Chapter 95
As Calips stepped out of his office, Knox, who had been waiting by the door, followed him with a bewildered expression.
“Where are you going, Your Grace?”
“Aisha’s ice cave. It’s been an hour, so I need to check on her.”
“But there are still five minutes left before it’s been a full hour since she entered?”
When Knox asked, looking even more puzzled, Calips pointed his finger at the floor beneath them.
“From here.”
Then, he pointed toward the end of the hallway.
“It will take about five minutes to walk down to the first basement level. That is why I am heading there now.”
Knox, following Calips’s finger with his gaze, nodded.
“You are very meticulous.”
“That is what parenting is.”
Ending the conversation there, Calips and Knox hurried toward the ice cave.
Though neither said it aloud, both were worried about Aisha.
The ice cave was a space forged from the Ice Ability. Even Northerners, who were accustomed to low temperatures, usually couldn’t last thirty minutes inside before rushing back out.
But what about Aisha?
‘She was born in the relatively warm Doctia Kingdom and hasn’t been in the North for long. She must be even more vulnerable to the cold.’
As they descended the stairs to the basement, Calips’s lips, which had been set as heavy as lead, slowly parted.
“There is a high chance she failed. Tell May to have some warm water ready. If Aisha gives up, we need to get her into a bath immediately.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After Knox left to carry out the order, Calips reached the bottom of the stairs alone and opened the door to the ice cave.
“Ai…”
sha. Calips’s eyes widened slowly before he could finish her name.
“……?”
There was a massive heap in a corner of the cave.
Looking closer, it wasn’t just a heap. It was a cluster of children huddled around Aisha.
They were sleeping, sharing their body heat with one another.
They even looked quite comfortable; not a single child was shivering.
“…What on earth is… Ha!”
Calips, whose complexion had been dark with worry the whole time, let out a weak, hollow laugh.
“Your Grace, the warm water is ready—”
“Shh.”
Knox entered a moment later and started to speak, but Calips raised a finger, signaling him to be quiet.
“You’ll wake the children.”
“…The children?”
Knox instinctively lowered his voice and his eyes went wide when he spotted the children over Calips’s shoulder.
And then.
“…It seems the bathwater won’t be necessary.”
Having grasped the situation, Knox also wore a faint smile similar to Calips’s.
“Go bring some blankets to cover Guide with.”
As Knox bowed and left the cave again, Calips used his ability to shield the interior temperature.
When the temperature dipped slightly, Aisha burrowed deeper into the arms of the children around her as if she felt a chill.
Watching that adorable sight, a soft chuckle escaped Calips.
Since she knew she couldn’t endure it alone, she brought people to help her? Regardless of her intentions, she’s certainly no ordinary child.
Perhaps, truly.
Watching the child who accomplished everything in ways that exceeded his expectations, the faint spark of anticipation within Calips began to grow.
After that, my ability training proceeded smoothly.
While Lucas and Kyle attended their morning lessons, Guide and Bibi stuck to me like glue.
‘La—Lady. Bi—Bibi has been sti—sticking only to me since then. Do you thi—think it’s because she’s sa—satisfied after going on a lo—long walk?’
‘Kyu? Kyu-kyu! (A walk? What are you talking about? From now on, this granny will only protect my baby!)’
The two couldn’t communicate directly, but it seemed they would get along fine even if I didn’t interpret for them.
Anyway, why was I able to understand Bibi? I figured I should look into that later.
And then.
‘Dandelion, Big Brother is he—Hey, Guide! Are you going to stay stuck to Dandelion like that?!’
‘Guide. Get away from Aisha.’
When Lucas, back from his morning lessons, and Kyle, who had learned the new word ‘get away,’ glared at Guide with narrowed eyes, the frightened Guide would scurry away, and my human heaters would be swapped out.
Also, other guests would often join Papa when he came to check on me every hour.
‘My Lady. It must be hard for you, being stuck in the cave. I’ve made some strawberry parfaits, so please try them.’
The chef made me plenty of desserts.
‘Lady Aisha. You must maintain your dignity even while in the cave. It looks like the right side of your pigtails has slipped a little; let me fix it for you.’
May always made sure my hair stayed styled.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, don’t they?
With the help of the people of Crost, I was able to spend a warm week in the ice cave.
‘Lady Aisha. Is the cave comfortable?’
‘No?’
‘I see. I asked because I thought as much.’
‘?’
Except for the unhelpful Knox.
In fact, he always appeared alongside Calips whenever he visited every hour just to tease me.
