A Secretly Capable Child Is Seeking For Her Dad

Tie tightly gripped Papa’s hand.

‘I see... so the owner changed.’

It felt like tears would spill at any moment, so the girl squeezed her eyes shut with all her strength.

She had expected this.

Even when she first woke up in the park, she had felt that the weather had become a little colder.

‘When Tie left for the other world, it was summer.’

If the first thing she felt upon returning was cold, then time must have passed since she disappeared.

"...Is this home?"

Papa asked.

Only then did Tie snap back to her senses.

And immediately fell into thought.

‘It’s dangerous outside, so first go home and think there about what to do—that was Tie’s plan!’

But if the house was locked, they could not get inside.

Still...

The girl’s gaze slid toward the iron door of apartment 107 next to 106—there was no light there either.

After hesitating for a moment, she frowned.

‘But why isn’t Grandma home...?’

The grandma from 107 always came home by five in the evening at the latest.

Because that was when her work ended, and from that time on she watched over Tie.

Something unpleasant tightened in her chest again.

‘Because Tie disappeared, she doesn’t need to watch over her anymore... is that why?’

But now was not the time to feel down.

Tie shivered slightly.

Night had fallen, and the temperature had dropped sharply.

She let go of Papa’s hand.

And with a serious expression, said:

"Wait just a moment!"

The girl walked up to the door of 107.

And grabbed the flower pot standing to the right with both hands.

With a small grunt, she lifted it—

"Found it!"

Just as expected, there was a small key under the pot.

Tie blew on her hands to warm them, then inserted the key into the stiff lock and turned it.

‘Grandma told me to do it like this.’

It had been a long time, but the grandma from 107 had always left a spare key under the pot just for Tie.

So that if she felt lonely alone in 106, she could come to 107 and at least watch television.

Creak—

The door opened.

Tie took the key and waved to Papa, who was standing outside.

"Deputy leader, come in."

Theseos, who had been looking around, reluctantly approached.

As soon as he stepped inside 107, he frowned.

"...This is a house?"

If this was a house, the space was far too small.

No matter who it was, even Basto would not be able to lie down here with his legs stretched out.

"Let’s wait here!"

Tie sat down and patted the floor.

Theseos sat down as well.

And began to look at the items neatly arranged on the shelves along the wall.

"This is the home of the grandma who is very close with Tie."

Tie said.

When he turned his head, the child had a somewhat strange expression.

"Grandma said that Tie is her family."

Theseos could not find anything to say and simply nodded.

Astie stared at him.

For a while, silence lingered.

When the drawn-out quiet became heavy and Theseos was about to stand up and look outside—

"What is this... the light is on?"

A mutter was suddenly heard from outside the door.

Tie jumped to her feet, and Theseos reflexively took a combat stance.

There was a rustling sound, then the noise of something being lifted and set back down—a ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ flower pot.

"...No way."

A short phrase—and the doorknob turned.

An elderly woman appeared in the doorway.

"You...!"

With a cap pulled tightly over her head, she froze at the threshold.

Her gaze passed over Theseos—straight to Tie.

Theseos also looked at Tie—and was struck speechless.

The girl’s face, normal just moments ago, was now completely distorted.

Large tears streamed down from her tightly pressed lips.

"G... Grandma—!"

"Oh, oh, what is this...!"

The woman dropped her bags and rushed inside.

Theseos took a step back and watched as Tie and the old woman embraced.

"Where were you! Where have you been!"

Crying, the woman patted Tie’s back.

The girl only clung to her tighter and sobbed.

"You disappeared and only came back now! You fell asleep and vanished, not even saying a word to Grandma...!"

The old woman’s body trembled.

Now she simply stroked the back of the girl’s head.

Stifled sobs filled the room.

"I reported it to the police—they said they couldn’t find you. The whole neighborhood was searched, even the sewers—and nothing... I, I all this time...!"

"Hic—!"

The girl began to hiccup.

The old woman pulled back abruptly.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Then she wiped the child’s tears and turned her gaze to Theseos.

"...Kim."

Her eyes trembled slightly.

"Who are you?"

She looked Theseos up and down with suspicion.

And, glancing at Tie, lowered her voice.

"I clearly... received the clothes you wore in the accident, and the urn after the joint ceremony... with my own hands..."

She swallowed.

"Have I gone mad, seeing a ghost?"

Theseos froze, unable to find words.

Only after a moment, frowning, did he ask:

"You know me?"

The old woman’s face went blank.

She stared at him for a long time, then slowly turned to Tie.

The girl had already stopped crying, only sniffing occasionally.

"Child."

Tie hiccuped and raised her head.

The old woman continued:

"What happened to your father?"

Tie flinched and looked at Theseos.

Because—

‘The fact that Papa is Papa was a secret!’

But now that no longer mattered.

In Tallocium, no one knew that he was Tie’s father.

‘But in Jongno...’

Here, everyone knew their relationship.

Especially the grandma from 107—the neighbor who was almost like family.

"Why are you silent? Answer quickly! What happened to your father? He knows me, and you’re silent!"

Tie looked at Papa uncertainly.

Then, in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, she tightly held the old woman’s hand.

"Grandma."

"Yes, I’m listening."

"Papa..."

She glanced at Theseos again.

"Papa is very sick."

The eyes of Chae Boksu, the grandma from 107, widened.

Theseos also froze.

In the silence, Tie added in a sad voice:

"He’s sick... very sick... and now he doesn’t recognize Tie..."

"That’s nonsense."

Bale muttered weakly.

His face had already gone pale.

"So all this time, when the little one talked about Jongno..."

While Bale denied reality, Basto remained silent.

Leonardo had long been sitting still like a statue.

Ribia and Alleric exchanged empty looks.

‘Is this even possible?’

It was impossible to believe.

No—it was too hard to believe.

But the memories that had suddenly surfaced...

At the same time, all of it forced them to believe.

Things that had never fit before now aligned perfectly.

"Then that means those two really were father and daughter?"

Ardiana asked.

Because of the magical poison, cold sweat covered her body.

Lucarion answered tiredly:

"...Yes. The fact that Astie was searching for her father, and that she wanted to unite with Tregava—it was all because of this."

His face remained dark.

"But for some reason, a crack has just appeared in my temporal spell..."

He raised his head and added, confused:

"It seems both of them have been pulled back into their original world again."