The Duke’s Obsession Leads to a Death Flag

Vin clung tightly to my hand, like a child afraid of losing his mother. Seeing the world outside the storage room for the first time, he was both fascinated and fearful, his eyes darting around as he took everything in.

Whenever he heard the rustling of grass underfoot, he would flinch and stop in his tracks, pressing himself against me with unease. His small hand, damp with nervous sweat, trembled slightly, so I gripped it even tighter.

“The weather’s really nice today.”

“Yeah…”

Vin was too busy scanning his surroundings to fully register my words. Even when I reassured him that there was nothing dangerous, he remained on edge. Wanting to distract him, I kept the conversation going.

“I heard Zone 1 is always in spring. Is that true?”

“Spring…”

In Zone 1, the sun shone during the day, and the moon lit up the night, leaving no place for darkness. Because light never faded, the days were always warm. Unlike Zone 5, where the four seasons were distinct, Zone 1 had only a single, unchanging season.

Remembering this belatedly, I added a simple explanation.

“I mean, is it always warm and nice like today?”

“Yes, because the light never disappears there.”

As we walked along the forest path, exchanging conversation, Vin gradually relaxed. At first, he had reacted to even the slightest sounds, like a squirrel scampering up a tree. But now, he no longer startled at every noise and seemed much more at ease.

“The weather is really amazing.”

I paused for a moment, tilting my head back to look at the sky. Following my lead, Vin lifted his head as well, his gaze settling on the patches of blue visible through the gaps in the swaying leaves.

As the wind rustled through the branches, sunlight filtered through and spilled onto us in shimmering waves. The gentle sound of the breeze sweeping through the forest was so refreshing and crisp that it lifted my spirits. Holding Vin’s hand tightly, I quickened my pace slightly, my mood lighter.

“I wish the weather was always like this.”

“Like Zone 1?”

“Yeah, just like Zone 1. It’d be nice if it were always spring here too.”

We continued walking along the forest path until we reached a small grassy clearing. Compared to the mansion’s garden, it was tiny, but the field, dotted with wildflowers, felt like a secret haven known only to the two of us.

Feeling as excited as a child on his first picnic, I plopped down on the grass and patted the spot beside me, motioning for Vin to sit.

“Sit here.”

Vin hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching and settling beside me. He blinked in surprise as he ran his fingers over the soft grass, as if unfamiliar with its texture. The blades of grass bent under his touch, then sprang back up, repeating the motion again and again.

“Let’s eat.”

Being in such a beautiful place on a perfect day made it feel like I was on a picnic with Vin. When I pulled out the sandwiches and rice cakes I had brought instead of a lunchbox, Vin, who had been idly plucking at the grass, turned his attention toward me.

“Wow, this is…”

“It’s a sandwich.”

“Oh, a sandwich.”

Vin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly unwrapped the sandwich. He opened his mouth wide, ready to take a big bite—but then suddenly froze. Without taking even a single bite, he gently placed the sandwich on his lap, his expression growing serious.

“Are you not hungry?”

Vin shook his head firmly. That wasn’t the issue. Normally, he would have finished one by now, but instead, he sat there, lost in thought, as if he had completely forgotten about the sandwich.

‘Why does he look so serious?’

I was curious about what had him so deep in thought that he even wrinkled his pretty face, but I decided to wait. After a moment, Vin seemed to have found an answer. His expression cleared, and he turned to me, bowing his head.

“Thank you.”

“…….”

“This is the right way to say it, right?”

Was he seriously delaying eating his sandwich just to think about that? The moment I saw the pride on his face, laughter burst out of me. It was so cute and so funny that I couldn’t stop laughing.

Vin tilted his head, utterly confused by my unexpected reaction. Struggling to contain my laughter, I wiped away the tears clinging to the corners of my eyes. Seeing Vin tilt his head again, uncertain if he had said something wrong, I reached out and patted his head.

“That’s right. That was perfect.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly when you say it.”

Of course, his wording and tone were still a little awkward, but I didn’t bother correcting him. The important thing was that he had learned something new and was starting to apply it.

“Now hurry and eat. You must be starving.”

As soon as I pulled my hand away from his head, Vin immediately took a big bite of his sandwich. Crunch. The crisp sound of the fresh vegetables between the bread somehow made it seem even more delicious.

***

With his stomach full, Vin couldn’t sit still for even a moment. Like a little hamster, he scurried around the garden, exploring every corner. Following him around had exhausted me, so I took a break, gathering some flowers that were blooming nearby before returning to my spot.

