IBWMD 47

~Chapter 47~

Of course, this wasn’t a permanent solution. The Emperor wouldn’t let the Duke’s bloodline end.

Still, if I could talk to the Duke directly, maybe we could find another way.

Honestly, I was only able to come up with this idea because of Karl.

He’d helped by guessing what the Duke might be thinking and explaining it to me.

I turned to Karl.

“Thanks for your opinion. I think it really helped.”

“……”

“I’ll keep it in mind when I talk to the Duke.”

Just as I said that and looked back at the cold winter lake, Karl quietly stepped closer and held out his hand.

‘He wants my hand?’

Without thinking, I reached out my palm.

“Huh?”

Then Karl placed the snow globe he had been playing with onto my hand.

After that, he wrapped both of his hands around mine, gently closing my fingers over it.

“…What is this?”

“A return gift. For what you gave me.”

‘Gift?’

Wait—did he mean the bear pelt I gave him?

“Because it reminded me of you.”

I looked at the snow globe. Inside the glass was a small sculpture of a girl.

A girl with a squirrel on her shoulder.

‘That looks like me?’

Well, not exactly, but…

“…Still, you’re giving me someone else’s stuff as a gift?”

“Does it matter? You had me process your gift by hand, too.”

“I hunted that myself! This is different… Besides, we can’t just take something like this.”

Karl looked around casually and shrugged.

“We’ll have to clear this place anyway if you’re going to store the blue titanium. So it’s fine.”

Okay, that part made sense.

‘But still, this belonged to the dragon’s partner, right?’

Even if we had to clear the place, wasn’t it wrong to just take it?

‘Are we going to get cursed by the dragon or something?’

What if that dream about being bitten by a snake was a warning?

“…It still feels like stealing.”

I furrowed my brows. Karl reached out and gently brushed between my eyebrows with his fingertip, smiling.

“…Does it really matter? The Duke might steal your life, after all.”

“Hey now, don’t say stuff like that!”

I thought he was joking—but he didn’t reply.

When I looked at him, his eyes were staring into mine like he meant every word.

“……”

He wrapped his hands around mine again, firmly holding them.

“You deserve this.”

“…What?”

“You have every right to receive this much.”

‘Why is he being so serious all of a sudden?’

His words made my hand tingle—and that sensation spread up my arm and into my chest.

I couldn’t help asking,

“…Karl. You know you don’t have to be this nice to me, right?”

“We’ll see.”

“I mean it. You’ve already done enough for me.”

That’s why I gave him the bear pelt in the first place.

I felt guilty receiving so much from him.

Now here I was, getting something else again.

‘It’s not even about the snow globe anymore.’

It was about his eyes. His concern for me.

‘He’s clearly doing this because he cares.’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be looking at me like that.

My chest tingled again, and I mumbled awkwardly,

“Why are you doing all this for me?”

* * *

Kaillen was silent for a moment, just looking at Elaine.

‘Why am I doing this for her?’

Only after hearing her question did he truly realize what he was doing—bringing her all the way here, giving her a gift, like it was nothing.

‘Yeah… why am I?’

Not long ago, he hadn’t been in a great mood.

‘When I saw Elaine enter a teahouse alone with Jeremy’s uncle…’

He knew they weren’t doing anything suspicious, but he still snapped at Jeremy.

And when Elaine looked at him like nothing happened, it annoyed him.

He’d been upset inside, while she didn’t seem affected at all.

…Though that all vanished the moment she touched his forehead.

‘And not only did I calm down because of that…’

He ended up bringing her all the way here just because she asked about a relic.

A place that was supposed to be a closely guarded secret from outsiders.

And now she was asking why he was doing so much for her.

Then, Kaillen remembered something:

“You’re a good person, Karl.”

Her face when she said that—so confidently, without a hint of doubt.

That memory suddenly stirred his heart like a ripple turning into a wave.

Her calling him “Karl”—the name he used as a cover—echoed like a deep bell inside him.

Kaillen slowly opened his mouth.

“…Why I’m doing all this, you ask?”

“Yeah?”

“…Because I remembered something you said to me.”

Elaine looked like she was thinking hard, too. Then, she snapped her fingers.

“Oh, wait. You mean when I said you were my responsibility?”

Right. She had said that.

She said if you reach out a hand to someone, you shouldn’t let go halfway.

She said it with a serious, mature look in her eyes.

And then, with a soft voice, she told him he was a good person.

That moment, Kaillen finally understood why he was doing all this for her.

“You don’t have to take it that far. If that’s why you’re doing this…”

“That’s not the reason.”

“Then what?”

“When you said I was a good person.”

“So what about it?”

It was hard to look away from her round eyes.

“I’ve never once thought that about myself.”

In fact, he often thought the opposite.

He’d killed during purges. Sent soldiers to their deaths.

Failed to protect those left behind under the dragon’s name.

But her light words blew away the creeping guilt.

“You? A good person? That’s surprising,” she joked. “You look like the type who’d brag all day about how amazing you are.”

He let out a small laugh.

“I’m not that full of myself.”

“Hmm.”

She looked at him like she didn’t quite believe him—and that look made it hard not to tease her.

“Though… I am good at almost everything.”

“Ugh, fine. You’re amazing.”

“But not just at good things. I’m good at bad things too.”

“……”

“I’ve killed, ended things… all with these hands.”

He thought that would disappoint her.

But instead she said,

“Well, yeah. That’s what a hunter does.”

Elaine answered like it was obvious.

Like always, without hesitation.

“I get it. But you did it for the territory, right?”

…She said it so simply, not even knowing the full story, yet she hit right at the heart of it.

“If you didn’t stop the monsters, people would’ve been in danger. You were just doing what had to be done.”

“……”

“You did the job someone had to do.”

Her words warmed him, as if she was shining a gentle light on him.

He swallowed hard. His throat moved.

“…That’s why I’m doing this. Because of what you said.”

“Because of me?”

“I only realized it just now.”

I…

“I want to be a good person in front of you.”

The air between them suddenly grew sensitive. Elaine’s eyes widened, and she looked adorably flustered.

“In front of you…”

Kaillen paused, like he was slowly tasting the meaning of his own words.

“I want to be the kind of person you said I was—a better person.”

“……”

“At the very least, I want to seem like that in your eyes.”

Yes. That was it.

That’s why he hadn’t revealed his true identity yet.

‘Because I want to stay like this a little longer.’

Able to joke with her. Able to walk beside her freely.

Because in her eyes, he wanted to be someone easy to be with. Someone good.

…Not the cold, ruthless Grand Duke.

“I want to be that kind of person for you.”

As he finished, Kaillen held her hand tighter.

Looking at her round eyes—now filled with surprise and shining with light—

He thought to himself:

If time allowed, I’d keep looking at her like this… again and again, forever.