The Baby Isn’t Yours

Kalia, who was supposed to be here, was nowhere to be found, but there was a suspicious magician attacking the fairy tree where the children were hanging with lightning.

Fortunately, the ancient tree seemed to possess considerable condensed power, as it endured the consecutive magical strikes quite well, but it seemed like it was only a matter of time before it crumbled.

Already preoccupied with searching for Kalia, Simon was about to ignore this situation, but suddenly, he felt that something was amiss.

…How many magicians in the Empire can consecutively cast spells like that, striking the fairy tree?

Most of the high-class ones were affiliated with the Imperial Palace. Even if they weren’t affiliated with the Imperial Palace, Simon would have known of them if they were magicians of a certain level.

However, among the magicians he knew, there were none with the temperament and courage to strike the fairy tree with lightning.

Furthermore… why did Kalia, who had hurriedly left to avoid encountering Simon, reveal her own location? She wasn’t such a careless person.

For her to leave such traces meant that there was a good reason for it. And Simon had a strong suspicion that Kalia’s reason was connected to this unknown magician.

‘In that case…’

From there, it was relatively simple.

He immediately cast a protective spell on the tree and set up a mirroring spell to send back the attacks to the magician casting offensive magic.

Tracking the path of the magic flow was a straightforward task. The magic led to the nearby hotel, which had the best view of the tree.

Simon leaped up and stood on the balcony of the fourth floor.

Although he followed the traces of magic, the place was already empty. Only a faint trace of magic remained.

A trace of teleportation, like mist hanging in the air. Simon reached out into the misty magic with his hand and reversed the incantation of the teleportation spell.

Slowly, the scattered magic gathered together. In no time, they fully assembled and emitted light.

The area with ancient runes began to split apart, and the space distorted. Simon reached into the magical mist that floated like fog and muttered the incantation backward.

[Tracking.]

At that moment, the traces of the disappeared magic began to become distinct in his vision.

He followed the path of the magic traces, venturing into the torn space. Although it seemed like he teleported multiple times, he couldn’t keep teleporting indefinitely.

Perhaps the fourth teleportation was the last one, and from then on, they moved on foot. If they rode horses, it would be easier to find them, but Simon didn’t pursue them further.

He had discovered something strange in the forest.

“This…”

He stood in front of a female corpse left as if displayed in a secluded corner of the forest.

Her pale cheeks, as if she had recently died, were still moist to the touch.

Whitened hair, red eyes swollen from crying, and strange-colored blood flowing from her torn chest.

Although he had experienced years on the battlefield, he couldn’t help but frown at the sight of the cruelly murdered woman.

He reached out and touched the blood on her lifeless body. It was cold and watery.

A shade of darkness, almost purplish, unlike red or blue.

“…Fairy? Demon?”

In front of the unidentified corpse, he could only furrow his brow in silence.

Simon immediately called for officials from the Mage Tower. He gave them the coordinates and ordered them to collect the woman’s body.

Then he returned to the square, right in front of the fairy tree.

Simon stared at the tree with eyes filled with deep melancholy.

“You saw her, didn’t you? Kalia.”

If only you could speak. Then it could tell him where Kalia went and what she looked like. He desperately wished for it.

Did you see Kalia? Did you meet her, right?

He consoled his darkened heart with a deep sigh. Although he could forcibly awaken the fairy children, that wouldn’t be much different from what the fleeing sorcerer did. He didn’t want to do that, as it wouldn’t guarantee that the children would willingly tell him what he needed to know.

He cast another protective barrier around the tree and retreated a couple of steps. It was at that moment.

-…The same light.-

A voice as clear as a crystal bead gripped his attention. Simon turned around slowly.

Leaning against the largest trunk of the tree was a boy, puckering his lips at Simon.

Two other boys who seemed to be his brothers were leaning on the awakened boy, sleeping.

The boy, with eyes full of drowsiness, managed to say with a small smile.

-…You and… the same light.-

Without realizing it, Simon rushed up close to the tree to approach the child.

“…Who?”

He urgently asked but the child just smiled and something else in return.

-You. Elf… blood… thank you.-

Perhaps dreaming of something joyful, the child’s expression was much more relaxed.

“…Have you, by any chance, seen Kalia? A very beautiful and strong woman with light green eyes. Just tell me about that. Please. Did you see Kalia? Did you meet her, right?”

The boy closed his eyes and, with a gentle smile, said nothing else.

