Side Story 1 – Chapter 13

 

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Even though Ronny had received a letter from Jeremiah a while ago, he never shared its contents with Loretta, saying, ‘It wasn’t addressed to you.’

“Uh, well.”

Ronny nodded vaguely, placing a hand on his hip.

“I hear… Jeremiah is coming.”

“That’s such a relief! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You know how anxious I’ve been since last night. I barely slept a wink.”

Sleep deprivation was the enemy of experiments. That’s why she always tried to be in good condition…

“Uh-huh, well. I wanted to tease you. Anyway, don’t worry, Jeremiah is coming. That… You should at least change out of your pajamas first.”

“Why? It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve had an experiment in my pajamas with Brother Jeremiah.”

“B-but you look way too comfortable!”

“Experiments are supposed to be comfortable.”

“Then at least put on a few layers on top! And don’t walk around barefoot like a little kid!”

“You always treat me like a child.”

“Whatever.”

Anxious, Ronny grabbed several shawls and wrapped them around Loretta’s shoulders.

“……I can’t even have the experiment properly if I’m this bundled up!”

When Loretta threw off the shawls he had meticulously put on, Ronny hurriedly picked them up and piled them back onto her shoulders.

“You, huh? Do you have any idea how that guy will look at you if you’re so carelessly…!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you even fear catching a cold? Being so young and reckless, dressed so lightly!”

Only after turning Loretta into something even plumper than a snowman did he finally give a satisfied thumbs-up.

But Loretta couldn’t stand it for even a minute and escaped from the shawls he had wrapped around her.

“What are you doing?!”

Ronny’s scream echoed through the second floor of the Duke’s mansion.

Just then, a carriage bearing the Magic Tower’s emblem passed through the Duke’s gate and approached the front entrance.

“Brother Jeremiah must have arrived!”

Loretta excitedly jumped to her feet, and Ronny hurriedly grabbed a nearby comb and followed her.

“W-wait, Loretta! Listen to me. If you go down there dressed like that, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”

“Hmph, no matter what you say, I won’t fall for it anymore!”

“At least comb that bomb-hit hair of yours! Good heavens, with your legs exposed like that, what do you think you look like?! Please, just put on some socks! Are you really a child?!”

“It’s annoying. You want me to wear all these uncomfortable clothes even in my own house?”

“I’m warning you! Don’t come crying to me later!”

Ronny held out a round brush with a stern expression.

Loretta flinched for a moment, but then she snorted and turned away, heading down to the first floor.

Left alone, Ronny sighed, leaning his head against the wall.

“Jeremiah, why did you make me lie?”

He had agreed to cooperate because it was a suggestion from the clever Jeremiah, thinking it might be a good solution.

“…Well, Loretta’s still pretty even with bomb-hit hair, so it’ll probably be fine.”

Now that he thought about it, that seemed to be the case. No, it was definitely true.

If Magician Evan didn’t agree, he deserved to be hung upside down on the Duke’s wall.

When Loretta reached the entrance hall on the first floor with light steps, the servants were unloading luggage from the carriage.

‘Did Brother Jeremiah already go to his room?’

Loretta tilted her head in confusion.

She hadn’t seen him while coming down from the second floor. There wasn’t another way to his room.

‘If Brother didn’t go to his room…’

Loretta turned and headed towards the study on the first floor.

It was the quietest and most spacious room in the mansion, making it Jeremiah’s preferred location for experiments.

‘Brother’s so impatient. Starting to draw the magic circle as soon as he arrives…’

As she shrugged and turned the corner, she encountered a maid preparing tea in front of the study.

‘See, I was right.’

Loretta smiled, pleased with herself for perfectly understanding Jeremiah’s behavior.

“Good morning, Lady Loretta.”

“Hello, I’ll take the drinks inside.”

“I would appreciate it, but, Miss…”

The maid, letting go of the trolley, looked at Loretta’s pajamas with a cautious expression.

“What’s wrong with it?”

Loretta shrugged nonchalantly.

“Brother said it’s best for me to be comfortable.”

