Chapter 32

“Mother, they say I can get better!”  

“…What do you mean?”  

At Penelope’s words, Isabella looked at Lia. Her gaze demanded an immediate explanation.  

“I’m sorry, Duchess Dowager. I checked Lady Penelope’s condition.”  

“Why apologize? You’re trying to help me.”  

Penelope defended Lia and explained what had happened while Isabella was away.  

Even after hearing everything, Isabella remained skeptical. It was only natural. Lia wasn’t a certified expert. When she treated the village child, Johann was with her, but he didn’t remember it now.  

Lia asked the Duchess Dowager to wait a moment, then went to Rafaella’s room to retrieve her potion notebook.  

“What’s this?”  

“It’s a notebook where I’ve written down the effects and recipes of potions I’ve learned from my grandmother since I was young and those I’ve created myself.”  

“Does it contain the cure for Penelope’s illness?”  

“Yes.”  

Isabella slowly leafed through the notebook. She wasn’t knowledgeable about potions, but she could sense the effort and care put into it. The detailed and thorough notes made her feel sorry for having spoken so harshly before.  

“It’s a very precious notebook.”  

Isabella murmured as she read. Her trust in Lia seemed to grow a little.  

“This is the section about the cure for the illness.”  

Lia turned a few more pages in the notebook Isabella held and explained.  

“…Dewflower?”  

Isabella pointed to the section marked with a star.  

“The Dewflower is the key ingredient for this cure.”  

“Where can this flower be found? I’ll send someone to fetch it immediately.”  

“Oh, it only blooms on the mountain in my village.”  

“Only where you live?”  

“Yes. It blooms year-round on Lorem Mountain, but it needs to be hit by the strong northern rain to be effective.”  

Lia showed Isabella the drawing of the Dewflower in the notebook.  

“Before it gets wet, it’s just an ordinary flower, but once it’s soaked, it absorbs water, and the petals become very plump.”  

It was a flower her grandmother had shown her when she was young. Her grandmother had said it was a rare flower that only bloomed on Lorem Mountain in the north. They had experimented with it out of curiosity, but back then, they didn’t know it was effective for anything other than hydration.  

“Amazing.”  

“You have to harvest the flower in that state to maintain the plump petals.”  

“Then we’ll have to time it with the rain and send someone from the Ducal household….”  

“Um, the Dewflower colony is hard for outsiders to find, and there’s a specific way to pick them, so I think I’ll have to go myself.”  

After finishing her conversation with the Duchess Dowager, Lia returned to the room with Rafaella. Before leaving, Isabella granted Rafaella permission to visit Penelope on the fourth floor anytime. Rafaella and Penelope were delighted, holding hands in joy.  

When they returned, Rafaella’s room had been transformed into a bright space, as if a spring fairy lived there.  

‘I didn’t notice earlier because I only took the notebook….’  

“Wow, Mom, there are flowers here!”  

Rafaella pointed to the pink flowers drawn on the sofa fabric in the drawing room.  

‘It looks like a completely different room.’  

The curtains had been replaced with a light pink that felt airy, and all the decorations had been changed to match the spring theme. The carpet on the floor was the same. The heavy canopy that adorned the bed was replaced with lace fabric embroidered with flowers and butterflies. The bedding had also been changed to match the spring, making the bedroom look much fresher.  

Today seemed like a day full of good things from the morning.  

‘From the invitation to the glasshouse to solving Penelope’s treatment issue.’  

For the first time since arriving at the Blumhart Ducal residence, Lia hummed a little tune. She fervently wished that her daughter’s future would be filled with such rosy hues.  

Before going to bed, she looked at Rafaella and moved her lips. After much deliberation, she decided it was important to quickly gather the Dewflower and that it would be best to leave Rafaella at the Ducal residence. Now, the Duchess Dowager and her husband were paying more attention to Rafaella than before, and Penelope was there too.  

‘I’m a little uneasy, but I think I can go with peace of mind.’  

Of course, she needed to get Rafaella’s consent first.  

“Raffy, how was today?”  

“Today was great!”  

“Really?”  

“Yeah! I loved going to the glasshouse, eating dessert, and meeting Aunt Peppy!”  

Rafaella smiled bashfully and hugged Lia.  

“Oh, and the room changing like a new room too!”  

Looking at her joyful daughter, she hesitated before speaking.  

“You know, I have something to tell you.”  

“What is it?”  

The child looked up at her.  

It wasn’t easy to tell Rafaella, who was looking at her with clear eyes, that they would have to be apart for a while.  

“I think I need to go to our village for a bit.”  

“Our village? Is Raffy going too?”  

“No, I have to go alone to get the ingredients for Penelope’s medicine.”  

“Why? I want to go with you.”  

