Chapter 45

‘Calling him Hart… I must be crazy!’  

Lia had dozed off while Johann was in the bathroom.  

During her nap, she had a dream.  

It was a dream of the happy times she had spent here with her husband and daughter.  

Then, she woke up at the sound of someone approaching.  

Seeing her husband’s vivid figure before her eyes, she thought she was still dreaming and unconsciously called him by his old name.  

He had let his hair down, unlike usual, and was wearing clothes reminiscent of that time, which momentarily confused her.  

‘Even if I was dreaming, how could I say that?’  

Embarrassed that she had called him ‘Hart’ out loud, she couldn’t even meet his eyes and retreated into her room.  

Leaning against the door, she let out a sigh.  

“I’m crazy, I’m crazy.”  

How long had she been berating herself?  

Knock, knock, knock.  

“Sorry, but we need to head to Winster soon.”  

“…Ah, yes.”  

Lia lightly slapped her cheeks twice and opened the door.  

Johann waited silently as Lia packed her belongings, acting as if nothing had happened.  

Once she was ready, carrying the large pouch filled with Dewflowers, he took the lead.  

Before leaving, Lia took one last look at the cabin.  

‘I guess I’ll only come back here when I’m sick. Take care until then.’  

On their way down the mountain, she stopped by Alma and Raul to bid farewell.  

Alma was disappointed that she was leaving so soon but gave her a tight hug before letting her go.  

‘I don’t know how sad and angry Alma will be when she sees me return sick….’  

Silently apologizing in her heart, Lia descended the mountain with Johann.  

They walked quietly all the way to Winster without exchanging a word.  

‘It feels even more awkward because of what happened earlier.’  

It wasn’t until they arrived at the inn in Winster that they finally broke their silence.  

Though, even then, they only spoke to Harry.  

Johann took Harry to a room and explained the plan moving forward.  

“…So, Your Grace, you will use that magic to travel to the Ducal Estate with Miss Lia, while I drive the carriage with the mage to the estate?”  

“That’s right. And take care of this, too.”  

Johann handed Harry the pouch containing the Dewflowers.  

While teleportation magic could transport objects as well, Johann was concerned that the strong magic might damage the delicate flowers. They decided to transport them in the carriage instead.  

Thanks to the preservation magic cast on the pouch, there was no need to worry about the flowers wilting.  

“Don’t worry about the mage or the flowers, Your Grace.”  

Dorothea arrived around dinnertime.  

Harry, being sociable and talkative, quickly became friendly with her.  

Lia was surprised to learn that Dorothea had been camping in the forest.  

“If I’d known earlier, I would’ve invited you to stay with us. Wasn’t it hard in the cold?”  

“Hard? Not at all. I’ve been living outdoors for almost 20 years now.”  

Dorothea replied while eating a piece of meat with her fork. 

After finishing their hearty dinner, Lia and Johann stood up from their seats.  

“Sir Harry, we’ll head off first. Please escort her safely.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

Harry stood up and bowed to Johann.  

As for Dorothea, who didn’t know why they were traveling separately, Harry would probably come up with a reasonable excuse.  

“Sir Harry, Dorothea, see you in the Capital.”  

“Yes, Miss Lia.”  

“Alright, Lia. See you in the Capital.”  

With those parting words, Johann left the inn with Lia.  

He led her to a dark, deserted area on the outskirts of town.  

“This should do.”  

Standing in the pitch-black darkness where it was impossible to tell if anyone was around, Johann extended his hand to Lia.  

‘Why is he suddenly holding out his hand?’  

Lia looked at his hand, puzzled.  

“What are you waiting for? Take it.”  

“…Ah.”  

It dawned on her that she needed to hold his hand for the teleportation magic.  

Frustrated by how slowly her hand approached his, he grabbed her hand as if to snatch it.  

Startled, she felt like an innocent young lady holding a man’s hand for the first time.  

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”  

“It’s not that….”  

She wanted to avoid any physical contact with him as much as possible while staying at the Ducal Estate.  

Regardless of her resentment and hatred, physical warmth often softened people’s hearts.  

Her already unsettled emotions from earlier grew even more chaotic as their hands touched.  

His large, rough hand, hardened with calluses befitting a knight, felt warm despite his otherwise cold demeanor.  

‘This is why I didn’t even want to brush fingertips with him.’  

Even though she understood the necessity for teleportation magic, she still didn’t like it.  

Holding her hand in one of his, Johann grasped a healing mana stone in his other hand and began drawing a magic circle with his long index finger.  

Lia, witnessing a high-level magic circle being drawn for the first time, couldn’t take her eyes off his fingers.  

‘Wow, it’s my first time seeing a magic circle being drawn.’  

Once Johann completed the magic circle and inscribed the coordinates of the Ducal Estate within it, a white light enveloped them before Lia could even process what was happening.  

***

Experiencing teleportation for the first time, Lia stumbled as she landed.  

Johann supported her with his strong arm, preventing her from falling.  

She was dumbfounded by the teleportation magic that had transported them in an instant.  

‘Just a moment ago, we were on the outskirts of Winster….’  

Now, however, she was standing in an elegantly decorated bedroom.  

