《My Child Is A Villain》 CH 1 Adele was afraid of her son. She certainly thought it was a blessing just to have a child, but the child born was too strange. Since he was born, he had lot of heat in his body, and fires frequently broke out where the child was. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but it wasn¡¯t. The fire was following the child. Even though it was the child I wanted so much at a time, I got scared. I did not want to get close to the child. There were times when I was so scared that I tried to abandon the child. But the child always came back. It as terrible. The village ostracized the child, saying he was an ominous child. Then Adele also began to stay away. She was forced to move from village to village. But the same thing kept repeating itself. The hard heart was worn out and exhausted from everything. ¡®It can¡¯t be like this.¡¯ Adele thought, trembling. Let¡¯s really abandon the child this time. Let¡¯s leave him in the forest, far away, where he can never come back from. Then everything will be solved. If the child disappeared, I don¡¯t think I would have to live a life of running away anymore. ¡°Ronshka, let¡¯s go play with mom today.¡± She suppressed the trembling and took the child¡¯s hand. It was because she was afraid that the child might run away on the way. The child, who had hesitated at first, gave strength to her holding hand. I almost shook it off in surprise, but I need to endure it desperately. I¡¯ll be free after today. I took the child¡¯s hot hand and walked down the long road. My feet were sore and hard because of the old shoes, but I walked hard. The child quietly followed. Thank God. Adele breathed a sigh of relief and walked deep into the forest. As she passed the rough road of no return, she heard the sound of a beast from somewhere. ¡®This is good enough.¡¯ Adele strained her hand to let go of the child¡¯s hand. Then she was startled when she realized that the child was looking up at her with his creepy red eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± The child stammered in a harsh, low voice. ¡°I, you can abandon me. Uh, Mom.¡± Surprised, Adele threw out the child¡¯s hand and stepped back. ¡°It¡¯s okay because you held my hand.¡± The child giggled and smiled distortedly. The grass that was touching her child¡¯s toes caught fire. ¡°A monster, a monster.¡± Adele turned around and ran. She ran and ran, not knowing how the child was looking at her from behind. But she tripped on a large rock and fell. ¡°Ouch!¡± She rolled over and banged her head hard. Grasping her head in terrible pain, an unfamiliar memory suddenly came to mind. She lived as an ordinary modern person, and also remembered the novels she loved and watched before she died. It was a memory of her past life. ¡°Ronshka!¡± Ronshka, the spirit of fire, the villain in the novel. As a child, he was abused by his mother and abandoned in the worst way, and he was at the brink of death. He barely survived, but because of his unusual abilities, he was captured by a strange wizard and tested. He then awakened his powers and became a great fire spirit. However, his misfortune did not go away even when he had great abilities. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts again. His life was a series of pain. He struggled to get a good life, but in the end there was nothing left in his hands. He couldn¡¯t even have the affection that everyone else had. His mother, the father who accidentally gave birth to Ronshka, the heroine he loved, and the male protagonist who was his only close friend. No one was left by his side. Adele does not know why she was reborn into this world. But one thing was certain. Hate wasn¡¯t the only feeling she had for Ronshka. There were times when she was definitely in love with her child. No, I¡¯ve been denying it, but I still love him. A pain in the chest was a testament to the remaining affection. She stood up in pain and looked back. The road she ran on seemed infinitely far away. The dark forest, looked like a terrifying monster with its mouth wide open. I still have to go. Adele raced back down the path she had just been running. I stumbled several times on the bumpy road, but I didn¡¯t give in. I was more worried about the child I left in the deep forest now than that. My child, Ronshka is not a monster. He just got too much love from the fire spirit. Like an idiot, I didn¡¯t even know¡­ The child is not guilty. Adele gasped for her breath and ran. ¡®Please, please, be safe.¡¯ In the place she reached, a small child stood. And in front of him stood a large bear. Common sense about bears flashed through my head. Having no weapons, no knowledge of martial arts, she could not beat the bear. I knew that turning around and running away was the only way to survive. Still, I couldn¡¯t. I just looked at the bear¡¯s front paws, which were going to step on my child, and my body protected him without much thinking. A burning pain flashed through my back. A scream came out of the terrible pain, but I held it in. Adele placed her child in her arms and took his little hand. His hands, holding her properly again, were so small and dry that tears flowed. But she couldn¡¯t cry now. ¡°Ronshka.¡± Fortunately, the voice came out properly. ¡°My child.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, mom?¡± Ronshka looked at Adele with a panicked look. ¡°Run away.¡± The bear won¡¯t go after Ronshka, at least until it kills her. So she hoped he would run away while she was alive. Finally, she held his hand tightly and said, letting go. I sincerely pray that at least this word will save the rest of my child¡¯s life. ¡°I love you, Ronshka.¡± Then she pushed the child away. Even though I felt the chills from behind, I didn¡¯t turn around and pulled up the corners of my mouth. smiles At the end, I wanted to show Ronshka a smile. So she bent her eyes and smiled as much as she could. I was scared to die again as soon as I regained the memories of my past life, but I was able to endure it. If there¡¯s anything I just wish for, I hope this whole thing isn¡¯t a trauma to Ronshka. I wanted him to forget the terrible things and live happily. ¡°Oh, mother¡­¡­.¡± Adele erected her crumbling body upright and stood in front of her child. ¡°Ronshka, run! Don¡¯t look behind and go as far as you can.¡± In fact, the bear I encountered was so large that I was terrified. She was all the more so because she was attacked right in front of her child. Still, I was going to resist as much as I could. That way, we¡¯ll have time for Ronshka to escape. Crumble. Her body was trembling. My heart was beating like crazy with the fear. ¡°Run away, Ronshka.¡± Adele mumbled her words over and over again and stood there. The eyes of the bear that met her were like an abyss, which gave off chills. Then, I heard small footsteps behind me. Finally, Ronshka is running away. Nevertheless, I was relieved by the bear who did not chase the running away child. The beating heart beat slowly subsided. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Adele drooped her arms. Too much blood was shed, and her vission was blurring. Then, behind her, something clinged to her leg. I turned around blankly and saw a familiar child with red hair. ¡°Ronshka?¡± Why are you here? You have to run away. I told you to run away. There was a lot I wanted to say, but nothing came out of my mouth. ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Ronshka shouted, clasping Adele¡¯s leg. ¡°I¡¯ll be with my mom.¡± My eyes were burning when I heard that. You think this kind of person is a mother. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t run away. I felt sorry for the child who wanted to lean on such a small affection, and tears came out because of the impending death. ¡°You should at least live.¡±¡¯ Adele tried to keep the child apart somehow, but her body couldn¡¯t follow her because she had lost too much blood. The vision gradually faded, and now I couldn¡¯t see properly. Only hot tears flowed constantly. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡±¡¯ I¡¯m so sorry. Adele smiled bitterly and hugged the child for the last time. Then She laid herself on the floor. Yeah, I won¡¯t send you any more if you don¡¯t want to go that far. So let¡¯s stay together. Even if she didn¡¯t speak, did he understand what it meant? The strength on the child¡¯s hand, which had been desperately hanging on, was lost. Ronshka just smiled happily and dug into Adele¡¯s arms. ¡®My mom told me she loved me.¡¯ A mother who loves him. Any pain that may come soon will not cover this happiness. Ronshka ignored the sounds he had been hearing before, and rested his head on Adele¡¯s chest. Raws : itsgraxiabibi CH 2 MY CHILD IS A VILLAIN [Run away! Run away!] The fires that have been with him since his birth shouted. They desperately tried to hold the bear,but to no avail. Rather, the fire only drove the bear crazy. Fortunately, Adele was unaware of all this. Her eyes were barely open, but she couldn¡¯t see anything. Even the ears seemed to be malfunctioning. ¡®I¡¯m happy.¡¯ Ronshka first thought of happiness.Still young, he chose a short life with his mother rather than the long life he had left. The bear came out of the fire and came closer to them. It may hurt but it¡¯s okay because the pain was always close to Ronshka. Instead, he hugged his mother more tightly. Never letting go of his mother. [Run away! Run away!] Cried the Spirit of Fire earnestly. [Oh my god!] Even as the furious bear raised its paw again towards them, Ronshka did not close his eyes. He just stared into the face of his mother he was holding. It was then that the miracle happened. puck! The metal blade poked through the thick skin The bear roared and struggled wildly, but that was only for a moment. The metal, which moved like lightning, cut through the body, and the bear could no longer move, he was dead. A silver-haired man was seen behind the corpse of a bear that had died in vain, as if it had brought fear. With a cold impression, he brushed off the bear¡¯s blood and retrieved his sword Then he sighed quietly and approached the child. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± The man reached out to Ronshka. But Ronshka hugged Adele and remained motionless. He just looked at the man with wary eyes. Then the man turned his gaze away from Ronshka and looked at Adele. At first glance, the condition was unusual. ¡°Dead body?¡± ¡°Oh, no, no!¡± He looked more closely at the woman, ignoring the screaming child. At least slightly, her chest was rising and falling. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but she¡¯s not dead yet. You have to move fast in order to save her.¡± At those words, Ronshka looked at Adele. At the moment of her death, his mother told him that she loved him. But when she opens her eyes again, will she still say of the same love again? I wasn¡¯t sure. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just die together like this? ¡°If you are late, she will die.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ronshka finally made up his mind. I want to hear her say I love you again. I want to see my mom smile. It would be very painful if she wakes up and treats him the same way like in the past, but the string of weak hope moved him. ¡°Sir, please save us. Please save my mother.¡± ¡°It was your mother. All right, I¡¯ll save her.¡± The man immediately examined Adele¡¯s condition and held her up. ¡°I can¡¯t take care of you too because I don¡¯t have enough hands. So follow me as fast as you can.¡± And then the man started running down the rough forest road. Ronshka also ran after him in a hurry. The road was too rough for him to walk barefoot, and his feet felt like they were going to fall, but he didn¡¯t stop. He clenched his teeth and somehow managed to get through. As a result, the three arrived in a small village close to the forest. Fortunately, even in a small town, there was a doctor. Dragged out in the middle of the night, he was stunned to see a woman whose back was soaked with blood. ¡°She was hit by a bear.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, she managed to survive.¡± While the doctor took out the herbs and bandages and heated the water, the man turned his gaze to the child. The woman¡¯s condition was serious, but he was not a healthy child either. The dirty feet were covered with blood, and there were parts where the toenails were half lifted as they might have hit a stone. I thought he was okay with silently following me. He clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡°Let¡¯s get you treated too. I know the basics.¡± He reached out to the child saying that, but he refused. ¡°I- I¡¯m fine.¡± It must hurt, and he¡¯s saying it¡¯s okay.That is a lot of patience for a child. But it wasn¡¯t long before I realized that the source of that patience was not normal. The child did not take his eyes off the mother who was being treated in the clinic. Looking at her tenaciously, he didn¡¯t care about his own wounds. His gaze longing for affection was somehow familiar. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ He saved them because he happened to meet them, but he didn¡¯t help them because he had time. So he decided to go more forcefully this time. The man snatched the child and strode along. Then the child began to struggle frantically. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°Your wounds need to be healed.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s okay. I did!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay with what I¡¯m seeing.¡± The man perched in the corner and ooked into the feet of the child. Again, it was a mess. No, actually, it wasn¡¯t just the feet that was messed up. The child was also full of wounds elsewhere, like an abused child. That fact moved his heart. ¡°No, I need to see my mom.¡± Even in this situation, the child was worried about his mother. ¡°That¡¯s why we need more treatment. How upset she must be when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Oh, Mom, will she be upset?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I don¡¯t want to get mysef treated .¡± Ronshka wanted to get more attention from his mother. If he thought about it, he could endure this much hurt. Thinking that his mother would be worried, he smiled. So far, she has never cared about where I got hurt, so that¡¯s a bit of a problem. ¡®But it might be different this time.¡¯ How I wish that would happen. Ronshka grinned and covered his feet. On the other hand, the man became more frustrated. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ro, Ronshka. Uh, my mom gave me the name.¡± Ronshka said, sticking out his chest. ¡°All right, I¡¯m Lucas. Call me Lucas.¡± ¡°L, Lucas.¡± ¡°Yeah, we know each other now, right?¡± Is that so? Ronshka tilted his head. ¡°If we know each other, we can tell each other many things, Ronshka.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you get these wounds from?¡± Ronshka¡¯s eyes turned to his feet, and Lucas said firmly. ¡°Not the feet.¡± ¡°I fell down.¡± You fell this much? That¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s not a wound that can only be caused by a fall. Moreover, the clothes are too old, dirty, and worn out. It means that it was not touched by an adult. And his mother was the only adult he was with. The most suspicious person was also his mother. ¡°Who did you live with so far?¡± ¡°Oh,my mom.¡± ¡°Did your mom hit you?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± At the end of that, Ronshka no longer spoke. ¡°Ha.¡± My head throbbed. I thought it would be over if I just saved them, but I think now I have to think about the child¡¯s residence too. They were unrelated people, but it was uncomfortable to go as it is. Lucas sighed deeply. ¡°Oh, my mother protected me.¡± Ronshka, who was looking around, said. ¡°From what.¡± ¡°The bear. She told me to run away.¡± Ronshka said with a brooding look. He almost never saw his mom again if he ran away. He was glad he didn¡¯t run away. He praised his judgment. However, Lucas, who was listening to the story, became more difficult to judge. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s wait until your mother wakes up.¡± Therefore, I had no choice but to come to such a conclusion. I felt like I was burning up. It was like having a nightmare. I didn¡¯t remember exactly, but it was a dream of losing Ronshka. I screamed desperately and reached out to the child, but I couldn¡¯t hold him. It was a terrible nightmare. And by that point Adele woke up. Tears streamed down my swollen eyes. My eyes were burning. In that state, I cried frantically and managed to open my eyes. And groaned in a sudden rush of pain. ¡°Where am I?¡± It was my first time seeing it. But at least it didn¡¯t look like heaven or hell. As I wiggled and moved my hands, I could definitely feel the sensation. I survived. But how? Adele desperately tried to revive the memory, but nothing came to mind. There was only one last memory left. ¡°Ronshka.¡± A rough, small voice echoed in the room. And as soon as the words fell, Ronshka appeared. The child hid behind a pole a little further away, with only his head pulled out, and was looking this way. Oh, well, Ronshka¡¯s safe, too. Adele breathed a sigh of relief. But why are you looking at me from so far away? I called out his name in wonder. ¡°Ronshka.¡± Then the child slowly came out from behind the pillar. Adele saw this and stopped breathing without realizing it. CH 3 MY CHILD IS A VILLAIN The traces of that terrible night remained intact on the child. His old clothes were still dirty with dirt, and scars remained on the exposed flesh. Adele clenched her teeth and stood up. She was in a terrible pain, but now was not the time to worry about it. ¡°Come here, come here.¡± When she opened her arms and called for him , the child, who had hesitated for a long time, slowly approached her. However, the feeling of flinching and hesitation was reflected in the movement. Still, Adele waited patiently. Ronshka¡¯s hand slowly approached Adele. The overwhelming emotion during the moment. It was difficult to explain in words. ¡°Ronshka, my son.¡± Adele carefully held the child in her arms. There were many things I wanted to say, but this was all I could say right now. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± At the words, Ronshka looked up at Adele. It was not hatred that was included in the child¡¯s gaze, even though she had been such a cruel mother in the past. Just infinite affection. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was heat in the corners of his eyes. Seeing that she wanted to cry right away, she hugged Ronshka even tighter. Now, she couldn¡¯t even feel her back pain. All her attention was focused on the child in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s okay mom, it¡¯s okay. Because I¡¯m a monster.¡± Saying that he understood Adele, Ronshka called himself a monster. No, no. The child was not a monster. He was just a special child born with an unbearable power. ¡°No, Ronshka is not a monster.¡± Adele bit her lip, holding back her tears. Ronshka wasn¡¯t crying either even though it was him who suffered, So she desperately held back tears. ¡°Ronshka is just a special kid.¡± ¡°Special?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s special.¡± ¡°What¡¯s special?¡± ¡°It means being a little different from others, but it¡¯s lovely.¡± ¡°Lovely¡­..¡± Ronshka twisted his lips and raised the corners of his lips. At first glance, it looked like a sneer, but Adele knew it. The child just wanted to laugh. However, his life was so difficult that the scars on his face hurted him so much that he couldn¡¯t smile properly. Only Adele¡¯s lips twitched with utter disappointment in her past self, and the child who saw her expression covered his face with both hands in surprise. ¡°Ronshka?¡± ¡°Because it looks weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not weird at all.¡± Adele smiled faintly, regretting things in the past. She thought she should smile as much as the child couldn¡¯t smile. Adele smiled broadly. For a moment, she felt dizzy, but she didn¡¯t erase her smiling face. And at that moment, I only belatedly recognized that the door was open. I also found out that a tall man I had never seen before was standing there. The first place where my eyes went was at his long silver hair. ¡®He is a noble.¡¯ A common man rarely kept his hair long. Because it was difficult to manage the hair and work at the same time. The next thing that caught my eye were his deep purple eyes. Eyes that did not show what he was thinking were looking at Adele. ¡°Who are you?¡± Adele said nervously. The fever started rising further, and the back was now starting to get wet. The wound seemed to have opened.. In that situation, the man began to approach them. Feeling threatened by the approach of his strides, I hugged Ronshka tightly. The man who came closer grabbed Ronshka and separated him from Adele. ¡°Mom!¡± As Adele was waving her arms at Ronshka¡¯s voice calling out to her, she heard a soft voice. ¡°Now lie down.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Lie down. Did the wound not burst? I will call the doctor.¡± After a little while, Adele understood the situation to some extent. Seeing that he was concerned about her wounds, he seemed to have no intention of harming them. Then she laid down on her stomach on the bed, and the man left the room. Ronshka, who had been dropped, ran quickly and stood next to the bed. Come to think of it, Ronshka also had to be treated. Why didn¡¯t the doctor look after the child? