Chapter 64
The duke swallowed a spoonful of tuna tartare and then spoke.
“Lizette, just as you said, there really was a hidden diamond mine. According to the investigator, there’s enough to mine for fifty years, so use it as you wish. I can’t put it on the official registry, so I can’t transfer the ownership on paper, but in reality, the mine belongs to you.”
“Don’t you want to ask how I found out?”
“Probably tracked it down somewhere, just like catching a rat. Aren’t you different from ordinary cats?”
“About that, Duke… could you give us some privacy for a moment?”
At my words, the four people at the table simultaneously set down their forks and looked at me.
When the duke raised his hand, the servants in the dining room immediately withdrew.
Soon, only the duke and duchess, Raoul, Eloise, and I remained in the dining room.
“Now, speak.”
“Duke, Catherine… I’m a beastkin.”
Their gazes on me grew slightly sharper.
I couldn’t hide my identity forever, and if I was going to practice magic at Montclair Manor, it was better for everyone to know. Actually, I had already told Sophie yesterday.
“I’m not fully awakened yet, but I have awakened to some extent. There won’t be any problems! Thanks to Catherine, the rumor that I’m loved by the Montclairs has spread throughout the empire, and Marcel will take responsibility for anything that happens afterward!”
The duchess had once suggested that being a beastkin might be better, but I worried that I might be expelled from Montclair just in case.
If that happened, Eloise had said she would leave with me, but judging by the duke and duchess’s expressions, it didn’t look like that would happen.
“That’s good news. I’ll quickly put you on the nobility registry and transfer ownership of the diamond mine.”
“Lizette Montclair. That’s a fine name. We should hold a celebratory banquet.”
“Oh, not yet! I haven’t fully awakened yet.”
The duchess, who was already thinking about throwing a party, gave me a puzzled look.
If this news reached the Beastkin Kingdom, the king there might try to kill me.
Just as the crown prince had guessed my identity from the investigation records, I thought the Beastkin king must also be watching me.
He had abandoned me in the Northern Mountains for not being awakened; if he found out I was alive, he’d probably try to kill me.
I looked brightly into their blue-toned eyes and smiled.
“Please celebrate when I’ve fully awakened. I’m telling you now because I don’t want to deceive the Montclairs.”
“Very well. We shall. It must be grand.”
“Good idea. Truly Montclair-like.”
While the duke and duchess spoke, Raoul kept his mouth firmly shut.
Why was he like that, again?
A few days later, the royal carriage arrived at the Montclair estate.
Even though Raoul had spoken as he did, he had sent letters to Marcel, inviting both Marcel and Etienne to the Montclair residence.
Raoul greeted Marcel and Etienne as they stepped out of the lavish gold-adorned carriage.
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness, Prince Etienne.”
The duke and duchess had gone out at the empress’s invitation, leaving Raoul and Eloise to welcome the prince.
Well done, Empress—nice support!
“I should be the one thanking you for inviting me, Raoul.”
Raoul exchanged a warm greeting with Marcel and merely nodded lightly to Etienne.
I had always wondered why the two of them didn’t get along.
“Peace to Callenia, Your Highness.”
“It’s been a while, Princess. I hear you’ve become the busiest lady in the social circles lately?”
“Maybe just in Ronsbleur.”
“Haha. I heard the Montclair princess is even busier.”
As Marcel said, Eloise had been dominating the social scene throughout the spring season.
Wherever Marianne was, Eloise was there; wherever Eloise was, Marianne wasn’t.
“Well, I’m just a meddler interfering with their love.”
Rumor had it in the social circles that Eloise did this on purpose to undermine Marianne.
Even the duke and duchess’s efforts couldn’t completely erase gossip from the social scene.
“But it seems Montclair’s jewel managed it anyway.”
Despite the gossip, the duke and duchess proudly paraded Eloise around.
The duke personally escorted Eloise to the royal ball.
Though Eloise wasn’t entirely pleased, she didn’t refuse his escort.
