Romiya was born the youngest daughter of the former Count Shulmir. She had two older brothers, both of whom were so outgoing that it was a bit overwhelming for the introverted Romiya. As a child, she sometimes hid to avoid her brothers, who pestered her to play with them.
However, as she matured, she grew closer to them.
Her brothers became more serious with age, and Romiya also gained the patience to accept their excessive pranks.
In addition, the stories of other noble families helped.
Whenever she heard news of brothers fighting over succession, Romiya thought how lucky she was to have such a good relationship with hers.
The idea of spilling blood to gain a title seemed like someone else’s problem.
Until her brothers both died in a series of accidents.
Her eldest brother was killed by bandits, and her second brother died fighting a beast that attacked their village.
At first, Romiya only felt despair. She cursed the heavens for the series of misfortunes that had befallen her family. But something seemed off. There was something suspicious about the deaths of both brothers.
The first to notice was her father, Count Shulmir. He shared his suspicions with Romiya.
「It seems your uncle is behind this. Romiya, you must be careful. Until we have concrete evidence, you must keep a low profile.」
Unfortunately, her father never found the evidence. He was killed by her uncle before he could.
And just like that, Romiya lost her entire family and became an orphan overnight.
Only then did the truth become clear.
Shulmir Castle had long been under her uncle’s control. That’s why her family had been so easily murdered. The retainers had betrayed her father long ago and conspired with her uncle.
What was even more horrifying was that her uncle was a demon worshipper. He had built a secret temple to a dark god and offered sacrifices in secret.
Despite having her enemy right in front of her, Romiya could do nothing. She had to pretend to know nothing and quietly endure. Meanwhile, her uncle was preparing to sell her off.
Romiya grew desperate. It was bad enough that her uncle had taken her family, but she couldn’t let him take her future as well. The only solace she had was that she had managed to win the support of the mercenary guild leader, who had ties with her father.
She often sneaked out of the castle to gather information, doing what little she could. Unfortunately, her efforts yielded little. Dodging her uncle’s eyes left her with too little freedom. The frustration of spinning her wheels was unbearable.
Meanwhile, her uncle went so far as to advertise that he was looking for a husband for her. Men of low standing, who would never have approached her if her father had been alive, now desired her. Though she tried to steel herself, Romiya was afraid. Her life was rapidly spiraling into ruin.
And then, a miracle happened.
Sigmund.
* * *
From what Sigmund saw, Romiya was timid. Raised in a peaceful environment, she was sensitive to even the smallest shocks. She was also thoroughly worn out from her uncle’s recent oppression and evil deeds.
「Please kill my uncle.」
This same Romiya went to a transcendent being who could crush a human with a mere gesture and made such an outrageous request. What on earth had possessed her to do something like that?
Looking back, Romiya thought her past self must have been insane.
‘That wasn’t the only crazy thing I did.’
Seeking out Sigmund, offering to be his guide, defying his order to leave, and returning to the temple—it all seemed like madness in hindsight.
‘But I had no other choice.’
No matter how many times she thought about it, it had been her only option at the time.
「They say Lord Sigmund has taken quite a liking to the Countess. He’ll be staying at the castle for a while to assist you.」
Right after the banquet ended, when the maid delivered the news, Romiya’s vision went dark.
That demon had gained the favor of a dragon, and now, she could clearly see her own future—she would be killed in silence, without anyone noticing.
That’s why Romiya went to find Sigmund. She had nothing left to lose. With the mindset that nothing could be worse than death, she knocked on Sigmund’s door.
Even though she had staked her life on it, she didn’t expect much. Sigmund seemed to favor her uncle, likely because they were similar in nature. Now that she knew more about Sigmund, she realized how mistaken that assumption had been, but at the time, that’s what she thought.
Though she had never met a transcendent being before, rumors of them floated in the wind. It was said that they viewed humans like insects—tiny creatures they could crush at any moment.
To her, that sounded just like her uncle. He was cruel by nature, punishing anyone who displeased him in brutal ways. Many servants had died for trivial mistakes.
「There’s no need to be so afraid.」
However, Sigmund’s first impression was completely different from what she had expected. He didn’t kill her, nor did he lay a hand on her. Despite her trembling, despite the absurd things she said in her panic, he didn’t harm her. Instead, he tried to reason with her.
Listening to his voice as she lay prostrate, Romiya felt something strange.
His voice was calm and kind, as if soothing a frightened child.
He wasn’t scolding her foolish actions, but explaining things as clearly as possible.
