Doah’s expression grew serious as she read the letter from beginning to end.
She read it again. And once more.
Was there another meaning hidden between the lines?
She widened her eyes and read carefully.
The cursive handwriting was elegant and pristine, like it had been engraved on copper plates.
It indicated a high level of education.
As Doah continued to cling to the letter, Robern asked,
“B-rank? Is there something bad written in it?”
Doah finally tore her gaze away from the letter.
Her green eyes flickered, following the sparks of the campfire.
Watching the wavering flames, Doah asked,
“Do you know anything about the Elmond Duchy?”
Robern hummed, crossing his legs and resting his clasped hands on his knee.
“The Elmond Duchy has grown significantly stronger in the past two or three generations. The territory itself was barren, but they discovered beautiful dyes from the stones there.”
Surprised by how easily the story flowed, Doah turned her gaze to him.
“Those dyed fabrics spread across the seven countries, fluttering in the markets. They were even used in portraits and paintings. You could say they had a knack for business. That’s probably why you’ve heard of them.”
Robern smiled gracefully.
“Nobles usually think working with their own hands is beneath them. So, some looked down on the duchy for trying to revitalize their land. Anyway, the Elmond Duchy is now the wealthiest on the continent. But more importantly…”
Robern fixed his gaze on Doah’s green eyes and added,
“The previous Duke’s romantic scandal is famous.”
“A romantic scandal?”
Doah repeated the words, tasting them in her mouth.
“What kind of scandal?”
“If you tell me what the letter says, I’ll tell you the rest.”
“Ugh.”
Doah grumbled quietly and asked,
“But how do you know all this so well?”
“Because I’m the emperor.”
At Robern’s answer, Doah chuckled and folded the letter.
Khunak asked,
“Does it contain bad news?”
“Bad news? More like ridiculous news.”
Doah waved the letter like a fan and said,
“The Elmond Duke called me ‘sister.’”
❖ ❖ ❖
Cold-blooded.
A collector of severed heads.
The nicknames for the Duke of Elmond were undoubtedly filled with contempt.
Having inherited the title at a young age, Elmond faced countless threats from those eager to devour the wealthy duchy.
Even his own king was just one of those threats.
So, it was only natural for him to develop a ruthless and unyielding demeanor.
His retainers and subjects supported their young lord.
The duchy remained wealthy and had grown even stronger.
Even if the previous generation built everything perfectly, it would be meaningless if the next generation ruined it.
But the Duke of Elmond defied that rule.
For Arkan, the Duke’s close knight, it was both surprising and intriguing to see his lord in such a rare, cheerful mood.
“My lord, is there good news?”
“There is.”
Seeing the Duke of Elmond smiling brightly lifted Arkan’s spirits as well.
As a young and loyal knight, he bowed respectfully.
“I don’t know what it is, but congratulations.”
Elmond chuckled.
“It might be too soon to celebrate, but I should tell you. I think I’ve found sister Doah.”
Sister.
A noble would typically use more refined language when addressing an older sister.
But Elmond’s use of ‘sister’ was filled with an unmistakable warmth, like that of a teenage boy.
Arkan’s face brightened as well.
Having worked in the Elmond household for years, he was well aware of the duchy’s lost daughter.
“You’ve found Lady Doah?”
“Yes.”
Elmond nodded, his eyes skimming the additional reports sent by the information guild.
Truthfully, he had half given up hope.
“My parents…”
He lifted his gaze toward the family portrait hanging on the wall.
In the painting, a woman with brown hair and beautiful green eyes smiled gently.
Beside her stood a proud little boy—himself.
Behind them, his father rested a hand on his mother’s chair.
It was the portrait of a happy family.
The skilled painter had even captured the faint sorrow hidden in his parents’ smiles.
“They had my sister before they officially married.
But my mother lost her during that time.”
His mother had always been tormented by the memory of leaving her young daughter behind.
At one point, her grief led to sleepwalking, worrying everyone in the household.
Though his father promised over and over to find her, his mother could only shake her head.
From the moment he was old enough to understand, his mother told him stories about Doah.
