《I Adopt The Male Lead》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Children grow up fast. Karina mumbled the word like a spell. If she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the situation. ¡°Do it again.¡± Karina bit her lip. The scene of abuse under the mask of education was unfolding right before her eyes. ¡°Roland, don¡¯t you see why I¡¯ve fed half a cent like you?¡± Lord Lenque¡¯s harsh voice echoed in the hallway. Karina clenched her fist to contain her anger, her fingernails dug deep into her hand palm. She¡¯s been trying to turn a blind eye. Lord Lenque, who has no blood or tears, collects and raises the children of his dead sister. The reason was to make a double-edged archwizard who only followed his words. Karina looked at Roland, now only eight years old, and Melissa, seven years old. Roland closed his eyes tightly and was chanting a silver spell far beyond the level of a child his age. Melissa was next to her brother Roland with a pale, sick face. In just a few seconds, the light from Roland began to light up everywhere, embroiling the darkness tightly with gold, admiring even in serious circumstances. Roland¡¯s magic was amazing. But¡­ ¡®Something¡¯s weird.¡¯ Karina has seen so much magic. Both good and bad magic. Now this is¡­ ¡®He¡¯s going to make a mistake!¡¯ It¡¯s a big one, too. She looked at Lord Lenque in the hall, he had a cold smile around his mouth. Karina had a hunch, the fact that even Roland¡¯s failure is his plan. If he fails in magic and hurts both himself and his sister, he will learn magic more desperately. At that very moment, Roland¡¯s mana warped, the light dotted and the sound of a huge explosion. And¡­ Karina moved her body reflexively. A painful groan was coming out of her mouth, hugging the two children. Bitter pain came upon her. But instead of taking care of her wounds, Karina grasped the two children in her arms. ¡°Shhh.¡± The children¡¯s stiff bodies were released from Karina¡¯s arms, the two children clung to her neck as if Karina is their lifeline. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right, miss¡­ everything will be alright.¡± Naturally, Lord Lenque didn¡¯t let her slide. ¡°Karina, what the hell are you thinking?¡± Lord Lenque caught Karina up with an absurd face, blood gushed from the injured left shoulder. ¡°Get in there and heal.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Karina went out with her head down quietly. This is the third time she has gone against Lord Lenque in public. If Karina¡¯s biological father had not been Lord Lenque, she would have died and been buried in the mountains. Yes. Karina is Lord Lenque¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s an illegitimate child who has never called him father. Lord Lenque treated her as a maid at the very least, and Karina never considered him a father too but was receiving some special treatment. For example, not turning a blind eye to help Roland and Melissa. But Karina was not unaware of his true innermost thoughts. ¡®Someday I¡¯ll be a hostage like Melissa.¡¯ Melissa was also born with wizard talent, but unlike Roland, she was not a big valuable candidate. Lord Lenque even banned Melissa from using simple magic. Melissa was just a hostage to control Roland. She was punished instead whenever Roland went against Lord Lenque¡¯s planting. Naturally, Melissa fails to withstand the harsh abuse and dies within a few years. Karina will automatically take over the position of being Lord Lenque¡¯s hostage to control Roland. Karina seems to survive until Roland, who has become an adult, avenges his uncle. How does she know? Karina in her previous life was an ordinary reader who enjoyed reading Roland the fictional book. The very memory held back Karina from taking proper action. Thanks to the harsh training from his uncle, Roland becomes a great future archwizard expert. It wasn¡¯t just that. Roland saved the empire from the disaster that engulfed the whole world. Roland himself in the novel thought that the reason he was able to do that was because of the education from his uncle. Every night, the urge to pick up Roland and Melissa and run away raged in Karina¡¯s heart. But if Roland didn¡¯t become an archwizard because of her impulsive behavior, who would save the world from extinction? Karina is simply not confident of the consequences. * * * ¡°Come here, young master.¡± Karina called Roland and gave him a long piece of bread in his small hand. Young master Roland Lenque was eating excessively well, but it was bread for Melissa, who was starving. Lord Lenque thought of Melissa only as a tool to develop Roland¡¯s ability, and he didn¡¯t even take care of her basic food and clothing. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Half of her heart was numb. It has already been a year since the brother and sister, who grew up in an orphanage without knowing their parent¡¯s names or last names, came to this mansion. Up until the first time he came to the mansion, a boy of that age who was running around like a child disappeared somewhere and only a timid Roland remained. ¡®At least, Melissa¡­¡¯ Karina swallowed a groan in her heart. If Melissa was the only one who fled, Roland would quickly collapse without being able to endure the harsh teachings of Lord Lenque. But Melissa dies within a few years if got left in the state. Shouldn¡¯t Melissa get away with it before things get worse? Lord Lenque¡¯s purpose is Roland, so she and Melissa may have escaped. ¡°Karina.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karina escaped from her thoughts. Roland was hesitating to say something. ¡°Tell me, young master. Do you need anything?¡± Roland rarely asked Karina to do anything other than food for Melissa, so she wanted to hear it as much as possible if Roland wanted anything. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Karina urged an answer. There was nothing good about being in the sight of Lord Lenque or his magic servant after a long stay here. A tiny voice came out of Roland¡¯s mouth, with his head down. ¡°Can I call you mom? J-just once¡­¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Karina stared blankly at Roland, forgetting what to say. She had to give him an answer, but her mind turned blank and she couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± the child¡¯s big eyes began to fill with tears. Only then did Karina come to her senses, breathing out a sigh and bending her knees to meet Roland¡¯s eye level. ¡°Just once. Not twice, okay?¡± Roland couldn¡¯t answer correctly, perhaps because he was too surprised. Karina smiled bitterly. ¡°Call me, Roland.¡± ¡°Mom¡­!¡± Karina hugged the trembling Roland tightly, she felt a pleasant warmth. She¡¯s twenty three years old and too young to have a son this big, but it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s called that once. This is all Karina can do for him. * * * The next morning, Karina faced Lord Lenque with a stern face. He glanced over the papers on his desk without glancing at her. ¡°I have lots of eyes. Be careful about everything.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± If someone who was not familiar with Lord Lenque had heard of it, they would have thought someone had witnessed Karina and Roland and worked for Lord Lenque. But Karina knew more about her biological father than she had to. Lord Lenque has hidden magic servants for surveillance throughout the mansion. They roamed the mansion and watched the people, and when they found something interesting, they told Lord Lenque. Karina was not unaware of the trick of avoiding the magical minions. But yesterday, she was so embarrassed that she seemed to have exposed her conversation with Roland without defense. Lord Lenque¡¯s words were a warning. A warning not to be involved with Roland and Melissa more than necessary. Lord Lenque pointed to the room that Karina should need to clean with the tip of his chin. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Karina had to go into the laboratory that Lord Lenque had spoken of, enduring surging nausea. Even after hundreds of times, she never get used to the horrible smell after the experiment. Karina wiped away the dirt she didn¡¯t want to think much about with a mop, and poured clean water into it to remove the traces. If this laboratory were to be used alone by Lord Lenque, it wouldn¡¯t be so hard to clean it up. Karina is the only one who enters the laboratory anyway, so she would clean it up roughly. But in a few hours, Roland and Mellisa will come into the room. When she thinks about that time, she wanted to at least clean it up so that it looked like a room where people could stay in. Karina sighed, looking at the wall covered with sticky purple blood. ¡®He must have made Roland kill a poor thing again.¡¯ Now the beast Lord Lenque used to train Roland was not as scary as it used to be. It was just¡­ pitiful. They must have lived freely in their home. Karina scrubbed the wall. If these heterogeneous blood aren¡¯t cleaned quickly, they will soon harden and can¡¯t be removed. After about an hour, she was able to remove most of the blood clinging to the wall thanks to her good fingers. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Karina blinked her eyes. ¡°Magic?¡± When all the blood was removed, pulling out of the wall revealed strange magic. Lord Lenque raised Karina thoroughly as a maid, and no magic was ever taught. However, as long as you aren¡¯t a fool, you will eventually have basic knowledge if you take care of small tasks. Karina tried to match the magic on the wall with the poor knowledge that she knew, the blood has cooled down. Putting together the parts that Karina can recognize, it was clearly a magical way of dealing with human body modification. There was actually a story related to this in the novel, Lord Lenque seriously dreamed of transforming the human body. The lifelong studies have been nothing but a magical stepping stone to creating the ultimate human being. ¡® If he wrote this to test Roland¡­!¡¯ Karina wrapped her head around it. She couldn¡¯t think of whether Lord Lenque tested the magic of the human body in question to Roland or not. ¡®In the novel¡­ What exactly did it say?¡¯ However, no matter how hard she wrung her brain, she only remembered a vague memory that there was content related to human alteration. Of course, it was natural. It is a book that she read only once in her previous life. There was no way she could remember it as vividly as a book that unfolded before her eyes. Karina bit her lip. She bit it so hard that she could feel the taste of blood. It was then- The view turned white as if struck by lightning, and the red writing floated into Karina¡¯s view. ¡¸ There has been no more human blood in Roland¡¯s veins since that day. The Great God, Cypheric Mana Inducer took the place.¡¹ She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the handwriting even though it felt ominous. That was, obviously, the text of the book she had read in her previous life. Her throat was burning hot. She couldn¡¯t afford to think about why and how the handwriting in front of her appeared. If she doesn¡¯t move right away, Lord Lenque will take the fake blood out of Roland¡¯s little body and give him a cold mana inducer. * * * Karina burst opens the room where the children were staying without notice. While Lord Lenque takes a nap from eleven a.m. to two p.m., the magic servants don¡¯t move. She had to do things as fast as she could. It was past eleven a.m., but Melissa was still covered in blankets. It was no surprise, she always had no energy because she didn¡¯t eat properly. Roland dragged the chair by his sister¡¯s bed and sat down. The children¡¯s big tired eyes looked towards her. Karina wasn¡¯t hurt because she knew the fear in the two pairs of eyes was not directed at her.The children were just afraid of Lord Lenque¡¯s words she usually would deliver. And that will be over by today. ¡°Ka- Karina.¡± Roland stuttered with a tense face. Experiments in the morning are rare, but they were more difficult than usual and took a very long time to do. He seemed to have eaten up his fears even before he started. ¡°I- I will get ready and go. My uncle doesn¡¯t like to wait¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not going to Lord Lenque today.¡± Karina cut Roland¡¯s words. ¡°Then, are you here to see us?¡± Roland¡¯s voice lit up in an instant. The pure twinkle made her want to cry for a moment. Melissa still kept her mouth shut, but her eyes glistened with joy as much as Roland. ¡°No, I am not.¡± Karina gulped down her dry saliva. As soon as she says the word, she crosses a river that she can never return to. ¡°Let¡¯s run away, now.¡± Karina no longer uses honorifics to the children. From the moment she will leave the mansion, she¡¯s their guardian. It should show a proper attitude. ¡°R-run away?¡± The frightened eyes of the two children showed. Karina paused for a moment. She didn¡¯t want to scare the barely eight year old children. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain¡­ you have to run away. Both of you.¡± Her heart has already been fixed the moment she runs down the hall. Karina will run away with the children from the mansion she has never left in her life. Melissa asked, still with her head sticking out of the blanket. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯re going to a safe place.¡± Karina changed her mind when she tried to say honestly that she didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t scare the children who only trusted and followed her. Fortunately, Melissa didn¡¯t seem to notice her hesitation at all. ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°Get dressed quickly. I¡¯ll start preparing right away.¡± Karina got out of bed and looked at Roland, unlike his bustling younger sister, still immobile. ¡°What about you, Roland?¡± Since a little while ago, Roland has been wiggling his hands as if he wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t say it. Finally, a word of hesitation flowed out of Roland¡¯s mouth. ¡°How about Karina?¡± The one-word emotion made her feel bitter, but Karina smiled nonetheless. Now, above all, she had to keep these children out of the mansion. ¡°Of course I¡¯m coming with you. I¡¯m sick and tired of this house.¡± Roland nodded sharply instead of answering. Standing on the face of two children, fear was lifted and expectations and hopes were gifted. ¡°Listen carefully, both of you. There is no time. So hurry up and change your clothes, and get the things you need.¡± ¡°I have nothing but clothes,¡± Roland¡¯s answer immediately returned. Karina looked around the room and confirmed it. ¡®It¡¯s the truth.¡¯ The children were not given any common doll or a toy soldier. Probably from the time when they were growing up in an orphanage. Karina smiled bitterly, recalling her desolate young self. ¡®We¡¯re similar, I and you.¡¯ She helped the children to dress up. Fortunately, the children¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t worn by aristocrats, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about being noticeable. It was thanks to Lord Lenque¡¯s carelessness with the children¡¯s clothing. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night, so wear your coat.¡± ¡°Are we leaving now?¡± Roland¡¯s voice was filled with indescribable anticipation. Karina shook her head. She ran in a hurry, so she couldn¡¯t make any other preparations. ¡°Wait a minute here. I also have some things to prepare.¡± ¡°¡­Can we go with Karina too?¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°No. I¡¯ll be right back, so just wait for a little while.¡± ¡°Karina¡­¡± Not only Roland but also Melissa hung on to Karina with a tearful look, but she couldn¡¯t take any noticeable risks from other people. Karina barely managed to soothe the children and carefully closed the bedroom door. It wasn¡¯t difficult to separate the children who held onto the hem of her skirt and asked if they could go with her. However, it was heartbreaking to think of Roland desperately trying to follow Karina and Melissa holding her skirt with a weak hand grip. How hungry they were for the love of a grown up. ¡®Stop thinking.¡¯ Karina scolded herself. Now she had to stay alert. It wasn¡¯t the time to be sentimental because of the days that had already passed. ¡®Money, clothes, food.¡¯ Three things were essential to escape. It would be better to prepare thoroughly, but she just decided to draw in whatever comes to her mind because she doesn¡¯t have time. ¡®I have money.¡¯ Being Lord Lenque¡¯s illegitimate child has given her several advantages in a few things. Among them, the one that stands out was the money bag that Karina always wore on her back from her birthday as an adult. Well, despite the heavy purse, Karina couldn¡¯t spend a single penny. The money bag could only be used to pay the merchants who came to the mansion. ¡®That man¡¯s bad taste helps in this situation.¡¯ Karina stammered and thought after checking her pocket with money in it. She carried quite a lot of money, but she was poorer than anyone else in the house. No, is it just poor? Karina was literally penniless. She had never been paid a single salary evet since she was a kid until now a twenty three years old adult. Karina could go to the kitchen and ask for any food she wanted to eat. If she needed clothes, she bought some suitable clothes from an old clothes dealer who came to the mansion and recorded them in her books. However, she failed to spend any money that she could not record in it. The wizards are all good at numbers. Perhaps she can¡¯t fool blood, she had some talent for numbers, but she couldn¡¯t keep up with Lord Lenque. Karina has not even attempted to use the money for private purposes since she nearly died of stealing it once or twice. Karina was only twenty at that time. When her close maid friend¡¯s parents got sick, she gave them a few pennies to call a doctor. Karina, tied to the biggest tree near the mansion and after three days wrestling with a crow that was trying to peck her eyes, cried a lot and vowed never to touch her money again with all of her heart, and at that moment she fell to the ground. No buffers, no magic. The doctor said she couldn¡¯t walk well again with her broken leg, but she swallowed the unidentified potion given by Lord Lenque, and then the wound disappeared without a trace. If she had been an ordinary person, she would have fallen and become Lord Lenque¡¯s faithful servant. But Karina didn¡¯t stop from being against Lord Lenque. The reason was simple. Karina herself was the only one who could stand up against Lord Lenque¡¯s misdeeds in this one-way street that could not be escaped, whether she did like it or not. However, as of today, Karina will be completely free from all of this. The unjustified role of conscience also ended today. With lunch ahead, it was easy to sweep the fresh food out of the kitchen. Everyone thought Karina was preparing food for Lord Lenque, and topped him with his favorite meat, rare fruits, and sweet desserts. Finally, when she packed some clothes, she was all ready. Karina rushed to the children¡¯s bedroom with a small suitcase in her hand. Fortunately, the children sat on their beds with tense faces, not going anywhere. ¡°Karina!¡± Roland jumped up like a spring. ¡°W-why did it take so long?¡± ¡°To prepare.¡± At that time, Melissa, who was sitting in bed with her coat button all the way to her neck, calmly opened her mouth. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t coming.¡± The voice of resignation made her heartache again. Roland shouted with a little excitement. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t like that! Karina said she¡¯s coming back¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. Roland won, ya?¡± Karina didn¡¯t miss the dry tear marks that covered Roland¡¯s cheeks. Melissa gazed at her with a pale face, but there was no sign of caution anywhere. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The brother and sister nodded and glued to each side of Karina. Karina smiled lightly because she felt a subtle war of nerves to hold her left hand without holding her suitcase. She sided with Melissa. Perhaps it was because she was always sorry that her brother Roland was the one she had been interacting with. A faint smile came to Melissa¡¯s face, who grabbed Karina¡¯s left hand. ¡°Do we have to run?¡± ¡°No.¡± Karina tried to make up a voice that could give her the utmost confidence. She shouldn¡¯t have been so nervous now. ¡°We¡¯re going out with confidence.¡± ¡°If we do that, we¡¯ll get caught!¡± Roland screamed. So did Roland, as soon as Melissa was tortured for the first time, took her by the hand and tried to run out of the mansion. Of course, it failed miserably, but Karina said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going out with Lord Lenque, and who dares to catch us?¡± ¡°Un- Uncle Lenque and¡­¡± Roland stiffened and stuttered a few words. Karina quickly settled the situation. It was meant to ease the fear of the children, but she didn¡¯t know it would make them even more scared. ¡°Of course we¡¯re not really going out together. We¡¯re just going to manipulate others.¡± ¡°How?¡± Roland asked back, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Roland, have you ever moved a homunculus?¡± Homunculus. A wizard-created artificial man. Created by the legendary archwizard maker, the homunculus is said to have acted and moved on their own like a real human being. However, the usual homunculus was tricky magic because the magician had to keep thinking and manipulating it. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Roland answered with a grimace. Karina fully understood the child¡¯s feelings. Because of Lord Lenque¡¯s brutal education, magic for Roland was only pain, conflict, and guilt. However, Roland had the makings of an archwizard in the future. Even if he didn¡¯t become an archwizard because she changed his future, a child with the potential of Roland could not live a life far from magic. Above all, it took Roland¡¯s magic to escape this mansion. Karina tried to smile. ¡°You can do it the same way you did. Can you help me?¡± Roland¡¯s lips were trembling. She waited for a few minutes, but no word came out of Roland¡¯s mouth. But no matter how hard she thinks about it, there was only one way to get out. Roland controlling a homunculus shaped like Lord Lenque. If Karina herself knew how to use magic, she wouldn¡¯t have asked Roland to do it, of course. At the moment Roland turned his magic on extremely, Lord Lenque was furious when Karina showed interest in magic while bringing in some young children and testing them. Melissa, too, was defeated by Lord Lenque, and now, the only thing that could save all three of them was Roland. ¡°It¡¯ll just take a while.¡± ¡°¡­I¡± Roland hesitated, unable to speak. Karina didn¡¯t push him further. The situation that Roland is facing wasn¡¯t a problem that would be solved by magic. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. If she missed this opportunity, she had to fool Lord Lenque for a whole full day. Karina had no hope to overcome the rung that she had always been defeated. At that time, a hesitant voice was heard. ¡°I- I will do it.¡± Surprised, Karina almost dropped her suitcase. Melissa, with a pale complexion, looked up at her with hopeful earnest eyes. ¡°Melissa!¡± ¡°I think I can do it. I¡¯m going to learn to make Homunculus with you.¡± Karina bit her lip. Melissa, who was always timid, was imploring herself in a voice more earnest than ever before. Roland wasn¡¯t the only one who Lord Lenque taught from the beginning. At first, both children were taught the same magic method. The relationship between the two children changed rapidly from the moment Lord Lenque concluded that while Roland showed clear talent, Melissa was at an ordinary level. And Karina knew. Melissa nodded. Karina smiled warmly. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± Just then, Roland had laid himself in front of the two. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I can do better, so¡­ it¡¯s right that I do it.¡± Karina was lost in thought for a moment, it took considerable effort to build and manipulate a homunculus. Even if it was a mature wizard like Lord Lenque, there was no reason for two young kids like Roland and Melissa to take charge of the whole process. ¡°Then how about you guys try it together?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°Together?¡± The two children looked at her puzzled, they had no other choice but to react that way. It was Lord Lenque¡¯s habit that wizards are solitary beings, and that magic enforcement and the consequences should be endured alone. But Karina knew out there, the collaboration between wizards is taken for granted, and the simultaneous vision is not without it. ¡°Melissa is the one who builds the Homunculus, and Roland is the one who moves it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡­ mold it?¡± Melissa asked back with an unbelievable face. ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina pulled a small lump of mud out of her waist pocket. Roland took a breath. ¡°The Homunculus!¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Karina put a strand of Lord Lenque¡¯s hair, which was not difficult to find in the lab, into a mass of mud. On the surface, it was just plain mud, but it gave her goosebumps as if the texture and warmth were squeezing the flesh of a living person. After finishing the work, Karina handed the homunculus to Melissa. ¡°Melissa, do you remember how to do it?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Melissa seemed nervous but not afraid. She put the homunculus, which had been handed over from Karina, on her palm and concentrated her mind for a long time. About a dozen minutes have passed. All three breathed in the bedroom that slowly began to fill with acrid smoke. It meant that Melissa was doing it right. Karina still has her eyes on Melissa, keeping her alert until the end. If things went wrong, they had to take Melissa and the homunculus off immediately. If taken late, Melissa could have been melted into a homunculus. When the smoke is so thick to the point where she can¡¯t see anything, she felt a heterogeneous chill. ¡®No!¡¯ Karina ran to the window door to draw out the smoke and breathed a sigh of relief. This smoke was not very good for her health. Both Roland and Melissa were so nervous that they forgot to cough, but if they didn¡¯t ventilate properly, they might burst into tears in the acrid smoke that they couldn¡¯t bear. As the smoke slowly drained away, a perfectly molded Lord Lenque was revealed. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Karina knew the various aspects of Lord Lenque. However, Lord Lenque to Melissa was no less than this award for torturing her under the guise of a kite. Now, Lord Lenque, molded by Melissa, was a mad wizard with a distorted face. Karina looked at the girl¡¯s complexion, worrying that Melissa might have been overly frightened by the sudden appearance of Lord Lenque. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Melissa doesn¡¯t scared look at all. Rather, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glistened more than ever. ¡°Good job, Melissa.¡± ¡°Really? Did I do well?¡± Karina smiled and stroked Melissa¡¯s head. ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t do any better than this.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Just before she shouted for joy, Melissa closed her mouth as though she thought they had managed to get ready to flee. ¡°Roland, are you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Roland¡¯s voice was much brighter, as if his sister¡¯s success was also his success. There was a rosy flush on his cheeks that were only been white before. Roland closed his eyes quietly and focused his mind. Karina looked at Roland, more nervous than when Melissa molded the Homunculus. She didn¡¯t trust Roland¡¯s skills. Because she knew how painful it was to do magic for Roland now. Her heart ached with guilt that she might be causing unnecessary pain. After a while, Roland did magic much more easily than in Lord Lenque¡¯s lab, despite Karina¡¯s concerns. The Homunculus, who had the appearance of Lord Lenque, stumbled at first, but soon came to walk with an exact imitation of Lord Lenque¡¯s steps. Roland spoke with a slightly uneasy face. ¡°The voice¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Karina reassured Roland. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± They went down the stairs with the homunculus in front of them. Roland had never moved the homunculus outside the lab before, but he was adept at manipulating things as difficult as walking down the stairs. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t run into anyone while they were going to the entrance of the mansion. ¡®We gotta get out of here.¡¯ There were still about two hours left between the time until Lord Lenque wake up. But when Lord Lenque woke up and found out that all three of them had disappeared, Karina trembled, even if she doesn¡¯t know what will be after them. She and her two children will fall into a hell that they¡¯ve never tasted before. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the carriage.¡± Karina whispered to Roland. Fortunately, the stableman was in position. ¡°Master?¡± The stable keeper blinked his eyes with a surprised face, covering his hands hurriedly behind him. Karina didn¡¯t miss the firework cigarette leaf falling from his hand. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Karina walked a few steps ahead of the homunculus, leaving the children behind. ¡°He can¡¯t talk because of the constraints. He said he had an urgent experiment to do, so he asked me to go to the forest.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The stable acquaintance had no doubt. There were various ¡®pharmaceuticals¡¯ under high-dimensional magic. It was nothing compared to the constraint that one shouldn¡¯t put his right foot on the ground or always speak as if one were singing. ¡°You¡¯ll need a carriage.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karina nodded. Roland and Melissa didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse. It was common sense that children of both sexes should know how to ride horses. But the brother and sister grew up in an orphanage without their parents altogether, and even after leaving the orphanage by their uncle Lord Lenque, they received only magic-related education. The stable keeper skillfully prepared the carriage and horse. Except for the horseman, the cold-blooded Karina picked up a few words. ¡°The horseman¡­ where¡­¡± ¡°Oh, he got a vacation. But the Lord thought it wouldn¡¯t matter if he was a good horseman¡­ Should I bring someone in?¡± Karina shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to be suspicious. Furthermore, it will take quite some time to find someone to replace the horseman on vacation. They had to run as far away as they could before Lord Lenque woke up. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no problem. I was just wondering because I couldn¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get going.¡± The stable keeper bowed his head to the homunculus monk behind her as if Karina did not exist. He went straight back to the stable without even checking if they were properly in the carriage. His mind seemed to have been fixed to the illegal tobacco leaves. Karina hurried the children into the carriage. ¡°Can you take the homunculus with me on the horseback?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can.¡± Roland put homunculus on the horseback before Karina. Karina sat next to the homunculus, swallowing dry saliva. Now the biggest problem remains. She has ridden a few horses, but never driven a carriage before! Karina took a deep breath once. ¡®I can do it.¡¯ It was easier to ride a horse. Whether it¡¯s premature to fall and get hurt or not, she can just take care of her own body. But now, behind Karina¡¯s back were two children who believed only in her. If Karina fails, Melissa will die, and Roland will have a future of growing up as an adult with a terrible childhood. ¡®And I¡¯m going to die, too. Or live a worse life than death.¡¯ Lord Lenque will never forgive Karina for trying to escape with his precious candidate. She grasped the reins tightly. The well-trained horse began to trudge. She wishes she could run faster, but in the event of that accident, they¡¯re stuck. As she left the gate, a windy forest path appeared. As she is on her way downtown, the problem after that was bothering her mind, but the cold sweat in her hand that grabbed the reins was gone. It would have been better if the road was straight, but it was bent everywhere, so she had to pull the reins to discharge and drive the horse. Fortunately, the horse was well tamed, so he turned right when Karina pulled the right reins and left when she pulled the left reins. Karina thanked the horse for every moment. The situation would have reached an uncontrollable point if she had been a bad rider. After a period of indescribable time, they completely escaped the dreary forest, where the sun was not properly shining even in broad daylight. Karina helped the children get out of the carriage after she counted the carriage in a dim corner. The uproar in the noisy village devoured them. A shabby-colored woman and two children getting off the fancy carriage would have looked quite gossipy, but the villagers were busy doing their work so no one looked at them. ¡°Are we here?¡± ¡°No. We still have a long way to go.¡± They just managed to get out of the woods. It¡¯s about time Lord Lenque woke up. She had to get out of this small town as soon as possible. ¡°It¡¯s time for Lord Lenque to wake up.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Melissa opened her eyes wide and climbed up to the seat of the horseman. The next moment, Lord Lenque, who was sitting in the dark horse seat, quickly turned into a lump of mud. Karina patted Melissa¡¯s head without a word, then put the lump of mud into her pocket. There might be another day when they¡¯ll need it again. ¡°Now let¡¯s leave. We¡¯re going to a place where Lord Lenque can¡¯t come after us.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The village where Karina and the children arrived was just an ordinary rural village found everywhere in the Empire. Young children ran around screaming among sour tired people moving for labor. At their feet, the rats and cats were playing tag. But for Karina, who lived in a mansion, it felt like a different place. Of course, they had no time to spare, and Karina inadvertently passed the sight away when she normally would have looked. The children¡¯s eyes glistened continuously as if they knew the anxious burning sound of Karina. Karina soon realized why. The children grew up in an orphanage and were trapped in Lord Lenque¡¯s forest mansion. There was no chance for them to see a small town. If Karina didn¡¯t have the memory of her past life, she would have thought that the world was only the forest, the mansion, and a small stream that she would go to once a year. But Karina knew, they just haven¡¯t had a chance to go, and now there¡¯s an infinite world ahead of them. ¡°¡­?¡± Karina blinked her eyes. She felt something heavy, Roland was timidly hanging on her bag. As soon as Karina noticed the fact, it was pitiful to see him step back and read her expression. ¡°Roland.¡± Karina sighed inward. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about.¡± Karina raised the bag in her hand to her shoulders. There was not much inside anyway, so it looks more like a handbag rather than a regular bag. ¡°You can hold my hand now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roland hesitated for a moment, unable to hold Karina¡¯s hand, which was held out to him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Ah, no!¡± Roland hurriedly grabbed Karina¡¯s hand, she felt the little hand is burning with tension. Karina busily grabbed the children¡¯s hands and drew them. There¡¯s still a long way to go. When they arrived at a place where they could ride carriages leaving for other cities, she took a deep breath. Karina was nervous as she tried to carry out what she had only imagined in her head. Even more so, she held the hands of two young children who only looked at her. ¡°There are too many people.¡± Melissa was terrified and dug into Karina¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Karina reassured Melissa. ¡°This isn¡¯t much.¡± It was as she said. The building at the top of the village, Abelau¡¯s building, was always bustling, but not to the point where the child was scared. Melissa nodded, but Karina didn¡¯t try to get away from her. Karina didn¡¯t bother to take Melissa off of her either. They walked around the building to the back of the stable. One of the gatekeepers who worked to keep them from sneaking into the top carriage looked down on her. ¡°Do you have any money?¡± Instead of answering, Karina jingle the sound of her money pocket. The gatekeeper¡¯s face instantly softened. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Even Edmoor.¡± Karina spoke of the capital of the Great Plains. ¡°Edmoor?¡± The gatekeeper frowned. ¡°To that far?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a relative living there.¡± The gatekeeper glanced at Karina and the children¡¯s shabby and worn patterns. ¡°Edmoor leaves tomorrow.¡± ¡°Not tomorrow!¡± Karina wrote down her dried mouth. She wanted to stamp her feet early, but she held back thinking about the children who would be more anxious than her. ¡°Then where is the carriage going today?¡± ¡°Tors, depart in an hour.¡± Tors, Karina rolled the name of the place in her mouth. It was her first time hearing it, but she clearly remembered seeing it on Lord Lenque¡¯s imperial map, which she secretly peeped at. ¡°It¡¯s in the South, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not a place I usually went to, but recently I was asked for a special piece of wood from that area, so I transported it around a year.¡± ¡°Tors is fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re completely away from Edmoor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, though.¡± ¡°Do you have any relatives there?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The gatekeeper squinted his eyes and looked at Karina. ¡°Now I see what happened, you¡¯re running away.¡± ¡°Is it not okay?¡± Her heart was about to fall, but Karina responded coldly. ¡°No, because if you¡¯re running away, Tors is the best city!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind sleeping with the logs, I¡¯ll cut the cost as much as I can.¡± ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± The gatekeeper turned and walked to the wooden horse cars as if he had heard everything. Karina hurried after him, holding the children¡¯s hands. The gatekeeper opened the lid of the parked cart and looked around, found a carriage with less wood, and pointed to it. ¡°Go in.¡± ¡°The money¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s on me.¡± Her mouth began to burn again. ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot of money in the future. It¡¯s even more so because you have two children with you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± The gatekeeper might not be well off either. He couldn¡¯t have afforded to pass all the costs of transporting an adult woman and two children. ¡°It¡¯s an experience, so you better believe it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Karina opened her eyes round. Instead of looking at her, the gatekeeper was looking at the children behind her. ¡°You have to stay calm, alright little ones?¡± ¡°Yeah, they have to.¡± Karina gently tailed, but they were so scared that they didn¡¯t say a word. The gatekeeper gave her a big smile and then looked her straight. ¡°I will roughly erase the traces of you all.¡± ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± ¡°Put the gratitude aside. I¡¯ve had the same experience as you.¡± At the end of his sentence, the gatekeeper disappeared. Karina sat halfway down on the floor, relieved. The children, who were scared at first, began to look everywhere for a moment, wondering if the carts and timber picked their interest. Karina told them a few stories to keep the children away from the wood, fearing that they might damage the goods. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a carriage that runs on its own without a word?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic.¡± Roland replied with a slightly sullen look. Karina shook her head. ¡°Without magic.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± Melissa glistened her eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not all magic in the world. Somewhere on the continent, there¡¯s already a silent carriage.¡± It was a lie. Karina was fully aware of the fact that the world of her previous life and the current world was completely different. But speaking of this, somewhere on the continent seemed to have a world of her previous life where Karina was much happier than she is now. ¡°Are we going there?¡± Melissa grabbed Karina¡¯s hand and wriggled it as if it were a joke. ¡°No, Tors is in the South. It¡¯s a warm place.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go.¡± Roland trembled. It¡¯s probably not just because of the chilly early spring weather. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait for a few nights.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to get caught in the meantime?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t get caught.¡± It wasn¡¯t just wishful thinking. At first, she planned to go to Edmoor and hide in the crowd of the capital city, but it would be better to hide in the south, where even the transport carriages will only travel once a year. ¡®I don¡¯t know how much I should trust the gatekeeper¡­ but it won¡¯t hurt to try.¡¯ Karina hugged the children. She did everything she could. All that was left now is waiting for the result. * * * ¡°What, there¡¯s a passenger? You said there¡¯ll be no one.¡± ¡°I said yes. I asked him to be quiet instead.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Tyson is a reliable man, and if it¡¯s what he says, there¡¯s nothing to lose.