“I have to go quickly, and I think it would be too hard for you to travel back and forth, so it’s better if I go alone.”  

“Alone?”  

Rafaella crossed her arms and turned her head away at those words. Seeing her puffed-up cheeks in anger, Lia felt sorry.  

“I’ll be back soon. If you sleep a few nights, I’ll be right back.”  

“Hmph, I don’t care.”  

“I really want to go with you, but they say the carriage I’m taking might make you sick, so you can’t go.”  

The Duchess Dowager had arranged for a VIP carriage with a speed-enhancing magic stone. Speed-enhancing stones were rare and expensive, making them difficult for even nobles to use easily. However, carriages equipped with speed stones could cause dizziness and headaches in young children, so they couldn’t carry children under 15.  

“…Will you really be back soon?”  

Rafaella, slightly softened by her persuasion and gentle voice, asked while still looking away.  

“Of course, I’ll be back soon. I’ll pick the flowers and come right back.”  

“Then you have to come back really fast.”  

“Yes, I’ll think of you every day and come back quickly.”  

Rafaella turned and hugged Lia tightly.  

‘Raffy, I want to quickly give you a family who will cherish and protect you.’  

She hoped that Penelope, once healed, would fill the void that would soon appear. She felt guilty for wanting to save Penelope not just out of pure intention but also because of this, but she couldn’t help it.  

‘I wish for her to be surrounded by people who care for and love Rafaella.’  

That was her one and only wish.  

Not long after Rafaella fell asleep, she heard the sound of a carriage arriving outside, indicating Johann’s return.  

‘He’s late.’  

Though not as busy as in winter, her husband still seemed occupied with his duties as the Duke of Blumhart. Therefore, the Duchess Dowager and Penelope were all the more necessary for Rafaella.  

She closed her eyes to sleep when someone knocked on the door. Lia put on a thin outer garment and opened the door.  

“…What brings you here?”  

The visitor was Johann.  

“Is Rafaella asleep?”  

“She just fell asleep. Did you come to say goodnight?”  

She asked, half-expecting it.  

“But since she’s asleep, it seems difficult.”  

“Come in and at least stroke her head.”  

“…Can I do that?”  

“Parents usually say goodnight to their sleeping children too.”  

At Lia’s suggestion, Johann went to Rafaella and whispered softly while stroking her head. Though his posture and voice were awkward, it was a significant improvement from when he first arrived. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight.  

“Um, I have something to tell you.”  

Lia called out to her husband, who was about to leave after saying goodnight to their daughter.  

* * *

“Madame, it’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s an honor to see you again!”  

The fashion salon madam, who had accompanied Johann on the Festival of Rest, visited Rafaella’s room.  

“Miss, it’s an honor to see you again.”  

The madam greeted Rafaella and had her assistant lay out various fabrics before them.  

“It’s a bit late to order spring clothes, but what does it matter?”  

Isabella had cut ties with the fashion salon Carolina used and contacted the one they originally dealt with. Madame Evelyn visited the Blumhart Ducal residence with joy and excitement. She held up the fabrics she had brought to Rafaella’s face and asked Lia which colors seemed to suit her. The assistant placed a mirror in front of Rafaella for her to see.  

“That light yellow looks nice, and so does the light green.”  

“Right? How about this sky blue?”  

“That suits Raffy well too.”  

After trying various fabrics on Rafaella, the madam had her assistant take Rafaella’s measurements. Meanwhile, she explained to Lia how many outfits she planned to make.  

“To start, we’ll make ten outdoor dresses for the lady, though you’ll need more next year.”  

She suggested that since spring was passing, it would be best to order just that many.  

“You’ll also need about the same number of indoor dresses for comfort, and eight sets of pajamas, as well as cloaks and capes.”  

Not knowing much about noble young ladies’ clothing, she simply nodded at the madam’s words.  

‘It’ll take some time to make the clothes, so I should be able to see Rafaella in her new dresses when I return.’  

Dresses for her daughter were being made faster than before her return. Though the goddess’s mark was still visible on Rafaella’s neck, things were definitely changing from her previous life.  

“When I saw the young lady on the festival day, I wished to dress her in one of my creations, and my wish is coming true so soon! I couldn’t ask for more this year.”  

Though it seemed exaggerated, Lia found it sincere and couldn’t help but smile. The madam also showed some light accessories suitable for a young noble lady. Lia let Rafaella choose a few she liked.  

“I’ll make sure the young lady can wear her new dresses as soon as possible.”  

“Please don’t overwork yourself….”  

“She’s our most precious guest, so we must make sure she can wear her new dresses quickly, even if it takes extra effort!”  

“…Thank you.”  

“Oh! Miss, have you tried on the dress you ordered last time?”