As an only child, the sister he imagined became someone extraordinary and familiar.
Many times, he begged to meet her, only to make his mother cry.
The inability to speak about her only fueled his imagination further.
‘If only I had a sister.’
Whenever he saw other children with siblings, he would pout and sulk.
As he grew older, he began to pity her instead.
‘She must be suffering.’
How painful must it have been to be left alone at such a young age?
Knowing she had green eyes, he worried she might be exploited somewhere.
Eventually, he understood why his father searched so discreetly.
It was because of his mother’s family.
If they discovered Doah’s existence, no one could predict how they might react.
Even Ekhard, the duke himself, was well aware of that danger.
A woman with green eyes, bearing the unique southern name Kim Doah.
His own middle name, Doun, was also a southern name given by his mother.
But since he always used only the initials, no one knew his full middle name anymore.
Ekhard D. Elmond.
That was the name everyone knew him by.
‘But seriously…’
Ekhard stared at the documents once more.
‘After all this time, she’s appeared?’
If only it had happened while his mother—or even his father—was still alive.
His sister was now an active adventurer.
A rising star, known as a B-rank adventurer, who had even cleared an A-rank dungeon solo.
‘Of course, she’s my sister.’
He couldn’t hold back his smile.
The urge to boast was unbearable.
He wanted to proudly puff out his chest and declare, ‘This is my sister!’
Unable to contain himself, Ekhard confided the news to his loyal knight, Arkan.
Arkan, a wolfkin with dignified gray fur and elegant amber eyes, listened to his lord’s excited rambling with genuine joy.
“I see! I see!” he nodded sincerely, his bushy tail swaying side to side.
“At first, she said she wouldn’t even read the letter. She thought, ‘It might be something I can’t respond to immediately.’ She’s my sister, after all. Isn’t she smart?”
By now, it would be fair to call him a doting fool, but Arkan simply nodded along.
For someone to brush off a letter from the prestigious Elmond Duchy like that…
It truly confirmed she was the Duke’s sister.
Ekhard chuckled bitterly and sighed.
“To be honest, I can’t be sure. She might resent me.”
After all, from Doah’s perspective, the truth could seem twisted, ‘My mother abandoned me for a luxurious life as a Duchess. Now that I’m famous, the duchy suddenly wants me back.’
It wasn’t hard to imagine her thinking that way.
“No, if she’s truly your sister, she’ll understand.”
Arkan spoke firmly, his conviction a comforting balm.
Ekhard murmured, “You think so?”
“Why not write another letter and explain the situation? Lady Doah likely knows nothing about what happened on this side.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Ekhard nodded to himself.
Truthfully, he had picked up the pen several times before but always hesitated, worried he might seem too forceful.
After all, once someone starts interpreting words with suspicion, everything can sound offensive.
But with Arkan’s gentle encouragement, he found the courage to pick up the pen again.
At least the duchy was thriving.
If nothing else, he hoped she’d realize they weren’t searching for her because of wealth or fame.
With that thought, Ekhard, the Duke of Elmond—Doun reached for the finest paper he owned and began to write.
❖ ❖ ❖
Doah realized one simple fact.
Traveling quietly with these two was impossible.
Traveling with Khunak and Robern was like carrying life-sized cutouts in both hands.
Wherever they went, they drew attention.
Staying at an inn in a quiet village to collect her thoughts?
Impossible.
Everywhere they went, people gasped.
“Oh my, the Black Dragon Khunak!”
“No way, Emperor Robern!”
And when they entered a bustling city, the reactions got even worse.
“Look, it’s the Super Rookie, Doah!”
Unlike Gran, nearly 80% of Vienari’s population seemed to be Thules.
Doah didn’t mind being surrounded by their soft, fluffy fur, but…
In the end, she decided to avoid villages altogether.
The group stuck to mountain paths, camping out under the stars.
During those quiet walks, Doah’s mind often spiraled back to the Duke of Elmond’s letter.
After she dropped the bombshell—”The Duke of Elmond called me ‘sister?'”—Robern had given her a bewildered look.
