GTMDWH | Chapter 56

~Chapter 56~

“You’re doing a mana test today?”

Leah was sitting with Johann in his drawing room, with Raphaella beside her.

“That’s right. It’s normal for noble families to test a child’s mana level around this age.”

“Do they have to take blood again, like last time?”

Leah asked nervously.

“No, you just have to place your hand on a mana stone for a moment.”

Johann turned to Raphaella and spoke gently.

“It’s a simple test, nothing to be scared of, Raphaella.”

“Okay!”

Raphaella replied brightly—completely different from how she acted during the paternity test.

A moment later, Samuel came in with a mage.

The mage offered a palm-sized obsidian-like mana stone to Raphaella.

“Miss, could you please place your hand here?”

Raphaella cautiously placed her hand on the stone.

Within seconds, the stone started to vibrate and glowed in rainbow colors.

“Wow, she has a lot of mana,” the mage said in awe.

“How much are we talking about?” Johann asked.

“Not as much as Your Grace had during your first manifestation, but it’s close.”

“…Shouldn’t she have manifested already, then?”

Johann frowned.

He had manifested his mana early, at age six, and even suffered from a fever because of it.

“That’s what I’m saying. With this much mana, it wouldn’t be strange if she manifested right now…”

“Is something wrong?”
Leah jumped in, seeing how serious the two looked.

“She’s got a lot of mana, but it hasn’t manifested yet.”

“Is it bad if it’s late?”

“…Hard to say for sure.”

If it weren’t serious, they would’ve brushed it off.

But this wasn’t something they could ignore.

“As a general rule, the more mana someone has, the earlier it should manifest. That helps it circulate through the body properly.”

“So if it’s late, can it cause health issues?”

“I haven’t seen issues myself, but in most cases, people with low mana were the ones to manifest late…”

Johann’s expression hardened.

It was about his daughter, so he couldn’t take it lightly.

“…”

Leah remembered: before her death, Raphaella hadn’t manifested her mana either.

But she seemed fine.

She wasn’t sure if that was because the mana had manifested later or not at all.

“Emma, discreetly investigate this issue—but make sure no one finds out about Raphaella’s mana level.”

“Yes, understood, Your Grace.”

The mage nodded and left.

“The mage will look into it for now, so let’s wait and see.”

“Okay.”

“Raphaella, if you ever feel even a little off, tell someone right away, okay?”

Johann bent down and looked into her
eyes.

“Okay. But… how do I know if I feel
different?”

Raphaella blinked.

“Like if you have a fever, your heart feels weird, or you’re super tired—anything like that.”

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on her too,”

Leah added, wrapping her arm around Raphaella.

“Good.”

What started as a simple mana test ended up weighing heavily on all their minds.

“Oh, and…”

Just as Leah was about to leave with Raphaella, Johann stopped her.

“Yes?”

“You and Raphaella will be going to meet the Crown Prince soon.”

“Th-the Crown Prince?”

Leah asked in shock.

“Yeah, His Highness wants to meet her.”

“Will Rafi be okay in front of such an important person?”

Leah frowned with worry.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be with her, and His Highness is very kind to children.”

“…That’s a relief, I guess.”

Even so, she couldn’t completely relax.

After all, in her past life, that same Crown Prince had sentenced Raphaella to death.

‘He’s changed now. That means Raphaella’s future will change too.
He won’t give such a cruel punishment again. Don’t worry too much.’

She tried to reassure herself.

—

Eventually, the day came when Raphaella would meet the Crown Prince.

“Rafi, we’re going to the palace today.”

Leah put a ruby bear necklace around Raphaella’s neck.

“Remember what your dad said?”

“Yeah.”

“His Highness is said to be kind, but you still have to behave properly.”

She straightened Raphaella’s clothes as she spoke.

“Okay. But Mom’s not coming with me?”

“Hmm… I wasn’t invited, so I can’t go with you.”

Leah replied awkwardly.

“…I want to go with Mom.”

Raphaella whined.

“Rafi, meeting the Crown Prince isn’t easy.”

It wasn’t just the invitation—there were complicated formalities too.

“If Mom’s not going, I don’t wanna go either…”

Raphaella muttered, not understanding how difficult the situation was for Leah.

“Rafi, Daddy’s coming to pick you up soon. Let’s get ready, okay?”

