Episode 129
Among the magic spells Ren had cast on Moghold, there was one for status recovery.
The goal of this magic was to restore Moghold’s body to its past, pain-free state, but since the illness had persisted for so long, its meaning had changed somewhat, he said.
So now, it served more to sustain his life, ensuring that even if he was in pain, he wouldn’t succumb to it.
The problem was that this spell could interfere with the body’s natural recovery and had a tendency to try to maintain the current state. Because of this, Ren would daily dispel all the magic and then reapply each spell one by one to monitor his teacher’s condition.
However, every time I had seen it so far, the moment Ren’s magic vanished, Moghold would be tormented by excruciating pain and groan.
So, sitting upright with tension, I watched Ren.
With each layer of magical formulae being peeled away, Moghold’s breathing grew rougher.
Seeing me anxiously clutching his hand, Len let out a sigh.
“I can’t keep you stuck here like this forever. His Imperial Majesty is waiting for you anxiously. And who knows how long the Grand Duke will continue to be understanding.”
But it was at that moment.
I felt a slight twitch in Moghold’s finger, which I was holding tightly.
“Cough! Cough!”
As my unconscious teacher burst into coughing, Ren said in a gloomy voice.
“Another failure today.”
Then, he placed his palm on his teacher’s forehead again, preparing to activate a new spell.
“W-wait a moment, Ren.”
Ren paused and looked back at me.
“Can we watch for just a little longer?”
He looked reluctant.
It was understandable; every time Moghold coughed repeatedly, his emaciated body shook so violently it seemed it might rattle apart.
However, since this was the first time I had interfered with Ren’s magic, he couldn’t refuse outright and hesitated briefly.
In that short gap, I squeezed one of Moghold’s fingers again.
“Master Moghold, can you hear me? It’s Louise. I returned safely. I protected the baby too…”
A painfully tense silence hung between us.
‘I thought his finger moved a little earlier… Was it just my imagination?’
I stared intently, piercing his finger with my gaze, but the bony finger didn’t even twitch.
As I dropped my gaze in disappointment, Ren’s voice, filled with surprise, rang out.
“…Old man?”
I looked up sharply, and this time, the old mage’s eyelids were twitching.
We quickly exchanged glances.
Gathering my courage, I grabbed Moghold’s hand once more.
“Master Moghold. It’s me, Louise is here. Please wake up… Please give me a chance to repay you for all your kindness… Yes…?”
“Cough!”
A rough cough erupted from him.
Ren quickly muttered something.
Whether he used a healing spell to aid breathing or not, Moghold’s coughing gradually subsided.
After waiting on tenterhooks, the old wizard finally opened his eyes for a very brief moment.
Although it was only a fleeting moment, we both saw it clearly.
“Master Moghold!”
“Old man!”
Ren was the first to show tears, so I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
When he rang the bell, healing mages began rushing in from all directions.
Before all the wizards gathered, Ren looked at me with moist eyes.
“Since there’s a sign of improvement for the first time in a while, I need to discuss the remaining treatment with the healing mages. Lou, why don’t you go and rest for a bit?”
I was so happy and excited that I didn’t think I could sleep, but it was clearly not a place for me to be lingering.
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
I answered and took one more look at Moghold.
My benefactor, who had done so much for me, seemed to have sunk back into a long dream.
‘Please don’t leave like this.’
I earnestly hoped that he wouldn’t sacrifice his life for mine, just because of a debt he felt he owed my brother, and that I wouldn’t cause Ren such pain again.
On the same day, a celebratory banquet, missing its main couple, was continuing at the Imperial Palace.
“Why was Her Highness Princess Louise suddenly summoned to the Magic Tower?”
“Well, I heard the former Tower Master is critically ill. They say he doted on Her Highness since she was a child, didn’t he?”
Jenais, who was passing by, nonchalantly chimed in.
“Of course. Master Moghold’s affection for Louise was something even I envied. But to leave one’s own wedding celebration to visit the former Tower Master… our Louise truly has a kind heart.”
“Your Highness, the 1st Princess.”
Everyone hurriedly bowed in greeting. Jenais smiled charmingly.
“There’s no need to be so formal. I am now married into another family; I am a person of the Pereira Marquis.”
Jenais had been hastily summoned to the palace to help host guests due to Louise’s sudden departure.
Otherwise, it was questionable if she would have even been invited to the banquet. But Jenais, Victoria’s daughter, wouldn’t miss an opportunity to gain the Emperor’s favor.
It was also a chance to show high society that she was still relevant.
As expected, noblewomen quickly swarmed around her.
“How humble of you. Noble blood will tell.”
In the current imperial family, half-siblings from different mothers had never been on completely friendly terms.
In fact, while the former Empress’s daughter, the 2nd Princess, was being driven out, wasn’t it Jenais, a non-direct-line princess, who quickly sided with the new Emperor to survive?
So, the nobles were naturally curious about how the new imperial family treated her.
As that ridiculous play unfolded, Ernst intervened.
“What a pleasant surprise, Senior.”
Jenais was furious that the Crown Prince didn’t address her as ‘Your Highness,’ but since she had declared her status herself, she could only smile.
“It’s been a while, Junior.”
Naturally, the noblewomen’s interest shifted to Ernst.
Unlike Jenais, who had left the imperial palace, he was the walking embodiment of the Empire’s latest trends.
“Oh my, Crown Prince Flavi. You look so dashing today.”
“Thank you, Madam.”
Perhaps aware of his friendship with the Grand Duke, someone stepped forward and asked.
“By the way, did His Grace the Grand Duke also go to the Magic Tower with Her Highness the 3rd Princess? It feels awkward having both hosts absent from their own celebration.”
Ernst curled his red lips into a dazzling smile.
“His Grace will be arriving shortly. The banquet will be extended accordingly. But honestly, seeking out the Grand Duke even while I’m here feels a bit disappointing. Unlike him, the seat next to me is still vacant, you know.”
As he said this, he took the elderly lady’s hand and gently kissed it over her glove.
While the lady, old enough to be his mother, was flustered by the foreign Crown Prince’s surprising kindness, Jenais recoiled and stepped back.
But even that attempt was shattered by the Crown Prince.
He leaned towards Jenais and whispered intimately, as if sharing a secret.
“Senior, if the Marquis Pereira permits, would you care to share the role of host with me until Louise returns? His Majesty specifically asked this of me, you see.”
Jenais linked arms with Ernst, her imperial red eyes gleaming.
“The honor is mine, Junior.”
Her sparkling smile vanished the moment she turned away from the nobles.
Ernst maintained a perfectly calm expression and whispered quietly.
“Keep smiling, Marquise Tata.”
Although Jenais and her mother had swiftly changed their allegiances, the past hadn’t changed with them.
Ernst hadn’t forgotten how Jenais had tormented Louise throughout her life, as much as Cyril had.
‘Opportunistic wretch.’
To be frank, the fact that Jenais and her mother had aided Rurik’s coup was outside Ernst’s concern.
He seemed quite willing to go through some trouble to make Jenais pay at least a small part of the price for her past actions.
So, he added coolly, looking at her.
“Shall we also discuss how the Pereira’s Marquis heirloom ended up in the hands of the former Duke Gideon? I could help you fabricate a plausible story for that.”
