The cause of death was mana poisoning.

The precise magical collision, which no alchemist could neutralize, drove mana-obsessed nobles to their deaths, and on that rainy night.

Ilian shed his last tears while watching the dying baron.

He was handed over to the Magic Tower according to procedure and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The place was Death Gorge. He had no future.

But then.

“Your name is Ilian, right?”

“……Who are you?”

“You don’t need to know that. What you need to know is just one thing. That I can get you out of here.”

“I don’t need that. I’ve already completed my revenge.”

“You may have completed your revenge, but the dead don’t come back.”

“……”

“I have a proposal. If you accept it, I’ll bring your parents back to life as payment.”

Ilian didn’t believe his words.

However, when he saw a rat’s corpse covered in filth suddenly twitch back to life after the stranger finished speaking, he nodded, completely entranced.

What happened afterward was just as he had told Esht.

The only difference was…

“Estria. I’ve heard of her.”

“A truly detestable woman. Blinded by power, she killed her own kin, her mother, and even her father.”

“……”

“Some people spend their whole lives longing to see their parents, but she killed hers with her own hands. All for power. Exactly the kind of blue-blooded monster you despise most.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“First, enter the imperial palace using a magic stone. Then do exactly as I tell you.”

“As you tell me?”

Ilian, sitting on the bed, closed his eyes slightly.

The image of the child who had been holding her chin up proudly before him earlier flickered in his mind.

That arrogance and dignity that didn’t match her small stature.

And simultaneously, the voice of the man who had commanded him echoed in his ears.

“Kill the Emperor.”

“Ah. How does one make such an enemy?”

Ilian muttered somewhat regretfully.

However, contrary to his words, a smile was etched on his face.

* * *

The next morning.

Making last night’s commotion seem like nothing but a lie, I woke up peacefully and had breakfast.

Rigan persistently asked me throughout the morning report, “Will you tell me now?” so I roughly explained what had happened.

Naturally, I received the formally disrespectful response, “Are you insane?” but as always, I lightly ignored it.

As the morning hours passed and lunchtime approached, I went to the garden looking for Lerrhagen, but contrary to my expectations, it was completely empty, so I caught a passing knight and asked.

“Where’s my dad…?”

“I haven’t seen him going out today, so I think he might be in his room.”

I nodded at the knight’s answer.

When I arrived in front of Lerrhagen’s room and raised my hand to knock, suddenly, seeming to know it was me, the door opened with a click.

I pushed my body through the gap.

Upon entering the room, Lerrhagen was lying in a rocking chair with his eyes closed.

Sunlight poured down over his body.

It gave me a strange feeling different from the soft moonlight.

His silver hair, brilliantly shining under the sunlight, seemed to scatter a curious golden light.

Is this what it means to be inherently noble and beautiful?

Suddenly, the image of him confronting black magic in front of me last night came to mind, and my feelings became complicated.

I slightly tightened my lips at his overwhelming presence that seemed to swallow even the large rocking chair.

Then, breaking the silence in the quiet room, Lerrhagen spoke.

“What is it?”

His voice seemed to resonate particularly deeply in this silence. I took a long breath, hmm.

I had no habit of prolonging introductions anyway.

I spoke directly.

“I came to ask for help. With payment.”

As soon as my words fell, Lerrhagen slowly opened his eyes.

His long eyelashes, catching the sunlight, sparkled curiously. Eventually, he turned his head toward me indifferently and opened his mouth.

“Help, you say. What do you mean?”

“Let me ask one thing first.”

“……”

“Will you harm me?”

My question was quite abrupt, rude, and strange at the same time.

No fool would answer that they would harm someone who asked such a question to their face.

Nevertheless, I asked, and he answered.

“No.”

“……”

“I have no intention of doing so.”

To that, I made a face that suggested I knew as much.

I stepped forward a few steps. Then, with the gravity of someone making a big decision, I opened my mouth.

“Then help me. Help me escape from black magic and return to my adult form.”

“Didn’t you say you would do it alone?”

“I changed my mind.”

“I’m curious about why you changed your mind.”

“Because I realized what kind of being I’ve brought in as my father.”

