Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Baron Hazel held the fallen Tiaris. Her little body was as hot as a ball of fire.

Laying Tiaris on the bed, the Baron hastily rolled up her sleeves.

The scar from the monster’s bite was red and swollen, and it was giving off heat.

“Since when has she been like this?”

“A little while ago. Tia asked me to go pick flowers, so I was going to go, but she suddenly…”

Escal cried and answered.

After checking Tiaris’ condition, Baron took out the medicine, poured it into Tiaris’s mouth, wetted a towel and tied the wounded area.

“Ugh…”

A thin moan escaped Tiaris’ mouth.

“Tia, Tia!”

Tiaris opened her eyes at Escal’s voice. Her eyes, which had been groping through the air, stopped at Baron Hazel.

“Grandpa…?”

“Yes. It’s me. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay…”

Baron was relieved at the sound of her voice and touched her forehead. The fever seemed to have gone down a bit.

But the scar was still hot. Baron cools the lukewarm towel again and wraps it around her arm.

Escal, who was watching that, asked with a tearful face.

“Baron. Tia, will she be okay now?”

“It will get better after she sleeps. I’m glad you’re by her side.”

As Baron gently stroked Escal’s head, Escal settled down at the foot of the bed, seemingly relieved.

‘I’m glad I came back on time.’

If I had been home a little later, the heat might have caused a big problem.

Baron Hazel looked down at Tiaris with a confused mind.

I couldn’t just leave her like this.

Tiaris’s illness didn’t get better with time.

The bigger she grows, the wider the scar will be and the more painful it will be.

‘I have to get the magic stone anyway.’

No matter how much I thought about it, there was only one answer.

Baron Hazel remembered Duke Anthemion’s suggestion and opened his mouth.

“Escal, don’t you want to see your parents?”

“… Yes?”

“Your parents must be desperately looking for you by now, so do you plan on staying here?”

Escal blinked with a look of helplessness. The child, who had been thinking for a while, wiggling his little finger, answered cautiously.

“… Uh, I, I have no parents.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I get it.”

The child’s intention was clear.

It wasn’t the answer Baron Hazel wanted, but he couldn’t force the child to go back because he didn’t want to go back.

Baron Hazel made a decision and pulled out the sword he had put in the closet.

The oiled blade of the sword flashed and gleamed. The feel of the sword I had been holding for a long time was the same as before.

“Escal.”

“Yes?”

“I need to go somewhere, can you take care of Tia in the meantime?”

Escal looked into Tiaris, who was asleep, and clenched his fists.

“Yes. I will take good care of her.”

“Yes. Please.”

****

“Are you going to hunt monsters?”

Roderick Cronen, the only doctor in all of Daleswood, raised his glasses.

“Yes, I need you to take care of these kids for a month.”

Baron Hazel answered bluntly. Roderick looked at him incredulously, as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have

“Do you think you are still a Swordmaster? Where are you going when you’re all old?”

“Even if I’m old, I still can catch just one monster.”

“Tsk, I can’t do anything if you die.”

Roderick, with his tongue stuck, looked at Escal and Tiaris in turn.

Tiaris, who had just woken up this morning, her face was still flushed with heat.

Roderick, who looked at Tiaris’ forehead, twitched and clicked his tongue.

“She got sick again.”

“Yes. This time it was much worse than before.”

“That’s why you’re talking nonsense.”

It was only then that Roderick realized why Baron Hazel wanted to undertake this reckless adventure.

“Are you planning to erase the grandfather from a parentless child?”

“I should go when I have the energy for a day.”

Baron’s persistence did not falter. Roderick shook his head.

“If it’s your decision, who can stop you?”

Roderick gave up and took a pill from the medicine cabinet and held it out.

“Take this.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t overdo it, and if you realize you can’t do it, just come back.”

“I will.”

Baron Hazel smiled faintly and pulled out the pocket he had brought.

“If I don’t come after a month, give this bag to Duke Anthemion.”

“Duke Anthemion?”

Roderick’s gaze turned to Escal. When his eyes met, the boy quickly turned his head.

Roderick sighed in frustration.

“I see, be careful.”

****

The capital was as bright as day in the middle of the night.

