~CHAPTER 48~
“Uh…”
When I turned around, a child was standing there.
At a glance, anyone would have assumed he was from a noble family.
But nobody would call me over at a time like this just to introduce some noble kid.
Oh… no way.
One possibility came to mind.
No, that can’t be. He looks way too different.
Half-doubting myself, I glanced at Ifrit with a “just in case” look.
Ifrit met my eyes, and his expression said it all.
How is he? Cute, right? My kid’s amazing.
He looked exactly like a father dying to brag about his son.
Smiling ear to ear, he looked between me and the boy named Theo, then spoke.
“Say hello. This is Theo Kraft.”
“Kraft?”
“He’s the child of my contractor you rescued a few days ago.”
“…Oh.”
So I was right.
His messy hair had been neatly trimmed, and he was wearing clothes far nicer than the scraps that barely counted as fabric before.
He even looked like he’d gained a little weight. He had been so thin that it wasn’t a big change, but still noticeable.
He looks completely different like this.
It made sense. Ifrit had no reason to bring home another child at this time.
“Come here, Theo.”
I gently reached out to him and called his name.
Realizing that I recognized him, he finally approached me.
His tiny hand grabbed the hem of my clothes.
Then—
“Ze… Jena.”
I froze for a moment.
The word that came out of Theo’s mouth was my name.
His speech was still clumsy, so it was hard to catch at first, but there was no mistaking it.
“Theo… did you start learning how to speak?”
“He needs to learn if he wants to live. I’m teaching him slowly. He learned your name faster than mine.”
Ifrit sounded like a parent already tired of raising a child, as if he might start complaining that kids never appreciate their parents.
Regardless, I felt like bursting from pride just hearing it.
I gently patted Theo’s head.
“Did you name him ‘Theo,’ Ifrit?”
I hadn’t asked to confirm. I simply expected him to say yes.
Ifrit would give the name, and the surname would come from the spirits’ playful lineage, just like devils used Fabrein.
But Ifrit gave an unexpected answer.
“No.”
“…No? Then Noah?”
Maybe one of the workers at the shop who were spirits?
But Ifrit shook his head again.
“Theo’s mother named him.”
“…Theo’s mother? But…”
I swallowed the rest. It wasn’t something to say in front of a child.
But I remembered clearly. Ifrit told me the child’s mother was no longer alive.
“Yes. She told me before she died. If she ever had a child, whether a boy or a girl, she wanted the name to be Theo.”
“Then Kraft is…”
“It’s her family name.”
A family name meant she was from a noble house.
“Even you should understand what that means, devil or not.”
I nodded silently.
He was a mixed-blood child. That meant his father must have been a devil. No noble lady could openly admit such a thing. She would have to give birth to him as if he had no father.
A noblewoman having a child out of wedlock without naming the father?
Maybe she was cast out. And during that time, the child got taken by the temple?
Even without trying, the possible story lined up so easily it made my chest ache.
But one question lingered. What had Ifrit been doing all that time?
He searched for the child, so he didn’t ignore it on purpose.
He even sent me into the temple instead of going himself.
Even weakened, he was a Spirit King. It would have been safer for him to go than for me, the former Demon King.
So why didn’t he?
Should I ask? I stared at Ifrit quietly, unsure.
He must have sensed it, because he spoke up hesitantly.
“You’re wondering why I didn’t take care of Theo earlier.”
“If I ask, will you tell me? I can’t imagine you ignoring your contractor’s child.”
“There’s no reason not to tell you. It’s just… embarrassing.”
Embarrassing?
I waited patiently.
“Bris—Theo’s mother—asked me for something while we were under contract. I broke the rules because of it.”
“I caused a huge mess. I was locked up in the divine realm because of it.”
That last voice wasn’t his.
“Noah?”
Noah was leaning against the doorway, looking at us with a tired expression.
“You’re late. You were gone all morning.”
“I went to visit the World Tree.”
My eyes shot open. The World Tree woke up? Could we meet her?
Maybe I looked like I was about to bombard him with questions. Noah waved a hand to calm me.
“Not yet. She’s still asleep.”
“Oh… I see.”
Right. He originally said it would be next month. I needed to be patient.
It felt like all the tension drained from my body at once. I sat there quietly, playing with Theo’s hair again.
Then Noah suddenly looked at me.
“By the way, you should head home.”
“Huh?”
“That paladin who follows you everywhere. He brought someone. It didn’t look ordinary.”
He meant Sian, and the guest must be the ‘visitor’ he mentioned before.
But “not ordinary?”
“What do you mean?”
I straightened my posture and asked. Ifrit took Theo and held him so I could stand up.
Noah wouldn’t say something strange unless it was serious.
The Earth Spirit King could see the truth behind things.
“You should see for yourself.”
“…Does that mean it isn’t just a warning?”
“No. It means I wouldn’t dare get involved.”
There wasn’t a hint of humor on Noah’s face.
“…I should go.”
“Yes, go.”
“Want me to escort you?”
“I’m fine. It’s not far.”
I stepped forward, leaving Ifrit and Noah behind.
Or I would have, if a tiny hand hadn’t grabbed my clothes again.
“Ze… Jena.”
It was Theo.
His wide eyes were full of the question, “Where are you going?”
“Oh, he’s upset.”
Ifrit seemed to realize the situation wasn’t appropriate and quickly adjusted how he held him.
“Theo, you need to say goodbye.”
“Ze-… Je-…”
Even while being held and patted, he looked reluctant.
Theo kept reaching toward me. Seeing that reminded me of my early days after reincarnating.
Clinging, attaching, unable to let go of even passing connections.
Did others feel this way watching me back then?
Enough. Not the time for this.
I needed to stop this habit of getting sentimental at random moments.
Still, it wasn’t as bad as before.
“Theo.”
I steadied myself and interlocked my fingers with his tiny hand, holding it firmly.
“I’ll be back soon. You can eat well and wait for me, right?”
“…Ze… Jena…”
“Yes. I’ll come back soon.”
I smiled and patted his head once more. He still looked unhappy, but he seemed to accept that I had to leave.
“Then I’ll go.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“For what?”
Ifrit stared blankly, clearly lost, and I laughed at him.
Time to see that “not ordinary” guest.
