A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Episode 27】

 

It’s class time, so you’re my teacher, right?

 

However, since the Duke looked at me with clear displeasure, I quickly corrected my form of address.

 

“Then Professor? Teacher?”

 

“….”

 

“Would you prefer I just stick with Duke?”

 

He had his usual painted-on expressionless face, but strangely he looked sulky.

 

Yesterday he definitely seemed to be in a good mood. Just slightly, but his expression had softened, and his eyes too….

 

“I want to be on your side.”

 

‘Don’t think about it!’

 

When I wasn’t being conscious of it, I kept recalling last night’s events. Thanks to that, I remembered the words I’d blurted out in my dawn sentimentality right after waking up and kicked off my blanket.

 

What? I’ll tell you again next year?

 

By then we’ll hardly be family or anything.

 

I need to stick to my principles, I’m not a reed swaying back and forth. It was just a word or two.

 

…Though I’m complaining like this.

 

The truth is, even if I went back to yesterday again, I would say the exact same thing. Because he was sincere.

 

Because he was truly thinking of me.

 

Because I’d never heard such words in my entire life. So it was hard to control my desire to believe them.

 

‘But… isn’t he acting too normal?’

 

After touching my most vulnerable part and saying embarrassingly twisted words that made my whole body feel like it would contort.

 

When we met again, he really seemed completely unbothered.

 

Of course, I can’t even imagine the Duke being embarrassed, but still, couldn’t he be a little conscious of it?

 

“…Call me whatever you want.”

 

After a moment of silence, the Duke gave permission with what sounded like a sigh.

 

Then he pointed at the single desk as if telling me to sit.

 

“Then I’ll call you Master during lessons.”

 

I replied somewhat rebelliously and took my seat.

 

His study was structured to faithfully serve its role as a study, just as the name suggested. The single desk faced away from the window, surrounded by densely packed bookshelves.

 

Two books were already placed on the desk.

 

“【Read This If You Don’t Want to Burn Your Mana Circuits】, 【Introduction to Mana Studies: A Great Wizard’s Magnificent Mistake】…?”

 

They had the exact same titles as the magic primers I’d learned from over ten years ago. The most basic of basics, textbooks that taught the magical equivalent of ‘1+1=2’.

 

“Don’t tell me… I’m starting with these?”

 

Please no. Let this be a boring joke.

 

I’d secretly looked forward to learning from a former Mage Tower master who was once called a Great Wizard, but the reality was at the level of ‘Now, this is called a click.’

 

‘Why did I eagerly agree to become his disciple.’

 

I mean, I was planning to learn things like the Mage Tower’s secret magic or a Great Wizard’s wisdom…!

 

“Fundamentals are important. Your fundamentals are lacking.”

 

The Duke betrayed my expectations with his flat verdict.

 

Right. He’s not someone who knows what jokes are. He’s someone who either stays silent or only states facts.

 

“This is too basic!”

 

“Open page 7 of Introduction to Mana Studies.”

 

My small rebellion naturally had no effect whatsoever.

 

…And so began a lesson I couldn’t look forward to.

 

“The origin of magic is.”

 

“Human desire. The legend says that when the first Great Sage to manifest magic wished earnestly, rain fell to end the drought, and that’s the beginning.”

 

Two hours into the lesson.

 

I let out a small yawn.

 

Unexpectedly, the Duke, who seemed like he’d be an annoyingly gifted genius, actually had quite a talent for teaching.

 

However, his basic lectures weren’t much help to me since I was already stagnant, so the lesson eventually devolved into more of a quiz than actual instruction.

 

“The words the Great Sage left before dying were.”

 

“Only those who can do it will do it… no, that’s not it. ‘Mana has limits, but magic has no limits.'”

 

“You know it well.”

 

The way he looked at me seemed to say ‘Why is a kid who knows so much acting like this?’ which made me feel a bit awkward.

 

‘The teleportation magic was the biggest miscalculation of my life.’

 

My circuits still haven’t fully recovered. I’m paying the price for trying to exceed my mana limits.

 

It would be nice if mana could be developed later in life like aura, but there’s no answer except what you’re born with.

 

‘How can it be so unfair….’

 

Thud.

 

The Duke placed his hand on the desk and leaned forward as if resting on his arm, lowering himself to meet my eye level.

 

“You can’t concentrate.”

 

“…Um, Master. Do you have to give warnings in such an overwhelming position?”

 

I suddenly realized something.

 

This man… doesn’t he always get in my face before saying what he wants to say? He does this incredibly often, doesn’t he?

 

‘Is it a habitual attack?’

 

Well, with this much destructive power, it must have been effective.

 

But I’ve gotten quite used to his face. I won’t be affected just because he’s close.

 

“What are you thinking about.”

 

Probably.

 

I pulled my head back slightly and replied.

 

“Just… thinking about how I want to increase my mana limits but it’s impossible, which is annoying.”

