“Madam, shall I bring you a painkiller?”
Seeing me frowning and sighing since breakfast, Rivet cautiously asked. I smiled at Rivet and shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll only take medicine when I really need it. Besides, I already have two bottles of medicine to take in the future.”
I glanced at the two glass bottles on the desk.
“But you’ve been suffering since yesterday. Wouldn’t it be better to take some medicine?”
“If it becomes unbearable, I’ll let you know. Don’t worry too much.”
When I refused again, Rivet looked at me with concern but then took a step back.
I understood why Rivet was worried. Since Ains had visited the mansion the previous day, my head had been heavy and throbbing, causing me to suffer all night.
I had hoped a good night’s sleep would make me feel better, but unfortunately, the headache showed no sign of improving.
“By the way, I’d like to contact the Mage Tower today. Is that okay?”
“The Mage Tower? Is it because of what Dr. Watt suggested earlier? About learning magic…”
“Yes.”
Though I didn’t think it was feasible, it seemed better to try something rather than helplessly endure the aftereffects, so I made the decision.
“I’ll write a letter, so please send it to the Mage Tower.”
“Yes, Madam. Let me know when you’re done. I’ll deliver it quickly.”
I smiled faintly at Rivet, who answered with a clenched fist. Then I took out some paper from the drawer and placed it on the desk.
There was only one person to whom the letter would be addressed. There were only a few mages I had contacted while at the Graham Duchy, and only one person had the authority to accept or reject such a request.
The master of all mages and the owner of the Mage Tower, Master Cesare.
Since he was Ains’s business partner, I had regularly received high-grade mana stones from him before the divorce.
I hoped that since we had some acquaintance, he might accept my request for education.
In the letter, I briefly explained my physical condition and the necessity of mana management due to the aftereffects of the illness. I also expressed my willingness to hire someone to assist with mana management for a certain period if he couldn’t teach me magic.
After writing the letter, I sealed it with wax and handed it to Rivet.
“Here, please take this.”
“Yes, Madam. I’ll deliver it personally since it’s an important letter.”
Rivet answered brightly and soon left the mansion. I stood by the window, watching Rivet head towards the Mage Tower, when I suddenly noticed someone at the end of the alley looking this way.
“…Ains?”
It was difficult to confirm if it was Ains due to the distance, but someone who looked like Ains was watching from afar.
I thought it might be my imagination, but his body and face were clearly directed this way.
Moreover, amidst the people passing by, he and his attendants were the only ones standing still.
I stared back at Ains from a distance and then drew the curtains. My head felt even more throbbing.
* * *
Rivet returned about two hours later. I had expected her to come back quickly after delivering the letter, but it took quite a long time.
Moreover, she wasn’t alone. She was accompanied by a familiar person.
“It’s been a while, Madam. Ah, I should call you Viscountess Marves now.”
The man greeted me with a short nod and a friendly smile. His unexpected visit left me momentarily stunned. Then, belatedly regaining my composure, I greeted him awkwardly.
“It’s been a while, Master Cesare. I didn’t expect you to come in person.”
Master Cesare let out a low chuckle at my words.
“As a long-time customer of ours, how could I not come for your request, Viscountess? I’d like to have a conversation over some tea.”
“Oh, my manners. Let me guide you to the reception room.”
I personally guided Master Cesare to the reception room. After inviting him to sit first, I also took a seat. A maid served us black tea and then withdrew.
The sweet aroma of the black tea began to fill the reception room. Master Cesare skillfully lifted the teacup, savoring the scent before taking a sip.
“You seem to use good tea leaves. The aroma is excellent, and the taste is wonderful.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“Thank you for serving such fine tea.”
As he finished speaking, he put down the teacup and clasped his hands together on his lap.
“In the letter you sent, you mentioned wanting to learn magic. Is that true?”
Master Cesare asked directly, without beating around the bush. Since I was already wondering how to broach the subject, I readily affirmed.
“Yes, that’s right. I briefly explained in the letter, but the mana in my body is currently unstable. They say the quickest way to harmonize it is to learn how to handle mana. So, I contacted you even though I knew it might be rude.”
“Magic is not something that can be easily learned just because you want to. However, there is something I wanted to confirm, which is why I came in person.”
“Something you wanted to confirm?”
“Yes.”
The meaningful smile on Master Cesare’s face made me feel a bit uneasy. Mages were known to be unique and to think differently from ordinary people, so I was a little scared of what he wanted to confirm about me, a mere sick person.
“What is it that you want to confirm?”
“It’s nothing much. You’ve received a large amount of mana stones from us over the years, haven’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Pure mana stones are very important to mages. Depending on how they are used, they can enhance magical abilities and amplify mana. But according to your letter, it seems you used the mana stones to activate the mana in your body.”
“…Yes. It was a temporary measure for the illness.”
“I have supplied you with a considerable amount of mana stones, and I became curious. How well can someone handle mana if they artificially absorb mana stones? Generally, people who are not familiar with mana cannot awaken to magic. However, you are an exceptional case. So, I came to confirm that personally.”
Realizing that it wasn’t as bizarre as I had feared, I sighed in relief.
“You’ll find out these things as you teach magic, so you don’t need to worry, Viscountess.”
“That’s a relief. I was a bit startled, just in case…”
When I spoke as if I had been scared, Master Cesare chuckled.
“Ah, then how much will it cost?”
Since it was Master Cesare himself who would be teaching me, I was sure it would be expensive. Although I still had a lot of the alimony I received from Ains after the divorce, I couldn’t help but worry.
“The cost is fine. I came here with my own objectives. Besides, if you are very unlucky, you might not be able to use magic at all. Though, given that you have regularly absorbed high-grade mana stones, that possibility is very low according to my theory.”
I hesitated at Master Cesare’s words that he wouldn’t charge me. Mages were very high-end professionals. How could I not pay anything for learning magic from the owner of the Mage Tower, Master Cesare himself…
But seeing my hesitation, Master Cesare shrugged his shoulders.
“If you serve me good tea like today, that would be an honor.”
“That I can do anytime.”
“Then, since we’ve finished our tea, shall we start now?”
“Already?”
I thought I would start learning the next day at the earliest, so the sudden situation caught me off guard. However, Master Cesare seemed puzzled and shrugged his shoulders.
“Is there any need to delay? That’s why I came in person today. Do you have any other plans?”
“No, it’s fine. I was just surprised.”
As I waved my hand in response, Master Cesare smiled broadly.
“Then let’s start right away. It would be best for you to learn as quickly as possible. For that, we need an open space. Do you have such a space?”
Thinking for a moment, I nodded.
“Yes, I’ll guide you to the back garden.”
Leaving the cold teacups behind, I moved to the back garden with Master Cesare.
Though the schedule was sudden, I also wanted to learn magic as quickly as possible. And I wanted to escape from this persistent pain.
