Chapter 55

“What kind of tea is this?”

Johann asked as he took a sip of the tea the butler had brought.

For several days, the type of tea the butler served had changed.

Since drinking this tea, he had been sleeping better than usual.

“Ah, actually, it was prepared by Miss Lia.”

“…That woman?”

“Miss Lia asked me not to mention it to you, Your Grace, I apologize. I made sure it was safe before serving it, but did you find anything uncomfortable?”

“No, I was just curious, so you can keep serving it.”

He inhaled the lavender scent from the tea and recalled the conversation from a few days ago.

“Last time, you asked me why I was leaving Rafaella, didn’t you?”

After taking a deep breath, she spoke.

“I did. Are you going to tell me now?”

“…If you are all right with it, Your Grace.”

Her eyes looked both sad and determined.

“Tell me, why are you leaving?”

“I’m terminally ill, so I came to entrust Rafaella to you.”

From her lips came words Johann never expected.

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

He had never really thought about her reasons, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this.

“I’m not sick yet, but the illness will manifest around May next year, and my health will deteriorate rapidly….”

She spoke about her future as if making a prophecy, calm and matter-of-fact.

“How can you be so sure, when you’re not even sick yet?”

It hadn’t even happened yet. He couldn’t understand how she could be so certain.

“I can’t explain it, but I’m sure. I’ll die next year.”

Lia’s eyes filled with moisture.

“That’s why I came to you. Rafaella needs at least a father.”

“…….”

Seeing her speak those words, Johann felt uncomfortable.

“My illness won’t trouble you, Your Grace. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Perhaps he even wanted to comfort her.

“You talk as if it’s someone else’s problem.”

But all he could manage was this.

“……I have no choice.”

They were nothing to each other.

“Have you been examined by a healing mage? No, you said you weren’t sick yet.”

He stroked his chin and muttered.

“Then when the symptoms appear next year….”

“An examination isn’t necessary.”

Lia gently cut him off.

“Are you giving up already?”

“It’s not that I’ve given up, but since no one knows about my illness, I don’t want to waste effort for nothing.”

He felt as if she was someone who had already been to the future.

Otherwise, she couldn’t speak like this.

“And I didn’t tell you to ask for help. I just thought you’d take better care of Rafaella if you knew.”

“…….”

It seemed that, in her mind, Rafaella’s safety mattered more than her own death.

D*mn it, he was angry at that fact.

“Then, I’ll go in now. I hope you get some sleep too, Your Grace.”

He couldn’t bring himself to stop her as she walked back to the mansion, and stood there for a long time.

‘She looks so healthy now, but to think she’ll fall ill and die next year.’

She couldn’t have received a prophecy like in the myths, so maybe it was hereditary.

She had said her parents died young, so that made sense.

‘Maybe she thinks it can’t be cured because she lived in the mountains and doesn’t know about hereditary diseases….’

He could no longer focus on the contents of the documents.

In truth, since the day after hearing her story, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on paperwork at all.

Even though he was sleeping better and his mind was clearer than before.

“Your Grace.”

“…What is it?”

Samuel spoke to him as he was lost in thought.

“The preparations to commercialize the magic potion Miss Lia created are nearly complete.”

“Really?”

He took the document Samuel handed him.

“We just need to ask Miss Lia about harvesting Dewflower, and we’ll proceed.”

“Are you going to ask her yourself?”

“Huh? Yes, I should.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“With me?”

Samuel glanced at the stack of documents on Johann’s desk.

“Yes.”

“…Are you sure? I was about to go now.”

Even though he would have to approve all those documents today, Johann didn’t hesitate to head to Rafaella’s room with Samuel.

* * *

“Mom, why don’t you come to the dining room with me these days?”

“Since you and Dad eat well together now, I should give you some space.”

Lia paused in turning the page of her book at her daughter’s question.

“Why should you leave?”

“I want you two to get closer. When Dad feels as comfortable with you as he does with me, then I’ll join you again.”

