“Hah, hah… hah…”

I stood there for a long time after that. While I remained frozen with the deathly quiet world, the clouds that had been covering the red moon drifted far away, and my damp clothes fluttered in the wind, growing cold.

When the cool air began to surround my skin and gradually sting, my mind, which had gone completely blank, slowly returned to its place.

I had fled frantically, so I didn’t even know where I was standing. As I carefully examined the surroundings shrouded in deep, silent darkness, something felt familiar.

It was the back path of the manor that I used whenever I went down to town to send money home.

“When did I get all the way here…?”

Only then did my actions flash through my mind like afterimages. I couldn’t understand why my body, which wouldn’t move no matter how hard I tried, was suddenly able to move at that moment.

But more importantly, could I really handle the consequences of the mistake I made today?

‘What on earth… did I just do…’

I still didn’t know what that man’s true identity was. He could be the hidden master of the Herlin family who doesn’t appear before people, or he could be the specter from the rumors about kidnapping people.

It would be better if he were a specter, but in the worst case scenario, what if he was a noble?

In this country, the status difference between nobles and commoners was like heaven and earth. No matter how vile and filthy his actions toward me were, to nobles who received respect simply by existing, we were nothing more than ants. Insignificant ants that could be trampled to death at their whim.

Suddenly I remembered Katie, who had been my only friend in the neighborhood when I was young. Her circumstances weren’t much different from mine, so we always had to venture onto the streets with our hungry bellies, trying to fill our hunger.

Just when we were about to rummage through garbage cans like any other day, we were lucky to find bread that had fallen on the ground. Katie, who spotted the bread before I did, ran toward it excitedly, and at that moment got hit by a carriage racing from the opposite direction.

The noble in the carriage was startled by the rattling sound and rushed outside frantically, then clicked his tongue at the sight of Katie gasping for her life, begging to be saved.

“Damn it! Dirty filth got on my carriage? What terrible luck.”

With those final words, the noble continued on his way. Katie probably never expected she would die so meaninglessly.

“If I harmed a noble’s body… not just me, but my entire family won’t be able to avoid punishment.”

How wonderful it would be if I alone could pay for my crimes and be done with it. Of course, without me, my family would be greatly affected financially.

But at least they wouldn’t be harmed because of my foolish mistake.

‘I can’t let that happen… What crime have my sweet siblings committed?’

The futile thought of wishing I could turn back time crossed my mind. I even felt regret, thinking that if only I had ignored Rebecca’s voice that day and gone to the dormitory, or better yet, if I hadn’t gone to the bathroom in the first place, everything would have been fine.

I glanced briefly at the back path where I could escape from the Herlin estate immediately with just a few steps, then ultimately turned around without hesitation.

My breath scattered white in the cold dawn air, and my mouth felt gritty like I was chewing sand. The trudging sound of my footsteps sounded more dismal than ever.

I had no choice but to retrace the path I had fled, hoping only that the Herlin estate’s specter wasn’t a noble, and dreaming that his mercy would be more generous than the heavens.

***

Given the man’s domineering attitude, it seemed I wouldn’t avoid trouble if I returned now. The estate was already one where people disappeared, and since I had harmed such a person’s body, I couldn’t fathom what price I would have to pay.

‘I might get beaten all over my body. Or maybe I’ll never be able to use my arms and legs again…’

I once heard the story of a maid who accidentally spilled tea on a noble lady’s dress while serving. The maid apologized until her hands were raw from bowing, but the deed was already done.

Unable to afford the cost of the dress, the maid was dragged to the lady’s house and beaten until her anger was satisfied. Fortunately, she kept her life, but after that, she couldn’t work and had to live the rest of her life as a burden to her family.

If I ended up in such a state, I was prepared to end my life without hesitation. Even though the fact that I’d never see my siblings again would break my heart, I didn’t want to become their burden.

My pounding heart echoed like drums in the quiet corridor. With trembling hands, I barely managed to grasp the door handle and went inside. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the man’s face, so I immediately bowed my head to the floor.

“I committed a truly mortal sin just now. Please, if you spare my life, I’ll do anything. So please, at least spare my family…”

Reality hit me belatedly. I was about to beg for my life when my throat suddenly choked up and I couldn’t get the rest of the words out.

I bit my lips hard, worried that tears might flow pathetically. When my throat trembled, I held my breath. Fortunately, no tears fell from my burning eyes.

I lay prostrate on the floor for who knows how long. The swirling emotions began to subside at some point, and a stillness descended like time had stopped. My knees touching the hard floor grew increasingly uncomfortable, and maintaining the same position made my neck and back gradually stiff.

‘Why is it so quiet…?’

He should at least slap me or beat me, but since nothing came flying my way, I was filled with growing confusion. After debating whether to raise my head or not, I finally lifted it slightly.

Then I found myself face to face with golden eyes that seemed deep in thought. I almost screamed in surprise but barely held it back by biting my tongue hard.

“Urgh…”

Tears welled up from the sharp pain. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. Then he spoke to me in a voice full of suspicion.

“Why?”

“Pardon…?”

“Why are you different from other humans?”

The first words I heard after being in this room for quite some time were full of questions. What did he mean I was different from other humans? He wasn’t angry with me, nor was he threatening me. He was simply staring at me intently with a face full of pure curiosity.

I didn’t know what answer to give, so I quietly rolled my eyes, when he lifted my chin with his hand. Then he began examining me thoroughly with persistent eyes. He turned my head left, then right, repeating this series of actions continuously. He moved so much that my head started spinning.

“You don’t look anything like Veriton. You’re so ugly.”

“…Veriton?”

“Do you know who Veriton is?”

His eyes suddenly turned sharp. Worried that I had said something wrong, my voice grew smaller.

“No, I’ve never heard of that person…”

“Then what about magic?”

“Pardon?”

“Can you use magic at all?”

I had never seen magic in my life. So naturally, I’d never seen a mage either. I heard last time that to become a mage, you had to attend an academy in the capital. 

Even attending wasn’t the end – you had to be chosen by a magic tower to undergo the training process to become an official mage. Of course, this process cost an enormous amount of money, and they rarely accepted commoners who weren’t nobles.

For someone like me who was already overwhelmed just trying to feed my family, talk of magic and mages was a story from another world that had nothing to do with me. When I shook my head, he began muttering to himself like someone who had lost their mind.

“Then what Veriton said was true? I thought it was worthless nonsense… So this human is his descendant…? But it’s been over 700 years since Veriton died. That damn old fool.”

Not only that, he began pacing back and forth, getting angry at thin air. His gaze was directed somewhere far away as he spat out words of resentment. Then suddenly he bit his nails with an anxious look, and later burst into hollow laughter by himself.

‘Is he just crazy?’

Hope bloomed that I might actually return home alive. Whatever was making him act this way, he hadn’t said anything particular about me injuring his finger. If he had looked even slightly displeased, I would have been worried, but there was no sign of that at all.

Even so, my legs kept going numb, so I fidgeted and changed positions this way and that. When I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I finally stood up. 

Until then, he hadn’t given me a single glance, but suddenly he stopped walking abruptly. Then he glared at me with an intensity that could freeze the very air.