"Dr. O'Malley, are you there?"
My father arrived with me at the hospital in the mansion, as expected.
Doctors in this world are similar to oriental medicine doctors, they decocted and grind medicinal herbs and use them as medicines, and some doctors have mysterious powers that are sometimes called healing powers, they are similar to the priests seen in novels.
Even those who don't not know the smell of the medicinal herbs that vibrate in the air, will know that this place was a clinic as soon as they entered the small building.
"Dr. O'Malley!"
As you can see from the smell of herbs, Lombardy's doctor, Dr. O'Malley, was an electronic type of clinician.
"What are you doing here, Gallahan?"
From the inside, the door of the lab was opened and a man with a more suspicious impression walked out.
He was a tall man who looked roughly in his late forties.
"Florentia is injured, can you take a look at her?"
At my father's words, Dr. O'Malley looked at me.
A child usually would have been crying if injured enough to bring them to the clinic. Instead I was just looking at him.
"Oops, how can it be like this?."
I sat in a chair, and let him take a look at the wound, and Dr. O'Malley frowned.
It was because the wound was more severe than I thought.
"I fell over."
I pondered on the fact that my current wound looked similar to my old injury from the past.
"This may leave a scar behind."
Unfortunately, its the same place I injured myself when I felt over on my eighth birthday.
Looks like a scar in going to form up again. while trying to grow up without scars, I ended up getting something similar.
However, it wasn't broken anywhere.
My father, unlike me, nodded his head, his face full with worry.
"Who... ."
It would be upsetting to see scars on his daughter's body.
My father's big hand stroked my head heavily.
Dr. O'Malley looked at the child's cheerful appearance for a moment, then took out a strange potion and smeared it over my wound.
"Are you in pain anywhere else, young lady?"
Honestly, it's a bit awkward to hear the drama of respect for the first time in a long time.
Right.
I felt like this before my father died.
I reached out to Dr. O'Malley with my left arm, which was more injured than my knee.
"Here you go...."
"Ugh."
The doctor, who saw my swollen wrist, knocked his tongue unwittingly.
"Who did it, Tia?."
My father asked in an angry low voice.
Probably because of Belsach and Astalliu, who had made my wrists like this.
It seemed to me that he was going to go to the parents of the child who is responsible for it.
But I replied in the same tone as before.
"I fell over."
"Tia..."
My father was upset and called me, but I pretended not to hear or not know.
"Hmmm. I don't think it's broken because of the degree of the swelling, but I think you should be careful for a while."
Eventually, a thick bandage was wrapped around my wrist.
When taking a bath, it can be loosened, but it must be rewinded, and Dr. O'Malley decided to visit me every few days.
I was also told that I had to drink bitter medicine every day for a month.
It was the worst prescription for me, who hated bitter food or tea even as an adult.
My father, who looked at me holding a medicine bag with a quivering face, said to Dr. O'Malley, as I felt bitter in my mouth.
"Doctor. I would like to speak to my daughter alone, would you leave us for a moment?"
"Yes. I'll be in the lab. Call me if you need anything."
The doctor went back to the lab and only me and my father were left.
This is Dr. O'Malley's work space, so if there is anything to say, we should have left.
But naturally, from the image of my father asking the doctor to go out, I felt that he was the son of Lulak.
"Tia."
My father knelt on one knee and called me at the height of my eyes sitting on the chair.
Seeing my father, who had the same green eyes as mine, those I could only see while looking in the mirror, full of concern for me, I am happy bearing with the pain arising from my chests.
"Why didn't you tell me everything sooner?"
It may be the story of Belsach and Astalliu.
My dad knew they were bothering me, but it must have been a big shock for him as he learn for the first time today that I was even listening to such abusive words.
In the old days, I was scared by Belsach's words that he would give a jailbreak as soon as possible, and I couldn't even think of asking for help from the adults.
Eventually, my father did not know this until the day he died.
I thought it was fortunate back then.
Now, looking back, it was really stupid.
"They said they would hit me more if I did."
"These guys!"
My angrily father jumped up as if he was going to punish Belsach and Astalliu right now.
But my hand grabbed my father's sleeve.
"It's okay. I hit him a lot today, so he won't be able to say that again."
If he does it again, I will hit him again.
My father, who was embarrassed for my cool reaction, sat down again with a burst of bleak laughter.
"Tia, can I ask just one question?"
"What is it?"
"Why did you act differently today?"
It seemed that he wanted to know what had changed in my mind.
From a parent's point of view, he would wonder what his child is thinking.
"Because I know I can't change anything if I just keep quiet."