The place where dozens of knights with torches gathered was the largest mansion in the capital.

“Don’t hold back!”

The imperial knights surrounded the Duke of Eaton’s mansion.

The Duke of Eaton, who was enjoying the supper, ran out in amazement.

“What are you doing!”

“This is the Emperor’s order, Duke. Please cooperate.”

When the head of the imperial investigative team presented the Emperor’s order and gestured, the knights began to search the mansion in unison.

“Emperor, what…!”

The Duke of Eaton roared in fury as they overturned his furniture and rummaged through the mansion.

“Stop it now! How dare you search in my mansion!”

“It would be nice if you just cooperate. Duke of Eaton.”

A low, menacing voice caught the Duke of Eaton’s ankle. Helios entered the hallway with his sword.

“Helios Anthemion! What are you doing!”

Fire erupted from the Duke of Eaton’s eyes. Helios asked coldly.

“Where did you hide Escal?”

… How did that guy know?

For a moment, the Duke of Eton’s expression hardened and he snapped.

“How do I know where the child is?”

“Someone has seen the Duke’s servant take Escal, are you planning to play dumb?”

“Who said that bullshit—! I do not know!”

“I heard that Princess Adela saw it.”

“……!”

Helios raised an eyebrow sullenly.

“Even now, if you confess to where Escal is, I will ask Your Majesty to release you.”

“Are you going to listen to the little girl and frame me? That sounds ridiculous.”

The Duke of Eaton replied harshly.

Helios bit his lower lip at the will to hold out until the end.

From the testimony of Princess Adela, to the fact that Escal’s opponent that day was the son of the Duke of Eaton, it was clear what the Duke of Eaton had committed.

“I’ll give you one last chance to confess. Where is Escal?”

“I say I didn’t know!”

“Then I will have no choice but to look for it.”

Helios raised his voice towards the knights searching the mansion.

“Find every single one of them, and if there is anything suspicious, confiscate everything!”

“Yes!”

The Duke of Eaton saw the mansion becoming a mess and grinded his teeth.

“You will regret it. Duke of Anthemion.”

****

The search continued until morning.

No trace of Escal could be found, even though they searched every single one of the Duke Eaton’s offices and rooms, from the outbuildings where the servants stayed, to the lodgings of the Duke Knights.

“I don’t think he’s inside the mansion.”

“Of course not. He wouldn’t be so sloppy.”

Even if the Duke of Eaton had kidnapped Escal, he wouldn’t have hidden him in his mansion, that’s why he wasn’t discouraged.

And there was suspicious movement.

The Duke of Eaton’s prevented him from opening the vault, among the papers in his desk drawer was a letter to and from Baron Rockefeller.

It was a letter from Baron Rockefeller telling him that it was time to prepare for the upcoming mining season.

‘The Duke of Eaton is mining magic crystals, but what is Baron Rockefeller preparing for?’

I can’t pinpoint it, but something was missing.

It would be certain if we could interrogate Duke Eaton, but I couldn’t make a conclusive case.

Princess Adela’s testimony was enough to get the Emperor to authorize a search of the Duke of Eaton’s mansion, but without conclusive evidence, Because of the Empress’s position wouldn’t allow Helios to arrest Duke Eaton.

‘It might be better to go to the magic stone mine and check it yourself.’

As Helios fiddled with the letter, a knock on the door caught his ear

“Your Excellency, it’s Dustin.”

“Come in.”

“I found this in the servants dormitory.”

Dustin held out a black jacket with a ripped sleeve. Helios looked carefully at the jacket and frowned.

“Isn’t this glatic yarn?”

“It seems right.”

It was the same black glazed yarn that had fallen on the scene the day Baron Rockefeller was attacked.

“Who did it belong to?”

“I found it in the room of a man named Harriet Tuffman.”

“Where is he now?”

“It is said that he disappeared a few days ago.”

Helios sharpened his molars. He knew in his gut that this was the man.

It is clear that not only the Baron Rockefeller case, but also Escal’s disappearance was his responsibility.

Helios crumpled up the letter he was holding.

“Find him somehow. Even if it means scouring the entire Empire.”

“Yes.”