Chapter 38

“……!”

Theorban wanted to be angry. But he knew it was time to back off.

“Ah, y-yes, I should… I should go now.”

‘Damn bastard.’

Before leaving, Theorban gave Navia a deathly stare and strode away. It was as if he was telling her that he won’t let her be.

‘It’s easier to deal with someone who shows their hostility like that.’

The man who is difficult to deal with is a man whose thoughts are unknown.

Just like Lark Eseled.

Navia spoke while looking at Lark’s back.

“Thank you for helping me, Duke Eseled.”

Listening to her greeting, Lark looked back in slow motion.

And then he lowered his indifferent gaze to Navia. Navia was well-mannered.

“My name is Navia. I am Duke Nikan Agnes’ foster daughter.”

Lark frowned strangely when she finished talking.

As he swept his bangs with his fingers, his frowns were revealed and his strong impression deepened.

“I’ve never heard that name before.”

Navia felt a sense of deja vu at those words.

“I’ve never seen your face before.”

‘Oh yeah. He said that before I passed out.’

A never seen before face.

A never heard before name.

From those words, Navia felt strange.

No wonder it was a feeling of wonder of why he existed, going beyond the meaning of first meeting a person.

‘It could be because you’ve never left the manion.’

But why is it?

Those words were as if… there was no one he didn’t know.

‘Is it because of the atmosphere?’

Even so, this place had a lot of secrets.

‘It’s not that I can’t deal with it.’

Money was essential to run a family.

And Eseled had no money, and she had a way to solve that problem.

Navia didn’t miss the opportunity now that she ran into Lark.

“And thank you for saving my life. If it weren’t for the Duke, I would have died at the hands of Brother Wood…”

Navia spoke grimly with a weak smile.

“You must have been flustered by the sudden disturbance because of me. I didn’t think Brother Wood would hire…”

“Enough.”

Lark cut her off irritably with a bored expression.

“Throw away the sloppy acting in front of me.”

“……”

Navia blinked and closed her mouth.

Lark looked at her figure and anticipated the usual reaction.

She’s a child. She’s about to cry or turn blue.

But Navia smiled.

“Then I will do as you say.”

Rather, her voice sounded refreshed as if it turned out better.

Lark raised one eyebrow from the unexpected response.

“Wood Agnes hired contractors to fake an attack on Duke Eseled. To condemn me to slavery.”

Even with the poor situation in her mouth, Navia didn’t seem sad. She just calmly spoke.

“However, the plan failed and Duke Eseled was given a justification. Agnes attacked by surprise.”

At this point, it was something anyone could expect.

It was the talk of reparations.

“It is strictly forbidden by the imperial law, and it is an accident in which Duke Agnes’ own will is not included. He will use me as a scapegoat in this case and promise a large compensation.”

This was a natural situation.

Navia uttered her destiny as if she had seen the future.

And Lark had a choice of answers.

“The Duke can dispose of me as he wishes and end the situation with compensation.”

Agnes was so wealthy that it would be tempting to pay a considerable compensation to stop talking about it. But being content with it was short-sighted.

“However, it’s hard to maintain a private army with compensation.”

Lark’s head tilted to the other side when she said private army.

“I heard that the outside squad will be back soon. It won’t be enough to feed, provide housing, train, and pay them.

No, she will cut off living expenses by drawing out all sorts of causes to prevent Theorban from doing so.

As far as Navia knew, Eseled’s businesses were all devolved to Count Alvin.

‘The soldiers will disband and Theorban will buy them.’

Navia looked at Lark clearly and spoke.

“I have a proposition for the Duke.”

Lark tilted his head with his arms crossed.

Navia interpreted it as permission when he didn’t deter much.

“Please raise me.”

“……”

Lark shut his mouth for a moment.

The child in front of him appeared out of the blue loudly this morning and asked him to save her, but now, she asked him to raise her.

‘I was wondering what you were going to say.’

Ha.

“It’s unbelievable.”

Lark’s eyes deepened.

It was a very impulsive decision to let the child inside the house.

‘Because of that hair.’

His eyes already reached Navia’s brilliant silver hair.

Originally, he was just going to save that awfully beautiful silver hair and then send her back out.

But the way she dealt with Theorban solidified his thoughts.

This child is very clever.

Another thing, she was extraordinarily skilled at hiding the vigilance surrounding her entire body at once.

He never intended to let this troublesome thing into the house.

Lark asked chillingly,

“Why would I do that?”

Despite his cold response, Navia answered clearly and carelessly.

“Because it can make you money.”

Navia explained why she can bring in money.

“I heard that Eseled Duchy is decades ahead of the Empire in magic.”

That was evident only by the corpses of wizards who had been trained by Eseled with their independent magical science.

“Where anyone has weapons to covet, the Duke is still unmarried with no children. The Duke may see your successor through marriage in the future, but it probably won’t be like that.”

Navia didn’t know much about Lark, but she did know the future.

Lark had never been married in her eight lives.

“In the midst of this, if you consider leaving me by your side for some reason, you’ll be able to predict what kind of possibilities are around you.”

“Are you saying it’s possible to have you as my foster daughter?”

Navia nodded.

“Then Eseled will have an heir to marry, and Agnes, as well as the royal family, will covet that opportunity. Because they are aiming for the wizards here.”

How happy would Nikan and the Imperial family be if their plan to devour Eseled came by with marriage?

Both Wood and Prince Ares were still young.

That was the same for Navia.

This meant that there was enough time to start new work. They were going to take care of the papers quickly, asking her to be their foster daughter with the same intentions.

“The Duke will receive a fair price from Agnes and the royal family in return for this mercy.”

“Are you asking to be my adopted daughter for that benefit?”

“I will take care of Count Theorban Alvin.”

Lark shut his mouth.

Instead, his eyes narrowed.

She wasn’t a wizard, and every word she spoke wasn’t supposed to come out from an eight-year-old with no connections.

“The method?”

Navia smiled quietly.

“If I tell you that, it wouldn’t be my weapon then, would it?”

Lark gave a shallow grin, as if he were elated.

“What a cheeky kid.”

Navia bowed her head slightly from the complement and then spoke again.

“I have no intentions of remaining as the Duke’s adopted daughter. Under the imperial law, children’s marriage and independence can begin at the age of 15. I will get married and be independent soon.”

With that, Navia waited for her opponent’s reaction.

Lark slowly squirmed his head.

“It certainly makes sense.”

At that moment, the pressure, which she thought had calmed down, became stronger in an instant.

“But.”

As soon as Lark reached out and grabbed her hair, Navia flinched unconsciously.

“I don’t like people who think like you. Do you know why?”

“……”

“If calculative people betray you… it’s annoying.”

His eyes were tenaciously on the silver hair.

Navia somehow felt an eerie resemblance to the coldness in his gaze.

“Especially if they have silver hair.”

Lark’s horrifyingly indifferent gaze looked down at her as if he were stealing a trifle of beauty.