At the Duchy of Birce.
Thwuk-!
Michael kicked the body with his feet.
It was a murderer, whom he would have deliberately ignored, walking in the opposite direction, if it were ordinary circumstances. However, anything that could possibly threaten Liarte, inevitably had to be eliminated.
“Ah, there you go.”
He grabbed the hair of the murderer he had accidentally caught on his way back to Birce.
“Your Grace, please kill me. Please.”
The murderer, who had been badly tortured and horribly scarred, was begging to be killed.
All the victims killed by this murderer probably said those exact words.
The reason he caught the killer, just as he was passing Elheim, was because all his victims had long black hair.
In addition, the estate where the killer lived was right next to Elheim.
He didn’t think that Liarte would fail to defend herself, but a feeling in his heart told him to catch the murderer, as soon as Michael laid eyes on him.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Michael smiled languidly.
“I think killing someone is the best tribute. My father would have killed you. He’s more merciful than you think.”
“Pl……ease.”
At that moment, the blade pierced the killer’s body.
Dead.
Michael threw a wanted card at the killer, who was starting to harden.
“He’s lucky to die from a heart attack just before my sword pierced his heart.”
“I agree, Son.”
A man with silver hair and red eyes. Duke Carmen Birce had a relaxed look resembling Michael, who was holding a sword in his hand.
“Is that it?”
“Yes, father.”
“I can’t wait to meet your benefactor. I can’t believe you’ve changed this much.”
Michael locked the gate and began cleaning the interior.
The beautiful yet bloody mansion had turned increasingly brighter.
Conversely, all spies and assassins who had been left behind for the purpose of investigation were removed.
Outsiders seemed to misunderstand that the reason Birce’s successor locked the gates was because he lost his sight.
“I have to go right now.”
Soon, it was the day Liarte came of age.
The Duke of Birce was ready to meet his benefactor.
Michael dropped the velvet eye patch that was no longer needed.
* * *
Elheim was noisy with the preparations for the coming of age ceremony.
It was a scene that felt far away to Liarte.
The blood and flesh of Elheim did not come to see her directly, except for Lianrius.
They stood far away and had conversations with each other.
Liarte recalled what she had overheard Aynias say not long ago.
‘She is the only daughter and our sister.’
If she was indeed a daughter, and if they had considered her as their sister, they would have put Liarte’s name on the Duke of Elheim’s family register.
Even now, Liarte was not a member of Elheim.
It was only to this degree, the so-called ‘affection’ between those of Elheim’s bloodline.
They came after her because she wasn’t interested in them anymore, but they don’t want her to be recognized as an official member.
Liarte looked up at the window.
Tomorrow was Lianrius’s coming-of-age ceremony. So far, Michael’s white birds had not flown in.
She was waiting, and she was sure that even without Michael’s help, she could get out of Elheim.
She, herself, knew that she had to make preparations in order to break out of the family.
Liarte was stronger than before as she practiced her water skills in her room whenever those of the Elheim family were not around.
“Liarte.”
Lianrius had entered the room before she knew it.
Liarte felt that Lianrius’s face wasn’t any different from yesterday as she looked at him through the reflection in the window.
“Do you still intend to leave the family?”
Before her return, after witnessing Lianrius freely use the power of water at their coming of age ceremony, Liarte was seized with the fear of being abandoned.
But on the other hand, she still had hopes that she would be able to leave Elheim. Although the result was that when her coming of age ceremony was over, she had once again ended up being dragged into the prison-like room.
“What are you implying?”
“I’m trying to make sure you don’t regret leaving, Liarte.”
Unlike Liarte, who was illuminated by the sunlight, which seeped in through the window, Lianrius, who stood inside the room, was shaded.
“Just because I said that I want to escape doesn’t mean I want to leave my family.”
“Do you hate our family?”
“I don’t hate my family.”
Of course she hated the family of Elheim. She still remembered the members of the family who were obsessed with the power of water trying to trample her.
Even the general passersby called Liarte Half-Elheim.
“I hate you, Lianrius.”
However, she hated those who believed there was nothing more important than blood and power.
“I’ll give you a day to change your mind.”
Lianrius said with dark eyes.
“I’ll come back tomorrow morning, for our coming-of-age ceremony. I may forgive you if you change back to how you were in the past.”
Danterion said that there is no need to be considerate of the unawakener.
He pointed out that Lianrius, who will be the next Duke, could move as he wanted and handle her as he pleased.
Lianrius had somewhat agreed with his words.
