Chapter 4
“I think I messed up.”
“You did mess up. Why on earth did you bring the kid with you?”
Inside the carriage heading toward Dekia Alley,
Bel looked at her master with a disapproving face while Jeryl buried her head in her hands.
Right after she had used blue magic last night, the boy had completely recovered — broken bones, internal injuries, even old scars all healed perfectly.
Caron had watched the scene quietly, muttering something under his breath.
What did he say again?
Ah, right — ‘I don’t hear the screams anymore.’
He had looked oddly… relieved.
But was he going to report her to the Imperial Palace for using the forbidden blue magic?
Let him. He has no proof anyway.
Still annoyed by their argument the night before, Jeryl snorted to herself.
She had a much bigger problem right now.
Holding a parental rights waiver in one hand, she gently stroked the boy’s hair.
His name was Stefan, ten years old — just as she suspected, he had been abused by his parents.
***
“Noona, I really don’t have to go back to that house, right?”
The skinny boy blinked nervously.
Inside the shaking carriage, Jeryl gave him a small smile.
“Of course not. Once they sign this paper, it’s over.”
“Then… can’t I live with you?”
That was something she planned to ask the Marquis of Rubian anyway.
He’d definitely scold her, but she didn’t care.
Even after living with him for over ten years, the relationship between Jeryl and the marquis was still stiff and formal.
‘I took you in because you’re a Blue Mage,’ he had once said.
‘As the head of the Rubian family, it’s my duty to protect you.’
The first-ever mage was said to have come from the Rubian family.
Both Red and Blue Mages were rare, but Blue Mages were even rarer.
That was because they used life energy instead of mana.
It wasn’t something that disappeared forever, but if they used it without letting it recover, it could be fatal.
In the past, many Blue Mages had died from overusing their life energy.
Because of that, the Rubian family had a special rule:
Never turn away a Red or Blue Mage in need of help.
He’s such a rigid man, Jeryl thought. No one else even follows that rule anymore.
Still, she was thankful.
It meant she didn’t have to beg for food again.
***
“Young lady, we’ve arrived at Dekia Alley.”
Jeryl stepped down from the carriage and looked around.
The alley was still as dark and gloomy as ever.
She held Stefan’s hand and walked for a while until they reached an old house.
Then she sniffed the air.
Something’s burning? Did someone light a fire?
Knock, knock.
“Is anyone here? Open the door.”
Bel called out, but no one answered.
When she pushed the door, it swung open easily.
Aside from being worn down, the house looked ordinary enough.
But then Jeryl noticed something strange — footprints on the carpet.
Who wears shoes on the carpet?
It wasn’t just bad manners. It felt off.
She was about to look closer when—
***
“So we meet again.”
A man in a sharp black suit stepped out from the bedroom.
Smoke drifted from his mouth as he chewed on a cigar.
“…Cal? What are you doing here?”
“For the same reason you are.”
Caron walked slowly toward her and dropped his cigar on the floor.
Then he handed her a crumpled piece of paper with his gloved hand — the parental rights waiver.
Red stains dotted the paper. Jeryl pretended not to notice.
“Why do you even care? Last I remember, we disagreed about this.”
“It bothered me.”
“Bothered you?”
Caron didn’t answer. His reddish eyes shimmered faintly in the dim light.
The silence stretched until Stefan tugged on Jeryl’s dress.
“Noona…”
“Send the child abroad.”
Caron’s cold voice made the boy flinch. Then, gathering courage, Stefan shouted—
“No! I want to live with Noona!”
“The Kingdom of Freka has a better system for Red Mages than the Empire does. He’d be safer there.”
Caron spoke casually, but his eyes stayed on Jeryl.
He wasn’t wrong — but looking at the trembling boy clinging to her, she couldn’t easily agree.
Stefan’s eyes were filled with fear and pleading.
“Noona, please don’t send me away…”
“In the kingdom, he’ll at least learn proper manners.”
Jeryl shot Caron a glare before kneeling down to meet Stefan’s gaze.
“Let’s think about it, okay? I’ll respect whatever choice you make. You can take your time.”
“But…”
“For now, go back home. I need to talk to this… uncle.”
Caron’s sharp glare could’ve killed someone.
Still, Jeryl kept waving until the carriage carrying Stefan disappeared.
“‘Uncle,’ huh?”
“What else should I call you in front of a ten-year-old?”
“You were the one who called me that, not him.”
Jeryl waved a hand dismissively.
“Don’t be so petty.”
Caron sighed in disbelief.
“Anyway, thanks.”
“For what?”
“For the waiver. I appreciate that you took care of it.”
After their big argument yesterday, saying something so nice was embarrassing — but Jeryl wasn’t one to hold back when she meant it.
Since she was looking down, she didn’t see Caron raise an eyebrow.
“That’s it?”
“What, do you want something in return?”
“Of course. You give, I take.”
Ugh, seriously. He looks rich, but he’s so stingy.
“What do you want, then?”
“A night view.”
“Huh?”
“You said you’d be my guide, didn’t you? Do your job.”
“That’s all?”
His indifferent stare hit her blank face.
His hand twitched slightly, gesturing for her to hurry up.
***
If you went straight east from Dekia Alley, there was a hill — steep and mostly empty, but it had an amazing view.
“Huff… The sun’s still up… haah… just a little longer…”
Jeryl panted as she reached the top of the hill.
Climbing this twice would kill me.
“…Is your stamina really that bad?”
Caron stopped walking, maybe afraid she’d vomit.
Her stamina was perfectly normal — he was the abnormal one.
How is he not sweating at all?
She stared at him like he was some kind of monster, then plopped down on the grass.
Caron watched her quietly.
“Hah… Why are you staring like that?”
“You’re a Blue Mage, aren’t you?”
“Cough—what?!”
She choked on her own breath and started coughing violently.
Caron looked at her like she was pathetic and lay down on the grass.
“I-I’m not!”
“Your hair turned blue. You healed that kid’s injuries completely. And…”
He stopped mid-sentence and pressed his hand against his ear.
The madness inside him was quiet — for now.
“Anyway, you have enough proof. Don’t bother denying it.”
“So what, are you going to report me to the palace?”
“Too much work.”
“Then promise you won’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Why would I?”
A heavy silence fell between them.
The smell of wildflowers mixed faintly with smoke. Then Caron finally spoke.
“Do you know what Blue Mage madness is like?”
“No. There’s no record of it left.”
“Aren’t you scared? Every Blue Mage in history went mad and disappeared.”
“Not really. There should be warning signs, right? I’ll prepare for it.”
She already had a plan, actually.
Her calm answer made him chuckle. After a pause, he said—
“Want to know one of my secrets?”
“Stop changing the subject and promise to keep mine.”
“I’m planning something. If it succeeds, I’ll die before the madness kills me.”
“What…?”
“Remember that. It might be useful someday.”
“Why tell me that?”
“Call it collateral.”
Then she understood — instead of a verbal promise, he had given her his own weakness as a guarantee.
A rough, twisted kind of kindness.
“The sun hasn’t set yet, so I’m going to sleep for a bit.”
How can someone who’s planning their own death sleep so peacefully?
Maybe that’s why the Grand Duke of Leppert had killed himself in the original story too.
People had thought his rebellion would succeed, so his suicide had never made sense.
Maybe he’d been pushed to it by the same madness.
“But still…”
She trailed off.
Caron’s even breathing answered her. He was already asleep.
“Are you seriously sleeping right now?”
“……”
“Unbelievable.”
He’d dropped a bomb and then just… fallen asleep.
