Episode 39

 “Thish one and thish one, have thish.”

I spread out the medicine that Marilyn secretly obtained and pushed them to Dietrich.

“I don’t need it.”

Dietrich shook his head in refusal even though he was clearly injured. If he was born in the modern era, he would probably insist on letting his injuries heal naturally than going to a hospital. 

“I’ll feel better in time.”

I let out a wry laugh, dumbfounded by what he said. I mean, if you waited for your injuries to heal with time, then what were the medicines here for?

“Idiot.”

I muttered under my breath, low enough not to reach Dietrich’s ears and took out the cookie from my treasure box that was with the medicine.

“Are you eating something sweet again?”

Dietrich raised a brow as if to reprimand me when he was the one who didn’t want his sprained ankle to be treated.

I flinched and hid the cookie behind me.

“I, I brush my teetsh well.”

‘By the way, are there...dentists here?’

Although there was romance between Dietrich and the saint Charlotte in ‘The Rose Wars of Men’, the novel was definitely a war-fantasy. 

Even though strong people kept heading out to battle and blood kept spilling, a doctor rarely made an appearance.

There have been occasional descriptions of the bones being mended, but none of the characters went to the dentist because their gums ached.

‘What do I do if my teeth really rot!’

So of course, I was never worried about my dental condition. Suddenly, I felt like my molars were throbbing.

Still, even if there was a dentist, Dahlia Palace was too poor to call for a doctor.

‘When he becomes the Grand Duke, Dietrich will be rich, but I won’t.’

I may have been born as a daughter of a rich noble family—as Euclid was also a great nobleman—but I didn’t even have jewels I could dream of.

 “Phew.”

I let out a sigh silently.

‘What ornaments.’

When you look at the pillars and ceilings of the palace, you could plainly see the parts with holes in them; it was a sign that the employees took off all the ornaments and jewels decorating the palace. 

 ‘I would need to have even just a little money in order to eat and survive once I get out of Lagrange.’

As the young Anissa that I am now, I was still too young to worry about money, but it’ll be a very important resource if I’m going to live in this world where demons actually exist.

‘Didn’t Lancel bet in lotteries?’

Therefore, there were people who dreamed of living in fortune.

If I get the chance to go out again, I’m going to have to try the lottery, though I’m not sure if they sell lottery tickets to children.

‘It should be okay since it’s a lottery ticket issued by the imperial family.’

Having been full of hope, I nodded to myself and clenched my fist. Dietrich, who had been watching me muttering to myself, shrugged and left the room.

“Whewe are you going again!”

We hadn’t treated your injury yet!

“Don’t follow me, Anissa.”

He stopped me when I got up to follow him. His face, which was tilted to the side, had a rare look of being at a loss.

“You idn’t apply any medichine yet.”  (You didn’t apply any medicine yet.)

“Why do you worry about me?”

“Because I like Detrie.”

“Why?”

I was the one who became at a loss with his question. 

“Why the hell do you like me?”

At first, I went with the idea that I should look good in front of him, but now,

“Because Detrie is kind.”

I replied clearly and looked up at Dietrich’s face that was devoid of emotion who was waiting for my answer.

“I see that you don’t know me.”

No, it’s you who didn’t know anything, Dietrich.

I muttered as I watched his back growing smaller and further away, not even thinking of listening to my explanation. 

Dietrich was a kind child. 

No matter how much you deny it yourself.

***

After not visiting for a long time, Josef’s laboratory lost its neat appearance and had books strewn all over the place.

“Ahem.”

Josef, who was cramming books into a large bag not knowing that I entered the room, finally raised his head.

“Gwandpa.”

“You came.”

“Where are you goeng?”

Josef, who had been packing his luggage for quite a while now, tilted his head with a blank face. I sensed pity from his tired face.

“Are you pithying Anissa?” 

“Yes. I have never seen a child like you who doesn’t fit in Lagrange. But how did you know?”

“Grawnpa, your eyes are going to fall to the ground.”

I shrugged my shoulders at Josef’s question, pointing to the floor. It wasn’t really difficult.

Josef’s aura shook with a great amount of concern for me. He chuckled and hugged me like a kind wise man.

“You have good intuition.”

“Yea. Anissa have gyod senshe.”

“I’ll be going to the forest in the middle of Romendov. It’s a forest that’s neutral from the territorial dispute between Euclid and Lagrange.

