Chapter 59

“Don’t force yourself to smile when you’re not okay.”

Johann slightly corrected his own words.

“I’m not forcing myself to smile.”

“Ask Rafaella if that’s a forced smile or not.”

“……”

Lia closed her mouth and avoided his gaze.

“…Sorry, I was trying to apologize, but my words were too harsh.”

Seeing her like that made his chest feel uncomfortable again, and he spoke with a sigh.

“You didn’t know I’d meet Her Majesty the Interim Empress, so there’s no need for you to apologize.”

She answered with a puzzled expression.

“It’s my mistake. And I’m doing this because I feel uncomfortable, so just accept it.”

He spoke firmly and said they should head to the carriage.

‘…She just keeps saying everything is fine.’

About her illness, about the Interim Empress—nothing was really fine.

That woman didn’t show any sign of it.

It was frustrating, not being able to tell how she felt.

‘But really, what do I care how that woman feels?’

Johann stopped walking.

Lia, Rafaella, and Samuel, who were following behind him, looked at him in surprise.

“Your Grace, did you forget something?”

“…No. Let’s just go.”

He avoided answering and started walking again.

‘She says she’s fine, so I shouldn’t worry.’

On the carriage ride back to the estate, Johann stared out the window the whole time.

Lia also gazed blankly out the window.

Both of them answered Rafaella’s cheerful chatter, but their responses were a half-beat slower than usual.

* * *

The next day, Lia spent the entire day in the Blumhart estate’s library.

‘Killing someone with perfume doesn’t make sense…’

But then again, regression made even less sense.

She read every magic book in the library, grasping at straws.

She was searching to see if there was any dangerous magic that could kill someone through some medium.

“…Oh?”

While reading a relatively recent magic book, Lia’s finger stopped at one section.

“Generally, with the mana given to humans by the Goddess Hecate, it’s impossible to perform magic that harms people… but about fifty years ago, someone with a dangerous idea made it possible.”

Her hands started to tremble.

‘…I think I found it.’

With eyes full of anticipation, she focused back on the book.

“Magic created by the cruel method of artificially extracting mana from someone with mana is called ‘black magic.’”

She turned the page.

“The first person to create ‘black magic’ was a noble child born without mana, who confessed to doing it in order to gain mana.”

Lia lowered the book onto her lap.

“…Black magic, huh.”

Her grandmother had mentioned it when she was young.

“There’s really such a terrifying magic?”

“Yes. But as far as I know, black magic hasn’t developed enough to harm people yet. The Imperial Family found out about it early and banned it by law…”

Her grandmother paused to catch her breath.

“If it’s discovered, you’re executed on the spot.”

All books detailing the method had been confiscated and burned.

“But I can’t shake the suspicion that someone has made dramatic advances in black magic.”

Her voice was filled with anger and resentment, which surprised Lia.

“Who?”

“…That woman. Dared to be born without mana.”

Her last words were barely audible.

Her grandmother told her to forget what she’d heard that day, but Lia couldn’t, because her grandmother had been different from usual.

“Grandmother definitely said she thought someone had advanced it. Did she mean to the point of k*lling someone?”

If so, did the Interim Empress’s lady-in-waiting dabble in black magic?

Did the Interim Empress know about it?

If she did, and ordered my death…

Maybe the Interim Empress would try to use black magic on Lia again.

‘Am I getting ahead of myself?’

Even so, could black magic, which had only existed for about fifty years, have advanced enough to kill someone?

She wasn’t sure if it was possible.

‘I should ask Dorothea. Am I just being paranoid, or is it really possible?’

It was forbidden magic, but if anyone would know, it would be a mage who was a corpse without curiosity.

Lia wanted to go see Dorothea right away, but she decided to wait since Dorothea had gone to Lorem Mountain to gather dewflowers in her stead.

* * *

“I am Veronica Lerner, a knight of House Blumhart.”

The niece of Arthur Lerner, the head of the ducal knights, greeted Lia and Rafaella.

She was a knight with short, blue-black hair and deep blue eyes like the sea.

Her sturdy frame and well-toned muscles were evident even in her uniform.

“By order of the Duke, I’ll be teaching the young lady from today.”

“Wow, knight lessons!”

Rafaella clapped her hands with a smile.

“Yes, that’s right. I look forward to working with you.”

Veronica bent down and met Rafaella’s eyes.

“Please take care of me, Sir Veronica.”

Lia smiled at her.

“I’ll teach her safely and well, Miss Lia.”

Veronica, who was very disciplined, replied.

Her face looked barely twenty, but she seemed very dependable.

“Hehe, can I call you Master from now on?”

“It’s an honor to be called that… I’m embarrassed.”

Veronica scratched her head shyly.

“If you teach me swordsmanship, you’re definitely my Master—Master Veronica!”

Veronica’s face turned as red as a ripe apple.

After horseback riding, Rafaella had become interested in swordsmanship lately.

Johann had asked if she’d like to learn it properly.

“Isn’t she too young to start learning?”

“I started around this age, and since she takes after me, I’m sure she’ll do fine.”

He tested Rafaella’s grip strength as he spoke.

“Don’t worry. I know a good teacher who can match Rafaella’s level.”

Not knowing much about swordsmanship, Lia trusted Johann and nodded.

“Ahem. Shall we go now, young lady?”

“Yes! Mom, I’ll be back!”

“Listen to Sir Veronica, and have fun.”

After seeing Rafaella go into the training grounds, Lia turned away.

She wanted to check the library again before meeting Dorothea, just in case there were other books about black magic.

As she walked, Lia thought about black magic, the Interim Empress, and the lady-in-waiting.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t even notice someone was in front of her.

“What are you thinking about so hard that you don’t even see someone ahead?”

A strange voice right in front of her snapped her out of her thoughts.

“…Who—P-Prince? …In the presence of the noble light of the heavens, P-Prince, I—hiccup—greet you.”

Seeing Florian in front of her, Lia bowed and hiccupped.

“Haha, are you so surprised to see me that you hiccup?”

“…Um, w-what brings you here—hiccup.”

Lia dodged the question.

‘Well, it’s not just that he’s a prince, but I was just thinking about the Interim Empress…’

And since he suddenly appeared without notice, of course she’d be startled.

“I was supposed to come today. I heard my sister even notified the ducal estate herself.”

“I thought you were coming next week…”

Lia finally managed to stop her hiccups and answered.

“Well, I just followed my sister.”

“……”

What was going on?

She’d been told he was coming next week, so she’d planned to meet Rafaella and Dorothea then.

She was puzzled, but didn’t expect the prince to answer her questions.

“The Duke is busy dealing with my sister, and the Dowager Duchess went out with her daughter. Looks like you’ll have to keep me company today. What do you think?”

Florian asked with a dazzling smile.

Probably both women and men would fall for that smile.

“I’m not worthy to keep company with you, Your Highness the Prince.”

But Lia didn’t even flinch and bowed her head slightly.

“…I’ll take you to where the butler is.”

She shouldn’t get involved.

‘Who knows what could happen if I get pulled in.’

Lia took a deep breath and started walking.

Tap.

“I came to see you, you know?”

Florian grabbed Lia’s wrist.

“…What?”