CH 10.2

In an instant, my eyes widened.

“Please, accept the mementos left by my father. Even if I’m deprived of my knighthood, I would give my life to protect the young lady…”

At that moment, the Duke of Elrad slammed his fist into the back of the man who was holding out the jewelry that was cut.

“You fool.”

“Your Excellency…”

“The only ones who use their parents’ belongings as proof of their negligence was you, Taze.”

I was convinced when I heard Duke Ellard’s bruising, telling him to worry about going back and getting his custody.

When I heard the Duke of Elrad’s scolding, “Don’t worry about going back and keeping a low profile,” I was sure.

Taze Sedian.

A knight who wears a jewel that was split in half on his sword.

Later, Jack’s adoptive father and vice-captain of the Rexion Knights.

He was a man, making his own name.

Many of the knights adoring him about the decorations he wears made countless predictions, such as the jewel being torn apart during the battle between life and death, the jewel that saved his life, and the token he shared with the dead knight, but there was no behind-the-scenes story like this.

It was a little futile, but I thought I could sell this information at a high price later.

“The carriage is ready, so let’s go.”

Diana held my hand as if waiting for the Duke’s words.

She seemed worried that I might change my mind.

It was only a few days spent together, but I was a little embarrassed because she was more desperate than a family I had met through a difficult time, furthermore…

“Well, will I ride this carriage too?”

Even though it was obvious that they were in a hurry to get to this mountain, a great-looking carriage stood out.

Since I can’t ride on a horse like the knights, I thought I’d ride a carriage with healers and wizards standing behind.

“Sister, let’s ride together!”

Diana, who was holding my hand, pulled me…

“A small child like you can ride enough, so stop worrying.”

At the sound of the Duke’s indifferent voice, I threw myself into the carriage.

The chair in the carriage looked fluffy, and very clean, it seemed to smell good.

On the other hand, my hair was dirty and my clothes were ragged, so I doubted whether I could sit comfortably.

However, I couldn’t just stand up, so I ended up sitting in a chair awkwardly.

Soon the carriage could be felt to start moving.

Staring blankly at the orphanage that was moving away from the window, I found the children standing in a line and one after another getting into different carriages.

‘In my previous life, I watched Jack go in the carriage from the corner between those kids.’

I felt strange riding in the carriage leaving like this.

With the realization that the future has changed, I wondered if I could live a new life.

With only my fingers twitching in a vague and fearful heart, I suddenly lifted my head.

Diana, who was excited as the carriage left, was soon swept into the Duke’s arms and fell asleep.

And just in time, I made eye contact with the Duke of Elrad, who was looking at Diana.

He asked me as if he had been waiting for me to look at him.

“What’s your name? How old are you?”

“It’sㅡ it’s Lia. I don’t have a last name. I’m eight years old…”

It’s only natural that I don’t have a last name since I’m an orphan.

I blamed myself for my stupidity, thinking that I was too nervous adding something meaningless.

I’m worried that my face might get hot, but the Duke’s mouth opened again.

“Did you know who Diana was? Who I am.”

“…!”

My eyes widened at the unexpected question.

‘He thinks I’m weird. Are you doubting me?’

Contrary to his indifferent tone of voice, his piercing gaze made my heart race arbitrarily.

The Duke of Elrad wondered about the strange child named Lia.

The child in front of me was a child with no eye-catching corner.

A child with a scruffy complexion, dressed in shabby clothes, similar to the ones I saw at the nursery a little while ago.

If I hadn’t seen her apart from the attic, she was just an ordinary kid who I would have passed by if she had been mingled with another group of orphanage children.

But when the child, who came to her senses as she awakened, clings and begs for her with frightened eyes, he feels as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

As if stiffened and hesitating as to what to do, as if she had received an unexpected surprise during the war, the child held out the evidence she had stolen before him, as if she knew that someone would come to solve all the problems.

Evidence that could thoroughly destroy the director of the orphanage.

Common sense was not something a child in such a small orphanage could recognize, and even if they did, stealing it was not an easy thing to do.

It was then that the Duke began to see the child again.

Her body, covered in loose clothing, was as dry as a skewer, and her face, showing bruises and wounds, was pale enough to show through all her blood vessels.

Her sparsely cut brown hair was stiff and rough on the tip, and her cheeks exhaling shallowly were neither full nor blushing like Diana.

Did she notice that I was observing her?

The child bowed her head and said, “I recognized that Dana was a precious child.”

Looking at the child avoiding his gaze, the Duke somehow became angry.

Strangely, I felt frustrated as if my heart was clogged.