'How could this kid…'
After a moment of surprise, Eric let out an empty laugh.
'Eyes color is different.'
While the child in his dream had violet eyes, the eyes of the child in front of him were blue.
'It seems I made a mistake again.'
Since he had misidentified Cornelia earlier, he thought it was a mistake this time as well.
In fact, he wasn't sure because it was a face he had seen in a dream and not in real life, and Eric thought that the faces of children that age had many similar features.
'Anyway… this kid looks like he's only three or four, too young to be walking around on his own.'
Eric came to a conclusion.
The child must have lost his way while out with his father.
“My child, where is your father?”
He asked in a gentle voice, afraid he might scare the child.
The child held up a fern-like finger.
"here!"
The child pointed to him.
'Hmm, maybe he's too young to distinguish people well.'
Finally, Eric bent down and took off his hood.
“My little one, I…”
I'm not your father.
As he was about to say it, “Woah!
Dad!”
The child sobbed and hugged Eric tightly.
Eric was confused and didn't know what to do.
This was understandable, as the child he was holding was too fragile and small to push away.
sigh.
'If I just try to walk away and say I'm not his father, he'll be more likely to cry.'
First, he decided to calm the baby so that he would stop crying.
'So, how do I calm a child like this down?'
He searched his memory and tried to pat the child's back as he had seen it somewhere, but the child cried louder, as if there was something really sad for him.
'Isn't that true?'
As Eric sweated with worry, the child shouted, "Daddy, Daddy, I missed you so much.
Please don't leave me again.
Don't leave me behind!"
With a face stained with tears and snot, he hugged baby Eric again, crying as if he really was the father he had lost.
'It seems that the shock of loss was too much for this little one.'
How long did he continue to raise the child?
When the baby finally stopped crying and calmed down, Eric opened his mouth.
“My child, then I...”
At that moment, the child rubbed his eyes and answered loudly.
“Dad, I'm Damian!”
Eric sighed, then picked Damian up.
The child's eyes sparkled and he laughed brightly.
"Hahahaha!"
That was strange.
The moment he picked up this little being, he felt something tickle inside his chest.
At the same time, there was a familiar feeling, as if he had found something he had lost long ago.
Even though he clearly had no connection to this child, he felt a warmth that made him want to keep looking at him.
'How stupid!
What do I think about a child I have nothing to do with...?'
Finally, Eric spoke to the child.
“Okay, Damian, I'll take you to your parents.”
At those words, the child's eyes widened, and then a grim expression crossed his face.
“Dad, I hate you.”
Eric heard the soft murmur, but paid no attention to it.
‘There is a crowded area nearby; It would be best to inquire about the child's father there.'
However, when they reached a place with people, Damian burst into tears.
"Daddy, don't leave me!
Waaah!"
Upon seeing this, the expressions of the people around him turned into expressions of disapproval.
“Seriously, he looks good but he's trying to give up his baby.”
“How could he be so cruel?
He is a tall man and looks strong.”
Eric felt embarrassed, so he pulled his hood deeper and spoke in a reassuring voice to the child.
“Damian, I told you, I will help you find your father.”
But the child was merciless.
“My father is here!
Why do you say you will find him?
You are so mean!
Waaah!”
The looks from the crowd became more hostile.
Eric broke out in a cold sweat, holding the baby, and stirred again.
'It seems like it would be better if I took the child to the local guards.'
A person wearing a black mask was raising a sword at my child.
[Mom, save me!]
I ran like crazy.
To save my child.
But my baby was too far away.
[Please…]
The moment I extended my hand—
“No!”
I woke up terrified, almost hitting the ceiling.
"my lady!"
"Your Highness!
Are you okay?"
Seeing the anxious faces of Janet and Marquis Philippe, I finally remembered that I was heading to the capital.
'What an ominous dream...'
Suddenly, the cart shook.
Takh-!
The carriage stopped suddenly.
"ambush!"
The driver's voice made Marquis Philip reach for his sword.
