chapter 38
The day after safely returning to the mansion after watching “It’s Okay Even If You’re a Monster.”
Lucius, who was going through his usual schedule, received news like a bolt from the blue.
“The young lady went out early this morning.”
“Why? She didn’t say anything to me.”
“According to Brandon—who started pretending to be an ordinary maid after returning to the mansion yesterday—the young lady suggested secretly going out to buy a gift without the Duke knowing. As a way of thanking you for how much she enjoyed the opera.”
“Secretly?”
“Yes. Which is why, Your Grace, you technically didn’t hear what I just said.”
It wasn’t anything special, yet she went out eagerly just to repay him.
Wasn’t she like a squirrel offering an acorn as big as herself?
Lucius flipped through the documents as if uninterested, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly.
Olivia, as a competent aide, did not miss that moment.
“Did Brandon go with her?”
“Yes.”
“What about the others?”
“Ash is stationed in front of the young lady’s room. If anyone asks, he’s been assigned to say she’s inside and doing well.”
Olivia tried her best to maintain a professional tone.
“To thoroughly keep the young lady’s outing a secret from you, she only asked Ash and Brandon for cooperation.”
“……”
“I judged that Brandon alone would be sufficient, so I didn’t assign any additional guards. If you’re concerned, shall I arrange protection even now?”
“No, that’s fine. It seems that guy Brandon has truly decided to stick by her side and keep watch.”
“I decided to marry my husband because that cockroach-like persistence of his is so charming.”
“Olivia.”
“Yes, Your Grace’s aide, Olivia Muñez, has returned.”
Olivia, who had just said something that could be either an insult or a compliment, quickly snapped back to reality.
Right now, she wasn’t Olivia the wife and mother—but Olivia Muñez, the Duke’s capable aide.
“My lady… I know I’m not really in a position to say this, but…”
Brandon, disguised as a maid named Hanna, whispered politely as if he were truly a maid.
“Are you sure we’re going to the right place?”
After getting off the carriage, Lumina and Brandon stopped by a clothing shop and bought black cloaks.
With Brandon’s money.
Then, roughly concealing themselves with the cloaks, they walked for quite a while.
As a result, they had left the bustling streets and were now passing through a quiet alley.
“Hanna, is anyone following us?”
“No, it doesn’t seem so.”
As soon as she heard the answer, Lumina changed her tone.
“Mister, the route is correct. But do you really have to keep that face?”
Even if he looked like that on the outside, she knew he was actually an older man, which made things slightly uncomfortable.
“I’d prefer if you changed into something closer to your original self. It doesn’t have to be exact—just at least the same gender or age group.”
“There aren’t any eyes on us right now, but someone who acts as the leader’s eyes might spot us by chance. It’d be awkward to explain then.”
“That’s your problem. Please handle it yourself.”
“……”
“And where we’re going isn’t a place two young girls should wander around. You know that better than I do, right?”
“…You want me to look rough and tough, don’t you?”
Since he had already followed her this far, there was no reason to refuse another request.
In an instant, Brandon transformed into a large, rugged man.
“Wait a second.”
Lumina stepped in front of him with a worried expression.
Then she loosened the buttons that looked like they might burst due to his sudden change in physique and peeked inside.
Although Brandon had been acting as the maid Hanna, since this was a secret outing, he had worn practical clothes instead of a skirt.
That was fortunate.
“Your clothes… aren’t they going to tear?”
“Should I shrink a bit?”
Nod.
Like someone who had seen something they shouldn’t, Lumina quickly adjusted his cloak.
Brandon’s ability changed his body—but not his clothes.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“It only flares up like a seizure in the evening, so I’m fine for now.”
“But if you used your real face, wouldn’t that be easier?”
“My lady, at what age do most Legions awaken their abilities?”
“Before five.”
“Correct. I awakened at a young age too. Because of that, I don’t remember my real face.”
“……”
“This ability can only copy faces I’ve seen, but I don’t even have a concept of my original face. So there’s no such thing as my ‘real’ face.”
Lumina flinched.
She realized what the problem was and looked up at him.
“But you could just not use your ability.”
“That’s impossible, so I keep maintaining whatever face I’ve changed into.”
In other words, ever since awakening as a Legion, Brandon had always been using his ability—and had lost the concept of an original face entirely.
“I guess I’m a special kind of Legion, like you.”
Not knowing one’s own face.
Living a life borrowing others’ appearances forever.
It wasn’t hard to imagine how unsettling that must be, and Lumina unconsciously looked at him with concern.
Brandon comforted her like an adult.
After walking for some time—
Lumina finally stopped.
“We’re here.”
“I had a feeling… but we really came here.”
The place they arrived at was the slums.
Feeling the wary gazes of countless people watching her, Lumina walked forward confidently.
“I came all the way here just trusting you…”
Brandon seemed to have decided to treat this like playing house with Lumina.
“Alright. Let’s just focus on getting home safely.”
Ignoring his overly modest goal, Lumina moved around as if she were in her own neighborhood.
She approached a group of children around her age.
“Hey! Do you know where Erika’s house is?”
“Erika?”
“You mean the herbalist lady’s daughter?”
“Oh, her?”
The children whispered among themselves, eyeing Lumina suspiciously.
Her face was hidden under the hood, but from her build and voice, they could tell she was around their age.
A kid like this in the slums? And with someone who looked like a bodyguard behind her?
Their suspicion deepened.
“I’m friends with Erika, but I only heard she lives around here. Oh! If you tell me, I’ll give you this! It’s really tasty.”
The children exchanged glances.
Then they immediately tried to snatch the candy from her hand.
Whoosh—
But Lumina, already expecting it, quickly pulled her hand back. Their expressions instantly turned hostile.
“I’ll give it to you if you tell me where Erika’s house is. If you don’t know, just say so. I can ask someone else.”
She spoke as if it didn’t matter at all.
One of the children who had tried to grab the candy reluctantly spoke.
“Over there. That house.”
He pointed to a place that looked like it could collapse at any moment.
When Lumina held out the candy, they snatched it like thieves and split it among themselves.
Lumina headed in the direction the child pointed.
“What about them?”
Brandon whispered quietly.
The children, having eaten the candy, were now trailing behind like wolves, wondering if they could get more.
“Leave them.”
Perhaps because of Brandon’s large build, they didn’t act openly threatening.
The adults in the slums, who had been watching from afar, were the same.
Unless something suspicious happened, they wouldn’t make the first move.
For now, their gazes were a mix of curiosity and caution.
‘Finding Erika comes first.’
Erika.
A powerless Legion born in the slums, living in hiding under her mother’s protection.
Fortunately, her mother cherished her, so she managed to grow up without major issues—at least until now.
‘Up to around this time.’
Erika had talent in herbal medicine, which she learned from her mother. Her mother knew it too.
They managed to get by with the money her mother earned from selling herbs.
Sometimes they skipped meals, but surviving here without begging meant they had ability.
If things had continued like that, Lumina would never have known about Erika.
‘The problem is, someone used that talent in a very bad way. For a long time.’
A tragic genius.
That was the title given to Erika in her past life.
The so-called doctor who used black magic on Brandon and poisoned him—he was called a genius, wasn’t he?
Then a genius should be countered with another genius.
Lumina firmly believed Erika could be the solution to this problem.