Lerrhagen quietly listened to my words.

I stiffened my face slightly, then gave a bitter smile.

“Yes, I admit it. Since the moment you were summoned as my father, I haven’t really trusted you. Let’s be honest. How could I trust someone I’ve only seen once before who suddenly comes and offers to help?”

“But now your thoughts have changed?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“You’re strong. Incomparably stronger than a mere human like me who has lived barely over twenty years—I could never even reach your feet.”

“……”

“Honestly, I envy you. I am human and will inevitably die someday, but you are eternal, strong, and possess infinite power.”

“And so?”

“So, I feel bitter, jealous, resentful, and even envious about being born human. I know how foolish this is. It’s like looking up at a tree I can never climb.”

“Hmm.”

“But no matter how much I envy you, there’s nothing I can change, and what I can’t have, I can’t have. That’s why I’m doing this.”

I raised my chin slightly and met Lerrhagen’s gaze.

“Help me.”

“……”

“Your strength isn’t something I can guard against. So I’d rather borrow your power.”

Honestly, even I found it amusing.

After distrusting him thoroughly for these few days, and even saying I would handle things alone, now I finally recognize his strength and ask for his help.

This is truly the worship of strength engraved in human bones.

However, no matter how base and improper it might be, Lerrhagen’s strength was reason enough for me to ask for help, having been tormented for half my life just for being weak.

And.

“It’s true that you’ve helped me these past few days, and although I don’t want to admit it, I survived last night thanks to you, Lord.”

“I don’t particularly think I helped.”

“But you did help. It’s frustrating, but black magic doesn’t seem like a problem I can solve by struggling alone. Really frustrating, but.”

“……”

“So.”

I took a breath.

Honestly, I didn’t want to say such things. But the dice had been cast, and I had been thrown right in front of the enemy.

What could I do in this situation?

Just survive as much as possible.

“Help me. I’ll pay the price.”

In the end, I had no choice but to set aside my pride.

But I didn’t find it particularly humiliating. I just regretted not being stronger.

But what could I do?

The enemy had already sent Ilian to my side.

Whatever his true purpose was, it meant my every move was being exposed to the enemy.

It was truly an unfair game.

But the world was originally unfair, and I was someone who had shattered that unfairness and become the winner of the game with my own hands.

Sometimes, setting aside one’s pride was a method in itself. Although it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I lowered my gaze slightly.

I couldn’t tell what Lerrhagen thought of me. Perhaps as an immortal being who had lived for eternity, he found someone like me amusing.

But so what?

Yes, I gritted my teeth.

So what?

The process of winning and losing doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have won, and nothing is more trivial than pride in the face of survival.

As I was reciting that to myself…

“Alright.”

At Lerrhagen’s acceptance that broke the silence in the room, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I looked up. And at that moment, I forgot even to breathe for a moment at the sight of Lerrhagen entering my field of vision.

He was smiling.

It was a smile on a completely different level from common smirks—a subtly slanted smile that made me stare at him blankly without realizing it.

And after some time, Lerrhagen slowly got up and approached me.

“I’ll help you break the black magic. But there’s a condition.”

“Tell me.”

Since I was the one who brought it up first, I responded calmly.

But suddenly, Lerrhagen slowly lowered himself, met my gaze, and spoke.

“Don’t throw yourself away to save others.”

“…What?”

“That’s my condition.”

At this unexpected condition, I became a bit puzzled.

Did I seem like such an altruistic person?

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Good. That’s best.”

“……”

“Do you accept?”

There was nothing to accept or not. Since I was the one who made the proposal in the first place.

“Yes.”

At my words, Lerrhagen’s blue eyes shone with a curious light.

That gaze, which I had never seen before, gave me a strangely subtle feeling.

To be honest, I still couldn’t figure out Lerrhagen’s intentions.

But he was strong, I needed him, and he wouldn’t harm me.

Therefore.

“I’m counting on you, ‘Dad’.”

I raised my chin slightly and extended my hand.

Lerrhagen stared at me again with an indifferent face. And after some time, his large hand took mine.

“Well, let’s do that.”

And so, on that summer day filled with bright sunlight, my absurd family play officially began.