Chapter 10
“Huff! Nngh!”
The boy was heavy. Since he was four years older than me, he must be twelve years old now.
But he must’ve trained hard—his arms and shoulders were firm and muscular beyond his age, which made him feel even heavier.
If he hadn’t been the male lead, I would’ve just thrown him aside and said, “Not my problem.”
“Ugh! Just a little farther…”
Grunting, I crept along carefully, making sure not to be spotted. I headed for the small escape hole I’d memorized while wandering the mansion.
“Made it!”
After lowering Gabriel into the bushes, I wiped my sweat-soaked forehead and examined the escape hole.
“Will he fit?”
It looked like he could squeeze through just fine.
I had originally planned to use this spot for sneaking out myself, without anyone knowing.
‘If I just push him through like this, will he be okay? Or… what if he… dies or something?’
Uneasy, I crouched next to the unconscious Gabriel again and placed a finger under his nose to check for breath.
“Why’d you have to collapse in front of me of all people…”
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Meanwhile…
Sears was thinking about his daughters.
Hildea was smart and composed, always calm and a little shy.
Rosériel, on the other hand, was bold, commanding, and had an easy warmth that drew people to her naturally.
Different personalities, but both were daughters he adored—so precious it hurt just to imagine harm befalling them.
But now—
“Haa. It’s about time to announce the girls’ blessed words…”
Damn these ancient traditions.
Why did everyone act like starving wolves when it came to someone else’s blessing?
“The real problem is Hildea’s prophecy…”
Sears grinded his teeth.
Even the Emperor, pretending not to care, was undoubtedly curious.
In his youth, Sears had served as the Emperor’s sword, loyal and steadfast. But after that, his heart had belonged entirely to Elizabeth—and from then on, his daughters became his entire world.
If the Emperor or the nobility ever tried to use or harm them, he wouldn’t hesitate. He’d throw away his title, his status, everything—and flee the empire with them.
That was how deeply he loved them. And how deeply he worried.
“Rosériel ’s prophecy was ‘You shall bloom gloriously .’ A blessing adored by all, but a dangerous one nonetheless.”
From that prophecy, Rosériel was granted a mystical charm.
The way she walked, light as a fairy; her laughter, like dew drops in a forest; even just the act of saying someone’s name—every little thing pulled people in and made them like her instinctively.
Even enemies who meant her harm would let their guard down, charmed in an instant.
Just a split second of lowered defenses could lead to life-altering consequences.
Rosériel ’s path was filled with subtle dangers.
But our Hil…
Even Hildea herself didn’t know her prophecy yet.
When they first heard it, Elizabeth went pale. Sears almost collapsed from the shock.
The priest delivering it had simply repeated the words from the High Priest:
“The young lady has no fate.”
“What…? What did you just say?”
“Yes. She has no destiny. That is her blessing.”
“How… how can that be a blessing?!”
“There is no set fate. That is all the message said.”
“No set fate?”
Sears had pondered it for a long time.
Was that truly a bad thing, as the priests seemed to imply?
After all, Hildea had begun reading at an unusually early age. Her speech was fluent far beyond her years.
She absorbed all kinds of knowledge. It was as if she were living a second life—she excelled in every lesson, from noble etiquette to advanced academics.
Unlike Rosériel, who laughed foolishly even while playing wildly, Hildea was clearly different.
But that can’t be her power.
That’s what worried him. What if the blessing had another meaning?
If someone has no destiny, doesn’t that also mean they can change destiny?
When nothing is written, anything can be written.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
Hildea was trying too hard.
Even from afar, one could see how that small child was struggling and pushing herself—so much so that those around her were distressed just watching.
As if she had to do it.
Her diligence was admirable, but it also looked like she was being chased by something… always anxious, fearful.
‘Is it because her parents failed to give her a sense of security?’
She was only eight, and yet Hildea had already completed all the foundational studies of the intermediate academy.
Could it be that she’s so smart that she even remembers what happened back then…?
Sears buried his face in his hands and sighed.
It pained him to think of how he had neglected her in his foolishness before Elizabeth left.
Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to be as openly affectionate with Hildea as he was with Rosériel. What if Hildea thought she was being treated differently because of that?
She’s just… too precious.
So shy and easily embarrassed—whenever anyone spoke to her, Hildea would avert her gaze or freeze, blinking silently.
And yet when Rosériel spoke, she would just quietly watch her sister, her eyes filled with a kind of heartbreaking longing.
That’s why he had looked forward to her eighth birthday so much.
Even that shy little girl might smile if she liked the gift enough.
Hildea had, quite remarkably, been building up her stamina through running—an unusual training method for a noble child.
Since noble children typically didn’t wear comfortable shoes suited for that kind of activity, Sears had agonized over it before finally deciding to commission a custom-made pair just for her.
From then on, many hands became involved.
“I’ll do it! I will!”
“Rosériel? You want to?”
To his surprise, the detailed design and functionality of the shoes were drawn up by the ever-cheerful Rosériel.
Gifted with a natural talent for drawing, she had sketched out something that no one else had even imagined.
