ICMMF | Chapter 10

Episode 10

Lucy couldn’t fully understand what Emmet was saying, So she kept it a secret that she could see spirits and had friends in the forest.

“But I don’t have healing powers.”

That was the reason.

If she had healing powers like her mother, she wouldn’t have had to come here and cause trouble.

She wouldn’t have had to be indebted to these people.

She wouldn’t have had to return to this place her mother had left with such difficulty.

“The doctors in the mansion are highly skilled, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Seeing the child’s disappointed expression, Emmet comforted Lucy.

“You brought the most important herb, didn’t you?”

Trying to cheer her up, Emmet deliberately raised his voice.

He wanted to praise her for having an even greater ability than that, but since Lucy desperately wished for healing powers, Emmet refrained from offering empty comfort.

“So Lady Aicel will recover completely.”

Lucy raised her head at his words, seemingly pleased.

Emmet didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

She had already shared an important secret with him—there wouldn’t be a better moment.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”

He asked hopefully.

Since she could read memories, Lady Aicel’s memories must have been filled with thoughts of his master.

She would already know his face and what kind of person he was.

But all of that was from before Lady Lucy was born.

Perhaps even Lady Aicel couldn’t guess the master’s true feelings.

“Ummm, no.”

After hesitating for a while, Lucy finally answered, and Emmet’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.

Maybe she just needed more time.

Or maybe he should start talking first.

He could talk about his master for two or three days straight and still not run out of stories, but the child didn’t seem interested at all.

That made him feel terribly sorry.

Since she’d never had a father figure, maybe she didn’t even know what to ask.

Unlike Emmet, who had so much to say, Lucy’s face showed genuine indifference.

Well, it had only been two days.

Emmet let go of his expectations.

Even if she seemed this way now, things might change once she met the master.

“Shall we go see Lady Aicel and then go to bed?”

“Yes. I’m sure Mama had dinner too, right?”

“Of course. Dermot is taking good care of her.”

Those afflicted with sleep sickness maintained their lives either with mana stones or with doctors prescribing various supplements.

When Lucy took care of her mother alone, getting mana stones had been the hardest part.

Mana stones from monsters were weak, and the mountain with quality mana stones was too far away.

If the spirits hadn’t helped her from time to time, she would’ve had to come here much sooner.

Now she could finally relax about that part.

This mansion had an abundance not only of holy water but also of mana stones.

Every time Duke Kreshmir went on a monster subjugation, he returned with piles of mana stones, so it made sense.

Duke Arden Kreshmir.

Thinking of him from her mother’s memories, Lucy scrunched her nose.

An arrogant and frightening man.

A man who knew nothing of consideration.

A bad man who showered her mother with expensive jewels but didn’t understand her heart.

He was admired by everyone.

So handsome that her mother had fallen for him, so wealthy it overflowed, and respected by many.

But still…

“Hmph.”

When Lucy scoffed, Emmet looked at her curiously.

***

A week had passed since arriving at Duke Kreshmir’s estate.

The medicine for Vapour disease was successfully created and prescribed to her mother.

The potion absorbed in the mouth and the ointment applied to the skin were both effective.

Hearing from Dr. Dermot that it was now just a matter of time, Lucy felt relieved.

Thanks to that, she was also able to reunite with the forest friends she had postponed seeing.

“Miss, you can invite your friends. But you mustn’t go out alone.”

Although she got scolded for sneaking out and meeting them behind Melody’s back.

“Okay, I got it.”

“Next time, absolutely, positively, don’t go out alone. Okay?”

“Yeah, I won’t.”

Lucy bowed her head deeply and apologized.

When she returned to the garden in front of the annex, she couldn’t come up with another excuse for Melody, who was in tears and a mess.

“I really thought you disappeared, sob…”

“I’m sorry.”

Lucy approached the kneeling, crying Melody and gently patted her back with her small hand.

She hadn’t expected her to worry this much.

She thought it wouldn’t matter if she left for a while since she wasn’t someone originally from this place.

Would it really be a big deal if a child who wasn’t helpful to the mansion disappeared?

That’s how lightly Lucy thought of it.

