Chapter 14

The next morning, inside the carriage heading to the imperial palace.  

Johann was reviewing the documents summarizing the agenda for the noble council meeting that would take place today, while Samuel sat opposite him in a straight posture, assisting him.  

As Johann read through the documents, yesterday’s events kept crossing his mind, prompting him to finally look up.  

“…Samuel, let me ask you something.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

“You said you have many younger siblings, didn’t you?”  

“Yes, I have four younger siblings.”  

Samuel, though puzzled by Johann’s sudden question, answered dutifully.  

“…Then you must know how to play with children well.”  

“I know it so well that I’m sick of it.”  

“How does one play with a seven-year-old girl?”  

Good heavens.  

Samuel, while unable to show it in front of his master, was inwardly astonished by Johann’s question.  

The Duke of Blumhart, his master, was always stern, composed, and maintained a certain distance even with his younger sister, treating her with noble decorum.  

‘No matter how much of a contract this is, His Grace is genuinely trying to bond with the young lady.’  

It was undoubtedly a contract with tremendous influence.  

Samuel steadied his surprised heart and began to speak.  

“Your Grace, when dealing with a seven-year-old girl….”  

Samuel earnestly explained how to play with young children, how to make them feel comfortable, what upsets them, and how to cheer them up.  

Although Johann pretended not to be interested, he listened more intently than ever to Samuel’s words.  

‘…I’m only trying to learn this so I don’t have to listen to that woman nagging me.’  

By the time Samuel’s enthusiastic explanation ended, the carriage from the duke’s residence had arrived at the imperial palace.  

Samuel, who was about to stand to open the carriage door, suddenly seemed to recall something and sat back down.  

“Ah! Your Grace.”  

“What is it?”  

“Now that I think about it, the Festival of Rest is coming up soon.”  

“…And?”  

“Your Grace, the festival would be a perfect opportunity to bond with the young lady.”  

The Festival of Rest, held in early March, was a celebration that originated in the first year when the goddess Hecate blessed the founding emperor and the five great dukes with mana, enabling them to successfully subjugate the monsters descending from the Black Mountain Range during winter with minimal casualties.  

On this day, people offered prayers of gratitude to the goddess Hecate for her blessings, expressed their thanks to the knights and mages who risked their lives for the people, and celebrated the safe passage of winter with joy.  

Festivals were held throughout the empire, including the capital, to commemorate the successful subjugation of monsters.  

Nobles granted their servants a holiday after completing only minimal tasks in the morning, allowing them to enjoy the festival. Wealthier noble families even handed out bonuses.  

In the streets, parades and various events centered around marketplaces and squares took place.  

Johann, except for when he was very young, had never truly enjoyed the Festival of Rest.  

For the most part, his participation was limited to events showcasing the Blumhart family as a model for others.  

The only one in the Blumhart household who genuinely enjoyed the festival was Penelope.  

“…The Festival of Rest, huh.”  

Johann understood that, due to the terms of the contract, he needed to bond with his daughter to some extent.  

However, he had never shared anything beyond noble decorum or familial affection with anyone, not even his much younger sister, Penelope, let alone his parents.  

‘…Such things feel awkward and uncomfortable.’  

He still hadn’t fully accepted that the child, who looked exactly like him, was indeed his daughter.  

In that sense, the festival, as Samuel suggested, would undoubtedly be a good opportunity.  

‘The festival will be full of things children love.’  

However, he wasn’t confident about whether he could spend the festival well with Rafaella.  

* * *

“…A festival?”  

“Yes! Don’t you know about the Festival of Rest, which celebrates the safe passage of winter?”  

Paula asked in surprise, looking at Lia.  

“Ah… In the village, we celebrated it on a very small scale.”  

Since the village where she lived was so remote, their celebration was not about commemorating the subjugation of monsters but simply a tradition of modest festivities held every early March.  

‘So it’s not just a simple commemoration but an important national holiday worthy of a festival.’  

For Lia, who had lived in a mountain village far from the Black Mountain Range, the Festival of Rest was merely a day when villagers brought delicious food to share and chat with each other.  

“During the festival, there are parades and events, but for commoners like us, there’s another great event.”  

“What kind of event?”  

“The marketplace sells goods at incredibly discounted prices for that day only!”  

“Really?”  

Lia’s eyes widened.  

“Yes, from daily necessities to clothes, hats, and even jewelry, almost everything is sold at half the usual price.”  

