I Became the Villain’s Lost Daughter

Chapter 54

Recalling the past for a moment, I turned my head and glanced at Thane sitting in a calm manner.

Compared to that time, he was now reliable, but I felt emotional for no reason because I remembered the young Thane, who was crouching and trembling alone in a desolate prison.

It was even more so because of the season of winter, which wasn’t yet over.

“Thane, how are you?” I opened my mouth at a brisk pace.

At my question, he slowly began to lick his lips, but there was no voice coming out of those gaping lips.

Instead, his bubbly lips form words in a slow but definite shape, letter by letter.

‘I missed you, Erita.’

I couldn’t help but smile softly at the answer he made.

“I missed you too.”

His eyes blinked slowly at my words, and a bright smile emerged.

I was happy with the bright smile that appeared on Thane’s innocent face, and I asked brightly as I clasped my palms together.

“Oh, would you rather have something to drink?”

Thane used to love cocoa. I’ll make you some cocoa after such a long time.

‘What do you think? Are you okay with that?’

At my words, Thane quickly nodded his head. He liked the sweet and warm cocoa more than expected.

“Wait a minute. I’ll get you a delicious one right away!”

His answer made me get up and walk to the side table next to the sofa immediately.

There was a kettle and a few clean cups that I often use when I read books.

I tilted the water bottle, poured water into the kettle, and floated the kettle on a magical flame.

After a while, the water boiled, and hot water was poured into the cup along with the cocoa powder I had taken out.

If I tell him to drink it alone, Thane would never drink it, so I prepared mine, too.

“Come on, here. It’s hot, so be careful.”

Putting the sweet smell and steaming cocoa in front of Thane, I took my seat again.

He looked down at the dark cocoa and gently touched the cup. I sipped my share slowly without rushing.

After a moment of silence, it was me who spoke first.

“Wasn’t it hard to come all the way here? The security of the mansion must have been quite tight.” At my words, Thane shook his head gently.

The innocent look on his face meant that it wasn’t really hard.

‘It wasn’t difficult. I didn’t get caught by anyone.’

I laughed as if I were out of breath at the answer that his lips had made.

“Actually, they have to be like my father or older brother to recognize the presence of Thane.”

Our house knights should train a little harder.

Thane’s ears flinched at what I added playfully, and soon lay down with no energy. He seemed to think that he was being reproached.

“It’s a compliment, a compliment. Even if it looks like this, my family’s knights are pretty good. I mean, Thane, you’re superior.”

Then, as if relieved, Thane’s ears, which had been lying limp, gently rose and chimed.

Perhaps the tail behind his hood was equally flinching.

“But what brings you here? I told Yurgen to contact me if you came.”

In my words, Thane’s blue-grey eyes shook. After hesitating for a moment as if to think about an answer, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Yurgen said that Erita has something to give me…”

There was a pause in the middle because it was a long speech unlike usual, but there was no problem in conveying its meaning.

He seemed to have heard what I have said before in front of Yurgen.

“Ah, yes!”

Then I remembered the box I had left on the side of the desk. The item I was going to give to him today, but brought it back because I couldn’t meet Thane.

I hurried to my desk and picked up the blue box. Thane’s eyes were fixed on the box.

Same as before, whenever I gave him a gift, he would look at it with a persistent gaze as if to find out what was inside.

Even though that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t see what’s inside a bit later.

There was a time when he asked the reason, but he didn’t ask again after that because he closed his mouth and shook his head.

“Did you come this evening just because I said I have something to give you?” At my question, Thane gently avoided my gaze and nodded his head slightly.

He looked embarrassed when making eye contact.

Thane being big and innocent was still the same as when he was a young wolf.

“I didn’t buy this like the usual, I made it myself…”

At those words, Thane’s gaze, who had been staring at the edge of the floor, rose in an instant.

At the same time, the tail, which had been quietly hidden in the hood, slipped out to the floor and began to flutter.

It was the behavior that appeared when Thane was exceptionally happy.

“Hey, Thane… if you don’t like the gift, promise me that you’ll definitely tell me. Okay?”

I made it with the thought of him, but if Thane didn’t want it, I had no intention of forcing him either.

“Tell me Thane, if you don’t want it, I don’t want to force you either. Do you understand?”

Thane, who’s blinking as if puzzled by my words, nodded at my question again. Then I handed him the blue box I was holding.

“Come on, it’s yours.”

