Leisha was sitting in a chair, gazing up at the sky.
It wasn’t the chair she usually sat in on the top floor. It was a different chair, one she was sitting in for the first time, with a unique texture.
The feeling of the wind, the warm sunlight, the fresh scent of grass.
She was sitting in a chair in the turret garden.
It had been kept spotless, as if waiting for someone to sit in it someday. How many years had it been maintained like that?
The world outside the turret, a place she had no intention or desire to leave—unless it was to sync with someone.
But instead of soaking it all in, Leisha quietly closed her eyes.
“…How is he?”
[Chirp!]
“I see… That’s a relief.”
She felt relieved after hearing about Kyle’s condition from the sparrow spirit that had flown to the Duke’s estate.
It had been a day since she left the turret to save Kyle.
After carrying him to the priests at the Duke’s estate and confirming his condition had improved, Leisha immediately rushed back to the turret as if fleeing.
She ignored her father, who had hurried over upon hearing she’d left the turret, and the servants who tried to stop her.
She tried her best not to see anyone’s face or hear anyone’s voice as she ran to the turret’s front gate.
“………”
Instead of heading straight to her room, Leisha rested in the garden.
The courtyard outside the turret, where she had taken her first step, unexpectedly gave her a sense of security similar to being inside the turret.
Was it because it was still enclosed by walls? Or because there was no one there except her and the spirits?
One thing was clear: all of this was thanks to Kyle.
That’s why Leisha had been sending the sparrow spirit to keep an eye on Kyle’s condition.
‘I want to see him.’
She wanted to see him. She wanted to hold Kyle’s hand again. She wanted to feel his warmth.
Even though it wasn’t too late, she wanted to be there when Kyle regained consciousness. She wanted to thank him.
But more than that.
“Come in.”
“Ah, ah, Miss…”
“I’ll just listen. I won’t say anything to you. Just keep talking. If I tell you to leave, then leave.”
“…Yes.”
Because overcoming her trauma bit by bit would be the greatest thanks she could give Kyle.
While keeping an eye on Kyle through the sparrow spirit, Leisha looked at the maid who had started speaking nervously.
…Even though the gender was completely different, the face overlapped with her uncle’s. The woman’s voice gradually sounded like a man’s.
At first, it was fine. It was just like when he was kind to her as a child.
But then.
“S-so, yesterday, I was cleaning—’It hurts!’—with my coworkers—’It hurts!’—and doing the dishes together—’You b*tch!’—so…”
Gradually, screams echoed. Swearing echoed. Resentment directed at her echoed.
The maid—no, her uncle—was now glaring at Leisha with wide eyes. His neck was twisted grotesquely, blood gushing from his shoulders, arms, and neck, his limbs flailing wildly as he resisted.
That was the very trauma she feared. The mark deeply etched in her heart, even though she was the victim and it had been self-defense.
Even though she had always trembled in fear at the thought of seeing that face in her dreams.
Leisha clenched her teeth, tearing at her clothes bit by bit as she desperately held on.
Of course, it was hard and painful.
‘Kyle must have gone through even worse.’
That’s why she faced her trauma, little by little.
Until now, she had only avoided and run away.
Now, Leisha Everts had a friend and an understanding person she could always rely on.
Leisha Everts was not afraid.
*
“………….”
An unfamiliar ceiling. For some reason, it reminds me of when I was first reincarnated into this world.
Back then, I was a baby, thinking about unfamiliar ceilings and whatnot.
After finishing some rather silly thoughts, I quietly sat up.
‘My left arm…’
*Crack.*
Probably because I had been lying down for so long, my joints creaked, but I didn’t feel the same pain as before.
It was just a bit uncomfortable, wrapped tightly in bandages, but it seemed to have healed properly.
‘If we’re just talking about healing, this place is better than the original world.’
There are priests here, and Natura’s life mages too.
Considering the people stationed at the Duke’s castle, they could probably bring someone back from the brink of death.
…Well, that’s probably why I’m fine now.
‘Honestly, I pushed myself too hard.’
My left arm was half gone from the first day, but by the second and third days, I had pushed it so hard that I couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.
Actually, the spirits did most of the work, and I just dodged the occasional attacks while climbing up.
It felt like being a soldier running through a battlefield filled with bullets and bombs.
Every time the spirits’ teeth or attacks narrowly missed me, my heart sank.
Luckily, there were no fatal injuries, but I must have passed out from losing too much blood from the wounds.
Still, it was a relief that I held on until Leisha faced her trauma.
[Grrr!]
“Ah, Tiger!”
As I was lost in thought, the familiar growl of the Water Tiger came, and it jumped into my arms.
Since Leisha’s issue was resolved, it must have returned to its original size, but it seemed to have stayed small and cute for my sake.
Moreover, being a Water Spirit, just having it close by made me feel energized.
‘If I had just one spirit like this, I wouldn’t be afraid of anything.’
It had been with Leisha the longest, and even when Leisha rejected it and its power was extremely weakened, it managed to break through all the darkened spirits. It must be the strongest among Leisha’s spirits.
When I traveled with it, the Water Tiger also became a reliable guard, and since we could communicate, I wanted to keep traveling with it, even if it meant bowing my head to Leisha.
It would be great if I could make a contract with the Water Tiger, but…
‘I have no talent.’
Making a contract with a spirit isn’t something you can do just because you’ve become close enough to communicate. Spirits are like water, and a Spirit Master’s vessel is fixed, so if the water is larger than the vessel, it will overflow.
Moreover, I couldn’t even hold the lowest-level spirit, so my vessel, or talent, was nonexistent.
