Chapter 61

***

“Magician Pierce, please.”

Jeremiah looked up at him with a desperate face.

“You know how long I’ve been waiting for this opportunity. I can’t just step back without any promise of a next time.”

“My boy, the Tower Master regrets it.”

“Regrets?”

“It’s because you are unable to handle the matter swiftly, due to some ’emotions’ it stirs in you.”

“…”

“He prioritizes your protection above all. You don’t have to do anything that causes you distress.”

The boy shook his head vehemently. He could bear the distress of the task; overcoming this was his chance to obtain what he most desired.

“I will do it. Right now. I will go and awaken Loretta Baldwin!”

Though he shouted, Pierce quietly shook his head.

“As I said, it has already been handed over.”

Pierce then turned to the Duke.

Now, only his approval was needed.

While the Duke had no authority to interfere with the magicians’ handover of tasks, permission was still required to enter the Lady’s room.

“Duke, on behalf of the Magic Tower, I apologize for the delay. However, we are prepared to awaken the lady immediately, so please don’t worry.”

Jeremiah looked at Pierce and then, after a while, turned his head towards his father.

Seeing his stern face reminded him of last night’s events.

Jeremiah had thrown away the chocolate his father gave him, declaring that he would abandon the name Baldwin as soon as this task was completed.

‘I was too hasty. I shouldn’t have said anything…’

The Duke would accept Pierce’s request.

It would be better for him to do so.

Loretta would wake up soon, and he could use this opportunity to torment Jeremiah, who had greatly insulted him.

He blamed himself for his actions the night before and tightly closed his eyes.

“Magician Pierce.”

Finally, the Duke approached and quietly bowed his head to the magician.

‘He must be desperate, seeking help for his daughter,’ Jeremiah thought.

“Can’t you give Trainee Jeremiah another chance?”

However, when an utterly unexpected request left the Duke’s mouth, Jeremiah doubted his own ears. The content of his plea seemed strangely out of place.

Soon, Pierce’s answer followed.

“Duke. This is the Magic Tower’s decision. Even you cannot intervene.”

“I see.”

The Duke quickly acquiesced, and Pierce, reassured, removed his hand from Jeremiah’s shoulder. There was no time to waste.

“Then I’ll take it as permission and go check on the lady’s condition immediately.”

“Magician Pierce.”

But the Duke called out to him again.

“I’m sorry.”

With an apology that seemed to come from nowhere.

“…Yes?”

Wondering what the apology was for, Jeremiah looked at his father questioningly. The Duke, with an unchanging expression, solemnly declared,

“I will not allow Magician Pierce access to the second floor of this mansion.”

Pierce gasped in shock, exclaiming loudly, “What?!” The Duke’s declaration was a hindrance to someone who had come to help.

His strange behavior continued.

“The darling of the Magic Tower.”

Now, the Duke bowed before his own son, with a look of earnestness.

Jeremiah could only stare at his father in a daze, making sure not to let down his guard until the very end, suspecting there must be some ulterior motive behind his father’s actions.

Slowly, the Duke raised his head, and his gaze finally met Jeremiah’s. Unintentionally, Jeremiah took a step back.

“I entrust Loretta Baldwin to you.”

At his first words, the boy barely nodded.

“And.”

Jeremiah swallowed hard at the words that followed. Somehow, they reminded him of his past, of waiting for his father’s explanation about his mother’s absence.

What words would the Duke use this time to tear Jeremiah’s heart apart?

“I hope you achieve what you wish for.”

“…”

“Whatever it is.”

Was that…

Did it mean that the Duke hoped Jeremiah would quickly renounce the Baldwin name?

The boy let out a bitter laugh. How fortunate it was that both father and son harbored the same goal.

‘How amusing, Duke.’

Jeremiah was about to respond in kind. But upon seeing the expression on the Duke’s face, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

No, it was a lie to say it was unfamiliar.

It was the expression that Jeremiah had always tried to push to the back of his mind, fearing it might stir his heart.

But he still vividly remembered it, unable to forget.

It was the same expression his father had when he spoke of his mother leaving the mansion, and when Jeremiah had thrown away the belongings his father had prepared and left for the Magic Tower.

His father had looked exactly like that.

As if forcibly suppressing a sensation so painful it felt like his insides were being torn apart…

“…Really.”

Jeremiah found himself asking a question he hadn’t intended to.

