DHDF 37

chapter 37

The evening meal ended on a warm and cheerful note.

After finishing dessert, I was about to return to my room with Rosalyn when something I’d momentarily forgotten flashed through my mind.

If I put it off any longer, I’ll end up forgetting for good.

I immediately turned around. Fortunately, Laote didn’t walk fast, so I was able to catch up to him easily.

“You’ll have to spare me a bit of your time.”

“What is it now?”

“You said you’d teach me magic, remember?”

A verbal promise can’t be trusted.

If I didn’t bring it up myself, I was sure he’d brush it off and move on.

Laote gave a short laugh and frowned.

“To be clear, I never said I’d teach you. I said I’d think about it.”

“So, did you think about it?”

If he said yes, great. If not, fine—but I needed a straight answer so I could plan accordingly.

Laote crossed his arms and looked down at me quietly.

“Just so you know, magic isn’t something you can teach or learn with willpower alone.”

“Oh? Then how does it work?”

“First, you need to be able to sense mana. Then, you need to be able to control it.”

It didn’t seem like Laote was making things up just to brush me off.

So there were all sorts of qualifications involved, huh.

“…So what you’re saying is, you’re going to test me?”

Judging from how he froze, he hadn’t even been planning to test me in the first place.

Apparently, Laote was the type you had to push, not wait around for.

“Alright then. Let’s do it.”

“What? Now?”

“Yes. Why?”

Unless there was something to prepare, his conditions sounded purely like matters of innate talent.

It wasn’t something I could achieve just by effort.

“Does it take a long time to see the results?”

“…Not necessarily.”

“Then perfect. It’s not like I have to go to bed right now, and I heard you don’t turn in until the sun’s already high anyway.”

And so, we headed to Laote’s laboratory.

Despite how it looked, Laote wasn’t indecisive by nature.

He was pretty intense when I first met him, after all.

He was just being gentler these days.

It was clear that his attitude toward me had changed, though I couldn’t figure out why.

I had a feeling that understanding that would make things easier for me later.

“…So, that thing you said earlier—was it true?”

“What thing?”

“That you like Atticus.”

I stopped walking and looked at him. His face was utterly calm.

Then I glanced back at Rosalyn, who was following behind me. Her expression was subtle—but definitely strange.

So, Laote didn’t even realize how odd his question was.

“Well… why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. Why? You don’t want to answer?”

He frowned slightly as he said it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to—it just caught me off guard.

I started walking again and spoke.

“What I said at dinner was just that Atticus left an impression. He was in a position to stand out in that gathering—and he was the one who approached us first.”

He’d been completely straightforward about his interest and hadn’t bothered to hide it.

I’d already learned from Aethe that that kind of behavior was far from ordinary.

“If you’re asking whether I like him… well, I suppose I do.”

“Why?”

“There’s no big reason. He just wants to get along with me, he’s kind, and he treats me well.”

If I really thought about it, I even liked the fact that Atticus had ambition.

Honestly, expecting anyone to want something from me right now was too much.

But Atticus… he wasn’t like that.

He seemed like someone who could actually achieve the things he set his mind to.

Laote, who had been the one to ask, fell silent after that.

It wasn’t until we reached the lab that he muttered,

“You sure fall for people easily.”

Wait—I never said I liked him.

I wanted to object, but I had a feeling that if I did, we’d just get sidetracked, so I stayed quiet.

“You, stay outside.”

Laote directed that at Rosalyn, who had been about to follow us in.

“It’s fine if you go on ahead, Rosalyn. Waiting here will just be boring.”

“I’m not bored, miss. Are you sure you’ll be alright without me?”

“Yeah. I’ve already memorized the way back.”

Of course, Rosalyn wasn’t worried about me getting lost.

Still, she said it was safe enough inside the mansion.

“If you’re really worried, I’ll ask Lord Laote to escort me back.”

I expected him to grumble, Why should I?—but surprisingly, he said nothing.

Rosalyn didn’t look thrilled, but eventually nodded and left.

“Alright, I think we can start now.”

Laote dropped into a nearby chair and leaned back, staring at me.

For some reason, it felt like a job interview. I tensed a little.

“Have you ever tried to sense mana before?”

“No.”

I’d never had the time or the opportunity—my life had been completely removed from anything magical.

I wondered if that would be a problem, but apparently not.

“Then it’ll take a while. We’ll just check if you can feel it at all.”

“Got it. Uh… how long does it usually take?”

“How would I know?”

There it was again—his trademark curt answer.

I rephrased the question.

“Then how was it for you, Lord Laote?”

“I don’t count. I could sense it the moment I was born.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t help but let out a little gasp.

That said it all.

No wonder people called him a once-in-a-century genius—he really was built differently.

“Pretend you’re holding a fishbowl and raise your hands.”

Awkwardly, I followed his instructions.

It felt stupid, but I pushed the thought aside.

“I’m going to send mana through you. Tell me if you feel anything.”

“Okay.”

After quite some time, I finally spoke.

“Did you send it already?”

“Yeah.”

But I didn’t feel anything.

I knew how rare magicians were, but still…

Wasn’t it human nature to hope, Maybe I’m special after all?

I was a little disappointed. Just a little.

“…What if I lie and say I felt something?”

“I’d know instantly. Stop making noise and focus.”

I sighed and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Closing my eyes, I focused all my attention on trying to feel the mana.

Even the faintest sounds faded away, swallowed by silence.

Time blurred. My arms started to go numb, so I lowered my hands onto my knees—

“Ugh!”

A crushing pressure filled my chest, and a violent nausea surged up my throat.

I clamped a hand over my mouth and rushed toward the window, but before I could reach it, everything came spilling out.

Seriously? Vomiting in someone else’s room?

Tears pricked at my eyes. My face burned.

I wanted to stop, but my body wouldn’t listen, and I ended up retching until nothing was left.

“I was fine just a second ago, but suddenly my body felt strange… I’m sorry.”

Laote’s face showed no emotion at all.

Ah. He must be disgusted. My stomach twisted. I’d ruined the progress we’d made.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a good sign.”

…What?

Before I could ask what he meant, there was a knock on the door. It was his attendant.

“Take her to get cleaned up and bring her back.”

“Yes, my lord. Miss, this way, please.”

“I should clean this up first—”

I glanced at the servant, then back at the floor—only to find it spotless. Not a trace left.

“It’s fine. Go wash up, Verzene.”

It was the first time Laote had ever called me by my name.

For a moment, I just stood there, dazed—no, relieved was the right word.

So what I did really didn’t bother him at all.

In the end, I followed the servant to a nearby bathroom.

I declined the offer to call a maid and splashed water over myself. That’s when I noticed something strange.

It wasn’t just the floor that had been cleaned. I was clean too.

“My hair, my legs… it definitely splattered all over before.”

So he hadn’t meant it literally—I guess he just wanted me to calm down.

Even after all the bullying I’d endured, I’d never shown myself in such a state before. No wonder I’d panicked.

After washing up and finally settling my nerves, I returned to Laote.

“I have good news and bad news.”

Great. Nothing like that to make you tense right away.