Ch 6

It hurts.

My back burns. Eluana, who’s sprawled out on the cold floor, twists her body because of the pain. The only thing visible through the palm-sized window was the thick darkness.

‘How much time has passed?’

As she was being dragged, she lost consciousness. She tried to get up, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her body was trembling out of control.

‘Fingers have strength. Move.’

She bit her lip and felt the bitter taste of blood. Then moved her body little by little. When she got up halfway, she saw the inside of the prison lit by torches. The place was quiet. To the right was an iron cage curved like a snake.

‘It’s the room next door.’

I’m alone. I keep looking around but there’s no sign of movement.

If I’m the only one trapped.

‘Louie and Khazar escaped safely.’

A moan escaped from between her small lips. Because she was alone, she didn’t have to hold it in. She could feel pain.

‘I’m going to have my head cut off now’

I was tormented by garbage and managed to escape, but I was imprisoned again. With the iron bars shaped like that, it added strength to the accusation of using “magic”.

I couldn’t imagine how painful it would be to have my neck cut off. It would hurt more than now. I got goosebumps when I randomly touched my neck.

Louie and Khazar got away. Even though we just met, I’m worried about entrusting Louie to Khazar.

‘No. I made the right decision.’

Whatever Khazar had in mind, was better than being captured here.

I knew when I gave him the sword, that Khazar can skillfully wield the sword. It would have been better to run away alone than take Louie and me, but Khazar chose to move together. It should be fine.

Eluana wanted to believe it would be okay. She sat down and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her tears welled up.

I wonder if I’ll never see Louie again.

“Mom. Dad. What do I do now.”

Stella and Ron, who would be in heaven, had no answer. When I remember the two of their faces, I became even more sad.

Eluana cried out loud. The tears that flowed once did not stop and continued to flow.

She hasn’t shed a single tear since she heard that Ron had died in a carriage accident. She said that if she cried, Louie would be anxious. She insisted on not showing weakness because she is the guardian.

But Eluana was only 15 years old. She was a child who missed her parents’ arms. Everything was too heavy to handle alone.

The more she cried, the sadder she got. Her mother who died immediately after giving birth to Louie, and her father, who died last year, were pitiful. Her physical pain had long since reached its limit, and she had no strength left to lift a finger.

Dad, can’t I stop being uncomfortable. I want to stop hurting.

Tears streamed down and wet the cold prison floor.

It reminded her of the time when Stella, Ron, and Eluana lived together as three people. The honey lavender bread that her mother baked was the tastiest in the world. It was also fun to watch her father smelt swords at the forge. The story of the world that her father would tell her before going to sleep was very interesting.

Then Louie was born.

Louie.

How much will Khazar take care of Louie. It would be nice if he could take him along, even if it’s inconvenient. If they separate, the young Louie doesn’t know how to survive on his own. He would have no choice but to beg or become a pickpocket. Louie’s a little slow so he won’t be able to run away well.

Stealing will get your wrists cut off according to Imperial law. Wrist… ….

As I stretched out, the imagination stopped there.

‘It won’t happen. There shouldn’t be. Let’s not have ominous thoughts.’

Eluana stopped her thoughts. The feeling of heat on her back got worse. Her ears were sensitive due to the pain, she heard something being stepped on.

‘Person?’

Startled, Eluana reflexively stood up.

Meals are brought once in the morning, and after the twelfth bell rings Regis comes. He has never come when it was dark. So, this was an unusual visit.

I was paying attention when I saw a man climb the stairs.

The man illuminated by the torch hanging on the wall had a truly aristocratic appearance. She seemed to choke at the intimidation of a man approaching her with an unfaltering gait. He did not match the gloomy dusty prison.

The man stopped in front of the cell where Eluana was held. Eluana raised her head so as not to be embarrassed. It was an insignificant movement, as if a herbivore was inflated to it’s fullest and threatened the opponent.

‘Golden Eyes?’

Even the man’s hair was golden. At first glance, the eyes of the troubled man met with Eluana’s.

‘Looks like him.’

He looks like the man in the painting. Eluana, realizing the meaning, bit her lip.

“Where is Ron Vita?”

The man’s voice was as cold as the air in the prison. Eluana lowered her gaze and responded.

“I don’t know.”

