ISVDM | Chapter 29

Episode 29

Theo stood frozen, tightly clutching the hand of the maid, Kate.

Since Lirin had collapsed while bleeding from her nose, they had deliberately isolated him in another room to prevent him from being startled.

But judging by the scene, it seemed he had thrown a fuss with the maids to get here.

“……”

Kalec’s gaze met the child’s, who barely reached his knees.

The round, honey-colored eyes stared at him as if observing some fascinating creature. He didn’t even blink.

Kalec found the scrutiny quite refreshing.

“Your sister is sleeping. Even if you go in now, you won’t be able to see her.”

“……”

Theo blinked once, as he usually did.

Even to someone unfamiliar with children, Theo was remarkably quiet—so much so that he seemed indifferent.

He rarely caused trouble and wasn’t the type to stubbornly insist on anything.

Yet this little one approached with a frown for the first time.

Thump. Thump.

The tiny, chubby hands smacked Kalec’s leg.

“Are you… angry?”

Thump. Thump.

“A fiery little fist.”

Then, upon noticing the bloodstain on Kalec’s sleeve—Lirin’s blood—Theo suddenly lunged and bit the back of Kalec’s hand.

“Oh no, Lord Theo!”

“Leave him be.”

Kalec, still being bitten, simply lifted Theo with his other hand.

Up close, he had the odd impression that those golden eyes were burning with fierce intensity.

“Well, I suppose. You were angry at me from the very first time we met, weren’t you?”

No response. Just quiet chewing on his hand.

“Why? Do I look like I’m tormenting your sister?”

Kalec knew this child had little actual interest in him.

It was just that Lirin followed him around, and so Theo followed her as well.

“So, all that affectionate behavior was only for your sister, huh?”

Kalec smirked and playfully flicked the child’s forehead.

Then, as he gripped the tiny limbs, he suddenly realized—the child had quite a solid frame.

When he had carried Lirin, she had felt so light and fragile that he had nearly laughed. But this one—

‘He’s going to grow up strong.’

He was still too young for his mana to manifest, but even so, his natural physique was impressive.

‘Could his inability to speak be related to his mana?’

Just as he was about to investigate further, Theo struggled fiercely and slipped from his grasp, landing on his bottom with a soft thud.

The butler watching gasped in shock.

“L-Lord Theo! Are you alright?”

But the child, with his usual blank expression, simply dusted himself off and marched toward the slightly open bedroom door.

With great effort, he pushed it open and entered.

Then, without a sound, he climbed onto the bed, curled up beside Lirin, and soon after, two sets of quiet, steady breaths filled the room.

Kalec watched the entire sequence unfold and let out a bewildered chuckle.

“I thought he was just a mild little potato,”

The bite mark left on his hand was quite distinct.

“But he’s a lion cub.”

Once again, I found myself wandering through a world of dazzling colors.

A dream of the future? I wondered.

But this time, something felt off.

I had been thrown into a completely unfamiliar place.

Strange iron carriages sped past me at incredible speed.

People moved hurriedly between towering gray buildings—structures even taller than the Magic Tower itself. Their expressions were stiff and grim.

The sky was a murky shade of blue, and the air smelled acrid and suffocating.

I sat on a small park bench, observing the scene. The air reeked of stale alcohol and urine, but I had nowhere else to go.

“I don’t want to go to school…”

I raised my foot, intending to kick a stone, but stopped.

The fabric of my worn-out sneakers was stretched so tightly that my big toe was nearly poking through the front.

Kids my age had a strange talent for sniffing out anyone different from them. And they were even better at finding the most painful ways to point it out.

Well, my homeroom teacher always said, “Children are a reflection of their parents.”

If that were true, then whose thoughts were they mirroring?

In the end, my ragged sneakers became the perfect material for endless teasing at school.

“Hey, kid. Why aren’t you in school?”

A woman from afar noticed me and started approaching.

Ugh. How annoying.

“I was just resting for a bit because my legs hurt! And I’m not a kid—I’m twelve!”

