Chapter 75
Ever since the day the Duchess collapsed in the garden, things between her and Eloise had been quite awkward.
She wasn’t cold or irritable like before, but that gentleness was its own kind of uncomfortable—strange and unfamiliar.
“I think things will get better little by little. Elly will need time to accept Lady Katrin’s sincerity.”
“I suppose so. I’m glad you’re here.”
The Duchess reached out and gently stroked the top of my head.
“You’re the youngest who wants peace in Montclair. Unlike Raul.”
“Heh. That’s true. Having a cute youngest daughter at my age is quite a joy.”
When I jokingly mentioned Raul, the Duchess let out a short laugh.
If I had a mother like this in my previous life too, maybe I could’ve been a decent daughter. Unlike before.
“Well then, I’m entrusting our youngest to take care of Elly’s recovery until the very end.”
The Duchess taught me a method of mana circulation in a way even an elementary schooler could understand.
It was different from the method Étienne had shown me, so I ended up learning something new as well.
If Étienne’s method was the rigid, traditional approach, the Duchess’s was fast and efficient.
“Thank you!”
“No, thank you, Lizette.”
I hopped down from the sofa and rubbed my head against her nightgown.
“Then—I’ll go first. Have a good night.”
“May you have a peaceful night.”
When I returned to Eloise’s bedroom, she was just finishing her bath. Her silhouette was visible through the slightly open door, as though she had left it ajar for me.
I slipped through the crack and rubbed myself against her calf.
“Did you have fun?”
“Mm-hm! Lady Katrin taught me a mana circulation technique.”
There was no need to hide it, so I said it honestly.
Sophie, who was drying Eloise’s hair, paused for a moment but soon resumed moving her hands.
“Really?”
“Yeah. You’re going to need it, Eloise.”
Thud.
This time, Sophie dropped the towel and froze with a startled expression.
“Lady Lizette, what did you just—?”
“I was planning to tell her once everything was fully healed, but it looks like Lizette beat me to it.”
“M-my lady?”
“I’m going to be able to use magic again. Thanks to Lizette.”
Shock and joy flooded Sophie’s face all at once. Her eyes widened, and her lips curved upward in a trembling arc.
Then her brown eyes filled with tears.
“H-hic… I-I’m just… s-so… sniff…”
Unable to hold back, Sophie burst into tears. Eloise stood up, pulled her into a hug, and patted her awkwardly.
“It’s good news. Why are you crying?”
“Because… sniff… I’m just so happy…”
I circled around them, tail swaying happily.
Watching Sophie mourn and rejoice over Eloise’s hardships as though they were her own made something warm bloom in my chest.
When Sophie finally stopped crying, Eloise loosened her embrace and stepped back.
“Are you done crying?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I was just so happy.”
“You were happy enough for both of us. I suppose I don’t get a share now.”
“M-my lady…”
Sophie flushed and picked up the towel she had dropped.
“I’ll get a fresh one right away.”
“No need. It’s already dry enough from the spring breeze—just go rest. People might think I made you cry.”
At Eloise’s playful remark, Sophie wiped her face with her sleeve.
Then she beamed brightly.
“No matter what anyone says, this is the happiest day of my life.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“My lady, Lady Lizette—have a good night!”
“You too. Sleep well.”
After Sophie left, Eloise sat on the edge of the bed.
She took out her medicine as usual, about to swallow it out of habit—then stopped.
“I won’t need these anymore, will I?”
“If it’s medicine you receive from outside, it might be better to keep accepting it for a while. As a decoy.”
“……A decoy?”
I couldn’t guess how Count Lonsbrough would react upon learning that Eloise had awakened.
If he had indeed been giving her Seneca even before she was engaged to the crown prince, he wouldn’t simply let her go just because the engagement was broken.
“Elli, about the Seneca incident. Why did you just let it pass?”
“How did you—”
“I heard you talking with Dr. Etmon. And you talked about it with Sophie too.”
“Oh.”