¡± Karina¡¯s body stiffened while chatting quietly with the children. The children, too, began to hide behind her with their mouths shut, as if they were thinking differently from her. The shaking of two small bodies has been passed on to Karina. The footsteps and the sound of the conversation went off moment by minute. Karina gulped down her dry saliva, soothing the burning stomach and waiting for her work to come. As the cover was lifted, the light and two horsemen suddenly appeared. ¡°Children¡­ two of them?¡± The horseman muttered with a dazed face. ¡°You¡¯re taking two children while going to Tors?¡± ¡°I¡¯m their guardian.¡± Karina tried not to look frightened, but it was unclear whether the effort worked. ¡°A girl?¡± The other horseman asked back with an unbelievable face. A curious look gradually changed into a suspicious look. ¡°There¡¯s a big age gap¡­ and you don¡¯t look alike, are you family?¡± This time Karina was flustered, the horseman poked at the curious eyes that she will have to endure in the future. Many relatives don¡¯t look like each other, so if she wants to call them in-laws, she might be able to. But the problem was that the age difference between Karina and the children was too much to be siblings. The first is twenty-three years old, the second and third are eight and seven years old. Isn¡¯t that too much? However, she couldn¡¯t confess that the maid, the master, and the lady were in a relationship. She didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be suspicious. If Karina had known a little better about kinship, she would have used the excuse of her being their aunt. But Karina at the time knew nothing about the common family. The only thing that came to her mind was brother and sister at best, and under the current circumstances, even that excuse wouldn¡¯t work. Melissa and Roland called her out in one voice. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± * * * (T/N: Hi! I just wanted to say thank you to the people who vote, comment, and put this story on their reading list. I hope you enjoyed the translation :>) Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Mom?¡± The horseman frowned more and more. It was obvious that doubts were deepening. So was Karina¡¯s mind. A mom! Karina is only twenty three years old. No matter how early she got married, she wouldn¡¯t have an eight year old child. ¡®You have to say something. Wake up, Karina!¡¯ Fortunately, the mouth moved. The problem was that she blurted out without thinking. ¡°My husband died early. They¡¯re his ex-wife¡¯s children. I¡¯m going to Tors where my relatives live because I¡¯m at a loss!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Karina saw the look on the horsemen¡¯s faces and realized that God had chosen the right answer in a daze. A young widow who took over the children of her late husband. It was a way to explain everything, including the age difference between oneself and children, and the appearance that doesn¡¯t resemble between them. The horsemen looked at them with more subdued faces. ¡°You must have had a hard time.¡± Karina smiled and hugged the children. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about the past. Right now, I just have to think about living happily with my children.¡± This remark wasn¡¯t a lie. * * * The trip she dreamed of wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought. The children crouched in fear, perhaps because of the increasingly rattling carriage as they left the city. All Karina could do was to help the children when they were having a hard time. ¡°Would you like some water?¡± Roland stretched his body, shaking his head helplessly. ¡®It¡¯s motion sickness.¡¯ But Karina didn¡¯t know any way to relieve the children¡¯s motion sickness. Even more so, Karina herself had no motion sickness at all. ¡®I wish I was the one that¡¯s sick.¡¯ Thinking of the rest of the journey, she felt more at a loss. How long has it been? The inside of the cover grew darker and darker, eventually turning pitch-black. The sun seemed to have set completely. There was no equipment to light the darkness because there was no room for a lamp and a candle. It was a little earlier than the usual time for the children to sleep, but now it was best to sleep. It was when Karina tried to make the children¡¯s pillows with bags and spread their coats and cover them like blankets. A bluish light sprang up. It was Roland. ¡°Roland.¡± Karina said in a stern voice. ¡°Stop it. You don¡¯t have to strain yourself when you¡¯re sick.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not overdoing it.¡± ¡°No. Even now, you¡¯re having a cold sweat.¡± Karina spoke as if it wasn¡¯t trivial, but inside she was quite nervous. She lived like a frog in a well of a mansion, but she knew when money came in and she was in charge of managing the money. What if the children don¡¯t want to? Karina and her children will need to have as much food as they can eat for a month. ¡®I¡¯ll get a job as soon as I get to Tors.¡¯ Karina worked as a maid for more than a decade. She was confident in sweeping and wiping. Having touched some money, she was able to calculate the money. Finding a job. It won¡¯t be hard. ¡®They¡¯re getting along well with each other.¡¯ Unless someone bothers them like Lord Lenque, the children will get along as well as they have ever been. ¡®We will get along.¡¯ Karina made a firm commitment inside, then looked straight at Roland. ¡°Now that you have to sleep, turn off the fire. You don¡¯t want to sleep in a bright place, do you?¡± Roland nodded softly and soon the light completely disappeared. Karina fell asleep leaning against the wall of the cart only after she confirmed that the children were breathing in and out. *** ¡®Hump¡­¡¯ Karina awoke from her sleep with back pain. ¡® Ugh¡­¡¯ A groan sprang out of her. It seemed that sleeping against the wall was the wrong choice. Karina stretched around and looked at the children. ¡®Cute.¡¯ The children were fast asleep, clinging to each other. Karina slept and waited until the children woke up. It was Roland who woke up first. Roland opened his eyes round and looked around. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Karina reassured him. ¡°We¡¯re in the carriage.¡± Roland seemed to be more relieved, but suddenly he was startled and shuddered. ¡°Are you sick? Are you dizzy again?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°Really? You got motion sickness yesterday¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right now. I guess I got used to it.¡± ¡°Thank God.¡± Karina breathed a sigh of relief. It will take a week for the carriage to arrive at Tors. In the meantime, if the children continue to suffer from motion sickness, it was clear that they would have a serious problem before they even arrived. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s eat something now. You never know when your motion sickness will go bad again.¡± ¡°What about Melissa?¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of food, so let¡¯s leave her be until she gets up. She must be tired.¡± Roland nodded but scrunched back and forth as if Melissa had awakened to the conversation between the two. ¡°Melissa, are you up?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Melissa uttered a word, but she couldn¡¯t hear it properly, perhaps because she was asleep. ¡°Driftiness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Her tongue was loosened, but anyhow, an understandable answer came back. ¡°Wa, wa¡­¡± It becomes a murmur again. ¡°What?¡± When Karina frowned and asked Melissa back, Roland quickly rummaged through Karina¡¯s bag and pulled out a bottle. ¡°Can I give it to Melissa?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course.¡± Karina immediately noticed the situation. Melissa was saying she was thirsty. ¡°Wait a minute, you guys have your cups too.¡± Karina got a bottle of water from Roland, then took out a small tin cup and poured the water. ¡°Drink.¡± Melissa clasped the cup in her hands and gulped the water down. Karina gazed happily at Melissa. If the children can eat and drink something, the gut feeling that they might get sick is relieved. Karina quickly pulled two fist-sized cream puffs out of her bag. The bag was full of high-quality food that Melissa had never seen before, as she brought her entire meal. They¡¯ll be out in two days at most, but she¡¯s sure at best they¡¯ll stop by the middle, so if they get off and buy new food, they¡¯ll manage. ¡°Do you like cream puffs?¡± Unlike Roland, who nodded his head, Melissa looked far away, not moving, only looking her eyes at the cream puffs in Karina¡¯s hand. ¡®You like it.¡¯ Karina smiled and handed the children one cream puff each. The children ate it up in an instant, perhaps because they were hungry after getting motion sickness. Melissa, in particular, loved the cream on her finger to the point where she kept licking it because she rarely had a chance to eat sweet desserts. Roland must have thought of it, so he mumbled and tilted his head. ¡°Are we the only ones eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to eat something more delicious.¡± Karina didn¡¯t lie. She put egg tarts in her mouth and savored the taste of it melting away. ¡°That¡¯s all you eat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it for you, too.¡± ¡°And yet, our bread was much bigger¡­¡± ¡°Similar, similar.¡± It was time for Karina to wave her hand. Suddenly, Roland¡¯s said a statement. ¡°Karina, you¡¯re angry right?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Anger? She simply ate bread with the children. ¡°Not at all?¡± ¡°Yesterday¡­ I and Melissa called you mom in front of other people¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karina lost her words for a moment and stared blankly at Roland. She didn¡¯t know what to answer. Roland has a quick tongue. ¡°Melissa¡¯s done nothing wrong. I told Melissa. Karina permitted me only once. And yesterday, I called you mom first, so Melissa also said mom¡­¡± ¡°Roland.¡± Karina cut off Roland¡¯s words, who is now half-crying. ¡°Come here.¡± She also beckoned Melissa, who had already been hiding behind Roland. ¡°And Melissa.¡± Karina breathed in a long breath. She didn¡¯t want to show nervousness in front of the children, but she was forced to try to say something that would define their official lineage. Roland and Melissa sat next to her. Karina gulped and opened her mouth, courage rose from the warmth of the children on both sides. ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina smiled. ¡°But at that time, you guys saved my life.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Melissa peeked and asked. ¡°Of course. If you hadn¡¯t called me mom, they¡¯d have thought I was a kidnapper.¡± ¡°No way!¡± exclaimed Roland indignantly. Karina put her finger in front of Roland¡¯s mouth. Of course, the rattle of the cart would have kept it from leaking out, but there was nothing wrong with being careful. ¡°The world only sees what it looks like, I don¡¯t look like you at all, and there¡¯s a lot of age difference.¡± ¡°But¡­ We were never being kidnapped.¡± ¡°The young lady who serves as a maid, there are many people who will be disappointed that she has lured you with cream puffs.¡± ¡°N-no¡­ Of course not!¡± Roland seemed rather shocked, but Karina only repeated. When Karina realized that she had given the children an unnecessary scare, she hurriedly took care of it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, it¡¯s just that people are like that. And now that I said I was your mother, the doubt would have gone away.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± A murmur of Melissa, who crawled like a rat¡¯s tail, hit her ear hard. ¡°So I thought about it¡­ You guys, what do you think about me being your stepmother altogether?¡± Roland and Melissa¡¯s eyes opened wide and were surprised in all ways. ¡°You said that anyway and got on the carriage. And I¡¯ve been thinking, maybe we¡¯ll live together until you guys grow up¡­¡± Karina hurriedly added a word, wondering if she had gone too far. ¡°Of course, you can buy as much as you want.¡± ¡°You need a good excuse to do that, people don¡¯t like anything unusual. I¡¯m a little too young to say I gave birth to you.¡± Karina paused. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could say the following things. ¡°As I said yesterday, my husband died early, and I think you should be my late husband¡¯s children.¡± There was silence. Karina pretended to wait for the children on the outside, but her inside is burning to the ground. Maybe the children want to go back to the orphanage. Perhaps the children think Karina is trying to replace their deceased parents on the subject of being Lord Lenque¡¯s illegitimate daughter. Maybe¡­ It was Roland who broke the silence. ¡°Still, can we?¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 (T/N: I remember this chapter took me a while to translate, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because it was hard or I got distracted lol) * * * She was speechless. While Karina was dazed, wondering how to answer, Roland poured out questions. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be our mother, won¡¯t Karina be in trouble? It¡¯s gonna be hard for Karina to feed us.¡± Karina bit her lips and cursed Lord Lenque quietly in her heart. He stressed how hard it is to teach and feed two children to the point where Roland and Melissa¡¯s ears bleed. How long will it take for the scars to heal? Karina doesn¡¯t dare to answer that question. ¡°It will be hard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s going to be much harder without you guys.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± Karina nodded her head. It wasn¡¯t much of a lie. Of course, if she leaves the children in an orphanage and lives alone, her body will be less tired. But as long as Karina makes enough money for herself, she can do it. Well, she could get married, Karina will be able to live the life of an ordinary village maiden she has dreamed of. But would she be happy to live like that? ¡°You don¡¯t have to be worried about us living properly.¡± Then it hit Karina that she was only talking about the safety of the children, she had almost forgotten that the world would end if Roland doesn¡¯t become an archwizard. ¡®Yeah, there¡¯s that problem but¡­¡¯ Karina shook her head slightly. If she had been Karina in the past, she would have lost her chance to escape after thinking for days to no end. But now Karina knows. Ordinary people can¡¯t even imagine the abuse that Roland the archwizard, the male lead of the novel went through. No child should be subjected to such abuse. ¡®Roland is only eight years old.¡¯ Is it necessary for her to put the burden on a boy just that age to save the world already? Just as the salvation of the world is not a burden on Karina, it is not on Roland for now. ¡°Is Karina¡­ worried about us?¡± ¡°I am. Why? You can¡¯t believe it?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Roland spoke frankly and immediately shut up. Karina smiled. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s fine. Karina will be our mom. I think it¡¯s going to be great.¡± ¡°What about Melissa?¡± Melissa, like Roland, did not immediately reply with excitement. She just stared up at Karina, and her lips twitched a little. ¡°¡­Mom.¡± ¡°Yes, Melissa.¡± Instead of saying anything, Melissa is hugged by Karina. The same was done with Roland. Karina thought in the warmth of the children that she¡¯ll protect these two no matter what happens in the future. * * * The week-long trip was difficult but not necessarily painful. Both the horseman and the merchants were kind to the young widow who suddenly had to take care of her late husband¡¯s children. Every night in the transit village, they will pay with their own money to reserve a separate room. It was included in the fare or something along those lines. But Karina wasn¡¯t unaware of their sheer goodwill. Karina and the children continued to worry about Lord Lenque¡¯s pursuit, but the gatekeeper seemed to have kept his promise. They haven¡¯t seen any of Lord Lenque¡¯s hair in a while. Then they arrived in Tors. As soon as they got off the carriage, the warm southern spring grazed their skin. It was early spring when they just ran away, and now it¡¯s spring when they smell the scent of flowers everywhere and saw the light green leaves shaking. The children also looked around once every few seconds after being amazed by the South, a place where they had never been to before. Karina was no exception, either. Compared to the small rural village where Karina fled from, Tors is like a different world. Countless people, carriages, and horses were tangled and pushed around, and the buildings were larger than the largest radish rose that was around in the forest. And what about that smell? There were smells of delicious food everywhere. Even more surprising, it wasn¡¯t the smell of lunch boxes or homemade food, but it was the smell of the food that was sold on the stalls. As she looked around with the children in awe, Karina came to her senses. She can watch as much as she wants later, but now she has a lot of work to do. ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to find an inn that we¡¯ll be staying in for a while.¡¯ Karina was able to talk to the horsemen and get a rough overview of the price in Tors. Tors was a city rich in supplies, so you could eat a meal with just one kibrin if you wanted. However, labor costs were high, so restaurants and clothing stores were expensive. ¡®I think 10 kibrin a day would be enough for the inn.¡¯ Karina headed to the street told by the horsemen where cheap inns are located. Many inns had their prices written down on the outside to see whether they competed with each other. She recalled the information the horsemen had given her They thought it would be good to avoid overly cheap inns and to stay at an inn that reduces the cost for long-term stays even though the price is high. Finally, Karina stopped in front of an inn. It was a fairly large inn with a large poster attached to the wall. [10 kibrin a day. We offer discounts for long-term stays. Group guests welcome] Karina entered the inn carefully. Perhaps because it¡¯s not summer yet when tourists and merchants flock to Tors, only a few people are hanging around the lobby. Karina approached the counter holding the children¡¯s hands tightly. The counter is watched by a young employee who is not much older than Karina and is dozing off as if the work was boring. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to stay for a long time right now.¡¯ Even if Karina lost a little money, she opened her mouth intending to stay for a long time if the room was okay once she stayed for a few days. ¡°Do you have a triple room?¡± The horsemen advised that the two children should sleep in the same bed to save money, but Karina wanted the children to live in a better environment if the money difference wasn¡¯t too big. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Wait a minute.¡± The staff glanced at Karina and the two children and disappeared into the room behind the counter. Karina waited for the staff, patting the children who looked frightened because of the unfamiliar environment. After a while, the half-bald innkeeper grumbled out. ¡°There are no triple rooms. It¡¯s a little expensive, but you¡¯d better use the family room if you want the kids to sleep comfortably.¡± The innkeeper who saw Karina and the children stopped talking. In an instant, his face turned red, and he soon heated up to the top of his head. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Karina looked back, bewildered. Something seemed to have happened behind the back to upset the innkeeper. But when she turned around, she could only see a few spectators sitting on the sofa in the lobby looking at them with curious faces. The innkeeper stepped out of the counter and strode towards Karina. Surprised, Karina had no choice but to step back while holding the children¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°No room!¡± ¡°No room?¡± Karina asked back, confused. She was sure nothing happened until a while ago because of the family room. The innkeeper continued to push Karina back, waving his hands without explanation or excuse. ¡°Yes, why is the young lady so talkative? Go back right now.¡± Karina could hear the owner yelling loudly at the staff just before the inn¡¯s front door slammed shut right in front of her. ¡°How dare you let a woman here who doesn¡¯t even know where she landed herself into!¡± Karina looked up at the door, she couldn¡¯t even open it anymore. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Their identity is unclear. But that wasn¡¯t enough to kick them out of the inn. After all, there is no way that people with high status and money would come to such a cheap inn street. All of the inns on this street, including one that just kicked Karina out, their main customers would likely be people who are no different from Karina or in a slightly better position. But Karina was too tired and embarrassed to think further about the reason. Surely the children reacted the same. ¡® They must have been surprised.¡¯ With that thought in mind, she wanted to soothe the children first, so Karina patted their stiff backs. ¡°It¡¯s all right, we can find another inn. There are other inns, aren¡¯t they?¡± Roland pulled Karina¡¯s skirt with a gloomy face. In the next moment, words came out of the boy¡¯s mouth that Karina had never dared to imagine. ¡°It¡¯s because of us.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karina stared blankly at Roland, doubting her ears. She wanted to answer something, but her mind turned blank and she couldn¡¯t think of anything. Roland repeated the words slowly, thinking that maybe she didn¡¯t hear him properly. ¡°It¡¯s all because of us.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°As mom said back then, we¡¯re making her look suspicious.¡± She was speechless. It wasn¡¯t because Roland was making a wild guess. On the contrary, it was because Roland¡¯s words made sense. A scruffy young woman with two young children must have looked very unnatural, but Karina shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re completely wrong.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Roland¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well, do you want me to tell you the real reason?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Karina leaned over and whispered at eye level with the children. ¡°Because we didn¡¯t seem to have any money.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Fortunately, it sounded quite plausible. It was even half true. Karina quickly went on. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. We can go somewhere very cheap. They¡¯ll accept us, no matter how little money we look like.¡± ¡°Was that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it was.¡± Karina nodded with her head pressed. Roland¡¯s expression brightened very slowly. Karina leaned over and pinched Roland¡¯s cheek slightly. ¡°Now don¡¯t worry about ridiculous things, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Roland¡¯s answer echoed brightly in her ears. * * * The cheapest inn on the street was five kibrin a day. As soon as they entered, the smell of sticky and musty floor was annoying because it wasn¡¯t properly cleaned, but Karina didn¡¯t turn around and leave. This inn doesn¡¯t discriminate against people, she couldn¡¯t hurt the children by being rejected again to find a better environment. The inn owner, who was taking a nap with his hairy feet on the counter, blinked his eyes like a toad waking up from hibernation when they came in. Karina mustered up her courage and approached him. ¡°Hello.¡± The innkeeper looked up at her and spoke bluntly. ¡°10 kibrin a day.¡± ¡°It said 5 kibrin¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s per person. They¡¯re kids, so let¡¯s count them as one. Shouldn¡¯t you put them to bed?¡± Karina frowned. Isn¡¯t an inn normally a double room? But Karina didn¡¯t have time neither a room left to argue further. She wanted to quickly lay Melissa on the bed, who is already dozing off because her eyes were closed, and give Roland a piece of bread that she ate leftover from yesterday, who had heard his stomach growling for a while. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Pay in advance.¡± Karina carefully pulls a 10 kibrin silver coin out of her pocket and handed it to the innkeeper. ¡°What about meals? One kibrin per meal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡± Karina shook her head. This inn was very filthy just by looking around a little. It was obvious what kind of environment the food would be made in. Lord Lenque mistreated the children, but at least the servants were faithful to their original job of sweeping and cleaning the mansion. No matter how cheap it is, children can¡¯t be fed food made in these places. ¡®We¡¯re just gonna stay one night, and move out tomorrow.¡¯ It was nothing compared to the unidentified liquids that Lord Lenque used to clean make her in his laboratory. The musty smell got worse as they walked down the hall. Roland and Melissa got frightened and cling to her skirt. Her heart ached at the sight, and Karina sighed. She had to come up with a way to deal with the current situation somehow. ¡°Mom¡­?¡± Melissa looked up at Karina with sleepy eyes. ¡°Never mind.¡± Karina laughed hard. Fortunately, Melissa was just sleepy, and when Karina patted her on the head, she fell into her skirt. (T/N: Melissa is so cute I¡¯m soft ¨i©n¨i) Finally, they arrived at their assigned room. The door punctured with silverfish holes wasn¡¯t even locked. ¡°¡­¡± The three of them lost their words for a moment and stared into the room. The wallpaper was a mess with mold, and it was hard to tell when the window was last cleaned. The two beds were also so filthy that she thought she should put them on my coat and put them to sleep. ¡°¡­We need to clean up first.¡± Karina laughed at the sudden thought. They slept only for one night and cleaned the room! If this was an occupational disease then it¡¯s an occupational disease. (T/N: For those who don¡¯t know, occupational disease is a health condition or disorder caused by your work environment or activities related to it) ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else tomorrow.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t seem to have any money is still the same. If we go, we¡¯ll be kicked out again.¡± Roland pointed out an important problem. More precisely, it¡¯s because Karina and the children look suspicious. But Karina knew the answer to both problems. ¡°I can buy new clothes.¡± Even when she didn¡¯t explain the situation, if she wears mourning clothes she can let people know that she¡¯s a young widow who¡¯s taking care of her late husband¡¯s children Buying mourning would cost quite a bit of money, so Karina prayed that the new method will work. ¡°New clothes?¡± Roland opened his eyes wide. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the only one buying new clothes. Like a wicked stepmother, you don¡¯t have your clothes.¡± ¡°¡­The reason we don¡¯t seem to have any money is because of the clothes our mother wore?¡± Since Karina was being treated fairly well at Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion, at least she wasn¡¯t to the point of being kicked out for having no money on such a cheap inn street. But Karina nodded with a serious face. ¡°Of course, and you haven¡¯t washed your clothes properly in a week, have you? You¡¯ll look like a beggar to anyone who sees it.¡± ¡°Right now, let¡¯s go buy it!¡± Roland grabbed Karina¡¯s hand as if she was about to run away. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Melissa fell asleep on the way?¡± Roland looked at Melissa and immediately agreed to Karina¡¯s words. Melissa was already half-asleep in bed, her eyelids were trembling as if she was barely holding back from her sleep. Of course, Roland had to stay in the room because he couldn¡¯t leave Melissa alone. Roland put on a sad face. ¡°Hurry up and come back.¡± ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t just look at Melissa, you¡¯re resting too. Anyway, can you not open the door for anyone but me?¡± Karina laid Melissa completely on the bed, gave Roland the rest of the leftover bread, and locked the door tightly. Thinking of the children waiting, she wants to buy mourning clothes and come back right away, but the most important thing to solve remained that day. Looking for a job. * * * As the merchants say, nothing was easier than finding a job in Tors. But successfully getting the job was an entirely different matter. Everyone asked Karina when her husband died and if she had any children, and as soon as Karina said two they hated it and kicked her out. It was no use saying that the children were quite big and didn¡¯t require many hands. ¡°What if the kids get sick? Then you¡¯ll be out crying, right? We can¡¯t accept people like that.¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t fall for it.¡± ¡°How can I believe that?¡± In the end, Karina had no choice but to return from the tenth store. Karina mechanically entered the next store where they put a sign that hires people. This time it was a jewelry store. ¡°My name is Karina Bloe. I¡¯m here because you¡¯re looking for someone.¡± Her mother who died early had a surname, but it was customary for illegitimate children not to use both parents¡¯ surnames. So Karina decided to borrow the children¡¯s surnames. The old-looking jeweler was looking at the jewel with magnifying glasses on. He quietly put down the gear and looked at Karina gently. Karina waited nervously for his next words. ¡®This person will also ask if my husband is dead.¡¯ But the jeweler shook his head and uttered only one word. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because I¡¯m a widow?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. I only accept people who know jewelry to some certain extent. How can you hire someone who can¡¯t even tell ruby and garnet apart?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karina couldn¡¯t help but keep her mouth shut. Because she really couldn¡¯t tell the difference between rubies and garnets. She only heard that there is such a thing as both. (T/N: Even if she doesn¡¯t know, what about her previous life? She living under a rock? Or she just forgot) Giving up quickly, she turned and walked slowly out of the store and stopped. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the stone that came into her sight. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Karina wondered at herself but looked at the stone over and over again. The rugged, fist-sized stone didn¡¯t look like a jewel from any angle. It would have been believable if the stone had rolled on the side of the road, picked up, and put inside the box. But for some reason, the thought that the stone was more precious than any other jewel in this place never left her mind. In the next moment, the stone radiated light, and at the same time, the jeweler¡¯s urgent cry pierced Karina¡¯s ears. ¡°Stand back!¡± Karina forced her eyes off the stone, but it was already too late. A huge beam of light came over them. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Argh!¡± A scream burst out of her throat. The white light felt as hot as a burning fire. Karina rolled over the hard marble floor. It felt like her whole body was on fire that couldn¡¯t be put out. Karina kept screaming, but no one helped her. ¡®I¡¯m going to die like this.¡¯ Karina banged the floor with her fist. She couldn¡¯t die like this. Because¡­! ¡®If I die, the children¡­¡¯ She came to her senses with that thought. The children only knew that Karina had gone to buy new clothes. Since the children don¡¯t have any money, the innkeeper will kick the two of them out to the street in just one day. ¡®They¡¯ll think I ran away with the money.¡¯ Tears of regret and worry, not pain, filled Karina¡¯s eyes. Tors is warm so there¡¯s no way she freezes to death on the street. With a little more luck, someone kind could have taken the children to an orphanage, but the wounds inflicted will never be erased. ¡®They¡¯ll think they¡¯ve been abandoned twice.¡¯ Karina regretted it and regretted it again. Why did she enter this jewelry store? Why didn¡¯t the jeweler take the cursed stone instead of throwing it away? Why¡­! Just then, she felt a cold sensation in her right hand. Karina clung as if the chill was a helping hand. ¡®Did someone pour water on me? More, more¡­ pour more.¡¯ The water wasn¡¯t felt, but the cold didn¡¯t subside either. Rather, it started with Karina¡¯s right hand, then cooled her left hand, shoulders, chest, and finally her entire body. ¡®It¡¯s water¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Even amidst the heat, questions arose. It was because the cold air didn¡¯t cool down over time and as time went by, the presence felt stronger. As if an ice sculpture was hugging her. How long has it been? The pain that feels like eternal hell finally subsided, but she couldn¡¯t be relieved yet. If she let her guard down for a moment, she felt like she would just be swallowed up by the pain again. Karina opened her eyes very slowly. ¡®¡­?¡¯ A while ago, the pure white light blinded her, but now it¡¯s all dark and she can¡¯t see ahead. Karina, who was afraid she might be blind, raised her hands and tried to rub her eyes. But both her hands were held by a strong man¡¯s hand, and she couldn¡¯t move even the slightest bit. ¡®¡­!¡¯ Only then did Karina understand the situation. She was burying her face in the strange man¡¯s chest, holding her hands together. The reason why she couldn¡¯t see was that the man was wearing a black top. Karina immediately screamed and pushed the man away. She staggered back a step or two and saw the strange man looking at her with a puzzled face. Surprisingly, he was such a handsome young man that she thought he was handsome in this situation. Silver hair with a sculpture-like face. He looked three or four years older than Karina. He had a cold impression as if he had breathed into a piece of ice, but she felt a sense of humanity in his embarrassment. Karina turned her head in embarrassment at the situation itself, but his blue eyes continued to follow her as if she had hit a celadon fly. (T/N: Celadon is expensive pottery) Confused, Karina stuttered a few words. Trying not to remember what she did to this guy¡¯s chest. But despite the efforts, her face blushed to the memory of digging into his arms to escape the heat. ¡°Wh- what are you¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, you¡¯d already been dead.¡± Her heart pounded at the blunt answer. As the situation completely calmed down, the surrounding area seemed so peaceful, she was starting to think that even the heat that was coming over her as if she was going to burn herself to death wasn¡¯t her illusion. But Karina really almost died. Leaving the two children waiting for her alone in that grim, filthy inn. In other words, this man was a benefactor to her and the children. She opened her lips to say thank you, but the shock was so great that nothing came out of her mouth. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t stopped the explosion, your body would have been shattered with this store.¡± The man uttered a word, turned right away, and said to the jeweler. ¡°Are you out of your mind, displaying such dangerous objects?¡± ¡°¡­Your Grace Duke the blood on your head hasn¡¯t dried up yet, you¡¯d better watch your mouth. Who would have known that such a woman would show up?¡± (T/N: It¡¯s a Korean idiom that has the same meaning as ¡®still wet behind the ears¡¯ which means that person is too young to do/say something rude.) Karina froze in on the spot. A duke! She was saved by a duke a while ago It was a story that would only appear in romance novels that maids read until the newspapers were worn out, but it wasn¡¯t pleasant for Karina at all. Life at Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion taught Karina a lesson. Don¡¯t come into contact with the aristocracy in any way. They don¡¯t treat commoners as human beings. Especially if it¡¯s an illegitimate child. It wasn¡¯t just a story limited to Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion, but it was also a story that came up in the history books that Karina had learned in her previous life. It had nothing to do with Lord Lenque being harsh on his maternal nephews. His sister married a commoner. Their children, Roland and Melissa, were called lady and young master at Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion, but they were commoners who had no title to inherit themselves. Only in the novel did Lord Lenque announce Roland as his successor to his baron title, but it was in the distant future. Like Lord Lenque, there are probably many aristocrats in the world who treat commoners only as tools. There was no law that this man in front of her eyes wouldn¡¯t do the same. So what to do in this situation was simple and clear. ¡°Thank you, Duke.¡± After politely saying thank you, disappear from the scene as quickly as possible. It was time for Karina to run outside as soon as possible, refusing to pay attention to anything in the store. An arrogant, cold voice grabbed her by the foot. ¡°Stop.¡± Karina slowly turned around. If the man was a baron like Lord Lenque, Karina would have ignored his orders and ran away. But he¡¯s the Duke. ¡®The Duke of Tors¡­ is the only Duke in Tors!¡¯ In the duchy, the duke has more influence than the emperor. Basically, the king of the country had personally ordered her to stop. Karina became pale, bruise to death like a death row inmate whose death sentence had just been dropped. The Duke of Tors was also quite at odds with Roland as an adult in the novel she had read in her previous life. Of course, Karina didn¡¯t mean to blame for a future that hasn¡¯t happened yet, but she was bound to be wary. ¡°Why did you try to run away?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to run away.¡± Karina wasn¡¯t an idiot, so she immediately countered the Duke¡¯s statement. ¡°I just wanted to get out of here quickly because I was scared.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± The Duke frowned. He looked as if he didn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°It just happened, isn¡¯t it unusual that it¡¯s not scary? I was just about to die, Duke.¡± ¡°For a scared woman, your tongue is very sharp.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way I am. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡± Karina raised the corners of her lips. The only reason she could bear the pressure at Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion was that she hadn¡¯t buried the words that she had to say in her heart. The Duke¡¯s power was, of course, no match for Lord Lenque, but Karina¡¯s feelings were the same as back then. If you can¡¯t avoid it, bump into it. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t bother me. I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± A look of embarrassment appeared on the Duke¡¯s face again. ¡°Well, I hope all your doubts have been cleared up I should get going. My children are waiting for me at home.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The Duke¡¯s face became stiff. Karina turned around again but glanced back with an anxious face. The words that she had no idea would be so surprising for a young widow to have a child ran down her throat. But Karina had enough self-control to keep her mouth shut. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± This time it was the jeweler¡¯s voice. Karina pulled herself together for a moment. The jeweler and the Duke look very close. Maybe the jeweler¡¯s a workaholic aristocrat. As long as he¡¯s not crazy, no matter how young the Duke is, no commoner would call him a child whose blood hasn¡¯t dried up yet. The average aristocrat won¡¯t work. In other words, they don¡¯t do lowly things such as buying and selling things directly to people. So Karina naturally thought that all shopkeepers on this street were commoners like her. ¡®No wonder only those who know how to tell the difference between rubies and garnets are selected.¡¯ How do commoners differentiate between rubies and garnets? All they need to know is that both are red gems. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Karina politely asked and turned her head to the old man. He narrowed his eyes and briefly examined Karina¡¯s face. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, would you care to work at my store?¡± * * * (T/N: The moment she said she felt like an ice sculpture was hugging her, I knew that the ML is finally here. Things will get more interesting ???) Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Karina was puzzled and asked a question. ¡°I thought only those who can tell the difference between rubies and garnets are accepted?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± That was a very irresponsible answer. Karina quickly nods her head. (T/N: I¡¯m dead lol) There was no guarantee that she could find another job, considering the bad treatment she received from other stores today. In addition, the wages here are 700 kibrins per month. It was about 100 kibrins higher than other stores. But surely the jeweler had a goal. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he wants to see myself go on a rampage again.¡¯ The Duke and jeweler didn¡¯t even give her a proper explanation of what had just happened to her, but Karina had something in mind she can point out. ¡®I¡¯m a rampaging wizard.¡¯ Rampaging wizards happens in three situations. First, when you can¡¯t control yourself by performing magic beyond your ability. Second, when the magic constraints aren¡¯t properly implemented. Third, when you couldn¡¯t properly tame a raging magic stone. The stone that just resonated with her and almost caused an explosion must have been magic. The appearance of magic stones varied from stones rolling on the side of the streets to rocks rooted in cliffs and precious gems. Unlike the common forms, they are so precious that an ordinary wizard like Lord Lenque couldn¡¯t properly see them once in their lives. ¡®But the magic stone wasn¡¯t in a state of explosion.