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Chapter 34
Early in the morning, Kaltz was preparing to depart.
It was the first time in months since arriving in the ‌‌‌‌Village that he would ‌‌return to the Capital.
Even though he had withdrawn from the central political arena, he ‌‌remained the cornerstone of ‌‌the Aristocratic Faction.
Though ‌it was somewhat tedious, his continued grip on power served a purpose.
The greater his influence in politics, the harder it would be ‌‌‌for the Emperor to move against Rachel.
As Kaltz donned his vest, Owen, who had been waiting beside him with an overcoat, assisted with his dressing.
Kaltz draped the overcoat across his ‌‌‌‌shoulders and issued his command.
"I'm entrusting the Villa to ‌‌your care. And the child, Rachel, as well."
"Of course, sir."
Kaltz finished his preparations by placing his hat upon his head and turned toward the door.
Owen, ‌‌following behind him, ‌‌posed a question.
"Might I ask when you expect to ‌‌return, sir?"
"I'm uncertain. I'll know once ‌‌I arrive, but even in the best case, I doubt I'll be back before the Festival concludes."
"If I may be so bold, sir, wouldn't it be wise to return a bit earlier and spend time with the young lady?"
At Owen's suggestion, Kaltz fell into thought for a moment before asking.
"Have Vivian and Rachel woken yet?"
Last evening, when Vivian mentioned she would be staying at the Villa for a while, the three of them had dined together.
After that, I had excused myself to give the two children their time alone.
"It appears Miss Vivian went to the young ‌‌‌‌master's room and slept there. They likely haven't woken yet."
Upon hearing Owen's account, Kaltz let out a soft chuckle, then answered his earlier suggestion.
"The old man's absence is what they'd ‌‌‌prefer, I suspect."
Rachel especially.
Only then did Owen seem to grasp Kaltz's meaning, releasing a small exclamation of realization before asking.
"Have you already set your ‌‌‌sights on a granddaughter-in-law, sir?"
At the question, Kaltz paused.
Certainly, from what he could observe, Rachel's feelings toward Vivian ‌‌showed ‌‌every sign of developing beyond mere friendship.
'Since Vivian still doesn't know Rachel is a boy, what matters most is how she feels once she learns the truth.'
Should the two children wish it, he had no intention of making their difference in status an obstacle.
'But what truly matters is....'
Publicly, Rachel must remain a girl.
He had never considered how long he could maintain this deception.
To him, Rachel was a final promise made to his daughter—a child he must protect until his last breath.
If keeping Rachel safe meant she must live as a girl, then he ‌‌would hide her identity for as long as necessary.
'Though Rachel would never wish for that.'
But could the child remain safe even if ‌‌she revealed her true self and her power?
'Could I ever release her into this dangerous world?'
To him, his grandchild was still an unhatched egg.
One that seemed ‌‌as though it might shatter at the slightest careless touch.
Having reached this point in his thoughts, Kaltz shook off his reverie.
'But there's no need to worry about it now.'
Nothing had been decided yet.
There was no reason to fret prematurely.
"I should be going."
The two of them left the room and descended to the Estate's entrance hall.
Servants had lined up at the front entrance to see off the master of the house, and among them were Sally and Margaret.
However, as Owen had mentioned, the two children were nowhere to be seen—apparently still asleep.
Kaltz turned without a hint of disappointment. He had no intention of waking the sleeping children just to receive their farewells.
But then.
"Duke!" ‌‌
With an urgent voice, Vivian and Rachel appeared from the second floor.
Vivian hurried down the stairs, hastily running her fingers ‌‌through her disheveled hair.
"You'll fall."
Kaltz ‌‌‌gently scolded the child, but Vivian paid him no mind and bounded down to stand before him.
"Please take care on your journey, Duke!"
Behind Vivian, Rachel ‌‌‌descended at a more measured pace and added his own words.
"Have a safe trip, Grandfather."
Kaltz gazed quietly at the two children standing before him.
What had felt like a mere ceremonial gesture ‌‌‌to maintain the framework of 'family' when it was just ‌‌him and Rachel now felt subtly different.
"Is there anything either of you needs?"
"Something we need?"
"Or ‌‌perhaps something you'd like to eat."
Rachel fell silent in thought, but there was nothing he particularly wanted or wished to ‌‌eat.
Part of ‌‌‌it was that he had grown up without material want, but largely it was because he was unaccustomed to asking his grandfather for anything.
