Ian took Edelmar and left the camp.
Ian, who had walked far enough that the Fenrex, a beastman race with sensitive hearing, and the knights couldn’t hear him, spoke.
“You probably noticed that I’ve changed all of a sudden.”
“Yes. Isn’t it because of Rose?”
“You’re half right, half wrong.”
“Half right and half wrong?”
“I had a dream.”
Ian stopped walking.
Then he slowly began explaining the content of the original novel he had seen on Earth.
He told of his own death, the debt caused by Count Kale, and the villagers who either starved or froze to death due to the severe cold.
He recounted how Rose had no choice but to resort to black magic and was executed because of it.
Ian shared most of what had happened in the novel but deliberately left out any mention of the Crown Prince and Yekhaterina.
There was no need to mention people who wouldn’t get involved anyway.
“Hmm.”
After listening to everything, Edelmar stroked his chin.
If someone else had told him this story, he would have dismissed it as nonsense.
But it was Ian who was telling him this now.
Ian wasn’t someone who spouted nonsense, and he was a very serious person.
Especially when it came to his niece, Rose, he cared for her deeply in every possible way.
There was no way he’d be speaking rubbish.
“So, you’re telling me all of this because you suspect that the black mage and the girl Yekhaterina might be connected?”
“Yes. But more than that, I’m telling you this because I hope you will protect Rose.”
“Protect her?”
“Yes. As you said, if those two are connected, they will definitely try to reach out to Rose.”
“Up until now, everything the black mage has done has been targeting you. They haven’t done anything specifically aimed at Rose, have they?”
Ian nodded.
“That’s true, but there’s no guarantee they won’t. If they want Rose to become a black mage as I saw in my dream, they’ll make their move when we’re apart.”
It was entirely possible for someone to kill Ian even within the duchy.
If that was too difficult, they could simply summon Ian alone to the capital.
But instead, they had gone out of their way to move the Emperor to summon Rose to the capital.
Why go to the trouble of summoning Rose from the duchy to the capital?
If they wanted to turn Rose into a black mage, they would make their move when Ian and Rose were separated, and that would most likely be when Rose was at the Imperial Palace.
“Do you think the Crown Prince is connected to the black mage?”
“No.”
Ian shook his head.
The Imperial Family had always despised black magic, and it was the same in this timeline.
If the Crown Prince had been connected to the black mage, he wouldn’t have killed Rose.
“But he could still be enchanted.”
“Enchanted?”
“Yes. There is a type of black magic that can do that.”
In the original story, Rose had once contemplated using enchantment magic.
However, she realized that even if she gained love through magic, it wouldn’t be genuine love, so she gave up on it.
“I see, so such magic exists.”
“There are more unknown magics in this world than the ones we know.”
Ian only knew this because of the knowledge he had from the celestial being <Well of Mana>. Otherwise, he would only be familiar with the magic known in this world.
“I see. Very well. I will protect Rose in the Imperial Palace.”
“Thank you.”
Ian bowed and turned toward the carriage.
“Ian.”
“Yes?”
Hearing Edelmar call him, Ian turned his head.
“You mentioned that magic just now. Is there a way to tell if someone is under its spell?”
“Yes. A person enchanted by magic will have a red mark appear on the back of their neck.”
“A red mark… I understand.”
Ian bowed his head once more and walked toward the carriage.
As Ian’s figure disappeared, Edelmar called for Yan.
“Check the back of the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s necks.”
After Yan bowed and left, Edelmar also walked toward the carriage.
But unlike when they entered the forest, Edelmar’s steps toward the carriage were heavy.
***
The intricately carved iron gates of Loenbaum swung open.
Unlike the cold northern region, the garden here was filled with warm spring sunlight, gentle breezes, and blooming flowers.
“Welcome home, my lord.”
Led by the butler managing the townhouse, the servants greeted Ian.
Carrying Rose, Ian entered the house.
“And where is May?”
“She has arrived and is resting.”
Ian nodded and stopped walking.
Then he spoke to Edelmar, who was trailing behind him like a shadow.
“The Grand Duke will be staying here. Prepare a guest room for him.”
“I don’t like the guest room.”
Ian gave Edelmar an incredulous look.
“Then where would you prefer to stay?”
“The room closest to Rose. That would be the room next to yours, wouldn’t it?”
Ian suppressed the rising anger and spoke.
“I wasn’t referring to this townhouse.”
“I thought I’d be too busy following my brother’s orders if I stayed in the palace.”
Edelmar smiled mischievously.
“…Do as the Grand Duke wishes.”
With a displeased order of Ian, the butler bowed his head.
As Ian was about to continue walking, he felt a tug on his pants.
“What about me?”
Ian looked down and saw the disgruntled little fellow staring up at him with ears perked.
“There’s a townhouse in the capital, isn’t there?”
Fenrex pointed at Edelmar and shouted,
“He’s here too!”
“No, my house burned down completely. You saw it yourself, didn’t you? The place turned to ashes?”