“Why are you goeng there? There won’t be debons there?”

Josef was a Euclidean scholar who was studying alchemy at Lagrange because he was interested in the demons. 

Josef was the only adult who wasn’t very wary of Derek and yet still saw me as adorable, so I felt like the empty space he would leave behind would be quite tangible. 

I pouted regretfully at the fact that he was leaving Lagrange.

“Because a war is going to break out soon. You . . . .yes. If it’s only you, I could take you with me.” 

I knew of the war Josef feared. It’s the war that was the main stage of ‘The Rose Wars of Men.’

It was the very war that Derek started and ended by Dietrich. I looked at his wrinkled tired eyes and bowed my head.

“Anissa, you said you didn’t have any special powers. Dietrich will survive, but you won’t.”

The long war, called the War of the Roses, led to the changes in two generations and was a time of great sorrow where countless people were killed or injured.

“Come with me.”

As if he had decided something, Josef suggested I go with him with a firm look on his face. It’s probably the sweetest offer I have ever heard of ever since I was born as Anissa. 

“Romendov is a neutral territory. His Excellency won’t be able to touch you once you get there. Let me make you my assistant.”

The children of Lagrange wouldn’t be able to leave Lagrange, not until the succession had been concluded.

‘There’s no way Josef wouldn’t know that’

I narrowed my eyes at him and opened my mouth to ask him of his intentions.

“Won’t gwandpa be in twouble?”

“It’s okay. The Grand Duke can’t kill me recklessly.”

His aura still carried concern over me. I smiled at Josef.

“I’ll be wokay.”

The original Anissa became Dietrich’s weapon and was used as a tool to spy on the movements of the male lead, Hermann Euclid.

“Detrie is hewe.”

But the Dietrich I know was not that kind of person.

“You put too much faith in your brother.”

Rather, it was Josef who believed in me too much.

When the day comes that Dietrich will come to hate me, no, before that day comes, I had already planned to leave Lagrange. 

‘But not right now.’

Dietrich was still a child of this hellish family without a single adult protecting him. I couldn’t leave him behind in Lagrange and escape by myself.

“Becauws he is family.”

“. . . . .”

“Detrie is my family, gwandpa.”

I laughed faintly and started helping Josef pack up his bags. Josef, who was staring at me doing my best to carry a beaker the size of my body, gave a low sigh. 

“Then, at least have this.”

What he suddenly thrust at me out of the blue was a shiny opal.

‘Jewel! Money!’

Josef clicked his tongue when he saw my eyes shining at the thought of selling the opal.

“Don’t even think of selling it. It’s a functional power amplifier.”

“Hing.”

“Your abilities haven’t manifested yet but just in case, keep it. Do you understand?”

“I undershtand.”

I answered quietly and put the opal in my pocket.

“All right. I think I have said everything I have to say.”

Josef, who clicked his tongue, opened the window and shouted “Come on out!”

‘Who are you talking to?’

I wanted to ask but to my surprise, it was Dietrich who revealed himself. I didn’t even feel the slightest sign of his aura, but I wondered since when he had been there as he walked with heavy steps and stood right in front of me.

Unlike the night when he was covered with wounds from where he was hit, he looked neat except for the adhesive plaster on his face. 

He frowned, ripping the white adhesive off his cheeks.

“Stop leaving Dahlia unnecessarily. I already said Nature is dangerous.”

Dietrich chided as he hugged me.

‘You always have something to say the moment you see my face.’ 

If only you knew what I turned down just so I could protect you by your side.

No, if you knew, would you even care?

“Did you eat something bad?”

Then, Josef, who saw Dietrich holding me and turning his head down to me, burst into laughter as he saw something unbelievable. 

“Why am I laughing? It’s because it’s the first time I’ve seen your brother smile.”

‘Dietrich was smiling?’

The Dietrich I know was a child who, no, among all the people I knew was a person who rarely smiled. 

At Josef’s words, I looked up to check Dietrich’s face but he had the same expression as he was when scolding me. 

‘What was he saying? He’s not even smiling.’ 

Just in case, I checked his aura but as usual, it was the same mud-color as before.

Dietrich wasn’t evil enough to use me, but he also wasn’t emotional enough to be happy just because I didn’t leave Lagrange.

Even though I knew that fact, I still felt disappointed so I pouted and hugged Dietrich’s neck.