73. Visitors at the Mansion

I placed some wood down and filled the space with dry grass to light a fire.

There was nothing to do in the abandoned estate. Watching the fire until it completely burned out was my only solace. The flames burned so brightly that I couldn’t tell if it was my hair or the fire that was flickering.

“I’m glad you’ve found something to keep your mind occupied. I was worried you might be too despondent.”

Suren said, fanning the dry wood. The flames grew larger with her touch.

“Taking care of the estate is somewhat enjoyable. The children are cute and pitiable.”

“Yes, they might lack manners being from common backgrounds, but their actions are genuine. I was worried because this place is so remote, but they don’t know what discrimination is, so they don’t discriminate. Even the children with purple hair play well together.”

The children, fascinated by Suren’s hair, continued to follow her around, tugging at her clothes.

At first, Suren was appalled, but she soon realized that they were not pulling her hair out of malice, but pure curiosity. She adapted and accepted it.

Contrary to her worries, the children did not point fingers or throw stones at her because of her different hair color.

Having only traveled between the capital and the northern regions, I had never experienced discrimination because of my hair, but Suren spoke at length about her encounters as if she had faced it often.

“I’ve never experienced discrimination, is it really that common?”

“Yes. Even getting to the north with my recommendation letter was really difficult. On the boat, I had to wrap my hair in a scarf because so many people stared at me. If my hair were simply white, it would’ve been fine, but it’s silver, and I’m young… people found it strange.”

“I see.”

“I don’t know why, but there are still many people with ill intentions. Although I didn’t, many of my kin have dyed their hair. They hide it thoroughly. At least white hair dyes well.”

She looked at my hair and caught a strand that was floating in the air, examining it carefully in her palm.

“Your red hair would be hard to dye. No matter what color you use, the red tint would show through. You’d have to wrap it with a scarf or use an expensive, high-quality dye.”

She let go of the hair, letting it fly into the air. The red strand burned with the fire, crumbling into fine ashes.

If I were ever to escape his chains and gain independence. If I managed to flee safely, would I have to cover my hair?

It seemed like a distant, unattainable dream.

* * *

At night, it was difficult to fetch water, and due to security concerns, there were opinions against frequently opening the mansion.

In the end, we decided to dig a small well in the village.

We brought in external workers to dig a hole in the center of the village.

The villagers came out to see the commotion. Even the elderly with difficulty moving peered out of their windows to watch the well being made.

We dug the new well and piled up stones. The stones were laid low, reaching only to the thighs of the children.

A dark cloth was placed over the finished well. After securing it tightly to prevent light and dust from entering, I felt my strength leave me.

I collapsed to the side, my forehead covered in beads of sweat.

“Hiring workers took half of our budget,” Suren said. She didn’t oppose distributing food to the villagers like before, but she still looked displeased about the large expenditure.

“The environment is harsh, and His Highness gave us too little money. Does he expect us to barely scrape by? How can things change so drastically like this?”

“He probably didn’t expect me to help the villagers. After all, I’ve only ever looked after myself in the duchy and the prince’s domain.”

“Still, he must have known about your past extravagances. To give someone who used to buy trees for each house such a small amount of money—it must be intentional.”

I had no retort. I agreed with her. Squatting down, Suren tilted her head back to look at me.

“What was it like at the Sien Barony?”

“What?”

“I’ve never heard you talk about your time before coming to the north. Were you well off at the Sien Barony? Did you have fun?”

“Nothing special. I just played with Philip. At the Sien Barony… I never had an allowance. I didn’t manage the barony either.”

I couldn’t even afford dresses or medicine and had to rely on Philip to get them. Considering they tried to sell me to an old merchant, it’s unlikely they gave me any personal funds.

“Philip… Now that you mention it, you might not know, but His Highness called Philip for a private meeting.”

“Why?”

I had no idea. Even when Philip came to see me, he didn’t mention it.

