Chapter 63

The next day, Lia woke up earlier than usual.  

It was the day she would demonstrate making the magic potion in front of the magicians.  

After finishing breakfast, Lia left the just-awakened Rafaella in Helen’s care and went down to the first floor.  

Samuel was waiting for her.  

“I will escort you, Miss Lia.”  

Escorted by Samuel, Lia got into the carriage, feeling her heart pounding as she took a deep breath.  

‘For someone who isn’t even an official magician to perform a demonstration in front of magicians…. I’m so nervous I could die.’  

She clasped her trembling hands together.  

“There’s no need to be so nervous. Just do as you always do.”  

Samuel reassured her.  

The carriage carrying Lia and Samuel stopped in front of a building on the outskirts of the Capital.  

This building belonged to House Blumhart, but it had been left unused until now.  

That was until Johann gave the order to convert it into a magic potion laboratory.  

Following Samuel, she entered the neat three-story building.  

“We hired a total of twenty magicians.”  

“…Twenty?”  

“His Grace ordered us to distribute the remedy as quickly as possible.”  

Samuel answered with a gentle smile.  

‘A demonstration in front of twenty people…. I thought there’d be maybe five or six at most.’  

Lia felt her mind go blank.  

“We also brought in a magician to supervise them all, someone you know well, Miss Lia.”  

As he said that, Samuel opened the door to the laboratory.  

“…Oh? Dorothea!”  

“Lia!”  

There, together with the young magicians, stood Dorothea.  

“What’s going on?”  

Lia grabbed Dorothea’s hand and asked.  

“The Duke himself came to see me and asked for a favor.”  

“Huh?”  

“He said he’d like me, who made the magic potion with you from start to finish, to supervise the process of making the remedy.”  

He hadn’t mentioned anything like that.  

“He even said he’d pay me handsomely, and since my previous research had just ended, I agreed.”  

Dorothea wiggled her index and middle fingers.  

“Sorry for not telling you, I wanted to surprise you.”  

“This is the kind of surprise I’ll always welcome.”  

“…But Lia.”  

Dorothea leaned in and whispered in Lia’s ear.  

“Are you really not involved with His Grace at all?”  

“Huh? What do you mean….”  

“Well, he asked me to be by your side and watch over you on the day of your demonstration.”  

Lia was quite surprised, as she had never heard anything like that.  

“He said you’d probably be very nervous since it’s your first time in such a setting.”  

Dorothea smiled mischievously.  

“…I was planning to come anyway, even if he hadn’t said so.”  

“……”  

Lia’s face stiffened.  

“Lia?”  

…Why does he keep caring?  

‘Whether it’s my illness or problems like this, I wish he’d just treat me coldly like a stranger.’  

He’s forgotten everything, remembers nothing.  

To him, it’s just kindness, but he doesn’t know how much it means to her….  

Lia tilted her head back slightly, feeling she might cry.  

She couldn’t embarrass herself in front of so many people.  

“…Did I do something wrong?”  

“No, I’m just a bit flustered.”  

Dorothea didn’t ask further and led her to the large desk where the demonstration would be held.  

“…This place is even better than I expected.”  

Lia, having collected herself, spoke up.  

“His Grace ordered that only the best be used so that the finest remedy could be made.”  

Samuel, who had been standing behind, explained.  

‘…He’s going this far for just one type of magic potion, not several.’  

Is this just his personality, or is it kindness for her?  

She didn’t know.  

Shaking her head slightly, she pushed thoughts of Johann aside.  

There was something else she needed to focus on right now.  

Thanks to Dorothea being by her side, Lia was able to calm down and succeeded splendidly in her demonstration before the twenty magicians.  

“Why have I never seen such an amazing person at the Academy?”  

“What year did you graduate?”  

After the demonstration, several magicians approached Lia and began asking questions.  

“…Oh, I never attended the Academy.”  

Lia replied awkwardly.  

“What, you developed a magic potion without ever going near the Academy?”  

The young magicians were shocked to hear she hadn’t attended the Academy.  

“Is that even possible?”  

One magician exclaimed, clutching his face.  

“I graduated, and I still can’t even touch potion development….”  

The magician next to him muttered, bowing his head.  

“That’s why you need to devote yourself even more to research and study.”  

Dorothea laughed as she ruffled the magician’s hair.  

“Lia, you did really well.”  

Dorothea patted Lia’s shoulder.  

“Didn’t my hands shaking show?”  

“Not at all, I didn’t even notice.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. You looked very calm.”  

Dorothea gave her a thumbs up.  

“…Um, I have more questions I’d like to ask.”  

One of the magicians poked her head between them.  

“Me too, I want to ask something….”  

