Chapter 25

However, among the people Elena knew, the one with the best grades was Felix.

She smiled bashfully at him.

“Can’t you show me?”

“We’ll see.”

He pressed her forehead firmly with his hand again.

“Go back inside.”

“Did you really just come to check on me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I feel like it’s partly my fault. I wasn’t paying attention that day.”

“But…”

“Go inside.”

Felix grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Unable to say anything more, she went back inside.

Before she could even say goodbye, the door closed. She opened it again, but Felix was already walking away in the distance.

‘How abrupt.’

In the end, she didn’t get to say goodbye and returned to her room. As she was about to head back to bed, her foot bumped into something.

Looking down, she saw a diary lying on the floor.

She picked it up and sat at her desk. Elena wasn’t someone who used her diary often. She only wrote in it when something special happened—something she wanted to remember.

Because of that, despite using it for three years, the diary looked almost brand new. She opened to the last entry.

It was from the night Alice left, right before the start of the Saint Esna Festival holiday.

‘Did I write this?’

She didn’t even remember writing it. Judging by the messy, almost illegible handwriting, she must have written it while half-asleep.

The entry was short.

[Alice is so lucky. I wish I could spend the Saint Esna Festival with my family too.]

Alice’s family was completely different from hers. Her family was close and harmonious.

Once, Elena had spent the Saint Esna Festival with Alice’s family. Alice, worried about leaving Elena alone, had invited her.

At the time, Elena had felt jealous of Alice’s family, who treated her warmly, and she never went back.

Smiling faintly at the bitter memory, she continued reading.

[I miss my mom too. I wish I could spend the Saint Esna Festival with my family again…]

And that was the end of the short entry.

Even though she had told herself she was fine being alone, looking back, she realized she always felt lonely during the Saint Esna Festival. And every time, Felix had been there for her.

‘This time, Little One was there too.’

Though they weren’t family, they had enjoyed the festival together as if they were.

It was a happy memory.

But Elena closed the diary, erasing her smile.

She couldn’t keep thinking about Little One who had disappeared. Like Felix said, Little One had probably returned to their real family and was doing well.

At least, that’s what she wanted to believe.

It was time for her to move forward too.

Goodbye, Little One. Be well.

***

That afternoon, Alice returned from class and relayed a message from Professor Deros.

“Elly, Professor Deros wants to see you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He asked you to come to his office.”

“Thanks.”

Thinking it might be about Little One, Elena hurried to the professor’s office. When she knocked and entered, Felix was already there.

It seemed the summons was indeed about Little One.

“Elena, you’re here. I heard you were sick—are you feeling better now?” 

Professor Deros greeted her warmly. With his brown hair and brown eyes, he had the typical appearance of a mage.

Though tall, he was slightly thin, and he wore thick glasses due to poor eyesight.

Standing next to Felix, the contrast in their builds was even more noticeable.

Despite the serious atmosphere, Elena almost laughed.

‘See? Felix looks more like a knight than a mage.’

She composed herself and replied to the professor.

“I’m much better now. Thank you for your concern.”

“That’s good to hear. Both of you, please have a seat.”

Once they sat on the sofa, the professor waved his hand in the air.

A teapot, teacups, and saucers, neatly arranged in the cupboard, floated toward them as if walking. With another wave of his hand, the teacups settled in front of them. Water appeared in the air and filled the teapot. Soon, steam began rising from it.

No matter how many times she saw it, magic was always fascinating.

“Let’s have some tea first.”

Though he could have used magic, the professor poured the tea for them himself. Elena felt honored to be served tea by him.

She carefully sipped the tea with both hands. Felix, on the other hand, waited for the professor to speak.

After offering Elena some cookies, the professor finally got to the point.

“I’ve heard a rough account from Felix. He mentioned that a baby suddenly appeared in your room during the Saint Esna Festival?”

“Yes.”

Elena replied gloomily.

“Could you tell me more about what happened?”

“There’s not much to tell. I woke up to the sound of a baby, and Little One… I mean, the baby was next to me.”

Embarrassingly, that was all there was to it. Though the professor seemed to want more details, there was nothing special to add.

“The baby was sound asleep, so I didn’t sense any mana waves or the presence of another person. I don’t know if the baby came alone or if someone else brought them and left.”

“I see. That’s understandable. Such incidents are rare, so it’s natural not to know much.”

Unlike Felix, who had looked at her with disdain, Professor Deros smiled kindly, reassuring her.

“Well, let’s start by examining the room.”

The three of them headed to Elena’s old room. Since she had moved all her belongings, the room was completely empty.

“Though some time has passed, I’ll check for traces of magic.”

Standing in the center of the room, the professor closed his eyes. Soon, green light extended from him, spreading throughout the room. The green light also illuminated the earring he wore on his right ear.

‘So the professor’s artifact is his earring.’

As the mana spread, a vibration could be felt beneath their feet. Elena began to feel nauseous.

Unconsciously, she covered her mouth. Felix, unusually flustered, asked her, 

“Elly, are you okay?”

“No, I just feel a bit queasy.”

“Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“I don’t think so…”

Uncertain, she trailed off. Meanwhile, the professor, having withdrawn his mana, looked at her with interest.

“Hmm. Elena, you’re more sensitive to mana than I thought.”

“Me?”

“You’ve never been exposed to strong mana before, have you?”

Elena thought for a moment.

“Oh, there was one time…”

She recalled feeling a similar nausea when Felix had used teleportation magic recently.

“Did you feel queasy then too?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It seems you’re highly sensitive to mana. You might want to consider this when planning your future.”

“Oh, okay.”

“By the way, professor, what about the traces of magic?” 

Felix impatiently asked.

The professor adjusted his glasses, which had slid down slightly.

“There are traces of teleportation magic.”

“As expected…”

“But there’s only one instance of it.”

“So, no other intruder was present?”

“Correct. The person who left the baby might have walked out, but someone capable of teleportation magic wouldn’t take such a risk. So, there was likely no other intruder.”

One crucial question remained. Unable to hold back, Elena asked, 

“Can you figure out where Little One came from?”

The professor shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I can’t trace it. Either a tracking prevention spell was used…”

Or?

“Or the person who cast the magic is more skilled than I am.”

Elena was certain it was the former. Professor Deros was considered a master of teleportation magic.

Could there really be someone more skilled than him? It seemed impossible.

Next, they checked Felix’s room, where Little One had last been seen. The professor tried his tracking magic again, but it failed this time as well.

“It seems further investigation will be necessary.”

Even with the professor’s help, they couldn’t find Little One.

The professor asked them to inform him immediately if a similar incident occurred and returned to his office.

“Elena…”

Felix, looking like he had much to say, was met with a reassuring smile from her.

“I guess I’m still not fully recovered. I’m tired.”

“….”

“I’ll head back. Goodnight.”

Felix grabbed her hand. Usually, he would grab her arm, so this was unusual.

His hand was rough, likely from sword practice, and cold. 

Was he nervous?

“What’s wrong?”

When he said nothing, Elena asked first. Felix hesitated before letting go of her hand.

“It’s nothing. Go rest.”

How abrupt. 

She waved at him and returned to her room.

Even though they hadn’t found Little One, she didn’t cry. She believed Little One was doing well somewhere.

And so, the unforgettable commotion of the Saint Esna Festival came to an end.