BMPEW 38

Chapter 38

“No, young lady!”

“Stop right there!”

“What in the world is going on?”

“She must’ve taken something—someone needs to inform the master.”

“I’ll do it. You, go after her!”

“B-But she’s just a child…”

“If something important disappears, we’ll be in serious trouble! Be careful not to hurt her and go after her!”

The servants murmured among themselves, and soon, three or four of them began to chase after me.

Since they were adults, they quickly closed the distance.

Not that it mattered—I ran only through paths easy for me, and soon I was inside the main residence.

This was a house I had wandered around for over ten years. There’s no way they could catch me easily.

I glanced back at them with a grin and dashed straight toward the central hall where the office was.

“Master! Anku! Lord Abelnut!”

I shouted loudly—

“…!”

But the hall was completely empty.

The adjoining rooms were all dark and firmly shut.

The head of the family, Ankous, even Gordio who always stood guard—none of them were there.

‘What’s going on?’

I froze on the spot, trying to make sense of the situation.

How could this be? Unless there was some kind of event happening in the family…

‘No way—don’t tell me the reason they brought me today was because they knew the main residence would be empty?’

From behind a column, I heard the voices of the pursuing servants talking to the main house staff.

“It seems the young lady unknowingly took something from the annex. Please persuade her gently and bring her back.”

“Oh my, she’s never caused trouble before. What could have happened?”

“We’ll let you know as soon as we find her.”

Those maids wouldn’t protect me.

With all the elders of the house gone, they’d have no choice but to follow Erashinus’s orders.

As the realization that I was alone sank in, my limbs started to tremble.

‘Get a grip. I need to hide the key no matter what!’

I reminded myself and threw myself back into the long chase.

“There she is!”

As soon as I stepped out into the corridor, someone shouted sharply.

That red hair of mine really makes me stand out!

“You still haven’t found her?”

Erashinus arrived at the main residence after being briefed by the servants and questioned them.

“We’re doing our best! She definitely came this way, but she’s faster than we expected…”

“How can you not catch a single child?!”

A servant burst out in frustration, but Erashinus remained calm and pointed down the long corridor.

“To the gallery.”

“Hah… haa…”

I hid behind a large statue, barely catching my breath.

The servants were ridiculously persistent—I’d been running for at least thirty minutes.

Because of that, I’d ended up all the way in a dead-end gallery, but luckily, I gained something unexpected.

‘Because I found this.’

Clutching tightly in my arms was a golden shoulder ornament I’d pried off the nearby statue.

If they caught me empty-handed, they’d tear the place apart trying to find the stolen item.

But if I say I stole this from the annex, they’ll scold me and probably just take me back.

Now I just need to hide the key in the right place.

I couldn’t use the secret passage. Erashinus probably knew about it.

‘Still, I can’t keep carrying this around. I have no choice.’

I removed a few of the heavier keys and hid them inside a hollow at the statue’s base.

I hesitated over the ring key.

‘I should keep this one. If it falls into someone else’s hands, it would be a disaster.’

With the veil now much lighter, I tucked it under my skirt again—but then I heard footsteps from across the gallery.

Step, step.

That slightly uneven rhythm of left and right footsteps.

It was Erashinus.

I went pale and held my breath.

‘Is he really here for me? But how would he know I’m here…?’

I began praying, pleading with my racing heart to calm down.

Please go away. Don’t come this way.

But unfortunately, the footsteps grew so close I could feel their vibrations through the floor.

We were now separated by only the statue.

“Little one,” Erashinus said in a low voice.
“It’s time to come out. Enough troublemaking.”

I couldn’t bring myself to move or respond.

Then, Erashinus circled around the statue and appeared from the shadows.

“U-Uncle…”

He silently looked at the ornament I was clutching tightly.

“So you have sticky fingers after all.”

“I-I’m sorry. It was so pretty, I took it without thinking…”

“But that’s not the real issue right now.”

He rested his arm atop the statue I was hiding behind.

Then—

Click.

The moonstone statue lit up brightly.

I stared at it, stunned.

‘It was made entirely of moonstone…’

And I’d hidden behind it without realizing.

Before I could even berate myself for my stupidity, Erashinus’s sharp gaze pierced through me.

“I thought something was off from the start.”

“…”

“You acted just like a child trained to avoid moonstone. That must mean the people of Pyreon knew about your condition too.”

“I-I…”

“Trembling so badly… There’s no need to be scared.”

Erashinus reached out his hand to me.

“As long as you’re a child of Ignitus, no one will easily cast you aside. But you must come with me so we can uncover more.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say yes or no—I simply stepped backward.

It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t show this kind of understanding to someone who wasn’t truly of Ignitus blood.

Then Erashinus stopped approaching and suddenly released a trace of his power.

At once, smoke began to fill the air.

‘What’s he trying to do?’

I looked around in confusion, but then—

Suddenly the world spun and I grew faint.

“W-What… is this…!”

I staggered and barely managed to slump down against the wall.

It wasn’t ordinary fire.

He had burned herbs that induced unconsciousness.

“Sleep well now.”

With that final word, I lost consciousness.

“Elder, thank you again. I’ll be on my way now.”

“Haha, I hardly did anything. Hurry along to the Mars Temple.”

A young man bowed repeatedly to Plautus.

He was from a distant collateral branch of Ignitus, a child born out of wedlock who had only recently been granted the Ignitus name.

After the warm farewell, the young man turned and walked down the temple stairs.

Only then did Plautus, exhausted, move to sit in the prepared chair—but before he could sit, an unwanted visitor barged in.

It was Erashinus, accompanied by Pauli.

“You lied about this child’s origin.”

He shoved forward the limp, red-haired girl without preamble.

“What nerve did you have, doing this?”

Plautus was shocked but struggled to keep his expression neutral.

There was no doubt to someone like him—who could see the flow of magical energy—that the girl truly carried Ignitus blood.

But it was equally obvious to him that she possessed only the tiniest, most insignificant trace of magical power.

‘I made sure to silence everyone…’

How did Erashinus find out and come here with such fury?

In the end, all Plautus could do was say:

“I didn’t deceive anyone.”

“Hah.”

“I swear it in the name of the goddess.”

Swearing in a god’s name was equivalent to staking one’s life and honor.

The listener had no choice but to believe it.

Erashinus fell into thought.

‘She is indeed of Ignitus blood… but without magic.’

He rapidly assembled all the facts and knowledge and came to a conclusion with astonishing speed.

“…A failure.”