Chapter 106
“I plan to leave in two days.”
At Kallian’s words, I stopped knitting and looked up at him.
He smiled faintly, a little bitterly.
“I can move around fine now. There shouldn’t be any problem.”
It was what I had wanted — for him to leave soon.
And yet… hearing it made my chest tighten.
He still didn’t have his memory back.
Where would he even go, a man with no past and no name?
I tried to tell myself it wasn’t my problem, but the thought kept bothering me.
So I asked, pretending to be indifferent,
“Your memory isn’t complete yet… Have you decided where to go?”
Even though I said it casually, Kallian smiled as if genuinely pleased.
“This is the first time you’ve shown concern for me.”
“…”
I regretted asking immediately.
He continued in a quieter tone, his smile tinged with self-mockery.
“From the emblem on my broken armor, it seems I was a soldier of Valdormer.”
“…”
“So I plan to seek out other Valdormer soldiers who fought in the war. Maybe they’ll help me remember who I was.”
He scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward.
“If I ask around enough, I might find a clue about my past.”
I stared at him for a moment, then looked away and said flatly,
“Go to a proper hospital first. Get real treatment.”
He turned to me again, smiling lightly.
“Are you worried about me?”
I quickly looked away.
“I’m just giving advice as someone who treated you for a while. You’re not completely healed yet.”
My tone was stiff, but Kallian looked genuinely happy.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
That calm, content smile of his irritated me for some reason.
I turned my head sharply — but then his soft voice followed.
“Before I go, may I ask a favor?”
He hesitated, unable to meet my eyes, his expression uncertain.
“What is it?”
“Would it be all right if I spent some time with Denian before I leave?”
The request caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond.
Seeing my silence, Kallian gave a shy, gentle smile.
“I suppose… before I lost my memory, I must have liked children quite a bit.”
No — that couldn’t be further from the truth. I knew that better than anyone.
But I didn’t correct him.
Since he was small, Denian had always loved the river.
So when Kallian asked what he wanted to do, Denian immediately said, “Picnic by the river!”
I spread a blanket on the grass near the water and began preparing the simple food we’d brought.
A short distance away, I could see Kallian walking along the riverside with Denian, hand in hand.
Anyone passing by would have thought they were a kind, happy father and son.
And in truth… they were.
Watching them together made me anxious — yet also strangely emotional.
Maybe blood really was thicker than water.
‘It might be the last time… so I can allow this much.’
Seeing Denian laugh so freely beside his real father filled my heart with both warmth and pain.
It was a picture that could never exist in reality — and maybe I just wanted to keep it in my eyes for a little longer.
I tore my gaze away and quietly unpacked the food, hoping that at least today would become a happy memory for Denian.
As they walked along the riverbank, Kallian kept glancing toward Yuliana, watching her from afar.
Noticing his gaze, Denian suddenly grinned up at him.
“Mister, do you like my mommy?”
The question was so unexpected that Kallian froze.
He didn’t even know how to describe the feelings he had for her.
How could he be drawn so deeply to a woman who already had a child?
But no — her being a single mother didn’t matter to him.
If anything, Denian, who looked just like her, felt endlessly precious and adorable.
Only one thought troubled him — Was she pushing me away because she still loved the boy’s real father?
That was why he had decided to leave tomorrow — because he could see that his presence made her uneasy.
But one day, if he regained his memory and returned as a man who stood firmly on his own feet, maybe she’d look at him differently.
Denian watched him knowingly and giggled, and Kallian, flustered, moved further away so Yuliana wouldn’t overhear.
After walking a bit, he cleared his throat and said playfully,
“But your mommy seems to dislike me.”
Denian shook his head firmly.
“Nope! Mommy doesn’t hate Mister!”
Kallian smiled, amused.
“Oh? And how do you know that?”
Denian puffed out his small chest.
“Mommy’s just scared.”
“Scared?”
“Uh-huh. Mommy’s a scaredy-cat, so Denian has to protect her.”
The words were so earnest that Kallian couldn’t help but laugh softly and pat his head.
“Then keep protecting her, Denian.”
Just then, a strange chill crept up Kallian’s spine.
His body — not his mind — reacted first.
A deadly instinct, sharp and cold, ran through him.
‘This… this is killing intent.’
He turned his head instantly — and saw a man charging toward them, dagger in hand.
Reacting purely on instinct, Kallian grabbed Denian and shoved him behind, intercepting the attacker’s blow with his bare hands.
“Denian! Run!”
But Denian stumbled backward and fell, frozen in terror.
Kallian cursed inwardly. No matter how brave he was, Denian was still only a small child.
He quickly scanned the man in front of him — filthy, wild-eyed, clearly insane.
The man’s tattered armor bore the crest of Heister.
Valdormer and Heister — the only two emblems Kallian remembered.
So the man’s target was him.
“The child has nothing to do with this! Move, and I’ll give you whatever you want!”
But the man only drooled and glared with bloodshot eyes, his madness unrestrained.
His strength was unnatural — far beyond an ordinary man’s.
Kallian’s healing wounds tore open again as he struggled to hold him back.
Blood seeped through his clothes at his shoulder and side.
The man howled and rammed his knee into Kallian’s injured ribs.
“Kh—!”
It was as if he knew exactly where to strike.
The force made Kallian groan — and in that brief moment, the man plunged the dagger into his side.
“Die, Valdormer scum!”
“Gghh—!”
Gritting his teeth, Kallian caught the man’s wrist, keeping the blade from being pulled free.
If he let go, the madman would go after Denian next.
“Denian… run…!”
His strained voice trembled, blood dripping to the ground.
Denian sat frozen, shaking — then, suddenly, a dark crimson aura began to swirl around him.
Kallian’s blood pooled at his feet. Denian’s eyes flickered, terrified, as the energy thickened.
“Denian…!”
Then it happened.
With a piercing cry, Denian burst into tears — and an immense wave of power exploded from him.
“Waaahhh!!”
Black flames — like both shadow and fire — erupted outward, swallowing both Kallian and the attacker.
“Kh—!”
Kallian shielded his face, bracing himself — but then the man who had attacked him screamed in agony, clutching his eyes.
“My eyes! My eyes!!”
The crazed soldier writhed on the ground, howling, while Kallian, though wounded, was unharmed except for his reopened side.
‘Lucky… I can still fight.’
He tightened his grip, ready to subdue the man despite the pain —
When suddenly, a black shadow appeared out of nowhere.
Thinking it another enemy, Kallian tensed — but then realized the figure was restraining the crazed man.
The stranger bowed slightly.
“My apologies for the delay. I was checking on the lady.”
The words were respectful — like a subordinate reporting to his commander.
Kallian frowned.
“Who are you…?”
Before he could finish, Yuliana’s voice rang out.
“Denian!!”
The man — Jerad — vanished as swiftly as he had appeared.
Kallian turned and ran to the fallen boy.
Denian lay unconscious, surrounded by the same dark, flaming aura.
Seeing it, Yuliana rushed forward, her face pale.
“Denian!!”
She threw herself over her child, pulling him into her arms.
“Shhh… Denian, calm down, it’s okay… Mommy’s here…”
She whispered desperately, but her whole body was trembling.
Her mind could barely keep up with what had just happened — her son nearly killed, and his dark spirit power revealed right in front of Kallian.
She couldn’t stop shaking as she held him, unable to calm his surging energy.
Kallian, hesitant, took a small step toward her —
“Don’t come any closer!” she screamed, her voice breaking.
He froze, blood dripping from his side, watching her tremble as she shielded their child.
