Chapter 97

Oscar answered in a humble way.

“Well… A few days ago?”

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled at the words.

Oscar kindly added, as he approached closer, “Specifically, on that rainy day, the night in the cabin? I hugged your waist and shivered with fear, and I felt strange.”

“……”

“I was holding you like that. According to Kalix, wouldn’t  it be normal to feel your arm-sized stuff?”

Lelia is speechless.

You mean, he noticed that the gap between her legs was flat when he hugged her tightly?

Lelia didn’t even know that Oscar was thinking about that at the time, and was naively just trying to comfort him.

Lelia stared at him with a look of anger.

Come to think of it, he knew that she was a female after that, but he still shared a room with her at the inn?

Oscar squinted at Lelia’s expression.

“I think I should ask for an explanation… So now, why don’t you explain?”

“……”

Lelia pretended not to know what he was talking about and looked straight down, avoiding his eyes. She had a lot on her mind.

At the same time, she felt sorry.

Oscar was already betrayed by her, and now it was like cheating one more time.

Withering, Lelia opened her mouth.

“I can’t explain it right now. But I’m sorry I deceived you.”

“… It’s nothing to be sorry about.”

In response to his unexpected gentle reply, Lelia raised her eyes in wonder.

Oscar was looking at her with a warm look that she had never seen before.

[You know how to make that face.]

This whole time, while coming all the way here, Oscar was either looking at her with inscrutable, inscrutable eyes, or staring at her with hateful eyes full of betrayal.

So she felt unfamiliar with his current expression and eyes.

It was nice to be reminded of Oscar as a child.

Oscar looked down lovingly at Lelia, with his hands behind his back, as if he had seen something strange.

Lelia would never know what he’s thinking.

He thought he didn’t care if she was a man, but she’s a woman.

He was so happy that he felt like blood was rushing to one part of his body.

His insidious thoughts would terrify Lelia if she knew, and Oscar laughed softly.

[T/N: I- I… I-    o.O]

[PR/N: Keep it in your pants buddy!]

***

After, Oscar left without saying much more. Then her uncle came straight to her.

Lelia sat side by side with her uncle on the sofa in the drawing room, holding his hands.

It was as he was talking about how he had been, she interjected, “But what’s this, Uncle?”

Lelia asked, referncing the package on the table that she kept looking at.

“Of course, it’s your gift.”

“A gift?”

Carius nodded with pride.

“Open it.”

“……”

Lelia smiled and opened the present.

[What the hell is this big?]

Lelia, who opened the lid of the box by loosening the ribbon, blinked.

“What’s this?”

The box was packed with pebble-like stones. There was a pink transparent stone, and it was really pretty.

Lelia was surprised when she picked up the stone as she didn’t feel any weight at all.

[What’s this?]

When Lelia looked at her uncle with questionable eyes, Carius smiled and asked, “Do you know what this is, Lelia?”

“Not at all. I have no idea.”

It was at that moment.

The game window, which had been quiet all along, popped up in front of her eyes.

[Wait, wait, wait!]

Dragon’s Thought Stone?

Carius kindly explained to the confused Lelia.

“I dug it out of his nest after the dragon died and I kept it.”

“Well, are you all right?”

“No one knows, so you don’t have to worry. It’s a magic stone.”

“……”

Carius lifted a pink stone and said, “If you hold this, you can’t detect any magic, but if you break it, you’ll get a liquid with high purity mana.”

When he shook the stone, she saw something pink fluttering in it.

“Can I have this?”

“Of course, it might be necessary for alchemy.”

After saying that, Carius rose to his feet, saying, “I’m glad, it’s yours.”

Then, he ordered the servants to enter, who were waiting outside the door.

The servants started putting things in Lelia’s room.

Lelia opened her mouth wide.

Gift boxes of fancy packages lined up. He even pushed in a clothes display as if he had brought the entire clothes of a dressing room.

“They’re all from the capital.”

“All of this?”

Lelia smiled brightly like a child who received a birthday present.

While looking at the gifts one by one with her uncle, Lelia burst into laughter.

There was even a box containing toys that only children would play with.

“… Now it’s a little too much to play with something like this, right?”

“… Yes, unfortunately.”

Carius kicked his tongue low.

He thought she’d still be young, so he even bought toys for kids to play with, or childish dresses embroidered with big stars that kids liked.

[T/N: Adorable Uncle Carius :)]

“When did you grow up like this? I’m sorry your uncle couldn’t be there for you.”

