BSPD 15

~Chapter 15~

“Is that the Fairhill Mansion I see over there…?”

The voice that had been brimming with excitement suddenly faltered. Was that truly our home? Confidence plummeted sharply.

No wonder—the once dilapidated mansion had been transformed beyond recognition.

The ivy that had clung to its walls was gone. The dusty windows now gleamed crystal clear. The wooden boards that once blocked the doors, rendering them useless, had been replaced by sturdy new doors.

“W-What is this…?”

Rubbing my eyes and looking again changed nothing.

“Coachman!? I asked to be taken to Fairhill Mansion!”

“Yes, miss! We’ve arrived at Fairhill Mansion!”

With the coachman’s confirmation, disbelief was impossible.

Could this shining mansion really be our home?

“This is strange. Our home shouldn’t look like this…”

Who could have transformed our humble abode into such a grand estate?

“Could it have been Luce?”

It was inconceivable unless the mage was responsible.

Yet Luce merely turned his head as if dismissing the notion as nonsense.

“Then who…?”

The carriage came to a slow halt. I quickly jumped down and dashed toward the mansion’s door, but before my hand could grasp the handle, it slid open to reveal a familiar face.

“Miss Rinnegrim?”

It was Madam Luba, who had been caring for my mother in my absence.

“Madam! I’m so late! I’m sorry! There were unavoidable circumstances—”

“No, miss! You explained everything in detail already~”

“Who? No, wait! Did Madam Luba renovate the mansion like this?”

Only two remained at Fairhill Mansion—my mother and Madam Luba. Given my mother’s frail condition, the likely answer was Madam Luba.

She laughed lightly as if amused by the suggestion.

“Me? Not at all!”

Her cheerful and firm denial only deepened my confusion.

“If not Madam Luba, then who…? No, first, I must see mother!”

Though her condition had not visibly worsened, only seeing her in person could calm my heart.

As I made my way to mother’s room on the second floor, I was greeted by an unfamiliar sight.

“Hey! Not there! Pull it further up!”

“Come on! Move faster!”

Inside, workers were busy decorating, hanging extravagant chandeliers from the ceiling.

Though overwhelmed, I pushed past them and hurried to mother’s room, where she lay pale as ever. I gently stroked her cheek.

“I’m home, mother… The mage who will heal you has come. Please hold on a little longer.”

Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

“Miss, may I come in? I was told to greet you~”

It was Madam Luba.

“Yes, come in. But who would want to greet me…?”

The door opened slowly, and a refined voice spoke.

“I was just bringing the countess her meal. It’s a finely ground oat gruel. I thought you might want some too?”

Blinking in surprise, I tried to recall the woman addressing me.

She was surely the steward of the Rihwiela clan—Retty Grisha.

“Retty?”

Why was the steward here? And wearing an apron? Offering to serve my meal?

The steward of a Divine Beast performing such menial tasks was unheard of! Our family had fallen so far that commanding a Divine Beast’s steward was impossible.

As I tried to snatch the tray from Retty’s hands, she easily restrained me with one hand.

“Lady Lunaris commands that you be served without lacking anything. By the way, Miss Rinnegrim, you look very frail. You must eat well.”

“I’m not frail, Retty…”

Her muscular arms strained against her shirt sleeves. She scratched her cheek sheepishly.

“Playing with the young Divine Beasts has naturally built my muscles.”

“What sort of play…? No, wait! Who called all these workers?”

Distracted by food and muscles, I nearly forgot the question.

“They were called to renovate Fairhill Mansion overall. There were many repairs needed. Ideally, we would have waited for your return, but…”

I anticipated the next words.

They surely swallowed a complaint about how dire the mansion’s condition had become.

“Please forgive the rudeness. I cannot stand disorder—no, I did not mean Fairhill Mansion was disorderly!”

It was, indeed, terribly disorderly.

Retty tried to reassure me with a wry smile.

“Thank you for your kindness, Retty…”

I hesitated briefly before whispering softly, barely audible to Retty and Madam Luba.

“Retty… I hate to ask, but how much will the repairs cost? I’ve never handled such a large sum and must prepare myself…”

Retty gasped in surprise.

