~Chapter 21~
Leah returned to her room without being able to properly finish her conversation with the Duchess.
The Duchess had doubted Leah’s skills just because she was from a small mountain village.
‘…I guess her doubts make some sense.’
She didn’t know that Leah had a great teacher—her grandmother.
Since they lived deep in the mountains, Leah couldn’t attend a real school.
But her grandmother, who had studied at the Imperial Academy, taught her everything she knew—from the Imperial language and history to magic.
Her grandmother didn’t have many books on magic,but she taught Leah things that were more useful than just reading.
“Leah, books only give us the basics.
To really learn more, you have to go out into the world, see things, and observe.”
Leah had been born with very little mana.
She never took an official test, but she could feel it herself—there wasn’t much mana flowing in her body.
Luckily, making magic potions didn’t require a lot of natural mana.
And since she had inherited her grandmother’s talents, she showed great skill with potion-making from a young age.
Her grandmother often smiled sadly when she saw this.
“Oh my, you really can’t hide your bloodline.
You’re so gifted, Leah… I feel so sorry about it.”
She was both proud and heartbroken that her granddaughter had inherited her talent.
“Leah, sometimes I regret teaching you how to make potions…”
Even though she regretted it, she never stopped teaching Leah.
But near the end of her life, she expressed that regret more clearly.
“Letting such talent go to waste in the mountains… that was my greed, Leah.
Pure greed…”
Leah never understood why her grandmother thought teaching her was “greedy.”
She asked, but her grandmother never gave her a clear answer.
All she said was:
“…Leah, it might be hard, but for your own sake, hide your talents.
Live an ordinary life here.”
That was her grandmother’s last request.
Leah only kept that promise halfway.
She didn’t stop making magic potions—
but even when people in the village begged her to sell them in the city, she refused.
‘Even here, I gave some potions to people in the mansion, but I never sold them in the capital.’
It was sad that the Duchess doubted her just because she was from the countryside,but Leah could understand her too.
‘If I were her and someone fresh from the mountains said they could cure my daughter’s incurable illness…’
I’d be suspicious too.
On top of that, the Duchess had just been burned by a foreign healer and was already exhausted and on edge.
Maybe Leah had acted too impulsively because she was desperate.
‘Maybe if I show her my potion notebook next time, she’ll react differently…’
That notebook was one of her most precious things.
It was filled with all the knowledge she had learned from her grandmother and what she had discovered herself.
‘There’s a chance Penelope’s illness isn’t the same one I know… but still…’
She couldn’t explain it, but something told her it was the same illness.
—
Lately, Johann had been spending more time with Leah and Raphaella during dinner.
Leah had thought, especially after the festival, that Raphaella might be okay eating alone with her father now…
But—“No! If Mommy’s not eating too, I’m not eating either!”
Raphaella was very firm.
“You said you’re more comfortable with Daddy now, remember?”
“He’s not my Daddy!”
Leah tried gently to calm her down, but it didn’t work.
Raphaella just kept saying she couldn’t eat without her mom.
It seemed like the scolding from the Duchess had made her more closed off—
not just with Johann, but with most people except her mom.
‘Did that really leave such a big emotional scar on her…’
She still wouldn’t say why she went to the 4th floor.
‘Every time I even mention the 4th floor, she shuts her mouth like a clam…’
It worried Leah a lot.
So, for now, she decided to just do what Raphaella wanted and postponed the father-daughter dinner.
It felt like taking one step forward and falling two steps back.
‘Oh well.
Maybe she’ll get better again with time.’
That night, like before, Raphaella sat stiffly at dinner with her dad, and Johann was just as tense because of it.
Leah had too many things on her mind to lift the awkward mood.
After dinner, sweet pudding was served for dessert.
Johann finally spoke up.
“I heard you met with my mother earlier.”
“Yes, I wanted to talk to her about Lady Penelope’s illness.”
“I’ve heard from the servants that you make small potions for them.”
His voice was colder than when she had first arrived at the mansion.
“But let’s leave it at that.
Don’t you think stepping into Penelope’s illness is crossing a line?”
“I just…”
She felt a little angry that even Johann was drawing a line like this.
‘You’re the same person who was desperate enough to bring in a healer from another country.’
She wanted to yell that in the future she remembered, nothing could save Penelope—except maybe if she stepped in and used her potions.
But of course, she couldn’t say that.
So she just stuffed the rest of the pudding into her mouth in silence.
And that was how dinner ended—uncomfortable and quiet for everyone.
—
The next morning was just as tense and awkward.
Leah and Raphaella stood by to see Johann off as he headed to the Imperial Palace.
Even the nearby servants could feel the stiff atmosphere.
Some of them gossiped that maybe Leah had overstepped by talking to the Duchess about Lady Penelope’s illness, and the Duke got angry.
They whispered that she acted like she was someone important.
‘I shouldn’t let what they say bother me.’
Leah was tired of always worrying about what the servants were saying about her.
She had always pushed down her own feelings and focused only on Raphaella’s happiness and future.
But even the strongest will can’t take endless hostility forever.
Especially when she’d grown up surrounded by kind villagers,
she wasn’t used to this kind of coldness.
‘I never learned how to deal with people being openly hostile.
I just pretended not to notice and endured it.’
Back in her room, Leah began teaching Raphaella numbers.
Her clever daughter picked things up quickly, just like always.
‘Is this how my grandma felt when she was teaching me?’
Watching her daughter learn so eagerly made her heart swell with pride.
Time passed, and soon it was lunchtime.
Instead of Pola, Helen brought in their food.
“Is Pola off today?”
“No, I mean… Lady Leah!”
Helen, her hands shaking, looked like she was about to cry.
“I know I shouldn’t ask, but I really need a favor…”
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Leah asked gently, concerned.
Helen was one of the few servants who had always been kind to her.
“My younger brother came by just now… and he told me my mom…”
Helen’s voice caught as she tried to continue.
“…She was hit by a carriage while out shopping this morning.”
“Oh no! Then you have to go right away!”
“But the head maid gave me an errand I have to finish first…”
“Is it that important?”
“…I don’t think so.
But she told me I must do the errand first, and I can go to my mom after that…”
Helen wiped her falling tears with her palm.
Raphaella, who had been watching, quietly handed her a small handkerchief.
Helen took it, bowing her head slightly to say thank you—too choked up to speak.
“I asked a few others, but they’re all too busy.”
The schedule the head maid had made for this week was packed,and no one had time to help her.
“…So I thought, maybe, just maybe, Lady Leah… I’m really sorry.”
“What’s the errand?
If I can do it, I’ll help you.”
Leah didn’t want to ignore Helen’s situation.
She was one of the few people here Leah felt safe and comfortable with.
If she could help, she wanted to.
“…Really?”
“It’s you, Helen.
Of course I’ll help.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Lady Leah!”
The only problem now was: who would watch Raphaella while she was gone?
All the maids were busy, and Johann had already left.
Carolina? No way.
‘How can such a big mansion not have a single person I can trust to watch Raphaella for a bit?’
Sighing to herself, Leah thought hard and finally went to the butler.
“…So, I think I need to run Helen’s errand for her.
Would you mind watching Raphaella while I’m gone?”
“Of course.
I’ll look after her for a while.”
