Chapter 195

* * *

In fact, Claude thought he should have chosen his words more carefully when delivering this news. But for now, no words came to mind.

“…I’m sorry, that’s how it turned out, Loretta.”

He apologized again and looked closely at his sister’s expression.

Her face turned white for a moment, and tears quickly began to well up in her blue eyes.

“Loretta!”

While Claude hurriedly tried to take out a handkerchief, she quickly wiped her eyes and opened her mouth again.

“…Why?”

“The Magic Tower Master is unwell. It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but I heard he’s in critical condition.”

Loretta blinked her eyes and tried her best to grasp the situation rationally.

‘Grandfather is brother’s favorite teacher. So, it’s natural that he can’t leave the Magic Tower.’

Trembling her lips that kept trying to burst into tears, she barely opened her mouth.

“Is Jeremiah okay? He’s not… sad?”

“I don’t know, he’s probably very worried. You know that the Magic Tower Master is like a parent to Jeremiah.”

“…His apprentice.”

“You mean Evan? That child is probably staying by Jeremiah’s side and comforting him. Because he’s a kind child.”

The fact that Evan was by the side of the grieving Jeremiah was at least good news.

‘…But, I really need Evan’s comfort too.’

Loretta hated herself for having a bit of a bad thought.

Wanting to take Evan away from her sad brother.

“Loretta, by any chance, those candies.”

Claude pointed to the candies in her hand.

“Did you bring them to give to Jeremiah and Evan?”

When Loretta nodded slightly, he smiled kindly and held out his hand.

“Will you give them to me? I’ll deliver them to the two of them.”

“Deliver… them? You, brother? How?”

“Yes, I can’t just sit still when the Magic Tower Master is unwell. He’s like a parent to Jeremiah. I should visit him too.”

At his words, Loretta had a sudden realization.

‘That’s right! I should go!’

Although she wouldn’t be able to meet leisurely like at the mansion, at least she could see their faces and give them the candy.

‘If I’m lucky, I might be able to ask him to cast some magic on me, avoiding my brothers’ eyes.’

Loretta wiped her tears again and shouted loudly.

“I want to go to the Magic Tower too!”

“…Hmm?”

“You know how much I’ve been looking forward to today, right? Please, let me go with you.”

Despite Loretta’s fervent cry, Claude immediately shook his head.

There was no sign of him contemplating it even for a moment.

“Why? Why not?”

“Well…”

Claude couldn’t bring himself to answer. He couldn’t explain the fact that going to the Magic Tower might have some effect on her body.

“Could it be that Father forbade it? That’s really unfair! You know, I…”

Loretta was about to say she had already been to the Magic Tower several times, but soon closed her mouth.

Out of concern that it might somehow harm Evan.

“…Anyway, please, brother. Okay?”

“I’m really sorry, Loretta. But I’ll convey your candies and your heart to Jeremiah.”

“Liar.”

“…”

“You won’t be able to convey my heart at all!”

When Claude tried to hug her shoulders, Loretta quickly stepped back and avoided his hand.

“Because there’s not a single person left in this mansion who knows my heart!”

“Loretta.”@@novelbin@@

As he approached to comfort her, Loretta shook her head wildly and swung her arms roughly on both sides.

The glass bottles in her hands fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.

Now, realizing that she really couldn’t give the candies to Evan anymore, the tears she had been holding back burst out.

“You don’t know anything about me! I really hate you! I’ll hate you forever!”

After screaming almost like a shriek, Loretta immediately turned her body and left the reception room.

She ran into Ronny, who was standing by the door, but Loretta only glared at him and quickly ran to her room, locking the door.

Several maids and even the Duke rushed to her room upon hearing the news, but Loretta pushed them all away and shouted in a tearful voice.

“No! Everyone get out! Don’t come! I’ll never talk to anyone who enters without permission!”

After that, Loretta quickly ran to her bed and hugged the pillow.

“Hnngh… Melody.”

The name she missed naturally flowed out between her sobs. But no matter how desperately she called, Melody’s warmth couldn’t comfort Loretta.

Suddenly, Loretta recalled the promise she had made with Melody.

“Loretta will be a big pot of gold.”

“I’ll make you happier! This much!”

It was always a moment that made her smile, but now it only brought tears.

“Melody, liar.”

She muttered the hateful words for no reason, and tears flowed out again.

Loretta picked up the pillow she was holding and threw it roughly nearby.

Around the time she started crying again, lying on the bed.

The spiteful sky started raining. And not long after, even thunder and lightning…

Loretta covered her ears with both hands and dug into the blanket.

Her whole body trembled, and soon she lost consciousness.

* * *

When Loretta woke up again, it was dark all around.

