Chapter 210

 

* * *

 

Claude brought August to the ducal residence with Prince Samuel’s permission.

August was greatly surprised not only by the mansion’s appearance that had been ruined by the explosion, but also when he discovered a powerless girl his age lying on the magic circle.

“That child… is she your sister, Claude?”

When August cautiously asked, Claude nodded.

“Loretta Baldwin, my youngest sister I’ve been talking about for a long time. And…”

Claude met August’s gaze.

“The child Your Highness needs to help.”

“You calling me Your Highness too… So what should I… do?”

“No special action is necessary. It was said that just by having Your Highness by her side, everything will be fine.”

It was said that after Loretta and August were together, they would be able to escape being dominated by mana without the help of a magic circle or magician.

“Jeremiah, can you temporarily remove the magic circle’s influence while August is by Loretta’s side?”

At Claude’s request, Jeremiah turned to look at him as if it was absurd.

“I don’t put my only sister’s life on an experimental platform.”

The power filling Loretta’s vessel was barely suppressing the explosion even using the magic circle.

Didn’t Jeremiah’s room just shake from her influence a moment ago?

“Brother, do you remember the woman who caused the building explosion in the city a while back?”

When Claude nodded, Jeremiah continued his explanation.

“I also absorbed and stabilized her power with this magic circle at that time.”

“But it’s different now, if August is by her side…”

“Yes, it would be different! Do you know? The mana dominating Loretta right now is more than five times that amount! No.”

Jeremiah shook his head and corrected himself.

“It’s to the extent of surpassing the total amount of power I possess, so I can’t even fathom its limit! Do you know what that means?”

“…If things go wrong, it won’t end with just a building collapsing?”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“But Jeremiah. I think there might be someone who can calm Loretta.”

Jeremiah crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly for a moment.

“Yes, that might be possible. Considering the providence that there is always an antidote for poison, it’s not a completely useless hypothesis.”

His gaze fell on August. As if doubting whether that boy could really become the ‘antidote’.

“Is there a reason you chose that boy, Brother?”

“It wasn’t me who chose him.”

Claude shrugged his shoulders.

“It was Miss Melody’s choice.”

Jeremiah turned his gaze and bit his lip.

“…She has never made a wrong choice so far. Surprisingly good at finding the right answer. Especially regarding Loretta’s matters.”

After pondering for a moment, he soon laid down on the floor and placed both palms on the magic circle.

“We should hurry. It will be relatively safer to experiment while Loretta is unconscious.”

Claude turned to look at August.

The boy didn’t understand half of the brothers’ conversation, but he seemed to clearly understand that something scary was happening. His slender body was trembling.

“Your Highness.”

When Claude tried to make a request, the boy quickly shook his head.

“Y-you don’t need to ask. I…”

He kept fidgeting with his hands, trying to hide his trembling hands somehow.

“I-I also thought that I wanted to be of help to someone at least once. Like you or Mindy…”

When he mentioned Mindy’s name, the boy’s eyes that had been trembling anxiously finally stopped.

“Because Mindy never leaves someone in trouble alone.”

August cautiously started approaching Loretta in the center of the magic circle.

“H-hello. Lady.”

After awkwardly greeting, the boy sat uneasily next to Loretta.

August carefully grasped Loretta’s limp hand, and at the same time, Jeremiah removed the power of the magic circle.

The green light that had densely filled the floor disappeared.

The room was quiet.

Fortunately, there was no explosion or sign of it.

However, it was impossible to determine whether it was because she was unconscious or thanks to August’s presence.

Jeremiah got up from his seat as if on guard and approached Loretta.

‘I need to check.’

Whether the irregular power that had been swirling inside her had truly settled down and stabilized.

Jeremiah slowly stretched out his hand and covered Loretta’s forehead.

Under his touch, Loretta’s eyelids were felt moving slightly.

And.

“Damn it.”

When he uttered a vulgar word he didn’t usually use, the door suddenly opened wide and Evan’s desperate cry was heard.

“Miss!”

The moment Jeremiah turned around, the books that had densely filled one side of his room began to fly towards Loretta all at once.

Jeremiah spread both arms and hurriedly embraced Loretta and August.

“Watch out!”

But the flying books stopped powerlessly and fell to the floor with a thud.

The magic circle reactivated wherever the books fell was emitting a green light.

Jeremiah turned to look at Evan again.

