~Chapter 19~
Every year during the “Day of Rest” festival at the central plaza, a play is performed about the first emperor of the Valerius Empire and the original heads of the five great noble houses.
About 300 years ago, the northern part of the continent was constantly attacked every winter by monsters coming from the “Black Mountains.”
Six brave warriors stood up to fight them, but these monsters had mysterious powers from the devil’s realm and were incredibly hard to defeat.
The warriors’ bodies were worn down from the endless battles, and they were slowly losing strength.
The night before their final, all-out battle, the Goddess of Magic, Hecate — who had long since disappeared from the human world — appeared in their dreams.
She said she was moved by their courage and blessed them with something called “mana,” which would help them win against the monsters.
After receiving her blessing, the warriors finally won their first major victory.
But they couldn’t celebrate much — the country was already devastated from so many past losses.
The king had run away long ago.
So the six warriors gathered the people and began rebuilding the land before the next winter came.
Because of their bravery and the power of mana, people admired and followed them, and many cities were restored.
Eventually, they founded a new nation on the now peaceful continent, and they chose the warrior Valerius — who had the best qualities to lead — to be the first emperor.
The play, called “The Story of Goddess Hecate and the Six Warriors,” was exciting and easy to follow for people of all ages.
“Mom, Mom! This is from the storybook!”
“You’re right — I’ve only read it in books, but seeing it as a play is so cool.”
Leah, who had found a good seat with Raphaella, looked at the stage with curious and excited eyes.
Johann sat beside them, quietly watching the happy mother and daughter enjoying the play.
‘…How can they look so happy?’
He wondered — if he had his memories, would he be enjoying it just like them?
He quickly brushed the thought away, calling himself silly for thinking that way.
Soon, a member of the troupe came out and announced that the play was about to start.
As the curtains rose, even the noisy kids and arguing adults quieted down.
Everyone watched in awe at the actors’ lively and passionate performance.
When the exciting play finally ended, the audience stood up and clapped and cheered for the actors.
“Watching it as a play really feels different from reading it in a book, huh, Raphaella?”
“Yeah! I liked Blumhardt the most!”
Raphaella mimicked the actor who played Blumhardt, moving her hands like she had a sword.
She didn’t actually have one, but her stance looked pretty good.
“Didn’t Goldscheider do great too?
He only got a small amount of mana but still made healing potions for the wounded warriors.”
“Yeah! He was the smallest, so I was scared he’d get hurt, but he dodged all the attacks so well!”
Chatting excitedly about the play, the two walked back with Johann to the Carriage area.
“Oh, wait!”
Just as Raphaella was getting into the Carriage with Johann’s help, she suddenly remembered something.
“Mom, this is for you!”
She took out a prettily wrapped package from her little bag and handed it to Leah.
“Oh my, what’s this?”
“I saw it at the festival earlier and thought I wanted to give it to you.”
Raphaella shyly touched her hair, a little embarrassed.
Leah, touched by the gesture, unwrapped the gift.
“It’s a beautiful bracelet! Rafi, thank you so much!”
She put the bracelet on right away — the thread color looked perfect against her pale wrist.
Smiling, she hugged Raphaella tightly and kissed her forehead.
Raphaella must’ve been tired — not long after the Carriage started moving, she was sound asleep.
Leah looked down at her sleeping daughter, then glanced across at Johann.
He was looking at Raphaella too, with slightly softer eyes than usual.
‘Is it because they spent the day together?’
“…I’ll carry her.”
When they arrived at Blumhardt Manor and Leah tried to lift Raphaella, Johann stopped her.
“You just carry those leather shoes.”
He pointed with his chin at the shoes Leah was holding — the ones both Johann and the madam had told her to throw away.
But Leah refused.
‘Well, I need them when I go back to the cabin.
No shoes are better for mountain trails than these broken-in ones.’
As Johann walked ahead carrying Raphaella, Leah looked at his broad back.
She had a feeling the bond between him and Raphaella would be even stronger by the time she left — and that made her feel good.
‘Rafi doesn’t call him “Dad” yet, but… I’ll try my best to make that happen before I go.’
—
Meanwhile, Carolina was in a bad mood because of something the head maid told her that morning.
A high-end boutique that used to work with the Blumhardt family sent a dress, and the name on the label said “Leah.”
“Johann gave that commoner a dress…?”
