“Zen, when you become an adult, find a place where you want to stay. It doesn’t have to be the Brelloph family. Of course, you should repay the kindness of raising you, but someday, go where you want to go.”

“I will.”

“Good, my son.”

At that time, he really didn’t know.

That his father was looking for a place to die.

Father looked at Zen with affectionate eyes, patting his head.

That was the last memory Zen remembers.

A long time had passed, but he couldn’t know how his father passed away or even where his body was buried.

He just disappeared.

Someone said that his father must have been very unlucky, but as Zen grew older, he came to understand his father’s feelings.

He even thought that in the opposite situation, he might have made the same choice.

If possible, he didn’t want to show anyone his dying moments. Especially in front of a young son.

Living alone in the world without a single relative was not an easy thing for Zen.

In the bleak and lonely daily life, Orland, who had been by his side like a father, was there to comfort him.

“Hey, little one. I know it’s sad that your father left, but we still need to eat, right?”

Orland was a man who didn’t know how to offer comforting words, but his appropriate concern and meddling helped Zen get through life.

It felt like he had gained another family member.

And then there was Sharl…

Among the women Zen had seen since he was born, no one was as beautiful as Sharl.

It was the same until now. Personally, he thought that neither Tanasia nor Noxia could match Sharl’s beauty.

Sharl, with her jet-black hair flowing long and her bright smile, was more beautiful than a goddess in any masterpiece painting.

“Your name is Zen, right?”

“Yes, yes, ma’am.”

“Haha, calling me ma’am sounds strange coming from a little one like you.”

“But you are, you are a ma’am.”

“Sure. You said you have the Dark attribute ability. Is it true?”

At first, he considered it a question born out of disbelief.
Zen nodded firmly with a determined expression. His father was not a person who lied, and he didn’t want to be suspected.

“Really. My father is not someone who would lie about such things.”

“Oh, I see. I must have caused a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Sharl gave an awkward smile and patted Zen’s head. It was a touch different from his father’s, gentle.

In a gentle voice, Sharl continued, “What I meant is, when you grow up, I’d like to ask a favor regarding our husband.”

“Hu… husband?”

“Yes. He’s so stubborn and an outsider who has no one else to confide in. When you become stronger later on, please take good care of our husband.”

“Oh, of course. You took me in.”

“While repaying the favor is good, I sincerely hope you become close to our husband. I can no longer bear children, so if you grow up like a son to me, it would be wonderful.”

A son…

Even though Zen was young, he knew how difficult those words were to bear. He clapped his hands as if in contemplation. The playful smile on Sharl’s face as she looked at him lingered in his eyes.

“Zen, have you eaten? Let’s eat together.”

From then on, Sharl shared affection with him, even for someone seemingly insignificant.

He had never seen his mother, but he could guess what kind of person she might have been. She must have been as lovely as Sharl.

So, Orland and Sharl, looking at them warmed his heart.

He genuinely hoped the two of them would always be happy.

However…

Sharl was murdered.

From that day on, Orland was not in his right mind.

Though he might appear differently to others, Zen could tell that Orland was just barely breathing.

The Brelloph family without Sharl changed. The mansion, once warm, was no longer the same.

Time passed mercilessly like that.

As Zen grew older, Orland called him. With an icy face, Orland spoke without a trace of regret.

“Now that you’re of an age to make your own decisions, if there’s a place you want to go, feel free to leave.”

It wasn’t a joke. Orland was not someone who would urge Zen to leave for such reasons.

If he nodded, he knew he could leave the Brelloph family freely. However, Zen shook his head.

Long ago, Sharl had asked him. He couldn’t leave Orland, the loner who couldn’t confide in anyone, alone.

His father had said to repay the kindness he received from the Brelloph family and go wherever he wanted later. But Zen had made up his mind.

The Brelloph family was the place for him.

Unexpectedly, the protected person had changed from Orland to Tanasia, but Zen’s heart remained unchanged from back then.

‘If anything were to happen to Miss Tanasia…’
The thought didn’t even cross his mind.

It felt like his heart had been pierced through. Zen couldn’t bear to witness Orlando, who had lost Sharl and was in despair, once again.

That was when it happened.

Zen, riding a horse, caught sight of a carriage coming to a stop. A woman leaned out of the carriage window, and black hair reminiscent of Sharl caught his eye. It was Tanasia.

With a wry expression, she waved her hand and said, “Seeing you here, it seems like you secretly sneaked out, right?”

Zen felt anger from head to toe, and at the same time, an overwhelming sense of relief.

It was like the emotions that had been bottled up burst out in an instant.

‘…Thank goodness.’

As if he had sadly let go of Sharl, he was relieved not to lose Tanasia as well.