《Simmering Jams at the Edge of the Forest》


 Prologue

    ¡°Damn it, Kudou, I¡¯ll never forgive you. I want my holidays back¡­¡±


    I took a sip of the warm bottled mineral water and swore internally so that my junior colleague, slumped in the seat across from me, would not hear. Working the late shift from 10:00 a.m., I couldn¡¯t take a lunch break or even a bathroom break until 5:30 p.m.


    The rest room was not crowded at the end of the day, and the serving counter in the cafeteria area long closed, with only self-service water dispensers and plastic cups piled up. I could only sigh at the brief break I finally got.


    ¡°Oh, what if I get a bladder infection? That would be hard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already covered in foundation. I¡¯m so humiliated to be standing on the sales floor with this face¡­¡±


    I¡¯m sure I was hungry, but you never know when something would be over, and I had no appetite by then. In another ten minutes, I would have to go back to the sales floor to fix my makeup that had been ruined by all this sales talk and smiling. I had to let the early shift go home.


    ¡­Today was actually my day off. This was my eighth year working as a beauty consultant in a department store. There was a consecutive holiday after a series of ten shifts, and I was supposed to sleep in a day to heal my tired mind and body, clean my room that I had accumulated living alone, and go to a hair salon tomorrow. I was thinking of making some jam with the small strawberries I bought at the closing supermarket yesterday and having a relaxing holiday. And yet.


    I was still asleep when a phone call from my sales representative woke me up at eight in the morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Takano, it¡¯s your day off. It¡¯s my bad, but I was wondering if you could help me out at the third store today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mr. Kudou? What? I don¡¯t want to talk about that in the morning.¡±


    My husky voice from waking up from sleep must have been powerful. I heard the younger salesman, who had been reluctant from the start, talk like a pig. If I was going to be woken up by you, I¡¯d rather hear a more austere, handsome voice than yours.


    ¡°You know, Sakashita was hospitalized in an emergency for gastroenteritis. There¡¯s no one else I can go to. Please, just for the day.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Sakashita?¡­ Oh, well, she must have caught something wrong, poor thing. I¡¯ve told her many times that she¡¯s pent up, and should take care of herself, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she had no problem with the shift, but she has a thin margin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not today. You know, it¡¯s my last day off after a series of ten shifts.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    In the end, it was my fault for not being able to say no. I knew firsthand how hard it was to be short of one person, since everyone was running on a deadline. I had worked at the third store for two years before, so I knew my way around, and the junior staffs from that time were still there, so in that respect it was easy, but¡­ I was tired. What was this, this number of visitors. I thought I was like a panda in Ueno. The customers in front of the counter were not leaving.


    When I was waiting for the cashier, I asked my junior colleague about it, and she told me that a popular model or actress fortunately praised our foundation on TV, Internet or something last night. I didn¡¯t know because I didn¡¯t have the energy to watch TV or surf the Internet after a ten series of shifts. So did that mean my store was in this state now? I didn¡¯t know if I should help at another store. Hey, Kudou, get in there and help now. Change.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay for skincare, but for foundation, you have to look at the color, so it takes time for each person. It¡¯s also a lot of pressure to have people waiting in line behind you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t afford to be lousy at customer service.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that Chief Takano was here today. If you make that person wait even a little, she¡¯ll complain and ramble. If it were me, she¡¯d still be lecturing me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s her¡­ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s that difficult to serve, she¡¯s just a pretty old lady.¡±


    ¡°Only the chief can say that. The senior killer is alive and well¡­¡±


    What was that? It was true that most of the clients who followed me were older. I think it was because I¡¯m a grandmother¡¯s favorite.


    ¡°To practice for the future, why don¡¯t I pretend I¡¯m your mother-in-law and you serve me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t live with them, I swear! I mean, they probably wouldn¡¯t like it!¡±


    ¡°I wonder. I¡¯m sure Yukou will adore you.¡±


    I had already decided that I was going to get married next year, and that my new house would be near my parents¡¯ house! I knew that my junior colleague, who was proud to be a man-eater, had been free for the past year. If you could joke around, you were still fine. My feet were feeling dull, though.


    Sakashita, who had gastroenteritis 1, was the new chief of the third store and my junior. We met when I was assigned as a mentor during my on-the-job training immediately after joining the company. She was friendly, quick to learn about new products, and had a certain number of customers. Still, it was a good thing that I had worked for four years at this women¡¯s section with a high turnover rate and had been given the job of chief.


    ¡°Chief Takano, please don¡¯t become an area manager and come back here like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mr. Kudou that, and I¡¯ll also tell him it¡¯s easier for me to change trains this way. I hate it when the stations and trains are always so crowded, on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Kudou¡­ He¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡®The last time I saw him, he was being talked into it by the store¡¯, the junior complained. In every sales workplace in the women¡¯s field, the bosses and sales representatives were usually men. I always wondered if it wasn¡¯t hard to do so. The salary is not very high, and the girls who work for me are salespeople who have worked their way up in the field, despite their education, and they are not afraid or shy. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything, and I¡¯d end up being used for good. Well, so the bottom line is that it¡¯s not pretty from a male perspective.


    There was an abundance of people you can meet, but the honest women who know what was going on in the industry never go deep into it. So did I. However, it had been six months since I broke up with my long-time boyfriend, and I was enjoying my solitude to the fullest. I didn¡¯t want useless men in my office or in my personal life. Oh, so this was how the number of unmarried and late marriages was increasing¡­


    I shoved my feet, which had been dangling barefoot under the long table in the break room, into my heels, stood up from my seat, greeted the familiar faces in the smoking booth, and left the break room. Well, I guess I would brush my teeth, fix my makeup, and get back to the battlefield.


    It was about ten minutes before the firelights glowed and the night came for the restaurant. The area near the main entrance on the first floor was still full of people, some returning after shopping, others rushing in. Everyone at the counter was still serving customers, but I had a free moment and headed to the backyard to pick up a delivery I hadn¡¯t been able to get to yet.


    I left the store with a note and walked swiftly through the shoppers. In front of the employee door, I bowed to the store and opened the door, which was heavy as a fire door.


    As expected, no one went to pick up deliveries at this hour, just before closing time. I pulled out a cart placed by the side of a deserted aisle and hurried forward, feeling sorry for the security guards if I went too late.


    A long-established department store that had become decrepit. The store had been renovated, reinforced and cleaned up, but the backyard had been put on the back burner. I felt the history in the bare concrete as I pushed the cart down the darkly lit aisle. Around the corner, in a corner of the contractor¡¯s parking lot, there was a baggage drop-off point.


    There was no security guard in the small booth that looked like a janitor¡¯s office, and there was a cardboard box on the ground in front of it. I could tell from the packing tag that it was from our manufacturer. I cut out the slip, stamped the copy, and stuck it in the document holder at the security booth counter. I was about to load the cardboard onto the dolly I¡¯d brought with me when I saw the delivery company¡¯s truck pull into the parking space¡­ Onward.


    Eh, what. You had to park backwards because you were unloading right, but there was a space in front of you to switch right, so was this person a newbie- or the driver lying on the steering wheel!?


    By the time I knew I was in trouble, it was too late. The truck came barreling by me at full speed, knocking down several old pillars, and finally stopped when it hit the wall of the building. And then, just like that, with a strong, thunderous sound like the shaking earth, the old concrete footing cracked, and the ceiling fell.


    I wondered if this was considered a traffic accident, even though it hadn¡¯t hit me directly, and that was the last thing I thought about.


    ¡­ Ah, I knew it, Kudou, I won¡¯t forgive you. Isn¡¯t death caused by working on holidays covered by workers¡¯ compensation?


    ¡­Hmmm? I felt like my face was getting all wet. Oh, my neck, that tickled¡­ Ah, my God, okay, I understand, so stop licking me, you¡¯re lifting my cheeks up. ¡®Woof woof¡¯, what, this hot breath, a dog? Eh, a dog!? Eh, the tongue!?¡­ Uwah! What¡¯s with this big, long, hairy dog that looks like an Afghan hound!


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    Oh, my God, you scared me! Eh, what is this place? It¡¯s empty? An Afghan Hound with the blue sky in the background? ¡­ Ah, I was lying on the ground. And the Afghan hound was looking at me.


    ¡­


    What?


    That, I was at work, wasn¡¯t I? Wasn¡¯t seeing the blue sky strange because the store was about to close? If you could see the sky, it would be the night sky. Ah, but you couldn¡¯t see it because there was no sky in Tokyo.


    ¡­No, me. Why are you here, Chieko-sho? I¡¯m Takano, not Takamura.


    What, that, I remembered. Yeah. Work, I was working. I sold cosmetics at a department store. So, I helped at the third store today. Yeah, that. Then? I had been so busy¡­ And delivery. Yes, in the backyard¡­ That. I was dead.


    ¡­Aah, heaven?


    ¡­Oh, I see, was this Heaven? That¡¯s right, blue sky, breeze blowing softly¡­ A dog¡­ I was not sure about the dog, but it was not Cerberus or anything, so it was heaven. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not in hell.


    ¡­ You were dead, me. Consciousness remained even after death, didn¡¯t it?


    If this was heaven, I wonder if I could see my mom and dad. I wonder if my grandmother was there. She was going to be angry that I came too early.


    Brother, sister-in-law, pardon me for leaving first. I would probably get the worker¡¯s compensation, so please take care of the apartment and clean up the mess. I¡¯m sorry for being the sister who was a workaholic until the end. It had been a series of ten shifts, so it was a mess, but I had little furniture or stuff, so I don¡¯t think it was that hard¡­ I¡¯m glad I ditched my boyfriend and his things six months ago. Oh, the strawberries were probably ruined. I wanted to make jam.


    I don¡¯t need a funeral or a grave¡­ I don¡¯t know if they remember we were talking about this at a bar a long time ago. If you¡¯re going to do it, keep it simple, and have seasonal flowers, something like that.


    I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know why I feel little regret. I guess I had lived my life with a certain amount of attachment, and I wonder if dying meant letting go. It¡¯s kind of simple, isn¡¯t it, me?


    The wetness of the ground was very realistic. It was like the smell of the soil, or the green the leaves that seemed to seep into my clothes. It was comforting to think back to my childhood when the neighborhood bank was my playground, but heaven was not above the clouds.


    Oh, by the way, where was the Afghan hound¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine. It was a very friendly dog. I was just¡­ I was a little tired. Not just my limbs, but my whole body was heavy. No, I had been asleep, and I hadn¡¯t even gotten up once. I felt like my body¡¯s made of lead¡­ It didn¡¯t matter, I was dead. I think I¡¯m going to go back to sleep¡­no-w¡­


    In the corner of my waning consciousness, I thought I heard the barking of a dog and the soft, troubled voice of a woman in the distance.

 CH 1

    ¡°Margaret, there you are. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, your injuries haven¡¯t healed yet.¡±


    A voice called out to me as I picked up a basket in a sizable well-kept vegetable garden, moving slowly to harvest vegetables for two people. I responded with a smile and a nod to her voice, which oozed compassion and kindness, telling me that I shouldn¡¯t go out alone yet.


    Approaching me was Buddy, a large Afghan hound-like dog, and its owner, Lady Adelaide. The strange woman who protected, treated, and took care of my food, clothing, and shelter for me, a suspicious unidentified person who was lying on the ground badly injured¡­ Yes, I wasn¡¯t dead. I wasn¡¯t, but unbelievably, I had come to a different world.


    That day, I was supposed to have lost consciousness on the ground, but I woke up on a soft bed¡­ with intense pain over my whole body. Looking down at me were two elders¡­ A Roman gray grandfather in a white lab coat and a grandmother in a classic one-piece dress. When I saw the woman, I forgot about the pain for a moment and the memory of my favorite book came to my mind.


    ¡°Eh, Tasha? This is really heaven! Or is this the world of Anne of Green Gables?¡±


    That was right. The innocent lady with an atmosphere similar to that of Ms. Tudor was the mistress of this place, Lady Adelaide. My thoughts were so overwhelmed by the pain that I couldn¡¯t even speak, but my brain was in turmoil.


    The elder man in the white coat was wriggling something (I was too much in pain to look at it), and the pain slowly subsided after the treatment was over, but for a couple of days I was so tormented by a dull pain and fever that I could not move from the bed, let alone sit up.


    During that time, Lady Adelaide nursed me with devotion, brought food, fed me, and cleaned my body.


    After I could get up, I learned that although Lady Adelaide was a retired noblewoman, she had no servants in this large house and basically did everything herself.


    Two days a week, there were menial jobs and errands, but that was about it. She was a true goddess, taking care of an unidentified injured person who was younger than herself, that was of no use to her.


    As the pain receded, I could afford to be more curious about my current situation, but I had a problem.


    I couldn¡¯t speak.


    When Lady Adelaide gently asked my name, all that came out of my mouth as an answer was soundless air. She gently stopped me, who was turning pale and trying again and again, and made me a cup of warm tea. I took a sip of tea and¡­ It was then that I cried for the first time. There was no voice, no sound. I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing.


    Suddenly I thought I was dead, but I was also alive, but also badly injured in an unknown place.


    I couldn¡¯t keep up with this thought process.


    I suddenly felt scared, like I wouldn¡¯t even recognize myself¡­ Finally, I realized.


    I knew that this was a different world and that I couldn¡¯t go back. In the original world, I had died in that accident. I didn¡¯t know why, but my heart knew it was true.


    Not even a sob was audible. I had lost my voice instead of my life, and I had come here.


    There was one more thing I had lost; my eye. I had very normal Japanese dark brown eyes, but now one of my eyes was a light brown, almost a golden color, making me heterochromia. So far, I didn¡¯t know why or how to make use of it.


    Unfortunately, my eyesight, which was not very good, was still the same, and I had no glasses or contacts, so there was some inconvenience. However, it didn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t see enough to go about my daily life. A face would be blurry at a distance of one meter, but I could handle it. I would not watch TV here, or drive my car, so it was okay.


    For some reason, I understood the language. My hearing and reading were fine. So, communication would be through written words. The culture and standard of living in this world was a bit like the old West, and there were many things similar to the original world. It could be a cup of tea, or a dog. However, books seemed to be more expensive, and this inevitably wasted paper, so I used the palm of my hand or the ground for writing.


    My name seemed to be inexplicably difficult to pronounce, so I asked her to give me a name in this world, and after pondering for a while, she named me ¡°Margaret¡±, which means ¡°Pearl¡±¡­ because I was wearing pearl earrings.


    These were not the round pearls used for formal occasions, but rather teardrop-shaped, smaller poppy pearls, like those in Vermeer¡¯s paintings. The metal fittings were ingeniously designed, so that they would not come off when caught in the slightest.


    Basically, jewelry was not allowed in the hospitality industry, but I always secretly wore my mother¡¯s pearls as a good luck charm. The medium bob of my hair hid it well, and on the rare occasions when I was spotted, I was overlooked because of my pearls.


    I came to this world empty-handed, with only my tattered clothes, one pair of shoes, a broken watch, and these earrings. She had given me the name of one of the few remaining signs of the previous world.


    Lady Adelaide realized that I came from another world before I did. They called people like me ¡°Spirit Orisons¡±.


    There were only one or two people per hundred years on the entire continent, so it was not a lot, but there were actual records. It was never a forbidden thing or secret. Some were surrounded by nobility, including the royal court, while others lived on the streets. There were no rules on how to treat them, but it depended on the situation. There were two characteristics of those who said to be Spirit Orisons, including myself.


    One was the lack of magic.


    The other was the ability to interact with spirits and fairies.


    What a fantasy to hear this! ¡®It¡¯s not so bad, yeah¡¯, I thought. I loved reading and watching fairy tales, comic books, and movies about magic and spirits. A fantasy world was a great way to forget about the real world for a while.


    If you asked others, they said that all living things have magic power, whether a lot or a little, and that no magic power was the same as being dead. Wah, I was being treated like a zombie.


    In my case, the old man in the white coat that treated my injury¡­ Dr. Daniel, the doctor, could tell that I had no magic power. In addition, he used magic to treat that injury. That was why he knew I had no magic.


    The bones in my arms, legs, and other parts of my body were all gone, but I was able to recover to the point where I could move in a few days. Too bad I couldn¡¯t use magic.


    And the other one was Buddy, who looked like an Afghan hound and brought me here. As I was nuzzling Buddy, who was getting very attached to me, a handful of little ones with transparent feathers on their backs peeked out from between his long fur.


    Wow, a fairy? It was really fantasy! When I gently put out my hand, the little ones got on it and acted so cute that I let them be. When I poke one, she tickled me, and when I stroke her gently, she swooned with pleasure.


    I was surrounded by shiny gold particles as I tinkered with the little ones one after another.


    These glowing sparkles, like fireflies on earth, were called fairy eggs in this country. It was said that they usually lived deep in the forest, hiding when people come to visit, and were rarely seen. They came to me frequently¡­That was what it was.


    The ¡°Spirit Orisons¡± was exactly what it sounded like, a person who was invited to come to this world by the spirits of this world. Later, that was what Dr. Daniel wrote in the book I borrowed from him.


    Apparently, spirits were responsible for stabilizing the world with their presence, and Orisons were like assistants to them. Therefore, once an Orison was found, they would not be treated with neglect. Their wishes would be first and foremost in deciding what to do. It would be impossible if there was a war or something going on in the country, but I heard that the king was a great man and there was peace now. I was thankful.


    This mansion was on the outskirts of a small country town, but close to the royal capital. They said that they would be happy to take me into custody at the royal palace or temple if I so desired. ¡®You can stay here until your injuries are healed, and then I¡¯ll put your wishes first¡¯, Lady Adelaide said gently, and I felt nothing but goodwill toward her.


    So, what did I end up doing? I made a request to Lady Adelaide. I asked her to let me pay her back for her kindness. ¡®If it doesn¡¯t bother you¡¯, I said, ¡®you can leave me here and use me as a maid¡¯.


    I had fallen completely in love with the gentle Lady Adelaide, who reminded me of my beloved grandmother, who had passed away when I was a child. I didn¡¯t want to leave.


    I could cook, do laundry, and clean the house in one way, though it would take a lot of work since I didn¡¯t have any appliances. After all, I had 15 years of experience in housekeeping and 10 years of experience living alone. I wasn¡¯t like this right now, but once my injuries were healed, I¡¯m pretty strong and could help a bit with house repairs and stuff.


    Besides, it must have been a month or so after I came here that we talked about this¡­ There was no sign of any relatives or family members having been here, including letters. I also knew that Lady Adelaide often looked at the family photos lined up on the fireplace in the living room.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she was alone in this big house with only Buddy to talk to.


    But if that was what she liked to do, then my offer was just an afterthought. So, I told her that along with the proposal. I¡¯d grown to love her, and I wanted to be with her. But I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble. In fact, it was one more mouth to feed.


    Dr. Daniel was the one who encouraged me to make such an offer. After all, he had been worried about Lady Adelaide living alone for a long time. He had suggested several times that she get a companion to live with her, but he had always been turned down softly.


    With Dr. Daniel¡¯s intervention and my ¡®I love you. I want to be with you, please!¡¯ Lady Adelaide lowered her eyelashes and accepted my passionate proposal, which I thought was already a marriage proposal, with the condition of ¡®You can leave any time you want¡¯. When I replied that I would only leave if Lady Adelaide wanted me to, she laughed with tears in her eyes and said that it would not be until her death then.


    So we laughed together, saying that we had another fifty years to go.

 CH 2

    Chapter 2 - Adelaide


    Hearing the sound of spring birds, I moved my hands to put away my winter clothes. I cleaned and put away the thick coat and replaced it with a slightly lighter one.


    ¡°In those old-fashioned clothes again¡­ If mother-in-law is dressed so poorly, even my husband will look at you lightly. Despite his position as assistant to the prime minister, that house doesn¡¯t buy his mother a single article of clothing, which is not good for his reputation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I wear this because I like it. The latest clothes are too luxurious and hard to move in, and the new ones are hard and stiff on the shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask mother-in-law¡¯s preference. Please put yourself in my shoes. I will be pointed at for having a good life while dressing my mother-in-law in old-fashioned clothes.¡±


    I picked up a familiar dress in a spring-like color from the back of the closet and felt a little depressed because it reminded me of the trouble I had with my daughter-in-law over this. I understood that she had a point¡­I still thought there was a better way to say it, though.


    In the end, everything from a piece of clothing to my way of life did not match my son¡¯s wife. That was not the only reason, but I supposed it was my fault that I could not come to terms with it.


    It had been many years since I moved to this other house, where I spent a short time with my son and his wife when I was younger.


    It was nice to live a life where you didn¡¯t have to be told what to do. I knew I was stubborn because I couldn¡¯t get used to the modern lifestyle, even with all the fancy clothes and convenient magic tools. But I was at the age waiting to be picked up. Was it selfish of me to want to be allowed to do whatever I want at least at the end of my life, which had been so tightly bound?


    My only son, who hadn¡¯t sent a single letter in over six months due to his busy schedule, probably still believed that his mother caused the divorce, just like his wife. As I looked at the old family photos, I thought to myself, ¡®It¡¯s sad, but I guess it¡¯s my fault for raising them that way¡¯.


    Before putting away the thick, fluffy futon, I took it outside to air it out. I was getting tired easily, probably because of my age. I spread out my futon under the sun, sat down on the rocking chair on the balcony, and looked up at the sky, which was clear and blue with not a cloud in the sky¡­ As I closed my eyes and let the breeze wash over me, my dog and roommate, Buddy, came running towards me, barking unusually.


    ¡°Addy, she¡¯s probably a ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯.¡±


    The words of my old friend Daniel made sense to me. In the mansion¡¯s backyard where Buddy took me, I found a collapsed girl, dressed in clothes I¡¯d never seen before, covered in blood and with her arms and legs bent in strange directions, and when I saw her, I almost had a stroke.


    I managed to regain my composure, and as I approached, I heard shallow breathing. I hurriedly ran my Buddy to Daniel, the only doctor in the village.


    The backyard led to the forest at the back, and I wondered if the girl had wandered out from there, but there were no dangerous places in this forest, and I couldn¡¯t imagine her getting hurt this badly. First of all, I didn¡¯t think she could walk with this limb injury that could be seen at a glance.


    With the help of Mark, an assistant at the clinic, we brought her back to the house and treated her, and to our surprise, she had no magic at all. Her eyes opened and caught mine for a moment as I poured healing magic into her¡­I felt something indescribable in it, but she opened those eyes once before quickly closing them again with a pained expression, and passed out.


    ¡°In the meantime, she should be able to get up in a few days, so until then, keep her at rest. I¡¯ll be making house calls every day, too, so we can talk about things when she¡¯s feeling a little better¡­ She was hurt pretty badly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably have a fever, so if she¡¯s in pain, give her some medicine. Even if she¡¯s an Orison, her body structure should be the same, so don¡¯t worry about her diet.¡±


    I was relieved to hear that. It would be nice to take care of her, but what if she ate differently? Daniel, who had served as the royal physician before retiring, knew his stuff. The ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯ had to report to the royal court, but first, she needed her injuries to be treated, so I nursed her.


    It was three days later, as Daniel had expected; the pain subsided, the fever went down, and she gained consciousness.


    In the morning, when I went to her bedroom with a drink and a light meal, she was sitting up on the bed with a radiant smile, relieved to see me. Her slightly innocent smile conveyed a straightforward gratitude and fondness, which warmed my heart.


    ¡°You look much better this morning. Has the pain subsided yet?¡±


    She nodded in response to my question. She lifted her hand a little sluggishly to show me that she was okay.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a little late, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Adelaide Dustin. You can call me Adelaide. May I ask your name?¡±


    When I lightly squeezed her hand and asked her a question, the girl perked up and opened her mouth apologetically. And then¡­ She flapped her mouth a few times and shook her head, face blue. No matter how many times she tried, all I could hear was the exhaling sound. I stopped her from overreacting as she became increasingly impatient and made her a pot of tea.


    ¡°¡­ The doctor will be here this afternoon, so let¡¯s discuss it then.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Perhaps, ¡®Yes¡¯, was her response. She took a sip of tea with a small, trembling hand, and tears spilled from her eyes as she stared into the cup¡­ I didn¡¯t know that soundless crying could be so heartbreaking. All I could do was lend a shoulder and pat her shaking back.


    In the afternoon, I pulled Daniel into the living room when he arrived and told him about what happened in the morning. He began to talk to me, showing me the book he had brought with him with a difficult look on his face, but with an air of conviction.


    ¡°¡¯Spirit Orisons¡¯ often lose something. It seems like many people lose their memories, but in her case it was the ¡®voice¡¯, I¡¯m sure. According to this book, she should be able to read and write, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have any problem communicating.¡±


    The book was about the ¡°Orisons¡± of the past. He had borrowed it especially from the library in the capital. He brought it to me and told that I could give it to her to read when she was settled.


    ¡®Understood¡¯, I thought, but I still pity her. My heart still hurt when I thought of that child who couldn¡¯t even cry out loud. With a heavy heart, I led Daniel upstairs to the bedroom and was in for a surprise.


    The girl and Buddy were surrounded by fairy eggs that glow a pale gold¡­ No better proof for a Spirit Orison.


    It took my breath away as I saw it for the first time in my life, but somehow my heart was filled with loneliness.


    The Orison was a precious being from another world, called here by a spirit, whether or not that person intended to, a person who deserved to be protected and respected. This girl could go to the royal palace or anywhere else she wanted. I was sure she would leave me behind.


    Only three days.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t even talk to her, I enjoyed taking care of her as if I had a daughter. I tried to be strong, but I knew I was still lonely.


    I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t put into words what her original name was. We learned a little bit about her through written communication, but the only thing we could not read was her name, not me, not Daniel, and not Mark. This was another thing that I hadn¡¯t read in any of the previous books about the Orisons.


