CH 70

When Mary asked Estin to bury the remains of a rabbit that had perished because of her, in the far corner of the garden, Estin scowled briefly. Estin only nodded in response to Mary’s modest demeanor even though he knew Cameron sent it. He couldn’t help but worry, though.

Hence, the reason. He told Mary that if she won the hunting bet, he would give her whatever she desired. She appears to enjoy dolls; would she ask to buy her a new one? Or perhaps a dress? Jewelry? Estin couldn’t think of anything else, but Mary shook her head quietly.

Mary, who hesitated for a long time, said she had one thing she wanted.

“What’s that?”

“You’ve already used one because of me, but……. I still ask another laminaicho recovery agent.”

“……Are you sick somewhere?”

What Mary said she wanted was surprisingly a Laminaicho recovery agent. The words hardened Estin’s expression. He wondered if the child was sick but Mary shook her head vigorously.

“I’m not going to drink it…… I thought I’d have a place to use it someday.”

“Laminaicho can’t save the dead.”

“I’m not going to feed it to the rabbit…….”

This time again Estin’s guess was wrong. The child wriggled her hands. She seemed to be having difficulty explaining further. Laminaicho is a super-recovery agent that is difficult to make. It can be used widely and has a definite effect. To ask for something the Empire doesn’t have, it seems that even that little thing pricks her conscience.

“Yes, I see.”

“What?”

“I can give you that much.”

The child seems to keep forgetting.

Laminaicho can be made again, but there is only one Mary Conler in the Empire.

***

The power of darkness coming down from Conler was great. It was different from the magic used in the magic tower. It was a little shady and dark as the family was blessed by the demon family. But it was just as powerful. With that power, they dealt with the demons that occasionally appeared in the Empire and……the work that the emperor gives. Gilbert didn’t know that yet. He just does his best when his father needs help.

Gilbert was using his ability to stand on the Padula coast and make clay figures for reclamation. The clay figures got up and went to the coast and lay down. 

“Young master!”

After working for a long time, Gilbert turned to the sound of someone calling him from behind. Lewen was running towards him. Gilbert stopped for a moment and waited for Lewen to come to him.

“The Grand Duke ordered us to stop the reclamation for a moment.”

“……why all of a sudden?”

Since he has only been planning and just starting to implement it, he couldn’t understand why he was suddenly told to stop. Gilbert’s expression quickly hardened. It was because it was too obvious who stopped this.

“The emperor told him to stop for a while.”

“………Miss Mary and the Grand Duke will be visiting the Imperial City this time, so there will be a meeting regarding the progress.”

The fact that only two of them will go to the empire city worries him. Even if Lucas and Logan leave together with them.

Yeah, Logan Reilly. He didn’t believe it all yet either. Why did a person who worked next to Baron Bruno enter the underworld? No matter how much he objected, Estin still accepted him, saying he might be Mary’s most needed person at the moment.

Gilbert has heard about the underworld a few times. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he heard it was the most unholy place. It was a place where the living and the dead are mixed, and they use harmful magic to achieve their purpose.

Because of its tenacity, it cannot help but be filled with polluted air. There are even people who are parasitic on such melancholy.

***

“You don’t have time.”

Logan poured some books in front of me. I stared blankly at the books. They were books I’ve never seen before. Logan carried on, ignoring my bewildered expression.

“First of all, the salon hosted by Princess Lausanne is literature-oriented. Princess Lausanne especially likes lyric poetry.”

“…….”

“So let’s memorize some of the poems that are especially popular among ladies.”

“Where on earth did you hear that from?”

“As a tutor, I should be aware of this kind of information.”

Logan winked at me. Then he began to spread out the things he had marked in the books to me. I pulled out the nearest book and read the poem.

“Oh, that poem was written in ancient times, but I heard it’s back in fashion these days.”

[A night with a red moon, I made a wreath of laurel and used it on my head. It must be done by the devil. It is a heavy phrase laced with love. That’s how I drowned in the mirror of Larta.]

“You can express your appreciation after reading it.”

“I don’t know what it means.”

“Wow, you’re so honest.”

I really didn’t understand what it meant. Therefore, I tried to understand it by reading it with my index finger, but I couldn’t understand it no matter how much I read it. Then my finger stopped at the word laurel. Suddenly, I remembered the laurel I saw in the scene that often comes out of my dream.

“……is it a poem about love?”

“Well, it depends on the reader, but that’s how I see it.”

“Why?”

“They say it’s the devil’s work. Love is like that.”

Logan smiled as he looked at me with his chin on the back of his hand. But why is the poem about love so depressing and shady? I don’t know why such poems are popular among young children. I’m getting goosebumps just by reading it. 

“What’s the mirror of Larta?”

“Oh, it’s a lake.”

“A lake?”

“I heard that a temple of God called Larta was near the lake. The lake there was called the mirror of Larta.”

“I think it’s about love that doesn’t come true.”

“Miss Mary, you have some literary talent.”

“What?”

“It’s a poem about an unrequited love.”

No wonder it was a little gloomy. It’s a one-sided love, almost like an obsession.

The Laurel tree by the lake…… I distinctly remember my dream. It reminds me of my dream no matter how much I think about it. Did I have that dream because I recently read this poem? However, this is my first time reading this. Is it merely a coincidence? Am I being overly sensitive?

Logan laughed as I tilted my head and read the poem.

“Oh, right.”

“?”

“This is a gift.”

Why are there so many people trying to give me a present these days?

Logan offered me a present. He took out a very small book at the bottom of the books piled up and handed it to me. I thought it was a book, but it was empty inside. There was a yellow moon and star on the black velvet cover, and my name was engraved below it.

What is this? I looked at Logan as I carefully examined the object. Logan said with a smile.

“This is also popular among young girls.”

“……?”

“It’s called an album. I heard it’s used a lot in salons where you can enjoy cultural games. The inner paper is where you will write poems and paintings that you like from the salon.”

My face was so red that I couldn’t express my gratitude for the unexpected gift. I shouldn’t fall for this kind of gift again, but it was picked with careful consideration.

“I prepared this to celebrate becoming your tutor, so don’t feel too pressured and accept it.”

“Thank, thank you…….”

“They usually put a lot of flowers and landscapes on the cover, but I think those things are a little common. So, I picked a night sky that matches your eyes.”

“It’s really pretty. I like it.”

I really liked it. By simply touching the cover, I could tell it was made of a high-quality, soft fabric. Perhaps it was because it was black, but it felt luxurious. Carrying it alone will satisfy my intellectual vanity. It appealed to me more because it matched my eyes.

“That’s a relief. Please go to a cultural salon and make sure to bring good poems.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to put pretty ones that fit the cover.”

“As expected, I need to give you some gifts to relieve your guard.”

“I felt the sincerity of the gift, so I let it down for a while.”

I pouted and continued looking at the album. And after thinking for a while, I transcribed the poem I read earlier on the paper next to me.

“Do you like that poem?”

“No, it’s not that I like it. I just thought I shouldn’t forget.”

It was similar to the dream I saw. I inserted the copy of the poem into the album cover.