Chapter 45
“Young master, don’t worry about Aintz. He’s someone who will be stepping down from his position before long anyway. What does it matter what kind of mischief he gets into?”
Actually, it was Crown Princess Caitlyn who had ordered Fidelro not to go outside. Fidelro thought it was by the Emperor’s command.
She was hiding the child until the mistake he made at the Roister mansion was forgotten.
“Everything will be overturned soon enough anyway.”
Caitlyn smiled faintly.
With the support of the Calri guild, the railway business was progressing rapidly, like wings spreading.
Since the initial work was almost finished, a groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled soon.
If this project succeeded, the ruined Winchester would be nothing at all.
“Fidelro doesn’t need to worry about anything.”
Caitlyn kissed Fidelro’s cheek.
“You can have anything you want.”
She was determined to make it so!
They say heaven helps those who try.
Caitlyn intended not to stop until the day Fidelro ascended the shining throne.
Serbia was more beautiful than I had imagined and more mysterious than I had read about in books.
“Lara, you’ll trip like that.”
Baldwin caught me as I was walking, lost in thought.
“I’ve never been here before!”
“You’re eyes are sparkling way too much right now.”
Baldwin smiled softly.
“I love this place so much! Didi, Camilla, thank you.”
I said this, unintentionally on the verge of tears.
This was one of the best birthday gifts I had ever received.
After the small necklace my mom bought me when I was five, the pretty little shoes my dad gave me at seven, the doll from mom when I was nine,
this place was next in line.
As I grew older, I carefully kept the gifts in my treasure box, and now I had one more gift to add.
I can’t keep it physically, but I can keep the memories of this place.
I will remember the sparkle and beauty of this place forever.
“Lara! Happy birthday!”
Camilla hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek.
Because of that, the hats Camilla and I were wearing fell to the ground.
Baldwin picked up mine, and Jerod picked up Camilla’s.
“Anyway, Camilla can’t sit still for a moment. Come here. If you stay in the sun too long, you’ll be the only one suffering.”
Jerod pulled Camilla away from me and carefully placed the hat back on her head.
“Do you think I’m a kid? I’m training now too!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Although her reply sounded half-hearted, Jerod’s touch was careful. So that’s what it means to be siblings.
It was a different story from the son of my stepmother, who just used to hit my head.
Even if my stepmother was like that, her own children—who shared at least half of my blood—acted worse than strangers.
As I was staring blankly at Camilla and Jerod, Baldwin put a hat on my head.
“Didi?”
“What are you staring at like that?”
Before I knew it… Baldwin had grown taller than me. His gaze was above mine.
I shrugged my shoulders at his careful hands tying my hat ribbon.
“It tickles…”
“Wait a moment.”
Fortunately, Baldwin tied a pretty bow on my ribbon with the skill he’d learned from helping me before.
“Don’t forget how to tie ribbons.”
Baldwin looked at me as if he didn’t understand what I meant.
I really liked it.
Having someone tie a ribbon for me!
“You have to do this for the person you love someday, okay?”
Camilla would be so happy.
Just thinking he might not do it for me when that time comes made me a little upset.
“Do you like this kind of thing?”
Baldwin asked as if it was strange.
Is it my taste?
I liked it.
“Yes, I do!”
I nodded big, and Baldwin smiled faintly.
“Okay. I won’t forget. Promise.”
Baldwin held out his pinky finger. I hooked mine with it.
Yes, if you do just this, you will be the perfect male lead.
The male lead of this world!
While I was teaching Baldwin one more lesson about life, Camilla was freed by Jerod after finishing her makeover and ran over to us.
“Let’s go over there! I heard there’s a new bird colony!”
The green of Serbia seemed to be on Camilla. Her smiling face was so pretty. Probably like us too?
I went first, Baldwin followed behind me, and Jerod walked a bit farther back.
“I’ll check around, so play nicely! If anything happens, shout!”
At Jerod’s words, Camilla and I answered at the same time.
“Yes!”
Does he see me as a little kid?
“Hurry up, Lara! Oh, look, there’s something here!”
“Hmm?”
I ran next to Camilla.
She suddenly crouched down under some bushes.
Due to Serbia’s terrain, there were small ponds between the bushes, so someone could have fallen in.
There were splashing sounds all over Serbia.
It was like the sound of water droplets falling mixed with birdsong and wind, creating a beautiful harmony.
If this is what a picnic is like, I want to come every day.
“Lara! Look at this!”
Lying on Camilla’s palm was a small bird.
It had a pink body and pure white wings, trembling.
“It looks hurt. Is it injured? Its wing…”
As Camilla said, the wing was bent abnormally.
“This is a bird called Via, found only in Serbia.”
Baldwin said.
“If left like this, it will die.”
Knowing that was true made Baldwin’s words hurt in a strange way.
I didn’t want to leave it like this to die.
“We have to keep it from dying.”
The image of myself, crumpled and sleeping badly, overlapped in my mind.
Sigh. I really need to fix this terrible habit of imagining myself in sad situations.
“How?”
Camilla asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Lara.”
Baldwin held my hand as if telling me not to do it.
Most social acquaintances already knew that I could use magic.
Because my mother was Robelia Pracia Lorobante.
The Pracia count family inherited the name of the god because the first Pracia had tremendous magical power.
There was also a story that the Pracia god favored the first count most and gave him strong power.
Anyway, it was not strange that I, as the descendant of that bloodline, could use magic.
But the important thing was what came next.
I was recognized as the successor of the Magic Tower and possessed an extraordinary magical power.
Healing magic was considered quite high-level magic.
That was still a secret I hadn’t told my close friend Camilla.
But if this was not the kind of magic I could use now, then what was the point in learning it?
“Sniff… It’s not already dead, right?”
Camilla bowed her head and gently brought her face near the bird.
Camilla and I held our breath, listening closely.
“How is it? Is it alive?”
“Yeah… it seems alive for now.”
“Then I can help it get better.”
If left like this, it would die as Baldwin said. A bird that can’t fly would be weeded out.
If I hadn’t seen it, maybe I wouldn’t care, but since I did, how could I not try to save it?
Baldwin held my hand firmly.
“Didi…”
“If you want to, you can do it. But, Laila, this is Serbia. One of the places where the power of the Pracia god is strongest.”
I already knew that.
“And you are the bloodline of Pracia. No one can guarantee what would happen if you use that kind of magic here, holding the light of Pracia.”
“What do you mean, Didi?”
Didi sounded much more mature than me now.
Even though I was mingling with children…
He also seemed to know more than me. Baldwin held my hand and whispered to me alone.
“The light of Pracia is not a metaphor. It means the power given to the first Pracia by the Pracia god. Though diluted now, it means pure, natural magic. That energy is truly tremendous.”
How does he know this?
Camilla looked curious about our conversation but didn’t ask because Baldwin’s serious aura was overwhelming.
“Are you two fighting?”
Jerod’s voice came from a bit far away.
“We’re not fighting!”
I shouted quickly.
Baldwin’s eyes shone with concern.
It meant that no one could guess what reaction might occur if I used my power here.
“Do you think it’s okay? Right, Camilla?”
Camilla, who had no idea what we talked about, tilted her head.
“Whatever Lara wants to do is fine!”
Baldwin reluctantly let go of my hand.
I smiled and placed my hand over the small bird in Camilla’s palm.
“Lara?”
A soft light spread from my palm. Camilla’s eyes grew wide.
