Uncle, Do You Have No Home?
An exceptional offer—one far too good to be true for someone in my position. That's exactly why I forced myself to stay calm and keep my head straight.
"What do you want?"
At my question, the corner of his mouth lifted.
My situation was obviously awful. Having nothing but money as leverage was more than enough for someone to pull my strings.
Of course, whether others would see that kind of value in me was another question. But the fact that he was making this move meant he'd definitely decided there was something to gain from me.
"Yeah, you're right. It's a huge sum to invest for no reason. Most people wouldn't make this choice."
Especially when the one offering was known as the shrewd businessman of a prestigious family.
"To be honest, it's not that heavy a burden on our end. It's not like anyone's going to question the next head over this kind of money."
"Still, the fact remains that it's an excessive amount to put into someone like me—a person with nothing, who's even lost his power."
"Right. The test results showed nothing unusual. No King's Authority detected. Can't tell what those Star Fragments might bring either. Honestly, you might find this ridiculous, but I'm not the rational type who only invests in sure things. I'm more interested in exploring uncharted territory. I like uncertain gambles. That's not exactly how ordinary people think about investment, is it?"
He said this while fiddling with his signet ring.
"It just so happened that a guy I liked the look of turned out to be talented, and my gut feeling paid off. Maybe everything up to now has been the result of luck. But I trust my instincts. From the first time I saw you, your eyes held something deep, something distant. I let it slide back then because I didn't know any better."
The ring, which had been facing me with its back side, flipped 180 degrees to show its front.
"My intuition tells me you're not the kind of person who'll spend the rest of your life at rock bottom. I'd like to dress it up like that, but that spirit of yours—it's not an ordinary spirit that the Alchemy Department used in an experiment, is it? They said it was an accidental byproduct and even prepared evidence, but I don't buy it. An artificial spirit made from the remnants of the World Tree. That's what this kid really is. Am I wrong?"
When Ciel said that, Luna muttered that she wasn't a kid, but he continued speaking without missing a beat.
"And everyone says the research failed, but I don't think so."
His eyes glinted purple, as if reflecting light even though he was standing with his back to the lamps.
"The one and only success. No—I feel like you're carrying something beyond that. The culmination of Alchemy's technology, and something more than the results they aimed for. They hid a lot, but I pieced together fragments of information and came to this conclusion."
I could intuitively tell that his eyes were not ordinary. And with Luna right next to me, one might think his gaze was on her—but it was fixed squarely on me.
"What if that guess isn't entirely accurate?"
"Then I guess my eyes are just messed up. Think of it as me giving a friend of my bratty sister who has zero friends an allowance."
With that, he handed me the ring. A ring shaped like a dragon with crimson eyes.
"How about it? I don't think you have a reason to refuse."
"You'll pay off all my debts in exchange for me becoming a member of the family. This seems unreasonably advantageous for me."
"Well, isn't it a shame if a bud that could bloom brilliantly gets crushed by the harsh reality before it can open?"
I'd met plenty of people skilled at hiding their true intentions, but he was on a completely different level. Small movements, tone of voice, direction of gaze—these were always the keys to uncovering what was hidden. But his movements, his tone, his gaze—they all moved as if he knew I was observing him.
"If it's hard for you to trust me, I'll assign you under Estelle's name. I just would've hated to see the bud trampled before it bloomed. It's not like I planned to use it once it flowered."
After saying that, he added, "You might not trust me, but you can trust her, right?"
"Then I'll revise the contract a bit?"
It flowed naturally like water, but there really was nothing wrong with it, so I carefully examined the contract.
I could act as a member of the Pendragon family, and the paid-off debts would be reduced by a fairly large margin if my achievements were outstanding. Some orders might come down since I'd be part of the family, but the expected workload was at the level of, "This is fine, right? My conscience can handle this."
"Hey, your eyes are gonna pop out."
"I'm checking if there's any fine print that needs a microscope to read."
"Do I look like someone who'd swindle people?"
At that, Estelle nodded playfully.
"There's no hidden bullshit like that. If you're still suspicious, just write a new one with the exact same terms and bring it yourself."
"I'm just not very good at trusting people."
I said that and finally signed the contract.
"Then welcome to the family, Yi Seoha."
With those words, he left.
"Ah, let's get you home."
I tried to stand up from my seat, but then I realized my body was still in bad shape and staggered. Luna quickly rushed to support me.
"Ugh, come here. I'll heal you a bit."
She said that and treated me enough that I could at least walk.
Luna placed a glass cane in my hand.
"Aigoo, I have to go back to school starting tomorrow."