“I overheard a maid who was serving tea. His Highness interrogated him about their past relationship and why he approached you.”

“Why would he ask that?”

Suren shrugged.

“I have no idea what His Highness was thinking. Even our banishment here is because of his inscrutable decisions.”

* * *

Three days after the guests from the prince’s domain arrived, a magician visited with the purpose of treating trauma.

A maid came out and guided the magician to a room that could be called a reception room. The maid was handling kitchen assistance, stair repairs, guest reception, and meal management all by herself. With so few people, she was doing the work of three. Seeing her frequently made me feel a bit guilty.

There was nothing suitable to serve the guest. I had left the teacups behind, and we only had ingredients prepared for meals. There were no decent desserts to offer him.

Feeling awkward, I invited him to sit, and he took a seat opposite me. When he removed his hat, a teardrop-shaped emblem on his forehead became visible, marking him as a magician from the Magic Tower.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing suitable to serve you.”

“No need to apologize. I’m here for treatment, not as a guest to be entertained.”

He declined politely.

“But you’ve come for nothing. There’s no cure for trauma. Even the duke’s physician couldn’t treat it.”

At my resolute words, he smiled slightly.

“Even so, we can make the bad memories fade.”

He spoke with confidence, his words carrying weight.

“May I see your hand for a moment?”

I rolled up my sleeve and extended my hand. He grasped my wrist, and a gray aura enveloped my arm.

He closed his eyes. The turbulent mana soon calmed, and the smoke cleared. Yet, he kept his eyes shut and did not release my wrist for a long time.

When my arm began to tingle, he finally opened his eyes slowly.

“Is there something troubling you? The mana isn’t settling properly. Its flow is mixed.”

He tilted his head in confusion.

“That’s strange. I can’t clearly distinguish the bad memories. I think I’ll have to try again later. It might be a temporary phenomenon…”

The faint smile that had been on his face vanished. He murmured to himself and then slumped his shoulders.

“This is embarrassing. I’m considered one of the best in the empire at memory-fading magic, yet my skills seem insufficient. I must be lacking in my training. I apologize.”

“It’s okay. As you said, it’s probably a temporary phenomenon.”

I rubbed the wrist he had held.

He was checking his own mana to see if anything was wrong, spreading and retracting the aura, continuously emitting gray smoke.

“When your work is done, where will you go? Back to the Magic Tower?”

“Oh, I’ve recently been employed by the prince’s domain.”

He hid his aura and gave an awkward smile.

“The prince’s domain?”

I casually voiced the thought I had been holding back.

“Is everything alright there? Is he… still doing well?”

I didn’t specify, but he immediately understood who I was talking about.

“Yes. He seems busier than ever. I’m not constantly at the prince’s domain, so I don’t know the exact details, but His Highness is often away. Even when I tried to meet him, he was always busy.”

“I see.”

The magician started packing his bag to leave.

Then, he stopped and looked at me intently. His persistent gaze made me meet his eyes.

He wasn’t looking at my face. His eyes were fixed on my neck.

“The prince must hold you in high regard.”

“What?”

“That jewel, I mean. It’s quite surprising.”

Following his pointed finger, I looked down.

His gaze was on my necklace. Usually hidden under my clothes, today it was fully visible because of the low neckline of my dress.

“Is this jewel that rare?”

At my naive question, he chuckled softly.

“Rare indeed. You wouldn’t find a more expensive jewel in any shop. Its value could buy several shops in the capital.”

I touched the jewel at my collarbone. Its smooth texture was warm against my skin.

“You must know. Didn’t you hear about the jewel’s significance?”

“I did hear about it. They said it offers protection. Like a sort of superstition.”

“That’s a rather romantic way to put it. A wonderful metaphor.”

He chuckled again.

I didn’t laugh and just stared at him, which made him look puzzled. The smile vanished from his face.

Why is he laughing?

“A metaphor? Is there another meaning?”

“Uh… Didn’t you hear about this necklace?”