Evan was gasping for breath and looking this way. Fortunately, he had activated the magic circle in time.

Jeremiah loosened his arms that had been embracing Loretta and August for now.

“The experiment failed, Your Highness.”

August made a very disappointed face and looked tearful.

“I’m sorry… for not being able to help…”

“It’s not Your Highness’ fault. Come to think of it.”

Jeremiah stared blankly at Loretta held in his arms.

The child who had half-opened eyes was still on the border between reality and dream.

“This constitution tends to be dominated by emotions.”

When the Duchess’ power awakened due to Jeremiah’s existence, it was said that she was also carrying extreme anxiety.

It was natural to have such feelings since she had this terrible power.

It wasn’t much different for Evan’s mother either.

“If someone can suppress this power just by ‘existing’… That would probably be.”

Before his guess was even finished, Loretta in his arms began to cough slightly.

When Jeremiah lifted her upper body and patted her back, Loretta continued her painful cough while holding near her heart.

“Cough! Huk…!”

Her cough and breathing continued as if she would stop breathing at any moment, and in the end, she vomited bright red blood.

“M-Miss!”

As Evan was agitated, Jeremiah shouted sharply at him.

“Maintain the magic circle!”

When the blurred light of the magic circle returned to normal, Loretta vomited blood once more.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Jeremiah frowned as he stroked the back of Loretta, who had collapsed on his shoulder.

The situation was getting worse and worse.

 

* * *

 

After sending August back and the Duke and Ronny arrived, Jeremiah summarized the situation.

“It’s because this magic circle can’t perfectly absorb Loretta’s power. The power that can’t be manifested outside and is artificially suppressed is having a negative impact on Loretta’s body.”

“H-healing magic? Can’t Loretta’s body be healed?”

At Ronny’s question, Jeremiah shook his head.

“Impossible. It would be no different from pouring oil on fire. Rather, now…”

As Jeremiah hesitated, everyone nodded their heads with a tense look.

“It might be better to let her use the power.”

If they continue to suppress the power without letting it manifest outside like this, her body will be ruined.

She may be enduring it somehow now, but if this time lengthens, Loretta will gradually approach death on the magic circle.

“But Jeremiah. If we do that…”

Before Claude’s point was even finished, he nodded and answered.

“Yes, Loretta might also eventually be in danger of losing her life due to the explosion. If the scale grows, the number of victims will increase as well.”

In the reality where only terrible conclusions come out no matter what, everyone in that place lowered their heads.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Loretta slowly opened her eyes with a painful moan.

She looked around at her worried family and smiled slightly.

“I’m sorry…”

As if it was difficult to say even that short word, Loretta’s head fell back onto Jeremiah’s shoulder.

“Loretta.”

The Duke knelt in front of her and grasped her ice-cold hand.

“Fa… ther.”

Soon Claude held her remaining hand and blew warm breath into it.

But no matter how much he tried, warmth did not return to the body that had already started to become cold.

Loretta slowly blinked and cautiously asked Claude.

“…Melody?”

Claude quietly shook his head. At this, Loretta muttered as if disappointed.

“We promised… to live in the same house.”

After that, Loretta’s breathing started to become rough again.

“Mel…”

As Loretta tried to open her mouth again, Claude hurriedly embraced her hand and answered.

“I’ll bring her! I’ll go get her right now!”

Loretta’s light blue eyes that had lost strength stared at Claude.

“So Loretta. You have to wait. You must wait. Okay?”

Loretta, who finally managed to nod, closed her two eyes gently.

She didn’t seem to have fainted, but it seemed she didn’t even have the energy to open her eyes.

 

* * *

 

Claude left Jeremiah’s room and started riding the fastest horse.

Behind him, who had left without packing any luggage, Isaiah, who was in charge of his escort, followed.

The destination was Belhold. Even if he rode day and night changing horses, it would take four days.

By the time he returns to the capital with Melody, nearly ten days will have already passed.

‘…Will Loretta be able to endure?’

The problem wasn’t just that child.

Currently, only Jeremiah and Evan could maintain the magic circle.

Those two had to receive all of Loretta’s explosive power without rest for ten days.

‘Father and Ronny will have to protect her well.’

Suddenly, heat was felt in his palm holding the horse’s reins. He recalled that he had forgotten his gloves again when he ran out this time.

Still, he grasped the reins more tightly and shook them.

There was no room to feel such pain.