chapter 04
After taking a sip of the milk I had set aside for the child, I set the cup down with a soft clink.
“There’s no poison in it.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as I spoke, and Echo’s eyes went wide.
“I-I wasn’t thinking that! I just…”
“It’s okay. You can think that.”
“Huh?”
“If someone has done suspicious things before, it’s natural to be cautious.”
Expecting that someone will always be kind is more dangerous than being careful. A little bit of suspicion helps you survive in a harsh world.
But I had clearly heard Echo’s stomach growl. A child her age should have begged for food the moment she smelled something sweet.
I felt sorry for her. She had grown up far too fast.
“It’s okay to be cautious. If it makes you feel better, I’ll eat the food first.”
“……”
“But at least know this—I’m not going to do the things that scare you anymore.”
“……”
Echo didn’t answer. I could guess what that silence meant, and gave a small, bitter smile.
“Sorry. I’ll just go out and buy something else.”
As I moved to clear the food, Echo suddenly rushed over to the table.
“N-no! I’ll eat it!”
“You don’t have to force yourself.”
“I’m not forcing myself.”
Echo shook her head again.
“I-It’s not that I thought it was poisoned. It’s just… it’s been such a long time since someone made food just for me. That’s all.”
“……”
“I’m sorry if I made you misunderstand. But really… I do want to eat your food.”
Her eyes, which had always been filled with fear, now looked clear and certain. I nodded slowly, and Echo carefully picked up her fork to take a bite of the food I’d made.
“……!”
Her little mouth moved, chewing slowly, and her eyes sparkled.
She glanced back and forth between the fork and the food in disbelief, then quickly took another bite of the honey-butter sweet potato.
Her pale cheeks slowly turned pink. It seemed she really liked the taste.
“Is it good?”
“Yes…!”
I couldn’t help asking, and Echo nodded eagerly.
She had always looked scared or on the verge of tears—but now her face had brightened like a flower in bloom. Seeing that made me happy too. I smiled without hiding it.
But just then, Echo’s face turned pale.
“D-did I do something wrong…?”
Her hand trembled as she gripped the fork.
I just smiled… that’s all.
It made me sad that she couldn’t even accept a smile without fear. I quickly straightened my face, and Echo’s nervous expression slowly eased.
As I watched her eat quietly, I let out a small sigh.
So… what should I do now?
The only way to leave the game is to log out or reach the ending.
But logging out failed. That means I have to reach the ending.
There are many ways to do that. If Echo marries a weird guy or ends up in some strange profession, the ending could come faster.
But I always called Echo my “daughter” like a habit. Even though she’s just data in a game, every time she grew, I felt proud and smiled without realizing it.
I didn’t want to ruin her now, just to get out of here.
But the current “Godel” wasn’t in any shape to raise a child.
…And Echo probably doesn’t even want to stay with me.
Still, with Gilbert gone, I was the only one who could look after her. Even if she hated me, I couldn’t just send her away somewhere else right now.
A truly stuck situation.
I sighed deeply and quietly looked at Echo as she ate.
Her flushed cheeks moved busily as she chewed. She looked genuinely happy over such a small meal….
That sight reminded me of something from my childhood. After losing my parents early, I had to go from one relative’s house to another.
One of my uncles—my youngest uncle—didn’t have much, but his family was good to me. Much better than the others. They took care of me and always told me not to feel bad.
One day, we all had dinner together. It had been a long time since the family gathered, and I was so excited.
My aunt kept putting more food on my plate, telling me to eat up. My uncle smiled gently, and my younger cousin, who always followed me around even while complaining, sat with us. Being there, I really felt like I was part of the family.
And after that day, I was sent to an orphanage.
For a long time, I hated them for it.
That dinner felt like a last supper. A goodbye they couldn’t say out loud.
But now, as I looked at Echo, I think I finally understood.
Back then, they were probably in the same position I am now.
Helpless. Torn. Trying to do the right thing, even if it hurts.
And now, I think I understand how Echo feels.
She’s probably terrified of Godel, but I’m the only adult she can rely on. She might want to run away, but the fear that things could get even worse probably stops her from leaving.
…Yeah. I made my decision. No matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn’t let Echo go.
‘Whatever happens, I’ll just keep her here for now. I don’t have much money, but I have enough to get by.’
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t “my money.” It was Gilbert’s.
