Chapter 17………………………………..
“They’ll be arriving soon.”
“…….”
At the servant’s words, the Duke pushed aside his thoughts and turned his gaze toward the hotel entrance.
It was the morning he had decided to return to the West.
Having finished preparing for departure, he was waiting for Marianne, who had gone out into the city since early morning.
“I just can’t read that girl’s thoughts at all.”
The Duke’s crimson eyes, narrowed against the sunlight, gradually widened.
He could see Marianne and the magician entering the hotel.
Marianne, especially, carried a bundle in her arms, walking with an almost bouncy excitement.
The magician beside her, in contrast to yesterday’s shabby appearance, looked dazzling today—though it was just a string of cheap jewels across his body.
Even more, seeing him take a flower from the hotel lobby and tuck it into his hair left the Duke dumbfounded.
Is she really a magician?
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No.”
The Duke shook his head at Marianne’s flushed cheeks, evidence of how much she had been walking around.
“And what’s that you’re holding?”
“Oh, this? It’s a gift.”
“A gift?”
“Yes. A gift for Krimu.”
He met Marianne’s shy smile.
The Duke instinctively looked away from that innocent expression, feeling unfamiliar with it.
Eventually, he turned toward his carriage.
He could hear the voices of the attendants following behind.
“Master Krimu will be so happy.”
“They say the young master and the lady have been getting along lately, and now she even brings a gift.”
The Duke’s steps faltered as he reached the carriage.
Had he ever bought a gift for his children when going on business trips to other regions?
Thinking it over, he realized he never had.
Why was that?
“…….”
His slow gaze turned to Marianne, who was just stepping into the carriage.
His empty hands contrasted sharply with hers.
But he quickly composed his thoughts.
Without stopping, the carriage soon entered the Western region.
Although I was exhausted from the long journey, seeing Krimu waiting at the mansion entrance to greet me made me smile brightly.
“Krimu!”
“Nuu-naa!”
Yes, yes, it’s your sister.
I immediately ran to Krimu, who was bouncing like a puppy as soon as I got out of the carriage.
And as I bent down to hug him tightly, I realized something.
Since when did I like Krimu so much?
It felt like just yesterday I had vowed not to get attached.
Being apart for a few days had only deepened my longing.
“Haha, Krimu, shall we loosen our hug a bit?”
I laughed awkwardly and gently peeled Krimu off, who had clung to the hem of my skirt like jelly.
“Did you brainwash my little brother or something?”
Sherbert… are you here to greet me too?
I scowled at Sherbert, who had gotten close to us, and snorted.
“Oh, that! You just sneered, didn’t you?”
“Me? I?”
“Hmph. But who’s that beggar?”
Typical tone of yours.
I gave Sherbert a pleading look as he gestured toward the magician, Kautz.
Kautz looked as if he were debating whether to hit the eldest at that very moment but seemed to restrain himself.
It was fortunate I had explained the Duke Kerace family and his sons to Kautz while coming by carriage.
“The beggar brought a beggar with him.”
I ignored Sherbert, who still wasn’t done, and had a maid hand me the gift bundle from inside the carriage.
“Here, a gift. It’s yours, Krimu.”
“Waah!”
Krimu’s face lit up with the purest joy.
The gift was almost as big as him, hiding his face entirely.
So cute.
I helped Krimu open the bundle, holding the gift tightly in his tiny hands.
“Tada!”
Krimu’s clear eyes sparkled.
He even clapped with his tiny hands, clearly thrilled.
Inside were candies not found in the West.
I smiled warmly and said:
“Only one a day, okay, Krimu?”
“Yes! Nuu-naa!”
I thought I’d place them on the high shelf in my room and give one whenever Krimu deserved praise.
“Tch, it’s nothing special anyway.”
The eldest, Sherbert, muttered irritably as he turned and walked toward the training grounds.
I rolled my eyes and silently thought: “Your gift? You’ll never get one.”
Britta was initially flustered looking at Kautz.
It was as if she felt someone had taken “her lady.”
Her slightly glum expression changed quickly when she heard Kautz was a magician.
She had never seen a magician in real life, only heard of them in rumors.
After sorting out the luggage, Britta left the two of them alone to spend time together.
“Kautz.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“You have the messenger crow, right?”
“Eek!”
Kautz jumped up in shock.
Only a few people in the Empire knew about the unique messenger bird.
How could someone from a completely different region know?
“Why are you so surprised all of a sudden?”
“Ah, Miss… how do you know that…?”
“Shh. Didn’t I tell you not to try knowing everything?”
Kautz shut his mouth tight and nodded.
Despite appearing twenty years younger, this was Marianne of the Delbe family.
Her firm expression and strong voice were enough to command respect.
“I’m still young, so I’ll need your help often, Kautz.”
Marianne looked him straight in the eyes and then smiled innocently.
“So first, let’s get to know each other a bit, shall we?”
Kautz’s eyes widened.
Marianne casually held out a hairpin that sparkled with a tiny red gem.
“Leia Ruby…!”
“That’s right. You recognized it immediately.”
Marianne stood, approached Kautz, and held out the hairpin.
“A little gift from the South.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Did you think I only bought one for Krimu?”
“Oh.”
Kautz’s mouth slowly opened.
She had gone to the southern city with the attendants, leaving him behind briefly for “business,” and had bought a gift for him.
Kautz felt a strange mist rising in his eyes.
“The flower in your hair… it’s already wilting.”
Marianne reached for the flower in Kautz’s hair.
The once-fresh flower from the hotel lobby was now drooping with almost all its leaves gone.
She replaced it with the red ruby hairpin.
“Let’s see… wow, it’s beautiful.”
For Kautz, now middle-aged, it was an odd and special statement.
He had never been called beautiful, and this was the first time he heard it.
Seeming to pierce through his emotions, Marianne said:
“Beautiful Kautz, thank you for being with me.”
Kautz and I began our lessons seriously.
The Duke watched us frequently, after all.
“Kautz, did you bring all the books?”
“Yes, all the ones with magic in them.”
We had practically emptied the Duke Kerace’s library.
Seeing the stack of books on the table, I let out a long sigh.
“Haah.”
Kautz smiled gently at me.
“Do we have to read all of these?”
“Well…”
Recalling all my studies from elementary school through college in my past life, I shook my head.
Already exhausted from being possessed, and now we had book studies too.
I reasoned that since this was just acting, I only needed to focus on that.
Kautz agreed wholeheartedly.
Her head shook vigorously, making the red ruby pin I had gifted her sway.
It was a relief that our hearts were in sync.
“Let’s start with the definition of magic. Even before the Triya Empire was founded, magic…”
I pretended to focus while discreetly checking the butler watching me.
He would surely report back to the Duke.
“Yes, yes, go tell him I’m really trying to become a magician.”
“…The families possessing the great power of magic…”
We spent at least an hour together every day.
Kautz, though sleepy, read steadfastly, while I pretended to understand beside him.
Of course, once the Duke was reassured, we had our real lessons at night.
Night had fallen.
We huddled together.
“So, you want to make a contract with those who produce this purple dye?”
“Yes.”
“And also go to the Patra region?”
“Yes!”
Kautz repeated my words several times.
She still looked confused.
“But Miss…”
“I know. You’re thinking: ‘Why would someone from the rich Kerace family, enjoying everything, suddenly start a trading company?’”
“…!”