“…I just wanna go with Mom.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“…Mom wants to go with you too, but…”

Leah patted her daughter’s back.

‘How do I explain to her that we’re different in status and that’s why I can’t go?’

Leah sighed, deep in thought, when Johann walked into the room.

“You’re not ready yet—wait, is Raphaella crying?”

He looked at her tearful face.

“Ah, well…”

“Daddy, I wanna go to the palace with Mommy.”

Raphaella spoke up for her.

“She said she’d try to convince her.”

“…”

Johann went silent, thinking.

“…Then let’s just go together.”

He finally said.

“Huh?”

Leah’s eyes widened.

“She wants to go with her mom, right?”

He gently patted Raphaella’s head.

“But I…”

“Just pretend you’re her nanny and wait in the lounge with Samuel.”

He offered a simple solution.

Attendants could enter the palace as part of a noble’s entourage, regardless of status.

They usually waited in the lounge while their masters attended business.

“Daddy, is Mommy coming too?”

Raphaella’s eyes lit up, tears already gone.

“Yes, let’s go now.”

He smiled gently at her.

“Okay!”

She answered with a bounce.

Caught up in everything, Leah quickly changed into her neatest outfit and rode the carriage with them.

“Raphaella. You’ll go into His Highness’s drawing room with just me, okay?”

Johann said, sitting across from her.

“Since we’re letting you go to the palace with Mommy, I hope you’ll do this for me in return.”

“…Okay.”

Raphaella nodded.

“No need to be too nervous. Samuel will be with you.”

He said to the tense-looking Leah.

“…Ah, yes.”

She finally managed to respond.

‘Easy for him to say… For someone like me, this palace is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.’

For nobles like Johann, visiting the palace was routine.

But for Leah, it wasn’t.

“…And about your illness.”

He lightly touched his lips.

“I’m still looking into it.”

His eyes showed guilt and frustration.

He probably hadn’t found anything yet.

“Okay. Don’t stress too much about it.”

She forced a smile to show she was okay.

Before long, their carriage arrived at the grand palace gates.

As soon as they saw the carriage marked with the Blumehardt crest, the guards saluted and opened the gates.

It was a privilege only the five major dukedoms had.

The carriage went straight to the Crown Prince’s palace.

Leah looked out the window in awe.

‘Oh my god… is that roof really made of gold?’

The Blumhardt mansion was elegant and dignified, but the palace was like a queen of flowers—bright and dazzling.

Everywhere you looked, there was gold, detailed sculptures, and breathtaking decorations.

Both Leah and Raphaella were stunned, unable to close their mouths.

‘…Why does this place feel so familiar?’

She had a strange feeling that if they turned right here, they’d reach the Crown Prince’s palace.

And just as she thought that, the carriage turned right.

A little later, it stopped and the coachman said they’d arrived.

‘What’s going on? How do I know this place?’

Leah stepped out of the carriage, puzzled.

After Johann helped Raphaella down, a palace attendant came up to them.

“Welcome, Duke Blumhardt. His Highness is waiting.”

The attendant guided them to the drawing room door and knocked politely.

“Your Highness, Duke Johann von Blumhardt and his daughter, Lady Raphaella von Blumhardt, have arrived.”

“Let them in.”

A smooth baritone voice answered from inside.

“You two, please follow me to the lounge.”

After Johann and Raphaella went into the drawing room, the attendant led Leah and Samuel away.

“We’ll just wait comfortably in the lounge,”
Samuel whispered.

“They have really tasty snacks there. You’ll love it, Leah.”

“Oh, really? I’m curi—”
Leah stopped mid-sentence.

A woman she recognized was walking toward them.

“All hail Her Majesty the Empress, the moonlight of the heavens,”

The attendant bowed deeply.

Samuel and Leah quickly followed.

“Is His Highness inside?”

“He’s speaking with Duke Blumhardt right now. Should I let him know you’re here?”

“No need. I came to see my son’s face, but I guess I’m late.”

The Empress smiled gracefully.

Every movement of hers oozed elegance.

But Leah’s eyes were fixed not on the Empress… but on the woman behind her.

‘That woman…’

She was skinny, almost sickly pale, with sunken cheeks and large blue eyes—standing right next to the Empress.

That maid was the same woman who had come to Leah’s cabin in her past life.

‘She said she was a mage from a remote southern tower…
She even said she’d never been near the palace… So what is she doing here?!’