Lucy had met wolves, rabbits, and deer in the forest connected to Flavi Mountain behind the mansion.

The deer, which hadn’t come with her when she first arrived, had so much to say that three hours flew by.

“Aren’t you… hungry?”

Even while wiping her tears and nose, Melody worried about her.

Lucy figured she should refrain from meeting her forest friends for a while.

“Should we have a snack together?”

“Yes. But first, you need to wash up.”

Scolding her about her mud-covered shoes, Melody led Lucy back to the annex.

Their movements were being watched by a tall young man.

Though clearly an adult, his plump cheeks still hinted at youth.

“…Who’s that?”

“Who are you referring to?”

Erkin, who had been heading into the mansion, stopped and asked Emmet.

The child heading to the annex across the garden had black hair that stood out from afar.

Among the residents of the mansion, only the Duke had black hair. And there certainly weren’t any children.

Melody’s anxious behavior ruled out the possibility that she was a servant’s child. So she must be a guest.

A child of a branch family?

Having heard nothing from Emmet yet, he watched the girl until she disappeared into the annex.

“Ah, that’s Lady Lucy. I’ll explain inside.”

At Emmet’s words, Erkin walked into the mansion. Behind him, Milo, who had been following and looking around curiously, also moved.

While Emmet headed for the parlor, Erkin went straight to his room without hesitation.

Knowing Erkin’s personality, Emmet shook his head and followed him.

“Do you remember Lady Aicel?”

Emmet started the conversation with Erkin, who slumped down on the sofa.

Half listening, Erkin opened his bag and took out his belongings—mostly books.

He had just returned to Duke Kreshmir’s estate for spring break.

He didn’t always return home during breaks, but there was a good chance the Duke would return soon after finishing his monster subjugation.

Plus, the most important festival in Kreshmir territory was approaching, so the odds of the Duke’s return were high.

Though Duke Arden was his father, Erkin and Milo were both adopted and bore no resemblance to him.

Maybe that’s why they saw him only once or twice a year.

Still, they couldn’t resent him.

Had he not taken them in, they would have ended up as pickpockets on the streets or died meaningless deaths.

“Aicel…”

Erkin repeated the name Emmet had mentioned.

No one came to mind. The name didn’t sound unfamiliar, though it was quite common.

“Who’s that?”

Milo, sitting next to Erkin, asked. Unlike Erkin, Milo came home every break, hoping that this time, he’d finally meet the Duke.

Erkin had been adopted at ten, and Milo at seven.

It had been five years since Milo, who was found crying in front of an orphanage, had been brought to House Kreshmir by the Duke. For Erkin, it had been seven years.

Because he arrived earlier and shared the same hair and eye color, Milo easily adapted to the ducal household.

He liked it when Erkin acted like an older brother and rarely disagreed with him.

Since they both attended the same academy, they saw each other more often than they saw the Duke.

Though they didn’t share a deep brotherly bond, their similar appearances gave them a sense of kinship.

“You know our lord had a fiancée, right?”

Hearing this, Erkin set down the book he had taken out and looked up.

His head nodded toward Emmet naturally. Milo did the same.

There wasn’t a single person in the mansion who didn’t know about the Duke’s fiancée.

Though she had run away long ago, the Duke was still searching for her.

He’s looking for our mother.

That’s what the Duke had said about a year after they arrived at the mansion, when they had asked him—since he was often away.

Mother, huh. Where could she be that the Duke had to keep searching?

Back then, life was too busy, walking on eggshells around the mansion, to ask more.

They learned later from the nanny that she was the Duke’s fiancée and had left the house.

Duke Arden was so imposing and expressionless that he was scary, but he was a good man.

Even though he caught Erkin stealing, he didn’t send him to the guards but brought him to this home.

Such a person couldn’t be bad.

But why had that woman left such a good man?

It didn’t make sense. Nor did the Duke still looking for her.

Because the Duke was often away because of her, Erkin eventually resented the woman he had never even seen.

He was also upset with the Duke, who had made him a noble from a beggar but wouldn’t stay by his side.

“She’s returned.”

“What…?”

“Really?”

At Emmet’s final words, Erkin was confused, and Milo was delighted.