When I was young I had endured it, thinking that if I endured like this, it will end someday.
As I expected, as we got older, Belsach and Astalliu's harassment stopped, but it wasn't really over.
Eventually, it turned into a different kind of violence and discrimination.
"So, I won't be patient in the future. I'll hit them again, and if that doesn't work, I'll reach out to the adults and cry. So don't worry too much."
I said it and hurriedly hugged my father, who looked at me with sad eyes.
My father, who had been hardened for a while, as if surprised, patted me on my back.
"But Tia. Why are you suddenly calling me father? I would like you to call me dad like before."
Oh.
I originally called my father, dad.
I felt sorry for the sudden sense of distance, and my father's eyes were falling.
I finally met my father again, who died ten years ago, but I can't even do that!
"Dad!"
I said it and holding my father's arms more sweetly.
"Lets live happily together for a long, long time!"
"Hahaha! Yes off course, Tia."
Dad might not understand the true meaning behind my words just now.
And in fact, he will never know it.
This time, I won't stay still and let him die in vain again.
I will save him.
I will protect them both.
Neither Dad nor Lombardy will perish again!
* * *
Office room of the Overlord.
Lulak rubbed his white brows and looked at the book in front of him.
He had sent someone to the library to go look for another copy of the book Florentia had been carrying earlier.
It was because he wondered if he had incorrectly remembered the contents of the book.
This book was a case study of a new mysterious tribe discovered about a decade ago at the southern tip of the empire.
The authors introduced that they live in the forest and have a very closed culture.
They have the mystical power of 'magic'.
It was explained that it was an ability that only came down through the lineage and that it was such a secret power that could not be taught to outsiders.
Lulak, who opened the bookshelf and scanned the contents, covered the book.
Such content was not important.
What worried Lulak now was why his granddaughter, in her seven years old, was reading a difficult academic book written for adults, which is not a liberal arts book like literature.
Smart.
With the sound of a knock, a man, with long blonde hair that had been tied neatly, and was wearing glasses entered.
It was the scholar Clerivan, who has been supporting Lulak since the early days of creating the scholarship system.
Currently, in charge of the residence's finances, and the Lombardy children's education.
"Did you call for me Lord?"
"Sit down for a moment."
As soon as Clerivan stands across the table, Lulak pushed his
"What is it?"
"It's the book my granddaughter was reading today."
"If it's a granddaughter... Larane-nim?"
Larane was Viese's eldest daughter and Belsach's two-year-older sister.
"It's amazing. I read a book like this at the age of eleven...."
"It's not Larane."
"Then who is it?"
"Florentia."
At Lulak's words, Clerivan frowned.
He wondered if Lulak was joking in front of him.
"I'm not kidding."
"But Florentia-nim is still... ... ."
"Seven years old."
Clerivan, who held up the book as if checking the contents of the book as Lulak did, seemed to be in doubt.
"Wouldn't it be that she just liked the cover of the book and asked for it?"
The book cover, colored dark green like the forest in which the people of the south live, could have looked pretty to the eyes of a child.
"A seven years old it's only at the age of knowing how to read children's books or a few scholarly books."
"Usually that's how it is."
"Then, are you saying that Florentia-nim is not common?"
"I called you to find out."
"If so... ... ."
"From now on, let Florentia also take classes with the other children."
Once a week, Clerivan would gather all the children of Lombardy and give class to them.
Subjects follow classes regardless of age.
The only children in the class who were expected to be able to attend and understand the topics taught were the only two-child, brothers, and sisters of Viese and the eleven-year-old twin brothers of Shananet, the only daughter of Lulak.
"Florentia-nim is still too young. A seven-year-old will find it difficult to sit in one place for such a long time, rather than understand the class."
"That's also generally the case."
Clerivan, who read something meaningful from Lulak's words, narrowed his eyes.
"What the hell are you trying to check, Lord Lulak."
"Well"
Lulak's thick fingers struck the desk.
"Florentia's mother was a nomad who flowed into this city. She was beautiful in appearance, but she had nothing else special going on for her."
Only two set of strong green eyes remembered faintly the face of the woman who once had leave a deeply strong impression in the house.
"That's why it's true that I didn't pay much attention to Florentia. However thinking about it, earlier today ...."
He remembered the face of his granddaughter, who was saying everything she had to say without shedding a drop of tear even though her hair was messed up here and there.
"I really thought there might have been someone who has inherited my blood."
When he remembered how she was swinging a book on top of Belsach, who was much larger than she was, a rare joyful smile appeared on Lulak's wrinkled face.