PLTSVA 09

***

Watching the softly sleeping Ria, Luca felt a mix of guilt and contentment at being by her side.

‘Maybe I went too far.’

Still, seeing how much Ria had gone through today softened his heart.

Since regaining his sealed memories, the constraints that had been suppressing him were lifted and his mana had been released, making basic spells like short-distance high-speed travel easy to use.

Of course, he couldn’t use magic back in the first village because the travel range was too broad, but after entering the Gesila region, it was entirely within his control.

Wanting to spend just a little more time with her, he had acted out of character—driven by greed.

When it came to Ria, Luca couldn’t maintain his usual composure.

That had been the case ever since he saw her warm smile and the small hand she had reached out to him when he first entered the orphanage.

Luca brushed back his soft brown hair.

At that moment, his hair, touched by his own hand, transformed into a dazzling black like the night sky.

It was a symbol of the noblest blood.

The shabby illusion cast by his kidnapper had finally been undone, restoring his true hair color.

A gentle breeze blew in through the open window, ruffling his now-neatly styled hair.

Luca couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Ria sleeping so deeply that she was drooling.

Her fairy-like silver curls, the warm light green eyes that could mesmerize you if you stared too long—

And that youthful voice calling his name. There wasn’t a single thing about her that wasn’t endearing.

He didn’t know why he was so drawn to her.

Had anyone ever spoken kind words to him, extended a warm hand, or smiled with genuine sincerity in his life before?

Perhaps it was because she was the only one who had.

The more meaning he attached to her presence, the more his heart swelled.

To the point of anxious desperation.

Carefully pulling a blanket from the carriage and draping it over her shoulders, Luca whispered,

“I’m being generous here.”

He snapped his fingers.

Outside, the coachman, who had been yawning while driving, suddenly let out a scream.

“Wh-What the—?!”

The scenery, which had been moving leisurely, now zipped past so fast it became indistinguishable.

The trees and grass flanking the road bent fiercely in the magical wind stirred by the speeding carriage.

Having no idea that the horses and carriage had been enchanted, the coachman could only scream in shock at the surreal scene.

Luca snapped his fingers again, sealing the coachman’s mouth to prevent him from waking Ria with the commotion.

The duchy, which was supposed to take an entire day and night to reach, was suddenly right around the corner.

When the white castle—the symbol of the Duchy of Rayes—came into view in the distance, Luca lifted the spell.

The carriage, still propelled by lingering momentum, continued to fly forward for dozens of meters before finally coming to a halt.

No meteor shower could be seen outside the window anymore, a sure sign they had reached the Rayes territory.

Peeking out the window, Luca called to the stunned coachman, who was still trembling while gripping the reins.

“Snap out of it. Let’s get going again.”

“Ah… Y-Yes, sir!”

The coachman, who had assumed the kids were just children of noble servants, had planned to stall for extra fare. But to his surprise, they had turned out to be something else entirely.

High-speed transportation magic wasn’t something a commoner like him could ever hope to experience.

“Heh… Who knew I’d live to see something like this…”

Still dazed, the coachman muttered to himself, then snapped the reins with a sharp “Hya!” to drive the horses onward.

It was still early evening—the sun had not yet set.

***

“Ria, it’s time to wake up.”

“Mmm… Luca?”

Oh no. Did I oversleep? I have to wake up the kids on duty today…

I remembered how the kids who had been on duty last time got severely scolded because I didn’t wake them—and that thought alone made me bolt upright.

“Luca, what time is it?”

I pried open my heavy eyelids and asked him.

“Around seven o’clock.”

“Seven? Then it’s still dawn…”

“Seven in the evening.”

“Ehh?!”

I shot up from bed at those words. But the moment I looked around, I was speechless.

“Uh…”

This wasn’t my room. The ceiling wasn’t the dusty wooden one I’d stared at for the past twelve years—it was ornate and elegant, adorned with beautiful patterns and decorations.

Even the chandelier hanging in the center looked like a blooming flower. I couldn’t tell whether I was dreaming or awake.

The room I used to share with ten other children had been a cozy but shabby little room.

And the blanket? It wasn’t the faded hand-me-down I was used to—it was soft silk, embroidered with delicate patterns.

Then I spotted Luca, sitting in a chair beside my bed.

I was stunned.

“Luca. Your hair…!”

It had turned black. He had already been handsome with brown hair, but now he radiated the regal aura of royalty.

He was wearing a shirt typical of noble children.

He must’ve washed up after our time in the forest, his messy hair now neatly brushed. His face was practically glowing—it was almost surreal.

Thankful that I’d built up immunity to his face, I reached out and gently touched his hair like I always did.

The cuts on my hand, earned from prying up wooden floorboards, were already healed.

‘Hmm, even though the color changed, the texture’s the same.’