‘Did we arrive at the Blumhart Ducal Estate? So quickly?’  

The aftereffects of the long-distance teleportation made her feel nauseous.  

Unaware that she was leaning almost entirely into Johann’s arms, she didn’t even realize her position.  

“Are you feeling very dizzy?”  

“…A little. Let me stay like this for a moment.”  

Back when Arthur, the former Knight Commander, used long-distance teleportation, he had been fine.  

Johann hadn’t immediately realized that Arthur was a trained warrior, while Lia, no matter how strong, was an ordinary person.  

He only understood after waiting for her to recover.  

Once she felt a bit better, he helped her sit on the edge of the bed.  

“…Sorry, this is more disorienting than I expected.”  

Still holding her head, Lia apologized.  

After drinking a glass of warm water, she finally began to feel better.  

“I didn’t expect it to be this difficult for you.”  

“Well, considering we traveled such a long distance in an instant, it’s to be expected.”  

Feeling more clear-headed, Lia stood up from the bed.  

“As I mentioned earlier, until Harry’s carriage arrives, you’ll be staying here.”  

Johann led her to the drawing room.  

“Officially, you haven’t arrived at the Ducal Estate yet.”  

“Yes.”  

“I’ll bring Rafaella here, so sit and rest for a moment.”  

He gestured towards the sofa in the drawing room.  

“Raffy must be asleep, though.”  

“Rafaella sleeps so soundly that she wouldn’t wake up even if someone carried her.”  

He spoke casually and left with Samuel.  

Fortunately, Rafaella wasn’t asleep.  

Humming a tune, she clung to her father as he carried her.  

When they arrived at Johann’s room, Rafaella immediately jumped out of his arms and ran to Lia.  

“Mom!”  

Throwing herself into her mother’s arms, Rafaella let out a joyful cry.  

Buried in the embrace she had missed so much, the child didn’t let go for a long time.  

Lia felt the same way.  

Samuel subtly tilted his head upward, swallowing his tears at the touching reunion.  

Tears welled up in Lia’s eyes as she looked at her daughter.  

They seemed ready to fall at any moment.  

Johann couldn’t take his eyes off those tears, finding them strangely bothersome.  

‘Why does that woman keep bothering me?’  

After holding Rafaella tightly for a long time, Lia gently lifted her daughter in her arms and stood up.  

“Where should I sleep?”  

“You and Rafaella can use my bed.” 

“…What?”  

It was too much. She felt like she was kicking the rightful owner out of his own room.  

“I can sleep on the sofa….”  

“Then Rafaella will want to sleep there with you, won’t she?”  

“…Where will you sleep, Your Grace?”  

“I can sleep anywhere, so don’t worry. Spend the night here with Rafaella and catch up.”  

Before she could say anything more, he left with Samuel, mentioning he’d return to the room around dawn.  

“Mom, Mom!”  

“Yes, Raffy. I heard you were very sick.”  

Still dazed by Johann’s generosity, Lia snapped back to reality at her daughter’s voice.  

“I’m fine now! Dad stayed by my side every day.”  

“…Really?”  

She hadn’t heard about that.  

Had he really taken care of Rafaella all day, every day?  

‘How could a man who used to be so cold change this much in such a short time?’  

Lia glanced at the goddess’s mark on her daughter’s neck.  

It remained as vivid as ever.  

‘Is this still not enough? Or perhaps….’  

She sighed softly and led her daughter into her husband’s bedroom.  

Rafaella, excited to be on the large bed with her mother, bounced up and down on it.  

“Raffy, you shouldn’t jump on Dad’s bed.”  

Lia gently stopped the child.  

She changed into the pajamas Samuel had brought and lay down on the bed with Rafaella.  

The child quietly lay on the bed, resting her face against her mother’s chest.  

“Raffy, Mom feels really sorry.”  

“Why?”  

“Because I made you worry about me and hurt your heart.”  

“I’m all better now, so it’s okay, Mom.”  

The child thought of her mother’s feelings once again.  

That made Lia’s heart ache.  

“Raffy, Mom wants to see you who says everything you want to say rather than who’s just being good.”  

Lia gently stroked Rafaella’s cheek.  

“…Can I say everything I want to say?”  

“Of course.”  

“What if I say something that makes you sad, Mom?”  

It was too heartbreaking a question for a child to ask.  

“There’s nothing sadder than not knowing your feelings, so you can say everything, Raffy.”  

“Really? Then I’ll really say everything.”  

“Alright. Say it all.”  

“Then, Mom, don’t leave Raffy behind anymore.”  

Rafaella revealed the words she had been holding in her heart.  

“…That’s what you wanted to tell Mom, Raffy.”  

“Uh-huh.”  

“I’m sorry, Raffy. Mom feels really sorry.”  

Lia hugged Rafaella tightly and muttered softly,  

‘I’m so sorry I can’t keep that promise.’  

Seeing her mom after such a long time, Rafaella’s excitement kept her awake late into the night as she chatted away with Lia.  

After Rafaella fell asleep, it didn’t take long for Lia to drift off as well.  

From the North to the Capital, it had been an extremely tiring day for Lia.