Chapter 33

* * *

“Your daughter’s birthday is coming up, right?”

“Huh? It’s still a long way off….”

“Oh, it’s less than a month away, isn’t it?”

Enoch, who was more excited, asked Lilius as he took her to her room after class.

“What do you want, Princess?”

“Hmm….”

“Tell me everything. Last year, I couldn’t buy you something expensive, but this time, I’ll buy you whatever you want, Princess!”

“Not really….”

Lilius, who was adjusting the bear backpack on her back, seemed unenthusiastic.

“Don’t you want anything? Last year, you said you wanted princess shoes….”

…But I couldn’t buy them. They were a bit expensive.

Lilius’s birthday in spring was a slow time for James, who usually sold firewood. There weren’t many people looking for firewood then.

“No, I have a lot of shoes. I don’t need any. Aunt bought me a lot.”

“Is that so?”

“I don’t really want anything….”

Lilius, who had been thinking, glanced up at Enoch.

“There’s a festival in the city soon. Can we go see it together?”

“Oh.”

Come to think of it, the two-week ‘Children’s Day’ festival started early next month.

During the festival, noble children typically enjoyed refined events like poetry recitals, performances, and horseback riding.

But the festival Lilius was talking about was probably for commoner children.

A city lit up with lights, lined with toy stalls, and filled with acrobats and puppet shows….

It was truly a paradise for children!

“No… Just pretend you didn’t hear that. It probably won’t work. Grandfather wouldn’t like it….”

“Why not?”

Enoch picked up the crestfallen Lilius.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Ugh, Dad, you’re so silly. If we go out like this, people will recognize us and bow….”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I can just briefly disguise myself as James Brown that day. We can go out secretly, eat some delicious food, and buy you princess shoes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Lilius’s expression brightened instantly.

“Yay! Dad is the best!”

“Dad is the best, right? Then give me a kiss.”

“Okay!”

Lilius, who smiled sweetly, kissed Enoch’s cheek.

The father and daughter, who were giggling at each other, were startled at that moment.

“Aaaah! Huh, aah!”

Enoch, who was crossing the hallway, suddenly stopped at the scream coming from the mansion.

The source of the pained groans was behind the tightly closed door.

‘Oh no. It must be Theo.’

Enoch’s expression hardened.

Theo Antres, his nephew suffering from a rare disease, often had seizures even before Enoch left the city.

Unfortunately, there was nothing others could do. They could only watch him suffer.

“Princess, Dad has to go out for a bit….”

“Put me down!”

“Huh?”

Enoch, who was trying to carry the shocked Lilius to a safe place, hesitated.

“Put me down quickly, quickly!”

“No, wait.”

Enoch, taken aback, put down Lilius, who was hitting his chest with her small hands.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Lilius turned around, opened her bear backpack, and took something out.

A small pendant….

No, the small, dark purple sphere inside it was clearly a…

‘Core? Is it a demon core?’

Why would a child have something like that?

Before he could confirm his doubts, Lilius hurriedly opened the door.

* * *

“Master, please hold on a little longer!”

“Huh, haaah! Aaaah!”

The moment I opened the door, I was frozen by the horrific scene.

“Ah….”

Theo was writhing in pain with bloodshot eyes.

His hair was drenched in sweat, and his neck was bent to its limit.

The servants, each holding one of his arms and legs, had their eyes squeezed shut.

‘The frequency of Theo Antres’s seizures shortened as he grew. When the unbearable pain came, he would tear at his neck and chest with his own hands.

Each time, the servants would forcibly hold his arms and legs, waiting for the seizure to end.’

As always, the gap between reading about a situation and actually seeing it was immense.

“Aaa, Theo…. Please, please hold on a little longer. It will be okay soon. I’m sorry, I’m….”

Aunt, who could do nothing, was sitting on the floor, sobbing.

Leon, standing beside her, was clenching his fists and biting his lip.

‘This is not the time.’

It was not the time to be in shock.

“Brother!!”

I rushed to Theo, shouting.

“Lilius!”

“A, Miss! If you come closer!”

Ignoring the voice trying to stop me, I jumped onto the bed and tightly embraced Theo’s neck.

The pendant around my neck pressed firmly against my chest.

“Huh! Ah….”

“Brother, don’t be in pain. Don’t be in pain, please….”

“Aaaah!”

I shook my head, quickly wiping away the tears that were welling up, and prayed silently.

‘Please, please. Please get better.’

I knew that the demon core could alleviate Theo’s pain, but since it wasn’t used in the original story, I was worried.

‘It can’t be useless. It can’t be. Please….’

At that moment.

“Haa, haa….”

Surprisingly, Theo’s rough breathing began to calm down, and his violent thrashing subsided.

‘Wow. It really worked!’

I quickly took off the pendant and held it, clasping Theo’s hand as if in prayer.

“What’s wrong, Brother. Are you in pain? Yes?”

“Haa, haa…. L, Lilius…?”

“M, Master. Are you okay?”

“Are you regaining consciousness?”

The servants, seeing Theo’s seizure subside so quickly, looked bewildered.

“Theo! My child!”

Aunt, who was shocked, ran over. I gave the pendant to Theo’s hand and got off the bed.

“Are you… Are you okay?”

“…Ah. Yes, Mom.”

“How can this be, in the world…. Oh God, thank you. Thank you so much.”

“What? You’re not in pain anymore?”

Leon, whose eyes were wide open, asked, and Theo, whose lips were dry, nodded in bewilderment.

“I’m really glad, Lord Ordia. The seizure subsided quickly today.”

“That’s right. This is the first time. Oh God, thank you so much….”

Seeing the relieved aunt and servants, I suddenly realized.

‘Oh no. This isn’t right.’

The situation was not unfolding as I had planned.

If everyone suddenly wondered why the seizure stopped and tried to find the cause, they would naturally focus on the pendant….

‘They’re all just relieved that the seizure subsided! This won’t do!’

Theo’s condition was not curable but required continuous suppression of periodic power clashes.

In other words, he would have to carry the demon core for the rest of his life.

But if things continued like this, they would overlook the fact that the ultimate cure was right in front of them.

If I suddenly interjected and said, “Doesn’t this pendant seem to have cured Brother?” it would look suspicious.

‘Is there no one perceptive enough? ’

I was inwardly screaming when…

“Are you okay, Theo?”

Dad, who was standing behind, approached the bed and asked.

“Ah, yes. Uncle. I’m okay…. I’m not in pain anymore.”

“That’s good. Sister, how long has he been having the seizure?”

“About 10 minutes.”

“That’s strange. I remember it usually lasting a few hours.”

…Indeed, the protagonist.

Seeing Dad, who was suspiciously scrutinizing the situation with his sharp eyes, I felt relieved.

“I’m glad, Brother. Did you get better quickly because I told you not to be in pain? Hehe.”

I cleverly held Theo’s hand, which was holding the pendant.

“It seems so…. Thank you, Lilius. You must have been scared?”

“Yes. But if Brother is not in pain now, it’s okay.”

As I smiled and hugged him, Theo gently stroked my head.

Glancing at Dad, he was, as expected, sharply observing the pendant in Theo’s hand.

“Lilius.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Where did you get that?”

“Huh? This?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on the pendant.