Chapter 70

* * *

That evening, at the Salome mansion.

The sound of a child's sorrowful crying echoed through the air.

"Miss, please stop crying. Okay?"

"Whaaa!"

The nanny who had taken care of Wintia since childhood tried to soothe her, but Wintia couldn't stop her tears.

It was the first time she had experienced such humiliation.

Salome was a collateral branch of the Klaider family, the leading merchant house in the empire.

She was always respected wherever she went. She had never bowed to anyone except when greeting them.

But now...!

"Go away! Go away, I said! Hoooh!"

Wintia began to cry even louder.

She thought everything was perfect.

Falling on purpose and making a mess.

Telling the duke that she wanted to give him a rose. Everything went according to her plan.

But...

"You must have thought I was just a play servant, right?"

"It's okay, it was just a misunderstanding."

"With your ladyship's magic, it would have been much easier to get. Then you wouldn't have fallen like today."

Though she tried to act as if nothing was wrong, everyone must have noticed what she had been up to.

Because of that girl!

"Whaaa!"

Wintia threw whatever she could get her hands on.

The louder the sharp sounds, the louder Wintia's crying became.

"Miss, please stop crying."

The nanny, with her hair in disarray, tried to soothe Wintia.

"I told you to go away!"

Thud!

The object Wintia threw hit the nanny's head. The nanny felt her mind go blank for a moment.

"What are you crying about?!"

With a sharp shout, the door burst open.

Baron Salome stormed into the room, shouting.

The nanny regained her senses.

"Do you know what you've done? You've disgraced your father's face enough!"

"Sir, please calm down! Miss, it was just a mistake..."

"Can't you just go away?"

Baron Salome slapped the nanny's cheek. The nanny's body fell limply to the floor.

Only then did Wintia's eyes widen in shock.

Just crying and crying!

'I've spoiled her too much.'

Her mouth was full of harsh words.

But the baron gathered all his patience.

"Wintia, stop crying."

Wintia's crying gradually subsided at his gentle tone.

"Why are you crying so much?"

"Because I'm so sad."

"What for?"

"..."

"Because it's the first time you bowed to someone?"

Wintia nodded. Baron Salome patted her shoulder as if he understood.

"I know how you feel."

He had spent his life as a collateral branch of the Klaider family, always living in the shadow of the duke.

So when the duke died, he thought perhaps it was his chance.

Of course, that damn will ruined everything.

'But there's still a chance.'

Klaider's son.

If he could marry his daughter to him, he could have everything.

He is a collateral branch of the Klaider family. No one could question his legitimacy.

Although such an unfortunate incident happened today...

'I can overcome it.'

The opponent is a powerless young child who knows nothing. It would be easy to get rid of him.

"Wintia, don't forget today's humiliation."

Baron Salome grabbed Wintia's shoulders.

"That lowly orphan girl dared to covet your position."

"..."

"So you must take revenge."

Wintia's eyes, filled with tears, deepened at Baron Salome's words.

"If you succeed, His Majesty will be pleased. It will be the eternal glory of Salome."

'My position.'

Beside the boy with black hair and blue eyes like hers.

That is her rightful place.

'Not his, but mine.'

"I will remember, Father."

"I can do it." Baron Salome smiled at Wintia's words.

* * *

A few days later.

The retainers and collateral branches of the Klaider family gathered at the Schuetz ducal castle.

Among them was Baron Salome.

When Damian's existence became known, the Klaider people raised objections, citing the family's legitimacy and succession issues.

If they had attacked Duke Schuetz, they would have been buried alive.

However, many of the retainers were talented in various fields.

Thanks to the late Duke Klaider, who hired people regardless of their status.

Thus, their loyalty to Klaider was absolute.

The problem was that it was difficult to distinguish whether it was simple loyalty or a hidden agenda.

It was risky to dismiss them, especially with the young Damian involved.

Even Duke Schuetz couldn't easily dismiss them.

Some collateral branches, including Baron Salome, didn't miss this opportunity.

