CH 12

Roberick could not immediately answer the question that had been thrown at him without prior warning. Siorn shouted at him without concealing his anger. 

“Did you choke on grain? Why can’t you answer? How did you know about Edith’s existence in the first place?” 

Before he went back, he had to find out. He really had to know. 

How did Roberick find out about Edith’s existence? 

When Mariette died and a servant had been dispatched from the Imperial family, Siorn hid the newborn baby as per her will. 

Therefore, although Mariette’s death was known, the cause of her death – Edith’s birth, was unknown.  

But now, seven years later, Roberick suddenly came to know Edith’s existence. 

“…did you not know?”  

Roberick, who was embarrassed for a moment, said with a straight face. 

“He came and told me.”  

What do you mean he?  

That was when his white eyebrows crumpled.  

“Meinhardt Ciel Astrafe. I mean him.” 

Siorn’s golden eyes seemed to grow bigger.  

Roberick stared carefully at Siorn’s expression and scoffed. 

“Do you know how surprised I was? The guy who’d vanished after you were expelled from the castle suddenly appeared, said Mariette gave birth to my daughter, and even brought along a certificate of paternity identification that confirmed the daughter was my biological child.” 

This.. Siorn couldn’t help being astonished, and his mouth gaped. 

How could he forget the name of that child, Meinhardt? 

He was the only descendant left behind by a comrade with whom he shared life and death situations, and the only child Mariette let visit them when she found out he was frantically searching for their unknown whereabouts. 

The boy who had been raised with Roberick did not betray Siorn and Mariette until the end, and instead stuck by their side, unlike Roberick. 

“…where has that child been so far? Did he just show up and inform you of Edith’s existence?” 

After the fall of the family, he disappeared without leaving a single letter. 

Siorn couldn’t hide his trembling and asked. 

Roberick replied, shrugging his shoulders.  

“Well, what’s certain is that he knew of Edith from the beginning. And there was no need to hide that fact away from me.” 

Roberick said, his red eyes shining coldly. 

“Why did you hide it? If you’d just revealed it from the beginning, Edith would not have had to suffer in such a shabby environment. She would have lived a decent life as a grand princess. Because of your selfish stubbornness, an innocent child…” 

“-Shut up, Roberick Arne Haelian.” 

“!” 

Siron said, clenching his fist until blood was drawn. 

“Have you forgotten what you did to my family, my daughter?” 

Siorn’s voice that followed was more subdued than before, but his hatred ran deeper now.  

“Do you think Edith will accept a father who ruined her mother’s family? You are a sinner who shouldn’t even be able to lift his head in front of Edith. But you suddenly have the nerve to act like her father?!” 

Are you not out of your mind? 

“What you did earlier was just a lowly threat by holding me hostage. Do not tell me you do not realize that.”  

The remark hit the mark, and Roberick clenched his teeth to the point tendons formed on his face, replying in an antagonistic manner. 

“That doesn’t matter. I love Edith more than anyone. She’s my own child, and she’d much rather follow me than live with you. I’ll make it so.”  

The words were what crossed the limit. 

Siorn lost his reason and rushed to Roberick, grabbing him by the collar. 

“Do you think that’ll happen just because you spouted it?” 

Roberick’s pupils shook. 

“How come you don’t know shame? How many times do I have to tell you for you to understand? Edith doesn’t want a parent like you in the first place…” 

“Your grace!” 

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice broke in. 

Siron and Roberick turned to the doorway.  

There stood a blue-faced knight sweating profusely. 

“The, the separate building has had an accident!”  

The separate building? 

That annex is where Edith was staying! 

“…what?!” 

“Speak correctly, what’s going on?” 

At the shocking words, Siorn shouted like a thunderbolt, and Roberick followed in surprise.  

The knight quivered and repeated. 

“Hng, the annex is on fire. It seems like it started from the inside, but the moment of the fire is so strong, the people inside seem to already be… 

All the color disappeared from Siorn’s face. 

At this moment, Roberick and Siorn’s thoughts were in sync. 

“No, Edith!”  

“Call the Spirit of Water right now!” 

They stormed out of the room without listening to a word anyone said. 

“No…”  

He’d never run so fast in the last few decades. 

Although he ran so desperately, what awaited Xion was the shape of a building engulfed in blinding flames. 

‘…father, even though I’m leaving like this,’  

“Edith!” 

‘Please protect my child, so she may grow up safely.’  

“No! baby, Edith!”  

Siron screamed and tried to jump into the fire. 

“No, no!”  

The knight standing next to him was frightened and held on to him. 

The same went for Roberick, who was out of his mind. 

“Ilipia, Ilipia…please…”  

He anxiously called the name of the Spirit of Life, who’d left him with a blessing, but never answered his calls.  

“No, you can’t…”  

He just reunited with his daughter; the daughter he thought had been taken away by a fire. 

But how come this happened again? 

“What are you doing? Didn’t I order you to call a spirit of water here at once?!”  

Roberick exclaimed frantically. 

The Grand Duke’s knights just bowed their heads as if they were sorry. 

Oh, his eyes turned red. They turned red all over. 

Countless drops of blood seemed to fall from the sky and seemed to paint the whole world a terrifying red. 

“Grand Duke!” 

He might have pulled out his sword, but he couldn’t tell for sure.  

“Argh!” 

As Roberick raised his arm, a terrified scream pierced his ears. 

