Chapter 19

A few years passed like that.

Every year, the portrait of Elliot that arrived showed him growing taller.

At first, he barely had any hair, but now it was long enough to be tied up on both sides.

"…A squirrel?"

Occasionally, he would check the calendar for the day the portrait would arrive.

It was rare. Very rare.

And after a while.

"Since the portrait was painted last month, why hasn't it arrived yet…"

Has the family fallen so far that they can't even afford a painter?

The old man had always been so frugal, never hiring a painter on time.

"Did you call me, General?"

"Yes. This time, it's a portrait─"

"Excuse me?"

"…."

"General?"

"No."

Enzo looked puzzled.

'Portrait? What portrait… Could he mean to have me painted?'

Enzo's face turned pale.

He hadn't forgotten how last year, the General had made him run thirty laps around the camp because he didn't like his appearance.

'My, my face is that displeasing?'

But no.

My mother always said I was handsome.

'Is it not to the General's taste?'

He shaved his head.

Since there wasn't much change, he even shaved his eyebrows.

He tried his best to cater to the General's taste, but…

"Are you mocking me?"

He had to run forty laps around the camp.

A few weeks later.

The portrait still hadn't arrived, and Daemon's mood was low.

Then.

"General! We have news from one of our people at the main castle!"

"What is it?"

"Miss has manifested her blessing and is moving to the main castle from the 12th tower."

'This crazy old man.'

If it was that old man, he would know how dangerous the main castle is for a child without backing.

Especially for a child who has caught the attention of Duke Astra, the brothers would be out for blood.

His mood remained low for months.

Then one day, a recall order came from the old man.

"Will the General return obediently?"

"Now that we're about to break through the Helium wall and advance into the enemy's territory, he won't."

"True. If he returns now, the credit will go to someone else."

"But still, I wish he would return. It's been five years since I last saw my son."

Everyone thought Daemon would refuse the recall order.

But.

"Pack up. We're returning to the Astra estate."

"Excuse me?!"

Enzo and the other officers turned pale and tried to persuade him, but Daemon was resolute.

He had been on the battlefield for too long.

It wasn't because he heard his daughter was at the main castle and couldn't sit still.

He thought that all the way back to the castle.

But,

"Still making pig noises, Deacons."

He didn't know why he was so angry.

Maybe it was because the small hands clutching the skirt were too tiny.

Or the large eyes filled with fear.

Or the fact that a mere three-year-old had learned fear, which made him angry.

It might have reminded him of himself when he was young.

That night, Deacons' carriage, which was returning to his jurisdiction, was attacked.

The attacker was said to be a giant, three meters tall.

And after that day…

"Abaami!"

The child kept coming to him.

Despite not doing much to help the child, and never seeking him out first, the child persistently followed him.

The first time the child came to the barracks, he clung to his legs like a cicada.

'Does this kid have no fear?'

Passing through the soldiers who still had the stench of battle, and coming to him, who made others shiver, every day.

After breakfast, after lunch, after dinner, and again…

Every day, alone.

'From the child's perspective, I'm just an adult male he's never met before.'

Still, it was amazing how the child called him father and followed him so enthusiastically.

His gaze kept being drawn to the child.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm."

The child, lying on his stomach on the carpet in his office, was humming and reading a book.

'Can he read?'

For a mere three-year-old, it was impressive.

'Can he write too?'

[Monteki]

'…'

Still, the two characters were correct.

'With his rapid growth, he must have taken after me…'

—Until he frowned.

The child kept bothering him, and all sorts of thoughts came to mind.

He didn't know what the old man was thinking, but he was also brought to the Hadix mountain.

He didn't like seeing the child stubbornly following and sitting in the shade.

Isn't it cold in the castle? Why come here specifically.

As he approached, the child jumped up.

"Abaami!"

Was he that happy to see me?

What am I to him?

Never having been welcomed by anyone, he found the child's enthusiasm strange.

"…You keep following me without getting tired."

The child's eyes widened. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke cautiously.

"Abaami, are you… annoyed…?" (Father, are you annoyed…?)

"…"

"Then, I'll only come once a day…"

"…"

"I'll watch you secretly without bothering you."

"…"

"I'll just peek and then leave."

'How can you like people so much?'

Unable to find a response, he ultimately remained silent.

Even during battles with monsters, the child was on his mind.

And when a soldier dropped the purification stone.

The child, with his small body, ran to the cliff and crouched over the stone, ignoring the monster charging at him.

His vision went red.

He turned the monster that attacked the child into a rag, and his anger didn't subside easily.

"You, what the─!"

"I, I caught it."

"…"

"I, I caught the one that made Abaami bleed."

"…"

"Am I not annoying now…?"

The child was dense, foolish, and stupid.

Why.

Why you.

Why do you.

Even though your father, who never greets you, is what.

A very strange feeling.

Holding the trembling child, he realized.

'Ah, right.'

This is what affection feels like.

Perhaps I endured all that time just to meet you.

"Abaami…"

Watching the child's small hand as he slept after taking medicine, Daemon was startled.

"How are you feeling?"

"…"

The child fidgeted with his small hand and asked very cautiously.

"Am I your father?"

"…Yes."

"So, can I, Elliot, adore you?"

"…"

The child made him feel so much, and he struggled to swallow the lump in his throat before slowly speaking.

"Yes."

"…"

"Yes, Elliot."

We can love each other freely.

The warmth of the caressed cheek seeped deep inside.

The child, crying and smiling, was heartbreakingly adorable.

* * *

Waking up, I groaned.

My body felt uncomfortable.

'It's not painful… huh.'

Opening my eyes, I saw a firm chest.

