IWMHWD 63

Chapter 63 – Father’s Daughter
2024.01.02

“What? Master came to the mansion?”

Come to think of it, the chances that Leonard would’ve happened to pass by where she was after visiting the palace were extremely low. Besides, the park where Cordelia had been wasn’t anywhere near the palace.

“Yes. He scolded the coachman who brought you and went out right after… We were all worried something might’ve happened. You’re okay, right?”

As she listened to Rayla’s explanation, Cordelia suddenly felt guilty for pouting at Leonard earlier. He must have been worried because she had gone out without saying anything.

She walked past Rayla and headed for the drawing room where Leonard often stayed. He was there, speaking with Baron. Cordelia stood awkwardly at the door, waiting for the conversation to end.

Normally, Leonard would at least glance her way, but this time he didn’t even turn his head.

Instead, it was Baron who first noticed her and greeted her with a warm smile.

“Did you enjoy your outing?”

“Yes, well.”

“Next time, I’ll assign you a maid who knows the geography of Evodelim well. There’s so much to see you might end up in Wilas before finishing everything here.”

“Thanks, Baron.”

Baron gave a light bow and left the room, silently closing the door behind him.

Leonard still hadn’t looked in her direction. Cordelia hesitated for a moment, then approached her cold and distant master.

“Master.”

“Speak.”

“Are you really upset?”

“……”

“I heard from the maid. That you came to the mansion and went out looking for me because I wasn’t here. I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll be sure to tell you in adv—”

Cordelia smiled as she gently tugged at Leonard’s sleeve like she usually did. But he smacked her hand away sharply, as if something filthy had touched him.

“Ah…”

His reaction caught her off guard, and she was momentarily speechless. Cordelia stared blankly at her rejected hand, startled.

This sort of cold, prickly response was something she hadn’t experienced since the very early days—before she became Leonard’s apprentice.

“You.”

He finally looked at her. Leonard’s violet eyes were swirling with complex emotions. But Cordelia couldn’t read them.

It didn’t look like anger. It felt more like confusion—or fear.

Fear?

That was an unfamiliar emotion for Leonard to display, especially toward her. Cordelia hid her reddening hand and stepped a bit closer to him, pretending nothing was wrong.

“Come on, Master. Don’t be mad. I was wrong, okay?”

“Just leave.”

“Later, for dinner, we can eat toge—”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said leave. Why are you so damn clingy?”

“……”

“You’ve always done whatever you pleased. So why are you suddenly acting apologetic now?”

His words were too cold, too sharp. At least, that’s how Cordelia felt.

“I—I’m sorry.”

She didn’t even know how many times she’d apologized now. It had become a habit.

Strictly speaking, he hadn’t said anything truly cruel. Compared to the biting words she’d heard from Helena, her father, or her ex-husband, Leonard’s words were almost mild.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to respond. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Eventually, she stepped back.

“You must be tired. Please rest. We can have dinner another time.”

She hurried out of the room. A sharp sting in her chest warned her that if she stayed any longer, she’d end up crying embarrassingly.

Once Cordelia was gone, Leonard’s face twisted. He picked up the pen on the desk and threw it to the floor.

“Damn it.”

He couldn’t control the storm of emotions rising inside him. Seeing Cordelia’s face darken from a few harsh words made him not just uncomfortable—but miserable.

And that very fact was what confused Leonard the most.

Why did she affect him this much?

Don’t expose your weakness.

What are you talking about, Your Highness?

Your apprentice. Cordelia Abrams. Do you plan to announce to the world that she’s your weakness?

It had been right before he returned to the mansion. Gabriel had spoken to him as Leonard adjusted his collar. Of course, Leonard scoffed and ignored him.

She’s just my apprentice. Not a weakness.

Didn’t you disappear with her in the middle of a debutante ball, holding her in your arms? That’s not all. You crushed the ankle of Marquis Vasquez just for harming her, hid her in your mansion, and turned down every social invitation.