“Miss! How could you say that? All costs are covered by the Rihwiela clan!”

“Really? But wasn’t the gold we received yesterday all the compensation?”

The sacks of gold alone were excessive. Yet Retty quickly waved off my concern.

“You saved Lady Kinyakxis! That alone far exceeds any compensation! Lady Lunaris returns her favors many times over! The lottery for the Fairhill family, mansion repairs, hiring of a nurse for the countess, and permanent guards—all costs are covered.”

“…Is this a dream?”

I wished it were so—waking up now after all this joy to a grim reality would be unbearable.

But as Retty pinched my cheek, she firmly added:

“Miss Rinnegrim, you are now a member of the Divine Beasts!”

“A member of the Divine Beasts…”

“Yes! You have joined the department responsible for the health of the Divine Beasts!”

Once more, I pledged eternal loyalty to Lunaris.

Retty’s culinary skills were impeccable—far beyond my patchwork sandwiches.

After a splendid meal, I wandered the garden in search of the missing Luce.

The gardener had evidently been, and the unruly plants and trees were neatly trimmed.

“Our garden was truly beautiful…”

I was too distracted admiring the manicured trees to search for Luce. The stately mansion’s exterior looked every bit the noble estate.

Though the signs of age remained, they added a charming antiquity.

“Seeing it like this, our mansion is truly—”

“Ugly.”

“Ugly? Hey! What do you mean by that?”

Startled by the interruption, I fluttered away from Luce.

He watched me tap dance with a smile.

“If this was bad, just how awful was it before?”

“Awful? No, it was quite decent—”

“The garden’s even worse. Like a pigsty.”

He blatantly insulted my home, but I had no retort. Before Retty’s care, it had indeed been appalling.

Children even dared to sneak in, claiming to experience a haunted house.

“Ahem. Where did you go? You were searching, weren’t you?”

I changed the subject.

“I must see my mother! Come on, let’s go!”

Leading Luce, I hurried to mother’s second-floor room.

He silently gazed upon her sleeping face.

“…Though she never saw a specialist, I researched medical texts and believe mother suffers from Rote’s disease.”

Since Luce was a healing mage, the explanation was unnecessary. He saw through the ailment and treated it. Surely he knew of Rote’s disease.

But his expression was ambiguous.

Had he misheard?

“…I think mother has Rote’s disease. The illness that spread about ten years ago. For which there is no proper cure…”

Damn it. Why did I explain so much?

He could surely tell just by magic!

“What is that?”

He should know… right?

“…Ha ha. Perhaps not. We’ll learn in time.”

I praised my own patience and continued.

Rote’s disease causes paralysis spreading slowly from fingertips and toes, eventually stiffening muscles, even the heart. Mother had suffered it for over ten years and urgently needed treatment.

How did the mage respond?

“Hmm. I see.”

That was it. Damn. He must be emotionally cold.

“You can cure it, right? I heard there’s no disease healing magic can’t fix!”

“Speak correctly.”

“What?”

“It’s not that healing magic can cure all diseases—only that there’s no disease I cannot cure.”

Fatigue swept over me, but Luce’s hopeful words made me smile.

“Wow! You’re incredible!”

I’d do anything to cure mother—sheer willpower.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

“Now that you know the illness, please treat my mother!”

Luce moved to her bedside, placing his hand upon her furrowed brow.

A warm, radiant light emerged from his palm.

And then, surprisingly—

“…What?”

Nothing happened.

No awakening, no smile, no twitching fingers like in dramas.

Panic-stricken, I grabbed and shook Luce’s arm.

“Why? Why nothing? Isn’t healing magic supposed to cure? Could it be… it can’t?”

Anxious, I stomped my feet. Luce, unfazed, replied calmly.

“Not yet. Wait for the right time.”

“What time?”

“The time to heal.”

“Ah. Of course. It makes sense to study an unfamiliar illness first.”

I nodded reluctantly, then a sudden command broke the moment.

“Until then, you’ll stay in this foul mansion. Consider it an honor.”

Honor? More like a curse.