Louise, Eldest Daughter of House Lohengram
A lovely white-haired little girl came running and threw herself into his arms.
"Daddy~"
"Is that my adorable daughter Louise!? Did you miss your father so much you came all the way here? Could my daughter be a genius?"
"My lady..! You must address him as Father.."
The man scooped the child up and laughed heartily.
"Haha.. I still prefer being called Daddy!"
"Our little princess, spin spin~"
"Count... using the title of princess within this palace constitutes a crime of lèse-majesté.."
"Haha— well then, our princess is the prettiest, so she's a princess~"
"Aww, so what brings our princess all the way here?"
"But Father, you're always researching here and never play with me.. So I begged Alene to let me come if I scored a hundred on the magic exam."
"...I'm sorry."
"Haha, it's fine—I'm actually glad..!"
The only truly happy time of her life—
"Haa.. haa.. Why am I dreaming of a time I never even dream about these days.."
She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she spoke.
"Alene, I'm sorry, but a towel..."
Ah.. she's gone now.
She struggled out of bed, changed into neat clothes, opened a drawer, and gathered a few things.
"Bandages.. disinfectant.. I'll need to boil the bandages... This should be enough."
Before opening the door, she straightened her clothes.
"Ah... there's a hole at the waist... I'll need to sew it..."
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar place.
"Hah.. hah.. Where is this..?"
A fierce headache washed over me. What the hell had happened...?
Click, click—
The sound of approaching heels.
Creak—
A door carefully opened, and the hazy silhouette of a girl approached.
Red eyes that stood out clearly even in the dark. Black hair that shone with elegant luster even in the darkness. A slightly cynical cast to her gaze. I swallowed dryly without meaning to.
"You're finally awake?"
Despite her beautiful appearance and the fact that she was clearly a stranger, something about her felt strangely familiar, and I found myself losing focus.
Stay alert..!
I reached back toward the bag at my waist for my sword—and searing pain shot through my side.
"Gah—.. haa.. haa.."
While I was reeling from the pain, she sat down in the chair by the bed and sighed.
"Haa.. I just barely finished stitching that wound.."
Stitching..? Looking down at my body after her words, I saw blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around my side.
She treated me? Why?
"Haa.. haa.. Who.. are you.."
At my question, she pulled out the disinfectant she'd brought and answered.
"Never mind that. First, the bandages again.."
"Don't dodge the question. Who are you! What was your purpose in bringing me here.."
"You don't need to be that wary."
"Why should I trust you? Reveal your intentions.."
She lightly covered my mouth and said,
"Haa.. Even a dog knows the debt of gratitude for being helped.."
"What?"
"You can tell just by looking, can't you? The disinfectant and bandages in my hands."
She showed me the medical supplies she held and continued.
"If I'd intended to attack you, I would have already killed you while you were asleep.."
She was right. If she'd meant me harm, I'd already be dead while I was unconscious.
"Who.. are you?"
"I'm late with the introductions."
She answered my question with a light laugh and naturally put some distance between us. Then she took two steps back onto the carpet, gathered the hem of her skirt with her left hand, dipped into a slight curtsy, and smiled as she spoke.
"I am Louise Bern von Lohengram, eldest daughter of House Lohengram."
"I'd be pleased if you called me Louise."
An unfamiliar form of greeting. I didn't know much about noble etiquette, but even so, her movements carried a dignity that made it clear she was no commoner. Still, that greeting wasn't part of any royal court etiquette I knew. That was...
The woman who had introduced herself as Louise lightly protested.
"Won't you at least tell me your name?"
"I'm Aaron Dragon.. I don't have a separate surname."
"Aaron Dragon..? Unusual. Is that a common surname in the Vermilion Kingdom?"
"No.. Dragon is just a nickname my master gave me. Aaron is fine."
"So let me ask again—where is this?"
"Hmm.. hmm.. If you're asking where this is. This place is—"
She cleared her throat and extended one hand as she answered.
"The territory of House Lohengram, and the most prosperous domain in the Empire—Lohengram."
...
The Empire..?
"Did you just say the Empire?"
"That's right. Is there a problem.."
She extended her hand again and began to speak.
"This is, without a doubt, the Lohengram of the Lohengram territory of the Lohengram family ruled by Louise Lohengram of the Empire?"
?
"What..?"
"Hmm.. hmm.. The Lohen.. of House Lohengram.."
"No.. the Empire, you said..?"
"That's correct.."
So her etiquette was Imperial after all.
"Don't you remember me saving you?"
My hazy memories began to surface little by little.
"Master.. Master is..?! What happened, and how am I here."
"Master..?"
"The white dragon! What happened to my master?"