“Your Highness, stay here.
I’ll take care of it.”
Before he finished speaking.
Bam-!
The carriage door suddenly opened.
As the killer tried to enter the carriage, Marquis Philippe drew his sword and tried to stop him.
Bang-!
A bullet fired from the gun in the killer's hands pierced the killer's head.
“Janet.”
At my call, Janet quickly pulled out the dagger she had hidden under her skirt and rushed outside.
Seeing this, Marquis Philip spoke with admiration.
“Thinking that there is such a powerful maid; I guess I don't need to interfere.”
I frowned at his words.
“No, given Janet’s personality, she will kill them all without even questioning them.
So hurry up and save one of them.”
At my words, Marquis Philip laughed and got out of the carriage.
After some time, he came back, covered in blood.
“They committed suicide without revealing the mastermind, but they did not intend to harm you, Your Highness.”
"What?"
“Their mission was not to assassinate, but to threaten Countess Heard.”
'What? to threaten?
For what purpose?
Instead of threatening me...
For a moment, I turned pale as I remembered Damian's bright face.
"Turn the cart!
Now!"
Meanwhile, Eric was frowning.
'This is strange.
Why do I keep circling in the same area?'
It was an unbelievable and unreal situation.
Eric focused his mind and carefully examined the energy around him.
Finally, he felt a strange energy surrounding him.
'It's too natural to be called an aura.'
Although it was unfamiliar, Eric instinctively felt that it was causing the current phenomenon.
Gathering all the aura in his body, Eric released it explosively.
Boom-!
Finally, the strange energy dissipated, and the surrounding scenery changed.
‘This place is far from the center of the territory.’
He had no idea when he had arrived at this place.
'I need to get this child to the security forces quickly.'
At that moment,
“Heh... heh...”
He lowered his head in response to the ragged breathing and noticed that the child in his arms had turned pale.
Startled, Eric called out to the child.
“Damian, what's wrong?”
The child replied, shedding tears,
"Daddy, it hurts!
It hurts!"
Eric then realized that the strange energy he felt earlier was once again flowing towards the child's heart.
'Could this child be…'
At that moment, the child held Eric's hand tightly.
“Dad, don't go.
Please, don't leave me.
If you die because of me...”
As the child fainted and was unable to continue speaking, his energy gradually began to stabilize.
'What exactly is this child?'
Eric looked at the boy's little hand, which was holding his finger with a complicated expression.
He couldn't let go of that hand because he felt a strange feeling of longing and pity.
‘This kid clearly has nothing to do with me, so why do I feel like this…’
At that moment...
“Oh?
Young Master Damian?”
When he turned around, Eric saw two soldiers patrolling the territory, calling out as if they recognized the child.
“Do you know this child?”
“Yes, he is our lady’s son, the young master of Heard County.”
At those words, Eric looked at the child in surprise.
'This child...'
He felt empty at the fact that this child, who was completely unrelated to him, was the closest blood relative to the subject of his investigation.
At that moment, the soldiers asked him suspiciously.
“By the way, how have you become so protective of Young Master?”
“I was walking down the street, and he followed me.
So I was looking for the security forces.”
Even with Eric's answer, the soldiers persisted.
“Young Master won’t be alone, so if you don’t mind, could you tell us your identity?”
In response, Eric showed his identification badge to the soldiers.
In the end, the soldiers bowed and said: “We apologize.
You are Mr.
Chester of the Duchy of Brant.
Thank you for protecting the young master.”
After his identity was revealed, and considering that the vassal of the Duchy of Brant would most likely not kidnap the child, their behavior softened.
Eric answered stiffly, as if it was nothing special.
“I did what I had to do.”
“Indeed, the distinguished knight is different.”
One soldier passed his spear to the other and opened his arms.
“You are a busy man, and we have taken up a lot of your time.
We will accompany the young master to the palace.”
At that moment, Eric adjusted the child in his arms and answered.
“I refuse.”