Rrrrumble. The blocks brought with both arms full spilled onto the floor of the room.

Daiban dusted off his hands.

“Well, it’s not like I brought these because you like them or anything.”

“……”

“We don’t play with these anyway. This stuff is only suitable for underdeveloped kids like you.”

“……”

“I just brought them because it was bothersome to throw them away, so don’t get any weird ideas.”

Daiban, who hastily laid out his explanation, turned around abruptly.

The door slammed shut.

‘Well…..’

I looked down at the pile of blocks while scratching my cheek. I did often play with block toys, but I wonder how Daiban knew that.

‘Is it because I helped out earlier?’

I mean, preventing the twins from getting scolded in front of the Duke and Clemens.

Daiban had brought a ton of blocks. As I organized the blocks one by one, I thought again about what the silver snake had said.

‘He said that every time I interfere with someone else’s lifespan, it affects me.’

It seems that was the reason why the silver snake suddenly changed his attitude and acted so confidently. He probably thought that if it directly affected my body, I would have no choice but to contract with him.

‘But that’s all the more reason why I can’t contract with a divine beast.’

I’m glad I found the divine beast again. If the divine beast didn’t contract with Elaizer again, I didn’t know what consequences would come back to me.

‘…It probably wouldn’t have ended with just a nosebleed.’

It takes about a week to get to Hesera by horseback from the capital. Of course, this was assuming riding day and night without rest.

‘Usually it’s a distance that takes two weeks.’

In fact, if you used teleportation to move, two days would be enough.

However, Hesera’s teleportation had been blocked at the request of the imperial family.

This was because the inspection team sent from the imperial family to Hesera all lost their lives due to a magical accident while using teleportation on their way back.

‘They said it was an incident that raised a lot of suspicion to be simply called a magical accident.’

The culprit was not clearly identified. However, since no evidence remained, the incident was concluded as an unexplained magical amplification accident.

As a result, the imperial family blocked teleportation due to safety concerns.

This time too, the Duke would not be able to use teleportation and would have to move by horse or carriage.

The Duke who moved to the capital also had to have an audience with the Emperor.

I was planning to follow the Duke and personally deliver the divine beast to Elaizer at that time.

‘Once the two meet, they’ll contract on their own.’

“Silver snake, come out.”

As I quietly called for the silver snake, it slowly crawled out from under the table.

[You…]

The silver snake continued in a weak voice.

[If I tell you everything honestly, will you contract with me?]

Unlike before, he looked clearly less confident. He looked like all his cards had been revealed.

I sat on the sofa facing the silver snake after cleaning up all the blocks.

“There’s no need for that, listening to you made it even more certain.”

[?]

“That I shouldn’t contract with you.”

[……]

The silver snake drooped all at once. Then, slowly rolling his eyeballs, he continued.

[But, you pathetic creature, what I said earlier is true. You might be fine for now, but who knows how many more things you’ll get involved in in the future. The more you do, the less your body will be able to handle it.]

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t have a choice anyway. The silver snake, having given his final warning, slithered towards the window as if he had no more lingering attachments.

Watching that scene, I was suddenly reminded of when the silver snake had run away before.

“Wait, wait a moment!”

The silver snake turned back glumly.

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to leave again?”

[I’m going somewhere else.]

“Where exactly?”

[I don’t know either, I’ll just wander around like before. Well, it’s not like I have anywhere specific to go.]

If it weren’t for the incident where he was almost auctioned off as an elixir of immortality last time, I might have just let him go.

However, after seeing the silver snake almost turned into snake soup after being caught, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

“Don’t go, stay with me.”

[Why? You’re not going to contract with me anyway.]

I let out a short sigh. That may be true, but,

“Instead, I’ll find someone for you to contract with.”

[No.]

“You might change your mind when you see them in person.”

I tried to coax the silver snake. The silver snake turned his head, showing no interest.

After hesitating for a moment, the silver snake’s eyes rolled towards me. Then he narrowed his eyes and looked at me.

That expression seemed like he might be plotting something else.

[Well, since you insist so much.]

The silver snake cleared his throat briefly. He slithered over smoothly and asked.

[So you’re saying I should stay by your side for now?]

“Yeah, I just said that.”

[Then that’s fine.]

The silver snake coiled comfortably in the middle of the room.

Why is he asking that again? I was curious, but anyway, it was a relief that he wasn’t leaving right away.

‘Rumors that white snakes are elixirs have probably already spread outside.’

Someone might still be searching with their eyes wide open.

[Alright, since you want it so much, I’ll stay with you!]

“But aren’t you curious about anything? Aren’t you wondering who the person I mentioned is?”

[Ah, right! Tell me! I’m so curious!]

I tilted my head. Why does he seem not interested at all? No, I mean, divine beast?

‘Must be my imagination?’

[This is the timeline separator]

The Empire’s Founding Day came faster than I thought. Clemens was the first to bring it up during mealtime.

“The Founding Day is coming soon.”

Clemens asked while placing small pieces of fish fillet on my plate.

‘I was curious about that too!’

My ears perked up at Clemens’s words.

“Yes, about a month left.”

“Will the main events be the same as last year?”

“Probably. It’s been the same for 10 years now.”

