* * *

There seemed to be no need for further prodding, so Ruatisha immediately got up.

“…….”

Unknowingly, the child reached out his hand towards the receding warmth and then grabbed it back.

“Here, ah ~ eat.”

Ruatisha scooped up the soup that was placed on the small table and offered it.

The child looked at the soup that was presented in front of him for a while and then opened his mouth slightly.

“Right, eat well. Good child.”

After receiving a pat on the head, the child frowned.

Why am I accommodating this girl’s whims and quirks?

Despite thinking that way, the child continued to accept and eat until the bowl was clean without refusing.

“Why… are you helping me?”

“Whenever this Grandma sees a skinny child, I naturally want to feed them.”

Is this Grandma in my dream.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t speak.

The surroundings blurred and consciousness flickered.

“If you feel uncomfortable in your heart, repay me later. Live well.”

Amongst that, only the girl’s voice was clear.

“You don’t have to pay me back.”

Those words sounded like a warning not to become attached.

“If someone is hurt or hungry, I’ll just treat them or give them bread.”

What if I want to pay you back?

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

“Khk… .”

Instead, a painful groan filled my mouth.

The child gritted his teeth, enduring the pain until his lips were covered in blood.

The crimson prohibition metal twisted, imprisoning the child’s body and soul.

Through his blurry vision, the face of the girl who seemed like she would cry appeared.

Don’t cry.

I wanted to say that.

It shouldn’t matter whether that girl cries or not.

The sobbing voice soon turned into a low whine.

“She still can’t sing.”

This child can never become a singer.

I can’t believe I can leisurely think like this even in the pain that seems to tear my soul to pieces.

I was surprised at myself, but I kept thinking about this girl.

Her sense of rhythm is completely messed up.

Her hand pounding on her chest and her singing were out of sync, making me more uncomfortable the more I listened.

“But still…”

One voice was quite pleasant to listen to.

Truly, so pleasant that—.

A halo-like blur of light burst forth from the girl’s body.

‘It’s not a song that will be glorified to this extent.’

Despite thinking that way, I couldn’t take my eyes off the girl.

The light emanating from the girl reached out and touched my body.

Warm, gentle, and soft waves.

That power met with the power that had been pooling within him.

Like a drop of light in a desert, that power seeped into his withered life.

When what he thought to be a single droplet of rain turned into an endless downpour.

His desolate life regained its oily luster and spread its wings once again.

Slowly, bit by bit, he pushed out the metal that had been devouring his soul and body.

The process was as painful as rearranging bones.

The child lost consciousness and regained it repeatedly.

When he opened his eyes again, the apparition of the girl was still by his side.

A cold hand gently covered his cheek.

He welcomed the coldness.

Whether her hand was cold or if his body was excessively hot, he didn’t know.

“Do you still want to die?”

There’s nothing good about living anyway.

“…… I couldn’t think about how to live well before. I didn’t have the luxury for that.”

What are you talking about?

Even while living such a prosperous life…

“I couldn’t pay attention to anything other than earning enough money to survive each day. Naturally, I didn’t think about what I wanted or what kind of person I wanted to become.”

Though it’s different when it comes to money, I understand that feeling too.

Even having a future feels like a luxury.

“I thought that once I had money, I would definitely take a break without lifting a finger because it was so hard.”

I feel the same way.

I want to rest, to be liberated from this pain.

Wouldn’t it be easier if I died?

“But I was wrong.”

A firm voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Because once I stopped worrying about making a living, there were all sorts of things I wanted to do. The thought of not lifting a finger is completely gone.”

Why?

I don’t understand that.

“I started to have more things I like and things I dislike.”

It was still a phrase I couldn’t comprehend.

“That’s when I finally realized.”

But the girl’s voice continued.

“Ah, the reason I didn’t have anything I wanted to do was because I could endure it only if I thought it didn’t exist.”

It was as if she was telling him something she longed for.

“Life was so hard that it was more comfortable not to have dreams.”

I understand that.

It’s easier to give up.

“The ‘real me’ had so many things I wanted to try, so many things I was curious about, and so many things I wanted to challenge.”

The girl tightly held his hand.

It felt like an intensely real sensation.

“So dying is not better. You will have plenty of things you want to do too.”

Things I want to do.

