Chapter 16

In the world of the novel, dragons once led the Calixte Empire to the brink of destruction, and it was the heroes who saved the empire from ruin.

And the sword they used back then—was the one that worked my dad to death!
Those jerks.

Anyway, knowing all that, this legend didn’t really move me much.

[What matters isn’t some old story like that, kid, but the fact that your family is the guardian of the dragon. Now I get why you can understand my voice! You probably have the talent of a Sword Master…]

Just then, a maid from the Ferdinand household spoke to me.

“Do you like the desserts I brought you?”

I quickly responded.

“Yes! They’re really tasty!”

[Don’t interrupt me!]

Smiling sweetly, I ate the cookie in her hand down to the last crumb.

The butter cookies melted in my mouth before I could even chew. If I had cookies like these, I felt like I could eat a hundred a day.

“Hehe, how adorable. If there’s anything more you’d like, don’t hesitate to tell me!”

The maid smiled kindly, then left the room with the tray.

I cut a small piece of the strawberry-topped cake with a fork and glanced around the drawing room I was in.

As soon as I arrived here, I was separated from Dad and brought to this reception room.

They said it was the room used for entertaining guests in the Ferdinand household, and it was by far the largest, most luxurious, and most beautiful room I’d ever seen.

The ceiling was as high as a temple’s, and nothing—neither the wallpaper nor the decorations—looked cheap. Everything looked expensive.

I wonder how much that costs?
Must be pricey, right?

There I was, sitting alone in this big fancy drawing room, stuffing myself with cookies.

It wasn’t until I had eaten half the plate of cookies that I thought about the people who brought me here.

“When will Dad be back…? What about the Duke?”

The two of them had left me behind with a mountain of desserts, saying they had something to discuss.

Thanks to that, I was able to eat until I nearly burst, but still.

There was one strange thing.

I whispered to X in a hushed voice.

“Hey, X.”

[Speak, I’m listening.]

“Don’t you feel it?”

[Feel what?]

“It’s like someone’s been watching me for a while now…”

Seriously.

Ever since I arrived at the Ferdinand mansion, I kept feeling that gaze.

✦✦✦

“I’d like to hear what shameless reason brought you to the capital.”

“Well…”

Neil stammered. The Duke, Seobold Ferdinand, barely held back his urge to yell at Neil’s frustratingly hesitant demeanor.

No matter how annoyed he was, this man was still the father of his granddaughter.

And as long as his granddaughter was staying under his roof, even Seobold Ferdinand—who was said to be so fearsome even birds fell silent—couldn’t treat Neil carelessly.

“I wasn’t getting much work lately, and it was becoming difficult. Then I received a lucrative commission. The client wanted the sword to be made while staying in the capital, so I had no choice…”

“You weren’t getting much work?” Seobold spoke in a low, dangerous tone. Startled, Neil nodded.

“Y-yes.”

“So you were short on living expenses?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“…Did Eve go hungry?”

“…Pardon?”

Neil was startled and quickly shook his head.

“No! Even if I had to go hungry, I always made sure Eve was well-fed. On days I didn’t have money to buy food, I’d ask the villagers for help, or sell swords at cheap prices just to make sure she ate properly.”

Hearing this, Seobold finally withdrew his cold, piercing gaze.

Neil felt the hair on the back of his neck slowly settle.

‘Has it been so long…? It’s even harder to adjust now.’

What Neil had just felt was Seobold Ferdinand’s killing intent.

He was the empire’s only Sword Master. If he wanted to, he could have easily cut down someone like Neil.

And that Seobold had just released a wave of killing intent toward Neil.

Even though it was refined and controlled, for an ordinary man like Neil Royze, it was still bone-chilling.

He was relieved that he’d raised Eve “as best as he could without letting her go hungry.”

Had he even once said that she’d starved, Seobold might have sliced off his head right then and taken Eve to raise her himself.

Realizing that Seobold’s anger had slightly subsided, Neil cautiously spoke again.

“As you may already know… we’re currently staying at the prince’s residence in the capital, arranged by His Highness. Eve is there as well.”

“…”

“I don’t think the work will finish quickly, so it seems we’ll be in the capital for a while. So if you’d like to see Eve, you can visit anytime.”

For Neil, this was a brave thing to say.

When he and Astrid had run away, Seobold had sworn in the name of the dragon never to see their faces again.

And “their faces” included not only Neil and Astrid, but also little Eve, who was still in Astrid’s womb at the time.

That’s why even after Astrid died, Neil never considered sending Eve to the Ferdinand estate and raised her himself.

Had she been sent to the Duke’s house, she would have been treated incomparably better.
But he couldn’t ignore Seobold’s vow never to see them again.

And more than that, he just didn’t want to send Eve away.

Astrid and his child.

His only ally.

His beloved daughter.

It was true—Neil’s own attachment played a part in not sending Eve to the Duke’s house.

Besides, he thought Seobold didn’t want Eve.

After all, the man had never once replied to any of the letters detailing Eve’s growth that Neil had faithfully sent.

But now, Seobold Ferdinand had broken his vow and brought Eve to the Duke’s mansion.

‘It’s strange.’

He asked if he could pat her head, checked if she was uncomfortable in the carriage, and even ordered that she be served lots of delicious desserts.

That wasn’t the reaction of a grandfather who hated his granddaughter at first sight.

Moreover…

“And also, on the street earlier…”

Neil once again carefully and bravely opened his mouth.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked Seobold straight in the eye.

“…You bumped into Eve on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Bumped into her on purpose?”

Seobold narrowed his icy eyes and repeated the question.

Neil instantly realized he’d said the wrong thing—but didn’t back down.

“If a complete stranger child had really come running and bumped into you, the Blue Dragon Knights would’ve stopped her before she even got close.”

Neil wasn’t wrong.

The Ferdinand household had a private knight order directly under the Duke—the Blue Dragon Knights.

Privately trained without imperial involvement, the Blue Dragon Knights were known to be more capable than the imperial knights.

There was even a running joke that the greatest knights in the Calixte Empire weren’t the imperial guard, but the Blue Dragon Knights.

And they would do anything for their lord.

So there’s no way such an elite unit couldn’t stop a single “child” from approaching Seobold Ferdinand?

Even if they were far away for escort purposes, it was impossible.

Besides, they weren’t even needed—Seobold Ferdinand himself was the empire’s only Sword Master.