything more. You’re nothing to me.”

The sudden shift in tone left me speechless, my feet nervously shuffling in place.

“U-uh… um, I just…”

It was true, but still—so suddenly?

Weren’t we starting to grow closer?

Lord Abelus stood and walked inside.

As I stood there, watching him disappear, I faintly heard him mutter:

“I almost forgot.”

✧

Left alone in the garden, I repeated to myself:

‘It’s fine. It’s true. There’s no reason to be hurt.’

What Lord Abelus said was a very objective fact. I had always believed the same.

‘Yeah, he’s right! I just have to fulfill my mission.’

But still… it hurts.

Maybe I should stay in tomorrow instead of going out.

Thinking that, I trudged back to my room.

The next afternoon.

Even though snack time had long passed, Abelus was still aware of Calidora’s absence.

After wounding her deeply with his words yesterday, there was a chance she wouldn’t show up today.

He quietly set aside the book he had been reading and left the study.

It didn’t matter. This kind of day was more like his usual routine anyway.

But as soon as he opened the door, something bumped into his foot.

He bent down to take a look and found four large plums neatly placed on a white cloth.

Next to them lay a note, scribbled awkwardly in charcoal on a piece of fabric.

[Today’s Snack]

As he picked it up to place in his pocket, Abelus noticed something written on the back.

[From Calidora, who is nothing •᷅ﮧ•᷄]

There was even a silly little doodle in the corner, resembling its author.

“Seriously… Even after all that…”

Abelus let out a sigh, then carefully picked everything up and headed out.

Since there were four fruits, it felt only right to give her half—nothing noble about it, just basic decency.

As he searched for an open space where Calidora might be, he could almost hear her joyful voice ringing in his ears.

No doubt, she’d be running around in excitement, thrilled that he had come to find her first.