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the scar on his face? As soon as I thought so, my head began to throb. Wounds inflicted by fires created by fire spirits. The wound was evidence for Adele that she had neglected the child. On the day of the fire, Adele ran away alone, seeing Ronshka shivering on the floor. The frozen child ran out in bewilderment when a burning and falling piece of wood hit him in the face. Thinking about it now, It was very fortunate that they both came out alive, but because of her foolishness, the child got hurt. Since then, he has not been able to get proper treatment, and his scars got larger than expected. Adele reached out to pat Ronshka¡¯s face. But she did not touch it, so she just left her hand in the air and asked herself. ¡®Can I touch Ronshka?¡¯ So far, I¡¯ve approached him for the sake that he is my child, but maybe it¡¯s wrong. Although he was longing for his mother¡¯s affection, he was basically a child who had been hated by her until now. There was no way this wasn¡¯t scary for him. Her hand, which had been hovering awkwardly in the air, withdrew, and Ronshka looked at her with a sad gaze. ¡®Why don¡¯t you touch me?¡¯ The mother who woke up was still sweet. It was very good, but suddenly she seemed hesitant to touch him. Does she hate me too? Ronshka pressed his hand against his aching chest. Then he took a deep breath and tried to stretch out his hand first. ¡®Things like you should disappear!¡¯ He suddenly remembered his mother who was swearing. His eyes darkened and body began to tremble, but he plucked up courage and held out his trembling hand. And he put his little hand on the big hand that fell on the bed. The mother, who had a blank look for a while, soon smiled softly. It was a pretty smile that was different from his terrible laugh. Then she pulled out his hand. His heart sank. Did I do something wrong? She didn¡¯t say I could touch her, but is she angry because I touched her? Ronshka closed his eyes tightly at the thought that his mother would be as angry as before. However, over time, no sharp voice was heard. Only warmth was delivered through the warm hands. ¡°Do you mind if I touch you?¡± A sweet voice came in. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay!¡± Perhaps because the sound was too high, the voice sounded strange, but it didn¡¯t bother him either. He answered loudly in case his mother didn¡¯t hear it. The mother laughed again at the voice and said. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± He didn¡¯t know what was fortunate, but Ronshka laughed along with his mother. He was glad that his mom laughed. He was happy to still be able to touch and feel her warmth.. He grinned and covered his face with his free hand. He hid it because he knew it would look ugly. Then he suddenly remembered his wounds that had not been cured yet. Looking at his wounds, the man said that his mother would be upset, but seeing that she wasn¡¯t upset yet, she didn¡¯t seem to have seen the wounds. Ronshka wiggled his wounded feet. He wanted to show his mom, but he didn¡¯t want to let go of the hand he¡¯s holding now. ¡®Can¡¯t I show you the wound a little later?¡¯ Ronshka kept grinning, thinking so. His small heart pounded with anticipation. It was the happiest moment in his life. He hoped this time would last forever. But it must have been a vain wish. Shortly afterwards, the closed door reopened and Lucas, the man, entered with Doc. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± The doctor sighed and approached Adele. Then he immediately tried to see the wound on her back, but before that, she opened her mouth first. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so please look at my son¡¯s wound first.¡± At that, the doctor glanced at the mother and the child holding hands together and kicked his tongue. Wouldn¡¯t the mother have treated the child badly? I thought about it, but it didn¡¯t seem like it. They look fond of eachother. I almost made a slip of the tongue because of a misunderstanding. He leaned towards Adele, thinking that. ¡°The wound given by the bear is bigger. It needs urgent care. I will see the child¡¯s wound after this.¡± Gentleman said so and examined Adele¡¯s wounds. He wiped the puncture wound with a clean, disinfected cloth, and again applied a hemostatic medicine. Then, after changing the bandages, Adele¡¯s expression became a little more calm. Now it was his turn to heal her son, Ronshka. After treating Adele, he had an urgent patient, so he wasn¡¯t able to see him, but he was still in a mess. RAWS : itsgraxiabibi CH 4 MY CHILD IS A VILLAIN ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you know how to treat it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like children.¡± The doctor tried to blame the man who followed him, but when he heard the answer , it didn¡¯t seem like it was his fault. ¡°Still you should have done something.¡± The doctor took a deep breath and approached Ronshka. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s heal the wounds.¡± Ronshka rolled his eyes and looked at Adele. Then he gently put out his foot. He had a whole different attitude after Adele woke up. ¡°I don¡¯t think the foot is the only place that needs to be treated.¡± The doctor rolled up the sleeves of Ronshka. There were several wounds, including burn marks, scratches, and bruises. ¡°Who hit this little boy?¡± Ronshka did not respond to the voice that sounded like a sigh. Until now, there were many people who worried about him. But it was always temporary. Seeing him handle fire, they all had a different attitude. They called him monster and then run away. So he didn¡¯t like others. Their favor was only temporary, and the end was always disastrous. Even if she called him a monster or hurt him with her words, his mother was the only person in the world who always stayed with him. Ronshka held Adele¡¯s hand tightly as the medic cleaned and treated his feet. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± Adele asked Ronshka. The child rolled his eyes for a moment before answering. ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± The wounds have always been there, so there was nothing to be surprised about. So he replied that he was fine. ¡®I have to tell her that it hurts!¡¯ He realized it later, but it was already too late. What to do? Could this be why he¡¯s not getting his mother¡¯s attention? Ronshka looked at Adele with anxious eyes. But unexpectedly, Adele kept looking at him. He was happy with the persistent gaze. Ronshka grinned again. But Adele¡¯s heart ached more and more at the sight of Ronshka. How much wounds has he suffered from to get used to it like this? Thinking like that, she felt like she was going to die of guilt. ¡°The feet are cured, now let¡¯s look elsewhere.¡± Th doctor looked into Ronshka¡¯s arm. Then he took off his coat altogether. Adele wanted to close her eyes when she saw it. But she didn¡¯t. Everything was her fault, so she thought she had an obligation to watch. Seeing the medicine applied to the child¡¯s wound, she held back her tears. All Adele could do was hold Ronshka¡¯s hand harder. It would be better if she could get sick instead of him. But she couldn¡¯t. All she could do was apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom is really sorry.¡± Eventually, Adele¡¯s voice, which erupted, trembled with guilt. The doctor did not notice because he was treating the child, but Lucas realized the feelings contained in her voice. He doesn¡¯t know if she hit him or if she neglected him while someone was beating him, but it was clear that Adele was the culprit. The moment he realized that, hatred rose to the end of his throat. He could see his past-self by looking at the child holding his mother¡¯s hand tightly. The mother who abused him, but him who couldn¡¯t let go of his mother. Maybe that¡¯s why. Lucas made an impulsive decision. He approached Ronshka, whose wound was almost cured , knelt down and stared at him. And said. ¡°When your wounds recover , won¡¯t you follow me?¡± Ronshka opened his eyes wide with a surprised look on his face at the words. ¡°I may not be able to give you what you want, but I will let you grow up well.¡± It was not impossible. Lucas was the eldest son of a duke. Although he felt skeptical of his power since he ran out of his family, the wealth he had inherited from his grandmother allowed him to live as he pleased. I can¡¯t give him the mother¡¯s affection that Ronshka wants the most, but I can give you everything else. ¡°Come with me.¡± The red eyes that had turned to Lucas for a moment rolled to the side. There was the child¡¯s mother with a surprised expression on her face. The child asked. ¡°Yeah, with my mom?¡± ¡°No, you alone.¡± Lucas replied firmly. The moment the words fell, the child¡¯s mother¡¯s expression suddenly collapsed. Her wet green eyes clouded, as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment. But she didn¡¯t cry. Biting her lip, she desperately held back her tears. Numerous emotions flashed through her eyes. And finally, as if she had come to a conclusion, her emotions quietly subsided like a fallen tree in a lake. ¡°A-a, alone?¡± Ronshka looked surprised. Then his body began to tremble like an aspen tree. ¡°Ah, ah, no! Uh, with Mommy!¡± ¡°No, not your mother.¡± ¡°Why why?¡± Ronshka stuttered with his words harder than usual in his bewildered voice. Knowing that the child was embarrassed, Lucas did not change his mind. He was just trying to convince the child. ¡°Because it will hurt you.¡± ¡° No, it doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Ronshka exclaimed as if screaming at him. His little hands became tense. He clasped Adele¡¯s hand . It was not enough, so he held Adele¡¯s arm tightly and clung to her with his whole body. He wanted his mother to tell him that she would never let him go, but she didn¡¯t give an answer. He was terrified now. He was now in trouble. So, what can he do to not get separated from his mother? Ronshka desperately rolled his head. He then came to a conclusion. Come to think of it, Lucas didn¡¯t know he was a monster. So if he comes to know that, he will definitely cancel his plan to separate him from his mother. ¡°I, I am a monster!¡± After shouting like that, he closed his eyes tightly. Now he thought Lucas would curse at him like other people, but he couldn¡¯t hear any voices. When he opened his eyes in wonder, Lucas was even closer. His face, which had been blunt all along, was distorted and looked at Ronshka. ¡°Why do you think like that?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a monster?¡± Ronshka hesitated at the question, then whispered. ¡°Boo, fire.¡± As soon as the words fell, a small flame burst out in front of Ronshka¡¯s feet. ¡°Ahh! There is a fire!¡± Seeing this, the doctor screamed in surprise and ran wildly in search of water. Adele, on the other hand, hugged him tightly as if protecting Ronshka with a calm expression. Lucas was watching the process closely. The fire was quickly extinguished, but it left the doctor suspicious of him. He abandoned his friendly demeanor and became wary of Ronshka. For Ronshka, it was a daily routine. None of those who approached him with an interest in him remained by his side. There was only one person who was always by his side. Adele, His mom. The one who caused him pain and the one who gave him joy was all in one person. Although she hated him, she never spite or hit him like everyone else. So, the doctor¡¯s attitude was not unusual. He was not hurt by his actions. Now, he was just happy in his mother¡¯s arms that hugged him tightly. Then, Lucas approached and scanned the remaining floor for burn marks. He then asked Ronshka. ¡°Did you do it?¡± Ronshka replied to that. ¡°I can do it because I¡¯m a monster.¡± You¡¯re scared, right? You can¡¯t take me anymore, can you? He said it as frighteningly as possible with such intentions, but Lucas¡¯ expression did not change. He looked at Ronshka with an unknown expression and opened his mouth again. ¡°You, you have the gift of the spirits.¡± As soon as Lucas said those words, Adele¡¯s arm, which had been holding Ronshka tightly, lost strength. For the first time, there was a person who recognized Ronshka¡¯s powern and he also was the one who offered to take care of the child. She knew how unbelievable human beings can be from her past and present life, but she had a feeling that he might be the right person. Maybe Ronshka is better with someone other than herself who is not a sinner like her and who will acknowledge Ronshka and make him happy. Ronshka was now terrified when his mother¡¯s hand fell. ¡°Uh, uh, Mom?¡± Ronshka squeezed the voice out of nowhere and asked with a sincere heart. ¡°Mom, a- are you going to leave me?¡± In the forest, the mind that didn¡¯t gave up on him easily has changed now. Ronshka still remembered how sweet it was and he couldn¡¯t give up on it so easily. Ronshka said with a grin. ¡°I, I don¡¯t even cry. I also eat very little rice. I¡¯m going to do a good job and will never trouble you.¡± The child desperately laid out whatever reasons he could give to stay with his mother. I only need to eat a little rice once a day. She doesn¡¯t have to give it to me at all if it is hard. Although his stomach will hurt later, he can survive without it. I¡¯ve never worked before, but I¡¯ve seen it often, so I¡¯ll also help my mother at work somehow. CH 5 MY CHILD IS A VILLIAN Ronshka was desperately talking about his strengths while counting them in his fingers. And Adele, seeing the miserable appearance, grabbed her chest. It felt like she was about to collapse at the throbbing pain in her chest. ¡°You can cry.¡± Adele said, trying not to cry. ¡°If you are not feeling well, you should cry.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want to cry.¡± ¡°No, It¡¯s Ronshka so I don¡¯t hate it.¡± At those words, Ronshka smiled politely. ¡°You should also eat more rice.¡± ¡± But¡­¡± ¡°Ronshka is still young and small, so you have to eat a lot. You need to get bigger and stronger to help in my work.¡± Adele calmly explained to Ronshka the reason why. The face, which had been in doubt all along, was solved only after hearing the reason. Why doesn¡¯t this child know love without reason? It was all her own fault. Although she did not remember her past life, Adele in her present life was also herself. That fact alone was painful. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t even have to help.¡± ¡°Well, I think I can do well.¡± ¡°Is your mom not doing well?¡± Then she gently pinched his little nose. ¡®Oh no, I can¡¯t do this.¡¯ I thought that if Ronshka gets to live in a better environment, I would give up on him. But how can I give up on such a child? A child who is so lovely and looks upto me so much. Adele said, looking at Lucas with a calm look. ¡°I¡¯m going to raise Ronshka.¡± It may not be easy for a single mother to raise a child on her own, but I was sure that I would do my best. I wanted to take care of him as happily as the children of other families so that he could live happily like other children. That¡¯s why I decided not to give up on Ronshka. At Adele¡¯s words, Ronshka made a strange noise and dug into her arms. He looked very happy. However, he didn¡¯t know how to express the joy, so he just made an unknown sound and grinned. ¡°You look like a single mother. How are you going to raise him on your own?¡± Ronshka was no ordinary child. He had the talent and blessing of elemental spirit. She said that she will raise such a child all by herself as a single mother? They both probably will have a bleak future. Lucas pointed it out. Adele bit her lip softly. There was nothing wrong with what Lucas said. Considering the hardships she has had so far, the future did not seem bright either. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you the one who abused the child?¡± At those words, Adele, who had been looking at Lucas with her head up until now, shrugged her shoulders. She couldn¡¯t make excuses because it was an unavoidable fact. She never touched him directly, but she also has neglected him so far. When Adele had that upset look, there was little hostility in the eyes of Ronshka who was looking at Lucas. Then, fireworks began to appear everywhere. ¡°Ahh!¡± The doctor screamed and fell. But Lucas put his hand on the flame with an annoyed expression. That alone extinguished the flames. He doesn¡¯t know why he¡¯s doing this. Lucas sighed inwardly. A mother and a child whom he does not know at all, it would have been better if he just left the money with the doctor and left. But he had already reached this far, so he couldn¡¯t back down. He didn¡¯t have any affection for Ronshka, but he at least hoped he wouldn¡¯t be abused. He was like his childhood self. Seeing the small flames constantly rising here and there, Adele called out to her son¡¯s name. ¡°Ronshka.¡± Then the red eyes, whose excitement had not yet subsided, looked at Adele. There were countless emotions under his eyes as he was still young and had so much resentment. It hurted so bad that Adele just wanted to cry. But she couldn¡¯t cry. She had to comfort Ronshka here. So she said in the sweetest voice she could. The reason why Ronshka was called a monster was because he couldn¡¯t calm the flames. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± The man seemed to know something. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy to extinguish the flames caused by Ronshka. It was a flame that didn¡¯t go off even if his mother, Adele, tried to. ¡°Ha, but!¡± Ronshka retorted in a hoarse voice, but he immediately shrugged his shoulders. Although he raised his voice in the blink of an eye, it was because he didn¡¯t realise what the subject was. No. Now that I can hug you, I can¡¯t be hated again. ¡°Sah, sah, disappear.¡± Therefore, he floundered his hands and told the flame, but it did not listen. The more embarrassed Ronshka was, the more it spread here and there, burning the house of the doctor. As traces of the flames began to remain black in several places, Adele also stood up and tried to catch the flames. But to no avail, only the black marks gradually increased. ¡°Ahh! Whoa! my home!¡± The more he did, the more the doctor¡¯s screams grew louder. Lucas¡¯s hand movements, which were relaxed at first, began to gradually become busier. Then he strode over to Ronshka and grabbed his little shoulder and said: ¡°Ronshka, try to turn off the flames.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to turn it off.¡± He was trying. But the flames, as always, did not obey Ronshka properly. Adele was also trying to put out the flames, but she was injured in the first place. Her pale white face looked like she was about to collapse at any moment. ¡°Uh, uh, Mom.¡± Ronshka¡¯s stuttering got worse. I want to let my mom rest, I want to listen to her, but nothing is going my way. He hated himself so much. He had his first chance to be loved, but he felt like she was going to miss it. It was so scary that he felt like crying. ¡®My mom might hate me again.¡¯ The small, dry body trembled . ¡°Ronchka!¡± Lucas, who was looking at him, raised his voice a little more. ¡°Look at me. Think of the flame as your body.¡± Lucas eagerly explained to Ronshka, but it didn¡¯t work for the frightened child. Adele approached the two and carefully grabbed Ronshka¡¯s hand. ¡°Ronshka.¡± The eyes, which had gradually faded from focus moved to the sweet and soft voice. ¡°My dear son, Ronshka, what¡¯s in your hand? Look, you have fingers? Right? How do you move your fingers?¡± Ronshka moved his fingers at the calm voice. ¡°Think of the flames as your fingers.¡± ¡°My, my finger?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ronshka¡¯s cute little fingers. Come on, now flame. Please disappear.¡± The round red eyes became a little clearer. Fingers? Try moving your fingers ? Ronshka struggled to understand what Adele was saying. How long has it been? The frantic flames slowly stopped moving and disappeared one by one. Lucas, who was looking at it, smiled in disappointment. He must have suffered from his mother, but why does the child still follow her? She didn¡¯t seem like someone who would hurt the child now, but Lucas knew. Parents are the ones who can bully their children even if they look fine and normal on the outside. ¡°Good job. Good job, Ronshka.¡± Therefore, he couldn¡¯t really relax when he saw Adele hugging Ronshka. He had a subtle feeling that he couldn¡¯t be truly reassured. But the thought of ¡®maybe¡¯ soon began to spring up in the corner of his mind. Lucas caught a senator who was about to run out. ¡°Let go, let go!¡± The gentleman struggled with fright. The existence of spirit was extremely rare , so there were quite a few people who did not know about them in the countryside. Lucas explained the situation by having the legislator sit down by anti-force. Fortunately, he nodded . He doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the money he gave him or he truly understood. Once the urgent matter was resolved, Lucas turned to Adele and Ronshka. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡± At Lucas¡¯ words, the two looked back at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you both go together with me?¡± Where? The same expression appeared on their face and then disappeared. ¡°To my house.¡± Adele was taken aback by Lucas¡¯ words. Either way, he said looking straight at Adele. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you.¡± Adele had nothing to say. Even if he didn¡¯t believe her, she had nothing to refute. It¡¯s because she¡¯s the one who¡¯s been abusing Ronshka so far. Now that she remembers her past life, even if it was different, what she did didn¡¯t disappear. ¡°Because children follow their mothers.¡± Lucas¡¯ expression while saying that was as cold as ice. ¡°Let¡¯s go together for now.¡± ¡°But why should I believe in you?¡± Unlike before, Adele, who was reasonable, asked calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve already noticed I¡¯m an aristocrat, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s not hard for a noble to live with two people. Or do you have somewhere else to go?