The moment Aster turned his gaze toward the girl, she hid herself behind the door.
'Who is that girl? Judging by her clothes, she looks like someone related to the duke. Maybe… his granddaughter.'
Remaining seated, Aster could tell that the girl was still standing behind the door and hadn't left. Because of that, he deliberately turned his head toward the windows instead of the door.
'Why is she still standing there? Does she need something? Or… is she afraid of me?'
The young Elestar sat there, thinking it over several times. None of his guesses felt right. In the end, he decided it would be best to ask her directly.
Standing up from the leather sofa, Aster lightly waved his hand and said,
"Hello!"
But the moment the girl saw him stand, she quickly ran down the hallway. Aster walked to the doorway and stopped there. By the time he stepped into the corridor, she was gone.
However, he sensed that someone else had been watching him from behind the door for quite some time.
"Mr. Gustav!"
Gustav, who had been standing so still he nearly blended into the wall, stepped out from behind the door.
"Impressive. Even though I stood there without making a sound or moving, you still noticed. That's not something everyone can do."
Aster looked at the estate's steward.
"I know how long you've been standing there."
Gustav furrowed his brows and cleared his throat.
"You truly are Sir Valorant's disciple. Did you have a question for me?"
"Who was that girl?"
""She is the duke's granddaughter—Anna."
Aster glanced down the hallway where Anna had run off.
'She feels… different somehow.'
Then he asked,
"Where are Anna's parents?"
The steward replied in a subdued voice,
"They passed away several years ago. That girl is the only thing Duke Alaris has left of his son. Normally, Anna doesn't speak to anyone. But today, she's been far more active than usual."
"Because there are guests?" Aster asked, lifting his head toward Gustav.
"Perhaps because of you," Gustav replied.
"It's not every day the young lady sees someone her own age. Maybe you could talk with her a little."
'Talk with her? What would we even talk about? We live in completely different worlds. I doubt we'd find a single topic to share.'
Turning back toward the room he had come from, Aster said,
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary."
He then returned to the room. As he entered, he could feel Gustav's gaze following him—as if the steward hadn't expected that answer.
Ignoring it, Aster sat back down on the leather sofa and continued waiting for his master to return.
'When will Master come back? Judging by how long he's been talking with the duke, it feels like they haven't seen each other in ten years.'
While lost in thought, something suddenly struck the window of the room.
Tap
"What was that?" Aster said, standing up and walking over to the window.
Outside the glass stretched a wide courtyard, completely covered in thick, untouched white snow. The snow that had fallen several days earlier still hadn't melted.
As Aster looked out, he noticed two girls throwing snow at each other and playing. One of them was Anna.
'How did she get there? She was in the hallway just a moment ago.'
Beside Anna stood another girl—slightly older, taller, wearing a servant's uniform. Her hair was parted and braided, falling forward over her shoulders.
Watching them from afar, Aster felt a faint urge to join in their fun. But he restrained himself.
'Play? What kind of play? I didn't come here to play.'
As he stood by the window, the servant girl noticed him and froze. Then Anna turned her head toward the window as well.
Whether out of shyness or discomfort at being seen by a stranger, Anna hid behind the servant girl.
'There I go again—ruining someone else's fun. It's better if I just stay quietly where I belong.'
This wasn't unfamiliar to Aster. Back in his village, whenever children noticed him, they would stop playing and wait for him to leave. Because of that, he'd learned to act as if he didn't exist—to avoid bothering others.
After realizing he'd ruined their mood, Aster stepped away from the window and returned to the sofa, feeling uneasy as he sat down.
Not long after, Valorant entered the room. His expression was completely different from usual. His brows were drawn together, his forehead creased, his head slightly lowered—clear signs of deep frustration.
Because of that, Aster asked carefully,
"What did the duke say?"
"Nothing definitive. He just asked us to stay here for a while."
Those words startled the young Elestar.
"Why?! A mission?!"
Valorant looked at him.
"He gave me a task. But since it's somewhat complicated, I told him I'd handle it in two parts. The first part is staying in this house for some time—"
Before he could finish, Aster interrupted,
"What about the second part?"
"I'll tell you when the time comes. Until then, we'll live here for a while," Valorant said quietly, then added,
"We won't be staying long."
***
Valorant recalled his conversation with Duke Alaris.
"Who am I supposed to escort?"
"I have only one close family member left. She lives here with me. Her name is Anna—my granddaughter. I will die soon, that much is certain. So I ask that you take my granddaughter to a safe place—the Elven Forest—and keep her there under trustworthy protection for some time. You know how much the elves respect you."
Alaris coughed once in the middle of his sentence.
"To them, you are a hero. They won't refuse your request. So please—don't refuse mine either!"
He turned and grasped Valorant's hand with both of his own.
Alaris's hands had already lost their strength. They trembled as he barely managed to hold on.
As Valorant looked at his old friend, something caught his attention.
It wasn't the weakness of his grip, nor the spots and rashes on his skin.
It was his fingers.
The nails had begun to darken from the tips inward, the discoloration spreading along the veins beneath his skin.
"You know the mistakes I made in the past," Alaris said, closing and opening his eyes painfully.
"I remember everything."
"If they find out that I've died… they will try to take Anna."
Valorant looked at him in shock.
"Because you left everything to her?!"
He understood that this wasn't just about wealth or property.
"Yes. Anna is my heir. That's why—"
Before he could finish, a violent coughing fit seized him.
Valorant rushed to the door and shouted,
"Gustav! Come here!"
Gustav ran in, carrying a tray with a towel and a bowl of medicine. He placed the tray on a small cabinet beside the bed, lifted the towel, helped Alaris sit up slightly, and held it to his mouth.
Valorant stood to the side, watching.
Each time Alaris coughed, the white towel was stained completely red.
After the coughing eased, the steward helped the duke drink the medicine.
The medicine quickly suppressed the cough, allowing Alaris to breathe more comfortably.
Feeling slightly better, the duke resumed speaking.
"Don't abandon the last request of a dying friend."
Seeing his condition, Valorant couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"Alright… I'll fulfill your request."