Chapter 84
<87화>
“This is a first for the Crost Duchy, so I cannot say for certain.”
“…….”
Unfortunately, as always, Knox’s reply was cold and clinical.
My body froze in sheer shock.
‘So, if I’m interpreting what Knox is saying correctly, it means I’ve lost my potential abilities because of a lack of early education?’
Thud.
Devastated, I slumped right where I stood.
“Do not be discouraged. First, I will go to the library and search for relevant texts.”
Knox offered a dry consolation as he looked down at me.
Despite his words of comfort, he seemed to be in a rather good mood. It was likely because he had found something new to research.
Then, Calips, who had been watching my collapsed form, chimed in to support Knox’s words.
“Do that. Aisha, don’t be too disappointed since Knox is looking into it. And even if you cannot manifest the Ice Ability, you are still…”
“Are you trying to comfort me with that cliché line about being your child?”
“…….”
My father fell silent for a moment at my question, then nodded.
“Yes.”
Haaaah.
I let out a long sigh.
That’s not the problem. It’s just, how should I put it? It feels like something that was rightfully mine has been taken away.
“I’m going to my room now.”
“Tell May to give you some dessert. Eating something sweet might make you feel better.”
“Okay.”
Forcing my trembling legs to move, I gave my father a polite bow and left the drawing room.
Tramp, tramp.
As I walked down the hallway, I searched through my memories of the original novel.
Was there any information that could help?
It was while I was deep in thought.
“Lady Aisha!”
Someone called out to me from the opposite direction.
“May?”
While I was preoccupied with thoughts of the original story, the person who suddenly appeared before me was May.
For some reason, she was dressed in outdoor clothes.
“I heard from Master Knox. He said something a bit upsetting happened?”
“Huh? Yes… that’s true, but…”
“Then would you like to go to the city with me and visit a dessert shop?”
“Pardon?”
Wait, those clothes. Did she put them on because of me?
My eyes went wide like a rabbit’s in surprise, and May, as if reading my mind, explained with a calm smile.
“It’s to help change your mood. And the people of the duchy will be very happy to see you, My Lady. Since the news about you was published in the newspaper, the residents have been very curious about you.”
Prick.
My ears perked up instinctively at the mention of people being curious about me.
But.
“…I have a problem I need to solve.”
I couldn’t just keep playing when I hadn’t even found a way to use my abilities yet.
Growing gloomy again, I pouted my lips petulantly.
May looked puzzled for a moment, then knelt to meet my eyes and spoke calmly.
“My Lady. Sometimes when you have a problem that’s hard to solve, it’s best to clear your head completely. That way, the answer can drift into your mind.”
“Ooh… Is, is that so…?”
Ah. I shouldn’t be swayed like this…
“Yes. How about we get the Duke’s permission and head out right away?”
“Ooh…”
This isn’t the time to play…
Or so I thought.
By the time I came to my senses, I was holding May’s hand and asking my dad for permission.
And upon seeing my melting expression, Calips…
“Since you’re going anyway, make sure she eats something until that shriveled face of hers plumps back up.”
He readily agreed, handing May a heavy pouch of gold coins.
A short while later.
Sluuuuurp—
“Ha! This is the life~!”
After taking a sip of hot cocoa through a straw, I opened my mouth wide in pure bliss.
Hot cocoa in the bone-chilling North. This is true happiness! This is true welfare!
“If you were going to enjoy yourself this much, why were you looking so miserable earlier?”
May laughed as she wiped the corners of my mouth with a handkerchief.
This place, filled with May’s warm touch and cocoa, was ‘Ferrerorosha,’ the most popular dessert shop in the Crost Duchy.
Famous particularly for its terrace where one could feel the crisp Northern air, the cafe was overflowing with people sitting outside and sipping warm drinks.
I was currently drinking the shop’s number one most popular item: Rabbit Cocoa.
As the sweet chocolate entered my mouth, my troubled heart felt like it was settling down a little.
“No, well, you see…”
I sat on a high chair, dangling my short legs as I sipped my cocoa.
Then I whispered so only May could hear.
“It’s been revealed that I’m Dad’s biological daughter, right? But my Ice Ability hasn’t manifested yet.”
“Ah. Now that you mention it, you would be an ability holder.”
May’s eyes widened.
It was clear that she hadn’t given it much thought either.
“It might just be a bit late to manifest, so why not wait calmly? You’ve been through a big incident recently, so you should rest for a while.”
She answered brightly after a moment of thought.
Wait. Isn’t this a world where people go crazy because there aren’t enough ability holders?
Calips, Knox, and even May—why is everyone so nonchalant about it?
I was worried that if I said I was struggling because my ability wouldn’t manifest, they’d demand a paternity test or something.
And yet, she was telling me to rest and wait again.
“I’ve already rested for a month, though?”
“Resting more makes everything better. Especially for someone your age, My Lady.”
Sip.
May smiled gracefully as she sipped her black tea.
‘If it were my previous life, I’d be at the age to start English kindergarten…’
I felt uneasy.
I arched my eyebrows and pursed my lips.
Whether in my past life or this one, I had never rested. I was always buried under studies or spy training.
Because if I stopped even for a moment, everyone would pass me by.
No matter how much I reached out to those ahead of me, the gap only widened by the amount of time I had missed.
I was afraid of that. I was anxious that I might be abandoned because of it.
So I ran and ran.
‘But the people in this world aren’t like that. How should I put it… they feel very lenient toward children?’
Is it because there’s no concept of schools or academies?
No, that’s not it. Lucas and Kyle are studying hard, so why aren’t they making me do anything?
Besides, if I’ve rested for a month, shouldn’t they be nagging me to start doing something by now?
It seems they aren’t just lenient toward children; they are excessively lenient toward me.
“Hmm…”
Then I tilted my head the other way.
Wait, is it actually weirder to tell a five-year-old to study?
“My Lady. What are you thinking about?”
“…That’s what I want to ask…”
“Pardon?”
Complicated thoughts drifted through my head.
I let out a long sigh and muttered.
“For difficult problems like this, I should ask Brother Tes…”
“…What brother?”
It was just as I was talking nonsense.
Thwack!
“N-no!”
The sound of someone falling hard was followed by a child’s scream. Startled by the noise, the people sitting at the terrace cafe began to stand up one by one.
I also jumped up to see what was happening and turned my head toward the sound.
“My Lady. Please stay back.”
The escort knight who had been waiting nearby rushed over and shielded me behind his back.
‘That was definitely a child’s scream.’
Patter.
Quickly hidden behind the knight, I poked only my head out to watch the alleyway.
The sound had come from a butcher shop located further inside.
The door of the butcher shop burst open, and a man who appeared to be the owner began to scream at the top of his lungs.
“Knights! There is a monster here! Please take it away!”
“D-d-don’t do that… Our Bibi isn’t that kind of monster…!”
Behind him, a young boy who had been swept out like a fallen leaf clung to the man’s ankle and cried.
‘…What is that?’
The boy looked to be about my age.
His brown hair was matted as if it hadn’t been washed in a long time. His face was smeared with tears, and his radish-like legs, similar in length to mine, were being dragged along by the man.
“…May?”
“Yes. I will go and take a look.”
Something about the situation was strange.
When I caught May’s eye, she seemed to have the same thought. She asked the knight to look after me and approached them herself.
“Oh, Knight! Over here!”
However, when the man saw May, he spotted us behind her and brightened up.