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Chapter 32
Lucilea returned to her bedroom and immediately flopped onto the bed.
“Ahhhhhh!”
Burying her face in the pillow, she let out a meaningless scream and then rolled around on the bed.
The fluffy, cloud-like bed bounced Lucilea’s small body as if she might float up into the sky at any moment.
“You’re crazy, Lucilea! Seriously, you’re insane!”
Lucilea stopped struggling and sat upright. Then, pointing at herself with her short little fingers, she shouted:
“Who do you think you are! Are you their grandmother or mother?!”
She had never had a mother, yet here someone was trying to lecture her!
The more she thought about the words she had just shouted, the redder her face became. Speaking her mind felt relieving, but the thought of encountering Serdian again made her chest tighten.
“Ugh, this mouth! This ridiculously talkative mouth!”
In the end, she couldn’t restrain herself and even slapped her own mouth.
At that moment, Cookie flew over and perched on Lucilea’s legs.
[What’s wrong? Our Lucy was amazing earlier, you know?!]
“Am… amazing?”
[Yes! Totally, totally amazing! The way you scolded them, going ‘You little brats!’ was exactly like Grandma Briola!]
“…That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
[Of course it is a compliment! Grandma’s super strong! You saw it earlier, right? They were so scared of you they couldn’t even say a word!]
Lucilea sighed.
“They weren’t scared. They were just dumbfounded, that’s all.”
What should she do? She had just become friends with Serdian—maybe he’d cancel it all.
“No, but what if I tell His Highness the Duke? That I was so insolent to the heir of the Duke’s house…”
Lucilea groaned and buried her head in her hands.
“Shouldn’t they just tell me to live quietly… or maybe just sew this mouth shut…”
Cookie quietly nodded.
[That’s true. Sometimes Lucy’s mouth… no, her words are like a runaway carriage.]
Exactly like today.
“…”
Lucilea glared at Cookie silently, but Cookie continued undisturbed.
[But it’s okay!]
Excited, Cookie flapped its wings and shouted:
[Now those two handsome brats won’t dare say a word to Lucy! Unofficially, Lucy’s now rank number one! Wow! A total life turnaround!]
“That’s not rank number one! That’s rank number one for getting purged!”
Lucilea buried her face in the soft blanket again.
A long sigh followed.
“…Surviving… it really seems like such a tough job, Cookie…”
[…]
Cookie, walking carefully across the blanket, gently spread its wings and patted Lucilea’s head.
[Lucy.]
Cookie’s round eyes curved softly like a smile. Its gaze toward Lucilea was warmer than usual.
[That’s why the fruits that come after such hardships are always sweet, right?]
Lucilea chuckled through her teeth at Cookie’s words.
She turned her face slightly from the blanket and looked at Cookie, finally laughing.
“I’m laughing because of you. I’m laughing because of you.”
Puhihing. Cookie laughed along with Lucilea.
Two days passed.
During that time, she surprisingly did not encounter Serdian or Raiden.
Of course, this was because Lucilea had intentionally stayed in the west wing and avoided seeking Serdian.
She still hadn’t decided how to act toward Serdian. Perhaps that decision might not even belong to her.
‘If Serdian cancels our friendship, it’s over.’
So she didn’t even look toward the east wing, afraid she might run into him.
Afraid she might hear the dreaded “friendship cancellation!” firsthand.
With that heavy heart, she entered magic class.
Lucilea placed a glass on her desk.
The water in the transparent glass was completely frozen—a task Noah had assigned days ago: to freeze water using only magical power.
“Oh.”
Noah glanced at the frozen water on the desk and murmured in brief admiration.
‘She really did it?’
Although slightly surprised, he didn’t show it and quickly composed his expression.
“Good. You’ve completed today’s assignment well, so as promised, I’ll give you a gift today.”
Noah said proudly, looking generous.
Lucilea’s dazed eyes suddenly sparkled.
“A gift!”
Yes, life. When something bad happens, something good comes along.
She still hadn’t figured out what to do about Serdian, but she couldn’t let it crush her spirit!
‘Improving my magical power is just as important as Serdian!’
Lucilea adjusted her posture and sat properly in her chair.
Please! Please! Give it to me!
Her eyes shone bright with excitement, practically overflowing.
What could it be? Since he’s an amazing magician, the gift must be incredible, right?!
Her anticipation grew.
Then, Noah placed a branch on Lucilea’s desk with a very satisfied expression.
“Ta-da—!”
“…….”
Lucilea looked at the object on her desk with a blank expression.
“This… is the gift?”
Noah replied proudly, as if daring her to doubt him.
“Yes. How is it? Surprised, right?”
“…….”
Lucilea opened her eyes slightly and looked at the ‘gift’ on her desk.
She was surprised.
In a different way.
‘What is this?’
She picked up the dry, skinny branch from the desk.
She swung it vaguely in the air, but it was just a branch.
One might even suspect he had picked it up off the forest floor in the northern woods.
Noah hesitated a bit and waved his hand as he stepped back.
“Hey! You can’t just swing it around like that!”
“……Why not? What happens if I swing it?”
Lucilea, feeling mischievous, swung the branch even more prominently.
“Hey?! I said you can’t do that!”
“So why not? Does this branch spit fire? Or strike lightning?”
Heh. Lucilea laughed, finding it ridiculous.
Noah blinked in surprise.
“Hey? How did you know?”
“…What?”
Lucilea stopped swinging the branch immediately.
Noah grinned and said:
“I told you. It’s a gift.”
Lucilea’s eyes rolled to the branch in her right hand.
Noah cleared his throat and continued:
“This is a wand, specially prepared to commemorate your excellent performance on the assignment.”
A wand!
‘I’ve read about this in books. One of the weapons used by magicians.’
Just as there were various weapons for knights, there were various tools for magicians.
They were broadly classified into staff, orb, and wand.
A staff boosts attack power, an orb increases magical energy, and a wand significantly speeds up spellcasting.
But…
Lucilea looked at Noah and asked:
“Why me? Why a wand?”
The thought of “Why this rotten branch?” rose to her lips, but she couldn’t openly show disappointment—it was supposed to be a gift.
Noah smiled at her pout.
“Are you going to complain about getting a branch?”
“…….”
Lucilea’s lips protruded further.
She was certain this man had some form of mind-reading power.
Noah laughed and said:
“Don’t judge by its appearance. It’s made from rare materials and can be reshaped later into whatever you want.”
“What?!”
Lucilea’s attention snapped back.
“Whatever I want?”
“Yes. Later… much later.”
Oh…?
‘So that means I can escape this rotten branch shape?’
Her previously disappointed eyes began to sparkle.
“If that’s the case, you should’ve said so earlier.”
Noah clicked his tongue, watching Lucilea grin.
“The appearance isn’t important anyway.”
But Lucilea said firmly:
“It is important! This branch doesn’t make me feel like a magical girl at all!”
“…?”
Noah tilted his head in confusion.
“What magical girl?”
“They exist. Cool ladies who fight villains in the name of love and justice!”