Simon felt exasperated but could only plead desperately with a desperate expression.

-It was delicious. The cookies.-

Simon was frustrated but he couldn’t wake the child up. He could only mutter words of plea one after another with no hesitation, his face filled with desperation again.

“Please… please… I beg you… please.”

Simon, clutching onto the tree, looked at the child who had opened his eyes with great effort.

Ah…

The boy, who had let out a brief sigh, spoke with the last of his strength in a voice drained of energy.

-…You… and… the same light…-

“What are you saying? I can’t hear you very well. Please… don’t fall asleep like this.”

-…From the pretty… human… at…-

Was he referring to Kalia? Who was he talking about? …What was the last word?

Simon desperately clung to the boy without receiving a response, but the boy had already closed his eyes tightly as if he had fallen into deep slumber.

The faintly glowing bodies of the children gradually seeped into the tree.

The children had entered a state of complete slumber, leaving only Simon standing there.

* * *

“Allen?”

The one who emerged from the darkness was Allen.

Kalia carefully called out his name because his condition seemed concerning.

He had half-opened eyes that appeared as if he was not fully awake, and he was stepping out barefoot.

“Allen?”

Kalia called him with a slightly louder voice, but he walked forward as if he couldn’t hear her.

‘What’s going on?’

Kalia watched Allen’s slow, sluggish steps. He seemed as if he were in a dream.

With an absent look, he walked forward and reached out as if following something, but there was nothing in front of him.

“…Dia.”

He murmured with a despondent voice. His unceasing footsteps continued straight to a low railing that held a herd.

Kalia moved when he reached that point.

She grabbed his shoulders and called his name more loudly.

“Allen.”

“…Nadia. Nadia.”

Nadia.

She had heard that name somewhere before.

‘Where have I heard it?’

As Kalia contemplated the name, Allen looked at her.

His face twisted in apparent pain, but soon, he clung to her shoulders and began to sob.

His wet face touched her shoulder.

“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Nadia. I’m sorry…”

Kalia finally recalled where she had heard the name. When she checked information about Allen, it was the name of his deceased wife.

She had left him after giving birth to, leaving Allen to grieve over the woman he had loved.

The name of the woman he loved was Nadia.

‘What do I do now?’

She thought but she let Allen sob on her for a while.

The fatal accident happened six years ago and on the surface, he seemed to have forgotten everything but, he clearly hadn’t. It was not easy to forget the loss of a loved one…

Allen had said he had also lost his daughter on the same day he did his wife. How deeply sad and grieving Allen must have been at that time.

Kalia couldn’t imagine.

Hesitating, she patted the sobbing Allen’s back awkwardly.

Comforting someone was a very strange concept to her. Plus, this was a grown man. 

However, this was also the first time she’d seen a man’s shoulders look so fragile. She felt sorry for him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Nadia. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you…”

He sobbed and hugged Kalia tightly.

‘What should I do?’

For the time being, it was understandable that she offered her shoulder to him. Yes, she could understand that much.

But pretending not to know anything and allowing him to affectionately kiss her forehead, trail down her eyebrows, and kiss her cheeks wasn’t right.

Kalia immediately pulled away from him and held his shoulders tightly, calling his name with force.

“Allen Makker. Snap out of it.”

At that moment, a light gradually returned to Allen’s pupils, which had been clouded with tears.

He blinked as he gazed at Kalia, looked around as if he didn’t understand the situation, and then looked back at Kalia.

“…Miss Kalia?”

“Are you awake now?”

Fortunately, Allen quickly came to his senses.

Kalia breathed a sigh of relief.

Allen’s face turned progressively pale.

Under the thick eyebrows, beneath the bright black pupils, the area below his eyes reddened with embarrassment.

“…Um, did I… walk outside… in my sleep?”

“Oh, it’s a relief that you recognize your symptoms.”

“Ugh.”

Allen moaned as he bent his head down, his face still full of shame.

He apologized to Kalia without raising his head.

“If I’m too tired or sick, I sometimes sleepwalk. Well, it’s almost completely cured…but I’ve been nervous and tired these past few days…and it seems I relapsed. I’m sorry, Miss. You had to see something ugly.”

“No, it wasn’t ugly at all. You didn’t even cry. Just a little bit teary, but it wasn’t ugly. Allen, you were just a little tearful so don’t worry.”

Kalia tried her best to reassure him.

At Kalia’s efforts to comfort him, Allen’s face turned even redder.