~Chapter 14~
The next morning, in the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.
Johann was reviewing the documents for the noble council meeting scheduled for today.
Sitting straight across from him was Samuel, ready to assist as always.
While reading, Johann kept thinking about what had happened yesterday.
Eventually, he looked up from the papers.
“…Samuel, can I ask you something?”
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“You said you have a lot of younger siblings, right?”
“Yes, I have four younger ones.”
Samuel answered politely, although he found the question a bit odd.
“…Then I guess you’re good at playing with kids.”
“I’m too good at it, to be honest.”
“How do you play with a 7-year-old girl?”
Wow.
Samuel was taken aback by Johann’s question, though he didn’t show it.
His master, the Duke of Blumhardt, was always serious, strict, and even kept a formal distance with his own younger sister.
He never imagined the duke would ask such a question.
‘Even if it’s just because of the contract, His Grace is really trying to get along with the young lady.’
That contract must be more powerful than he thought.
After pulling himself together, Samuel began to explain.
He told Johann all about how to play with little kids, how to make them feel comfortable, what upsets them and what cheers them up.
Johann pretended not to care much, but he was actually listening very closely.
‘I’m only learning this because I don’t want her nagging me later.
That’s all.’
By the time Samuel finished his enthusiastic explanation, the carriage arrived at the palace.
Just as Samuel was about to get up and open the door, he suddenly remembered something and sat back down.
“Oh! Your Grace.”
“What is it?”
“There’s going to be a festival soon.”
“…So?”
“It’ll be a great chance to bond with the young lady.”
The “Day of Rest” Festival, held in early March.
It had been celebrated since the first year when the goddess Hecate blessed the first emperor and the five great dukes with mana, allowing them to defeat monsters descending from the Black Mountains during winter with minimal damage.
People gave thanks to Hecate, honored the knights and mages who fought to protect them, and celebrated the safe passing of winter.
Festivals were held all over the empire, especially in the capital.
Even noble households gave their servants the afternoon off after doing some light morning work.
Wealthy families sometimes even handed out bonuses.
There were parades and various events in town squares and shopping districts.
Johann hadn’t properly enjoyed the festival since he was very young.
He usually just participated in official ceremonies for appearances.
The only one in his household who enjoyed it was Penelope.
“…The Day of Rest Festival, huh.”
He knew he had to bond with his daughter because of the contract.
But he’d never been close to anyone like that — not his parents, not even his younger sister Penelope.
‘…Stuff like that feels awkward and uncomfortable.’
Even though the girl looked just like him, he hadn’t fully accepted that she was his daughter.
Still, the festival probably was, like Samuel said, a good opportunity.
‘There’ll be plenty of things kids enjoy at festivals.’
But he wasn’t sure if he could handle it well.
—
“…A festival?”
“Yes! Don’t you know the Day of Rest Festival? It’s to celebrate getting through winter safely!”
Paula looked surprised as she asked Leah.
“Ah… Our village did something small for it.”
Leah’s village was so remote that their celebration had nothing to do with monster-hunting victories.
They just followed the old tradition of eating good food and hanging out in early March.
‘So it’s actually an important national holiday, not just a casual celebration.’
To someone who’d lived far from the Black Mountains, the festival was just a day when people shared homemade food and relaxed.
“There’s also a parade and stuff, but for commoners like us, the best part is the shopping.”
“Shopping?”
“Yep! On that day, shops have huge sales!”
“Really?”
Leah’s eyes widened.
“Totally! Everyday items, clothes, hats, even jewelry — everything’s like half price!”
Wow.
So it wasn’t just a fun festival.
It was an amazing one.
‘I really need to buy a few outfits at least!’
When Leah first came to the duke’s mansion, the head maid gave her some clothes — but they were old and almost worn out now.
She’d been rotating through just a few outfits all winter.
She really felt the need for new clothes.
But the problem was… she didn’t have any money.
She’d been giving away her potions for free to the staff, and the maids had helped her out without expecting anything in return.
She did it all to win their trust, so of course, she hadn’t made any money from it.
She didn’t want to touch the allowance given to her daughter, and asking Johann or anyone else for money felt awkward.
‘Should I make some potions and sell them outside?’
As she was going back to her room, climbing the stairs after chatting with Paula—
“Miss Leah!”
It was the head maid, calling her from the second-floor hallway.
The maid smelled faintly of the hand cream Leah had made a while ago.
“Lady Carolina would like to see you.”
“…Excuse me?”
Leah’s face froze.
She had gone out of her way to avoid Carolina all winter — and now she was being summoned?
Without caring about Leah’s expression, the maid basically dragged her off to the glasshouse where Carolina liked to spend her afternoons.
—
Carolina was lounging in the mansion’s glasshouse, her favorite place.
She had a warm towel over her eyes and her feet in a fancy rose-filled foot bath, while a maid massaged them.
She looked more like the mansion’s owner than the actual one.
The maid brought Leah closer.
“You may leave now.”
Carolina dismissed the maid massaging her and sipped some tea.
She made a face at the now-cold tea, so the head maid rushed off to get her a fresh one.
Carolina didn’t offer Leah a seat — just spoke from where she sat.
“I heard you can make magic potions?”
“…Yes.”
“There’s a lot of buzz about it among the staff.”
‘Did she call me here just to complain about that?’
Leah swallowed nervously.
“…Even someone useless like you seems to have one skill.
Anyway, I’ve got a toothache lately.”
Carolina touched her cheek.
She had always loved sweets, even more as she got older.
Plus, she rarely brushed her teeth — just once in the morning and once before bed if she felt like it.
No wonder she had tooth problems.
“Even healing mages only numb the pain temporarily…”
She squinted from the pain and gave Leah a pointed look.
“And the magic potions sold out there don’t help either…”
“…I see.”
Leah noticed how Carolina was going in circles without saying what she actually wanted.
‘So she does want me to make her a potion, but won’t ask directly.’
It was almost funny how indirect she was being.
“…You just say ‘Oh really?’ while I’m here in pain?”
Carolina clearly wanted Leah to offer on her own.
Considering how she usually treated Leah, it was ridiculous.
‘It’s not like I’m the family’s personal mage.
Why act like I owe her something?’
Leah didn’t volunteer and just stood quietly.
Annoyed, Carolina drank the new tea — it seemed to be good for toothaches.
“Are you just clueless, or pretending to be? Do I really have to ask if you can make toothache medicine?”
“…Toothache medicine?”
“Yes.
Can you make it or not?”
“I can… but…”
“But what?”
Carolina snapped.
“It needs some rare ingredients that are hard to get.”
“This is the Duke of Blumhardt’s house.
Nothing’s too hard to find here.”
She stood and walked over to Leah with a look of hope.
“So you can make it, right?”
“Yes, if I have the ingredients.”
“Then I’ll get them.
You just make the medicine.”
It wasn’t a request.
It was a command.