The baron, getting out of his carriage, said to Wintia,

"Do you understand, Wintia? I'll take care of the rest, so you just do your part."

"Yes, Father. I will remember..."

"Lord Heron!"

At that moment, someone else got out of another carriage.

Heron Hooper, an elder of the Klaider family, with his white hair and massive build.

As the teacher who personally educated the late Duke Klaider, Heron's influence was unparalleled.

"Lord, you've come."

"Lord, you've come."

All the retainers bowed to Heron.

Heron looked down at them with an indifferent face and entered the castle without a word.

Wintia watched her father trailing behind Heron and then entered the castle.

Her eyes darted around, searching for Damian.

No matter how much she looked, she couldn't find him.

Moreover, the castle was so vast.

She was worried she might get lost.

'This castle will soon be mine.'

Just as Wintia's heart swelled with excitement, she saw the child she had been searching for in the distance.

Damian seemed to have just finished sword training and was moving somewhere with other knights.

"Master!"

Wintia ran to him with a swelling heart.

But...

"Master, Master?"

Damian passed by her as if she wasn't there.

'It can't be. He must not have seen me because there were too many people.'

Denying it, Wintia quickly grabbed Damian's hand.

"Master!"

Damian finally stopped.

Finally, she caught him!

"You kept calling me, but you didn't even look at me. That's too much."

Wintia laughed and stopped Damian.

"Who are you?"

"..."

The boy's face, looking down at Wintia, was colder than the northern wind.

Wintia, frozen in shock, made Damian frown.

"Are you deaf?"

He muttered, genuinely not recognizing Wintia.

"Um, it's me. Wintia Salome."

"Wintia?"

"I saw you in the greenhouse yesterday... Don't you remember?"

"Oh."

Only then did Damian recognize her. Wintia's face brightened.

"I wanted to apologize for my rudeness yesterday. And I wanted to get closer to you, Master-"

"What business do you have here?"

But upon recognizing her, Damian's face grew even colder.

Wintia was taken aback. Last time, he wasn't this intimidating.

As Wintia stood there in shock, Damian slowly lowered his gaze.

Her hand was still on his arm.

"Is your learning ability that poor?"

Damian shook off her hand forcefully. Wintia staggered.

"Don't touch me without permission."

The look in Damian's eyes was as if he was looking at a worthless insect.

He couldn't waste time here.

Just as Damian was about to walk past Wintia,

"Master."

Damian's attendant servant extended his hand with a small note.

Damian unfolded the note the servant handed him.

-Did you train hard today?

The first sentence, as always, showed concern for him.

Damian pouted and muttered, "Always treating me like a child."

Despite this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

-I believe you trained hard. Because you're Damian. I have to go out alone for a bit. Sorry I couldn't tell you earlier.

I'll be back soon. See you later.

There was no name, but he knew who wrote it without needing to see it.

See you later.

As he read the words again, the boy's cheeks turned pink. The next words always made him feel good.

His heart felt warm and bubbly.

The small note made the boy feel as if he had the whole world.

"Master?"

At Wintia's call, Damian's smile vanished instantly.

'Because Eli said to train hard.'

He had to train even harder.

That way, he would grow taller. He was still far from where he needed to be.

"I'm going back to the training ground."

"Huh? But you've been training non-stop since this morning."

"Master, Master?"

The knights called out desperately, but Damian didn't change his mind.

'What more does he want to do here...!'

The knights wanted to cry.

But they had no choice. They followed the boy, holding their aching arms.

And...

Wintia was left alone again.

Her tightly clenched fist trembled.

* * *

While Damian was training hard, I headed to the large forge near the ducal castle in Voborg.

[You're here, benefactor?]

Talum, who was hammering, greeted me.

[Your cheeks look even rounder today.]

"A child's cheeks should be round. It means they're healthy."

[Oh, quite a convincing excuse, I see?]

He laughed playfully, looking very pleased.

"You seem to be in a good mood today."

[Indeed,