¡± No. I was going to do some chores in order to feed Ronshka as soon as the wound was healed. Of course, the process will not be easy, but there was nothing else that could be done. I didn¡¯t have any money saved, I didn¡¯t have a house. ¡°Then you already know .¡± Adele hesitated and replied. ¡°Yes.¡± She was now the Adele who didn¡¯t trust people easily because of her memories from her previous life, but from what he¡¯s done so far, Lucas didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. CH 6 MY CHILD IS A VILLAIN Him trying to take Ronshka also didn¡¯t feel like he was trying to covet him for the spirit, but for another reason. Yes, it was like he felt a sense of identity. ¡®Did he suffer when he was young?¡¯ It was not known to Adele. The little feet were a mess. The thin toenails were broken and bruised, the blood was tangled, the skin was peeled off and the flesh could be seen. Her sorry and guilty heart let out a sigh automatically. Adele washed the child¡¯s feet with water from the basin as carefully as possible. Lucas was amazed and not okay with what the patient was doing, but he couldn¡¯t break Adele¡¯s stubbornness in the end. As soon as she tended to his wounds, she came to the basin with lukewarm water and began washing the child. ¡°The wounds might open again. I¡¯d rather do it.¡± At those words, Ronshka shook his head violently. ¡°No, my mother.¡± The wound might burst again. Is it okay for him? Lucas, who was about to say so, quietly shut up again. It was because Adele looked at him with a pleading gaze. It was hard to look away from that gaze even though he knew she was a bad woman who bullied her child. It was strange . Lucas shook his head in frustration and went outside. ¡®It¡¯s quiet now.¡¯ In case Ronshka might feel more pain,she moved her hands carefully. However, no matter how careful she was, it was an act of water touching the wounds. There was no way it wouldn¡¯t hurt. And yet the child didn¡¯t make any noise. He only occasionally opened his mouth and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± Ronshka nodded at the slight trembling voice. It really didn¡¯t hurt. Really! His mother was touching him without being scared. Ronshka was so happy with that alone that he could endure even more pain. ¡®Mom.¡¯ His heart fluttered. Adele washed Ronshka over a long period of time and then changed him into clean clothes that Lucas had prepared in advance. It was much better to dress neatly like this. ¡°Should I cut your hair?¡± Adele asked while stroking his bangs, Ronshka shook his head. ¡°N-no,it looks weird.¡± (T/N : He doesn¡¯t want to cut his hair due to the scar on his face which are hidden under the bangs) ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ron, Ronshka.¡± ¡°No. Who said that¡­¡­.¡± Asking so, I soon realized. Who would have said that to Ronshka? The child has been with Adele, herself the whole time. As always, it was Adele who had hurt Ronshka this time as well. ¡°Ronshka.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± My chest felt stuffy. I couldn¡¯t let the child consider himself a monster forever. I had to fix it one by one for him to gain confidence. That way, he can be truly happy. Even if he realized everything and will hate her, she had to let him know the truth, someday. For now, I decided to boost his confidence. Adele said. ¡°Ronshka is very pretty.¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty?¡± ¡°And you look really cool.¡± Ronshka gave Adele a suspicious look. ¡°No, you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you believe your mother?¡± ¡°No, I believe you!¡± A high-pitched voice whined in her ears. ¡°Then trust me now.¡± ¡°Ha, but.¡± I told him that he was a monster. I told him that he looked terrible. Ronshka looked confused. ¡°You know, Ronshka, I¡¯ve been a bad mother.¡± ¡°No, mom is not bad.¡± ¡°No, I was bad. I was like that witch living deep in the forest, no even worse than the witch Ronshka looked shocked. But it was only for a moment. Soon, with a determined look on his face, Ronshka brought it up. ¡°Yeah, even if mom is a witch, it¡¯s okay ¡°Witches are bad¡± ¡°That, that, that, that!¡± The feeling made him stutter worse. In the meantime, Ronshka seemed unwilling to withdraw his own opinion. ¡®Because I am his mother.¡¯ Ronshka, my son, who gives me his love blindly for just one reason. The water around Adele¡¯s eyes slowly began to dry out. I don¡¯t deserve to cry. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m really sorry, Ronshka.¡± I opened my eyes trying not to cry, but I couldn¡¯t stop the flowing tears. Ronshka¡¯s hand slowly approached Adele. His hand, which was covered with small wounds, was shaking so much that it was noticeabe even without noticing. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Finally, Ronshka¡¯s hand reached Adele¡¯s cheek. How much courage did Ronshka needed to have for this single act of touching her cheek? Adele couldn¡¯t stop crying because she was sorry for it again. ¡°Now you look much better washed up.¡± Lucas said so when he saw Ronshka in his new clothes. She washed his messy body clean and combed his messy hair cleanly. As long as he didn¡¯t have burn marks,he had a face that would appeal anyone. ¡®But I think I¡¯ve seen this face somewhere.¡¯ It looked familiar to me now that he was neat. But I couldn¡¯t think of who it was. Well, what¡¯s the point of knowing that now? After all, he almost left the social world, and the two here never even set foot there. ¡°For now, I¡¯ve arranged for a carriage because there¡¯s a patient.¡± That forced him to stay a few more days in this small town, but it didn¡¯t matter. Because he had more than enough time. The guy in his mansion would be unhappy at his step behind schedule. Well, what can he do? A skinny little child and a patient. It would be difficult to ride a horse . That is why he had to spend money to rent a carriage from another village. Time passed quickly. As soon as the small wagon arrived at the village, Lucas left immediately. Of course, Adele and Ronshka were also with him. ¡°Uh, Mom.¡± Adele, whose wounds had not yet fully healed, suffered from the wobbling of the wagon.Then Ronshka was restless and tried to make Adele comfortable by lifting her jacket and cushion ¡®Is it worth it?¡¯ Lucas looked at the figure coldly. Adele¡¯s appearance and action to her child during their time in the village was devoted. However, Lucas did not let go of his mind by believing only what she showed. A child who lived longing for her affection all the time, and a woman who neglected him. He didn¡¯t even know why she was acting like that. Was it because she recognized that he was an aristocrat and was aiming for something? But then why did she protected the child from the bear? what if there was actually another reason? ¡®Like that woman had.¡¯ Lucas looked out the window and then looked at Ronshka, who was still hesitant. During the trip, Adele groaned with pain and fever. Because of that, the wagon was moving slowly. Each village they stopped by to show the wounds to the doctor, and moved carefully. Whenever that happened, Lucas thought, ¡®Is this necessary?¡¯ but when he saw Ronshka, he couldn¡¯t help it. To the child, his mother was still the absolute existence. And Lucas could not easily take away that absolute existence. Meanwhile, the carriage was on its way to its destination. A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes was looking out the window. The head maid looked at him and smiled lightly. ¡°Are you waiting for Lucas?¡± ¡°No. I just wanted to look out the window.¡± ¡°Ho-ho, really? Then you don¡¯t need this?¡± The lady gently shook the envelope in her hand. Then, the child who was looking out the window ran and held out his hands as if he had never done so. ¡°As a disciple, I must read my master¡¯s letter.¡± ¡°Well, then we can just inform you comfortably.¡± ¡°No, I am more comfortable with this.¡± The child spoke steadfastly and quickly received the letter. ¡®Unusual child.¡¯ One day, Lucas, who was traveling abroad as usual, came back with him like a stray cat. Surprised by the appearance of the dirty child, I asked him who he was, and he replied. ¡°It¡¯s my disciple.¡± Since then, the child has learned swordsmanship under Lucas. Although it is said that he left the family now, Lucas was originally an excellent swordsman. He was not only one of the three most powerful men in his homeland, but also a sword master. Such a disciple he teaches! Naturally, many people showed interest. And tried to appease the child, or were jealous and tried to hurt him. A small mansion thus was established after leaving one¡¯s native land. Here, the child studied swordsmanship diligently. But despite having a child, Lucas didn¡¯t seem to be able to handle the wanderlust. He wanted to run away again this time and hasn¡¯t come back yet. ¡®Well, he sent a letter.¡¯ The child, Leon was sitting upright and reading the letter. Then he frowned and tilted his head. ¡°What is it about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s bringing another child.¡± ¡°What?¡± The maidservant opened her eyes wide in surprise. Leon bit his lips and read the sentence again. ¡°It¡¯s a child.¡± However, no matter how much he looked at it again, the contents of the letter did not change. CH 7 The wagon meandered up the narrow road. The trees lined up from side to side were so tall that it was hard to get sunlight. It was as if there would be a witch¡¯s house at the end of the road. But contrary to her expectations, at the end there was a nice mansion wrapped in ivy. There were no tall trees around the mansion, so the mansion got plenty of sunlight, and the grass that seemed to have formed naturally looked wonderful in the sunlight. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The carriage stopped at the entrance. When Lucas, who got down first, held out his hands, Adele grabbed his hands with an awkward attitude and then held out her hand for Ronshka who was still inside the carriage. Lucas moved before Adele who was not yet well and took Ronshka down from the carriage. He didn¡¯t want to deal with a woman like her, but he was too vague to treat his patient with disrespect. And also for the reason that she is Ronshka¡¯s mother. As soon as the three got out of the carriage, someone from the inside ran out like an arrow. It was a child with shiny golden hair, Leon. As soon as the child ran out, he ran and kicked Lucas. But the attack was quickly blocked. Leon then hit Lucas hard with his fist, but the result was not much different. ¡°No more.¡± It was not until Lucas said so that Leon stopped. ¡°Welcome!¡± ¡°Yes, you practiced quite hard.¡± Lucas smiled and stroked Leon¡¯s hair. He always showed nothing but a crooked sneer, but it must be different for his child. Adele looked at the two with her eyes wide open. ¡°Let me introduce you to them.¡± Lucas told Leon. ¡°This is Ronshka. He is blessed with the fire spirit.¡± ¡°Hello¡± ¡°This is Leon. He is my disciple. He is learning sword fighting.¡± Leon bowed his head to greet them, but Ronshka eyes did not meet his face. He hid behind Adele as it was, sending him a wary gaze. Ronshka, who had until now been treated as a terrible monster by his peers did not understand the meaning of Leon¡¯s actions. It wasn¡¯t something he would be able to understand without anyone telling him, so Adele said softly. ¡°Ronshka, you have to say hi.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, hello.¡± Ronshka managed to finish greeting. Then, the moment Adele tried to say hello, a memory passed through her head. The male lead who lost everything when he was young. And the teacher who saved the male lead. The teacher was later put in jeopardy by Ronshka, who was ordered by the emperor. That was the decisive moment for the male protagonist to abandon his close friend, Ronshka. When she thought about it, her heart grew cold. Why didn¡¯t she think of it until now? Leon, that little blonde boy was the main character in this story. Originally, he was a child who would have met Ronshka a little later. When she realized everything, she no longer felt comfortable in this position. Adele, unknowingly, wrapped her arms around Ronshka and backed away. Looking at her , Leon asked. ¡°Who is the woman?¡± Lucas glanced at Adele as if he had just remembered and answered. ¡°Adele. She is Ronshka¡¯s mother.¡± At those words, Leon opened his eyes wide and looked at the two alternately. Ronshka with red eyes and fiery red hair. Adele, with green eyes and plain brown hair, didn¡¯t look much alike at first glance. Meanwhile, the maid came out to meet her master. ¡°Welcome home master. How have you been?¡± The two greeted each other and then smiled kindly at Ronshka, then she looked at Adele with a surprised expression. However, what followed was a bit disappointing for her. ¡°She¡¯s just Ronshka¡¯s mom. It¡¯s not what you two think. The wounds caused by the bear are less healed, so I¡¯ll let her stay as a guest, for now. I will have to think carefully about what happens next.¡± Still hiding her confused head, Adele bowed. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± It wasn¡¯t empty talk. Had it not been for him, Adele would have died, and Ronshka would have suffered terrible things while wandering through the woods. It was true that she was helped by a complete stranger and no matter how many times she would thank him, it won¡¯t be enough. ¡°And Ronshka. I¡¯m not an Elementalist, but at least I can help you in stabilizing your abilities. Start learning under me with Leon from tomorrow.¡± At those words, Ronshka naturally looked up at Adele. Adele hesitated for a moment. Originally, the protagonist and Ronshka were supposed to meet a little later. But since they were young, they met and learned from the same teacher. So what will the future look like? She couldn¡¯t figure it out. But she knew this one thing that now she couldn¡¯t turn down Lucas¡¯ offer but can she really stay here in a situation where she doesn¡¯t know if this is good or bad? Numerous thoughts ran through her mind. And at some point, Adele sat down on the spot. The fatigue accumulated during the whole time exploded. ¡°Mom?¡± The bewildered Ronshka called for Adele, but she couldn¡¯t answer him. She was trying her best to lift up her heavy eyelids. Read only at Moonlight Novels Adele collapsed. ¡°Uh, uh, uh, Mom!¡± Confused, Ronshka called Adele, and Lucas moved quickly. He held Adele and shouted as he ran into the mansion. ¡°Kris, hurry up and get the doctor . Madeleine, you help me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kris, the servant, ran to call for their resident doctor in the mansion, followed by Madeleine. And at the end of it, Ronshka hurriedly followed them. Lucas ran into the nearest room and checked Adele¡¯s forehead first. Her head was boiling hot. As he hurriedly laid her down on the bed, Madeleine, who followed, loosened her top and took off her shoes. ¡°What happened all of a sudden?¡± Lucas looked perplexed at Madeleine¡¯s words. He could have explained, but it was because her reaction would be obvious. That he didn¡¯t even let a woman who was hurted by a bear to heal for a few days, and brought her here. Still, she said he was considerate, but Lucas was also aware that this was not enough. Her wounds healed slowly, but the fatigue from the journey continued to pile up, and he could see her body visibly weakening. She couldn¡¯t help but say nothing. She was the woman who had been by her side from the moment she left her home. She didn¡¯t want to hide the little things. Even if she were the woman who tormented her son, it was clear that the sweet Madeleine would be terrified by her condition and how he acted towards the situation . ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± When they were going to talk about it, Ronshka ran into the room. The child gasped but went close to his mother. ¡°Uh, uh, mom!¡± Lucas couldn¡¯t say more and shut up. He also had a sense that he shouldn¡¯t say it all in front of the child. That alone seemed to make Madeleine aware that something had happened to her, but she didn¡¯t ask any more. And the next moment, the door opened and Kris and the doctor rushed in. The doctor, who rushed in, turned to Adele, who was lying on the bed. ¡°Is this the patient?¡± ¡°Yes .¡± ¡°Is there anything particularly bad about it?¡± ¡°She was attacked by a bear a few weeks ago.¡± ¡°A bear?¡± The doctor put on a puzzled expression. ¡°Me, me, me.¡± Ronshka stuttered with his face covered in tears and a runny nose. ¡°She saved me.¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes widened at the child¡¯s words. So was Madeleine¡¯s. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Lucas was silent for a moment before continuing. ¡°She hurt her back.¡± ¡°Did the wound heal?¡± ¡°Most doctors said it would be okay if we moved cautiously.¡± So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not okay. Gentleman sighed and examined Adele¡¯s wounds. The wound wasn¡¯t as deep as he thought. The bear didn¡¯t seem to be have scratched that deeply. However, the wound was still attacked by a bear. Since she was overworked, there was no way her body was in good shape. ¡°Did the doctor really say that?¡± The doctor looked at Lucas suspiciously. Yeah, actually, he did press a little bit to get the answer he wanted. But he wouldn¡¯t have carried her around if it was really a life-death situation. Even if she was the kind of woman he didn¡¯t like, he knew that to her child she was the world. ¡°Well, let¡¯s move on for now. It¡¯s more urgent to treat her.¡± The doctor sent Kris and Lucas out. In addition, he asked them to take Ronshka out for a while. Watching his mother undergo treatment, he was concerned that the child would be shocked. Naturally, Ronshka struggled not to go out, and was eventually forced out by Lucas. ¡°Uh, uh, mom, ahh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a treatment for a while. We can go back in after the doctor comes out.¡± ¡°Wh, what, if, she,she dies in the meantime.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°H-how do you know? ¡° Ronshka looked up at Lucas. CH 8 ¡°It is not a fatal wound. She just fell asleep because she was a little tired. If you go in now, it will interfere with the treatment process. You don¡¯t like seeing your mother recovering late, do you?¡± Only then did Ronschka stop struggling, though he was still crying. How can I calm him down? As Lucas let out a sigh, Leon, standing tall across the hallway, caught his eye. ¡°Leon.¡± ¡°Master.¡± Leon came closer. He asked, ¡°Is she all right?¡± Now even his disciple is showing interest in Adele. ¡°She will be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Leon nodded and looked at Ronschka. ¡°Your mother will be fine. Master never lies.¡± Then he wiped the tears on Ronsha¡¯s face with his handkerchief. It seems he was worried about Ronschka who is smaller than him. In fact, he is two years younger than him. ¡®He needs to gain some weight,¡¯ Lucas thought as he sat down in the hallway. For some reason, he was a little tired. * * * Adele hasn¡¯t regained consciousness even though her treatment is over. Two days passed like that. Madeleine looked after her carefully, but she did not open her eyes as if in a deep sleep. Naturally, Ronschka never left his mother¡¯s side. ¡°You need to eat something.¡± Ignoring the worries of others, he stubbornly stayed next to Adele without eating or going to the bathroom. As if something big would happen if he left her for even a moment. After several days, Madeleine was so tired that she fell asleep in the warm sunlight. Ronschka, who was looking intently at Adele instead of her, wiggled his fingers for a while before he carefully took Adele¡¯s hand. ¡°M-mom.¡± This isn¡¯t happening because you don¡¯t like me, right? The doctor said his mother is fine, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why she hadn¡¯t regained consciousness yet. Ronschka buried his face in Adele¡¯s palm, which he held tight. Hot tears flowed down her soft skin. ¡°M-mom.¡± His tears didn¡¯t stop. A world without his mother means nothing to him. ¡°W-w-wake up.¡± Otherwise, I will follow you. Was it because Ronschka¡¯s sorrowful heart reached her? Her hand in his grip squirmed slightly. Then, her eyes which had been closed until now slowly opened. ¡°Ronschka?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Ronschka smiled broadly in joy. His mother, smiling sweetly, hugged him and kissed him on the forehead. His mother was shining brightly. The light was getting stronger and stronger, and soon his mother started to disappear. ¡°Mom!¡± The moment the panicked Ronschka shouted out loud, his eyes flashed open. He looked around frantically and saw his mother still unconscious. Then that must have been a dream. No wonder I didn¡¯t stutter. Ronschka sighed heavily¡ªunlike a child normally does¡ªand tears flowed from his eyes. ¡°What should I do?¡± Lucas¡¯ voice was heard from behind, but he didn¡¯t turn around for even a moment. Then he struggled as his hand was forcefully grabbed. ¡°W-w-what!¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Lucas lifted Ronschka and headed straight to the dining room. Then he forced him to sit on a chair and put down a bowl of soup in front of him. ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°N-n-no.¡± I have to see my mother. Ronschka tried to jump up again, but Lucas pushed him down. ¡°Eat. Eat and be healthy.¡± ¡°W-w-why?¡± Lucas patiently explained why. ¡°Will your mother like it when she wakes up and sees you still skinny? Won¡¯t she hate it?¡± Only after hearing that did he remember his mother who always praised him every time he had a good meal all the way here. Ronschka bit his lip and held the soup bowl with both hands. Then he gulped down the hot soup without hesitation. ¡°I-I ate everything!¡± ¡°Your mouth is burning!