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Episode 11
There’s no finger that doesn’t hurt when bitten, but among them all, his youngest daughter, Maria, was the one that hurt the most.
Born with a weak constitution, Maria was raised by Sion like a precious jewel—protected and cherished above all else.
He raised all his children according to modern standards of hygiene, but with Maria, he was even more meticulous.
Out of an abundance of caution, he kept her from going out until she became an adult; and on the rare occasions she did go out, she wore a cotton veil modeled after a modern mask to cover the area below her eyes, and she was made to wash her hands with precious soap every hour.
Whether because of these precautions or by good fortune, Maria often caught minor illnesses but never contracted anything serious.
But perhaps because she’d been raised like a bird in a gilded cage, on the day she came of age, Maria declared that she wanted to study abroad in the capital of the Kingdom of Obla.
For a woman to study abroad—not just any woman, but the daughter of a great noble like Sion—was unheard of in this world.
Naturally, Sion opposed the idea. Having spent almost her entire life inside the castle, Maria yearned for freedom more than anything. But it seemed her wish would remain nothing more than a dream.
A year passed, and the issue seemed to fade away as a brief disturbance of the past.
However, the girl had not forgotten her dream.
On her next birthday, she secretly sent a letter to someone in the capital through a merchant caravan that had long traded with the ducal house. A few months later, the reply she received ensured her wish would come true.
The person Maria had written to was someone Sion—hero of the Dragon War and a duke—could not easily refuse.
Maria had sent her letter to the King of Obla, her uncle—her mother’s elder brother and Sion’s close friend.
Among Sion’s children, Maria was the only one who had a godfather outside the duchy—the King of Obla himself. Since her childhood, the king had adored his niece deeply and agreed to her request.
He offered to let her stay at a royal townhouse in the capital, under the protection and care of people from the royal palace. There was no way Sion could refuse a request from his closest friend and brother-in-law.
Well—at first, he did politely refuse.
But somehow, news of Maria’s wish spread to the capital and the royal palace, turning her dream into a political matter.
The nobles at the heart of the royal court had learned of Maria’s desire to go to the capital.
These nobles, who were close to the royal family but also wary of Sion’s powerful duchy—which was practically a semi-independent state—enthusiastically supported her journey.
After all, a direct heir of the Duke of Sion was coming to the capital of her own accord—a perfect “hostage” situation.
In the end, Maria’s desire to escape the cage led her straight into another cage: the capital and the royal palace.
Once the matter had grown to this scale, Sion had no way to stop her.
Publicly opposing the king’s decision would damage his reputation and insult his friend. Continuing to refuse would only increase the nobles’ suspicion and political maneuvering.
Ultimately, Sion would have to go to the royal palace to explain himself—but if they saw him, unchanged and unaged after decades, chaos would erupt.
So he had no choice but to allow Maria to go.
However, after all the uproar and trouble, Maria lasted less than a year in the capital.
She eloped with a knight cadet named Adrian Kilburn Rittner.
“Because of what you said, my son was badly injured. His shinbone broke. As a result, his apprenticeship under Master Lycas was canceled. I had to personally apologize to Master Lycas for not managing my son properly. Do you really think 100,000 dien can make up for my son’s shinbone and my apology?”
Baron Kilburn spoke with a stubborn but calm expression. Seeing the man whose son had eloped with his youngest daughter, Sion’s eyes became complicated.
“A-ah, well, even so—”
Administrator Schwart, who had been diligently defending Sion’s position, faltered.
Lycas was a renowned knight and swordmaster famous throughout the Kingdom of Obla.
Whatever the circumstances, Schwart found himself pressured by the name value of a Swordmaster and glanced nervously at Sion.
Baron Kilburn, who appeared to be around fifty, turned his gaze to Sion as well.
Huh?
The moment their eyes met, Baron Kilburn felt something odd.
This young man, a royal relative who looked barely old enough to be his son, was… strange.
He wasn’t angry or frightened, which should have been the usual reactions. Instead, his eyes held a kind of wistful nostalgia, almost as if he was remembering something.
Feeling slightly offended, the baron spoke more firmly.
“Sir Seilun, was it? I’d like to hear your opinion directly. Do you also think I’m being unreasonable?”
Though young, Seilun (Sion’s alias) was still a member of the royal family, so the baron addressed him with courtesy. But his tone was subtly intimidating.
I don’t care if this breaks down into a fight. I’ll just cut that damned horse’s throat and forget about the money and compensation.
The baron even seemed to prefer that outcome. He stared Sion down, urging an answer.
“I wouldn’t say it’s entirely unreasonable. So I’ll comply with your wishes, Baron.”
“…What?”
“Huh?”
Both the baron and Administrator Schwart were taken aback by the unexpected answer.
“And since my words caused injury to your son, I apologize as the one responsible.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing a direct apology from a proud member of the royal family left Baron Kilburn a bit confused.
But Sion had already erased the strange expression from earlier and now spoke calmly.
“And I’ll pay the compensation immediately, but first, I’d like to inspect both horses.”
“…Very well.”