‘I’m gonna hit him. Once training is over. Knox.’
I glared at the retreating Knox with sharp eyes.
If I ever got out of this cave, the first person I’d test my ability on was Knox.
At any rate.
Finally, the long-awaited eighth day arrived.
“You’ve worked hard. A—Aisha!”
“Don’t stop me!”
Pushing past my welcoming Papa, I dashed out of the cave and knelt before the warm sunlight pouring over the Duke’s Castle.
Ah, sunlight.
Sweet Vitamin D, enveloping me.
“He-yaaaaaah!”
The roar of a small hamster facing the sun for the first time in eight days echoed through the skies of the castle.
And so, my ice cave training came to a successful end.
The next day. The training ground of the Duke’s Castle.
With a tense expression, Papa held my hand and nodded at me.
Today was the big day of the test.
Specifically, the day to confirm the effects of the ice cave training.
As I entered the training ground, the people who had arrived early welcomed me.
“My Lady. Since you endured a whole week in that freezing ice cave, your ability must have manifested well.”
“Lady Aisha! Good luck! Abilities are all about momentum!”
These were the people who had visited the ice cave throughout the week for my sake.
‘It’ll definitely be a success.’
“Thank you!”
After waving vigorously to everyone, I was led by Papa to the center of the training ground.
Lucas was there with us as well, in his capacity as the young master.
Whew, ha. Whew, ha.
So many people were watching only me.
Their gazes were all positive, but I was still nervous and took deep breaths.
“Aisha.”
Before I knew it, a pair of red eyes just like mine appeared before me. It was Calips, who had knelt to meet my eye level.
“There’s no need to be nervous. You were born with the blood of Crost, so the ability is natural.”
“Ye—Yes!”
“Open your palm and imagine an ice crystal blooming on top of it.”
I nodded at my father’s reliable advice.
Then, opening my palm into the air.
“Ei-yaaap!”
I summoned every bit of strength, even the strength I’d use to pass gas, and shouted a battle cry.
“Ooh!”
“Finally! Another ability user in the House of Duke Crost!”
Expectant eyes sparkled at the sight of me, but then.
Flutter.
“……?”
Instead of sharp ice rising up, something fell from the sky.
That is to say, it started snowing. And heavily, at that.
Which meant… I had failed to use the Ice Ability.
“Hmm. Was there a snow forecast for today?”
“I’m not sure. The weather in the North is quite fickle.”
As my lips curled down into a frown at the obvious failure, the people quickly changed the subject.
“Hmm.”
Lucas, let out a grunt beside me, gripped my shoulder and offered advice.
“Dandelion. Don’t just strain your butt; imagine an ice crystal floating in your hand. You don’t need to force it.”
Aha. So imagining it was more important than straining my butt.
I nodded and tried again.
“Hiyat!”
But still.
“Yaat!”
Why?! Why wouldn’t the Ice Ability come out?!
“…That’s strange. It was easy for me. Why isn’t it working for you, Dandelion?”
Had he read my mind?
Muttering the same thought I had, Lucas scratched the back of his neck and tilted his head.
“Mine manifested right after I was born, so I could just use the power since I was two.”
“…….”
“I just thought about how the ice Papa made was cool and that I wanted to make it too, and then—bam! It just appeared. Why isn’t it working for you? How strange.”
At those words, I finally realized.
The Ice Ability was something that blossomed through talent and early education, not effort.
It meant that it wasn’t something you could gain just by camping out in an ice cave for a few days at this late stage.
‘And I went through all that suffering in the ice cave for a week!’
Flump.
I eventually slumped down to the ground.
“…It’s not fair….”
“Aisha….”
“It’s not fair!”
Whether Lucas and Calips looked at me with pity or not, I screamed out loud while letting the cold snow fall all over me.
“…Lady Aisha?”
At the sudden voice, everyone turned their heads toward the entrance of the training ground.
It was May, arriving late after finishing her work.
“Lady Aisha, congratulations! You’ve succeeded in manifesting your ability! I knew you could do it.”
…What?
I looked at her with a face full of confusion as she spoke with an expression of deep moved emotion.
“What are you talking about? I failed, and that’s why I’m sulking like this!”
The flustered Lucas was about to argue back as well—
“But… isn’t this snow falling because of you, Lady Aisha? The snow is only falling inside the training ground.”
“Huh?”
Inside the training ground? What’s falling?
Only then did I, who had been plunged into despair, lift my head and look up at the sky.