Louise couldn't continue speaking and simply averted her gaze.
Little by little, the memories returned. That I had ultimately failed to save her, and that I had vaguely understood my power—I remembered everything.
My master was clearly dead. In front of me, trying to protect me.
"I'm sorry, but leave me alone for a while."
"..."
She rose without a word and gave me space.
My torn clothes were neatly folded on the table. From the sleeve of the torn clothes, I pulled out the cookie I'd meant to give her—now completely crushed into powder.
Master...
Master...
Master...
You told me to smile when I'm sad...
"Th..is.. this is.. too hard a homework assignment this time.. Master.."
I make a vow. Indulging in the childish grief of missing my master ends today. I'll only earn the right to grieve again once my revenge is completely finished. Just once more, then. So today, let me hold it in until then.
Just for today, I can cry as much as I want to be sad, right? Master?
Louise closed the door and waited quietly outside.
"He'll need time to mourn...."
...
A long time passed, and only after morning had turned to darkness did Louise enter the room. She spoke with a somewhat prickly look in her eyes.
"I need to change the bandages. If you die, all my hard work goes to waste, doesn't it?"
She changed the bandages on my body with practiced ease.
"How long.. how many days was I out?"
"A fortnight. The wound was deep."
She answered briefly and plainly.
A fortnight...
If a fortnight had already passed, even if I went back now I wouldn't be able to find a single proper piece of evidence. I wanted nothing more than to hunt those bastards down and kill them right now, but I'm not that much of a fool.
I have to endure. I have to grow stronger. Not mere physical power, but the kind of power that will make them regret everything. Gather evidence slowly, and leave not a single accomplice out—perfectly. I will never simply kill them. I'll make them bitterly regret being alive.
So until then, I have to endure. Because revenge must be perfect.
"Ugh.."
"Bear with it. It's disinfectant."
I had more than a few questions. Why had an Imperial like her been at Highluna that day. Why had she saved me. And above all—how had she managed to save me from among those powerful otherworlders?
"Louise.. was it. There's a lot I want to as.."
"No. Don't ask."
My questions were cut off in an instant.
"What..?"
Her hand applying the medicine grew rough.
"That hurts.."
"I said, don't be curious."
She stroked the red jewel hanging at her neck as she spoke.
"It's all a secret. How I was there that day, why I saved you."
What is this woman talking about.
She smiled as she said,
"Anyway, I saved you, and you owe me a debt—isn't that what matters?"
"No, that.."
"Just wait. Once we get to 'that place,' your curiosity might be satisfied.."
"'That place'..?"
"It's late, so rest for now and we'll talk tomorrow. I'll head back to my room, so feel free to look around if you like."
Louise stopped on her way out, spun lightly around, and smiled as she added,
"Ah!.. Don't go near the basement."
She was certainly a beauty, but somehow her smile felt like a villainess's.
After Louise left, I slowly looked around the room. Perhaps because I'd calmed down a little, I could finally take in my surroundings. A soft, plush bed. A table of fine hardwood.. Every piece of furniture seemed to speak of this mansion's dignity.
If there was anything strange—for a noble's mansion, it felt far too untouched by human hands. Oddly, many of the furnishings had rusted spots, and places out of plain sight hadn't been properly cleaned.
Creak—
I carefully left the room and looked around the mansion a little, but it wasn't much different from the impression of the room I'd been lying in.
"Something's off.."
A mansion of this scale should have quite a few servants, yet there wasn't a single one. Did that make any sense? It wasn't a haunted house...
Just in case, I spent a long time exploring the interior, but I found nothing else unusual. For now, just Louise alone. Safe enough, I supposed.
"I should head back soon…"
Aaron..
Aaron..
I thought I heard my master's voice behind me.
"Master..?"
I turned, but there was only the same empty hallway as before.
Of course not..
Aaron..
I walked frantically back down the hallway I'd just come through. It was clearly my master's voice. I walked. And walked. And walked some more.
"What is this.."
Following the voice, I found myself facing something abnormal. I'd simply walked back down the hallway I'd come through, yet I was in a place I'd never seen before.
Was I under some kind of spell?
Without realizing it, I was standing at the end of the hallway, before what looked like the entrance to a basement. Was this even the same place as the mansion I'd been in? A completely different atmosphere. A silence so absolute it felt cut off from the outside world—not even the sound of wind—dominated the space. A strange feeling.
Should I.. open this door..?
Aaron..
My master's voice rang out clearly right behind me.
"Master?!"
But standing there was Louise, clutching a brightly glowing jewel necklace tightly in her hand.
"..Louise?"
Even in the darkness, her red eyes shone as she beamed and said,