¡¯ The book she saw in Lord Lenque¡¯s study said that magic stone, which was in a state of an explosion, had black energy and couldn¡¯t dare approach the area. But the previous magic stone was just a normal stone form. Besides, she¡¯s not a wizard¡­ Karina facepalms herself. He was aware that she had the gift of a wizard. After ten years of working as a maid and not being an idiot who takes on all kinds of work for a wizard, you will notice yourself. However, many people had the talent of a wizard itself. But to develop that talent, it¡¯ll take constant effort, devotion, and teaching. Karina didn¡¯t have any of that. As a result, she didn¡¯t know how to use any simple magic. In short, she couldn¡¯t call herself a wizard. ¡®Having a power that can¡¯t be controlled is worse than nothing.¡¯ Karina looked directly at Wilder. (T/N: I don¡¯t know if the author made a mistake or did I read the raw wrongly but his name was stated before it was introduced, I¡¯m confused haha) Even if she accepted his proposal, she had to know what she needed to know. ¡°How did I go on a rampage?¡± The duke and the jeweler looked at each other silently. ¡°The same thing could happen again, so I can¡¯t work here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Karina¡¯s forehead wrinkled. It wasn¡¯t because of what the jeweler said, but the Duke¡¯s ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Wilder¡¯s mistake. Wilder, apologize.¡± The jeweler named Wilder painted his face but didn¡¯t refuse the Duke¡¯s orders. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Bloe.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want an apology.¡± Karina sighed. What good is an apology from someone who could be a potential future employer? ¡°I¡¯m just worried that if I work here, the same thing will happen again. I almost died, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding.¡± The Duke took a step towards Karina and stopped on the spot as she backed away in surprise. ¡°The rampage wasn¡¯t because of you. It¡¯s because Wilder left dangerous objects everywhere.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I want to work here.¡± ¡°I will make sure that never happens again. And I¡¯ll take that one.¡± ¡°Duke!¡± Wilder shouted in protest. The Duke waved his hands as if he was annoyed. ¡°Ten top-class magic stones are enough?¡± Wilder¡¯s face, which had been stiff until a while ago, has loosened up. ¡°Of course. Do you want me to wrap it up for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± The Duke grinned. It was a strange laugh that mixed the coldness of an aristocrat with the playfulness of a boy. ¡°Now, shall I tell you why I¡¯m here?¡± Karina stood there, unable to do anything. She apparently has just been hired by this jewelry store. So she¡¯ll have to stay seated and learn the job. But she didn¡¯t want to stay in the same building with the Duke. Whether she showed signs of discomfort or not, the Duke pulled out a chair that Karina didn¡¯t even know was there and took a seat. He looked as comfortable as if this place was his own home. ¡°There are 15 unbalanced magic stones.¡± ¡°15? Are you trying to kill this old man?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s keeping the old man alive?¡± ¡°The very ruler of this Tors¡­ the mother of Your Grace the Duke. She has already passed away now, but she was a great person.¡± The Duke¡¯s eyebrows frowned. ¡°Wilder, I hope you don¡¯t make me break my mother¡¯s will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you should take good care of.¡± Wilder grumbled but carefully took out the magic stones from the package thrown by the Duke and opened them on the table. The magic stone, which looked not much different from the pebble used by children to play with stones, was spread out on the table. Karina couldn¡¯t decide whether she could stay here or if she should get away recognizing it as a secret, so she just looked around. The unbalanced magic stone was the first kind of magic stone she had ever heard of. In other words, it must be in the secret space of the study, where Lord Lenque was anxious for anyone to see information that may be even Lord Lenque didn¡¯t know. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, take a closer look. It¡¯s something we¡¯re looking forward to.¡± Fortunately, Wilder fixed his position. Karina was able to observe the unbalanced magic stone right behind Wilder. ¡°¡­!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes opened wide and she steadied herself ¡®This is¡­¡¯ Karina bit her lip. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should say this or not. The Duke casually asked Wilder, who seemed to have noticed nothing. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I don¡¯t know until I¡¯ve tested it. All these kinds of magic stones are like that.¡± Wilder said as if he was saying, ¡°Why the hell are you asking me that now?¡± ¡°Wilder, not you. Mrs. Bloe.¡± The Duke¡¯s words surprised Karina and Wilder to the point where they jumped from their seats. ¡°You mean Mrs. Bloe?¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed she seem to have known something.¡± Karina bit her lip. It¡¯s easy to hide. You can just say that the shock she received from the magic stone a while ago made her became afraid of this little thing. But Karina wanted to know. About the magic that Lord Lenque had completely blocked her from all this time¡­ Because the aristocrat had to be on guard at all times, Karina seemed unable to forgive herself for a while if she had run away from this opportunity. Karina decided to be honest. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ve always wanted to know about magic since I was young.¡¯ So when Melissa said she wanted to beat Roland to shape a homunculus, she immediately accepted it despite the possibility of failure. Because she saw herself in her as a child who was frustrated even though she wanted to learn magic from him. She tried to convince Roland, who had a trauma of magic, that magic wasn¡¯t just hard and painful. Apart from Roland¡¯s future of becoming an archwizard, she didn¡¯t want Roland to be separated from the magic that Karina envy. For Karina, magic was a fresh grape that the fox in fairy tales could never pick. Finally, the fox had an opportunity to pick and eat the grapes, and Karina didn¡¯t want to make a fool of herself for missing it might be new grapes. Of course, the goal of raising children safely can be difficult because of the words they will utter. It might have been better to focus on raising the children safely as a maid in Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion, like a nanny who¡¯s a mother in name only. But Karina didn¡¯t want to live like that. And the two adorable children she has adopted won¡¯t want it either. Since they are good children, they will want Karina to be as happy as they are. So Karina blurted out the words that went running in her head. ¡°The magic stone is only one of these.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If Wilder of the past was surprised enough to jump out of his seat, the current Wilder was in a state of shock enough to worry that he might collapse. He immediately looked at Karina and asked back with a trembling mouth. ¡°Only one of these?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karina nodded her head. Out of the fifteen unbalanced magic stones that the Duke brought, only fourteen of them felt like ordinary pebbles. But the other one is¡­ Karina picked up the magic stone as if she was possessed. The magic stone trembled as if it¡¯s alive in her hand. The Duke and Wilder held their breath and watched her movements in silence, but no one said it was dangerous or told her to back off. ¡°This is right.¡± Karina held out the magic stone for Wilder with confidence. Wilder remained silent, but the Duke slowly took the magic stone from her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out.¡± * * * (T/N: I¡¯m sorry for the delay, I was supposed to update this yesterday but I got distracted watching NCT Dream ????) Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Because of the chill she had felt a while ago she naturally thought that the Duke¡¯s hand was cold, but they were rather hot. ¡°Wilder will investigate the rest.¡± ¡°You make me do all the hard work.¡± Wilder grumbled but didn¡¯t refuse. The Duke put the magic stone in his hand and hurriedly left without saying hello as if he had nothing to do with this little store anymore. Wilder plopped into his chair with a tired expression on his face. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to ban that kid from entering¡­¡± ¡°Do I have to go to work here starting tomorrow?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course.¡± Wilder looked at Karina annoyed as if she was asking a lot of questions. ¡°You did well today. You just have to keep doing that.¡± Karina was out of her mind but managed to find the courage to ask about magic. ¡°Well, is magic¡­¡± ¡°I know nothing of magic.¡± Wilder waved his hand. ¡°The duke knows a little bit. If you¡¯re curious, ask the kid. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Judging from the way he spoke, the duke seemed to be at a level with knowledge of magic rather than a wizard. Karina lowered her head. ¡°¡­You know I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then you just have to keep doing what you did before. I mean, don¡¯t try to hide what you see. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wilder reached out his wrinkled hand toward her. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Mrs. Bloe.¡± * * * A week has passed. Karina moved to a slightly better inn than the filthy one. It wasn¡¯t very satisfying, but it was still an environment that¡¯s good enough to be considered a home. The children also liked the new inn more. Karina bought the children several toys that they could buy for a penny and allowed them to play with children their age nearby. ¡®I can¡¯t let you grow up like me.¡¯ Karina still remembers her childhood. ¡®My mother didn¡¯t care about me at all, and Lord Lenque¡­ Let¡¯s not think about it.¡¯ As much as possible, she wanted Roland and Melissa to grow up like the other children she envied as a child. A life without any worries other than a little worry like having a birthday party even if it¡¯s early and who to play with tomorrow. As she was walking to the inn, the smell of sweet cookies hit the tip of Karina¡¯s nose. She looked around and saw a stand selling cookies on the street. ¡®Should I buy some cookies today?¡¯ The food brought from Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion ran out in three days. After that, the children and Karina only ate food for survival. It didn¡¯t seem bad to eat sweet cookies after a while. Karina paid 2 kibrin and bought a bag of cookies. Ten minutes later. Karina¡¯s body stiffened as she opened the door of the room, which looked nothing like usual, and took a step in. The cookie bag fell on the floor. The room that had been tidy up in the morning when she left had turned into a mess, just like when Lord Lenque failed his magic experiment. ¡°Roland! Melissa!¡± Karina kept calling the children until her throat hurts, but there was no answer. ¡®Lord Lenque¡­¡¯ Hot tears wet the floor. Karina wiped away her tears and looked around. It wasn¡¯t the right time for this. She needs to find a clue and go after Lord Lenque¡­ It was then. A faint tear came back from the bathroom. ¡°Uh, mom¡­¡± Karina ran to the bathroom at once. Her heart ached every second as if it was going to jump out of her ribs. ¡°¡­!¡± She was relieved at the sight before her. Seeing Roland and Melissa put her mind at ease while also worried. The two of them were covered in a lot of white powder, but upon closer inspection, you could tell that it was dough. The two children were visibly relieved as soon as they found Karina, but they stiffened at the thought that they had been caught in an accident they had committed. ¡® It¡¯s all made out of flour.¡¯ If Karina hadn¡¯t been frightened thinking it was Lord Lenque¡¯s attack, she would have quickly noticed that the reason the room was a mess is the dough, hard-boiled eggs bought at the market in the morning, and apple slices. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roland called Karina with his head down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°M-me too¡­¡± Melissa peered up close to Roland and checked Karina¡¯s expression. Karina was lost in thought for a moment. She had no intention to scold the children from the beginning. However, it¡¯s not very pleasant for this situation to happen again, so she at least had to prevent it from happening again. Fortunately, it was enough to be solved by only cleaning, but the entire room could have been blown away. After imagining that case for a moment, Karina got a rough idea of ??the amount of compensation and was stunned by the amount of compensation she would have to pay. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ So it was necessary to give Roland and Melissa a sharp warning. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°¡­We were going to make delicious bread.¡± Karina blinked her eyes. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It seemed that the children were trying to make apple pie together. Of course, their method¡­ is by using magic. It was anticipated, as Lord Lenque was still poor at magic and dedicated to teaching powerful and destructive magic. But Karina isn¡¯t that angry. She even felt relieved. ¡®I¡¯m just glad they don¡¯t feel bad about magic, enough for the children to use it.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know about Melissa, but she was worried that Roland would never use magic again. ¡°This is¡­ a blanket.¡± Karina said, pulling something out of Melissa¡¯s arms that looked like a huge lump of dough. Melissa¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°I was going to wash it. Tried to wash it¡­¡± ¡°I can wash it. You guys should have washed up first.¡± ¡°I- I will help you wash the blankets first.¡± Melissa pulled the blanket. Karina shook her head. You can see how much effort she put in with her small hands, her hands were already shaking. ¡°It helps me to keep your bodies clean first.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Instead, help me when you¡¯re done quickly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Only then did Melissa nod with a relieved face. Karina began to prepare for the laundry. Even if it¡¯s not a very cheap inn, it¡¯s an inexpensive one. There is no way that the bathroom attached to the guest room in such an inn was perfect. The term bathroom was also Karina¡¯s idea who lived in a noble mansion, a washroom. There was a floor with a drain hole so that the water drained well, a pump that only came out when you pump it with a lot of force, and a wooden barrel that was only big enough to fit a blanket in. After taking the blanket out of the wooden barrel, Karina pumped it hard to fill the bucket with cold water. Even with two children hanging on it, they couldn¡¯t give enough strength, so pumping once or twice was the limit. ¡°You guys wash up with this. I¡¯m going to clean up.¡± Fortunately, Melissa and Roland were used to helping each other, so Karina could concentrate on doing the laundry and cleaning. Karina, who had just finished washing the blanket, thought as she skillfully removed the dough from the wall. ¡®It¡¯s not in vain being a maid.¡¯ Still, nothing didn¡¯t jump up to the ceiling. Karina remembered how much trouble she had suffered when the creature¡¯s intestines got stuck to the ceiling. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The feeling and bloody smell of that time seemed to come alive in her eyes, and her body trembled. ¡°We¡¯re done. Can we help you clean now?¡± Roland cautiously called Karina. Karina quickly checked the children¡¯s condition. The children tend to wash their hands pretty hard for an eight or seven-year-old, but there were a lot of things that were lacking in the eyes of an adult. In particular, she couldn¡¯t think of anything else other than their curly hair being tangled by lumps of flour dough. Karina smiled and gently stroked the children¡¯s heads. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to bake bread in your hair, are you? You¡¯d better take it off before it hardens.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± At the same time, Roland and Melissa covered their mouths with a surprised look, and when they saw each other¡¯s hair they hurriedly began to tear off the dough. Karina looked at the scene for a moment and devoted herself to cleaning again. It wasn¡¯t just flour dough that stuck to children¡¯s hair that had to be removed before it hardened. How long has it been? Karina wiped the sweat from her forehead and paused for a moment to rest. Maybe it was because she had been walking around all day, so her legs were shaking. ¡°Mom, are you sick?¡± Roland carefully asked Karina, not removing the dough that had stuck to Melissa¡¯s hair. Karina blinked her eyes. She was just exhausted from what happened today. She felt more comfortable cleaning now compared to the pain she suffered from accidentally touching the magic stone wrong. ¡°No?¡± Roland was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth in a determined voice. ¡°If mom gets sick because of us¡­ We¡¯re going to the orphanage.¡± * * * (T/N: Roland and Melissa think they¡¯re being a burden to Karina is just sad, I hope they¡¯ll be able to realize they have nothing to be guilty about) Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Karina was dumbfounded for a moment and immediately came to her senses. Roland was much more delicate than he looks. Dozens of serious worries will pass through that cute little head while he¡¯s dazed. ¡°Do I look sick?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard. Because of us¡­¡± ¡°If I were the type who got sick from these things, I would have died a few years ago in agony. Before I even met you guys.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing Roland¡¯s eyes widen, those words worked. ¡°Don¡¯t think Lord Lenque was the only one with you. And Lord Lenque himself¡­ What a mess he was. Ugh.¡± Karina hated it. The flour dough was nothing compared to what she had swept and polished in that house over the past decade or so ¡°Did mom learn magic like us when you were young?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Karina hesitated for a moment but spoke frankly. ¡°Lord Lenque never tried to teach me, even though he knew I had a talent for magic. Rather, he was very wary of my interest in magic. I learned this instead.¡± Karina smiled and lifted the mop. ¡°Thanks to you, I can clean up this mess that you guys created. Isn¡¯t it okay?¡± ¡°I tried to use magic to clean it up. I was going to clean it up, but¡­¡± Roland¡¯s eyes are teary. ¡°The more I use magic, the more I mess it up¡­¡± It was a confession that explained the reason for the water droplets and bubbles seen everywhere. ¡°Aigoo.¡± Karina left the mop and approached Roland. Roland was still covered in flour dough, but Karina didn¡¯t mind and hugged him. Her clothes were dirty because she was cleaning anyway. ¡°Roland, if there¡¯s anything wrong with you is that you¡¯re trying to figure out everything on your own. Instead of waiting for me to come.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it my fault that I didn¡¯t do well?¡± The way he looked up at Karina in bewilderment was heartbreaking. His eyes hurt her heart. Karina shook her head trying not to bite her lips. ¡°No, the two of you aren¡¯t alone anymore.¡± ¡°¡­We always had to do it together even at the orphanage.¡± ¡°Not now.¡± Karina spoke with strength. ¡°You can always ask me for help.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ it¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°Yeah, Roland is right. I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t hard.¡± Karina hugged Roland even tightly. ¡°But there are things you can do on your own, and there are things I can do on my own.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°You guys have to ask me for help if you think you¡¯re having a hard time on your own. Don¡¯t just rely on each other. Okay? ¡°Yes¡­!¡± A muffled answer came out from Roland¡¯s throat. Karina let out a sigh and comforted Roland. Soon after, Melissa burst into tears as well. She hugged the two children and wiped away the tears before thinking for a moment. It¡¯s a mess when they step out of the bathroom. Seeing that the children had flour dough all over their bodies, it seemed as if she had to wash them properly. Perhaps the innkeeper who heard the commotion would say something. Nevertheless¡­ Karina was happy. * * * Just as the children get used to their new lives, Karina also gets used to her new job. Wilder saw through Karina¡¯s difficulty and promised to pay her the first month¡¯s salary two weeks ahead of schedule. Karina was already looking forward to her first payday which is three days later. She finally learned how rubies and garnets were different, and how to distinguish diamonds from each other. However, Wilder didn¡¯t teach magic stones properly like any other common gems. Rather, he showed Karina the precious magic stones and asked her what she thought. Each time Karina explained exactly what she felt, Wilder seemed to be very satisfied. ¡°You¡¯re very talented.¡± ¡°Is it a jeweler¡¯s talent?¡± ¡°Secret.¡± Wilder giggled, picked up the magic stone that Karina said was suspicious a while ago, and looked carefully. ¡°I assure you. In three years, Mrs. Bloe will be able to open a store so big that she will ignore this little store.¡± Karina knew Wilder wasn¡¯t talking about jewelry. ¡°Magic stone¡­ Is it a merchant?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s magical.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad job, a magician. It¡¯s a problem that you have to deal with dark people like wizards, but¡­¡± After listening to Wilder¡¯s complaints, Karina suddenly asked a question. ¡°Is Your Grace the Duke a magician?¡± ¡°The Duke?¡± Wilder rolled his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that he¡¯s good at magic¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally attainments. Only attainments.¡± ¡°What?¡± Karina wanted to ask exactly what those words meant but stood up when the bell rang announcing a guest¡¯s entrance. ¡°Welcome. Wilder Jewelry Store¡­¡± The end of the words became blurred by itself. ¡°See you again.¡± It has been more than a week since she heard it, but a vivid voice in her memory is still stuck in Karina¡¯s ear. ¡°We were actually talking about you, did you come safely?¡± ¡°¡­My story?¡± The Duke¡¯s sharp eyes widened. ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see three people here, not two?¡± Wilder grumbled openly. ¡°¡­¡± The Duke gazed at Karina with a look that seemed to demand an explanation. Since Wilder seemed unwilling to give a proper answer, it was up to Karina to explain. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ we were talking about magic stone¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The Duke waved his hand as if it was enough to interrupt Karina. ¡°Then I¡¯ve come just in time.¡± He handed a silk bag into Wilder¡¯s hand. ¡°Is it from the Imperial Family?¡± ¡°My headache was troubling me.¡± ¡°Your Grace, what¡¯s the trouble? I¡¯m the one that¡¯s troubled.¡± ¡°My head hurts being nagged by you.¡± Wilder seemed to sigh and called Karina. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, take a look at this.¡± Karina received the pouch from Wilder. The embroidered lion with gold thread seemed to suggest that an unusual object was contained inside. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What do you feel?¡± Instead of answering, Karina hurriedly shook her head and returned it to Wilder. ¡°This is¡­ dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar to what I saw on the first day.¡± Karina explained as quickly as possible. She wanted to get out of that area as soon as possible. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to explode soon.¡± After that, everything went crazy. The Duke snatched the pocket from Wilder in an instant and took out the magic stone contained in it. ¡°¡­!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t the standard stone-shaped magic stone that she had seen before. It was a gorgeous coral brooch that any noble lady could wear around. The Duke grabbed the coral brooch as if ready to crush it any minute. ¡°Look carefully.¡± Wilder grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s the identity of Your Grace the Duke, who you were so curious about.¡± ¡°Shut up, Wilder.¡± She can understand the vague words that make the Duke sweat on his forehead. But in the next moment, the sight reflected in Karina¡¯s retina completely shattered the speculation. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 When the Duke opened his palm, the coral brooch that had been there disappeared. Instead, the spherical light that hit Karina was there. Karina instinctively backed away. The Duke seemed calm now, but he was almost killed by that light not long ago. She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her composure. Karina even considered running away, but curiosity suppressed her instincts. ¡®I want to see it closer.¡¯ The sphere on the Duke¡¯s hand got longer and longer and became one meter long. ¡°I gave you this kind of thing?¡± Wilder murmured in astonishment. The Duke was in no condition to answer. He quickly murmured a spell that Karina couldn¡¯t understand and tried to subdue the mass of light. Bang! With a huge rupture, acrid smoke fell all over the place. ¡®It¡¯s magic!¡¯ Karina looked at the Duke, which was seen through the smoke with her eyes wide open. ¡°¡­!¡± Karina barely managed to swallow a spontaneous scream that came out of her mouth. Instead of a lump of light, the Duke held a giant sword in his hand she had never seen before. The sun shone through the dark red day. ¡°Are you planning to blow up my store?¡± When Wilder complained loudly, there were wrinkles between the Duke¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Are you doubting my ability?¡± ¡°Your Grace makes mistakes once or twice a year!¡± ¡°This year¡¯s blunders are over.¡± The Duke replied nonchalantly. ¡°No way¡­¡± Wilder¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Yes, I tried the imbalance magic stone Mrs. Bloe found and failed. It destroyed the room entirely.¡± ¡°¡­Your Grace must have been trying to torture Count Python.¡± ¡°I repaired it with my own money.¡± The Duke turned his sword around and bowed politely to Karina. ¡°Thank you for your help. If it weren¡¯t for the lady, I would have burst the magic stone His Majesty the Emperor himself gave me. I¡¯d like to do you a favor.¡± Karina replied immediately. ¡°I want to know what this is all about.¡± ¡°Is that what the lady wants?¡± The Duke asked in a surprised voice. Karina nodded her head. She didn¡¯t want a favor. In reality, she kind of wanted it, but more than that she wanted to know how this whole situation works. ¡°Yes.¡± Karina replied sternly feeling that he wouldn¡¯t give another alternative. The Duke stared at her for a moment, then stared into the air as if he was preparing something to say. The words that finally came out of his mouth completely exceeded Karina¡¯s expectations. ¡°I¡¯m a magic swordsman.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t help but be a little embarrassed. What does he mean by magic swordsman? For a non-magician, he was well versed in magic. If it was something Karina had never heard of, it must have been a very rare class. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The Duke looked at Wilder instead of answering, Wilder sighed and took on the role of explaining. ¡°A person who pulls out a sword from a magic stone.¡± ¡°Can you make something else?¡± ¡°No. Only magic swords that have condensed mana can be made from magic stone.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you use magic instead of a sword¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible for anyone who has no magic talent or who has fewer magic skills. Of course, it¡¯s only well-trained swordsmen.¡± The Duke smiled as if he was helping himself and added a word. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s like a blacksmith.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Now Karina frowned. There was a question that couldn¡¯t be resolved by the Duke and Wilder¡¯s explanations on that sword. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± ¡°¡­That sword. Is that all you got to condense your mana?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Karina hesitated. The part that the Duke¡¯s explanation alone didn¡¯t make sense was felt in that sword. ¡°In there¡­ I can feel the magic. It¡¯s quite a dangerous magic.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The next moment, something incredible happened. The Duke threw his sword on the floor and grabbed one of her hands. Karina tried to remove it because she was embarrassed, but the Duke didn¡¯t let go of her hand. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, I think I¡¯ve seen many talented people, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a talented person like you.¡± ¡°W-Well that¡¯s an honor.¡± Karina wanted to back off in moderation but couldn¡¯t under the circumstances. Especially because the Duke hasn¡¯t finished speaking. ¡°If I miss the chance, my late parents won¡¯t forgive me. I want you to be the vassal of the Duke.¡± Karina doubted her ear. A Duke¡¯s vassal? A vassal of the Duke family, who shares the same status as the imperial family, should at least be a person with the title of knight. In the case of a woman, no matter how low her status is, she had to be at least the daughter of a knight. A commoner wasn¡¯t in a position to become one. ¡®Come to think of it, the Duke of Tors liked talent, but this isn¡¯t it.¡¯ In the novel she read in her previous life, even the Duke of Tors had a weakness for talent. It was because of that that he had a conflict with Roland as an adult. Because Archwizard was a talent anyone would yearn for. The Duke of Tors went a bit too far to recruit Roland and soon became a bitter opponent after failing. But the situation between her and Roland in the novel was completely different. At that time, Roland was the baron¡¯s maternal nephew and heir to the title, but she¡¯s nothing more than a commoner widow whose origin is unclear. How can she be the vassal of a Duke? The Duke spoke in a softer tone. ¡°I¡¯m not lying or trying to make fun of you. I truly want you to be my¡­¡± ¡°How can I be a vassal?¡± Karina couldn¡¯t stand the absurdity and interrupted the Duke¡¯s words. She knew it was disrespectful, but she¡¯s sure he¡¯ll forgive her for saving him. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°A commoner like me¡­¡± ¡°Were you worried about that?¡± One of the Duke¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t from Tors, but you must have come from a very remote place. Half of my vassals are commoners.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There are few aristocrats in Tors. If they want to live a little, they all go to the capital. They use this place as a vacation spot.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t make you a vassal just because you are a commoner, the Dukedom would have been ruined long ago.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Look here, Wilder was a vassal even though he didn¡¯t have a knight rank. Are you ready to take my proposal seriously now?¡± Karina didn¡¯t know whether to be surprised that Wilder was a commoner who treated the Duke casually, or that the Duke¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°Now, I¡¯m a little surprised¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t change what you do when you¡¯re here. But it¡¯ll be a better environment to raise children. Because the pay will be different.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m going to be very busy, right?¡± ¡°You know exactly.¡± The trouble didn¡¯t take long. Karina bent her knees slightly. ¡°Your Grace, I can¡¯t be the vassal of the Duke.¡± Surprisingly, the Duke looked shocked as if he had never heard of a word of refusal in his life. He spilled a word out of his mouth with a blank expression on his face. ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be truly loyal to the Duke.¡± ¡°Is it because of the children?¡± Karina shook her head. It was simply because she didn¡¯t want to live in an aristocratic mansion and live a life of serving someone. Of course, she¡¯s more likely to receive than to serve if she¡¯s a vassal. However, the environment was worse than that of a maid in terms of loyalty to the Duke in some ways. Karina wanted to live only for herself and the children¡¯s safety. Karina simply glossed over these circumstances, it¡¯ll be a waste of her life to tell them honestly. ¡°It¡¯s too much for me. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could pass it on.¡± ¡°¡­I see. It¡¯s a heavy burden¡­¡± The Duke looked up into the air for a moment and moved his eyes. ¡°I- if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± ¡°No, thank you for being so honest. Rather, I thought it was a relief that it wasn¡¯t for any other reason.¡± ¡°What reason?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The Duke looked at Karina¡¯s blank face for a moment and burst into laughter. The ice looked like it was shining brightly under the sunlight on a winter day. Karina had no choice but to stare at the Duke even more blankly. ¡°Just kidding. By the way, are the children adjusting well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How was school?¡± ¡°What?¡± Karina looked at Wilder with a look of assistance. School all of a sudden? What nonsense is he talking about? Fortunately, Wilder didn¡¯t leave Karina alone. ¡°Your Grace, Mrs. Bloe said she originally lived in a mountain valley. She doesn¡¯t know much about Tors.¡± It wasn¡¯t technically a mountain valley, but Karina didn¡¯t correct Wilder¡¯s words. Well, it was true that she lived in a place farther away than a mountain valley from people. ¡°But it¡¯s mandatory to send them to school.¡± ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to trust the officials too much?¡± Wilder grunted and explained to Karina. ¡°Children who can¡¯t afford a tutor can go to school for a basic education.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Karina only then noticed that the ¡®school¡¯ they were talking about wasn¡¯t much different from the school she attended in her previous life. ¡°I went to school too, so it¡¯s been a while since this system was established in Tors.¡± ¡°What do you learn?¡± Of course, Karina and her acquaintances never attended school, but Karina in her previous life went to before. If Roland and Melissa could go to the right school, nothing could be better. * * * (T/N: This chapter was a bit hard for me to translate so sorry it took a while. The Duke was trying his best to appeal to Karina, it¡¯s hilarious (?¡¯¥î¡¯)?) Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Well¡­ arithmetic and composition?¡± ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± Karina asked back a bit startled. At that rate, Roland and Melissa would have mastered it. The shock was even greater because the school Karina knew from her past life¡¯s memories taught her much more than that. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough? What else should they teach you?¡± ¡°Well, history or¡­¡± Wilder burst into laughter. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, if you teach history at school, your parents will rise right away! Why are you teaching things that are of no use to the children? Use a tutor to teach them.¡± * * * Karina thought about school on her way back home. ¡®It¡¯s about arithmetic and composition, so is it really necessary to send them?¡¯ Both were essential to magic, so it was one of the harshest lessons from the time the siblings came to Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. If Wilder is right, the children won¡¯t learn much after going to school. But Karina decided to ask the children¡¯s wishes for now. The children had a hard time understanding the concept of school, but at least they liked the fact that they didn¡¯t have to stay in a stuffy inn all day. ¡°What are we learning?¡± ¡°Umm, I heard they teach arithmetic and writing.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t do magic?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Roland was visibly relieved, but Melissa looked slightly disappointed. After all, learning meant nothing but magic for them. Seeing that scene made her feel like that she should go to school instead. ¡®Yeah, if they don¡¯t like it, they can just stop. What¡¯s the problem?¡¯ Karina drew out a magic card that could persuade the children in an instant. ¡°You guys, don¡¯t you want to make friends?¡± ¡°Friends¡­?¡± Roland¡¯s and Melissa¡¯s identical new blue eyes widened. ¡°There must be a lot of kids your age at school. You can go see them, and if you don¡¯t fit in you can quit.¡± ¡°We want to go!¡± The two children¡¯s eyes lit up. Everything went smoothly after that. With Wilder¡¯s help, Karina enrolled her two children right away at school and bought them a stone slab that they need to go to school. The children played so well with the stone slab that she wondered if she should have bought them from the beginning. Karina often found magic circles on Melissa¡¯s stone slab but decided not to say anything for the time being. On the children¡¯s first day of school, Karina returned to the inn with her heart pounding as if it was her school day. Even in the morning, the children looked a little nervous, so she was half worried and half looking forward. But as soon as she opened the door to their room, all her worries disappeared when she saw the children running towards her. ¡°It was fun!¡± Melissa shouted more energetically than ever. ¡°It was really fun. The teacher said I read really well. I even got candy today!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. How about Roland? ¡°I liked it too.¡± But Karina felt an unusual shadow on Roland¡¯s face, which seemed as bright as usual. Most of all, Melissa was so excited, but she didn¡¯t quite understand how calm Roland was. Perhaps because they had grown up alone in an orphanage, Roland was more than just a caring brother for Melissa. When Melissa gets excited, Roland gets excited too. When Melissa had a hard time, Roland had a hard time too. That is exactly what Lord Lenque took advantage of harshly. Karina asked softly toward Roland. ¡°Roland, what happened?¡± Roland was really surprised as if he had never expected such a question, but then he answered in a calm and plain tone. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± Melissa alternately stared at Karina and Roland with a look that seemed to know something. Karina isn¡¯t indifferent enough to ask Roland in front of Melissa, so she turned the topic to Melissa¡¯s school life. Fortunately, Melissa seemed to have had a really good time. Karina checked the children¡¯s lunch boxes. The children emptied out the sandwiches she had thoroughly made sure they like. ¡®I¡¯m glad you enjoyed your lunch.¡¯ If Roland was in such a difficult situation that he couldn¡¯t even eat lunch properly, she would have gone to school right away. Fortunately, that¡¯s not the case now. A few hours later. Melissa fell asleep much earlier than Roland as usual. Karina nudged Roland, who¡¯s still tossing and turning in the bed. ¡°Mom¡­?¡± ¡°Roland, can we talk?¡± Roland hesitated but didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll buy you honey tea.¡± Roland¡¯s face lit up. Honey tea sold in the lobby of the inn was one of the children¡¯s favorite drinks. Karina bought two cups of honey tea with two coins and handed one to Roland. Roland sipped the honey tea frantically. ¡°Is it that good?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Roland¡¯s round eyes sparkled. ¡°Buy it often. I¡¯ll give you an allowance every month from now on.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Roland¡¯s mouth fell open. He wanted to express his gratitude but nothing seemed to come out, he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. ¡°I don¡¯t give a lot. But it¡¯ll be enough for you guys to play.¡± Karina hasn¡¯t given the children allowances in the meantime. It was because she had never received any allowance and had no idea how much she should give. However, seeing the children paying attention to even a single honey tea, which can be bought with a penny made her want to give them an allowance. ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± ¡°You have nothing to be thankful for. I want you guys to be happy with the allowance that I give to you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my first time getting an allowance.¡± Roland¡¯s eyes sparkled. Karina fully understood the child¡¯s mind. When she was young, there were many children of Karina¡¯s age in Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. The children were given allowance on their birthdays, which came only once a year. Thinking about it now, it was only enough money to buy a few cups of honey tea, but how envious she was of the fact that they receive allowance! Karina waited until Roland¡¯s excitement subsided before quietly opened her mouth. ¡°I never got one.¡± ¡°¡­Mom.¡± Roland sounded like he was about to cry. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a father since I was born, and my mother¡­ it was like I didn¡¯t have one. That¡¯s why I always envied the other kids.¡± ¡°W-we did too.¡± Roland¡¯s face darkened in an instant. It reminded him of his time at the orphanage. ¡°So I want to raise you guys happier than anyone else in the world.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Karina looked at Roland with a big heart. It may have been simple, but she couldn¡¯t just ignore the child who was struggling. ¡°Roland, what was the most difficult thing at school today?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Roland was greatly flustered when he was asked an unexpected question. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, you don¡¯t have to. But if you think it¡¯s going to make your school life difficult, feel free to ask me for help.