One Step Forward to the Flower Path

Chapter 2

The Duke of Vicente’s maid left Ivanna in a large room and went out.

As soon as Ivanna was alone, she ran to the corner of the room and squatted down. She slowly looked around the room as she hugged both of her legs.

“It’s not a prison······.”

People had always kept her in small, cold prisons. So she thought it would happen again this time.

But far from being a prison, the room that the woman took me was large and shiny. The walls were white, not black, and most especially, not damp.

It was so strange to be in such a nice place. It did not seem like a place that an offering like her could live in.

Oh, is this Dad’s room?

Ivanna thought about the man who was like a cat.

Black hair and yellow eyes. A man who resembled a cat.

The woman who took her here said he was my dad. The man my mom loved. The man who loved my mom.

Dad.

“······Dad.”

I tried muttering carefully, but I didn’t feel anything.

It was just weird.

Why did he suddenly show up? I’ve never seen him before, so why now?

Ivanna spread out her hands. She looked at her dirty palm and whispered in a small voice.

“Solene.”

However, there was no reaction from the palm of her hand, which was so skinny that it revealed the shape of her bones.

Ivanna twisted her face as if disappointed and hugged her legs again with both hands.

“Will Dad hurt me, too?”

Mom was the only one who didn’t hurt her. Everyone who wasn’t her mother hurt Ivanna and took away her power.

Everyone did, so I’m sure he’ll torment me too.

“It’ll hurt if I get hit by him.”

Ivanna hugged her head in deep dejection.

“Dad’s hands are so big, wouldn’t I feel a lot of pain if he hit me?”

Ivanna looked at the big window.

If she goes out there, can she get away from here? Will she not get hurt?

“······.”

No, this place is so big that she won’t be able to get anywhere with her short legs. And if she gets caught, she’ll be beaten severely. It’ll be just like what everyone else did to her.

Ivanna clasped her head with her hands again. She felt sick. The places where she had been hit before were searing in pain.

Pain that she could never get used to.

Since her first life.

“······I wish I had just died back then.”

Why did she have to come back to life? Was it just to get hurt over and over again?

Will she be in pain every day like her first life again? Is that the reason why she was born again?

“God must’ve hated me a lot.”

Why does he hate me when she’s tried her best doing everything for everyone? What did she do wrong? Was being a sacrifice not enough?

Ivanna felt very unfair.

She tried hard······.

Knock, knock.

“My lady, It’s Alaine. I’m coming in.”

She was a little surprised when she heard the voice of the woman.

Does he already want to extract my power? It wasn’t strange, though. Usually, as soon as she arrives, she will be brought straight to the altar and they will pull out her power.

Ivanna trembled. It’s the same pain she had to suffer before she died, but she never got used to it.

It always hurts.

“The lady must be hungry······.”

But Ivanna already knew. If she crouches down and curls up because she doesn’t want to go, she’ll get a severe beating.

It was much better not to be beaten, because she won’t be able to stop them from getting her powers extracted anyways. So, while shivering, she walked towards the door.

The woman who was coming inside came to a halt. Ivanna reached out her hand.

“Miss? Is something wrong? Why·····.”

“I, I’m ready.”

“What? Ready for what?”

“You’re here to pull out my power, aren’t you? I’ll go.”

Alaine’s face hardened at Ivanna’s words. The child was holding out her hand, even though her petrified little body was trembling.

Fucking bastards.

Alaine swore at the sons of those bitches who had constantly abused this little child.

What a bunch of jackasses!

“No, miss. I didn’t come here to do that. Look at this. I brought some food in case you’re hungry.”

Alaine suppressed her anger and laughed as kindly as possible. And carefully put out a tray in front of Ivanna.

“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I brought this and that. There’s a lot to choose from, so you can pick what you like.”

Ivanna stumbled back and winced because Alaine’s words were unexpected. Alaine closed the door as if her words were true.

After that, the child’s tremor gradually subsided.

“It looks tasty, doesn’t it? Our chef is very skilled, so it’ll be delicious. Try it.”

Ivanna opened her mouth wide. There were several delicious-looking loaves of bread, clear water, and a liquid shining in a beautiful yellow color.

She always ate hard bread, and only drank water with strange lumps floating around. But there was nothing strange about the food here.

Ivanna started eating without even realizing it.

“Come on, have some more, miss.”

“Me? You want me to eat more······?”

“Of course. This is all yours. You can eat it all.”

She slowly reached out her hand and when Alaine didn’t say anything, she quickly grabbed a piece of bread from the tray.

The unexpected and sudden action shook the tray and Alaine’s juice-filled glass fell to the ground.

Clang!

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

The glass broke with a loud noise when it hit the floor. Then Ivanna’s face immediately turned blue.

Ivanna threw the bread and immediately bowed on the floor. A piece of broken glass tore the child’s skin.

“Oh, my God, miss!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

Ivanna thought it was not enough to get down on her knees and apologize, so she jumped back up and swept the broken pieces of glass with her hands.