The baron nodded and gave orders to his subordinates.
The tense faces of the local nobles and officials in the reception room relaxed.
Even if it was a minor incident, it could have escalated into a conflict with royalty, so it was a relief things were resolved smoothly.
“Regarding punishment for the culprit, please coordinate with Administrator Burgos.”
“Agreed. Then…”
Having done all he came to do, the baron began to leave despite some lingering displeasure.
Just then, Sion stopped him.
“One more question, if I may?”
“What is it?”
The baron’s face hardened—was he trying to pick a fight after all?
“Pardon my curiosity, but what is your relation to Sir Adrian Kilburn Rittner?”
With a stiff face, the baron replied heavily.
“He was my father.”
“…!”
Sion flinched in surprise, puzzling the baron.
Why would this young royal relative react like that to someone who’d died decades ago?
Ah… is it because of that incident?
His father had once been a famous man in Obla—though only briefly. By the time the baron was old enough to understand the world, his father’s fame had faded.
It would actually be strange for someone in their mid-20s to know anything about him.
“I see… then never mind. I asked a foolish question. Good day.”
Sion bowed slightly and turned away.
The baron watched him leave with a peculiar feeling but dismissed it as nothing more than odd behavior.
He didn’t see the wistful longing on Sion’s face as he walked away.
“Um, are you all right, Sir Seilun?”
Administrator Schwart carefully approached Sion as they left the reception room.
The administrator, dealing with this massive investor, couldn’t help but tread carefully upon seeing Sion’s troubled expression.
“Hm? Ah, I’m fine. I was just thinking of someone else for a moment.”
“I see. But I didn’t expect you to pay the full compensation. If I’d had more time, I might’ve worked something out.”
That was basically impossible, but the administrator said it anyway.
“Of course, I trust you. But why take the hard road when there’s an easy one? The amount was reasonable, and besides, Logos territory borders Burgos. It’s better not to create unnecessary tension with neighbors when I’m making long-term investments.”
“Indeed, very true.”
Hearing this, Schwart relaxed completely, reassured of the investor’s intentions.
“By the way, I found out who bought your horse. It’s the baron’s youngest son—the only one with real talent for swordsmanship, destined to become a knight.”
“The youngest son, huh…”
Sion muttered quietly as he walked.
So, the youngest son of my youngest daughter’s elopement… bought my horse. The world really is small.
The current Baron Kilburn was indeed Maria and Adrian’s son.
Sion had met him only once—as a baby. Among his many grandchildren, Baron Kilburn was the only one he’d ever met just that single time.
Fate really works in strange ways, Maria…
A faint, bittersweet smile formed on Sion’s lips as he remembered his beloved daughter, now long gone.
But sensing the administrator’s wary glances, he quickly erased the expression.
“Administrator, do you know how Baron Kilburn became the Lord of Logos?”
“Eh? Oh, yes. I don’t know all the details, but the previous lord of Logos had no children, so he adopted several relatives as heirs. The current baron was one of them and eventually inherited the title.”
“I see.”
It seemed he was unlike his rash, short-sighted father—probably thanks to his mother.
Of course. He takes after Maria, after all.
Though he looked too much like Adrian for Sion’s liking, the boy had clearly inherited Maria’s intelligence and temperament.
Satisfied with his impression of his grandson, Sion had chosen to settle things peacefully with compensation and apology.
Wait…
A thought flashed across Sion’s mind, and his eyes narrowed.
If this goes well…
“Eh?”
Schwart’s startled reaction made Sion look up.
“What now… oh!?”
The servants leading them suddenly froze in panic.
Thundering hoofbeats echoed across the courtyard.
A black stallion burst from a nearby building, galloping straight toward them like a beast possessed.
“Waaah!”
“Get out of the way!”
People scattered in fear as the massive animal charged.
But Sion didn’t move an inch.
“Sir Seilun!”
Schwart, the fastest to flee, screamed as he imagined the impending disaster—
—Only for the black stallion to screech to a halt right before Sion.
Neighing wildly, the horse lifted its front legs high, then began rubbing its head and neck against Sion like a dog greeting its owner, even licking him affectionately.
“You rascal, Blackie. Been doing well, have you?”
Sion smiled warmly, accepting the stallion’s display of affection.
Everyone watching—the administrator, the servants, and the nobles—stared in shock.
The castle servants even pointed and gaped, their faces frozen in disbelief.
Unbothered, Sion roughly patted the horse’s mane and neck, inspecting its body.
“Well, look at you. You’ve gotten fat. Been living the easy life, huh?”
The stallion flinched and tried to avoid Sion’s gaze with an almost guilty look.
“Never mind, we’ll work that off later. But where’s Browny?”
Neighhh!
Just as the horse began to gesture, a loud voice rang out.
“What the hell!? Stormbringer! What are you doing!?”
Sion turned toward the voice.
A young man, not yet twenty, stood there staring in shock.
“…!”
Sion’s eyes widened.
The youth’s expression, which emerged when surprised or angry, was exactly the same as Maria’s.
(To be continued…)
