Chapter 8

It took some time to look around the house, and even though they were done looking, Diana still had to wait in the carriage for Hermann and the woman to return.

Hermann returned first and the woman was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the lady that you were talking to?”

“She’ll come after a while.”

Hermann got into the carriage and closed the door.

“How was it?”

The house was impressive. After going through the front entrance, you could see beautiful and large marble stairs, columns, spacious halls, and spiral stairs. To be honest, the mansion itself was really nice. But—

“It’s too… big.”

A two story mansion was too big for her to live alone.

“You don’t like big houses? I’ll be hiring a maid, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up.”

“Even so, it’s still a little….”

“Okay. I understand.”

Hermann nodded candidly. She didn’t know he’d accept her opinion so easily. Diana’s mouth opened to ask a question.

“Why…?”

Hermann’s forehead wrinkled up.

“Did you want me to be against it?”

Diana hurriedly shook her head.

“If you have anything that you want just tell me directly. I loathe beating around the bush.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ve had enough of hearing you only say ‘yes’ all day long….”

Hermann stopped talking and stared at Diana who was tilting her head. Unconsciously he reached out to stroke her head, turning away right after.

Diana fixed her hair where Hermann patted her.

‘Why does Hermann care so much about me?’

Since she met him, all she did was receive. He taught her things she didn’t know, gave her gifts, and returned her mother’s legacy.

‘Why would mom leave her legacy with Hermann?’

Diana looked at Hermann and carefully opened her mouth.

“Hermann, by any chance….”

Hermann, who was looking out the window, looked back at her. When their eyes met, she thought, ‘as expected, it’s probably only my imagination.’

“No, nothing.”

“What? Just say it.”

“No, it’s nothing. Really.”

“After making people curious, why bother not finishing your words?”

Diana hesitated and the wrinkles between Hermann’s forehead deepened. Hermann pushed Diana.

“I told you to tell me.”

“Um….”

Diana exhaled deeply and spoke.

“Hermann, by any chance, are you my father…?”

“What!?— Ack!”

Hermann jumped up, making his head slam onto the ceiling of the carriage. The collision made a very loud noise.

“A-are you alright?”

Herman groaned with his hand clasped around his head.

“What a horrendous idea….”

Herman, who had hesitated, shouted again.

“Don’t look at me like I’m some sort of trash!”

“I never said you were trash though….”

“Look here. If I was your father, are you saying that I look like the type of person who, despite not being married, would make your mother pregnant, let her give birth and raise the child on her own, all the while remaining completely unaware!? Even going as far as cluelessly looking through another continent instead!?”

Hermann spoke quietly at first but increasingly got louder at the end, clearly getting heated. Especially the last sentence. Although she couldn’t understand what it meant.

“Another… continent?”

Hermann paused and waved his hand.

“It’s just an example!”

“Oh.”

She nodded as if she understood, but in truth, she couldn’t understand at all. Just what kind of example was that?

“Don’t think about useless things. Your mother and I were just friends! Pure. Friends. Got it?”

“I-I understand.”

Hermann inhaled deeply, trying to calm down from his burst of emotions, then leaned back on the carriage seat.

“How did you suddenly think of such an idea?”

“Just… I just thought that it would be great if Hermann was my father.”

“What?”

Hermann opened his eyes wide at her words, as if he had heard something unexpected.

“I didn’t know that you would dislike the idea so much.”

Diana scratched her mouth in embarrassment. Hermann stared at her then averted his eyes towards the window. After that, he spewed out a few more words.

“You’re cute.”

“Yes?”

“But, I don’t like your mom.”

“…Yes?”

***

Hermann raised his body from the ground. Dry grass clung to the bottom of his cape as it grazed against the bushes. The night sky was full of clouds and not a single shed of moonlight was seen.

‘If the protection magic I place is to this extent, then it should enough’

Hermann was placing magic to stop intruders. It was a luxury to install it in regular houses, but if it was for Diana, it was only natural.

[… It looks similar to the house that I lived in with mom when I was young.]

Philippa has died. Hermann grabbed his hair and let out a laugh. He still couldn’t believe it.

And….

[ I just thought that it would be great if Hermann was my father.]

Philippa’s child.

He had never thought about having a child but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Hermann giggled.

‘Will it be Diana Nohibaden? But, Philippa and Thesevitz weren’t married, so would it still be Nohibaden?’

A single mother’s child. Usually, one would be treated as an illegitimate child. However, Diana’s situation was one of a kind. Illegitimate child? If anyone dared to say such words, their neck would be cut off by Thesevitz’s own hands.

Thesevitz Bale Nohibaden.