She must’ve thought I was just an ordinary cat at the time.
It wasn’t that she was trying to keep secrets from me now, though.
Eloise lifted me into her arms and gently stroked my fur.
“I wanted to handle it quietly. Clearly someone hired her, and if I made a fuss, the mastermind would simply hide.”
“So you chased her out so the mastermind would reveal themselves?”
“That’s right. You’re clever. And I didn’t think there was any need for unnecessary commotion.”
Her touch was warm as she continued to stroke my head, praising even the smallest things.
I purred, but then a thought struck me—about the Duke’s ability.
“What about torturing the maid to force a confession?”
“Lizette, get rid of such cruel thoughts. She might not know anything. And only dark-element magic could do such a thing.”
So the Duke had used dark-element magic on the butler.
“Then you still haven’t found the mastermind?”
“There’s a limit to what I can do alone. All I know is that they’re a noble from the Crown Prince’s side.”
Even discovering that much alone was impressive.
It seemed better to bring up Count Lonsbrough’s Seneca research later.
That matter was for the Duke and Duchess, not me.
“I think it’s safer to hide your awakening for now. Who knows how the culprit will react?”
“Lizette.”
“Yeah?”
“Montclair does not hide. We set traps instead—and wait.”
Montclair always defied expectations.
In romance-fantasy novels, people usually hid their trump cards until the big dramatic reveal.
Maybe because she was technically the ‘villain,’ her whole way of thinking was different.
Then I too should act like Montclair from now on.
“Fine! Then let’s do it today.”
“……No wonder my body’s been getting better every day. When did you even fix things?”
“It was my secret little hobby.”
Finally, it was time to repair her mana pathways completely.
Smiling mischievously, I infused healing magic into the hollow between her collarbones.
The last of the tangled mana slowly unraveled.
Noticing the changes in her body in real time, Eloise narrowed her eyes.
“Now it’s your turn, Elly. Take a deep breath and feel the mana.”
“Hm.”
To avoid mixing my mana into hers by accident, I jumped out of her arms and watched from the side.
Eloise closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her chest rising high.
“As you exhale, send the mana from the center—the solar plexus—to your crown, then to your lower abdomen.”
“Phew…”
Her rosy lips parted slightly, and as her breath escaped, her chest slowly fell.
“Then to your shoulders and knees. Finally, exhale completely and let the mana flow to the tips of your fingers and toes.”
“Hoo…”
“If you keep repeating it, your mana circuits will awaken and you’ll feel them more and more—”
I stopped mid-explanation.
Mint-colored light was swirling around Eloise’s entire body.
The bright glow made my eyes squint, but soon the light was absorbed into her skin.
Darkness returned to the bedroom—but instead of the light, a fresh, sweet scent of teal roses filled the air.
It had taken only three breaths.
Eloise slowly lifted her eyelids.
“So… this is how it feels.”
“Elly, do you want to try using magic?”
I tapped her hand as I asked. She stared blankly for a moment, then shook her head.
“Tomorrow. Today I should get used to my mana circuits first.”
“But tomorrow Marcel and Étienne are coming.”
Instead of replying, Eloise smiled faintly—lit by the moonlight, beautiful and serene.
My lips curled up to match hers.
“You want to show them!”
“All four of you. You and Sophie included.”
Everyone would surely rejoice at being present for the most important moment of Eloise’s life.
My lifted mouth wouldn’t come down again.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow!”
“Same here. Thank you, Lizette.”
“I did it because I wanted to.”
“You’re so kind. I only ever cared about my own pain… My body, my heart—they hurt so much I wanted to disappear, even as the crown princess, even as a Montclair. And on those days… you saved me. Truly—thank you, Lizette.”
Her voice was calm as she spoke of her suffering, and my heart ached. I burrowed into her arms.
“You won’t hurt anymore. Not in your body, not in your heart.”
We held each other tightly and fell asleep like that.
It was the warmest, most peaceful night of all.
