Chapter 06
Actually, after hearing Rüdiger’s voice for so long, my legs were shaking and I could hardly stand.
It was as if someone were brushing soft grass or feathers against my ears…
It was exactly the kind of deep, commanding voice that women would swoon over but men would feel intimidated and annoyed by—a voice full of raw masculinity.
I had let Rüdiger into the house, but there was nowhere particularly proper to have him stay. In the end, I had him sit on a dining chair.
He seemed a bit flustered that he was led to the dining table instead of the parlor, narrowing his eyes slightly, but he didn’t voice his embarrassment.
“There’s a child at home, and he’s sick. Can I go give him medicine first?”
“Yes, of course.”
Rüdiger readily agreed. I had asked precisely knowing he would.
I took the medicine I had gotten from the herbalist and a spoonful of honey and went up to the second floor.
“Luka.”
The sick Luka turned toward me as the door opened. His narrow eyes were bloodshot and red.
Poor thing… tsk tsk. But soon he’d go to Winterwald, so his days of struggling in such a harsh environment were almost over.
Swallowing my sense of regret, I spoke cheerfully:
“Here, let’s take your medicine.”
Luka grimaced at the bitter taste but still forced it down.
“Oh, our Luka, taking your medicine so well.”
“…Stop fussing. What am I, a child?”
Yes. You are a child. Instead of arguing, I smiled and gave a spoonful of honey to Luka, whose face was scrunched up.
Though he grumbled, he eagerly swallowed it like a baby bird.
“Let’s have pot-au-feu today.”
“…Where will we get the money?”
“There’s enough for that.”
Judging by how Judith raised him, no wonder this child always talks about money…
I chuckled, holding up the medicine dish and standing.
The moment I got up, Luka’s eyes wavered anxiously.
“Busy?”
He clearly wanted me to stay closer. It was a completely different look from last night, when he said it was fine to go to the May Festival, but it wasn’t bad.
A child should indulge a little. Luka tended to keep too much inside.
I wanted to stay by his side as long as possible, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.
“I’m not busy, but we have a guest.”
“…A man?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I heard noises from outside.”
“Was it very loud?”
“No. Did your aunt come?”
I almost said, “Not me, he came for you. He’s your uncle,” but I swallowed it.
“No… I don’t think he came for me. Let’s hear him out. Just rest a little longer, Luka.”
I pulled the blanket up to Luka’s shoulders, patted his chest lightly, and left the room.
As I closed the door, worried that he might hear the conversation with Rüdiger, Luka’s expression seemed odd—almost displeased.
But I couldn’t think of a reason why he’d be upset, so I let it slide.
Rüdiger was still sitting upright in the chair, unchanged from when I had left him downstairs.
“Would you like some tea?”
“I’d be glad to have some.”
I placed the kettle on the stove. Steam soon began to rise.
Pouring the tea, I set the cup in front of him and added with concern:
“It’s just tea brewed from flowers that grow along the road. You might not like it, but it’s all we have at home.”
“The aroma is pleasant.”
Though he said that, a slight crease formed between his brows—it was probably a bit astringent.
Another thing he had in common with Judith: neither of them was particularly skilled at brewing tea.
While preparing the tea, I organized the points I needed to be careful about:
Make sure Rüdiger doesn’t feel like I’m leaving Luka entirely in his care.
Don’t spill any information about the “novel” I know.
After all, Rüdiger would try to take Luka by any means, so these were the only things I had to watch out for.
The outcome was predetermined, so I resolved quickly. Sitting across from Rüdiger, I continued the conversation we had outside the house.
“Yes, this is the way to Mybaum. But I’ve never heard the name Jonas before. Our family, on the borderlands, has no ties to Winterwald.”
“That’s impossible. Five years ago, didn’t you write a letter to Jonas? About him having an illegitimate child.”
Ah. Larissa must have written to Jonas. Perhaps right before she died of the plague… Neither Judith nor I remembered anything about such a letter.
Actually, what mattered was not how Jonas knew, but that he knew about the illegitimate child.
I wasn’t in a position to scold him… but it would be odd to pass over it silently.
I smiled faintly and countered sharply:
“Isn’t it rather late to receive a response to a letter from five years ago?”
“There’s no excuse.”
Rüdiger bowed solemnly in apology.
“I am Jonas’s half-brother. My brother hid the child’s existence from the family. After his recent fatal accident, I discovered the letter among his belongings and learned about the child, so I came here.”
“Oh… may he rest in peace.”
A real scoundrel. Even in the original story, he was no better than a rogue.
In my heart, I thought he deserved his fate, but I couldn’t say that to Rüdiger.
After offering a mild condolence for Jonas’s death, I considered how to react as though I were shocked by the situation.
But Rüdiger himself seemed burdened and didn’t seem too concerned with my expression, which was a slight relief.
“Because the letter contained no information other than the Mybaum name, it took some time to find this place. I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. If your brother hid it, there’s nothing you could do.”
I replied cheerfully. In truth, I liked Rüdiger as much as I liked Luka. I liked the character Rüdiger Winterwald.
The protagonist of the novel, with a devoted mentor and helper? How could I not like him?
And both were attractive, so naturally my fondness grew exponentially.
Perhaps encouraged by my friendly response, this handsome helper glanced upstairs and hesitated.
“It seems the child upstairs is my brother’s…”
“That seems correct.”
“His name?”
“Luka. His name is Luka.”
Rüdiger muttered Luka’s name several times. To have a previously unknown nephew suddenly appear must have been moving.
Moreover, Rüdiger was a bachelor. Since he wouldn’t have his own children, Luka must have been especially precious to him.
In the story, it was also mentioned that Rüdiger treated Luka like his own son. But…
“Being a bachelor with that face is kind of an insult to humanity…”
With such superior DNA, humanity’s future could benefit. I couldn’t help sighing at the thought.
Lost in that serious reflection, Rüdiger cautiously asked:
“May I ask, what is your relationship with Luka?”
“I’m his aunt.”
I answered quickly. He seemed somewhat relieved. In a calmer voice, he asked:
“And Luka’s mother?”
“She passed away from the plague five years ago…”
The moment I spoke, his expression darkened. His steely blue-gray eyes shimmered like morning mist.
But he quickly straightened up, like solid plaster, and traced a cross over his chest with a solemn expression.
“May she rest in peace.”
The sight was so reverent it seemed as if a halo shone behind him.
“Jonas’s mistake is indefensible. How could he act so irresponsibly? As a fellow Winterwald, I am ashamed.”
“Well, most families have someone like that.”
And in Mybaum, Judith was exactly that kind of person.
Since it wasn’t truly her, I shamelessly replied without hesitation.
Rüdiger, seemingly unaware that I was such a person, nodded in agreement.
“Jonas was unmarried. Luka is his only child. My parents also know about Luka and are eagerly anticipating meeting him.”
Rüdiger paused, as if about to say something particularly awkward.
I guessed what it might be, and my heart raced.
He moved his lips slightly, then drew in a deep, resolute breath. I could see his fists clench on the table.
He said:
“I know it may seem rude, having raised Luka yourself until now, but may I take Luka to Winterwald?”
