Chapter 8.1 – Sometimes, a Decision Is Necessary

Daphne endlessly fiddled with the documents she had reviewed and then set aside. It was as if her once calm and steady life had been turned upside down overnight, leaving her in a daze. She tried hard to focus on her work, worried she might be missing something in this situation, but it wasn’t easy.

She had thought she’d have time to breathe after finishing her urgent work a few days ago. Daphne looked at Isaac, who sat in the medical chair with a troubled expression. She wondered just how long he planned to sit there, and let out a sigh.

‘I just want to get some work done….’

She had never wanted to work so much before. Ever since she declared she would not go to the Magic Development Department, Isaac had started dropping by the infirmary from time to time, just sitting there like that.

To make matters worse, even Brooks came to the infirmary to talk to Isaac, so the place became so cramped that actual patients couldn’t come in.

If that were all, it might have been tolerable. But Isaac wanted her to become his adopted daughter. She had heard this before when she was young, but back then Isaac was “Rezan Grey,” and now he was “Isaac Avery,” which made it a different story.

She wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with the situation. Hailey, who had learned that the Grand Mage of the rumors was actually the one who raised Daphne—Daphne herself claimed she grew up alone—and was basically her foster father, also seemed to be wishing both Isaac and Brooks would leave as soon as possible.

“Grand Mage Isaac, what brings you here today?”

“Are you displeased that I came?”

“How could that be! I was just curious as to why the great Grand Mage Isaac would visit the infirmary!”

Brooks jumped in to explain at Isaac’s words. Daphne wished desperately that both of them would just leave. She swallowed the words she couldn’t say aloud and lowered her gaze to the desk.

If only he would make a scene, yelling, ‘Transfer to the Magic Development Department right now!’ she could kick him out openly, but since he just sat there quietly staring, she couldn’t do that either.

“Is Sir Grey here?”

As Daphne stared intently at the paperwork, wishing the two of them would leave soon, a welcome voice reached her ears.

“Yes. I’m Daphne.”

Xhe said as she stood up. A man with an Investigation Bureau badge on his chest bowed his head slightly in greeting and spoke in a flat voice.

“There is a visitation request for Baron Lewin. Will you accept?”

Daphne’s head filled with questions. Who, for what, and why now? She tried to guess the reason for the visit. Well, it was obvious. 

‘You’re my blood, so pay off my debt.’

Muttering a small curse, Daphne walked forward with a determined face.

“You’re not really going to see that man, are you?”

Isaac, who had kept his mouth shut, suddenly scowled. For some reason, a cold wind seemed to blow through the airtight infirmary, disturbed by his mood.

“Yes.”

“Why? I don’t think you have any reason to meet that man. He—”

Isaac clamped his mouth shut before finishing. He seemed to decide it wasn’t wise to bring up bad memories in front of others.

“It’s my decision.”

“What?!”

“You told me to live as I please.”

“That’s true, but… ugh, fine. Who could win against your stubbornness? But I’ll go with you. If it’s come to this, I need to see that guy’s face.”

Isaac thumped his staff on the floor and stood up. Judging by his tightly closed lips, it was clear he wouldn’t listen no matter how much she tried to stop him. Daphne glanced at the Investigation Bureau officer, who was still waiting by the door for her.

“Is that okay?”

“…What is your relationship?”

“He took care of me when I was young. For about three years?”

“Please come together for now. I’ll check with the Director.”

The officer looked rather flustered. But Daphne ignored him and urged him to hurry, saying she was busy.

“If anything happens to you, I’ll do whatever it takes, so don’t worry.”

Isaac whispered in a small voice, raising his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Just trust me.’ Did he think she was still a helpless thirteen-year-old child?

But Daphne just nodded silently. When else would she get the Grand Mage Isaac as her backer?

‘Let’s just hope Uncle Rezan doesn’t cause a scene.’

The first time Isaac saw her battered body, he had tried to burn down Baron Lewin’s manor. How dare someone who can’t even swing a stick properly do something worse than a beast, he’d said.

Back then, she had stopped him because she didn’t want to have anything more to do with Baron Lewin, but if she’d known it would come to this, she wouldn’t have stopped him. After all, even if the Grand Mage Isaac Avery, who was also the Emperor’s Master, destroyed a wicked noble family, people would turn a blind eye.

“I should have let you back then.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing.”

Regret couldn’t turn back time. All she could do was do her best with what she was given.

* * *

“This way.”

She had visited the Investigation Bureau so often that people wondered if she worked there, but this was her first time entering the underground prison.

She frowned at the harsh sound of rusty hinges, but only for a moment. As the door opened, a foul stench rushed out, and Daphne covered her nose. Isaac, on the other hand, looked indifferent.

Descending the steep stairs, their footsteps echoed through the cramped space. Only a few torches were lit, so it was hard to see ahead.

“Wh-Who’s there?!”

A familiar voice called out from the darkness. Even without seeing his face, Daphne knew it was Baron Lewin. When the prison guard lit a torch near the cell, his face became relatively clear. He looked terrible, as if he’d suffered quite a bit while being here.

“Oh, my daughter! Daphne!”

Baron Lewin crawled on his knees and clung to the bars with a bright smile. The shackles on his wrists clanged noisily against the iron bars.

“You’ve come to save me, haven’t you? Oh, my beloved daughter…! You came for your poor father!”

His lips quivered. In Daphne’s memory, Baron Lewin was a frightening man. He loved alcohol and women, and whenever he had the chance, he would snip her hair off with huge scissors.

Because of those memories and experiences, there were times when she would tremble and suffer just at the sight of anything sharp. Daphne gazed down at him as he grinned, baring his teeth, trying to win her favor.

‘I don’t know why I used to be so afraid.’

Perhaps it was because she was experiencing this upside-down relationship for the first time. Everything felt unfamiliar: him being beneath her gaze, him looking up at her.

But that didn’t mean she felt refreshed or that her anger had subsided. Baron Lewin’s desperate voice still echoed against the cold prison walls.

“There isn’t much time left.”

At the guard’s words, Baron Lewin’s face turned pale. It was obvious he was desperately thinking of how to win Daphne over. She could feel Isaac’s anger burning behind her.

“Baron Lewin.”

“What are you saying, Daphne! You’re my daughter, aren’t you? ‘Baron Lewin’—that’s not something a child calls a parent. Come, call me Father.”

“I don’t know where you got my name from, but I’m not that much of a fool. Of course, the Daphne you know might be the only idiot in the world, but not me.”

“D-Daphne…?”

Baron Lewin called her name with a bewildered look at her unfamiliar response.

“Ah, should I really change my name….”

Daphne gave a hollow laugh and stared blankly at Baron Lewin, who looked up at her with unfocused eyes.

“How, how dare you….”

“How?”

At those words, the anger she thought she’d forgotten surged up again.

How dare she do this to him? Then why had he done those things to her?

“What is Baron Lewin’s sentence?”

“If he doesn’t pay his debts within the deadline, he’ll be forced to work in the iron mines in the south for fifty years. When that period ends, he’ll be executed.”

“No, no way. That can’t be, that can’t be…! Please, Daphne, save me just this once! I’ll do anything, please!”

As if denying reality, Baron Lewin muttered in a low voice and lay flat on the ground. Daphne lowered herself to meet his gaze and spoke.

“I thought a lot about it, about what would be the greatest punishment for you. It wasn’t as hard as I expected—becoming someone with more power than you. I won’t tell you how I managed that. You’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

With those words, Daphne stood up and quickly left the cell. The heavy air filling her lungs made it hard to breathe. Feeling uncomfortable, Daphne frowned and pressed her forehead.