    When I was troubled, she wanted me to give her a name. I thought about it for a moment, and then my eyes fell on the pearl flickering on the girl¡¯s ear. Miraculously, it was the only one that came here from the other side safely without a scratch. I heard that it was a memento of her mother. She must have been protecting it. I put my wish in the name that it would continue to be so in the future. ¡°Margaret¡± was the name.


    Margaret was a bright girl. Her body was still not healed, and she got tired easily, so we talked to her little by little. She was a little distraught at first, but by the time she had finished reading the book borrowed from Daniel, she looked much more refreshed.


    As soon as she could get out of bed, she wanted to help around the house. For the first time in my life, I regretted my life without magic tools. It took a lot of time and effort to cook and clean every single thing in this house.


    I felt awkward thinking about burdening a sick young girl, but Daniel recommended I let her do some simple things for rehabilitation. Margaret was happy and learned them all quickly and painlessly.


    Clothing¡­ Yes, clothing, too. She happily wore the so-called ¡°old-fashioned dresses¡± of my youth. I thought she would change her mind when she saw how the young girls in the village dressed, but she said she liked it better. I could tell that she meant it, which made me love her more and more, and made me feel sad when thinking of our upcoming separation.


    So, when she asked me to keep her here, I thought it was a dream that my desire showed me. If she wanted to, she could be accepted anywhere with excellent treatment, but she wanted this place that was outdated, inconvenient, and eccentric.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Margaret sincerely wants to be with you. You know that, don¡¯t you, Addy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s still young, and she¡¯ll be happier if she goes to the capital than staying here with me¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of you calling yourself something you¡¯re not. That would be rude to that girl¡­ Addy. To me, you two look like an actual mother and daughter. It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s only been a month. I¡¯m sure Margaret fell into your backyard just to see you.¡±


    ¡°Daniel¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That child is happy here.¡±


    I wonder if it was okay. Wouldn¡¯t that be like destroying the future of a young, pretty girl? My old friend gave me a gentle push when I was lost.


    I watched him leave, leaving the Orison¡¯s reporting procedures to me, and I entered the house¡­. I walked into my house where my daughter was waiting for me, happily standing in the kitchen.

 CH 3

    Chapter 3 - Margaret


    Straw-be-ry, strawberry! Yay strawberries! ¡­Cough, excuse me.


    No, you know, Lady Adelaide¡¯s field was amazing. Not only did we have vegetables, but we also had a strawberry farm. There were blueberry trees over there, and as a person who always went strawberry and blueberry picking every year, I was so excited. When I heard that I could get other berries by going to the forest leading from the backyard, I couldn¡¯t wait for that season.


    And now, the strawberries. I harvested them again yesterday. I would do it again today. Pick only the ones that turned red that day and eat them as they were or use them to make sweets. Oh no, what a luxury, yummy yummy!


    There were quite a few red ones today, so I could make jam. I didn¡¯t know how obsessed I was with strawberry jam.


    I picked them quickly without a scratch and returned to the building. Please call me an artisan for my skills. Oh, and the fact that I was holding a basket lined with a red gingham check cloth in one hand just added to my excitement. What was this Ann¡¯s world? Even young grass was fine.


    Buddy was waiting for me at the end of the field, I gave him a pat and we left together. We enjoyed the clean air while singing a voiceless song, ¡®Come back, come back!¡¯¡­ The morning sun shone softly on the trees in the forest, and the breeze was refreshing. Then, there was the sound of birds chirping happily.


    This side of the forest behind the house was Adelaide¡¯s private property, and village people rarely came here, so even a little eccentricity wouldn¡¯t go noticed¡­ That was great. I felt so good, I was spinning around.


    Ugh, no, my ankle still hurt.


    I¡¯d been here for about two months. I heard that there were four seasons, but I was relieved to hear that the summers were not so hot. How hot and humid it was in Tokyo! No matter how many years I lived there, my northern-born body could not get used to it, and I lost about five kilos every summer. I¡¯d gain back in the winter. Ah, the summer in Tokyo that made me broke out in a greasy sweat just thinking about it¡­


    And there were many vegetables and fruits that were similar, but might not be exactly the same. You see, in the original world, there was breeding and improvement, but here, it seemed to be closer to the original species, and fruits were about one size smaller. The colors, shapes, and seasons were also slightly different. Maybe I was just so used to the vegetables served in greenhouses that I didn¡¯t know what was in season.


    Well, but it tasted similar¡­ I mean, to be frank, this one tasted better. The taste of the ingredients was rich and straightforward.


    Fresh vegetables could be quickly washed, cut, and sprinkled with salt or oil. You didn¡¯t need bouillon or fond de veau to make soup. Add some garlic (or something like that), shallots (or something like that), and bacon, and you¡¯d gotten, well, a Proven?al soup! No, I honestly didn¡¯t know what Provence style was, but that was just the atmosphere. It was delicious.


    Lady Adelaide¡¯s wide variety of fields and the high-quality meat and dairy products were available in the neighborhood. I was confident that I was eating the healthiest and tastiest food in my life. My skin glowed better and I felt a little less flabby¡­ This was probably because I was working on housework and cleaning.


    I was not a mayo lover by nature. I liked rice, but I also liked bread. I was not that particular about Japanese food. In short, I was just a foodie who was satisfied as long as I could eat something that tasted good.


    The condition of my skin was so good that it made me realize that cosmetics were an aid, even though I was the one who sold them.


    No, I think it was necessary, and it made a big difference how you take care of your skin. You could change your life from the ground up, like eating and sleeping¡­ Yes. Sakashita, I hoped you¡¯d recovered from your gastroenteritis. It was a stress-free life we were aiming for! I couldn¡¯t, though! I wanted to cry!


    Early to bed, early to rise, a balanced diet with eight portions, moderate exercise, clean air and water. Things that I knew I should have done but had been too busy to do were here in my daily life.


    Sometimes, I felt a pang in my chest when I suddenly remembered the past, but since I was here, I was going to enjoy the present.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back, Margaret. My my, so many.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lady Adelaide looked at the strawberries in the basket and seemed to enjoy herself. She winked adorably at me, saying that we could finally make jam, and Buddy¡¯s tail shook in surprise. Ever since we started harvesting strawberries, we¡¯d been talking about making jam, making jam, making jam.


    I washed the strawberries briefly in the well¡¯s sink water we had in the front yard of the kitchen to remove any soil or anything else.


    I didn¡¯t wash them when I made jam with packaged strawberries from the supermarket. Because a girl I knew who worked as a pastry chef told me so.


    If the strawberries were grown in the open air, they had dirt and straw on them, so they needed to be washed; but if the strawberries were grown and distributed in a sanitary manner, they could be left as they were. I¡¯d heard she said that washing left water on the strawberries, which was not good. Certainly, anything you cared about other than soil stains was going to be sterilized by heating, and you could remove the scum as often as you liked.


    When it was clean, gently wrap it in a cloth to remove the water. Put them in a colander and let them air dry. From the point where they seemed to be dry, use a petit knife to remove the stems and damaged parts, then halve or quarter the large ones and put them in a bowl. Then measure the weight of the strawberries, excluding the weight of the bowl.


    I used to use granulated sugar or white sugar. Granulated sugar gave a clean taste and color, while white sugar gave a rich sweetness. At the usual supermarket, granulated sugar was pricey, so I used mostly white sugar. And white sugar went on special sale now and then!


    The amount of sugar should be exactly half the weight of the strawberries.


    I thought this might seem like a lot to some people. Who? Who said you had to go easy on the sweetness if it was homemade? Jam was a preserved food. If you reduced the sugar, you wouldn¡¯t be able to preserve it.


    In fact, I¡¯d even made it with sugar down to 30% of the strawberries. It was nice to be able to taste the fruit directly, but I had to store it in the refrigerator before opening the package and ended up using a lot at one time, so I went back to the original one the next season.


    I figured if you were worried about calories, you could adjust it with the amount of sugar. If it was not sweet enough, I ended up using a lot, so I¡¯m more satisfied with ¡°a little of something sweet¡±, I guess. You could add it to tea instead of sugar, and it went well with yogurt. Yeah, that was good.


    So, definitely half as much sugar as strawberries. This was an ironclad rule.


    Put the strawberries and sugar in a bowl, cover it with a lid to keep out dust, and leave it for a while. If it was not a hot day and you were not worried about spoilage, you could leave it overnight. The water from the strawberries should moisten the sugar before you started to cook. If your pan was made of enamel or stainless steel, you could melt the sugar and strawberries in the pan from the beginning and heat it directly.


    The one that Lady Adelaide brought for the jam had a calm gold color and looked like a copper pot¡­ The kind of copper I¡¯d always wanted. I didn¡¯t know about metals in this world, but in my mind, this was a copper pot. I was already grinning. What a wonderful life, using a copper pot to make jam from strawberries picked in the field behind the house. But copper rusted easily, so I only used it for boiling.


    I was never interested in the stylish slow life, but¡­ It¡¯s just not very realistic, is it? I thought you had to be a very generous person in many ways to do that. The fields and kitchens were as beautiful as ornaments, and I felt like I was lying when I said that.


    Real life in the countryside was much earthier, and human relationships were troublesome. On the back porch were not sneakers but boots with mud stains stuck to them. Real farmers were really busy and didn¡¯t like to do anything time-consuming, so their houses were full of convenience goods and plastic products. For detergent, the priority was to remove dirt rather than to be eco-friendly. That was the kind of real life I knew¡­ Well, the world seemed to be small, but it was big, so there were probably people who practice a stylish slow life.


    Even in this world, farmers and handmade products didn¡¯t seem to be very popular. That was what Adelaide talked about when she said, ¡°We¡¯re too far behind,¡± and ¡°We don¡¯t have any useful magic tools¡±.


    Well, it seemed that Lady Adelaide and this house were in the early Showa period or pre-war period in Japan, or something like that. There was no rice cooker, no microwave or electric kettle. There was a hand pump for water, electric lighting, a septic tank for toilets, but not a broom for cleaning. And the ladies of this village were a bit too much for me¡­And they seemed to shy away. Isn¡¯t that fine? No personal problems.


    I didn¡¯t have a rice cooker to begin with. Because I just couldn¡¯t get the rice to taste good in the small rice cooker my brother had given me. The rice cookers that cooked well were for family use and were surprisingly expensive. I couldn¡¯t cook for myself every day anyway, so I cooked in a pot. It was delicious, rice cooked in a pot. If you excluded the soaking time, you could eat it in about 20 minutes.


    I was attached to my grandmother when I was little, so I was used to cleaning with an old-fashioned brush and rag. Okay, this one was clear.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t have any confidence that I could use a magic tool with no magic power. They said it was made for everyone, but I couldn¡¯t handle it if something went wrong, I never could.


    So, I was able to get used to it quickly. I thought I was probably much faster than the young girls in this world, partly because of the way Lady Adelaide taught me. I didn¡¯t mind mud or bugs¡­ Oh, I¡¯m so sorry to say that I was not very cute. That was why I was alone ¨C it was okay. Phew.


    I put the bowl of jam in the kitchen¡¯s corner and prepared lunch. Lady Adelaide ate a hearty breakfast and dinner, but a very light lunch. It was like a German cold plate. Bread, cheese or fruit, and a drink. Sometimes there was not even bread.


    In the beginning, she was very careful with me and had a solid lunch, but when she found out I wasn¡¯t like that to begin with, she relaxed. If you pushed yourself too hard, living together will ruin you, especially your lifestyle. I didn¡¯t really care that much about lunch either, I had a lot of things I wanted to do during the day and a lot of things I needed to do.


    So, I laid out a lunch that didn¡¯t even need to be cooked and made a cup of tea. I rang the bell and called Lady Adelaide, we smiled at each other, and clasped our hands together, saying, ¡°Thank you for the food¡±.

 CH 4

    Chapter 4 - Daniel


    Meissery was a moderately sized country town near the royal capital. They called it a town, they called it a village, but it was still the countryside. It was a laid back, typical countryside with more elders than youths.


    I had been living in this village since I resigned from the royal capital where I worked as a doctor because of my age, but enough years had passed that I could fit in with the original inhabitants. I thought I would just be a doctor in the countryside, quietly laying down my bones, but you never knew what would happen in life.


    It was a sunny day in early spring. There were unusually few patients coming to see me, and I was relaxing with my assistant Mark over a cup of tea when suddenly, a large dog I knew well jumped in.


    ¡°Oh, Buddy. What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong? Calm down a little.¡±


    This dog, which was usually quiet, lightly tugged on the hem of my lab coat and continued to pull frantically. I gave the dog some water for now, and Buddy finally settled down.


    ¡°Doctor, is there something wrong with Lady Adelaide¡­?¡±


    Buddy drank all the water in a blink of an eye, and now he was tugging on the hem of Mark¡¯s pants as well. In the meantime, I finished preparing my house call bag and hung a sign on the front door to let people know I would be away.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. He calls for Mark too.¡±


    ¡­ Something was wrong with Addy.


    Thinking of my old friend, who was only a little younger than I was, I pushed down the anxiety rising in my heart and tried to remain calm as I urged Mark to leave. Several worst-case scenarios raced through my mind. That was why I told Addy to get a roommate, or maybe it was my fault for not pushing hard enough. She didn¡¯t look any different when I saw her the day before yesterday, but¡­ I hurried on, telling myself that I was a doctor, but the familiar road had never felt so far away.


    What awaited me at the mansion was not a changed woman, but a mortally wounded Orison.


    ¡°Doctor, you are going to visit Lady Adelaide today, right?¡±


    ""


    Just as the patients were winding down, we had a little early lunch and Mark started talking about it. Margaret¡¯s injuries had healed considerably, but I would need to make house calls for a while longer. When I said yes, he looked at me as if he were a child telling me a very important secret, and started talking about the truth. A wry smile appeared on my face when I listened¡­. That girl again. I told him that if he didn¡¯t stay quiet, she wouldn¡¯t heal well.


    I¡¯d already talked to the royal court about taking her to the capital once she was fully healed. I was sure someone would be dispatched from the Academy of Magic before then, but until then, I¡¯d like her to relax and heal her wounds in this Meissery.


    I had read about the strain on the body when crossing the boundary, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the only reason for that injury. According to what I was able to find out little by little so as not to burden her physically and psychologically, she thought she was dead when she met with the accident. Indeed, it was an injury that could have been. Miraculously, her head and internal organs remained intact although bones were broken.


    Perhaps it was because she had experienced death once, but she didn¡¯t seem to feel much nostalgia for her former world. Even so, in the beginning, she would occasionally get lost in her thoughts, but these days, I didn¡¯t see her do so. Since I couldn¡¯t send her home, I just hoped that she would get used to us.


    ¡°Is she really twenty-eight years old? She doesn¡¯t look that much older than me in a lot of ways.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that we¡¯re counting calendars differently, so maybe she¡¯s a little younger. She said she was a student until she was twenty and worked for the next eight years, so she was definitely a grown woman. And she can drink.¡±


    Mark laughed in amusement, ¡®Sure, she can drink¡¯. He probably remembered the other night when the four of us had dinner together. Margaret was in a good mood and seemed to enjoy herself the whole time, being a little tipsy with just a small glass of ap¨¦ritif. If she had a voice, I thought she would have sung. I was sure even a newly grown child could drink something like that without a care in the world.


    ¡®But still¡¯, I thought, looking at Mark. I wondered if he was aware of it. My assistant, who was not unfriendly but did not show his true feelings, had a relaxed expression when talking about Margaret.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that she studied until she was 20. And she¡¯s not a scholar, is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that in her world, adulthood is 20 years old. She said that most commoners go to school until they are twenty-two. It¡¯s more for doctors and scholars.¡±


    The level of education in this country was higher than that of neighboring countries, but even so, the highest level of education was only until the age of 18. Commoners usually started working at the age of thirteen or fourteen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be a doctor in Margaret¡¯s world.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Just as we finished laughing and eating, a young mother with her child visited the clinic. It was the start of my afternoon checkup.


    The patient was not the child but the mother, and after the examination, Mark, who had been left in charge of the child who did not want to leave his mother, was quite limp.


    ¡°Hah, I wonder why he¡¯s so cheerful¡­ He was so reluctant to leave, and now he¡¯s playing with me like he¡¯s going to destroy the clinic. Thank God there were no other patients.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what children are for. That¡¯s better than a blue-faced, dazed child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, well. No, but I really can¡¯t handle it. I can¡¯t even put away one bandage.¡±


    ¡°Haha, maybe we should get a nanny.¡±


    ¡°Another joke¡­ No, but it¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    I asked a blubbering Mark to look after the infirmary and headed to Addy¡¯s mansion. I taught him to be my successor, so Mark could do a full examination and treatment. The only reason why he was still in the position of assistant was because he had not been notified to the royal court as an independent doctor. It could be submitted at any time at arm-length, but with the mess at his parents¡¯ house, he was taking a wait-and-see approach. I guessed he would use it as a card when the time came.


    Well, that was why he would be fine on his own, as long as there weren¡¯t a lot of problems. In fact, many young girls who had a crush on him would probably flock to him as impromptu patients.


    Margaret¡¯s house calls could be made by Mark if I just wanted to check on her injuries, but I went myself because I had to submit a report to the royal palace¡­. But that was just a pretext, because I wanted to see her and meet Addy.


    That day, after giving her first aid in the backyard to the extent that she could move, I brought her into the guest room of the mansion and gave a full-scale healing spell. We were about to take her back to the infirmary, but Addy changed her mind and stopped us.


    ""


    ¡®What are you doing? The child will be taken care of here.¡¯


    ¡®Even so, Addy, she may be an orison, but you don¡¯t know what kind of person she is. There¡¯s always the possibility that she could harm you, and taking care of her is a burden, right?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not much of a burden. She¡¯s a girl. I¡¯m not leaving her in a clinic full of men. Besides¡­ She¡¯s not a bad kid. I can tell.¡¯


    She refused more adamantly than when I suggested a roommate. I¡¯d known Addy long enough to know that she would not change her mind about this. I made frequent house calls, both as a precaution and to monitor things¡­. I soon found out that it was completely unnecessary.


    Margaret was a calm child. She treated everyone in the village with the same smile and didn¡¯t make them feel uncomfortable. I knew it was her social expression because it differed from the smile she gave Addy and me.


    That said, it was neither overt nor sarcastic, like the flip side of nobility, and seemed to come purely from her sociable, but, in fact, shy nature. There would be no one in this village who could tell that it was a fake smile. It was so natural that even I, who was somewhat familiar with the royal palace, would have had a hard time recognizing it if I hadn¡¯t been given a genuine smile.


    In front of me and Addy, Margaret was incredibly honest and bad at hiding things. If she could have spoken, she might have been able to fool me a little, but all her emotions were showing on her face. She felt a little more reserved towards Mark, but that was not really a problem since he was usually with us.


    I knew from her body that she was an adult woman, but when I heard that she was twenty-eight years old, I couldn¡¯t believe it, and had to keep checking to make sure, which made her look at me suspiciously. She said she was single, even though she was old enough to be married and have a couple of children. Apparently, this was not very uncommon in her world.


    Shoulder-length black hair, fine white skin, dark brown and light brown, odd eyes with an intelligent light¡­ ¡®This used to be different¡¯, she said. I guess that was the effect of crossing worlds. She had slender arms and legs and a vaguely childish face. She had a calm demeanor, but could be childish at times. What an unbalanced and attractive woman she was.


    Because her eyesight was not very good and she needed paper or a palm of someone¡¯s hand to communicate, she would be close to someone when talking. Very close. I repeatedly told her to be careful about that if she didn¡¯t want the men in the village to develop unnecessary romantic feelings for her, but I didn¡¯t know if she understood.


    I thought she was a good person, but it was a little dangerous. I guessed she was basically a good person who didn¡¯t seem to suspect others. Well, it was not every day that you see someone with the guts to do something bad in this village. It was mostly peaceful. But I would have to talk her through it very carefully before we went to the royal capital.


    Addy¡¯s face became brighter and softer as the days went by as she lived with Margaret. Her lively appearance was just like when she was a young lady before marriage.


    ""


    It was fortuitous that Margaret asked me that she wanted to stay with Addy for as long as possible, even though she would leave for the capital soon.


    Addy¡¯s way of life was, in a word, outdated. It was rare to find a house without so many magical tools nowadays, and the house was also mostly self-sufficient. She didn¡¯t have a cook, she worked in the kitchen by herself, and before that, she had a farm. When I was a nobleman in the countryside, I would have been afraid that the wife of a countess in the royal capital would like to work in the fields¡­It was obvious that life in the capital was not going well.


    Nevertheless, it was her will and intention to stay in the capital until her husband, the Count, died and her son was married. The reason why she didn¡¯t have a servant was because she spent her days at the Count¡¯s house in the royal capital, where it was hard to say she was at peace.


    It was such an inconvenient life, but Margaret unexpectedly liked the hassle of it. She felt uncomfortable with magic and magic tools because she had lived in a world without magic.


    She said that her life seemed to go back over fifty years, but she still felt more familiar with it than with magic tools, and she didn¡¯t mind the laborious work. She said with a smile that she had been so busy working outside home that she had neglected her life and wanted to live a more caring and human life.


    When I arrived at the house, I could smell a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. The fresh, sour smell of it told me that Margaret had achieved her primary goal as of late. I could feel myself smiling as I rang the doorbell.


    ¡°Hey, are you making strawberry jam at last?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°She said it¡¯s almost ready, and she¡¯d like to share. Good for you, Daniel.¡±


    Like a mother and daughter on good terms, the two of them in their old-fashioned but tasteful dresses, laughing and cooking in the kitchen, looked like illustrations in a picture book. A sight that I craved and could not get¡­ Something gentle flowed into my heart with nostalgia.


    After the jam bottling was finished, I called Margaret close and whispered to her.


    ¡°When you¡¯re healed, this old man will keep you company as long as you want, but you¡¯ll have to wait a little longer for dance practice.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to see from the field, but there¡¯s a path at the edge of the forest. Mark uses it a lot to get herbs.¡±


    When I told her that I had Addy¡¯s permission, her face turned red and she smiled ruefully. I knew she couldn¡¯t fake it. I couldn¡¯t help but pat her on the head for her childlike expression.


    The house call was over, and when I left, I was given some freshly baked bread and two jars of strawberry jam. ¡®It¡¯s hush money¡¯, she said with a wink, placing her index finger in front of her shapely lips.


    Well then. I was somewhat torn about whether to give this half to Mark.

 CH 5

    Chapter 5 - Margaret


    I cleaned up lunch, did a quick weeding in front of the front door, and peeked into the bowl of strawberries to see that the sugar was nice and moist. After all, ripe strawberries had a good water content.


    Now, let¡¯s boil! However, it was not much of a hassle. The point was to use a large, deep pot and cook it at once with high heat, so that it did not stick.


    The kitchen of the mansion had some magic tools, as expected. It was like a wizard¡¯s tinderbox. I¡¯d like to say that, but that was it. There were kitchen chopsticks, similar in length and atmosphere to kitchen chopsticks back in my world.


    There was a flat black stone in the shape of a doughnut underneath the stove part¡¯s pentode 1. You could start a fire by twirling a pair of high quality chopsticks with a small red stone stuck in the tip along the inside edge of the stone. Fire control and extinguishing were controlled by a switch bar on the stove.


    ¡­ In my mind, I called it a charcoal stick. The accent was on the charcoal. Even though this was a magic tool, it could be used without hesitation. It was still strange, though. I wondered what was going on with the fuel.


    I put it on high heat and kept stirring for a while, and it would come to a boil. A white foamy scum would come up, so I did my best to scoop it out. It was better to use a deep pot, because at this point, the water really rose to the top.


    If you were too busy scooping, it would burn at the bottom of the pan, so be sure to stir the whole thing and turn the heat down or up to prevent spilling. Well, the basic steps. If you didn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be able to boil it down for any length of time, and I thought the color would be more beautiful if you finished it in a shorter time. Ah, I was the kind of person who didn¡¯t add lemon juice. This depended on what you like.


    If you wanted to keep the strawberry grains, do so moderately; otherwise, thoroughly mash the strawberries with a ladle with holes and stir constantly to prevent burning.


    When the fine bubbles became large and shiny, it was time to finish.


    Turn off the heat and check for boiling over. You could let it cool on a small plate and see how thick it was, or you could drop a little of it into a glass of cold water and see if it hardened. I guessed the trick was not to check it while it was hot because it got hard when it cooled down. Well, but the degree of thickening was also a matter of taste.


    While the jam was still hot, pour it into sterilized jars until it was about nine-tenths full, then cover tightly and leave them to cool while you turned them upside down. Yes! It was done~. That was fast, it was already done.


    If you wanted to keep it for a longer period of time, place it in a pot with the lid up, fill the jar with water until it was completely covered, and heat it. When the water boiled enough, turn off the heat and let it cool naturally. There was a vacuum bottle 2. That would last a long time!


    While I was happily simmering, Dr. Daniel came for a house call. On his way home, I would give it to him as a souvenir.


    I was being watched. I-was-found-out!


    Oh, my God. I¡¯m so embarrassed!


    Eh, was there a road out there? Wow, I had no idea¡­ He saw me twirling around in the strawberries bushes and even squatted down to rub my ankles.


    Hey, Mark, you could at least call out to me. I couldn¡¯t believe he was telling Dr. Daniel. Even this silver-foxed man treated me like a child. I kept telling him I was twenty-eight years old.


    No, I was not being disrespected or dumbfounded by any means, I could feel the goodwill, but it was itchy! I was not used to being spoiled!


    Since my grandmother died of old age when I was eleven, and my parents both died in an accident when I was thirteen, I¡¯d never been pampered by anyone, so I¡¯d forgotten how to do it.


