Translator and Editor: Bunny and Wyvern

Chapter 32

’Did the sun rise in the west?’

I looked out the window with suspicious eyes, and the sun was shining brightly in where it had always been, fortunately.

’Great. First of all, the sun is normal.’

“Eat quickly,” Dad told me as if he was praising me after he rinsed his mouth with water.

“Ah… yes. Thank you for this food.” I lifted the fork before the food cooled down.

“Eat a lot, Young Lady—our one and only Princess Descartes!”

’One and only Princess Descartes.’

It was awkward, but I didn’t hate the title. Plus, there were twice as many dishes as usual, but there were only two people eating. It was breakfast, but Dad only ate a few bites…

“…Too many.”

“Eat a lot!”

“All of this?”

“You have to eat a lot to grow. We will also prepare a variety of delicious desserts for lunch and dinner.”

Gordon had worked so hard today, so we should eat as much as we could.

“Wow, thank you.”

It didn’t seem like Gordon had a hard time preparing these dishes since dawn seeing that he was laughing merrily. Moreover, the gazes of the maids staring at me were more intense than usual. It was like they were making sure that I was eating well.

’No, really, why are you doing this?’

I felt like I had taken all their attention in the world. I was constantly putting food in my mouth, and my father was drinking water instead of wine.

“Mariette.”

Dad rarely talked to me while we were eating, unless I talked to him first. He was really weird today.

“Hmm?” I chewed through my food quickly to properly answer him. The gulping sound after was really obvious.

“If you want to.”

“Uh?”

“It’s alright to stay beside me today.”

“…” I was about to answer him, but I stiffened and dropped my fork.

’Why are you being like this today? What on earth is your reason?’

It was very suspicious that my father was speaking appropriately.

I was still thrown into confusion and bewilderment even after I left the dining room. Today wasn’t a special day no matter how much I thought about it.

Today was just the day that I would be officially introduced as my father’s daughter, but people acted as if today was very important. In any case, the eyes of the people looking at me were much more affectionate than usual.

Because of that, I began to pay attention to my clothes and even to the way I walked. I felt like I had to walk more politely, as if something serious would happen if I fell while I was running.

‘It’s really weird.’

I already expected that the vassals wouldn’t welcome me that much. I shook off the strange vibes they were giving me and hurried to Hilla’s office.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

I swung the door open and put my head in first. “I’m here.”

“I know. Please come in.” Hilla was standing in front of the bookshelf, carefully examining something.

I quietly entered and waited for him.

He turned around bringing two boxes after a while. “Uhm? Why aren’t you sitting yet? Come here and sit comfortably.”

“Oh, yes.” I followed him and sat my butt on the sofa.

“You asked me to make you medicine that hides magical powers and a truth serum, right?”

“That’s right. You already finished making it?”

“It only takes one day as long as you have the ingredients. It would be too late to refine and mature it once more once its toxicity is eliminated.” Hilla opened the two boxes he brought and showed them to me. There were three small, semi-transparent, pills in the shape of round candies.

“Is this… medicine?”

I thought it was going to be in liquid form like what my father was taking, so I expected it to be a potion in a bottle, but it seemed hard enough to roll around.

“I think it would be inconvenient for Young Lady to carry potions.”

“Me?”

“Yes, because the vial may break if you fall over. I made it like this, but do you not like it?”

Hearing Hilla’s words, my already healed knee suddenly started to hurt. “…No, I like it.” I nodded as I looked at the medicine.

It was interesting how they were colored pink and blue respectively for easy identification.

“Is this for hiding magic?” I pointed to the pink pill.

“No, this is the truth serum. I made it more soluble so that it will turn colorless and odorless when it comes in contact with water, but even when I made it like that….”

“Mm-hmm?”

“I somehow felt like I was an accomplice in a crime…”

’No, why are you blaming yourself?’

Hilla added that it wouldn’t taste that good if I put it in water, acting like a guilty person.

I pretended not to see that and pointed to the medicine next to the first one. “Then, is this the drug that hides magic?”

“Yes, but it only has a 10-minute duration. I can make it longer, but I thought that it might hinder Young Lady’s growth so I opted not to. We need to do testing first.”

“Ten minutes…”

“You have to time it from the moment you put it in your mouth and bite it. The confession pill lasts for that long as well.”

I tapped the blue pill with my finger. I’d eat one if I was to be in a situation where I was found to be a witch.

Explaining the medicine to me, Hilla brought a piece of colored paper cut into small squares. As if wrapping a candy, he handled the pills one by one and handed them to me. “It would be more comfortable for you to carry it like this, right?”

“Yes!” I nodded and opened the small pouch hanging on one side of my dress. I asked Pihne to make it for me so I could share a snack with Arumia if I ever met him again. Unfortunately, I hadn’t met Arumia even once since the pouch was made.

I put the medicine inside the pouch with some snacks. The color of the colored paper was so bright that it would be mistaken as candy if I took it out.

“I’m confident to say that there’s nothing wrong with this product, but please do not eat more than one a day.”

“Hmm, got it. Thanks, Hilla. But by the way…”

“What is it?”

“Is Arumia not coming here anymore?”

“Arumia?”

“The fairy, Hilla’s disciple!”

“Ah…” Hilla laughed again as he muttered, “Arumia… You became that close even though you’ve only met once?”

“Huh? Uhmm, I don’t know, but he asked me if I would come again next time.”

Above all, I couldn’t help but be worried about the fairy who suddenly appeared and burst into tears.

“Uhm… not visiting this place is evidence that that child would be more comfortable.”

“Huh?”

“No. I also don’t know when that child will come.”

“I see…”

Even Hilla had some things he didn’t know about his disciple. I tapped my pouch with regret and prepared to stand up from my seat.

“If Young Lady ever meets that child again…”

“Hmm?”

“Please play with him for a while. He is a lonely child, that’s why I ask this of you.” Hilla’s face when he said that was tinged with bitterness for some reason.

“Hmm, don’t worry.”

’I am good at that.’

* * *

Around noon.

Carriages began to arrive at the Descartes’ mansion one by one. I had no idea why the maids were laughing while I was eating snacks, but the sound of the carriages of the vassals arriving from a distance felt very uncomfortable.

Maybe because I’d gotten used to kind people, the thought of running into people who perhaps wouldn’t like me felt unpleasant.

‘I don’t want to feel that anymore.’

I sneaked out of the front door and headed to the grove before the crowd began to gather. This would be perfect for hiding and playing alone. All I had to do was call Kuhn, who was freely flying and patrolling nearby. I wouldn’t be scolded by my father if I sneaked back at around dinnertime.

“I wonder where it is?” I looked around and found a broken branch. “There it is. It’s here!”

Even though this was a small forest, each tree looked like each other, so it wouldn’t be easy to find the place I met Arumia. That was why I deliberately cut off some tough-looking branches to easily find the place, except I wasn’t sure if I found the right one.

There should be a barrier around here according to Hilla, but I could not see it. I reluctantly sat on the cleanest patch of grass in the area and took out my snack bag.

’It seems like Arumia won’t come today as well.’

“Should I just call Kuhn?” When I mumbled under my breath as I put a piece of chocolate in my mouth, a golden glow glimmered in front of my eyes.

I had found the right place after all. And like magic, Arumia appeared.

Hugging something with his eyes closed, we made eye contact as soon as his eyes opened.”

“…!”

As I watched his eyes widen, I smiled at him and waved my hand. “Hello, Fairy.”