Her little hands were cut by pieces of glass, leaving scars as she bled, but she didn’t care.

Surprised by Ivanna’s sudden action, Alaine threw down the tray and grabbed her wrists, frightened by the blood soaked in the floor.

“Miss! Please stop! This is······ Why······?!”

The startled child trembled from her loud voice. Realizing her mistake, Alaine immediately shut her mouth, but it was too late. Ivanna started to beg and apologize even more.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry! Please don’t hit me! I beg you! Please!”

Ah.

Alaine shut her eyes at the desperate cry. There was a flurry of anger and sadness inside her heart.

Will she ever understand even half of this child’s pain?

Probably not for the rest of her life.

“It’s all right, baby. It’s okay. I’m not angry. I won’t hit you. No one here is mad at you.”

Alaine spoke very strongly so that Ivanna would not misunderstand.

“I won’t hit you. I won‘t get angry. You can break a glass. This isn’t a bad thing.”

“······.”

“It’s all right, Miss.”

She doesn’t know if Ivanna understood what she was saying. But it’s also fine if she doesn’t.

She’ll just have to keep telling her over and over again until she realizes it in her heart.

“Since you hurt yourself, let’s treat your wound first.”

Her hands, arms, and legs had cuts all over because of the pieces of broken glass when she sat down to clean up with her hands while apologizing.

I’m sorry you’re this skinny, and I can’t believe you’re this hurt.

The cut on my hand won’t hurt as much yours.

Alaine wiped away her tears secretly.

* * *

The doctor that came in a hurry was speechless as soon as he saw Ivanna.

Her hair was so dirty and tangled up that her hair color was indistinguishable, and her limbs were skinny to the point where her bones stood out clearly.

Above all, she was five years old, yet she looked like she was three years old at the most.

The circumstances of abuse were evident in the dirty clothed child’s body. On top of that, he couldn’t say anything because she was bleeding all over.

He began the treatment with red eyes after looking at the child for a long time.

“Your excellency won’t come in?”

Alaine stood by the door and watched over the child’s treatment. The door was slightly open, and a man stood behind it.

“······She’ll be even more surprised if I enter.”

A low, heavy voice flowed in.

Perhaps his voice sounded like that because of the weight of the emotions he’s currently feeling.

“I see why Countess Irene couldn’t wash up and change her clothes before she brought her here.”

Ivanna expressed with her whole body that she was very wary and scared of people, so even the friendliest person could not touch her.

The way she was surprised by someone’s hands reaching out to her, begging on her stomach as if she was used to it, and sweeping pieces of broken glass with her hands.

Alaine may never forget the sight of what just happened for the rest of her life. It was such a heartbreaking and shocking thing to see.

“What the hell did those bastards do to make the young lady like that in two years······?”

Alaine couldn’t complain more.

The child was flinching as if she was afraid of the doctor’s touch. It was so sad and painful to watch that Alaine’s eyes were red with tears.

“······Repeated abuse at an early age won’t be easily cured. She’ll be in pain for a very long time.”

“······.”

“All the people of the Duke, as well as me, will serve the lady with all their hearts. They all liked Lady Hugor.”

Louise Hugor. It’s the name of the woman he loved, Duke of Vicente, Dante Lancelot, closed his eyes tightly.

“But master······. Master is the lady’s father. If the master loves her and cares about her, I’m sure all the pain in her heart will heal easily.”

“I know.”

Even if Alaine didn’t say anything, Dante knew it well. It wasn’t a difficult thing to understand.

Ivanna is his and Louise’s daughter.

That fact alone already made Dante feel love for his little girl.

I’m sorry I didn’t even know you existed until now, it must have been so hard and painful for you.

“The treatment is over.”

McKellen, the doctor who finished the treatment by tying a bandage tightly on the child’s arm, stood at the door with a checkup bag. Then Alaine immediately looked towards Ivanna.

“Can I go outside and tell you the details? It’s not good for the young lady to stay in a room with a stranger.”

Alaine stepped back immediately and opened the door for him. McKellen, who came out into the hall and stood in front of Dante, sighed.

“I’ve done enough for now, but for the lady, a female doctor is needed. It’ll be less scary than a man.”

In fact, Ivanna trembled with fear all throughout her treatment. Though he intentionally lowered his body further than the child’s eye level, her fear still did not ease.

The best McKellen could do was to finish the treatment as quickly and as accurately as possible.

“Yes, I understand .”

“If the master permits, I will bring a doctor I know. She has excellent skills, including counseling, so she’ll be helpful in many ways.”

“Counseling Ivanna······.”

Surely it was very necessary for Ivanna, and If the child had the same power as Louise, then it was even more necessary.

Dante nodded.

“Get on it right away.”

“Yes, sir.”

McKellen lowered his head and hurried away.

“Den, Cain.”

As if they had waited for Dante’s call, two people appeared from behind the corridor’s post. They were old gentlemen and knights dressed neatly and modestly.