    Eh, brother? He was quick-paced and his motto was independence. Yeah, that was the guy. If he hadn¡¯t met my sister-in-law, he would have been alone for sure. Thank you, sister-in-law, for your romance with my brother.


    Really, I had fond memories of fretting until the day of the wedding about what would happen if they came to their senses and destroyed it. Well, they¡¯d been married for six years now, and the disease still didn¡¯t seem to be cured. Getting along well was a beautiful thing.


    It was hard back then when my parents died. I didn¡¯t have any other relatives to associate with besides my late grandmother, and I was being sent off as a favor to all my neighbors and school teachers. I guessed it helped that my brother was an adult. After my brother got a U-turn job, I finally settled down.


    The reason why I got rid of my house in the suburbs and bought a cozy apartment near my brother¡¯s workplace in the center of the city was to ¡°shovel snow¡±¡­ Maintaining a house in the north takes a lot of time and effort. Especially in winter. With me as a junior high school student doing housework and going to school, and my brother as a new employee busy with work, it was too much for us to handle.


    The road in front of our house was a little narrow, so the city¡¯s snow plows didn¡¯t come through as often as they should. As we worked together with our neighbors, we moved the large shovel, feeling bitter about the snow that was falling. We worked until after nine o¡¯clock at night, and the road finally took shape, but it was an everyday occurrence to wake up in the morning and find the road buried under newly fallen snow.


    We had to take care of the garden and the roof. After two years of trying, we moved out when I graduated from junior high school, rather than seeing the house that my parents had cared for deteriorate under our care.


    The apartment was a little small for a family, and there were many retired couples who had moved in for the same reason. Then, there were the newlyweds who worked together. After all, snow was a big deal. It was heavy.


    Snow shoveling was done by the management company, so there was no need for residents to shovel snow, and apartments were warmer than houses, even in the northern part of Japan. There were no stairs in the house and it was barrier-free. There was a janitor who would take care of your luggage even if you were not home. If you wanted, they could watch over yours. This was probably due in part to that the apartment was designed to be friendly to the elderly.


    In an apartment building where the average age of the residents was high, my siblings who had lost their parents were treated very well. I thought they were all being kind, or maybe they just had time on their hands. In the morning and in the evening, when I met them, they would stop me and gave me pickles, stews, and vegetables. In fact, the food was a big help. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do with the dozens of crepe straps I had accumulated, but¡­ Each one was so cute, but when they were gathered together, they were a kind of powerful.


    And even if we got along, they were all old, so they were disappearing fast.


    It was inevitable, but it still made me sad every time.


    ¡°You can¡¯t help it. You shouldn¡¯t have hang out with them if you cared so much.¡±


    ¡­ I just remembered. That was what my long-time boyfriend said to me when I suddenly remembered it.


    It didn¡¯t matter now whether the true meaning of this statement was to comfort me, to resent me for being depressed over something I couldn¡¯t control, or simply to show the indifference of human relationships.


    I remember feeling like I had a soft part in my heart crushed as I replied, ¡®Yes, you¡¯re right¡¯.


    Whether it was natural or unavoidable, what was sad was sad, and what was lonely was lonely. I didn¡¯t want any opinions, I just wanted to hear ¡°I see¡±.


    I didn¡¯t know how we managed to stay together for six years without being able to compensate each other for such minor differences.


    As I was pondering in a daze while putting away the laundry, there was a knock on the door of the housekeeping room and Lady Adelaide appeared.


    ¡°Margaret, what do you think of this? The cloth is sturdy, and the color is dark, so it won¡¯t show much if it gets dirty.¡±


    She was holding a navy blue one-piece dress in her hands. If you looked closely, you could see that it was made of a woven fabric with a fine ground pattern, with a lace of the same color discreetly attached to the collar and hem. It had a modest V-neck and sleeves that allowed for effortless movement. I did as I was told and tried on the dress, and it fit perfectly. I thought it looked pretty good on me.


    ¡°My, you look great. Then, try on this one too. But are you sure? In an old-fashioned dress like this one.¡±


    This was good! I emphatically told her that repeatedly, and Lady Adelaide finally accepted.


    Clothes¡­ Lady Adelaide¡¯s clothes were pretty. Indeed, it was a little different from the way the women in the village dressed. Perhaps, as she said, the model was old, but this one looked better to me. Even though it was the same dress, it did not emphasize the waist and chest too much, so there was no need for a tight corset, and the roomy cut allowed for simple movement. But that didn¡¯t mean that the skirt was unnecessarily bulging.


    This way, it was simple to the point and cute.


    For the people here, there seemed to be a difference between clothes and kimonos, but for me, both clothes were far from each other. New and old were meaningless. I thought it was natural to think of the one you like. And I didn¡¯t want to haunt the villagers with bustiers and corsets. And before that, corsets were tough on a thin Mongolian body, it would hit my bones!


    Lady Adelaide took good care of her clothes, even the ones from her youth. It was not the most admirable thing for a noblewoman to do, but I understood the feeling.


    At my age of almost 30, I was less likely to jump into new designs and more likely to rotate my favorite clothes¡­ Even if they were a little out of fashion. Ah, I knew, it was a step towards becoming an old lady, yes. I might understand, but I didn¡¯t agree! It was called being open, that was.


    Such was the generosity with which Lady Adelaide¡¯s clothing collection had been given away. I was grateful.


    I heard that I had to go to the Imperial Capital once my injuries were fully healed, so I hoped to see a cloth shop over there then. We didn¡¯t have a big fabric store here.


    This village was just far enough away to make a day trip to Imperial Capital, and since everyone went to the other side of the country to do a little shopping, the stores in the village sold only daily necessities. A greengrocer, a butcher, a blacksmith. We had minor items and underwear, but not much in the way of clothing. I didn¡¯t see any precious metal stores either. Oh, there was no pastry shop either, just a corner of the bakery with some baked goods. Everyone baked their own sweets. I heard there was a gift shop in the capital that sold sweets¡­ I was a little curious.


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t know if you can handle it. If your body hurts, tell Daniel immediately and take a break. Just take it easy on yourself, okay?¡±


    Oh, that was really sweet of you. I had had no one to worry about my health in a long time, so every time someone told me to take it easy, I wanted to take it easy. I would be careful.


    I thanked her and hurriedly put away my clothes. As for what this navy blue outfit was for¡­ Actually, Dr. Daniel, who just left, asked me to be the nursemaid at the clinic.


    He asked me if I would be willing to work with the children who came to the clinic once or twice a week for half a day each.


    There was no such thing as a daycare center in this village. They wanted to help mothers with small children or elderly people who wanted to go to the clinic but could not due to their own illness or injury. In short, it was a good luck charm between medical appointments.


    If you could see a doctor in peace, you could come see him before your symptoms get worse, and as a result, you would heal faster. That was true.


    ¡°I¡¯m having Mark babysit for me right now, but he¡¯s not very good. It would be more helpful for us if he could stay by my side as my assistant.¡±


    It was hard on Mark when the kids were around. I didn¡¯t know what to say, that guy was nice, but he didn¡¯t show his true feelings, or he put a line between others. Not so much at this time, but I also had the feeling that he was very guarded in the beginning. In the first place, I didn¡¯t think he was the type of person who would willingly play with children.


    Blond hair, blue eyes, and tall. He was very popular with the young girls in the village because he had a very nice face, like any prince, but he didn¡¯t seem to be happy about it or use it well, he seemed uninterested and aloof¡­ You okay, Mark? You must have been younger than me, but you were already withering away. This sister would be worried.


    Ha! He was that kind of guy!? No, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize that. I¡¯ll secretly ask him next time. Sis, I looked normal, but I had a high tolerance, don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t look at you funny! Ah, I should have listened to Yuko properly if this was going to happen. I was not very knowledgeable¡­ I might not be able to help you much. But if you were serious, I would support you. Leave it to me!


    ¡°Everyone in the village knows Margaret well by now. Even if you can¡¯t speak, you¡¯re still able to shop, right? You can¡¯t write with a child who can¡¯t read, but I think you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll pay you well¡¯, the doctor continued mischievously. He¡¯d kill two birds with one stone if he made house calls like he did today, since I¡¯d be there and it¡¯d save the doctor a lot of trouble¡­Doctor. It would give you less of an excuse to see Lady Adelaide, was that okay? Ah, you looked like you were not worried. That was good.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±¡­ Yeah, thanks for buying so much for me, Dr. Daniel. If someone else had told me this, I would have thought that it was just flattery to keep the orison around. But I could trust Dr. Daniel. There were many reasons for this, but most of all, because Lady Adelaide believed in the doctor.


    That was why I decided to try my hand at being a nursemaid at the clinic next week, in between my chores at the mansion.

 CH 6

    I thought I was born with a good life, but there was nothing that interested me.


    Growing up as an illegitimate child of the Count¡¯s family in a remote part of the mansion, it was not pleasant to see my mother being scorned by the children of the main wife and being pushed around by a man who could not be called a husband.


    Even so, I suppose I was fortunate to have been blessed financially enough to lead an unencumbered life.


    My behavior was controlled and restricted, though not as much as my half-brother¡¯s. The only time I was free was while reading a book. Thanks to that, I¡¯d read all the books in the mansion. Still, there was nothing of interest. I kept reading just to escape from the hand that was controlling me for a moment.


    As the years went by, there was a gap between me and my half-brothers and sisters; my grades, my looks. The main wife and her sons were not amused by this and attacked me occasionally with nonsense. When I didn¡¯t respond to them, it escalated. It would have been better if I had responded appropriately at some point, but even that seemed like a waste of time and I let go, which turned out to be a bad idea.


    There were just over six months left until school graduation. Would I continue to join some laboratory or move on to prepare for entering the House of Lords? I didn¡¯t have a single interest in my future, and just consumed my days, hoping for the best.


    I was still feuding with my half-brother, but I hadn¡¯t expected him to attack so overtly. The direct reason was, ah, I messed with the older fool¡¯s fianc¨¦e. How disgusting. I was not inconvenienced enough to take someone else¡¯s. It was the other side that forced me to come. It was just too much trouble to say no, but they didn¡¯t care about that.


    ¡°Oh, here he is. Not a bad day to be playing hide and seek, is it?¡±


    In a corner of a deserted back street in the capital, I was looking for an opportunity to escape while shielding my side from the stab of a hired thug, when a stranger called out to me indulgently. He was slender and tall, not badly dressed, but his face was unrecognizable due to the deep hat he wore.


    The weather was certainly not conducive to outdoor activities, with a light drizzle mixed with sleet, but it was hard to gauge the true intentions of this elderly man who seemed to have a reason to talk to me like that. The wound was not that deep, but it would be troubling to see it bleed more than expected.


    ¡°¡­¡­If you don¡¯t want to get involved, go away.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m a doctor, even though I don¡¯t look like one. It¡¯s not in my nature to overlook an injured person.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hey, you¡­ Hgh, guh.¡±


    Despite his leisurely tone, I was pinned down to the ground with a brilliant touch, and healing magic was poured into my wounds without question. I was in extreme pain and felt faint in the head as the maximum amount of magic that could be absorbed was poured into my body with no consideration.


    ¡°Well, my treatment is quite expensive. From the looks of it, you don¡¯t have any money on you, so I¡¯ll let you pay me with your body.¡±


    My consciousness plunged into darkness as I thought, quite calmly, that this guy was also a pawn of that guy.


    I woke up on a cot. The window was on one side, and there were multiple people behind the curtains that hung around the three remaining beds. My head was heavy and hazy, but gradually I could hear what was being said.


    ¡°¡­Ou¡­ And here¡¯s the pain again¡­ huh.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s the season. There are a lot of them, especially on rainy days.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I know! It hurts so badly, I can¡¯t bear it.¡±


    It seemed to be some kind of clinic. The older woman¡¯s voice complained endlessly about the pain in her knee, while the soothing voice of the calmer man continued. After that, there was a constant stream of patients with abdominal pains, sprains, and children with fevers, so it was quite busy. The voice of the man who seemed to be a doctor reassured everyone, and they left.


    I listened to the changing voices as if they were a lullaby.


    ¡°Oh, how are you feeling? I think your head is clearing.¡±


    Before I knew it, the patient seemed to have disappeared. It was raining outside, and the time was vague, but judging from the darkness, it was probably well past dusk. I couldn¡¯t make out the man¡¯s expression due to the backlighting from the examination room.


    ""


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to get up. I¡¯ve closed the wound, but it¡¯s not healed yet. You¡¯re young, and if you stay like that until morning, well, you¡¯ll be able to move. Now, you need to sleep. Then, we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    He patted my head as if I was a child and left¡­¡­It¡¯d been years since I¡¯d had my head touched.


    Is he a friend or a foe? I closed my eyes again, my head was skeptical, but my heart was relieved. My eyes vaguely watched the man behind the swaying curtain.


    The man introduced himself as Daniel Reynolds. He said he was a doctor who ran a clinic here in Meissery, a short distance from the royal capital¡­ I knew that name.


    ¡°Reynor, the chief physician of the royal court¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be happy if you call me Dr. Daniel now. I have long since retired.¡±


    He told me to cover it, but I was only surprised to see a highly respected doctor who was probably no stranger to the nobility. I see. I didn¡¯t think there was anyone else who could immediately activate healing magic after judging my tolerance level just by looking at me. I was sure it was him.


    He said he had gone to return a book to the library in the royal capital. He said he had a favorite bookstore in that area and was going to stop by on his way home when he found me lurking in an alleyway. He told me plainly that he¡¯d always been good at finding kids who were hiding.


    As if I had forgotten my usual caution, I told him everything about myself and my background, not because I heard his name, but because I was carried away by his atmosphere.


    It was not sweet, but all-embracing, an atmosphere that could never be rejected or denied.


    ¡°Inclusion¡± ¡­ Maybe that was what this was called.


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ve heard some things about the Disraeli family. So you¡¯re the son of the good man. So, Mark. What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to kick your brothers to the curb and take over, or are you going to find another way? Do you want to get even for getting stabbed? Or do you want to just walk away?


    ¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought of them. It was annoying to be done, but that was it. As I went about my day, I didn¡¯t feel any emotion. I was alive because I couldn¡¯t die. I didn¡¯t want to die willingly, but I also didn¡¯t want to live and do anything.


    Dr. Daniel smiled and poured me another cup of hot tea.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need time. I¡¯ve taken care of the wound, and it will heal quickly, but you should stay here for a while. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see some things as you go along.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can you let me stay here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to work to pay for the treatment.¡±


    He said that so lightly. I knew that I could not pay for his medical treatment anytime soon.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have enough credits to graduate from the school? I know some of the professors there, and I¡¯ll talk to them. Let¡¯s heal the wound first. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but the weapon was even carefully coated with poison. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t die instantly.¡±


    ¡°He wanted me gone so badly, didn¡¯t he? Well, it seems to have been for nothing.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the part where you should get mad¡­¡±


    He introduced me to the patients visiting the clinic as an intern assistant. Life in the moderately sized country town was peaceful itself.


    During office hours, I stood by Dr. Daniel¡¯s side, followed his instructions, helped him with the details, and at night I borrowed his books to read. It was interesting to learn about medicine. It was the first time I had studied something and found it interesting, which surprised me.


    Few people were injured, probably because most of the residents had a calm temperament. Why was he only dealing with patients who were under his skills as the first physician of the royal court?


    He could make as much money as he wanted by staying in royal capital and treating the nobility, but why was he here for an almost free consultation?


    Why did he pick me up in the first place? Even if he was right and couldn¡¯t overlook the injured, why would he keep me here when he would just send me home and be done with my treatment¡­? There was so much about Dr. Daniel that I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°My, Daniel, it¡¯s been so long. Ah, so that¡¯s the new assistant.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s nice to meet you¡¯, said an elegant woman of the same age as Dr. Daniel, smiling softly. I was taken to a nobleman¡¯s mansion on the outskirts of the village, backed by a forest, to make a house call. Buddy, the big dog, and this former Countess Adelaide Dustin lived here, one person and one dog.


    ¡°Addy, how are you? He¡¯s Mark Disraeli. I picked him up in royal capital.¡±


    The afternoon tea was naturally prepared while they laughed peacefully at the fact that something good had fallen¡­ I thought we were here for a house call.


    On the table in front of us were two kinds of baked sweets and cups of fragrant tea, both of which were probably made by the madam. The boss was completely at ease, and I understood that this was a regular occurrence.


    I saw nothing modern about the way she dressed or lived. If you called her outdated, you were right, but she seemed appropriate for this place where time seemed to have stopped.


    Apparently, these two old friends met occasionally for a cup of tea and called it a house call. The time passed peacefully, and we left the house, making no plans for the next appointment.


    We walked back to the clinic in a blazing sunset.


    ¡°¡­ The only reason you¡¯re in this village, Doctor, is because she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°That is so. She¡¯s very important to me.¡±


    When I was a little surprised to see Dr. Daniel asserting himself without hiding, he paused and looked straight at me.


    ¡°Mark. Status and money are meaningless if you don¡¯t have them when you need them. I couldn¡¯t help her. That fact will never go away.¡±


    I wondered what he was going to blurt out. After a moment¡¯s delay, I realized that this was a topic that he had talked about once before and had never come up again.


    ¡°If you can reach out your hand, you should. One day, it will help you. It¡¯ll come in handy when you have something to protect.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I have nothing to protect.¡±


    ¡°Protecting women and children is the true meaning of a man¡¯s life, I believe.¡±


    His tone was joking, but his expression was bitter.


    ¡°In the meantime, you should start by accepting the favors you are given. I will not ask you to suddenly fall in love with someone. You don¡¯t have to reply, just receive the words and feelings first. Then you¡¯ll start to remember that you¡¯re human¡­. You know, you¡¯re just one person, Mark.¡±


    Because I didn¡¯t treat myself as a person, they would do the same to me. That was why it was so easy to kill me. Of course, the fault laid entirely with the other side.


    The words, tinted by the setting sun, pierced the back of my mind and would not leave.


    In the end, I spent about four months in Meissery. After returning to royal capital and graduating from the academy, I spent some time learning the basics at the academy¡¯s medical department while staying at the Royal Academy of Medicine under the arrangement of Dr. Daniel.


    My entry into the medical clinic suspended the succession struggle, and with Daniel Reynolds behind me, the outward attacks on me were muted.


    When I had gained most of the knowledge and skills, and had made some acquaintances, if not friends, I returned to Meissery.


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t call you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be your apprentice.¡±


    ¡®You are still a funny kid, you know that?¡¯ Having said that, this mentor with deep pockets accepted me again. I wanted to live beside this person more than my birth parents.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll take care of you in the end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve become an old geezer to miss that kind of talk, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Before I knew it, I was smiling, looked back into the eyes that were watching me happily, and I thanked him profusely.


    Before the clinic started, I went to the forest to gather some medicinal herbs that might run out. Healing magic was effective for external wounds, but not for internal diseases, so medication was required. This forest, protected by the Count Dustin¡¯s family, was home to many kinds of medicinal herbs, which the doctor and I had permission to collect.


    I found what I was looking for, and as I approached the path that led to the backyard of Lady Adelaide¡¯s mansion, I heard the light, joyful squeal of a friend.


    When I looked over, I saw Margaret spinning around, twirling the basket in her hands as if she were dancing. Black hair fluttering near her shoulders, the hem of her skirt spreading gently¡­. The sun was shining softly around her as if it was only there, and the waltz that was supposed to be inaudible could be heard on the wind.


    As I stopped to stare, she suddenly crouched down and clasped her ankles. That was probably true, she was not healed yet. If it weren¡¯t for the doctor¡¯s treatment, she would still be in bed.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, for some reason I felt warmth in my chest. Just as I was about to go help her, she stood up and walked slowly with Buddy as if nothing had happened.


    I watched her go back to the villa and went back home.


    I found myself always looking for her.


    When I met my teacher, I became a ¡°human¡±. And now, I couldn¡¯t hold on to my newfound emotions.


    She had a straightforward gaze, a smile with no hidden agenda. The carefree look she had on her face when she was with Lady Adelaide or my teacher. White fingertips touching the palms of conversing hands¡­ everything that was far away from me.


    I held them in my hands and didn¡¯t want to let them go.


    I knew the name that will be attached to this feeling. But I didn¡¯t want to use such trite words to describe this urge I felt for the first time in my life.


    Margaret dismissed as unnecessary many of the privileges she should have received as the Spirit Orison. It seemed that what she sought was not the ostentatious adoration of many people, but only the affection and gratitude of those closest to her.


    I wondered what the world looked like in her two-colored eyes, which always wore an air of serenity. I wondered how different the world she saw from my own.


    It would be full of light, and I hoped one day to know it.

 CH 7

    Chapter 7 - Margaret


    What woke me up in the morning was not the electronic sound of an alarm clock, but the sound of birds singing from the forest.


    If that was what I listened to, my, how wonderful! But they were pretty noisy. I didn¡¯t wake up every morning with, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pleasant morning¡±, but rather, ¡°Oh, everything looks good today¡­.¡± I woke up every morning feeling a little down.


    Volume control function, please. I also want to turn off snooze.


    I lightly made my bed and went downstairs to get ready. First and foremost, I went to the kitchen. Lady Adelaide was already awake and had started preparing breakfast by boiling water and so on. I tried my best to make sure it shouldn¡¯t be her, but I¡¯d never been able to beat Lady Adelaide¡¯s early rising¡­ It was not like I was oversleeping. She was incredible.


    That was why Lady Adelaide prepared breakfast. I did the cleanup and lunch. We prepared dinner together, and I clean up. I naturally settled into a rotation.


    I knocked on the open door three times so that she would know I was here, and hugged Lady Adelaide tightly as a good morning greetings.


    ¡°Good morning, Margaret. You¡¯re going to Daniel¡¯s today, and I assume you¡¯re bringing lunch?¡±


    I nodded as I lifted the lidded basket to put my lunch in, and I told her that I had thought to take something for Daniel and Mark while I was there. This was the kind of thing that made us smile with happiness.


    So, I went out with a colander to fetch some eggs. There they were, the chickens! These chickens were part of my wake-up call. I could say that they were the key members.


    A volume control function was especially needed. I wondered if there were any screws in their backs.


    On the way to the chicken coop between the house and the backyard, I walked around and pulled out two small Japanese mustard spinach-like greens that were growing around the area. I liked this.


    Five chickens, not the white ones you see in Japan, but a dark brown base. They were smaller, almost like bantams 1. But the thing that made all the difference was their torsos¡­ They were so fluffy. They were a little different from silky fowls. What was that, a tawny? Ishikawa Goemon? A few hairs like a peacock¡¯s crown were standing on it. It swayed and looked cute when it moved. Also, the tail was long.


    To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with birds. The way they moved in unexpected ways, the way the feathers shone on their neck, and so on. But as you could imagine, I got used to them after taking care of them every day ¨C still blocking my path, oh, oh, oh? And I kept doing this thing where I was like a hallway matchmaker.


    I lured them to the back of the hut with a snack of greens, and while they were tucking into their food, I picked up the eggs and put them in a colander. These children always gave birth in a certain place, which was very helpful. The smaller their body was, the smaller the eggs. It was about the size of the small eggs in Japan. There were four lovely eggs today, with light brown shells¡­ Who took the day off?


    I waved to them that I¡¯d be back later to clean and feed them, and left the henhouse to find a wagging tail Buddy waiting for me¡­ with little ones on his back. Good morning, Buddy and fairies. I put the egg colander by my side and stroke them for a moment.


    As soon as I was able to move, the fairies stopped coming to my room and started to appear when I was in the garden or near the forest. Most of the time, they stuck with Buddy. They were so cute, these good friends of mine.


    They did nothing, after a few moments of attention, they were satisfied and left. These kids didn¡¯t have voices either, but I could feel them cackling and laughing as they fly away, so I knew they were here to play since they had the same face as the children when they ran away from ¡°The Daruma Fell Over¡±2.


    So, when I returned with my buddy, breakfast was already ready and tea was just being made.


    This morning¡¯s menu consisted of freshly baked bread, bacon and potato soup, and a beautifully colored green salad with half a boiled egg slice on each side. A small piece of madeleine-like baked goods that I made yesterday were served with the tea. Oh, and of course there was strawberry jam.


    I put the eggs away in a shelf that looked like a fly-net cupboard, washed my hands, and took a seat. When Buddy got to the food positions, we all said ¡°Thank you for the food¡± together.


    It was now six in the morning. See, I didn¡¯t oversleep, did I?


    It took about fifteen minutes to get to the clinic if you walked straight. My arm injury was certified as fully healed, but my leg was still a little tender, so I was told to walk slowly and take it easy. Yeah, I couldn¡¯t turn it anymore.


    With a basket of lunch in one hand, I walked leisurely with Buddy as my companion. I waved back at the villagers we met along the way, and the children who were playing followed us.


    I patted Buddy on the neck, he squealed and went back the way he came¡­¡­I knew this child was smart. If this one also picked me up on the way home, I was going to fall in love with him.


    The clinic looked like an ordinary house with no sign. The first floor was the clinic and the second floor was the doctor¡¯s house. I was told that Mark had rented a house nearby, so the doctor lived here alone.


    Ringing the bell on the front door with a clang, ¡®Good morning!¡¯ I greeted them with enthusiasm and went inside.


    Today was actually the second time I¡¯d come here, since I¡¯d always had the doctors come to me. Looking around the still unfamiliar room¡­ Opening the front door, I saw a waiting room with two couches in front of it. There was no reception desk, and behind the door in front was an examination room that also served as a water and dispensing space. I believed there were a hospital bed and a doctor¡¯s lounge on the far side of the room with a curtain separating them.


    Behind the door of the examination room and a small partition, there was a staircase that led to the second floor of the doctor¡¯s house.


