I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

Chapter 53 - A Miracle Story (3)

Kyle’s daughter woke up safely.

I had worried she might suffer some lingering aftereffects, but fortunately, she seemed to be recovering in good health.

It was thanks to her father’s diligent care.

And so, Astro welcomed a new family member.

“Dad! Today I want to play with the other kids!”

“Eileen, my dear… You’d rather go to the other children than stay with your old dad? Could it be that you’re already tired of me?”

“That’s not it!”

“Then why…?”

“When I’m with you, you keep giving me piggyback rides all day long! I want to walk on my own two feet, too!”

“Well, that’s because I’m worried you might get hurt walking by yourself…”

“Hmph! I don’t care! Today, I’m going to play with my friends!”

“E-Eileen…”

With a huff, Eileen turned her back and walked away, leaving Kyle in a panic.

Watching the odd dynamic between the two, I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

I patted Kyle’s forlorn back.

“Hehe, it seems parenting after all this time isn’t so easy, is it?”

“…Captain.”

His crimson eyes turned toward me.

Suppressing the laughter threatening to burst out, I spoke as if offering him comfort.

“Don’t be too disheartened.”

“…”

“In fact, isn’t this a good thing? To think she can smile so brightly after going through such horrific things.”

“You’re absolutely right… It’s a miracle that will never happen again in my lifetime.”

“She really is a lovely child.”

“I know this is all thanks to you, Captain. I can never repay this kindness…”

“If you keep tearing up like that, I’ll be in trouble.”

This had become a problem lately.

This man, once hailed as the strongest on the continent, now wells up with tears whenever he makes eye contact with me.

As if he can’t contain the overwhelming emotion.

“Please, try to hold it in.”

“Ugh… Understood.”

Because of you, the other members are starting to act strange too.

Someone like you, who used to be lighthearted, shouldn’t become this serious.

"Ahem."

In any case.

It was a satisfying conclusion.

Though I wondered if this place might be a bit gloomy for a child to grow up in, at least she had her loving family by her side.

Perhaps it was time to spend some money to make Astro’s headquarters a bit more kid-friendly.

Children should be raised surrounded by good things.

Otherwise, they might grow up into bad adults like me.

“Eileen! Let’s play together!”

“I’m playing hide-and-seek with Anne! I need to hide so I don’t get caught!”

“Hehe! Let’s hide where the teachers are…!”

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

Even the little foxes welcomed their new friend.

As is often the case with children that age, they didn’t push each other away but easily bonded and played together.

I smiled faintly.

‘It was worth pushing myself.’

It had been a while since I last coughed up blood, but it was worth it to see the smiles of these little ones.

Personally, I was satisfied with the decision.

“Hehe… Children, be careful not to get hurt while playing.”

“Oh! It’s the Captain!”

“Wow~ Captain! Play with us!”

“Silly, the Captain is always busy!”

“Irene’s here too! If you play with us, I’ll help you marry her later!”

“Hey! Why are you trying to give away my sister?”

The children squabbled with each other, and I couldn’t help but laugh at their adorable antics.

“Well now~ Getting married to MIss Irene? That’s quite a tempting offer!”

“Right? I’ll talk to her for you!”

“Alright then! Shall we have some fun?”

We continued our peaceful days like this for a while.

***

Irene and I had packed our things, ready to return to the Academy.

We had already been away for a week, and it was about time to check in for attendance.

Naturally, Irene would be coming with me.

We were waiting for the carriage to arrive.

“You’re really leaving?”

“Neria.”

As I stood at the steps outside, Neria approached me with a downcast expression.

Her silver hair drooped lifelessly.

She seemed quite sad about our departure.

I gently patted her head to comfort her.

“There are things I need to take care of.”

“Y-Yes… I-I understand.”

“I’ll be counting on you to lead Astro. Thanks to you, I can leave with peace of mind.”

“Th-Thank you…”

"Hehe."

