Chapter 79

“…Hiccup, hiccup.”

At the unexpected proposal, her body reacted before her mind could.

‘Did this man just call my name?’

He had never called her by name before—why now, all of a sudden?

“Are you alright?”

Johann reached for the glass of water nearby and handed it to her.

“Hiccup, I’m sorry.”

Lia gulped down the water in one go.

“…You didn’t mean you wanted to go with me but instead, with Raffy to the Founding Festival, did you?”

Why would he want to go with me to the Founding Festival?

“No, you heard me right.”

“You want to go with me? Uh… what about Rafaella?”

She asked, flustered.

“Of course, Raffy will come too.”

Johann’s red eyes gazed at Lia gently.

“But Lia, I’d like you to join the festival as well.”

It was embarrassingly awkward.

And suddenly calling her name made her fingertips tingle.

“What do you think?”

“Yes, …alright.”

There was no real reason to refuse.

“But, um, Duke.”

“What is it?”

“…Why are you suddenly calling me by my name?”

She wondered if she was being too blunt, but she couldn’t help it.

She wanted to know why he was suddenly addressing her by name.

“Am I not allowed to call you by your name?”

“It’s not that you can’t….”

Johann looked a little downcast, and Lia felt guilty for some reason.

“Is it that uncomfortable for you?”

“…It’s just, you’ve never called me by my name until now.”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to call you by your name much more often from now on.”

What? More often, a lot?

“Pardon? There’s really no need to do that.”

“If you keep hearing it, you’ll get used to it.”

He lifted the corner of his mouth.

“That’s true, but still.”

Why now, after all this time?

He always said “you,” and now he’s calling her by name.

She asked for a reason, but he changed the subject.

“To make it comfortable for you, I’ll call you by your name more often from now on.”

He smiled at her handsomely.

That smile made her chest feel a little ticklish.

So she lowered her head slightly.

She didn’t want to feel that way.

“Are you planning to keep working?”

“No, I’m going to stop for today.”

“Then let’s go see Raffy together.”

“…Uh, together?”

“Together.”

She couldn’t say no to going to see their daughter, so Lia nodded her head slightly.

‘…He’s not like usual, not with calling my name, not with his voice, not with the way he treats me.’

Lia quickly tidied up her desk in the laboratory and headed to the training grounds with Johann.

There, they observed Rafaella’s lesson and then had dinner together.

‘…Strange.’

He stayed with her all day after returning to the estate.

His changed attitude made her more conscious of him for no reason.

Why was he acting like this?

‘Is it because he broke off the engagement with the Princess today and is in a really good mood?’

Maybe that’s why he wanted to be nice to both her and Rafaella.

Johann escorted Lia and Rafaella to their room.

“Good night.”

His gentle voice reached her ears.

“Yes, good night to you too, Duke.”

She felt ticklish all the way down to her toes.

She wanted to say, ‘It’s uncomfortable, so please just act as you usually do,’ but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out.

* * *

With no more visits from the Princess or Prince, each day at the Blumhart Ducal Estate passed peacefully.

And finally, the long-awaited day of the Founding Festival arrived.

“Unlike the Festival of Rest, the Founding Festival ends with fireworks in the evening.”

Paula, who had come to help Lia get ready, said this.

“Fireworks?”

Lia, who had never seen fireworks before, asked in an excited voice.

“Yes, there’s a parade during the day, and fireworks at night. The fireworks are beautiful no matter where you see them!”

Mari, who came along, answered with her hands pressed to her cheeks.

“Mom, let’s definitely watch the fireworks too!”

Rafaella, getting her hair done by Helen, shouted excitedly.

“Sure, Raffy. We’ll definitely watch them.”

Lia smiled, full of anticipation.

“But do I really need to put this much effort into my skin when I’m just going out in plain clothes today?”

Lia looked at Paula with a puzzled face.

“Oh, Miss Lia. The festival look is all about looking effortlessly put together.”

Mari raised her index finger and stood next to Paula.

“That’s why you have to pay extra attention to your base makeup.”

Paula explained while diligently dabbing the puff on Lia’s face.

“Not too flashy, but not too plain either!”

“Especially if it’s a date, even more so.”

Helen added, blushing.

“It’s not a date.”

Lia waved her hand.

“If this isn’t a date, what is?”

“The Duke asked you to go with him, so it’s a date!”

But the maids didn’t seem to agree with her denial.