    When I noticed a wooden box in front of the couch and approached it, the door to the examination room opened and someone else approached me. It was Dr. Daniel.


    ¡°Hey, welcome. That¡¯s where I left the one Mark brought in yesterday. Let me know if there¡¯s anything else you need.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After a quick check, I smiled and nodded that I was okay, and he urged me to get ready and prepare, since the cleaning was already done. Hey, where was Mark? The question seemed to be on my face.


    ¡°Mark¡¯s got a letter to go to, and bandages while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    Once I was satisfied, I got ready for the nursery. With the doctor¡¯s permission, I spread out the rug by the couch near the wall. This was the end of my preparations, though.


    Yesterday evening, Mark brought me this rug and a few toys. I was preparing to bring those in myself today, when Mark suddenly came to the house and quickly took those away. I tried to at least follow him to the clinic, but he told me it was almost dark and I didn¡¯t have to come out¡­ What was with that feminist hottie? A prince.


    It was true that in this village, where there were hardly any streetlights, it quickly became pitch black when the sun went down.


    Especially Lady Adelaide¡¯s house; there were no other houses nearby, and the back was a forest. If I were to go out at night feeling like I was in Japan, I was confident that I would be lost in no time.


    When I went out at night, I carried a magic tool version of a lantern, but after all, this was the countryside, so basically, few people went out at night. The cafeteria and other places closed down after sunset¡­ Inconvenience was inconvenience. However, living in harmony with the sun was surprisingly comfortable for the body.


    Mark returned while I was putting my lunch basket in the break room. This sister needed to talk to you for a minute before the patient arrived. I didn¡¯t have time to tell him yesterday.


    I¡¯d like to tap him on the shoulder, but he was too tall for that, so I tugged on his sleeve like a child and thanked him for carrying the load. Ah, apart from that, when he answered vaguely, and I complained about what he told Dr. Daniel, he looked at me as if he were watching something interesting.


    ¡°The doctor, as the attending physician, needs to be aware of the patient¡¯s behavior, and I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s better to report to him as his assistant.¡±


    I understood that, but it was embarrassing!


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to be reckless and develop strange habits and pain. Now, listen to me and be quiet.¡±


    Hey! You blockhead, I am your elder! I am twenty-eight years old!


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a woman four years older than me. If you act like an older woman, I¡¯ll treat you as such, young lady.¡±


    Yeah, that was a pleasant smile, handsome. Even Dr. Daniel was laughing, come on.


    I was so frustrated that I took today¡¯s lunch as a hostage and made him promise to call out to me whenever he saw me in the backyard. I¡¯d baked pancakes because the doctor said he liked them before, with cheese and poppy seeds, and a salad with grilled chicken. How was that? Now there would be no more surprises¡­ mostly. Maybe.


    While I was doing this, a patient with a child came to see me.


    ""


    It was Anna, the young wife of a haberdasher, who came to the clinic with an infant in her left hand and a three-year-old girl in her right. She was pale to look at. I hurriedly took care of the little ones and made them sit on the waiting couch for now.


    ¡°¡­¡­.S-Sorry. Plea-se¡­ I¡¯ve got diapers and stuff here¡­¡±


    I took the cloth bundle from her shoulder, let her catch her breath, and have Mark pull her slowly into the examination room. The baby was sleeping peacefully, but I was not sure about the sister. When I looked into her face to see if she was okay with being left behind by her mother, she looked a little anxious, so I smiled and took her hand and led her onto the rug.


    This cute little girl with blond curly hair who sat quietly while scurrying around was Mariella. You were always so quiet, but you were still worried about your mother¡¯s health, weren¡¯t you?


    Her eyes lit up as I pulled out a cloth doll from a wooden box. All right, let¡¯s play with dolls.


    ¡°The doctor¡¯s visit is over, but I¡¯d like to give her some medicine and let her rest for a while, if possible. Can you still wait?¡±


    We were playing with dolls for a while and I was enjoying the warm weight of her on my left arm, when Mark came to ask, but Mariella was very cheerful, ¡®I¡¯m not leaving yet, more play!¡¯ She replied without even looking at Mark¡¯s face. Hahaha, children. Mark chuckled and went back to attending to the patients that kept coming in.


    After that, May, the grocer, and Daisy, the farmer, came to the hospital with their little ones. Of course, other patients were coming, and as expected, the only clinic in the village was quite busy.


    The people in the village basically helped each other, so they could leave their children with their neighbors and came to the clinic. However, we all knew that everyone was busy, so mothers tended to put up with their own problems. It was the same in every world.


    I might not be able to come every day, but I hoped I could be of some help.


    The rug was thriving as the children switched places. Everyone was nice and played along and waited for me, so I was a little overzealous and got distracted.


    The toys I brought were not that varied. I produced a doll, some clothes to change into, some leftover cloth, and some old beans to make a beanbag, and a small handbag, small enough for a child to carry, and a few large handkerchiefs.


    Since it was small children and babies up to three years old who waited here, it should be soft and light. They could dress up their dolls, pile up their beanbags, or repeatedly put something in and out of their handbag. Even the little ones who were a little squirmy stopped crying when I showed them how to play with three balls. All right! I was glad I had done this with my grandmother.


    It would have been nice if we could have sung a hand game or something. I couldn¡¯t help it, I didn¡¯t have a voice. I knew a lot of them, though.


    The time in the waiting room nursery passed quickly as the other patients teased me with the usual line, ¡®Margaret, you¡¯ve suddenly become a mother of many¡¯.


    The three of us ate our pancakes in peace, although I was a little bummed that Lady Adelaide had made me have lunch alone, I also spent my time as a nanny until around three o¡¯clock, when the afternoon patients stopped coming in.


    When I opened the door to the clinic to let Mark drop me off, I found Buddy sitting there waiting for me.


    Buddy, what a good boy! I would fall in love with you!

 CH 8

    ¡°Oh, I thought you were sending Margaret off?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Buddy came to pick her up.¡±


    Apparently, my assistant was defeated by a dog. When I nodded with a strained look on my face, he bent his head down and said that I could laugh without holding back.


    Mark sighed lightly and organized the charts of today¡¯s patients in the seat next to me as I laughed unreservedly.


    ¡­ I didn¡¯t think he would change as much as he did. He had the eyes of that wounded beast, a child that kept his distance from everything, including himself.


    I found him on the back roads of the capital by sheer accident, but I had no particular reason to keep him here¡­ No. Maybe it was because I felt like I was looking at my old self. For some reason, he overlapped with myself at the time when I had no position, power, or money to resist, and could only clench my fists and send that person off.


    Was it regret or atonement? I knew I couldn¡¯t change the past, and I knew she didn¡¯t want that.


    My eyes fell on the magnificent envelope that had arrived today on the side of the examination table. It was a letter informing Margaret of a visitor from the capital. The same thing would have been sent to Addy. She seemed to accept it. I knew it was meddlesome of me, but I took the liberty of interjecting myself, and now I was going to have to deal with the consequences. I wondered what Addy would have thought.


    ¡°¡­ Today was a good day.¡±


    My assistant¡¯s voice brought me back to attention. He meant Margaret.


    ¡°Yes, it was a far cry from babysitting. It was as if she had been studying to be a kindergarten teacher. Lunch was wonderful, too.¡±


    ¡°Just leave her alone to babysit¡­. and a kindergarten teacher? She wasn¡¯t a saleswoman?¡±


    ¡°No, she studied education in school before she started working. She said that the school she was supposed to go to as a teacher suddenly disappeared, and it was just a matter of chance that she became a saleswoman.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d only heard about it briefly once in the early days, so I forgot about it until recently, too¡­ I finally remembered when I said we should get a nanny.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at Mark as he flipped through the documents with a somewhat complicated expression on his face¡­ He was young. Did he want to learn everything so badly? He was really into it. It was funny because I felt like him in that way too. Even though we were not related by blood, it was as if he were my own son.


    He must have grown up without parents or nannies. I wondered how the children playing peacefully with Margaret would have looked to him, as he squinted at them whenever he peeked into the waiting room between consultations.


    It was hard to imagine that this bright child was not aware of his feelings, but he might be looking away deliberately. Well, let¡¯s just pretend that I didn¡¯t know about it for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Addy¡¯s tonight to talk about this. Do you want to come too, Mark?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯ll pass. Please let me know when you¡¯re ready to talk.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. You¡¯re a smart kid, after all.¡±


    ¡°Praises won¡¯t get you anywhere.¡±


    I shook the envelope with one hand and threw it on the desk again with a bright wax mark on it, just as the next patient arrived.


    **


    The clever Buddy picked me up after I left the clinic. I haven¡¯t had someone pick me up since I had to leave early in elementary school. It tickled my heart, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin and stroke Buddy walking beside me every time I made eye contact with him¡­ Hehe.


    Today was fun. I was actually a little nervous from last night, but I was relieved to see that it went well. And it was more fun than that. I had interacted with the children when I went out to the village for errands and walks, but it had been a long time since I interacted with them in any depth, even for a short time. I hadn¡¯t been to a kindergarten since I was in junior college.


    Yes. The me that was working in a department store was actually planning to become a kindergarten teacher. I was studying in early childhood education department of a prefectural junior college in the city next door, and I even got a job offer at a kindergarten near where my brother and I lived, and yet¡­ How could they suddenly announce the closing of the structure in February, just before graduation? I was surprised by that. The children who went to the school didn¡¯t know about it and seemed to be very confused.


    The point was that they were just barely making ends meet due to financial difficulties, but I wished they had told us a little earlier. Other kindergartens had long since finished hiring, and the only thing they were looking for was part-time workers. In addition, the former employees of the closing kindergarten were also looking for jobs, and as a recent graduate with no experience, I instantly lost my place after graduation.


    At that time, I found a job as a sales clerk at the employment office of my junior college. I was given a full-time position at a local department store that I could commute to from home. Because of the sudden decision to open the store, they hurriedly posted unseasonal jobs.


    To be honest, it was a different field, but as I had to pay off my scholarship, a full-time job was still attractive to me. And the starting salary was about the same. I thought I would start by getting a job, and if there was an opening for a full-time position at one of the kindergartens¡­ I was not sure if it was a bad thing that I was hired in a carefree mood. However, within a year of joining the company, I was ordered to be transferred to the Kanto area under the direct control of the head office.


    It was not normal for a salesperson to be transferred to a new job and to have to move across the border.


    No matter how high I was placed in the newcomer customer service contest.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that the grandfather I saved near the hotel where the event was held was actually a retired chairman.


    I knew nothing about that!


    If an old man with a cane walking beside you was about to fall, you would probably reach out to him.


    So, if they were going to the same place, they would at least back off.


    I didn¡¯t do anything.


    For a while, I was called a mistress, or an illegitimate child, or some such nonsense¡­.What was I supposed to do with an 80+ year old man I¡¯d never met before? It was just like drinking a cup of tea and listening to the saga of his youth.


    I couoldn¡¯t say no to an imperial order, and at the same time, there was talk of my brother getting married, so I thought, ¡®Why don¡¯t I just leave the newlyweds in this apartment since I¡¯m leaving?¡¯


    Because of that I¡¯d been drifting along for eight years. That I was here because I was involved in that accident. Well, what could I say? All was not as it seemed. Yes, something like that. I¡¯d come a long way. I wondered what kind of palm fruit I would get.


    I studied early childhood education, but not childcare. Children were cute after all. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to come here and engage with children¡­ Thank you, doctor.


    When I arrived at the villa, Lady Adelaide was sitting on a rocking chair on the balcony with her eyes closed. Since she was taking a nap, I pulled the blanket over her before seeing the letter on her lap.


    It was made of some kind of high-grade paper with a wax seal firmly pressed on it. She must have read it, because there were signs of it being opened. While I was hesitating about what to do because I didn¡¯t want to drop it, but I was also afraid to touch someone¡¯s letter, Lady Adelaide woke up after Buddy licked her hand.


    ¡°Oh, welcome back, you two¡­ I fell asleep.¡±


    Huh, I thought. She felt kind of down. It was a refreshing day today, neither hot nor cold, but I guessed she got cold from napping in the wind. She didn¡¯t look so good¡­¡­.She was so upset that I could see it from the edge. Lady Adelaide gently stroked my head as I kneeled beside the rocking chair.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re worried about me. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired. Let¡¯s get ready for dinner.¡±


    I asked her to rest in bed, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me, so I asked her to at least sit at the kitchen table and let me prepare dinner by myself. Buddy was also worried, so he didn¡¯t leave Lady Adeleide¡¯s side for a long time.


    I gave her a cup of hot tea with honey and told her that Dr. Daniel was coming in the evening, and the color of her face came back a little¡­ Doctor, I couldn¡¯t wait for you to get here.


    We finished dinner as usual, and while we were talking about how my work as nanny was doing at the clinic, the person who had been waiting for us came to the house.


    After leading the doctor to Lady Adelaide in the living room and serving tea, I went down to the kitchen alone.


    ¡®I was just a little tired¡¯, Lady Adelaide said so. Maybe not¡­ However, that letter. That must be the cause. I was sure the doctor knew something about it.


    It¡¯d been a long time since I¡¯d been here, but I¡¯d never had a letter or a visitor from anyone other than the villagers. I hadn¡¯t heard a single word from her son, who was supposed to be in the capital.


    Whatever that letter brought, if it went against Lady Adelaide¡¯s will, we would do our best to stop it. As I swore by the starry sky from my kitchen window, Buddy came to call me.


    As I went to the living room, the doctor told me to sit down and handed me that letter.


    ¡°You can read it. It¡¯s for you, you know.¡±


    I followed his gentle suggestion and opened the very fine paper¡­ Huh, a visitor from the royal capital was coming to see the Spirit Orison. He said that my injuries were still healing and I couldn¡¯t go over there yet, so he was going to come from over there. I thought my injuries were pretty well healed, but the doctor was worried about the long carriage ride and wouldn¡¯t give me permission.


    Following the itinerary and whatnot, the visitor¡¯s name was written. It said that two people were coming.


    Hugh Townsend, a magician from the Academy of Magic. Assistant Prime Minister Walter Dustin from the royal court¡­ Dustin?


    ¡°He¡¯s my son.¡±


    When I looked up in surprise, Lady Adelaide smiled a little sadly and said.


    ""


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time. We haven¡¯t even exchanged letters. You know that, right?¡±


    As she was correct, I nodded meekly.


    ¡°I was living in the capital with my son and his wife, but the city life didn¡¯t really suit me. I¡¯ve retracted here. Shortly thereafter, my son and his wife got divorced¡­ They told me it was my fault.¡±


    What? Divorce would be their problem.


    ¡°It seems that he was told that he had kicked out his disturbing mother. Even though I went out on my own, those children were being made as the bad guys. That¡¯s when things went sour between us. Until this point, I didn¡¯t know a thing about the capital nobles because I never heard of them. There was no one to teach me.¡±


    Lady Adeleide continued to look forlorn with one hand on her cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to look like when I see Walter¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Margaret. I¡¯m sorry to bother you with something that you have no business in.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a bad kid, but he¡¯s stubborn. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll separate public and private matters, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s up to him. It¡¯s just, you know, there are no inns in this village, right?¡±


    Wow, he was going to stay here. That was right, it was his parents¡¯ house, and there were still plenty of spare rooms. But the doctor said, ¡®Bad boy¡¯. How old were you, Walter boy? What, thirty-five? You¡¯re about the same age as my brother¡­ Bad boy¡­ Pfft. No, that was right. He was a bad boy for bothering his mother so much at such an age.


    ¡°The other one, Hugh, is from here too. It¡¯s just that his house is no longer there, so they¡¯ll both have to stay here¡­ What¡¯s the matter, Margaret?¡±


    Oh no, I had to clean! That was right. I didn¡¯t get to the spare room every day! When were they coming? In half a month? Okay. Oh, what about food? Did they have any likes or dislikes? Since they were guests, I wondered if I should make them a special treat. I would have to do a better job of weeding in the front door, because it grew so fast when the weather was nice. I¡¯d better wash the sheets once, too, and air the pillow. I was going to need Patty and Ted, who come in twice a week to do menial work, to come in on an extra basis to help me out. Now, we just needed to order more food and¡­ Eh, ah, the bath! It was really hard to prepare for two people, wasn¡¯t it nice that they did it themselves? They were men, weren¡¯t they? They were strong enough to carry hot water, right? If they had a problem with that, let¡¯s have them go to the river. It was almost summer and they wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. Yeah, let¡¯s do that.


    ¡°¡­ Addy, it doesn¡¯t look like you have much to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I feel a lot better now.¡±


    Huh. I felt a warm glare on my face¡­ It was okay, Lady Adelaide. First of all, let¡¯s give them a good welcome, shall we? Make all their favorite foods and feed them plenty.


    If they were still in a bad mood after a good meal, shove them cookies so powdery it made them choke in their mouth. I wouldn¡¯t give them any tea. I¡¯ll leave their mouths dry.


    Fufu, my arm was going to hurt. Prepare snowball cookies dusted with lots of powdered sugar and whole wheat cookies.


    If you made Lady Adelaide cry, I wouldn¡¯t be an understanding person to you!


    When the doctor left, he patted me on the head and said thank you. I was not quite satisfied with the way I was treated as a child again, but now that Lady Adeleide was feeling better, I guessed it was all good.

 CH 9

    Chapter 9 - Margaret


    While I was working as a nanny at the clinic and weeding the house, the moon was changing and the days were getting longer. The blueberries planted on the side of the backyard were bearing fruits earlier than any other trees in the village, probably because of the sunshine or the soil.


    I picked up a basket of early tomatoes, zucchini, and other so-called summer vegetables that looked good, and thought about tonight¡¯s menu¡­ Caponata, ratatouille, or even pasta¡­ I wondered what Lady Adelaide would like me to make.


    Finally, today, a visitor was coming from the capital. Rather, they should have arrived at the village by now.


    In fact, this village called Meissery was the domain of Count Dustin, the family of Lady Adelaide. If you thought about it, that was true. A Count was, in essence, a nobleman. In Japan, it was a feudal lord. I didn¡¯t know anyone who knew the lord, so I was careless.


    So, after Lady Adelaide¡¯s husband died, his son Walter took over the title, and he became the lord¡­ I would call him Lord at least, no matter how bad a boy he was. I was a worker, too. Politeness and social etiquette were important, right? Fufu.


    The Dustin family had other territories. Since this one was smaller in size and population, they usually left it entirely to the village chief. So, the lord was coming for the first time in a long time, and he was going to be at Lady Adelaide¡¯s mansion after working with the village chief on this and that in the village. I was told that the two of them would arrive around early evening.


    Wasn¡¯t the ¡°invitation¡± the main thing?! I was going to ignore that because I had nothing else to say¡­ No, it wouldn¡¯t just be anything. It would be mainly about money. I was currently in the care of Lady Adelaide, but my living expenses were paid by the government.


    What do I mean by that? The owner of the village was Count Dustin, but this mansion and the surrounding land belonged to Lady Adelaide personally. Incidentally, Lady Adelaide lived off of her personal trust fund, not the Count¡¯s budget. I¡¯d moved in there, but I¡¯d heard that it was the government¡¯s duty to support the lives of orisons and I was being taken care of by the government.


    In other words, I was currently being fed by the taxes of this country and by Lady Adelaide.


    I was grateful that the jobless me was sent here with a place to live, but as a person who had been working all my life, I felt kind of bad about it. I didn¡¯t care if it was when I was older, but I was still young. I wanted to get well as soon as possible and became independent.


    Looking up through my straw hat at the sun that had risen so high¡­ The sky was getting bluer and bluer every day. The same sky color I knew. I knew the wind was the same. But I didn¡¯t know the place. I didn¡¯t know the air.


    The sunshine reminded me that summer was near, but the breeze was refreshing and comfortable. If I didn¡¯t move, a thin long sleeve was just right.


    I was looking up at the sky when Buddy, who was close by unknowingly, tugged on my skirt. Maybe it was because he was in the forest earlier. He¡¯d been carrying fairies on his back and tail¡­ There were a lot of them today. Hee, fuu¡­ There were seven. Oh, what? You were tipping your head back. Petting and petting. Yeah, they were cute.


    I hurriedly got out of the rows of the field, put down the basket of vegetables, and patted them with a fusha fusha sound. Today¡¯s kids were very playful, riding on my shoulders and hanging on the edge of my hat. Oh, hey, hey, not in my clothes! Hya! That tickled! There, my neck! Hey, buddy! Help me! My hat fell off! I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore!


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen that before. This is the ¡®fairy eggs¡¯, right? Oh, they¡¯re gone. Did you see, Walter?¡±


    ¡°¡­Aah.¡±


    Who?


    Who, which was, the only two men in this village whose faces I didn¡¯t know were today¡¯s guests! I mean, isn¡¯t it early? They were coming in the evening, it was still early afternoon. So, why did they turn up in the backyard!? And don¡¯t just stand behind me! My clothes were all over the place right now!


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Miss ¡®Orison¡¯, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. Can you stand?¡±


    Yes, I was surprised, you long-haired red-head. Of course I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to ask for help, I couldn¡¯t fix my clothes unless I stood up. Yes, thank you. Don¡¯t smile! Just turn around!


    I asked them to turn around with my fingertips, brushed the dirt off my clothes and adjusted my bust, which had been messed up by the fairies. My hair¡­ It was no use, I quickly hand-combed my disheveled half-updo, took a breather for now, and I asked Buddy to tell them that I was done.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Hugh Townsend of the Academy of Magic, beautiful Miss ¡®Orison¡¯. I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    Wow, flashy. The gentlemanly red-haired man bent his arms in front of his chest and made a deliberate, beautiful bow. He wore the usual black robe over his shoulders, as if he was a magician. Yeah, it was easy to understand. I wondered if he had a wand.


    He was a little surprised when I returned the bow that I had learned from Lady Adelaide, smiling nonchalantly, as if I hadn¡¯t been harassed earlier. I¡¯d been complimented on my bowing, and even though I had a distinct style, I hadn¡¯t bowed for eight years in a department store.


    ¡°You¡¯re so unexpected¡­ Hmmm, I think we¡¯d hit it off.¡±


    Why? There was no sarcasm in his voice as he laughed in amusement, and I didn¡¯t feel any malice, though it was light.


    ¡°Ah, come on, Walter, say hello.¡±


    ¡°¡­Walter Dustin.¡±


    Wow, I couldn¡¯t really see his face because he was behind me, but this guy was huge! And yet, it was so powerful! Oh, this is Lady Adelaide¡¯s son¡­? Ehhhhh!?


    It was funny. In the old photo above the fireplace in the living room, he looked a little more like Lady Adelaide. When I stepped closer, I couldn¡¯t see any similarities other than the color of their eyes.


    The slightly habitual brunette looked soft, but the pale black eyes were tough. You didn¡¯t have to stare so hard. Was I that suspicious? They didn¡¯t seem to be the same color as Lady Adelaide¡¯s gentle eyes.


    This intimidation and stoutness. If I hadn¡¯t heard that he was an assistant prime minister, I would have definitely mistaken him for a military man. What did I mean? I could tell from the aristocrat¡¯s clothes that he¡¯d got good muscles. Not macho, but¡­ lumpy.


    I was somewhat annoyed when he looked at me as if inspecting, so I asked him to give me his hand with a careful sales smile. The hand that was held out to me quizzically was so big and thick¡­ Was this sword callus? Why not pen and paper¡¯s? He was a soldier, wasn¡¯t he? At least it was not the hands of a civilian. What did an assistant prime minister do? Fighting?


    I wrote a few words on his palm, and instead of replying, he got more wrinkles on his brow, so I gave him a better smile. Fufun, did you have any idea how many years I¡¯d been dealing with ¡®troubling customers¡¯? My sales smile, which I trained to be anywhere, anytime, to anyone, was still intact.


    Grabbing the veggies and hat that I left downstairs, come on, Buddy. Let¡¯s go home.


    ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that?? What¡¯s the matter with the young lady?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Shut up.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just being pushy again. Hey, young lady, what did you write?¡±


    Just a quick check. ¡®Do you like cookies?¡¯ Something like that.


    ¡°Welcome home, Margaret. Did you have a good outing?¡±


    As usual, I knocked three times from the kitchen door, and Lady Adelaide, who was kneading bread dough with her back to me, spoke to me without looking up.


    I approached her to show her the vegetables I had picked and kissed her lightly on the cheek, and she looked up and rolled her eyes before she finally noticed her visitor. Even so.


    ¡°¡­Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Please forgive our rudeness in coming to you so suddenly from such a place. I¡¯m Hugh Townsend, a magician from the Academy of Magic. We¡¯ll be here for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Adelaide Dustin. Welcome¡­ And Walter too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    What was that? His monotone, one-note greeting was worse than the one he gave me when he introduced himself. Hugh stood beside me, saying ¡®Good grief¡¯. He was playful, but he had normal senses, this one¡­But he was close. It was hard to move when he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder away from me.


    When I looked up at Hugh¡¯s face to ask him to move away a little, I saw his green eyes looking down at me with an amused smile¡­ Oh my god, the color of his eyes was really like emerald. Wow, I¡¯d never seen such a beautiful thing before. As I recalled, they were pretty rare, I thought I heard they were less common than Blue Eyes. I didn¡¯t know if that was the case here.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s really embarrassing to be stared at so closely.¡±


    Oh, excuse me. I ignored personal space because I wanted to get a better look. What was it with people who stared at others but weren¡¯t used to being stared at them?


    ¡°Ah, your eyesight is not so good, is it? How is it, are you satisfied?¡±


    No, it was beautiful. I just wanted to look at it some more¡­ So, why was he embarrassed? He talked like he was used to it, yet he blushed so easily, his words and actions were so mismatched. Was he actually a pure man?