¡± She has a pretty good guess. The children may have made fun of Roland for being a widow¡¯s son. They might have made fun of him for looking poor. Or maybe Roland was struggling for a variety of reasons Karina didn¡¯t think of. In any case, Karina didn¡¯t want to let Roland go through the hardship alone. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Can you tell me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roland hesitated and opened his mouth, but then closed it again. Karina patted Roland on the back to reassure him. There was plenty of time. She could have spent the night together with Roland. The truth finally came out of his mouth, which had been silent for a long time. ¡°That¡­ They say I can¡¯t be with Melissa. Of course, I thought we¡¯d be together forever¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karina looked at Roland for a moment, speechless. In her vague past-life memory of school, students were divided into classes by age, learning proficiency, and gender. So of course, Karina thought that Roland and Melissa would be studying separately, but she had no idea what impact it would have on both of them. ¡°So I asked to be in the same classroom as Melissa. I keep asking¡­ I begged, but no one listened to me.¡± ¡°¡­Roland, have you ever thought about why Melissa and you ended up in another classroom?¡± ¡°They say that I can read a little better than Melissa. I know how to count better. If I knew this would happen, I would have pretended not to know.¡± Karina sighed. She knew well what it meant for Roland to be separated from Melissa, so she tried to ask for them to be in the same class if possible. But there¡¯s such a standard, so she can¡¯t just ask for it. ¡®Maybe this is what¡¯s better for both of them.¡¯ Karina swallowed her dry saliva. Roland tried to stay close to Melissa¡¯s side as much as possible in Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. He couldn¡¯t live like this for the rest of his life. ¡°Roland, you don¡¯t have to stay with Melissa all the time.¡± ¡°I have to protect Melissa!¡± * * * (T/N: It was always emphasized how much Melissa means to Roland, but this chapter just proves it. I hope he¡¯ll be able to move on from his trauma at the mansion soon ?¦à?) Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Roland reacted furiously to Karina who has been gentle so far, but Karina wasn¡¯t surprised. If she was in Roland¡¯s situation, she would have done more than that. ¡°Melissa had a good time going to school by herself today. Why don¡¯t you keep an eye on Melissa for the time being?¡± ¡°Keep an eye on her?¡± Roland blinked puzzled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina paused for a moment. She didn¡¯t quite know how to explain it properly. ¡°Roland can¡¯t always be by Melissa¡¯s side. One day, Melissa will grow up to be as big as me.¡± ¡°Until then, I will always be by Melissa¡¯s side.¡± Roland said stubbornly. Karina chewed her tongue. She was even more heartbroken because she knew enough why Roland was so stubborn. ¡°Roland, you don¡¯t have to¡­ Is it because of Lord Lenque?¡± Seeing he nodded his head, it seemed that the answer was correct. Karina buried her face in her hands for a moment because she was at a loss. She couldn¡¯t think of a way to reassure Roland. There was a reason why Karina was completely upset during that time. ¡®Lord Lenque doesn¡¯t know yet that Roland has what it takes to be the greatest wizard in history.¡¯ In the gruesome laboratory, Karina was able to remember more relevant content and the exact lines of the novel she read in her previous life came to mind. After a successful biopsy of Roland¡¯s blood and filled his body with cypheric mana inducer, Lord Lenque became completely convinced that Roland will become a world-changing wizard. ¡®If he hasn¡¯t found us in a few days, it means he has already searched for another game.¡¯ It was heartbreaking to think of the children who would become new victims, but at least they were completely out of Lord Lenque¡¯s grasp. But since it was impossible to explain all of this, Karina decided to convince Roland more simply. ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach Melissa magic?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Melissa wants to learn magic. You know that, right?¡± Roland nodded instead of answering. ¡°Then, teach her the magic to protect herself. Something could go wrong so do it in front of me instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m teaching her magic¡­ Will Melissa like it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be very happy.¡± Karina¡¯s guess was as right as ever. The next morning, Melissa was so happy that she hugged Roland so hard that she almost broke a rib bone. * * * ¡°Now.¡± Karina had to forget her face and try not to jump like a child in front of Wilder. Today was the first payday of Karina¡¯s life, as she had never received a penny from Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. The salary envelope she received for the first time in her life contained a large amount of paper money. ¡°I put in a little more. Since you¡¯ve been here for a while, you¡¯ll need more money.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°The sales have increased a little since the lady came, so I put in just half that amount. Don¡¯t expect too much.¡± Karina grinned and accepted the envelope. ¡°I¡¯d be really happy even if it¡¯s just 1 more kibrin.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wilder¡¯s wrinkled face gave a strange smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we stayed late today. There were so many orders¡­ Go home now.¡± Karina ran to the inn where the children would be waiting with light steps as if flying. She keeps the envelope cherished in her arms as if someone would steal it. The children always had dinner with Karina so they must be very hungry. She gave them allowance to buy snacks, but they weren¡¯t foolish enough to spend them all at once. Karina took out the salary envelope from her arms and opened the door. She couldn¡¯t wait to celebrate this happy day with her children. She thought it didn¡¯t fit her age, but she was more inclined to brag about her first salary. ¡°Have you guys been waiting a long time? We¡¯re going to eat something delicious¡­¡± Karina¡¯s words were cut short. It was because Melissa¡¯s crying voice was heard. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roland drenched in a cold sweat, held Melissa¡¯s hand tightly, whose face had turned blue exhilarating in heat. Karina¡¯s salary envelope slipped out of her hand. ¡°Roland!¡± Karina forgot about the salary envelope that fell on the floor and ran to Roland. Karina¡¯s face was distorted as soon as she put her hand on Roland¡¯s forehead. The child¡¯s pale forehead was as hot as a ball of fire. There was no time to delay, just stamping her feet like now. However, no countermeasures came to mind from the changed head. At that time, Melissa hung herself on Karina¡¯s arm. ¡°Ro- Roland¡­ He¡¯s not going to die, is he?¡± At each of Melissa¡¯s words, Karina came to her senses as if she was covered in cold water. ¡°Why would Roland die?¡± Karina answered with strength. Far from dying, despite the terrible abuse Roland in the novel grew into the greatest archwizard in history. ¡°We need to get a doctor now. Melissa, you¡¯re lying on the bed. Don¡¯t touch Roland.¡± Melissa nodded with a frightened look. Karina also didn¡¯t forget to pick up the salary envelope that fell on the floor. What they needed more than anything now was money to call a doctor and buy medicine. Fortunately, Karina still remembered the doctor¡¯s house she had asked the innkeeper just in case. The doctor said with a sour face that he wouldn¡¯t visit in the evening, but as soon Karina showed him the money envelope, he grabbed his bag for the visit. ¡°Is the child very sick?¡± Karina listed the symptoms she had heard from Roland. ¡°He has a severe fever. He said he has a terrible stomachache¡­ it felt like his whole body had been beaten.¡± She bit her lip. In the meantime, she has seen such severe fever twice while working in Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. And both of them died. ¡®Roland is going to live. He¡¯s the main character¡­ he has to save the world.¡¯ But deep down in Karina¡¯s heart, the distrust grew. Karina has already changed the future. What if Roland wasn¡¯t the main character because of her choice? What if Roland dies here and the world is destroyed forever? Oddly enough her tears seemed to flow down at the possibility that Roland might die, not because the world might perish. ¡°Aigoo, let¡¯s go and see. There¡¯s no need to cry as if the child has a deadly disease.¡± Karina wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded. ¡®Yeah, I was being so stupid. I never showed my child to the doctor¡­ I¡¯m thinking about the possibility of death.¡¯ But Karina¡¯s hopes were shattered as soon as the doctor examined Roland. ¡°¡­Only God knows this.¡± After examining Roland the doctor concluded with a solemn voice. Melissa screamed, and Karina gasped as if she was about to faint. ¡°Only God¡­ doctor, what does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not accurate, but there¡¯s a possibility of a peterail. In that case, the death rate is more than 50 percent¡­¡± Karina couldn¡¯t properly listen to what followed. Her vision flickered as if a candle was lit and the doctor¡¯s words echoed and murmured across the street. ¡°A-Are there any cures? Yes?¡± The doctor took out a paper bag containing some brown powder from the bag. ¡°It¡¯s willow bark powder. If you decoction it in a month, you¡¯ll be able to get some heat. But more than that¡­ As I said before, only God knows.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll look for another doctor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice, don¡¯t waste your money for nothing. You don¡¯t have enough, don¡¯t you have a daughter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to pour money on a hopeless treatment and starve to death with your daughter on the street?¡± Karina couldn¡¯t answer any of the doctor¡¯s questions. The doctor looked at Karina with an unsure whether sympathy or contempt and then held out his hand as if he was asking for money. After paying all the money the doctor asked for, Karina flopped down on the floor. ¡°Mom¡­¡± She could hear Roland¡¯s voice. Karina approached Roland¡¯s bed half-crawling. ¡°Am I¡­ am I going to die?¡± ¡°No way you¡¯re going to die.¡± Karina¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°I know how to see the future and you won¡¯t die. You¡¯ll become a very healthy and strong adult.¡± ¡°Then did you know that you were going to be our mother for a long time?¡± His throat must have been sore. Karina answered, holding back her tears. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve known you since long ago. I mean it.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°¡­¡± Roland smiled weakly instead of answering and slowly losing consciousness. Karina grabbed the envelope containing willow bark powder and stood up. She couldn¡¯t just trust that quack doctor and leave Roland alone. First of all, it¡¯s too late to bring in a new doctor today, so she decided to boil this powder and give it a try. After a while. Karina returned from decoctioning the powder and found Melissa sitting upright on her bed staring at Roland. Karina bowed her head toward Melissa and called out her name softly. ¡°Melissa.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. Seeing that, she felt like she was going to burst into tears, but she managed to hold it in. Showing weakness now does neither Roland nor Melissa any good. ¡°Roland isn¡¯t going to die, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, he won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Bring in another doctor. I don¡¯t like that doctor¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him either.¡± Karina regretted her composure for letting the doctor make all sorts of strange noises in the presence of the children. She was shocked too, but the children must be terrified. But water that has already been spilled is inevitable. Karina carefully woke up Roland, who was half dozing off. ¡°It¡¯s medicine. Just take a sip if it¡¯s hard to eat.¡± Roland grabbed the cup with both hands and gulped it down. She thought it was a good thing it cooled down to the right temperature. ¡°Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?¡± Roland shook his head and threw up the medicine he had just drank onto the blanket. Karina hurriedly wiped Roland¡¯s ruined clothes, blanket, and mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re sick. Don¡¯t be sorry.¡± Karina muttered to herself that the doctor was also a quack. ¡®I¡¯ll call in a new doctor as soon as the sun rises.¡¯ Roland desperately grabbed Karina¡¯s arm as Karina tried to leave his bed to wet a towel in cold water. ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Karina held her breath and waited for Roland to speak. She¡¯s confident that she would do anything for him. ¡°Send us to the orphanage.¡± Something heavy and hot rose on her neck. Karina soon realized that she was about to cry. However, she didn¡¯t dare to show that feeling in front of the children. Instead, Karina held Roland¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t say nonsense.¡± Fortunately, Karina¡¯s voice was the same as usual, neither twisted nor immersed in tears. It was very, very shaky. Karina thought she wouldn¡¯t have noticed either Roland who was overheating or Melissa who was still crying. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, why are you going to the orphanage?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not our actual mother.¡± Roland gave an answer that was a mixture of groans and cries. ¡°Ka- Karina¡­ There¡¯s no reason to be so nice to us.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to run away from that house without you.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Believe in me, Young Master Roland.¡± Karina said it with all her heart. If it weren¡¯t for the children, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape from the terrible mansion. Because there was no reason to leave. In that house, Karina was treated as a special maid because she was Lord Lenque¡¯s illegitimate child. Although the work was hard, Lord Lenque would give a warm bed and delicious food if she didn¡¯t rebel. Even if she managed to get out of the mansion anyway, the only thing Karina could do was be a maid. Even before Roland and Melissa came to the mansion, Karina dreamed of a new world and life, but it was more of a delusion to forget the difficult reality rather than an actual plan. ¡°I got to know you¡­ I ran away from that house for you guys. And now, I¡¯m happier than ever. So please don¡¯t feel sorry for me Roland.¡± Karina put out the words that are on her chest as it is without filtering them even once. She was afraid that Roland would run to the orphanage thinking it was a lie if she gave him any chance. Karina¡¯s efforts were overshadowed by Roland¡¯s constant shaking of his head. ¡°¡­The orphanage also fed and gave me medicine. There¡¯s no need for Karina to take care of us.¡± ¡°Roland, it hurts more if you keep talking when you¡¯re sick. Stop talking.¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I¡¯ll keep talking until Karina says she¡¯ll send me to the orphanage.¡± Roland was gasping for breath the whole time and Karina patted Roland on the back fearing that he might have suffocated. ¡°Keep talking, keep talking. Whatever you say, I won¡¯t send you to the orphanage.¡± ¡°Why¡­? If you send me to an orphanage, everything¡¯s gonna be fine¡­¡± Roland finally put his head down on the pillow. He seemed unable to speak anymore. Karina clenched her teeth. If Roland indeed could receive proper treatment at the orphanage, she could pack up and send him away. But it can¡¯t be. Karina knew what an orphanage was like. The orphanage directors weren¡¯t really for poor children who had nowhere to go. Most orphanages were created to work for children who had no guardians or were abandoned by their guardians. One such orphanage was the one that Roland and Melissa had before coming to Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. Naturally, many children got sick while trying to work. Will these children be able to see a doctor? You know that you will be left in bed either until you are healed or die. It broke Karina¡¯s heart that Roland would know that best. And it made Karina¡¯s heartache that Roland was probably the most aware of that fact. Fortunately or unfortunately, Roland wasn¡¯t stubborn for a long time. Karina thought as she wiped Roland¡¯s forehead, which had collapsed from exhaustion. ¡®When morning comes, let¡¯s call a proper doctor. And treat Roland completely.¡¯ * * * ¡°It¡¯s hopeless.¡± Karina felt like she was sentenced to death. The doctor who she asked Wilder to bring also shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not Petera. It looks like an Aucco, but it has a higher fatality rate. Fortunately, it¡¯s not a contagious disease, so I can send it to you comfortably.¡± ¡°If it was a contagious disease¡­¡± ¡°He would have gone to the epidemic control center and been left until he dies. Rather, how lucky for him to be able to die in the arms of his beloved family?¡± (T/N: You¡¯re not supposed to say that about a sick person wth) Karina wanted to shout what luck it was at the fat toad-looking doctor¡¯s face, but she managed to hold her self-control. ¡°The medicine is¡­¡± ¡°Aigoo, I¡¯ll just take the medical bills. I don¡¯t use any medicine here. Just pray to God.¡± The doctor stood there and checked for a long time whether the number of medical expenses that Karina had saved up for a change was correct for someone who seemed to have no greed for money. Karina uttered insults on the inside. Another God again. If there is a real God, where and what is he doing when the protagonist is dying from an incurable disease like this? Karina grunted and bit her lip. Blood was dripping from it because she bit too hard. ¡°Mom!¡± Melissa cried out in fear. Karina reached out and tried to pat Melissa. ¡°It¡¯s just that my lips are torn. Worry-¡± In an instant, Karina¡¯s eyes turned white. Neither Melissa nor Roland could be seen in the room. Karina shouted the children¡¯s names out of fear, but she couldn¡¯t hear anything. It was as if she was alone in a white space. After a while, the letters of the novel appeared in the pure white light field of vision. ¡¸Roland, did you actually think I was your uncle? How dare you inherit the blood of this Lenque family? Ha! Thankfully, my sister married that commoner and died without a child. You and your sibling have nothing to do with me. I raised you without being blood-related into an Archwizard, shouldn¡¯t you be grateful?¡¹ ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± The scream of Melissa woke Karina up. Karina opened her eyes. Melissa was looking at Karina frightened. ¡°Mom¡­!¡± ¡°Melissa.¡± Karina grabbed her waist and stood up. The doctor seemed to have just taken the money and left whether Karina collapsed or not. Melissa fell into Karina¡¯s arms. (T/N: Wow thanks doctor) ¡® No, Melissa¡­¡¯ Karina soon realized that she had been mistaken. Melissa was hugging her tightly as if she was afraid that Karina would disappear even if she relaxed a little. ¡°Mommy, are you sick too?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just tired.¡± Karina carefully lowered Melissa¡¯s arm, which was constantly trying to touch her forehead. ¡°Mom has no fever and is very healthy. She will never get sick.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a short silence. Just as Karina was about to open her mouth thinking Melissa didn¡¯t trust her, Melissa¡¯s sharp voice came out. ¡°That¡¯s what Roland said. He¡¯s never going anywhere without me¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Roland¡¯s not going anywhere without Melissa, you know?¡± ¡°Now, you¡¯re about to die.¡± Melissa¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Just like my parents¡­ I can¡¯t see it if you die. I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± Karina looked deeply into Melissa¡¯s tearful eyes. ¡°Surely mama will somehow get better.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± * * * (T/N: This chapter was a whole damn rollercoaster, I¡¯m so invested in this novel. Roland being sick, questionable doctors, and Karina¡¯s interaction with Melissa ¡Ñ¦ä¡Ñ) Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you believe in mama?¡± ¡°I-I believe you.¡± Karina who barely managed to calm Melissa down moved on to the next topic. ¡°Now Melissa has to get ready for school, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I want to be next to Roland.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Karina looked at Melissa¡¯s face that has dry tears all over. ¡°Roland needs to get well soon, right? If Melissa stays next to him, it¡¯ll only get in the way.¡± This time it was a lie. The children were clearly being very supportive of each other and also of Karina. But Karina was so afraid of the fact that every doctor she brought in would repeat that Roland had no chance of surviving in front of Melissa. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t disturb him. Can I still be here? Please¡­¡± In the end, Karina had no choice but to allow it. Swearing that the next doctor must tell the results in the hallway so Melissa won¡¯t be able to hear it. * * * The third doctor didn¡¯t say anything different from the previous doctors. Only yesterday, the thick pay envelope that she received showed the bottom in an instant. Considering the monthly rent this month, it was practically all used up. Wilder said he could pay half a year¡¯s salary, but what¡¯s the use of all those doctors saying the same thing? ¡®Maybe it¡¯d be better to let him go more comfortably. You can feed him his favorite food¡­¡¯ However, the words that she saw a while ago were still clear in Karina¡¯s mind. ¡®Actually, Lord Lenque has nothing to do with Roland.¡¯ Then, why didn¡¯t she realize that? All the children Lord Lenque brought were among his distant relatives. Karina has thought it was simply because Lord Lenque is looking for a successor of wizard lineage. Even though the children¡¯s appearance all looked different. Lord Lenque has been deceiving the children that they are his relatives to make them more obedient. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t run away with Roland and Melissa, Roland would have known that later when he killed Lord Lenque.¡¯ And Roland in the novel was devastated by the truth that Lord Lenque told him. Enough to run wild and blow up all living things in the area, including Lord Lenque. As a result, Roland¡¯s stigma of being a killer of thousands followed him to death. ¡°Roland.¡± Karina spoke with strength. Roland didn¡¯t seem to hear her at all now completely unconscious. ¡°You will live a happy life. I¡¯ll never let you die now or be unhappy.¡± It was then. The door that¡¯s always slightly open to make it easier to run out for a doctor was kicked. Karina didn¡¯t look back. It seemed to be the owner of the inn who was suspicious of the doctors coming and going. Karina was prepared to be kicked out at any time, as the innkeepers of course didn¡¯t like a patient to be at the inn. ¡°Just one day¡­ just one more day. We¡¯ll move out of the room starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Karina was startled by the unfamiliar voice and hurriedly looked behind her. ¡°¡­!¡± Karina doubted her eyes. A doctor wearing a skirt cut to the knees with long black hair behind her back was looking around the room. Both Karina and Melissa¡¯s eyes widened, half because it was a doctor they didn¡¯t even call and half was because it was their first time seeing a female doctor. ¡°I didn¡¯t call a doctor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Sir Deviathan.¡± ¡°Sir Deviathan?¡± It was the first time she heard that name. The doctor¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at the bewildered Karina. ¡°This is Verity Solvetine from Sir Deviathan. Do you want me to treat you or not?¡± ¡°Do it for him!¡± She doesn¡¯t know what the hell was going on, but Karina wasn¡¯t out of her mind to refuse the doctor who comes to see her. Even if someone played a nasty prank, what¡¯s the difference in this situation? The new doctor looked at Roland more closely than any other doctor ever has. After a while, the doctor got up from her chair. ¡°How many doctors have you been to?¡± ¡°¡­There were three of them.¡± ¡°What diagnosis did they make? Let me know everything.¡± Karina has so far taken back what doctors have said. ¡°Some say it¡¯s Petera, some say Aucco, some say it¡¯s an incurable disease whose name I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Are those people doctors?¡± An astonishing voice came out of the doctor¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s food poisoning.¡± Karina doubted her ears. What does she mean by food poisoning? Is she sure that the food poisoning she knows is correct? ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a disease caused by spoiled food. It¡¯s a bit more serious. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have gotten better off if you left it alone because of all the crazy prescriptions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her mouth tasted bitter. Karina has been struggling with Roland by believing in the quack doctor¡¯s words, which she wouldn¡¯t feel better even after swearing at them. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t they know it was food poisoning?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The doctor spoke frankly. ¡°There are people who think food poisoning will get better soon and don¡¯t want to give anything to doctors if they diagnose it as a mild illness. I think that¡¯s probably the case, so everyone lied.¡± Karina collapsed on the floor. ¡°Why is everyone so¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll just have to suffer a little and live even if you leave it alone anyway. And didn¡¯t they tell you to just pray? They¡¯re just trying to make you think your prayers have come true. It¡¯s a common trick.¡± ¡°¡­If I kept calling only weird doctors.¡± ¡°It could have gone very wrong then.¡± She felt like she was going to collapse again, but Karina put strength in her leg and threw it away. ¡®Roland will live. Melissa is still scared. I have to hold on.¡¯ The doctor who was halfway out handed a business card to Karina. The address of the richest neighborhood in Tors which Karina thought would never go to in her life was written on it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the medicine, so don¡¯t feed him anything but this medicine and boiled wheat porridge. He¡¯ll just keep throwing up. And if something goes wrong, call someone right here.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you. Thank you very much¡­¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡± The doctor bowed lightly and then turned her back and left the room. Karina struggled to follow the doctor as she walked away. She couldn¡¯t get enough strength in her legs, so she had no choice but to run and stumble after a few steps. ¡°Doctor!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°He- please say thank you to Mr. Deviathan too. I don¡¯t know where he lives or who is he, but thank you so much¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know him.¡± The doctor smiled. ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yes, but revealing his address or his appearance is¡­ leaking customer information, so I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just, just say thank you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The doctor left the inn in an instant. Karina who was still on the loose quickly returned to the room, gave Roland a pill, and explained the exact situation to Melissa who was excited. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m stupid¡­ You were worried, weren¡¯t you?¡± Melissa hugged Karina as hard as she could instead of answering. * * * Wilder seemed to notice the whole situation as soon as he saw Karina who appeared to be dressed neatly from head to toe. ¡°The child is all better.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Sir Wilder.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be thankful for. When a child is in such a situation, everyone¡¯s eyes will be on him.¡± Wilder patted Karina on the shoulder as if reassuring her. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re guilty. A few days off means nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ Thank you so much for calling the doctor. Verity Solvetine.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wilder shook his hand a little embarrassed. ¡°Why did she came up?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Sir Wilder call her?¡± ¡°That person¡­!¡± Wilder said something and stopped talking like he thought of something. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for him, my son¡­ I think it could have gone very wrong. I heard that Sir Deviathan called her for me, but isn¡¯t that Sir Wilder?¡± ¡°Deviatan?¡± Wilder shook his head with a bewildered look on his face. ¡°Yes, Sir Deviathan.¡± ¡°This is¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°You can just be honest with me.¡± Karina didn¡¯t doubt that Deviathan was obviously Wilder. Wilder and the innkeeper were the last people she regularly interacted with. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, I understand why you would think that¡­ but it¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not you?¡± ¡°Yes, but I know who he is.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Who is it? Did Sir Wilder ask him to help me?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s something like that. He¡¯s a customer of our store and he was wondering why Mrs. Bloe couldn¡¯t be seen. So I told him why.¡± It was then that Karina realized how all this had happened. Mr. Deviathan was one of the store¡¯s customers. It¡¯s rare for people to reveal their names when buying things, so she couldn¡¯t help but not know who it was when she heard the name. ¡°Do you know where he lives? I¡¯d like to say hello in person.¡± Wilder had a very subtle look on his face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ he¡¯d be happy to know.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The next day, Wilder delivered Sir Deviathan¡¯s answer. ¡°Because his house is too far away, he asked if he could visit Mrs. Bloe¡¯s house himself. Tomorrow evening if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Karina tilted her head. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he come when I¡¯m at the store?¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy during the day. The lady will have to take care of the kids in the evening so he said he¡¯ll go see you himself.¡± ¡°He must be very busy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy, very busy. So, is it alright? Tell me if you don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll go back and say it politely.¡± Karina shook her head. Thanks to Sir Deviathan, Roland was able to recover his health. She couldn¡¯t send such a benefactor back without properly thanking him just because she¡¯s embarrassed with staying at a cheap inn. In addition, Roland, the person who was helped, seemed to have made up his mind wanting to greet him. ¡°Please tell him it¡¯s okay anytime tomorrow evening.¡± The next evening. Karina cleaned the room until it was shiny to prepare for Sir Deviathan¡¯s visit. Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to dress the children neatly too. It has been a while. Someone knocked on the door carefully. Karina opened the door with a wide smile and froze. Whoever she imagined was never this man in front of her. A weak word came out from her half-open mouth. ¡°Your Grace¡­?¡± The Duke who ruled the entire area of Tors Karina, Roland, and Melissa settled in didn¡¯t show off nor patronize. Rather, he just greeted them with a humble expression. ¡°I thought it would be rude, but¡­ I always wanted to come and see you.¡± ¡°C-come on in.¡± Karina acted soulless, like the homunculus that Roland and Melissa had shaped and moved. She mechanically recommends tea to the Duke, pours the popular green tea powder in cold water, and handed it to him. She obviously wanted to express her gratitude to Roland¡¯s benefactor Sir Deviathan but she was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t think of anything. Roland and Melissa looked like they wanted to say something, but they were crushed down by the heavy air and only looked at Karina¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­I heard it was Sir Deviathan.¡± The Duke smiled bitterly. ¡°My name is Claude Deviathan Tors. Tors is more of a title¡­ I usually go by Claude Deviathan. Mrs. Bloe doesn¡¯t seem to know my name well, so I did use my last name to deceive you.¡± Karina waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t okay at all but she couldn¡¯t just ask the benefactor who saved Roland¡¯s life why he deceived her. This was even the second time she owes this man. First is her own life and the second is Roland¡¯s life. It was such a debt that no words could express her gratitude. Karina bowed her head politely. ¡°Thank you so much for your help. Thanks to you, my son is alive.¡± ¡°¡­What I did was nothing. I¡¯ve heard everything that happened from Dr. Solvetain. The doctors who tricked Mrs. Bloe will be punished.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Karina thought it was a relief at least for that one thing. In the future, those doctors won¡¯t be able to trick naive and poor people like themselves. Claude, a Duke who looked only a few years older than her, seemed to be in control of Tors more than he seemed. She was relieved that she had really chosen the right place to settle down. ¡®He might be a rare good noble.¡¯ While Karina was lost in thought, silence came again. Claude¡¯s gaze shook unsteadily, Roland who had only been looking for an opportunity to say thank you for some time was complimented. ¡°The child is so cute.¡± In those words, there was something that made Karina uneasy. Roland is a really cute boy in the first place. But he had been feverish over the past few days even Karina¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t in the state to say that he¡¯s cute. His blue eyes that were originally bright had lost their distinctive sparkle, and his curly brown hair was tangled in a mess no matter how much Karina combed it. No matter how good he looks, it¡¯s more pitiful than cute. In other words, Claude was rationalizing his observation of Roland by openly giving a strange excuse. Karina snapped at him that even she thought sounded quite aggressive. ¡°Excuse me, Your Grace, my son is only like that on the outside, he¡¯s a deceiving little devil!¡± ¡°Is- Is that so?¡± Claude muttered amusedly but didn¡¯t look away from Roland. Doubts slowly grew in Karina¡¯s mind. No matter how much of a benefactor he is to her and Roland, Claude is the ruler of Tors. She shouldn¡¯t look at his every single move in vain. ¡®Why is he looking at Roland like that¡­?¡¯ No one in Tors would know that Roland was raised as the heir of Lord Lenque. No, in the first place, the Duke had no way of knowing a low-ranking noble like Lord Lenque. Still, he doesn¡¯t have memories of a previous life like Karina so he won¡¯t know that Roland will become the greatest Archwizard in history. ¡®Then why¡­?¡¯ Whether he noticed Karina¡¯s suspicious gaze or not, Claude¡¯s gaze wandered in the air with nowhere to go. ¡°A-ahem, I¡¯d better get going.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Duke.¡± Roland suddenly jumped up and said his greeting thinking he might not be able to say it at all. Claude smiled as if he didn¡¯t have to do that. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, so don¡¯t worry too much. If you get sick again in the future, make sure to contact Dr. Solvetain.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Roland replied vigorously, Karina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She escorted Claude out to the inn¡¯s entrance, trying to hide her visible vigilant look. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Karina noticed one strange thing. Claude usually enters Wilder¡¯s jewelry store alone. But the street belonged to a quite busy street and is one of the Tors¡¯ most frequently patrolled streets by security forces. But this place is different. A cheap inn street where people who don¡¯t have money such as themselves gather. Naturally, the security was bound to be unstable. When a man like the Duke comes to this street, he obviously should be accompanied by a few escorts and a decent carriage. But there was only one handsome horse at the entrance of the inn. Though the question of whether he had come alone filled her throat to the end, Karina swallowed any doubts and saw Claude off. ¡®Strange.¡¯ It was clear that Claude Deviathan the Duke of Tors had been hiding the fact that he was meeting Karina from his aides. Doubts continued to linger on Karina¡¯s head. Karina mumble it unconsciously until she put the children to sleep. ¡°I mean it¡¯s so weird¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Roland asked curiously. ¡°N-nothing.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t nothing. Ever since we met the Duke¡­ you¡¯ve been acting weird.¡± Karina glanced down at Roland. ¡®Is it right for me to tell this child my concerns?¡¯ In a way, Roland was involved in the case. Besides, a child have excellent intuition so he may have felt something. Karina swallowed her dry saliva and told Roland her concerns. ¡°Roland, did you notice anything strange when you saw the Duke earlier? He¡¯s too¡­ you can say too nice to us. And he seemed very interested in you too¡­¡± Roland¡¯s eyes widened as if he was worried about that. ¡°Is it bad that the Duke is nice to us?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely not a bad thing.¡± Karina hurriedly corrected her words. Let¡¯s assume that it was only natural that Claude saved her life in order not to damage his property. But being kind to Roland was by no means a bad thing. Rather he never went too far as to say he was regarded as a lifelong benefactor. However, Karina couldn¡¯t shake off the questions. ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Why would he even do it¡­ Usually, people of high rank don¡¯t really care about people like us at all do they?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of mom?¡± Karina couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the child¡¯s innocence. Anyone can tell that the Duke was fond of Roland, she¡¯s only a jewelry shop clerk! ¡°It can¡¯t be because of me, Roland.¡± ¡°But the Duke always stared at mom every time mom was distracted.¡± ¡°Roland, you can¡¯t make fun of an adult.¡± Contrary to Karina who ignored it, Roland shakes his head with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you! The Duke was really only looking at mom.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina¡¯s face stiffened. ¡®Why?¡¯ She did look away from time to time. It was because it felt rude to keep staring at Claude. But that¡¯s no reason for Claude to keep an eye on her. ¡°I think he likes mom so he keeps watching over you. Seriously, the Duke would look at mom and smiled even if mom just turned her head slightly!¡± * * * (T/N: God this chapter was gold HAHA Awkward ? Endearing ? Bruh moment ? Hilarious sht ? Translating this chapter was a blast xD) Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Roland!¡± Karina shouted sternly but she couldn¡¯t control her beating heart. ¡®Maybe it was because of me that he helped Roland.¡¯ Her face is burning. A child¡¯s eyes are pure. Roland wasn¡¯t the kid to joke with or lie to Karina in this situation. That very fact made Karina suffocate. After all, what if the impossible happened? ¡°Don¡¯t say those words. And it¡¯s not what you think it is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your Grace the Duke has a very, very high position¡­ You can be arrested just by saying that.¡± ¡°Is mom going to report me?¡± ¡°Mom, are you going to report Roland?¡± Karina ended up laughing at the children¡¯s chorus. ¡°No, but someone might hear it.¡± ¡°Why are you arrested if anyone hears you?¡± Karina was speechless for a moment and stared at Roland. It made her wonder if this was the moment of the ¡®why¡¯ disease that came to children at least once. ¡°People like the Duke should marry people like princesses. It¡¯s all decided.¡± ¡°But mommy is as pretty as a princess.¡± It was Melissa who stepped in. Karina hugged Melissa with a smile. She was glad to finally be freed from Roland¡¯s baptism of questions. ¡°I¡¯m dying to thank you. But it¡¯s not me who¡¯s pretty, it¡¯s you guys. Do you understand?¡± Suddenly Melissa started to touch Karina¡¯s hair and ruffled it, then asked with a serious face. ¡°Mom, then you¡¯re not getting married? With the Duke? Karina burst out laughing. ¡°Never, it¡¯ll never happen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was an unexpected answer. ¡°I don¡¯t want my mom to get married.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t.¡± Now, it seems like Melissa was worried that Karina would really become the Duchess and abandon them both. It¡¯s a ridiculous worry but a child¡¯s. She didn¡¯t want to hurt her delicate heart, so Karina repeatedly denying it to reassure Melissa. Karina laid Melissa down who breathed out with a relaxed expression on her face, and casually looked into the small hand mirror she placed on the table next to the children¡¯s bed. ¡®¡­!¡¯ For a moment, Karina almost made a clumsy scream. The woman in the mirror was neatly dressed, but her hair was all scattered with dust. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A long groan came out of Karina¡¯s mouth. She was so busy cleaning the house and preparing the children that she didn¡¯t really care about what she looked like. Karina let out a laugh. It was because she was ashamed of herself, who was fluttered for a while by the children¡¯s words. Claude was amazed by the look of Karina¡¯s messy appearance, so he continued to stare at her and even laughing. ¡®Yeah, I would have laughed too.