Chapter 9

Mother’s terrible love of magic was so powerful that it overwhelmed Teacher, who is called the greatest wizard since the founding of the country.

Thanks to this, I had the authority to meet His Majesty at any time, and with some resolution, I wrote a message to the Imperial Palace.

However, it was Leopold, not a servant who came with the reply in his hand, who knocked on the door late.

His visit was even more disconcerting since he sent a message early in the afternoon saying he was sorry that he would not be able to join me for dinner.

I fixed my expression and looked up at him with a questioning look. I guess he really had a lot of work, because his face was completely tired. It would be much better if I could just put mana on my fingertips and sweep his cheeks. But the person who’s leaving shouldn’t come forward first and be friendly…….

“Fortunately, you’re not sleeping yet.”

Leopold raised the corners of his mouth. The smile felt so beautiful that I was speechless and turned my head away. However, a letter with an imperial seal appeared under my gaze. Once again, panicked, I made eye contact with him again.

“I heard you asked the Emperor to meet you.”

“……You’re quick to hear the news.”

“No one has a heavy mouth. They just told me to enter the palace tomorrow afternoon.”

“Okay, thanks for the message.”

I intercepted the letter as if I had taken it away and turned my eyes to the air. He’ll understand this means ‘get out of here’. He’s a quick witted person.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Contrary to my expectations, however, Leopold stood still and asked a strange question.

I’m starting to feel confident in the assumption that he may be a completely different person from the past. Wasn’t Leopold Lawrence the only one who wouldn’t be curious about me no matter what I did?

“It’s nothing. Listen to His Majesty later.”

“If you don’t want to talk, I will.”

Is it my fault that I couldn’t completely calm down my emotions or his fault that he didn’t know anything about the past yet he kept clinging to me, answering like a gentle sheep, as if I didn’t know that it’s not his fault that he didn’t know anything. A meaningless question lingers in my head.

It was the moment I thought I should get him out of this room.

“I’d like to borrow your hand for a moment.”

“Hand?”

Surprised by the sudden request, I asked back, but without giving me time to answer, he gently lifted my left hand as if he was escorting it.

Soon a white platinum ring with a round amethyst, which resembled the color of my eyes, was slowly inserted into my index finger.

“I thought it’d look good on you.”

I couldn’t find anything to say, so I stared at my fingers. He said calmly, as if he had understood the silent question.

“I wanted to give you presents one after another. Please accept it.”

There was a short kiss on the back of the hand before it could be dried.

“Good night, Hazel.”

Leopold quietly left the room, leaving me completely frozen behind, leaving me in a daze that seemed to melt my stiff heart.

How long have I been standing like that?

When I felt my legs hurt, I lay down on the bed like I was falling down and stretched my arms in the air. Light came through my fingers and made a shadow. In the darkness, the ring shone so brightly that it felt holy. The mysterious violet wavering in the middle of the ring felt much more unrealistic than returning to the past.

‘Peter, did my husband lose his wedding ring?’

‘Don’t worry, madam, he always has it with him.’

Since sharing rings with each other at the wedding, I’ve never seen the ring in his hand. I couldn’t bear to ask my husband directly, so I peeked at Peter with words passing by, but only that answer came back as if he had planned it in advance.

I thought that if I found out the truth, my hurt heart would rot completely, so I thought I should keep mine well.

I used to, but now, in his hand that was touching my hand…… The wedding ring was glittering. While the first thing I did as soon as I came to my senses here was to take off my ring.

What was he thinking, putting another ring on my empty hand? I wonder if he was hurt a little like I was in the past. Or maybe he didn’t care much because he was indifferent.

The latter must be highly credible because he did not say much while looking at my clean hands.

After examining Leopold’s mind for a long time, I stood up and went to the front of the dressing table. And I opened the drawer and took out the ring inside the deepest part.

Because I didn’t want to guess his mind any more.

The day of the meeting with the Emperor passed much more smoothly than expected.

When I said I wanted to help the residents of Pojeta suffering from the pirate attack, he gladly gave me an identification card, which was a unique bracelet-shaped object. The emperor’s seal is repeatedly engraved on the metal the width of two fingers, and all nobles in the empire, especially merchants in Gaza and large cities, share certain patterns engraved on their identity cards. For example, when purchasing food and beverages or goods, if you show this card, the amount was charged to the imperial court.