    ¡°By the way, I heard you were coming here in the evening, is there a problem¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, not really. We thought we¡¯d at least say hello first. We¡¯ll go to the village chief after we put down our luggage. Right, Walter?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You decided that on your own. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Ah, I got his longest response of the day.


    At first, I asked them to bring me the luggage left in the front yard and showed them to the guest room on the second floor.


    ¡°Oh, so this is what it looks like inside. It¡¯s old, but you keep it clean. It¡¯s been well taken care of, and it looks like a nice place to live.¡±


    Well, you were from this village, weren¡¯t you, Hugh?


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why they sent me. My family moved to the capital when I was fourteen, so it¡¯s been, what, fifteen years? Maybe more. I visited them when I came over, but there are still quite a few familiar faces here.¡±


    Well, it was a rural area, and the hometown still had a lot of his classmates.


    ¡°When was the last time Walter was here? Was it around the end of the year vacations?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I only stopped by for half a day once or twice as a child, eight years ago.¡±


    My, what a waste. The forest in the back looked like a good place for children to play. You knew I¡¯d never been here before, Lady Adelaide, and you leave me all alone with this big son of yours.


    I was told that they could unpack by themselves, so I just showed them around and went back to the kitchen to stand beside Lady Adelaide and started rolling out the bread with her.


    ¡°Did they come directly to the backyard?¡±


    ¡®Yes, I thought this had sprung up. I was so surprised.¡¯ I nodded my head and answered.


    ¡°I thought it would be a little later¡­ But it was better than waiting and hoping for the best.¡±


    That might be true. The nervousness I had been feeling for the past few days was gone from Lady Adelaide, who seemed to have relaxed because the reunion, which would have been the most stressful, was so easy. Now, I hoped we could have a pleasant talk together¡­ I¡¯d like to think that person¡¯s attitude was because of my presence, a stranger.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that child unsociable? Weren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    I shook my head and denied Lady Adelaide¡¯s question. Although his expression was strong and the wrinkles between his eyebrows were the default, I didn¡¯t find it scary because I didn¡¯t feel any malice or harm. I mean, I thought I was being intimidated, but was that normal mode? Lady Adelaide smiled at me as I wondered.


    ¡°¡­ I felt he soften a little. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here, Margaret?¡±


    Seriously! With that? ¡­ W-well, I guess it was okay, because Dr. Daniel and Mark would be here in the evening and we would all have dinner together.


    When we had finished rolling up the bread and covered it with cloth, they left, saying that they would go to the village then.

 CH 10

    Was she this small?


    My mother, whom I had not seen in a long time, was much smaller and more slender than I remembered.


    It had been ten years since I left for one of the fiefdoms where I used to live, as I just couldn¡¯t get used to life in the royal capital. The last time I saw her was eight years ago. It had been almost a year since we stopped exchanging letters two or three times a year.


    I knew I was the reason for the estrangement. Time passed without me knowing how to do better.


    So, it was no surprise that the letter came from the doctor to my boss, not from my mother to me.


    ¡°Dustin, this arrived yesterday.¡±


    One letter given to my boss, Prime Minister Howard, was from Dr. Reynolds, who once served as the first physician to the royal court. I was astonished when I read the contents. The ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯ was said to have appeared¡­in the mansion¡¯s backyard at Meissery where mother lived.


    She was critically injured, but Dr. Reynolds¡¯ treatment saved her life, and she was now recuperating with my mother. He said he would go up to the castle later to explain the details.


    ¡°This is¡­ Is it true?¡±


    ¡°There is no reason for Reynolds to lie. Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure spirits have appeared in the woods.¡±


    That was true. It was hard to believe at first hand, but I guessed it was true. Spirits that appeared somewhere on the continent only once or twice every hundred years, and their Orison. I had not heard of it in this country for the last two hundred years since the current royal family.


    Spirits were ones who arranged this world by their presence. Their advent was a gospel given from heaven, promising protection from natural disasters and a peaceful and prosperous life. On the other hand, if the people offended them by committing acts of violence, they would hide themselves and the surrounding countries would sink into the depths of the earth.


    If you think it was a myth or fairy tale, spirits actually appeared, and there was a country that sank hundreds of years ago. It was a volcano then¡­ Flames and lava suddenly erupted from the ground of the palace, and overnight, the country was wiped off the map.


    Last year, it was confirmed that there were spirits in the forest, the site of the former palace of the old dynasty. The staff of the Institute of Magic, which was in charge of the project, was doing various things, but it seemed that, as expected with spirits, it was difficult to make progress in both investigation and interaction. And then, there was this ¡®Orison¡¯¡­ I guessed we needed to be very careful.


    ¡°If the ¡®Orison¡¯ is stuck for a while, someone from here needs to go to her. Also, think about coordinating with the Academy of Arts and Crafts.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hah.¡±


    It was a month after that letter arrived that Dr. Reynolds came to the capital. I had received reports by letter twice, but as usual, the Orison was still with my mother.


    Since matters related to spirits were special first-class matters, a meeting was held with the heads of each department and other prominent members. Only the head of the magic academy had gone there since last night because the spirits had appeared in the forest again.


    ¡°Margaret, the ¡®Orison¡¯, hoped to remain with Adelaide Dustin in Meissery. Based on her current physical condition, I would recommend it as well.¡±


    ¡°How are her injuries?¡±


    ¡°She is much better, but I don¡¯t think she will be able to travel by carriage to the capital for some time yet.¡±


    ¡­ She said she would prefer to stay with my mother. When I last saw her, my mother was still living a life far removed from magical tools and the like. I didn¡¯t expect my mother to change anytime soon, but I guessed that meant the Orison was comfortable with that life. I heard she was a young woman, but I didn¡¯t know if that was possible¡­. The woman who was my wife was no good at all.


    ¡°Is the genie still in the bottle?¡±


    ¡°Their appearance is capricious, and the time of appearance varies. I don¡¯t know if they want to talk about it or not¡­ But the head of the group said they were concerned about the Orison.¡±


    ¡°I see. When the time was right, ask both the spirit and the orison if they would like to meet with each other.¡±


    According to Dr. Reynolds, unlike past examples of orisons, she had memories but had lost her voice. She was able to speak in writing and, according to her own report, was twenty-eight years old, a commoner in her former world, and a single professional woman. Her parents and relatives were already deceased, and she had one brother. He said that she was somewhat distraught, but now seemed to have calmed down.


    The way she spoke suggested that she had the trust and affection in Dr. Reynolds.


    It was decided that she would continue to stay at Meissery, as she wished to do so, and my mother, the landlord, agreed. The meeting ended with the decision to send an investigator from here to look at the injuries.


    ¡°Walter, can I have a word?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I have another appointment.¡±


    When he was about to leave the place, Dr. Reynolds stopped him. The refusal seemed to have been expected and was returned without a hint of concern.


    ¡°You look as busy as ever, it won¡¯t be long. As for the investigator, I¡¯d like you to come.¡±


    He did not expect a reply. That was all he said, then lightly patted my shoulder and left¡­ Daniel Reynolds. Both his skills as a physician and his personality were worthy of trust and respect.


    He had retired from his position as the first doctor of the royal court and ran a clinic in the same country town Meissery as my mother, and also came to the capital from time to time to find and support promising young people. There must have been a young doctor still in training with him. He was an illegitimate son of a count, and it seemed he had repeatedly turned down invitations to return to the capital.


    He was an old friend of my mother¡¯s, and he was more like a relative than a doctor in my mind. Even without saying it out loud, I could tell that he wished to restore my relationship with mother. That said, I was still aware of my inability to keep a respectful distance.


    I didn¡¯t know if Dr. Reynolds made a request, but in the end, one of the investigators was decided to be me by the authority of my boss, the Prime Minister.


    ""


    I was ordered to go on a business trip for a week¡¯s vacation, hoping to visit Meissery, which had no inn, and to use some of my accumulated annual leave while I was there.


    Another from the Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry was Hugh Townsend, who was also from Meissery.


    Many of the staff members at the magic academy had a personality that seemed to eat at people, and this guy was no exception, aloof and elusive.


    In the past, I was the most senior student at the school and he was a new student, but because of his high magical power and special characteristics, we had attended lectures together in some classes, and the other side remembered me.


    ¡°I read about her in the report, but I wonder what she¡¯s really like~. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    We took a street carriage to Meissery. As Hugh said, he didn¡¯t want to take the Countess¡¯s carriage. He had been talking to me in a friendly manner, but he didn¡¯t seem to look for a response and was content with polite responses.


    Courtesy to elders, or hierarchy based on status, was meaningless to a powerful person in a magic academy. I was one of the people few casually approached because I have my father¡¯s frightening appearance that I was aware of, so it was a good thing.


    When we were approaching Meissery, we were indeed interrupted when he suddenly told Auriga about the change of destination.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to meet the village chief first.¡±


    ¡°I know, but we have no business with the chief. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be better to sneak in suddenly to see the real ¡®Orison¡¯?¡±


    I was pushed, but it was true that I wanted to see a side of the person my mother was with that was not seen on the outside.


    As we quietly exited the carriage in front of a house that stood near a forest on the outskirts of the village and was so unfamiliar that we felt no nostalgia, we were stopped as we tried to make our way to the front door.


    ¡°Shush, be quiet. This way. Backyard? ¡­ Wow, I¡¯ve seen nothing like this¡­¡±


    Hugh¡¯s special magic was in his eyes. He could actually see the magical power that was normally perceived only as a flow of air. It seemed that not only could he see, but he could also interfere, but the full extent of this seemed to be classified even in the Academy of Magic, and only a few, including the head of the Academy, were aware of it.


    He looked at the sky and the air with interest, and when I turned to the backyard as he indicated, I found the woman standing in the field with a basket of vegetables, looking up at the sky.


    Crisp, old-style clothing, wide-brimmed straw hat. Each one of those was familiar to me and probably belonged to my mother. Although I could not make out her face because of the distance and her back to us, she wore a calm air that blended in with the forest.


    A big dog from the woods¡­ When she got out of the field with the dog, named Buddy, that she kept, which I thought I had read from a letter, she squatted down and played with the dog.


    ¡°¡­.Hgh.¡±


    Hugh, next to me, looked with a breathless gaze.


    ¡­ I was amazed.


    Golden light particles were flying around her. Not just that, they were apparently playing with her. As I had heard that she had lost her voice, I did not hear a single note of her voice, but I could tell by looking at her that she was being jostled around.


    ¡®The Fairy Egg¡¯¡­ There could be no better proof. Her hat fell off and our eyes were drawn to the glossy black hair that spilled out.


    Suddenly, I noticed that Hugh, who had apparently lost interest, was walking forward.


    She must have been surprised by our sudden appearance, but she regained her composure and made a splendid ladylike bow. It was so perfect that I wondered if this was a royal garden.


    Finally, I stood in front and looked at her. Black hair, mysterious odd eyes, skin as white as a flower in a summer fountain. She looked much younger than the age I had heard. My mother¡¯s dress fitted her well and didn¡¯t look old. How serious was the near-death wound on this slender body?


    This was ¡®the Orison¡¯ but¡­ Wasn¡¯t the distance too close? It would not be the distance between adult men and women who had never met before, who were not dancing. When I froze because I felt like I might touch her if I moved improperly, she smiled blithely and told me to hold out my hand.


    After looking at my hand sullenly, her slender fingertips slowly spelled out the words.


    Why cookies? I didn¡¯t know what ¡®the Orison¡¯ thought.


    A body smaller than I remembered, a voice weaker. Mother reminded me of the years I had spent without seeing her, which made me feel old.


    Margaret, ¡®the Orison¡¯ with my mother, looked much more like a biological child than I was. I had no right to feel alienated while causing that myself.


    And, after all, mother still seemed to prefer life without magical tools as much as ever. I could clearly see the annoyed look on the face of the head chef of the royal residence as she stood in the kitchen by herself. It was immediately apparent that Margaret was comfortable with this lifestyle. She didn¡¯t seem to be overworked.


    I was also concerned about her proximity to Hugh, but then again, did the report say that she had poor eyesight? She should get some glasses when she got to the capital. I hoped she would have the proper gender distance to protect herself.


    ¡°No, you showed me something good~.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your bright red face they¡¯re talking about. We certainly saw some unusual things.¡±


    ¡°Bwuhhhh, there¡¯s the little one! The egg, the egg!¡±


    This was also rare, honorific. She was very upset. We were now walking towards the village center to leave the mansion and go to the village chief¡¯s place. The elite of the Academy of Arts and Crafts, whose personality aside, his abilities should be well known, said something unexpected.


    ¡°Hugh must be going to the forest as well. Isn¡¯t he meeting the spirits and fairy eggs?¡±


    ¡°The genie is shy, and so far, the only person I¡¯ve been able to meet at the Academy of Magic is the head of the class. They don¡¯t let me into the forest itself in the first place. I can only go as far as the forest entrance.¡±


    I wonder if this man, yawning with boredom, was really thirty years old.


    The forest where the spirits appeared was a mysterious place where many things remained unexplained. The most important thing was that there was some kind of boundary in the forest and usually humans were not allowed to enter.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave it at that. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s an ¡®Orison¡¯, you know. Then there are those eyes¡­ I wonder if I could have a look.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything strange?¡±


    ¡°Hmm~. No, it¡¯s more of a confirmation than a suspicion. But, well, even if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d still want to check it out.¡±


    The Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry was full of research idiots. It must be a very uncomfortable experience for those who had to deal with it.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t force her.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m gentle with pretty girls. Also, it would be reckless to offend the ¡®Orison¡¯¡­ Hmm? I wonder what will happen. Haha, I¡¯m curious.¡±


    I walked along the country road, with no time to relax my brow, with a somewhat untrustworthy man as my companion.

 CH 11

    Lightly grill the eggplant and zucchini, that were cut into slightly thicker slices, in olive oil. Alternate tomatoes sliced the same thickness with them in a gratin dish, quickly sprinkle with salt and pepper, sprinkle the top with cheese and put in the oven.


    It was not caponata or pasta, but hot grilled cheese made with fresh vegetables from the field.


    The dining room of the mansion was spacious. The table was proportionally large, still plenty of room for the number of guests, even though the chairs that had been put away in the closet were brought out and arranged to accommodate the number of people. Since I was going to the trouble, I laid out a cloth and lightly decorated the center with flowers from the garden, which created a friendly atmosphere and raised my spirits.


    Also, the tableware was lovely. This was not the main house, so ¡°Porcelain, indeed!¡± Not a thin type of pottery, but it had a wavy or watermarked rim and seasonal flowers painted on the surface. It was very tasteful, with a level of refinement that did not make you feel self-conscious about using it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve called on Daniel and Mark from time to time, but it¡¯s been a really long time since I¡¯ve had guests.¡±


    We even had the village head in the house sometimes. Lady Adelaide was very deft in finishing the dishes. Oil-braised string beans and ham, shepherd¡¯s pie filled with mashed potatoes, light onion soup, and a fresh lettuce salad.


    Beside Lady Adelaide and me, after preparing the steak meat for the men, I am cutting tomatoes and various vegetables into small cubes. This was the ratatouille we would eat tomorrow. Letting it sit overnight allowed the flavors to blend together and made it even tastier.


    Sir Walter said he preferred lamb shepherd¡¯s pie to beef cottage pie. Heh. I wondered if that was what gave him that body.


    Lady Adelaide told me that her husband originally had that stocky physique. When I asked Lady Adelaide, she said he inherited her husband¡¯s stocky physique. Since that time, sword practice had become a daily routine, or rather a hobby, and he had been trained even more¡­ So it seemed. He was a civilian official.


    Now, the lamb. In Japan, it was not that well known, so I did not see many children who liked it. I liked lamb. I didn¡¯t mind the often-mentioned odor.


    The steak was beef today with a refreshing herb salt. After everyone arrived, let¡¯s ask them how they like it grilled and finish it up.


    Kitchen work was always fun. Unlike the small kitchen of a single person, I really like the fact that the cooking table was large with room for two people side by side. By the way, kneading bread and making pie crust was done at the dining table. The height was just right, and the legs were solid and didn¡¯t wobble.


    ¡°My, I¡¯m sorry to bother you. It looks delicious.¡±


    ¡°A feast, as always.¡±


    Oh, Dr. Daniel and Mark arrived. I had told them to come in on their own without a doorbell or anything, since I would pack the kitchen today. No, as one would expect from a countryside, so freeing.


    I guessed them being here earlier than expected meant the clinic wasn¡¯t busy today. That was a good thing.


    ¡°Welcome, you two. You¡¯re early.¡±


    ¡°Now that the lord has arrived, everyone should go to the village chief. But it did allow me to relax.¡±


    I see, the Walter effect. Oh, Mark, did you bring alcohol? Thank you. I didn¡¯t really know which ones were good or not because I hardly drank, and neither did Lady Adelaide. I did make fruit wine, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a potent drink, so you should be able to drink this without getting too drunk, right?¡±


    So, don¡¯t pat me on the head. Yeah, I was sorry to say that my hands were full. No, I could drink quite a bit, really. I didn¡¯t dislike it, it was just that I hadn¡¯t been drinking at all since my injury until recently and I¡¯d become completely weak, that was all.


    I¡¯d been in the business for eight years, I¡¯d had my fair share of relationships and drinking, and I was sure I¡¯d been strong for it.


    It had been too long since the last time I was here that I was too easily intoxicated, surely. Ugh, they didn¡¯t believe me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Dr. Daniel was looking at me with kind eyes¡­


    It was a little dangerous that I¡¯d been petted so often lately that I felt less and less uncomfortable. Even when I was a nanny at the clinic, Mark would walk by and pet me a little. No, Mark, be a good boy and do it to the child waiting for you. I am an adult. An adult.


    I thought my face was fine, but apparently it looked like a child¡¯s here. That was strange.


    ¡°I¡¯m home. Wow, that smells delicious.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m back.¡±


    While Mark was helping me set up the glasses, plates, etc., the two guys from the capital returned.


    Well, ladies and gentlemen. How do you like your meat cooked?


    ¡°So, what are your plans for the future?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is no longer any doubt in my mind that Margaret is the ¡®Orison¡¯. Well, no one originally complained about the doctor¡¯s report. May I have the honor of hearing some of them, young lady?¡±


    I wondered if we could do something about you calling me young lady. I didn¡¯t think he would listen to me when I told him, though, this wizard.


    The meal ended amicably, mainly with the doctor and Hugh leading the conversation. I was not drunk today. Mark, don¡¯t look at me like I was trouble. I was not drunk, it was just delicious.


    The son, Walter, was as verbal as ever, unfortunately, it didn¡¯t result in a cookie-cutter sentence, as Master Adelaide didn¡¯t seem bothered by it. Surely this Buddha-like face was normal. I had a feeling he was trying to say something¡­ I wondered if he was timing it. You could speak.


    After dinner, we moved to the living room for tea, which naturally led to a discussion about me. That was right, they were here on an Orison research job. I moved next to Hugh, the listening staff member, as called.


    ""


    The doctor and Lady Adelaide were on the sofa across from each other, and Mark and Walter were on the single-seats on either side. Mr. Hugh rummaged through his bag and pulled out¡­ A white board?


    ¡°This, is a magical tool. Specially made. When we heard that you were inconvenienced by the loss of your voice, the people in the technical section of the Academy of Magical Arts developed it. This is a special pen.¡±


    I was given a milky-white board with a slippery surface, like a thin A4 glass plate, and a pretty black quill pen. Both were not as heavy as they appeared.


    ¡°Just write something random. Self-introduction and stuff.¡±


    As he spoke, I handwrote. I¡¯m Margaret, please don¡¯t call me Miss¡­ And. Oh, the letters were written in a beautiful black color, after a little time, the letters themselves floated up, absorbed into the quill and disappeared. Wow, that¡¯s interesting.


    ¡°It won¡¯t get lost like paper, and you can keep writing? Inside the barrel of the pen, there is a crushed magic stone. The magic power injected into it takes the place of ink. It¡¯s made to circulate, so you can use it for a long time without running out of ink. Well, there are inevitable losses, so it¡¯s not permanent.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You could do that.¡±


    ¡°There are kids with high magic power that they can¡¯t control, so we¡¯re making all kinds of things for them. Ah, and since this is a prototype, can you try using it during this stay? I want you to tell me how it feels to use it because we¡¯re going to improve it. Let me know if you have any opinions on how long it¡¯s showing up, or how much it weighs.¡±


    Mr. Hugh looked at me with satisfaction as I nodded and wrote yes, and continued his words.


    ¡°I really wish I could do something about your voice itself. If the doctor couldn¡¯t figure it out even after examining you, I guess it¡¯s a little too much for us. You might know something if you see the genie, but do you want to see him?¡±


    Can we meet?


    ¡°They appear in the forests of the capital, but their presence is unstable, perhaps because it has only been a short time since they first appeared. I guess that¡¯s why the young lady was invited. I can¡¯t promise when they will show up or if we will actually see them. But if you want to meet, I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡±


    Hmmm. So, I would see them soon when I got a chance. I moved the quill hurriedly.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t you want to see them right now?¡±


    Oh, Sir Walter. What, hey, did I look weird or something? Oh, hey, so was everyone else. No, it was a genie, I¡¯d like to see it, to be honest. Especially if they called me to this world. But I guessed you couldn¡¯t always see them if you went there now. If we stayed in the capital until we meet, how many days would it take? That was a little¡­ I kind of didn¡¯t want to leave here.


    Part of me was comfortable living with Lady Adelaide, but I felt like I shouldn¡¯t leave this forest.


    I thought I would be fine with just going to the Royal Palace for a night or so, but as I said, I didn¡¯t think I could do it for days. I didn¡¯t have a reason, but if I had to say, it was a woman¡¯s intuition. It was pretty hit and miss.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave the land, huh?¡±


    ¡°Even with Addy? Of course, I¡¯m with you when you go.¡±


    With Dr. Daniel and Lady Adelaide¡­ I thought I could handle a bit. For two or three days.


    ¡°I see, I understand. Okay, then. Next.¡±


    The red-headed wizard was excited and happy to hear all kinds of things. I was sure half of it had nothing to do with work, because Sir Walter¡¯s furrowed brow was quite deep. I got it. This was a person who puts his own interests first pleasantly.


    They didn¡¯t ask me anything that was troubling, so I answered as much as I could. I would pass on the law of conservation of energy, genes, and other things I couldn¡¯t explain. I just told them that that was the way it was over there.


    One discovery there. Apparently, the length of a day or a year seemed to be different between there and here. The reason it was ¡°seemed to be¡± was because I couldn¡¯t explain the exact length of a second or anything like that. Also, my watch was broken. Living in the countryside, I didn¡¯t even pay attention to the calendar because I didn¡¯t look at it much, but oh, usually the first thing I noticed was that this was what people call sketchy, me.


    Well, according to my rough calculations, I was roughly twenty-six years old this time¡­ I didn¡¯t really change much. Wait, Mark, what do you mean you knew it?


    ¡°I always thought she didn¡¯t look four years older than me. I was right, after all.¡±


    ¡°Still, the young lady looks much younger. About twenty-two or twenty-three?¡±


    Twenty-two was a scam, then. Was Mark so happy to have a four-year age difference turn to two-year? Don¡¯t come all the way to pet my head. Twenty-eight and twenty-six were no different, rounded off, I remain thirty, an adult woman. Okay?


    Mr. Hugh, who was smiling happily, looked at my face.


    ¡°Okay, last but not least, let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    Those beautiful emerald eyes had turned into that of a researcher. I gulped at the seriousness in his eyes, and then he held my cheeks between his hands and our eyes met at close range.


    ¡°Margaret. Can I examine those eyes of yours now?¡±


    In the middle of the speech, Mark, who was next to me, suddenly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away from Hugh, tugged me toward him, hugged my head and blocked my eyes. The moment the magic tool on my lap fell to the floor with a crack, I felt not only that arm but also myself being wrapped in it.


    What? Hey, why was I being hugged by Mark? I could hear the sound of Mark¡¯s quick heartbeat, his chest pressing against me, and then¡­ Oh, I was in trouble, why did I feel so safe in his arms? I was not getting used to him, was I?

 CH 12

    ¡°Townsend, if it¡¯s exploratory magic against a person, you need her consent.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t put the call on yet. I was just about to explain to you¡­ I was just a little close. You¡¯re so narrow-minded.¡±


    ¡°Hugh, you¡¯re confusing the hell out of me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear well because I was being held up. Exploration¡­ Did you say exploration magic?


    ¡°Mr. Hugh, you have some explaining to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Here, Mark, let go of the lady, too. She can¡¯t hear him then.¡±


    At the doctor¡¯s urging, Mark finally relaxed his arms holding me. Without releasing his hand on my shoulder, he put his other hand on my cheek and looked into my face as if to gaze closer at me.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure nothing has been done?¡±


    No, nothing. I was totally fine.


    The hand on my cheek was unexpectedly large and surprisingly knobby. I didn¡¯t notice it when he was stroking my head, but I knew it was a man¡¯s hand, different from Hugh¡¯s earlier¡­ Hah!? What was this? I was embarrassed by this position.


    Pretending not to notice everyone¡¯s warm stares, I hurriedly removed Mark¡¯s hand and picked up the magic tool that fell at my feet¡­ Thank God it wasn¡¯t broken. Yes, deep breaths, let¡¯s calm down, yeah.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m really not going to try anything without her permission, so you can remove your defensive wards around her, Mark.¡±


    Wards? When did he do that?


    ¡°He put it up the moment he pulled you away from me. He¡¯s very good at what he does. He¡¯s so different from his brothers¡­. Hey Mark, do you ever think of coming to the magic academy instead of the medical academy? You¡¯ll be welcomed there.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Ehh. A quick answer?¡±


    Chuckling, Mr. Hugh glanced at Sir Walter. Sighing lightly, Sir Walter stood up and sat down next to Mr. Hugh instead of me.