The mans golden eyes twinkled as he looked at Eluana. The eyes that burned like flames subsided as if they had never been.

“You must be Stella’s daughter.”

I became more certain when my mothers name was mentioned. Eluana, realizing who the opponent was, looked at the man more carefully.

“…Who are you?”

“Tarudo Dewon Spess.”

It’s the name of the duke who rules the south. Eluana’s face hardened at the sudden appearance of the giant.

“Have you heard of my name?”

Eluana lowered her gaze instead of answering.

It wasn’t because she didn’t know the name. The Spess family was widely known as an alchemist family who enjoyed power equal to that of the Imperial family.

While organizing my mother’s funeral, I found a portrait of a man. It was folded between the books and was so worm that the folds were ragged from how many times it had been looked at.

Ron, who was standing by, told me that the man in the portrait was my biological father.

So, this man is my…

A long time ago, Eluana asked her mom a rather silly question about whether she loved her biological father. Her mother, as always, spoke in an elegant and friendly tone

‘I loved him. Maybe even more than myself. That’s why you were born.

-Don’t you miss him?

I do. I’ll always miss him. Till the day I close my eyes.’

Because of that gentle confession, Eluana thought her biological father had died, and never asked again. However, if her biological father was not dead, and if he had a great status as a duke.

Then he abandoned my mom and me.

‘Why have you come now?’

Eluana suppressed her anxiety and looked back at the man. She couldn’t figure out why he had come. If her biological father was the Duke of Spess, she was a child out of wedlock and a disgrace to the family. He might even try to kill her to get ride of the unclean existence. (this was hard to make sense of)

It doesn’t seem that way, looking at his expression and atmosphere.

At first, I thought he was angry, but as I kept looking, it seemed that he was swallowing up his emotions.

Is his visit a melody of salvation or a harbinger of misfortune?

Eluana lowered her voice and answered.

“your voice is similar.”

A voice mixed with regret came from the lips of the Duke of Spess.

He seemed to understand why Stella raised Eluana in an estate that was surrounded by forest and almost cut off from the outside. If anyone who knows her sees Eluana, they wouldn’t doubt it. She looks like Stella from her childhood.

The girl in front of him, was Stella’s choice.

In that case, the Duke of Spess had no choice but to follow Stella’s decision. He spoke, holding back the accumulated sadness.

“I think I’m your father.”

The Duke of Spess finally met the eyes of Eluana, that looked like they were made of emeralds.

It must have been a shocking statement, but Eluana wasn’t surprised. There was no question or doubts. She closed her eyes, which looked just like Stella.

The Duke of Spess asked.

“Did you know?”

“I knew that my biological father was someone else, but I didn’t know it was the Duke.”

Eluana’s voice trembled. There was neither the joy of meeting her biological father nor the hope that she might get out of this place. Rather there was a small fear.

Duke of Spess, who assumed it was because of the foul-smelling prison, groped his arms impatiently. He didn’t have any gold coins with him because he was in a hurry. Instead, he took off the gold button on his sleeve and put it on the cage lock. The gold button flickered and flowed into the lock.

The cell door opened with a clang. The Duke of Spess stood in front of Eluana.

“Come with me.”

“…why.”

“Because I am your father.”

Only then did Eluana realize.

If she nodded her head now, she might be able to get out of this place. The Duke of Spess had enough power to disobey the orders of the 1st Prince and free Eluana from prison.

What about Louie?

It wasn’t difficult to beg the man who claimed to be her biological father to find him and bring him with them. She could get down on her knees and beg him ten or even a hundred times.

But will he take care of Louie properly?

Khazar and the Duke of Spess were the same in that they had just met. Even so, Khazar who was more like a comrade since escaping together, felt more reliable.

‘I have to figure out what his purpose is.’

A request or plea comes next. Eluana looked straight at the Duke of Spess and asked him.

“Whatever the reason, you left Mom and me. Why did you suddenly come to see me?”

“I didn’t abandon…”

The Duke of Spess tried to correct the misunderstanding but was blocked by Eluana.

“Please get me out of jail. I’ll live on my own and won’t even bother you. I will write a memorandum that I will never appear in front of you again. I will not use the Spess family name.”

Looking at the stubborn green eyes, the Duke of Spess swallowed his old sorrow.