¡¯ She dresses the children neatly and herself very hard as well. But her hair is all messy. Karina looked back and forth at Roland and Melissa, who quietly entered their blankets. ¡°Guys, if my head is like this you need to say something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with mom¡¯s hair?¡± ¡°Messy, it¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that at all.¡± Claude aside, even Melissa who could understand Karina¡¯s feelings with her curly hair grinned. ¡°Mom¡¯s hair isn¡¯t messed up. She¡¯s so pretty!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Karina sighed. The past is in the past. Whoever becomes the Duke would consider her a stone on the side of the road. It¡¯s a bit complicated so maybe just a stone that caught your eye. ¡®Then, he wasn¡¯t only watching Roland all the time so maybe it was just my misunderstanding¡­ No.¡¯ It was certainly true that the Duke continued to observe Roland. ¡®Then he was keeping an eye on me and Roland¡­ me aside, why Roland?¡¯ Karina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Yeah, why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡¯ The Duke loved talent so much that he tried to recruit Roland more than ten times in the novel. So it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he recognized Roland¡¯s talent right away. ¡®¡­¡¯ Karina swallowed her dry saliva. If things had been a lot different, she might have been happy. It was a chance for Roland to learn magic properly. But Roland is only eight years old now. Still, he had a strong reluctance to magic because of the abuse. For Roland, the Duke¡¯s attention could only be poisonous. ¡®And, seems like it got caught.¡¯ The Duke of Tors didn¡¯t play an important role in the novel she had read in her previous life. Rather, he was more of an extra that highlighted just how great Roland was. But the fact that he and Roland weren¡¯t compatible with each other remained impressive even in the vague memories. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s better to stay that way.¡¯ Melissa looked up at her sullenly. ¡°Mom, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re still thinking about your hair. It¡¯s not a mess at all.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it? Were you guys dying from thinking about how pretty I am?¡± Melissa burst into laughter, and then she had a serious look that didn¡¯t fit her age. ¡°Mom is the prettiest in the world. The prettiest person I¡¯ve ever seen, prettier than a fairy tale princess.¡± ¡°Melissa, did school teach you how to flatter?¡± ¡°What¡¯s flattery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true, but it¡¯s a compliment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Melissa pouted her lips. Karina laughed and helped the children change into their pajamas. The very nervous children fell asleep as soon as she patted their blankets. Karina was also lying on the bed. The children fell asleep deeply and breathed out. But Karina can only look at the ceiling with her eyes wide open. She couldn¡¯t sleep at all. * * * ¡°I think you should have told me who Sir Deviathan was.¡± Karina grumbled, wiping the dust off the display case. ¡°At least I could have prepared my heart, and then¡­¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Wilder uttered in a clear tone. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t even want to meet him in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe, think about it. Just because the other person is that kid your gratitude didn¡¯t change right? ¡°¡­That, yes.¡± Karina admitted. Whatever his goal was if it wasn¡¯t for Claude¡¯s name Roland might have gone terribly wrong. Even if he helped Roland only for his talent that doesn¡¯t mean Claude wasn¡¯t Roland¡¯s benefactor. ¡°I already gave the lady a chance. It¡¯s the lady who went for it. So don¡¯t argue with me.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mean to blame Sir Wilder.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just do?¡± Karina eventually stopped mopping and buried her face in her forearm. ¡®It¡¯s my fault.¡¯ It¡¯s nothing less of a poor commoner being hostile to the Duke from Wilder¡¯s point of view. She felt guilty when she realized that she unintentionally blamed Wilder for helping Karina with all his heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve been having a hard time lately.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡± Wilder opened some drawers with a grumpy face. ¡°Come on, stop struggling with the dust that¡¯s been around for over a decade and come here. I¡¯m going to teach you the real thing.¡± Karina blinked her eyes. She learned quite a lot in the meantime. It seemed there was something more than Lenque¡¯s warning regarding magic stone in particular. ¡°I mean young people want to ask for opinions from someone of their age. No matter how much he chooses they ignored the old man¡¯s eyes¡­¡± Wilder frowned. It seems like the young couple who made a fuss a while ago saying they couldn¡¯t trust Wilder¡¯s eyes still came to mind. ¡°It would be good for Mrs. Bloe to develop her eyes.¡± Karina was greatly embarrassed. Wilder has given her various kinds of jewelry so far, he taught her how to distinguish fake jewelry and have an eye for jewelry. Lord Lenque was a baron who couldn¡¯t afford luxury and was only interested in magic so Karina had no sense of beauty at all. ¡°Mrs. Bloe has a good sense¡­ Let¡¯s try it this way first. Which one of the two is better?¡± Wilder lifted two brooches that look both equally flashy. One is an amethyst in the form of a caterpillar-shaped gold ornament eating fresh cabbage. The other is amethyst with a butterfly-shaped gold ornament that just came out from the chrysalis. (T/N: I¡¯m not sure if I describe the brooches correctly but I gave up, both my Korean knowledge and MTL didn¡¯t help much either lol.) ¡°It looks similar.¡± ¡°Similar?¡± Wilder looked disappointed. ¡°This is much better!¡± He pointed to the butterfly-shaped gold ornament that just came out from the chrysalis. ¡°No, who likes caterpillars? Mrs. Bloe, was there a scent I didn¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s gross too.¡± Karina frowned. The butterfly-shaped had just come out from the chrysalis and its wings are droopy, so it¡¯s as gross as the caterpillar. ¡°Mrs. Bloe, this has a meaning. On the other hand, this one¡­ it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Wilder tapped the cabbage caterpillar brooch. ¡°What does a butterfly brooch mean?¡± ¡°Growth. Metamorphosis. Emergence. Change. Evolution¡­¡± Wilder gave various meanings then paused for a moment. ¡°Is this expression more familiar to Mrs. Bloe? Magic.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± * * * (T/N: Karina is a cutie and can be an overthinker but this chapter just takes the crown to prove her best feature of all, questionable. She reminded me of these two memes so I decided to make both.) Chapter 20 Chapter 20 (T/N: I¡¯m back ;>) * * * ¡°When people saw a chrysalis no one would think there were butterflies in it. But nature does its magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m not confident.¡± Karina let her arms down weakly. Wilder¡¯s words were unfamiliar but not difficult to understand. However, Karina wasn¡¯t quite sure that she could handle this new job well. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never thought about.¡± ¡°Well, you can think about it.¡± Wilder¡¯s voice was softer than ever. Karina shakes her head. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this for someone like me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? This is one of the bases of magic. It may seem simple, but these are facts that a wizard must know.¡± ¡°These things?¡± Karina stared blankly at the brooch. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Mrs. Bloe learned magic but looks like you learned it from a lousy teacher.¡± ¡°I never formally learned it. Just, sneaking a peek¡­¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Wilder didn¡¯t seem too disappointed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take back what I said about a teacher. Ah, was it your parents? Did they hate seeing you touched magic? If that¡¯s the case, I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Karina never thought of Lord Lenque as her father. For the past twenty-three years, Lord Lenque had only been a master who arrested and imprisoned her. ¡°Anyway these are important. It¡¯s the basis of magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Magic without a foundation is nothing more than sand castles that will disappear when it rains.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes lit up. Roland in the novel also suffered greatly from the magic that Lord Lenque unmistakably used to amplify on him. ¡®Roland and Melissa need a teacher!¡¯ How carefree she has been. She thought they would do well on their own because they were talented and had learned from Lord Lenque to some extent. Karina looked at Wilder with enthusiasm. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± But Wilder just shakes his head and closed the drawer. ¡°It¡¯s not good to rush. That¡¯s it for today.¡± * * * Karina immediately taught the children what she had learned. It was because she didn¡¯t dare to take the children to Wilder and be taught together, and she thought she could teach them Wilder¡¯s teachings as it were. The children picked the butterfly straight away, although Lord Lenque didn¡¯t teach them any of these magic bases. As someone who had no sense of anything, Karina couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡®They¡¯re both talented after all!¡¯ Karina¡¯s face lit up brightly. ¡°Good job, good job.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about butterflies?¡± Roland¡¯s eyes sparkled. Karina smiled and delivered Wilder¡¯s explanation to the children. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Karina didn¡¯t miss the difference between the children. ¡®Roland was really surprised, Melissa wasn¡¯t.¡¯ Karina thought it was because Melissa already expected the answer at first, but soon realized she wasn¡¯t. Melissa looked very bored the whole time Karina explained. ¡®Is it because you¡¯re still young?¡¯ She didn¡¯t mean to bother a seven-year-old with boring stories. Karina asked Melissa. ¡°Melissa, is the magic story boring? Do you want to do something else?¡± ¡°No!¡± Melissa half-shouted then flinched in surprise at her own voice. ¡°Umm, that¡­ so¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, Melissa.¡± Melissa only mumbled and didn¡¯t tell her the real reason still. Karina knew why. Melissa was worried that if she complained a little even this class would disappear. Roland who couldn¡¯t see it stepped in instead. ¡°Melissa wants to learn real magic. At that time, I promised to teach her but I couldn¡¯t because I was sick.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Roland has reached a great level of practical magic with little knowledge of the theory so far, but Melissa wasn¡¯t like that. Now that she has felt the taste of actual magic, just Wilder¡¯s important theory must have felt dull. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we try something simple? Don¡¯t do anything complicated.¡± ¡°I- I¡­ want to do something difficult. Strong, something strong.¡± Karina shakes her head. ¡°No, complex things can be dangerous¡­ more importantly, I also want to learn from Roland. Melissa, could you make some adjustments for me?¡± Roland¡¯s eyes widened as Melissa nodded steadily. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ teaching mom?¡± ¡°Right, are you okay with it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Roland¡¯s answer was somehow weak. Not only that, Roland¡¯s shoulders were drooping because of the sudden pressure. Karina spoke hurriedly. She didn¡¯t want to burden the child who was already weighed down by the burden of his little sister. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you feel pressured. Personally, Sir Wilder will teach me.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Roland dropped his head. ¡°Can I teach mom how to do it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do magic.¡± Karina bit her lip. The restraint placed over by Lord Lenque still hasn¡¯t let Roland go. ¡°Roland.¡± Karina called out Roland softly. ¡°Do you know how many children I¡¯ve seen over the years?¡± She deliberately avoided direct mention of Lord Lenque. ¡°¡­Was there a lot?¡± ¡°Correct, and you two were the best of them all.¡± Most of the children actually returned to the orphanage after being kicked out of Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion without even receiving the education Melissa had received. Karina thought it was rather a good thing. The orphanage would be much better than being treated as an object like Roland and Melissa for being talented. ¡°Really?¡± It wasn¡¯t Roland who asked the question, but Melissa. ¡°Yes, you two.¡± ¡°Then¡­ at least our skills weren¡¯t bad.¡± At that moment Roland seemed relieved. ¡°Right. And I want to learn from you guys. Why, do you think you can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°No!¡± Now Roland has returned to his usual bright appearance. Karina let out a sigh of relief inside. The children were certainly much brighter, and she was slowly forgetting about her life in Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion too. Nevertheless, his shadow still cast heavily upon all three of them. And there was a monster sleeping in that shadow. A monster like a time bomb that no one knows when it will explode. All Karina could do was put the monster to sleep well for a long time. Just like the monsters in old tales, until it hardens like a stone after sleeping for too much. ¡°What kind of magic would be good? I¡¯d like something simple. It¡¯s my first time.¡± ¡°This your first time using magic?¡± Roland wasn¡¯t that surprised or looked down on her. He was just checking the facts. ¡°Sure.¡± Karina spoke a little bitterly, the children whispered to each other head to head presumably unaware of her darkened looks. After a while, Roland and Melissa shouted in chorus. ¡°We¡¯ve decided!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roland took something out of his pocket instead of answering. It was a bunch of white dandelion flower seeds. ¡°We¡¯re going to grow flowers here.¡± Roland carefully distributed the flower seeds one by one to her and Melissa. Karina¡¯s heart pounded a little. Right now she¡¯s learning the magic that Lord Lenque had banned so much. That too, from Roland. It was as if she had given Lord Lenque a shot, who had not figured out where their location is. Roland taught Karina a short spell. It was closer to the squeak of an animal rather than a human language. ¡°Concentrate as much as you can on your mind¡­ Okay, good. And when you imagine a dandelion blooming, ta-da. Like this.¡± In Roland¡¯s hand, a vivid dandelion seemed to have been just removed out of the soil down to the roots. Melissa made a dandelion in an instant with a slightly bored face. Karina took a deep breath and followed Roland¡¯s teachings. Her heart was filled with emotions mixed with tension and excitement. ¡®¡­!¡¯ The light and nonexistent dandelion seeds disappeared somewhere, and a single big yellow dandelion flower appeared. ¡® Ah¡­¡¯ Karina couldn¡¯t bring herself to make a sound and her lips trembled. The words she wanted to say were near her throat as if they would come out of her mouth at any moment, but she couldn¡¯t utter a single word. She can¡¯t say anything to these innocent and lovely children. The words that couldn¡¯t go out into the world pooled in Karina¡¯s eyes and flowed down. ¡°¡­Mom, are you crying?¡± * * * (T/N: I was listening to ¡®Light and Daffodils¡¯ while translating this chapter and damn I didn¡¯t expect it would fit so well) Chapter 21 Chapter 21 (T/N: Double Update ????) * * * Karina shakes her head and hurriedly wiped away the water around her eyes. ¡°I- I got something in my eye.¡± It was a lie that even younger kids wouldn¡¯t believe, but the children nodded their heads kindly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys hungry? Do you want me to cook something for you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re hungry!¡± The children shouted in chorus. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make you something delicious today.¡± ¡°Yesterday was delicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more delicious than yesterday.¡± Karina felt much better as she looked at the children whose eyes still remain shining with hope and her worries disappeared. Children don¡¯t have to worry about adults. No, they shouldn¡¯t. It was a lesson from the past. Karina had to worry about her mother who never looked after her throughout her short childhood. She wanted to give her children a different childhood. ¡®If I had some money, I would have said let¡¯s eat out today.¡¯ Karina sighed as she recalled yesterday¡¯s dinner. Cooking using fire in the guest room was prohibited, so Karina was extremely limited in what she could cook. She could ask Roland and Melissa to light a fire. But Karina announced that the children shouldn¡¯t use fire-related magic in case they got close to playing dangerous fire games. The children were very confused at first and asked again if they really couldn¡¯t. No one would stop them from playing with matches in the orphanage and Lord Lenque loved it when Roland do dangerous magic tricks. Still, Karina was more precious than any other adult so the two children never used any fire-related magic as they were told. She gives her all and tried to make bread by simply inflating it without using fire magic. Of course, the result was a room bombed with flour. Fortunately, Karina wasn¡¯t the only one in the neighborhood who couldn¡¯t afford to have an oven at home so she was able to hear various recipes from the merchants. ¡°What¡¯s the food for today?¡± ¡°Goose salad with ham and cheese baguette.¡± ¡°It looks delicious!¡± The children exclaimed loudly, clinging to each of her sides, and stared at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop you will get injured, step aside.¡± Karina spoke sternly but the children knew it was just all talk so they didn¡¯t even move. ¡°¡­Instead, you have to stay calm. Do you understand? ¡°Yes!¡± The children kept their promise. Karina cut the ham and cheese baguette into sandwiches. The children stood by quietly waiting and ate the sandwiches that Karina made as they approached. In the end, the only sandwich she ate was the tail of the baguette but Karina didn¡¯t mind. It¡¯s a good thing to be thankful that the children are eating well, not something bad to be scolded at. She picked up a ripe apple to make a chopped vegetable salad, then immediately- Bang ! A roar rang out. ¡°¡­!¡± Karina was so startled that she couldn¡¯t utter a single word and hugged Roland and Melissa tightly with her eyes closed. ¡°Mom, mom.¡± After a while, Roland called out moving around to get away from Karina. ¡°It¡¯s just a tree. A tree.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karina slowly opened her eyes. She expected a serious atmosphere, but she was relieved that she could hear the children¡¯s laughter. ¡°¡­Right.¡± Several apple tree saplings that seemed to reach Carina¡¯s waist were lying on the floor. The situation is quite funny, but the fact that she had to clean them up didn¡¯t make her laugh. ¡®It must be because of me.¡¯ Karina asked Roland embarrassedly in a trembling voice. ¡°Is this common?¡± Clearly, she¡¯s a beginner so she wouldn¡¯t have been able to control her magic properly. However, she has never seen such a case in any of the children Lord Lenque brought in. ¡°Neither I nor Melissa has ever done this before. I¡¯ve never even heard of a similar case. Did you just think about using magic a while ago?¡± ¡°No.¡± She focused entirely on making food. She never thought of anything else. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the magic aftermath from before?¡± Roland shakes his head. Seeing that Melissa counted the number of apple tree saplings with a curious expression on her face, it seems that Melissa has nothing to say either. Karina picked up the baguette that had, fortunately, landed on the tray on top of the floor. It takes energy to clean them up. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat the salad now. Would you like to clean it up together?¡± ¡°But, I think something like this is going to happen again if Mom touches it¡­ We¡¯ll clean it up. Mom, just go take a rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We ate all the bread¡­¡± The children seemed very sorry that Karina happened to starved like this. Karina nodded in agreement and stretch her hands. She felt uncomfortable thinking about the children who would move saplings with their delicate hands, but the most important thing now was to not let things get bigger. ¡°Okay. Will this happen again tomorrow?¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± Roland stuttered with an anxious look. Karina immediately blamed herself. How would Roland, who ran away with her in the middle of his learning, know how to deal with this unexpected situation? ¡°I can¡¯t help it. No vegetables for the time being.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it!¡± Roland cheered happily. Karina couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was so cute to see him cheering at the news that he wouldn¡¯t have to eat vegetables even though they were in serious trouble until a while ago. But Roland changed his words as soon as Melissa poked him. ¡°I- I mean¡­ the field is fine. Even without vegetables.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Melissa answered and picked up a sapling. Though she was eager to help, Karina crossed her hands behind her back in case she caused another accident. A sigh came out of its own ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± Roland shakes his head as hard as he could when he heard Karina talking to herself. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re fine. We ate a lot so we¡¯re full of energy¡± ¡°¡­Tomorrow, I¡¯ll definitely ask Mr. Wilder to fix it. He knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± Karina decided to ask Wilder for advice after work tomorrow. The next morning. Karina who came to work earlier than Wilder found a small package. The package was sent from the Duke of Tors to Wilder Jewelery Shop as the receiver, but the package was too large to contain magic stones. ¡®What could it be?¡¯ Little curiosity arose, but Karina didn¡¯t unpack it until Wilder came. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a package from the Duke.¡± ¡°Open it.¡± Karina quickly unpacked it. The shiny glossy wrapping paper felt more expensive than the clothes Karina was wearing. ¡®If they don¡¯t need it, I¡¯ll ask for it. I think it¡¯d be nice to make gloves for the kids.¡¯ Karina¡¯s hand who was carelessly thinking about her children completely stiffened. At the same time, Wilder shouted loudly beside her asking what¡¯s going on. Red, yellow, pink, white, the sky¡­ Her vision was covered in all sorts of colors she couldn¡¯t see anything at all. The thick scent of flowers weighing on her whole body informed her the true nature of what had happened. ¡°Hands! Raise your hands!¡± Karina raised her hands in the air having barely regained consciousness. Only then did the feast of flowers that bloomed from her arms stop. Wilder looked around the store which had turned into a flower factory with a bewildered expression on his face. ¡°What the¡­ lady, are you cursed by some eccentric wizard?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Karina confessed about what happened yesterday with a desperate heart. Of course, she didn¡¯t forgot to apologize. ¡°I thought it would be fine because there were only jewels and magic stones. But I didn¡¯t expect him to send a bouquet of flowers.¡± Wilder clicked his tongue. ¡°What a waste of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think. Just because I¡¯m learning magic¡­¡± ¡°No, not the lady.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karina stared intently at Wilder unable to understand his words. Wilder ignored her and took out the dustpan and began to clean up the flowers. He stopped Karina trying to clean up together. ¡°Lady, sit still. You might end up just adding more things to clean up.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After all the work was done, Wilder sat down half way in his chair with a tired face. Karina was very nervous and only looked at him in the eyes. No matter how useful she is to Wilder and the Duke, she may have to quit after she has caused such a big accident. There was silence. It was because Wilder thought hard about something and said nothing. Karina looked down at the floor couldn¡¯t control her burning stomach. ¡°There¡¯s one good news and one bad news, what do you want to hear first?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 (T/N: This chapter was a pain to translate, well I did my best to make it understandable) * * * Karina didn¡¯t hesitate. It¡¯s better to know the problems first and then get rid of them in any case. ¡°Bad news.¡± ¡°No. You need to hear the good news first.¡± Karina frowned. If he¡¯s going to be like that, then why did he ask? ¡°I thought Mrs. Bloe would say she¡¯d hear the good news first.¡± Wilder explained with a slightly apologetic face. ¡°That¡¯s usually the case.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Hmm, at least the people here are. They¡¯re trying to comfort themself with hearing the good news first.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it comforting to have good news in itself?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that until you hear the exact details.¡± ¡°Okay. So what the hell is the good news?¡± Karina wasn¡¯t very interested in the order. Wilder will tell her both anyway. She felt Wilder just passing the time by talking about this and that, it just made her more curious about the news. ¡°First of all, Mrs. Bloe¡¯s current phenomenon will disappear within three days at most.¡± Karina was relieved. Wilder seemed to have no intention of firing her and spoke as if nothing happened. Of course, it¡¯s also good news that this phenomenon would disappear in three days without any action. ¡°For three days I have to avoid contact with plants as much as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re thinking of quitting this job and opening a flower shop, feel free to touch plants anytime.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. If I had the money to open a flower shop, I¡¯d quit right away.¡± Wilder chuckled as if he liked Karina¡¯s joke. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Mrs. Bloe doesn¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± Karina rushed Wilder. She was nervous because Wilder was making a big deal out of it, but the good news turned out to be nothing much when she heard it. Karina didn¡¯t think this strange phenomenon would last long anyway. The bad news seemed insignificant, still, she couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. ¡°The bad news is¡­¡± Wilder¡¯s voice sank even lower. ¡°Mrs. Bloe shouldn¡¯t use magic in the future.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Karina bit her lips and asked. She couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. ¡°Why¡­¡± ¡°This will happen every time the lady tries using magic. How are you going to handle it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Karina breathed in. Her head was pounding as if a giant bell rang right next to her and she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She couldn¡¯t even ask for a detailed explanation. Because if she heard it, even the hopes that remained in her would be shattered. Wilder looked at her pitifully. ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartbroken. Mrs. Bloe didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was just bad luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must be wondering why. It¡¯s simple. Kind of your physique.¡± She felt dizzy. ¡®My physique¡­?¡¯ Words such as weak and healthy physique seemed to have nothing to do with magic and the current situation. Wilder continued in a really reluctant tone. ¡°This rarely happens. There are people born with wizard talent, but they can never use magic because of the dangers. The lady is the first one I met in person.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Karina let out a low groan. ¡®Sir Wilder is right.¡¯ Karina couldn¡¯t help but agree with Wilder¡¯s words without any questions or doubts. In her childhood she grew up without even trying magic, supporting Wilder¡¯s words. ¡®If he had the chance, Lord Lenque would have tried to raise me as an Archwizard too.¡¯ Until now, Karina thought that the reason Lord Lenque didn¡¯t teach her magic was simply that she¡¯s his illegitimate child. Everyone in the mansion knew of her birth, the Empire¡¯s perception of illegitimate child status is that all their social activities must be blocked no matter how talented they are. However, Wilder¡¯s explanation suggested a completely new possibility. When Karina was really young that she can¡¯t remember, Lord Lenque could have tested her. ¡®¡­¡¯ Karina¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. Since she knew what magic was the first thing Lord Lenque taught to children. Fire. Children who succeeded in their first spell were quickly dazzled by the beauty and warmth of a fire. The difficulty level was also relatively easy, so Lord Lenque never taught any magic other than fire for the first time. Young Karina also must have learned how to create fire as her first magic. The result could fully be predicted without even having to remember it. ¡®That¡¯s when Lord Lenque found out. I have a body constitution that shouldn¡¯t use magic.¡¯ Then Lord Lenque freaked out and wouldn¡¯t allow Karina any magic. Karina hated and feared Lord Lenque all her life. However, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that it was the right choice to block magic from herself. ¡®I¡¯m someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to touch magic.¡¯ Was it his last consideration as a biological father that Lord Lenque didn¡¯t tell her why he had banned magic? Karina wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. The past is in the past, and Lord Lenque is nothing more than a thing to escape from. ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Karina bit her lip. ¡°Still¡­ I didn¡¯t have the chance to learn magic at the beginning. I got an opportunity to learn thanks to Sir Wilder, so I have no regrets because it made me realize that I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll continue my teaching.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I never intended to raise the lady as a good wizard from the beginning. It was teaching to learn what makes a good wizard.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Now that she thinks about it. It was purely Karina¡¯s illusion that she thought it was a wizard teaching. No, even the expression of illusion was self-deception. Wilder just said it¡¯s essential for wizards to learn. There was no mention of raising her as a wizard anywhere. ¡®Of course, basic magic knowledge is something that I need to know about magic¡­ I didn¡¯t think of it.¡¯ The feeling of guilt flooded her stomach. ¡°However, don¡¯t learn magic from the children anymore. For Mrs. Bloe¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°¡­Of course I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Karina replied bitterly. It was only a minor incident at first, but it could have turned into a major accident. If Roland had taught her how to make fire or water magic instead of flower magic¡­ Her body trembled. ¡®What will I do¡­¡¯ In the meantime, the excitement of being able to learn magic covered her eyes. If she had been a little more careful, it wouldn¡¯t have caused Wilder any harm or put the children in danger. ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Wilder¡¯s stern voice was heard. ¡°Stop thinking of weird things.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It looks like you did.¡± ¡°I was just glad that the first magic Roland taught me was flower magic.¡± ¡°¡­Lady.¡± Wilder narrowed his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself for something that didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Still, if I had learned fire or water magic¡­¡± Wilder scolded Karina who was at a loss for words. ¡°If? What if? Then what if I had taught Mrs. Bloe fire magic?¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Yeah, and neither did the lady learning fire magic.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Karina nodded her head. ¡°Got it? So stop thinking about all that stuff and get to work.¡± * * * Karina came home with a heavy heart. The children ran to the front door as soon as she opened the door. ¡°What did Sir Wilder say?¡± Roland was in such a hurry, holding a pen in one hand. ¡°He said it would be gone in three days at most.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s good¡± Roland and Melissa were relieved without saying anything first, tangling the hem of Karina¡¯s skirt. Karina didn¡¯t miss the fact that Roland¡¯s shoulders were shaking as he was holding back his tears. She hurriedly sat down on the floor and looked at the children¡¯s eye level. Sure enough, Roland¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°I was worried¡­¡± Roland murmured. ¡°Aigoo, Roland.¡± Karina hugged Roland while stroking Melissa¡¯s head. Not so much time had passed since they left the mansion, but she becomes used to distribute affection equally to the two children. At that moment, Melissa whispered in Karina¡¯s ear. ¡°He keeps saying it¡¯s because he didn¡¯t teach mom properly. He¡¯s been trying to find out what he did wrong.¡± Karina closed her eyes. Her throat felt sore. Although all of this was obviously her own problem, Roland was blaming himself. The fact that the children seemed brave despite the sudden accident was only the siblings¡¯ response to overcome it. Karina separated Roland and Melissa from her arms. Tears welled up in Roland¡¯s big eyes, her heart ached. Melissa was fidgeting and rubbing her hands also worried about Roland. Karina spoke one syllable at a time. ¡°It¡¯s not Roland¡¯s fault.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°Clearly, this happened because I taught something wrong. Uncle was right. I can¡¯t even dream of magic without uncle¡­¡± Roland¡¯s shoulders slumped. Karina was momentarily speechless. Roland has always surprised her, but never as much as he does now. She chooses her words slowly. She was afraid that she would hurt Roland¡¯s heart even more by trying to comfort him. ¡°But I¡¯m fine!¡± Suddenly, Melissa screamed and pushed Roland away. Karina was startled and called out to Melissa. ¡°Melissa!¡± Karina wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised. Roland also looked at Melissa with his eyes wide open. Melissa just pushed him away, but she didn¡¯t look angry or sarcastic at all. Melissa shouted at Roland in a sharp voice. ¡°Why, why Roland is saying it¡¯s your fault? I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Melissa!¡± Roland freaked out and shouted. ¡°It was mom¡¯s first time learning! I should¡¯ve done better! Uncle¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s lips trembled as soon as Lord Renke¡¯s story came out. ¡°Always uncle, uncle! If you like uncle so much, go back right now!¡± (T/N: Damn, I know they¡¯re fighting but why does it sound like a couple arguing HAHA) ¡°What did you just say?¡± Karina had no idea how to deal with this situation. It was because she had never argued with another child when she was young, and she understood both Melissa¡¯s and Roland¡¯s position and didn¡¯t want to scold either side. The reason Roland blamed himself was understandable. Teaching Karina and Melissa magic was the first step out of Lord Lenque¡¯s shadow. Since that first step failed, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think that Roland himself had a problem. And Melissa¡­ ¡®Melissa is more concerned about Roland than I am. The most precious person to Melissa is Roland.¡¯ It didn¡¯t feel bad at all. It was rather fortunate. There¡¯s nothing more bitter than being the culprit that separates siblings from each other. But she couldn¡¯t just let the children fight. In fact, while Karina was lost in thought, the quarrel between the two children was getting out of control. ¡°Roland, Melissa.¡± After making the decision, Karina called the children in a stern voice. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two children kept their mouths shut and glared at each other as if they had made a promise. ¡°Let¡¯s talk one by one. Melissa, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Roland is wrong.¡± ¡°No, Melissa is wrong!¡± Karina sighed. It¡¯s rather a question without an answer, so she wishes she could say that both of them were right and give them a warm hug. But for now, she had to take Melissa¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Wilder explained everything. It¡¯s absolutely not Roland¡¯s fault.¡± Roland didn¡¯t look upset at all, even though Karina had given Melissa a hand. Rather, he just opened his eyes wide and looked at Karina. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it my fault?¡± ¡°Yeah, Roland didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°If it was my fault, I would never try to use magic in the future.¡± ¡°Roland.¡± Karina shook her head slowly. ¡°It was my problem.¡± ¡°Mom¡­?¡± A disbelief voice came out of Roland¡¯s mouth. Melissa nervously pulled the hem of Karina¡¯s skirt. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, but it¡¯s my problem. I was born with a condition that can¡¯t use magic.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The children¡¯s faces turned blue in shock. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Melissa mumbled as she buried her head in Karina¡¯s skirt. ¡°Aigoo, Melissa.¡± Karina noticed that her skirt was getting wet, took a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped Melissa¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s never Roland¡¯s fault. I¡¯ve always had a physique that¡¯s not supposed to use magic. I just found out about that a while back.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not fair.¡± Roland tried to protest in a trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. From how much I¡¯ve learned, there¡¯s nothing in uncle¡¯s books that mentioned it!¡± ¡°Lord Lenque doesn¡¯t know everything.¡± Karina didn¡¯t say that Lord Lenque knew very little or that everything he had said to Roland was wrong. Like it or not, Roland learned a lot from Lord Lenque¡¯s teachings. If she degrades Lord Lenque too much it would only confused Roland, who¡¯s still young. ¡°Uncle¡­ doesn¡¯t know everything?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina answered firmly. ¡°And he wouldn¡¯t have told you everything he knew.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Roland then murmured as he nodded his head, finally had been convinced. ¡°I believe in Sir Wilder too. But mom¡­¡± Karina cut off Roland¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if I can¡¯t use magic.¡± Melissa grabbed Karina¡¯s arm and looked up at her face. ¡°Mom, you really can¡¯t use it at all?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use it. No, I¡¯m not able to. And I really don¡¯t mind.¡± Karina let out a few words without breathing. It was heartbreaking to tell a painful lie. ¡°You¡¯re much more precious than magic.¡± This was the truth. * * * The Duke of Tors, Claude Deviathan Tors walked slowly through the room. His handsome forehead wrinkled and his eyes which had always shone intelligently wandered through the air, anyone who saw him could tell he was deeply troubled. So it was only natural that the butler who had worked for a long time in the Duke¡¯s family carefully asked for the cause. ¡°Your Grace, what worries do you have?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Claude blankly looked around the hall. ¡°This time it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°I assure you, that won¡¯t be the case.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir Chichester.¡± Claude forcibly raised the corners of his lips. The old butler, who was loyal to the Duke¡¯s family long before he was born has always been generous to him. But Claude was no longer a ¡®young master¡¯ in need of comfort. ¡°But I can only say that my current situation is my problem.¡± ¡°Your Grace, what do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I failed again.¡± Claude replied bitterly. Karina Bloe rejected his offer at the drop of a hat again this time. No, it was worse than being rejected in the face. He sent her the Duke¡¯s invitation, but she didn¡¯t even reply. It made him even more bitter because it was an official invitation sent with the flowers grown in the Duke¡¯s house. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had failed to recruit talent and it won¡¯t be the last. But Karina Bloe had such a yearned talent that it was very disappointing. ¡°Who is it this time?¡± The butler¡¯s eyes narrowed. He seemed to have noticed the situation immediately. Needless to say, if you were a member of the Duke family you couldn¡¯t be unaware of the young Duke¡¯s obsession with talent. Claude sighed heavily. ¡°¡­Mrs. Bloe. Wilder¡¯s assistant.¡± ¡°Wilder didn¡¯t let her go. That ungrateful¡­!¡± The butler¡¯s eyes lit up. He terribly hated Wilder, a commoner who uttered rude remarks to Claude. If it was that Wilder, he thought it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he held his assistant who was delighted with the Duke¡¯s offer. ¡°No.¡± Claude shakes his head. ¡°How could Wilder not let her go when it¡¯s my name. The lady refused.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± The butler¡¯s mouth opened wide. ¡°Does she know who Your Grace is and refused?¡± ¡°Actually, she tried to run away as soon as she knew who I was.¡± Claude laughed bitterly. ¡°She must be scared. I didn¡¯t think I looked that scary.¡± ¡°No way. Your Grace is very handsome.