When I didn’t eat the fish fillet he had filleted for me, Clemens kindly asked.

“Don’t you like fish? Should I give you something else?”

Come to think of it, I forgot to eat. I shook my head and quickly popped it into my mouth.

“Can’t you eat that by yourself?”

Daiban, sitting right next to me, whispered softly.

‘Come to think of it, the twins still don’t like me.’

While Clemens and the Duke had accepted me as family, I had only met the twins recently. It was natural for them to find me unfamiliar.

‘I shouldn’t act too spoiled in front of Clemens when they’re around.’

I chewed on the fish fillet while sneaking glances at Daiban and Michael to gauge their reactions.

Daiban was cutting a large steak on his plate into bite-sized pieces.

“Then you can’t eat this by yourself either, right?”

A piece of neatly cut steak landed on my plate. I stared blankly at it, then at Daiban, then back at the meat.

‘What is this……’

“Don’t tell me I need to cut this for you too?”

Munch munch.

As I chewed diligently to show I could eat it, Daiban quickly cut more meat for me.

“You only eat when it’s cut like this, huh.”

‘What is this, really……’

I can cut meat by myself too.

I saw Michael, sitting across from me, looking at Daiban with salty eyes.

“Daiban, Diane prefers fish over meat. Or dishes with cream sauce.”

“Daiban, I was cutting Diane’s meat. You eat your own.”

Clemens and the Duke spoke in turn.

Daiban looked at the meat on the Duke’s plate with a disgruntled expression. Then he cut his meat into large chunks and stuffed them into his mouth.

Michael sighed briefly across the table, as if lamenting.

Clemens cleared his throat and spoke up.

“So, Father. I’ll stay at the mansion this time.”

“You should have some duties as a representative, wouldn’t it be good to visit the capital and familiarize yourself with the roads?”

“The business I was in charge of last time has gotten busy, and there are new contracts coming in too.”

“Ah, is that so?”

The Duke’s gaze briefly flicked towards me. Clemens flinched.

“It’s really because I’m busy.”

Why is he looking at me? I was curious, but anyway, that wasn’t important right now.

“What do you do for Founding Day?”

When I asked casually, Clemens kindly answered.

“We hold a festival every year to commemorate the day the Empire was established, that’s called Founding Day.”

“A festival?”

I asked eagerly, pretending not to know everything. While Clemens was explaining enthusiastically, I was busy thinking.

‘They won’t be able to use teleportation to go to the capital…, so the Duke will leave in two weeks at the latest.’

This was the perfect time to say I wanted to go to the Founding Day festival together.

“The imperial family also sets a generous budget and releases a lot of support funds. Other nobles visit that day too, bringing in lots of tourism revenue.”

As Clemens finished explaining about Founding Day, I said with an excited face.

“Wow-! That sounds so fun! I want to go with Dad too!”

Clemens stiffened.

“Sweetie, we can have festivals in Hesera too. You don’t need to go all the way to the capital.”

“That’s right, the journey to the capital is long, so it seems too early for you.”

“Yeah, don’t think about tagging along and bothering Father, squirt.”

Only Michael was quiet. Everyone else chimed in to oppose my trip to the capital.

But I had no intention of giving up easily. I had told the silver snake, and moreover, after hearing what the silver snake said, I felt more urgent.

The reason the Duke goes to the capital for Founding Day was also to visit the imperial family. All high nobles have an obligation to have an audience with the Emperor once a year.

So if I follow the Duke to the capital this time, I’ll naturally be able to approach the imperial family.

Despite everyone’s strong opposition, I shook my head.

“But Dad will be gone for a long time if he goes this time. I don’t want to be apart from Dad……”

I looked up at the Duke glumly as I spoke. The Duke froze in the middle of cutting his meat. I knew that expression of Dad’s very well.

‘He’s conflicted!’

I fidgeted with my fingers as I spoke one by one.

“I heard the capital is far away, if Dad goes I won’t be able to see him for days.”

“……”

“I don’t like that, I want to be with Dad.”

“……”

“Even now you can’t play with me much because of work……”

The last part was actually because I don’t visit the Duke’s room often.

But in reality, the Duke was an extremely busy person. After all, he was the lord of this vast Hesera and was running numerous businesses under his family name.

Even this meal was a precious time that the Duke had barely managed to make time for.

The Duke put down his knife with a thud. The knife in the Duke’s hand seemed slightly bent.

“You can come along.”

“Really?!”

“But you must always go with guards wherever you go, and absolutely no causing trouble like last time. You have to stick close to Dad when we’re there……”

The Duke listed a few more precautions afterwards. Things like having to stick close to Dad all day, having to hold Dad’s hand tightly when we’re out.

I nodded earnestly while popping into my mouth the meat that Daiban had cut for me behind the Duke’s back.

‘I did it!’

At that moment, Clemens urgently spoke up.

“On second thought, I’m not busy, Father.”

“……”

“I think I can go to the Founding Day festival. No, even if I’m busy, I must go.”

“……”

“As you said, Father, the Founding Day festival doesn’t happen often. It’s important to go and gain experience.”

The Duke threw out a word with a victor’s smile.

“I thought you were busy?”