kscans

Chapter 49 - The Duke's Second Son's Single-Minded Devotion

Ariel's diary was filled with detailed records of her daily struggles raising Mireille.

"Ariel, what do you mean you bought a child?" Darius and Adrian, as one would expect, confronted Ariel.

Ariel had been researching an alchemy item that could grow vegetables instantly, but it wasn't going well. A byproduct of her research was a nutrient-rich soil, so she had taken to looking at a map Adrian had taught her to read and secretly distributing the soil to regions where crops grew poorly.

But they thought she had become a little more human, only to find she had returned with a child. Why?

Ariel tilted her head and answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"This child has a decent amount of magic. If I teach her, she can do alchemy."

"No, no! Raising a child is a different matter from teaching alchemy!" Ariel replied calmly to the flustered Adrian.

"I was also bought because I had magic, and I learned to do alchemy."

Now that she mentioned it, it was true. Both men fell silent.

"...But Ariel. How do you plan to raise her without any money?"

"We can eat vegetables. I can also hunt monsters."

"...Food alone isn't enough. A heart doesn't grow on that alone," Darius said, troubled.

Adrian continued in a serious tone.

"Besides, it's dangerous to have a child live in the Tree Sea. You're one thing, Ariel, but that child wasn't bought by the state. It would be better for her to interact with normal people."

Ariel thought for a moment, then muttered.

"...A heart. How does it grow? Is it okay to live outside the Tree Sea?"

In the end, the two of them worked together and petitioned the King, and a compromise was reached. Ariel was allowed to make a living through alchemy while also serving in the Tree Sea Defense Force. Her alchemy items were amazing to begin with, so her shop grew quickly.

"About the heart," Darius chose his words carefully.

"You should experience things you found fun and happy together with Mireille. That's how it will grow."

"...So I just need to create memories?"

"What!? Are you planning to manipulate her memories!? You can't do that. You must not tamper with people's memories!"

"...That's not what you meant...?"

To the bewildered Ariel, Darius took her hand and helped her find fun things to do together. In the process of repeating this, Ariel suddenly began to cry.

"...Where did my father and mother go?"

"We were supposed to go to the fields together. But then it burned... everyone died."

Along with the happy things, the painful memories sealed deep within her heart began to overflow one after another.

"Are Mireille and Darius and Adrian going to die too? No... I'll give you a High Potion, so please don't die..."

Faced with this, Darius could only stay by her side. To regain one's heart also meant regaining the pain of loss.

And as their connection deepened, so did Darius's feelings. Before he knew it, he had to admit it.

He had fallen in love with this girl, Ariel.

"I love you. I want to support you. I'll always be by your side." Every time she tilted her head, he repeated the words.

It was okay if she didn't know the meaning of "love" yet. He just wanted her to know that there was someone who cared for her.

He also visited the alchemy shop where Ariel and Mireille lived. He replenished their vegetables, repaired broken shelves, and helped with the leftover bookkeeping late at night... Anything they lacked, he secretly lent a hand.

Of course, he didn't hide his own feelings. He even publicly declared to his noble and knightly comrades that he loved Ariel. At first, they frowned upon it, and rumors spread. But since his older brother was to inherit the family title, he continued to refuse all marriage proposals.

A duke's second son who didn't play around with women and remained devoted to a single girl. Before long, everyone had no choice but to accept that "Darius is completely devoted to Ariel."

Adrian, on the other hand, kept his distance. As a nobleman who had just entered into a political marriage, supporting a single woman could lead to misunderstandings. Unable to act openly, he left the Tree Sea after giving some final business advice.

"The business... well, it's somehow taking shape. But Darius, a romance between you, a duke, and Ariel... it's a difference in status. It will not be fulfilled."

Adrian had warned him time and time again. In his world of common sense, it was unthinkable for Darius, of a ducal house, and Ariel, whose status was below that of a commoner, to be together.

But as Ariel regained her heart, Darius became more and more captivated by her.

And thus, a deep rift began to form between the two men.