Chapter 10
A country’s power is measured by the number of its mages.
The Empire was able to dominate the continent, surpassing the neighboring Kingdom of Kasus, thanks to its overwhelming number of mages and their exceptional magical skills.
There are usually two types of mages: those born with magic, and those who slowly awaken their abilities through study due to a natural affinity.
“Then, which one am I?”
Perhaps I was born with magic because I can communicate with trees? Everyone dismissed me as useless just because I couldn’t see.
I was half listening to Frater read aloud from a book while I was deep in thought when the door knocked.
A familiar scent cleared my head.
“This peppermint smell…”
Russell pushed the door open after a light knock.
“Looks like you’re busy, but excuse me.”
“…Your Grace. We’re not done yet.”
Was it just my imagination?
Frater, who was always quiet, sounded a little hostile and annoyed. But Russell, as if expecting that reaction, responded casually.
“I’m just here to see my woman. Is that a problem?”
Your woman? We haven’t even had the wedding yet…
Instead of feeling flattered, I felt nervous. What was he about to say?
I gripped the cane I had set down under my chair with both hands.
I heard Frater grit his teeth.
“…I’m only holding back because the lady is here.”
That sounded very cold.
I turned toward where Frater’s voice had come from. He sighed and closed the book. Then the sound of his footsteps faded as he moved toward the door.
Left alone with Russell, I fiddled with the cane in my hands. Since he didn’t seem like he was going to speak first, I decided to ask:
“What brings you here?”
“There was something I didn’t tell you about that cane.”
“If it’s about the cane, can’t it wait until I’m done studying?”
“If you’re curious, I can explain.”
Does that mean he’s going to help me study?
In my previous life, I grew up in the slums, far away from common sense. In this life, I was treated poorly in the duke’s house, so I was basically clueless.
The only one who taught me anything useful was the tree.
And I couldn’t read a single book since I was blind…
I made up my mind.
I’d ask Russell about the things I couldn’t learn from the tree.
“I want to know about the Kingdom of Kasus—the one that borders the north, near Glacies Castle.”
Russell paused for a moment, as if thinking. I wondered if I’d asked too broad a question. But then he finally answered.
“How much do you know about Kasus?”
“I know it borders the north, and that the current king is trying to keep friendly ties with the Empire.”
I answered hesitantly. In my previous life, I was too busy surviving to care about neighboring countries. And after being born as Fiana Lucianos in the duke’s house, it wasn’t much different. I could read, but there was no one to read books to me. The servants ignored me, afraid of the duchess and my sister.
Russell sighed.
“You have a lot to learn.”
His words made my face heat up. I felt embarrassed—like he had seen right through my ignorance.
Ignoring my reaction, Russell continued calmly.
“The Kingdom of Kasus doesn’t have many mages like we do. So, warriors who can also use magic hold most of the power there. The crown prince is one of them.”
“The crown prince… isn’t he close to the king? I heard the king is quite old now.”
“The problem lies in the prince’s personality.”
Russell tapped his finger against the armrest of the chair—tap, tap. It sounded a little anxious, but his heartbeat was steady. He was clearly thinking.
“Prince Aker is politically different from his father, the king. Because of that, he’s been doing some suspicious things.”
“Suspicious… like what?”
The tapping stopped. The air grew heavy. But Russell didn’t stay silent for long.
His voice sounded tired when he finally answered.
“Trying to use my background against me.”
“What?”
I couldn’t understand, so I asked again. But he just gave a short reply.
“That’s all I’ll say for now. More importantly, about the cane…”
He’s not going to say any more.
Russell stood up and walked toward me. Just as I was starting to feel tense, he gently placed his warm hand over mine, which was holding the cane.
“I found out it’s not just for walking or self-defense. There’s more to it.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you tap it on the ground three times, it activates a spell inside. For one minute, you will be able to see the objects. You can do this three times a day.”
Only a minute? That seemed way too short. I gripped the cane tighter and thought:
Still… it really does seem like it was made for someone who can’t see.
I doubt I could even make good use of it if I did not have the memories of my previous life. I do not necessarily fully understand something just because I can sense its outline.
It is important to know its color, composition, and other details. But thanks to my memories, I could skip the learning curve.
I swallowed hard. I wanted to ask Russell another question, but the words wouldn’t come out easily.
Magic… it depends on whether you were born with it or learned it. Then…
I lifted my head in Russell’s direction. He seemed curious, but I ignored it and asked:
“What kind of magic do you use?”
Right after I asked, I heard a snap—just like when we were attacked by bandits. Then a soft, pleasant scent of flowers filled the air.
Russell handed me a bunch of flowers and spoke gently.
“Something like this.”
“That feels… different from the magic you used before.”
“I thought you were nervous, so I did it to calm you.”
Russell let out a groan and stretched. It didn’t look like he was planning to tell me more about his magic. I wanted to ask if the magic he used to trap the thief was related to the magic that made flowers bloom, but he didn’t seem like he would answer.
“Still, summoning something out of thin air is amazing magic.”
Magic is based on a person’s imagination and talent. In my past life, I had no chance to learn magic, and with my poor imagination, I had no talent for it either.
Even in this life, not much had changed. I could hear the voices of trees, but because I couldn’t see, no one believed in my ability—so it felt like it had no real value.
‘I’m not even sure if my power is truly magic.’
Since I was little, whenever I touched a tree, I could naturally hear its voice. But the Lucianos family ignored and looked down on me, making me doubt whether my power was real magic or just a hallucination.
That doubt became a limit I placed on myself. I took a deep breath and spoke again.
“Lord Russell. I have a favor to ask.”
“What kind of favor?”
As expected, he didn’t completely trust me yet.
But I wasn’t at the Lucianos estate anymore, where no one cared about my voice. I was now at Glacies Castle, where—even if I was just a puppet—someone needed me.
“I want to do what I should as the Grand Duchess.”
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel
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