Episode 5
As I chuckled to myself, the soldiers exchanged glances and signaled each other.
Aunt Cecile glared at them, screaming.
“Let go of me! What did I do wrong?! You’re arresting the wrong person!”
“Whether you’re guilty or not will be revealed in time.”
After firmly securing aunt Cecile’s arms, the soldiers forcibly lifted her up.
Even as she was being dragged away, Aunt Cecile didn’t give up hope and kept up her act as my fake mother.
“T-Tania! Why are you doing this to Mom? Are you mad because I didn’t buy you candy earlier? If that’s the case, I’m sorry. Come on, tell them it’s a misunderstanding.”
The soldiers turned to me and the merchant leader, as if asking if this was true.
“This child is an orphan who grew up on the streets. Our merchant group occasionally gives her errands, and in return, we provide her with food. We know her well.”
“U- Uncle is right.”
Pretending to shiver, I nodded in agreement, and the soldiers clicked their tongues at Aunt Cecile.
“What a ridiculous lie. It’s too obvious. No need to hear more—take her away!”
As one of the soldiers naturally tried to take me along as well, the merchant leader quickly intervened.
“The child seems quite shaken. I’ll calm her down and bring her to the security office myself.”
“Oh, would you? That would be helpful.”
The soldiers, seeing my pitiful trembling, gave me a sympathetic look and then left.
As Aunt Cecile was dragged away, I waved my hand lightly and murmured as if to myself.
“Nice knowing you. Let’s never meet again.”
Feeling relieved to have sent her off, I turned to the merchant leader and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Uncle, you’re more capable than I thought. I didn’t expect you to come so quickly.”
“I was on my way to call the security forces when I ran into the soldiers. I just put on a little act, making it seem urgent.”
With a smirk, he ruffled my hair roughly.
“You’re quick-witted yourself. When you mentioned the central clock tower, it was so convincing I almost fell for it.”
“Hm? But that really is a place where illegal ability-user trades happen.”
“……”
“Hehe. That way, they’ll be imprisoned as accomplices.”
The merchant leader asked cautiously, his tone more careful than before.
“…Is that something you saw with your foresight ability?”
“No way. I just picked it up while surviving at the bottom.”
At my repeated tragic backstory attack, he looked at me with pity and patted my back.
“You must’ve gone through so much at such a young age…”
As he continued patting my back, he seemed to realize that it was almost time for us to part ways. He offered again.
“Tania, are you really not interested in joining our merchant group?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Though he couldn’t hide his disappointment, he was still considerate of me.
“If that’s your decision, at least let me take you to the orphanage entrance. Is that alright?”
“Oh, if that’s the case, there’s somewhere I’d like to stop by before heading to the orphanage. Could I ask you to take me there?”
Now that I had dealt with the small fry, it was time to handle the most important matter.
Reuniting with Uncle Aiden after five years.
***
Before long, we arrived near the house where Uncle Aiden and I had lived together in the past.
I bowed my head in gratitude to the merchant leader who had brought me here.
“Thank you for everything.”
“There’s no need to thank me. In the end, I got something out of it too. Like you said, it was a fair trade.”
“Oh, speaking of trade, that reminded me. Remember how I told you I had two pieces of information? I’ll give you the second one now.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already received more than enough in return.”
“You should hear it anyway.”
I smirked playfully.
“The first piece of information was that there would be a major crop failure next year, right?”
“…That’s right.”
“Well, the year after that, a new farming method introduced by the Magic Tower will drastically increase grain production. So, you should sell off everything you buy this year by next year.”
“…Hah.”
He sighed and stroked his beard.
“So that’s why you insisted on telling me the second piece of information later.”
“Yes.”
A major crop failure doesn’t just affect a single year.
Normally, it would take at least a few years to recover, but this time was an exception.
If someone had a large stockpile of grain, they would naturally wait for prices to rise before selling.
Had he not helped me properly and I hadn’t shared the second piece of information…
The following year’s surplus harvest would have flooded the market with cheap grain, forcing him to sell his stock at a loss.
“The more I think about it, the more regretful I am that I couldn’t recruit you.”
“Haha, who knows? We might meet again sooner than you think.”
I smiled brightly and bid him farewell.
“It was a good deal. I wish you success in your business.”
***
[Overwriting current timeline onto Perspective 2.]
Having saved the current timeline, I took a deep breath as I stood in front of Uncle Aiden’s house.
At this point in time, I knew for sure that uncle was alive.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen him in so long, but I felt strangely nervous.
I wiped the sweat off my palms onto my clothes and carefully knocked on the door.
How much time had passed?
With the sound of rusted hinges creaking, someone appeared.
Creak—!
I took in the sight of the man who had stepped out, as if engraving his image into my mind.
His tanned skin suited his profession as a mercenary. His black hair looked like it had been swept back carelessly.
Sharp golden eyes, reminiscent of a predator’s, and a long, vertical scar running down his left eye.
He looked slightly younger than the last time I had seen him.
The moment I saw his face, I burst into tears and threw myself into his arms.
“I missed you.”
I could feel his body stiffen in shock, but I didn’t care and continued speaking.
“I really worked hard so that I could live a comfortable life with you. This time, don’t leave first.”
I can’t do this a second time.
Not because returning to the past was difficult, but because I couldn’t bear to watch him die again.
So—
“This time, we’ll take care of anyone who threatens our peace, and we’ll live together for a long, long time.”
I gave him a faint smile and hugged him tightly once more.
As his long-missed warmth seeped into my skin, a sense of relief washed over me.
“…Dad.”
Uncle cherished me like a daughter, yet he absolutely hated it when I called him ‘Dad.’
So on days when I felt like testing him, I would just say it outright, then rewind time before he could explode in anger.
Curious about his reaction, I lifted my head.
He was staring at me in a daze, as if time had stopped.
A stranger had suddenly appeared, hugged him, and called him ‘Dad’—of course he was flustered.
Smiling through my tears, I used my ability without hesitation.
I had said everything I wanted to say.
***
[Loading Perspective 2.]
Creak.
As Uncle Aiden stepped out of the door, I forced a smile.
So that our first meeting wouldn’t be remembered with a distorted face, but with a smile instead.
“Hello, Uncle. Could I have a piece of bread?”
***
Ajusshi stared down at me for a long time before muttering, “Wait here,” and disappearing inside.
How much time had passed?
Just as I was beginning to wonder if he had forgotten I was outside, the door suddenly swung open.
“Come in.”
Uncle sat me at the table and placed a steaming bowl of stew and white bread in front of me.
The ingredients were of far better quality than anything Aunt Cecile had ever given me.
Feeling excited at the thought of eating uncle’s cooking again, I grinned and picked up my spoon.
Uncle sat across from me, his expression unreadable.
“…What’s your name?”
“My name is Tania. What about you?”
“Aiden.”
Yes, Aiden.
A name I had missed dearly.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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