‘…It’s really not a date.’

After finishing her makeup, Lia went down to the entrance hall with Rafaella.

Johann was already there, waiting for them.

Unlike at the Festival of Rest, he was dressed in clothes that any commoner might wear.

A linen shirt and neat black trousers.

His hair was naturally falling forward, making him look less like Duke Blumhart and more like….

‘…Hart.’

Thump, thump.

Her heart began to beat quickly.

“Mom?”

When Lia just stood at the top of the stairs without coming down, Rafaella called her.

“Oh, sorry. Let’s go down.”

She shook her head slightly and went down.

Up close, despite his plain clothes, he couldn’t hide his innate dignity—unlike Hart.

Maybe that’s why her heart calmed down a bit.

‘Hart is gone now, Lia.’

She felt a small sense of relief.

“Raffy, you look cute even dressed like that.”

Johann picked up Rafaella in both arms.

“Hehe, really?”

“Of course, whose daughter are you?”

Today, Rafaella was also dressed simply, just like her mom and dad.

“Shall we go, then?”

“Yes!”

They took the carriage to near the central square and got out.

Rafaella held her parents’ hands tightly as she enjoyed the festival.

The warmth of her parents’ hands made the child’s mood soar.

“Coming with you, Mom and Dad, makes me really happy!”

“Really?”

“Even more than at the Festival of Rest!”

Rafaella bounced up and down, making Lia and Johann smile.

When they reached the center of the square, people were already gathering in groups, waiting for the parade to start.

“There’s one over there.”

Johann pointed with his finger.

“Looks like it.”

“Mom, Mom.”

“Hmm?”

Rafaella tugged on Lia’s hand.

“I want to eat that.”

She was eyeing a stand selling cotton candy, her eyes sparkling.

“You want to eat that?”

Johann bent down and asked.

“Yes!”

“You two wait here. I’ll go buy it.”

Johann stopped Lia and Rafaella from coming with him and strode off to the stand with his long legs.

“Then let’s go get a spot and wait, Raffy.”

“Okay!”

Lia took Rafaella’s hand and stood where they could watch the parade.

People were already swarming around them.

More and more people crowded in, eager to watch the upcoming parade.

‘Will he be able to find us?’

Feeling anxious, Lia stood on tiptoe and looked around.

She saw Johann in the distance, holding skewers.

“…Ah!”

Just as she was about to wave at him, a man suddenly pushed in from the side and bumped her, making her stumble.

In the process, she let go of Rafaella’s hand.

“…Raffy?”

Startled, she looked around for Rafaella, but the child was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

While everyone outside enjoyed the festival, a dark shadow hung over the Interim Empress’s palace.

“Did you find out?”

Narcissa lounged sideways, leaning her arm on the sofa’s armrest.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The man trembled as he answered the Interim Empress’s low voice.

“They say that at the mana test, the mana level of the Blumhart young lady was extremely high.”

He swallowed and continued.

“But her mana hasn’t manifested, so they were secretly investigating the reason.”

“…Her mana is high, but it hasn’t manifested?”

The Interim Empress took a drag from her long pipe and exhaled smoke.

“Is that possible?”

“It’s rare, but it happens sometimes.”

“Do you think her mana will continue not to manifest?”

“That, I’m not sure.”

He was sweating profusely as he answered.

He was still such a coward.

How did he ever gather information with such a tiny heart?

“Enough. You may go, but don’t slack off in keeping watch.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

He bent deeply at the waist and withdrew.

“Carmen.”

Narcissa beckoned with her hand.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Carmen, who had been standing behind her, approached.

“Though my daughter ruined things, if we secure the young lady, I think my wish will be fulfilled quickly.”

If her mana hadn’t manifested, how much mana must be stored in that child’s body?

Just thinking about it made her happy.

If things went according to plan, an enormous amount of mana would come rolling in this winter.

“What about the child’s birth mother?”

“We plan to take care of her at today’s festival.”

Carmen lowered her gaze slightly.

“According to the one we planted in the Blumhart estate, she’ll be attending the festival today.”

“Is that so?”

Narcissa raised one eyebrow.

“I’m counting on you, Carmen.”

“I will make sure to succeed so that your plan does not fail, Your Majesty.”

Carmen’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

“Yes, that’s how it should be.”

The Interim Empress exhaled a long stream of smoke.

There could be no more variables.