The box, which was a little smaller than the palm of my hand, seemed even smaller when Thane accepted it.

Maybe because of what I just said, Thane didn’t open the box for a moment and just stared at it.

I just waited without any pressure…

How long has it been?

Thane’s hand moved slowly and opened the lid of the box.

Clattering~

The object inside was soon revealed.

A bracelet with dark blue jewels about the size of a thumb. Thane turned his finger over the silver ring with a discreet touch without a word.

But inside the box, he didn’t take it out and just touched it for a while, then he raised his head and glanced at me.

His expression was filled with joy and confusion at the same time.

Probably because Thane didn’t like jewelry that much. In particular, he hated anything that was tight in arms, legs, and neck.

It was because of the indelible reflex that Thane had suffered from his neck, wrists, and ankles.

However, there was a reason why I had to prepare a bracelet even though I knew Thane didn’t like it.

I carefully chose my words and spoke, “Thane, I know you don’t like this. But will you trust me for a moment though?”

Thane, who was staring at me, immediately nodded his head.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood or afraid. I reached out slowly and took the bracelet out of the box that Thane was holding.

Thane’s gaze was quietly following my hand. Biting my slightly dry lips once, I carefully opened my mouth.

“Wait, wait, wait! Can I put this bracelet on for you?”

Thane’s body trembled at my words.

Even though four years had passed, I was deeply upset that the memories holding him still had not been opened.

I tried hard to hold back the harsh words that were about to pop out, and stroked Thane’s wrist very slowly.

Even the touch was not smooth in the place where the red scars that had been crushed still remained.

“I’ll give it a try. If you don’t like it, you can throw it away afterwards.”

I patted Thane’s wrist with a slow, gentle touch.

After such a moment of silence. Thane reached with his opposite hand and grabbed the hem of his robe.

I stared at Thane with his gesture like he had something to say.

After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously opened his mouth.

‘…Please put it on me.’ 

Fortunately, Thane’s slow, sweet answer was words of consent.

“Yeah, I’ll do it.”

I blinked and smiled broadly. Then a faint smile appeared on Thane’s face.

“Then I’ll put it on you.”

I lifted the bracelet with a slight trembling hand. My heart pounded at the thought of what followed.

A fragment of the past that’s not even certain whether it remains in Thane’s memory.

For that, I began to study magic and artifacts harder, and eventually made this bracelet.

I carefully fastened the bracelet around Thane’s wrist.

The bracelet, which was supposed to be a little bigger, suddenly changed to a size that was perfect for Thane’s wrist.

The jewel in the middle of the bracelet glowed bright for a while and then faded.

Thane, who looked down at the bracelet unknowingly, didn’t seem to know what the bracelet was for yet.

“It doesn’t hurt or bother you, does it?”

Thane nodded his head in response. At Thane’s affirmation, I breathed a sigh of relief and swept over my chest.

‘I was afraid that you would react harshly, but I’m glad.’

I gently stroked Thane’s wrist with the bracelet on.

Thane’s voice that I’ve never heard before.

His vocal cords were injured in the arena and could not be treated even with dozens of potions or even with the treatment of high potions.

Thane said he was only five years old when he was caught in a dumping ground.

His vocal cord, which was savagely cut as if being mutilated, took his voice forever.

When I brought Thane, he was sixteen, and the wounds over ten years in the arena were already too late to undo.

It was the young Thane, who must have been most upset, who comforted me, who had burst into tears when I said that I couldn’t heal him in any way.

A young wolf who had been abused by people like that and hid its sharp claws with a gentle touch.

I couldn’t say anything, but the clever wolf comforted me with his clumsy handwriting, which had not been long since I taught him.

‘…Tears, I hate it. If you laugh, it’s fine.’

Then he immediately turned into a wolf and lay around my feet.

Even though he was older than me because he couldn’t eat properly, the child who only came to my shoulder was not even that big.

When I remembered the crooked handwriting again in my mind, I felt warm again.

Time passed like that, and it was a day, a little over a year after I met Thane.

I still remembered the day when I happened to see Thane, who comforted me, holding Yurgen and crying.

I couldn’t help Thane, who was crying out loud saying that he wanted to call my name.

Looking at him from behind the door, I promised that I would definitely bring back Thane’s voice.

And now, I am finally able to fulfill my promise.

“Thane.” I opened my mouth with the same tone of voice that had been slightly hesitant.

“Can you call my name, please?”