“Is that my bag?”
The identity of the object that suddenly appeared was the bag I brought with me.
‘Now that I see it, that day, I just left without thinking and again, returned back with my lost consciousness.’
That old bag, which does not fit with this building, exuded a toxic presence.
‘Wait a minute. Come to think, I didn’t just put the papers in there.’
When I saw the seal with an unknown purpose, I thought it was an important object, and so I put it in my bag, thinking it might be the last resort …
I can’t believe I forgot that.
I said I put it in my side pocket of the bag so you can’t see it well, but they might have searched the bag carefully, right?
‘Have you seen it?’
It was really meant to be kept as a last resort.
Suddenly, I was shaken by impatience and then seeing my mother’s cold eyes, I remembered the words a little while ago.
‘She said you had to pretend to have some composure, even if you didn’t have it.’
One has to calm the startled hearts and then hide their impatience behind them, and elicit a normal reaction as if it were nothing.
‘But I’ve never done that kind of acting before. My heart is impatient…’
Though the cold sweat running on my back only lasted a short time, I felt that I was sweating for a long time.
‘No, let’s relax. I’m not acting.’
You shouldn’t think you’re acting, but you are truly sincere.
I don’t really care about anything, so I don’t have to lose my composure or be impatient. I incessantly recalled it and put it deeply in my mind as if I were shouting a spell. Then naturally, my expression became normal, that I couldn’t believe it myself, and the impatience hid behind me.
“I didn’t know you’d keep it. Thank you.”
“How can I throw it away? There might be something important.”
I blinked at the question as if she spoke out my thoughts.
Perhaps she was waiting for my answer, my mother’s eyes looked cold, and she stood up from her seat, saying it was time to get back to work.
“I have to go back to the capital to work. Ricarda will also be busy today, and Lennox will be by your side since he has time.”
“Sorry, Daphne. I want to stay with you too! But, I have to go to the Hospital for Daphne and learn the magic of treatment from other acquaintances.”
Ricarda pretended to wipe away the tears that did not even flow.
As if he didn’t care about Lennox’s abominable stare, he soon stood up from his seat.
“So, see you in the evening. I’ll go first, Mother!”
With that voice, a magic wand rose on the floor, emitting the light, and Ricarda disappeared.
“…!”
Is that what magic is?
As I’ve been locked up in a nursery, I’ve only heard of this before, but it was the first time I saw it in person.
With her eyes wide open like a rabbit, she only looked at the place where Ricarda disappeared and soon, came to her senses and shifted her gaze, when her mother spoke.
“Well, I’ll go, too. I’ll see you at dinner time.”
My mother strode over and stroked my head gently.
And, like when we first met, she disappeared from here with a mysterious smoke.
“…wow.”
I couldn’t hide my feelings from the strange scenes, so I opened my mouth and stared at the place that she had disappeared from.
‘Magic, I finally feel like the world that I was living now has changed.’
Since I lived as an orphan even in my previous life, be it past or present life, I had suffered the same difficulty, so it was a world that was no different. Now, after I finally felt like I’m living in a different world, my heart is pounding and fluttering for no reason.
“Ricarda is an excellent wizard, and mother is a Mage(1*). They both have strong mana, and they deal very well with their strengths.”
While I was in awe, Lennox, who had already cleared the bowl, stood by the clean table looking at me and stroked my head.
“They’re outstanding people, and you could be like that.”
“…What about Lennox? Is Lennox a wizard?”
“Well, I’m not a wizard.”
Lennox hesitated for a moment, fiddling with his hair, and smiled with an ashamed expression.
“I’m an alchemist. I make potions, or invent mysterious things … I do such things.”
It was only then that he looked like a boy of that age that blushed out of proportion, perhaps because of the enormous amount of shame that came in.
“If its potions, is Lennox making my medicine, too?”
“I’m just making what Ricarda asked for.”
“Wow….”
That’s something great. Why is he so ashamed?
Lennox blushed even more, so I decided to stop asking him questions out of consideration. When the question was over, Lennox opened his arms as if he had been waiting.
“Now, shall we go back to the room?”
“…..”
I hesitated for a moment when Lennox raised his arm and tried to lift me up, and then, he paused momentarily.
“What’s wrong? Do you… not want to be held?”
“No, It’s not that, I don’t want to go back to my room yet…”
My mother didn’t tell me not to leave the room so I can ask him a favor, right?
“I want to look around because it’s the place I’m going to live from now on.”
