‘Damon and Arsene’s paternal grandfather visited the Duke of Gelon?’
Daniel wrinkled his brow and stood up for a moment.
‘If I hadn’t secretly gone to meet the children’s grandfather, I would have fallen into a trap for sure.’
The very first time he took Damon and Arsene.
Daniel was convinced that in the future, children would be drawn to unknown powers and miss their real family.
Just like in the past, when he had no relatives, when he didn’t even know where his roots were and had to ask Baron Butler.
He didn’t want to make the kids feel the same emptiness.
So he searched the children’s families and found only one.
[“These are the children I cannot raise. please… Your Highness, Grand Duke Prause, please take care of the children.”]
[“But the children would like you to have them.”]
[“Your Highness. I am only a hindrance to the future of God’s chosen children.”]
‘Hound was his name.’
The man said so and disappeared deeper into the forest.
Daniel thought he looked like a faithful priest who entrusted his fate and life to God.
What is the probability that such a man would accuse himself of being a kidnapper by suddenly wanting to see his grandson for no reason?
‘It would be more persuasive to say that he was being threatened or being forced into the scheme.’
Either way, it was a cruel story for children.
“Duke Gelon sent a letter, so I asked what it was about.”
He didn’t think the Duke of Gelon would stay still when there was so much pressure on all sides.
But it was unexpected to touch the children now.
“Your Highness. I received this box as well.”
The small box Baron handed over even a bloodline test scroll.
‘He even sent an expensive gift.’
Daniel opened the scroll to determine paternity or bloodline.
Because of the importance of paternity or bloodline, any aristocrat had heard of the use of this object.
Parents and children smear saliva or blood on both ends of the scroll. It was also possible to put a single strand of hair on top.
When information was entered on both sides, a magic scroll was activated to confirm the bloodline.
“We already have hair on one side.”
From the gray hair, it was evident that the hair belonged to an elderly man.
Daniel first took Damon’s pudding spoon and rubbed it on one end of the paternity scroll.
Gee!
The magic of the scroll was activated and the result came out soon.
[It turns out to be a close-blood relationship.]
‘Blood relations…The hair must belong to that man.’
Daniel, who looked at the result for a long time with his arms crossed, soon came to a conclusion.
“Frey. Can we talk for a moment?”
“Talk?”
“Baron. Take the knights and guard the children for a while.”
“I will, Your Highness.”
Order the knights to guard the children, who were sitting in chairs watching the game, then Daniel led Frey out of the barracks.
“What is it, Daniel?”
“I think we have a difficult problem, so I want to hear your opinion.”
After checking the letter from the Duke of Gelon and the scroll of paternity, Frey asked in a very small voice.
“Does Gelon really have the children’s paternal grandfather?”
“There’s no sign of manipulating the paternity scroll…so I’m guessing so. I Don’t know if the old man begged for the return of his kidnapped grandson, as the letter said.”
Like Daniel, Frey looked at the results of the paternity or bloodline scroll for a long time.
How will the children react when they hear that their blood-mixed, real paternal grandfather has appeared?
[“Please let me have parents who care for me too. Or even grandfather or grandmother….”]
Frey’s heart became more complicated as she remembered how she had prayed with her hands tightly together in her previous life whenever she was sad.
“Daniel. Do you know where the children’s real parents are?”
When Frey asked cautiously, Daniel spoke in a very small voice.
“I’ve been asking around for years after taking care of the children, but at that time, none of them are alive.”
The children didn’t know that their parents had already passed away.
Frey was silent for a moment to express her condolences.
“The children’s mother died first, and the father died of illness a long time later. Instead of investigating them, they left me a letter asking me to be the father of the children.”
“Ah… ”
Daniel sat quietly under the barracks and looked at Damon and Arsene waiting for him.
“I couldn’t tell the children that their real parents were dead, so I just told them I didn’t know where they were, and now that I think about it again, I don’t think that was a good choice.”
Daniel made a bitter face.
‘Wouldn’t children who find out the truth belatedly be more hurt because of our foolish decision to hide the truth?’
The thought felt like a weight on her shoulders.
Frey hesitated, then took his hand carefully.
“Of course, children will be heartbroken to know that the parents they thought they would meet one day have all passed away.”
Daniel’s gaze was distracted by Frey’s sad eyes as if it were his own.
“But you didn’t do it on purpose to hurt the children, right?”
