My life is over.
I’ll probably be out on the streets soon.
I couldn’t even secure a severance for my poor grandfather.
Would Duke Daira employ our company’s staff if I asked him to?
Grandfather patted my shoulder as I sat in the office.
“It will be alright.”
I couldn’t agree with him. It feels like dark clouds are hovering over me, raining down. I’m constantly cold, my body damp with cold sweat, scared, and feeling alone.
If grandfather wasn’t by my side, I might have truly cried.
As soon as Lily regained consciousness, she explained the situation.
She told of her encounter with the arrogant magician soaked in charity, how Duke Daira intervened to mediate the situation, and then suddenly, how her body felt strange. She even found the magician who troubled her and heard his side of the story.
‘Ah, even if it wasn’t for that person, I could have resolved it. There was no need for him to show off…’
In short, Duke Daira saved Lily, who had a mana seizure because of that strange guy. That weirdo ran away and disappeared as soon as the story ended. Bastard.
How would I know?
I’m not a magician, how could I know about ‘mana artificial respiration’ or whatever! The situation was too easily misunderstood!
As I stomped my feet, grandfather asked worriedly.
“Miss? Master? Are you alright?”
“No…”
I buried my face in my hands, hiding my despair.
Regardless of what happened, I broke the duke’s head with pottery.
Fortunately, the duke didn’t die, but he’s still unconscious. Right after the incident, the duke was transferred to his residence in the capital. The duke’s knight glared at me with bloodshot eyes before leaving. I could only stand there like a stone as I watched the duke’s carriage depart.
Two days have passed since then.
I’m completely drained, and I can’t focus on work.
I requested a visit to the duke’s house, but was simply ignored. They said they would contact me when the duke wakes up, but I don’t know what will happen. Just sitting here waiting is driving me mad.
“Has there been any contact? The duke hasn’t woken up yet, has he?”
“No, not yet.”
“I’m really at a loss.”
Grandfather’s face is dark too.
Naturally, he’s worried.
Then, someone knocked from outside. Could it be someone from the duke’s house?
I straightened up without realizing it.
“Come in.”
It was Lily, to my surprise.
Lily approached my desk, looking downcast. Startled by her sudden behavior, I half-rose from my seat.
“What’s wrong? Are you having a problem?”
“No…”
“Then why? Are you in pain? The doctor said you would be fine!”
If there’s one piece of good news amidst this tragedy, it’s Lily. The doctor said Lily has become a magician. To be precise, she can become one. She had too much mana in her body, and there was no pathway for it to escape, causing her pain.
Thanks to Duke Daira’s mana artificial respiration, Lily can now handle mana. Lily will gradually become healthier and a great magician. Maybe she’ll even need to go to a magic school.
So, Duke Daira is also Lily’s benefactor. In the end, I’ve broken the head of my friend’s benefactor.
“I’m sorry, master.”
I was startled by her sudden words. Looking up, I saw Lily’s green eyes filled with tears. Unable to respond, I just watched as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. It’s wrong to think this way when someone is crying, but it’s such a beautiful sight that it hurts my heart.
“If only I hadn’t been caught there… Or, if I hadn’t passed by there in the first place…”
“No, it’s not your fault.”
I quickly got up and hugged Lily. Her thin and frail body trembled uncontrollably from crying. It hurt as if my heart was breaking.
“It’s not your fault… Lily, don’t cry. We’re okay.”
“If the company gets into trouble because of me, or if you…”
“It won’t happen.”
I took Lily’s shoulders and pulled her away from me. I forced a brave smile.
“Our company is stronger than you think. Even if the duke decides to attack, we won’t fall so easily. You know how much people love us.”
Doubt and hope flickered across Lily’s face. I felt uneasy lying, but calming Lily was the priority.
“And the duke will understand if we explain the situation properly. We’re close, you know.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We talk a lot.”
Of course, it’s mostly just a repetition of unnecessary greetings, but still, it’s true. Lily finally burst into relieved tears and buried her head in my shoulder.
“I’m so relieved. You don’t know how worried I was…”
Yes, I’m really worried too. I swallowed my true feelings. Lily is said to be getting healthier, but she’s not there yet. There’s no need to shock her unstable body.
Pretending not to notice, I held Lily and stroked her back. Grandfather, watching this scene, dabbed his tears with a handkerchief.
“Rest well, okay? You’ll be unstable for a while because of the mana. I’ll send you to a magic school later. You’ll be our company’s exclusive magician, right?”
“Of course!”
Lily clenched her fists and stopped crying. Then she looked at me resolutely.
“If I gain any abilities, I will use them only for you, master.”
“That’s very reassuring. Do we now have a magician backing us?”
I joked to lighten the mood. The sadness and anxiety disappeared from Lily’s face.
I’ll have to send Lily back and keep waiting for the duke’s house to contact me. I can only apologize or beg when the duke wakes up.
Then, Lily looked at me and asked.
“Will you go to the duke’s house? Should I come with you? After all, it was my incident…”
“No, it’s better if I go alone.”
I don’t know how I’ll be received at the duke’s house. It would be a disaster if Lily fainted or something.
“I’ll talk to the duke just the two of us. We’re close, so don’t worry.”
Lily naively believed my words completely. She must have taken my claim that the duke and I exchanged many messages at face value.
“It’s really fortunate that the duke is your friend, master. If he’s your friend, he must be a good person. He will surely understand.”
I wish the duke and I were really friends.
Still, Lily left with a much more relaxed face.
The room was silent with just grandfather and me left.
The problem is serious. No matter how much money we have, the opponent is a duke.
And he’s also a powerful magician. He can wield influence over both nobility and magicians, and he has as much money as we do.
Will I be sued? Can I withstand it? What if the duke shakes up the entire legal system to attack me?
I might even lose the company. My status is also disadvantageous.
A bad premonition made me sweat.
I waited anxiously, but there was no contact from the duke’s house that day either.
And on the third day. Finally, someone from the duke’s house arrived.
-
I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. Finally, I stood in front of the duke’s bedroom. My heart was pounding wildly.
The duke’s knight, who had led me here, did not hide his hostility, his eyes flashing. Still, he stepped aside when I said I would meet with the duke alone.
Ah, uh, I’m so nervous. I’ve prepared and organized everything I need to say, but can I really do it?
I pressed down on my racing heart and took a deep breath. I grasped the doorknob. It was cold and hard, just like the duke’s heart waiting for me inside.
I’m grateful he didn’t just dismiss me outright.
I slowly opened the door. The air inside was very warm and cozy. The bed, with its simple decor, caught my eye immediately.
The duke was sitting up against the headboard. The bandage wrapped around his head was the first thing I noticed. His complexion didn’t look too good either.
Is he still in a lot of pain?
“Your Grace, hello…”
Lacking the courage to read his expression, I barely managed to walk closer to the bed, my legs trembling. I hope I didn’t look too pathetic.
As I approached Duke Daira, I took out the letter envelope I had brought. I prepared it because I thought I might stutter terribly if I started speaking, but now I hesitated.
What if my sincere apology isn’t accepted… What then?
That’s when I heard the duke’s voice.
“What is that, Count?”
Surprisingly, his voice wasn’t cold. The feeling that he wasn’t completely furious gave me courage.
I handed him the crumpled envelope I was clutching too tightly. My voice retreated into a whisper.
“It’s… an apology letter…”