WGMFTR | Chapter 15

Episode 15

Lydia suddenly spoke to Ilian, who was just staring intently at the bracelet.

“Marquis, do you know what magic is?”

A gaze filled with the expression of ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’ turned toward her.

Without caring, she sat down with her knees together and patted the seat next to her, gesturing for him to sit comfortably as well.

But since Ilian didn’t budge and only stared intently at Lydia, she had no choice but to give up. Lydia instead pointed to the bracelet in his hand and continued.

“They say the essence of all magic stems from a desperate wish. It’s about materializing and embodying a desire. The grander and more impossible the wish seems, the more magical it appears.”

Lydia realized that Ilian, who was now gripping the bracelet tightly and had lowered his gaze again, was listening carefully to every word she said.

“But I felt that kind of ‘magic’ from that bracelet.”

A faint chuckle mixed with a sigh, like air escaping from him, came from his voice.

“Are you saying my half-brother turned into a wizard?”

“Something like that.”

But Lydia was serious. If her deduction was right, then Ethan Esteban had unknowingly realized magic at its most basic level.

“That pure wish for the happiness of the person who would receive this bracelet is contained in it. I can feel that kind of magic. It’s so faint, like a breath, but still, magic is magic.”

As Lydia held out her hand, Ilian, caught off guard, returned the bracelet, and he could only blankly watch as she took his uninjured hand and fastened the bracelet on it.

“If it were the distant past, the Marquis’ younger brother might have been born with the talent to become a great wizard. But now, even those born with such talent live in an era where only the unconscious traces of magic remain, without even knowing they’re using it.”

Her explanation paused as she focused on tying the knot securely so the bracelet wouldn’t fall off.

“……Let’s say a person with a faint trace of magic sincerely wishes, ‘I hope that person has a rotten day tomorrow,’ and that person just happens to trip over a stone on the road—that kind of coincidence is about the extent of it.”

As Lydia murmured “Done,” and lifted her head, she found herself directly facing Ilian, who was right in front of her.

Ilian stared silently at Lydia for a while, then slowly spoke in a low voice.

“……Ethan’s death was practically my fault. Even so, would Ethan still wish for my happiness?”

“I heard it was an unfortunate accident. Then it’s something you couldn’t have done anything about, Marquis.”

Ilian’s face contorted deeply as if recalling the past while gazing into the distance.

“But if I’d been more aware and paid more attention, I could’ve prevented Ethan’s death.”

From his deeply regretful words, Lydia began to understand the extent of the guilt Ilian Esteban had trapped himself in.

Lydia gently placed her hand on the back of Ilian’s hand and said.

“How could something unpredictable be your fault, Marquis?”

“You say that only because you know nothing.”

“Then please tell me. About ‘Ethan.’”

Ilian couldn’t bring himself to reject Lydia’s calm gaze looking up at him.

He knew that the innocent Ethan Esteban, who always followed him around, would never resent him but instead forgive him. That’s why he all the more didn’t want to forgive himself.

<Don’t hate me, brother.>

Ethan had been pure and gentle, yet smart. He knew that through his death, Ilian would want to destroy everything that had caused it.

Including Ilian Esteban himself.

So even at the end, Ethan left him with the mature plea not to be consumed by hatred.

But Ilian, who should have been more mature than Ethan, could not do it.

That’s why he buried it all. He couldn’t even listen to Ethan’s last will. He didn’t know how to keep living in this world.

So he left behind only the part of himself that was “head of the Esteban family” and threw away everything else.

He had thought that he had, at least.

“Ethan, that boy, always forgave so easily.”

He always had. He even loved the mother who never gave him a drop of affection and couldn’t bring himself to hate her.

That’s why, even though Ilian deeply hated that woman, he left Madeline Ines alone for Ethan’s sake until now.

Because she was the woman Ethan considered his mother. For that one reason alone.

“But I can’t forgive Madeline Ines so easily.”

Madeline Ines. Princess of Ines.

Though she had only become widowed from the former Marquis Esteban, she still remained tied to the Esteban family, so officially, her name should still have been Madeline “Esteban.”

But after her marriage, she disliked not standing out as the Marchioness.

So she always preferred to be called “Princess Madeline,” and to Ilian, she was always Madeline “Ines,” not “Esteban.”

“That was it. She happened to inform me she was coming to the capital, and you, innocent, had to suffer my displeasure.”

Lydia was momentarily flustered by the sudden change in the direction of the conversation, and as she struggled to catch up and understand his words, she belatedly realized he was trying to apologize for his past actions.

“I apologize for my behavior. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that in front of everyone.”

“I…….”

Of course, she had been annoyed and even angry. But Lydia was genuinely taken aback because she never expected the proud Marquis Ilian Esteban to so readily admit his fault.

Besides, from what little truth was hinted at in the diary, if Ilian had truly cared so much for Ethan, it was understandable that he would hate Madeline, who had seemed so indifferent and cold as a mother.

“I understand. People have days like that.”

It was a side of Lydia her grandmother used to worry about. You tend to see only the good in people, so be sure to keep your own center strong in life.

But as she continued to run the antique shop and unexpectedly learned many clients’ stories in detail, she had learned something.

It’s difficult to judge a person based on just one event or one side of them.

People are shaped by a tangled web of past and present emotions that shape their future. That’s why Lydia had formed a habit of not judging people easily.

“And like I said before, if you just talk this honestly, things are so much easier to resolve.”

“You ask the hardest thing from me.”

Honesty shortens the distance between people. The distance between Lydia and him was already close enough.

Getting any closer would surely lead to regret.

“Don’t forgive people so easily, Lydia. It’s a loss for you.”

His words sounded harsh, but the way he gently brushed the dust off her hair was careful.

His hand, gliding down, lightly touched and held her cheek. A contact so soft that even the slightest distance would break it completely—like a feather.

A momentary gaze locked between them, and then Ilian returned to his usual self, breaking it in an instant.

“You should go. Unless you want to be swallowed by dust.”

Ilian helped Lydia up, and as her hand intertwined with his, he suddenly looked at her.

“Because I thought you wouldn’t forgive yourself so easily, I decided to forgive you instead.”

Everyone declared that no one could ever leave Ilian Esteban speechless.

But Lydia Solem always did.

She dared to say things like this to him, and yet instead of scolding her, he found himself at a loss for words.

‘I…….’

The world demanded perfection from him, but in reality, he was just a wreck of a person, tired even of taking care of his own emotions.

In contrast, Lydia was a completely whole person standing on her own. Maybe it was only natural that she could so easily reach into the weakest parts of him.

No—perhaps he secretly wanted to allow her to do just that.

“By the way, why did you suddenly decide to look for me?”

Lydia tilted her head and asked with a faint smile.

It was a question meant to lightly change the subject and retreat first.

As if she had read his desire to escape back into that dark, shadowy place where he used to hide from the light.

“They said you skipped lunch and were wandering the mansion, and then hadn’t had dinner either.”

“Oh, is it that late already? But does it bother you that much when I skip meals?”

“Ethan…… Ethan, that boy always did that. Instead of talking about what upset him, he would hide somewhere and not come out all day.”

Deep inside, he must have hoped that even the mother who showed no interest in him would at least be worried enough to look for her missing son.

But Madeline was never that kind of person. After Ilian found Ethan passed out from exhaustion and asleep, Illian always checked on his condition himself.

“You really were a kind older brother, Marquis.”

“Ethan was just a disobedient little brat. And so talkative—really, so talkative.”

It had been a long time since he talked this much about Ethan. No—truthfully, this was the first time he had mentioned him since his death.