¡± Lucas, frightened, tried to call the doctor, but the child still didn¡¯t give up on his urge to go see his mother immediately. He stamped his foot and asked, ¡°C-c-can I go now?¡± ¡°After you take a bath.¡± The impatient child ran back to his mother¡¯s room as soon as he came out of the bathroom. Lucas who was trying to reach the child eventually sighed and withdrew his hand. * * * I had a dream, a deep dream. No, can I call it a dream? No, it was a thing that happened in the past. I would feel less guilty if I did possess. But Adele was definitely me. How could this happen? Isn¡¯t this in a novel? She had a child through an immature one-night stand. When she was first pregnant, she watched her every move and sang to her child in a sweet voice. People around her whispered that she was crazy, but she didn¡¯t care. Before her child was born, her mother died. ¡°I, I should have been more careful. If only I had told you how hard it is to raise a child alone.¡± It was her mother¡¯s last will. Her mother wasn¡¯t wrong. There were times when she thought if she raised her child well, he would come back one day. But as she gave birth and raised her child, she felt a sense of incongruity. Why is Ronschka so strange? Why isn¡¯t he like other normal children? Why does he wield such a strange power? She became more and more reluctant about her child. Adele, who gave birth to a child of an unknown man, began to be ostracized in the village. In addition, Ronschka¡¯s power has attracted people¡¯s attention. Was it because of that? Even though she knew she should love him, she couldn¡¯t. Even as she struggled with her self-doubt, she hated her child. As a result, she got sick. Adele struggled in pain. The wound on her body was not painful. Her heart ached for the wound she had given her child when he knew nothing. She pounded her chest and sobbed, even though she didn¡¯t deserve it. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t say anything when she knew Lucas was being unfair to her. Because I am a sinner, I deserve to be sick. ¡®But is that okay?¡¯ Suddenly, it occurred to her. Adele is Ronschka¡¯s everything. Even if it is fake love, that¡¯s the fact. If Adele leaves him first, wouldn¡¯t he suffer? Wouldn¡¯t he become unhappy as the future was supposed to be? With that in mind, she can not leave Ronschka in haste. So she decided. When Ronschka grows up and can tell what true affection is, and when my presence is no longer needed, I will leave. Adele opened her eyes slowly. Lifting her heavy eyelids, she saw Ronschka¡¯s weeping face right in front of her. ¡°M-m-mom!¡± ¡°Rons¡­chka.¡± ¡°M-m-om!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Adele reached out to Ronschka, who looked as if he wanted to rush in right away. It¡¯s okay if you hold my hand because these hands won¡¯t hit you anymore. It¡¯s okay to be in my arms because I won¡¯t throw you away again. ¡°My dear son.¡± Adele hugged Ronschka tightly and smiled faintly. * * * Adele finally regained consciousness and recovery began in earnest. In her mind, she wanted to get up right away and help with the household chores, but Madeleine stopped her with a stern expression. She said, ¡°The doctor said you should lie down for a while longer. Lie down right now.¡± Adele couldn¡¯t beat the strict Madeleine. ¡°And eat some more.¡± Then she handed her a brown porridge with something that looked like meat. Adele heard that only healthy things were put in, but the taste was not that good. ¡°Why? Does it taste bad? Everything that¡¯s good for the body is in here.¡± ¡°Good for the body?¡± ¡°Yes. There are many things that are hard to find. They are very valuable. So eat them all.¡± At the words, Adele endured and swallowed all the porridge. She almost choked up a few times and spit it out again, but she held it in. It¡¯s hard to find, so it must be expensive. Watching Adele eating well, Ronschka also showed off his appetite for the first time in a while. While she was recovering and reluctantly eating healthy food, Lucas came to visit her once. Coincidentally, Ronschka was on his way to the bathroom with Madeleine at Adele¡¯s persuasion. He stared at her for a while. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯ll start Ronschka¡¯s class soon.¡± Oh, Adele seems to know what he means. Ronschka has been by her side ever since she woke up. He tried to eat with her and even rushed back to her after a short bath. As a result, the grime behind his ears didn¡¯t get cleaned properly, and Adele had to wipe it dry with a wet towel. Maybe Ronschka was like that even when she was unconscious. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Ronschka to pay attention in class.¡± At that, Lucas frowned. Then, after staring at Adele¡¯s feet for a while, he nodded and left the room. Did he want to say something more? Adele tilted her head and lay back down. It was incomparably softer than the straw-stuffed beds she used to sleep on in small villages, but she felt strangely uncomfortable. CH 9 ¡®I should get well soon and get to work.¡¯ Adele groaned and lay down again. A frown formed on her forehead. It was because she had recently learned the identity of the healthy food she had just eaten; such as bear soles, flame lizard tails, and wyvern claws. I can¡¯t believe I ate something like that! Madeleine even said that she fed me little by little while I was unconscious. She didn¡¯t even touch anything gross in my past life. She sighed heavily. Looks like I¡¯ll have to keep eating that healthy food for now. ¡°There are still plenty of healthy food ingredients left. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Madeleine smiled proudly as she said that. ¡®It must be expensive.¡¯ That¡¯s an undeserved favor. So I have to get up quickly to reduce the workload even a little. Adele yawned and slowly closed her eyes. Perhaps because of the medicine, drowsiness was quickly getting to her. * * * Lucas let out a deep sigh. He obviously went to apologize, but the word didn¡¯t come out as if it was stuck in his throat. ¡°Young Master.¡± Madeleine, who had just returned with Ronschka, stopped and called Lucas. The maid, who now knew all about the situation, looked at him as if he was the villain of the world. And she urged him to apologize quickly, but it was no easy task. Lucas raised an eyebrow awkwardly. Meanwhile, Ronschka, who had been by Madeleine¡¯s side, quickly ran into the room. ¡°Have you spoken to her?¡± ¡°No.¡± He did, but it wasn¡¯t what Madeleine wanted, so he said no. Madeline glared at him and said, ¡°Next time, make sure to do it. Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Then she probably doesn¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Shall I tell her a little bit about it?¡± asked Madeleine with a calm expression. After Adele collapsed, Lucas often left the mansion to get medicines that were said to be good for the body. At first, he took a reluctant step, but later he took a rather active step forward to save her. Because of that, Leon¡¯s class was constantly being postponed. ¡°No, don¡¯t ever tell her.¡± Lucas said in a firm voice. When he responded like that, Madeleine couldn¡¯t speak anymore. * * * Three days after Adele regained consciousness, Ronschka¡¯s first class finally started. Ronschka came out to the gymnasium and glared at Lucas with eyes full of displeasure. ¡°From today, Ronschka, you will also take lessons with Leon.¡± ¡°W-w-what class?¡± ¡°First of all¡­ calm your body and mind first to learn how to deal with the spirit.¡± ¡°T-this?¡± Ronschka pointed at the little fire that was always hanging around him. It is invisible to normal people, but apparently, Lucas can see it. ¡°Yes, that one. It¡¯s called a spirit. And those who deal with spirits are called Elementalists. They are precious people to be treated with respect.¡± He didn¡¯t deserve to be mistreated in a remote rural village for having that power. ¡°T-treated with respect?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°W-w-what is that?¡± ¡°You can always eat as much as you want, sleep in a nice bed, and go wherever you want.¡± ¡°W-with my mom?¡± asked Ronschka, smiling. ¡°¡­yes, with your mother.¡± ¡°T-t-then I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Yes, you have good will. But your way of speaking needs improvement. I will tell Kish to find a speech teacher for you.¡± ¡°T-t-the way I speak, is it weird?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± ¡°I-I will learn!¡± Only then will I become a precious person and be able to live comfortably with my mom. Ronschka was burning with enthusiasm. ¡°A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.¡± Lucas then asked Ronschka to run three laps around the gym. ¡°Leon, you are ten laps.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two stood side by side and set out the same way. However, the speeds between Ronschka, a newbie, and Leon, who had never been lazy during practice, couldn¡¯t be the same. Before long, Ronschka was overtaken. ¡°Huh, huh.¡± Ronschka tried to follow Leon somehow, dragging his heavy feet. ¡®With my mom.¡¯ He ran as hard as he could, engraving those words in his mind. After three laps like that, he was exhausted. When he stopped and looked at Leon, he was still running well. He didn¡¯t look tired at all. The sight somehow made him a little grumpy. I¡¯m having such a hard time, but why is he fine? Ronschka gently bit his lip and started running again. ¡°Ronschka?¡± Lucas called out to him, but he ignored him and ran fast. In the end, he ran out of energy and fell to the ground. ¡°Ronschka?¡± Leon who was ahead of him was surprised and ran over to check on Ronschka. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I-I am.¡± Ronschka calmly brushed off his clothes, only to find out that his palms were injured. ¡®Did I get hurt?¡¯ When he found out that he was injured, he felt a throbbing pain belatedly. Ronschka hesitated and tried to wipe his bloody palms on his pants. Leon hurriedly stopped him. ¡°You can¡¯t rub the wounds anywhere!¡± Then, holding Ronschka¡¯s hand, he walked towards the room where the doctor is. That was before Lucas did anything to help. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Leon speak comfortably. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re the same age.¡± A child who grew up early. Leon is such a child. Because of that, he doesn¡¯t trust people very much, and he always puts a wall around himself. He tried to pull the child out of the wall, but it wasn¡¯t easy. All the adults living in the mansion are kind to Leon, but the child always keeps his distance. At least, the person closest to him is his teacher, Lucas. ¡°Well¡­¡± Seeing what he is doing to Ronschka, I think I can put my worries aside for a moment. * * * -step step. Leon took Ronschka by the wrist and walked down the hallway. He is so skinny that his wrist is like a dry twig. According to Master, this is also because I have grown a bit bigger. Maybe that¡¯s why. Leon glanced back at Ronschka, who followed with an unreadable expression. It must be painful, but he doesn¡¯t cry. Is he a patient child? Leon tilted his head at that thought and knocked on the doctor¡¯s door. ¡°Doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, my. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ronschka is hurt.¡± ¡°Are you hurt? Let me see.¡± The doctor raised his glasses and examined Ronschka¡¯s wounds. ¡°He fell down.¡± ¡°Oh, that must be painful. Come this way. I will treat you.¡± The doctor treated the wounds on Ronschka¡¯s palms with a friendly smile. He first cleaned them with water, then sterilized them, applied medicine, then applied gauze, and bandaged them. ¡°Be careful next time.¡± Ronschka looked at his healed hands and tried to move them. The people in the mansion are strange. They don¡¯t scream, point fingers, or throw stones at me. They treat me like a normal child. Maybe I¡¯m not a monster like my mom said? Otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t treat me so kindly. Ronschka was lost in thought. Then, at that moment, he saw a flower blooming brightly beyond the window. ¡°F-flower.¡± Leon asked, ¡°What flower?¡± ¡°Outside, flower.¡± ¡°Oh, do you want to see it up close? Then let¡¯s go.¡± Leon dragged Ronschka into the garden. He knew it was still class time, but he wanted to be nice to this child who seemed to have a story not too different from his own. ¡®Master can scold me later.¡¯ The weather is warm, and a gentle breeze is blowing. The flower garden in the well-kept garden shone in various colors, showing off its beauty. Ronschka, who had been staring at the flower garden, suddenly broke a flower. ¡°Ronschka?¡± Bewildered, Leon called out to him, but Ronschka ignored him and started picking the flowers one by one. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leon asked, sitting next to him, trying to stay calm. ¡°F-f-flower bouquet.¡± Remembering the gardener grandfather planted and tended them carefully, Leon asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Rather than picking flowers, wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave them here and visit them often?¡± ¡°I-I-I will give it to my mom.¡± ¡°Your mom?¡± Leon remembered Ronschka¡¯s mother, who had been lying in bed since they arrived at the mansion. She is, somehow, a sweet-looking person. His Master doesn¡¯t seem to like her much, but Leon does. How can he stop a child from picking flowers for his sick mother? In the end, Leon also helped Ronschka. ¡°I think that flower is prettier.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa Vane.¡¯ I guess I¡¯ll have to apologize later. The flowers that were picked carelessly at first, became a nice bouquet with Leon¡¯s help. The size is also quite large. Ronschka rose from his seat with the finished bouquet. Leon hesitated for a moment, then he followed him. Ronschka headed towards the room where his mother is with excitement. However, his brisk steps became calm as he approached the door. ¡®Is Mom awake?¡¯ He opened the door carefully and saw Adele standing looking out the window. CH 10 ¡°M-mom!¡± Ronschka called her carefully, and Adele turned to him and smiled. Is it because of the light leaking in from the window? It felt like she was shining. ¡°Ronschka.¡± Her mother hasn¡¯t changed. She wasn¡¯t the mother who used to stare at him with cold eyes. His mother, who isn¡¯t a witch, says it¡¯s okay to do anything. Ronschka smiled, came closer, and held out the bouquet. ¡°G-gift.¡± ¡°Oh, are you giving it to me?¡± Adele received the bouquet and smiled gently as she smelled it. Ronschka liked the figure and stared at her with his mouth open. He then saw his mother¡¯s expression change. Her round forehead wrinkled and her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ronschka, what¡¯s wrong with your hands?¡± Ronschka held out his hands and replied, ¡°I-I fell.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°W-while I was running.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Adele put down the bouquet and took Ronschka¡¯s hands with a sad expression. Then she carefully touched his bandaged hands and kissed them. ¡°Get well soon, my dear son.¡± It was a light wish that is often given between dear friends. But Leon, who was watching from outside the room, felt his heart ache for a moment. Nothing came to mind about basic etiquette to keep then. It just hurts, his heart hurts. Feeling strange, he ran after walking back a few steps. After running for a while and reaching his room, Leon was able to catch his breath. The emotions he experienced for the first time in his life shook him. ¡°Why did it hurt?¡± Leon, muttering blankly, saw Lucas looking for him through the window. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Leon hurriedly ran out of the room and headed toward Lucas. ¡°Master! I am here!¡± ¡°Leon, did you treat Ronschka¡¯s wounds?¡± ¡°Yes, I took him to the doctor.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lucas put on a relieved expression. Seeing that, Leon felt his heart ache again. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with my body? Leon, who was patting his chest with his hand, immediately shook his head. If I¡¯m really sick, I can see a doctor later. Right now, the important thing was to faithfully carry out the training that Master, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, ordered. Leon followed Lucas and suddenly looked back. His gaze was on the open window in a corner room on the second floor. It is Ronschka and his mother¡¯s room. Leon stared there with an unreadable expression for a moment, then turned his head again. * * * ¡°What do you want to be when you grow up?¡± ¡°I want to become an excellent swordsman and knight.¡± A knight is more righteous than anyone else. That was Leon¡¯s dream after his parents died and everything was taken away by his relatives. A knight protects the weak, respects a lady, and serves his lord. He wanted to become a better knight than anyone else and regain his family name. So, I have to work hard. On the day Leon followed Lucas, he made that decision. I did. But I¡¯ve been feeling bad lately. Unlike Leon, Ronschka has a blunt attitude. Other than his mom, he doesn¡¯t care about anything, even when other people are nice to him, he doesn¡¯t. His attitude does not change even in front of his teacher, Lucas. No, it seems to have gotten worse lately. Leon stared blankly at Ronschka, who had finished training and was covered in dust, picking flowers as usual. He had been skinny the whole time, but after his mother regained consciousness, he gained weight. The last time he¡¯d stolen a glance, Ronschka¡¯s mother had kept putting food in his mouth while comforting him. And when he finished eating, she praised him that he ate well. ¡®I eat well too.¡¯ Leon has been strangely sick to his stomach. Meanwhile, Ronschka was finishing a sloppy bouquet by himself. After hesitating for a moment, Leon spoke to Ronschka. ¡°Did you know that there are prettier flowers in the southern part of the garden?¡± ¡°Prettier flower?¡± ¡°Yes. Rose. It¡¯s really pretty.¡± Ronschka looked at the nearly finished bouquet and glanced at Leon. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± His teacher, Lucas, likes roses. His favorite rose is the blood rose, which has sharper thorns than other roses, so he gave orders that no one but the gardener should touch it. That¡¯s because you can get hurt if you do something wrong. But Ronschka is always selfish. Leon stood still, trying to rationalize himself, then raised his head. His heart sank at the thought that Ronschka might be hurt. ¡°Ronschka!¡± Then he ran to the south side of the garden. There he saw Ronschka extending his hand towards the rose. When Leon ran as fast as he could and grabbed his hand, Ronschka gave Leon a confused look, as if asking why. ¡°Come to think of it, this rose is dangerous.¡± ¡°D-dangerous?¡± ¡°Because the thorns are sharp.¡± At those words, Ronschka stared blankly at the rose while holding Leon¡¯s hand. ¡°I-I can burn it.¡± Did Lucas¡¯ class work? Ronshka could now handle a small fire or two as he pleased. Burning the thorns alone is a difficult task, but I think I can do a little. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s Master¡¯s rose.¡± Ronschka made a confused expression at Leon¡¯s words. He looked like he didn¡¯t care. The emotions that Leon had just suppressed at the bottom of his heart roared again. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°W-why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Master¡¯s rose.¡± The two had a quarrel. Then Ronschka stubbornly stretched out his hand towards the rose. Seeing that, Leon pushed Ronschka without realizing it. It was not until Ronschka, whom he had pushed, fell on his buttocks that he realized what he had done. I have to say I¡¯m sorry. Just as Leon was about to apologize, flames struck the back of his hand. It was Ronschka¡¯s Spirit. His feeling of regret disappeared and he became angry. ¡°Ronschka!¡± ¡°W-why are you screaming!¡± ¡°You just attacked me!¡± ¡°Y-y-you pushed me first!¡± That¡¯s not wrong. So it made Leon even more ashamed. His face was burning red. ¡°Because¡­!¡± Leon opened his mouth to make an excuse, then looked down and gritted his teeth. ¡®What was I trying to say?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t I trying to justify my actions by blaming Ronschka? If you ask me if that¡¯s the right thing to do, I can say no. I know that, but strangely, my mouth won¡¯t admit it. ¡®I have to apologize. I have to say I¡¯m sorry and help him stand up.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t. He felt suffocated by pain. It was then. He realized someone was looking this way. Someone with brown hair and friendly green eyes. Adele. ¡®Why?¡¯ It would be fine if he was caught by Lucas, his teacher, even if he would be scolded and punished. It was the same even if Madeleine or Kish caught him. But he didn¡¯t want to be caught by Adele. Leon clasped his hands tightly and just looked down. ¡°Ronschka?¡± Adele called her son by his name. Then she rushed over and sat next to Ronschka, who was still sitting on the ground. Maybe she thinks Ronschka fell alone, Leon thought so. But it wasn¡¯t hard for Adele to read the subtle atmosphere flowing between the two kids. ¡®Leon pushed Ronschka.¡¯ Adele tried to stay calm. Leon is a disciple of Lucas, the owner of the mansion. Recently, Ronshka has been taking classes with him, but nothing has been confirmed yet. That¡¯s why Adele was even more nervous. ¡°Ronschka, shall we get up first?¡± Adele lifted Ronshka up and brushed the dirt off his bottom. Ronschka smiled as if she liked it when her mother patted her bottom. Ronschka who was smiling at her mother even in this situation looked sad and lovely. Holding back her tears, Adele looked back at Leon. Then she realized Leon was trembling. She suddenly remembered what Madeleine had said. ¡°Leon is a good kid. But sometimes, he seems to have a hard time trying to be too nice.