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Ignis and Dana headed to Viscount Laves’s estate in Limt. To cut to the chase, it was a fruitless endeavor.
“I’m afraid you’ve come in vain. I’ve heard that Viscount Laves and his wife immigrated long ago.”
The mansion where the viscount and his wife once lived was now occupied by a new owner.
“I heard it was vacant for a long time, but I purchased it a few years ago.”
The new owner was a wealthy merchant named James, who warmly welcomed Dana and Ignis despite their unexpected visit.
“Haha, it’s an honor to be able to host you like this. If I had known you were coming, I would have made perfect preparations—how embarrassing.”
The table was laden with a lavish feast, yet the host remained modest.
“If there’s anything you need, please feel free to let me know. I will prepare whatever you desire.”
It wasn’t that there was too little—there was so much that it was overwhelming.
Why are there so many forks and knives?
Ignis was bewildered. At Windsor’s mansion, he usually ate alone to avoid interacting with others, so he hadn’t yet learned the dining etiquette of nobles.
Which fork am I supposed to use?It seemed that each fork and knife had a different purpose, but Ignis couldn’t tell them apart.
“Hmm? Is something wrong?”
Seeing Ignis frozen and unsure of what to do, James asked with concern, clearly not imagining that his guest wouldn’t know the proper table manners.
At that moment, “Excuse me…” Dana, who had been quietly observing Ignis, picked up a fork and knife. “Could you please remove all the others?”
“I’d like to keep the meal simple.”
“Is that a problem?”
“N-Not at all. Please make yourself comfortable.”
James, looking bewildered, called for the servants. As they approached, Dana added, “Please do the same for Lord Ignis.”
“Is that alright, Lord Ignis?”
Ignis didn’t respond.
A moment later, all the confusing utensils before him were cleared away, leaving only one knife, fork, and spoon. Ignis stared at the lone utensils left behind.
Dana had noticed. She realized he didn’t know what to do and deliberately intervened. Thinking about it made his lips tighten.
They call her a saintess, but she really acts like one. To spare him embarrassment, she had willingly made a sacrifice. That noble lady had a heart as pure as her reputation suggested. But Ignis wasn’t grateful at all. Instead, his face burned with intense shame.
What am I even doing here?He wasn’t even on the same level as her, yet he had the audacity to sit at the same table.
Ignis had come all this way, hoping to find clues about his past, but there was nothing. The Viscount Laves’s, who had been disguised as his biological parent, wasn’t there. Even the story of their immigration was likely a lie too. They probably didn’t exist at all. It was all fake. Forged. Someone had manipulated his origins to make him seem more credible.
I expected this, so why did I come here?Ignis fought the urge to shove back his chair and flee.
“Does the food suit your taste?”
He couldn’t tell. It felt as if he were chewing sand.
That night, they decided to stay at Viscount Laves’s estate.
“Lord Ignis.”
On his way to the room assigned to him, Dana caught up with him from behind.
“Are you alright?”
“What about?”
“You don’t look well, so I was worried.”
“My face always looks like this. Don’t worry about it.”
Even to his own ears, his voice sounded dark and sullen. Someone as kind as Dana probably wouldn’t be able to ignore it.
As expected, Dana Windsor, soft-hearted as she was, couldn’t just let it go.
“Are you feeling down because your parents left you?”
What? He looked down at her in disbelief, and Dana was gazing at him with eyes full of concern.
“It must feel empty, knowing your parents left the empire without you, but they must have had their reasons.”
What is she talking about? Did she really think he was depressed because his parents had left for some faraway place?Fool, those people never existed in the first place.
Then Dana hesitated and took his hand. “I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn. But families can be made by choice, too. So…”
Ignis stared at her hand before roughly shaking it off. “So, are you saying that’s you?”
“It could be.”
“Ridiculous.”
She and him? It was laughable. The idea felt as grotesque as mixing mud with holy water.
“Lord Ignis?”
Ignoring her, Ignis walked past her without another word, dismissing her voice calling after him as he continued out the mansion’s door.Let’s just leave.This wasn’t life for him, after all.