However, if Liarte made eye contact or smiled at him, Lianrius thought that he could favour Liarte a little bit, just like before.
“Fine. Do whatever you want.”
In fact, Liarte listened to Lianrius’s words indifferently.
It reminded her of what she had to do today regarding the coming of age ceremony.
The reason she wasn’t afraid of him anymore was because Liarte, herself, was a strong awakener. No matter what Lianrius planned to do, he would never be able to stop Liarte.
Lianrius warned silently.
“Keep that in mind, Liarte.”
Tomorrow was the coming of age ceremony.
Lianrius persistently stared at Liarte, who remained indifferent to him until the end. Then, he returned, and only Liarte stood there alone.
‘No. I have to wait until nightfall.’
Tonight, Liarte was planning to visit the room of the First Owner.
She hadn’t been there even before her regression.
This is because she grew up as an unawakener and her every movement was opposed by the Duke.
‘Now that I think about it, before my regression, almost everyone in Elheim was busy tonight.’
She heard that there were so many things to prepare for the coming of age ceremony.
If it was an ordinary day, people would’ve been singing in front of the room of the First Owner, and either the duke or Aynias would be watching over them.
However, at least tonight, the day before the coming of age ceremony, they would all be too busy to pay attention to the Water King of Spirits.
Liarte waited for the night to fall.
* * *
Liarte woke up and saw the moon high in the sky.
It was deep in the night. The fear of encountering someone along her path was not there.
The foggy cloud of water that she had developed over the past few months completely enshrouded Liarte’s presence, and made her disappear.
‘The Duke’s office.’
Liarte recalled what she had heard before her return and the information Lianrius had told her not long ago.
Liarte roughly knew the location of the Duke’s office.
‘I heard you’ll find a long passage if you walk from there.’
There were two knights guarding the passage, but none of them felt Liarte’s presence.
As she passed through the long passage, she saw a stone door.
Mysterious patterns were engraved on the door. According to Lianrius, it can only be opened by Elheim’s direct descendants.
Liarte raised her hand. The engraving turned blue.
For the Heir.
No one could interpret the pattern on the engraving. However, strangely in Liarte’s eyes, the pattern appeared like individual letters.
The door opened.
‘Thank god.’
After her regression, she was concerned about the manifestation of the water’s power inside of her. She worried whether it would help her open the door, but thankfully she entered the room of the First Owner without any difficulty.
Liarte stepped inside.
The blue boy floated above the spirit stone and had his eyes closed.
‘They look alike.’
Before her death, the boy had appeared before her as a blue man, who reached out while shouting ‘no.’
Although he had a clear presence, it was not enough to weigh a person down as she heard. When she looked closely at his posture, it seemed like the boy was wrapped in water.
The power of water which filled the room penetrated into Liarte’s body.
Somehow she felt like she was being filled with joy.
“Hi.”
The Water Spirit King did not wake up despite her greetings.
‘He said to sing.’
There must be a reason as to why so many people were asked to come to the first Owner’s room to sing.
Liarte opened her mouth. She sang a song in a low voice that could hardly be heard, with sweet lips.
Soon the water fluctuated.
[Who is it?]
After a while, the water spirit king in the form of a boy opened his eyes.
The first thing that she encountered were harsh eyes and a strong energy, like that of a ruler.
His expression looked more solemn and colder than when he had his eyes closed.
The energy of the water stretched out freely.
Liarte felt like she was going to be overwhelmed by the overbearing aura.
However, the Spirit King did not treat Lirate as harshly as he did with others. Nor did he happen to look down, overbearingly, from above.
While floating on top of the water, the Spirit King looked at her in a very cautious manner.
[You are here now.]
It was a voice full of uncontrollable joy. Somehow, it seemed like he was excited.
The spirit king, who had acted like an evil spirit, became as gentle as an angel in front of Liarte.
It was a scene that the Duke of Elheim and his sons would never believe, even if they saw it.
[My master.]
The Water Spirit King came down from the top of the Spirit Stone and caught her gaze. Then he put his hand on Liarte’s forehead.
A voice filled with immeasurable affection rang inside Liarte’s mind desperately.
[My only contractor.]
The overwhelming emotion of the spirit king was conveyed onto Liarte.
The waves were scattered, and the spirit stone, which she had thought to have lost it’s light, began to shine brightly.
The engravings on the walls in the room of the First Owner shone gold.
The spirit king of water laughed.
[I’ve been waiting only for you for a very long time.]