    ¡°Hey, Walter, why are you sitting here? You don¡¯t have to hold my arm down.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mark, I think this should do it.¡±


    Mark thought for a moment and nodded, and then, poof, it felt like an invisible barrier was broken! ¡­ Ah, I felt something wrap around me earlier that was the warding. It looked like some kind of thin stole. Like, one piece made a big difference.


    Sir Walter sat directly next to Mr. Hugh, and I sat between Dr. Daniel and Lady Adelaide, with Mark taking me by the hand. Mark stood diagonally in front of me with his arms folded.


    ¡°Hugh, explain.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s called probing magic, and it¡¯s a magic to find out what you can¡¯t see¡­ First of all, I told you earlier at dinner that I have special eyesight.¡±


    Yeah, I heard. He said he could perfectly visualize the magic that was normally felt by the senses.


    ¡°When I arrived at the mansion today, I saw an impossible flow of magic. The source is the forest, and the destination of the flow is you, young lady. A significant amount of magic was pouring into the young lady from the forest throughout the time she was outside. However, the young lady has no magic left in her. Moreover, it¡¯s on a slightly different wavelength than the magic that humans and animals possess, so unless you have eyes like mine, you won¡¯t notice it. It was a magic I¡¯d never seen before.¡±


    ¡­ I had magic powers, really? I didn¡¯t feel anything, though.


    ¡°And I see a different kind of magic in your light-colored eyes.¡±


    ¡°But I thought ¡®Orisons¡¯ didn¡¯t have magic powers¡­¡±


    Lady Adelaide was also surprised.


    ¡°It is true that the young lady has no magic powers. In fact, it¡¯s empty. But there is something in that one eye only. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not ¡®magic¡¯ as we know it, but I don¡¯t know what it is and want to find out.¡±


    ¡°A different kind of magic¡­¡±


    Sir Walter also seemed surprised.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I agree with you that we certainly need to do some research on that ¡®different kind of magical power¡¯. What is the magic of the forest on different wavelengths¡­? Is it the power of the spirits in the forests of the capital?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met the genie in the capital, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but maybe. So, I want to at least see if the magic of that forest is the same as the magic in the young lady¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Once that was known, Mr. Hugh continued that he could formulate some hypotheses.


    ¡°According to the report, the young lady¡¯s injuries should not have healed this quickly. She must have been hurt pretty badly. No matter how much healing magic the doctor has, she heals too quickly.¡±


    ""


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, too. It was just fast and there was nothing strange about it, so I thought it was an ¡®Orison¡¯ trait. In fact, the rate of recovery is calmer now.¡±


    The doctor thought it was a surprise. I simply thought that witchcraft was amazing.


    ¡°Yes, usually you would think so. But she is a ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯, so she must have some connection with spirits. There, the magic from that forest¡­ It seems to me that the spirit that invited her is sending magic power through the forest to heal her wounds. The same reason the injuries were all external, the spirits must have protected her or healed her first.


    Besides, she said earlier that she doesn¡¯t want to leave here for an extended period of time, though she doesn¡¯t know why. I¡¯m sure she instinctively senses that she won¡¯t recover if she leaves, and she doesn¡¯t want to leave the woods.¡±


    The story made a lot of sense to me. It made a lot of sense. Also, Mr. Hugh, you could have been more serious.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you determine if it¡¯s the same magic without applying probing?¡±


    Mark seemed to be very reluctant to let me undergo exploration, but what was the harm?


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s hidden behind the eyes. I can see the magic present, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can do exploratory magic too.¡±


    ¡°Hugh is the only one who can see the magic of the forest, and it would be pointless for us, who can¡¯t compare.¡±


    He seemed anxious, but was that dangerous? To the me who had no knowledge at all, the doctor patted me on the head as he told me through the characters on my hand.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not dangerous. Just¡­ It touches your soul, you know. With powerful exploration, you can see deep into the psyche¡­ It¡¯s not a pleasant feeling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we limit ourselves to exploration sites and keep it to the surface, so you don¡¯t see it. If you¡¯re worried, Walter will do the stopper for me? He took the test with me at the school. He was good, I remember.¡±


    I see¡­you could see the heart. Ah, you couldn¡¯t see the memories? I wondered if the mind and memory were separate.


    ¡°Seeing memories is another magic, so don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s just emotions and that side. Also, surface exploration is hardly a burden on the body itself, aftereffects and all. If I had to say something, I would say that it is a little hazy during the process. It won¡¯t take much time, and if you hold my hand and make eye contact with me, that¡¯s all I need.¡±


    He wanted me to hold his hand and make eye contact. Eh, ah. So, you need skin contact. I glanced at Dr. Daniel and he nodded. If the doctor said it was okay, then it must be okay¡­ It was fine, go ahead.


    ¡°Yay! Thank you! Then, let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, hey. Calm down.¡±


    Sir Walter pressed down on Mr. Hugh, who had risen to his feet immediately. Mark still looked a little worried¡­ I mean, he didn¡¯t seem amused. They said it doesn¡¯t affect my body and if they wanted to take a look, I didn¡¯t see a problem with the request. The doctor appeased Mark, but he was not happy in any way.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have a choice, Mark.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    So, I sat on the sofa with Mr. Hugh who was kneeling in front of me, clasping our hands together¡­. They were held so that they wrapped around each other¡¯s wrists rather than holding them together. Sir Walter stood with a hand on each of my shoulders and Hugh¡¯s, and instructed me to look straight into his eyes, which had suddenly become serious.


    ¡­ As I was looking at the beautiful emerald color, I felt a faint feeling around my forehead and something like drowsiness fell over me. As I continued the light sleep, my hand suddenly lost its grip, and I woke up with a start when Mr. Hugh fell down flat on his face. Eh?


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Apparently, the exploratory magic was over¡­ It was so quick that it took less than a minute of the time. Oh, what was happening to Mr. Hugh? I was getting nervous and Mark told me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think he was mostly hit by magic, we¡¯ll soon find out¡­ Whether he touched the sensitive stuff at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Hugh, wake up.¡±


    As he said that, Sir Walter slapped him on the cheek, and Hugh got up, saying, ¡®No.¡¯ His cheeks were flushed and his eyes sparkled with some kind of joy.


    ¡°Yes, I knew it was connected! It was the same magic that came from the forest!¡±


    ¡­ He looked awfully happy, took my hands again, and buzzed up and down.


    ¡°After that, I learned one thing! Those eyes, they¡¯re linked to the eyes of the Spirit of the capital. I was hit by the magic thanks to the genie¡¯s vision, but I could see the face of our boss. It was a medium. But still, the first one is in the woods again¡­¡±


    That was not true. I didn¡¯t see any different view, but. I wondered if my eyes would return to normal someday. I still couldn¡¯t get used to the color of them, and every time I looked in the mirror, I got a minor surprise.


    ¡°Maybe it will return once all the wounds are healed and there is no need to send magic power, I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s also serving other roles, it might stay that way, so I don¡¯t know there. I¡¯ll know a little more once I check with the head¡­ In the meantime, thanks, Margaret. I got to see some good stuff!¡±


    No, I think I¡¯d learned a lot, and it was my pleasure. I was about to take my hand away from Hugh, who was in an excellent mood, when he suddenly pulled me with a yank and kissed me on the cheek¡­ Eh?


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s overkill.¡±


    When I came back to myself, I saw Mr. Hugh with his head held down by a dismayed Sir Walter, and Mark stepping on his back.


    Well, Mr. Hugh was currently in the middle of choking on a mountain of my special cookies that were stuffed into his mouth.


    While looking at Mr. Hugh crouching with teary eyes, Sir Walter asked in a small voice, ¡®Is this what you call a cookie¡­?¡¯ It was what he mumbled. Yes, I prepared it for you. It didn¡¯t go to waste. I meant, we were just on the verge of lip kissing just now. No, I was not going to yak about one kiss when I was old enough to know better, but you couldn¡¯t have a three-way combo of surprise, spectators and without agreement. It was not a Christmas lodestar. Mark wiped my face so hard. It was painful.


    Well, so Hugh¡¯s lodging was changed to Dr. Daniel¡¯s clinic by Mark and Sir Walter, who were worried about the high tension with Mr. Hugh staying here as it was. Mark was staying with us. I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to monitor me.


    ¡°Oh, my God, I thought I was going to die¡­Young lady¡¯s punishment is harsh. Cough.¡±


    ¡°Be thankful you got away with that much. You are a total¡­¡±


    Oh, he was back. It was powdery, but it tasted good, didn¡¯t it? Please go ahead, there was more!


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so full.¡±


    ¡°Come on, stand up. It¡¯s getting pretty late, we¡¯d better be off.¡±


    I watched Mark drag Mr. Hugh away at the front door with a persistent reminder that if I felt anything wrong with my body, even in the middle of the night, I should always let him know.


    ¡°¡­Shall we rest? Margaret and Walter must be tired. We can clean up the tea tomorrow.¡±


    I thought that perhaps Lady Adelaide was the most tired of all. I nodded, kissed her goodnight on the cheek, and saw Lady Adelaide off to her room. Sorry for creating such a big fuss over me that lasted much later than usual.


    I bid good night to Sir Walter and did not go to my room¡­but to the kitchen. Yeah, I¡¯d like to take a quick breather before sleeping.


    After washing the teapot and cups with only the light at hand and without making any water noise, I filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. As I stood in the dark and watched the fire boiling water in a daze, I was reminded of the commotion I had just witnessed.


    Magic from the forest. These eyes. This body¡­ I thought I was the same as the people in this world, just without magic power, but I guess I was not. Was there something else hidden from me? I read in a book that there were people who lived on the streets in ¡®The Spirit Orisons¡¯, but I wondered if people around them felt uneasy or annoyed.


    I had to worry about Lady Adelaide as well. Perhaps if I was here, in the future¡­?


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s boiling over.¡±


    A voice at the kitchen entrance brought me back to myself. Oops, the kettle was whistling. I was surprised to see Sir Walter, who I thought was resting, come to drink some water. I picked up two mugs and held them up to him, and he replied with a thank you, a wrinkle between his eyebrows. It was nighttime, and I had tea earlier, so I would have herbal tea. Some people didn¡¯t like it, so I showed him the tea leaves before brewing and he said it was okay, so I made chamomile tea with Sir Walter. It helped you sleep well, apparently. I thought it was boiled with milk and made into milk tea in a Peter Bunny picture book. Honey was optional.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve missed this. I remember drinking it as a child.¡±


    I wished Lady Adelaide have brewed it. Chamomile was something you could get your kids to drink.


    ¡­I first made this tea with her help. As I still could not walk well or carry heavy things, I pestered Lady Adelaide by asking if there was anything I could do, and as a result, she cut some chamomile that was blooming in the garden. The flowers were picked and dried, thus dried chamomile for tea was made.


    Sitting across the corner of the dining room table, I sipped a cup of tea of memories while letting it cool down with a whiff. Tonight, it was quiet outside, with no wind, and other than the occasional quill running over the magic tool on the table, there was no sound.


    As I took a sip of my drink and wrote what I wanted to ask, Sir Walter¡¯s gaze moved to the board of magical tools¡­ How should I write it down? I moved my pen, hesitating.


    He must have been worried. Suddenly, a suspicious person called The Orison popped up with his mother. I didn¡¯t think I chose to come here, but I was the one who said I didn¡¯t want to leave.


    Besides, I realized today that I was not a normal person after all.


    You never know what kind of trouble you might bring¡­ I also knew that it would be a burden for Lady Adelaide, who wanted to live quietly. In truth, it would be better to stay away, I knew that was true.


    I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really, really love her. I didn¡¯t want to leave. I wanted to be here with Lady Adelaide, not just out of the woods.


    Sir Walter¡¯s eyes were lightly glazed over, and the crease between his eyebrows deepened. Somehow, I knew he was not angry, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­My mother seems to have a lot of fun with you. I can tell by looking at her that she doesn¡¯t think of you as a burden or anything. Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re here to stay. No, hopefully you¡¯ll stay forever.¡±


    I was surprised. I thought you would object more¡­ I never thought you would say that. I was so surprised that I looked at him closely and he started talking with difficulty.


    ¡°There is no need to worry about a problem that hasn¡¯t happened. That is why I and Hugh are being sent here. Besides¡­ I¡¯m not a person who has filial piety, you know. It would be nice if we could be friendly instead.¡±


    Oh, right. It wasn¡¯t a suspicious interrogation.


    Also, he was aware of his lack of filial piety. But I couldn¡¯t replace him, because he was her only son. Lady Adelaide would be pleased if he reconnected with her himself. Since he was saying this, he must be willing to do so.


    I didn¡¯t look away, and Sir Walter smiled at me as if he were troubled¡­ Did he smile?


    ¡°I¡¯m too pathetic to find the trigger. I know it¡¯s my fault, but I have no idea how to talk¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Do I have something on my face?¡±


    Thin steeple eyes that went down when he smiled.


    ¡­ I didn¡¯t think they looked alike, but when they smiled, they looked exactly alike. They could have done that all the time.

 CH 13

    It was an intense day.


    I exhaled lightly as I thought of the time that had passed rapidly since I left the capital. The fact that the reunion with my mother, who had been so anxious to see me, was so stunning was probably due to Hugh, although I couldn¡¯t explain it. Or was it because of the presence of ¡®Orison¡¯, Margaret? It might not have changed anything in the relationship between me and my mother, but it had made me feel much better.


    In the simple but carefully maintained warmth of the guest room, I lightly cleansed myself with the toiletries provided.


    The beds, with little design, had clean sheets and blankets with a friendly touch, and a small table was decorated with flowers that seemed to have bloomed in the garden. Light curtains, wallpaper with watercolor-like flowers¡­ I learned my mother¡¯s thoughts once again, so different from the stately mansion in the royal city.


    ¡°No wonder they don¡¯t match¡­¡¯


    The unintentional mumblings that came out were laced with self-mockery.


    My parents were in a perfect political marriage. I heard that my mother, who had been engaged to another man, had almost sold herself to my father, who was twenty years older than her, in order to support her family¡¯s declining fortunes. My father, who bought into the history of my mother¡¯s family, barely maintained a reasonable relationship with my mother until I was born, his successor, and then left his own wife, who was not accustomed to life in the royal capital, as she should have been.


    In the capital, my mother lived in that mansion until ten years ago because of me, her son. If I had not been born, my mother would have been able to leave earlier, or whatever, and go to her fianc¨¦e, who still thought of her. At least that would have been possible after my father¡¯s death.


    I knew this, but I pretended not to see it, and did not blame my ex-wife for blaming my mother for the failure of our marriage, so I was equally guilty.


    There was no way it should be allowed. I didn¡¯t want to bother her anymore.


    That was why I kept my distance. That was the only way I knew how to do.


    My body was tired, but my mind was clear. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink of water and noticed someone¡¯s presence.


    Looking in through the open door, I could vaguely see Margaret standing in the dark with only the light at hand, looking at the fire heating the kettle.


    I was about to go back to my room, thinking it would be bad to disturb her, when I suddenly saw her profile, so fragile that I thought she might disappear.


    I found myself calling out to her.


    The tea she brewed tasted nostalgic. It brought back memories of my mother brewing it for me, just a small child, on cold winter days or when I had a cold.


    I wondered if the tea back then would have been made the same way my mother prepared this¡­ I thought about it and concluded that it was impossible. There were no such simple flowers in the garden of a royal residence.


    As I was drinking while remembering, I was told something unexpected. I didn¡¯t realize she felt guilty about being here. Even though they lived so close to each other, my mother would be sad if she left.


    I hope my explanation had convinced her. I feel like I said something unnecessary in my haste to keep her from leaving, but I was surprised when she suddenly opened her eyes and stared straight at me from very close quarters. I was about to say about the distance between a man and a woman, but I realized that this situation, now that we were alone in a dimly lit room at night, was a problem before that, and I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡­ I thought she was a strange woman. She was not intimidated by my intimidating figure and face. I was the kind of person who couldn¡¯t say a single witty thing outside of work, yet she slowly weaved her words into my hand without any signs of being uncomfortable.


    In this short time, she had gained the trust of my mother and Dr. Reynolds. Was the disposition of not liking conflict and seeking peace a characteristic of the Orison, or was it her habit?


    I was surprised to find myself somehow liking the situation of being alone with an unfamiliar person of the opposite sex, a situation I would never normally welcome. A moment before going to bed, we shared a cup of tea together without saying a word¡­ I didn¡¯t think I ever had such a peaceful time with my ex-wife.


    ¡°¡­.Hgh?¡±


    I came back to myself when a thin, white fingertip touching my eye. She gave a smile that would make a flower bloom. ¡®I wish I always did¡¯, she wrote in black quill pen, and only then did I realize I was laughing.


    While I was motionless, as if I were in a bind, she lowered the empty cup. Her sleek black hair hung over one ear and her shimmering pearls glowed in the dim light.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the back of the washing machine, which was washing the dishes with a small sound, the scene overlapped with Mark embracing her. A slender body that fitted comfortably in your arms.


    ¡­ When I unconsciously stood up and extended my hand to touch her thin shoulder, someone stepped on my foot.


    ¡°Hgh, Buddy.¡±


    My mother¡¯s dog slipped between Margaret and me. While he glanced at me, he naturally rubbed up against her and begged to be petted. Margaret noticed and smiled happily, wiping her wet hands and stroking him as he pleased. Buddy squinted pleasantly.


    I was told to go to bed, and I quietly watched as Buddy and her left the kitchen, their footsteps light and quiet¡­ I came back to myself and was surprised.


    What did I just try to do?


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a pretty good bodyguard.¡±


    Looking at my right hand, which had lost its way, the words came out with a bitter smile.


    **


    The birds of the forest were still waking up today. Would the city-bred lad be able to endure this large chorus?


    After getting ready, I went downstairs to find Lady Adelaide standing in the kitchen as usual.


    ¡°Good morning, Margaret. Did you rest well? You washed the dishes last night. You could have left it.¡±


    I was relieved that Lady Adelaide, smiling at me, didn¡¯t seem to be tired from yesterday.


    When I wanted to help her wash the vegetables, she asked for tomatoes and eggs from the garden, and I was about to leave through the kitchen door when Sir Walter woke up.


    ¡°Good morning¡­ You¡¯re both early.¡±


    ¡°Well, good morning, Walter. You could use a little more rest.¡±


    ¡°The bird¡­ Ah, no, it¡¯s just something I woke up from.¡±


    Of course ¨C I knew it. When he saw me trying to go outside, he said he would go with me. Sir Walter, really, I saw you were not leaving yourself be alone with Lady Adelaide! I told you to talk to her.


    ¡­ Well, but. It¡¯d been eight years since they¡¯d seen each other, and seeing that Lady Adelaide was not trying to force him to talk, I sometimes wondered if it was okay to take it slow. First of all, just the fact that they came to this village was probably progress.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to show me around the house while you¡¯re at it. Because yesterday, after all, we only saw a part of the back.¡±


    If you said so, it was hard to refuse. As one would expect from a palace worker, a schemer.


    Lady Adelaide also recommended me to go outside with him. Although the morning air was cool, summer was near and the sun was still shining to a certain extent. Wearing a straw hat to protect me from the ultraviolet rays that I am sure were also present in this world, I first headed to the chicken coop.


    After I left, I realized I had left that magical tool in my room. But since there was no way to go back, I would explain as usual by borrowing the palm of his hand.


    The birds woke you up, didn¡¯t they? Was what I asked him, and he replied with a bitter smile. You could rest early tonight. You were living in the sun.


    I was going to ask him to help me pick up some eggs in the henhouse, but when this big guy entered, it was a tight squeeze! Especially the height. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he struggled to squeeze into the small space. Sorry, sorry, change of workers. Today, there were five eggs, five proper eggs. I continued to go to the field behind the house with a smile on my face.


    ¡°What are you going to harvest?¡±


    Tomatoes, tomatoes. I showed him a sample of one of the ripe ones and gave him a pair of scissors. I would be the basket attendant.


    The first few tries were awkward, but as he took three or four, he got into it, and in no time, the basket was full of bright red tomatoes. Oh, what shall I do with this quantity? Juice or tomato sauce to make and store away.


    I asked him to take a break from collecting because it was about to get too big to fit in the basket, and I taught him all the parts I could see. There were vegetables, flowers and seedlings, some of which he had never seen before, and he observed them with great interest, no wrinkles on his brow.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve been here before as a child. Something I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    They looked different just because they were at different eye level. First, I heard that Lady Adelaide turned this place into a field after she moved in. I heard before that it was just a regular garden with flower beds.


    I was a little impressed that he would naturally hold the heavier basket of tomatoes instead of the eggs. We went around the front of the forest, talking slowly, and when we went out toward the main entrance of the mansion, we saw a familiar face. Oh my, the wrinkles between his eyebrows were back.


    ¡°Good morning. You¡¯re looking healthy this morning, you two.¡±


    You were up early too, Mr. Hugh. Today was a day off for the clinic¡¯s nanny, but I wondered what was going on.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? I suppose it¡¯s still early in the morning indeed.¡±


    ¡°No, I just followed the young doctor because he said he was going to pick medicinal herbs.¡±


    Young doctor¡­ You mean Mark. Hey, I thought he always came to the forest after breakfast, but wasn¡¯t he early today? Their conversation continued as if my thoughts were being conveyed.


    ¡°I see. Is he always this early?¡±


    ¡°You know? I told him I¡¯d be over here, so he said he¡¯d stop by when he was done picking. Hey, young lady, the magic is still coming from the woods, do you feel anything?¡±


    I shook my head and Mr. Hugh seemed a little unsatisfied¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so insensitive! I didn¡¯t know what I didn¡¯t know.


    But what about breakfast? If you hadn¡¯t already, please help us consume these tomatoes.


    He didn¡¯t expect to be invited to breakfast, and when I wrote it on his palm, Hugh happily nodded his head two times. Mark said he hadn¡¯t eaten yet either, so we would have two people stop by.


    My mind was occupied with the additional tomato menu this morning and the sudden addition of two more people. After saying no to the two men behind me, I hurried back to the kitchen ahead of them to tell Lady Adelaide.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Walter is going to do anything.¡±


    ¡°What is that something?¡±


    ¡°No, you see. Margaret is a good girl. And she¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so quick to look at her like that.¡±


    ¡°And nothing has happened since then last night? That¡¯s not true, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing had happened.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what a subtle pause!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Eh, then she¡¯s still free, right? And doesn¡¯t look like the young doctor told her either.¡±


    ¡°You again¡­¡±


    So their conversation did not reach my ears.


    Lady Adelaide was an excellent cook. I¡¯d learned a lot of things from her, but one thing in particular I couldn¡¯t copy was omelets. I had never been a big fan of semi-cooked eggs, but Lady Adelaide¡¯s omelet was exceptional. There was not the slightest hint of fishiness, and the outside was fluffy and the inside thick. What is this, another dimension?


    This omelet was satisfying enough with just salt and pepper, and today we served it with a fresh tomato sauce. What a luxury.


    Peel tomatoes, cut into chunks, and mix with roughly chopped purple onion that had been quickly soaked in water. Simply heat the sauce just enough to warm it up, add chopped parsley to finish, and season with salt. But this made the plate suddenly looked gorgeous, like a bright red flower blooming on a yellow omelet.


    The tomatoes were also ripe on the tree, so they had a rich flavor, but because they were a little early in the season, they were a little more acidic than sweet, which went well with the rich egg.


    So, well, Mr. Hugh was in the head count to begin with, so breakfast was ready without running out of ingredients.


    They didn¡¯t return to what they were talking about, and eventually appeared in the kitchen with Mark, who had apparently joined them at the front door.


    So, Mark, you didn¡¯t have to ask me how I was feeling at the outset. I was not affected by the exploration or anything, I was fine! Therefore, don¡¯t pet my head, don¡¯t hold my face and don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯ve been so embarrassed since this morning, I can¡¯t stand it! I am twenty-eight.


    Uh, I didn¡¯t know what to do. Ah, yes, Buddy! Come to think of it, I hadn¡¯t seen Buddy since I woke up this morning. I thought it was strange, because we usually had breakfast together, but when I looked for him, I found him sleeping soundly in his favorite space in front of the fireplace in the living room.


    Lady Adelaide, I wondered what happened to Buddy.


    ¡°I guess he woke up too early and got sleepy because he was already up when I woke up. Or maybe he¡¯s just a night owl.¡±


    ¡°Walter, did you have Buddy stand on the night watch?¡±


    ¡°We have to work on that. Well done, buddy.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what it was, but thanks, Buddy. Let¡¯s leave him alone.

 CH 14

    I handed Mark the basket on his way back to the clinic. It was filled with an overnight ratatouille, plain petite bread, and a juicy meat sandwich. It was thinly sliced and sandwiched between thin slices of roast beef-like meat that I had made from the yesterday¡¯s steak. The size and content were both generous.


    Mark and Hugh had already had their breakfast here, but Dr. Daniel was probably not ready yet, so I asked him to take some home for lunch if he wanted.


    While Lady Adelaide and I were in the kitchen filling the baskets, the three men were talking about something¡­ They were so close. They were different ages and personalities, but I heard they were all excellent, so I guessed they talked well together.


    Well, there was a girl I met through my ex who was said to be well made and had a hard time talking to her classmates when she was in elementary, middle and high school. She seemed so happy to be in college and meet professors and seniors, and was finally be able to talk to them the way she wanted to. Here was the ¡®senior¡¯ point; she was in college, and her classmates still couldn¡¯t make it. She cried when she saw that they were senior students, not undergraduates, but above graduate students.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun to talk about what you love to keep the conversation going.¡±


    She was the first person to read a technical book on thermodynamics with sparkling eyes, saying that she had never heard of it before¡­. I believed she was now in a research position at a university in the U.S. or somewhere. I wonder if she was okay. I thought sincerely that it was very difficult to be too different in level.


