[IHTTMBW] Chapter 32

After a moment, he asked, though his gaze wasn’t on me, “Little one, how old are you?” 

“Myrthi is five!” I responded cheerfully. 

“Five years… wasted…” Gelbart muttered with a bitter smile. I knew why he wore that expression. It was because of his wife’s death and the years of isolation that followed, during which he had lost touch with the rest of the world, including me. 

His wife had passed eight years ago, two years after Euphil was born. Since then, Gelbart had not given Euphil the attention he deserved. 

Erna, the woman he had loved more than power, wealth, or fame, had been his only solace. Though she had lived a full life, she might have lived longer. After her death, Gelbart’s already stern personality had become even more hardened. Protecting the borders became his sole purpose— ensuring that Erna could rest peacefully in the lilac forest at the capital. 

“But I’ve been away too long… long enough that a new child has grown up without knowing family. A child who looks just like Erna…” Gelbart’s voice trailed off as he spoke, and though Euphil remained silent, he seemed to understand what Gelbart was saying. 

I pretended not to understand, tilting my head in feigned innocence, but I grasped every word. I wrapped my arms around Gelbart’s neck and whispered. “And now, Myrthi has another family member. Grandpa, you’re family.” I smiled brightly and wiggled the finger he had folded down earlier, pointing it at Gelbart. My words brought a glimmer of moisture to his eyes. 

Euphil remained silent, seemingly deep in thought over what I had just said. After a moment, he stepped forward, breaking the quiet. 

“I want to learn swordsmanship.” 

Gelbart’s expression flickered with surprise. This was the first time Euphil had ever expressed interest in anything Gelbart had to offer. As someone who could easily gauge a person’s potential, Gelbart seemed genuinely taken aback by Euphil’s sudden request. 

“Is that really what you want?” he asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” Gelbart probed further. 

Euphil hesitated, his gaze flickering over to me before he clenched his fists and replied with a determined expression, much like the one I had shown earlier. His lips parted, and he spoke with a quiet resolve. 

“Because there’s something I want to protect.” 

“Something to protect…” Gelbart repeated, his voice trailing off as he pondered Euphil’s words. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his stern features softening ever so slightly as he patted my head, lost in contemplation. 

Gelbart was the sword at the northwest’s edge, the kingdom’s protector. According to the story, he and Euphil only reconnect after Euphil has started his rebellion. Given that Euphil was the third prince and the son of the second queen—a prince discarded by the court—no one ever thought he would become King. 

In the original story, I would have been an enemy, someone who would have opposed both of them. But now, here I was, watching the two of them, wondering if the future was beginning to change. Just as a small hope began to rise within me, Gelbart muttered to himself. 

“Kids… they’ve grown up so fast.” 

His voice had a strange sense of regret, but soon, his face returned to the stern, unyielding expression of the Duke who protected the northwest. 

“Euphil.” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you know what it truly means to protect something?” 

“It means making sure no one has to cry.” 

Gelbart nodded deeply at Euphil’s words, which were unusually profound for a ten-year-old. I watched from Gelbart’s embrace, my mouth slightly agape in surprise. 

-Did he look at me when he said he wanted to protect something? I wondered. -Or was it something else? 

I couldn’t be sure just yet. Euphil’s desire to protect could very well be focused on himself, so I knew I couldn’t let my guard down. 

I tilted my head from side to side, trying to involve myself in the conversation or get some attention. But no one noticed me, so I rubbed my head against Gelbart’s shoulder. 

He chuckled softly; his voice warm as he patted my head again. His hands were large and rough, befitting a warrior, but they were also warm and comforting, making me feel at ease. 

After watching me for a while, Gelbart added, “But protecting someone also means giving them the freedom to cry when necessary.” 

“Why would you make someone cry?” Euphil asked, clearly puzzled. 

“Because everyone needs a place where they can cry,” Gelbart explained. 

Euphil’s face showed his confusion, which was understandable given his age. It was a concept difficult for a child to grasp. 

-A place to cry, I mused, thinking back to whether I had such a place in the palace. 

There was the room where Ante had made me cry, and now the lavishly decorated room I currently stayed in. I could probably make myself cry by pinching my thigh, but there was no shoulder where I could truly let go and cry. 

-But that’s okay, I reassured myself. -I don’t need a place to cry. More important than a place to cry was a place to live, especially after I turned nineteen—or twenty-two. Living well, eating well, and being safe was my grand dream. 

Content with this thought, I rested my chin on Gelbart’s shoulder with a slight huff, dismissing the idea of needing a place to cry. What mattered more was that I could survive past the age of nineteen and, hopefully, live a comfortable life beyond that. 

With that in mind, I tugged at Gelbart’s collar to get his attention.