Chapter 76

“That little brat will be raised as a spy by our family. You brought me something entertaining, so we may as well make good use of her, wouldn’t you agree?”

“...Yes.”

A faint spark returned to Ariana’s voice.

“Then I will take my leave.”

“Go.”

After bowing deeply, Ariana left the office with the baby in her arms.

***

“......?”

When I woke from the dream, I found myself inside a luxurious jewelry shop clearly meant for noble clientele.

A small sign on the counter read, “Ritaisha’s Jewelry Shop.”

“This place... Is this one of the Pose family’s secret bases?”

I did not know all of them, but I knew two.

Perkus’s Bookshop in the north, where I had carried out my missions.

And Ritaisha’s Jewelry Shop in the central district of the Frozen Kingdom.

The problem is, why am I here?

Duke Pose’s people must have kidnapped me and brought me here.

Yet there was not even a single knight guarding me.

“...What is this? Did they just dump me here and leave?”

That could not be.

But there were no ropes binding my hands or feet either.

Swing, swing.

I moved my arms vigorously and even stood up, but no one tried to stop me.

Even my tangled hair had been neatly brushed, as though someone had carefully groomed it.

Almost as though they had dressed me up to look like a wealthy young noblewoman visiting a jewelry shop.

First, I should look around.

As I surveyed my surroundings—

—Can you hear me, Aisha?

Bzzzt—

A strange static filled my head, followed by Duke Pose’s voice.

W-What is this?

Startled, I clutched my head.

—Do not stand there looking like a fool. Smile. Your father will be arriving soon.

As though he could see me, he gave the order with a sly laugh.

And then—

“Ha... haha.”

To my astonishment, the corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.

......?

Yet my bewildered eyes trembled like aspen leaves.

W-What is this?! This is wrong!

No matter how powerful Duke Pose’s poison ability was, he had no power to command someone through their mind.

Something like this could only be—

Ah!

King Argen had cast dark magic on me.

In all the confusion, I had completely forgotten.

Could that spell have been magic that allowed someone to control me?

Oh no. How do I get rid of it?

At this rate, I was nothing more than Duke Pose’s puppet.

Someone could get hurt because of me.

And Calypse was the most likely target.

Wouldn’t it be better if I knocked myself unconscious so I couldn’t move?

“Hmph!”

With that thought, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to slam my forehead against the counter.

—Oh, no, no. We cannot have that, Aisha. Stand up straight and pull yourself together.

At his teasing command, my head snapped upright.

So I can’t even do that.

I was sinking into despair when—

“Aisha!”

The door to the jewelry shop flew open with a familiar voice.

Disheveled black hair, as though he had run here in a frenzy.

Ragged breathing.

Red eyes searching for me with desperate urgency.

It was Calypse.

“...Father?”

My heart seemed to stop.

Father cannot come here. Not now.

“Aisha. You...”

But contrary to my desperate wish, the moment Father saw me, he pulled me into his arms.

“Were you abducted? Were you hurt? Why did you disappear?”

His questions tumbled over one another, and then his warm palms cupped both my cheeks.

After checking my face, he realized I was far less injured than he had feared, and confusion entered his expression.

“...Nothing dangerous happened to you?”

I could not answer.

How could Father’s embrace feel this frightening?

“Aisha?”

Calypse asked again, but I only clamped my mouth shut so tightly that a walnut-shaped crease formed in my chin.

I must not speak. I don’t know what will happen if I open my mouth.

“Aisha. If you are all right... No. I will not ask now. Let us return somewhere safe first.”

Father. Please go back alone.

Please run away.

That was when—

—Tell him you slipped away because you wanted to look at jewelry. Smile while you say it.

The command dropped into my mind like a death sentence.

“I-I wanted to...”

“What?”

“I slipped away because I wanted to look at jewelry.”

Though I clenched my jaw with all my strength, the corners of my mouth still trembled upward under the dark magic.

“...Jewelry? All of a sudden?”

Calypse swallowed, looking utterly baffled.

Then he glanced around and sighed as if he understood.

Only now did he seem to realize that this was a jewelry shop.

“You never seemed particularly interested in jewelry at the estate. Did you like it after all?”

—Yes.

Father, please.

“Yes.”

Calypse’s eyes narrowed at my answer.

He sighed again.

“Aisha. Did you make a promise with Father or not?”

—I’m sorry. But since we are already here, can we look around together?

“I’m sorry. But since we are already here, can we look around together?”

We cannot look around. Just leave, Father.

“...Haa. Fine. Since we have already come this far... But once we return to the estate, you are forbidden from going out for a month.”

—Will you truly make it back to the estate? Hahaha! Ah, Aisha. That was merely a private remark. You need not repeat it.

“......”

Duke Pose’s vicious mockery made it feel as though needles had been driven into my entire body.

Calypse took my hand and stood.

He seemed slightly angry, but perhaps because he felt partly responsible for not knowing what I liked, he did not scold me further.

“Where should we start? Is there no clerk here?”

—Oh, now it begins. Tell him to go upstairs. Say you want to enter the private salon.

I knew I absolutely should not say it.

But my mouth opened on its own.

“How about we go to the private salon upstairs?”

No. Father, refuse.

“The private salon? Very well.”

Only then did I realize Calypse’s weakness.

“But next time you find something you like, do not sneak off to see it. Tell Father.”

He was far too soft when it came to his family.

“If I had known earlier that you liked jewelry, I would have bought you a jewelry shop. Or perhaps a mine.”

Far, far too soft.

—Aisha. Your silence will seem strange. Hurry and say, Thank you, Father.

“...Thank you, Father.”

I’m sorry, Father.

I murmured with my gaze lowered.

Calypse let out a quiet laugh as though I were hopeless and roughly tousled my hair.

I’m sorry someone like me is your daughter.

Then Calypse reached for the handle of the private salon door.

“Now that you understand, please listen to Father from now—”

Thrust.

A heavy sound rang out as something sharp sank into flesh.

The large hand holding mine went rigid as stone.

“......”

Blood streamed from the corner of Calypse’s mouth.

A dagger had plunged straight into his abdomen.

But that was not why his eyes widened.

Nor why the lips of a man long accustomed to such wounds from monster subjugation slowly parted.

“Hello.”

Ariana stood before him without a smile, casually pulling the dagger from his stomach.

“......”

Calypse looked like the only person in the world for whom time had stopped.

One hand clutched his abdomen.

Even then, he pushed me behind him to shield me.

He staggered back a step.

And with eyes full of disbelief, he stared at the wife he had lost long ago.

“I raised our daughter rather well, didn’t I? She completed her mission beautifully.”

Ariana spoke then, her voice openly mocking.

“It seems you truly are a father after all. That adopted child of yours is our daughter. You recognized your own flesh and blood quite well.”

At those words, Calypse’s wavering gaze dropped to me.

I still could not say a word.

“Mother and daughter, both spies. Your life truly is unfortunate, Calypse. It was only a mission. I never held any personal grudge against you.”

As though he could not believe it.

As though he could not make sense of any of it.

Thud.

“Kh... ghh. Ariana...”

Calypse fell to one knee.

He looked more bewildered than pained.

“......”

But Calypse understood situations quickly.

A daughter with a history as a spy, who had vanished without warning and claimed she had come to look at jewelry.

A wife who had reappeared after five years, stabbed him without warning, and revealed that she had also been a spy.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

“...Why have you changed so much?”