“I…”

The last child who came in was wearing a hood and a small mask that were covering more than half her face. You could hardly see her face.

I tilted my head.

‘Why are you coming in so suspiciously?’

Dominique spoke lightly.

“What a cute kid.”

According to Dominique, a human reader, she was a harmless little child. Therefore, she is a valued customer! I smiled widely at the child and greeted her with my hand.

“Welcome!”

The child walked toward me. Then she took out a small red apple out of her pocket and held it out.

“A-apple flowers mean ‘sorry’ in flower language…”

What do you mean? An apology?

‘What is this?’

As soon as I reached out my hand and received the apple, the child’s head bent forward. The child’s head was shaking.

I felt sorry for some reason after seeing those small shrugged shoulders. I didn’t know what was going on, but I wanted to comfort her, so I handed her a dalgona.

“Eat candy now, it’s a present.”

The child raised her head and looked up at me. But I didn’t know who it was because I could only see her eyes.

‘Why does she feel so familiar.’

The girl spoke with a nasally voice, “You, you… when I see you with my own eyes.”

The fingertips of the child who received the candy I gave her were trembling.

“What?”

“H-how could you be so nice?”

‘Why am I so used to this voice?’

I tilted my head. It was a small, rhythmic voice that stuck in my ears.

‘I think it’s a voice I’ve heard somewhere.’

“You should know who I am, but you still treat me like this…”

I don’t know. I really don’t know. Meldenique wasn’t a person who could remember a person’s face well in the first place.

‘I don’t know who you are. Are you close to me?’

I tried to ask for a name. But I missed the timing to ask because of the tears in the child’s eyes. I was sure they knew each other. It’s a voice that remained in Meldenique’s memories.

‘Why on earth can’t I remember! It’s so frustrating, really.’

However, if I left the child alone, she would burst into tears. I spoke to the child in a vague way, “I-it’s okay. All children need to grow up with love.”

“……”

“You did nothing wrong, so don’t cry.”

I didn’t know who the child was, so I spoke vaguely.

“A-are you accepting my apology?”

“Yes, of course.”

I smiled harmlessly at the child and soon shot a look at Dominique, who was watching from afar.

Dominique shook his head.

‘Could it be a child who adores you?’

‘……?’

I don’t think so.

The child carefully took off her mask. Her face was red and her eyes were squishy. It was obvious that she cried.

The crying girl spoke to me with a trembling voice,

“It’s me, Melissa.”

‘Melissa. Melissa…’

I searched through my mind for a moment because of the familiar name.

‘Wait. Princess Melissa Hesman? Isn’t that Lenox’s sister?’

This can’t be, it was Princess Melissa Hesman.

When the girl saw my eyes open wide, she bit her lips and continued.

“My brother’s atrocities…”

Melissa was a rumored child princess who barely attended the academy because she was weak. Lenox’s official fianceé, herself, had not seen her face often.

“…I came to apologize for the affair, I-I didn’t know you were this kind.”

You bastard, did you get caught cheating by this 10-year-old kid? Why do you keep getting caught cheating? If you’re going to hide it, hide it well until the end.

I was troubled.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

I could see the wound in the young child’s eyes.

“I, I saw it all outside. That you’re a gentle person who likes children. And the fact that rumors are not to be trusted.”

The child looked unusually vulnerable, but her eyes looked young.

Without any time to answer back, the child put her mask back on and ran away.

Dominique looked at me with a puzzled face and murmured seriously.

“She’s completely different from Duke Hesman.”

“She is,” I replied.

She is a lovely and sweet girl. It was a pity that she was stuck at the Hesman Duchy. But since I received an apology, maybe the relationship between us is over.

If you stop by the stationery store from time to time, I’ll give you a lot of things. I decided to think that much and move on.

***

It was when Meldenique was running her stationery store and was serving one or two customers who came from the rumors.

A garden party was held under the supervision of Duke Vaveloa. The garden party in question was a spectacular launching party that announced the new business between Duke Hesman and Duke Vaveloa.

In front of a huge garden.

The magic stone carved in the shape of a beautiful tree, which Duke Hesman had personally brought, was placed in the center. There were tables of three to five around the magic stone. The topic of conversation among the nobles was the magic stone. No one had ever seen such a large magic stone before.

“It’s such a large magic stone at a garden party for eating brunch.”

“Just where did Duke Hesman get it from?”

“I heard that he attempted to contact the Holy Kingdom and the Mage Kingdom.”

“My god, you mean the kingdom that has a heterogeneous population?”

“It really is amazing!”

“At this rate, he will summon the hero from the legend.”

“My god…”

Duke Hesman was listening to all the praises of himself.

‘It’s going smoothly.’

Of course, there was something wrong with what they were saying.

‘Except for the contact with the Mage Kingdom.’

Contact with the Mage Kingdom failed frequently. It was because they were extremely reluctant to outsiders. However, in places like the Mage Kingdom, there were powerful magic stones that he could not have imagined.

It’s a bonus that there were heterogeneous races with outstanding abilities.

If the Mage Kingdom starts to interact, the Hesman family’s name will be even bigger in the Empire. But the reality was different from that.

‘Now we don’t have the magic sword, let alone the Kingdom.’

He wiped his cheek with an uncomfortable complexion.

He had collected several hero swords. But what was the level of a hero being sealed in the hero’s sword? It was just a scared little brat.

(T/N: Basically, he’s saying that heroes, who are sealed in a sword like Dominique was, are just cowards. Lol, I guess there are multiple people who are trapped in swords. PR/N: I want an anthology of everyone sealed in a sword, it must be beautiful.)

There was nothing to empower itself.

‘…I need a real hero. Someone who will make me shine and spread my reputation.’

He continued to search for Dominique, the legendary hero. There was once a rumor that a man could dominate the world with the powerful hero, Dominique.

‘After I accomplish everything, I will be the most successful man in the world.’

He would raise his name even more than now and revive the Hesman family to a continental level. If things worked out well, there was a possibility that he could usurp his generation, or the Empire in the future.

‘The Emperor’s crown, I really like it.’

First of all, his goal was to become the most powerful human being beyond human beings, but…

The Emperor’s throne would also be a good spot for him.
(T/N: I think hell is a better place for you.)

He looked around with his back straightened out. Now that his power was getting stronger, it was all a matter of time.

Duke Hesman began to cross the perfect party hall, where everyone praised him. But at that time, a young noble poured cold water on him without realizing it.

“Isn’t the Tower Lord amazing?”