The most important thing is to get as much information as possible. In my situation, the more information, the better. My mother told me to do only two things, but knowing the story, I know what future is about to come.
‘The male lead of the second part will soon appear.’
I need a complete picture of my situation before the story begins. I clenched my fists and looked up at Lennox.
“Can’t you?”
I don’t know if he felt my solemn eyes, but Lennox nodded seriously with a stiff look. With his approval, I raised my arms a little and embraced him, as I did, before the meal.
“You’re right. You have to know the house you’re going to live in the future. If you have a favor to ask, don’t look around and just be honest.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I’m going to take a quick look at this house since I’ve got clear permission.
Without even knowing that Lennox was looking at me, my eyes glistened brightly.
* * *
“You came to the basement in the main street, right? This is the private house that connects to it.”
This must have been a different place than where I came from.
“There’s an official office of the merchant’s group at the capital.”
“Then, where are we?”
Lennox smiled without answering my question and pulled the curtains in front of him.
“…forest?”
With green trees and chirpy birds, you wouldn’t even think of this as winter.
And on one side of the yard, there was a small garden full of colorful flowers.
“Where are we really??”
To call it a forest, it’s far from the season, and to call it capital, it’s far from the people.
As I frowned and looked around the window, Lennox held me up again, worried that I might fall.
“As you said, the forest is right. It’s Ricarda’s work. Protective magic, non-identifiable magic, and hidden magic are spread out together.”
“Why in the forest?”
“Mother doesn’t like loud noises very much. Well, as a location, it’s for life…”
Lennox was speaking softly and suddenly stopped.
“…Lennox?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s because my mother likes the scenery of the forest. It also protects her privacy.”
“Then what about going to the capital from here?”
Mother and Ricarda seem to go with magic, but Lennox?
When asked about the curious question, Lennox went up to the second floor by taking the stairs connected to the room.
“This is my mother’s office.”
Mother was not here because she had already gone to work in the capital. When I opened the door of the Oval Office, I could see a great number of books piled up on the desk, and a large clock on the wall.
“If you go here in front of the clock, you’ll see the magic hanged by Ricarda. It’s only available to authorized personnel.”
“So, it’s only for Lennox?”
“Not only me, but also my mother, my mother’s secretary, and a tearful uncle.”
Well, it makes sense for the secretary, but who’s the tearful uncle?
When I made a puzzled look, Lennox smiled.
“After staying together, you’ll see each other someday. When Ricarda comes back later, let’s ask him to register Daphne, too?”
“Yes, I like it.”
Along with the voice, Lennox slowly showed me the house.
The three-floor house was a little smaller than the size of the main nursery, but it was large enough for the three members to live in.
‘Even with a spare room, three or four would be quite expensive.’
Even if they are commoners, they are not the same commoners.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary house, but if you look closely, it wasn’t necessarily like that. Even in my ignorant eyes, the shiny materials on the walls and floors looked luxurious.
‘I guess money is the best.’
It was an inevitable choice, but it was also a good thing to come here. I looked around the house and nodded in satisfaction.
“I love the house. Unlike the places I’ve lived, it’s so pretty and my room is nice.”
“Your room?”
We had a light sandwich together, and Lennox, at my words wondered what I was saying.
‘…Isn’t that my room?’
I recalled that neat room where I had opened my eyes in the morning.
Warm sunshine, soft bedding, and clean walls and ceilings.
‘It wasn’t mine, either.’
Yes, how could I have such a nice room?
It was a very nice room to give to the first person they met yesterday.
I should be grateful for the fact that they let me stay here and be the successor, even if it’s just words.
‘Come to think about it, I asked her to allow me to be a successor proudly in front of Lennox and Ricarda.’
I don’t think they liked it either…
Was it because I was a child that I was easily relieved because of their kindness?
Strangely, I knew it was obvious.
I bit my lips tightly and tightened my eyes just in case tears would fall down.
I won’t even allow a single drop of tears.
You shouldn’t be crying here.
With my head down, I touched the sandwich in my hand for no reason, pretending not to cry, pretending to be okay.
This used to make my tears go in, so this time too… It’ll go in.
“The place you were in, was the guest room. This is a secret…”
When I looked at Lennox, who didn’t notice my gaze, I could hear the sound of him passing by and looking around.
There was no one around, and after looking around for a long time for the thing that bothered him, he carefully lowered his head and whispered in my ear.
“Your room is decorated separately by mother. It’s a much better room compared to the guest room.”
Lennox’s friendly words were incredibly warm. To the extent that I think this situation is a dream.