    In my case, it wasn¡¯t a matter of how smart I was, but I didn¡¯t have any friends I could call best friends.


    Elementary school friends became estranged as a matter of course after the school district separated in middle school. As a junior high school student, I was in the unfamiliar position of taking on all the household chores, and I had no time to take care of other things.


    We get along well at school, and of course, there were the kids I shared recess and lunch with. Many of the kids were laid-back because of the countryside, and although I was not bullied or anything, none of them forcefully asked me out after school or on weekends, so I never had a relationship with any of them that I would see after graduation from either junior high or high school.


    The reason I didn¡¯t attend the coming-of-age ceremony, even though I wasn¡¯t that far away, was because I couldn¡¯t think of anyone I wanted to see. At junior college, I was so busy with classes and assignments that I had to work part-time at a family restaurant in between. The girl I befriended was transferred across the border while she was working for a general company and not on the same hours as me in sales.


    I was blessed with people among my seniors and juniors, didn¡¯t have much trouble with relationships, and had workmates with whom I liked to have tea or go shopping when we had time off. However, I found myself without normal friends, especially those I could call my best friends¡­ Was I a loner? If I wasn¡¯t interacting with people in the hospitality industry, I¡¯d be a loner.


    Sir Walter was annoyed when Mr. Hugh teased him, and Mark interrupted him with a hand gesture.


    I had contacts with the women in the village and they were friendly, but there was no one who didn¡¯t know my special position as an ¡®Orison¡¯, so I had to take that into account in my dealings with them.


    I felt that Lady Adelaide and Dr. Daniel saw me as ¡®Margaret the individual¡¯ and not as an ¡®Orison¡¯. That was why I thought I loved them more, I guess.


    I was still not sure about the two that came in yesterday, but Mark as well¡­ I didn¡¯t think he was very aware of the ¡®Orisons¡¯, maybe. I didn¡¯t feel the thin wall that existed in the beginning, and I didn¡¯t feel it these days. He was very close to me since he started petting my head. Was he not from that side of the family?


    Tomorrow was the day of being the nanny, so I sent him off with a promise to meet him again at the clinic. I returned to the kitchen, fixing my slightly disheveled hair after being stroked again, and Lady Adelaide made me a cup of herbal tea.


    ¡°I have a meeting of the women¡¯s association today, so I¡¯m going out before noon. They were told of Margaret¡¯s absence, so there is someone to take care of the house.¡±


    ¡°My, you¡¯re going out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We did not change our plans because we were told to go on with our lives as usual. I¡¯ll leave Margaret with you, though.¡±


    Yes. Sir Walter and Mr. Hugh came to Meissery not only to interview, but also to check out the village where we live, the living environment, and so on. So, we had been told in advance to live as normally as possible.


    At the women¡¯s association meetings, adult women in the village gathered at the meeting place two or three times a month to sew or knit and cook preserved foods together.


    They brought their own lunch, and on this day, they were free from household chores and went home refreshed after a lively, yes, that¡¯s right, lively chat.


    The difference was that from their hands, which never rested even while chatting, could easily make two or three handkerchief borders or embroideries, or at least the front of a sweater with pattern knitting. The village women¡¯s handcraft skills, half of them, were not so good. They sometimes jointly made large items for use in the village.


    New recipes spread from the lunches brought in, and some people were quick to inform of the latest trends in the capital, making it a much-anticipated day in a place where entertainment was scarce.


    The first time I was able to walk and showed up was not at the village headman¡¯s house, but at a women¡¯s association meeting¡­ If put this way, you could see how important it was in this community. A group of women should never be enemies, you know. Instead, I was sure that they were very reliable.


    Many of the women in the Meissery were refreshingly calm, and it was very nice to be able to interact with them in a mature manner without much trouble.


    Normally, I would go with them, but that would mean that Sir Walter and Mr. Hugh, the investigators who were basically obligated to accompany me for the next few days, would also have to come along.


    The ironclad rule was that men were not allowed at women¡¯s association gatherings. The wives said it was a pity that they had lost a chance to admire the two handsome men of the capital up close, but they did not make an exception for the rule-breaking. As expected.


    That was why I stayed home in a daze¡­I was looking forward to it because Tanya, the blacksmith, was going to show off her new pie today. If Lady Adelaide had not said that she would get me a slice, I would have locked the two men in the chicken coop and snuck out.


    Tanya¡¯s pies were delicious. That crispy crust! And yet the filling was juicy as could be! Ah, I was drooling.


    After cleaning, doing laundry and seeing Lady Adelaide off with her lunch basket and sewing kit, it was time for me to get ready for lunch. However, the menu was the same as the one I had for Mark, so I just heated up the ratatouille and cut the petite bread in half and lightly toasted it with garlic butter. Hmmm, it smelled appetizingly good.


    The smell of garlic after a meal, which bothered everyone in different parts of the world, was masked by the generous amount of parsley in the salad. I¡¯d heard that cheese and apples were good to eat and green tea helped, but parsley was the major here.


    A little different from the original world, this parsley was less bitter, more fragrant, very easy to eat, and one of my favorites. There were a few trees planted in a corner of the field behind our house, but they were very fertile, and even though we kept tearing them off and eating them, we always found that they were full of thick, colorful greenery. If such a thing existed in Japan, I would put a planter on the balcony of my apartment and grow it.


    ¡°Ah, it smells so good~. I haven¡¯t moved this much in a long time and I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°¡­Smells delicious.¡±


    Look, here comes Mr. Hungry, dizzy with the delicious smells. Normally, he should just be watching, but he spent the entire morning with me cleaning and whatnot and helped a lot, thank you very much. Thanks to his work, even the handrails on the stairs and the tops of the display cabinets, which were usually out of reach, were glowing.


    That was great. Magic was a great way to clean up. To show my appreciation, I had added more roast beef to the sandwiches.


    So, let¡¯s have it with gusto at noon without worrying about the smell.


    **


    ¡®Good morning, Walter. You could use a little more rest.¡¯


    How could I talk to my son in such a normal way after not seeing him for eight years? Thinking back, the last time I was at the residence in the capital, I only greeted him minimally and called him by name less and less.


    My son was often busy with work and never came home; and his wife who was only too eager to socialize. Butlers and housekeepers, who had been there when I married for decades, were polite but not confidantes.


    One year after my son and his wife got married and moved in together, I told them that I would retire in Meissery as of that date, which I had decided on my own.


    ¡°¡­It is already a decision in mother¡¯s mind, anyway. Do as you like. We¡¯ll take care of the property and other paperwork for you.¡±


    He looked the same as my husband and said the same things.


    Indeed, I was only able to be involved in my son¡¯s upbringing for a short time when he was little, even though I gave birth to him through my own gut wrenching experience. My mother-in-law refused to allow me to hold my son, pet him, or make him tea to drink, saying that I was spoiling him and ruining him.


    I could never get it across with all my words or with all my heart. If I tried to fit in with their style, I was blatantly rejected. It was as if I was living alone in a foreign country where I didn¡¯t speak the language.


    I could only catch glimpses of my son, whose face and behavior were becoming more and more like my husband¡¯s from afar. I didn¡¯t have to tell what happened between my husband and me. Still, it was the contract between the two families and my will that kept us from getting divorced or separated.


    And it was also my intention to make my retreat to Meissery and not in my hometown¡­ I didn¡¯t want to go back to a place that reminded me of happier times. I was afraid that I might start to envy and hate my loved ones who lived peacefully in their hometowns.


    I guessed my son, who grew up with such biased ideas and relationships, but never cursed me when I tried to leave, was a gentle child by nature. If I had been able to raise him differently, he would have been able to build a warm home for himself, and I felt so sorry for my own lack of strength.


    The moment I left the capital and was well accustomed to life in the village, Daniel regrettably left the royal palace and set up a clinic in Meissery. This man was also a victim of being pushed around by me and my family, but he always supported me in the shadows. I had nothing to give back to him and yet he was going to continue to live in the same place¡­ That was enough.


    ¡°Ms. Adelaide, your son is so big. He looks like your husband.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hugh was a skinny little guy, but he¡¯s grown a lot.¡±


    Hey, hey, how about our niece for your son? What a calm mind to take in the idle chatter.


    Was it the years of not seeing each other that did it, or was it the poison of Margaret and Walter¡¯s accompanying company? My son was still a strong and expressive man, but I was surprised to see that his mood had somehow softened.


    Back then, I had no idea that he would be able to treat people in such a natural way.


    ¡®Let¡¯s feed them lots of good food and give them lots of welcome.¡¯


    How much I was saved by Margaret, who cheerfully declared that if that didn¡¯t work, she would treat them to her special cookies. This child really brought such a warm light at the end of my life.


    ¡®You live to fight and make up.¡¯


    She had lost her parents early in life, and her eyes gazed into the distance.


    I kept moving my embroidery needle, thinking strongly that the week my son would spend there would be comparable to the past ten years, and wondered what else he liked to eat, while reeling back the distant memories.

 CH 15

    Well, today was a day to help out at the clinic.


    These days, I worked once or twice a week and when asked. It seemed like a big village, but it was actually a small village. On the days I was there, they got through to the people who needed it right away, so I was doing fine with this.


    The neighbors actively lent a helping hand during emergencies, and my role was to make it easier for mothers to come to the clinic on a regular basis. They could bring children and consult with about their children¡¯s health.


    The basket filled with lunch was carried by Hugh. As for Walter¡­ He was at home with Lady Adelaide! Three days in and we were one step ahead. I thought Buddy could handle the somewhat awkward atmosphere¡­ I hoped so. Yeah.


    No, actually, this happened because the village chief said he was at the mansion to talk with the two. This morning was also a workday for the two men who worked for them, so it was not just the two of them. Do your best.


    We strolled down the path to the clinic with my slow steps accompanying me. Mr. Hugh told me about the village as if he was looking for mistakes, saying that this place had not changed and that place used to be like that.


    In this village where few people came and went, I suddenly wondered why Mr. Hugh had moved to the royal capital, come to think of it. But if there was a weighty reason, I wouldn¡¯t want to hear about it.


    I looked up at him and he asked what was the matter. I hesitated a little, but then I said that I had the same question since he had asked me so many questions the other day.


    He asked me about everything from my national framework to my family structure to my ex-boyfriends, a mixture of public and private. I told him because it was nothing to hide. He got the impression that the boundary between lover, fianc¨¦e, and husband and wife was blurred. Well, if you asked me, that was probably true. Cohabitation and de facto marriage were both impossible here.


    But when I told him that in the country where I was from, having a mistress was against the norms today, bigamy was a crime, and there were the same-sex couples, with all the pros and cons, he looked indifferent. That was not so surprising.


    Ah, I didn¡¯t want to drop it so I didn¡¯t use the magic tool while walking. I wrote on the palm of his hand, I hoped it wasn¡¯t too hard to communicate.


    ¡°Ah, my magic power, you know, suddenly became very high. As I grow taller, it¡¯ll grow stronger. I had to learn to control it, so I joined the Royal Academy. My parents run a tailoring business, and our clients in the capital have invited us to work over there. So, I took the opportunity and moved in with my family.¡±


    ¡®Look, these robes are actually made by my parents¡¯, said Hugh, looking a little proud and happy as he shook the black robe of the Institute of Magical Arts hanging on his shoulder. Wasn¡¯t it amazing that they were making uniforms for a national institution? I asked him to take the time to show me the modest embroidery that bordered the piece and other details. It was a wonderful technique. His parents now ran the store with his sister and her husband, who were their heirs.


    ¡°Because magic is connected by blood, many high-magic people are aristocrats. And so are Walter and Mark. Sometimes they pop up as commoners like me, but we were told that it was our ancestors because apparently our grandfather, generations ago, was a side line of some noble family.¡±


    They all had that magic, but they said there was more to it than a lot of things they didn¡¯t know. Few people like Mr. Hugh and Sir Walter could use the magic they had as outward magic, and even fewer could manipulate it at will outside of their own characteristics. Most of them were aristocratic men, and they were said to be related to the Academy of Magic or the royal court.


    ¡°Long ago, people like us were tools of war. It¡¯s still going to be managed by the government. It¡¯s not just the status difference that makes the aristocrats keep their distance from the commoners, it¡¯s the old memories that are still there somewhere that make people think these guys are scary.¡±


    He said heavy things without hesitation. I could certainly understand that witchcraft could be a threat in this world where there were apparently no airplanes or missiles. I guessed it depended on the person who used it, just like with knives, always and everywhere were the same.


    ¡°So, it was quite refreshing to see a young lady use our magic for cleaning and laundry.¡±


    Uwah. Come to think of it, I got plenty of use out of it yesterday! No, he also showed us his works one after another in a fun manner. Mr. Hugh laughed happily as he watched me fumble around, and pointed to his own eyes, saying that my magic was particularly unusual in some respects.


    ¡°I¡¯m a magician, everyone who is more often than not scared of, and here I¡¯m a vacuum cleaner. I was already having fun. Thank you, Margaret.¡±


    He stopped and quickly took my hand with the one not holding the basket and kissed the back of my hand in a smooth flow. I was so surprised that I tried to pull away, but he grabbed my hand and¡­ Just a minute. Wasn¡¯t it foul to spin a straight face there? And I couldn¡¯t believe I called him by his name.


    This was troubling. In my twenty-eight years of experience in Japan, I had even had lovers, sexual harassment and molestation, but not this. Hence, I didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.


    Because when he said that, I just didn¡¯t think it was scary because I didn¡¯t know much about magic. I¡¯d never seen anyone use it in a way that would scare me. So, I didn¡¯t think it was ever appreciated by Mr. Hugh in that way.


    I was still flapping my mouth, unable to speak, and Mr. Hugh continued again.


    ¡°I am, Margaret. I love girls, but I decided not to get married and not to have children. It¡¯s a mess for a commoner with high magic, the nobles look down on you, the commoners are afraid of you, and there¡¯s no place for you.


    If not, you are swept up in your own power, and until you learn to control it, even a normal life is not possible. I don¡¯t want my children to inherit this kind of hardship. Of course, there are aristocrats like Walter, and many people from the Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry are of the same ilk, but still.¡±


    The hand that held mine was cold and a little shaky. Looking beyond me, toward the center of the village, Mr. Hugh muttered.


    ¡°¡­I really didn¡¯t want to come to Meissery either. There are a lot of people who have been inconvenienced because my magic has run amok, injuring them or breaking things. And yet, on the first day, everyone gathered at the village chief¡¯s place and waited for me. ¡®The outburst of power¡¯ was just an old laughable story. There was no one to blame¡­. I felt like a weight had been lifted from my heart.


    So, Margaret, thank you for coming to this world and to Meissery. Without you, I would never have come back to this village, and I would have been stuck in the past for a long time.¡±


    Mr. Hugh¡¯s green eyes relaxed and he gently stroked my head with his hand, which he naturally let go. I stared at him without being able to say anything, and once again, our eyes met properly.


    ¡°Hgh, sorry. That doesn¡¯t sound like me.¡±


    His face turned bright red. He covered his mouth with his hand, and turned away.


    I hurriedly followed Mr. Hugh, who walked away slowly without making eye contact.


    When I arrived at the clinic, I said hello to Dr. Daniel and Mark, and rolled out the rug as usual. Mr. Hugh was looking at me with great interest, but this was the end of the preparation¡­ You didn¡¯t have to look so unsatisfied.


    While I was carrying the lunch basket to the break room and washing my hands, patients arrived.


    ¡°Margaret, good morning! Take care of our little guy today.¡±


    This Miss Tanya, a blacksmith, had a big voice and a sharp personality. Hey, Tanya, thanks for dinner yesterday! The loquat pie was delicious!


    Tanya¡¯s new pie, presented yesterday at the women¡¯s meeting where I was forced to stay home, was made with loquat. A whole loquat compote was wrapped in a crispy pie crust¡­ A moment of bliss. Moreover, knowing that I was not coming, Tanya made sure that we had enough for Walter and Hugh¡¯s and the number of people in the room.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re that pie person from yesterday? That was delicious. I wonder if you could sell it if we took it to the capital. I think my mom and sister would absolutely love it.¡±


    ¡°My my, I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s a hobby of mine, you know, and if people eat it and say it¡¯s good, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    By the way, didn¡¯t Tanya know Hugh? I took out my magic tool and asked.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an interesting magical tool. This is very convenient. Good for you, Margaret. I¡¯ve come from the previous village to marry into Meissery, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never met this nice man, the sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the same age as my sister? If we had been in the same village, I¡¯m sure we would have become friends.¡±


    As we were talking about this, Mark called. Tanya-san put the little guy, John, in my arms¡­ Oh, was he a little hot?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a little under the weather lately. I don¡¯t have much of a fever, but I feel kind of sluggish. Dan told me to go to the clinic after I told him that Margaret was there today. I¡¯m going to go see the doctor in a bit, so be a good boy and wait for me.¡±


    Tanya patted John¡¯s head and headed to the examination room¡­ Tanya, weren¡¯t those the symptoms? John was in tears and reaching for his mother¡¯s back, but when the door closed, he grabbed my clothes with his returned hand as if he had given up.


    ¡°This child, how old is he? ¡­ Hgh, ow ow.¡±


    Mr. Hugh looked into John¡¯s face and was grabbed by the hair. Yeah, he was curious about the red hair swinging in front of him. Yes, I gently opened his fingers to let go of the hair and sat on the rug. When I gave him a cue ball that I had taken out of the wooden box at his feet, John held it with both hands and played with it.


    John, who played tinklingly on my lap, had just turned two years old. He walked and ran well, but his chatter was a little slow, still just ahhs and uhhs. He was a quiet boy, much like the husband Dan, a taciturn craftsman, but today he seemed even quieter than usual¡­ I touched his forehead and neck. He was still hot. Then, these teary eyes were not because his mother left him, but physiologically?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s bothering that child?¡±


    Mr. Hugh noticed me flopping around and touching John, and he asked me. I nodded and wrote that I¡¯ll tell the doctor that John had a fever too.


    John looked up at me with moist, curly eyes. When I smiled and took the fever with my forehead, his eyes blinked for a moment and he was delighted. He seemed to be enjoying himself, so I tapped his forehead again. He seemed to like it so much that every time I repeatedly tapped him, that nursery rhyme about the two ants butting heads played endlessly in my brain.


    Finally, both of my cheeks were held tightly by small hands, and our foreheads were squished together. It was a children¡¯s song festival for John in his mind, who was in a good mood about what was fun. He would sing the full chorus.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s turning red.¡±


    I laughed when Mark, who came to call, pointed out my forehead. Mr. Hugh smiled at John and Mark as they waved bye-bye and walked into the examination room.


    ¡°That sounded like fun~. Do you always play like that?¡±


    If it happened every time, I¡¯d probably scrape my forehead.

 CH 16

    When Tanya returned to the waiting room, she put her hand on her lower abdomen and said, ¡°They said it¡¯s the second one!¡± with a flush in her cheeks. I knew it. When married women who were a kind of ¡°I¡¯m feeling sluggish¡±, I suspected that was it! Both seniors and juniors had many of these symptoms.


    Tanya, who had no idea when John was born, said she was going to visit the midwife like this.


    While everyone in the waiting room was waiting and congratulating each other, Dan, the blacksmith, came running in at a great speed his work clothes with a blue face.


    ¡°T-Tanya, are you alright!? I got a message to hurry and get here, but what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dan, calm down. Can you take John and return first? I¡¯ll go straight to Grandma Chris.¡±


    Grandma Chris was the only midwife in this village. Mr. Dan, still breathing heavily and pouting, could hardly seem to get his head around it.


    ¡°Eh, Grandma Chris? Eh, eh? Tanya, that¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Ah, god, you¡¯re so slow. John¡¯s going to be a big brother.¡±


    Everyone in the waiting room took turns calling out to Dan, patting him on the back, and telling him to the point that his blue complexion had turned red, he had become weak and slumped down. The air was filled with so much happiness. Ah, I was there for a wonderful scene. There were natural smiles. Tanya stroked John¡¯s head again, this time letting Dan take him in his arms.


    ¡°John was said to have a mild cold. Sorry, I had a fever myself, so I didn¡¯t know John was hotter than usual when I was holding him. Thanks for noticing, Margaret.¡±


    After waking up Mr. Dan, who was still a bit absent-minded, the three of them left the clinic with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°So, Hugh, you will be returning to the capital this afternoon, huh.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Walter¡¯s still here, though, because he¡¯s being sent on vacation as well.¡±


    ¡®Thank you for your help in the short time I was here¡¯, he said, bowing lightly over lunch in the clinic¡¯s break room. Yes, in fact, Hugh¡¯s visit to Meissery was over today. He ended up staying at the doctor¡¯s office both nights. Charlatan¡­ No, the amiable Mr. Hugh had become a friendly conversationalist with the doctor and Mark.


    About the monologue I heard when I came in this morning, Mr. Hugh acted as if it never happened, so I was following right along. It was somewhat awkward, but¡­ there mainly was Mark¡¯s gaze. I felt like I was being watched.


    Mr. Hugh turned his head toward us and pointed to a magical tool in the corner of the table.


    ¡°Just let Walter have that magical tool when he leaves, until then, you can use it. You can also tell Walter what you want to change. I¡¯ll come back to give it to you as soon as I¡¯m done with the improvements.¡±


    My hands and mouth were full, so I nodded meekly. Today¡¯s lunch was scones. The recipe, in which the flour was mixed with a bit of whole wheat flour to add flavor and make it a meal instead of a snack, was made by Lady Adelaide. The truth was that freshly baked food was the best, but oh well. I borrowed the kitchen at the teacher¡¯s house and reheated it a little. The rest was meatloaf with lots of carrots and green beans and a bean salad. Yes, it was also delicious today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind if Hugh doesn¡¯t bring it, you can send it to me.¡±


    ¡°Mark, don¡¯t be such a bore. Isn¡¯t that ¡®We look forward to seeing you back soon¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not being honest.¡±


    What good friends, just like high school boys. I could see the view of them on the rooftop, poking at each other and spreading out their lunches. The casting was a bespectacled vice president and a brown-haired secretary. Then Sir Walter would be the chairperson¡­ I don¡¯t know, that could be interesting.


    And Mark, for what it was worth, had completely lost his honorifics to Mr. Hugh. Oh, that had been happening to me lately, too.


    ¡°¡­ that Margaret¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.Hgh.¡±


    Eh, what? Sheesh, I was on cloud nine and didn¡¯t listen. What about me? I hurriedly wiped my hands and wrote on my magical tool, and Mr. Hugh looked straight at me with a radiant face.


    ¡°I¡¯m always on Margaret¡¯s side.¡±


    He said with a vague smile, and then started talking about the report and the work with Dr. Daniel¡­ They didn¡¯t tell me anything more than that. When I looked at Mark, who was supposed to be talking with him, he just looked at me knowingly and said nothing. I nodded, not really understanding, for the moment.


    I saw off the carriage that he had somehow arranged for in front of the clinic. Many villagers had come to say goodbye, surprising Mr. Hugh. Mr. Hugh, who was given a mountain of souvenirs in each hand, being told to take these and eat them in the carriage, smiled as if he was troubled the whole time and seemed to be trying to hold back tears.


    ¡°Ah, look, Sarah, come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were neighbors.¡±


    Pushed out from behind the crowd was Sarah, the baker. She was a year older than me and had always been a good friend of mine in the women¡¯s club.


    She had been married in a neighboring village, but her husband passed away and she returned to this village the year before last with her only daughter, Emily. An uncle who was nearby told me that they had been neighbors and family friends until Hugh¡¯s family moved away. They were childhood friends, I guess.


    Finally, Sara handed Hugh a smaller package and told him to be back, and that was all she managed to say as he finally got into the carriage.


    As we watched him off until he was out of sight, the people who had gathered there naturally dispersed. As I was heading back to the clinic, I noticed a group of girls clustered a short distance away. Mark, who was standing and talking with several young men of the village who were about the same age as him, glanced at me with a cute face. He would be aware of the favors being directed at him, but his eyes would never catch them¡­ Wasn¡¯t that usually more or less pleasant?


    As far as I know, I was the only member of the opposite sex that Mark had involved himself with. The hand that caressed my head, the arm that always supported me when I was about to fall, the eyes that met when I suddenly notice them¡­ I was not so insensitive as to be completely unaware of the meaning that was so plainly implied that it could not be explained by egotism or self-consciousness. I knew that it was not intended to be because I was an ¡®Orison¡¯. Still.


    I¡¯d only been in this world for a few months, and I was still waiting for that side of things. I didn¡¯t even know myself well.


    ¡°Margaret, did you get lonely?¡±


    I stopped dead in my tracks at the entrance to the clinic, and was brought back to myself by Dr. Daniel snapping me back to my feet. Lonely?¡­ I was not lonely. I was just a little nervous again about something I¡¯d been thinking about for a long time.


    There was nothing I could do, even if they called me a ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯. I didn¡¯t even have the magical power that everyone else had in this world. I could see fairies, but that was all, and they didn¡¯t do anything with me.


    Why was I here? I wondered if I, who could do nothing, should be treated so politely. Weren¡¯t there other people who should be cared more?


    I didn¡¯t feel like I could explain well. Hesitant to cause concern, I smiled vaguely and faked it, and he patted me on the head, as Mark always did. Warm, big hands.


    ¡­ Father.


    For some reason, I suddenly remembered my father, whom I had lost sight of fifteen years ago, and a single tear that I had been holding back spilled out.


    **


    Tears?


