The teacher had been strict with the students at the academy, but she genuinely cared for them. On days when she went out to volunteer, she prioritized visiting homes with children, and each year, she traveled across the country to tour orphanages. Moreover, if she occasionally found children with nowhere to go, she brought them to the academy and cared for them. These children grew up to become respectable members of the school staff.

The only people outside her interest were the nobility, and unless a request came from the royal family or a ducal house, she never personally attended to treatment requests. However, the Lawrence family was both the academy’s largest patron and a ducal house, and since the previous duke was an alumnus of the academy, it naturally led to a close relationship.

“There was an accident when that child was young. At the time, I was too preoccupied with the lady of the Lawrence family, who was on the brink of madness, to pay more attention to Leo. He seemed fine on the surface. He was always such a calm and dignified child from a young age. But to think he lost his sense of taste for all those years… And I didn’t even notice the stories of corporal punishment…”

She paused with a long sigh. The wrinkles between her brows seemed to deepen.

“The lady of the Lawrence family is, how should I say it… She’s kind to everyone. She wears her mask so well that most people don’t realize it’s a facade. Even I, who have known her for a long time, sometimes get confused.”

Her murmured words sounded unfamiliar, like an excuse. It was unlike her usual demeanor. She must have felt a sense of responsibility for his childhood.

I moved closer to sit beside her, carefully taking her neatly folded hands resting on her lap. Her skin, much thinner than I remembered, bore the marks of time.

“If it weren’t for Leopold, I would never have known what kind of person my mother truly was.”

“Your heart must be troubled.”

“What can I do? Still, I must proceed with the treatment. Now that I know the method.”

I offered a wry smile to my teacher, who nodded silently. She swallowed another sigh, and feeling sorry for her, I hurriedly changed the subject. It was, in fact, what I most wanted to ask.

“But how did you know Leopold was unwell?”

As if expecting the question, she immediately began recounting past events.

“After the wedding last spring, when you came to see me, he came too. Like you, he started spouting nonsense and even threatened me to hand over the medicine. That’s when I knew.”

The more I listened, the more absurd it seemed. To think my teacher could casually say she left a sick person unattended. Unintentionally, my voice rose.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Leopold was in real danger…!”

“I intended to give him a hard time because he seemed to be troubling you. I thought everything would eventually turn out fine. It was a bit different from my expectations, though. My goodness, a curse, really.”

After finishing her words, my teacher picked up her teacup, her face showing clear displeasure. I was at a loss for words, unsure whether to thank her for her concern or how to interpret her expression. After taking a few sips of tea, she spoke again.

“Curses are ancient magic. Even for someone like me, who has studied for a long time, they’re extremely dangerous. But seriously, in the Ice Land! Could you have conducted proper research in such a harsh environment? You were really lucky, that’s all I can say.”

“…We didn’t have a choice back then.”

“Of course, you didn’t.”

For some reason, it felt like I was the one making excuses this time. But knowing that my teacher’s complaints came from a place of concern, I quickly gave up any intention of arguing.

“Do you have anything more to say about the new treatment method?”

Returning to the original topic, she relaxed her brow a little.

“Though I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it sooner, it’s fortunate that we’ve found a better method now. I’ll review it thoroughly to see if there’s anything to add before distributing the book. And since we’re handing out the book, it would be great if you could also conduct a class. Not immediately, though.”

“A class? Me?”

“Yes. You already have experience teaching Rose. You trained her very well. Her grasp of magic usage is incredibly fast.”

Understanding the pride the academy teachers felt towards me, I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

“Sure, I’ll do it. Let me know once the schedule is set.”

As I replied, I tidied up my seat and stood up. Hearing Rose’s name made me suddenly think she might still be waiting for me.

“And speaking of which, I was supposed to meet Rose, so I should get going. I’ll be staying in the capital for a few more days, so call me if you need anything.”

“Let’s do that. It’s good to see you looking so carefree.”

She stood up to hug me warmly. Even though she was like a mother to me during most of my childhood, I never knew how to handle the emotional surge each time. Holding back my rising emotions, I answered calmly, trying to keep my face neutral lest I burst into tears.

“You too, take care of your health.”

Smiling slightly at my comment about her health, my teacher explained where Rose was staying and escorted me until I was completely out of the corridor.