Making a contract with a spirit like the Water Tiger was just a dream. Traveling together was the best I could hope for.
“Young, Young Master.”
“Ah, Sal…ly?”
“Young Mastereeee…!!”
As soon as I weakly greeted Sally, who came in with a wet towel and opened the door,
She burst into tears, threw the towel, and ran over to hug me.
Wow, her strength…
“Young Master, you got so hurt…!!”
“…Sorry.”
“Why, why did you do that? Is that princess really that important to you…?”
Hmm.
Well, that’s true.
“Sally, I thought of you.”
“…”
Leisha’s suffering… it reminded me of you in the past. I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to it.”
At the somewhat awkward remark, Sally hugged her even tighter. It seemed like a sufficient response.
Even though she received treatment every day as soon as she returned from the turret, she always came back covered in wounds after breaking through the Spirit Technique and the spirits, so it was no wonder Sally was anxious.
Still, Leisha’s trauma was a truly urgent matter.
While patting Sally’s back, Adela quietly approached.
“You’re awake.”
“Adela, I’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”
“Trouble? What are you talking about? No matter how much I tried to stop you, you kept getting hurt and coming back. It’s my fault for not being able to protect the Honorary Elder of the Tower.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“As long as you understand.”
Adela’s calm but sharp words made her raise the white flag, and Adela nodded with an expressionless face before sitting lightly on the bed.
Me, Sally, Adela, and the Water Tiger. The usual members who always traveled together, but something felt missing.
Was it because the Water Tiger and Leisha didn’t sync well?
Even though I hadn’t realized it until now, knowing it made me feel empty.
Still, this group was the most comfortable, so I smiled at that moment.
“Kyle Byron, are you awake?”
“I’m awake, Your Grace.”
Duke Nicholas opened the door and entered.
The Duke stopped me as I tried to greet him, pulling a chair over and sitting down.
“First, I must say this. Really… thank you. I owe you a great debt once again.”
“How is the Princess?”
“You were unconscious, so you wouldn’t have seen. My daughter carried you on her back and ran out of the turret.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Although she returned to the turret immediately, both her trauma and stepping outside… it’s all a step forward.”
After saying that, the Duke closed his eyes for a moment, then grimaced.
And then.
“To be honest, I’ve been starting to see Leisha as… a problem child.”
“…”
“Before what happened to Leisha, even I thought I wasn’t a good father. I didn’t give her enough love. It wasn’t until my damn brother tried to assault Leisha, and her spirit bit him to death, that I realized what I had done wrong.”
It was a confession.
Even though Sally, Adela, and the Water Tiger were listening beside us.
The Duke was only looking at me as he spoke.
“At first, I tried to pour love back into Leisha. But before that, my daughter shut herself in the turret. I tried to talk to her, but after being repeatedly rejected, I left her alone. If that could calm her wounded heart, it was enough.”
However.
Time passed.
“One year, three years, over seven years passed.”
“…”
“That was too long a time. Enough time for my heart, which was only worried about my daughter, to slowly change.”
The Duke, who had only felt guilt towards Leisha.
Started to get annoyed with her little by little.
“I’m trying so hard, so why won’t my daughter talk to me even once? How much longer do I have to wait? Ten years? Twenty years? Until I grow old and die? Was Leisha’s wound that deep? I slowly fell into confusion.”
The Duke paused for a moment.
I wanted to talk to Leisha even once, and that’s why I wanted her to come out of the turret.
It wasn’t care or guilt toward her anymore—it was starting to morph into something else entirely.
“When I first met you, that’s how I felt too. It’s not going to work out anyway. But let’s give it a try. That’s all I thought. After you met Leisha, I couldn’t help but feel empty, wondering why you wouldn’t meet with me.”
“………I see.”
“But now… I’m just grateful to you.”
“You should say those words to the Princess as well.”
“If I can talk to my daughter someday………that’s what I plan to do.”
In the end, everything was just the Duke’s excuse. Not giving love, not noticing his brother’s dark intentions, being too late—it was all his fault.
So this was a confession. The Duke was confessing his sins to me.
Why was that, though?
“Kyle Byron, no… my son-in-law.”
“……Are you serious?”
“You brought up the engagement letter, so isn’t it obvious? You’re no longer an outsider to the Everts Duke’s House.”
In the Duke’s mind, it seemed like I had already married Leisha and become part of the Duke’s family.
……And maybe that’s exactly how things would play out.
For some reason, Adela’s gaze and Sally’s arm strength seemed to intensify, but I faced the Duke anyway.
“Did Lord Byron send a reply?”
“He did. But he said he’d respect your decision. It’s technically the second son’s marriage, and a family matter at that, but it was a bold choice.”
Since I hold Frederick’s inheritance rights, marrying Leisha and becoming part of the Everts Duke’s House would mean giving up the family head position, as Roderick said.
And that would mean losing a safety net for unforeseen circumstances, potentially risking the family’s continuity. Naturally, it was a decision to be made at the Byron family level.
Maybe there’s still some lingering guilt toward me over various things.
My father left everything up to me.
When I first heard about the engagement, I ignored it because Leisha’s situation was urgent, but now that it’s resolved, it feels overwhelmingly real.
While I was pondering how to respond…
A small sound came from the window.
[Whoosh!]
“………Huh?”
“It’s the little chirper.”
A familiar sparrow spirit I’d seen at the Magic Tower flew in through the window.
And in its beak, it dropped a single card in front of me.
……A face-down Spirit Poker card.
“Duke, I apologize. It seems I need to visit the Princess for a moment.”
“Go ahead. By the way, that card…?”
“The board game isn’t over yet.”
“Once you start a game, you have to finish it properly, after all.”