Neria quickly melted under my touch.

She clasped her hands together bashfully, her pale cheeks flushed with warmth.

I took a moment to enjoy her adorable reaction.

Soon, other members began to chime in.

“We’ll be waiting for your return, Captain.”

“Hahaha! Stay safe out there, no matter where you are!”

“Call on us whenever you need!”

I responded to each of their farewells.

The noisy send-off finally came to an end, and as I was about to head out after hearing that the carriage had arrived—

“Big brother!”

A small voice called out.

I turned to see a girl peeking her head out.

Her big, blinking brown eyes met mine, and I smiled.

“Anne.”

The girl trotted over to me in her small, lively steps.

She hesitated for a moment before spreading her short arms wide and hugging me tightly.

Her warm body pressed against my chest.

“Well now… That’s quite a bold farewell hug.”

“Hehe.”

Her laugh was as innocent as ever.

After clinging to me for a while, she looked up at me with wide eyes.

“Uncle Kyle told me something.”

“And what might that be?”

“He said that once you go back to the Academy, it’ll be hard to see you for a while, so I should say what I want to now!”

“Our head chef explained things well.”

Of course, he did.

Though Anne was staying here at Astro for now, she would soon return to her family.

I planned to send her back by next week at the latest.

‘If we part ways like this… it might be hard to meet again.’

The Frank Baron family.

A noble house located in a far-off rural area. Traveling to and from the capital would take at least a month by carriage.

It wasn’t a place where regular visits were easy.

That wasn’t the only reason, of course.

The distance was just an excuse to convince the child. The real reason was something else entirely.

It was a decision I had made.

‘I hope we never cross paths again.’

I wanted Anne to live a normal life.

She had just woken up from a terrible nightmare. From now on, I wished for her to find happiness with her family.

I wanted to give her a peaceful, danger-free life.

‘There’s nothing good to come from being involved with us.’

Astro, after all, was still a criminal organization.

It was far too dangerous a world for a fifteen-year-old girl to step into.

“As there are meetings, so too must there be partings.”

“I know.”

Anne nodded quietly.

“That’s why… since this might be the last time, I wanted to say it.”

She looked up at me for a moment, then smiled softly.

A faint light shone in her eyes.

“Thank you. Because of you, I’ve been able to find hope again.”

“…”

“I was so scared, so exhausted, and so lonely… But you reached out to me. Thank you.”

She smiled bashfully, her lips curling in a gentle arc.

What she offered me was heartfelt gratitude, neatly folded and full of warmth.

I thought quietly to myself.

So much had changed.

In the original story, this girl had been trampled with no hope left. But this time, she had been given a new chance to live.

Perhaps, for once, I had done the right thing.

“Anne.”

I bent down slightly, bringing my eyes level with her brown ones, and playfully poked her cheek with my finger.

Her soft skin pressed gently against my touch.

“Never lose hope again.”

I spoke quietly.

Most adults don’t remember their childhoods.

It’s both a curse they bear and a blessing they enjoy.

Children, as they grow older, forget the days of their youth.

“There may be tough times ahead. Like this time, you may face unfair misfortunes that block your path. But during those moments, you must have faith.”

Originally, Anne hadn’t even had the chance to face those trials.

She had perished before she could grow up, never able to forget her childhood.

But this time, things were different.

“Believe that after all the pain, a better tomorrow will come.”

She had been given the opportunity to live.

I hoped that Anne would grow up, meet many people, experience countless things, and, over time, slowly forget her childhood.

I wanted her to become an adult.

“Anne, you can do anything. You can become whoever you want, and you can dream of whatever you wish.”

Children are potential.

And this was my gift to you, the one who never got to grow up 1943 times.

“So please, become a wonderful adult.”

I wondered what it would be like if, someday, a grown-up Anne came to find me.

I hoped that day wouldn’t come, yet a tender, bittersweet warmth filled a corner of my heart at the thought.

