Chapter 09
Roberic placed my grandfather and me into a carriage.
“We can’t stay here any longer, so we’ll have to go somewhere else.”
Roberic said with a smile.
“……”
The carriage door closed.
Roberic mounted his horse, leaving only my grandfather and me inside the carriage.
“……”
What should I say first?
Unable to find the right words in this miserable situation, I just clutched at my collar.
“……Grandfather.”
But.
Clenching my fist tightly, I spoke.
I couldn’t remain silent like this. I had to at least explain, even if not everything, why I chose to follow Roberic.
“……Edith.”
However.
“Say nothing.”
My grandfather refused.
“……Grandfather?”
I stared at him blankly.
I was about to ask why, but the moment I saw his profile illuminated by the carriage lamp, my words caught in my throat.
“……”
A face shrouded in an impenetrable, distant wall that rejected all conversation.
I bit my lip, unable to say anything.
Something indescribable rose from deep within my chest, as if choking off my breath.
I felt like I was suffocating.
“Your Grace, Duke Hailian! It is an immeasurable honor for the Duke of Light to visit this humble frontier city!”
The man called the city mayor kept bowing deeply toward Roberic as he shouted.
“I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be staying at the residence for a few days.”
“Please, make yourself comfortable. We will serve you with utmost sincerity. Ah, but… the young lady standing beside you, who might she be…?”
A vague gaze turned toward me.
“Ah.”
Roberic let out a small sigh before answering.
“My daughter.”
“……Pardon?”
The mayor, mouth agape as if buffering, suddenly exclaimed as if he had realized something.
“Ah, then this must be the famous Lady Alea, the Grand Duchess!”
“……”
He got it completely wrong.
I didn’t bother hiding my cold expression.
The knights around us also looked equally flustered.
“She is not Alea.”
Roberic said with a faint smile.
“Pardon?”
The mayor blinked.
“She is my real daughter, not yet publicly acknowledged.”
Leaving the shocked mayor behind, Roberic reached out and gently patted my head.
“We’ve wasted time on trivial talk. The child must be tired, so prepare a place for us to stay.”
“……Y-Yes!”
The mayor hurriedly called for the maids.
“Let’s go, Edith.”
Roberic held out his hand to me.
“……”
But instead of taking it, I turned around to look at my grandfather.
However, he wasn’t looking at me.
“Edith.”
Roberic called again.
“……”
Feeling as though I might burst into tears at any moment, I forced my feet to move.
Until I was guided by the maids of the residence, bathed, ate dinner, and was about to go to bed—
“……Grandfather.”
My grandfather never came to see me.
“……Why?”
Was he so angry because I said I would follow Roberic?
…But if I hadn’t, Roberic would never have backed down.
From the start, it was no different than him taking my grandfather hostage to threaten me.
“Ha…”
Letting out a deep sigh, I turned over.
For the past seven years, Shastya and Alea had ruled over the ducal estate.
The people of the estate would never look kindly upon me, someone who went against the master they served.
Shastya was firmly established as a kind woman who had been wronged, while Mariette was branded as a vicious woman who had persecuted her.
Overturning that narrative and breaking free from it would be difficult.
Would I be able to manage?
On my own.
“Now I don’t even have Grandfather…”
Roberic wouldn’t take my grandfather to the ducal estate.
And my grandfather wouldn’t agree to go anyway.
“……Will I still be able to see him if I go to the ducal estate?”
Would Roberic even allow that?
“……”
Nothing was certain.
To forget my distress, I closed my eyes. Curling up under the blanket, I desperately sought warmth.
The place where Edith Ronen Bastevan stayed was a detached building connected to the main residence by a small corridor.
A few knights from the ducal estate stood guard nearby, but most of the forces were stationed outside, so there wasn’t much to worry about.
Or so Perion thought.
Behind him, the man who had orchestrated the arson in the village last time emerged from the darkness of the bushes.
“I will withdraw the knights for a short while. Enter then and finish it.”
Perion spoke quietly.
“Understood.”
Tonight, this long, hateful connection would finally come to an end.
