“Ahem.”
“Ahem.”
Nereus was at a loss for words and could only clear his throat awkwardly.
“I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Evelyn, a loyal butler of House Terminus.”
‘Hmm?’
I felt an odd sense of discomfort at Evelyn’s words, though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
“So, does that mean we should visit as per the invitation—”
“No, before that.”
Evelyn abruptly cut Nereus off and pointed toward the wall where I was hiding.
“Would it be possible for me to have a private conversation with the young lady over there?”
The atmosphere inside the inn instantly turned tense.
My family members bristled, their hostility evident.
Even those pretending to be mere diners in the restaurant revealed sharp, alert gazes.
‘Are they trying to advertise that we’re pirates or something?!’
Even Gilbert, who had been standing right next to me, gripped a kitchen knife from who-knows-where and glared at Evelyn.
‘This isn’t good. If this goes on any longer, things are going to get out of hand!’
Without hesitation, I rushed toward Evelyn and Nereus.
“Y-you mean me?! What’s going on?”
Honestly, if these people were determined to track me down, it wouldn’t be difficult for them. The fact that the powers of the Terminus family remain a mystery suggests they either refrain from using them in front of civilians—or eliminate any witnesses.
‘The very fact that they sought me out like this means they don’t intend to resolve things by force.’
I swallowed nervously and looked up at Evelyn.
“My master has requested to meet you privately first.”
“What?”
At those words, Nereus immediately frowned and stepped protectively between Evelyn and me.
“Why our little one? I’m coming too.”
“Dad.”
Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to act so protective, and I felt a little touched.
“What are you planning to talk about without me?! No way! Our little one is still young—she’ll fall for any sweet talk in an instant!”
“………”
The sentimental moment was ruined in an instant.
“Ah!!”
Annoyed, I kicked Nereus in the shin and walked up to Evelyn. Isaac, watching the scene, gave Nereus a look of pure disappointment.
“Is your master in the carriage?”
“Yes, that is correct. How did you know?”
I guessed.
‘It’s better to seem sharp and observant.’
I rolled my eyes slightly before responding.
“I didn’t think you’d take me far away to another location. If that were the case, you would have sent a formal invitation. Your master is an extremely prestigious noble, after all.”
I put on an innocent, childlike smile.
“I heard that nobles consider it rude to barge into someone’s home or receive guests unprepared.”
That meant the purpose of calling me to the carriage was likely just to have a short conversation first. The official invitation would come later.
“You want to assess our numbers, ask me some questions, and once you have your answers, then you’ll invite us properly, right?”
“…That is correct.”
‘Of course, they’d have questions.’
Even though the symptoms of the Dark Omen occurred, the body should feel unbelievably comfortable. I don’t know the exact reason myself, but instead of just suppressing the symptoms, it even improved the overall condition.
“Dad, I’m going now.”
“But, Lala…”
“It’s fine. Everyone will be watching over me, right? I trust you all.”
The road in this part of town wasn’t even properly paved, making it difficult for a carriage to pick up speed.
Even if that weren’t the case, considering various factors, abducting me and escaping would be impossible.
Worst-case scenario, I’ll just jump out the window.
I might get a little hurt, but I wouldn’t die.
The massive carriage bore the emblem of Terminus—a mist flower.
I glanced around briefly before stepping inside.
“…You’re here.”
A woman, sitting quietly, spoke as I entered.
I scanned her briefly before taking a seat across from her.
“Hello. My name is Polaris.”
“No family name?”
“That’s private information, so it’s a sensitive matter.”
I stared at the woman in front of me.
“Are you Sister Selene? Or perhaps Lord Ekati? No…”
She remained silent.
“Doesn’t seem like either of them.”
A slight tremor ran through her neatly folded fingers.
“You sure know how to poke at sensitive topics without hesitation. What would you have done if you were wrong?”
“But I’m right, aren’t I?”
‘She doesn’t seem to recognize me at all.’
If she were Selene, there would have been no need for me to introduce myself again.
I had already told her my name was Lala before.
And if she were Ekati, she wouldn’t have calmly asked about my family name.
My surname wasn’t the kind of information she would be interested in.
‘So… three personalities.’
The reason why Terminus had been in seclusion—it was definitely because of the curse of the gods.
Being afflicted with such a curse was a terrible disgrace.
It meant that one’s soul bore the mark of sin, a stain so deep that they would never be forgiven by the two gods.
That was why those afflicted with the gods’ curse did everything they could to cure it—until then, they avoided showing themselves in public at all costs.
‘Three personalities… it must have been difficult to hide.’
