DTBTHS Chapter 13

Becoming a Spirit Mage immediately and fleeing. It was the final method she'd postponed because using spirit magic at such a young age was too dangerous.

The silence lengthened. Ariadne could bear it no longer and opened her mouth.

"You can decide after I make perfect Elixir and verify it."

As if her words were a signal, the frozen Archmage and Margrave spoke simultaneously.

"Child..."

"Ari..."

They glanced at each other. After exchanging something through eye contact, the Margrave spoke first.

"Ariadne."

He called only her name, then simply stared at her hesitantly before asking heavily:

"When did those experiments begin?"

It was an unexpected question. Ariadne fidgeted with the hem of her dress and answered.

"I don't remember exactly. Around the autumn I turned four, I think. That's when the Duke realized I had the perfect constitution for Elixir experimentation."

"God help us."

The Margrave groaned and buried his face in both hands. Then the Archmage let out a lament.

"My fault. All my fault..."

The Archmage sank down weakly, repeating his lament.

The Margrave glanced at the Archmage, then sighed deeply and rose from his seat.

He knelt before Ariadne, matching her eye level.

Ariadne felt burdened by the Margrave kneeling before her and leaned back.

The Margrave reached out to her. His large hand carefully swept back platinum hair stuck with sweat.

"You've sweated so much."

"Did it hurt? No, what a foolish question. Of course it hurt..."

He carefully wiped away her sweat with a fresh handkerchief.

Ariadne was flustered.

The first questions after she'd proposed the transaction—what experiments, when did they begin, did it hurt.

'The Elixir... even after seeing that miracle, they ask these things first?'

The situation fell outside the range between best and worst case scenarios she'd anticipated. She couldn't grasp how to respond.

The Margrave, having wiped away all the cold sweat, took her hand and lifted it. Confirming again that not a single scar remained, he said:

"Do you have more Blighted Essence?"

"No, there's no more."

He must want to verify the Elixir's efficacy again. Ariadne tensed reflexively.

"If you obtain fresh Blighted Essence, I can verify it again..."

"No, that's not necessary!"

The alarmed Margrave shouted, then quickly lowered his voice when he saw Ariadne squeeze her eyes shut.

"...It's fortunate there's no more."

The Margrave cupped her small right hand in both of his and gazed at it.

"Ariadne, I..."

He began speaking but couldn't continue for some time. Ariadne, watching him anxiously, spoke first.

"I know it's not an easy decision. You'll be directly confronting Duke Eldier. So..."

"No, no, what does someone like the Duke matter? That's not the problem."

Someone 'like' the Duke. If conflict with Duke Eldier wasn't the problem, what on earth was?

When Ariadne tilted her head, the Margrave sighed again and muttered as if to himself:

"I've given you no trust at all. Yes, of course you can't trust me. What you experienced isn't something light enough to be fixed with a few words."

"..."

"Wait a moment."

The Margrave stood abruptly and approached the door. He called the butler and gave some order.

Meanwhile, the Archmage rose unsteadily from his seat. The old man looked down at her with a haggard face.

"Child."

"Yes, Archmage."

"Don't you resent this old man?"

It was an unexpected question. Ariadne shook her head, puzzled.

"I don't resent you."

"Even though I didn't help when you were hurting and suffering?"

"...You didn't know, did you?"

"I didn't know. Yes, I didn't know. But shouldn't not knowing make you angrier? Shouldn't it hurt more that I didn't know?"

"No, you had no obligation to know my situation."

At those words, the tip of the Archmage's white beard trembled.

"No, child. That's not true. There was an obligation. Of course there was an obligation."

"Pardon?"

"You're not a stranger—you're my blood, my only granddaughter. How could it make sense for a grandfather not to know how his granddaughter lives? I should have known! You should resent me for not knowing, hate me!"

The Archmage spoke indignantly. Ariadne was dumbfounded.

Since when was I such a precious granddaughter? Wasn't I the granddaughter who consumed his daughter?

'In the original, he turned away until the very end... until death.'

She didn't understand why he was acting like this now. Honestly, even now it was hard to believe.

That such a person had brought her all the way here because she clung to him just once.

She looked up at the flushed old man and asked bluntly:

"You weren't interested in me originally. Until recently, you didn't even know my name."

