14
‘Lady Ferris used me as a shield until her debutante! How dare she, me!’
As Nanael had said, maintaining the engagement wasn’t just for her father’s sake.
Rising to the dukedom at a young age had made Alferen many enemies, so he needed a pretext to divert attention until things stabilized.
The sudden absence of her father had shaken the entire Ainluk family.
If only her father had died honorably in battle, Alferen’s position wouldn’t feel so precarious, nor would the imperial court have had such a hold over him.
The vassals still hoping for the former duke’s recovery, and the factions exploiting this, were lying low, biding their time.
Of course, Alferen hadn’t been idle either, and he had garnered considerable support from those loyal to him.
‘Alferen Ainluk, you must become stronger than anyone else. So strong that no one can deny you.’
Her father, thrust into the role of duke after his brother’s death, had spent his entire life proving himself.
It didn’t help that his brother had been an exceptional mage.
Fortunately, Alferen was blessed with many talents, which had been a source of pride for the former duke.
Yet Alferen often wondered.
‘If I were weak and unimpressive, would Father deny me?’
It was a question he couldn’t answer easily.
Deep within, a frightened young boy hid, terrified of being rejected.
A foolish son who couldn’t help but doubt his father’s love.
Whether his father intended it or not, Alferen, too, was never free from that compulsion.
He had to prove himself to his father at every turn.
Meeting little Lady Rodellia, then, was a stroke of luck.
At first, she hadn’t left much of an impression, but she began to catch his eye when she came to him, asking him to heal an injured bird.
“Heal it. They say you’re an amazing mage, oppa.”
Her demand was as bold as if she were retrieving something entrusted to him.
The bird she brought looked like it had been bitten on the leg by a snake.
By nature’s law, it should have been eaten by the snake.
But Rodellia seemed determined to save this small, fragile creature.
Normally, Alferen would have dismissed it as a bother, but at the time, he was frustrated, having come in second place for the first time.
Uncharacteristically, he spoke harshly, trying to break her resolve, all because of his own irritation.
“In the animal world, the weak can only die. Even if you save it now, it’ll just get hurt and die somewhere else. Are you going to bring every injured creature to me to heal? Some are destined to be prey.”
“It’s a mother bird that got hurt protecting its babies. If this bird dies, the chicks will die too. Are you saying that to me right now?”
“That’s just nature’s way—”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You could save it but choose not to, spouting grandiose excuses? You’re the worst!”
“Ugh!”
In a fit of rage, Rodellia kicked him in the shin and burst into tears.
“Do the weak all have to die? If you’re not the protagonist, does that mean side characters deserve to die like dogs? Were the strong always strong from the start? Who’d choose to be born weak?”
She cried so bitterly.
Alferen couldn’t understand what had touched a nerve in her.
But one thing was clear: her near-unreasonable plea had left a deep impression on him.
He stared at the bird, its faint, rasping breaths barely holding on.
A small, fragile thing that seemed like it would break with the slightest pressure.
And Rodellia, grieving for this pitiful creature.
Seeing her pour so much heart into such an insignificant bird, he felt a crack forming in the walls of his heart.
Her words directly contradicted the philosophy his father had drilled into him: only the strong survive.
Rodellia was saying something else entirely.
That it was okay not to be strong.
That it was fine to be weak.
That there was no need to constantly prove himself.
In that moment, he wanted to grant her request.
Alferen reached out to the bird.
Flap!
The bird, which had seemed on the verge of death, regained its vigor at his touch and fluttered its wings.
In an instant, it soared into the sky, looking utterly free.
As the frail, weak bird found freedom because of him, he felt an unexpected sense of relief.
Watching the bird disappear into the distance, Alferen whispered softly.
‘Rodellia, I’m not strong.’
‘Oh, I know. What kind of strong person acts like the world’s falling apart over a single second place? You’re so weak, oppa.’
Rodellia replied with a sassy smirk.
Her words hit his Achilles’ heel, yet strangely, they didn’t anger him at all.
Instead, the heavy burden that had weighed on his heart moments ago seemed to lift, leaving him inexplicably at ease.
It was as if the shadow of his father, which had oppressed him for so long, had been pushed away entirely by the light that was Rodellia.
That was when it began—when he started letting her in, observing her closely.
Around Rodellia, small, fragile things always seemed to gather.
When she strolled through the garden, butterflies fluttered around her, and it wasn’t uncommon for injured animals to come to her, seeking help.
Each time, Rodellia sought him out, and he, without complaint, used his healing magic.
It was because of her that he’d even gone out of his way to learn healing magic, despite it being ill-suited to his natural affinities.
Rescuing animals became a kind of private game they shared.
And there was one phrase she always had on her lips:
‘Watch out for the redhead today too!’
As a child, Rodellia’s hair had been even more vividly red than it was now.
Her words felt like she was drawing a line, warning him to keep his distance.
That sparked a peculiar defiance in Alferen.
At first, he thought she might have some hidden agenda and tried to figure it out.
But at some point, he realized he couldn’t stop himself from following her with his eyes.
That was when he understood: the “redhead” Rodellia spoke of was Nanael Barnard, and her attention was entirely fixated on breaking off their engagement.
That was why he’d delayed the annulment, dragging it out to keep her focus on him.
But now, even that was gone.
How can I keep you close?
As Alferen’s emotions grew tangled, he gently brushed Rodellia’s cheek.
She stirred, then snuggled closer to him.
At the same time, she grabbed his hand and began fidgeting with her hair.
“Mmm, pasta…”
She must be eating pasta in her dream.
Using his hand as a fork, no less.
“Pfft.”
Alferen swallowed a laugh and turned his head away.
“Ha… you’re really something else.”
Rodellia Ferris was, without a doubt, the most unpredictable young lady he’d ever met.
Her boundless charm, impossible to pin down, had managed to make him smile even in his darkest moments.
He suddenly recalled their first meeting.
Her eyes, full of wariness as she studied him, contrasted with her bold, affectionate behavior.
“If you’re my oppa’s friend, that makes you my oppa too, right? What do you say? Want me as your little sister?”
“…I don’t need one.”
“Ugh, that stings! People usually soften the rejection a bit, you know.”
“…It’s fine.”
“Really? I’d make a great little sister. You won’t regret having me around!”
From that very first meeting, she’d charged at him with talk of being siblings, and her subtle jabs at Nanael were honestly quite entertaining.
Back then, his engagement to Nanael had felt like a humiliation, so having Rodellia throw shade on his behalf was deeply satisfying.
But at some point, every time she emphasized their sibling-like bond, it stopped feeling good.
It didn’t take him long to realize his feelings for her weren’t those of a friend or brother.
Even after acknowledging those feelings, their relationship hadn’t really changed.
Alferen cherished his connection with Rodellia so much that he approached it with caution.
Or rather, it was closer to being unable to cross a certain line.
The more precious the relationship, the more he feared losing it—an inevitable truth.
As Alferen carefully brushed a strand of hair from Rodellia’s cheek, she suddenly opened her eyes wide.
For a moment, she blinked slowly, as if trying to process the situation.
Then, as clarity returned to her gaze, Alferen felt it.
The spell that had enchanted her was broken.