As I pondered that, the girl’s face appeared in my mind.

“It will definitely happen.”

The face that spoke those words broke into a bright smile.

* * *

“It’s amazing!”

“You’re definitely showing progress. It’s impressive, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing the words of the wizards and sorcerers, I let out a sigh of relief.

As I watched the red line gradually disappear, I thought the ban was being lifted.

However, I was worried because he spent a lot of time suffering without being able to recover his senses.

But when I got confirmation from experts in this field, strength seemed to drain from my body.

“Even at this moment, the aether inside this child is resisting the prohibition.”

It seems that his immune system is working well.

‘I only had one chance to create aether through song.’

I was worried that there might not be enough, but if I give it another shot, I can drive out the prohibition with my own aether.

“But how did he get the supply of aether… I did observe a strong aether reaction in this room.”

I said the words I had prepared casually.

“Well, this child originally had a very strong aether. I thought it would be okay to use it as if piercing energy and blood with aura.”

“Oh?”

“The aether that the knights felt, could it have been the aether emitted from this child’s body at that time? I don’t know.”

The sharp-witted wizard nodded his head.

“Clearly, something that has been polished and something that has not been polished is different.”

What’s so clear about it. I just said whatever.

“Our wizards also pierce their own mana circuits. That way, the speed of mana movement is faster and there is no loss.”

“They say the increased efficiency of your aether allows you to self-heal. That makes sense.”

“But is aether the type of force that could be operated in that way?”

I winced at the sharp criticism.

I don’t know either.

But the answer came from elsewhere.

“Nothing has been revealed about aether yet, so no one can say for sure.”

“Empowered individuals can handle aether differently.”

“That’s interesting.”

They each went into discussion mode on their own.

Anyway, I’m glad my nonsensical excuse seemed to have worked well.

“I am amazed at how you came up with such thoughts, Miss!”

“This truly is a waste of calling you a genius! You are indeed a Phaeraton!”

No, the excuse I made was really just a bunch of nonsense.

I don’t even know if it makes any sense.

“His Excellency must be really pleased to have such a daughter.”

“Envy doesn’t begin to describe it. How about raising her to be a wizard?”

“Rather than a wizard, it would be better to say a sorceress. After all, alchemy is the realm of sorcery.”

Dad didn’t say anything.

Normally, he would have reacted with something like ‘Of course.’

Somehow, his stern face seemed different from usual…

“Then, have we finished confirming everything about this child?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Dad nodded and left the room.

“Ruru, come with me.”

Why is he acting like this?

I followed Dad with slightly narrowed shoulders.

We arrived at Dad’s office.

When Dad, me, and my brothers entered, Viscount Erkel shut the door.

“Ruru.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

It was only then that I realized that his gaze was directed at me.

“…I’m sorry. I promised I wouldn’t go to that kid’s room, but I did.”

As expected, he knew.

Even though I moved secretly, there was no way Dad wouldn’t find out.

He just let it go.

“But I didn’t do anything dangerous. I just made it easier for that kid to use aether.”

That part was true.

I generated aether to help that kid unlock the prohibition on their own.

“You broke your promise with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

I hung my head low.

“I was waiting for you to tell me first.”

“I was wrong.”

“……”

Dad didn’t say anything else.

He just stared at me intensely, with his head slightly raised.

Is he really angry?

I suddenly felt scared and my heart started pounding.

As I looked around nervously, Viscount Erkel shut his mouth behind Dad.

‘I’m upset, but why is that guy doing that?’

He looked really uncomfortable.

When I turned my head, something crossed my mind.

I looked back at Viscount Erkel and saw that he wasn’t just closing his mouth, he was saying something with his lips.

‘Ki.’

Ki?

‘Kiss.’

Hmm?

‘Kiss, kiss, kiss.’

Ah, no way?

“Will that work?”

I thought so, but I needed to try.

Step step step. I ran over and hugged Dad’s leg.

“Please hug me.”

Then Dad pretended to be unable to resist and lifted me up.

I tightly wrapped my arms around Dad’s neck. And…

Chu!

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

Dad glanced at me and cleared his throat.

His stiff expression softened, and I felt victorious.

“If you forgive me, please give Ruru a kiss on the cheek too.”

As I offered my cheek, Dad gave me a peck.

