MDRH 46

Chapter 46

It was late evening. After dinner, the Grand Duke’s residence should have still been bustling with busy servants, yet it was strangely quiet.

Creak. On the fifth floor of the west wing, the door to Lucillea’s bedroom opened.

Serdian stood hesitating at the entrance, unable to step in, when behind him Mei whispered softly.

“You may go in, young master.”

“……”

Serdian glanced back briefly and muttered,

“I know.”

Finally, as though he had made up his mind, he quietly stepped inside.

When the door closed, silence filled the bedroom once more.

Such stillness felt foreign in a place where that child was present.

It had already been a week.

Lucillea had lost consciousness after her mana ran wild during class, and she hadn’t woken up since.

Irevan, the attending physician, said that the life-threatening stage had passed now.

Although her mana had gone berserk, thanks to Noah’s quick action, the damage had been limited to this.

Normally, those who suffered mana outbursts did not end well. If they were lucky, they simply lost all their powers forever.

Most died instantly, without even a chance to treat them.

But Lucillea was different.

Her life was not in danger, and according to Noah’s diagnosis, even her vessel for mana had not been damaged in the slightest.

On the contrary, it was like land swept by a storm—broader and sturdier than before.

It was a miracle, but also a mystery no one could explain.

Still…

Despite the miracle, the girl had yet to open her eyes.

Serdian came to the west wing every day to see her condition with his own eyes.

As he slowly walked closer to her bed, he noticed a music box placed on the side table.

He recognized it immediately.

A magic-driven music box.

It was the very one that the heir of House Sidrat, Raiden, had imbued with his mana.

“When you open the lid, mana-infused butterflies will fly out. Lucillea will love it. I want her to see it first when she wakes up.”

Serdian recalled Raiden’s faint smile as he wound the music box.

He wanted to scoff at the useless gesture, but didn’t.

Because, just as Raiden had said, Lucillea would surely enjoy it when she awoke.

Serdian reached the bedside and looked quietly down at Lucillea.

In his hand was a small, worn piece of cloth, no bigger than two finger joints.

It had once been deep navy, but years of handling had turned it into a faded gray.

On the fabric, there was a small, crookedly embroidered silver star—clumsy in craft but stitched with great care.

The corners of the cloth bore signs of being torn and mended many times.

It was a charm, unique in the world, imbued with both desperate love and the passage of time.

It was also a relic left behind by Serdian’s birth mother, who had died miserably in a brothel.

He had cherished it as his lucky charm, believing it protected him.

Indeed, despite many brushes with death, he had survived until now.

Serdian gripped the charm tightly, then loosened his hold.

But then—

“What if she finds it unpleasant…?”

Because it was made by his lowborn mother… because it was a relic of a dead woman who had died tragically…

What if she hated it?

The thought briefly crossed his mind.

But then Serdian shook his head.

“She’s not that kind of child.”

He hadn’t known her long, but somehow he was sure.

Or perhaps, he simply wanted to believe so.

Carefully, Serdian placed the charm, with its embroidered silver star, beside Lucillea’s pillow.

“The luck that has protected me—may it now protect you.”

After gazing for a while at her sleeping face, Serdian quietly left the bedroom.

Night deepened.

After Serdian and Raiden’s visits, even the maids who came by to check on Lucillea less frequently grew quiet.

As dawn approached, stillness filled the Grand Duke’s residence.

Then—

The door to Lucillea’s bedroom opened again, and someone entered.

Mei, who had been keeping watch at her side, leapt from her chair in shock at the unexpected visitor.

“Y-Your Highness?”

“……”

Elbadine nodded silently.

“How is the child?”

“……”

Mei, bewildered, shook her head.

“She has not regained consciousness yet.”

“……”

Elbadine walked to the bed and sat in the chair beside it.

Mei quietly stepped out to give him privacy, leaving only Elbadine and Lucillea in the room.

