Chapter 04
After receiving treatment—not quite treatment—from Lisa,
she stepped out for a moment to assess the situation and then returned.
This time, she was holding food.
It was far more carefully prepared than anything I usually ate.
“To commemorate the Day of Mercy, the children gathered from the streets are eating the same meal. His Grace personally gave the order.”
“Really? That’s such a relief.”
I giggled as if I knew nothing.
It seemed they had thoroughly combed through the donation ledger the Temple had collected.
‘Since the number of sponsored children is enormous, at least the first digit of the total funds must have changed.’
One objective achieved. In a good mood, I spooned up the soup.
But for some reason, Lisa’s expression was not bright.
When I tilted my head, she spoke with a heavy look on her face.
“I’m sorry, my lady.”
“Hm? What are you sorry for?”
“I should have stepped forward first, as the adult, before you did…”
She must have been thinking about how I had explained everything in front of the priests.
Even the nobles hadn’t been able to hide their discomfort. It must have been far worse for Lisa.
“No, Lisa. Don’t.”
“…Pardon?”
I answered firmly as she blinked at me.
“You don’t have to step in for me.”
After Lisa died, I realized one thing.
There is nothing sadder than losing someone precious.
And I never wanted to experience that sorrow again. Once was enough to tear my heart apart.
Of course, I couldn’t say that aloud, so I forced a bright tone.
“Besides, His Grace punished him, didn’t he? Bert was scolded terribly by the Duke. He won’t be able to bully me anymore. Right?”
It was complete nonsense.
Not only had he lost money, but he had been humiliated in front of nobles. If anything, his mistreatment of me would only grow worse.
Lisa must have known that too.
“…Yes. It will be so.”
She smiled with effort.
She was simply agreeing so that I wouldn’t be hurt.
Lisa truly was a kind person.
‘But Lisa, it will turn out that way.’
Because I will make it so.
Clenching my fist, I lightly bit into the bread—the very bread I had used to teach Bert about justice—like a victorious athlete biting a medal.
“Ow!”
“M-My lady! Are you alright?”
Of course, the fact that it was so hard my tooth nearly cracked was a secret known only to Lisa and me.
That night.
When everyone had fallen asleep, I quietly slipped out of my room.
I headed for the Agnito library.
There was something I needed to confirm.
Perhaps because it was the Day of Mercy, the servants had left early. The library door opened easily.
‘It should be somewhere around here… ngh!’
At a height I could barely reach, I found what I was looking for.
It was the historical record of the Four Great Ducal Houses, documenting the successive heads of House Agnito and their direct family members.
The current Empire was protected by four ducal houses, each possessing unique abilities, centered around the Imperial Family.
To the east—Spring’s Agnito, who could hear the voice of God.
To the south—Summer’s Helaira, who wielded the power of wind.
To the west—Autumn’s Lustig, who commanded the power of earth.
These three families possessed “divine abilities” granted by God.
In contrast, there was one family that wielded not divine ability but the power of darkness—Winter’s Stuckia of the north.
Here, “darkness” referred to mana, a power different from divine ability.
If divine ability was a power given by God, mana was a kind of energy born from the earth—an evil force. If mishandled, one could be consumed by mana and lose their reason.
It was a wicked and powerful force. It was only natural that Stuckia, which controlled it, once held power rivaling even the Imperial Family.
‘Of course, that was long ago.’
I closed the book. No matter how much I searched, I could not find any divine ability related to regression.
It was the result I had expected.
If someone possessed the ability of regression, it would be a power strong enough to surpass even a ducal house—perhaps even contend for the throne.
‘Still… it really is just as that child said.’
I recalled a fragment of a past that had now vanished.
It was when I had just turned thirteen.
House Agnito was bustling in preparation for the Day of Mercy.
They needed to impress both the Temple and the Imperial Family, so they even opened their private vaults to prepare a grander celebration.
Today was the day when street orphans could eat their fill and call priests and nobles “Mother” and “Father” as much as they liked.
But not me.
My existence was unknown. Unlike the other orphans, I could not enjoy delicious food nor call anyone my parent.
It wasn’t strange.
It was a day no different from usual.
And yet—
“Waaah! Thank you!”
“Linda, did you thank Duke Agnito?”
“Thank you, Your Grace!”
The laughter of the other children sounded unbearably loud.
I envied it so much.
And it hurt so much that even Lisa, my only ally, was no longer alive…
“Hic… sob…”
That night, when everyone was fast asleep and I was crying alone—
Thud.
Something fell into the room.
What came through the broken window was a small bundle of paper.
I crawled over and unfolded it.
[You’re noisy.]
A short message, as if stating only the bare minimum. Neat handwriting.
I stood up and looked around.
But outside the dark window, no one could be seen.
After staring at it for a moment, I picked up a pen.
Under the pretext that I might one day manifest holy power, I had at least learned how to write.
[Sorry for being noisy.]
Sniffling as I tried to hold back my tears, I wrote my reply and threw the note out the window.
But there was no movement outside.
I had hoped to meet someone—anyone—but I had to swallow that hope again.
I stood there for a while before turning back toward my bed.
Thud.
Something fell again.
Beneath my handwriting, new words had been added.
[You look really ugly when you cry.]
He saw me!
I hurried to the window and flung it open, leaning out.
But no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t see even the faintest shadow.
Quickly, I wrote back.
[Can you see me?]
Afraid there might be no reply, I quickly stepped away from the window.
After a while—
Thud.
A response arrived.
[I can.]
I eagerly wrote again.
[Then why won’t you show yourself?]
Thud.
[Because you’re ugly when you cry.]
My heart dropped.
[I won’t cry anymore. Will you show yourself then?]
In a rush, I leaned out the window and scrubbed my face dry.
But no matter how long I waited, no reply came.
Still waiting, I eventually returned to my bed and drifted into sleep.
For the next few days, I had no time to think about the note.
On the very night I received it, someone had completely destroyed Duke Agnito’s armory.
After the Saintess’s power disappeared, Duke Agnito had tried to expand his influence through the weapons business.
But because the damage occurred right before the Day of Mercy, he couldn’t conduct a large-scale investigation.
So everyone inside the ducal estate lived in fear, carefully watching his mood.
Several days later, late at night—
Thud.
Something arrived beyond the window.
[It’s quiet tonight.]
“…!”
A reply.
Delighted, I quickly wrote back.
[I didn’t cry today.]
[That’s normal.]
[I won’t cry from now on.]
[Good.]
And so, our correspondence began.
[My name is Hanisha. What’s yours?]
[I don’t have one.]
[Then how old are you? I’m 13.]
[Older than you.]
I told him everything.
But he told me nothing.
Not his name, not his age, not what he looked like.
The only thing I could gather was that we were around the same age.
[Thank you for coming today. I’m so happy we can see each other often.]
[I can’t come often.]
[I know. Still, thank you. Actually… I always wished I could have a girl friend my age.]
I wrote that with complete sincerity.
I thought our conversation was going well, unlike the first night.
But that line ended it for the day.
Later, I realized something. Whenever he didn’t feel like answering—or when circumstances made it difficult—he simply wouldn’t reply.
‘So prickly…’
I felt a bit sulky, but after that day, I stopped asking him anything.
He was my first friend my own age.
And that alone was enough.
