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That day was the day I turned the right age to form a contract with a spirit, and it was also the first time I visited the royal palace.
The Spirit Altar at the Royal Palace.
Along the white marble corridor were dark blue flags, and I couldn’t take my eyes off them, overwhelmed with excitement.
The flags had symbols representing each of the spirits.
‘Once I make the contract, will one of those symbols appear on my hand?’
I looked down at my hand, which was still blank, and said to my father with determination.
“Father! I’ll make a contract with a wonderful spirit and come back!”
I was so excited that day. My father, whom I rarely saw even though we lived under the same roof, was going out with me.
Even though his face remained indifferent, I was happy just to be spending time with him.
Once I succeeded in forming a contract with a great spirit, I hoped my father would praise me.
‘Maybe I’m not the daughter he can be proud of, being timid and foolish, but still, once I make a contract, maybe he’ll give me some praise.’
Both of my older brothers had contracts with amazing spirits, and they were my father’s pride.
I may be lacking compared to them, but having a spirit would make me a little better, right?
That was what I was thinking.
But then…
“Father… I’m… I’m sorry.”
I found myself facing an unexpected situation.
The spirit I had chosen, the “Spirit of Wishes,” was one of the most dangerous spirits, and I realized I couldn’t tell anyone the truth about our contract.
According to Wishit, the royal palace secretly seals the contractors who form contracts with spirits classified as “dangerous.” In other words, they would be killed without anyone knowing.
“If you want to live, make sure to tell everyone that you weren’t chosen by any spirit.”
I had nearly been sealed without knowing what was happening, but thanks to Wishit’s warning, I had no choice but to say what was necessary.
“I’m so sorry. I… I wasn’t chosen by any spirit.”
Thanks to Wishit’s help, the contract’s mark didn’t appear on my hand.
My father looked at my hand, which was still blank, for a long time. Then, without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
“F-Father! Wait, let’s go together! Father!”
I ran after him, trying to catch up with him in the long, cold, and empty corridor.
Then I remembered when I tripped.
Even though my knees ached terribly, I gritted my teeth and looked up.
By then, my father was already gone, and I had lost sight of him.
That was a painful and horrible memory.
“I understand how you feel, Father. I could tell from your expression that day. Honestly, I get it. I know I’m not the most amazing daughter to make you proud.”
“…I don’t remember.”
Father frowned and shook his head.
“I don’t remember what my expression was like that day. But I’ve never thought you were a disgrace to our family. Not being able to make a contract with a spirit isn’t a problem.”
“Right.”
My voice, tinged with sarcasm, made Father run his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Don’t you believe me? It’s not your fault you couldn’t make the contract.”
“Yeah, it’s not my fault. There’s nothing I could have done, so I don’t think I was wrong. But…”
“…”
“Couldn’t you have just told me it was okay? To not feel bad about it? That it wasn’t something to apologize for?”
Father hesitated, stiffened, and remained silent.
“…You could’ve said that, right?”
That day, when I failed the contract, as we returned in the carriage without saying a word, I faintly felt that I would never be my father’s proud daughter.
Being timid, foolish, and now without a spirit, I had stained the family name.
“Just thinking about how I cried until my eyes were swollen that day makes me hate my father so much.”
My eyes welled up again, so I quickly turned my head away.
That day’s outing, almost the first father-daughter trip, ended terribly.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I stayed silent with a gloomy expression, and Leonard, too, was lost in his thoughts.
“Thanks for your hard work today.”
As soon as we got home, I went straight inside without saying anything.
Leonard hesitated for a moment, his hand falling uselessly as he slowly headed to his room.
His attendant, Got, followed behind.
“Got.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Was it about six months ago? On Rubet’s birthday. The day we went to the royal palace for her contract?”
“Yes.”
“Were you there that day?”
“Yes, I accompanied you.”
Leonard took off his coat and tossed it to Got before collapsing onto the bed. He raised his arm to cover his eyes and tried to recall the events of that day.
“I can’t forget the look on Father’s face.”
“You looked at me like I was a fool, and then you just left me alone.”
Had it really happened like that? Why?
“Damn it. I’ve been living like a half-wit, drinking and barely keeping my sanity. My memory’s a bit hazy. What happened that day?”
“Well, my lord, there wasn’t anything special, except for Rubet failing her contract with the spirit.”
“Ah.”
Got, who had been quietly thinking, suddenly gasped.
“Was it the time when you assaulted the altar master, Raus, and the royal palace fined you?”
“Ah, right. I did beat that damn old man up.”
Now the memory of that day was slowly coming back to Leonard.
Six months ago, on Rubet’s fifteenth birthday.
As a member of the chosen Diolus family, Rubet, like everyone else, had to form a contract with a spirit.
The place she had to go was the ‘Spirit Altar’ at the royal palace.
As Rubet entered the altar, her face was filled with excitement. Her father, Leonard, and the few altar officials, all dressed in white, followed behind her.
“Father! I’ll make a contract with a great spirit and come back!”
Her face, so much like her mother’s, looked so hopeful and cute.
“Father… I’m… I’m sorry.”
When Rubet returned after opening the altar door, her face was pale.
“I’m really sorry. I… I wasn’t chosen by any spirit.”
Even Leonard, who usually didn’t get flustered, couldn’t help but be shocked.
Among those who possessed the gold eyes, no one had ever failed to make a contract with a spirit.
But now, his one and only daughter was the first person to experience something unprecedented. A member of the chosen bloodline who had not been chosen by a spirit.
At that moment, Leonard was so confused that he couldn’t even comfort his crying daughter.
“This is really shameful.”
The altar master, an old man named Raus, sneered beside Rubet, clearly showing his disdain.
Probably hearing that muttering, Leonard felt his mind go cold, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.
The altar officials, all with wide eyes, were staring at Rubet. Leonard couldn’t stand the situation anymore.
In that small space with only ten or so people, but when she went outside, dozens, maybe hundreds, of mocking gazes would be thrown at his daughter.
“Let me see your hand.”
Rubet, desperately hoping for any sign of the contract, held out her hand. But there was no mark.
It was true that she hadn’t been chosen by a spirit.
“This is the worst. I heard rumors, but I was still worried. And now it’s true.”
Among the murmurs, Raus’s sharp voice cut through the air, piercing Leonard’s ears.
He clenched his fists, frustrated and furious.
Unable to comfort his trembling daughter, Leonard slowly looked around. All eyes were on Rubet, as if they were sizing up a piece of meat.
“Looks like a half-breed came out of the Diolus family.”
Everyone could probably hear that cruel remark. Yet, Raus left the altar with that parting shot, leaving a disgusted look behind.
Leonard, so angry he couldn’t stand it, quickly chased after the old man.
“Father! Wait! Wait! Let’s go together, Father!”
I probably ran after him… but I’m not sure because I didn’t look back.
When I reached the end of the long corridor, I saw Raus standing outside.
“What did you just say to my daughter? Half-breed?”
“Wh-What…? Your Grace!”
Leonard didn’t waste any time and made sure to leave a mark on Raus’s face before finally calming down.
He couldn’t just let go of the assault on the altar master, but the royal palace couldn’t charge the Diolus Duke, so they just slapped him with a small fine a month later.
That was the vague memory Leonard was recalling now.