Grand Duke of Nohibaden, also known as Master of The Red Flames, had vast territory in the North. But, the name Thesevitz was more familiar to Hermann.

Hermann believed that Diana’s biological father was Thesevitz.

And, if Hermann’s guess was right, that would lead to another problem.

‘Count Ohrid.’

Philippa was Count Ohrid’s only daughter.

Count Ohrid opposed the relationship between Philipa and Thesevitz. Of course, the former Grand Duke of Nohibaden also opposed it.

They were forced to separate because of the opposition from the two families, and like that Philippa disappeared. Count Ohrid openly blamed Nohibaden for all this.

If Thesevitz wasn’t the only heir to the Grand Duke of Nohibaden, and if he wasn’t Master of The Red Flames, maybe by now, he would’ve been dead by Ohrid’s hands.

‘Count Ohrid acknowledging that Thesevitz is the biological father… that would never happen, right?’

The surest way to ascertain the child’s paternity was Philippa’s testimony. But, Phillippa didn’t even leave a will.

Hermann suppressed the feelings surging up. He was dumbfounded when he thought of Philippa. She wasn’t the type of person who would just leave like that.

Eventually, the dark clouds gathered and it started to rain in the evening. Hermann’s clothes were wet, but he didn’t care and simply continued to work. In order to bring Thesevitz back as soon as possible, he couldn’t waste time, and so he sacrificed even his sleep.

***

Hermann stayed up all night, but still headed to the hotel, though it was well past lunch time.

In the hotel, Diana was alone, trying to kill time. She pulled out an unopened letter out of her luggage, a letter she wouldn’t have even checked if Mrs. Martin hadn’t reminded her.

The friend who she exchanged letters with was a student who her mother used to teach. Thessior Fabre. He was about the same age as Diana and studied with her. Naturally, they became acquainted.

However, when her mother died, she stopped seeing him. The Fabre County was close to the Bordeaux mansion, but it was not easy for young Diana to visit. Following that, Countess Fabre passed away and her friend left for the academy. Fortunately, they still consistently exchanged letters.

Diana confirmed that it was addressed to her then ripped off the wax seal by hand. As Diana opened the letter, the smell of ink permeated through the air, but it disappeared as quickly it came. She opened it with a rustling sound.

[To Diana, whose birthday is coming soon.]

‘Ah, come to think again, it’ll be my birthday soon, right?’

Diana counted the days and realized. She’d been so out of her mind recently that she didn’t even know what day was passing.

[How are you? If I asked you this, you’d definitely say you’re doing good, right? Well, I’m also good. Except the test results this time were pretty bad…]

Thessior’s letter was Diana’s only source of energy in life. While reading his letter, she felt as if she returned to the times when her mother was still alive.

[If you have any present you want, write it down and send it to me. If not, I’ll choose as I always do.]

Diana giggled. Just then, she heard the sound of the hotel door opening. Diana hurriedly folded the letter and put it back in the envelope.

“You’ve come?”

Hermann, who came in through the door, looked very tired.

“Are you alrigh—”

Diana paused. Something was wriggling in Hermann’s arms.

‘A puppy?’

The puppy with mixed gray and black fur had blue eyes. A transparent sky blue that reminded her of the high autumn sky.

“Here, a present.”

“Yes?”

Diana asked back blankly.

Hermann handed over the dog to her, clearly, he wasn’t going to explain twice. Diana held the puppy in her arms. The little creature gave off a soft warmth.

“If you have it, you won’t be lonely.”

Hermann passed the dog to her and walked right past Diana into the room.

“… !?  How did you know?”

“What do I know?”

“Isn’t this my birthday present?”

“Ah, yeah. Your birthday is nea—”

“Yes?”

Hermann’s hand holding the luggage bag paused. Hermann coughed in vain and avoided Diana’s gaze.

“That’s right. It’s your birthday present. I’m giving it to you in advance because it seems like I can’t come back from the East Continent before your birthday.”

Diana looked down at the puppy in her arms with sparkling eyes. The puppy looked very calm and cute. Diana rubbed her face and the puppy turned its head to the other side.

“So cute.”

“You don’t dislike animals, right?”

“I like it!”

“It’s a relief.”

Hermann sincerely thought.

‘It doesn’t matter even if I told her now that it wasn’t prepared as her birthday present. Saying that it’s her birthday present is the wisest thing. At least she’s happy,’  Hermann thought shamelessly.

That animal looked like a puppy, but it was actually Hermann’s summoned beast.

It could move in and out of the shadows, and even if it was far away, it would always detect danger around Diana and remove the threat.