A sudden thought occurred to her.
Sigmund might not be like her uncle after all.
She was still scared, still frightened. After all, he possessed the power to kill her at any moment. But now, she felt brave enough to try again. That was why she cut her hair and went to the mercenary guild.
* * *
Romiya opened her eyes and looked out the window. She gazed blankly at the dawning sky before snapping back to her senses. She quickly got up. There was no time to waste.
‘I need to hurry and prepare the tea for Lord Sigmund.’
Before heading to the kitchen, she first went to the bathroom. When she turned the faucet, ice-cold water poured out. Romiya looked at the freezing water with a slightly daunted expression.
‘Ugh, this is going to be cold.’
Though three days had passed since she left the castle as a guide, she still couldn’t get used to the cold water.
After her uncle became the count, the Shulmir Castle she had loved all her life turned into a hell. Her uncle’s constant surveillance followed her everywhere. It was no different from a prison, even if there were no bars. At some point, the happy memories of her childhood had lost all their power. She hated that place. She just wanted to leave.
And now that she had finally left, she was quite satisfied.
‘Though I do miss the warm water a little.’
Shivering, Romiya wiped her hands and face with a dry towel. She had always been sensitive to the cold, which made it harder. Still, she rubbed her freezing hands together to generate some warmth and headed to the kitchen.
‘Walk quietly. Lord Sigmund might wake up.’
When she saw Sigmund’s door, Romiya tiptoed past it. Being a transcendent, he could easily detect her presence if he wished, but walking quietly made her feel better.
After all, she was his guide now.
She was a guide.
「I will help you. Please, give me the chance to repay your kindness, Lord Sigmund.」
On the day her uncle died and the territory was thrown into chaos, Romiya clung to Sigmund.
She begged him to take her as his guide.
The decision to become Sigmund’s guide had been half impulsive. Though her uncle was dead, Romiya had no desire to remain in Shulmir territory. There were too many bad memories there. Worse still, all of her uncle’s retainers were still alive, and they hated her enough to try to pin her uncle’s death on her.
In her heart, she wanted to get rid of them all, but she couldn’t. They were already deeply intertwined with the Shulmir territory, like the roots of a strong tree. If she removed them, the lives of the people who depended on them would also fall apart.
So, there was only one option left. She had to leave Shulmir territory. There was no attachment to the place anymore. The only issue was how and when to leave. Then, Sigmund spoke to her.
「I need your counsel.」
At first, she was just dumbfounded. A being as great as him was asking for her help. She could feel the overwhelming power he wielded, which made his request even more bewildering.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
In fact, Sigmund went so far as to say,
「Right now, you’re the only one I can trust.」
「In this world, you’re the only person I can trust, Romiya.」
Hearing those words, before she knew it, she was clinging to him, begging him to make her his guide.
As Romiya recalled that moment, she pressed the back of her hand against her flushed cheek.
It had only been a few days, yet her heart still pounded, and her face still burned.
‘It couldn’t be helped. After all, Lord Sigmund is a transcendent.’
A great transcendent had asked a mere human for help. What human could possibly refuse?
‘Honestly, that’s just an excuse. Lord Sigmund only wanted a bit of advice from me.’
And yet, Romiya had been greedy. She wanted to stay by his side and return some of the help he had given her.
「You’re trembling in fear. How do you expect to be my guide when you can’t even handle being near me!」
Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong. Romiya was afraid of Sigmund. Even now, being near him was difficult.
But that wasn’t the whole truth. She knew that Sigmund had shown her kindness many times. Even when he had threatened her, it was for her own good. She owed him more than she could ever repay.
Sigmund didn’t understand Romiya’s feelings. In fact, he even became angry.
「What debt? It’s only a big deal to you because you’re human. It was nothing to me. It was easier than breathing, so why are you making such a fuss!」
It was a natural reaction, given that he didn’t know her past. Her uncle had done everything in his power to drag her life into the mud. Without Sigmund, she would have drowned in that swamp.
‘Was that really all there was to it? Was I only trying to repay him?’
As she set the teapot on the stove, Romiya bit her lip, trying to calm her racing heart.
That memory kept swirling through her mind.
「Right now, you’re the only one I can trust.」
His soft voice, the sincere gaze that had only been directed at her, his golden eyes that shone so beautifully, and the faint smile on his lips as if to reassure her trembling heart—all of it.
She couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard she tried.
The more she remembered it, the more it sparkled in her mind.
Even Romiya was surprised at how much it affected her.
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