The Archmage seemed at a loss for words, stammering before replying dejectedly:

"That's true..."

"Yet you brought me all the way here. Why would I resent you, Archmage?"

"Rather, I'm grateful. Thank you for saving me, Archmage."

Ariadne rose from her seat, held her dress hem, and curtsied gracefully.

The Archmage's face turned even redder.

When Ariadne raised her head, she was startled by the Archmage's expression.

At first she thought he was angry, but looking closely, it was an expression she'd seen recently.

The Margrave had worn this expression when apologizing to her. An expression crushed by guilt. Difficult to understand.

The Margrave, who had approached at some point, interjected.

"Ariadne. Look at this."

What he held out was a contract on fine parchment with a leopard embossed in silver leaf.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Is it an official contract used by the Weaver family?"

"Smart as always."

Official contracts that nobles used when making deals in their family's name had set forms and formats.

Ariadne had received formal heir training in addition to the special lessons. She'd learned about official contracts then.

Her learning progress had been fast even before recalling her past life. After recalling her past life, it naturally accelerated twofold.

If the Duke had been an ordinary parent, he would have been delighted, but he had no interest in his daughter's progress in other lessons. Duke Eldier's interest was limited to the progress of the special lessons.

Official contracts had two sections. The top stated what the family would provide; the bottom stated what they would receive in return.

"As you know, this is used for unbreakable promises."

The Margrave had experience raising Erich, a brilliantly intelligent child.

Erich had fully understood contracts at this age too. That's why he could conceive of presenting an official contract to a seven-year-old child.

He took out a pen before her eyes and began filling the top section of the contract.

1. 'Weaver' must safely protect and raise 'Ariadne Eldier.'
2. 'Weaver' takes responsibility for providing what 'Ariadne Eldier' needs.
3. 'Weaver' must guarantee that 'Ariadne Eldier' can reside at Weaver Castle for as long as she wishes.
4. All above clauses remain in effect until 'Ariadne Eldier' reaches adulthood at age 18.
5. However, even after reaching adulthood, 'Weaver' assumes appropriate obligations as guardian if 'Ariadne Eldier' so desires.

Without hesitation, the Margrave filled the entire top section and signed below with forceful strokes.

Margrave of Weaver. Ernst Weaver.

He wrote an identical contract, then took out a white seal and pressed it firmly on both copies.

The Weaver crest—the profile of a roaring leopard—was engraved clearly on both contracts.

The Margrave held out the contracts and inkpad to Ariadne.

"Write your name and press your thumbprint. Do you know how?"

"The bottom section is empty, Margrave."

The section where she should write what she would give in exchange for the Weaver family granting her requests. That section was blank.

"Don't write anything there."

The Margrave indicated the signature line.

"It takes effect when you sign, so you only need to sign as is."

"I don't need to fill the bottom section?"

"That's right."

"If we finalize the contract like this, you'll be at a disadvantage, Margrave. I could fill the blank however I want. I might not write anything at all."

"I don't mind."

"...Don't you need the Elixir?"

"It's certainly a tremendous potion. Difficult to calculate its value. When it becomes known, the world will be in an uproar."

"Exactly. It's a miraculous cure everyone will want. You could monopolize it, Margrave."

"Ariadne, that's your power, and it will become your property. I'm neither impoverished nor base enough to steal from my young niece."

The Margrave smiled faintly.

"Of course, if you wish, I'll look into safe distribution methods. If you need a guardian or an adult to represent you, you may use my name."

It was a proposal unilaterally advantageous to her. Ariadne looked back and forth between the smiling Margrave and the sealed contract.

"Why are you willing to take a loss?"

"It's not a loss. It's an investment to earn your trust."

"..."

"You can think of it as the price I'm paying to become your uncle."

"You're already my uncle, aren't you?"

"No, Ariadne. I want to become your real uncle—that is, real family you can lean on as much as you need."

Ariadne's large eyes wavered. She asked in a voice growing small:

"Why?"

"Because you're my niece, and you asked me to protect you."

"Just for that reason?"

"That's more than enough."

The Margrave smiled bitterly, then placed the contract in her arms.

"I hope this eases your anxiety, even a little."