Chapter 6
After Noah disappeared, I ran frantically around the ducal estate with Pofiny.
He wasn’t under the tree in the garden where he usually liked to go, nor was he hiding under the blankets on his bed.
Finally, we checked the training grounds. That’s when I spotted a familiar figure.
A disorganized wooden sword rack.
Mac reaching for a sword.
And then…
“Noah!”
Noah was standing defenseless in front of Mac.
In that dangerous moment, I forced my heavy legs to move and ran toward him as fast as I could.
Just as Mac’s hand gripped the wooden sword—
“Noah.”
I pulled him tightly into my arms. Familiar warmth filled my embrace.
Ah, thank goodness.
I made it just in time before anything could happen.
“You scared me, disappearing like that…!”
I kept stroking Noah’s head, checking for any signs of injury.
Thankfully, not a single scratch was on him.
Pofiny, who had followed closely behind, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Flooded with relief, I hugged Noah even more tightly. That’s when I heard his faint heartbeat close to my ear.
“…Noona.”
Suddenly, Noah beamed at me with his usual energetic smile and clung to me.
“Noona! Noona! Mac just said sorry to me!”
“…Huh?”
Mac?
Doubtful, I looked over at Mac again. He quickly hid the wooden sword he had been holding and gave an awkward smile.
Like someone who had been threatened into smiling.
“Really?”
I asked, needing to confirm something that felt so hard to believe.
Mac didn’t say anything—just nodded repeatedly like his life depended on it.
To think he apologized in such a short time. Maybe I was right to suspect that it wasn’t just a childish power struggle earlier?
Something felt off. Still…
With unease stirring inside me, I stared at Mac more closely. Then Noah tugged on my shoulder to get my attention.
“Noona, I’m hungry.”
Oh, right. It’s already snack time.
“…Alright. Let’s all go eat a snack.”
“Oh, perfect,” Pofiny chimed in, trying to smooth over the tense atmosphere. She took the wooden sword from Mac and returned it to its place.
While watching her, Noah asked me,
“What’s today’s snack?”
“Hmm, how about lemon pound cake? You like that, right?”
“Yay!”
Noah cheered and wrapped his arms around my neck.
Maybe I really was just overreacting?
“Oh well…”
Whatever. If Noah’s happy, then it’s fine!
I set aside my unnecessary worries, picked up Noah in my arms, and stood up.
And just like that, our chaotic day began to wind down.
At the end of that day, Noah fell into a light sleep in my arms, wearing the happiest smile in the world.
In his dreams, it always lingers.
A delicate hand he can never quite grasp.
Golden hair rippling over that hand.
And himself—being toyed with, unable to seize it.
In dreams, he follows that unreachable hand and sinks into thought.
He is endlessly tormented by the past, disguised as nightmares, unable to break free. He hated himself for still being caught in it. Felt ashamed.
—…Please, save me!
Then one day, a man passing by heard the cry of a child worn out by nightmares.
That man’s eyes met his own. And soon, the scenery changed.
A garden in full bloom with pink roses. A grand castle in the background.
Crowds bowing their heads to the man and to the boy standing beside him.
And then—
—Father, who is this?
A beautiful girl approached with kind eyes the color of crimson.
Locus, in that moment, for the first time, felt a strange illusion that maybe he was finally touching reality.
It wasn’t just because she was beautiful. It was the pure gaze and the soft voice she used with him—Locus couldn’t help but be drawn in.
The way she called him “Noah”—it changed everything for him in an instant.
But the nightmare never ceased mocking him.
That same recurring event from the past kept haunting him in his dreams. Eventually, it pushed him to once again pick up a sword.
And just as he reached for the hand he could never hold—
“Good morning, young master.”
“Did you have sweet dreams?”
The maids came to wake him up.
And Noah always greeted them with a smile.
“Mhm.”
Even if it was a lie.
“Good morning.”
Even though part of him still feared being abandoned again.
But once he washed up, changed out of his pajamas, and stepped outside—
“Noah, did you sleep well?”
At last, he could break free from the nightmare.
Noah erased the fake smile from earlier and smiled brightly.
“Good morning, noona!”
And in that moment, Noah made a silent vow.
To cherish this second chance he had been given. To never live like he had before.
To do that, he had to remain Rosent’s adorable little brother.
At least for now… just for a little while.
The day after Mac visited, I made up my mind.
“We need to formalize Noah’s status.”
“Ahem!”
The Duke coughed softly while eating breakfast, almost as if he choked on my sudden declaration.
But I ignored him and continued with my reasoning.
We should never have casually said Noah was a child we adopted from an orphanage.
I had forgotten something important.
This empire has a strict class system.
Public opinion here is sharper than anywhere else.
And most of all—how much Locus had suffered because of it in the original story.
“No matter what anyone says, Noah is my brother.”
So what if he was an orphan? That’s no reason why he can’t be my sibling.
It’s no reason to be looked down on either.
We need to make it clear to everyone that Noah is a true heir of House Agrinda.
Damn this rotten class system.
The best way—though it annoys me—is to elevate Noah’s social standing.
But the fact that Noah was once an orphan is something people already know, especially those keeping an eye on the Agrinda family.
In that case…
We need to frame him not as just any adopted child, but as one receiving the full favor of the family.
And Noah—he was the most powerful magic swordsman in the original story, capable of overwhelming anyone.
If he’s shown to be favored and highly capable, no one will be able to say anything.
In fact, they won’t even dare whisper.
“You look like you’re scheming something,” the Duke said.
“Huh?”
He paused mid-spoonful and looked at me. Noah’s eyes followed suit.
I smiled at them both.
“Of course I have a plan.”
Of course. This is about Noah’s future.
Like I wouldn’t have a plan for that?
It may take time for people to recognize Noah’s talent… but showing that he’s favored? That’s easy.
House Agrinda is the wealthiest family in the Manon Empire.
Practically every rising business is associated with us.
And with that status…
“I’m thinking of launching a product tied to Noah.”
When I said that with a bright smile, the Duke looked fairly impressed.
“If it’s about raising Noah’s profile, that’s not a bad idea at all.”
“So you agree?”
“But… the real issue is what kind of product you’ll launch.”
“No need to worry.”
Despite his concern, I chuckled and took a spoonful of breakfast.
In business, what matters changes depending on your target customers.
For nobles, rarity and appearance matter.
For commoners, cost-effectiveness and practicality.
This time, nobles need to be the main audience.
We’re not chasing profit—our goal is to elevate Noah’s image among the nobility.
So, what’s something luxurious, rare, and tied to Noah?
[Wow…! I’ve never tasted anything this sweet before!]
That’s it. I’ll use that.
“I’m going to create a special dessert.”
“Dessert?”
Noah tilted his head curiously. But I didn’t answer, focusing instead on my meal.
It would spoil the surprise if I told him now.
He can look forward to it.
After all, I have the knowledge from my previous life before transmigrating.