Goodness.  

It wasn’t just a festival; it was a fantastic one.  

‘I definitely need to buy some clothes, at the very least!’  

The clothes Lia had received from the head maid upon arriving at the duke’s residence were now on the verge of falling apart.  

They weren’t new to begin with, just clean, and she had been rotating only three or four outfits all winter.  

She desperately felt the need for new clothes.  

The problem was that she didn’t have a single penny to her name.  

She had given out potions to the servants for free and helped the maids without expecting any reward.  

All of it was to win their hearts, so, naturally, no money came with it.  

She didn’t want to touch the allowance given to her daughter by the duke’s household.  

And borrowing money from Johann or anyone else to buy clothes didn’t sit well with her either.  

How could she gather money to buy clothes for the festival?  

‘Should I make potions and sell them outside?’  

It was as she finished her conversation with Paula and climbed the stairs to return to her room.  

“Miss Lia!”  

The head maid called out to her from the second-floor hallway.  

As the head maid approached, Lia caught the scent of the hand moisturizer she had made last time.  

“Miss Carolina is calling for you.”  

“…What?”  

Lia’s expression immediately hardened.  

She had worked so hard to avoid her all winter, so why was she suddenly being summoned?  

Ignoring Lia’s stiffened face, the head maid practically dragged her to the glasshouse where Carolina was waiting.  

Carolina was enjoying a leisurely afternoon in her favorite glasshouse at the duke’s residence.  

A warm wet towel covered her eyes, and her feet were soaking in a luxurious basin filled with roses.  

A maid was massaging her feet.  

She looked like someone enjoying life in the mansion more than its actual owners.  

The head maid brought Lia close to Carolina.  

“You may leave now.”  

Carolina dismissed the maid massaging her feet.  

She picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.  

When Carolina spat out the now-cold tea and furrowed her brow slightly, the head maid hurriedly left the glasshouse to fetch fresh tea.  

Sitting arrogantly in her chair, Carolina spoke without inviting Lia to sit.  

“I hear you can make potions?”  

“…Yes.”  

“There’s quite a buzz about it among the servants.”  

‘Did she call me here to pick a fight about my potion-making?’  

Lia swallowed nervously.  

“…They say even a clumsy worm has its own tricks. Anyway, my tooth has been hurting lately.”  

Carolina rubbed her cheek with her hand.  

She had loved sweet foods since she was young.  

Even as she grew older, her taste didn’t change; if anything, she craved sweets even more.  

The stress of being expelled from the Marquisate of Sprecher likely contributed to her increased consumption of sweets.  

Moreover, she found brushing her teeth bothersome, only doing it once in the morning and once before bed.  

It was no surprise that her teeth had started to suffer.  

“Even when treated by a healing mage, the pain only subsides temporarily….”  

Carolina frowned slightly from the pain and gave Lia a meaningful look.  

“…And the potions available are all useless and ineffective….”  

“…I see.”  

Lia observed Carolina, who was circling around the main point without getting to it.  

‘So what does she want? Is she asking me to make her a potion?’  

Carolina’s uncharacteristically indirect approach was almost amusing, making Lia want to laugh.  

“…Are you just going to stand there and say nothing while I’m pouring my heart out about my pain?”  

Unable to directly ask for help, Carolina clearly wanted Lia to offer assistance instead.  

It was shameless, considering how Carolina had treated Lia in the past.  

‘I’m not some mage employed by the duke’s household. Why does she act like she owns me?’  

Lia had no intention of volunteering her help, so she simply stood there silently.  

Annoyed by Lia’s lack of response, Carolina gulped down the tea the head maid had just brought.  

It seemed to be a tea meant to ease toothache.  

“Are you really that oblivious, or are you just pretending to be? Do I have to explicitly ask if you can make a toothache remedy?”  

“…A toothache remedy?”  

“Yes. Can you make it or not?”  

“I can, but….”  

“But what?”  

Carolina retorted sharply.  

“There are rare ingredients needed for it, unlike other potions.”  

“There’s no such thing as rare ingredients that the Blumhart household can’t procure.”  

Carolina, her eyes filled with anticipation, stood from her chair and approached Lia.  

“So, you can make it, right?”  

“Yes, if I have the ingredients.”  

“Then I’ll have the ingredients brought immediately, so make it.”  

It wasn’t a request; it was a command.