I took off running.

Skipping school was something adults considered a serious offense.

I weaved through the towering skyscrapers, hoping for time to pass quickly so I could go home.

Faster.

If I could just get home quickly…

“…would be there.”

Mmm. Chomp chomp.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Right in front of me was a round little head of dark brown hair.

“…Theo?”

Theo let out a small whimper and burrowed into my arms.

I had been too out of it to notice, but it seemed the maids had brought him to me.

The night outside was pitch black.

I hugged Theo tightly and let out a small yawn.

‘What was that dream just now?’

Still drowsy from the medicine, I felt sluggish.

‘It felt like a completely different world… Could it be connected to my dreams of the future?’

Would it end with me being whisked away to another world entirely?

But in my hazy state, I was too tired to think any further.

I closed my eyes again, and the strange dream quickly faded from memory.

Several days passed.

I stayed in bed, resting diligently to regain my strength.

Many people came and went.

Eliza, the former duchess, visited three times a day, asking how I was feeling and if I wanted anything.

She would stroke my arms and legs and exclaim, “Do something about these fish bones!” (I’m not a fish, though…).

And each time, my meal portions would pile up like a mountain. It was a little overwhelming.

My father seemed extremely busy.

But no matter how hectic things got, he always came to see me in the morning and at night.

Every time, he would spin me around and inspect every inch of me with sharp eyes—checking once, then twice, then again, and again…

Ugh. It was exhausting.

Anyway, finally—today!

I, Lirin Valt, had officially…

“Hatched!”

Clap clap clap!

As I hopped out of bed with my arms outstretched, applause filled the room.

My strength was fully restored! My mood was at its peak!

The maids, looking cheerful for the first time in a while, busily changed the curtains and linens.

“Can I eat lunch in the dining room?”

“Of course.”

“Yes!”

I sat in front of the large mirror, feeling excited.

Then, I suddenly realized that the reflection staring back at me looked unfamiliar.

‘Hmm.’

My hair was shorter.

I tilted my head from side to side. The ends of my hair curled gently at my chin, forming a neat bob.

My bare neck felt strange—both a little awkward and refreshingly cool.

But…

‘It actually looks pretty good?’

It felt incredibly light, and I wouldn’t have to wrestle with tangled hair every morning anymore!

“Hmm, I like it!”

I grinned widely, unexpectedly satisfied. Though behind me, Kate and the other maids looked slightly dejected.

‘But I won’t be able to do twin tails, ponytails, or those fluffy cotton candy hairstyles anymore.’

It wasn’t just a simple haircut—it was a loss of a part of my body’s inherent magical energy. It would take a very long time to grow back.

Dad might be a little sad once he gets his memories back.

But there was no helping it. It had been necessary, so I had no regrets!

“Lirin, I’m really sorry…”

Kate apologized again as she gently brushed my hair.

She still felt immense guilt for leaving me alone in that park.

“It’s okay. I should have just stayed put and waited, but I wandered off on my own.”

Feeling a slight pang of guilt myself, I shook my head.

Then, she pulled me into a tight hug.

“New recruits are supposed to run around causing trouble, bouncing from one mess to another. That’s why someone dependable like me should have kept a better eye on you…”

Hmm, was that an insult?

Either way, after making the somewhat scary declaration, “From now on, I’ll watch over you with my eyes wide open—I won’t let you out of my sight for even a second,” Kate finished brushing my hair neatly.

Just then, I heard footsteps outside the door, and a familiar face appeared.

My face immediately lit up.

“Lady Eliza!”

“……”

“I’m all better now! Ta-da!”

“……”

But Eliza didn’t react at all.

She simply stood still, staring down at me with that chilly, sharp gaze.

‘Ah, right.’

That’s when I remembered something very important that I had completely forgotten.

I cleared my throat and tried again.

“Grandmaaa! I’m all better now! Ta-da!”

“Whaaat? What did you saaaay?”

Her response was immediate.