That alone made her angry — but what if the boutique lady had recognized the dress Raphaella wore?
‘She might say it’s out of fashion or looks like one of their old designs or something…’
The truth was, Carolina had used the clothing budget Johann had set for Raphaella to buy clothes for herself and Marco.
She had her boutique visit the manor twice — once last winter, and again earlier this year — but both times they came only to her room.
Johann didn’t care about fashion and barely noticed trends, which made it easy for her to do that.
But if someone were to comment on what Raphaella was wearing…
“AAARGH!!”
Carolina screamed and threw a cushion across the parlor in frustration.
The head maid, startled, quickly backed away.
“DaLeah, bring that child’s mother here!”
Johann could be unexpectedly cold at times — and to calm her anxiety, Carolina figured she should test Leah a little.
Soon the head maid returned with Leah.
Carolina scanned her quickly.
She wasn’t wearing those shabby old clothes anymore — now she had on a soft, ready-made outfit that looked expensive.
Even her shoes were clearly brand new and elegant.
‘…Even though it’s not custom-made, it still looks high-class.
No wonder — it’s from a boutique.’
Leah, who used to look like a peasant woman from the mountains, now looked like a middle-class lady.
Clothes really do make the person.
‘Did Johann eat something weird at the festival? He’s never cared about her clothes before!’
What got into him to buy her clothes all of a sudden?
Carolina had no idea what he was thinking and felt anxious.
“I heard Johann gave you that outfit yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Just don’t start thinking you’re someone important because of that.”
“…”
Carolina was clearly trying to make her feel small, but Leah didn’t respond.
“You dare ignore—!”
“But Carolina,” Leah gently cut her off.
“About that jewel you gave me in return for the toothache medicine…”
“What about it?”
“You said it was a good gem, but when I sold it, it was only worth 1 gold coin.”
“…What?”
Carolina had always been vain and greedy.
She wanted what others had and never wanted to give anything of hers away.
Even after Leah cured her toothache, she didn’t want to give a real reward.
‘It’s not like I’m giving it to the emperor or empress.’
So she told the head maid to just grab a cheap gem and hand it over.
“You sold it already? Wow, you really are money-hungry!”
She didn’t even look sorry — if anything, she looked smug.
“And what does me wanting money have to do with you giving me a fake gem?”
Leah’s calm response made Carolina furious.
‘How dare a commoner talk back to me?’
“You arrogant thing! Even a 1-gold gem is too good for someone like you!”
“…So it wasn’t a mistake.”
For the first time, Leah’s calm face showed disappointment.
That annoyed Carolina even more, and she was about to say something else — but Leah beat her to it.
“I’m human too.
So I’m hurt.
I won’t be making you any more toothache medicine.”
She gave a polite nod and walked out before Carolina could say another word.
“AAAAARGH!”
Carolina screamed so loudly it echoed through the halls — she’d lost her temper and her medicine, and she knew she couldn’t even take it back.
—
Hearing Carolina’s scream from down the hall, Leah sighed.
‘Guess I was dumb to hope it was a mistake.’
Even though the medicine had worked so well, Carolina still treated her like dirt.
Maybe people like her — who look down on others to their core — just can’t change.
She said she wouldn’t make the medicine anymore, but still felt a little down as she wandered the halls.
That’s when she noticed the butler leading a foreign-looking middle-aged man upstairs — toward the 4th floor.
“Oh, that man’s a famous healer from the Kingdom of Crunia,” a passing maid explained.
“He’s here to treat Lady Penelope.
I really hope it works.”
In Leah’s dream, Penelope had died before turning 20.
No person or medicine could save her.
‘This healer probably won’t be able to either.’
Maybe I should tell the duchess I’d like to give it a try… Leah thought as she returned to her room.
“…Rafi?”
Raphaella wasn’t there.
She wasn’t in the bedroom, the dressing room, the bathroom, or the side room.
‘I wasn’t gone that long — where did she go?’
Panicked, Leah hurried back out to search.
‘I’ll start nearby.’
“Rafi! Raphaella, where are you?”
She checked all the rooms on the third floor and finally reached the main staircase.
That’s when she saw Raphaella coming down from the fourth floor, holding the butler’s hand.
“…Rafi!”
Relieved, Leah called out — but as she got closer, she noticed something was wrong.
The butler looked grim, and Raphaella’s eyes were red and full of tears.
