ISVDM | Chapter 32

Episode 32

I had landed flat on top of that thick torso.

“……?”

When I lifted my head, my eyes locked with a pair of pitch-black eyes filled with bewilderment.

“My-my-my, my apologies… I… I didn’t mean to…”

“…….”

“I was just… trying to watch over you from hiding, in case something dangerous happened again…”

His lips moved hesitantly, and a deep, resonant voice flowed out. That was when I finally noticed the thick palm pressing firmly against my back.

Oh.

So Blaine Wintervalt had suddenly sprung out like a flying squirrel.

“I-I’m sorry. You must still be scared of me.”

“…….”

“A-are you hurt anywhere?”

The intimidating old man, with me sprawled over his stomach, looked completely at a loss.

‘Huh?’

Maybe it was because I was seeing him from this angle, but—

‘He doesn’t seem that scary.’

On the first day, I thought he might devour me on the spot.

Blaine Wintervalt had a towering build, thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and a stern expression enhanced by his beard covering his chin and upper lip. His overall appearance was incredibly intense—

The kind that would make you instinctively look away if you ran into him on the street.

But upon closer inspection, his gaze…

‘Kind of looks like a teddy bear’s?’

I realized his eyes were just as clear and gentle as Theo’s.

It reminded me of the wooden teddy bear figurine he had given me as punishment before.

‘And…’

I pressed down on my hat, which had nearly flown off.

‘This hat and clothes…’

I had a vague suspicion that Blaine had prepared them for me.

“Did you receive my note?”

“I… did.”

The old man replied with a creaky voice, like an unpolished wooden doll.

I slowly crawled up until I was near his chin.

“Then does that mean you’re forgiving me for running away without saying goodbye back then?”

“……I should be the one apologizing. Making a little thing like you cry out of fear…”

Blaine slowly pushed himself up. I hopped off his thick torso and met his gaze as he crouched beside me.

“……More importantly, child, I heard you went through something dangerous.”

“Oh, the procession?”

“I was worried… O-of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s perfectly fine…”

Hmm.

“This is absolutely not me forcing you. If you don’t want to say anything, just press your lips together and turn your head away. I’ll understand…”

Saying that now felt a bit too late.

‘Is Grandpa actually timid despite his size?’

He seemed like a real scaredy-cat—worse than Theo.

His massive, muscle-packed arms made his hesitation look even more awkward.

“I’m completely fine!”

“Thank goodness…”

The old man pursed his lips. His glossy eyes looked as though they might burst into tears at any moment.

“Truly… thank goodness…”

“Oh dear.”

Pat, pat. He must have been really shaken.

As he steadied his ragged breathing, Blaine pulled out Theo’s nap blanket and dabbed at his eyes—wait. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a gigantic handkerchief.

‘At least he’s holding back his tears to match his size.’

Of course… I didn’t realize at the time.

That Blaine had already cried himself dry when he first heard about Eliza’s accident—so he had no more tears left to shed now.

Just then, from a distance, Aisha approached, holding Theo’s hand.

“Oh my, Lord Blaine! I was wondering when you would finally show yourself. About Lirin’s dress and hat—may I ask what embroidery technique you used for the stitching?”

“Eh?”

Did she just say Blaine made these clothes and this hat?

I quickly pulled off my hat, which had been shading my face, and examined it.

Theo, who had now come closer, spotted the enormous old man and his eyes sparkled.

“Did Grandpa make this hat? And Theo’s too?”

“Lirin, Lord Blaine has the finest craftsmanship in the entire Wintervalt family.”

“Woooow!”

Incredible!

‘I thought for sure he had commissioned an artisan who worked exclusively with Wintervalt!’

And yet, the artisan himself was right here before me!

‘Well, I mean, he must have bought that wooden figurine instead of making it himself… right?’

The walls in my heart crumbled away.

Maybe it was because I was finally facing him properly, at eye level.

Or maybe it was because I could now picture that massive figure hunching over to carefully stitch delicate embroidery.

Either way, Blaine no longer felt threatening or scary.

And he was clearly making an effort to meet me at my level.

‘Most of all, I can feel how much he likes me!’

Theo seemed to sense it too.