“No. Emily, Philip. Lia needs to go back now.”  

Dorothea blocked them.  

“I’ll come again next time.”  

“You must promise!”  

With Dorothea and the magicians seeing her off, Lia headed to the carriage with Samuel.  

“Everyone seems very interested in you, Miss Lia.”  

Lia’s face turned red.  

“Your skills must be truly outstanding, Miss Lia.”  

With praise from Dorothea, the magicians, and now Samuel, she felt both embarrassed and happy.  

‘Am I really that good?’  

While living at Lorem Mountain, Lia hadn’t been able to gauge her own abilities.  

She was the only one there learning about magic potions.  

But being praised by Academy graduates here made her feel strangely proud.  

‘It’s all thanks to Grandmother teaching me so well….’  

Since her grandmother passed away, she had always researched and made potions alone.  

Today, teaching others and thinking that it would be used for good made her feel very happy and fulfilled.  

Watching the magicians ask so many questions, she was reminded of her childhood.  

‘I used to constantly ask Grandmother questions too….’  

Today, she learned the joy of teaching others.  

‘If I can avoid my death, I want to properly research and teach magic potions.’  

…She hoped that would be possible.  

Arriving at the estate, Lia heard that Rafaella was in the middle of her swordsmanship lesson and headed to the training grounds.  

So as not to disturb, she watched Rafaella and Veronica from a distance, when she noticed a familiar face.  

“Miss Lia!”  

“Sir Harry, it’s been a while.”  

“Yes, have you been well? Even though we’re in the same estate, I hardly see you.”  

Harry approached with a smile.  

“That’s true.”  

“Sir Harry, aren’t you supposed to spar with me? Oh? Good day, Miss Lia.”  

At that moment, two knights approached from behind.  

“Hello.”  

They were knights she hadn’t seen before.  

“I am Karl, a knight of House Blumhart.”  

“I’m Anton.”  

They introduced themselves in turn.  

“Did you come to watch the young miss’ lesson?”  

Anton pointed toward the training ground and asked.  

“Yes, that’s right.”  

“Even though Sir Veronica has just turned twenty, she’s an excellent teacher.”  

Karl, who had his somewhat long hair tied back, said.  

“Yes, I don’t know much about swords, but it seems that way.”  

“The young miss is also doing very well.”  

“She never gives up, no matter what.”  

They praised Rafaella.  

“Is that so?”  

“Yes. She takes after His Grace—she has great stamina and athletic ability.”  

“With everyone praising my daughter like this, I don’t know what to do.”  

With all the compliments about her daughter, Lia’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled brightly.  

“……”  

The knights, who had been chatting away, suddenly fell silent.  

It was because of her radiant, innocent smile.  

Just as Lia, not understanding why everyone had gone quiet, began to wonder,  

“…Why aren’t you all training?”  

Johann’s cold voice was heard.  

He had suddenly appeared right next to them.  

At Johann’s appearance, the knights hurriedly saluted.  

“Are you all so well-trained that you could defeat a monster barehanded if it attacked right now?”  

He asked sarcastically.  

“……”  

“To make sure, you’ll all spar with me one-on-one later.”  

Johann interpreted their silence as he pleased and announced.  

“Your Grace!”  

“A sudden spar….”  

Except for the captain, none of the Blumhart knights could stand a chance against Johann.  

To spar with him meant to be utterly defeated.  

“Do you think you can handle it? Since you’re still standing around.”  

Johann jerked his chin toward the training ground.  

“No, Sir!”  

The knights, pale with fear, quickly saluted and ran off to the training ground.  

“…Did something bad happen?”  

With the knights gone, Johann’s bad mood improved a little.  

“…No, nothing?”  

But why did it annoy him so much to see the knights staring blankly at that woman?  

‘What is she to me, anyway?’  

“Did the demonstration go well?”  

Johann changed the subject.  

“Yes, thanks to you.”  

Lia, in an especially good mood today, answered in a higher tone than usual.  

‘Did she always have this side? Somehow, it’s cute….’  

“…Ahem, it wasn’t thanks to me. You did well.”  

Johann cleared his throat.  

“Hearing so many compliments today feels strange.”  

Lia fanned her slightly flushed face with her hand.  

“I only spoke the truth.”  

“I’m glad I worked hard learning from Grandmother.”  

Lia covered her face with her hands, bowed her head slightly, and laughed.  

At that, Johann paused.  

Unlike usual, her emerald eyes were filled with joy, and her lips wore a smile full of happiness—he couldn’t help but stare.  

‘…Was she always someone who could smile like that?’  

That smile even made his own mood brighten.  

And, seeing Lia continue to smile like that, he suddenly wanted to keep seeing her that way.