“Do you really wish for that?”

He anxiously awaited the Duke’s answer, not even knowing what he hoped the reply would be.

“I do not wish for it.”

The Duke’s tone was much gentler, like an ordinary father speaking to his son.

“Then why!”

The gentleness once again stirred intense emotions in Jeremiah.

It was a bit strange to question why he was given the chance to renounce the name, but the boy didn’t realize his own contradiction.

The Duke answered calmly.

“Even if our directions differ, I will help you. Anytime.”

It was a firm answer, yet the Duke’s face was a mess.

Was it because he was feeling extreme emotions simultaneously?

The joy of finally being able to help his son. The sadness that his son, having taken the path he offered, would turn his back on him forever.

Emotions too honest to hide…

“…”

Jeremiah glared at him, then stumbled back a step once again.

The Duke, surprised, reached out to catch his arm, but Jeremiah quickly regained his balance and brushed off the gesture.

It wasn’t particularly rough, but the Duke’s hand easily withdrew.

The distance between them widened again, and Jeremiah averted his gaze from his father.

“I’ll be going up now.”

The boy turned and began to walk away quickly. For some reason, his heart started to pound painfully.

When he opened the door to the reception room, he saw Ronny, who was standing in front of it, startle and step back.

“…?”@@novelbin@@

Jeremiah frowned. It seemed Ronny had been eavesdropping on everything that happened in the reception room.

“Look, Jeremiah. I… I was just worried about you and waiting…”

Ronny offered something like an excuse, but Jeremiah didn’t respond.

“I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I didn’t mean to, really!”

“…”

“So, what is it that you wish for?”

Faced with the innocently asked question, Jeremiah hastened his steps. But Ronny didn’t give up and kept pace with him.

“Not just Father, but I want to help you too. Because I’m your brother!”

That damn brother! How utterly sickening. A whelp who can’t do anything on his own!

“What is it? Huh? Is it something difficult?”

“Please!”

In the middle of the staircase, Jeremiah finally exploded.

“Don’t tell me what to do! Stop being so noisy! I don’t even think of you as a brother!”

His voice shook the surroundings and then slowly dissolved away. During all those moments, the two boys were staring intently into each other’s faces.

“Uh…”

Ronny was the first to speak, though his jaw was trembling.

However, Jeremiah didn’t wait for him to continue and turned away. A desperate Ronny hurriedly spit out the rest of his words.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…?!”

Jeremiah paused momentarily at the unexpected words. But that was it. He didn’t look back and hastened his steps.

‘I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.’

By the time that thought occurred to him, he was already running.

***

Meanwhile, Melody, who had selected a book from the library, was keeping watch by Loretta’s side.

“I’m glad we can meet like this today, Loretta.”

Melody briefly closed her book and stroked the face of the child who had been in a deep sleep for several days.

What kind of dream was Loretta having? Her nose twitched slightly.

“What’s your dream about? Is it a pleasant one?”

Of course, her curious question went unanswered. Melody lay down beside Loretta for a while.

“…Did your situation change again because of me?”

The adults in the mansion reassured her that this wasn’t Melody’s or Ronny’s fault. They were just trying to play and have a good time with Loretta.

“If I hadn’t come to the Duke’s house in the first place…”

Loretta might have had the happy future as described in the original story.

Of course, the Duke himself had said he couldn’t imagine a happy Loretta without Melody.

“Uh, I shouldn’t worry about things that can’t be changed.”

Melody quickly shook her head to dismiss the inevitable thoughts. She decided it was more important to consider how to live from now on.

“First of all, it’s a relief that Loretta is still unaffected by magic. I was really worried.”

Melody sighed softly in relief.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the door.

‘Who is it?’

The unfamiliar voice was furiously scolding someone.

‘What happened?’

Soon, the sound of running footsteps approached, and without warning, the door burst open.

“…!”

Startled, Melody turned to the doorway to find a boy dressed in a magician’s robe standing there.

‘Jeremiah?’

Thanks to the robe, Melody recognized him easily, even though it was their first meeting.

Jeremiah silently stared at Melody, then began to walk stiffly toward the bed.

With a face set very hard.

‘Was the noise I heard just now Jeremiah yelling?’

He looked so upset that Melody was at a loss for how to react.

“I, um.”

But she couldn’t just stay silent, so she managed to speak up. However, he cut off her words with a short, simple command.

“Leave.”