From far away, he thought he could hear the faint sound of carriage wheels. A woman’s wide, glaring eyes through the window. And himself, throwing his body toward her...

What kind of memory was this?

At that moment, people’s shouts filled his ears.

“They say it’s a kidnapping! Noble children have been taken!”

“......!”

Khalid snapped his head up. The crumbling strength inside him instantly steadied.

“Ruby!”

His staggering steps turned into a full sprint.

It was Rubian.

The boy was sure of it.

Rubian must be in danger!

Alarm bells rang in his mind, but there was no time to dwell on the faint memories that had returned. Khalid just ran.

...

Khal slowly opened his eyes.

Darkness surrounded him. His gaze, retracing the past, was pitch-black.

“Hey.”

Someone poked him.

He turned to see a senior knight—the one who had been guarding Rubian’s bedroom with him.

“Go get some sleep.”

Khal shook his head hard. His hand tingled, and when he looked down, he realized he’d been gripping his sword without knowing it.

“I’m fine.”

“Geez, you stubborn brat. You’re staying here again tonight?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re that worried, why don’t you at least talk to her...?”

The grumbling knight tossed something his way.

“Fine. I won’t stop you. But eat while you’re at it, huh?”

A piece of bread and a bottle of milk landed between Khalid’s legs where he sat against the wall. Khalid looked up, feeling strange, and met the knight’s eyes.

What are you staring at. The knight mouthed the words. Behind his rough expression was a touch of kindness.

“...Thank you.”

The cold milk in his hand cleared his head.

The knight’s footsteps faded as he walked away.

Khal stared blankly into the darkness.

“The price of touching a human soul is harsh.”

Only those words echoed in his mind.

“Did I ever touch someone’s soul...? Was that why I was trapped in that cave as punishment?”

Nothing was certain. Maybe it was just a hallucination caused by his runaway magic.

Khalid clenched his teeth.

“I have to find out more.”

He would start with the cave where he’d been imprisoned, one step at a time.

The boy muttered low and lifted his head.

“For now...”

He needed to reflect a little more...

His gloomy eyes shifted sideways.

The ornate bedroom door stood firmly closed. Through the crack, Rubian’s faint coughing drifted out.

Khal bit his lip and straightened his posture.

He would punish himself harshly for failing to protect his master.

I stretched wide as birds chirped outside. My body felt light and refreshed.

“Uwaaaahh...! Young lady... my young lady...!”

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Hazel, sobbing hard, soaking the sheets with tears and snot.

“Hazel? How did you get here?”

Startled, I tugged on the sheets, trying to rescue my precious blanket from her bodily fluids—but Hazel even blew her nose into it...

“I brought plenty of your favorite blankets... don’t worry, young ladyyy...”

“...Use as many as you like.”

I let go of the blanket with a generous smile.

“But really, why are you here?”

“Young lady... do you know how much I’ve wanted to say that?”

“It’s not official yet... Did you ride here? How?”

“What does recognition from the Empire or Church matter? The Duke, the Duchess, and even His Excellency the Grand Duke acknowledged you. Uwaaaahh!”

“...I see. But why do you keep ignoring my question? How did you get here—”

Before I finished, Hazel threw her arms around me. My shoulder grew damp from her tears.

“Is that why you didn’t let me help with your baths? Washing bravely by yourself? It’s fine now. Hazel will take care of everything properly from now on!”

“I-I’m fine though...”

“And I’m fine too! How hard it must have been... thinking you were a young master all this time, when you were really my lady...”

Every word she said bounced off like a ricochet.

‘Well... she somehow managed to come, I guess.’

I sighed and patted Hazel’s sturdy shoulder.

“Anywhere still hurt? Are you uncomfortable? And your wrists—what about those bandages?”

“Oh, these? It’s fine. Borvel said they’ll heal soon!”

I grinned. Hazel only pouted.

“That’s a relief... You must have been terrified. Those bastards, daring to touch my lady... Even ripping them apart wouldn’t be enough! I should’ve just shot them all!”

Her calm eyes began to sharpen with deadly intent. Afraid her assassin side would awaken, I waved my hands frantically.

“Dad already took revenge! Calm down, Hazel!”

“...Yes. That’s true. I heard they were all sent to the capital prison in a truly miserable state.”

“Really?”

“I can’t give you the details since you’re a child... but let’s just say: they °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° couldn’t even put chains around their wrists.”

What did that mean? I tilted my head. It sounded grotesque and brutal—better not to ask further.

‘Anyway, if it’s Dad, he must’ve punished the bad people properly.’

But there was something else I was curious about.

A certain someone who should’ve been hovering nearby was nowhere to be seen.

‘I think I glimpsed him in my sleep... or was that just a dream?’

“By the way... Khal—”

“But young lady.”

Hazel’s voice drowned out mine. Her eyes shifted to the slightly open door.

“Those two people hiding there since earlier... are they guests? Or decorations?”

“Ah—right.”

I had completely forgotten, too busy rescuing my blanket.

Even when Hazel was crying buckets, I’d noticed two familiar shadows slumped behind the door.

I cleared my throat.

“So, you two—when are you planning to come in?”

The door twitched.

“Uh, well...”

I chose my words, then teased aloud:

“Big... brothers?”

BANG!

The door burst open like it was about to fly off its hinges.

Striding in proudly was Liam. He wiped his glasses carefully as he approached.

“Finally, it sounds natural, little fairy. Keep calling me that from now on.”

“Um... I’ll think about it.”

“No, do it. Practice makes you a good child.”

“Don’t you need to go read your books?”

“The correct line is: ‘Don’t you need to go read your books, big brother?’ Also, I moved every library shelf next to your room.”

“...Why on earth?!”

For someone who hated noise, why would he go through that trouble?

But suddenly Liam hesitated. Uncharacteristically, his eyes dropped, shadowed.

“Because I was in the annex, I didn’t even know my little sibling left... I’m no better than a worthless troll.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It means I’m sorry.”

I blinked wide at the straightforward apology. Wow. Totally unexpected.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“I didn’t think you’d say sorry so easily.”

It wasn’t really his fault anyway.

Still... maybe his personality wasn’t as awful as I thought? I’d always assumed he was the egotistical, eccentric type who didn’t even know how to apologize.

“This is my first time. Saying sorry.”

“....”

“Because until now, I’ve never done anything wrong.”

“...Really? Try reflecting on yourself.”

The boy raised an eyebrow as if to say, Look who’s talking.

‘Yep. Definitely an egotistical eccentric.’

I shook my head and instinctively buttoned my collar all the way up. A smile spread across Liam’s face.

“But anyway...”

I turned to the other figure—Boyd.

His arms hung limp, lips parted. He looked less like a living person and more like a ghost, his soul sucked out of him.

“Why is big brother Boyd like that?”

“My little sibling... is a younger sister.”

His dazed murmur drifted out.

“...The younger sister who’s a hundred times more troublesome than a younger brother.”

I pouted.

“Whaaat... I won’t be troublesome at all...”

It felt like Boyd had been avoiding me since earlier. Unlike Liam, he wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

“And I’m sorry for deceiving you both.”

Their faces twitched subtly.

Feeling a strange distance between us, I sniffled—and suddenly coughed.

“Cough!”

Ah. Borvel had said the coughing might linger.

“...!”

At that sound, Boyd shot up like someone struck by lightning.