Chapter 59

# 59

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After a noisy day, Nabiya said goodbye in front of her bedroom door.

"Good night, everyone."

Schleman and Margaret waved in response to her polite greeting.

"See you tomorrow."

"Let's make a more decent breakfast tomorrow."

Margaret tilted her head at Schleman's words.

"Aren't we supposed to leave for the royal city early in the morning?"

"We can have breakfast together and then leave slowly. Come on, it's late, so you should go in."

Schleman opened the door, and Nabiya entered her bedroom.

Thud, as the door closed, the conversation outside gradually faded away.

Nabiya leaned against the door, listening quietly as if to a musical performance.

A smile unknowingly crept onto her lips.

Eating breakfast together.

And eating dinner together.

Nabiya enjoyed the atmosphere of preparing meals together in a lively setting and enjoying a hearty meal without any pretense.

Until now, she was accustomed to formal meals in a grand dining room where the atmosphere was tense, and she had to sit up straight and eat without making a sound.

Nabiya felt as if she had participated in a festival held in the capital all day today.

'If every day was like today.'

Even the pain from her wounds felt sweet, and she wished this happiness would last forever.

Before going to bed, Nabiya secretly took a lamp and entered the next room.

A sign made of paper was hanging on the handle of the drawer of the side table, apparently placed there at some point.

〈Nabiya's Barber Shop〉

"Pfft. What's this?"

Nabiya chuckled softly, gently picked up the paper sign, and then carefully put it back.

In fact, until she received the reply that said 'barber,' she had felt lost, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Nabiya earned 5 silver coins today.

In the process, there was also a sacrifice, albeit an unintentional one, from Schleman.

Thinking back to that moment, a smile involuntarily crept onto her face.

'Schleman's tense expression was so amusing.'

Nabiya, feeling playful, insisted on giving him a haircut. She had a strong premonition that she wouldn't get in trouble even if she did.

'If it were Agnes, I wouldn't have even imagined doing something like that.'

She would have definitely been scolded and possibly hit for such behavior.

'Is this what trust feels like?'

Nabiya liked how the barbershop was set up like a playroom for children.

'I'll have to tidy up Lady Margaret's hair tomorrow.'

Minerva might secretly want it too. She might not have had the courage to ask first, so I should ask her.

Nabiya returned to her bedroom and neatly stacked the coins she received from Margaret on the side table.

The shine of the silver coins made her feel proud.

Nabiya climbed into bed, propped her chin on her hand, and lay on her stomach, staring at the five silver coins and whispered softly.

"Even a small amount of pocket money can make me happier than a fortune."

Nabiya had lived through eight lifetimes in the wealthiest family in the empire, so her sense of money was different.

She had even handled sums of money equivalent to a city's annual budget.

To Nabiya, 5 silver coins were a cute amount, but they were the happiest money she had ever earned.

'I hope tomorrow comes quickly.'

Nabiya turned off the lamp.

The fastest way to make the next day come quickly is to fall asleep quickly.

* * *

When the room was dark and only a small, regular breathing sound could be heard.

Click.

At that moment, the window opened, and a man dressed entirely in black entered.

He was an assassin sent by Nikan.

The assassin approached the sleeping Nabiya.

His steps made no sound, and the dagger in his hand glinted menacingly.

Just as the assassin was about to strike Nabiya's neck.

Snap!

The assassin's shadow rose and began to strangle him.

Then, in the pale moonlight coming through the window, a man appeared.

It was Lark.

"Ugh!"

As the assassin struggled noisily, Lark reached out and clamped his hand over the assassin's mouth.

Crack.

The force of his grip was enough to dislocate the jaw.

"Shut up."

Lark warned the assassin with a deeply displeased expression and a low, chilling voice.

"The child is sleeping."

He was already in a bad mood, and the assassin's presence, exuding murderous intent, made it worse.

Moreover, the revolting smell of magic from the assassin fueled his anger.

