Kay.
A name that had been so desperately searched for, yet never found anywhere. A name that, at the same time, he’d always known would return one day.
But now, here, in this way—he had never dreamed it would appear like this.
Even Inas seemed surprised to hear Kay’s name. He had been quietly listening but now frowned, as if lost in thought. Leaving him be, Nigel turned back to Danil and asked,
“What did he look like?”
“Red hair, blue eyes. Looked about twenty years old. He was tall and seemed to use a sword.”
“……”
If he looked twenty, there was no way it was Kay. A wave of disappointment drained him instantly. Even if it was just a bizarre coincidence, something still felt off. Still, Nigel nodded.
“Alright. Got it for now.”
Danil fidgeted anxiously, watching Nigel’s expression after his curt reply.
“Um, well…”
“Step back and wait quietly. Don’t even think about running.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The sharp, almost slicing tone shut Danil up. He replied meekly, shoulders drooping. Even though Danil had tried to kill him, seeing his slumped posture made Nigel feel a bit sorry for him.
Once Danil left the room, Nigel stared at the closed door.
He hadn’t intended to kill Danil anyway, even if the boy hadn’t answered properly. If what Danil said really happened, his rage was justified. And if it was just a misunderstanding… Nigel didn’t want to corner a mentally unstable child. Maybe if he had actually been poisoned, he’d feel differently—but he was fine.
The thought made Nigel pause and reflect. If he were like other nobles, he’d have had Danil beheaded without a second thought. To think this way—and they say he abused Danil?
“Nigel.”
Nigel snapped out of his thoughts at Inas’s call.
“Yeah?”
“If Kay has started to move, you’ll need to be cautious from now on.”
“But Kay’s just a kid right now. Danil said he was an adult.”
“I told you about dummies before, didn’t I?”
“Oh.”
Magic-created decoys. Inas had explained how they looked exactly like real humans, but Nigel had never seen one himself.
“May I show you one for the sake of explanation?”
“…Fine.”
With permission granted, Inas immediately conjured a dummy.
Mana gathered and, in the blink of an eye, formed into the shape of a person. The result was a man identical to Nigel at twenty-three. The resemblance sent chills down Nigel’s spine.
He stepped closer to examine it. The dummy’s smooth skin, even the tiny downy hairs, mimicked a real human too perfectly.
Just as he was about to say it was creepy, the dummy’s eyes rolled toward him and locked gazes.
“Ah…!”
Startled, Nigel nearly fell back on his butt, but Inas caught him. He steadied Nigel, then held a hand out to the dummy. The dummy smiled coyly, cupped its cheeks with both hands, and gave a bashful expression. When its eyes met Nigel’s horrified gaze, it winked. Seeing that made Nigel’s skin crawl.
“What the hell was that?”
“A dummy moves according to the will of the one who infuses it with mana.”
“No, I mean what the hell was that just now?”
“It can talk too.”
It was the dummy that answered. Not exactly what Nigel had wanted to hear.
As Nigel glared, the dummy calmly continued,
“If left to act on its own, precision is limited. But if you concentrate on it, it can perform fairly complex tasks. Something like giving medicine to a child wouldn’t be difficult. Of course, dummies are advanced magic, but if Kay has regained his memories, it wouldn’t be too hard for him.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it. Now you say it with your own mouth. And get rid of that thing…”
As Nigel grimaced in disgust, the overly cutesy dummy disappeared. Nigel shot Inas a suspicious look.
“You don’t… play around with that thing when I’m not around, do you?”
“It’s just a fake. What’s the point? I figured I might as well have a little fun since it was moving.”
“Good… good. So, you’re saying it’s very likely that was Kay.”
“Not just likely—definitely. This isn’t the first time Danil’s said crazy things, and if it’s Kay, he’d remember all the previous ‘nonsense’ too.”
“Nonsense…”
“Yes. Nonsense.”
Inas stated it firmly. Still, Nigel couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling. He was just about to press further when Inas reached out. His hand touched Nigel’s forehead—it was cool.
“You really do have a fever.”
“Yeah… maybe that’s why I’ve got this headache…”
“Rest for now, Nigel. I’ll bring you something that’s actually good for you.”
“I’m fine. Don’t need any medicine.”
Nigel couldn’t help but feel Inas was trying to change the subject, but he didn’t have the energy to argue. He weakly shook his head and shuffled over to the bed. The trembling that had started earlier grew worse once he laid down. As the tension drained, his throbbing head flared with heat.
Inas looked down at the ailing Nigel with pity in his eyes. He came over, covered him with a blanket, and brought a towel soaked in cool water to lay on his forehead.
“Nigel.”
“Mm…”
“Don’t tell Ruder or Etna about what happened today.”