For a territorial animal like me, this grueling schedule meant I couldn’t follow every royal ball or social gathering.
“Let’s continue this conversation in the garden. Raoul has prepared much for Your Highness.”
“Very well.”
We all moved toward the garden.
Sure enough, a shade had been set up at the center, and the table beneath it was laden with many snacks.
“When you last visited the Montclairs, we didn’t get to talk much.”
Proudly, Raoul invited them to sit.
Marcel and Eloise took their seats, while Etienne and I stepped aside, having work to do.
“We’ll be back soon.”
I greeted them and headed toward the training ground, with Etienne following.
The sparkling blueberries on the table seemed to cling to my ankles, but I had to leave with tears in my eyes.
“Your pace is slowing.”
“Just your imagination.”
I sprinted boldly toward the magic training ground.
Etienne arrived first without showing any signs of exhaustion and smiled leisurely.
Panting, I glared at him, and he shrugged.
“Why… why are you running like this?”
“You ran first. And we need to save time. Tricks like this don’t last long.”
I knew Raoul’s excuse was only temporary.
As the crown prince’s fiancée entangled with a prince, rumors would inevitably spread.
Last time, it was to provoke the crown prince’s jealousy; I wondered what story would come out this time.
I exhaled deeply to calm my racing heart.
“Phew… alright. Let’s begin!”
“First, theory.”
“Meow?”
Theory? Isn’t that just studying?
I had studied endlessly in my past life; did I have to study again as a Montclair cat?
Seeing my scrunched-up face, Etienne lightly flicked my forehead with his finger.
“What’s with that frown? It’ll be brief, so pay attention.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Mana is the source of magic, like blood is the source of life. What happens if blood doesn’t circulate in the body?”
“You die, right?”
“Exactly. If mana doesn’t circulate in your body, your magic dies. Right now, something is surrounding your mana core. The barrier is gradually breaking, but we don’t know when it will fully disappear. So, I plan to force mana to flow to awaken the core.”
I had never thought deeply about my body before, but hearing this, it did seem strange.
I realized I had to learn everything. Deciding to start from the basics, I raised a paw.
“Teacher, does mana normally flow through the whole body?”
“Yes. It’s different from blood circulation. Mana flows along the meridians—centered on the chest, from the crown, shoulders, palms, lower abdomen, knees, to the soles. We call this the mana system or mana circuit.”
In the original story, they only explained the mana circuit, but hearing it now, it felt fascinating.
Come to think of it, the places where Eloise’s mana had gotten tangled were exactly these meridians Etienne mentioned.
“So, what if mana gets tangled in the meridians?”
“…You mean Eloise, right?”
“Everyone knows?”
“No, others think she hasn’t awakened. The only ones who know are the Montclairs… and me.”
It seemed that the details of Eloise’s body were kept secret.
“How do you know?”
“It’s the same as knowing your state. I can sense mana flow sensitively. Usually, I can only feel the amount of mana, and only a Resonator can feel its flow.”
I blinked slowly at Etienne’s mention of the Resonator.
“The Montclairs know too, right?”
“They’re exceptions.”
“I can feel Eli’s mana flow too…”
“What? Not from Eloise?”
“No. She doesn’t tell me these things.”
Etienne ruffled his hair slightly and looked at me.
“Now I understand. The reason Eloise’s and your mana started flowing again was because of the Resonance.”
“What do you mean? Does that have to do with Resonance? Isn’t mana resonance just for amplifying mana?”
“Mana resonance isn’t just amplification. It can share mana and repair broken mana circuits.”
“Wow, that’s more amazing than I thought.”
“As amazing as it is, finding a Resonator is hard. The mana waves must match, and their range varies widely.”
Ah, so that’s why the original story called them destined partners.
This is the difference between a scientific explanation and a narrative one.
I nodded, absorbing Etienne’s clearly explained lecture.
“So, my mana resonated with Eloise’s?”