¡± The butler shakes his head in denial, but Claude just let it slide. Sir Chichester had a strong affection because he¡¯s been taking care of him since he was a baby. ¡°Or maybe I looked like a lustful man who would covet a widow with two children.¡± This one was more likely. He often had to deal with problems caused by the lords of the duchy, there was also the case of a lord who ignored a female doctor¡¯s intention and desire her. He could tell that it wasn¡¯t just a problem in the South even without hearing rumors. (T/N: I totally didn¡¯t expected that 0_0) ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. It¡¯s hard for anyone here to know who the Duke is.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not from here. So I don¡¯t know much about her.¡± Claude digs as much information as he can from Wilder to identify Karina Bloe. Sadly there wasn¡¯t much useful information to use, but it was better than nothing. The butler¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°She¡¯s not from here?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s from the North, but she said she originally planned to go to the capital. It seems like she came here by chance.¡± ¡°¡­Your Grace.¡± Claude raised an eyebrow. The butler sounded like he had made up his mind on something. ¡°I¡¯m against the recruitment of Mrs. Bloe.¡± Chapter 24 Announcement + Chapter 24 * * * ¡°Why?¡± Claude frowned. Since his accession, the butler only expressed his opposition when he felt like it was necessary. So he¡¯s going to listen carefully to whatever the reason was. ¡°You know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Although Claude knew the answer he looked away for a moment. (T/N: Lmao this guy) ¡°It was only two months ago that Lord Tales betrayed Your Grace and left!¡± ¡°Betrayal.¡± Claude replied stiffly. ¡°Watch your mouth, Sir Chichester. Sir Tales will be disappointed to hear that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a betrayal. To go away to Count Ford without knowing Your Grace that barely raised him as a prosperous knight for three years¡­!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± A bitter voice came out. ¡°What¡¯s the point of raising him into a decent knight, he said his dream was to have a decent house in the capital.¡± Count Ford was running a wealthy upper house in Edmoor, the capital. It wouldn¡¯t have been a hassle to get Tales a house. The Duke wasn¡¯t short of money either. It could have cost several times as much as Count Ford spent. The problem was that Tales didn¡¯t just want a house in the capital. ¡®He wanted to live in Edmoor. He said he was sick and fed up of the South¡­¡¯ At that time, Claude let Tales go quietly with a bitter smile as he does now. He didn¡¯t feel betrayed because it wasn¡¯t the first time it had happened. ¡°How many people are there? The ones that were brought up and carried away to the capital after being taken care of.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak so badly of those who were once loyal to me.¡± It¡¯s true that this place is the countryside. Claude swallowed his words quietly. After his accession to the throne, Tors developed a lot, but it wasn¡¯t a match to the capital. He didn¡¯t want to blame the people who chased the capital¡¯s infrastructure, as he knew it better than anyone else. Of course, this loyal servant didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Your Grace is too merciful that it became a problem. That¡¯s why they replaced the master that they served without being scared.¡± The butler looked at Claude pitifully. ¡°She¡¯s a commoner from the North who originally wanted to go to the capital. Can¡¯t you see how it¡¯s going to end?¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe doesn¡¯t seem to have any particular desires. She¡¯s also raising two children from her dead husband, it¡¯s not a situation worthy of an adventure.¡± ¡°People change their minds when they have money. And think about it. Wilder¡¯s assistant, that¡¯s great isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Claude¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was because he had a good idea of what context the butler had brought up the seemingly absurd remarks. ¡°Wilder won¡¯t pay his assistant enough to move to the capital, and no one will have an eye on Mrs. Bloe, who¡¯s just a jeweler¡¯s assistant.¡± ¡°Sir Chichester!¡± The butler continued to speak without fear of Claude¡¯s disdain. ¡°Wilder is Your Grace¡¯s man, so he¡¯ll make sure his assistant is fully available.¡± ¡°So you want me to use Mrs. Bloe? Without treating her properly? People aren¡¯t tools.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she rejected your offer once anyway?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can take advantage of a person¡¯s weakness. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear this, Sir Chichester.¡± The butler no longer insisted on stopping Claude. He just bowed his head and muttered politely. ¡°¡­I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Claude¡¯s face softened. ¡°I can¡¯t help but know how much you care about me. So¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment. He hates making promises that he couldn¡¯t keep. But for some reason, Claude had a hunch that he would break the longstanding principle in this matter. ¡°I¡¯m going to give Mrs. Bloe one last invitation. If I get rejected again, then I¡¯ll really give up.¡± Claude was the last to leave the room. If even the official invitation of the Duke had been rejected, there was only one option left. ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to be honest about my situation and ask for help.¡¯ It was a way to bring a sense of pride and a little sympathy to the Duke for being someone who ruled the entire Tors. It was quite a petty method so he used it only as a last resort but the win rate has been pretty good. Although all the talented people who have successfully been recruited using that method now left for the capital. ¡®I understand Sir Chichester¡¯s concern.¡¯ He tried not to express it, but he couldn¡¯t help but suffer the mental damage blow from whenever the hard-earned talent they left due to a problem that couldn¡¯t be helped. Sir Chichester, who had been watching him since he was a baby, must have been very worried. But that doesn¡¯t mean he could keep his hand off recruiting talent. The aged vassals who were only three remained left, became weaker and weaker as the years went by. Of course, it was natural. They were the vassals of his parent¡¯s generations, not his own. Claude needed young vassals to spend the rest of his life with. Therefore Claude digs up raw gemstones from all over places in Tors, raised, and treated them with respect. And Karina Bloe had the most potential to covet more than any other talent who had ever passed through him. * * * Karina worked hard since morning to sweep and clean the store. ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to keep it as clean as possible until Sir Wilder gets here.¡¯ Lately, Wilder goes to work late more often. He told Karina that she just had to stay seated, but considering the help she has received so far she couldn¡¯t just sit around. She carefully removed the old dust, being careful not to touch anything that looked dangerous. It was a piece of cake. It wasn¡¯t much different from what she was doing at Lord Lenque¡¯s mansion. The only unstable thing is getting swept away by a rampaged magic stone. However, Wilder also taught Karina how to not be tempted by magic stone¡¯s outbursts a few days ago. ¡®Hold on¡¯ ¡®What¡­?¡¯ ¡®Close your eyes and hold on. Then you can endure it without being tempted.¡¯ ¡®Is it that simple?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I think you¡¯ll be surprised how simple it is when you actually do it. Why, you can¡¯t trust me?¡¯ ¡®No, I trust you.¡¯ At first glance, it seemed like simple teasing, but Karina believed Wilder¡¯s word. Obviously, Wilder was an expert who knew a lot of things she didn¡¯t know. There was no reason for him to tease Karina with an emergency enough that could happen again. While cleaning, the bell rang announcing a guest¡¯s entrance. Karina, who was dusting off the shelf deep inside the store, rushed out to the front door. ¡°Welcome. Wilder Jewelry Store.¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Duke Claude Deviathan Tors took a step into the store with a faint smile. Karina was nervous for a while as she positioned her body, but soon corrected her posture and greeted him politely. ¡°Sir Wilder goes to work in the afternoon, then should I send an errand to his home?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m not here to see Wilder today.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karina blinked, then soon realized the implications and was startled. ¡°Is it that surprising? The fact that I came to see Mrs. Bloe, not Wilder.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but be surprised that you came to see a lowly widow like me.¡± Karina carefully chose her words. She couldn¡¯t spit out words now like she used to. This man was a benefactor who cured Roland¡¯s illness, but he was also a Duke who had his eyes poisoned by Roland¡¯s talent. ¡°What brought you here?¡± ¡°¡­Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude muttered a word bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s about a month since you¡¯ve been in Tors. I think you must have had a lot of hardships during that time, but I hope you can tell me every trivial thing without any hesitation.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Karina nodded her head. Claude seemed to have visited her to hear the hardships of immigrants who had no connection to Tors. ¡®Come to think of it, Duke Tors was quite popular with the Southerners even in the novel.¡¯ It was amazing that the character of the novel, which she couldn¡¯t remember properly no matter how hard she tried to remember alone, sometimes came to mind like this. ¡®The Duke of Tors wants to hear the real reality, not praises of compliments.¡¯ Karina looked straight at Duke Tors. She thought that if the situation had been a little different, she would have been very fond of this young Duke. However, Karina was Roland¡¯s guardian, and she needed to distance herself from this man to protect Roland. ¡°There¡¯s nothing particularly difficult. Everyone is kind to me.¡± Karina gave obvious compliments that Claude wouldn¡¯t want the most. There were many good people in Tors, but there is no heaven in the world. Quack doctors were neither the first nor the last time someone tries to devour her in Tors. What about the gossip you hear even if you don¡¯t want to hear it? But Karina hid all the facts from Claude. He was always a stranger and his arms were bent inward. Karina didn¡¯t want to be fooled by someone she thought was good at all costs. (T/N: ¡®Arms bent inwards¡¯ are similar to ¡®Men are blind to their own cause¡¯ which means people tend to think in their own favor even though it can be unfair for others) ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Far from being disappointed, Claude was relieved! But Karina didn¡¯t think carefully about the reason. In the very next moment, Claude threw a bombshell announcement. * * * (T/N: Damn the author left it at a cliffhanger) Chapter 25 ¡°I came to receive answers to the invitation I sent the other day.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Karina lost her words. She was speechless. What do you mean by an invitation? When in the world did you send it? Claude also looked at Karina with astonishment. ¡°I sent it to Wilder because I thought it would be burdensome to send it to Mrs. Bloe¡¯s house. Did you not get it?¡± ¡°No?¡± Karina was upset. Although she lived in Tors, no matter how fearless she was, she was not big enough to ignore an invitation from the Duke of Tors. ¡°No, that means you didn¡¯t get it.¡± Karina answered as clearly as possible to show her sincerity. ¡°How dare I ignore your invitation? Of course, I didn¡¯t see or receive it. But why did you invite me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed¡± The duke did not look offended even though the invitation he sent was lost somewhere. No, it was the opposite. ¡°Then I will think of it as being rejected once.¡± ¡°What?¡± Karina¡¯s eyes grew bigger with Claude¡¯s fluffy words. What do you mean rejected? ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude called her in a serious voice. ¡°I know Mrs. Bloe is reluctant to me because I¡¯m the Duke of Tors.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If I were just a wealthy merchant, you would have accepted my offer. Am I right?¡± ¡± ¡­¡­yes.¡± Karina didn¡¯t deny it. When Claude had offered her to be the duke¡¯s vassal, it was still before he showed interest in Roland. Of course, if Claude had not been a nobleman, Karina would have accepted the offer with joy. Claude sighed quietly. ¡°What a strange situation. What has been helpful so far is now an obstacle.¡± ¡°You have many great retainers that they dare not compare with me.¡± Claude cut Karina¡¯s words at once. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t have any?¡± Karina asked back, embarrassed. Right now, Wilder said that he was a vassal of the Duke. He seemed to be retired now, but there was no way that Wilder was the only capable vassal in the Duke¡¯s family. In addition, considering the contents of the novel, the Duke is a talent maniac. There is no way that there would be many people who refused the duke¡¯s vassal position like herself, he must have recruited quite a lot of talented people during that time. ¡°They all left me.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Karina was so embarrassed that she forgot about manners and shouted loudly. What do you mean they left on their own? Whether it¡¯s true or not, these were the words that came out from the duke¡¯s mouth. Fortunately, Claude seemed to not care about Karina¡¯s rude behavior. ¡°I won¡¯t be offended if Mrs. Bloe leaves me. I¡¯m used to it now that I¡¯ve been through it for a while. So, use me.¡± Karina was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m not going to criticize Wilder. He¡¯s a good employer and a good teacher. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll teach you a lot.¡± ¡°Yes. I think so, too.¡± ¡°But I can give you things Wilder can¡¯t give you.¡± His blue eyes remained on her. It¡¯s not the kind of gaze that judges a person from head to toe. Obviously, even though it was sharp, the fierce gaze swallowed Karina Karina barely came to her senses and opened her mouth. ¡°What kind of¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe¡¯s talent is simply too precious.¡± Karina bit her lips. This man was talking about her wizard¡¯s talent. Karina was not supposed to use magic, Claude is making a mistake. However, Karina did not necessarily explain the fact. It was because he did not want to go through the wounds that were still vivid. ¡°Learn and advance under me. Use all the powers of the duke¡¯s vassal to develop your own powers.¡± If Karina had a little chance of becoming a wizard, it would have been an attractive proposal that would have left her knee bending, pledging loyalty. Karina knew very little about the vassals of noble families, but she could predict one thing. Most nobles demand only duties from their vassals, not saying that they should use their powers to the fullest. ¡®What¡¯s the point then, I can¡¯t be a wizard even if I die and wake up.¡¯ But this man wants my magic talent. I should never use it. ¡°I heard from the principal that the children are very smart compared to their age.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes shook. At the moment, it was because she remembered Claude looking at Roland. Claude spoke quickly as if he had noticed Karina¡¯s agitation. ¡°I wish they could be taught by a competent tutor for further education, but I am worried that it would be difficult due to Mrs. Bloe¡¯s circumstances.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°The families of the vassals are also treated as future vassals. I promise your children the best education.¡± Her mouth dried up. Future vassal. In other words, if Roland and Melissa were educated by the Duke and blossomed their talents, the two children would automatically become the Duke¡¯s servants. Her heart started pounding. ¡®It¡¯s not me.¡¯ Come to think of it, it was natural. Even if Karina has some magical talent, it¡¯s not enough to become an arch mage. No, she is not even an ordinary wizard in the first place. However, Roland was born with the qualities of being powerful enough to become a future arch mage, and Melissa is also brilliant. ¡®The purpose was¡­¡­. Roland.¡¯ Then, of course, she shouldn¡¯t be a vassal. Karina shook her head vigorously and stepped back. ¡°No.¡± Karina closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. Claude¡¯s cool-headed gaze still didn¡¯t leave her. ¡®Just say it.¡¯ Karina swallowed her saliva. Sometimes you have to go through it to heal your wounds. ¡°I don¡¯t have the talent that you think I have. because¡­.¡± Claude cut Karina off at once. ¡°Mrs. Bloe doesn¡¯t believe me? or are you ignoring me? I¡¯ve seen Mrs. Bloe do so many things that no one else can do.¡± ¡°Your Grace, I can¡¯t use magic.¡± There was a moment of silence. Claude¡¯s eyes got thinner. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Wilder said. I¡¯m not supposed to use magic.¡± Karina proudly raised her head and looked straight at Claude. ¡®I should¡¯ve said it earlier.¡¯ Rather, I felt relieved after throwing up my words. ¡®Yeah, what¡¯s wrong with having a unique constitution?¡¯ It¡¯s none other than Wilder¡¯s judgment, so he¡¯ll give up and go back. In fact, Roland is who he really wants to be a vassal, but if he insists on making the little boy who is only eight years old a vassal, it will be enough for the public to laugh at him. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Wilder, but I¡¯ll have to think about leaving Tors.¡¯ In general, vassals of noble families consisted of only adults, but there were cases when they became vassals around the age of twelve or thirteen. Before Roland reached that age, he had to leave Tors. ¡®Roland and Melissa have to live freely. Unlike in the novel, ¡­¡­¡¯ Not to mention Melissa died after suffering from Lord Renke¡¯s abused, Roland was also not happy even after he escaped from Lord Renke¡¯s. Not only the noble but also the imperial family sought Roland, and furthermore, the existing magicians were also anxious that they could not attract him as their faction. All Roland wanted was a peaceful life with his loved ones. ¡®It¡¯s better to enter the magic tower at the right time.¡¯ Roland in the novel she read in his previous life also chose that method. Since he was not a wizard from Magic tower, there were many hardships he faced, but it was still a peaceful life rather than getting caught up in a political dispute. ¡®If I send my children to the magic tower, I will become lonely.¡¯ Karina tried to erase useless thoughts. You must be 20 years old to enter the tower anyway. There is more than a decade left, and it¡¯s no use worrying now. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Claude¡¯s murmur brought Karina out of her long thoughts. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t control my magic at all.¡± ¡°But if you try hard,¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a matter of effort, wouldn¡¯t Mr. Wilder have already told me that?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Claude seemed to be genuinely disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s such a waste.¡± Karina smiled bitterly. ¡®It¡¯s probably not me, but Roland.¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t mean any negative emotions. Claude DeViathan Tors is only doing what he has to do as a duke. And I¡¯m just doing what I have to do as a mother of the children. Karina bowed her head politely. ¡°Do you have any other business? If you tell me, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°No. Excuse me, Mrs. Bloe¡± Karina returned to the store only after going out on the street and seeing Claude get on the horse. ¡°Hu¡­¡­.¡± Now, the Duke will not show interest in her. ¡®He¡¯s thinking of waiting for Roland to grow up.¡¯ Karina looked around the jewelry store. Since it was almost time to finish cleaning, it was so clean and shiny that it was satisfactory. Among the jewelry displayed side by side, a small pearl decorated on a hairpin caught her eye. ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± A suppressed scream burst out of Karina¡¯s throat. She knew this feeling. It was a Mana Stone that was about to explode. Chapter 26 Don¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t be scared, Karina breathed in slowly, repeating to herself. There was no time to panic. ¡°You learned how to do it.¡± Just close your eyes and hold on, as Wilder told you, and you won¡¯t get caught. The problem is ¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s already late!¡± No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t close her eyes or turn it as if they were nailed to the Mana stone. Karina then realized that what Wilder told her was just a precaution, not a solution to get out of a situation caused by Mana stones. Anxiety has struck her that she may die at this rate. However, Karina did not give up. As helplessly as last time, she fell to the floor and struggled, but she couldn¡¯t get help from others. Karina tried not to panic, even in a life-threatening situation. ¡®Wake up. Running away from Sir Renke was more dangerous than this. If you don¡¯t hold it in foolishly, you¡¯ll be able to withstand it enough.¡¯ According to Wilder¡¯s explanation, the Mana stone cannot do any fatal harm. Of course, he added that it would be quite painful even if she got out safely. ¡°I can stand it if it hurts a little.¡± Karina would endure as much pain as she could if she could return safely to the children. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t close my eyes, the will of getting out won¡¯t be much different. So¡­ let¡¯s hang in there.¡¯ The main point of Wilder¡¯s method was not that great, but ¡°holding out.¡± Even after being caught, the response method will not change much. Karina tried to think of something other than the Mana stone in front of her. Naturally, the thing she thought of was¡­¡­ ¡°Roland, Melissa.¡± Karina desperately says their names. Roland, who is innocent and joyful like a child of that age, and Melissa, who comes to Karina with a serious face, came to her mind clearly. And further back, the appearance of the two children suffering pale and tired.¡­. ¡®I¡¯m the only one the kids have.¡¯ Cold sweat formed on Karina¡¯s white forehead resisting the Mana stone. She kept losing strength in her legs and felt like she was going to collapse soon. Karina clenched her teeth. If she gives in to the Mana stone powerlessly like last time, she will not survive unless someone saves her. However, Karina¡¯s poor knowledge and experience were limited. She fell very slowly, sliding to the floor. ¡°I have to do something about this¡­¡­!¡± Karina closed her eyes tightly. At that very moment Red letters appeared in front of her burning like a brand on her bare skin. These were the writings of the books I read in my previous life. ¡°The moment I opened the door, I had an intuition that something was very wrong. Roland stepped into the house with high tension because his ominous intuition had never been wrong. If I had lived alone, I wouldn¡¯t have worried about a grain of money. But Roland is now living with Karina. Karina refused to receive any help since she was freed from Lord Renke¡¯s grasp. She doesn¡¯t want to be a burden or something. However, after Melissa¡¯s death, Roland could not ignore Karina, who had weakened under the torture of Lord Renke. Karina was only in her mid-30s, but Lord Renke made her look like an old woman with white hair and wrinkles all over her body. Fortunately, Karina opened her heart to Roland¡¯s earnest persuasion. Even though it gave him a clue that she would stop living with him when she gets healthy. However, Karina and Roland knew that the day would not come when she would be healthy. ¡°Master Roland.¡± A weak voice was heard. Roland quickly ran in the direction of Karina. ¡®¡­¡­.!¡¯ Karina, whose face was pale, was convulsing, one step away from the stone. Roland immediately noticed the situation. ¡®It was originally a trap aimed at me.¡¯ One of my countless enemies who I couldn¡¯t even guess who they were, targeted me and sent a Mana stone that would explode. Roland clenched his fist nervously. The situation itself was not so dangerous, but thinking about the case of him returning late made him dizzy. The exploding Mana stone was just an annoying level for a wizard who is as good at magic as he is. However, a person like Karina who did not receive any magic education could lose her life in an instant. He slowly approached Karina, trying to calm his rising anger. ¡°Karina, it¡¯s okay. Breathe.¡± ¡°Young master¡­¡­.!¡± Karina¡¯s wrinkled face was covered with tears. Roland kneeled on the floor. If it had been discovered before she was caught by the Mana stone, it would have been possible to forcibly disconnect Karina and the Mana stone, but it was too late to do so. ¡®Karina has to escape on her own.¡¯ He opened his mouth as gently as possible, trying to reassure Karina. ¡°Karina, take a deep breath¡­ and let out the mana. Think that the mana of the Mana stone flows through your body. Just like the wind that comes and goes.¡± ¡°But young master, I can¡¯t use magic¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. This is not magic, so Karina can do it.¡± How long has it been? Karina¡¯s fluctuating body gradually subsided. Mana stone, that is erupting mana also returned to an ordinary block of stone. After he completely stabilized Karina, he checked the Mana stone. ¡°As expected,¡± His blood cooled down. The initials of the sender were clearly engraved on the magic crystal. C.D.T. This time, she neither lost her mind nor collapsed. Karina moved her body as Roland told her to do in the letters. ¡®Magic wasn¡¯t something to fight at all.¡¯ It was not easy to follow Roland¡¯s advice in the book. Acquiring knowledge and putting it into action were completely different stories. However, Karina was able to let go of the mana as Roland advised after holding out her breath. Mana quietly passed through her body instead of sweeping Karina and making a mess. The power is like wind felt intact, but never breaks. Fortunately, Karina regained stability in a few minutes. The raging Mana stone also calmed down as if it never went berserk. ¡°I, I¡¯m alive¡­¡­.¡± Only then did Karina, who was relaxed, collapse on the floor. Her legs were swept on the rough floor, but she didn¡¯t care at all. Only the fact that she survived without anyone¡¯s help was important. It was then. The whole store vibrated like an earthquake. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Karina let out a scream that seemed to boil inside. The vibration got worse and worse, and the display case collapsed one by one. Karina held on to the floor. ¡°It hurts.¡± Karina groaned. She had no choice but to feel helpless in a sudden change of situation because she had just faced a raging Mana stone a while ago. ¡®I have to go out right now!¡¯ But how? There was no time. Karina crawled over the floor and reached only a few steps away from the entrance. Karina struggled to raise her head. She could see Claude running through the window. His silver hair, which had always been neat and tidy, was all messed up, and his cold blue eyes were burning with anger. Karina desperately liked Claude¡¯s appearance with tears in her eyes with relief. ¡®Now ¡­¡­. I¡¯ll live.¡¯ With Claude here, she will now be able to get out of this unknown situation and return home. Finally, the last line of consciousness that supported Karina eased tension and gradually subsided with the gathering relief. Karina¡¯s completely unconscious body fell on the floor. Claude, the Duke of Tors, took six rubies out of his arms and scattered them in the air. There was no time to delay. Six rubies burned in the air, and the next moment, they turned into six dark red swords and were embedded in the ground. He grabbed the six swords with both hands and approached the window, not the front door. It was because the front door of the store had magic embedded on it. Seeing how finely shredded glass was scattered all over the place, he could see how powerful magic shook the house. Claude closed his eyes because she could guess the pain Karina had experienced inside. Now was not the time to be immersed in emotions. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about it. Mrs. Bloe is not someone who wants sympathy.¡¯ He threw the first sword at the window. Bang!~ The sword was thrust into the air, exactly one step away from the window with a loud bursting sound. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! It was a cutting magic method that completely cuts off the magical pulse that dominated the store. ¡°Mrs. Bloe!¡± Claude shouted at Karina and skipped the window frame in a single step into the store. ¡°You punks.¡± There was nothing big inside the store. Wilder¡¯s proud jewels that he has collected throughout his life rolled on the floor. Above all, Mrs. Bloe Seeing the white nail marks on the floor along with tears, he was furious. Claude carefully raised Karina, who had fallen helplessly on the floor, trying not to lose control. This was the second time he caused Karina to fall. Chapter 27 ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes wandered through the air for a moment, then narrowly focused on Claude Her golden green eyes were filled with tears. A voice so calm that it did not look like a person who nearly lost her life a moment ago struck Claude¡¯s ear. ¡°How did you get here without being late?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m late.¡± Claude clenched his teeth. It was not long after riding a horse out of the city. A huge flow of magic was felt from the direction he went a while ago. Goosebumps crept down the back of his neck. At one time, there was a talented wizard among the vassals of the duke family, but they left and moved to the capital at the call of the imperial family immediately after Claude¡¯s accession. ¡°It¡¯s the enemy.¡± It must have been the place his enemies would aim for in the city. Claude immediately turned the horse¡¯s head. The image of Mrs. Bloe did not leave his mind. Although Mrs. Bloe refused her proposal twice, there were plenty of opportunities ahead. Nothing was as terrible as a precious candidate getting hurt ¡®Please, I hope it¡¯s not too late.¡¯ However, as soon as he arrived at the jewelry store, Mrs. Bloe, who collapsed on the floor after struggling, caught his eyes. He struggled to say a word to Mrs. Bloe, who was staring at him blankly. ¡°I¡¯m too late¡­¡± After a few minutes, Karina barely came to her senses. She swept her hair wet with sweat and tears with a puzzled face. Perhaps because she kept suffering from the vibrations, her whole body ached and she couldn¡¯t put any strength in it. ¡°What¡­¡­what is all this¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because we let our guard down. Wilder and I too.¡± Karina blinked. It was not surprising at all that Claude blamed Wilder. Nobles blame all the problems on the easy subordinate. However, it was quite surprising that Claude himself was included in the cause. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I work with mana stones. I have to bear with it.¡± Of course, Karina was not okay. How can she be okay when she almost died a while ago? However, Karina felt the need to reassure the man who acknowledged his own responsibilities and errors despite his high status. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Claude had a face that looked really frustrated. ¡°This is an attack aimed at the Wilder.¡± ¡°Attack¡­?¡± Karina just stared blankly at Claude. Her head turned white, her mouth twitched, and no words came out of it. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is an attack!¡± Realization struck her a little later. Getting entangled in a rampaging mana stone is enough. However, it was impossible for the entire store to vibrate like an earthquake without someone using artificial tricks. ¡°As Wilder is away from the store¡­¡­ Mrs. Bloe, who had nothing to do with it, got involved. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Will these things continue to happen in the future?¡± Karina asked hastily. No matter how good the treatment was, she could not continue to work in a life-threatening job. I¡¯m sorry Wilder, but I think I need to find a new job. With an ambiguous expression that neither affirms nor denies, Claude picked up Mana stone, which seemed to have exhausted all its strength. ¡°This magic¡­¡­. I haven¡¯t seen it in years. It is pretending to be a rampaging Mana stone to fascinate and control people at will.¡± ¡°Yeah. It felt a lot more frightening than the vibrations of the house.¡± If Claude had not returned a while ago, she might have been crushed to death by the collapsed house. On the contrary, after she succeeded in resisting the rampaging Mana Stone, she gained quite a bit of confidence. ¡®Next time, I will not be helpless.¡¯ However, in contrast to Karina, who calmly recalled the moment before, Claude looked very nervous. ¡°If I arrived even a little later, this magic would have drained out your vitality.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Karina doubted her ears for a moment. She was just trapped in an endless vibrating house. What do you mean vitality? ¡°If I did not arrive you would have died.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s ridiculous, no way.¡± Karina shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to believe that she was in such a dangerous situation a while ago. Unfortunately, Claude¡¯s words are not over yet. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. You can be targeted again anytime.¡± Claude quickly continued before Karina could reply. ¡°In case the assassination fails, the mana stone left a mark on your heart. No place is safe for you.¡± Silence passed. Karina barely came to her senses. For a moment, her eyes were dizzy, but she had to endure somehow and grasp the situation. ¡°What do you mean mark? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that!¡± ¡°Of course, you have never heard of it. It¡¯s a forbidden magic that no wizard with a straight mind would use.¡± Of course, Sir Renke was not a wizard with a straight mind, he used to demonstrate prohibited magic without hesitation. However, Karina did not intend to tell Claude about it. ¡°What kind of mark is it?¡± Karina quickly accepted the situation. The accident already happened. She had no choice but to do her best to respond. ¡°The mark itself will not harm you. But the caster can know your location wherever you are at any time. Even at this moment¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Karina bit her lip. ¡°Wilder was originally their target.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Because they have a grudge against Wilder¡­¡­¡± ¡°Grudge?¡± Claude snorted. ¡°For me, Wilder is a precious legacy my parents left me. If he disappears, it would certainly be a huge blow. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Just to inflict damage on the duke¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Her head was dizzy. Karina clenched her fist and opened it. Even though he had been through a villain like Sir Renke all her life, people¡¯s malice still surprised her. ¡°Anyway, you are now a target for my enemies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be good if they could confirm that I¡¯m not Mr. Wilder?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Claude laughed bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they already figured out who you are. That you¡¯re Wilder¡¯s assistant and I¡¯m trying to recruit you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re not the person they¡¯re aiming for, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not bad to get rid of you.¡± Karina shook her head. At first, fear gripped her heart and wouldn¡¯t let go, and then resentment filled her head. But the emotion that came up from deep inside her heart was anger. ¡°Why? I haven¡¯t been warned before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Claude seemed to open his mouth to explain something, but he closed his mouth again at Karina¡¯s continued words. ¡°I know it¡¯s not Mr. Wilder¡¯s fault that this happened. So, you don¡¯t have to apologize, your excellency for that matter, whether I¡¯m being targeted by your enemies or not.¡± Claude neither hastily apologized nor made excuses. He just listened carefully to Karina¡¯s words. ¡°But I think you should have at least told me about the possibility that something like this could happen, so that I can prepare my mind.¡± Karina swallowed her dry saliva. The pain she experienced a while ago is still vivid. However, what was more painful than physical pain was the helplessness of having to wait until someone rescues her. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to wait crying defenselessly for Your Excellency to rescue me.¡± Silence passed. Claude looked at Karina speechless. Karina waited patiently for his answer. How dare a commoner dare to rush an answer to the duke who rules the South? ¡°¡­¡­I thought it was best to prevent this kind of thing from happening from the beginning. But now that I see it, it was the worst decision.¡± Claude smiled bitterly. ¡°I sincerely apologize. From now on, if there is a possibility of making Mrs. Bloe be in danger, I will let you know.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Claude shook his head and cut off Karina¡¯s words. ¡°You have nothing to be grateful for. As you said, it is information that should have been given to you sooner. After this work, you will receive the proper compensation.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. This man was really feeling sorry for her. ¡®He¡¯s not a bad person.¡¯ Perhaps he might accept a desperate request that is absurd in the eyes of the Duke. She slowly opened her mouth toward Claude. ¡°Can I get that reward now?¡± Chapter 28 Claude¡¯s face looked flustered. ¡°Of course, but above all, your safety comes first. No matter how much wealth you receive, wouldn¡¯t it be worse if you won¡¯t be able to use it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want wealth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wealth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karina swallowed her dry saliva. ¡°Please protect my children.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± If Claude was flustered a little while ago, now he was surprised. Karina continued without waiting for his answer. ¡°I can¡¯t go back home. Because I can¡¯t put my children in danger.¡± ¡°I know. I also had no intention of sending you home. And the kids¡­ How can I forget them?¡± Of course, you won¡¯t forget. Karina thought bitterly. Isn¡¯t he a man who wants to find out Roland¡¯s potential and continue to recruit him as a vassal? But now, the only thing she could hang on to was the man in front of her eyes. ¡°I was thinking of asking Wilder to look after the children, but I¡¯m nervous because he¡¯s in a dangerous situation, too.¡± ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m against leaving the children to Wilder. He¡¯s never a good match for a child.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Karina wasn¡¯t very surprised. It was hard to imagine a cranky person like Wilder playing well with the children. ¡°Still, I can leave it as long as they¡¯re safe. But that¡¯s not the case¡­ can you take my children to the duke¡¯s residence for a while?¡± ¡°Is that the reward you want?¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have to give me wealth.¡± Karina didn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t need any wealth at all. Of course, if the children¡¯s safety and money are tied to the scale, Karina will naturally choose the former. However, if Claude guarantees the safety of the children and grants them wealth at the same time, there is no need to refuse, right? Instead of answering right away, Claude looked at Karina for a moment and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°I have to admit it. I was really surprised.¡± ¡°I know it went over the topic.¡± Karina gently admitted. She rejected Claude¡¯s proposal to become a duke¡¯s vassal twice. Naturally, the children will not be Claude¡¯s vassal either. In this situation, asking the Duke to take care of the children was an excessive demand as compensation for the accident. ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken for something.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes grew bigger. ¡°Me too, I was going to suggest something similar to what you said. So, you¡¯d better think about something else as a reward.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Claude sneaked a look at Karina¡¯s surprised face while smirking and laughing. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Karina replied without hesitation. ¡°Your Grace is not obligated to protect my children¡­¡­¡± Karina¡¯s words were cut off. It was because she realized that she was making a big illusion. ¡®This person hasn¡¯t given up on Roland yet.¡¯ Karina¡¯s body has hardened a little. Claude, who already recognized Roland¡¯s talent, was not a person to give up just because she rejected his offer twice. ¡®If he was the person who gives up easily, he would have given up earlier in the novel.¡¯ While Karina hesitated, Claude continued to complete her words. ¡°No obligation? That¡¯s wrong, Mrs. Bloe. I have a duty to protect you and your children.¡± ¡°Is it because I¡¯m hurt?¡± Claude¡¯s complexion changed in an instant. He strode toward Karina with a serious face. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Karina took a step back in embarrassment. ¡°Where did he get hurt?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be okay after going through that. I¡¯ll call a doctor right away.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Actually, I wasn¡¯t okay. My body was throbbing as if it had been beaten, I also seemed to have bruises and scratches on my legs as I crawled to the front door. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Legs,¡± Claude said, cutting off Karina¡¯s words. ¡°And the whole body movement is uncomfortable. Maybe the pain hasn¡¯t gone away yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You are not wrong. All of that will heal even if you leave it alone. However, ¡­¡­¡± Claude took a moment. Rather than aiming for a dramatic effect, he seemed to choose the words as carefully as possible. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to get better, much more comfortable and faster?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, you have to see a doctor. If you take painkillers after receiving light treatment, the pain will disappear immediately.¡± Karina blinked. Claude was obviously caring for her. The problem was that his purpose was not her peace, but Roland. ¡°You need help more than you think.¡± Karina politely refused. ¡°Thank you for the offer. But it¡¯s tolerable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I get it.¡± Claude had a lot to say, but he didn¡¯t force more. Karina smiled brightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make that face. I¡¯m really fine. This much, I¡¯ve been through it quite a bit.¡± ¡°Have you experienced it before?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s to this extent.¡± Karina hurriedly changed her words. Sir Renke¡¯s punishment was a little worse than this, but come to think of it, it was unlikely that an ordinary widow would suffer from being caught up in magic. ¡°I want to know exactly what happens to the children.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did Claude frown as if he realized that they were talking about the children¡¯s future. But Karina was not fooled. Obviously, Claude¡¯s biggest concern was Roland. ¡°I should go back to what I was talking about. The reason I will protect Mrs. Bloe and her children is simple.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes became round. I was curious about the reason. More precisely, the reason why Claude wants to tell her. ¡°Mrs. Bloe is from Tors¡±. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Karina blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not from Tors. I¡¯m from the North.¡± ¡°If you live in Tors, you¡¯re from Tors.¡± The Duke of Tors continued in a firm tone. ¡°A woman who lives in Tors, works in Tors, and sends their children to Tors¡¯ public school,¡± Karina nodded. There was nothing to refute. ¡°But if you¡¯re not from Tors, where are you from?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Karina thought Claude had a quite unique way of thinking, but there was no reason to refute it. ¡°But why does it matter if I¡¯m a person from Tors?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the Duke of Tors.¡± Claude replied as if there was no more self-evident truth. ¡°Of course, I have to protect the Tors people. Furthermore, you¡¯re in danger because of my mistake.¡± Karina breathed in. Even if all this was Claude¡¯s way to recruit Roland, my heart began to flutter. It means that he will protect the people of the territory because he is a monarch who rules the territory. ¡®This person may be different.¡¯ Of course, Claude showed nothing but words. But Karina knows it. However, the aristocrats that Karina has known so far have already revealed a vulgar way of thinking that does not even treat commoners as humans. But this person is¡­¡­ he was a bit different. ¡°¡­ Can I trust you?¡± Karina covered her mouth in fear of the words splashing out. I was just thinking, but I can¡¯t believe it came out of my mouth! ¡°You don¡¯t seem to believe it.¡± ¡°No, I believe it.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s hard for you to believe it. It hasn¡¯t been long since you got to know me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ ¡° ¡°So, Madam, I would be grateful if you offer me an opportunity to persuade you first.¡± ¡°No, your Grace is already doing so much for me just by protecting the children.¡± ¡°You seem to be mistaken for something. I said I¡¯d protect Madam, too.¡± Karina shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡± I¡¯ll stay here quietly until the marks are resolved. ¡°I won¡¯t meet the children either.¡± Karina prayed for the children to understand the situation. Fortunately, Roland and Melissa have received magic education, so if you explain it properly, they will understand it quickly. If they didn¡¯t understand and thought Karina left them, it couldn¡¯t be helped. It was much better to resent Karina for a while than to be targeted by the Duke of Tors¡¯ enemies with Karina. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Claude said not understanding what she meant. ¡°Of course, Madam will also be protected at the duke¡¯s residence. With the children.¡± Chapter 29 ¡°Duke¡¯s residence? Me?¡± Karina couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. It was a plan that she hadn¡¯t thought about at all. ¡°Of course, I thought I shouldn¡¯t leave the store.¡± Of course, Claude never said anything about that. But what made Karina think so, according to Claude, the mark in her heart shows her location to the caster. So, wherever she goes, she will put the place in danger. The Duke was no exception. ¡°If I go, you¡¯ll be in danger, too.¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude sighed quietly. ¡°I¡¯m a little shy to say this myself, but the duchy is the safest place in the empire. More than the imperial palace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Karina frowned. In the novels I¡¯ve read in my previous life, it should be safer than the Imperial Palace, which has always been invaded by assassins, mages, and traitors. But Claude was right. Since the southern part was bordered by the Vega Kingdom, a solid fortress was built in preparation for the invasion of enemies from generation to generation. Now, in accordance with time, the walls have been torn down and the old castle has been renovated to become a state-of-the-art mansion, but the old impregnable reputation has not gone anywhere. There was one more reason for Karina to stay at the duke¡¯s residence. ¡®If you will not stay there, I will have to send a separate manpower to protect you. However, if you stay in the duke¡¯s residence, you will be able to defend yourself sufficiently with resident troops.¡¯ Karina¡¯s silence prolonged as she was lost in thought. Claude suddenly spoke. ¡°Of course, you would be very concerned. People¡¯s attention would be concerning.¡± Karina tried not to laugh, but failed. To worry about people¡¯s interests, she and her children had already become public gossip. ¡°You¡¯d better not go to school. If they did a little background investigation, they will know that they are your children, they can be captured as a hostage.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± Karina¡¯s face turned pale. Claude, unaware of her agitation, continued speaking in a plain tone. ¡°Instead, until all of this is resolved, the best tutor ¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I need to get to the children quickly.¡± Karina cut off Claude¡¯s words. As soon as Claude brought up the background investigation, all the other problems disappeared from Karina¡¯s mind. Even the fact that she hasn¡¯t answered Claude¡¯s suggestion yet. The fear that the duke¡¯s enemies may be running toward the children dominated Karina. ¡®If only they had gone to school, I would have been a little relieved.¡¯ Of all days, today was the day off from school. Karina nervously bit her lips. ¡®You might think this is too sudden. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ If Roland or Melissa dies here, she would never forgive herself. ¡°Okay.¡± Fortunately, Claude immediately moved according to Karina¡¯s will. Claude didn¡¯t seem to think the situation was dangerous for the children, so it was quite unexpected. ¡°Thank you.¡± Karina thanked Claude as he helped her get onto his horse. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be thankful for. This is something I must do.¡± ¡°Of course, there are many people in the world who do not do what they have to do. There are also many people who do things that they shouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°But one day they will pay for their actions.¡± Finally, they arrived in front of the inn. Karina jumped halfway and ran. The sound of a bewildered Claude shouting at her only grazed her ears. Fortunately, the children greeted Karina with a face that was no different from the usual Karina hugged the delighted children hard. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Her tears became cold. ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­¡­.¡± She felt a sense of relief that she wanted to cry out loud. Karina buried her head in the warm warmth of the children. ¡°I¡¯m glad the kids are okay.¡± ¡°Yes. Really.¡± Karina got up from her seat after removing herself from the children. Roland stared at her and asked what happened, but Claude was a little faster. ¡°You have confirmed that the children are safe, so, I want you to give me an answer.¡± Karina frowned. Now that I¡¯ve confirmed that the children are safe, shouldn¡¯t we all just go to the duke¡¯s residence together? ¡°What answer do you mean?¡± Claude sighed as if he was a little dumbfounded. ¡°Madam, whether you will go to the Duke¡¯s residence or not.¡± Karina opened her eyes wide. ¡°Was that a question that I could choose?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Claude replied as if it was an obvious thing. ¡°Whether you accept it or not, it¡¯s your freedom to choose.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ruin your plan.¡± ¡°Do you think I will lock you? Madam is a free woman.¡± ¡°But your excellency is the duke.¡± A moment of silence passed. To his dismay, Claude had an astounding look on his face. Karina pondered over whether her words were rude. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.¡± No matter how much she was a free woman, Claude DeViathan Tors was a duke. Naturally, she must obey his words. ¡°Just because I¡¯m a duke doesn¡¯t mean I can ignore your will and handle it at my will.¡± Claude continued to talk a little slower. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯ll make sure Madam is where she wants to be. The children will be protected at the duke¡¯s residence as the Madam wishes.¡± ¡°No.¡± Suddenly, Melissa burst into tears. Karina looked down in embarrassment. Melissa was crying with a red-hot face. Roland looked up at Karina, who hurriedly hugged Melissa, and opened her mouth. ¡°Mom will not come with us?¡± As soon as she heard Roland¡¯s words, Melissa shook her head and cried. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going anywhere¡±. ¡°Melissa, we¡¯re going to be under the care of the duke for a little while. And Roland, of course Mom will go with you.¡± Fortunately, Melissa quickly calmed down and dug into Karina¡¯s arms. Karina hugged Melissa tightly once, and then got up from her seat and turned toward Claude. ¡°Your suggestion, I¡¯ll accept it gratefully.¡± ¡°It was what I wanted, so I should be grateful.¡± Claude answered softly. As soon as Karina opened her mouth to express her gratitude once more, Melissa pulled her skirt. ¡°Mom, do we have to go?¡± ¡°We have to go.¡± Karina said sternly. ¡°Bad people are trying to catch us, so we have to go.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes opened wide in fear. The child pursed her lips and stammered. ¡°Un, uncle, ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Not uncle.¡± Karina resolutely cut Melissa¡¯s words. She was glad that Melissa did not give Lord Renke¡¯s name out. Sir Renke was only a baron, but he was also a nobleman in the noble¡¯s yearbook. ¡°Uncle hasn¡¯t found us yet. They¡¯re other bad people.¡± ¡°Worse than uncle?¡± Fortunately, Melissa did not speak out Lord Renke¡¯s name, as she quickly noticed what Karina intended. ¡°Well, it¡¯s similar? Now, Melissa. Mom has to pack our luggage now.¡± Unfortunately, Melissa shook her head and buried it in Karina¡¯s skirt. ¡°But I hate it¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°Oh, my. Melissa.¡± Karina sighed and soothed Melissa. I didn¡¯t know why the child refused to go to the dukes, but I didn¡¯t want to force her to go. ¡°If we go to the duke¡¯s residence, it will be much wider than here. It¡¯s going to be clean¡­¡­.¡± Claude, who couldn¡¯t see Karina¡¯s face, suddenly intervened in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, but the chef is quite good at cooking. And I¡¯m confident that there will be anything you like. If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Say anything.¡± Melissa stared at Claude for a moment. Karina had an ominous hunch. Karina reached out to cover the child¡¯s mouth, but it was already late. Melissa proudly said every word. ¡°So, is there a princess too?¡± Chapter 30 ¡°Melissa!¡± Karina shouted and called Melissa in embarrassment. Melissa repeatedly asked in a confident tone. ¡°Do you have it or not?¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Claude bent her knees to meet Melissa¡¯s eye level. ¡°She¡¯s the princess of the South. She¡¯ll be happy to see you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Karina¡¯s eyes got bigger. ¡®You have a daughter.¡¯ Claude was not lying to persuade Melissa. The duke and his family were not ordinary nobles, but immediate family of monarchs. Naturally, the Duke¡¯s daughter will be called a princess. Melissa grumbled as the situation did not go as expected. Claude asked a question in a soft voice. ¡°Is there anything else you want, Melissa?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good kid.¡± Claude lightly patted Melissa¡¯s shoulder and stood up. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you Madam, I¡¯ll ask the Landlord to get the carriage right away.¡± ¡°I have to pack my things.¡± ¡°I will send someone to do that. You¡¯re still in pain. Excessive movement is not good.¡± Karina opened her eyes in a circle. ¡®How did you know?¡¯ Although there was still some pain, she could endure it without blinking. She thought she wasn¡¯t making it obvious at all, but he noticed it. ¡°Mom, are you sick?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I tripped over a stone on my way here.¡± ¡°Mom is big, so it will hurt more if you fall down. Are you okay?¡± Roland spoke with a worried face. Karina smiled and stroked Roland¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much time to delay.¡± Claude gave the innkeeper gold coins and ordered him to call a carriage for four people. The innkeeper shook his hands, put the gold coins into his pocket, and hurriedly left to call the carriage. In a little bit. The carriage arrived in front of the inn. ¡°¡­¡­.oh.¡± Karina blinked her eyes. The carriage was the most luxurious carriage Karina has ever seen, with a shiny gold coat all over it and a silk curtain attached. Claude¡¯s absurd voice came out. ¡°It¡¯s a little too much.¡± It was all the more luxurious inside. Karina first learned that there was a carriage with a table inside. On the table, snacks piled up with a wrapper that was too good to be torn off. Claude picked up one. The words came out of Karina¡¯s mouth earlier than expected. ¡°Sir, I think it would be better not to eat it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s dust.¡± Karina slightly swept the remaining snacks with her hands. Dust that is seemingly invisible but cannot be hidden is on the hand. ¡°Originally, there must have been quite a lot of dust. But when we said we were going to ride it, I think they just shook it off.¡± This carriage was really unsuitable for the cheap inn street where Karina stayed. Perhaps it was made in case a wealthy merchant who stays on this street looks for a carriage. Since it has never been used, the snacks must have remained untouched for a long time. ¡°You have good eyes.¡± ¡°In the past, I worked as a maid before I got married. We need to find out about this kind of thing right away.¡± Karina was a little surprised at herself, talking about the past to the Duke without hesitation. ¡®I need to watch my mouth.¡¯ Karina closed her mouth. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Melissa whined all the way to the duke¡¯s residence, so there was nothing more to talk to Claude than necessary to soothe the child. How long has it been? Roland pointed at the window and shouted. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a castle!¡± As Karina approached the window out of curiosity, she soon realized how much she was under illusion. Subconsciously, I thought that the duke¡¯s residence was only a few times larger than the house of a general nobleman such as Sir Renke, but the sight in front of her was.¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s a palace.¡± Melissa looked strange as she clung into the window. The carriage arrived at a space that seems only to be used as a stop for the carriage. Claude was the first to get off, followed by the children, and finally Karina. ¡°Mom¡­¡­¡± As soon as Karina stepped on the support of her high foot and carefully got off, Roland¡¯s powerless voice came out. ¡°Roland?¡± Karina hurriedly turned toward Roland. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Her body hardened on its own. A cute puppy with fluffy brown fur was waving its tail vigorously at Roland and Melissa. In Karina¡¯s mind, an event just a few months ago came. A cute brown puppy caged in a dark basement. Roland and Melissa looked pale. She couldn¡¯t help but watch them both. Finally, at Lord Renke¡¯s cold command. ¡°Roland, kill that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± Roland, who was trembling, eventually failed to kill the puppy, and Melissa was punished instead in return. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end. Sir Renke continued to urge Roland to kill the puppy. Roland, who panicked while alternating looks between Melissa and the dog, eventually shouted a spell at the dog. And¡­. Roland¡¯s attack spell caused a major wound at Karina¡¯s back, but at least the puppy was unharmed. Karina hugged the puppy. However, the wounds the children received emotionally at the time did not disappear. The duke¡¯s dog shook its tails alternately toward both sides, as if it didn¡¯t know who to welcome more, Roland or Melissa. ¡°Huh, uh, uh.¡± Eventually, Roland collapsed as if his leg had lost strength. The dog thought it was an attempt to get close, so he climbed on Roland¡¯s knee, which had frozen completely, and began licking his chin. Karina immediately hugged the puppy softly, but Roland¡¯s tremors did not stop. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Claude immediately took the puppy from her. ¡°The children must be afraid of dogs.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± Karina simply answered and approached the children. Roland was not the only one who crouched down and wrapped his head with two hands. Melissa stood alert and stared straight at the ground. Something came up from deep inside her heart. Melissa used to endure Lord Renke¡¯s torture in that position. Although, she used to fall on the floor in less than an hour. Karina hugged the two at once and patted their backs silently. ¡°Mom, mom¡­.¡± A sob burst out of the two children¡¯s mouths at the same time. My eyes turned red. The children were still unable to escape Lord Renke¡¯s nightmare. ¡°¡­Uncle¡¯s dog.¡± It was Melissa. Karina shook her head vigorously. ¡°No. It¡¯s just a dog that looks similar. You didn¡¯t get hurt anywhere, right?¡± Roland trembled as if he remembered the memory of that time. Karina regretted what she said only then, but what she said once cannot be taken back. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s very different from that puppy.¡± Puppies with fluffy brown fur were a common species everywhere in the continent. Karina fully understood the children¡¯s fear, but did not want the two children to tremble with fear whenever they saw a dog. Right now, we have no choice but to take the dog out of sight of the child. But one day, there will be a time when they have to face this problem head-on. Roland asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Karina nodded her head. ¡°You guys were so frightened that you did not see properly. At that time¡­ the puppy we saw had a white spot on its head?¡± It wasn¡¯t just two children who were there. Karina, too, hugged the puppy and got hurt by Roland¡¯s magic instead. She was even the one who secretly handed over the puppy that survived safely to a dog-loving maid. Of course, the appearance was still vivid in her mind. Roland¡¯s lips twitched, and a sound came out as if he had read Karina¡¯s thoughts. ¡°My mom was injured at the time, right? ¡°It¡¯s a thing of the past. I couldn¡¯t help it. And I came in knowing I was going to get hurt.¡± Karina poured out her words quickly. ¡®You remember.¡¯ In fact, Karina hoped Roland would quickly forget the incident. The fact that he hurt Karina on his own must have been quite shocking. Unfortunately, rather than forgetting, it seemed to have remained a kind of trauma for the two children. ¡°I, I¡¯m afraid mom will get hurt again.¡± Karina¡¯s hand, which was tapping Roland¡¯s back, stopped. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± When the children saw the puppy, they did not recall their own suffering in the laboratory. But children¡¯s heads don¡¯t roll as cold as adults. It was about time Karina¡¯s frozen head tried to think of something she could say to the children. Chapter 31 ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude¡¯s voice was heard. Karina turned around. ¡°Are children scared of cats?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lord Renke only made Roland attack one dog and the others are beasts. Karina once saw the children playing with cats at Lord Renke¡¯s mansion. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m raising a lot of cats because of rats. ¡°Rats?¡± Karina blinked. Even the duke, who ruled the entire South, was unable to avoid the rats. Then, Roland¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Cat?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re scared, you can bring the grass that the cat hates in your room.¡± ¡°Cats are great.¡± Roland nodded sharply. Fortunately, Melissa also calmed down, so Karina was able to move while holding her children¡¯s hands. As soon as Karina entered the duke¡¯s residence, she found out why Claude had mentioned the cat. A white cat sat at the head of a statue that seemed to be out of value and stared at them. Melissa reached out to the cat. ¡°Meow.¡± ¡°This guy¡¯s name is Daisy.¡± Melissa turned her head sharply, but Karina did not miss the shape of Melissa¡¯s mouth, muttering ¡°Daisy.¡± ¡®There¡¯s really a lot.¡¯ One cat popped out from all over the place. It seems that there are more cats than servants, so I wondered if there were enough rats in the duke¡¯s residence to feed these many cats. There were different kinds of cats and Claude seems to know them all. Each cat has a flower name attached to it. Karina wondered if there was a cat named Melissa inwardly, but it seemed there was none. Finally, they arrived at a small bunk house in the inner courtyard of the duke¡¯s residence. It was a simple and small brick house. ¡®He never said we would stay in his house.¡¯ The bunk house was closer to a home of a high-ranking servant than an accommodation where members of the duke¡¯s family and guests would stay. Rather than being disappointed, she felt relieved. If I had to stay at the duke¡¯s residence and receive the hospitality of guests, it would be burdensome and every day would be a thorny road. The door opened itself as Claude approached. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Karina and the children¡¯s eyes grew larger. The interior of the brick house, which looked like an ordinary commoner¡¯s house from the outside, was as gorgeous as the duke¡¯s interior. ¡°Are we really living here?¡± Roland, whose dark look had completely disappeared, asked brightly. ¡°Then.¡± ¡°Until all the bad guys are gone.¡± Karina gave Roland attention. When the mark in her heart disappears, they have to leave the house. I didn¡¯t want to see my children¡¯s disappointed faces if they expected to live in this house forever. But Roland seemed happy enough to live in a house like this for a while. ¡°Is there a cat here, too?¡± ¡°Wherever there are rats, there is a cat.¡± Claude said solemnly. ¡°And there are a lot of rats here.¡± Karina shrugged. There were more things around the inn than rats anyway. Claude bent his back toward the children. ¡°I think there¡¯s a room for you on the second floor. Why don¡¯t you check them one by one first?¡± Melissa pretended not to hear, but Roland asked Karina excitedly. ¡°Mom, can I go up?¡± ¡°Then. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Claude stopped Karina from moving towards her children. ¡°I have a place to show only to you Madam.¡± Karina nodded. It¡¯s not that she wasn¡¯t worried about her children, but she could always go after them. The children climbed the stairs as soon as Karina gave them permission. Claude guided Karina somewhere after confirming that the children had completely disappeared from view. It was a huge warehouse, completely separate from the house. ¡°It would be better if the Madam opens it herself.¡± Karina involuntarily turned the doorknob, thinking that it was a food storage full of food ingredients. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The interior was filled with materials of different uses. Karina recognized more than ten magical materials in an instant. Most of the ingredients were fairly easy to obtain, like dried herbs, but there were also a lot of ingredients that Lord Renke loved, like the horns of monsters. The only thing missing was the mana stone. If Lord Renke had seen it, she would have stuffed his pocket full of precious magical ingredients with a greedy look on his face. ¡°This house was originally where my cousin studied magic.¡± Karina opened her eyes. This simple-looking house was actually a place where a member of the duke family, and also a valuable wizard, had used as her laboratory. ¡°It¡¯s a really necessary place for children. Thank you.¡± Karina¡¯s voice was several times brighter than the tone she usually uses when speaking to Claude. It was easy to understand why Claude had only shown this place to her. Of course, it would mean to develop Roland¡¯s talent. But Claude frowned. ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about the children?¡± Karina then sensed that something was strange. ¡°Of course, isn¡¯t it a place for children to learn magic?¡± ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude interrupted Karina. ¡°I understand your desire for your children to learn magic. There is no way to raise your rank as quickly as a wizard.¡± ¡°Desire¡­?¡± ¡°But let me make sure of this one thing. It¡¯s dangerous here, so don¡¯t let the children come here.¡± ¡°Then, am I the only one allowed here?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a space that only Madam can use.¡± Karina frowned. She clearly told him that she cannot use magic. What kind of nonsense is this? ¡°Duke, as I said, I am not in a position where I can use magic freely.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Claude replied bluntly. ¡°Well, these aren¡¯t for me.¡± ¡°Do you think all the things here are only for wizards?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. But¡­¡­.¡± Claude broke off her words as if they were not worth listening to. ¡°Didn¡¯t you handle the mana stones under Wilder? Neither Wilder nor madam is a wizard.¡± ¡°Mana stones are different. But these are all ingredients for magic. The one who should know better than the wizard about the ingredients for that magic is the magic merchant.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­!¡± It was then that Karina realized what Claude wanted. ¡®If I become a magic merchant, it will help Roland.¡¯ Magic merchant is a rare profession. Talented magic merchants were even more rare, and there were a number of wizards who crossed the border to find outstanding magic merchant. Of course, it would also be helpful for the duke. ¡®Aside from that I also want to help Roland.¡¯ Just the thought of that made her heart race. But Karina hurriedly put the idea on the side of her head. He¡¯s a man who shouldn¡¯t be close to Roland anyway. ¡°I heard from Wilder. He said that you would be a good magic merchant.¡± Karina bowed politely. ¡°Your Grace, I sincerely thank you for your favor, but I cannot be a vassal of the duke.¡± ¡°I am not asking you to become a vassal. An outstanding magic merchant is a great asset in Tors alone.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t find any more words to refute. ¡®Still, Roland¡¯s education may be something you¡¯re hoping for.¡¯ She asked questions to double-check Claude¡¯s purpose. ¡°Oh, what about the children?¡± ¡°Children?¡± Claude raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did I not tell you? It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°But, I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they only seven or eight years old? It seems like you¡¯re too hasty in teaching them magic.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°When I first encountered magic, I was eleven years old. If you think about it now, that¡¯s still too young.¡± Claude hesitated a bit before continuing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything back then, so, I risked my life just trusting the words of adults.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± She was speechless. Until now, all of the children that Lord Renke brought were younger than ten years old. All this time, Karina only thought that Lord Renke¡¯s method of teaching was wrong, and she never thought that the children were too young to be exposed to magic. But as she listened to Claude, doubts arose that she had never thought of before. Being successful in magic brings more pleasure than ever before, but in order to achieve that success, you have to go through countless desperate failures. Her heart pounded at her complicated thoughts. ¡®These were things that a child shouldn¡¯t have to go through.¡¯ In fact, of the children Sir Renke brought with him, half of them became delinquents and left the mansion. ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± It wasn¡¯t until she heard Claude¡¯s surprised voice that Karina realized that tears welled up in her eyes. She hurriedly wiped her tears away with her sleeve. ¡°Dust¡­¡­..I got dust in my eyes¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Fortunately, the tears dried quickly, but there was an awkward silence. ¡°I sincerely apologize if I said anything disrespectful.¡± ¡°No.¡± Karina shook her head. ¡°I just, I think I¡¯ve been thinking of things that my children shouldn¡¯t be doing¡­¡­¡± All she had in her mind was the thought that Roland and Melissa had to learn magic. She even recommended learning magic to Roland, who was still reluctant to do so. ¡°Mrs. Bloe.¡± Claude called her seriously. With the fake name she used in pretending to be a mother of the children. ¡°Whatever you are thinking, it was all for the sake of your children. I hope you don¡¯t forget that.¡± Chapter 32 A side of her became emotional. ¡®He probably understands me because he has a daughter.¡¯ Karina did not speak out her thoughts. Crashing! The sound of a falling object was heard over the wall. Karina hurried out of the warehouse and entered the house. ¡°Oh my¡± As soon as she stepped into the kitchen, Claude muttered as if sighing. Karina looked at the food and chairs rolling on the floor with an absurd face. Roland, who had been trying to deal with the situation somehow and froze, fumbled with a slightly stiff face. ¡°Melissa said she was hungry, so I wanted to find something to eat¡­¡­.¡± Karina soon noticed the situation. Most of the food was in the cupboard or hanging on the wall. It was a height that could not be reached by the children. I guess the children decided to bring all the chairs together and take something edible out of the cupboard. Karina was lost in thought for a moment. She had no appetite at all, perhaps because of the shock she received earlier that day, but now it¡¯s lunch time. The children must be hungry. Melissa hid behind Roland and said ¡°¡­But a cat appeared and¡­.¡± ¡°Cat?¡± When Karina asked back, Roland shook his head hard. ¡°It was definitely not a cat.¡± Melissa angrily refuted Roland¡¯s words. ¡°No, it was Cat!¡± ¡°How is that a cat? It looks completely different!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cat. The eyes and hair are weird, but it¡¯s definitely a cat!¡± Karina who was in the middle of the children who were arguing was lost for a moment and barely opened her mouth. ¡°Is it because of a cat?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a cat. It was something weird.¡± ¡°It was a cat.¡± Melissa still said a word stubbornly. Claude made a complex and subtle look, and he carefully opened his mouth to Melissa. ¡°It¡¯s a cat.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Contrary to Roland, who opened his round eyes wide, Melissa frowned even more behind Roland even though Claude took her side. ¡°Yeah. There are a lot of unique cats here.¡± Karina tilted her head. ¡®What do you mean by a unique cat?¡¯ Karina thought she knew cats pretty well. Sir Renke¡¯s mansion also raised several cats. A cat is just a cat. If Roland didn¡¯t think of it as a cat, and Melissa thought it was a cat with strange eyes and fur, ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not a cat.¡¯ But Claude said it was a cat. Maybe he did not want to tell them what it really was. ¡®So, I can¡¯t ask them about it right now.¡¯ Karina thought she¡¯ll ask the children later what it was when Claude goes back. ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s no servants here. This place is usually empty¡­.¡± Karina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need servants.¡± ¡°We need three people.¡± Claude said as if he didn¡¯t hear Karina. ¡°Your Grace, we¡¯re only going to stay here for a while. We don¡¯t need servants.¡± Karina quickly continued before Claude said something. ¡°You said you worked as a maid before, did you do the cooking or the cleaning. Which one was it?¡± Strictly speaking, neither was it, but Karina said. ¡°I was in charge of cleaning.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send the chef.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Karina blinked her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell your daughter our chef is good at cooking. ¡°Chef?¡± Karina looked at Claude quickly. Are you saying you¡¯re going to let your chef go to us? The chef at the duke¡¯s residence was not someone anyone can have. They were veterans who had been cooking for decades, but they were also knowledgeable about medicine and other things. In addition, if the chef comes to them to prepare meals for her and her children then who will cook for the duke¡¯s family? Claude said as if she had read her thoughts. ¡°Kitchen assistants are good at cooking, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bad at cooking either.¡± Claude sighed. ¡°I know why you want to refuse. You might be thinking it¡¯s burdensome.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you¡¯d better not refuse. I will also assign escorts for you and your children.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes got bigger. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean this house is dangerous. Even if you don¡¯t have a personal escort, you can go around freely.¡± Claude looks at her and think for a moment then turn his head. ¡°Children¡¯s educational problems remain.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d call a tutor, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I think they can learn with my sister.¡± ¡°Yes¡­? Not your daughter¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Daughter?¡± Claude¡¯s one eyebrow went up. ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t know what you were thinking, but I¡¯ve never been married. Of course, I don¡¯t have children.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± Karina was surprised by two facts. The first was that Claude had a sister young enough to learn from a tutor. ¡®Then, the princess that he told Melissa earlier¡­¡¯ It was clearly pointing to the younger sister. The second was a very serious problem, that the duke suggested learning from the same tutor as his sister. ¡°How dare my children and princess¡­¡­ Duke, please reconsider that.¡± ¡°I promised Madam that I would call the best tutor.¡± Claude said in a firm voice. ¡°So, I have to keep that promise.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of good tutors in Tors?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s only one best tutor. I hope you don¡¯t make me a liar, Madam.¡± Karina swallowed a sigh. Claude has already made a decision. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s a good thing for Roland and Melissa.¡¯ Come to think of it, Claude had his own good reason. In the end, he¡¯s showing interest in Roland¡¯s talent and now he¡¯s paying attention to it. Of course, that¡¯s why he insists on attaching the best tutor. Karina nodded her head. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Of course, the day and time should be different. Because they have a big age difference.¡± ¡°How old.¡­.¡± ¡°How old is Madam¡¯s eldest child?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 8 years old¡±. ¡°She¡¯s four years older than him.¡± Karina blinked her eyes. Claude looked three or four years older than herself. But his sister was 12 years old, and she seemed to be a late child. They have a big age gap. ¡°I¡¯m sure Madam doesn¡¯t want the children¡¯s education to be delayed either. They should start tomorrow right away.¡± Claude rang a silver bell in the living room. ¡°If Madam needs anything, don¡¯t go out and find someone just ring this bell, then someone will come running.¡± Claude added kindly. ¡°This bell is all over the mansion. Servants in need of help can also use it. So don¡¯t think it¡¯s weird if a servant rings the bell.¡± After a while, a well-dressed servant appeared. ¡°Bring Miss Terrace.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Miss Terrace was a strict-looking woman with pale skin and fierce eyes. She greeted Claude with perfect manners and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you want me to teach these kids?¡± ¡°Yes. Separate time from Astrid.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Karina wasn¡¯t surprised. If you work as a tutor for a princess, you will be a noble spirit of considerable status. You wouldn¡¯t want to teach common people children you¡¯ve never seen in your life. ¡°Ms. Terrace.¡± Claude opened her mouth as if warning, but was buried in strong protests by Miss Terrace. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m overwhelmed enough with the princess. What do you mean, teach two more people?¡± Chapter 35 ¡°I heard what the duke and mom were talking about earlier. My mom has a mark¡­¡­¡­. Do bad people know that my mom is here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m safe. Eduard is here too¡­¡­.¡± Despite Karina¡¯s efforts to reassure Roland, Roland shook her head violently. ¡°It¡¯s not okay.¡± ¡°¡­Roland.¡± Roland shouted as if he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°The mark, it ends only when the caster dies. The caster could be on the other side of the continent by now, but how¡­!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Roland was talking about the mark that even she didn¡¯t even know in detail. ¡°Roland, I have never heard about the mark until yesterday. How did you know about it?¡± ¡°¡­it was in the book uncle made me read.¡± Once again Karina cursed Lord Renke. The mark is the magic that even Claude, who has seen a lot of wizards ¡®misdeeds so far, trembled. Magic that makes humans not viewed as humans, but only as a target. Roland is only eight years old. An age that shouldn¡¯t even be aware of the existence of such cruel magic. ¡®And Melissa too¡­¡­¡¯ There is no way Roland would hide what she knows from Melissa, so Melissa would have found out anyway. ¡°I see.¡± Karina spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t get hurt, and in fact, the duke informed me about the mark.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± Roland¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It definitely said it¡¯s burns like it was on fire¡­¡± Karina looked through her memories. It was a crazy day for her, but if she felt a burn-like pain near her chest, she would surely remember it. ¡°There was no such thing. So don¡¯t worry about it, Roland and Melissa. Got it?¡± Melissa¡¯s face flushed red, and a small sob broke out. ¡°How can we not worry?¡± ¡°Oh, my. Melissa.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re bad. You¡¯re not telling us the truth.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Really.¡± Karina hugged Melissa and carried her up. ¡°If I¡¯m sick, I can¡¯t hug Melissa like this. Right?¡± Melissa pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around Karina¡¯s neck. Karina hugged her tightly then put her on the floor. She wanted to hug her all day long, but seven was too old for that. Roland frowned. ¡°Mom¡¯s arm will hurt, so come down quickly next time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± At Roland¡¯s words, Melissa looked into Karina¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t stand being hurt. So, if I¡¯m hurt, I¡¯ll tell you right away.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Karina answered solemnly. ¡°So, you can hug me as much as you want. If I like it, I¡¯ll hug you, and if I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll push you. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like pushing.¡± Melissa mumbled as she grabbed Karina¡¯s hand even tighter. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll just sit down next to you. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karina sat on the bed. A soft blanket was wrapped around her lower body. ¡®This feels good¡¯ Karina noticed that the bed was much more expensive than Lord Renke¡¯s bed. ¡®This place is well managed¡± On the surface, it looked like an annex used by servants, but in reality, it was used by a nobleman. Since guests with ambiguous status like themselves would often come in and out, they have managed it steadily. ¡®I am very lucky to be in this place.