“…Why not?”
Through heavy lids, Nigel forced himself to meet Inas’s gaze. He looked genuinely concerned, watching him with a soft, pitying expression. Nigel’s heart pounded with a strange unease as he spoke with trembling lips.
“Because what Danil said is true?”
“It’s not true.”
“Then why…”
“They’ll think both you and Danil are delusional. You finally earned a Title that counts as an Achievement, and now everything’s falling apart. Wouldn’t it be a pain if people misunderstood and created unnecessary drama?”
Inas’s answer was calm and solid. Too smooth—like something he’d rehearsed. The way it slid so neatly into place irritated Nigel’s ears.
“This has happened before?”
“Yes.”
Inas smiled kindly.
“It has, but it was always some ridiculous misunderstanding. You’d never do something like that.”
“……”
“Trust me, Nigel.”
Inas whispered. It felt like his voice carried some sort of magic that made you want to believe him.
Nigel blinked slowly, unable to argue, and let his eyes slide closed.
***
The room was full of noise.
Annoyed by the commotion, Nigel opened his eyes. A large shadow hovered over him. As his gaze focused, the shadow lunged forward and enveloped him.
“Nigel!”
Only when he heard the voice did Nigel recognize who it was. And the moment he did, tears slipped helplessly down his cheeks.
Hic. Choking on a sob, Nigel clung to Ruder. All the frustration from the absurd events of the previous night came bursting out the moment he saw his father. He just wanted to lean on an adult who made him feel safe.
As Nigel wept, Ruder awkwardly held him tight. The almost suffocating pressure of his embrace gave Nigel a deep sense of comfort.
“Nigel… Don’t cry, my boy. Hm?”
“Dad…”
“Yes, it’s Dad. Everything’s alright now, okay?”
Not knowing the reason behind the tears, Ruder still tried to soothe him. His clumsy but earnest effort only made Nigel cry harder.
After a while, once he’d finally calmed down and pulled away, Nigel noticed Ruder’s shirt soaked through, as if it had been caught in the rain. Feeling sheepish, he smiled awkwardly as Ruder gently stroked his head.
“You feel better now?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry…”
“Nothing to be sorry for. You’re not in pain anymore?”
“No, I’m okay now…”
Still unconvinced, Ruder glanced toward Leona, who had been standing nearby. At his signal, she came over and gave Nigel a checkup. Only after hearing her say he was fine did Ruder finally relax a little.
“Everyone out except for Taren.”
Once the room cleared, Etna—who had been standing like a statue—stepped up to the bed. He let out a soft sigh and brushed Nigel’s damp bangs aside.
“Nigel. Are you really okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You’ve lost a lot of weight. You still look pale. And… something’s…”
Etna’s voice was subdued, heavy with concern. He looked at Nigel like someone facing a loved one diagnosed with a fatal illness.
“I am okay, really…”
“No, you’re not. Eat something, Nigel. You’ve been asleep all day.”
At Ruder’s prompt, Nigel finally realized how long he’d been out. When he said he was ready to eat, Ruder personally brought over the food from the table.
Even though his fever had broken, the food was clearly meant for the sick. Nigel made a face, but Ruder and Etna were unyielding.
“…Thanks for the food.”
“Good. Eat it all.”
“This is way too much.”
“You’re a man. You should be able to handle that.”
Nigel pouted but reluctantly began eating. Having gone all day without food, it actually went down easily. Ruder watched with satisfaction as he steadily emptied his plate, then stood up.
“Etna, stay with Nigel.”
“What about you, Father?”
“I rushed over and delayed a bunch of urgent matters. I’ve got things to review right away. I’ll be in the study—call if you need me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Etna smiled at Ruder without once taking his eyes off Nigel. Something about that side profile struck Nigel as… strange.
After Ruder left, Nigel finished his meal. Normally Etna would have chattered away by now, but today he said nothing—just sat silently, watching.
When the dishes were nearly cleared, Etna stood up.
“Brother?”
He walked to the door and checked outside. After making sure the hallway was empty, he shut the door firmly and approached. There was a hardened look in his eyes—almost hostile.
“…Brother?”
“Nigel.”
“Mm…”
“I heard you’re planning to drive Danil out.”
Nigel frowned. Clearly, Danil had run straight to Etna. All he’d said was that he was firing him as a servant—not banishing him.
“Brother, that’s not what I—”
“Why’d you suddenly decide that?”
Etna’s voice cut through the air, cold as ice. Nigel started to explain but stopped, meeting his brother’s intense gaze.
Etna’s amber eyes burned, as if they were trying to pierce right through him.
He knows something too. Something about the memories Nigel doesn’t have— something that might be the truth.