Waking up with a disheveled face and looking around, the rain had stopped at some point and the clear moonlight was illuminating her room.

“…It’s a mess.”

Loretta muttered in a hoarse voice as she looked around her room.

Around the thrown pillow, the candies Loretta had made and glass shards were scattered together.

‘It must have fallen together when I threw the pillow…’

The candies she was going to give to her brothers were all ruined too. Feeling upset, Loretta sniffled again.

After crying for a while and lifting her head, she noticed the empty bookshelf.

‘Why are there no books?’

Looking down, puzzled, she saw books scattered messily on the floor.

She couldn’t remember, but Loretta might have thrown the books too while crying mindlessly.

To the point where she couldn’t even remember when she fell asleep after losing her senses.

‘…I’m really bad.’

They said people who don’t cherish things don’t deserve to have them.

‘But I’m so upset.’

Until now, even when it was hard, she had endured with Evan’s letters and the hope of meeting him soon.

‘Now… Just Evan’s letters won’t make this loneliness go away.’

The wound seemed to have deepened as much as the expectation that had swelled up to the limit had fallen and hurt.

“I miss you. Hic…”

Loretta rested her face between her knees and sniffled again.

“Meow.”

Then, with a familiar sound, a small paw pressed firmly on her shoulder.

Surprised, Loretta quickly lifted her head.

The welcome guest who had visited her room several times, Echo, was staring at Loretta.

“Echo!”

Loretta quickly hugged Echo.

Echo, who would have normally wriggled out in disgust, somehow stayed still this time.

“Did you come because you thought I’d be lonely? Is that it?”

There was no answer to Loretta’s question.

…It seemed that Echo hadn’t come out of concern for Loretta.

Echo twisted her body here and there, escaping from Loretta’s body and lying down next to her.

Looking now, there was a small, flat backpack on Echo’s back. It seemed to be made to be worn by hooking it around the legs, and the pouch, much smaller than a human fist, was very cute.

“What’s this, Echo’s bag?”

“Meow.”

“It’s cute, I’ll open it now.”

Pushing the small button into the hole to open it, the contents of the bag could be immediately checked.

First, a letter came out.

Loretta was glad to see the letter, but on the other hand, she still felt empty.

She had no choice but to rely on Evan’s handwriting again today.

[I’m sorry for not keeping my promise, Miss. The Magic Tower Master is very unwell. He had been overworking himself about the mana stones.

Anyway, I was worried about your loneliness, so Echo told me to give you a gift. Echo’s bag was made by the magician Miguel.

I hope you like the gift.

I’ve injected my mana into it to the limit, so it will always be able to protect you.

But you mustn’t be caught by anyone, okay? Absolutely!]

The magician Miguel was the name of the elderly magician who had made Loretta touch the transparent emotion orb.

Thanks to him making the bag, the letter seemed to have gotten longer.

After reading the entire letter, Loretta checked Evan’s letter here and there.

“Where on earth did Evan inject his mana? Aside from the letter being longer than usual, nothing seems to have changed.”

“Meow.”

When Echo seemed to be telling her to look at the bag again, Loretta put her finger deep into the small bag.

She felt something small but hard at her fingertips. It seemed like a stone too.

“Could it be this?”

Loretta carefully took it out and placed it on her palm.

The stone, as small as her fingernail, was initially only transparent without any color.

But after staying in Loretta’s hand for a few more seconds, it slowly began to take on a pale green light.

“Evan’s… color.”

This was definitely his mana.

Loretta quickly rested her cheek against the warm light flowing from the stone.

Closing her eyes, it felt like Evan was right next to her.

“…Well. The mana flowing from me… is no different from myself.”

No. Thinking about what Evan had said, the two of them were definitely together now.

Loretta smiled slightly with a happy face and pondered what to write in reply to Evan.

‘First, I should tell Evan that he kept his promise.’

Not only about meeting today, but also about casting magic on Loretta so she wouldn’t be lonely.

Evan had kept them all.

And Loretta was going to make sure to write that she had come to like Evan even more.

“By the way, Echo.”

Suddenly feeling curious, Loretta turned to the cat lying next to her.

Echo wagged her tail as if telling her to ask anything.

“This stone. It’s not an ordinary object, right?”

“Meow.”

The letter said that Evan had injected it with a lot of his mana.

And as far as Loretta knew, what could do that was…

“Could it be, a mana stone?!”

The moment she was surprised.

Knock knock.

A knocking sound was heard on her room door.

Loretta alternately looked at the cat and the mana stone on the bed.

‘Oh no, what should I do? If I get caught, it’ll be really big trouble…!’

Knock knock.

And there was one more knock. This time, it was a bit more urgent.