“Please save this child.

This child’s misfortune, I will bear the burden, so please open the way for this child.

The woman gently stroked the head of the sleeping child.

The child’s cheek was plump with baby fat.

“I will delay the misfortune that awaits you, even if only a little. I, as the mother, will suppress your misfortune. Please let that misfortune pass you by. The pain that tears the living flesh is also my responsibility, please, oh Lord, watch over and nurture this child’s path.”

I pray for my death to delay the misfortune of this child,
May God slightly ease the hardship of this child.

The sound of wet rain traced outside.

“It’s raining again outside.”

“The weather is humid. Keep the window closed.”

The maids closed the window. The wet earthen floor outside emitted the scent of dampness.

Charlopp, leaning on the window sill, covered himself with a shawl.

The long shawl was stepped on by the hem. The white fur lining was quite luxurious. She groped her shoulder and checked the seams.

The servants had all left by now. Only a few maids remained by Charlo’s side.

“How is your body feeling?”

“I feel refreshed. I slept for four days.”

“Then I’ll be outside. If you need anything, please find me.”

Charlopp stared at the place where they had left.

“Do they not understand their concerns well?”

Benjamin, who was wiping his wet hair with a wet towel, approached. Wearing a bathrobe, he tightened the loose waistband.

“You know the reason.”

“You’ve experienced it often.”

Charlopp placed the knife handle on his palm.

The grip on the knife loosened. The handle of the knife was carved with a golden pattern, and the blade was sharp. The black blade gleamed ominously, and a red silk knot was tied to the blade. The knot woven with silk threads was worn.

“Give it to me here. I forgot to take it out separately.”

Benjamin, who kept a dagger in his outer coat pocket, had it specially prepared.

“Shouldn’t you be careful when handling the dagger with the pommel a bit rough?”

“…So, did you often see it being used in front of you when you were young?”

Charlopp wiped the blade of the dagger.

“I was always worried when I was young.”

When Charlo was young, his eyes were always red, perhaps because of the back view of his foster mother. Young Charlo always clung to her, biting her hair into her mouth and sulking.

“They said I often showed a gloomy side when I was young. Sitting next to me blankly, hiding somewhere alone when my mother looked away, and even when someone came looking for me, I blocked my ears. As if, to me, all that was noise.”

Like those who put down their guard when tired, young Charlopp didn’t know how to keep people close. Being alone was more comfortable, and the child would tuck his small body under a drawer or in a corner.

“It wasn’t childish.”

“Where did you hide when you were hiding?”
“Underneath drawers or inside wardrobes, leaning alone against railings like hibernating in winter, avoiding adults’ hands, hiding outside the line of sight, and almost never crying. Even if the eyes became teary, and the cheeks turned red, tears couldn’t be shed.”

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t really know either. Was the outside unfamiliar? I refused to form relationships by avoiding mingling with people. In such situations… there were times when I held a knife handle in my hand and stared intently at the servants.”

Since the child was not talkative and quiet, everyone found it eerie. Even if the treatment was poor, when a child held a blade, it carried a different weight.

“On that day, I was cut by the blade, had a fever, and cried like other children.”

All of this is not in my memory.

“It was somewhat peculiar.”

I think my late foster mother was worried about something.

“The old man has finally appeared, leaving only the pacification front.”

The rain-soaked old knight found the royal palace. The collected rainwater dripped from the eaves to the ground with a rhythmic sound.

Even though he covered himself with a coat, his robust build was fully exposed.

One arm was missing, and the empty sleeve flowed down.

The scent of wet soil emanated from the coat. The old man covered his shoulder with the coat, concealing the empty arm.

“Is His Majesty inside?”

The imperial palace steward recognized him first. The old knight patted his knee with a thick arm.

“Now, it’s hard to walk even with aching knees.”

“How is your arm?”

“The old man’s joints always ache.”

The old knight had prepared himself for conquest rather than wearing armor on the battlefield. He draped a thick coat over his shoulders, but one side of the coat hung lifelessly. One forearm was missing.

“Now, I don’t even have a forearm to lose, but the forearm itches. Please insert the prosthetic inside. I have something to tell His Majesty.”

The old man limped towards the study. The secretary respectfully nodded by his side. There was no hasty consideration. It was not courtesy for the knight who fought against demons.

“I inquire about His Majesty’s well-being.”