Hehe.

“I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about my little sister.”

“To think you would do something dangerous, you weakling.”

“……”

I looked at Ares and Ixion with stern eyes, and in the end, I also gave them a kiss.

They returned the favor by giving me a kiss on my cheek, saying it was payback for worrying them.

Huh?

Rather than payback, it feels more like seizing the opportunity to fulfill their desires?

After the commotion of kisses settled down, Dad opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“Since it concerns your slave, you should know as well.”

Upon hearing those words, I straightened my posture.

“There are few forces in the Empire that can use such high-level alchemy. Traces are left behind in the process. We traced it back to the prohibition.”

“So, you found out who gave that child a prohibition?”

“Yes, it is related to the imperial family.”

“The imperial family? Then… the Emperor…?”

“It could be the Empress or the Empress Dowager.”

Regardless, they were people in positions where they could live comfortably without ruining a child’s life.

But why…?

“There is something even more important.”

Dad’s red eyes gleamed heavily.

“Your slave is of the imperial bloodline.”

I opened my mouth.

Imperial bloodline?

Then… 

That’s right, the imperial family!

* * *

My body feels light.

When was the last time I felt like this?

I can feel every cell in my body alive and the pulsing vibration of my veins.

The child lay on the bed and raised their arm.

‘It’s gone…’

The ominous red line that had been crawling and wriggling disappeared.

His arm was clean.

“Did the prohibition stop working?”

But there was nothing wrong with his health.

In fact, he is in an unprecedentedly stable state.

As he looked around, he saw a girl sitting by the bed with a calm gaze, as if she had been watching him for a long time.

‘Ah, I see. This is a dream.’

Come to think of it, he heard a singing voice before regaining consciousness.

“I’ve decided.”

“What?”

“Your name.”

Are you still thinking about that?

That fact had been deeply etched into his heart.

“Sid.”

The way the girl pronounced it sounded unfamiliar.

“Your name is Sid.”

The way she smiled as she said it was unfamiliar.

A smile that seemed to be from somewhere far away.

“…Sid.”

Ruatisha smiled softly as she watched Sid repeat the name.

“The pronunciation is the same as ‘seed’ in one of the languages I know.”

“Seed?”

“Yeah, a seed can become anything.”

It could become a dangerous existence, just like what the devil had said.

Perhaps it could even become a villain.

But it could also become a very good person, like the male protagonist in a novel, someone cool and special.

“I really like stories where the original villain or black sheep gets healed and reborn, ultimately becoming someone great.”

‘Exactly what are you talking about?’ He returned a look of confusion, but Ruatisha paid it no mind.

“What kind of person you become is up to you.”

What kind of soil it grows in, how much rain it receives, and what kind of sunlight it basks in.

“But that’s a very difficult thing to do.”

Sid would know better than anyone else.

After all, his life had been ruined by someone else’s hands.

“So never let anyone else dictate your life again.”

“You…”

Sid opened his mouth with a suspicious look on his face, but Ruatisha quickly changed the subject.

“Spring has already come outside.”

Ruatisha took out a small bouquet of flowers from her arms.

She had picked only the prettiest flowers from the garden and made them herself.

“This is a gift.”

Sid looked at the bouquet and then at the girl who was smiling slightly embarrassed.

What kind of nightmare is this?

Is this an illusion that will just be taken away from him.

What if.

If something were to go wrong with this girl in front of me.

Even if it was just a mere illusion, I—

Sid’s thoughts were cut off.

Suddenly, the scent of flowers wafted into his arms.

A bouquet of flowers filled his arms.

It was the first time he had seen something like this up close.

The scent was warm like spring sunshine and tickled his nose like a spring breeze.

The soft petals felt velvety to the touch, just like this girl.

Sid discovered something sparkling among the flowers.

It was a key and a small button.

He knew what key it was at a glance.

It was the key and controller for the restraint device around his neck.

“Now live freely.”

He heard a whisper.

Sid slowly reached out and grabbed the key and controller.

“Why…?”

As he urgently looked up, he saw the back of the girl who was moving away.

At that moment, he reached out to her.

“Kuh…!”

Her disheveled hair looked like flower petals.

Slowly before his eyes, the girl collapsed.

Bleeding redder than the flowers in his arms.