¡¯ She felt a little regretful because they have to leave soon. What worries her more than anything else is the reaction of her children. ¡®When we leave, the children will be disappointed.¡¯ But soon Karina shook her head, recalling the time they ran away from Lord Renke. Traveling through a wagon is hard but the children seem to adapt quickly even though they were raised as an aristocrat. ¡®I¡¯m sure they are struggling but they can¡¯t just say it.¡¯ Not only Roland but also Melissa never whined. They knew it was inevitable. So now, Karina was happy seeing the kids being energetic ¡®At that time, the children were afraid that even me would abandon them. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t whine, not even once.¡¯ ¡°Then shall I choose a room now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Roland ran out joyfully, then they heard him scream. ¡°Roland!¡± Karina hurriedly ran towards Roland. Roland stood frozen in the doorway, staring through the hallway. ¡°It was the strange thing I saw before!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cat.¡± Melissa said stubbornly. ¡°Roland, Melissa. Can you tell me in detail what the animal looked like?¡± Karina patted Roland, who was still trembling to calm him down, and used Melissa¡¯s head ¡®I just let it go earlier, but if it¡¯s a dangerous beast, I can¡¯t stay still.¡¯ Melissa opened her mouth first. ¡°It¡¯s a cat. His hair was spiky and black and his eyes were all yellow!¡± ¡°How is that a cat!¡± Roland exclaimed in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is¡­¡± ¡°Was it magic?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Roland shook his head. ¡°Melissa and I know well about magic. It was my first time seeing that animal. It looks more like a rock than a cat. A moving rock.¡± ¡°First of all, the duke said it was a cat.¡± Karina answered slowly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a cat, either. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll ask. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a dangerous animal, so don¡¯t be too scared, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roland nodded. ¡°Madam Bloe!¡± Eduard¡¯s voice was heard. Karina hurried down to the first floor. Eduard had a faint smile. ¡°The duke told me that he had hired a tutor.¡± ¡°Yes? Already?¡± ¡°Actually, he persuaded Ms. Terrace.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Ms. Terrace did not seem to want to receive a student other than the princess. ¡®How did he convince her in just a few hours?¡¯ ¡°But Ms. Terrace said it was too hard and turned it down.¡± ¡°She thought it was doable, so she accepted it. However, she had one condition: she would only take classes in the main building¡¯s library. Madam, are you okay with that? ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t matter at all. Then just the kids¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes. If you take the children to the entrance of the main building at the appointed time, then Ms. Terrace will take charge of the next.¡± The hours requested by Miss Terrace were from 10:00 to 12:00 every morning. It wasn¡¯t too early because school started at 9. The next morning. Karina woke the children up and fed them breakfast. Eduard prepared poached eggs, crispy toast, and apples cut into rabbit shapes for them. ¡°It¡¯s so cute I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡± Roland whispered in a small voice. Karina smiled, thinking how cute Roland is. ¡°You still have to eat it. If Roland didn¡¯t eat it and threw it away, this rabbit would be even more sad.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Roland bit the apple. ¡°Good job.¡± The meal was soon over. Karina thanked Eduard. ¡°Thank you so much for staying here for us.¡± Eduard looked around and whispered softly to Karina only after confirming that the children were completely distracted. ¡°I heard what happened. Of course, it¡¯s our responsibility, so we¡¯ll risk our lives to protect Madam. Rest assured.¡± ¡°¡­¡­but Mr. Eduard is not a part of it.¡± Eduard let out a wild laugh. ¡°How can I, a member of the duke, not be a part of it? So, don¡¯t worry, Madam, and stay here.¡± After a while, Karina left the annex with the children. ¡®I might be able to come out a little more relaxed tomorrow.¡¯ She was an hour ahead of her appointment because she also had in mind the possibility of getting lost. ¡°The way, be sure to remember that.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Roland nodded loudly. Melissa looked up at Karina with an uneasy look. ¡°Mom, are you not coming with us?¡± ¡°Have you already forgotten, Melissa? You went to school together right. This is like a little school but just for the two of you, so only you guys have to take classes.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Fortunately, Melissa only let out a small cry. When Karina walked in the corridor holding the children¡¯s hands in both hands. Sharp words that did not match the clear and quiet voice passed Karina¡¯s ear. ¡°Andrea, what are those filthy kids doing over there?¡± Karina¡¯s body stiffened. She slowly lifted her head and looked at the place where the voice came from. A girl in her early teens with black hair and purple eyes was staring at Karina and the children. The girl was wearing the most expensive-looking clothes Karina had ever seen in her life. ¡°Ah.¡± Karina quickly recognized the girl¡¯s identity. The girl who just called her children ¡®these filthy children¡¯ is named Astrid Deviatan Tors. She is the princess of the South. Chapter 36 ¡°I greet the princess.¡± Karina hurriedly bent her knees and greeted her. Astrid sighed as she greeted her and turned her head to Andrea, her maid beside her. ¡°¡­¡­Is that what he brought this time?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ dirty.¡± ¡°Princess, they can hear everything.¡± Andrea¡¯s graceful deterrence was to no avail. Astrid slid toward Karina. It was a walk similar to Miss Terrace. Even though it was well refined, a voice that could not hide its youthfulness came out from her mouth. ¡°Where were you going with this filthy look?¡± Karina hesitated for a moment. She knew that her answer would only make Princess Astrid angry, but she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°At the command of the duke, I was taking the children to the tutor.¡± ¡°A tutor?¡± Astrid frowned Looking at the serious expression of a girl who was only 12 years old, she almost laughed. Of course, Karina, who was a sensible adult, endured it. ¡°Your Excellency did not hire any tutors except Miss Terrace, from whom are you going to learn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Terrace.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­¡± Karina answered calmly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for his Excellency how dare we be educated by Ms. Terrace?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Astrid, who had nothing to say, gracefully folded the fan and pointed at the children. ¡°These kids are so dirty! Hurry up, get them out of my face, wash them, put on new clothes then bring them back!¡± Karina was surprised but she wasn¡¯t upset. The children washed often, so they were always clean. So, it wasn¡¯t about the children¡¯s body. ¡®The problem is clothes¡¯ The children brought only a few clothes when we ran away from Lord Renke¡¯s mansion. Of course, Karina wanted to buy the children new clothes. However, the remaining money had been used up when Roland was ill, so the children were still holding on to the few clothes they brought with them when we ran away. Of course, no matter how pretty the clothes were at first, they will look shabby and old if you keep wearing them. ¡°Princess, my children wash every day. If it looks dirty, it¡¯s because of the clothes.¡± Astrid opened his eyes wide. ¡°Your clothes are dirty? Then shouldn¡¯t you just wear clean clothes?¡± ¡°Except for the coat, they only have three clothes so that¡¯s not possible at the moment.¡± ¡°They only have three clothes¡­¡­?¡± Astrid¡¯s face trembled with astonishment. ¡°Now, if you dared to tell me a lie to buy sympathy¡­¡± Karina shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Why would I lie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°And, if they have clean clothes, why wouldn¡¯t I let my children wear it?¡± Silence passed. Astrid just rubbed her lips with a puzzled face. Karina let out her sigh. Although she is a princess, she is only twelve years old. There¡¯s no way she can lose this argument. ¡°¡­Andrea.¡± Astrid, who finally organized her thoughts, ordered the maid. ¡°Take these kids and pick up some of my old clothes.¡± Karina was surprised. It was because Astrid seemed to have an open mind, even though it was her old clothes she can¡¯t imagine it being worn by common people. Andrea, who seemed more surprised than Karina, looked really troubled. ¡°But princess, your clothes are too big for these children.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of clothes I used when I was younger hanging in my closet? I can¡¯t use them now anyway and it¡¯s a waste to throw them away?¡± ¡°And this kid is a boy. You can¡¯t put a skirt on a boy.¡± ¡°I bet I have pants, too.¡± Karina watched Andrea and Astrid¡¯s conversation and raised one hand. ¡°Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, but the children have to go to class now.¡± Karina hesitated for a moment and added one more thing. ¡°And thank you for your thoughtful thoughts, princess, but you don¡¯t have to give them new clothes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Astrid had a genuinely curious face. ¡°You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll ask for your loyalty every time I give you a present like the duke? I¡¯m just giving it to you.¡± ¡°Because I want to take it.¡± ¡°You look dirty!¡± Astrid exclaimed as if he was genuinely stunned. Karina sighed. ¡°Princess, my children like to run around. If you receive the princess¡¯ precious clothes, it will be destroyed in a week. All the decorations will be ripped off.¡± Karina pointed to the brilliant bead decorations and delicate lace on Astrid¡¯s dress. ¡°Of course, they can¡¯t destroy the clothes they received from the princess, so they have to be careful all the time, but I don¡¯t want to put those shackles on my children.¡± Astrid¡¯s answer came back a little slow. She looked down at her own fancy dress, then looked at the children¡¯s clothes, and then opened her mouth only after she repeatedly look at her own clothes. ¡°¡­¡­I know very well what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes, which had not been able to hide hostility since the moment she heard Astrid¡¯s first word, eased. Karina stroked Melissa¡¯s hair silently. She was not at all angry with herself, but the now seven and eight-year-old children must have been upset. I should compliment her for holding back her anger. ¡°Then, can we go now?¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± Karina quickly grabbed the two children¡¯s hands and dragged them. After a while. Roland opened her mouth quietl ¡°The princess is a bad person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, She¡¯s really bad.¡± Melissa also spoke in a confident voice. Karina smiled bitterly. ¡°You can¡¯t say that about the princess.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°The princess just doesn¡¯t know much about you. Like you guys don¡¯t know much about the princess.¡± Karina doesn¡¯t believe that ignorance is a sin. True sins are made when the actions do not change even though they are aware. It was a sin that Karina knew the future of Melissa and Roland, but could not escape and remained cowardly in Lord Renke¡¯s mansion. ¡°If she was a bad girl, she would¡¯ve beaten me¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s what uncle does.¡± ¡°Uncle is not the only one like that there are other people too.¡± Karina remembered Lord Renke¡¯s guests. They were not as cruel as Lord Renke, but they did not treat their servants well. At least Princess Astrid seemed to be making an effort to understand Karina. Finally, they arrived at the front door of the main building. Miss Terrace was waiting for them. Karina hurriedly checked the huge wall clock in the front door. ¡°You still have 15 minutes left until my appointment¡­¡­?¡¯ Miss Terrace opened her mouth as if she had read her thoughts. ¡°I was worried that you might not have found your way, so I came out in advance.¡± ¡°You are very considerate.¡± Miss Terrace raised one eyebrow. ¡°Madam arrived very early, so I didn¡¯t have to wait long. Is there anything I should know about their education?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Karina pondered her for a moment. In fact, she knew nothing about the academic achievements of her children. Roland or Melissa often boasted, but it was too complicated for her to remember, as she had never been properly educated. ¡°I think it¡¯s best to ask the kids,¡± ¡°All right.¡± It was when Karina turned around after seeing the children and Miss Terrace off, Black hair fluttered behind the bending wall of the corridor. Karina blinked her eyes. Unless she¡¯s misunderstood, the owner of the hem of that gorgeous dress that is sticking out on the floor¡­.. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± There was no reply from her, but her black hair didn¡¯t go away either. ¡°Princess, do you have any business for me?¡± Astrid slowly revealed her figure. Her dark hair gleamed in the sunlight. ¡°¡­you.¡± Astrid opened her mouth with a tense expression on her face. ¡°Come over to my tea time.¡± Chapter 37 ¡°Tea time¡­¡± Karina stared at Astrid with a blank look. Astrid held on to the skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white. ¡°Yes, my tea time.¡± Astrid spoke clearly. Karina hurriedly rolled her brain. ¡®Where did the maid go?¡¯ The maid named Andrea clearly looked like a woman with common sense. She didn¡¯t seem to have the personality to just watch the princess invite a commoner widow of unknown origin to tea time, ¡°But princess, I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t send you an official invitation?¡± Karina tried to answer that it was not, but Astrid quickly continued. ¡°Madam Bloe lives in the annex, so it doesn¡¯t matter. therefore¡­..¡± Astrid swallowed her dry saliva. The white neck trembled with tension. ¡°Come please.¡± Astrid was really desperate. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Karina recalled carefully the facts she knew about Astrid. The Princess of Tors, the younger sister of the duke, and a good student, maybe shy, arrogant and considerate of others, but she is by no means a bad person¡­. ¡®This child is lonely.¡¯ Karina slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Okay, but only until the children¡¯s classes are over.¡± ¡°What?¡± Astrid looked confused. ¡°How can I have tea time now¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we drink tea now?¡± Karina tilted her head. It¡¯s not even a meal, and there is no fixed time in drinking a cup of tea. ¡°If there¡¯s a time you had in mind, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time other than this time today. If you want to have tea at another time, excuse me but I refuse¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, Let¡¯s do it now!¡± Astrid screamed hastily, and she covered her mouth, startled by the sound she had made. Karina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Karina spoke frankly. ¡°Because the princess is cute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cute.¡± Astrid turned back and began to take the lead. Karina laughed once again because that was the appearance of a person who knew so well that she was cute. This time, quietly so that Astrid won¡¯t notice. ¡°You laughed again, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I got caught.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Astrid didn¡¯t say anything. However, Karina could see the hidden smile of the girl with a head sufficiently smaller than her. Karina couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity. ¡°By the way, Princess, where is your maid?¡± ¡°Andrea? Do you want to see Andrea?¡± Astrid reacted like a fast. Karina shook her head and answered calmly. ¡°I was just curious.¡± ¡°¡­I left her alone.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Chatter, chatter, chatter. I ran away because she kept nagging.¡± ¡°Did she say that you were too mean to my kids earlier?¡± Astrid¡¯s steps stopped. ¡°¡­ ¡­ How did you know?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t know that, I¡¯m stupid.¡± Karina smiled bitterly. ¡°I think the maid is right.¡± The answer came back a bit slower than Astrid¡¯s usual tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d apologize.¡¯ When Karina did not answer, Astrid quickly continued with a more anxious look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that¡¯s why I invited you for tea to apologize. Of course, Andrea didn¡¯t like the idea, she is always against my ideas.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I should have given you a chance to apologize to me. Of course, during the tea time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. That kind of thing.¡± Astrid pouted her lips. She looked just like Melissa, so Karina had to hold back her laughter. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it. Of course, you would feel bad to hear that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel bad.¡± Karina answered slowly. ¡°But my children felt bad. So, if you¡¯re going to apologize, I want you to do it to my children.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Astrid pondered. She seemed to wonder why she should apologize to the children. Karina left her alone without saying anything to her. She didn¡¯t have high expectations. Astrid Deviatan Tors is a girl who reigned as a princess all her life. Even if she can apologize to Karina for a moment after hearing the words of her maid, she will not apologize to the young children. Finally, Astrid opened her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was mean to them. I should apologize to the children.¡± Karina doubted her ears. ¡°When the class is over, I¡¯ll go and apologize. Since I have to meet Terrace anyway.¡± Astrid covered his face with his hands, perhaps ashamed, and she quickly hastened her steps. ¡°But at tea time¡­ ¡­are you coming?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Astrid¡¯s face brightened up as if sunlight had poured out. ¡°I have nothing to do for two hours anyway.¡± ¡°Good.¡± A faint smile appeared on Astrid¡¯s face. After a while They arrived at the garden Karina saw for the first time. ¡®There are several gardens.¡¯ If the garden that Karina had seen from the Duke¡¯s Residence so far was magnificent and vast, the garden where Astrid brought her was bright. ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± Karina nodded her head. There was no other way to describe the scene in front of her other than to say that it was truly wonderful. White flowers that seemed to bloom out fluttered in the wind. Three gigantic trees were covered with white flowers and fluttered. Karina grabbed the soft petals falling on her head. The appearance of white flowers fluttering on a large towering tree reminded her of cherry trees in her hometown, but the branches looked much more rugged. ¡°Is this your first time seeing almond flowers?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karina nodded her head. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s my first time seeing an almond tree.¡± In the north, almonds were not a popular food. ¡°Okay. We could have tea time indoors¡­. but I always do it outside when almond flowers bloom.¡± ¡°Do you often have tea time?¡± Karina was curious and asked. She can drink as much tea as you want by yourself. However, when she meets someone and drinks tea while interacting, it becomes tea time. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Astrid did not answer. She rang the bell on the table fringed with almond branches. ¡°Princess!¡± Andrea came running with a puzzled face. She glanced at Karina, who was already seated in a pure white chair, before she turned her head to Astrid. ¡°Princess, what is this¡­.¡± ¡°I invited Madam Bloe to my tea time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s only ten o¡¯clock, Princess. Tea time should not be until 2 p.m.¡± Only then could Karina understand why Astrid was confused when she told her to go for tea right now. The duchy¡¯s tea time was set until then. ¡°Madam Bloe said she could only have tea at this time.¡± Andrea had a lot to say, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She summoned several of her maids and told them to prepare for the princess¡¯s tea time. Soon in front of Karina, there was a tablecloth so delicate that it was a waste to touch. Karina looked at the beautiful teacup with the rabbit and squirrel running around, admiring the various kinds of refreshments. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Astrid suddenly asked. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s really cute.¡± ¡°It was made by my favorite artisan. He lives in Edmoor, and your Excellency ordered it for me.¡± While it was difficult to answer, the maid poured the car. Karina added a spoonful of sugar to her tea and stirred the teacup with a teaspoon. On the other hand, Astrid moved the teaspoon gently to mix sugar and milk, and sipped a sip of tea in an elegant posture. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± In fact, Karina thought that all her tea tasted the same. However, Carina answered after biting off a scone full of fig jam and clotted cream, so it was not a lie. Astrid continued to fix her posture and drink tea more perfectly than anyone else. She looked very uncomfortable even though he was eating sweets that melted ecstatically in an expensive tea. At this point she could clearly guess Astrid wanted to be praised by her. Karina hesitated but finally opened her mouth. ¡°Princess, are you uncomfortable?¡± Andrea, who was quietly watching them, breathed in. ¡°How dare you say that to the princess¡­.!¡± ¡°Did I ask something wrong?¡± Karina asked back calmly. Of course, she asked that to Astrid It wasn¡¯t the praise she had been waiting for guess her studies. She didn¡¯t even praise her for her efforts. She could only sympathize with the hardships Astrid was going through to keep the etiquette. Andrea glared at Karina. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ll take care of this person on my own¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Andrea, be quiet.¡± Astrid stopped Andrea and turned her head toward Karina. Karina¡¯s eyes got bigger. In Astrid¡¯s amethyst-like purple eyes, there was a drop of transparent tears. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Chapter 38 ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± Andrea was so startled that her arms drooped and hit the table, leaving her hands covered with cream and jam. While she was wiping her hands like crazy, Astrid muttered. ¡°It¡¯s really hard. I can¡¯t eat anything properly¡­¡­.¡± Karina nodded her head. ¡°If I always follow the etiquette just like the princess, it would also be really difficult for me.¡± ¡°But I still have to follow the etiquette.¡± Karina was genuinely puzzled. Although Claude was the Duke of Tors, he didn¡¯t seem to follow the etiquette. Since the Duke doesn¡¯t obey etiquette, what is the reason why his sister, the princess, should obey? ¡°Well, if this is an imperial banquet, you should follow it¡­¡­ Can¡¯t you just eat comfortably now?¡± Astrid shook her head slightly. It was not a strong stir like Karina, but an elegant pass that shook very slightly. ¡°¡­ Comfortably? I can¡¯t eat comfortably¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Astrid couldn¡¯t answer the simple question of ¡°why¡± properly and only her lips twitched. Andrea shouted as if she was stunned. ¡°Why do you ask such an obvious question? Because she¡¯s the princess of Tors!¡± Karina shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Right now, the princess seems to be the only one here who can see her flaws, not like someone who doesn¡¯t follow etiquette and drinks tea comfortably.¡± Andrea looked speechless. In fact, Karina wanted to ask, then, why the Duke of Tors doesn¡¯t follow the etiquette. However, Karina was so sensible that she did not bring it up in front of the duke¡¯s sister. ¡°Of course, you must be proud of your perfect etiquette. But if you¡¯re struggling to follow the etiquette all day long, what¡¯s the use?¡± Silence passed. Andrea still stared blankly at Karina, and Astrid seemed to ponder something with her. Finally, her mouth opened. ¡°I, I was suffering.¡± ¡°You looked uncomfortable from the beginning.¡± Astrid only ate a castella the size of her finger and bit it while she ate a pickled peach, a strawberry tart and a scone that melted in her mouth. It wasn¡¯t that she was full or that the food didn¡¯t suit her taste. Karina was convinced that Astrid likes sweet food as much as she does herself Astrid looked at Karina with regretful eyes every time she picked up a refreshment. ¡°Princess, please ignore it. You must not listen to a commoner.¡± Karina snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t both commoners and princesses get tired and exhausted?¡± ¡°How dare you compare the princess with a thing like you¡­¡± Astrid looked up at Andrea. ¡°Andrea, don¡¯t insult Madam Bloe.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Would you mind staying out for a second?¡± Andrea swallowed her dry saliva and looked at Karina and Astrid alternately. ¡°¡­if the princess wants it, I will do it.¡± ¡°I want it.¡± Andrea quietly stepped back. Astrid covered her face with her two hands. The water dripped through her small, slender hands. Karina handed her her rough and unadorned handkerchief. ¡°Cry as much as you want.¡± Astrid buried her face in Karina¡¯s handkerchief. ¡°How did you know I was having a hard time?¡± ¡°Anyone other than me would have known, Princess. They just didn¡¯t say anything. It would also be against the etiquette.¡± Astrid raised her head. Her white cheeks and nose were dyed red. A watery voice came out of her small mouth. ¡°¡­ Call me Astrid.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Karina doubted her own ears. ¡°Did you not hear me? Call me Astrid.¡± ¡°¡­. Princess, I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why? Why not? I allowed it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Because it¡¯s against the etiquette. Karina swallowed her back words. She had just told her that she didn¡¯t have to follow the etiquette all the time. ¡°Oh okay¡­¡­ Astrid-nim.¡± Astrid frowned at the honorifics behind her name, but she didn¡¯t ask her to take it off. She looked down at the table messed up with cream and jam as Andrea slammed her hand out loud, and she opened her mouth. ¡°We can¡¯t drink tea like this. I¡¯m sorry that our tea time ended in a mess.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Looking back, I was the one who ruined it. princess¡­ ¡­ There is no need for Astrid-nim to be sorry.¡± ¡°There is nothing that Madam Bloe has ruined. Rather, thank you. really.¡± Astrid¡¯s lips twisted slightly. ¡°No one, no one, has ever asked me if I¡¯m having a hard time.¡± Karina didn¡¯t condemn Astrid for saying it was hard. Astrid must have grown up with the expectations of those around her for who wanted her to follow the etiquette perfectly. ¡°Will you come again tomorrow?¡± Astrid¡¯s earnest voice was heard. The sound reminded her of her childhood somewhere, and her heart sank. ¡®This kid is just lonely. Like me when I was young.¡¯ Karina thought for a moment. She said that if she agreed to Astrid¡¯s request, she would have to accompany her every day. ¡®I don¡¯t have time for that.¡¯ Karina did not want to waste her time while staying in the Duke¡¯s annex. Now was her chance, as Claude had provided her with a good laboratory and her children the best tutor. However, I didn¡¯t want to refuse a 12-year-old girl who looked so desperate. ¡°Astrid, you said you¡¯d apologize to my kids, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, will you come to the annex tomorrow?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Astrid was surprised and covered his mouth ¡°Can I do that?¡± ¡°Of course. If it¡¯s okay with you, let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± ¡°I want to go¡­¡± Astrid¡¯s eyes shone like a starry night sky. * * * That evening. Karina informed Eduard of her lunch appointment with Astrid. Eduard rejoiced and promised a grand table setting, but Roland and Melissa¡¯s reaction was the opposite. ¡°Mom, do we really need to meet Princess?¡± Roland asked eagerly. ¡°The princess is coming to apologize to you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t like it though. What if they tell us we¡¯re dirty again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ But I still don¡¯t like it. What if she says we¡¯re dirty again?¡± ¡°You guys are not dirty.¡± Karina said with strength. ¡°The princess¡­. wants to apologize for being mean.¡± ¡°She is mean, that makes her a bad person.¡± Karina was lost in thought for a moment. She can hardly explain to her children that Princess Astrid is a child who is ignorant of so many things. However, Roland and Melissa will not understand the explanation. For them, Astrid was much older and a person with a high status. ¡°The princess has definitely done something wrong to you. And because she insulted you, she insulted me too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s a bad person.¡± Melissa proudly intervened. ¡°But apologizing after realizing her wrongdoing means she¡¯s not a bad person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°First, listen to her apology tomorrow. If you don¡¯t like it, you can send the princess back right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Karina nodded her head. ¡°For me, you guys always come first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The princess may try to make you her own mother.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Melissa! That¡¯s a ridiculous idea.¡± ¡°Why? The princess doesn¡¯t have a mother either.¡± This time, it¡¯s Roland. Karina sighed. ¡°Anyway, that will never happen, so relax.¡± Lunch the next day. The children hid behind Karina¡¯s back and greeted Astrid. Astrid greeted the children with a tense face and gently approached them. Her trembling voice echoed in the hallway. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. that¡­ ¡­ I¡­. I was mean to you? right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Melissa only hid behind Karina¡¯s back even more, but Roland had the courage to strike her back. ¡°Yes. A lot.¡± Astrid clenched her fist and apologized with an earnest voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I do think¡­that was really mean. I promise I won¡¯t do that again.¡± There was a moment of silence. Karina promised to leave all the answers to the children, so she watched the three children quietly. ¡°¡­¡­.Really?¡± At Roland¡¯s question, Astrid nodded vigorously. ¡°Yeah! Really, really.¡± ¡°How can we believe that?¡± When Astrid was trying to answer someone rang the doorbell. Karina frowned. ¡®Who came to visit us?¡¯ Thinking that it might be the duke¡¯s messenger, Karina hurriedly opened the front door. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± Karina¡¯s eyes widened. Claude looked down at her and smiled faintly. A single almond petal fluttered over his silver hair. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Chapter 39 ¡°Behind it is the Vega Kingdom.¡± Tuk.~ The sound of a fountain pen falling from the desk was heard. Claude raised his head and looked at his loyal servant. ¡°What did you just say, Sir Chichester?¡± ¡°We caught the spy who was in charge of the tangent. The kingdom of Vega was behind it.¡± Sir Chichester calmly repeated what he had just said. Claude frowned. ¡°Magic is not Vega¡¯s way. I guess they are trained to confess like that when caught?¡± Sir Chichester handed the report to Claude. ¡°I have already checked Vega. His sister worked as a maid in the palace of Vega. As your Excellency is well aware, for commoners to be royal maids, there must be some kind of deal.¡± Claude, who quickly skimmed through the report, sighed. ¡°Madam Bloe would hate me even more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your responsibility.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Claude replied in a dull voice. ¡°Neither I nor Wilder gave her the warning she deserved.¡± ¡°Did Madam Bloe say that?¡± Claude looked out of his window and smirked. ¡°¡­No.¡± Sir Chichester¡¯s voice showed a stern sign. ¡°Lies don¡¯t work on me.¡± Claude raised his hands. ¡°Okay, okay. Madam Bloe resented me so much. But she¡¯s right.¡± Sir Chichester looked like he had a lot to say, but he didn¡¯t say anything back. Claude got up from his seat. ¡°This is better. There are only a few wizards in Vega, so it will be easy to find the wizard.¡± ¡°Vega may have conspired with a wizard in the empire¡± ¡°Attacks using Mana stone are definitely the way of the imperial wizard.¡± The kingdom of Vega, which borders Tors, considers wizards as insidious. That said, among the previous Vega kings, there were some cases where the king became a puppet who was manipulated by magic while being close to the royal wizard. Now, the king of the Vega Kingdom expelled and rejected all the wizards of the royal family as soon as he ascended the throne. Naturally, this led to a loss of national power, and the King of Vega raised the continent¡¯s most elite assassins to minimize such loss. The assassin alone was already a pain in the ass, but if they even started using wizards, it was a big deal that had to be reported to the imperial family. ¡°How many people know that Vega is behind it?¡± ¡°I, the interrogator, and the informants in Vega who were in charge of the field investigation.¡± ¡°Their names are?¡± As soon as Claude heard their names, he was able to think of not only their appearance but also their personality. There were less than five people in total, including the remaining interrogator and informants. ¡°Shut everyone¡¯s mouths. This case is already over. I¡¯ll take care of everything afterwards.¡± ¡°Your Excellency, aren¡¯t you going to report it to the imperial family right away?¡± Sir Chichester asked back in a surprised voice. Despite the lack of manpower, the duke¡¯s direct movement meant only one thing. Settle it quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out and tell you.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better to seek help from the imperial family?¡± ¡°And in return for his help, I will receive His Majesty¡¯s wrath. What else would he ask me in return this time.¡± ¡°There are no more talents or resources to take anyway.¡± Sir Chichester replied bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to lose by telling them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know. They might even ask for a direct command now.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Claude shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Other than the Land, is there more left for me? All the talents were taken away by others, and all the valuable resources were taken by His Majesty¡± Of course, the South did not completely lose its teeth. Thanks to the fertile soil, the crops grown in Tors were of the highest quality in the Empire, so there was never a day when the treasures in the vault ran out. But there are things in the world that money cannot buy. For example, loyalty. Unfortunately for Tors, the wrath of the imperial family was also one of the problems that money could not solve. ¡°He also took the mining rights of the last remaining Mana stone mine last year.¡± Claude stared into the air. The original sin of the South, which occurred over a hundred years ago, is still far from being forgotten. His great-grandfather was a traitor who tried to establish his own country. Naturally, the three generations should have been destroyed, but the emperor at the time spared his youngest son, who was only five years old. After the youngest son grew up and became Duke of Tors, the southern part and the imperial family maintained a smooth relationship. At least on the outside, But Claude was well aware that this was not the case. ¡®His Majesty¡­ will only be satisfied when I die and the traitor¡¯s blood is completely cut off.¡¯ Chichester awakened Claude, who was lost in thought. ¡°But Your Excellency, the kingdom of Vega is not that easy.¡± ¡°I have no intention of going to Vega. If you conspire with an Imperial Wizard, he¡¯ll still be around here.¡± Claude added in a confident tone. ¡°In Vega, if the wizard walks down the street, he will be stoned.¡± Sir Chichester asked curiously. ¡°Are you planning on catching the wizard in Tors?¡± ¡°Wilder will be a good bait.¡± Sir Chichester sighed. ¡°¡­that¡¯s Wilder¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The old man should now know that he is getting older. ¡° Claude smiled softly. ¡°He said before he retires, he will put an end to all my troubles.¡± ¡°That guy doesn¡¯t even know his place Sir Chichester gritted his teeth. ¡°After all, he almost cut off my neck a long time ago.¡± Claude turned to the report again because it had not been a day or two since that complained about Wilder. ¡®The spy traveled between the south and the southwest. This means¡­¡¯ He flipped the report and closed it. The southwest was a boring neighborhood with nothing interesting for spies except that it was on the way to the capital. ¡°The wizard must be in the capital.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± Sir Chichester nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t go to the capital.¡± ¡°Even if you go, it will be impossible to catch the criminal in that complex and easy-to-hide place.¡± ¡°As expected, I should use Wilder. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t waste your friend¡¯s life in vain.¡± ¡°Sir, who is someone¡¯s close friend¡­!¡± Claude stood up laughing. ¡°He is not so meticulous that he did not even confirm that his target did not go to work. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he gets caught in the trap. Then¡­.¡± Claude¡¯s words were cut off. It was because he realized what it meant to catch the wizard. ¡°Madam Bloe can go back home.¡± Sir Chichester finished his words for him. ¡°Madam Bloe doesn¡¯t have a house.¡± Claude said sternly. ¡°I saw it. He was staying with two children in an inn where even wandering knights would not be able to stay.¡± ¡°That too is her life.¡± Claude sighed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. How am I qualified to judge her life? but¡­ No, let me stop.¡± Claude swallowed the ugly thought that came to his mind. But Sir Chichester saw through the heart of his master like a clear water, whom he had served since childhood. ¡°You don¡¯t want to catch the wizard because once this is settled, Madam Bloe will leave.¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s a little different.¡± ¡°Then let me correct that you want to catch the wizard, but you don¡¯t want Madam Bloe to leave.¡± A teasing smile appeared on the old servant¡¯s lips. Claude had nothing to say and shut his mouth. In fact, his heart was exactly what Sir Chichester expressed. ¡°Actually, this old man does not know why Your Excellency is so interested in Madam Blohe.¡± Claude frowned. ¡°Madam Bloe¡¯s talent is¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s natural. I cannot afford to miss such a talented person.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t miss this opportunity. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means that you have to do your best to persuade Madam Bloe to stay here at the Duke¡¯s Residence.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Madam Bloe is now indebted to you; won¡¯t she be more generous than before.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Madam was never generous to me¡± Sir Chichester tilted his head. ¡°Is that so? Obviously, in either case, I heard that you were rejected as soon as you brought it up.¡± ¡°¡­ I have nothing to say.¡± Claude stood up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To follow your words.¡± ¡°To Madam Bloe?¡± ¡°Then who else would it be?¡± Claude handed his report back to Sir Chichester. ¡°I¡¯ve memorized everything, so keep it all.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Claude walked fast toward the annex where Karina was staying. He heard Sir Chichester saying something, but he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡®It¡¯s obvious. He¡¯s just going to nag about me working so hard to get Madam Bloe¡± The small annex had a simple and unadorned appearance, but contained a treasure inside. Just like Karina. He stood in front of the front door and took a deep breath. ¡®What¡­ What should I say?¡¯ Come to think of it, it didn¡¯t seem right to suddenly enter and asked to be a vassal. Claude was lost in thought for a moment. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since Madam. I should ask how you¡¯ve been doing first.¡¯ First, I¡¯ll talk about her safety and then I¡¯ll offer her again to be a vassal. It was the perfect plan. When he rang the doorbell, the door opened a moment later. Claude greeted her first, feeling a little nervous. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Karina opened her eyes wide. A bewildered answer flowed from her pale lips. ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s only been two days.¡± Come to think of it, the feeling was long, but it was really only two days. Claude wanted to bite his tongue. Karina tilted her head and continued to talk. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s been two long days. Would you like to come in?¡± T/N: DROPPED!!!!!!!!! FUTURE CHAPTERS OF THIS NOVEL WILL BE TRANSLATED BY OTHER GROUP (THE PREVIOUS TRANSLATOR) WAIT FOR THEIR UPDATE. THEY WILL POST IT SOON ON NU. :)) THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT <3