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Chapter 24
Madam Howard masked her satisfaction and pressed her point once more.
“Still, I’m glad I was the one who brought you both here. If I bear the burden alone, the rest of you won’t have to suffer.”
“Oh my… how touching.”
“You truly are so considerate, Madam.”
As their warm, harmonious conversation continued, it happened.
click.
From the direction of the door, a faint presence was felt.
The maids all turned sharply.
At the same time, a flicker of delight crossed their faces.
“Oh? Isn’t that Matilde?”
A small maid who had just been about to step into the rest room flinched, her shoulders tensing as all eyes fell on her.
Another maid let out a scornful laugh loud enough for her to hear.
“Honestly, where do you think you’re going? How shameless can you get?”
“Trying to cling to Lady Cecilia and pick up scraps, aren’t you?”
At their harsh words, fear crept over the young maid’s face.
Matilde.
A maid brought in by Madam Howard—effectively a designated “dumping ground” for others’ frustrations.
She had nowhere else to go if she left the ducal household, so there would be no consequences no matter how she was treated.
And because targeting a common enemy had a way of uniting people, Madam Howard had deliberately encouraged it herself.
Thus, the maids bullied Matilde openly and without restraint.
“If it weren’t for Madam Howard recommending you, do you really think someone like you could work in the ducal house?”
“Truly, how ungrateful.”
“Do you even know how much Madam Howard has suffered because of you?”
They waited until Matilde had been thoroughly condemned.
Only then did Madam Howard rise with a satisfied expression and gently stop them.
“All right, that’s enough, everyone.”
She stepped forward gracefully and approached Matilde.
Matilde looked up at her with frightened eyes.
“My dear Matilde.”
Madam Howard’s voice was soft as a whisper.
“Shall we talk for a moment?”
Afterward.
Madam Howard led Matilde out of the rest room.
A wide corridor devoid of people stretched before them.
The heavy silence pressed down on Matilde’s shoulders.
“……”
“……”
As Matilde swallowed nervously, unable to bear the tension, Madam Howard suddenly turned around.
“Who do you think gave you a job when you had nowhere to go?”
Matilde straightened instinctively.
“M-Madam Howard did.”
“And yet you went behind my back and approached Lady Cecilia without my permission. The Lady is already quite sensitive, and because of you, she’s become even more unruly.”
Madam Howard sighed loudly, making sure Matilde heard it.
“Do you know how much effort I’ve had to spend to calm her down?”
For a moment, a faint trace of injustice flickered in Matilde’s eyes.
What was wrong with simply being kind to a young lady of the house?
And contrary to Madam Howard’s words, Cecilia was not particularly sensitive or troublesome at all.
In fact, she was careful to a fault—constantly afraid of causing trouble herself…
But that flicker of resentment disappeared the moment the next words fell.
“If it weren’t for me, you would’ve starved to death on the streets long ago. You know that, don’t you?”
Madam Howard stepped closer.
Then she looked Matilde straight in the eye and spoke slowly, deliberately.
“I’m the only one who has ever helped you.”
“……”
“Remember this. You are alone. The only person you can rely on in this world is me.”
Matilde’s eyes trembled violently.
After a long silence, she lowered her head completely.
“…Yes.”
A faint smile curved Madam Howard’s lips.
“Good. One mistake can be forgiven.”
She lightly patted Matilde’s shoulder, her tone almost generous.
“But you must not keep making mistakes. Understand?”
“Yes… I will keep that in mind…”
At the same time, the Magic Tower.
The Tower Master Dustin stared at the young man before him with a dissatisfied expression.
“Rudrick… you’re saying you’ll personally conduct the paternity test?”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
The young man opposite him smiled brightly, like a blooming flower.
Yet behind that smile lay an unyielding will.
“I’ve heard the ‘Blessed Child’ can use mana, is that correct?”
The Blessed Child.
Rare offspring of House Lusereth—children born with the ability to wield mana.
In an age where the lineage of magicians had completely vanished, the existence of a Blessed Child was a monumental gift to the magical world.
Rudrick’s blue eyes sparkled with anticipation like stars.
“Then I believe it would be best for someone who can use mana—like myself—to meet them in person.”
“……”
Dustin’s expression hardened.
Rudrick Argent del Heisenberg.
In an era where magic had disappeared, he alone had awakened mana and could truly be called a “mage.”
He behaved however he pleased, indifferent to how others saw him.
And yet, his talent was undeniably real.
“Since when have you taken interest in the affairs of the Tower?”
Suppressing his irritation, Dustin forced a composed tone.
“You’ve never once cared about the requests that come in here before.”
At that, Rudrick widened his eyes slightly.
“How surprising.”
Then he struck straight at the heart of it without hesitation.
“I assumed, Tower Master, that you already knew why I took this request.”
“……”
Dustin clenched his jaw.
Yes. He knew.
The only mage in the Empire.
A man who had lived his entire life alone as a “mage,” might finally encounter someone like himself.
Of course he would be drawn in.
But Dustin wanted to pretend otherwise.
Because every time he faced that truth…
Damn it.
…he was forced to remember that he himself was not a “mage.”
No matter how desperately he tried, he would never reach Rudrick.
Because Rudrick was fundamentally different.
That gap pressed down on him all over again.
“I see. Having a mage who can handle mana examine the Blessed Child does make sense.”
Dustin laughed dryly, masking the turmoil within.
“Of course, someone like me who can’t use mana wouldn’t have considered that.”
“…Tower Master?”
“Go on, then.”
His tone had a faint, sharp edge.
Rudrick sensed the Tower Master’s poor mood immediately—
Well, nothing to be done.
—and quickly dismissed it.
It was nothing new. The Tower Master’s cold attitude toward him was nothing unusual.
And right now, Rudrick had no interest in anything except the Blessed Child.
He had to meet them.
He had lived his entire life as if adrift, never truly belonging anywhere.
But if someone like him existed in this world…
What kind of person are they?
A thrilling anticipation surged through his entire body.
“I’ll take my leave, then.”
Rudrick stood up lightly, offering a polite bow.
Then he left without looking back.
Dustin watched his departing figure with sharp, strained eyes.
“Truly… truly…”
Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.
His fingers drummed irritably against the armrest before he finally gripped it tightly.
“I hate it.”
