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chapter 05
“Ugh…”
What in the world was going on?
Boys who were at least two heads taller than him were actually terrified of that tiny little girl.
Vincent quietly observed the situation, utterly bewildered. When she’d first reappeared, instinctive fear had frozen him in place. But now that he knew she had no intention of hurting him, the tension slowly drained from his body.
“Then you deserve to be punished.”
“…Boss, let’s run.”
One of the boys muttered as he cautiously stepped backward.
Watching his terrified followers, the gang leader ground his teeth.
She had appeared out of nowhere one day and started wiping out every gang of delinquents she came across.
At first glance, she looked like an unusually quiet little girl.
A child with curly red hair tied into twin ponytails and bright green eyes. She was so small that it made people wonder if she could even walk properly.
Yet everything about the way she acted completely contradicted her appearance.
Especially those tiny clenched fists.
Whenever one of those little fists shot through the air, a tremendous blast of wind followed.
The gang leader had already witnessed her punch holes through several building walls. After seeing that, he hadn’t even dared look for an opening to attack.
“Three… two…”
The little girl’s adorable voice echoed through the alley.
“Ha…!”
Just as she was about to count the final number, the leader hurriedly shouted,
“H-Hey! We’re leaving! Come on, let’s go!”
The three boys vanished from the alley in an instant.
Even while fleeing, they glared at Vincent. But the moment their eyes met Adele’s, they immediately lowered their gazes and ran even faster.
Soon, only Adele and Vincent remained in the dark alley.
Vincent looked at Adele with sparkling eyes, as though she were a hero who had just defeated a group of villains.
Admiration.
Curiosity.
And pure amazement that a little girl could possibly be this strong.
Ignoring his gaze as best she could, Adele asked,
“Why are you here by yourself?”
“I came looking for you.”
“…Me?”
Why would Vincent ever look for her?
If he’d come for revenge, she would have gladly accepted the challenge.
But judging by his expression, that clearly wasn’t why he was here.
“Why?”
Vincent couldn’t answer immediately.
It seemed he didn’t even know the reason himself.
‘Is it because he hasn’t met the heroine yet? …His personality is pretty different from the Vincent I knew.’
The Vincent Adele had known barely showed any emotion.
He was taciturn, cold, and rarely spoke.
A perpetual shadow hung over his face, giving him a gloomy, lifeless air.
…Except when he was with Queen Laila.
Even then, Adele had only ever seen him from a distance while serving as the Queen’s escort whenever she secretly met with him.
‘Ah… except right before I died.’
When Queen Laila ordered her to kill Vincent with her sword…
His expression had completely shattered.
Even in that moment, Adele had found the sight of him crying strangely beautiful.
So a person can cry like that…
His reddened eyes.
His trembling lips.
They stirred an almost instinctive urge to protect him.
For a fleeting moment, even Adele had pitied the man who looked as though he carried all the despair in the world upon his shoulders.
Despite Adele’s hesitation…
Queen Laila had remained merciless.
No…
Perhaps “merciless” wasn’t the right word.
‘Vincent committed unforgivable crimes.’
She could spend three months and ten nights listing them all and still not finish.
To name only the greatest of them—
While attending the Academy, he assaulted the Crown Prince. After being suspended, he massacred members of his own family.
Later, he defected to an enemy nation and led its invasion of the kingdom.
He even seized the enemy nation’s throne before launching a surprise assault with an army of powerful mages at his command.
Countless people had died because of him.
Adele knew nothing about the emotional rift that had existed between King Lohaide, Queen Laila, and Vincent.
Everyone knew the three had attended the same Academy during their youth.
But the rumors surrounding them were so numerous and contradictory that none could be trusted.
She wanted to know.
How had this child ended up becoming that man?
‘If only I’d spent more time examining those glass marbles…’
“Why are you so strong?”
The current Vincent was no different from any ordinary child.
He couldn’t possibly imagine the future waiting for him.
“That’s… a secret.”
Adele answered absentmindedly, leaning against the wall.
She was exhausted after everything that had happened over the past several days.
‘What am I supposed to do now?’
When she’d first entered the glass marble, she’d assumed she’d be able to leave soon enough.
She only realized something was wrong after nightfall.
No matter how much time passed, she never returned to where she’d originally been.