It was incredible. My daughters truly are geniuses.
Then came his part.
He poured in astronomical resources and manpower.
Looking at the shoes, layered with every possible defensive and offensive enchantment, Sears made up his mind: he would continue to give his daughters gifts like this, no matter what.
The world is just too dangerous.
Hildea, of course, had no idea.
She had no clue what kind of artifact her shoes really were.
Nor did Sears want her to know that even the child of House Hillington could be exposed to such threats.
Especially within this mansion—if anyone ever tried to harm her, or if she were ever driven to run in fear—
A warning would be triggered, summoning every knight in the estate.
Just then, the door creaked open, and soft footsteps echoed through the room. A small head peeked in and met his eyes.
“Rosériel, can’t sleep?”
“Daddy, my sister’s not here.”
“She must’ve gone running again.”
“She tries too hard. I wanted to sleep next to her.”
“Come here. Daddy will cuddle you.”
“No! I’m the one who’s going to cuddle you!”
The child dashed forward and leapt into his arms.
Her laughter was as clear and pure as a bell.
Seeing her smile so happily, Sears thought of Hildea—clutching the shoes, smiling shyly.
If only she smiled like that more often…
No. No, that’s not good either. If she smiles like that too often, unnecessary pests might start clinging to her.
Just imagining some brat boldly claiming he wanted to date Hildea made Sears feel murderous.
Even his lovely second daughter, Rosériel —
“Daddy, are you sad?”
He was so lost in his doting thoughts that it took a moment for him to understand what Rosériel had said.
“Why do you say that?”
“Today’s a happy day… but also a sad one.”
When he looked down, she was blinking up at him, pointing at something with her hand.
Ah.
“You mean your mother.”
“Yeah. Mom left us behind.”
“She didn’t leave. She sent you two into this world.”
“Pfft. Isn’t that the same thing?”
“No, it’s not. It’s different.”
Once upon a time, he’d had foolish thoughts about it too. But now Sears knew better than anyone:
Hildea. Rosériel.
His two daughters were gifts he wouldn’t trade for anything.
Even if it were Elizabeth here in his place, she would say the same thing.
“It’s a day I miss Elizabeth, yes. But it’s also the day you two were born. For me, it’s the happiest, most joyful day of the year. So don’t think your father is sad.”
“Okay. I like you the best in the whole world, Daddy.”
He pinched her cheek gently as she grinned at him.
“You’re a good liar. I know you like your sister the most.”
“Ah! You caught me!”
Just then—
The mansion’s alarm blared.
Sears’s face hardened as he gently sat Rosériel in his chair and stood up.
The signal had come from the shoes he’d given Hildea.
If something had happened to that calm, unshakable child—
It’s serious.
He opened his mouth to explain the situation to Rosériel, but she had already planted herself firmly in the chair, arms crossed and speaking in a solemn whisper:
“Rosériel will be brave and stay right here.”
“…Don’t move, don’t come out.”
“Yep! I’ll be here. Bring Sister back and hold her hand, okay? Promise, Daddy!”
He smiled, tightly gripped her small hand, and ran out like the wind.
Hildea!
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In the novel, nothing like this happened—does he have a weak heart or something?
“What do I do with you…”
If I called for help to save him, I’d definitely be caught.
But if I just left him outside, I had no idea whether someone would rescue Gabriel.
Honestly, this wasn’t even something I had to be desperate about, but… for some reason, I just couldn’t leave him.
I bit my lip hard and recalled the bird that had flown away with an injured wing.
Maybe… maybe my ability works on people, too.
It was a gamble.
But it was Gabriel. I just knew he wouldn’t die like this.
I reached out and placed my hand on the unconscious boy’s chest.
I wasn’t sure if it would work—but doing something was better than nothing.
After a few attempts, I had managed to consciously use my power. I closed my eyes and whispered over and over in my mind: I want to heal him.
Then, I felt something warm drain from my body, spreading gently into his.
It worked!
I clearly saw his fading breaths return to normal pace and rhythm.
With a deep sigh of relief, I pushed Gabriel through the hole in the wall without hesitation.
“It was disgusting meeting you. Let’s never meet again.”
Ah, and I even kindly wrapped the blanket around him—one I’d been wearing to keep my lips from freezing in the cold.
That was all I could do.
I hoped he wouldn’t hold a grudge against Hillington. And I hoped… he wouldn’t remember me.
“I’m someone who’s barely keeping myself alive, Gabriel.”
At that time, I had no idea.
Just like how a small butterfly’s wings can cause great ripples somewhere else, I had no clue what consequences my small decision would bring.
Nor did I realize what chaos would unfold because Gabriel hadn’t taken the token he was supposed to steal.
“Agh… what now?”
All I could do was sigh as I watched the Hillington mansion erupt in chaos, flashing with search lights—clearly aware that someone had trespassed.
And so, when I trudged back into the mansion…
The first thing to greet me wasn’t a scolding or angry glare—
But a powerful embrace.
Huh?
“Hildea! My girl!”
My forehead thunked against a broad chest—but when I looked up, it was my father hugging me tightly.