When it was brown, it had the soft fluffiness of a puppy’s fur. Now, as black as silk, it felt so luxurious I almost thought I should be paying to touch it.

Still, of everything in this unfamiliar place, this child was the only thing that remained just as I remembered.

Luca, looking at me petting his hair, spoke.

“Are you alright, Ria? You didn’t wake up when we arrived, so I moved you to a room. You must’ve been really tired—you didn’t even stir when I carried you.”

“Arrived…? You mean we’re at the duke’s castle?”

“Yes. We’re at the Rayes Ducal Castle.”

As soon as he said that, there was a knock—knock knock—and the massive doors opened on both sides.

My eyes widened.

Standing there was a man with pure silver hair and deep blue eyes.

I knew immediately who he was.

In the original novel, he was described as the head of the Rayes family—one of the founding noble houses of the Greffin Empire and protector of the eastern fortress.

“You’re awake.”

The Duke approached us.

“The Crown Prince is here as well, I see.”

“Yes. I wanted to stay with her until I return to the Imperial Palace.”

“With her, you say?”

Luca simply smiled instead of answering.

The Duke radiated the same icy, stoic aura described in the original work.

He hadn’t always been that way. It was a tragedy twelve years ago that had made him so sharp.

After losing his wife and daughter, he buried himself in work, becoming cold and distant. That coldness deeply wounded Ria in the original story.

At first, she assumed he had always been that way—until the maids whispered cruel rumors.

They said the Duke had changed after losing his daughter, and that even after Ria was adopted, his demeanor never warmed. It felt like he was denying her very existence.

Though he spoke kindly as if she were his real daughter, she couldn’t help but feel like he was hiding something behind those words—as if she had been deceived.

Even now, he looked exhausted, his sharp features showing clear signs of fatigue—perhaps from working until dawn.

Sensing my gaze, he turned to me.

“Ah… Hello.”

Caught off guard by his deep blue eyes meeting mine, I reflexively bowed in greeting.

His eyes widened slightly when they met mine.

“Your eyes are green.”

In the original story, the reason he decided to adopt me wasn’t just because I resembled his deceased wife—it was mainly because of my eye color.

Green eyes were a trait of people from Tranze, the region in the South where the Duchess had come from.

While not incredibly rare, it wasn’t common either—and seeing someone from his wife’s homeland after so long had clearly stirred something in him.

With sparkling eyes, I said to him,

“Yes. I’ve never met them, but I think my parents were from Tranze.”

As I smiled brightly, the Duke replied,

“Tranze, huh…”

I wasn’t planning to mention the ancient book hidden in his study just yet.

It would’ve been odd for a girl who just fled an orphanage to know about the Duke’s library.

For now, I had to rely on the original story to guide me through this moment.

Whether I became his adopted daughter or his real daughter didn’t matter.

What mattered was that I could use the Duke’s resources to find information about my incurable illness—and hopefully, a cure.

“I heard you came from the same orphanage as His Highness. Then why didn’t you go to the Imperial Palace with him and come here instead?”

“Because Luca was exhausted. We needed a place to rest for the night. And since Rayes territory is on the way to the palace…”

I smiled brightly, casually throwing Luca under the bus.

We had agreed to say this beforehand.

We didn’t know what kind of person the Duke was or how he would view me.

It was too risky to suddenly declare, “I think I’m the daughter you’ve been looking for.”

So I gave him a choice.

If he wanted to keep me, I would stay. If not, I’d leave for the capital with Luca.

“I trusted that Duke Rayes, a loyal subject of the Empire, would take us in. We’ll be leaving at first light, so please don’t worry.”

To this, Luca added,

“Ria is right. I won’t forget the kindness shown to me when I return to the Imperial Palace.”

“There’s no need to prepare much since we’ll leave tomorrow. Thank you, Duke.”

With a bright and innocent smile, I emphasized once again that we’d be leaving tomorrow—leaving the choice in his hands.

After all, I was one of the silver-haired girls he had been searching for across the Empire for twelve years. And I had the same eyes as his late wife.

There was no way he could let me go so easily.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Then rest well. Your Highness, you’ll accompany me to the palace tomorrow.”

Escorting Luca personally to the palace meant making enemies of the current political powerhouses, including the First Concubine Lady Jeria and her sons.

Even Senia, who brought Luca to the capital in the original novel, had faced great difficulty because of the noble faction.

Though the Rayes family was one of the founding noble houses, they remained politically neutral—so the Duke’s decision was surprising.

‘But… he didn’t say much to me, did he?’

All he said was to call for the servants if I needed anything, and then he left.

After he departed, Luca turned to me and said,

“Don’t worry. The Duke is definitely thinking about you.”

It was as if he could read my mind, and I let out a long sigh.

“Even though I escaped that hell… it’s not going to be easy.”

Outside the window, the sky had already turned as dark as Luca’s hair.