 

Who knows, if I had as much mana as Noaren, I might have been called a Great Wizard of this era.

 

Then I could have done more than I can now, and maybe I could have even used magic to eliminate the Duke’s magi?

 

‘Ah, that would be difficult.’

 

Just as I was denying it, the former Great Wizard asked back.

 

“What if it’s not impossible?”

 

For a moment it sounded like he was refuting my inner thoughts, so his statement took time to process.

 

“I was a late-awakened mana user.”

 

“…!”

 

But before I could fully understand, I heard his bombshell statement and my thought processes stopped.

 

Mana isn’t something you awaken to, it’s something you’re born with.

 

It can be inherited, or you can be born with it regardless of bloodline. But in most cases, it’s the former.

 

This was also the secret behind how Baltres could maintain its authority as a great magical bloodline. Though that inheritance isn’t as impressive as they make it out to be.

 

Well, anyway. Until now, the concept of mana awakening didn’t exist in my understanding.

 

So I had to ask.

 

“H-how… did you awaken it?”

 

“Do you want to know?”

 

“Of course!”

 

As I said that, I unconsciously leaned my face forward, and he pressed my forehead with his finger and pushed me back.

 

…He can do it, but I can’t?

 

Whether I was bewildered or not, he closed the book spread on the desk and said.

 

“It’s homework.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Live without using even a bit of mana. Then I’ll tell you how to increase your mana.”

 

The sudden mana prohibition made my excitement vanish instantly. I asked with a disgruntled feeling.

 

“How long do I have to do this?”

 

“Until I approve.”

 

Ah.

 

I had a feeling that completing this assignment wouldn’t be easy.

 

* * *

 

“This is uncomfortable.”

 

Half a day since the Duke’s magic prohibition order was issued.

 

In that short time, I had stopped myself from gathering magic countless times, and now I slumped down at the dining table, resting my cheek against it.

 

My damp hair clung to me like seaweed.

 

“Ugh, damn! I thought you were a ghost. What kind of state is this?”

 

Nishe, who had been entering the dining room, flinched the moment our eyes met, then greeted me warmly.

 

I returned an equally warm greeting.

 

“Hello, pig. You never miss a chance to eat, do you.”

 

Nine o’clock in the evening, right after my bath.

 

A special snack time prepared by the little chef for me, who had only eaten soup three times a day as a patient.

 

‘To think he’d come to eat this together, he’s really shameless.’

 

He had clearly forgotten all about his past harsh words calling cooking and food useless.

 

“You’ll get indigestion, crazy. Aren’t you taking care of your lady?”

 

Ally was already drying my hair with a towel. More precisely, she was handling it with the force of wringing water out of washed bedding.

 

The maid, who didn’t even glance at Nishe, said.

 

“Please stay still. I’ll dry it properly for you.”

 

“It’s… ack, it’s fine. I’ll let it air dry.”

 

“You’ll catch a cold.”

 

Would all my hair get pulled out?

 

I was seriously worried about the safety of my hair, but I felt bad about scolding Ally who was so focused.

 

I didn’t want to shatter Ally’s fantasy of being absorbed in playing maid if I could help it. It was like the psychology of finding it hard to tell a young niece that Santa doesn’t actually exist.

 

‘One drying spell would do it in no time.’

 

The reason Ally’s service like this felt absurd but didn’t really feel inconvenient until now was because of magic.

 

That’s right, magic!

 

From magic to dry wet hair after bathing, to even buttoning clothes or taking out or picking up objects.

 

In moments I wasn’t even aware of, I had been using magic very simply and trivially.

 

‘I thought the assignment wouldn’t be that difficult.’

 

I want to use it.

 

“Aaah.”

 

“I’m done drying it. Now I’ll brush it for you.”

 

I’m dying to use it!

 

Ally roughly brushed out my tangled hair. Then Nishe, who was sitting at a distance, shuddered.

 

“These guys at the dinner table… Go do that in your room!”

 

“I don’t want to hear about dinner table etiquette from you.”

 

“Ah, um… don’t, don’t fight…!”

 

Just then, Coco hurriedly came out of the kitchen carrying a basket. I was about to tell her we weren’t fighting, but,

 

“Ah!”

 

Coco tripped over her own feet and fell forward.

 

In an instant, before I could think, before my body could move, magic shot out and caught Coco, setting her upright.

 

No one was hurt, and no snacks were ruined.

 

“Hey, you just used magic.”

 

…But unfortunately, Nishe caught me red-handed.

 

That’s right. My ‘magic prohibition’ assignment had already become publicly known through Juansi, the master eavesdropper (this crazy castle has no privacy protection whatsoever!).

 

It had become an assignment that everyone in Winter Castle was monitoring.

 

“…Hey, honestly, this one’s understandable.”

 

Nishe grinned crookedly and shouted at the top of his lungs.

 

“My lord! She used magic!”

 

“Oh, damn it.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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