Chapter 007
The carriage climbed a narrow, winding road. Tall trees lined the sides, blocking most of the sunlight. The atmosphere was eerie, as if a witch’s house might be waiting at the end.
But unexpectedly, what lay at the end was a grand mansion wrapped in trees.
Unlike the shady road, the mansion was surrounded by open space, with sunlight streaming down on a natural-looking lawn.
“We’ve arrived,” the coachman announced.
Lucas was the first to step out. He extended both hands, and Adele awkwardly held onto him as she stepped down from the carriage. Then Adele turned to reach inside, offering her hand to someone.
Before Adele could help Ronschka down, Lucas moved quickly.
He didn’t particularly like dealing with Adele, but he couldn’t treat her carelessly, especially since she was a patient—and more importantly, she was Ronschka’s mother.
Once the three of them had stepped down, a boy with shimmering golden hair came running out of the mansion like a bullet.
“Leon!” Lucas exclaimed.
Without slowing down, the boy launched a flying kick at Lucas.
Lucas, however, blocked the attack with ease. Leon didn’t give up, following up with punches that Lucas effortlessly deflected.
“Enough,” Lucas finally said, and Leon stopped, panting.
“Welcome back!” Leon greeted with a grin.
“You’ve been practicing hard, haven’t you?” Lucas said, tousling the boy’s hair.
Adele watched the scene with wide eyes. Lucas, who always seemed to wear a mocking smirk, looked entirely different as he interacted with the boy.
“Let me introduce him,” Lucas introduced, gesturing toward the boy. “This is Ronschka. He’s a spirit mage.”
“Hello,” Leon said, bowing his head politely.
“Hello,” Ronschka mumbled, hiding behind Adele, her eyes wary.
Adele spoke gently. “Ronschka, you should say hello properly.”
“Ah… H-hello.”
Ronschka managed to stammer out a greeting.
Adele was about to speak when a memory flashed through her mind.
Leon, the boy who had lost everything at a young age, was saved by a mentor. But later, following the emperor’s orders, Ronschka would endanger that mentor, leading the boy to turn against him.
And now, staring at the golden-haired Leon, Adele realized—this boy was the protagonist.
A wave of unease washed over her. How had she not realized until now?
Adele instinctively shielded Ronschka, stepping back slightly.
“Who is this lady?” Leon asked, his curious gaze shifting to Adele.
“This is Adele,” Lucas replied. “She’s Ronschka’s mother.”
Leon blinked, looking between Adele and Ronschka. With her green eyes and brown hair, Adele didn’t resemble Ronschka, who had striking red eyes and fiery hair.
Before the conversation could continue, the mansion staff came to greet them.
“Welcome back, sir,” they said, smiling warmly at Ronschka before turning to Adele. Their expressions shifted slightly in surprise, but Lucas quickly clarified.
“She’s just Ronschka’s mother,”
“She’ll stay here temporarily to recover from her injuries. After that, she’ll decide her next steps.”
Adele bowed politely. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t empty gratitude. Without Lucas, she would’ve died, and Ronschka might’ve faced a terrible fate alone in the forest.
Lucas turned to Ronschka. “I may not be a spirit wielder, but I can help you stabilize your abilities. From tomorrow, you’ll train with me and Leon.”
Ronschka looked up at Adele, hesitant. Adele hesitated as well. This wasn’t how events were supposed to unfold. In the original story, Ronschka and Leon weren’t meant to meet so early.
Would this change the future? Adele didn’t know.
Before she could dwell further, exhaustion overwhelmed her. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.
“M-Mom!” Ronschka cried, panic rising in his voice.
Lucas moved quickly, scooping Adele into his arms. He rushed toward the mansion, shouting, “Kish, fetch the physician! Madeleine, help me.”
“Yes!” The butler hurried off to summon the physician, while Madeleine followed Lucas, Ronschka was following from behind.
Lucas laid Adele on the nearest bed and pressed a hand to her forehead. Her temperature was dangerously high.
As Madeleine loosened Adele’s clothing and removed her shoes, she asked, “What happened?”
Lucas hesitated. If he told her the truth, she’d surely scold him for pushing Adele too hard.
Still, he didn’t want to hide anything from Madeleine, who had served him loyally for years.
“Well…” he began, but before he could continue, Ronschka burst into the room, clinging to her mother.
“M-Mom!”
Lucas fell silent, unwilling to discuss Adele’s condition in front of the child. Madeleine seemed to understand and didn’t press further.
Soon, Kish returned with the physician. The doctor quickly assessed Adele’s condition.
“This is the patient?” he asked.
“Yes,” Lucas replied.
“Any significant injuries?”
“She was attacked by a bear about a month ago.”
“A bear?” The physician’s eyes widened.
“She was saving me!” Ronschka sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
The physician blinked, surprised, while Madeleine gasped.
Lucas added, “Her back was injured.”
“Have the wounds healed?” the physician asked.
“Mostly,” Lucas said. “Other physicians said she’d be fine if she rested.”
The physician frowned. Clearly, she hadn’t rested enough. After examining her, he sighed.
“The wounds aren’t deep, but her body is weak from overexertion. She needs proper rest and care.”
He forced Lucas and the others out of the room, asking for privacy to treat Adele. Even Ronschka was gently but firmly escorted out.
“B-But what if she dies?” Ronschka wailed.
“She won’t,” Lucas reassured her.
“How do you know?” Ronschka sniffled, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
Lucas didn’t answer, simply patting his head as he cried.