‘Let’s see if I can do this right.’

I gathered the flowers and began weaving them into a circle. I was trying to recreate the flower crowns my mother used to make for me when I was a child, but the result was clumsy at best. Unfortunately, it seemed I hadn’t inherited her skillful hands.

“Well… it’s not that bad.”

Even if it was a little clumsy, I had managed to shape it into a circle, so that was good enough, right? Satisfied with my handiwork, I turned the flower crown in my hands, inspecting it from different angles. Just then, Vin, having finished exploring the garden, was making his way back to me.

“Vin, come here for a second.”

At my call, Vin trotted over and sat beside me. I gently removed the hat covering his bright red hair and carefully placed the flower crown on his head. The tiny yellow flowers suited him so well that it was almost as if they had been made just for him.

“What’s this?”

“A flower crown.”

“A flower crown?”

Vin cautiously raised a hand and touched the delicate wreath on his head, his red eyes flickering with uncertainty. When I handed him the leftover flowers, he cradled them in his arms and stared at me in silence.

“It suits you. You look beautiful.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it really suits you.”

A deep blue sky without a single cloud, the gentle spring breeze, Vin sitting beside me instead of being locked away in a dark storage room—this was a perfect day, one that would remain a happy memory even as time passed.

“I’m exhausted.”

Putting effort into making the flower crown had drained me to the point that I couldn’t even sit up properly. Giving in, I flopped onto the grass. Vin, about to do the same, hesitated for a moment. He carefully removed the flower crown and placed it beside him before lying down.

As time passed, the sun slowly dipped toward the west, and the moon grew more distinct in the sky. Following Vin’s gaze, I looked up to see the cold glow of the moon above us.

“Do you like the moon?”

“No. I don’t like it.”

Vin’s voice was unusually firm. I had thought he might be reminiscing about Zone 1, but I was completely wrong.

“I was just looking at it because it’s strange.”

“Strange?”

“The moon in Zone 1 isn’t this small….”

His red eyes lost focus, as if recalling the moon he used to see in Zone 1. Slowly, he reached out toward the sky, covering the distant moon with his palm.

“See? You can block it out with your hand.”

A logical explanation about distance immediately came to mind, but I chose not to say anything. Instead, I mimicked Vin, stretching my hand toward the sky and blocking the moon from my view.

“You’re right.”

“Right?”

Something so trivial, yet it made us smile and lifted our spirits. We continued covering the moon with our hands, lost in the moment, until our arms grew tired. Only then did we finally lower them.

“Vin.”

“Yes, Seo-yul hyung.”

Vin’s eyes curved into a soft smile as he responded, as if simply hearing his name brought him happiness. His fiery red hair fluttered gently in the breeze, half-revealed from beneath his slightly askew hat.

For a moment, the vivid color stole my focus, making me hesitate. But I quickly steadied myself. When the time finally came, I wouldn’t even have enough time to properly say goodbye. This might be my only chance.

“You don’t want to go back to the storage room, do you?”

Vin hesitated before nodding honestly. If he had never seen the outside world, he might not have known any better. But now that he had felt the sunlight and the warmth of the breeze, of course he wouldn’t want to go back.

“It’s okay.”

“What do you mean, it’s okay?”

“Because you always come to find me, Seo-yul hyung.”

“…….”

“As long as I have you, that’s enough.”

His shy yet sincere words sent a sharp ache through my heart. Even if he was trapped in that dark, cramped storage room, he was saying that as long as I was there, he would be fine. That was all the more reason for me to solidify my resolve.

“I sent a letter to the orphanage in Zone 2.”

If Seon-woo had kept his promise, then by now, the letter should have arrived. I had included gemstones worth more than several months’ worth of funding, so they would have no reason to refuse Vin, especially if they considered future donations.

Once he was there, he would naturally blend in with the other children. In time, the nightmares of this place would fade into nothingness. That was what I hoped for—that he would be able to leave all of this behind, treating it as nothing more than a passing bad dream.

“In two days, when Father leaves for Zone 1, I’ll be the only one who remembers that you were ever here.”

“Is… that so?”

Vin had been listening quietly, but now he couldn’t hold back any longer. His red eyes wavered, flickering with uncertainty. It was as if he couldn’t understand what I was saying—or maybe, he understood all too well but wanted to deny it.

I gently took his hand, carefully choosing my next words. If this memory, our first time stepping outside together, could leave even the slightest positive mark on him—if it could change the future from unfolding as it did in the original story—then that would be enough.

“When that time comes, you should leave this place too.”

And so, I could send him away with a smile.