¡± As she looked at Leon, there was a sudden growling sound from Ronschka¡¯s stomach. -growling. Looks like he¡¯s hungry. From the moment he started taking Lucas¡¯ classes, his appetite grew stronger, and it seemed he also got hungry quickly. Adele reached out to Ronschka. Then Ronshka put his small hand on hers as if it was natural. Even that little act made Adele feel her heart thump. ¡®Oh right.¡¯ Adele then reached out to Leon as well. CH 11 Leon, who was lowering his head, only raised his head in surprise at the hand that was reaching out to him. Then he regretted it. It was because he wasn¡¯t prepared to see Adele¡¯s face yet. So he closed his eyes tightly. Then he heard a kind voice. ¡°Leon, let¡¯s go together.¡± Where? However, Leon couldn¡¯t bear to ask the question and clumsily grabbed Adele¡¯s hand. As soon as her soft and warm hand touched his, somehow, the tension that had enveloped him subsided. ¡°Where is the kitchen?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Leon answered in a low voice. Then, he headed to the kitchen. It isn¡¯t meal prep time, so most of the workers are taking a break. -knock knock. ¡°Can I borrow the kitchen for a moment?¡± The cook quickly recognized Adele, who had recently been rumored in the mansion. She is the first woman the owner of the mansion brings. Although she is a mother of a child, she is enough to draw everyone¡¯s curiosity. ¡°There is still time until we prepare the meal, so you can use it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also borrow some ingredients.¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°A little bread, two eggs, milk, sugar, and maybe a banana or an apple if you have one?¡± These are fruits that are difficult to eat unless you live in a nice house to some extent. So Adele has never tasted it in her present life. Because she is very poor. ¡°There are no bananas now, but there are many apples.¡± However, the cook was mistaken when she calmly asked for sugar, milk, and fruit. It sounds like she was born into a better family than he thought. The glow of her shiny skin from eating well recently, her calm tone of voice, and her gentle gestures were enough to cause misunderstanding. ¡°I will prepare all of it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, this is nothing.¡± As soon as the ingredients were ready, Adele turned to the children. She said, ¡°Okay then, would you like to wash your hands? You know how to wash your hands, don¡¯t you, gentlemen?¡± ¡°I-I know!¡± ¡°I know it very well.¡± The two wash their hands competitively. Adele handed out a loaf of bread and a large bowl for the children who had dried their hands with clean towels. ¡°Can you tear the bread first?¡± The first to touch the bread was Ronschka. He tore the bread apart as if he was sure he was doing what his mother said right. The fine white bread was torn like a chicken breast. Then Leon picked up the remaining bread, and he imitated Ronshka. ¡°You two did well!¡± Even though it was a trivial compliment, Ronschka grinned. Leon, for some reason, felt relaxed too. The bread they happily tore went into the bowl. ¡°Let¡¯s spread the bread on the baking pan. Yes, like that.¡± Then, a previously prepared mixture of milk, sugar, and eggs was poured. This time they placed the sliced apple on top. The pounding heart was now beating calmly. It was a little difficult for Leon to tell if this was a dream or not. I thought I would be scolded for sure, but why am I cooking here with Ronschka¡¯s mom? But he doesn¡¯t hate it. Rather, it¡¯s fun. He asked Adele, ¡°Shall I add more apples?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s add another layer of bread first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leon¡¯s mouth, which had been tightly shut the whole time, drew an arc softly, and his blue eyes twinkled like stars. Ronschka also looked very excited. He was working hard to help Adele as if he had forgotten that he had fought with Leon a moment ago. ¡°Now then, shall we put this in the oven?¡± As soon as the baking pan was in the oven, Adele served warm milk to the children sitting around the small table in the kitchen. Leon wrapped his hand around the warm cup and tasted a little of his milk. Sweet and delicious. It¡¯s like the taste of the milk Master gives me sometimes when I can¡¯t sleep. -plip. Tears like peas fell from Leon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sob sob.¡± Hearing his sobs, the cooks glanced at him but didn¡¯t speak a word. It was because they guessed something must have happened between the children. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong,¡± said Leon with tears dripping down his face. Now I understand. I envy Ronschka. Even if he doesn¡¯t have parents, he has a teacher. He thought he just had to work hard to rebuild his family in the future. Leon sniveled and continued, ¡°I envy you. I-I don¡¯t have a mother.¡± He tried to stop his crying, but the child who only knew how to cry silently only looked pitiful. ¡°Leon.¡± Adele carefully reached out and stroked Leon¡¯s hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Leon.¡± Ronschka liked his sweet mother, but now he somehow hates the situation. ¡®Don¡¯t pet Leon!¡¯ His stomach is burning. Ronschka immediately approached Adele, grabbed her skirt, and clung to her legs. ¡°Ronschka?¡± ¡°I-I hate it! Don¡¯t touch him!¡± His little body trembled slightly. So far, she¡¯s tried to pour her love into him, but it seems her son is still worried. Seeing this, Adele smiled gently and bent down. ¡°Ronschka, why is that?¡± ¡°I-I hate it when Mom touches Leon!¡± ¡°I see.¡± She would obviously do anything for Ronschka. However, she was unable to comply with this request. ¡°Will you listen to Mom?¡± He does not live alone in the world. One day Ronschka had to come out of his shell and look outside like a bird hatching from its egg. ¡°Ronschka, I want you to be friendly with someone else.¡± ¡°W-why?¡± His expression seems to say ¡®All I need is my mother.¡¯ Blind affection is indeed very beautiful, but at the same time it also hurts your heart. ¡°Because I want Ronschka to be happy. I want Ronschka¡¯s world to be wider. I hope you learn to communicate with others as well.¡± ¡°W-why should I?¡± ¡°That will make Ronschka happier.¡± Ronschka calmed down hearing his mother speak in a friendly voice. He doesn¡¯t understand everything yet, but he believes everything his mother says. ¡°T-then just a little bit,¡± said Ronschka, raising his bowed head. Her son learned to yield for the first time. It was so special that Adele hugged Ronschka tightly. Then she turned around and looked at Leon again. Leon was still crying. The snow might melt from his tears. ¡°Leon.¡± Adele went up to Leon and hugged him just like she did to Ronschka. ¡°Stop crying. This will make your eyes puffy.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Originally, children grow up fighting. Instead, make sure to apologize after a fight if you feel that you have done something wrong.¡± At those words, Leon turned to Ronschka, still crying. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ronschka.¡± Ronschka¡¯s face was full of displeasure, but he accepted his apology. Adele wiped Leon¡¯s face clean with a wet towel. In the process, Ronschka whined some more, but eventually accepted it anyway. Meanwhile, the bread pudding she had left in the oven was browning. Carefully taking it out, Adele scooped it up with a large spoon and transferred it to small bowls. Steam rose from the deliciously baked pudding. When she put two small bowls down in front of the children, their eyes twinkle. ¡°Now, shall we eat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leon took a spoonful of bread pudding. The soft, warm bread pudding smelled faintly of apples. As if Ronschka didn¡¯t want to lose, he scooped up the bread pudding and put it in his mouth. ¡°Oh! Let it cool down first, Ronschka.¡± The startled Ronschka calmed down only after drinking the water Adele gave him. Leon saw it and stopped the spoon he was about to put in his mouth and blew on it. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to put it in my mouth.¡¯ He blew on it to cool it then put it in his mouth. The sweet taste of bread pudding filled his mouth. ¡°Is it delicious?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Leon ate heartily. Meanwhile, Ronschka held out his empty bowl to ask for more. Even though it¡¯s not a big deal, seeing the children eating so well made Adele happy. ¡°It¡¯s really tasty.¡± Leon couldn¡¯t stop saying that it was delicious the entire time he ate it. Weird. I think I ate a lot of expensive and good food with my teacher, but this was more delicious. For a while, a warm atmosphere pervaded the kitchen. Leon and Ronschka apologized to each other, and it felt like they were growing closer. Though still grumbling, Ronschka didn¡¯t move away from Leon. Of course, when Leon approached Adele, his mother, he grumbled again, but at least it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. CH 12 ¡°D-don¡¯t stick to my mom,¡± said Ronschka to Leon with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Adele said it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Y-you have Master!¡± Only then did Leon think of his teacher, Lucas. ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Master is my teacher. Leon made a confused expression and then looked up at Adele. Recently, as Adele¡¯s presence in front of Leon grew, he often exhibited this behavior. Whenever that happened, she helped Leon. Most of them, of course, were help based on her past life memories. Adele in her present life grew up hard in a deep mountain village from an early age, and that alone didn¡¯t really help much. ¡°What does your teacher mean to you, Leon?¡± ¡°He is just my teacher.¡± ¡°But what if your teacher thinks otherwise? How about asking him? And¡­ should Leon also sit here and think about it for a moment?¡± As Adele pulled out a chair with a smile, Leon sat on it and was lost in thought. After looking at Leon like that for a moment, Adele slipped out of the room. When Leon was given a topic, he pondered over it for quite a long time. So I have enough time for this. Adele found Lucas wielding a sword in the gymnasium. ¡°Sir Lucas.¡± Sensing someone¡¯s presence, Lucas put down his sword and turned to Adele. ¡°Why?¡± Is it just my feeling? Lucas¡¯ behavior has become more relaxed since some time ago. ¡°I have something to discuss with you about Leon.¡± ¡°Leon?¡± Lucas strode forward and stood in front of Adele. Adele felt a little intimidated as the tall man approached her, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Leon?¡± ¡°He seems to be having a lot of trouble these days. About what the existence of his teacher means to him.¡± At that, Lucas tilted his head slightly and said, ¡°A teacher is a teacher.¡± ¡°And what?¡± ¡°And?¡± Is there anything else? Lucas made a slightly confused expression. A teacher is a teacher, what else could there be? But he didn¡¯t just ignore Adele¡¯s words. Lucas was feeling it too, at least Adele¡¯s love for Ronschka is sincere. ¡®Although there are parts that I have doubts about.¡¯ No, for now, it was time to think about Leon, his precious disciple. ¡°Sir Lucas, how old is Leon now?¡± ¡°Eight years old.¡± ¡°What would a normal eight-year-old do?¡± ¡°They will work or learn something.¡± Only then did Adele realize that she was thinking too much about her past life experiences. In this era, even if you are young, you must help your parents work if you can stand up. Of course, in her past life, children aren¡¯t just spoiled all day long; they are given sufficient playing time. Shouldn¡¯t that be children¡¯s days? ¡°Hmm. First of all, eight years old is still the age where you need your parents¡¯ love.¡± ¡°Leon¡¯s parents are dead.¡± ¡°I know. But even if he doesn¡¯t have parents, isn¡¯t there a similar figure?¡± Then Adele looked at Lucas in the eye. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°You mean a teacher is like a family?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Right. For Lucas, Leon is precious and can be called family. But why didn¡¯t he realize it until now? Lucas looked down at Adele with a strange expression. He¡¯s usually not this talkative. But talking about Leon gave him a strange feeling. Could a woman like this abuse the son she gave birth to? The question that had been bothering him for so long surfaced again. ¡°Leon will come soon.¡± Adele left the gym with those words. And not long after, Leon really came. ¡°Master!¡± Leon, with a flushed face, approached Lucas and asked, ¡°What am I to you Master?¡° Lucas replied with a smile. ¡°Does this question really need an answer?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to hear it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll answer you. Leon, you are my only family.¡± Leon¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°You are my family too, Master!¡± The small body of his that came running was hugged by Lucas. I thought he had grown quite a bit after bringing him to the mansion, but all of that was my illusion. Leon is still a small child. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know that?¡¯ Lucas hugged Leon, who was starting to sob, and patted him on the back. He (Lucas) still seems to be lacking a lot. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a family,¡± said Leon. ¡°I like it too.¡± ¡°But I think it would be better if we had more family members.¡± ¡°More?¡± What do you mean? When Lucas asked again in wonder, Leon whispered, ¡°For example, Adele being my mother.¡± This time Lucas didn¡¯t know what to say. * * * While Leon spoke of her bold wishes, Adele was also lost in her thoughts. Now is the time for her to organize something she couldn¡¯t think of because she was sick. Adele was writing calmly on the paper. Of course, those weren¡¯t the letters and language of this world. Adele¡¯s mother was a unique person. Even though she lived for her daughter, she sometimes drifted away from her. She also opposed her learning to write. Well, it was a very rural village where even a few boys learned the letters. ¡®Yeah, this is such a world.¡¯ So she needs to prepare well for the future. Adele first recalled the things that would happen. Ronschka¡¯s story doesn¡¯t come out until he meets the main characters. Nevertheless, she remembers the little things well because he is Adele¡¯s favorite character. ¡¸Ronschka was abandoned after being abused by his mother. Then he met a bad wizard,¡¹ After writing that, Adele bit the tip of the pen she was holding. The bad wizard is probably a black wizard who worships demons, whom Leon, the male lead, will meet later. In other words, a person who does terrible things casually. That person kidnaps Ronschka and torments him the whole time. It was all explained in just one paragraph, but now she knows how much pain is contained in that one paragraph. ¡®But the story has changed.¡¯ Adele did not abandon Ronschka, she left the place where she lived and moved into Lucas¡¯ mansion. She is far from the black wizard¡¯s hideout. ¡®So, wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡¯ It should be okay. She let out a deep sigh. Let¡¯s pay attention to Ronschka until he grows up. So that he doesn¡¯t get hurt or hurt others. Adele is incompetent, but she means to do her best. If so, first of all- ¡°I need money.¡± She now lives at Lucas¡¯ mansion and is provided with everything she needs, but she can¡¯t continue to be this shameless. I have to work and earn money. But when she goes to work elsewhere, she has to stay away from Ronschka. So what¡¯s the best way? ¡°I have to get a job in this mansion.¡± Madeleine recently said that one of the maids had returned to her hometown because of her marriage, so why don¡¯t I try applying for the position? Both as Adele from the past life and Adele from the present life, I do a lot of housework. Cleaning this large mansion will obviously be difficult, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with giving it a try. I¡¯ll ask later. With that thought in mind, Adele started writing again. Adele has already met one of the main characters, Leon. The story of Ronschka, the villain, appeared to some extent. But the story of Lucas, whose death had a profound effect on Leon, was written in a vague way. ¡¸Lucas is Leon¡¯s teacher. He is a sword master and a duke. He dies at the hands of Ronschka, who later became the Great Elementalist.¡¹ Next is Leon. He is the character with the most information. ¡¸Leon is the male lead. He is the son of a noble family, but his family was destroyed due to a conspiracy. It was Lucas who saved Leon, who barely survived and was wandering around. At first, he did not know Leon¡¯s identity, but later he moves actively to help when he gets to know him. At about that time, the female lead of the Elementalist family also appears. She quickly falls in love with Leon, and betrays her family for him.¡¹ This is Adele¡¯s rough summary. All of these things are connected, and in the end, there will be a final villain. If there is one problem, ¡°I don¡¯t remember the final villain.¡± I must have read the entire novel, but why can¡¯t I remember it? Adele rubbed her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She held her head for a long time and tried to remember, but eventually gave up. When Ronschka grows up a little more, I will leave this mansion with him. I feel sorry for Leon, but it looks like he¡¯s going to have a good childhood, so he¡¯ll be fine. It is okay to say that she is selfish. The most important person to Adele right now is Ronschka. Since Leon is the male lead, even though it is difficult, he will be happy in the end. She is also troubled at Lucas¡¯ fate, but she can¡¯t help it. When Adele finished her thoughts, she burned the paper she had written on. ¡®I would have a hard time explaining if anyone see it.¡¯ Better not do anything suspicious. So I¡¯ll do what I can now. CH 13 ¡°A job?¡± Madeleine asked Adele¡¯s question back with a surprised expression. ¡°Yes, is there anything I can do in the mansion?¡± ¡°Now that you feel better, you want to work? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t just do nothing and be taken care of forever.¡± ¡°There is one vacant position.¡± ¡°Please!¡± Adele bowed. ¡°But how can I make a guest work? If the young master says it¡¯s okay, then I¡¯ll think about it,¡± said Madeleine firmly. Like it or not, Adele has to meet Lucas. -knock knock. ¡°This is Adele. Do you have a minute?¡± Lucas is in his study, where he spends most of his time after the gymnasium. ¡°Yes. But what¡¯s going on?¡± Adele explained her situation in a calm tone. ¡°So please let me work in the mansion.¡± ¡°You want me to let a guest to work? Whoever hears it will laugh at it.¡± ¡°Then you can treat me just like a maid.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Lucas paused. It was because Adele¡¯s expression was serious enough to be considered a joke. ¡°Besides, the room I¡¯m using is too big. So I will also stay in the maids¡¯ quarters.¡± ¡°Then what about Ronschka?¡± ¡°He can sleep with me.¡± Since Ronschka is still young, it should be fine, but that doesn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Anyway, maid work is not acceptable.¡± ¡°But I need a job.¡± Lucas thought for a while and then said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll compromise. Why don¡¯t you help me with my work instead of the maid¡¯s work?¡± ¡°Your work?¡± What he asked for help was, at best, light paperwork. If that¡¯s the case, it won¡¯t be hard and it¡¯ll be fine. Thus he suggested it, but Adele hesitated. ¡°l am illiterate.¡± I forgot that this woman is from a small village deep in the mountains. People are influenced by where they were born and raised. He didn¡¯t mean to criticize her background, but those who didn¡¯t study would definitely have their flaws obvious. But he didn¡¯t see that in Adele. He forgot because she looked like someone who was brought up properly in a decent family. She is illiterate. Lucas hesitated, then went over to the bookshelf and pulled out an old book, and handed it to Adele. Adele blinked blankly at his sudden action, wondering what kind of book it is. The cover is faded with age, but it is a well-kept book. ¡°This is a book I wrote while learning letters when I was young. It¡¯s pretty easy to explain, so it should be fine to look at.¡± Then it might be a precious book for Lucas. ¡°Can you give me this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m lending it to you. Give it back when you¡¯re done.¡± I¡¯m not sure how fast she can learn it. Even if she managed to pull it off, it would take more time to apply it to reality. What can she do with a single book without a teacher? ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be stuck studying, so she¡¯ll be quiet in the meantime.¡¯ Lucas thought so. * * * ¡°It¡¯s really easy.¡± Adele opened the book and smiled slightly. Various objects are drawn with explanatory words beside them. And the character that can be known in relation to it. Most of those who lived in Korea with high educational enthusiasm go through the third year of high school. And Adele is one of them. It means she already has a habit of studying. Adele eagerly picked up the pen and began to learn the book at a rapid pace. Ronschka, visiting later, noticed his mother studying and widened his eyes. He asked, ¡°M-mom studying too?¡± ¡°Yeah? Yes, I¡¯m studying too.¡± ¡°S-same with me?¡± ¡°Yes, same with you.¡± Even Adele is a little embarrassed here. Everything in the world is said to be a teacher to a child, but Adele is an ordinary person to apply that. ¡°D-do you want some help?