He must have felt the warmth in Blaine’s affection, because he was already scrambling up onto the old man’s giant knee.

“That’s dangerous, you might fall—”

The flustered old man scooped Theo up onto his arm instead.

“Kyah!”

Theo’s eyes widened at the sudden height.

“……”

And then—

A pair of warm eyes turned to me as well.

I blinked and tilted my head.

“There’s no space left?”

Grandfather’s arms were already fully occupied with Theo.

“There’s still the highest seat…”

The highest seat…

My eyes narrowed, and as I realized what he meant, I quickly raised both arms.

“……”

Without hesitation, Blaine picked me up and placed me on his shoulders. Then he stood up smoothly.

“Woooow! A shoulder ride!”

“If you move too much, you’ll fall.”

“Theo, it’s so high! This is amazing! I can see the whole forest!”

Perched stiffly on Blaine’s shoulders, I took in the vast forest and lake before me.

‘It really feels like Lepi Village.’

Dad used to carry me on his shoulders like this all the time.

My mood soared.

After that, the three of us played in the dirt nearby.

“Over here, over here! Do you want to make this with me?”

If you pat dirt onto the back of your hand and then carefully pull your hand away, it creates a little round house!

“Tada! Doesn’t it look like a toad house?”

Theo had loved this game ever since I taught it to him.

‘I don’t remember where I learned it, but it’s fun.’

“……”

Thud, thud.

After watching for a while, Blaine started building a massive toad house next to me.

“Woooow… It’s huge. Theo could sleep inside it.”

“Woo?”

After making about a hundred toad houses, we moved on to collecting smooth, pretty stones.

“Hey, do you want to try skipping stones on the lake?”

I tossed pebbles onto the calm water, making little splashes.

Blaine let out a low hum, then casually hurled a boulder into the lake with a loud splash.

“Amazing… That was a 17-skip water bounce…”

I didn’t even know you could do that with a boulder.

“How about a four-leaf clover hunt? Want to try?”

Rustle, rustle.

“Woooow! They’re all three-leaf clovers, but that’s fine!”

Because in no time, we had rings, bracelets, necklaces, and even headbands made from them!

“Mushrooms… are out of the question because they make me sneeze!”

Holding Theo’s hand tightly, I clung to Grandfather’s large hand as well. It had been so long since an adult played with me that I couldn’t help but feel thrilled.

“Grandpaaa, will you keep playing with me from now on? Hmm, I mean…”

“……”

“Let’s be friends!”

I was so happy!

He looked tough and scary on the outside, but inside, he was soft and gentle!

Blaine Wintervalt’s strong shoulders tensed slightly. His face flushed a little, and after a brief pause, he gave a heavy nod.

A few days later, at night.

Returning to the mansion, Kalec rubbed his tired forehead as he headed to his office.

Between dealing with the aftermath of the procession incident and preparing for the upcoming Four Dukes’ Meeting, he had been so busy he barely had time to breathe.

‘That fool from Summerain has made things troublesome.’

The thought that Wintervalt might have to host the Four Dukes’ Meeting was already giving him a headache.

‘What exactly is he searching for?’

Officially, it was announced that the Duke of Summerain had fallen ill and couldn’t host the meeting.

But it was widely known that the family head was completely preoccupied with searching for something.

‘I can’t figure it out.’

Just picturing that man’s face—constantly spouting nonsense and getting under his skin—made Kalec feel irritated. They were complete opposites in every possible way.

Of course, there was another reason why he agreed to host the meeting despite all the hassle.

‘Didn’t they say the mages from the Magic Tower would be attending?’

Because of the autumn hunting festival, the mages had agreed to observe the meeting briefly.

The investigation into whether the Magic Tower was involved in the procession incident hadn’t made much progress.

The Tower was such a closed-off organization that digging into it wasn’t easy.

‘If I host the meeting, I can control the guest list of mages to be invited.’

It seemed like the perfect opportunity to draw them out.

With that thought in mind, Kalec continued walking down the corridor.

Then—

His steps halted abruptly when he noticed something.

“Wait.”

Albert, the mansion’s butler, who had been following behind him, stepped forward respectfully.

“My lord, what is it?”