(Gul-gul) 

It was then. 

“…water?” 

A new sensation caused a stir in Roberick’s mind.  

He could feel a huge stream of water from inside the burning mansion. 

“…this is…”  

A sense that he’d felt countless times in his childhood. 

‘Roberick, look at this! This is Nyad, the Spirit of Water that blessed me!’ 

It was the energy of Nyad, the Spirit King of Water. 

[Kwang!] 

“GYAAH-” 

“Water, water!” 

Roberick looked at the mansion with trembling eyes. 

A path of blue water was paving it’s way out, blowing out the fire.  

“Your grace, avoid the impact!”  

The grand duke’s knights hastily brought Siorn and Roberick away to the side. 

Here we go. 

There was a sound of a huge wave of water escaping.  

“What is this…” 

When he looked blankly into the air, he could hear a voice pure and clear, though as faint as a thread. 

Roberick opened his eyes and slowly raised his head. 

“…Edith?” 

The site of the half-burned down mansion revealed it’s leftover frame after the fire burned down.  

His daughter, all in one piece, was present, standing in the ruins. 

What was going on here? 

— 

[You’re not as wet as I thought you would be. Good.] 

Nyad said, gently caressing my hair. 

I finally came to my senses and looked around. 

All the flames that had been devouring the annex had been extinguished, but left behind a house reduced to blackened ash. 

The bodies of the maids and knights that’d died in Ifrit’s fire could not even be distinguished from the ruins – and the main culprit, Ifrit, disappeared without a trace after being hit by Nyad’s water bomb.  

The scream that Ifrit let out at his death still seemed to echo in my ears. 

…I was saved.  

By a hair’s breadth. 

I suddenly felt out of breath. 

My legs naturally relaxed and I stumbled. 

“….Edith?” 

At that moment, a creepy familiar voice whispered my name blankly. 

I turned my head. Many unfamiliar faces were there. 

Isn’t that my grandfather kneeling on the ground and looking at me in a bewildered manner? 

Next to him were Roberick and some other knights, but they didn’t come into my vision at all. 

“Grandpa!” 

I rushed to my grandfather. 

The burnt-out ruins didn’t dare stand in my way. 

“Edith…” 

His hair and eyebrows are so white that the original color can’t be recognized, and his face is set with deep wrinkles. 

Even though the years have fallen so deep, my grandfather’s golden eyes always shone brightly as if he wanted to not lose their light. 

However, my grandfather’s eyes looking at me now were clouded like never before. 

“Grandfather…”  

I put my hand on my grandfather’s cheek and whispered softly in a worried manner. 

“Oh my god,”  

At that moment, an unintelligible voice came out of my trembling grandfather’s lips. 

When I saw his eyes turning to my side, I followed his gaze. 

There stood Nyad. 

“Hng…”  

The sound of crying broke out from my grandfather. 

“…Edith!” 

His trembling hands hugged me tightly. 

Before I even thought about anything. 

“I’m proud of you, I’m so glad! You look like Mariette, and you inherited the blessing of the King of Water Spirits!” 

My grandfather cried desperately in a voice colored with sadness, joy, and remorse that I couldn’t bear to think to feel. 

…Yes, Nyad said that she was the Spirit King who blessed Mariette. 

That’s why my grandfather… 

“Mariette protected you. I’m sure that’s what it was…”  

In the midst of confusion, I hugged my grandfather face to face and buried my face in his shoulders. 

Then, I felt someone approaching me. 

“-You inherited my blood and were born with the qualities of a spiritualist.” 

And Roberick’s voice rang from the side. 

I looked up. 

Roberick was looking down at me with a strange expression that I couldn’t understand. 

His gaze followed me, then Nyad, and then conventionally directed at Ilipia. 

“…are you hurt anywhere, Edith?” 

Roberick asked, keeping an eye on Ilipia. 

Come to think of it, Ilipia did say she was the spirit that blessed Roberick. 

But why is Roberick…why are you acting so strangely? 

For a moment, I felt a strange anxiety, and hugged my grandfather tightly as I replied reluctantly, 

“With the help of the Spirit Kings, I was able to be safe.” 

“…I see. Thank the gods, I’m glad to hear it.” 

Roberick replied with a soft smile. I looked up at Ilipia. 

She had the same gentle smile as before. 

“Long time no see, Ilipia.” 

Roberick spoke to Ilipia. 

What do you mean, long time no see? 

[Long time no see, Roberick.] 

Ilipia responded to Roberick’s greeting with a calm tone. 

“…Are you the one who blessed Edith?” 

Roberick asked with a subtle smile. 

[Yes, I’m Edith’s main spirit.]  

As soon as Ilipia’s answer came back, Roberick’s red eyes grew bigger. 

“…oh, is that so?”  

After slightly nodding his head, Roberick wandered around with a look of hesitation, as if not knowing what expression to make. 

“…” 

He looked down at me like before. 

As soon as both our red eyes met each other’s in the same light, Roberik whispered softly. 

“Edith.”  

Slowly, as if he couldn’t bear to speak properly in the midst of overwhelming excitement. 

“You are…my lost blessing.”  

…the lost blessing? 

What does that mean? 

The moment I heard that, an ominous feeling somehow caused a stir in my heart, but I just passed over that sense of foreboding when I heard Roberick’s vague whisper to soothe my grandfather who wasn’t able to control his emotions.