She searched every corner of the city, but the glass marble had completely disappeared.
And…
The future had truly changed.
Vincent’s personal maid—the one who had originally lost an eye—had been spared that tragic accident because Adele had intervened.
“Can I become strong too?”
“I have someone I need to punish.”
Ignoring Adele’s indifferent attitude, Vincent continued clinging to her.
Those bright, innocent eyes made her head throb.
So it wasn’t a dream.
Nor an illusion.
One day, those same eyes would become dull like those of a dead fish after adolescence…
Filled with nothing but anger.
‘Then he’ll become a traitor… and die by my hand all over again.’
The thought of reliving that future left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She didn’t want to witness such a tragic ending again.
Adele silently studied the boy standing nervously beside her.
The moment Vincent realized she was finally paying attention to him, his face lit up with a radiant smile.
A smile so pure that it looked nothing like the face of a future villain.
‘…Could I protect that smile?’
“What are you thinking about?”
“This and that.”
Adele answered carelessly.
To Vincent, however, it sounded incredibly mature.
She looked younger than he was, yet spoke like an adult.
It was unbelievably cool.
He excitedly puffed out hot breaths through his nose, unable to contain his admiration.
Meanwhile, Adele withdrew her gaze and quietly organized her thoughts.
The incident involving the maid—the beginning of his descent into evil—had already been prevented.
That alone should drastically reduce the chances of him walking the same dark path.
“Hm… Maybe I should raise him.”
“Huh?”
Seeing Vincent hanging on every word she spoke, Adele simply shook her head.
Even if that tragedy had been avoided, there was still another turning point.
When he entered the Academy and met Laila…
His jealousy could still lead him astray.
Parenting is way too difficult.
Adele had never raised a child in either of her lives.
Could she really change the future where Vincent fell in love with Lady Laila Camel at first sight… and beat her fiancé half to death?
There was only one way to find out.
“You.”
“Hm? Just say the word!”
“If the person you liked… loved someone else… what would you do?”
Vincent tilted his head thoughtfully.
He seemed to be genuinely considering the question.
“Mmm… I’d steal them away?”
Wrong.
This kid is hopeless to the bone.
Adele shook her head in utter despair.
Watching her reaction, Vincent’s cheerful expression quickly crumbled.
“Why?”
“You’re not supposed to do that.”
“…Huh?”
“If you truly like someone… you should wish for their happiness.”
Vincent looked utterly confused.
At that point, Adele wanted to give up.
Whether war broke out…
Whether Vincent died…
Maybe she should just mind her own business and live her own life.
As she seriously contemplated that idea, Vincent repeated the same question.
“Why?”
Why should you wish for the happiness of the person you love?
Wasn’t that obvious?
The fact that she had to explain something so natural felt almost depressing.
Unable to think of a proper answer, Adele replied vaguely.
“…Because that’s what makes someone cool.”
The instant she said those words…
Vincent’s clear gray eyes sparkled once more.
“Then I’ll do that!”
“What?”
“You said that’s what cool people do.”
“So I’ll do it.”
His shining eyes looked unexpectedly adorable.
The Vincent of childhood was nothing like the man she remembered.
A small laugh escaped Adele.
So this is what the other knights meant by awakening someone’s protective instincts…
Maybe…
Just maybe…
He wasn’t beyond saving yet.
And from what she’d witnessed during the war, Vincent possessed extraordinary talent with the sword.
A healthy body nurtures a healthy mind.
It was a saying the knights repeated all the time.
If this little brat found the right teacher…
He wouldn’t grow into that gloomy swordsman.
Of course…
By “the right teacher,”
Adele meant herself.
Her goal—
To raise a kind-hearted swordsman who could still smile brightly even after growing up.
“Good.”
“I’ve decided.”
“Decided what?”
Still leaning casually against the wall, Adele turned toward Vincent once more.
Her eyes settled on his soft, squishy cheeks.
With a faint smile, she reached out and gently pinched one.
“I’m taking you in as my subordinate.”
If he grew into a calm, principled swordsman with a strong sense of morality…
Then even when he met the heroine, he’d be able to keep his emotions under control.
After all…
What was love, really?
Now that she’d made up her mind…
It was time to begin Vincent’s rehabilitation.