Lifting my head, I saw a handsome man, like a painting, bathed in sunlight.

'Right, I slept with my father.'

Father's long legs were awkwardly crammed into the child-sized bed.

'He must have been uncomfortable all night, nursing me.'

Every time I briefly woke up in the middle of the night, Father was by my bed.

Even when I was battling cancer, no one stayed up all night to watch over me.

Mom would occasionally come to sleep, but

'I was the one taking care of her.'

I don't know how many times I went to the convenience store to buy what she needed.

But now…

'I have someone to take care of me!'

I wanted to boast about it.

Lying on my stomach, I observed Father's face.

'My father.'

Not the stepfather who favored his own children, but my real father.

I almost giggled, so I covered my small mouth.

Then,

"How are you feeling?"

A slightly hoarse, sleepy voice came.

Father lazily opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Better."

"Why didn't you sleep more?"

"I woke up a little while ago. Abaami was sleeping."

I jumped up and poked Father's side. He was lying on his side facing me.

Father chuckled and sat up.

"Checking your strength, it seems you're better now."

"Yep."

"Let's go have breakfast."

Father picked me up and carried me downstairs.

The maids, who had been cleaning gloomily, brightened up when they saw me.

The butler and the dining room staff were the same.

"Miss."

"Miss─!"

…Why are they reacting like this?

Their reactions were different from before I fainted, and I was confused.

Father said he would go wash up and told me to go to the dining room, so I hopped out of his arms.

Then, Heidi, who had been watching me, approached with a bouquet of flowers.

"From the garden. Wishing for Miss's quick recovery."

Betty added excitedly,

"Yesterday and the day before, too. We decorated Miss's room with them!"

"James from the stables bought a painting. A painting that helps sick people recover."

"Cal from the kitchen and Liz from the laundry room─"

Looking around, I noticed the maids and butlers were crowded together, their faces tearful.

"…?"

I tilted my head and asked.

"Do the servants like me?"

"Of course! Miss is cute, adorable, and─"

"Our hero!"

'Ah.'

They must be extremely grateful for me driving away Mrs. Rachel.

After all, she used to treat people like animals and whip them.

'And now I must be a bit scary to them.'

Many people mistake reverence for affection.

I accepted the flowers from Heidi.

"Thank you."

"Kyaa, so cute!"

"So adorable!"

…But it's a bit overwhelming.

Walking to the dining room, I received overly bright gazes.

The castle seemed chaotic.

It felt like it wasn't properly organized, but rather in a state of confusion.

'Without the head butler, it's not functioning properly.'

The absence of a manager.

Plus, half the servants had been suddenly dismissed.

'I wonder what happened to Michelan.'

While thinking about this and sitting at the table, Father entered the dining room.

His damp hair, moist face, and the exposed neck from the unbuttoned collar.

The maids serving the meal sighed dreamily, "Haa…."

Even a few male servants blushed and clutched their trays.

Huh? Why the male servants?

'…Well, it's possible.'

After that, the meal was served.

Father and I sat opposite each other and ate.

The menu was millet porridge and grilled vegetables.

Seeing the grilled bell peppers, I felt proud.

Bell peppers were the enemy of children, but I overcame them at the duke's castle.

While munching on the bell peppers, I noticed Father's plate.

Father's menu was the same. The grilled vegetables were empty except for a single broccoli.

"Abaami, don't you eat broccoli?"

Father's hand paused.

After a moment of silence, he said,

"…No."

"Is it bitter?"

"…I love broccoli."

Then, Father put the broccoli in his mouth.

For some reason, his jaw moved mechanically.

"…See, I love broccoli."

"There's only one left."

"…"

Father looked at the remaining broccoli with a piercing gaze.

He picked it up mechanically and put it in his mouth after a while.

'Maybe he was saving it because he loved it so much.'

I skewered the three broccoli pieces on my plate and moved them to Father's plate.

"Eat more."

"…Okay."

Seeing Father eat what I gave him, I felt pleased.

'I've never done this before.'

My heart felt ticklish.

At that moment,

Enzo entered the dining room with documents in hand.

"Request for weapon replacement… No, General, eating broccoli…!"

"Shut up."

Enzo clamped his mouth shut.

Father's mood seemed very bad for some reason.

Enzo, with a pale face, placed the documents in front of Father.

"And I investigated what you asked about. The medicine given by Michelan to Miss."

"Go on."

"It was a manifestation fever medicine."

"Manifestation fever?"

"Yes."

Manifestation fever is the fever that infants suffer when their blessing manifests.

'Why did he give me that medicine?'

And it was effective… huh?

'If the fever I had was manifestation fever…'

I froze with the spoon in my hand, while Father and Enzo continued their conversation.

"Manifestation fever usually occurs before the fontanel (the soft spot on a baby's head) closes."

"Yes, and Miss has already manifested her blessing."

No.

Everyone thinks my blessing is reading ancient languages, but that's not true.

I don't have a blessing.

That means…

'The manifestation fever I had was because my blessing was trying to manifest.'

I jumped up.

"I'm done eating. I'm going to my room."

"Okay."

After greeting Father and Enzo, I hurried back to my room.

After confirming no one was in the room and closing the door, I searched through the books in my study.

'I saw this here last time… Ah, here it is.'

I opened the book titled "The Beginning of Blessing Usage."

─There are hundreds of types of blessings.

From the large, like the "Flame" attack, to the small, like the "ability to tell the exact time," the types and powers vary widely.

Most people inherit the same type of blessing from their parents, but occasionally, someone manifests a unique blessing that hasn't been confirmed.

(Excerpt)

The method to activate a blessing is to send mana to the dantian─