“Don’t say that. I’m glad you’re back safely.”

“Yes, but Lelia….”

Carius hesitated as if he were trying to broach the question he had swallowed inside.

Lelia immediately noticed his intentions.

[You want to ask me how I’ve been in the capital.]

It was hard to decide whether to hide or reveal the fact that she had lived in the Imperial Palace.

But the question that came out of her uncle’s mouth was something else.

“Oscar… you’re really friends with him, aren’t you?”

“… Yes, uncle.”

Nervously, Lelia answered with relief at the question that was different from what she had expected.

By the way, what the hell was Oscar doing on the battlefield?

“He’s a bad guy. He’s a cruel man.”

“……”

As Lelia’s expression was disheartened, Carius added.

“No matter how at war we were, we were dealing with beasts. However, there were some of them who had no intention of attacking humans. Most of the time, they were demons with children or young demons.”

“… Yes.”

“The demons hardly attacked us and they avoided us themselves. But he was the one who hunted them down and slaughtered the fleeing demons. That’s very cruel, too.”

Lelia’s expression became heavy at the words.

“I didn’t want to tell you such a cruel story. Of course, after the dragon’s death, all the demons died. Still, it is different from genocide.”

In other words, Oscar has slaughtered all those who had no intention of attacking or were running away, including the young ones.

“And besides, his father…”

“……”

“No, no. Why the hell would you be friends with a guy like that anyway? The way he looks at you is sinister!”

“……”

“Don’t do this. There’s a guy I found on the battlefield. Let me introduce you to him! He’s a very nice guy. He’ll look good with you!”

Carius was as aggressive as a matchmaker.

He said he was tall and handsome, nice and has a good personality, and made all kinds of compliments.

Lelia listened to everything her uncle said, smiling as if she was not troubled.

Maybe because she met her uncle, she realized that she really had come back to the estate.

In a few days, she will be able to meet her grandmother, aunt and uncle.

Lelia vowed to keep her family’s happiness intact.

***

After dinner, Lelia decided to take a walk for a while.

Throughout the meal, her grandfather and uncle sat on both sides and took care of her, so she ate too much.

Oscar, who sat across from her, just looked at Lelia with a blank face.

“… Phew.”

When she thought of Oscar, she felt heavy.

In her head, she remembered Oscar slaughtering the mercenaries who were trying to take her.

It was natural to imagine Oscar slaughtering the demons.

Her uncle tried to tell her what Oscar had done to his father, but… Lelia already knew.

Frankly, Lelia couldn’t blame Oscar for that.

[Cause I know exactly how evil Oscar’s biological father is.]

When she thought of Oscar’s poor childhood, she wanted to pat him on the shoulder because he did good.

Lelia was sorry and heartbroken that Oscar was being criticized for being cruel.

She couldn’t say he had no effect on what happened.

[You must have been devastated by the fact that I was dead, and even more shocked by the fact that I lied to you.]

She was walking in a quiet corridor, so she could calm herself down.

She happened to see Oscar leaning against a pillar in the distance.

Come to think of it, it was near the room where the guests stayed.

Lelia went straight up to him.

“Sir Oscar.”

“……”

Oscar lifted his lowered gaze and looked at her.

Lelia was surprised to notice that his pupils were infuriated.

[Why are you angry again?]

When he came to her room earlier, he looked very gentle.

Lelia was afraid of Oscar, who changed his mood regardless of time and place.

“……”

Oscar looked at her face carefully.

Pretty eyebrows, round eyes, pretty nose, red lips, slender neck, thin shoulders.

He was exhausted from trying to suppress his impulse throughout dinner.

He wanted to twist the necks of those who looked at Lelia as if she was precious.

When he saw Lelia, his heart ached with unknown emotions.

‘You’ve been the only one for me since I reached out to you when I was a child… Why aren’t you like that? Why do other important things exist?’

He wanted to destroy what Lelia cherished like breaking a doll as if he was a child who was looking for attention and wanted to be mean.

Lelia was flustered by his blatant dark desire.

Oscar’s cold hand grabbed her by the wrist as she was about to leave in horror.

She heard a low voice from behind.

“… I told you for sure. I’ll have you instead of Leo.”

“……”

“You said it yourself. You’ll be mine. When you’re done with your work, follow me and stay with me for the rest of your life.”

[T/N: Oh, boy…]

***