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Chapter 37
While planning and attempting this outing, a thought came to me.
“Escaping might be easier than I thought?”
It was a little anticlimactic.
Of course, if that were the case, a more pressing question would naturally arise.
“Then why aren’t we escaping right now?”
After all, we had left the villa without being noticed, and I, Edmund, Willes, and the nanny were all together.
Wouldn’t it be fine to just disappear like this?
Even if we were pursued, wouldn’t it make sense to get away first?
I had my own reasons for not doing so until now.
But seeing Edmund smiling freely in the open air, that question naturally popped into my mind.
“Do you want to run away now?”
“…What?”
Edmund’s red eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s.
His pale cheeks flushed pink.
And, for some reason, Edmund stammered as he asked back:
“R-Run away?”
“Yes. In fact, we could just run straight to your maternal family’s place.”
Only then did Edmund’s expression grow serious.
He looked briefly toward the Cohen family villa we had left together.
That was the place where he was born and raised.
The house filled with seven years of memories with his parents, and at the same time, the place where just as many nightmares had occurred.
“If Edmund escapes, the Duke of Cohen will be furious and destroy the villa, and the family seal will be destroyed along with it.”
It was said that such magical precautions were prepared to guard against intruders.
That’s why, in the original story, although Edmund had to endure terrible sacrifices, it was fortunate that he escaped after finding the seal.
“But would the current Edmund think the same?”
Even so, was it better to let the child return to a place where abuse awaited him?
I couldn’t help but question it.
That was why I asked him whether he wanted to escape right now.
In truth, I thought I already knew Edmund’s answer.
Because of that, I didn’t tell him that if he escaped now, the Duke would destroy the villa.
“That would limit his choices.”
I wanted Edmund to think solely for himself and make a decision for his own sake.
“After all, he’s a child who has already endured half as much suffering as his age.”
“……”
Edmund stared at the villa silently for a long while, then looked at the peaceful surroundings.
This was the largest city near the villa. People bustled about energetically.
He seemed to be weighing the ordinary, peaceful present against the perilous situation at the villa.
I remained silent, giving no advice or prompting, simply waiting for his answer.
“This choice must be made entirely by Edmund’s own will.”
After a long while, Edmund spoke.
“Someday… no, soon, I’ll escape. But… not right now.”
“……”
“I have something I need to find first. Something very important.”
“……”
“…It’s my father’s heirloom.”
Even though I knew what it was, I couldn’t show that I did.
But I hadn’t expected Edmund to tell me so directly.
So I widened my eyes and stared at him.
Edmund scratched his cheek awkwardly and asked:
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, I just didn’t expect you to be so honest.”
To be precise, it was more like I was moved because I hadn’t expected him to trust me that much.
Anyway, since he had opened up, I asked him about the ‘heirloom’ in detail.
This time, Edmund gave me approximate information without resistance:
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A signet ring set with a red gemstone
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An heirloom passed down in the Cohen family
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A magical item, likely hidden with magic
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Inside the villa
If you add ‘located in the library,’ it matches exactly the information I had gathered from the original story.
While the information itself wasn’t particularly valuable to me, being able to discuss it openly with Edmund was a huge plus.
I then asked him a question I had wondered about when reading the original story.
“But couldn’t you find it later, even after returning?”
I was curious.
In the original story, the villa is destroyed after Edmund escapes.
But at the time, he wouldn’t have known that.
So why did he endure hellish conditions, risking his life, and only escape after obtaining the seal?
A shadow crossed over Edmund’s still young but distinct features.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally answered.
“…I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I don’t know when I can return, or if I can really come back and reclaim the duke’s position.”
It was an answer that made my heart sink.
He couldn’t be sure he would survive after escaping, so he didn’t have the confidence.
“I can’t let someone else hold my father’s heirloom. Especially if it’s my uncle.”
The child gritted his teeth.
His tightly clenched fists tensed.
He looked so lonely and in pain that I reached out and gently stroked his head.
“W-What are you doing?”
His face turned red again.
One thing was clear: his flushed face wasn’t from anger, as often happened.
It was because he was happy, but embarrassed to show it.
I smiled brightly and rubbed over the flat hat covering Edmund’s silver hair.
“Don’t worry.”
“Hmm?”
“You can do it. You’ll reclaim both your parents’ heirloom and the duke’s position, and return proudly.”
Even without me, Edmund had done it.
Even after losing everyone precious to him and being left in tatters, he had done it all on his own.
“Of course, the misfortune and tragedy afterward… won’t happen this time!”
Knowing that gave me confidence to speak.
At the same time, I had another certainty.
“Even if I didn’t know Edmund’s future, I’d still say the same thing now.”
Because that was the Edmund I had seen until now.
For a long while, the child didn’t shy away from my touch and stayed quietly.
As I had requested, while the nanny and Willes went to the pawnshop and exchange office, all the while.
“Hmm? Why is your face so red, young master?”
Willes asked with a blank expression.
He spoke quietly so no one nearby could hear, and as I had instructed, he avoided using the term ‘young duke.’
“Miss. I exchanged the silver for coins and small change here.”
“Thanks. Good job.”
The nanny tilted her head.
“Why do you need to exchange money like this just to buy some things? They haven’t even been owned for long.”
“There’s a reason.”
What I had asked the nanny and Willes to handle were precious metals purchased under my name.
I had chosen ordinary designs so they couldn’t be traced, and this time I had only changed them slightly, so there was almost no risk of being discovered.
“Almost all of them are like unmarked silver rings.”
Taking the heavy coin purse, I grabbed Edmund’s hand and exclaimed:
“Alright! Let’s have fun today! It’s Eddy’s birthday!”
“E-E-Eddy?!”
Edmund’s voice cracked into a high-pitched squeak.
“So he already knows ‘Eddy’ is a nickname.”
His face turned bright red again.
Worried he might get angry, I whispered softly.
“We can’t use our real names here, so I’ll just use a common one.”
“Th-Then, you…?”
‘Kasiah’ isn’t my real name. I didn’t particularly like being called that as a nickname either.
That’s why, without thinking, I said:
“Call me Haena.”
“Haena?”
The name that passed through Edmund’s lips sounded so foreign.
It was my real name.