Perion slowly closed his eyes.
As if trying to turn away from all the sins he had committed—or was about to commit.
While Perion led the knights away, his subordinate quietly entered the detached building.
There had to be water spirit users in the city.
To prevent a swift extinguishing, the fire needed to start from within, as inconspicuously as possible.
Click—
Opening the door to the innermost room, he saw a child sleeping soundly.
Closing the door again, the man murmured softly.
“[Ifrit].”
Whoosh—
The fire spirit that blessed him appeared, radiating bright light.
Taking the form of a young man with blazing hair, the spirit grinned savagely.
“Burn this building.”
The moment the quiet command was given—
A bright crimson spark leapt onto the door of the room where Edith slept.
Crackle, crackle.
The sound of something burning echoed repeatedly.
Even in my sleep, I found it strange.
It was spring, when flowers were in full bloom, and the fireplace hadn’t been lit.
…Grandfather would take care of it, wouldn’t he. Why worry?
Thinking that, I closed my eyes again just as I was about to open them.
As I sank deeper into sleep, my heart began pounding loudly.
…Wait, I’m not at home right now.
After saying I would follow Roberic, I had fallen asleep in a room at the Terma City residence.
Then what was this heat I was feeling?
Just as I sensed something was wrong again, I realized—
I couldn’t breathe.
Frowning, I struggled to move.
But the acrid air flooding my nose was impossible to inhale.
Unable even to open my eyes due to the heat, I writhed.
At that moment—
Saaa—
The suffocating heat and smoke vanished in an instant.
Instead, cool and gentle air wrapped around me.
[Edith, wake up.]
And then, I heard a voice.
The moment I heard it, an inexplicable sense of longing washed over me… a beautiful, warm voice.
“……Gasp!”
I finally opened my eyes.
[You’ve finally awakened.]
The owner of the voice, sitting beside me and looking down, smiled gently.
Her pure white hair shimmered like starlight, flowing behind her.
Over a peplos-like garment reminiscent of ancient times, strips of red, blue, and green fabric were draped elegantly.
Her softly curved eyes were black—but not darkness.
They held the light of countless stars, shining brilliantly like the universe itself.
“Who…?”
Despite the flames filling the room, I stared blankly at the unknown figure.
The elegant and beautiful woman answered in a graceful voice.
[I am the mother of all life, the one who has bestowed upon you the greatest blessings.]
Her gaze, carrying the weight of endless ages, settled upon my eyes.
And then, her declaration rang out.
[I am Illypia, the Spirit King of Life.]
…What?
I gaped in shock.
“……Illypia?”
‘In the beginning, this universe was filled with endless darkness. Then one day, by a mysterious providence unknown to us, Illypia of Life was born within that darkness, and after her came Death.’
The Illypia from the story my grandfather used to tell?
…Why are you appearing here?
Waking up to a room engulfed in flames was already absurd enough—now a Spirit King from legends had appeared.
Unable to grasp the situation at all, I could only move my lips soundlessly.
[I understand your confusion. You have lived as an ordinary human until now, so of course this is shocking.]
She smiled gracefully, as if understanding me.
Then she reached out and gently touched my cheek.
Though it was our first meeting, her touch was filled with deep affection I couldn’t comprehend.
[But Edith, now is not the time to be confused. Look around you.]
Though overwhelmed, I followed her words and looked around.
Perhaps thanks to Illypia, breathing was no longer difficult, but beyond the collapsed doorway, the fluorescent flames were far from ordinary.
“What is this…?”
There had been knights from the ducal estate standing guard outside.
And the maids had been in the building as well.
“There’s no way…”
They wouldn’t have just stood by while things got this bad.
And the people outside too—
[Those outside cannot see this fire. Not yet.]
At Illypia’s words, I snapped my head up.
Meeting my gaze, she added,
[The fire has been confined to the interior of this building. Such precise control would be impossible for an ordinary flame. That means it was caused using a spirit.]
…Since I’ve never made enemies with spirits, there’s only one answer.
[Someone summoned a spirit and deliberately started this fire.]
Assassination.