The unique stench that only Lark could detect, which arose when human magic was manipulated abnormally, was present.

He didn't want to cleanly dispose of the assassin.

He was tormented by a cruel urge to tear the assassin apart and savor the scent of blood.

The assassin struggled fiercely.

He sensed that his opponent was not an ordinary human, but someone whose abilities were beyond his comprehension.

Instinctive fear surged within him.

The assassin had already been unable to breathe for a long time due to the overwhelming pressure he felt.

Lark raised his other hand.

He intended to gouge out the terrified eyes first.

Just as his red eyes were filled with cruel intent.

"Mmm..."

At that moment, the child's fussing was heard.

Instantly, the murderous aura that had been emanating from Lark's body disappeared.

The violent desire melted away like snow, and the assassin's presence became a nuisance.

There was no need to kill him messily. It would leave traces.

Snap!

Lark made the assassin vanish without a trace.

Crack!

Then a crack appeared on his arm.

Lark's expression contorted, and he barely suppressed a curse.

Cracks were more likely to occur when he used powerful magic. This was one of those times.

Lark took a short, deep breath. Fortunately, the crack was already starting to heal, and the pain was subsiding.

"Taking care of a child's aftermath."

Rustle.

Lark closed his mouth as Nabiya stirred in her bed.

'Is she awake?'

He approached the bed where Nabiya lay and gently lifted the black canopy.

The child's face glowed white in the moonlight.

Her silver hair, embroidered like a pattern on the black pillow and sheets, was particularly eye-catching.

'She's asleep.'

Lark was about to swear that he would never come down to the third floor again.

But suddenly, he sensed an assassin's intrusion. The direction was Nabiya's bedroom.

The moment he realized this, he was already in the room.

Unconsciously, his brow furrowed as he gently touched Nabiya's silver hair.

It felt like touching a burning flame.

'Why do you have silver hair?'

Out of all the colors, why this one?

There was a mysterious aura about this child that ordinary people didn't have.

Something that reminded him of himself... like a 'reincarnated' person.

'But that's impossible.'

Reincarnation is not magic.

It is the power of the gods.

This child certainly exuded an atmosphere very similar to his own, but there was no trace of the power of the gods.

On the contrary.

'There's no scent of anything at all.'

Even ordinary people, though not mages, have 'magic' in their bodies.

But this child had not a trace of magic.

She was a mysterious being.

In all his countless reincarnations, he had never seen such an existence. He tried to force himself to ignore her, but he couldn't.

That was the only reason.

Lark turned his head as if to show that he had no other feelings.

Now, he would return to the third floor...

Snap.

A small hand grabbed the black silk gown.

"!"

Nabiya was holding onto Lark's clothes, still sleeping soundly.

It was unbelievable.

"You're being troublesome."

Should he roughly shake off this hand? Would the child wake up?

Would her eyelids lift to reveal eyes identical to his own? The thought made Lark feel suffocated.

'...But this is my house. Wherever I am, it's fine. This is my room too.'

He didn't shake off Nabiya's hand and sat on the bed as if to make a statement.

He was trying to prove with his whole body that he wasn't paying attention to Nabiya. Then he said casually,

"This is just the price of a cake."

Yes, this was the most appropriate reason.

Lark had assigned a value to saving the child from the assassin and his current kindness.

The price of a cake, that's all. Even though it wasn't tasty.

He poked the black ribbon tied in Nabiya's hair.

'What a ridiculous thing to do.'

The black ribbon tied in her silver hair was cute, but Lark dismissed it with a indifferent expression.

'What does it change to act like a child when you're not one?'

He added a sharp criticism.

"Making her a barber, and she really did it. I'm afraid to suggest anything else in case she does it without hesitation."

He scolded Nabiya with a voice full of spite.

Then, looking at her delicate face in the moonlight, he muttered unconsciously,

"Adopted daughter..."