Chapter 55
The sweet scent of cocoa, so out of place in the office usually filled with the aroma of coffee, spread through the room.
“Wow! Dad, you even know how to make cocoa?”
“It’s not that difficult.”
At my words, he smiled warmly and replied.
Father was wearing a simple white shirt, his silver hair unstyled, falling softly around him.
And above all…
“Glasses suit you so well!”
The golden-rimmed glasses perched on his nose looked nothing short of perfect.
Apparently, he wore them from time to time while working.
At my pure admiration, he seemed embarrassed and steered the topic elsewhere with a smile.
“Good thing I stocked cocoa powder in the office last time. I was planning to make it for you when you next came by.”
“For me? I’m so happy.”
Come to think of it, it was rare for a nobleman to make something like this himself.
And he’s so good at it, too.
Because of insomnia, Father often worked late into the night. He told me that he kept a magic kettle and teacups in his office so he wouldn’t have to wake the servants just to make coffee.
Recently, beside the box of coffee beans, he had even added a box of cocoa—for me, since I often visited his office.
He must have heard from Chef Shrimp, who knew my tastes best, that I loved cocoa.
The moment I took a sip of the cocoa he gave me, I couldn’t hold back an exclamation.
“This is really delicious! Dad, there’s really nothing you can’t do.”
He smiled kindly at my words, but then his expression turned concerned.
“More importantly, do you also struggle to sleep at night? At your age, proper rest is important for growing taller.”
At the mention of height, I flinched.
Back at the orphanage, I used to be taller than most of my peers.
Most kids looked up to me—literally. Even Luca used to be one of them.
But lately, my growth had slowed down noticeably.
Seeing Luca, Terry, and Ben shoot up like weeds left me feeling a real sense of crisis.
“I-I usually sleep well! Really, you don’t need to worry. It’s just tonight that’s a bit different.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
Only then did his face relax.
As I awkwardly laughed and looked away, my eyes fell on the neatly arranged desk.
I had never once seen it without piles of paperwork.
Whenever it seemed the documents were thinning out, new stacks would appear. And just when it seemed he’d finished everything, another mountain would rise.
It was like a magic desk.
“You must have so much work. The papers never seem to end…”
He lifted one of the documents by his side and said,
“Actually, I’ve finished all the official work. Since I can’t sleep at night and have nothing else to do, I’ve just been drafting new business proposals.”
I almost dropped my teacup.
Because he couldn’t sleep, he was creating more work for himself?
That was voluntary overtime. The perfect description was workaholic.
“Business proposals?”
I felt a cold bead of sweat down my back.
“Yes. A new magic ore mine was recently discovered in the northern Rayes territory.”
W-what was discovered…?
“Wow, really?”
I clapped my hands in excitement.
As the saying goes, the lucky just keep getting luckier—Rayes was already overflowing with wealth, and now they’d discovered a mine!
And not just any mine—magic ore, rarer even than jewels.
“Normally, when magic ore is found, it’s customary to sell it to the Mage Tower at a good price…”
Indeed, ordinary people lacked the skill to refine magic ore or craft artifacts from it. So as he said, most of it was sold to the Mage Tower or the Imperial Magic Department for profit.
But watching him trail off in thought, I had a hunch he was considering using the ore within our family first.
Artifacts were in high demand—among the Imperial family, noble houses, wealthy merchants, and even foreign countries. It was a business that could bring in enormous profits.
That was why there were even artifact-making clubs at the Mage Tower, as I’d seen before.
“I’ve been thinking of ways to use the ore besides selling it to the Tower, but I haven’t come up with much.”
At his words, I almost nodded in agreement—until something flashed in my mind.
Whenever Jen barged into my room, I was usually reading while he chattered away.
Mostly about how awful his superior, the Tower Master, was.
“They quit again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Three more mages left the Tower this time…!”
Jen would lament the loss of such talented, promising individuals.
The Mage Tower was stagnating at the top. On the surface, it still seemed to run well because the senior mages were so skilled, but in reality, younger talent was being squeezed out.
Half of all mages came from commoner backgrounds.
But those young dreamers found little opportunity to advance, and with that came little money.
While older mages raked in astronomical sums, the younger ones did nothing but research, often earning nothing at all.
So every month, at least a few would give up and return to being ordinary citizens to survive.
Outside the Tower, there was no system for them to take requests or earn money—since only the Tower, as a public institution, received commissions.
Thus, leaving the Tower branded them as “dropout mages,” even if they weren’t lacking in skill.
“Dad, what if we recruited dropout mages into our family?”
Father paused, coffee in hand, and looked at me.
Instead of dismissing it outright, he waited to hear me out. Encouraged, I continued confidently.
“If we had mages, we could develop our own artifacts. Especially since they used to work in the Tower, they’d know refining methods and applications well. Most don’t quit because they’re incompetent but because they can’t make a living. They lack resources and funding. We have those things, but no skills. Doesn’t that make us a perfect match?”
Father seemed to weigh my words carefully, like counting on an abacus.
“Indeed…”
His blue eyes lit up, and he nodded. Then he said he would start looking into information about dropout mages tomorrow.
Artifacts from the Tower were expensive luxuries for nobles.
Since the noble market was already monopolized, turning instead to develop practical, affordable artifacts for commoners sounded like a brilliant idea.
Household artifacts, for example—cheaper, more useful.
And since dropout mages were mostly from commoner families, they would understand that market well.
Even without me saying it, I caught glimpses of my ideas appearing in the notes he was already scribbling down at lightning speed.
“You’ve been a great help. Truly, thank you.”
The unexpected praise made me smile shyly—then freeze.
Wait…
Didn’t I just give him more work instead of less?
That wasn’t my plan at all.
Tonight, I’ll definitely make sure he gets some sleep!
As I clenched my fists in determination, my arm bumped into something.
“…This is…”
It was a family portrait resting on the desk.
Father looked younger, Drehan and Miller were just little kids, and…
That’s the Duchess?
My gaze fell on a stunningly beautiful woman smiling with pure happiness.
With warm brown hair and fresh green eyes, she held a tiny newborn in her arms.
So Lavella also had silver hair as a baby, like the rest of the Rayes family.
Little Miller, curious, carefully held the baby’s small finger.
Beside him, a teenage Drehan beamed warmly at the child.
So he used to smile like that, too.
And finally, there was Father, younger then, holding his family close.
It was a picture-perfect family.
Above all…
The Duchess looks so much like me!
I was still too young to say we were identical, but the resemblance was undeniable.
The slightly upturned eyes, the unique green eyes of the Tranze region, the gentle curve of the lips.
Seeing her made my own lips curve upward unconsciously.
Her smile was the kind that warmed you just by looking—like sunshine.
She really was a radiant beauty.
I was still lost in the portrait when—
“Laveria.”
At the sound of Father’s voice, I looked up.
“Would you like to go for a walk tonight?”
He had set aside the papers and removed his glasses, now holding out his large hand to me.
“Yes!”
I replied eagerly, fingering the item I had tucked in my pocket before leaving my room.
Before using this, I had to try ordinary means first.
And besides, to make this work even better, it was best to get him relaxed with a night walk to help him fall asleep.