Fortunately, the distance between the main building and the student dormitory was considerable, giving me time to calm my emotions as I walked. The students who had been bustling around were nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if it was already close to dinner time. Not wanting Rose to go hungry, I hurriedly made my way to the dormitory.

“Rose.”

Standing in front of room 107, as my teacher had instructed, I knocked on the door. I heard the sound of footsteps rushing excitedly inside, and soon the door swung open. The child greeted me with a bright, flower-like smile and clung to me.

“Hazel!”

“You waited a long time, didn’t you? I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Rose was reading a book.”

Proudly showing me a storybook, Rose beamed with a bashful smile.

“You’ve already learned to read. That’s impressive.”

“The teachers told me everything.”

The child shrugged as she spread a few books across the bed. I pulled out a chair from the desk, smiling broadly, and sat facing Rose.

“When did you come to school? Did Grandma and Stefan come with you?”

“Yes! We came when it was cold, but they’ve both gone back home. They said they would visit again when it rains.”

She seemed to be referring to those rainy days in the middle of a hot summer when there was nothing else to do. It was also a time when the school had a short break, making it a suitable period to visit distant family. Of course, I always spent my time alone in the library.

Before I could even ask if she was adjusting well to school, Rose eagerly talked about how wonderful life at the academy was. She mentioned using magic, making new friends, and that although sleeping was sometimes scary, she thought of the night sky in D’Agnon during those times. It helped her sleep better, and she suggested I try it too.

Watching her eyes sparkle like jewels, I felt a longing for the South. They might not be curious about me, but it would be nice to visit and say hello sometime…

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Looking outside, I realized the sun was setting. Hastily, I stood up, but Rose was quicker and ran to open the door.

“Who is it?”

“I heard my wife is here.”

“Oh! The secret mission guy!”

“Leopold?”

It was an unexpected appearance. As Rose and I spoke simultaneously, he tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand what we were saying.

“What’s this about a secret mission?”

Rose widened her eyes and covered her mouth with both hands. Unable to hold back my laughter, I let out a chuckle, and a perceptive Leopold furrowed his brows slightly.

“I thought my secret mission was supposed to be a secret.”

“Oh.”

“Rose, you heard him. It’s a secret.”

The child nodded vigorously, holding her breath. Seeing this, Leopold eventually broke into a smile. It would have been better if he didn’t find the child so endearing. I supposed I would have to get used to this sense of helplessness.

“I should get going. Oh, and Rose, this is a gift. I brought it just in case, and I’m glad I can give it to you.”

I took a cylindrical tin case out of my bag. Rose opened the lid with a curious look and gasped at the chocolates inside.

“Wow… Hazel is the best! Can I eat them all by myself?”

“Of course. But if you eat them all at once, your teeth might hurt, so just one a day, okay?”

“Okay!”

Seeing her nostrils flare as she answered, I wondered if she would keep her promise, but I simply patted Rose on the head.

“See you later, Rose.”

“Goodbye, Hazel!”

The child waved her arms vigorously, then paused when she met Leopold’s gaze. She gave him a small, whispered farewell.

“Goodbye, mister.”

Leopold didn’t reply verbally, but he gave Rose a gentle smile.

As we walked down the corridor together, leaving the dormitory, it remained quiet around us. But when I looked outside, I saw the students bustling in the dining hall across the way, just as I had expected. It was quite fortunate for us.

Although Leopold was well-known as a patron, he was more famous for his looks among the students. Moreover, since he rarely visited the academy personally, if word got out that Leopold was here, we wouldn’t have passed by so quietly.

“What brings you here?”

“When I got back, you weren’t there. So, I went looking for you.”

“If you had waited, I would have come soon.”

“Because I came, didn’t we meet faster? Isn’t that right?”

Momentarily speechless at his playful question, I averted my gaze and let out a small laugh. Then I noticed something in Leopold’s hand.

“What book is that?”

“Oh, this. I met with the dean before coming here. He suggested I read it.”

Leopold raised his hand to show me the book, explaining. It was clearly an old, worn-out book.

“The dean?”

I took the book from him. On the tattered cover was a familiar title in large letters: “Basic Principles of Magic for First-Year Academy Students.”