Chapter 29
“……It looked like veins. Like blood.”
With Iba’s words, silence settled over the room. I could sense Hartman trying not to look at me.
Dorian stroked his chin.
“Then…….”
I knew exactly who Dorian was thinking about. Well, considering that Scarlet had used that rock, it wasn’t hard to guess. The new rock contained Hiram’s blood.
Then perhaps the person from seven centuries ago was the woman who had appeared in the dream.
Iba continued.
“But recently, one of them was much more unstable. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact difference……”
“It must have been heated,” I said.
“Yes. How did you, my lady……?”
At that moment, Iba fell silent. I was certain that everyone present was imagining the same scene.
The wide-spread network of vein-like patterns, and Lewin drifting down like feathers over it.
“I feel like I’ve met the owner of the blood in that rock.”
I told Iba and Hartman about meeting Hiram.
“That’s remarkable.”
Iba’s reaction was more composed than I expected. Only Hartman, standing beside her, rolled his eyes and glanced between Dorian and me.
“I understand why the blood reacted with that rock. They say that blood is the only part of the body that contains a soul, and the soul possesses mana receptivity and sensitivity.”
“Is that true?”
So, even in Korea, I had been exceptionally sensitive to mana.
If I had been able to use magic, I wouldn’t have needed so much time to close the café. Cleaning, dishes—all would have been done in a flash.
Ah, I probably wouldn’t have had to work part-time at all.
While I was realizing this new truth about life, Iba shrugged her shoulders.
“No one knows for sure if there’s an actual soul, but based on experiments with rocks, it seems somewhat possible.”
“But we’ve never heard of a mana user having characteristics like ‘blood’ before.”
Hartman had pointed out a really important point. I nodded eagerly. Dorian tilted his head slightly to the right, deep in thought, then finally spoke.
“There might be information in the Mage Tower.”
“The Mage Tower?”
“They record all existing mana wavelengths. Perhaps they’ve even recorded mana wavelengths from seven centuries ago.”
“But would the Mage Tower help us?”
Dorian fell silent at my question. The Mage Tower belonged to the royal family and its location was not widely known.
Hiram and Scarlet were on the Emperor’s side, so it didn’t seem like we could get information there.
In other novels, the Emperor and the Mage Tower often clash, but why is it like this here?
As I grumbled internally, Hartman suddenly raised a finger as if recalling something.
“I believe there’s a passage connecting the Mage Tower to the Rembrandt Academy.”
“The Rembrandt Academy?”
I repeated the name of my old school without thinking. Hartman nodded.
“The Magic Department at Rembrandt Academy is well-regarded. Word even reached our department.”
I learned something I hadn’t known before—Hartman and I were alumni.
I couldn’t help but exclaim:
“Sir Hartman, you went to Rembrandt?”
Hartman scratched his head awkwardly at my outburst. His blond hair, slightly faded in the moonlight, was tousled.
“Yes. I’m from the Rembrandt Swordsmanship Department. You’re probably surprised because of my mischievous personality.”
I silently turned to Dorian. He looked stiff with surprise, as if his neck might snap.
Dorian cleared his throat.
“I hadn’t mentioned it, but Sir Hartman is also from Rembrandt.”
“The Swordsmanship Department……?”
“Oh, right. My lady, you’re also from Rembrandt! Didn’t know, huh?”
Iba, who had been folding her arms until now, quickly unfolded them and exclaimed. Her chocolate-brown hair swayed, and she smelled of lilies. I blinked, still surprised.
“Then we might have met on campus?”
“No, that’s not the case. I graduated in the 108th class at Rembrandt.”
“Excuse me?”
Unlike other academies, Rembrandt Academy had a fixed admission age. Since I was in the 112th class, this meant Hartman was four years older than me.
Hartman, really?
“Excuse me, Sir Hartman, may I ask your age……?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Then Iba is……?”
“I’m twenty-four as well.”
Iba said with a full smile on her face. I couldn’t believe it. I had assumed they were older than me.
“I see…….”
“Ah, treat us as juniors, as usual! We are vassals, after all. Even Your Highness, having grown up with us, now treats us as dukes. Of course, when you followed us around calling us elder sisters or brothers as kids, you were very cute…….”
“You were very cute……”
“……”
Both of them suddenly lit up, lost in thought. They seemed to be recalling a past that would never return. Dorian wore a deliberately uncomfortable expression but said nothing.
“Anyway, we need to go to Rembrandt Academy. It works out since we have something to check there.”