Still, maybe that was the reason why, despite using so much power, the corruption hadn’t spread as quickly.
That thought led me to another realization.
‘Maybe Ekati didn’t share the details of the first Dark Omen with Selene or this person.’
“Yes, my name is Diana. I am the eldest of the three. Then perhaps the child Selene mentioned was you.”
“If it’s about Lala, then yes, that would be me.”
I clasped my hands together and took a deep breath.
“So, why did you seek me out?”
“Do you remember what happened in the forest yesterday?”
The moment I caught onto the truth about the gods’ curse, Diana immediately leaned toward me.
The act of turning one’s body toward the other person was a sign of deep focus on the conversation.
“Hmm, what is it? Ah, are you talking about how my dads caught those human traffickers?”
“…That is quite important as well. I will be sure to properly express my gratitude later.”
Slavery wasn’t illegal across the entire Western and Eastern continents.
To be precise, in the West, it was legal to enslave criminals, while in the East, it was completely abolished.
Regardless, neither side saw the practice as inherently wrong—especially among the upper class.
‘But considering how she reacted, she seems like someone I can trust to some extent.’
Many members of the Caelum pirate crew were former slaves.
At the very least, they needed to share a similar level of understanding on this topic.
The moment I brought up human trafficking, Diana let out a deep, genuine sigh.
‘And if it involves the Sixth House, things could get really interesting.’
As I calculated my next move, I nodded.
“Are you asking about that frightening incident?”
“Frightening… Yes, for a child your age, it must have been terrifying. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Mmm, it’s fine. It was resolved pretty quickly.”
“I see.”
Diana forced a gentle expression, but her eyes remained sharp—like a predator fixated on its prey.
‘If I were actually six years old, I probably would have burst into tears by now.’
But I was twenty-six. Not an actual six-year-old.
“Do you remember how you managed to resolve the situation?”
“…….”
“Surely, you noticed something unusual.”
“I did.”
I dropped the sweet, innocent tone I had been using.
“But who in their right mind would just hand over such valuable information so easily?”
“…….”
“Did you think I’d be easy to deal with just because I’m six years old, Lady Diana?”
I leaned back against the cushioned seat of the carriage.
As expected of such a high-class carriage, the cushions were quite comfortable.
“Why would I just give away such important information for free? I haven’t even heard what I’d get in return.”
“Hmm…”
“You’re not prepared for a proper negotiation. Not at all.”
“I… see.”
Diana, looking at a loss for words, could only nod absentmindedly.
It wasn’t surprising—someone in her position probably wasn’t used to being treated like this.
‘She must be feeling quite flustered.’
“Then… what do you want?”
“……..”
Her lack of experience in social interactions was obvious.
The moment she asked that question, the balance of power in this negotiation became clear.
For a brief moment, I felt a pang of guilt, as if I were taking advantage of an innocent person.
‘Still, I’ll make sure to properly compensate her, so she doesn’t need to worry.’
Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely sure if there was a cure for the darkness.
Oceannis and Compass Stones were abundant in the western continent, having been reprocessed into gemstones.
If those stones could truly cure the darkness, someone would have discovered it by now.
But then I reconsidered.
‘Maybe the answer lies in the pure energy of Cormare.’
Oceannis was a sea stone infused with the energy of Cormare.
However, when processed, it was exposed to auras and magic.
Aura was a power derived from humans, while magic drew from mana crystals embedded in the earth.
‘That means the sea’s energy has either weakened or been overwritten by other forces.’
People rarely bought unprocessed Oceannis stones.
If anyone did, it would be some eccentric researchers in secluded magic towers.
But for now, this is all just a theory.
‘I need to test it properly.’
Not only that, but I also needed a facility to develop a cure for Maddie’s Disease.
‘If I can solve the issues plaguing the Tenus Territory during that process, it’ll be beneficial for both sides.’
“Rather than demanding something right away, let’s talk about a problem I can definitely fix.”
After finishing my calculations, I flashed a bright smile.
“Isn’t there a strange disease spreading in the Tenus Territory right now?”
“How do you know that…?”
“I’ll take care of it. After all, I’m a genius.”
Diana looked utterly unconvinced.
I couldn’t blame her—I was only six years old, after all.
“But wasn’t I also the first person to find a way to treat the darkness, even if it was only a temporary solution? Does my age really matter?”
I tilted my head playfully.
“I can solve everything for you. The real question you should be asking yourself, Lady Diana, is not about my age…”
“…..…”
“It’s what kind of compensation you’ll offer me in return.”
