Chapter 52
Sylvia quickly lowered her head, avoiding my gaze as soon as our eyes met. Her reaction felt so natural—it seemed that simply making eye contact with someone else was a terrifying and daunting experience for her.
“Sylvia, how old are you?”
I asked as gently as I could, trying not to startle her. She made an effort to avoid looking at me, answering in a quiet, trembling voice.
“…I’m eight years old.”
The faint tremor in her small voice reached me.
Hearing her age, I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
She was just an eight-year-old girl, yet she was slowly dying from Darnnella’s disease. It was unbearably cruel for a child so young to suffer from such an illness.
My throat tightened, and I had to pause briefly to collect myself. After taking a deep breath, I spoke again.
“Come to think of it, how old is Dave? I don’t think I ever asked.”
“He’s twelve. He’s four years older than me.”
Sylvia held up three fingers as she spoke. She knew they were four years apart, but it seemed she couldn’t quite count to four.
I reached out and gently extended one more of her small fingers.
Sylvia flinched when I touched her, squeezing her eyes shut and shrinking her neck as though expecting a blow. Her reaction was quick, almost as if she was used to such things happening.
I quietly held her hand. Her tiny fingers fit perfectly in my palm.
“Are your parents not around?”
“…No.”
“Since when?”
“I don’t know.”
She answered cautiously, her eyes darting up to gauge my expression. At the same time, she kept trying to pull her hand free from mine, her unease apparent.
I let go of her hand and gave her a gentle smile to help her feel at ease.
“Um… noble lady.”
Sylvia, who had been sneaking glances at me, hesitated before finally speaking up.
“Yes?”
“Is… is Dave really going to be okay?”
Her voice quivered, thick with tears, as if she were on the verge of breaking down.
Seeing how afraid she was of even the smallest gesture, I couldn’t bring myself to comfort her with a touch. Instead, I simply nodded.
“Yes. He’ll be fine.”
Compared to Dave, who had been brutally beaten, his condition seemed slightly more at ease after receiving treatment. According to the physician, despite his body being covered in bruises and bandages, his life was no longer in danger. However, there was still a chance he might lose the use of an arm or leg, though only time would tell.
But Sylvia was a different story.
Her Darnnella’s disease had already progressed to its final stage. I, too, had been suffering from the disease for five years, but it hadn’t visibly advanced in my case. The symptoms appeared occasionally, but not frequently enough to be debilitating.
However, her condition was far worse. Despite her young age, the disease had deteriorated her body to the point where she could no longer walk on her own.
Did she even understand the state she was in?
Probably not.
Sylvia likely only knew that she was unwell, nothing more. She probably hadn’t even had a proper medical examination until I brought her to the physician.
Was it fortunate that I discovered her condition now, or tragic that it wasn’t detected sooner? I couldn’t tell.
If I had met her earlier and realized she had Darnnella’s disease, could things have turned out more hopeful for her than they are now?
… I didn’t know.
There was no way to be certain. Even if I could turn back time, there was no guarantee that events would unfold the same way as they did now.
The fact that Richard empathized with my past, that I came to pity his, that I filed a lawsuit against Duke Tristan, and that I acquired the Rosier flowerpot at the auction—none of it might have aligned as it had today.
All of this felt like a stroke of luck to me, luck I might not have grasped in a different timeline.
And in that alternate scenario, I would probably have clung to Richard’s affection, slowly dying as the original story dictated.
I let out a dry chuckle at the thought of the ending I had originally been destined to face.
Meanwhile, Sylvia kept glancing at Dave, who was lying beside her, her face filled with worry.
I felt an overwhelming urge to hold her tightly, to console her small, fragile body that had endured so much pain. It was heartbreaking to see her, ignoring her own suffering and worrying solely about Dave.
“Sylvia, if it’s okay with you, would you like to come live with me at the Theodore estate someday?”
Her wide eyes shot up to meet mine, her face startled. Her tear-streaked eyes, which had been glistening with worry over Dave, were now tinged red.
“Just me?”
She must have thought I intended to take her alone. Her voice was filled with concern.
I shook my head and clarified, “No, Dave can come too.”
“…Then I’ll ask Dave first.”
Her hesitant response was cautious, and I nodded in understanding. I could see where she was coming from.
From her perspective, I was a stranger she had known for only a few days. Moreover, I was a noble. In her situation, it would have been impossible to trust my intentions in wanting to bring them to the Theodore estate. Especially given the fact that Dave had been attacked and was lying unconscious, it was understandable that she wouldn’t make a decision lightly.