When I go to Rembrandt Academy, I’ll also see if the Crown Prince remains. That way, I can directly confirm if he’s real and if Hiram and the Crown Prince are entirely different people.
“It’s good timing anyway; I was going to show my face for sponsorship purposes, so it works out.”
Dorian spoke, crossing his legs. He rested his white-gloved hand on his knee. His eyes glimmered a crimson red.
Naturally, I thought we would go to the academy soon after Dorian said that. But things didn’t move that quickly.
“So many procedures……”
I said, watching Lewin carefully stacking his wooden tower. Iba shrugged at my words.
“It’s not like we can just go there. We have to avoid raising suspicion from the royal family, so it takes a bit longer.”
Yet several weeks had already passed. I stirred sugar into my teacup lazily.
“What’s the pretext?”
“They say it’s for commoner enrollment.”
Iba replied lightly. That reminded me of the children at our old school who I had forgotten.
Ah, they’re trying to enroll those kids at Rembrandt.
Well, I have nothing to say then.
I sipped the now slightly sweet tea. Just as Lewin’s wooden castle collapsed, he came over to us. I held out an éclair to the child.
Lewin took the éclair with both hands and stuffed it in his mouth. His cheeks puffed up adorably.
“Strangely peaceful.”
I said, sensing the fragrance filling the tea. Usually it was flower tea, but this time it was regular Earl Grey. Bergamot, is that a fruit?
The sugar melted in the sweet tea. If there was milk, I would have poured some in.
I licked my lips.
“Oh, by the way, there was a letter.”
“To me?”
“To the Duke. Judging by Manuel’s expression, something might happen soon.”
Manuel was Dorian’s aide. I carefully brushed off the éclair crumbs Lewin dropped.
“I don’t want anything to happen……”
“Well, it might be nothing. The Duke has always been busy, after all. Ever since he inherited the title.”
Iba handed a small plate of cookies to Lewin. He picked up a cocoa cookie with his tiny hands.
“By the way, was there something between you and the Duke at the ball?”
“Huh?”
I froze, handkerchief in hand. Iba continued casually.
“I noticed a certain awkwardness between you two. I hope nothing happened.”
“……Nothing happened. It’s just the usual distance, I suppose.”
I said as I took another sip of the sweet tea, craving milk.
“Distance?”
“……”
I silently stroked Lewin’s hair. Realizing how much I related to him kept making me forget my place in the story.
Iba, I want to handle only what I can handle.
Watching war documentaries, everyone sympathizes with those in the conflict, but few truly want to step inside and endure the suffering alongside them.
I’m the same. Especially after seeing those scenes in dreams.
I liked children and worked at a kids’ café, but I didn’t want to spend time with them at home.
Saying I could avoid that suffering if I paid attention was a very irresponsible thing to say.
“Lewin, do you want more cookies?”
“Yes.”
Lewin nodded at my words. I pulled the plate closer to him.
It felt oddly familiar. Suddenly, I remembered something I had forgotten.
‘Does Lewin remember the train accident?’
So much happened at the ball that I had completely forgotten. I glanced at Lewin and spoke to Iba.
“Iba, I want to be alone with our son for a while. Can you step aside?”
“Excuse me?”
Iba looked surprised. It would have been better to tell her first, but the situation didn’t allow it.
She tilted her head, then readily agreed.
“I’ll be nearby. If you need me, ring the bell.”
Iba smiled and left. Sorry, Iba! I know you enjoy your time with Lewin too, and I felt guilty.
But asking while she was there could make Lewin uncomfortable. If he closed off again, it would be a problem.
As soon as Iba left, I hugged Lewin tightly. He had been eating a cookie, yet he didn’t fuss, pressing his face into my arms.
The warm, soft weight always reassured me. I asked the child, who smelled faintly of milk:
“Lewin.”
“Mm?”
“……Are you okay?”
When it came time to speak, I didn’t know how to start. After hesitating, I finally said this. Lewin looked at me curiously. I continued, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“You know, Mommy will always be by your side. So don’t be scared, okay?”
“……Mm.”
The child squirmed in my arms. I wanted to ask if he remembered the accident, if he knew I wasn’t his real mother, and what he recalled about it.
But how could I ask that on a day like this, while he was eating cookies?
‘I’m terrible at child psychology…….’
In the end, I realized the only solution was to stay with him and reassure him until he spoke first.
Since we won’t be leaving the Duke’s residence for a while, I should find indoor games to keep him occupied.
What did I play with as a child again?