“That can’t be right. The Duke is at least five years older than you.”
“That’s the problem here?”
Doah blurted out without thinking, and Khunak looked equally puzzled.
“Does the Duke not realize Lady Doah is too young to be his older sister?”
“No. Is age really the issue here?”
Robern chuckled.
“Unless your mother somehow jumped through time, you can’t possibly be his sister.”
Bingo.
He had meant it as a joke, but it was spot-on.
Khunak tilted his head.
“Even the greatest mage can’t defy time.”
The conversation veered off track, but Doah’s thoughts raced.
‘Terrifying. An S-rank observation. It’s a joke, yet it’s also the truth.’
Through the World Tree Travel Agency, time didn’t flow in a straight line.
The timeline didn’t move forward in a single direction.
‘Isn’t this exactly why marrying a time traveler would be complicated?’
From her mother’s perspective, Doah was born first—of course she’d think of Doah as the older sibling.
Everyone else would assume the same.
But the timeline had twisted.
‘But how do I even begin to explain this to anyone?’
“Well, now that you mention it, the current Duke of Elmond is an Azure Nazac.”
At Robern’s words, Doah blinked in surprise.
“Really?”
“Yeah, not as purely as you, B-rank, of course. Just green eyes, nothing more.”
“Green eyes, huh…”
Green eyes.
Her mother’s son.
The words came back to her. “My daughter must have green eyes, too.”
So, her mother had returned here.
Abandoned her.
Remarried.
Left her behind.
Married a Duke and lived happily ever after.
Meanwhile, Doah had been poor, hungry, lonely, and miserable.
But the Duke’s letter? It was lighthearted and carefree.
The tone of someone raised in comfort, with a high-level education.
It stung.
She never had the chance to study properly—she had to work.
The bitterness of drinking tap water.
The struggle of lacking basic necessities.
The discomfort of communal living without a space of her own.
Even the luxurious stationery felt like an insult.
He’s probably never gone hungry.
Never known life outside a mother’s love.
‘Ah.’
Doah shook her head, forcing herself to stop.
Enough.
She clenched her teeth.
If Josephine were here, she’d cry into her arms.
If Rakshasha were around, she’d bury her face in that soft fur.
‘If only Elibas were here.’
Doah suddenly stood, stuffing the letter into her backpack.
“I need meat.”
Khunak simply nodded.
That was the end of it.
They never spoke of the Duke of Elmond again.
No one asked, “How can this be if you’re from the Southern Continent?”
No one demanded an explanation.
‘They’re both good people.’
Doah smiled faintly at the thought.
Just then, something struck her head.
“Ow! What the—?”
Rubbing her head, she glanced down—and her eyes widened.
A bright red fruit.
A big one.
“A cherry?!”
Looking up, she realized they were surrounded by wild cherry trees.
Every branch was heavy with ripe, red cherries.
The birds were having a feast.
“Wow!”
Doah’s eyes sparkled.
She loved cherries.
But cherries flown in by plane were expensive.
She never got to eat enough to her heart’s content.
But here and now…!
Looking around, Doah asked,
“Can we eat these? It’s not someone’s farm, right?”
Khunak reached up, plucked a perfectly ripe cherry, and placed it in her hand.
“Help yourself. If it’s a wild tree, it practically belongs to the Azure Nazac.”
“I don’t know why, but I’m ready to cheer for the Azure Nazac!”
Doah popped the cherry into her mouth.
Crisp, juicy, and…
“Sour!”
She yelped.
Wild cherries packed quite a punch.
The flavor was intense but mouth-puckering.
“So, this is the taste of the wild? Are these cherries mocking my modern palate, spoiled by cultivated fruit?”
But after finding some riper ones, the taste became bearable.
Spitting out the pit, Doah grinned and changed her plans entirely.
“Let’s pick cherries!”
Robern arched an eyebrow.
“Are you seriously suggesting I, the emperor, partake in such a menial task?”
“Labor is sacred.”
“But didn’t you just say they were sour? You’re not even going to finish them.”
Doah smirked.
“Ever heard of cherry brandy preserves?”
