The sight of a young Lucy wearing a mischievous grin froze my thoughts in place.
The figure I expected beyond the door was a monster poised to claim my life, not a little girl giggling at me as if mocking my existence.
Uh. Wait. So now I have to deal with young Lucy? How? What am I supposed to compete with her in?
While it’s true that I’m ruthless when it comes to dealing with enemies, I’m not cruel enough to crack open the skull of a tiny kid. Even the worthless Main God wouldn’t have tossed young Lucy here just to see her suffer.
So, what’s the point? What am I supposed to do? Is this supposed to be a Mesugaki showdown? A battle of insults to see who can piss off the other the fastest?
Ha. Don’t be ridiculous. While it’s true that the Main God is a degenerate, I can’t imagine even he’d create this entire setup just to watch two Mesugaki hurl insults at each other.
...Right? He wouldn’t go that far, would he? I mean, he’s still supposed to be a god, so there’s no way he’d sink to that level of depravity.
The young Lucy continued to chuckle silently, and, feeling overwhelmed, I raised my hands in a desperate plea for help.
"Grandpa! What do I do?!"
But no answer came.
"Grandpa? Grandpa!"
Only my own hollow voice echoed in my mind. In a panic, I channeled divinity into my mace, hoping to rouse the presence within it. Instead, I realized he had fallen into a deep slumber.
...This is definitely the work of that worthless Main God. If he was the one who woke Grandpa, he could just as easily send him back into sleep. But what’s hiding beyond this that warrants such an annoying move?
Tsk, tsk. I was staring blankly at my mace when I heard the sound of a small foot tapping against the ground. Looking up, I saw young Lucy stomping lightly on the floor, drawing my attention.
She locked eyes with me, then started walking ahead without a word, occasionally glancing back as if checking to see if I’d follow.
Follow... her? After a moment of hesitation, I began to walk. Young Lucy gave a small nod and proceeded into the cave with light, almost playful steps.
"Hey."
Huh? My voice came out normally? Confirming that the Mesugaki Skill’s translation effect wasn’t active, I hurried to catch up with young Lucy and called out to her.
"Lucy?"
She looked up at me, as if asking Why are you calling me? but didn’t reply. I doubted her temperament would have been this calm even as a child, so maybe she just couldn’t speak?
Still, it seemed like she could hear me, so I decided to ask her questions and watch her reactions.
"Where are we going?"
Hearing my question, she tilted her head before using her hand to draw a square and then a triangle above it.
It wasn’t hard to understand her meaning. Home. Young Lucy was saying that we were heading to her home.
Not long after, I realized what she meant. The barren cave gave way to a grassy meadow, and the Allen family estate came into view.
Following young Lucy inside without hesitation, I found that the scenery changed again once we entered the building.
"Mira, are you sure I can hold her? What if something goes wrong?"
"What do you think a baby is?"
"A fragile artifact?"
"Haha, Benedict. This child is yours. She’s not that fragile."
The woman, Mira, handed over the baby almost dismissively. Benedict, flustered but careful, gingerly cradled the child.
The baby wriggled in his unfamiliar grasp, then froze upon meeting his stern face.
"Uh. Uh. What do I do? She looks like she’s about to cry!"
"What else? Calm her down. Give it a try."
"You’re making it sound too easy!"
Startled by his booming voice, the baby scrunched up her face, teetering on the verge of tears. Panicking, Benedict made a ridiculous expression, contorting his features.
Given his naturally intense face, his attempt looked more like a demon emerging from hell than a clown. Yet, the baby, with her peculiar sense of humor, giggled at his antics.
"Mira! She’s laughing!"
"See? You’re doing fine. Why were you so nervous?"
The scene of their happy, ordinary conversation faded as the scenery shifted again. The baby, who could barely react moments ago, was now toddling around on her own.
She was undeniably adorable, the kind of child anyone would want to treat kindly. Yet the household staff viewed her with unkind eyes.
"Hey, you! Where’s Mama?"
The problem was her tone. Nobody knew where she had picked up such aggressive phrasing, but it naturally fostered hostility from those around her. Servants muttered to themselves, questioning how such a child could be born to such virtuous parents.
But I understood.
I could hear the truth in the girl’s heart. She didn’t want to speak that way. The same cursed blessing afflicting me was embedded within her as well.
Against her will, her words inflicted wounds on others, and her spirit was slowly rotting from the inside out.
Why was I given this curse?
Why can’t I say a single word of my own choosing?
Why can’t I say I love you, thank you, or I’m sorry?
Why am I the only one who has to bear this pain?
What did I do wrong?
Huh? Huh? Why me?
"Lucy."
The only reason she didn’t crumble under the weight of her pain was the unyielding love of her parents.
Benedict, her father, would laugh and find her words endearing no matter how sharp they were. Mira, her mother, would gently embrace her, her smile never wavering.
Naturally, the girl became someone who never wanted to leave their side. The moment she stepped away from her parents, she would face an onslaught of hostility she wasn’t brave enough to endure.
While others might see it differently, the girl thought it was enough. If interacting with others meant inevitable hatred, she wanted nothing more than to remain within the safety of the estate forever.
Tsk, tsk.
Feeling something tugging at my waist, I turned to see young Lucy smiling mischievously at me.
And just like that, the world crumbled around me.
"Hah?!"
Collapsing to the ground, I clenched my teeth, fighting against the surge of emotions that flooded my mind.
The happiness, despair, and rage the child had felt—all these emotions intertwined, forming a torment more intense than any pain I had endured before. Time lost its meaning.
Only after her memories fully imprinted themselves in my mind could I manage to regain some semblance of composure.
With trembling hands, I pulled out a handkerchief to wipe my face, smeared with all sorts of unidentifiable fluids. When was the last time I’d felt such agony? Sure, I’d faced death before, but by then, I was already half-numb.
<Lucy! Are you back to your senses?!>
"Barely."
<Thank the heavens! You suddenly collapsed after opening the door. I was so worried!>
At Grandpa’s relieved voice, I looked up and saw the dungeon’s familiar walls. So everything I just saw... was it all an illusion?
Dragging myself to the nearest wall for support, I leaned against it and let out a hollow laugh as the scenes replayed in my mind.
I’d always thought the rumors about Lucy were absurd. No matter how reckless a child could be, the kind of antics she was accused of sounded impossible.
But if Lucy was another victim of the Mesugaki Skill, it made sense. She must have suffered as much as, if not more than, I did.
Actually, comparing my pain to hers would be insulting. How could someone hardened by experience truly understand the suffering of a child who had no idea why she was in pain?
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
At Grandpa’s silence, I staggered to my feet. Whatever the Main God’s intentions were, I’d find the answers at the end of this treasure map. For now, that was enough.
Emerging from the dungeon, I was greeted by familiar voices.
"Lady Lucy!"
"Employer, is everything alright—"
Ignoring their concern, I glanced back to see the cave vanish as though it had fulfilled its purpose.
"Lady Lucy?"
At Kal’s worried tone, I forced a smirk and spread my arms.
"What’s this, Kal? Did you get separation anxiety after I left you alone for a bit?"
But as the words left my mouth, a strange unease crept in. Something about the situation didn’t sit right.
Kal’s reflection in her eyes revealed it. There was no confident, cheeky Lucy staring back. Only a confused girl, lost in her own thoughts.