Chapter 230: That Single Glance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 230: That Single Glance
Aboard the black carriage, Anna gazed at the familiar old man before her, her expression a complex swirl of emotions.
"It really is you, then."
"What? Are you frightened?"
"No. It’s just... the foster father I knew, the harmless old man who ran a shop that never had any customers and spent every day dozing off, has suddenly transformed into one of the most powerful men in the country. To find out you are the legendary Sword Bearer, whose name alone is said to silence crying children... it’s just a bit much to take in."
"..."
The old man fell silent for a moment. He half-opened his clouded eyes and asked, "Do you still acknowledge me as your father?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Anna lowered her head and spoke softly. "After all, you were the one who raised me, weren't you?"
"Even if my motives for adopting you weren't pure from the start?"
"I guessed as much... but that doesn't contradict the debt of gratitude I owe you for raising me, does it?"
Anna looked up and smiled. "I’m not the ungrateful sort. Besides, when I think about it, even if you had other motives, you never once harmed me. Even before... when the Silence Bureau suddenly seized me, it could be seen as a form of protection. It’s just that none of us expected those evil cultists to be so fanatical that they would launch a direct assault on a branch of the Silence Bureau.
"Most importantly, without your guidance, the Anna Kabulin of today wouldn't exist. So, regardless of why you took me in back then, I am truly grateful."
"..."
The old man lapsed into silence once more.
As he looked at the young girl before him, her eyes brimming with endless tenderness, his memory involuntarily drifted back ten years.
Back then, he had approached her with the sole intent of killing her.
According to the intelligence he had gathered, this poor girl, abandoned by her parents, had shown signs of Snake Transformation Disease since birth.
In history, the longest incubation period for Snake Transformation Disease was ten years.
And the Snake Person who had incubated for those ten years eventually caused a catastrophe that nearly wiped out an entire city.
So, when the girl had just crossed the threshold of eleven and was forced to leave the orphanage, he had appeared before her.
His purpose was to kill her and eliminate the unknown threat once and for all.
For him—the "Sword Bearer" who had executed countless evil cultists over the past century—it should have been an easy task.
And yet.
On that windless night, under the cold moonlight, he had noticed the girl’s eyes. Just as they were now, they held a depth of tenderness and resilience that made him hesitate.
Perhaps it was because the weather was truly fine that night, or because the moonlight was so bright it made one's eyes shine.
Or perhaps, as he reached the twilight of his life and prepared to descend into hell, it was a subconscious act of atonement.
And so, that night, the old man whose hands were stained with blood and whose path was paved with bones felt his heart soften for the first time.
That single moment of mercy was like a sprout emerging after a spring rain. Deep within his heart, in the frozen wasteland he thought had long since died, a meadow of tenderness began to grow.
"I’m the one who should be thanking you," he said.
"Hmm?" Anna tilted her head, looking at the old man in confusion, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
"It was you who allowed me—a man who spent his life fighting evil gods and cultists, a man who was nothing but a murderous blade—to finally feel what it means to be human."
"Is that so?" Anna’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled. "How does it feel?"
The old man looked at his withered hands and smiled back. "It feels good."
Sunlight filtered through the carriage curtains, illuminating the small space. The old man and the girl sat opposite each other, both wearing soft smiles. Despite the vast difference in their ages, they looked like a true father and daughter. It was a heartwarming scene.
"By the way, you didn't call me here just to reminisce, did you?" Anna leaned against the window, resting her chin on her hand as she asked softly. "If there’s something else, please, just say it."
"You were always too clever for your own good."
The old man gave a helpless sigh. He discarded the long speech he had prepared and went straight to the point. "It’s nothing much, really. I want you to join the Silence Bureau. It is the place best suited for you."
"The Silence Bureau..."
Anna didn't look surprised. "But I don't really like that kind of place."
"I know." The old man seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He said calmly, "But I’m not asking you to start from the bottom. With your current strength, you are worthy of a much higher position."
"So..." Anna arched an eyebrow.
"...I am very old," the old man said after a pause. "So old that I don't know when I’ll suddenly end up in a coffin. Therefore... I need an heir."
"Wh—"
A look of genuine surprise finally crossed Anna’s beautiful face. Her lips parted slightly, giving her a look of innocent bewilderment. "Me? An heir? But I’m not even a Silencer yet."
"You don't need to worry about that. The Silence Bureau isn't a bureaucracy. We don't care about seniority; we care about strength. As long as your power is enough to suppress everyone else, they will follow your orders faithfully."
"But my strength isn't enough either."
"It isn't enough now, but in the future..." The old man looked at Anna meaningfully, as if seeing something deep within her. "I believe in your potential."
"..."
"Besides, this old man isn't dead yet. I won't be able to close my eyes in peace until I’ve passed all my skills on to you."
"..."
Anna remained silent, her eyes downcast as she fell into deep thought.
After a moment, her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, betraying her inner struggle. She whispered, "But I still..."
"Can't bear to leave that kid?"
The old man finished the sentence for her, letting out a cold snort. "You think you can just flirt and dally at Saint Maria Academy forever? You think that if you leave to join the Silence Bureau, you’ll lose that chance?"
"..."
Anna said nothing, but her silence was an admission.
At a time when her love for her junior was overflowing, how could she bear to leave him?
"Sigh... you silly girl."
Seeing the prize cabbage he had raised for ten years being rooted up by that golden pig, the old man felt a surge of helplessness and frustration. He continued, "Actually, it was precisely because of your relationship with that boy that I made this decision."
"Hmm?" Anna looked up, puzzled by the connection.
"Heh." The old man suddenly looked out the window with a contemptuous smile. "You haven't forgotten that boy's status, have you?"
"Status..."
Anna blinked, and then it clicked.
The person she longed for was Muen Campbell.
He was the only son of Duke Campbell, the guaranteed future Duke.
More importantly, because the Campbell line had been a single succession for generations, they were naturally the only staunch Royalists among the Great Nobles.
Because of this bond, he had an engagement—bestowed by the Emperor himself—to the Empire's renowned Princess.
"An engagement..."
Anna murmured softly. Following the old man's gaze, she turned to look out the window.
On a nearby rooftop, bathed in the faint morning light, a silver-haired figure stood tall and graceful.
As if born to be in the spotlight, the Princess commanded attention simply by standing there. She was enough to make anyone lose themselves in her beauty.
"She’s beautiful," Anna sighed.
As if sensing something, the silver-haired girl suddenly turned her head. Across several blocks, her eyes met those of the girl in the carriage.
It was the first time their gazes had met. There was no killing intent, no special meaning.
It seemed perfectly calm.
Like a sea without a breath of wind.
But the old man’s smile suddenly turned mischievous. "My girl, as I said, it’s perfectly normal for a future Duke like Muen Campbell to have several mistresses.
"However—"
"That one and only position of Duchess... don't you want to fight for it?"