I whispered softly.

To my dear little writer.

“That alone would make me feel like I’ve gained the whole world.”

My voice was filled with nothing but sincerity.

As our eyes met, Anne’s face lit up with a bright smile.

“Yes, big brother…!”

A pure, white light that banished the darkness from the world.

“I’ll definitely do it! I’ll grow up to be a wonderful adult and come back to see you and big sister!”

“Hehe… I’m already looking forward to it.”

I turned to leave.

Stepping down the stairs, I said a brief farewell to the figure behind me.

“That’s all for now.”

A clear, cheerful voice followed me from behind.

I savored that familiar background sound as I stepped into the waiting carriage at the bottom of the stairs.

Neigh!

The coachman cracked the whip.

As the wheels began to turn and the scenery outside began to rush by, the realization that everything had truly ended washed over me.

Now, at last.

It was time to return to the Academy.

***

After spending a day in the carriage, the snake and the fox finally returned to the Academy.

Perhaps it was because we arrived late at night, but the school grounds were blanketed in a calm, serene silence.

The scene beneath the night sky was so peaceful that it made the events of the past few days feel like nothing more than a distant dream.

Irene was momentarily lost in that strange stillness.

“…”

Inside the vast dormitory.

The fox, gazing out the window, suddenly turned her head to look at something.

Her eyes landed on a boy with golden hair.

Zzz…

The snake was resting against the sofa.

It seemed he had fallen asleep.

It was hard to tell, given his usual narrow eyes, but the steady rhythm of his breathing gave it away.

Irene asked softly.

“...Are you asleep?”

Her words dissipated into the air.

There was no response.

Finally, the girl let her guard down and quietly observed the snake sitting next to her.

She studied him carefully.

The boy exuded an air of mystery.

Even though he had dozed off on a chair, his posture remained impeccable, without the slightest hint of slouching.

Not even a wrinkle could be found in his clothes.

He maintained his dignity effortlessly.

“You’re such an impossible person.”

A sigh escaped her lips.

Irene glanced around, looking a bit lost.

She stood there in a daze for a while, and then a particular memory came to mind.

The voice that had saved her days before.

—Miss Irene.

—If I can help make your life even a little less unfortunate, I’ll gladly lend you my strength.

It had been a gentle whisper.

The memory was unusually vivid.

Without realizing it, Irene clenched her fists.

Her mind was filled with one question, one she had been unable to resolve.

‘Why does he… care so much about me?’

Looking back, it had been that way from the beginning.

She had received so much help.

He had rescued her from the slave traders, provided her with a safe place to stay.

He had taken in her lost siblings and cared for them with all his heart.

And now, he had come to save her directly from the dark magicians who had kidnapped her.

‘Why me?’

What did he want?

What could he possibly hope to gain from a wretched beast like her, to show her such overwhelming kindness?

Irene bit her lip in confusion.

—I don’t trust humans.

—I know how vile and cruel your kind can be.

She still stood by those words.

The fox didn’t trust humans.

The scars from the flames that had burned her past remained as permanent marks, never to be erased.

A deep distrust of humans.

But…

‘I just don’t understand what he’s thinking.’

She just wanted to know.

To understand the blind devotion that kept throwing her into turmoil.

—You must always take responsibility for what you’ve tamed.

—Does that answer your question?

The snake had said that, but it didn’t answer anything for her.

It only left her feeling more perplexed.

The fox still didn’t understand what it meant to be “tamed.”

Without understanding the meaning, his words were just empty shells to her.

Irene was the same.

“Forget it.”

Once again, she had failed to reach a conclusion.

All she did was push it aside for later.

Swoosh.

Irene quietly unfolded a nearby blanket.

With delicate care, she draped the thin cloth over the boy sleeping on the sofa.

Along with words he wouldn’t hear.

“...Goodnight.”

It was her own small way of saying thank you.