ISDM 04

Chapter 04

The lady secured a nearby inn, unpacked the few belongings, and busily moved about, saying she had errands to run before the temple opened.
“Oh, Lirin. Sleepy, are you? Your eyes are full of drowsiness.”
“Haah… can I just sleep here? I’m so sleepy…” I said, rubbing my cheeks against the tightly tucked bed sheets.
“Hmm, I need to go meet the miller now. I can’t just leave you alone…”
“Kuuwl.”
I pulled the blanket over myself as a last resort and pretended to sleep. The lady shook her head, seemingly resigned.
“Oh dear. My little one who didn’t even sigh on the carriage from taking care of her brother must be exhausted… Can’t be helped. Let’s let your sister sleep well and we’ll go ourselves, Theo.”
“Couple! Boo!”
“Why is my usually well-behaved little rascal acting like this all of a sudden? Ah, you want to go out quickly? Alright, let’s go.”
“Buuu!”

‘That little rascal.’

I squinted slightly. I could see the back of Lady Marsha as she opened the door and left.
‘How did she know I’d sneak out for a bit?’

Over her shoulder, I saw Theo Walt with his cheeks puffed out in a pout. That sulking usually lasts about three hours. I mouthed a small “sorry.”
‘It might be dangerous to bring Theo along…’

Click.

I faintly heard the lady telling the innkeeper to take care of me before her voice disappeared.
“Ugh… then I suppose it’s time to go.”

I counted to a hundred in my head and got up. Peeking slightly outside, the innkeeper seemed preoccupied with the influx of guests.
“Hmm, I really do have a knack for finding my way!”

I successfully slipped out through the back alley behind the inn that I had scouted earlier.
“I think the Winterwald Duchy is this way.”

First, I needed to check on my father’s condition nearby. After that, I would slowly think of a plan.

“Did you hear? Yesterday, the Winterwald prince officially inherited the dukedom!”

At the whispering of people, I stopped walking. I shuffled over pretending to play in the dirt and eavesdropped.

“I heard he was still unwell from the accident, but he seems fine now.”
“Looks like it. Actually, he was supposed to inherit the title five years ago. It just finally happened since he went missing suddenly.”
“Well then, there should be a celebratory parade soon!”

‘Celebratory parade?’

My eyes widened. A scene from a dream, hazy as mist, came to mind.
‘Ah! That line from Kalec in the dream!’

“Mother is dead, ─ is dead, and I even lost ─. How could I not go insane?”

I didn’t know who died exactly, but only one person had been identified so far.
‘Kalec’s mother! So that accident where the previous Winterwald Duke died…’

That would happen…
‘During the celebratory parade!’

No!

It was too sudden! Naturally, I couldn’t just let the former Duke, Elisa Winterwald, die.
‘I absolutely can’t let Dad hold a grudge against the world because of this!’

Hmm, but storming the parade just to prevent the accident seemed… extreme.

“Daddy, peekaboo! I’m out!”
“Where did this wild raccoon come from? Shoo.”
“Kyaang!”

A honeycomb ending… That was the extreme version I imagined.
‘No, no.’

I became frantic. I had to make an excuse to stay near my father before the parade. Only then could I prevent it.
Clearly, a direct approach was the answer.
‘Go straight to the ducal mansion right now!’

Gripping my bag tightly, I ran, but my steps slowed.
‘But… would the doorman believe an eight-year-old’s words… this ring?’

I had made it this far, but honestly, I was skeptical. My father probably even forgot he had given me this ring.
‘There’s a 99.99% chance they’ll think it’s a fake or accuse me of stealing it.’

Wasn’t there a more certain way? Someone who could immediately recognize the ring as genuine… and knew my father didn’t have it…
For example, Dad himself, or a high-ranking member close to the ducal family…
“Haah. What are the chances of someone like that being here?”

Sighing, I banged my forehead lightly against a nearby tree.

“Huh?”

I felt a faint magic from the tree.
“Are you talking to me right now?”

I quickly looked around. The people in the capital were too busy with their own affairs to notice this secluded corner.
I drew a deep breath and focused energy at my fingertips.

Shaaah—

A soft green light radiated, my magic merging with the tree.

It was my ability to communicate with plants. Each plant had a different way of responding. Some screamed so loud it hurt the ears, some sang, and some shyly sent secret messages on leaves. Of course, not all plants could communicate.

“Lirin, the ability to communicate with plants is extremely rare. Don’t show it off carelessly, got it?”

Recalling my father’s voice, I closed my eyes and waited for the tree’s response.

[Hey.]

Hmm, this tree was a bit snobbish—very capital-city-like.
“Yes? What is it?”

[You will die soon.]
“Huh?”