‘I can use this. In return, spare your powers for the Empire instead.’

For a moment, I was excited to receive warm encouragement and strong support, and before the dinner with Mother, I entered a state of tension again.

Mrs. Lawrence, the Duke’s wife and my guardian, was a very caring and loving person. Of course, to be exact, she had appreciation toward my talent rather than my existence, but there was little difference to me. Anyway, she was the one who saved me and Jayden, who were dying.

Looking back, there are only words to describe what happened at that time as a real miracle.

In late autumn, when the harvest was over, I was on my way back to the forest without getting food due to the heavy rain. I knew Jayden would be waiting alone in the damp cave, but hunger and cold were too harsh for a ragged child. In the end, I couldn’t walk much and the bottom of a large tree collapsed as if it was my grave.

What is still questionable is how Mother found a small, dirty child in the dark and gloomy forest. The child who couldn’t move her legs at all. It was not the hunting season, and it was a place where people could not reach at all, and it rained heavily that day.

I asked her once in person, but the only answer that came back was that God’s grace reached me.

What I remembered at least was a light hand holding me, but the Duke’s servants were countless, which did little to solve my curiosity.

Anyway, when I opened my eyes a long time later, I honestly thought it was heaven. It is because I was surrounded by clean blankets, soft pajamas, and fluffy beds that I had never enjoyed in my life.

Among them, the most heavenly thing I thought was the sweet voice of Mother that I had dreamed of.

‘Child, are you awake?’

‘…… Jayden, I…… Wait, wait…….’

When I couldn’t speak properly because I was suffering from a terrible fever, a caring touch swept my hair and relieved me.

‘I brought him with me. Don’t worry and try to sleep more.’

Even at a young age, I closed my eyes thinking that this end was quite happy. I cried because I was overwhelmed when I realized that I had a better life than the last after my fever went down.

Mrs. Lawrence stood by like a real mother until I was completely restored to life. I was just happy and grateful for how she thought of taking care of the two orphans all the time with her uncomfortable legs.

Things have changed a little since time passed and I realized that my magic is not the same as before.

My mother completely stopped paying attention to me, but I wasn’t too disappointed because it was natural. It was enough to save me, and she was already full of grace to take care of me for more than 10 years.

Rather, I died first without being able to repay her, so how vain I must have been. I’ll make sure to fix her legs completely in this life.

“I’ve been waiting.”

When I entered the dining room, an elegant smile that I always wanted to resemble welcomed me.

The longing for the existence of a mother used to be completely forgotten with that sweet smile. Sometimes I feel fortunate to be born as an orphan.

As such, Mrs. Lawrence cared about me.

“I didn’t know you were here first.”

It’s been a while since I saw my Mother again, so I was a little choked up. Thanks to Leopold, patience became my specialty, so if it wasn’t for him, I would have shed a tear.

“It’s time for me to stay. Now that the duke has a new mistress.”

“How dare I, who knows nothing, become the hostess right away.”

Who would have criticized me for being humble or saying things that I didn’t mean?

“You can learn what you don’t know. Hazel is smart, so you’ll do well soon.”

She smiled softly and offered a meal.

As always, we shared social news like a normal mother and daughter, and the flow of conversation went to the Duke’s household.

“……so, Peter will tell you a few things soon. Make sure you learn well.”

I carefully opened my mouth while looking at the atmosphere.

“Well, actually, I have a favor to ask of Mother for that.”

Instead of answering, two round eyes returned. This was quite a response, because she always took care of me first so that I wouldn’t feel short.

“Let’s hear it.”

I cleaned up my mouth once and spoke seriously.

“I was wondering if Mother would continue to play the role of the Duchess.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to find a way to completely fix Mother’s leg.”

My conscience hurt a little, but it was the best excuse for me to leave the Duke’s house without awkwardness. Of course, I meant it.

“No matter how good I am, I have no experience in treatment as much as my teacher. If I take care of more injured people, I may find a cure faster. In addition, the duke still needs his mother.”

“……you have a point.”

A soft smile had turned into her serious face before I knew it.