That would take a long time, but Rafaella didn’t know that.

“Then I have to hurry and get closer to Dad.”

Rafaella replied with enthusiasm.

Lia had been avoiding him lately.

To be precise, ever since the day after she told him she was terminally ill.

That day, he had looked at her with pity.

‘I don’t want pity from a man who doesn’t even remember me.’

That look in his eyes made her uncomfortable.

So she made excuses to avoid joining Rafaella and Johann for meals.

She couldn’t avoid him forever, but for now, she wanted to.

‘I need time to be able to face that look without flinching.’

His worried gaze kept stirring her heart.

Lia sighed quietly so Rafaella wouldn’t notice.

Knock, knock.

“Miss Rafaella, Miss Lia. It’s Samuel.”

Samuel opened the door and entered.

Behind him was the man she had been avoiding.

“Dad!”

“Were you having fun?”

As Rafaella ran to Johann, he lifted her up.

“Your Grace, what brings you here?”

Lia rose from the sofa and approached them.

“Samuel said he had something to ask you before mass-producing and distributing your magic potion.”

Johann sat on the sofa with Rafaella and spoke.

“Yes, Miss Lia. There are a few things to confirm before deciding.”

“Oh, all right.”

While she spoke with Samuel, Johann played with Rafaella.

Even though Lia kept glancing at him, perhaps focused on playing, he never once looked her way.

‘I thought he’d say something about the illness, but maybe I was overthinking it.’

“…Then, Dorothea will go in your place to harvest Dewflower.”

“Yes.”

Lia couldn’t leave Rafaella twice, so she’d written to Dorothea, asking if she could go instead to show the location of the Dewflower colony and explain how to harvest it.

Dorothea had readily agreed, replying that she remembered what she’d learned last time and to trust her.

“I’ll also deliver your letter to the villagers in advance, so they won’t be surprised.”

Samuel tucked Lia’s letter into his inner pocket.

“Once all the ingredients are ready and you do a demonstration for the mages in our lab, you won’t have anything else to do.”

Samuel smiled reassuringly.

“Thank you, Sir Samuel.”

“I’m only helping out of goodwill, Miss Lia.”

After finishing his business, Samuel turned to Johann.

“Your Grace, aren’t you leaving?”

“I have something to say. Go ahead first.”

“Yes, then.”

When Samuel left, Johann approached Lia.

“I heard you prepared the tea.”

“Oh, that.”

‘So he waited to talk about the tea.’

“Thanks to you, I’m sleeping better these days.”

“Really? I’m glad.”

After confessing to Johann about her terminal illness and returning to her room, Lia couldn’t sleep and made lavender tea for him.

Muttering to herself, ‘I’m just doing this because I’m bored and can’t sleep.’

“Why did you ask not to tell me?”

“It’s nothing, really. I’d be embarrassed if it didn’t work.”

Actually, it wasn’t about effectiveness—she just didn’t want him to know she’d made it for him.

“You even cured Penelope, you’re being too modest.”

Johann folded his arms and answered.

“…And about your illness.”

Was this his main point?

“It might be hereditary, so please tell me the symptoms.”

‘He thinks it’s hereditary.’

Well, since she’d spoken as if she’d received a prophecy, it was only logical for him to think it was a family illness.

“There’s a skilled healing mage in the mansion, so let’s ask.”

Lia, not bothering to correct his misunderstanding, described her symptoms.

“I’ll look into it, so don’t give up so easily, for Rafaella’s sake.”

Johann offered her something like comfort before leaving the room.

Unaware that every time, it made Lia’s heart stir.

‘I liked it better when he was stiff and cold, so why does he keep….’

He should just be good to Rafaella and not care about a woman he doesn’t even remember.

She wanted to leave without regrets when the time came.

‘Even if Rafaella doesn’t know, at least I want to leave you without any feelings.’

So that dying wouldn’t feel so unfair.

So that not being able to be with you and Rafaella wouldn’t feel so bitter.