“….”
“I didn’t intend to kidnap the transcendental children and use them as I please, as Duke Gelon claims.”
Frey gently stroked Daniel’s hand.
“Because you know how sad it is for children to have no parents, right?”
‘Because you’ve been through that kind of pain, so you know that.’
Frey’s watery eyes seemed to say just that.
Daniel felt a tingle in his chest as if he had been comforted by that look in Frey’s eyes.
‘Frey. You really…’
Daniel savored the unknown gloom for a moment and said.
“I don’t want to be fooled by Duke Gelon’s tricks, but I’d like to meet the grandfather of the children he said he had.”
Frey imagined what kind of trap the Duke of Gelon would set and wait for them.
“Looking at the letter he sent, it seems that Duke Gelon is convinced that Damon and Arsene are transcendental beings.”
“They intend to make me a transcendent abductor at the same time as revealing that fact to people.”
Frey frowned and looked at Daniel.
“Then why don’t we explain the situation to the children first and then do this?”
* * *
As dinner time drew near, the employees of the imperial palace became busy laying out white tablecloths and carrying tableware.
It was the same as a banquet on behalf of the imperial family, but since it was held outdoors, there were many differences from the banquet hall dinner.
“Madam, I’m done setting up the table.”
“Okay. When the guests arrive, you can direct them to the table written on this paper.”
The maid, who was looking through the paper she had been handed over, was confused.
“Do the Duke of Gelon and Grand Duke Prause share the same table?”
“They both sent letters urgently, so we have to follow them.”
Usually, when eating at a small table outdoors, it was customary to use one table per family or to share seats with close families.
‘But Gelon and Prause, they’re opposites… right?’
The maid wondered if they were going to declare war on each other’s territory over dinner, but she couldn’t help it because the two families requested it.
“This way, His Highness, Duke of Gelon.”
The maid did her duty.
Duke Gelon smiled as he sat down at a table decorated with fancy candlesticks and tableware.
‘How confident he must have been since he had two human weapons.’
The duke sat Lydia on his lap and gently fed her a snack to get the information he wanted.
[“Lydia. If you tell me about those children…, next time, let’s hold hands and go for a walk together.”]
[“….!”]
[“Tahar and Garnet are coming with us, If we bring some simple snacks, we can have a good time.”]
Even she put so much effort into her education. Lydia was still tempted when Duke mentioned family time and snacks.
[“Da, Damon…”]
The child cried and answered the question sincerely.
Lydia had a lot of information about Damon and Arsene, from what kind of transcendent they were to the fact that they hadn’t even completed their second awakening yet.
[“Thank you, Lydia.”]
Having obtained the desired information, Duke Gelon stood up.
There was no thought of going to a picnic these days when the emperor was ill and the people’s support for Tahar was faltering.
Because she has been overdoing it by putting the transcendental’s abilities on the scroll, Lydia wouldn’t even think of a picnic for the time being.
Duke Gelon was busy. He couldn’t sleep for fear of his plan going wrong until he found the man, who was standing behind his back now.
“If Grand Duke Prause brings the children, make sure to handle them without mistakes.”
“I will keep that in mind, Your Highness the Duke.”
The name of the man standing behind him is Jason.
He had a resemblance to the two children of Grand Duke Prause, who were said to be born out of wedlock.
On the paternity identification scroll sent to the Grand Duke, the hair of Hound, the children’s real grandfather, was attached, and this man was just a substitute.
“When the grand duke arrives, kneel down and cry and ask for your grandsons he kidnapped back. So that everyone can hear it.”
“Well, if I do that—”
“I’ll give you the gold coins as promised immediately.”
“…!”
Jason swallowed dryly, thinking about where to spend the gold coins he received.
‘I never thought the day would come when I would benefit from my looks at this age.’
‘Damon and Arsene.’
He was lucky to resemble the two children.
It was around the time Jason and Duke Gelon laughed.
“The Holy Knights gather at the Western Lake immediately!”
“There has been a report that one of the knights is carrying the Fog of Fall!”
The Holy Knight who was located everywhere suddenly began to move busily.
‘Have a Fog of Fall? How stupid…’
Duke Gelon, who was waiting for Prause and his party without any change in his expression, frowned a moment later.
“Which knight is so fearless?”
“I hear it’s one of Lord Carlton’s knights.”
* * *