In truth, Ian didn’t believe the story that the house had burned down in a fire.
The request to take care of Rose had been made in the Imperial Palace, not the townhouse, so Ian had planned to send Edelmar to the townhouse upon their arrival in the capital.
Ian had purposely directed the carriage to Edelmar’s townhouse first to avoid any delays.
But the place they arrived at was indeed a pile of ashes.
‘Damn it.’
Edelmar had anticipated that Ian would head straight to his own home once they arrived in the capital.
So, Edelmar had deliberately burned down his house. Completely, with nothing left behind, just to keep his word.
Ian had been stunned, staring at the ruins, while Edelmar smirked beside him, looking insufferably smug.
Even worse, the wandering knight had been thrown into the underground prison, which had somehow survived the fire.
Suppressing his irritation, Ian said to Fenrex,
“Go back. Rose will be busy for a while.”
“No! I want to stay by Rose’s side.”
Not wanting to deal with Fenrex anymore, Ian turned away without saying a word.
‘I never thought I’d be back at the townhouse in the capital.’
Since most of the original story’s setting was in the capital, Ian had wanted to avoid it as much as possible.
That’s why he had left on a journey right after the coronation ceremony, thinking he wouldn’t return.
Yet here he was, back again.
After reaching the room, Ian gently set Rose down on the sofa and spoke.
“Are you really not going to talk to your uncle?”
“Hmph.”
Rose crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
“Rose.”
“Hmph!”
Since the monster attack, Ian and Edelmar hadn’t let their guard down.
They had no idea when or how another attack might occur.
Except for mealtimes, they kept their breaks short and even moved the carriage while they slept.
As a result, they had to restrict Rose’s activities as well.
One of the issues was that after putting her to sleep with magic, Rose had gotten upset and now hated riding in the carriage.
The only relief was that the regression into infancy was no longer progressing. Rose was now able to express her emotions properly.
She could say when she was upset or when she felt hurt, which made Ian happy.
He gently poked Rose’s puffed-up cheek, and she let out a defiant huff once more.
“Rose, Uncle is going to see Sister May. Should we wash up and go see her together?”
Rose peeked at Ian slyly.
“Sister May?”
“Yes, don’t you want to see her?”
Her pupils shook violently.
It was clear she wanted to see May, but she was torn because she also wanted to show that she was still upset.
Ian barely held back a laugh as he gave Rose a suggestion.
“How about we make up just until we meet Sister May?”
“Hmm.”
Rose fidgeted with her index finger, thinking it over, then finally nodded.
“Then let’s wash up and go meet her with Uncle.”
“Yes.”
The maid, who had also been holding back her laughter, reached out her hand to Rose.
Rose stared at Ian intently.
‘She must still be scared.’
He wanted to hold her and bathe her himself.
But she couldn’t live her whole life fearing people.
She had already gotten along with Edelmar, who she had once feared. Slowly interacting with new people would help Rose’s fear gradually disappear.
“It’s okay.”
Ian smiled as he spoke, and after hesitating for a moment, Rose took the maid’s hand.
“See you soon.”
“Yes.”
Ian watched as Rose headed to the bathroom and then made his way to the adjacent room’s bathroom.
Unlike Rose, who took a bath, Ian took a quick shower and opened his inventory.
He took out the design sketches he had drawn a few days ago and began organizing them.
“Uncle!”
Rose came running over, wearing a towel on her head and a bathrobe.
Ian chuckled softly at how adorable she looked and lifted her up in his arms.
“Bring her clothes.”
Ian gave the order to the maid, then untied the towel on Rose’s head and began gently drying her hair.
Rose’s wheat-colored hair, which had once looked lifeless, now gleamed with health.
Her chubby cheeks and lively eyes now showed she was a child raised with love, not a victim of abuse.
“My lord.”
Ian, smiling warmly as he dried Rose’s hair, looked up at the maid’s words.
The maids held out Rose’s clothes, waiting for him to choose.
One outfit looked like a kindergarten uniform with a ribbon.
Another was loose-fitting, reminiscent of something from Aladdin.
The third was a blue dress with a large ribbon on the chest.
After checking the options, Ian asked Rose,
“Which one do you want to wear?”
“Hmm.”
Rose tilted her head in thought, then pointed to the blue dress.
“I want to wear that one.”
“Alright.”
Ian kissed Rose’s cheek, then gave a nod to the maid, who carried Rose to the other side of the room partition to help her dress.
“I’m all dressed, Uncle!”
Rose came running back, even wearing matching blue shoes.
Ian carefully checked to make sure everything fit comfortably, then lifted her up again.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
‘She’s already forgotten she was upset.’
Ian chuckled quietly to himself as he smiled at Rose.
“Shall we go see Sister May?”
“Okay. Tell May to come to the study, and prepare some snacks for the lady.”
“Yes, my lord.”
After issuing his orders, Ian stepped outside, where a man and a young wolf were waiting.
“What are you both doing here?”
“We’ve been waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