¡± She could have done it alone, but the sight of Ronschka offering to help was so cute that Adele nodded her head. ¡°Can you help me a little?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind helping you a lot!¡± ¡°A lot, then.¡± The two looked at each other and laughed. And the warm atmosphere continued between them. * * * ¡°I memorized everything.¡± Adele, who appeared with a blank face, put on a triumphant expression for the first time in a while. How crazy she had been studying to memorize and write over the last month. Except for when she was taking walks for her health, she only looked at the book. Later, Ronschka even secretly tried to burn the book. ¡°You have to be able to use it, not just memorize it.¡± At Lucas¡¯ words, Adele said confidently, ¡°I can do it!¡± ¡°Then can I test you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± From short words to sentences, Lucas acknowledged Adele¡¯s ability through a simple test. ¡°Have you ever learned to write before?¡± ¡°No, this is my first time.¡± I only learned it in my past life, but it¡¯s true that this is my first time learning to write this world¡¯s language. ¡°Awesome,¡± Lucas let out a short exclamation. ¡°Now then, give me a job.¡± Seeing her eagerly asking for a job, Lucas¡¯ lips felt itchy for some reason. He felt like he saw a part of Adele that she had been hiding all this while. ¡°Okay. But before that, do you know how to operate numbers?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about reading, it¡¯s about adding and subtracting.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Did I go too far? ¡®Actually, I can also multiply and divide. Besides, I can do mental math too!¡¯ She wanted to say this, but she held it in and put on a humble expression. ¡°I know a little,¡± she replied calmly, trying not to speak her mind. ¡°I see. A promise is a promise, so I¡¯ll give you a job.¡± Lucas tugged on a rope dangling on one side of the wall. Shortly thereafter, the butler, Kish, came. ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°Ronschka¡¯s mother has decided to start working today. Please prepare what she needs.¡± ¡°May I ask what her job is?¡± ¡°She will help me with the paperwork.¡± At those words, Kish put on a slightly perplexed expression. He was sure his master wouldn¡¯t entrust any really important papers, but still, he wondered whether it was okay to entrust them to an outsider. But he didn¡¯t say a word about it. Because he trusts his master, Lucas. Kish asked, ¡°Where can I prepare the desk?¡± ¡°Here.¡± This time, both Adele and Kish looked surprised. ¡°Here?¡± asked Adele. ¡°Yes, here.¡± No matter how trivial a document is, how could he let an outsider see it? So that¡¯s why Lucas will keep an eye and spy on me from my side, Adele thought. Adele also roughly guessed the situation, so she didn¡¯t say more. ¡°There won¡¯t be much initial weekly paycheck. But I¡¯ll raise it even more when I get your results.¡± Lucas was the first to talk about the money she really wanted. Adele is determined to work hard! * * * On a sunny afternoon, Adele was diligently flipping through documents. She was so fast that he doubted she was seeing it properly. Lucas was about to ask but decided not to. Because he could feel the sincerity of how hard Adele worked. Now, in a little while, the children¡¯s class time is approaching. After Adele and Ronschka came to the mansion, Leon became more active. At the same time, he did not neglect training, so his skills were improving. It was the same with Ronschka. Now, his ability to handle fire spirits has improved greatly, and he can also make them visible to others. ¡®The way he talks is also steadily improving.¡¯ One day, Adele asked if she could visit Ronschka during his speaking class. Of course Lucas allowed it. And when Adele came into the class, she said with a red face, ¡°I will teach him.¡± ¡°You?¡± asked Lucas. ¡°Yes.¡± Adele looked determined, and from that day on, she took the time to do something with Ronschka. Sometimes Leon got in between. Madeleine and Kish also often joined them as if they had been asked to do something by Adele. And at the end, she asked Lucas as well. ¡°For the time being, please don¡¯t speak too fast when talking to Ronschka. You are not allowed to interrupt or interfere while Ronschka is talking. Please refrain from pointing out his mistakes, correcting him, and openly asking him questions.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Please avoid using too difficult words, and lastly-¡° Adele continued with a faint smile, ¡°Listen carefully while Ronschka is talking.¡± ¡°It is not difficult.¡± ¡°But it helps him a lot.¡± These are all good ways to deal with children. ¡°I will follow if it helps. But before that, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is it true that you were born in a small village in the mountains and never learned to read or write?¡± Adele replied, ¡°That is a very blatant question.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the answer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then where did you learn about that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Adele hesitated, then took a deep breath. Then she smiled which seemed somehow sad. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± That was Adele¡¯s only answer. Lucas decided not to ask anymore. Since then, Ronschka has gotten better, sometimes he doesn¡¯t even stutter. His mother¡¯s class seems to be effective. Leon, who occasionally participated, also seemed to be enjoying it. It was a peaceful afternoon. CH 14 ¡°Urgh.¡± A skinny middle-aged man shook his head violently as if in a tantrum. He then ran around the cave several times before banging his head against the wall. No matter who sees it, that is the action of a person who is out of his mind. The man, who had been moving strangely for a while, suddenly stopped in place. Then his blurry vision became clear again. ¡°I need a test subject for my experiment. More, a lot. No, no. It would be nice to have just one proper test subject.¡± There was little to use as a test subject around here. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a small town. It¡¯s safe here because there¡¯s no need to be afraid of being caught by others, but the quality of the test subject fell instead. ¡°No, no, no. I can¡¯t do that.¡± Then it becomes more difficult to study black magic. I have to summon demons as soon as possible and get stronger. ¡°Shall I move?¡± The man muttered and looked around the cave. In the cave with a gloomy atmosphere, there was a strong smell of blood. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll move.¡± After all, I¡¯m running out of test subjects that can be used in this area. ¡°Then where should I go?¡± The man thoughtfully pointed his finger into the air. And as if he had made up his mind, he looked in one direction. ¡°Yeah, that way. Looks like it will be fun there.¡± His finger pointed down the road that Adele had taken in the carriage with Ronschka and Lucas in the past. * * * One two three four¡­ Adele, who was carefully counting the silver coins, swept them all into her pocket with a determined face. The day is soon approaching. Ronschka¡¯s birthday. But Ronschka has never been congratulated on his birthday. Because Adele found that day terrible. It must have been a painful day for him because his mother had such thoughts. ¡®I want to change that thought.¡¯ For that reason, she had also looked up references before. She read a children¡¯s book called ¡°Baby Bear¡¯s Birthday Party¡± all the way through. Now she can tell the whole story without reading. Ronschka didn¡¯t seem to understand yet why the baby bear was so happy to eat the cake on its birthday, but he obediently listened. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault.¡¯ Her chest ached as if it was being squeezed. Still, this birthday party was going to be pretty well prepared with Madeleine¡¯s help. Madeleine said that she would bake the cake herself, and Kish and Leon would help decorate it. Adele herself decided to cook other dishes. It would probably be a dish that relied a lot on the memory of her past life, but it would be worth eating. ¡®And a gift.¡¯ More importantly, I have to buy a gift. Ronschka has never received anything from his mother. Meaning, he has no belongings of his own. Ronschka was nonchalant about it, but Adele¡¯s heart ached at the thought. ¡°Then what should I buy for him?¡± As she was fumbling in her pocket, there was a clatter of metal clashing. A meaningful gift that he can carry around¡­ After thinking about it for a long time, Adele decided to have a look for herself and judge it later. Yes. Today is Adele¡¯s first outing since coming to the mansion. ¡°I want to go too!¡± Just before getting into the rented carriage, Ronschka rushed over. Oops, I tried to buy a gift secretly, but Madeleine seemed to fail to hold him back. ¡°I¡¯m just going to the market for a while.¡± ¡°I-I still want to go,¡± said Ronschka excitedly. He has greatly improved in speaking, but when he is emotionally excited his stutter often sets in. ¡°I-I want to go too!¡± His eyes were getting wet with anxiety. Adele thought it was okay since they were together in the mansion for quite some time, but it seemed he was still uneasy being separated from his mother. ¡°Mom will be back soon.¡± ¡°B-but still!¡± ¡°Okay. You can come with me. Instead, never leave my side, understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ronschka smiled brightly at his mother¡¯s decision. At that moment, Adele saw a familiar blond boy in the distance. It¡¯s Leon. Leon, who rushed in, asked, ¡°Can I go too?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem if you come with us too.¡± Still, Adele is glad she¡¯s not alone. Worried that Adele might get lost in the market she first went to, Lucas attached an attendant. The attendant named Jin is tall and has an ordinary face. She hasn¡¯t seen him many times, but he is quite a trustworthy person. ¡°By the way, did you get permission from your teacher?¡± ¡°Of course! He said to be careful. I¡¯ve been to the market many times, though,¡± replied Leon excitedly. So four- no, five, including the coachman, headed for the market. After driving for a while through the winding and narrow road, a town came into view in the distance. After passing through the gate, it was quick to find the market. Seeing the market cleaner than expected, Adele shed admiration involuntarily. She had already talked to Jin to distract Ronschka when she found an item suitable for a gift. They arrived in front of a candy shop with colorful candies. Ronschka showed a lot of interest in candy. So she bought him some. The way he eat was so cute because he looked like a squirrel. Next is the clothing store. Lucas always bought clothes for him, so she didn¡¯t feel the need. It is unfortunate that there is not enough money to buy a weapon or tools an Elementalist needs, but she promised she would definitely buy one next time. Going around and looking at the stores one by one like that was tiring, but it made her feel better. Especially when Ronschka laughed, a smile spread on Adele¡¯s lips as well. Then, suddenly, a store caught her eye. The store with the old sign seems to be a kind of stationery store. As she carefully looked at the display, there was one pen holder that caught her eye. It was an elegant-looking pen holder made of a mixture of wood and metal. ¡®Is it expensive?¡¯ Adele glanced at the price tag. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s a price I can buy.¡¯ If it¡¯s a pen holder, you can use it while studying and take it with you wherever you go. Adele pondered, then glanced back. Quick-witted Jin was good at catching the children¡¯s attention. ¡°Please give me this.¡± Adele spoke to the seller in a small, quick voice. However, the old salesman was serving quite a long time, contrary to Adele¡¯s thoughts. He walked slowly, picked up the pen holder, and turned it around. He then nodded his head and went back inside in slow steps. Oh, he looks like he¡¯s about to wrap it up. Ronschka and Leon were eating snacks excitedly. ¡®How cute.¡¯ ¡°Here it is.¡± Adele turned around with a smile to accept the wrapped pen holder from the seller. Now, let¡¯s join the children naturally and go back to the mansion. The first outing seems to have ended safely. That¡¯s a relief. The moment she stepped forward with that thought in mind, she saw a black shadow behind the children. She frowned and took a closer look, apparently it was a man wearing an old robe. Somehow she had an ominous feeling. At the same time as Adele ran over in a hurry, Jin shouted loudly. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Then, her view was blocked by a sudden small explosion. It was scary to be blind, but she couldn¡¯t lose the children like this. Adele desperately dashed past Jin, who was falling, to reach the man in the robe. In front of him were children who seemed to have passed out. ¡°Go away!¡± Adele slammed into the man in a robe. And while the man lost his balance, he tried to catch the children, but without success. An immediate counterattack came and Adele was thrown to the ground. And when she managed to get herself up again, no one was there. ¡®Magic? However, the magic of this era is strictly controlled¡­ no way.¡¯ Adele¡¯s face went white. ¡®A wizard.¡¯ There was nothing else that came to mind. ¡®Calm down. Calm down, Adele.¡¯ Adele raised her hand and slapped herself on the cheek. The burning pain seemed to clear her mind a little more. ¡®First, think about what you can do now.¡¯ In the novel, the abduction took place in the mountains. But this is a city. Unlike in the mountains, there will be many people to help. For example, the police or guards. Adele gritted her teeth and approached Jin. Fortunately, his wound did not appear to be deep. After giving money to a passer-by and asking to take care of Jin, Adele ran to the guards in a hurry. CH 15 ¡°Help me!¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Someone kidnapped my child.¡± ¡°Yes? That rarely happens here. Did you see what the kidnapper looks like?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him. But he put on a robe and used magic!¡± ¡°Magic?!¡± Only then did the guard¡¯s attitude become more serious. He asked Adele in more detail and reported directly to the higher-ups. ¡°Can you tell me where you live, I will contact your family.¡± Adele stammered to tell the location of Lucas¡¯ mansion. ¡°Oh, that mansion.¡± ¡°That mansion?¡± ¡°Where a high-ranking noble from abroad lives.¡± They decided to move a little busier. There¡¯s no point in getting into trouble with a noble from another country. Therefore, they were busy moving quickly in order to be able to solve this case before that happened. Adele also decided to move with them. ¡®Don¡¯t cry. Crying will only cloud your vision.¡¯ At least I couldn¡¯t cry until I found the children. Adele gritted her teeth and took a step. And she moved along with the guards. I have to do everything I can to save Ronschka. I can¡¯t hurt that little boy again. Her innocent-looking green eyes shone fiercely this time. ¡®No matter what.¡¯ I have to save the children, even by throwing myself. * * * In a cafeteria with an open interior, a man who was drinking tea inside turned his gaze outside. ¡°This city is so noisy. Hey, come here.¡± Then, he called in a passing guard and stopped him. The guard froze in shock at the man who called out to him, for he has an outstanding appearance. His clear glass-like red eyes, his upright nose, and his closed mouth are alluring. The man with slightly curly red hair tied up asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, two children have been kidnapped.¡± ¡°Who is the kidnapper?¡± ¡°They say he looks like a wizard.¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± He had to go find the children right away, but he felt an irresistible sense of intimidation from the man. Eventually, the guard told him the same story he had heard from Adele. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is not an ordinary wizard. Why would wizards who are thoroughly controlled kidnap normal children?¡± If you want, the country will supply any number of sinners. Then, there is only one possibility, a warlock. ¡°A-a warlock?¡± The man clicked his tongue and let the guard go. ¡°Go away now.¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes!¡± The man kicked his tongue while looking at the tea he didn¡¯t drink much. ¡°Rosaline, get up.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± At the man¡¯s words, the little girl on the other side rose from her seat. The girl with pink hair and red eyes looks no more than seven or eight years old, but her expression is too stiff. She also looks like a doll. ¡°It¡¯s practice. Summon the spirit and look for traces of the warlock.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Rosaline immediately summoned the spirit. It¡¯s a low-level water spirit that looks like a small fish. ¡°Undine, find a warlock in this city.¡± As it is the lowest among the ranks of the spirits, its ability isn¡¯t great, but its understanding is excellent due to its daily interactions with her. The water spirit quickly disappeared as it swam through the air. After that, it¡¯s a mental battle. The further away the spirit is, the more power you use, the harder it becomes for the Elemantalist. Rosaline¡¯s legs, which had stood upright at first, began to tremble. It was hard and painful. But Rosaline did not give up. She came all the way here with her father. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. So she worked hard enough to die, and finally found him! ¡°I-I found him.¡± Blood flowed from her nose because she used too much power. However, Rosaline wiped her bloody nose with her sleeve as if it was no big deal. ¡°Incompetent.¡± A cold voice fell over her head. Rosaline bowed her head. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint her father, but apparently, she is still lacking. That fact is very painful for her. ¡°Then let¡¯s move.¡± The man, who heard the location from his spirit attached to Rosaline¡¯s one, left the cafe and walked out slowly. It was fine to move as slowly as the warlock¡¯s location was known. * * * Ronschka opened his eyes slowly. For some reason, his head was dizzy and his body was trembling. Tracing his cloudy memory, he remembered what had happened right before he collapsed. He remembered being caught by a strange man and his mother screaming for him. When he turned his gaze to the side, he saw Leon, who was also tied and collapsed. ¡°Hehe, test subjects, two great test subjects!¡± The warlock was jumping for joy. He was lucky to find test subjects in a city he happened to come to. It was clear the guards were tracking him because of the trouble he caused in the city, but the man whose mind had been clouded was unable to comprehend the situation. He¡¯s just happy. ¡°A knight and an Elementalist!¡± There are many things he can do with beings that harbored mana. Especially, Elementalists! They are rarer than wizards, and they have unique mana, so they are highly sought-after experimental subjects. ¡°What should I do with the Elementalist?¡± Several experiments appeared in the warlock¡¯s mind. Of course, the suffering of the test subjects was a terrible thing he was not considered. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go to the hideout first.¡± Even with his mind clouded, he knew it wasn¡¯t good to stay here. But just as he was hurrying to take care of the children, he suddenly felt something in the air. ¡°Huh?¡± The warlock, who was hastily lifting the children, suddenly turned his head. His usually hazy mind cleared and his senses returned. ¡°Spirit.¡± Someone is tracking him. He wondered if it was the child who summoned it, but it didn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°There is another Elementalist.¡± Is he a child with strong backing? The warlock ruffled his hair nervously. He kidnapped the children in the city. He should have known something like this would happen. It¡¯s too late to regret. ¡°I have to give up on the children.¡± That¡¯s a rational decision. But another inside of him screamed not wanting to give up on the test subjects! Yeah, there¡¯s no way a capable Elementalist can appear in such a small city. They always stay in the capital, or on the battlefield. ¡°Let¡¯s kill him. Let¡¯s kill the Elementalist child.¡± The warlock¡¯s eyes turned black and a strange laugh leaked out. He is also a warlock with excellent skills, so he¡¯s confident that he can deal with quite a few spirits. ¡°First, my test subjects.¡± The warlock smirked and lifted the children up again. And at that moment, hot flames shot onto his face. ¡°Argh!¡± At the same time, the children untied the rope, got up, and started running away. While the warlock behaved bizarrely, Ronschka summoned a fire spirit to burn the rope, then gave him a sudden attack and ran. ¡°M-my test subjects!¡± The warlock chased after the children with a face reddened by the flames. Ronschka always thought Lucas¡¯ training was difficult, but he didn¡¯t find it harder to run than before. Still running, Ronschka whispered to the fire spirit, ¡°Attack, attack more!¡± The warlock screamed in anger at the annoying flames. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go once I catch you!¡± Goosebumps all over his body. Ronschka and Leon ran with all their might. However, no matter how trained a child is, the gap with an adult cannot be easily bridged. The two felt the warlock getting closer. * * * Adele wandered through the forest without even thinking to wipe the sweat from her forehead. At first, she was with the guards, then scattered and met again. But that doesn¡¯t matter. Adele moves better in the forest than they do. Because she originally lived there. Adele moved busily, trying to find a trace. ¡®A person passed by. It hasn¡¯t been long, so there will be traces.