The current Kritzman Empire gave the heroes a monthly stipend to maintain their dignity—kind of like a pension for national heroes.
But Gilbert died a year ago. So technically, the payments should have stopped…
‘But Godel’s father, Count Hildegard, hid that fact.’
Without Gilbert’s pension, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his gambling and luxury.
Since no one really checks if a hero is still alive unless there’s a monster extermination, it wasn’t hard to fool them.
Still, hiding someone’s death was a pretty serious thing. When I used to play the game, I just shook my head at how far they’d gone.
But now that I am Godel, I couldn’t bring myself to give the money back. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to survive—especially not while living with Echo.
…I was starting to accept it. I closed my eyes and made up my mind.
‘Well… it’s already in my hands, right?’
I’ll just get through this month, and figure out something else next month.
‘It’s not like someone’s going to come looking for Gilbert all of a sudden—unless they’re as big a deal as the Demon King.’
I sorted through my messy thoughts and went back to eating. I smiled as I watched Echo eat heartily.
***
Herber was not far from the capital, but it wasn’t very fertile land. Still, since travelers had to pass through Herber to reach the capital, trade in the area was active and booming.
In other words, rumors spread quickly here, and it was always noisy.
“Did you hear? Someone pretty important is coming to visit today.”
“Visit? Nah, probably just passing through, like always.”
One merchant replied lazily to another.
“Well, if he is coming, I hope he stops by my shop. I’d love to overcharge him a bit.”
“Oh, come on. I heard his name and everything. It’s the Duke of Berténon—”
“Oh! A customer! Welcome!”
The merchant quickly waved his hand to end the gossip, then smiled brightly as he turned to greet the customer.
Just then, someone caught the merchant’s eye. A tall man—at least a head taller than everyone else. Broad shoulders. The robe he wore clearly looked expensive.
“Welcome! Are you looking for something in particular?”
Following his instincts, the merchant ran up and grabbed the man’s sleeve. The moment he touched the fabric, he could tell—
This man had money. The merchant grinned and said,
“I’m sure we have just what you need in our shop. How about taking a look around?”
The man in the robe glanced at him.
“…Maybe.”
His deep voice sounded nice, but there was no emotion behind it. More than anything, he seemed annoyed. Still, from that cold attitude alone, the merchant could almost smell the money.
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that…”
Just as the merchant tried to charm him further, he saw the man’s face under the robe—and froze.
Sleek black hair neatly combed back. Though the sun cast a shadow behind him, his blue eyes shone brightly like a beast’s. His facial features were so perfect, it was like a god had sculpted him.
The merchant could vaguely tell he was someone important, but now he knew it.
This man wasn’t just “someone important.” He was way above that.
Suddenly, he remembered what his fellow merchant had just said.
“Th-The Duke of Berténon?!”
The merchant yelped in shock.
Not just anyone—the Duke of Berténon. Yes, he was a big deal… but the merchant had picked the wrong person to mess with.
The Berténon family was a long-standing noble house in the Empire. They had everything—status, wealth, fame, even incredible looks.
But even great families have their flaws.
The previous Duke of Berténon was infamous for being a womanizer. His handsome face lured in many women—including the imperial princess, Agnes.
The problem was, what was supposed to be a one-night fling resulted in a pregnancy.
Agnes, once expected to become the next ruler, was kicked out of the imperial family and became the Duke’s wife.
Still, even though he was partly to blame, the former Duke didn’t stop chasing other women.
From royal heir to a lonely wife abandoned by her cheating husband—Agnes needed someone to take out her anger on.
That someone was the man standing right here: Eden.
In fact, it was Agnes who gave him the name Eden, saying, “Since my life is hell, I’ll name you the opposite.”
And Eden seemed to embrace that irony, growing up to be a cold, emotionless man.
When his father fell ill, rather than take care of him, Eden sent him off to a harsh, remote land. Everyone in the empire knew the story.
“I heard the pain he suffered was so bad, it felt like he was dying over and over. That barren land was the perfect place for him to close his eyes.”
“How could you treat your own father like that?!”
“I hope he enjoys that slow, painful death.”
“As his son, it’s the least I could do.”
Smiling coldly as he said it, Eden was remembered as a grim reaper walking among men.
Yep. The merchant had picked the wrong person to grab.
Lost in fear, the merchant didn’t even realize he was still holding onto Eden’s arm.
Then Eden raised a sharp, perfect eyebrow.
