Theodore smiled slowly as his face reflected in the black mirror he was holding.
“I’ve found a clue to get you back in four years.”
His handsome face looked much better when smiling, compared to Frederick who looked like he just rolled on the ground.
“There’s really not much time left now. Wait a little longer.”
Frederick, who was sitting across from him with his shoulders hunched like a sinner, looked blank for a moment when he first saw Theodore’s smiling face.
Then he came to his senses and spoke to him carefully.
“Well, Your Majesty….”
Somehow the Emperor looked in a good mood. Now may be the opportunity.
“Then if you let me go…….”
“…….”
But it was cold eyes that came back to him, who spoke curiously.
“Sorry, sorry!”
Frederick immediately closed his mouth and bowed his head.
Theodore rose from his seat and headed to rest.
He was staying in the bedroom used by the King of Caligor, who had abandoned the royal castle and fled. The bedroom was small and simple, compared to the one he had in the Albrecht palace.
Today is the last day he will be sleeping in this bedroom after tomorrow.
“Oh, by the way, Your Majesty!”
Lyndon, who returned from informing people of the news of the Emperor’s returning, called Theodore with a smile.
“I got what you asked.”
Saying this, Lyndon held out a squirrel doll to Theodore.
“……?”
Theodore stared at its face with his squinted eyes, followed by an additional explanation.
I’m Jericho*, the squirrel warrior.
[T/N: The squirrel’s name is actually Jericho but I’ve been translating it as Jelriko. I guess I also have pronunciation problem like the children…]
The squirrel doll with dark brown fur was as small and insignificant as his palm.
“It doesn’t look much interesting to see.”
Theodore looked at Jericho and commented indifferently.
The squirrel’s name was Jericho, not Jelriko.
Theodore couldn’t figure out why the children liked squirrel warriors.
“It’s not even a dragon, it’s just a little squirrel…….”
“Oh, My Lord. It is said that if you go out on the street and say such things recklessly, you will be stoned by children all over the continent.”
“So, the play featuring this squirrel started this spring…
“….”
Theodore murmured, tracing his memory.
The girl who looked like Yves knew this squirrel.
Jelriko is a squirrel, Jelriko saves Shesha(World)! He is a Yonza (Hero) squirrel! Jelriko always wins!
The fact that she knows this squirrel…… It means he didn’t go back in time.
Although he failed to reverse time, he was curious about the girl he met.
Yves obviously died four years ago, then who the hell is this girl who looks like Yves.
‘Perhaps, maybe.’
Theodore once again reflected on the hypothesis he had come up with the first time he saw the child.
The treasure of the Caligor Kingdom, which we looked at a while ago, contained some kind of mysterious power that could transcend time and space through the cursed-looking black mirror.
Maybe he eventually went back to the past and met Yves and saved her.
So then, Yves and he had a child…….
Lia’s dad is Derek!
However, the excited voice of the girl that came to mind immediately scattered his hopes.
Just, just, just…….
Theodore’s fingertips tapped on the desk at irregular intervals.
‘Whether or not she has anything to do with Yves, it doesn’t matter.’
Even if it was a child who had no contact with Eve, that wasn’t the point right now.
‘It’s only important that I can’t get my mood dirty.’
Theodore called Lyndon with a smile of displeasure.
“Lyndon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How many people on this continent have the name ‘Derek’?”
“What?”
“There must be countless, right? It’s a very common name.”
Lyndon replied, wonderingly and obediently, to Theodore’s unexpected words.
“Maybe Derek is a nickname, not a name. If you think about it that way, there will be more ‘Derek’ on this continent.”
A dreary laughter came out between the corners of the mouth that were loosely rolled up.
Theodore had the expression of a man who had a very evil idea.
‘Oh my god!’
Lyndon had to avoid eye contact with Theodore, who was grinning, as much as possible.
****
It was the third day after returning to the lake mansion.
While the children were taking a nap, a visitor came.
“I heard a witch lives here who can beat the monsters.”
I looked up and down at the man who came.
He looked suspicious wearing a robe from head to toe.
“There’s no one like that.”
Bang!
I closed the door.
“Hold on a second! I was introduced to you by Lord of Arbela! Please, please open it!”
An urgent voice followed, so I listened carefully.
“If, if you help me, I will give you a reasonable compensation. So….”
“It’s a reasonable reward?”
I opened the door again.
Then the man exhaled a sigh of relief and explained.
“It wasn’t too difficult for you to beat up even the monsters. Our request is to deal with people.”
“People?”
To deal with a person who is not a demon, there will be no need to draw out a sword.
I was tempted by the man’s suggestion, but…….
“I’ll give you 300 million gold.”
“300 million gold?”
“Yes, with this money…….”
“I won’t.”
I refused without a second thought to the enormous amount he offered.
Bang!
Once again, the door closed.
“Wait, witch! Witch!”
The man knocked on the door and called me anxiously, but I didn’t open the door.
“If, if you you think the reward is less, then please tell me. Whoa, I’ll give you as much as you want.”
Well, I snorted at the sound.
The bounty on the neck of a demon is 100,000 gold.
But, 300 million gold?
Isn’t it dangerous just by listening it?
“Please.”
I don’t want to step into danger.….
“500 million gold, oh, no, I’ll give you a billion gold!”
One billion gold?
“…….”
I stood speechless for a moment and opened the door again.
“Is it dangerous?”
“Well, it’s dangerous, but…….”
“So, what’s the problem?”
I crossed my arms and looked at the man with the idea of listening to it.
“It’s true that it’s dangerous, but it’s easy enough to for the a witch who beats up the monsters. So our prince who was captured by Emperor Theodore…….”
Boom!
The door was closed for the third time.
“Wait, witch? Witch? Wait a minute, the door…….”
Outside, the man knocked on the door but couldn’t appease me.
Well, let it be closed for you.
I grinned at the closed door.
‘So, you want me to rescue the prince of Caligor who was captured by Theodore?’