Then I remembered something I'd brushed aside earlier—didn't the professor say she was called in over some charges?
Was that because of me?
"Uh… the Spirit Department classes are suspended for a few days. You can still attend other classes though. It's…"
Estelle seemed to hold back a bit.
"Noona, is that because of us?"
"No, it's not because of you guys. I heard she had some connection with demons. I don't know the details. But she'll be back soon. She's a candidate for hero, even if not a full hero yet, so they can't touch her recklessly."
Yeah, there probably won't be much trouble for the professor.
"Oh, do you wanna come to the Close Combat Department classes? I saw the footage—you had a lot of new moves."
As she said that, Estelle seemed to be practically drooling.
"No, I'm going to the Shooting Department."
"Tch."
Estelle clicked her tongue, but she'd probably expected that, so she didn't push further.
"Ah, midterms are coming up."
"Aw, shit."
I blamed her for bringing up that horrible word—midterms.
"Dad, bad word."
"Oh, right. Sorry."
I got scolded by my daughter.
Thankfully, the atmosphere didn't turn awkward, and we were able to walk and chat like before. Even Luna, who used to be quiet, joined in the conversation.
As we walked, we eventually came near the place where I used to live.
But from that moment on, I couldn't continue talking.
"Uncle, why are you standing there? Don't you have a home?"
Seeing me like that, she spoke up.
"I did have one. You... no, you damn bitch."
Fortunately, this much seemed to be Luna's safe zone.
No one could be blamed.
I'd smashed it myself during that fight.
"Luna, should we build a house out of glass?"
Wow, a house with absolutely zero privacy.
"We can't afford that."
Daheuh-heuhk.
I don't miss it. The White King's power.
My phone... ah, it's broken.
Then my wallet... completely empty.
Ah, why are tears coming?
Come to think of it, I can't even get the sponsorship money from the professor.
So I need to find a job again?
Suddenly, I remembered the person who once gave me a saving word.
"Hey, Miss Estelle? May I ask if that offer to help me find a job is still valid?"
"Heh heh."
At my words, Estelle let out an ominous laugh.
"Ah, the spot where I got hit during that fight is a bit sore."
She said that while rotating her neck.
"Um, Miss Estelle?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"You didn't get hit a single clean time."
This bastard—sure, she might have been grazed a couple of times, but she never took a direct hit once. She either dodged or blocked everything with her insane physical abilities.
"Hmph."
"Even so, to keep my daughter safe and warm, I, Yi Seoha, would lick shoes if I had to."
"Wait, if you put it like that, it makes me sound like a total asshole."
"For my daughter's happiness, I don't mind bowing to capital."
"Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything to this bastard."
She took out her phone and called someone.
"Anyway, you've got nowhere to stay. Let's go to my house."
Not long after she made the call, a car pulled up to where we were.
"Young lady, we've arrived."
It was someone I'd seen before—the old butler from the entrance ceremony a few months ago.
"It's been a while."
I said that and greeted the old butler.
"Ah, you're the young lady's friend I saw that day. I'm glad to see you looking well."
The old butler replied with a gentle smile.
Estelle and I got into the car the old butler had driven.
"Ah, young lady. The young miss has come to visit."
The moment I heard that, I could see her expression crack.
"Helia came?"
"Yes, she arrived at the mansion yesterday and said she wanted to see you."
"I see. Let's just go."
The atmosphere wasn't exactly conducive to asking questions, but I figured I should ask at least once.
"What's your sister like?"
At my question, she spoke as if she'd expected it.
"Right, it's better you know than not. You'll probably meet her someday."
She closed her eyes, as if organizing what to say.
"She likes me a lot."
That really summed it up. I still had no idea what her sister was like.
"And she's pretty bitchy to people who aren't me."
She added that, but I still couldn't tell.
I didn't know what kind of person she was, but based on her reaction, the given information, and what little I remembered from the original story about the family, I tried to narrow down the possibilities. Luna also put her head together with me to think, but we didn't get far.
Well, so what if she's bitchy? Can she be bitchier than me?
We arrived at her mansion.
Through the massive front gate.
Through the long, long garden.
And when we finally reached the enormous mansion...
"This place is fucking huge."
The spirit of revolution stirred within my heart.
No.
A girl was running toward us—silver hair, purple eyes, and at a glance, aside from her hair color, she looked a lot like Estelle. She was older than Luna but younger than Estelle.
"Noona! I broke through the wall and reached Rook-rank—"
Thud.
The object in the girl's hand fell to the floor.
"Noo... na? I…"
With a trembling gaze, she looked at me standing beside her.
"My... my horn hurts."
You don't have horns, you crazy bitch.