Hhh… hhh…

The girl’s steady breathing echoed softly.

Elbadine’s slow gaze fell upon the music box on the side table and the piece of cloth beside the pillow. For a moment, he was lost in thought.

Then he placed a flower he had brought into an empty glass vase on the table.

“You said the glass garden made you feel at peace.”

And that flowers always brightened your mood.

“Will you scold me for plucking one of the blossoms you treasure?”

“……”

“Good. Then wake up and scold me. This time, I’ll take it quietly without talking back.”

“……”

Of course, no reply came.

Elbadine looked down silently at the pale face of the sleeping child, then stood and left the room.

The bedroom, with only Lucillea remaining, was shrouded in silence.

But it wasn’t lonely.

Because on the table, beside her pillow, were the gifts filled with so many hearts—waiting for her.

It was pitch black.

Her body felt as light as a feather, yet at the same time as though it were sinking into a bottomless abyss.

Where am I?

She had been with her teacher at the training grounds…

She had followed Noah’s instructions to draw out her mana…

Then her mana had flared, her vision flickered—

And after that, nothing.

What happened?

At that moment, as her consciousness flickered faintly, a playful voice spoke.

“How long do you plan to keep sleeping?”

The low, gentle voice tickled her ears.

It was pleasant—strangely nostalgic, strangely sorrowful.

The emotions it stirred made her chest ache.

At the teasing tone, her heavy eyelids slowly lifted.

As her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was the face of a man gazing down at her.

She couldn’t see his whole face—

Just strands of black hair glinting under sunlight, a sharp, clean jawline, and lips curved in a smile that looked troubled yet amused.

Even though she saw only from his nose downward, her heart raced.

So handsome…

Even without seeing all of him, she knew the man before her was very good-looking.

But who is he? I’ve never met him, yet… why does he feel so familiar?

She racked her memory in frustration, but there was no trace of him in her recollections.

Then, the man’s large hand reached out—

And gently plucked a leaf from her forehead.

The touch felt so familiar that Lucillea couldn’t help but laugh.

At the same time, her mouth opened without her own will.

“How did you know I was here?”

Huh?

Lucillea was startled. That wasn’t her voice.

Before she could even react to her own words, the unknown man chuckled softly.

“Because I know you climb this mountain whenever you have free time.”

“Oh? You know me well, huh?”

“As your companion, of course I do.”

“Hmmm. Just a companion?”

“……”

The smile at his lips faltered for a moment.

But then he smiled again and stretched out his hand toward her.

A hand that, rough and rugged though it looked, gave her a sense of security.

“Come. We need to go down before sunset. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Again, her body moved without her will.

Her hand grasped his large one, and she rose to her feet.

Wait—

Her hand wasn’t the small hand of a child.

It was the hand of an adult.

What is this?

As she stared blankly at her own adult hand clasping his, her vision dimmed again.

The warmth of his touch and the scent of sunlight drifted far away.

“Uh…?”

When she snapped awake, Lucillea was lying in her bed again.

“What the—”

She sat up abruptly.

“Ahh, ow ow ow ow!”

Pain shot through her body as though her bones were shattering.

Her insides twisted as if churned.

Sweat drenched her skin.

Clutching her stomach, she looked around.

It was her bedroom in the west annex of the Grand Duke’s residence.

“So it was… a dream?”

As always, within a dream it was hard to tell if it was a dream.

This one was the same.

Just a pointless dream, huh…

Weird dream… maybe because I’ve never once experienced romance, past life or present.

It had been a short, meaningless dream, yet even awake her heart still trembled faintly.

Just then—

From the cage, Cookie burst out through the bars and flew straight toward her.

[Luuuuuucy!]

The parrot hurled itself into her stomach.

Lucillea groaned in pain.

“Ugh!”

My stomach! My organs!

At the same time—

[Bwaaaaaah!]

Cookie let out a wail—something no parrot should have been able to produce—crying pitifully.