That was all for valid reasons.

Since when did you start assuming the public would be rational?

Gabriel had clicked his tongue and left him with a short warning.

If something is precious to you, you need to learn how to hide it. If you’re that obvious about it… tsk, tsk.

At the time, Leonard hadn’t taken those words seriously. He dismissed it as needless meddling.

But when he arrived at the townhouse and found Cordelia missing, he had felt furious, anxious—and, most baffling of all, an overwhelming panic he couldn’t understand.

She barely knew the layout of the capital—what if she got lost? What if her still-healing foot gave out and she collapsed? What if someone harmed her, and she didn’t even know how to use a basic shield spell?

Even after hearing that Belluche had gone with her, Leonard couldn’t sit still.

Where did you drop her off?

Pardon?

I said—where did you let Cordelia off?

His icy tone made the coachman tremble as he guided him to the park where she’d gotten out.

Fortunately, she had gone to a lively street frequented by nobles—but that didn’t ease his anxiety.

Leonard circled the huge park three times. When he finally found Cordelia, he felt both immense relief and a jarring shock.

Do you plan to announce to the world that she’s your weakness?

Gabriel’s words struck him like lightning.

If it were just because she was his first student, or because she was a troublemaker who couldn’t be left alone—it wouldn’t explain his behavior.

Leonard didn’t know what to call this emotion he felt toward her. It was the first time he’d ever felt anything like it for anyone, and it left him deeply confused.

Was it pity? Obsession? Just affection for a pupil?

Weakness.

That word was the only thing echoing in Leonard’s mind.

* * *

“What about dinner…”

“I’m not hungry. No one is to come into my room until I say so.”

Cordelia brushed past Rayla and quickly entered her room. She ran to the bed and buried herself under the blankets.

“It’s fine. It’s nothing.”

She mumbled as if trying to hypnotize herself. Objectively speaking, Leonard hadn’t yelled or hit her. Just a few cold words.

But the sadness wouldn’t go away. She’d held it in, but a few tears still forced their way out.

Leonard’s cold face and words kept replaying in her mind, making her feel even more pitiful and sad.

“Huuh…”

A dull pain throbbed in her chest. Maybe his reaction had been more shocking than she’d thought. Cordelia tucked her head between her knees.

Just then, she felt a gentle weight on the edge of the bed. Cordelia quickly wiped her tears and peeked out from under the blanket.

It was Loti.

“L-Loti… snff… y-you’re here? Are you hungry? I—I’ll get you food, snff…”

She tried to smile, but her face still looked just as pitiful.

The gray dog stared silently at her tear-streaked face, then slowly moved closer. It felt like comfort, and Cordelia hugged the dog and began to sob like a child.

“Master’s s-so mean. I know I did wrong, snff, b-but still… how could he say that, sob…”

[Stop crying, little human.]

“But I—I can’t, snff… he slapped my hand and told me to leave…”

Cordelia poured out all her grievances. After letting it out for a while, she began to feel a little better. Then it hit her.

“Wait… Loti, you’re talking again?”

[Seems like our connection has grown stronger.]

“Connection?”

She asked what that meant, but there was no answer. That was the last time she heard Loti’s voice that day.

“Ugh.”

Cordelia cried herself to sleep and woke up in the middle of the night. Her ankle throbbed terribly. She had overexerted herself by walking around all day.

Normally, she would’ve asked Leonard to use healing magic, but that clearly wasn’t an option now—not with him being so angry.

It was also far too late to summon a doctor.

So Cordelia held her swollen ankle and groaned in pain, spending the night tossing and turning alone.

By dawn, Rayla entered and gasped when she saw Cordelia sitting upright in bed.

“Oh my, you’re already awake?”

“Rayla…”

“But your complexion looks terrible! Are you feeling unwell?”

“My ankle hurts… Could you call the doctor?”

“Your ankle?”

Rayla pulled back the blanket and gasped. Cordelia’s right ankle had swelled to nearly twice the size it had been the day before.