¡¯ Traces left by animals are distinguishable. To get something to eat in the forest, you have to be able to read the basic traces. If you do something wrong, you can run into a bear or beast and die. ¡®Ronschka, Leon!¡¯ She held back the urge to shout out loud. She couldn¡¯t feel the sharpness of the branches brushing her cheeks. She didn¡¯t care about the messy fingertips or feet. She only thought of the children. Then, in the distance, she saw a blazing red flame. ¡°Ronschka!¡± It was Ronschka¡¯s fire spirit. The number of flames visible increased gradually and embroidered the sky like fireworks. Adele rushed towards it in a more impetuous movement than when her house caught fire before. Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn¡¯t stop. When she finally approached a small clearing, she was able to identify Ronschka and Leon. CH 16 Leon was lying on the ground, bleeding from what had happened, while Ronschka was losing control. ¡°D-die!¡± Flames rained down on the warlock, however, he easily blocked them. ¡°Tsk, annoying.¡± Adele unconsciously stopped in her tracks as she tried to approach Ronschka. What are you going to do next? There¡¯s a warlock. She held her breath quietly and groped her waist. There¡¯s a small dagger she received from a guard. ¡®I can do it. I can do it.¡¯ Adele ran up to the warlock who was only focused on the flames and stabbed him with a dagger straight in. ¡°Argh!¡± The warlock screamed loudly because of the sudden attack. Adele did not pass up the opportunity; she drew the dagger with a trembling hand at the warlock who dared to harm the children. Isn¡¯t that common in horror movies? Monsters that were thought dead turned out to be alive again. I have to kill him properly and make sure he really dies. But there was one thing Adele didn¡¯t know. The warlock¡¯s robe was looser than expected, so the dagger was easy to pull out The warlock, who came to his senses, pulled out the dagger with the staff he was holding, and immediately kicked it far away. And he pointed the staff at Adele. ¡°Mom!¡± Ronschka¡¯s voice was heard from behind. Then Adele¡¯s trembling body began to calm down surprisingly quickly. She just realized it. The opportunity to pay for the sins she committed against Ronschka has come. ¡®Ronschka, my son.¡¯ Just then, Leon seemed to have woken up again. Adele scrutinized the children¡¯s condition and estimated the distance between her and the warlock. ¡°Oh, it seems you are the mother of my test subject.¡± The warlock grinned. This makes things easier. Blood ties are stronger than expected, so if one is held hostage, the other cannot easily escape, he thought. Adele calmly asked, ¡°Ronschka, do you remember what Mom said before?¡± When facing a bear in the past, Ronschka eventually returned to his mother¡¯s side. He couldn¡¯t leave Adele who was just a cruel mother to him. Ronschka needs to value his own life more. He doesn¡¯t have to return to a place where he could die. So she said this: ¡°Ronschka, if something dangerous happens, you must run away.¡± Then Ronschka asked after a moment of thought, ¡°W-w-with mom?¡± ¡°It would be nice if we could run away together. If that¡¯s not possible, then you must run away alone.¡± ¡°W-why? I-I hate it.¡± ¡°I want you to experience more happiness for the rest of your life, Ronschka. But if you go to heaven with Mom, you won¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°I-I-I still hate it.¡± ¡°My dear son.¡± Adele hugged Ronschka tightly and rubbed her cheek against his. ¡°Remember. When such a situation comes, run away. Will you promise?¡± Ronschka pouted his lips and expressed his displeasure back then, but was it for today that she finally got his promise after soothing him? Recalling that time, Adele smiled bitterly. Even though her son was behind the warlock¡¯s back, she could clearly tell what his expression was now. Still, I hope you live long, Ronschka. Now you can laugh quite a bit and stutter less. You made a friend and also have a teacher. The number of people who love you has increased, and you have a home to return to. So please live long. Adele smiled at Ronschka even though she couldn¡¯t see him. And before that smile disappeared, Ronschka ran away with Leon. * * * At first, I hated my mother. But my mother was everything to me and always will be, so how could she tell me to leave her? My mom was always too cruel to herself. Ronschka, who was running, stopped. And he said to Leon clearly, ¡°Go first.¡± ¡°What?¡± Leon asked back, but Ronschka had already turned around. In the clearing he returned to, his mother was holding the warlock in his tracks. His mother, holding on to the warlock¡¯s clothes and staff, was full of wounds. ¡°Annoying!¡± The warlock punched Adele angrily. He wanted to use magic, but he couldn¡¯t because she was too close. That was what Adele was aiming for. But even not using magic, the physical difference between a woman and a man was so great that in the end all she could do was hold onto his clothes Ronschka gritted his teeth at the sight. He lost control of himself and forcibly drew the flames that were burning the forest. He could feel his body twitch at his unreasonable action, but he ignored it. ¡°Follow me!¡± Following Ronschka¡¯s order, wild flames gathered around him one by one. And the warlock turned to look at him. He kicked Adele away and frowned. Adele, who had been struggling all along, slumped helplessly. Ronschka¡¯s heart sank. As a result, the flames that were barely controlled started to run wild again. ¡®No, no.¡¯ Ronschka took all his heart. My mom is probably still alive. Even when she was attacked by a bear, my mom survived, he thought. The gathered flames grew larger and took on the shape of a wolf. ¡°I should have killed this woman right away. She really annoyed me,¡± said the warlock. His opponent is still a novice Elementalist, even so, this time he prepared magic carefully without being careless. In the next moment, a flaming wolf attacked the warlock. Then, the magic he cast covered the clearing. As the black thunderbolt struck the ground, the wolf turned and protected Ronschka. The difference between magic and spirits is that spirits can think. The wolf chose to protect its master rather than attack the warlock further. ¡°No!¡± Ronschka shouted, holding out his hand toward his mother. ¡®Protect my mom, not me!¡¯ Even after saying that in his heart, the wolf didn¡¯t follow his orders. He had always hated his fire spirit. Because of this, he was hated by his mother and never had a good time since he was born. However, Lucas, his teacher, insisted on him accepting the fire spirit. Because if he doesn¡¯t, the fire will run wild. His mother said Lucas was right. Thus, he tried. He came all the way here with that mind, but he was betrayed by the fire again. A short but long time passed, and the thunderbolt stopped. Ronschka who fell down just lowered his head and burst into tears. He didn¡¯t have the strength to fight anymore. No matter how strong he pretended to be, he was just a child about to reach his seventh birthday. ¡°M-mom. Mom, mom.¡± Ronschka raised his head in tears. If this is the last time, he wants to at least be by his mother¡¯s side. So he rubbed his eyes with his dust-covered hands, wiping away his tears. Because I hate not being able to see my mom clearly. After that, he slowly got up from his seat, but the warlock¡¯s behavior was strange. -crackle crackle! ¡°Argh! Argh!¡± The warlock was burning in blue flames. He was engulfed in flames so quickly that his body and voice disappeared in an instant. And when it was all over, all that was left was a small heap of ashes. Blinking his eyes in wonder, Ronschka looked further away. A familiar figure appeared. It was Lucas. He approached his mother and held her in his arms. ¡°Fortunately, you are unharmed,¡± said Lucas as he looked at Ronschka, sighing. ¡°W-w-what about my mom?¡± ¡°Your mother is safe too.¡± Despite this, she was beaten badly enough to leave her on the brink of death. But at the crucial moment, Lucas jumped into the thunderbolt and wrapped himself around Adele. Thanks to that, only Lucas was hurt by the magic. Lucas looked at Adele, ignoring the pain in his back. Then Ronschka hurriedly approached Adele. He sat down beside Adele and quietly held her hand. He then put his ear to her chest. -thump thump. He could hear her heart beating. My mom is still alive. Although she is injured, the doctor in the mansion will heal her. Thank God. I can still live with my mother longer. Rejoicing that fact, Ronschka smiled while still crying. * * * Leon arrived at the clearing late. Out of breath, he was the first to find Lucas and point him in the right direction. He kept running like crazy, so he crouched down for a bit to catch his breath. However, thanks to him, everyone¡¯s safe. Leon stroked his chest. Actually, he also wanted to go back to the clearing quickly. But he didn¡¯t think anyone would ask for his help if he did. He had a rational mind. In conclusion, everyone is safe. But strangely, one side of his chest felt heavy. ¡®Me too, I wanted to be with you.¡¯ Adele is kind to Leon, but¡­ would Adele throw herself to save him even if he was in danger like Ronschka? He kept thinking about it even though he knew it wasn¡¯t right to imagine such a thing. Leon hates that fact. CH 17 After confirming the condition of Adele, Ronschka, and Leon, Lucas looked at the charred corpse of the warlock. Then he turned his gaze toward the dark forest. ¡°You are still the same.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a dirty warlock, it¡¯s better to burn him clean.¡± A man walked out of the forest. He is a man with red hair pulled back in a ponytail, dressed like a wizard. Hayren, the empire¡¯s chief Elementalist. He was born as the only son of the Weatherfield family which is known as an extraordinary Elementalist family. And when he was five years old, he became the youngest person to succeed in summoning a spirit. After entering the imperial palace before he even became an adult, he broke all records and walked on a solid path. The spirits Hayren handled were bigger, more beautiful, and stronger than any other spirits. That¡¯s why many envied him, but Lucas didn¡¯t like him. They¡¯re the same age, so they used to hang out together, but they failed to become friends because their characters didn¡¯t suit each other. ¡°Let¡¯s move for now.¡± Lucas stood up holding Adele in his arms as he said so. Ronschka followed with a stiff face. Weird. Hayren couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the shaggy little boy with red hair. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look older than Rosaline, but he could summon such a spirit?¡¯ It was impossible for children of his age. No, it was impossible even for Heiren at that age. Hayren gulped. ¡®I want him.¡¯ He coveted a child with that outstanding talent. A talent that cannot be compared to that of Rosaline. With that talent, the Weatherfield family would be able to maintain its wealth and glory as it is now. Could it be because of that? Hayren acted differently than usual. He followed Lucas, who led the way. Lucas, who was walking carefully because of Adele, turned his head when he felt someone following him. And he was surprised. ¡°Hayren, why are you following me?¡± Hayren looked contemplative for a moment, then answered, ¡°Because my destination is you, Lucas.¡± ¡°Your destination?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what trick you are playing.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even played it yet.¡± Hayren replied with a smile, but his eyes were still on Ronschka. Seeing this, Lucas blocked Ronshcka¡¯s way without even realizing it. ¡°Why?¡± asked Hayren, moistening his lips with his tongue. Why? Even Lucas couldn¡¯t explain why. But he felt ominous and didn¡¯t want to show Ronschka to him. While the two of them were confronting each other, the bushes suddenly stirred and a small child jumped out. She is a cute little girl with pink hair. The girl jumped out of nowhere, looked around, then walked over to Hayren. ¡°Father.¡± The girl looked at Hayren and called him ¡®father¡¯. ¡°Father?¡± Lucas looked at Hayren with a surprised expression. I know he is married, but he also has a child? That cold-blooded man apparently has a child. While thinking that far, the child¡¯s condition caught his eye. There are scratches on her skin as if he suffered a lot while walking in the forest. Besides, if you take a closer look, she is very tired. But Hayren wasn¡¯t showing the slightest interest in his child. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ This is why Lucas hates Hayren. ¡°Okay, since your destination is me, let¡¯s go to my mansion.¡± It was uncomfortable letting Hayren into his mansion, but he couldn¡¯t ignore the injured child either. Thus, the somewhat odd group; Lucas and Adele, Ronschka, Leon, and the father and daughter, walked together through the forest. They met the guards soon after passing through the forest. After explaining the situation to them, Lucas immediately got on the carriage and headed for the mansion. As soon as the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion, Lucas holding Adele in his arms shouted, ¡°Doctor!¡± ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± A maid, who happened to be cleaning the door, ran to get the doctor urgently. Lucas laid Adele on the bed and loosened her coat to allow her to breathe, as Madeleine had done. After that, he left the room and entrusted her to Madeleine and the doctor who came running. This is the second time Adele has collapsed. Perhaps because of that, Ronschka seemed a little calmer. But even Lucas couldn¡¯t guess what was in his heart. ¡°She will be fine.¡± Nevertheless, the only thing Lucas could do was this little consolation. ¡°She should be fine,¡± said Ronschka firmly. There was a heavy atmosphere that he couldn¡¯t believe he could feel from this small child. Lucas looked at Ronschka and thought, How the hell is this kid gonna grow up? Is it because the atmosphere is too heavy? Leon, who joined late, just stood by Ronschka. And Hayren, the uninvited guest, was also still staring at Ronschka. ¡°Stop watching. Your destination is me. Let¡¯s talk about it elsewhere.¡± Lucas tried to get Hayren out of the way again, but he shook his head. ¡°We can do it slowly, there¡¯s no time limit. There¡¯s something more important than that.¡± ¡°Hayren!¡± ¡°I know my name is Hayren even if you don¡¯t say that loudly.¡± ¡°Not with Ronschka.¡± ¡°Oh, is this child¡¯s name Ronschka?¡± ¡°Yes. However, not with Ronshka. I say this as his teacher.¡± Hayren raised the corner of his mouth and sneered, ¡°Ha, a knight is teaching an Elementalist?¡± ¡°Why? They say foxes teach wolves how to hunt.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic.¡± He added, ¡°An Elementalist should learn from an Elementalist. This kid has so much talent! You, the knight, are ruining him!¡± Hearing that, Lucas was speechless for a moment. Lucas was also teaching with all his knowledge, but it definitely wasn¡¯t as much like a true Elementalist. But even though he knew that, he couldn¡¯t easily affirm it. How hard would it be for Ronschka if he entrusted him to Hayren? Even thinking about Adele, who was now unconscious, she couldn¡¯t just let him go to that man. As if she had read Lucas¡¯ thoughts, Hayren asked, ¡°Then how about asking Ronschka?¡± Hayren moved closer to Ronschka. Leon, who was by his side, was wary of him, but Hayren simply ignored him. Ronschka is the only child who caught his eye. ¡°Ronschka.¡± Hayren called him, but he didn¡¯t answer, only staring at the closed door. Nothing mattered to Ronschka now but her mother. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t hear Hayren¡¯s voice. ¡°Ronschka.¡± Hayren called Ronschka once again in a friendly voice. But this time, too, Ronschka did not respond. ¡°Stop it. His mother is injured. He won¡¯t be able to hear your voice.¡± ¡°Oh, the woman you were holding earlier?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll show you the guest room, so take a rest for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think your daughter is?¡± Lucas looked at Rosaline standing behind Hayren. Hayren asked Rosaline in a rather soft voice, ¡°Rosaline, are you tired?¡± Rosaline shook her head and said, ¡°No, I am fine.¡± ¡°See? She is okay.¡± ¡°How can she be okay! Check your daughter¡¯s condition first before forcing her to go out.¡± ¡°Alright, I will.¡± Hayren rose from his seat feeling refreshed by his obsession with Ronschka. ¡°Since my old friend emphasized this much, I guess I¡¯ll have to take care of Rosaline first.¡± Who¡¯s your friend? Lucas held back his sigh. Just like that, Hayren left being guided by the maid, and only then did he feel his injured back starting to throb. ¡®But it¡¯s not a serious wound.¡¯ The problem is Adele. How long has it been since she recovered? After being attacked by a bear, now a warlock. The closed door had not yet been opened. Sometimes Madeleine came out, but she went back without saying much. Ronschka did not budge, as if he had driven a stake into the spot. It was the same for Leon. ¡°You two need to rest too,¡± said Lucas, but the children refused. Lucas stared at his disciples for a long time, then finally gave up. It was because the earnestness of the children knocked on his heart. ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be fine to stay here for a while.¡± It¡¯s okay to bathe, feed, and put children to sleep after seeing the doctor. After all, the children also need to be treated by the doctor. Including Lucas himself. Lucas sat next to the children and waited for the door to open. CH 18 ¡°Bring my faithful servant, Sir Lucas, back here.¡± When the emperor gave such an order, Hayren almost frowned without him realizing it. The emperor truly missed that idiot who left the empire and gave up his power. So the emperor periodically sent people, but only rejections came in return. ¡°So this time I¡¯m asking you, Sir Hayren. After all, aren¡¯t you two close friends?¡± The emperor seemed to think it was better to send him than someone completely unrelated to that idiot man. But in reality, they aren¡¯t even friends, and their relationship isn¡¯t very good. Hayren pondered over how to refuse. However, none of the words of refusal worked for the emperor. ¡®So stubborn.¡¯ Hayren struggled to hold back the less noble words he wanted to say. And he received the emperor¡¯s letter instead. ¡®Yes, let¡¯s think of it as a trip.¡¯ He tried to think so and prepared for the long journey. But coincidentally, his daughter Rosaline came to see him just then. Where did she hear the story from? Rosaline is a child born after killing her mother. Hayren was married to his wife, it wasn¡¯t a bad relationship, but it wasn¡¯t good either. So he wasn¡¯t sad when she died leaving a child behind. He was only sad to see his newborn child. ¡®This child has no talent.¡¯ After obtaining and using the precious spirit stone for her and feeding her all the good things, the only thing she can handle is Undine, a low-level water spirit. It was not even properly summoned in a mansion optimized for the spirit of fire because it was at odds with the spirits Hayren handled. Still, she was born beautiful enough like her mother and could later be used to marry into another family, but that¡¯s all. Even though Rosaline tried desperately, she didn¡¯t come into Hayren¡¯s eyes. ¡®I need a child with outstanding qualities.¡¯ For the Weatherfield family to be more prosperous and last longer, a child besides Rosaline was needed. So, he searched here and there to find a child with the power of an Elementalist. However, even when he brought in outstanding children and visited them, none of them fell short of his expectations. ¡®You know what?¡¯ I found such a child here now. Although the burn scar on his face is somewhat intrusive, it could be healed if he wanted to. Lucas was desperately against it, but he wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°He said that woman is his mother?¡± Apparently, Ronschka followed his mother well. If so, don¡¯t I just need to convince that woman instead? There is no one in the world who cannot be bewitched by him. He just needs to use his gold, his power, or his good looks if that doesn¡¯t work. Hayren knows what power he has better than anyone. He can give anything one wants. Because he has never seen anyone reject it all. ¡°It just made things easier,¡± Hayren muttered confidently. With so many cards at his disposal, there¡¯s no way he could fail to convince Ronschka¡¯s mother. It was then. A girl¡¯s low voice rang out. ¡°Father.¡± It seemed the maid had bathed her and even taken care of her. She¡¯s in much better shape. ¡°Yes, Rosaline.¡± Rosaline is one of those cards. She is the only daughter of the Marquis of Weatherfield. Isn¡¯t it so tempting to marry the daughter of such a historic family and become the next head of the family? Of course, he would offer something a little smaller first. ¡°Tsk, you got a scar on your face too.¡± Touching her gauze-covered cheek, Rosaline replied, ¡°This is fine.¡± ¡°No. No, Rosaline. I told you not to hurt your face. Do you think this is what a noble lady looks like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rosaline put on a sad expression, but Hayren didn¡¯t care much. Because Rosaline is a calm and obedient child. Only for that reason. * * * This time Adele woke up a little earlier. She was punched by a warlock but suffered no internal injuries because Lucas blocked the magic with his body. Besides, unlike when she was injured by a bear, Adele was in better health. Because she ate and slept properly in the mansion. As soon as Adele opened her eyes, she saw Ronschka right next to her. Ronschka stood still, staring at Adele with an unreadable expression. He doesn¡¯t cry or scream, but she knows how he feels. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Adele. She tried to sacrifice herself, telling Ronschka to stay alive. Even if she went back to that moment, she would make the same choice, but that did not make the wounds Ronschka had suffered go away. I said I will make you happy. I¡¯m sorry I keep upsetting you. Adele said again with all her heart, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ronschka.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that next time.¡± Ronschka added firmly, ¡°Never do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Promise me, don¡¯t try.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ronschka.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Because nothing is absolute in this world. Adele would do the same next time if Ronschka was in danger and she could throw herself to save him. But on the other hand¡­ how would Ronschka feel if his mother got injured or died trying to save him? She couldn¡¯t even imagine. That¡¯s why she wanted to apologize. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± Ronschka gently hugged Adele, letting his tears fall. * * * Lucas looked into the open door and saw the sight. Even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t be like this, he listened to everything in silence like a stone statue. It was true that Adele had abused Ronschka in some way. She also admitted it. But the longer they spent together, the more he realized, ¡®She wants to change.¡¯ Not that he condones Adele¡¯s sins, it¡¯s Ronschka who has the right to do so. He had merely projected his mother onto Adele. A mother who never changes. A mother who thought of him as a tool and didn¡¯t give him a shred of love until the last moment. But Adele is different from his mother. I think I can trust her a little bit now. Lucas smiled faintly as he looked at the small package in his hand. He roughly treated his wounds and immediately investigated why this happened. And he found out the reason. The warlock didn¡¯t kidnap the children with a specific purpose. He just needed a test subject, and unfortunately, it was his disciples who were caught. There was one thing he learned in the process of gathering and researching the information. The reason Adele went out was to buy a present. ¡®It must be for Ronschka.¡¯ His guess was correct. Soon after, he also learned that Ronschka¡¯s birthday is just around the corner. So Adele had to go out to buy Ronschka a birthday present. Fortunately, the owner of the store is not a bad person, he picked it up and kept it. Now I have to give this back to Adele without Ronschka¡¯s knowledge. Let¡¯s say I gave her the present, then what should I say about Hayren? Whatever Hayren would offer would be too good to refuse. The trust between Lucas and Adele isn¡¯t deep enough either. Will Adele listen to what Lucas has to say? Lucas took a deep breath and knocked on the door. ¡°Rest more for a while?¡± Adele blinked at the sudden order. Yes, I am sick, but not that bad. I could be up and walking around right away. I still can do work. It¡¯s just a matter of sorting out the documents anyway. Adele asked again carefully, ¡°Why?¡± Where should I begin? Lucas arranged the story. ¡°In the Empire, there is an Elementalist family called Weatherfield. The current head of the family is a man named Hayren, but he covets Ronschka.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if it¡¯s an Elementalist family?¡± ¡°Usually it would be. But Hayren is a snake. Of course, I am not asking you to believe everything I say.¡± Often a person really hates another person. But not all that hate has a reason. Sometimes humans can hate others for absurd reasons. So Lucas didn¡¯t ask her to believe what he said. ¡°But I want you to think about it a little more calmly. I¡¯ll bring you the document on the Weatherfield and Hayren.¡± Adele thought it was strange for Lucas to say that. He saved her and Ronschka, and let them live in his mansion. Besides, Lucas always treated Ronschka with sincerity. CH 19 Adele blinked slowly. She didn¡¯t want to be close to this man, with whom she was bound to part sooner or later. Moreover, this man¡¯s fate was already decided. But I got help again. ¡®He¡¯s such a strange person.¡¯ How could this man do this for someone else? Adele smiled softly without her realizing it. Lucas, who saw it, thought Adele¡¯s smile was like a simple wildflower on the field. Clearly, what Lucas likes are bright roses, but now he thought that wasn¡¯t too bad either. ¡°And this,¡± said Lucas, handing over the gift Adele bought. ¡°Fortunately, the store owner picked it up and kept it. The packaging was crumpled, but it has been replaced with a new one.¡± Lucas said that he had also given the kind store owner a small gift as a courtesy. ¡°Thank goodness. Ronschka¡¯s birthday is in a few days.¡± Adele was worried about how she could buy Ronschka another birthday gift. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± If I visit that store again someday, I should also thank the owner. Adele held the gift preciously in her hands. Now, this gift will be kept hidden until Ronschka¡¯s birthday. * * * Hayren who now lives in Lucas¡¯ mansion keeps trying to meet Ronschka whenever he has the chance. Lucas was interfering in the middle to prevent them from meeting, but until when would that knight be able to stop him, an Elementalist? ¡°Hello, Ronschka.¡± A small red bird appeared in front of Ronschka who was engrossed in making a bouquet in the garden. The bird can strangely speak human language. Ronschka knew, however, that meant the bird had not done it alone, and that someone was using a spirit to convey the words through the bird. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°You- you are the Elementaslist I met then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You are smart,¡± said the little bird, moving its cute beak. ¡°How- how do you do that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How- how you speak through the spirit?¡± ¡°Oh, like this?¡± Hayren, who was controlling the spirit in the room, raised the corner of his mouth. Elementalists are born with the energy of nature. Because of this, they cannot help but love nature itself, the spirits. ¡®That¡¯s why spirits are perfect for attracting attention.¡¯ ¡°Do you want to know?¡± ¡°I- I want to know.¡± Ronschka nodded his head. Once he knows how, he will always be able to talk to his mother. No one can completely separate the two anymore. ¡°I want to teach you, but you have to be my disciple to do that.¡± ¡°D-disciple?¡± ¡°Yes. My disciple.¡± Hayren did not immediately say he would adopt him. For now, he decided to use the approach with less resistance. ¡°My- my teacher is Lucas.¡± As expected. He doesn¡¯t even use the proper honorific title for Lucas. They are just a teacher and student who has no trust in each other. Then things would be easier for Hayren. ¡°Lucas is a knight,¡± said Hayren as he touched Ronschka lightly. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°A knight can¡¯t teach an Elementalist.¡± ¡®But I¡¯ve already received a lot of help?¡¯ At first, Ronschka couldn¡¯t handle the fire properly unless he was in a state of intense emotion. However, as Lucas said, it changed when he did the exercises and meditation. Now he can handle fire without getting angry or crying. He even showed the fire to his mother, Adele. ¡°I really mean it. Okay, then, how about this? I will teach you one skill.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you are a highly talented Elementalist.¡± Hayren said reassuringly but Ronschka didn¡¯t let go of his suspicions. So far, only Lucas and his mother had given him without expecting anything in return. But this man he had only seen once said he would teach him for free? Ronschka didn¡¯t trust Hayren, but regardless, he was interested in learning this skill from him. ¡°What are you going to teach me?¡± ¡°Is there anything you want?¡± ¡°I want to know how to speak through the spirit.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Hayren immediately agreed. It was an extremely difficult skill to convey one¡¯s words through spirits. Meaning teaching Ronschka now didn¡¯t mean he could put it into practice right away. ¡®It would be nice if he could understand.¡¯ Hayren kindly explained how to do the skill, pretending to be nice while hiding his black heart. ¡°So, to deliver words through spirits¡­¡­¡± Ronschka nodded from time to time while listening to Hayren¡¯s words conveyed by the little bird. Hayren couldn¡¯t tell if he understood or not just by looking at him though. However, after all the explanations were finished, Ronschka smiled faintly. He used to look weird when he smiled, but recently he¡¯s been slowly fixing it by looking at other people. That¡¯s why his smile looks more like a normal child¡¯s now. ¡°Do you understand?¡± asked Hayren grumpily. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to understand right away.¡¯ Now it was Ronschka¡¯s turn to cling to him, saying he didn¡¯t understand yet. Then, he could explain it again from the beginning and Ronschka would start to like him. That¡¯s what Hayren thought. But Ronschka didn¡¯t ask anything. ¡®Is this kid¡¯s pride too high?¡¯ So he may be pretending to know when he doesn¡¯t. Ronschka now didn¡¯t even look at the little bird that Hayren was controlling but started to move around, summoning the fire spirit. He seemed to be trying to do something by calling the fire spirit and then telling it to leave. He kept trying like that several times. But even for the most gifted kid like him, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. ¡®Still, it¡¯s okay to try something consistently.¡¯ Hayren smiled in satisfaction as he looked at Ronschka, who would come into his grasp in the future. ¡°Oh!¡± After a while, as if Ronschka had just remembered something, he carefully picked up the bouquet he had laid down and immediately ran into the mansion. ¡°I heard that he goes to the garden every day to make a bouquet for his mother.¡± He seemed to cherish his mother quite a lot. Hayren took the spirit back while looking at Ronschka¡¯s back who was running towards the mansion. This wasn¡¯t the only information he found. ¡°Is his birthday coming up soon?¡± What would be a good birthday gift? Hayren was thinking of something the kids might like. * * * ¡°Hmm.¡± Adele put on a thoughtful expression as she looked down at the round cake, then she carefully picked up a bit of it and ate it. Madeleine then did the same thing and smiled broadly. ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! I think we just need to apply the cream now!¡± That won¡¯t be easy either. ¡®I only bought cakes in my previous life.¡¯ So it was quite difficult to make it herself this time. However, imagining that Ronschka would like it, she did her best even though it was difficult. ¡®What else should I prepare besides cake?¡¯ While she was counting the dishes to be prepared in excitement, a small fire flew in front of her. She blinked at it for a moment and immediately freaked out. It was because she thought of Ronschka who could handle fire. Adele immediately looked around but Ronschka was nowhere to be seen. That made her even more anxious. The only time the fire spreads in his absence is when he goes out of control. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ While Adele was panicking, the fire made a sound. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Adele stared at the talking fire with a blank expression. ¡°Mom!¡± The fire even stepped closer and called her ¡®Mom¡¯. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Ronschka?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± The fire conveyed Ronschka¡¯s words like a cell phone. ¡°My goodness, does that fire talk?¡± Madeleine, who spotted the fire afterward, also made a surprised expression. After a few moments of silence, Adele managed to guess the reason. ¡°Did the Elementalist staying in the mansion teach you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Why? Oh, is that why? He said he wanted to take Ronschka as his disciple. But Lucas didn¡¯t want him to see Ronschka. So how did they meet? Numerous questions ran through Adele¡¯s mind. Then she realized. He must have done exactly what he taught Ronschka. ¡°He¡¯s like a snake.¡± Suddenly, what Lucas said came to mind. Maybe because of that? I haven¡¯t even seen him, but I suddenly have a bad thought. You should not arbitrarily judge people you have not seen in person. But Adele¡¯s trust in Lucas is immense. ¡°Ronschka, what do you think about him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± The fire disappeared in an instant as soon as Ronschka answered. Adele who was worried about Ronschka went to look for him and found him arranging a bouquet in his room. ¡°Ronschka!¡± Luckily nothing happened, it¡¯s just that his ability is still limited to perform the skill he just learned. ¡°I just learned,¡± Ronschka muttered gloomily. ¡°You did a good job.¡± ¡°I want to do better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still good at it.¡± Adele patted Ronschka and asked, ¡°But why do you hate him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Adele wanted to reply ¡®You shouldn¡¯t hate people for no reason¡¯, but she held back. It must be because Ronschka also felt something. Somehow, she felt uneasy. And that uneasiness continued to grow without diminishing, even as Ronshka¡¯s birthday drew near. CH 20 Today is Ronschka¡¯s birthday! Adele took Ronschka¡¯s hand and walked over carefully. The child had his eyes closed. And as soon as the two arrived at the dining hall, Adele opened the door without hesitation and entered. ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± ¡°Happy birthday!¡± ¡°Happy birthday!¡± ¡°Happy birthday, Ronschka!¡± At the same time, people¡¯s voices came crashing in. Ronschka was surprised for a moment, but soon smiled. Because Adele explained about a birthday in advance. Originally, she was going to surprise him without telling him anything, but changed her mind in the middle. Since it¡¯s Ronschka¡¯s first birthday celebration, she wanted him to know its meaning more clearly and enjoy it. So Adele explained what a birthday is all about in detail. ¡°Ronschka, a birthday is¡­ the day you first came into the world. The first time Ronschka burst into tears.¡± Adele said that and paused. How did Adele feel when she gave birth to Ronschka? ¡®I was happy.¡¯ Even if it was only a few days, he was the child of the person her heart was given to. ¡°Mom? What are you thinking?¡± ¡°No, nothing. That day is a blessed day. Everyone who is born should be blessed. That¡¯s why we eat delicious food and have fun that day.¡± Adele finished her explanation with that. Ronschka didn¡¯t seem to understand, but he didn¡¯t ask more. That¡¯s understandable. Because she had never taken care of Ronschka¡¯s birthday as far back as she could remember. He probably didn¡¯t even know when his birthday was. So Adele wanted to celebrate Ronschka¡¯s birthday well this time. ¡°Ronschka, it¡¯s a birthday cake!¡± Leon, who jumped out of nowhere, took Ronschka by the hand and led him in front of the cake. A few small candles flickered on top of the round, white cake. ¡°You can blow it out! Then your wish will come true!¡± Ronschka, hearing Leon¡¯s words, puffed out his cheeks nervously. He seemed to be planning to blow it out all at once. ¡®So cute!¡¯ Adele grabbed her chest at the cuteness of Ronschka. ¡°Pooh!¡± Ronschka managed to blow out all the candles on the cake. Then thunderous applause followed. Because many people were invited, the dining hall quickly became lively. It was the result of Adele¡¯s request to Lucas to throw her son¡¯s first birthday party big. Most of them are maids, but Lucas readily agreed. People chatted, shared food, and approached Ronschka in the middle and gave him gifts. ¡°You make a bouquet every day,¡± said Leon. He was the first, he gifted a vase to Ronschka. Tension was evident in his voice, as if he had chosen it with great care. Madeleine¡¯s gift is new clothes. She said, ¡°Good fabric came in this time.¡± Kish¡¯s gift is a notebook. ¡°Study hard,¡± he said. In addition, small gifts and words of congratulations poured in. Except for a few people who can afford it, it wasn¡¯t expensive, but it looked pretty good as it piled up. And finally, Adele held out the gift she had prepared for Ronschka. ¡°Thank you for being born, Ronschka.¡± Ronschka looked at Adele with an incomprehensible expression as he accepted the gift. Then he gave her a big hug. Adel felt Ronschka¡¯s arms around her waist were especially strong. She understood his feelings, so she just kept quiet while patting his back. Just then, the door opened and a cute girl came in. Her pink hair decorated with ribbons was so cute that she couldn¡¯t help but admire her. ¡°Oh!¡± Adele thought Lucas would be the one to come, but a girl she had never seen before appeared. Could she be friends with Ronschka? Is she the child of one of the maids? Adele smiled as she walked over to the girl and bent her knees. When she met her eyes, she saw clear and beautiful red eyes. ¡°Hello,¡± said Adele. The girl bowed her head and replied, ¡°Hello!¡± Oh, even the way she greets is so lovely. ¡°What is your name?¡± She then asked her name, but just then, a large shadow fell behind the girl. Then came a low voice. ¡°Her name is Rosaline.¡± Rosaline? Adele froze as she raised her head, repeating the name in her head. Because she recognized the person standing behind Rosaline. Red eyes and red hair. That person who resembled Ronschka was someone Adele would never forget. Because he is Ronschka¡¯s biological father! Adele forced herself to swallow the screams of despair that were about to burst out. His fingertips were trembling. ¡®Why is that person here!¡¯ It¡¯s like a terrible nightmare. ¡°Mom?¡± But the moment she heard Ronschka¡¯s voice, she came to her senses. This isn¡¯t a nightmare, it¡¯s reality. It wasn¡¯t a dream to have Ronschka¡¯s biological father right in front of her right now. Adele pulled herself together. What should I say? No matter how much she thought, she couldn¡¯t find the right words to say. Long time no see? Do you remember me? Are you here because you know you have a child? Countless thoughts ran through her head. But in the end, Adele couldn¡¯t utter a word. Then, he spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him a few times, but I¡¯m seeing you for the first time today.¡± The moment Adele heard that, her mind went blank. ¡®W-what?¡¯ She clearly heard it, but she didn¡¯t understand it at all. What are you talking about? First? First time? Then what about the days we spent together? No matter how many years have passed, have you forgotten it completely? How! How could you! Her anger welled up. The person she waited for so long and longed for love has forgotten her. In fact, he¡¯s not even worth remembering. That fact made her sad, upset, and in pain so much that it was difficult for her to calm herself down. ¡®Come to your senses!¡¯ Adele gritted her teeth. It felt like she was being eaten by a long-forgotten past. ¡®You decided not to go back to the foolish past!¡¯ She tried hard to pretend to be nonchalant. ¡°I¡¯m Hayren, Rosaline¡¯s father. Nice to meet you.¡± Adele looked straight at him. She clasped her hands together so as not to tremble, her fingernails scratched them. The slight pain brought Adele to her senses. His name¡­ his name is different from what I knew. He didn¡¯t give me that name. From the very beginning, everything was a lie. A feeling of betrayal enveloped Adele. Gradually, her eyes felt hot. ¡®I can¡¯t cry.¡¯ If I cry here, he will find it strange. If I make a mistake, he will find out about our past and that Ronschka is his son. Didn¡¯t Lucas say that Hayren covets Ronschka? If he knows Ronschka is his son, he would immediately take him away. She would let Ronschka go to whoever would make him happy. But Adele knew very well, this man could never. He would only use Ronschka until he died and then throw him away. Adele managed to smile broadly, enduring the pain. A soft voice without trembling came out. ¡°Nice to meet you. This is my first time seeing you.¡± Kish approached Adele¡¯s side and asked Hayren with a stiff face. ¡°Sir Hayren, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard that today is Ronschka¡¯s birthday, so I¡¯m here to congratulate him. Right, Rosaline?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaline showed the gift she was holding in her arms. It¡¯s a box containing a spirit stone that Hayren had prepared in advance. Seeing him, Kish held back a sigh. He knew that Lucas was trying to keep Hayren from seeing and Adele and her son. Kish was also the one who helped gather information about Hayren and passed it on to Adele. ¡°This is just a small birthday party. This is not a place for Sir Hayren to participate.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Hayren smiled and looked back, then he added, ¡°If Lucas can participate, I guess I can too, right?¡± After saying that, Lucas, who had just arrived, stood with a stiff expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hayren.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Heyren looked at Rosaline and Ronschka, raising the corners of his mouth. He knew he would be rejected if he came, so he brought his daughter on purpose. Lucas felt uncomfortable. But he couldn¡¯t say anything more. If he said something wrong, only Rosaline would be hurt. ¡°Rosaline could just come alone and your congratulations would be delivered.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but Rosaline can¡¯t be without me. She¡¯s still immature.¡± ¡°What are you talking about at a birthday party?¡± Lucas pushed only Rosaline into the dining hall and closed the door.