Suddenly?

[So if you want to escape fate, do…]

My face involuntarily scrunched up.
[Do…]

Do… what?!

‘I know this pattern.’

It was the method city hyenas used to swindle naïve people. Lady Marsha had warned that in the capital, one must always beware of strange foreigners from faraway lands.

‘How did it know I came from the countryside?’

I calmly raised both hands in refusal.
“You mean I should trust ‘Do’? No way, I’m not buying it!”

Meanwhile…

“Damn, my head.”

Kalec Winterwald lightly touched his forehead.

In the expansive ducal training grounds, a man in thin training clothes swung his sword coldly and fiercely. Sweeping his silver hair aside revealed streaks of pink.

The ducal physician had said:

“Hmm. It doesn’t appear to be a disease… If his hair has changed color like this, it likely means he was exposed to some form of magic for a long time. You might want to consult the magic tower for details.”

“Ha, forget it. If anyone at the magic tower finds out I lost my memory, it’ll be a problem.”

Swoosh! Clang!

‘Exposed to some power?’

The man continued swinging his sword expressionlessly. Training dummies shattered relentlessly.
‘Does that mean he was held by a high-level magical beast all this time?’

But he remembered nothing. His amnesia was top secret; only the physician and a few close aides knew.

Kalec had many enemies, so it was wise to hide any weaknesses. Besides, he had just become Duke. The new Winterwald master had to be flawless.

‘Feels like just yesterday I rode away from this mansion.’

Now, opening his eyes, he was in his bedroom.

“My lord! Five years have passed!”

‘Five years.’

It felt like I had been dreaming for a very long time.

He flicked his sword aside and habitually fiddled with his earlobe, pausing mid-motion.
“A habit that didn’t exist has formed.”

Actually, this was a habit from wearing magical items that changed his hair and eye color for five years. Of course, he didn’t know because of his amnesia.

“Phew…”

The long-awaited ducal succession was completed safely. Even as the rightful Duke, a corner of his mind felt uneasy.
‘Feels like I’ve forgotten something…’

He felt anxious and uneasy.
‘Surely, I was kidnapped by someone. Summer Rain Duchy? Or maybe the raccoons of Longfall?’

Gnash. His sharp blue eyes glinted.
“I’ll pretend to make a mistake and kill them at the next hunt festival.”
“Please keep such thoughts to yourself… only in your mind…”

At that moment, Kalec’s secretary and adjutant appeared with a pipe.
“Ah, just what I needed.”

Kalec muttered lazily as he smoked a pipe with headache-relieving herbs. Wispy smoke rose into the air.
“Mother’s… no, the previous Duke’s carriage… has it passed the capital gates?”
“Yes. Elisa certainly… as soon as the succession ceremony ended, she rushed out of the mansion. Retirement must suit her well.”

Kalec smiled coldly.
“I thought they’d immediately appoint another successor when I went missing. The impatient old man showed quite a bit of patience.”
“Haha, one can’t control such things. And you must have believed the Duke would return.”

Kalec didn’t reply. His aide kept glancing at his master.

Tall, perfect features, always slightly bored eyes—he radiated authority. Until recently a patient, his thin training clothes clung to his muscular frame, revealing a frightening physique.

‘Five years… he hasn’t neglected training.’

His adjutant noted Kalec’s solid physique.
‘Slightly practical…? Muscles seem built…? Hmm…? Never mind. His aura is even more untouchable.’

Even five years ago, Kalec was intimidating. Now, the presence was on another level.
Thicker facial lines? Maturity in his gaze?
‘Like a ticking time bomb.’

Then:

“Lo-lo-lord Duke!”

A mansion servant ran up.
“What is it? Careless in front of Your Grace.”
“Uh… Lady Elisa is returning to the mansion at incredible speed!”
“My mother? Why?”

Kalec exhaled smoke lazily.
“Well, she apparently picked up a little child along the way…”
“Picked up… what? Sweet potato? Roast it?”
“No, a child.”

Kalec frowned, completely confused.
“Due to a problem with the carriage wheel, she almost ran over the child by the roadside.”
“What? So…”
“Fortunately, people nearby helped, and both Elisa and the child are safe. But, but the important thing is that child…”

The servant hesitated.
“What is it?”
“She… is Your Grace’s lost daughter!”

Clack. The pipe fell from the man’s long hand.
“What the…?”

Kalec furrowed his brow a moment too late.
“Is this some… nonsense?!”

The balloon burst.

“Your Grace…”
“I never had a daughter.”

How can one lose something that never existed?

“Daddyyyy! I’m here!”

Seeing the little child rolling from afar, Kalec Winterwald felt a faint dizziness.