Vivian, observing Rachel's hesitation, answered instead.
"Then I'd like a dessert."
"A dessert?"
"Yes. I want to try the most famous and delicious dessert in the ‌‌Capital!"
"I'll do my best."
At that, anticipation bloomed across the child's cheeks.
Over the image of the smiling child, the fading childhood visage of Isela overlapped in his mind.
Kaltz gazed at that image for a moment, then chuckled softly and gently stroked Vivian's hair.
Then he turned his attention once more to Rachel standing beside her.
"Rachel, is there truly nothing you need?"
Reading the subtle expectation in Kaltz's eyes, Rachel pondered for a moment before answering.
"Then... please buy me more books."
"Books?"
"Yes. Those books you ‌‌always bring me."
The books Kaltz always purchased for Rachel were various grimoires.
He had phrased it vaguely since he couldn't reveal the fact that Rachel practiced magic in front of the servants.
Kaltz noticed that Rachel hadn't truly needed that ‌‌grimoire—rather, he was simply making excuses to avoid disappointing him. Touched by such sincerity, Kaltz merely smiled.
"Safe travels."
He reached out and gently stroked Rachel's hair, just as he had done for Vivian.
In that moment, for the first time in a long while, he felt a sudden urge to return to ‌the Estate.
Soon after, Kaltz stepped through the entrance and climbed into the carriage. Beyond the closing doors, the distant sound of hoofbeats faded into silence.
The ‌‌‌assembled servants dispersed, each returning to their daily routines.
"Come on, Rachel. Let's go."
Rachel and ‌Vivian chattered merrily as they climbed the stairs to the second floor once more.
Margaret watched the retreating figures of the two children with cold, calculating eyes.
* * *
After breakfast, Rachel led Vivian to the Library.
Vivian followed close behind Rachel as he ventured deeper ‌into the Library ‌‌in search ‌‌‌of books, ‌‌‌her footsteps pattering softly against the floor.
"What book are you looking for, Rachel?"
"I want to learn about Spirit Contractors." ‌‌‌‌
"Spirits? Why all of a sudden?"
"That aura you mentioned feeling last ‌‌‌night—I suspect it might be connected to spirits somehow."
At Rachel's words, Vivian's eyes widened in surprise.
'He was actually listening to what I said last night.'
She could have simply dismissed it ‌as hearing things or mere fear, but instead—
Rachel was earnestly seeking to uncover the truth behind it.
"I want to help search too!"
With ‌‌Vivian joining in, they gathered an armful of books ‌‌‌‌related to Spirit Contractors and returned to their table.
The two children sat across from each other, each absorbed in their ‌‌own book as they began their investigation.
As Vivian read through the silence, she discovered the information she sought.
A Spirit Contractor could generally form a contract with only one spirit.
Spirits entered ‌‌contracts in exchange for receiving mana from their contractors, and they could exert ‌‌‌‌power proportional to the mana their contractor provided.
Once a contract with a spirit was established, the contractor could hear the spirit's voice—or more precisely, sense its aura. Through this aura, a Spirit Contractor could communicate with their spirit.
Though rare, there were occasionally those who heard a spirit's voice even before forming a contract.
Upon discovering this possibility—that her symptoms might indeed be connected to spirits—hope kindled in ‌‌Vivian's eyes.
"Rachel, you were right! There are actually people who hear a spirit's voice even before contracting ‌‌with one!"
Hearing this, Rachel moved closer to Vivian's side.
Vivian pointed to a passage in the text with her finger, speaking excitedly.
"Look here—it says the spirit takes my mana. So if ‌‌I really do become a Spirit Contractor, could my ‌‌illness be cured too?"
Then I wouldn't have to trouble Rachel anymore, would I?
Vivian's ‌‌heart swelled with hope. ‌‌‌‌
According to what the maids had told her, Rachel had refused the maids' service since childhood.
'The Nanny helped when he was very young, but now he does everything himself, they said.'
Rachel, who rejected everyone's touch so thoroughly, had held only ‌‌‌her hand. He must have found it bothersome, must have disliked it—and yet ‌‌he hadn't.
'It's probably because I'm sick.'
After ‌all, she had even collapsed in front of him before, so surely he felt some sense ‌of responsibility.
I might be able to ease the burden weighing ‌‌‌‌on Rachel.
At that thought, Vivian felt a flutter of excitement, but ‌‌‌‌Rachel's expression had grown ‌‌dark.

‌‌‌
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Brought to you by ‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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