The maid expressed her concern, saying “But your hair…” just like Ronny, but Loretta shook her head confidently.

“It’s fine. Brother Jeremiah would love me even if I went bald, right?”

“No, not him…”

“Brother Claude? Of course he would love me. Melody wouldn’t be here without me. The problem is Brother Ronny…”

Loretta took hold of the trolley handle instead of the maid and smiled brightly.

“He’ll grumble and then be the first to buy me a warm hat because he’s worried I’ll be cold. I’ll go in now. Don’t worry about this and go back to your work.”

The maid still looked like she had a lot to say, but obediently followed her mistress’s dismissal.

Loretta pushed the trolley and knocked lightly on the study door.

“…Everyone’s so worried about me today.”

First Ronny, now the maid.

Did they perhaps notice her lingering sadness over Evan? She had tried her best not to show it.

‘But for them to notice my sadness even then…’

It meant everyone in this mansion cared deeply for her.

It was a fact she had always known, but realizing it again brought a surge of joy.

‘I should thank everyone after the experiment.’

Loretta nodded resolutely and knocked on the door again.

“Brother, open the door. I can’t reach the handle because of the trolley.”

As if he had been waiting, the door opened immediately at her request.

She saw a large magic circle drawn in the middle of the bookshelves. As she expected, he had started drawing the magic circle as soon as he arrived.

“You can take your time. Melody probably hasn’t woken up yet. She worked until dawn yesterday too.”

Loretta entered through the open door and stopped in front of the leather sofa in the study.

“Don’t scold Melody for it like last time… Huh, it’s not chocolate.”

She stopped pouring the tea in surprise and put down the teapot.

The maid had brought orange-flavored black tea, and as far as she could remember, Jeremiah didn’t drink this. Evan, on the other hand, loved it.

“Sorry, Brother. They must have mixed it up in the kitchen…”

Loretta turned towards the door to apologize.

“M-Miss…”

…until she saw Evan standing there, head bowed.

“…They didn’t mix it up.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

When Evan apologized, Loretta hardened her expression and walked towards the door.

“M-Miss. I have something to tell you…”

“I don’t, so drink your tea and go.”

“Wait, just a moment, Miss.”

As she passed by Evan, Loretta felt the urge to look at his face and talk to him, even if just for a moment.

But she had to clench her lips and resist.

If she liked Evan any more than this, it would only increase her sadness.

“…I’m leaving.”

Loretta took a heavy step.

But at almost the same moment, the study door slammed shut, blocking her way.

Loretta looked up in surprise and saw Evan standing right before her, his back pressed against the door he had just hurriedly closed.

“What are you doing?”

“I-I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sorry.”

Loretta sighed softly at his flustered apology and took a step back.

“…”

Evan bent down and carefully studied her expression.

“…Miss.”

“I’m not an idiot. I won’t get my hopes up over something like this, so don’t worry so much.”

“Huh?”

When he asked, Loretta glared at him slightly.

“My brother couldn’t make it, so you came instead, right?”

“…”

“A teacher’s order is absolute among magicians, so you couldn’t even refuse…”

“That’s not true!”

Evan interrupted her, raising his voice for once. When Loretta looked at him in surprise, mouth slightly open, he shook his head and spoke again.

“Absolutely not. Teacher loves you more than anyone and wanted to come in person for the experiment.”

Loretta’s brow furrowed slightly. It seemed like she wanted to ask why Evan was here then.

“Well…”

Evan tightly clasped his trembling hands together.

“Because I… insisted on coming here.”

“I… don’t want to see you, Evan.”

Loretta hung her head dejectedly.

She seemed to understand why Evan had come.

‘He’s here to… apologize.’

Evan was too kind, he must have been carrying the weight of that night all this time. Earnestly enough to visit the mansion every day.

‘I don’t want to hear… that kind of apology.’

He used to respond to her “I like you” with silence, or sometimes with “Thank you for liking me.”

Those answers always made her feel sad, but at least it was better than hearing him apologize.

Because if she heard those words… it would truly hurt her precious feelings for him, feelings that had been directed towards him for so long.

“Don’t… apologize.”