I respected her decision. No matter how much I wanted to bring them with me, I couldn’t force them if they were unwilling.
“Alright then, let’s wait until Dave wakes up and ask him together.”
“…Okay.”
Her voice was faint, almost inaudible.
Realizing that keeping Sylvia with me any longer might exhaust her, I rose from my seat.
I then sought out the physician.
He, who had been organizing charts, stood up as I entered the examination room.
“How were the children, ma’am? Did you get to see them?”
“Yes, thank you. By the way, do you know when Dave might wake up?”
He flipped through his charts and, after locating Dave’s, reviewed it before answering.
“Judging by his current state, he should regain consciousness by tomorrow.”
I sighed in relief. I had been worried that his severe injuries might keep him unconscious for several days.
“Please take good care of Dave and Sylvia. I’ll visit them regularly.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
I took a pouch of gold coins from my pocket and handed it to him. Actions spoke louder than words; giving him the funds directly ensured the children would receive the best care possible.
He accepted the pouch and tucked it away in a drawer without hesitation. Satisfied, I left the examination room.
He followed me out to see me off with a polite bow as I exited.
A carriage was waiting for me in front of the clinic. Without hesitation, I climbed aboard.
As much as I wanted to stay by their side, I could feel Sylvia’s unease around me. Remaining there would only stress her further, potentially worsening her condition.
It was better to wait until Dave woke up and Sylvia felt more stable before discussing things further or reassessing their situation.
“Shall we head back to the Starlight Hotel?”
The coachman of the hired carriage asked me.
Having left early in the morning, I still had plenty of time before the trial.
Originally, I would have returned to the hotel and waited until it was time to attend the trial. However, I didn’t want to spend the extra time idly.
“Take me to the Mage’s Tower.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The carriage began moving slowly.
Fortunately, it wasn’t far from the clinic.
After about ten minutes of travel, the carriage stopped in front of the tower.
“Who are you?”
A new wizard greeted me this time. I stepped closer and spoke.
“I wish to meet with the wizard who was here two days ago.”
“Two days ago? Oh, you must mean Sophia?”
“I didn’t catch her name, but it was a woman, so that’s probably right.”
“Please wait here for a moment. May I ask who I should say is looking for her?”
“Just tell her it’s the person who brought the Rosier flowerpot two days ago.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
He promptly entered the tower. It didn’t take more than ten minutes before the female wizard I had met two days ago appeared with him.
“Ah, hello! You’ve come back!”
The wizard, apparently named Sophia, adjusted her large glasses and greeted me with a bright smile.
I returned a faint smile and replied, “I had something I wanted to ask.”
“Then please, come inside.”
Following her guidance, I entered the tower. The path was the same as the one I had taken two days ago.
When we finally arrived at the waiting room, Sophia gestured for me to take a seat. Once I sat down, she took a seat across from me.
“May I ask what brings you here?” she inquired.
“I wanted to ask about the Rosier flower,” I replied.
“Alright, go ahead.”
“You mentioned before that the flower blooms by consuming love. Does this love include not only romantic love between men and women but also familial love, sibling affection, or even friendships?”
Sophia tilted her head slightly, as if trying to recall something, and then nodded in affirmation.
“Yes, that’s correct. According to Master Violet’s research journal, the flower could bloom through familial love, parental love, sibling affection, and even friendship. As I mentioned earlier, Master Violet originally modified the Rosier flower because of her child. The child had been afflicted with Darnnella’s disease. It’s recorded that she cultivated the flower purely out of love and devotion to her child.”
I nodded in understanding at Sophia’s explanation. Then I proceeded to ask her a few additional questions that had been on my mind, such as whether there was any way to obtain more Rosier flowers or if there was a faster way to make them bloom.
Unfortunately, her answers were all negative.
After learning everything I could about the Rosier flower, I finally stood up from my seat.
“Thank you so much, Miss Sophia.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m glad I could help,” she replied with a cheerful smile.
I handed her a pouch of gold coins that I had prepared in advance as compensation for her time. Thankfully, I had thought to bring some extra coins while preparing the payment for the physician earlier that morning.
She accepted the pouch with an awkward but grateful expression, smiling shyly.
Since I wouldn’t be traveling to the capital often due to my poor health after the trial, I wanted to gather as much information as possible. Thanks to Sophia, I was able to learn a lot.
Leaving the Mage’s Tower, I headed straight to the hotel. It was finally time to attend the final trial.
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