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Chapter : 14
In truth, Kaisa was such a tall, extraordinary, and talented person. People both respected and feared someone like him.
Even in Luikaron, no one was close to Kaisa.
It was the same in the original story.
He had aides, of course, but they were just aides—he had no real friends. Many people envied him or hated him, but that didn’t change the fact.
For Kaisa, being alone might not even be so frightening.
“Doesn’t matter what strangers think. I gave my all, and they just didn’t understand my true feelings.”
“You mean it doesn’t matter because they’re strangers?”
“Yes. I have you with me.”
“……Me?”
“You always listen to me first. You always take my side.”
Kaisa let out a small laugh, then fiddled with the corner of his mouth. It was a smile that seemed to release the fatigue of the day.
“You listen to me well. After talking with you, all my frustrations feel gone. So I’m fine—as long as you’re on my side.”
Seeing him smile at me was far more wonderful than I had expected.
The late sunset slowly stretched across the sky.
Kaisa’s smile was enough to close this long, tiring day. I smiled along with him.
“That’s true. I think I wouldn’t be afraid of anything if you were on my side too, Your Grace.”
Today again, I thought the same thing.
In this strange and unfamiliar land, it was lucky not to be alone.
It was truly fortunate to have someone you could trust.
Elbertan Count House
Since Milena’s disappearance, the Elbertan family had been plunged into deep sorrow. Milena had been the count’s illegitimate child born outside the house. After Miles was born, the Countess became infertile, and she thought there would be no more baby cries in the house.
But, due to the count’s affair, a child born to Miles’s nurse had appeared—Milena.
The Countess could not accept Milena for a long time.
“She’s not my child. Why should I care for her? Why should I pay attention to her? It’s your child, you deal with it!”
Because of this, the Countess suffered long-term depression, and the household fell into silence. Even Miles had absorbed the atmosphere, to the point of resenting his younger sister.
The situation began to change when Milena turned six.
The child who had always been there, barely noticed, finally made her presence known.
“……Countess.”
Hearing the words so clearly, the Countess felt her breath stop. It was the first time Milena had called her that. Milena’s clear eyes seemed to own all the emotions as she spoke again.
“I won’t expect anything from now on. I won’t make your life hard. I won’t want anything, I won’t try to take anything. I won’t even envy Miles. So…”
Could a six-year-old really say something like that?
“Please let me stay only until I’m grown up. I’ll stay quietly like a ghost.”
At that moment, the Countess felt a shock as if she had been struck. She realized who had pushed the child so far—it was herself. She had brought this pain upon Milena.
From then on, things began to change. The Countess started noticing the child’s actions, noticing her presence. She finally realized she had never truly pushed Milena away when she was first held as a baby.
She had to work for a long time to heal the child’s wounded heart.
Finally, she could think they had become a real family.
“……Mother, have you eaten?”
Miles asked with a thin face. He too hadn’t slept or eaten properly. Since Milena’s disappearance, Miles had taken a leave from the knights and spent all his time at sea, trying to find his sister.
“……You must eat something, Mother. Then you can go meet Milena when she comes back.”
Miles’s voice was heavy. His eyes were fixed on the Countess, lying on her bed, turned toward the wall. He sighed deeply.
The Count also was wandering the sea like a madman. Guilt about Milena seemed to wash over him, driving him half-insane.
“……Please eat, Mother. Okay?”
Miles brushed his hand across her unresponsive back. He wished Milena would return soon. He missed that child so much—the one who had always been mature and cheerful. The empty space she left was unbearable.
“……Go back to the palace. Or maybe check the shipping company. Any news? Is naval control still the same?”
The Countess, lying on the bed facing the wall, asked.
“……Yes. Naval control is tightening. They say monsters are migrating south as breeding season approaches.”
“……Milena must be crying at sea. She’s a child who cries inside. She must be terrified. I have to go… I have to go…”
“Mother……”
How many times had Miles stopped her from throwing herself into the sea? Only Milena could end this hell. He gritted his teeth. This afternoon, he had plans to meet Lady Roela, too.
He heard that Lady Roela was also spending money like crazy. Mercenaries were combing the sea, drawn by her wealth.
He planned to visit the townhouse of the Lorencia Dukes with Lady Roela, hoping for any news.
Lorencia Duke House
After the sinking of the Blue Dove, five people from Lorencia died. Those who accompanied the Duke had all returned as corpses, leaving the mansion in a somber mood.
Kaisa Duke’s closest aide, Genemia, greeted the visitors—Lady Roela and young Count Miles. She looked exhausted but could understand why they had come.
They wanted news from the palace.
But Genemia had nothing to tell. The Duke House was in chaos. The Duke had been missing for over a month, and now those seeking power were slowly rising.
Today, Genemia had already used all her energy chasing away Giberta Lorencia, who had tried to declare herself the Duke’s representative. As the Duke’s uncle, Giberta claimed the right, but the family could not be entrusted to such a greedy, indulgent person.
Genemia rubbed her glasses with a tired expression.
After the silence, Roela spoke first.
“……Have you heard anything from the palace about this?”
“No. The palace only worries about the monsters.”
Genemia’s smile was cold.
“It seems they are assuming all the missing people are dead.”
Miles scoffed. The palace’s lukewarm attitude angered them.
“……I see.”
Roela muttered coldly. She slowly looked around Genemia and Miles.
Meanwhile, she had deployed mercenaries for searching and conducted background checks. She concluded that they were trustworthy.