Danae Windsor and Viego Windsor didn’t know that he was a fighting dog. Because they thought he was of noble birth, they welcomed him with open arms and wanted to be family. But what if they found out later? By then, it would be too late to fix anything. It was better to leave now.
Ignis went straight to the village and bought a horse. Selling a cufflink from his clothes was enough. As he rode away, he thought.Where will I go now? What will I do?
Whatever he decided, one thing was clear. He never wanted to see Danae Windsor again. That woman was so kind that he felt miserable in her presence. He never wanted to feel so pathetic again.
As he left the village and entered the forest, the raindrops that had been falling lightly began to pour down. In an instant, he was drenched, but he didn’t mind. It felt familiar.
Yes, this is it. This is what suits me.A life like a stray dog, getting wet when it rains and covered in snow when it snows. This was the world he belonged to. Finally, he was back where he belonged. A sense of relief washed over him, and he could breathe easier.
He wasn’t sure how long he had ridden before he heard it.
“Lord Ignis!”
Through the pouring rain, he heard a woman’s voice.
“Lord Ignis, wait!”
Could it be? He stopped his horse and turned it around. As he had feared, there she was. Danae Windsor was chasing after him on horseback.
“Where do you think you’re going without telling me?”
He was stunned. Danae Windsor must have rushed out in a hurry because she wasn’t wearing a raincoat or even a coat. She was only wearing a white dress, now soaked through with rain…
Ignis quickly looked away from her body. To be out in the rain like that, dressed as she was, was practically being naked!
“Are you crazy?” He took off his coat and threw it at her. “Put that on and go back.”
“Where are you going? Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”
“Why should I have to tell you where I’m going?”
“Because it’s only natural!”
“I still haven’t signed the papers to nullify my disownment. And I never will.”
Dana frowned at that. “Why not?”
“Did I do something wrong? If you tell me…”
Ignis blurted out, “I’m not a noble.” He quickly averted his eyes, avoiding her gaze. “I was a sl*ve, a gladiator in the arena. You know what a gladiator is, don’t you?”
He spoke in a flat, quiet voice. Even though it was drowned out by the sound of the rain, it resonated clearly.
“How about now? Has your mind changed about me?”
“So, come to your senses and go back.”
Ignis was afraid to see her reaction to learning his origins, so he hastily turned to leave. He wanted to escape. But,
Splat!He heard the sound of mud splashing. When he turned around, Danae Windsor was dismounting her horse. Then she slapped the horse’s rear, sending it galloping away with a loud neigh.
Ignis stood there in disbelief, watching the horse disappear.Why on earth would she send it away…?
“It’s about an hour’s walk back to the village.”
Ignis looked back at Dana. The pouring rain was harshly pelting her face.
“If you leave now, I’ll have to walk back through the rain, alone, in the dead of night. If I’m lucky, I’ll just end up with a cold.” Dana then threw the coat Ignis had given her onto the ground. “If I’m unlucky, I might collapse from the cold or, even worse, get robbed along the way.”
Amazingly, she was using her own safety as a form of non-violent blackmail, all for his sake.
“So either take me with you or just leave me here and go.”
Ignis was momentarily stunned. Dana was holding onto him even after he had revealed the truth about himself.
“You seem to be mistaken about something.” His throat felt tight for some reason, so Ignis swallowed before speaking again. “Why do you think I would care about you? I’ve lost my memory. I barely even know who you are.”
“So whether you freeze to death or get robbed, it’s none of my business.”
“Then go.”
“Go ahead.”
Fine.Ignis gripped the reins tightly. He lifted them, ready to ride off—
But with a sigh, he let them fall limply.
Ignis couldn’t do it. He turned the horse around and approached Dana. Then he took off his last remaining piece of clothing and draped it over her head. He was now bare-chested, but it didn’t matter. He was used to getting soaked in the rain. But this young lady wasn’t.
Ignis didn’t know Danae Windsor well. But he knew one thing for sure: she was not a woman who should be standing in the rain. She didn’t belong in the rain.