    I saw a glint on Margaret¡¯s cheek as she followed the doctor through the front door of the clinic.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s up Mark?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be returning.¡±


    I cut off the conversation in mid-sentence and said goodbye without even looking at the person I was talking to across the street, who gave me a knowing pat on the back¡­ Was it that obvious?


    The waiting room was unoccupied. As if waiting for me to enter the examination room, the doctor went upstairs with a book and a letter, telling me to call him when a patient came in. I heard sounds coming from the break room at the back of the examination room and realized that Margaret was continuing to clean up.


    I passed through the partition curtain and called out to her to turn to me as she closed the lid of the basket with her back to me. Her slightly reddened eyes were faintly wet.


    ¡°¡­Do you miss Hugh when he leaves?¡±


    I was sure there was no pretense of that, and Hugh himself said no. I just felt sure that there was a subtle air between them today, but not romantic feelings¡­ It just wasn¡¯t?


    She shook her head with a surprised look and I gripped her moving wrist that was in a hurry to find her magical tool. As I touched the moistened corners of her eyes with the opposite fingertips, she looked at our joined hands as if in contemplation and began tracing letters on my palm with her other hand.


    ¡°¡­Father?¡±


    Margaret nodded awkwardly. She said that when the doctor stroked her head, it reminded her of her late father. She laughed in annoyance, saying that she had hardly ever been petted by her father. ¡®I thought I had cried so many tears that there would be no more tears¡¯, was what she said.


    I felt relieved and relaxed. When I piled on to see if Hugh had anything to do with it, she said that the lively person was gone and it was quiet. When I heartily agreed with Margaret, who wrote that she was worried about whether Lady Adelaide and Walter would be able to keep up with her, I realized that I was almost holding her in my arms.


    ¡­I¡¯d done it. Even just recently, I thought it was dangerous and even this was weighing me down.


    Margaret peeked in curiously at my suddenly silent self. She was usually carefree, but occasionally her eyes glazed over as if she was remembering something. It was clear from looking at her that she was confused about her position as an ¡®Orison¡¯ and was hiding her uneasy feelings.


    It was easy to let her meditate, to surround her, to protect her, to keep her calm. But that would not be good for her.


    It was more like Margaret to fly in the sky and sing in the forest than to be a caged bird. I had hoped that over time, she would gradually become familiar and accept this world.


    ¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯, her fingertips moved. She didn¡¯t even seem to question the close proximity to begin with. I got a response to my question, and I needed to stay away. I knew it was no good anymore, but I couldn¡¯t pull myself off as if it felt melting and sticking to the place I touched.


    I was at a loss for an answer, and after a few moments of hesitation, her fingers moved again. As I read the words spelled out in the palm of my hand, I heard something snap inside me at the content.


    I slid my hand, which had left at her eyes, to her face and made her look up. When I caught her eyes, which were wandering about in a daze, realizing her blunder by now, I saw myself smiling fearlessly with a face I had never seen before in her eyes¡­. I knew that I was scaring her, but whose fault was it?


    ¡°¡­ Margaret? Listen carefully. I never look at a man as a love interest. I do not flirt with the village girls when they court me because I am not interested in a woman I do not like. It¡¯s just a source of hassle. There¡¯s only one person I¡¯m interested in.¡±


    Where did she get this outrageously oblique idea that I was not interested in village girls because I preferred men? Was that normal in the world she was in?


    I thought I was getting the message across a little, but it seemed I was a long way off. All that spilled from her mouth, which opened and closed like a goldfish, was sweet breath.


    ¡°Completely¡­I had to be careful because I was about to lose my mind. I won¡¯t wait any longer.¡±


    I stroked her vermilion-tinted cheeks with the back of my fingers and kissed the tips of our joined fingers.


    ¡°¡­Margaret came to this world to meet us. Whatever other reasons there may be, such things are secondary. You can stay here forever.¡±


    Here, in my arms. Gasping for breath, her eyes looked up at me, searching for something, lips voiceless, forming my name. Yes, call me more, in small steps. Me.


    ¡°If you want a place to stay, make one. You can find as much meaning as you want. So, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll like it just as much as I like you¡­ Margaret.¡±


    I embraced the slender body with no resistance.


    We could hear each other¡¯s heartbeats as close as this.


    I was afraid to touch her. If I were to touch her, I would break her.


    Even though I found that she wasn¡¯t so soft as I spent time with her, I restrained myself from getting out of control this time.


    Thin shoulders, black hair that had grown a little longer than when she arrived. I wanted to own all the smiles that masked her crying face. I was even jealous of the pampered expression she showed only in front of Lady Adelaide and the pure trust she had in Buddy.


    I was amazed at the variety of feelings I had toward others. I didn¡¯t know I felt this way. And I was surprised again that I didn¡¯t hate myself like that.


    All of this was given to me by Margaret.


    I was not going to let go.


    ¡°Margaret. Come to love me.¡±


    After a slight hesitation, a hand was discreetly placed behind my back in reply.

 CH 17

    My mother¡¯s place was set in the Meissery mansion. There was a kitchen, backyard field, and balcony rocking chair.


    Therefore, I knew that if I avoided these three places, or better yet, holed myself up in my given guest room and wrote a report to be submitted, I would not have to face her until the village head arrived.


    After breakfast, Margaret wrote a few words on the palm of my hand with an expression that indicated she admired her poorly made brother but still expected something, and then left for the clinic with Hugh, who had come to pick her up.


    She probably remembered the story of that night¡¯s slip of the tongue. I even felt frustrated at myself seeing how much more so when others saw it. I didn¡¯t realize that I would find it more of a challenge to keep things together with my mother than with the Congress at the Royal Court.


    The two menial workers were doing laundry and cleaning the yard near Buddy, who was playing outside. There was still time before the village chief arrived¡­ I guess it was now. My mother was kneading flour dough in the kitchen when I looked in.


    I clenched my right hand and called out to her in a matter-of-fact manner.


    ¡°¡­What were you making?¡±


    ¡°My, Walter. I was wondering if you would like to join us for lunch. It¡¯s scone.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also make for Margaret in the morning?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for taking to the clinic. It tastes so much better when it¡¯s freshly made.¡±


    Meals with the eater in mind. The way she was willing to go to the trouble. Thinking back, every plate of food served here was my favorite food. That fact pushed me back.


    ¡°I see you still love to cook.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I like it. I like cooking, working in the fields¡­ I would be disqualified as an aristocrat. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m such a terrible mother.¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t want her to say those words, it was not my mother who should apologize. That.


    ¡°¡­It is I who should apologize. I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me, but I always wanted to apologize. I¡¯ve been growing, taking advantage of the fact that Mother didn¡¯t say anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Walter¡­¡±


    My mother, who had stopped moving with her hands buried in the dough she was making, looked up at me with a look of disbelief.


    There was a significant height difference between me and my mother. My mother, who was looking almost directly up at me, did not look away, but called my name as she stood beside me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to apologize for a long time. I have forced you to live in the capital for years against your will. That I have tied you to the Countess with my fetters. The servants in the mansion were not satisfied with the control they were given, and you were made to feel small. Being willful and dishonest for a long time¡­ My ex-wife.¡±


    ¡°Hgh. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°No, it is my responsibility. Everything should have been something I could have handled.¡±


    Really, it was pathetic. How narrow-minded I was to realize that now.


    ¡°Ah, you have your own position, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m the one to blame, not you.¡±


    ¡°¡¯Externally, perhaps, but as a family, it is a mistake. There is nothing wrong with you, mother.¡±


    ""


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m the bad person. If I could do better, you could¡­¡±


    Yes, this mother never blamed others. The degree to which one accepted that everything resulted from one¡¯s own actions was truly aristocratic. She was not like father or the tutor who was all about the top. I was so proud of this kind of mother.


    After I realized that my mother, not myself, was the one who would reprimand me if I asked to see her as a young child, we rarely saw each other anymore, even though we lived under the same roof. The distance that had been forcibly opened gradually separated even our hearts. It was probably my father¡¯s and grandmother¡¯s idea to give me a proper education as the ¡®heir to Count Dustin¡¯s family¡¯.


    Now that I was an adult and had fulfilled my duties, I did not believe that everything in the past was a mistake. But there had to be another way.


    ¡°¡­Please accept my apology. If you say it is unforgivable, I swear I will not bother you again in the future.¡±


    I thought that was a cunning way of putting it. But I was sure it had to be this good to reach my mother. What I wanted her to receive was not an apology, but a release. Please, I hoped it reached her. Once again, I clenched my right hand.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I was just like mother.¡±


    ¡°Really, I know you¡¯re a sweet child.¡±


    ¡°That, too, was mother¡¯s doing.¡±


    A glint blurred in her averted eyes. The tears that spilled out were absorbed into the powder around her hands and disappeared.


    ¡°¡­I accept the apology. I forgive you, Walter.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Thank you very much¡­Mother.¡±


    My mother, who embraced me from either side without regard to being covered in powder, was still smaller than I remembered. And it was just as warm as I remembered.


    The writing on my right palm from this morning came back to mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s not too late.¡¯


    You were right, Margaret.


    The dough, soaked with tears, continued to be made and went into the oven.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it as a memorial. Things you can¡¯t throw away.¡±


    When I offered to help my mother, who shyly began making the dish again, she curtly rejected my offer. After taking off my white jacket, I was made to sit in a chair next to the table with a cup of tea in my hand.


    ¡°Sit there instead. Tell me something.¡±


    If she asked to hear my voice, there was no way to refuse. That being said, I couldn¡¯t think of any topic that would entertain my mother, and the only thing we had in common was Dr. Reynolds¡­ Dr. Daniel and Margaret were the only ones.


    ¡°You are very good friends with her. From the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Margaret? Well, I don¡¯t know why, but that girl didn¡¯t make me feel cautious. Daniel says we¡¯re like a mother and daughter.¡±


    ¡°It looked that way to me, too. At least she¡¯s more like your actual child than I am.¡±


    Her hand stopped with a snap. Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong, that was not what I meant. This was how the conversation always stopped and that was how we got into that situation.


    ¡°Walter¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not being sarcastic or anything. On the contrary, I was relieved¡­ Well, there was some jealousy.¡±


    She opened her eyes in amazement. I hadn¡¯t seen a face like this in a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you are enjoying your life in Meissery. Also, you are not alone. I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thank you. You¡¯re being awfully honest, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I was blown away by what you just said. I¡¯ve already spent a lifetime regretting not telling you.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­That was the case, huh?¡±


    From her hand that resumed motion, the unmolded dough magically lined up on the baking sheet one after another.


    ¡°Margaret will be here for a long time to come, won¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope she¡¯ll stay until she¡¯s married or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her plan?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that she doesn¡¯t. She is quite popular. Daniel and Buddy are so guarded that she doesn¡¯t even know it.¡±


    She said pleasantly that it was an illustrious father¡¯s role to delay his daughter¡¯s marriage. Aside from Dr. Daniel, Buddy was certainly excellent. My mother asked me in a deliberately naughty way.


    ¡°Are you interested too?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think she is an attractive woman. She is not afraid of me, and I feel strangely at home with her.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯m the same way. We¡¯re really like a family that I feel no discomfort with her.¡±


    Family, family, huh¡­ I never did get it. If the warmth of the table around which we dine here was family, then it definitely was. I put my mouth on the cup that was still in my hand.


    ¡°For my part, I think if that¡¯s going to happen, it¡¯s going to be with Mark or you.¡±


    I choked.


    ¡°Oh, surprising?¡±


    ¡°¡­I failed once.¡±


    ¡°It depends on who you are dealing with. We¡¯ll have to think about succession.¡±


    ""


    ¡°You can adopt a child or whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°I guess so, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Do what you want.¡±


    It was obvious from the sidelines that Mark had feelings for her, but what about Margaret? There was no doubt, though, that she was the next closest person to my mother and Dr. Daniel.


    After all the dough was laid out, my mother washed her hands and cleared the table. The lean movements were pleasant to watch.


    I pictured my mother and Margaret standing in the kitchen side by side. Laughing and enjoying each other¡¯s company, the two of them deftly prepared and cleaned up one dish after another, complementing each other. A sight I¡¯d seen many times over the past three days, and if I were to put myself in it¡­


    ¡°¡­If anything, she feels more like a sister than a wife.¡±


    The stillness of that night, the peace and quiet. It was surely something that should be called filial love rather than infatuation.


    It had been a very long time since I had seen my mother smile with a happy ¡®motherly expression¡¯.


    The discussion about the village between my mother, the village chief, and the three of us ended easily. Although the company received reports on income and expenditure and tax collection twice a year and dispatched a family ordinance, there were actually many problems with the land and other matters that had not been seen with their own eyes for some time.


    After lunch, I left the mansion in a box carriage with the village chief, leaving my mother behind. We went around to see the actual locations to determine the order and scale of repairs and areas in need of repair, which I had heard lightly about even on the first day.


    It was a good time to finish seeing everything for the day, so I sent the carriage directly to the clinic after parting with the village chief. Hugh was back in the capital and Buddy was home with my mother. I wonder what it would be like to let Margaret walk alone¡­. I was sure Mark would send her off.


    Margaret, who was just outside, was surprised to see me come to pick her up unscheduled. She said they had just seen off the last patient.


    ¡°I had just finished my inspection, so I stopped by. It¡¯s almost over, now we¡¯re going back to the compound, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Margaret wrote on my palm asking if I could wait a moment and returned to the clinic, Mark, who had apparently heard the sound of the carriage, came out. They were talking a bit at the door, and I noticed that their mood differed from it was yesterday¡­ I see, I was in awe of my mother¡¯s keen eye.


    As I watched, Margaret went indoors and Mark came up to me standing by the carriage.


    ¡°¡­You came to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the way back. You shouldn¡¯t be so alarmed.¡±


    He looked at me in surprise, even though it didn¡¯t show on his face. ¡°The good people of Disraeli¡± didn¡¯t have time for lovers, apparently. Some things were more endearing than you might think.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sure, she¡¯s attractive, but I don¡¯t see her that way.¡±


    ¡°Even so, being Lady Adelaide¡¯s son, you were certainly qualified to be in that position¡­ Frankly, I couldn¡¯t afford it, and it was not pleasant.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, it¡¯s mutual.¡±


    Our eyes met. I couldn¡¯t help but to deflect.


    ¡°¡­Ever since I was a child, I have always wished that the doctor was my real father. Your position had been a long-time wish of mine.¡±


    The indescribable silence ended when Margaret returned. I left the escort to Mark and waited for him to get in first. Margaret got on shortly after and sat diagonally across from me, and the carriage quietly departed.


    ¡°¡­Your face is red.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at Margaret, who plopped down on the basket when I pointed it out. This feeling of not being able to feel jealousy, etc., was certainly not love.


    I felt guilty for teasing her, so I confessed from here.


    ¡°I talked to mother.¡±


    Instantly, she looked up with a straight face. The straight stare of her eyes was so painful. I looked again at her right palm and held it lightly.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you, Margaret.¡±


    That was all I needed to get the message across.


    No further words were spoken on the way to the mansion, but Margaret¡¯s smile never disappeared.

 CH 18

    ¡°Hugh! Hugh Townsend, good to see you in the right place!¡±


    ¡°¡­ This is this is. The beautiful Marquise, you are looking beautiful today. Like a rose with the morning dew on it.¡±


    Covered. I went to the trouble of complimenting her.


    After being summoned first thing in the morning by the head of the Academy of Magic, I had just submitted my report to the royal court and was about to return to my own laboratory.


    A young lady with her luxurious golden curls tied up perfectly and dressed in a seamless dress made by a first-class seamstress was seen walking with her attendant through the corridors of the royal palace.


    ¡°Because I understand socializing. Just Rachel, like always. Hey, tell me a story. You¡¯ve met ¡®The Spirit Orison¡¯.¡±


    A young lady with a carefree expression and light purple eyes that shined. Although we were old acquaintances, we were still here in the royal palace.


    ¡°¡­Lady Rachel, were you not at your service?¡±


    ¡°A little for my father. But that¡¯s okay, what we talk about Meissery is more important than that.¡±


    ¡°I just submitted a report to the royal court. ¡®The Orison¡¯ is an important person, and I can¡¯t just slip in and talk to Lady Rachel alone.¡±


    ¡°Something like that¡­¡±


    The young lady who was so obviously disappointed that even her hands were slouched down¡­ She was indeed a princess of a high-ranking aristocrat who could behave perfectly as the Lady of the Golden Rose when she went out for social gatherings. I didn¡¯t think it was a scam at all.


    ¡°T-then¡­ How¡¯s Sir Walter doing over there¡­?¡±


    The face that she raised after regaining her composure was even beside the point. Everything was very clear, even the fingertips that crossed in front of her chest. It was also ironic that only Walter himself didn¡¯t get the message for some reason.


    ¡°I heard that it was the first time in a long time that parents and children were reunited, and I think it was generally a good thing. And he seems to get along well with Margaret ¡®The Orison¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Then, you say Margaret, wh-wh-wh-what kind of person is she?¡±


    She was stuttering too much. The attendant was looking at her with a resigned look on her face.


    ¡°What kind of¡­ Well, she was a pretty girl-¡±


    ¡°Hugh Townsend. Let¡¯s have tea in your lab, let¡¯s do that. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Oh, so I didn¡¯t have veto power. Well, the commoner staff of the Academy of Magical Arts had no choice but to obey the orders of the nobility. Even if Miss Rachel¡¯s father was behind me, I had to give that up. No, that was why.


    With the young lady leading the way, and the attendant firmly on my arm, I was dragged along to the magic academy.


    There were not many tea leaves, but in the hands of a high-ranking aristocrat¡¯s attendant, the tea was different in taste and quality. Lady Adelaide said that the way of brewing was more important¡­ The food was delicious. I didn¡¯t know why even just a salad tasted so good, I usually didn¡¯t even like raw vegetables.


    ¡°Wait, Hugh. You look so disheveled, what are you thinking?¡¯


    ¡°Well, I thought all the meals at the Meissery were delicious.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯ve been getting a stomachful of food. What should we do, Marie Louise, I should learn to cook after all!¡±


    ¡°My Lady, please be still. Please refrain from doing anything that could cause chaos in the kitchen.¡±


    She was still not leaving until she heard what I had to say. Well, there was no particular obligation of confidentiality unless it was magical. But still, a young lady in this cramped, piled-up laboratory was a very unsuitable combination.


    As I was thinking absentmindedly, I saw the young lady sitting on the only sofa in the room stare at me seriously.


    ¡°Hugh, you. Had kind of different feeling.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like you lost interest in all possessions. You seemed better than before.¡±


    ¡­I would be drilled a lot. She was indeed the princess of that marquis. After saying that, Rachel brought the tea cup to her mouth elegantly, as if she was satisfied with her work.


    The same thing was said by my parents. It was my parents who worried the most about me going to Meissery and were the most happy to see me back.


    I must have caused them a lot of trouble with my magic, but they never complained¡­ This also caused me to feel guilty, but now I could say that it was a luxury.


    Really. I was glad that the ¡®orison¡¯ showed up at this time in Meissery. I was glad ¡®The Orison¡¯ was Margaret. The spirit was the one who arranged this world, and the orison was its assistant. If not the world, at least her appearance was certainly the key to saving.


    When my mind returned to me, the lady in front of me was noiselessly returning the cup to the saucer on her lap.


    ¡°As long as you can talk. Tell me, what is she like?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­Her black hair is beautiful. She is twenty-six years old and a good cook. Sometimes she¡¯s a nanny at Dr. Reynolds¡¯ practice, and the kids loved her.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-six¡­ Four years my senior¡­ She¡¯d be a match for Sir Walter¡­ Cooking, nanny¡­ She¡¯s very homely and feminine.¡±


    ¡°You said she¡¯s a woman who is calm with a cute side.¡±


    Oops, I hoped she didn¡¯t look so sad. It was not my fault, but Marie Louise was staring at me so hard it was scaring me.


    ¡°¡­Hey. I¡¯m going to ask you a simple question. How was her relationship with Sir Walter?¡±


    ¡°Margaret is not the type of person who is shy. I got the feeling that Walter had let up a lot.¡±


    ¡°Sir Walter had!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he helped out in the garden.¡±


    ¡°Count Dustin helps a lady¡­!?¡±


    There, the attendant was not so surprised, although I stood how she felt.


    ¡°H-hey, was Ms. Margaret ever afraid of Sir Walter? You see, that person, he¡¯s big, and his face is a little severe¡­ And that¡¯s nice, too, but.¡±


    I knew she was saying with a maiden heart, but that was some serious colored glasses she was wearing! I was amazed that she could get away with ¡®a little tough¡¯ on that strong face with that damsel in love filter. When he stared at someone, a rookie got shot, really. Oh, that made Margaret¡¯s interpersonal skills very high. Was that what salespeople in other worlds were like, how well trained were they? If I remember correctly¡­No, no.


    ¡°Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t seem particularly concerned about it. And they greeted each other normally from the first meeting.¡±


    ¡°¡­From the first meeting, it was normal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very normal. Oh yes, she did an exquisite bow.¡±


    Can you write ¡°gah!¡± in the background? Lady Rachel¡­ Not many young ladies could get an attendant to quiet her. Oh, she better put the cup back on the table, it was dangerous if she dropped it.


    ¡°¡­Does Ms. Margaret have a husband or a lover in her former world?¡­¡±


    ¡°They broke up a while ago, and now she¡¯s available.¡±


    ¡°¡­A lover in Meissery¡­?¡±


    I wondered what happened to the young doctor. If she¡¯d dumped him, I would comfort him the next time I saw him¡­ I thought they¡¯d make a good match, those two. But it was Margaret who decided.


    ¡°You know. I¡¯m thinking the closest thing she has to a close person is Buddy.¡±


    ¡°Buddy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Lady Adelaide¡¯s dog.¡±


    She stared at me with tearful eyes. They got along great, I was telling the truth.


    ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°If I could go there and meet them with my own eyes, I think I would understand. I¡¯m going to Meissery. Come on, Marie Louise, we¡¯re going back. Contact father immediately.¡±


    ¡°Eh, m-my lady!?¡±


    Wow, her eyes were scary. Oh, were she serious? No, she couldn¡¯t. Marie Louise, stall her more! No, she got up. Oh, don¡¯t knock over the pile there, it was in order, I mean.-


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, Lady Rachel, the ¡®Spirit Orison¡¯ is an important figure for the entire continent. Even if you are a marquise¡¯s daughter, it is not an acceptable thing for a nobleman to just barge in on a visit without permission.¡±


    As soon as I finished, a wonderfully crafted fan came out of nowhere and thrusted squarely in front of my chest.


    ¡°Hee!?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hugh Townsend. You do understand who you are talking to. Do you think I¡¯m a fool who can¡¯t even recognize that?¡±


    Lady Rachel, who was holding a glamorous posture, smiled softly and spread out her fan, gracefully hiding half of her beautiful face¡­ Scary! What was this power? The young lady had become a queen. That majestic fan handling was scary!


    ¡°Fufu, I would never barge in on them. Walter¡¯s stay was only for a few more days¡­ I will pick him up. We are only bringing the carriage home, not to Meissery¡¯s ¡®orison,¡¯ but to Walter, who is seeing his mother.¡±


    ""


    ¡°Lady Rachel, that is a very aristocratic excuse. Do you think it will work for Walter?¡±


    With that one word, where was the young lady she had been a moment ago? The moment I saw the young lady¡¯s normal face¡­ Was she okay? She¡¯d been busy with the ups and downs of tension today. Was this also a maiden¡¯s mind?


    ¡°¡­S-So, I¡¯m worried!! Who wouldn¡¯t love such a wonderful person! S-someone like Sir Walter¡­¡±


    Ah, I¡¯d been gone for a while and the floor was dirty. I didn¡¯t think she should kneel. Ah, Marie Louise, yes pull her up quickly, it¡¯s hard on the dress.


    I had known this young lady for over ten years now, and she had not changed at all. She had been drilled into a high level of a young lady education and could act accordingly, but in front of her own people, she was a childish child at full throttle. Well, I guess that was why the master doted on her so much, because she was totally the right age, but she¡¯d sifted through it all, and there was not even the word of arranged marriage. Her light purple eyes sparkled as they spilled large tears.


    ¡°You are still a crybaby. You are ruining the name of the Lady of the Golden Rose.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want that name, I want, to be, a woman worthy of Sir Walter. Uuuuu..¡±


    No, my lady, you had a high enough spec, hadn¡¯t you? Walter was just being dense. I guessed his ex-wife was still haunting him¡­ I was very surprised when I found out they were getting married. Maybe you tired of saying no, Walter. I pity them, I pity them, for both sides.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­ Here is good news for such a crybaby girl. I have made a couple of suggestions in the report I just submitted. I¡¯ll tell you about one of them specially.¡±


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    Coincidentally. Well, I was sure Lady Rachel would be fine with Margaret. I felt they would get along. They were people who didn¡¯t make decisions based on appearance or status.


    ¡°In the village, there are hardly any single women of Margaret¡¯s age. Few of them were young to begin with, and all of them were either married or their single daughters were at least ten years younger than her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be in the capital soon, and it would be nice to have someone close to her age to talk to who knows more about this side of the city.¡±


    ¡°Hugh, that¡­¡±


    ¡°If you run for the office at this point and ask the Marquis to turn you in, you have a high probability of going to see him, don¡¯t you?


    Lady Rachel¡¯s eyes shone in a different way as she quickly recovered. Ah, this was a sure thing.


    ¡°Leave it to me. I will definitely grab that assignment and leave tomorrow! Let¡¯s go, Marie Louise!¡±


    No, indeed, you couldn¡¯t do it tomorrow of today. There were some adjustments to be made, maybe next week at the earliest. I had underestimated Lady Rachel¡¯s energy and bargaining power.


    The young lady left the laboratory in a rush, and true to her word, she departed for the Meissery at sunrise the next day.