Chapter 92: Am I a Magic Genius? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Am I a Magic Genius? (2)
I looked up while still clutching the magic stone. My palm felt a bit hot and prickly.
“Goodness, the water in the vase!”
Sophia cried out in surprise. Just as she said, the water inside the vase shot upward, hitting the ceiling.
Droplets rained down onto the floor. Melissa, Sophia, Demia, Nathaniel, and I all stared blankly at the sight.
“T-That’s incredible, Little Lady.”
“Huh?”
“To be able to handle mana like this already... You truly are extraordinary.”
“I did that?”
“Who else would it be?”
Melissa asked, her voice thick with excitement. I, however, was still dazed.
[It’s only natural for my master. You should be able to do at least this much.]
[That’s right! Soon, you’ll even be able to summon storms!]
Isn’t that basically the level of a Great Mage?
[It’s only because Master is still young! If you summoned all of us, even a Great Mage would be put to shame!]
[Exactly!]
Hmm.
Desmond and Bibi shouted with equal excitement. I shifted my gaze from the water still dripping from the ceiling.
“I’ll teach you in more detail starting tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
And so, I began receiving lessons in both etiquette and magic from Melissa.
“Should I teach you too?”
“……No.”
Melissa asked Nathaniel. Having taken a few etiquette lessons, Nathaniel—who now knew how to use formal speech—answered softly and shook his head.
“Right. I didn't think my mana would be very compatible with yours anyway. Besides, I don’t know much about Divine Power.”
“…….”
“Still, listening in while the Little Lady learns might be helpful.”
Melissa spoke nonchalantly and, for once, gave Nathaniel a kind smile. However, Nathaniel’s face only grew colder and stiffer.
The two of them, whose first meeting hadn't been great, still had an awkward air between them. I watched them warily before seeing Melissa out.
“Niel, do you dislike Melissa?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“…….”
After Melissa left, I questioned Nathaniel. Demia and Sophia were standing some distance away, so they wouldn't be able to hear our whispering.
Nathaniel fell silent for a moment at my question before giving another short answer.
“I don’t like her because she’s scary.”
“Scary?”
“Yes. She’s like a monster.”
“A monster…?”
As expected, Nathaniel seemed to already know that Melissa was no ordinary being. That must be why he was so tense when they first met—like a herbivore encountering a predator.
But soon, Nathaniel clenched his fists and added, “But I think I can beat her.”
“No, you don’t have to beat her.”
“I can win.”
“Sigh.”
Nathaniel repeated himself as if his mind was completely made up. In the end, I gave up on trying to understand his logic.
*
Time flew by, and the royal wedding of Veronica and Dantalion was just around the corner.
During that time, I wasn't allowed to take a single step outside the Empress’s Chambers, but I relieved my stress by learning magic from Melissa and running around the garden.
“I’m glad the Little Lady is so compatible with my elemental magic, but it’s still a bit of a shame.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you’d have talent in other attributes as well.”
“Hmm.”
Melissa said I was compatible with water, ice, and wind magic. Since her primary specialty was water, that was the first thing she taught me.
There certainly are many different types of magic.
It wasn't just elemental magic like water, wind, and fire; there was also lifestyle magic and metal magic, so it was natural to be curious.
“Make sure to visit the Magic Tower when you grow up. Everyone will welcome you.”
“Wow.”
My eyes sparkled at Melissa’s words. I wondered how many different kinds of magic I could learn if I went to the Magic Tower. Fortunately, since Claudia seemed to have a lot of magical talent, she would surely catch the eyes of the mages there, who were always itching to pass their magic down to the next generation.
“Then I shall see you on the day of the royal wedding, Little Lady.”
“Yes. Get home safely, Master.”
“Oh, my.”
When I bowed according to the etiquette I had been learning from her, Melissa chuckled and nodded.
“Dia.”
“Mom!”
As soon as Melissa left, Veronica, who had been incredibly busy, called for me. I scurried over to her.
“Mommy!”
“My little Dia, did you have fun in your lesson?”
“Yeah! Teacher Mel said…”
I rambled on about all the things I hadn't been able to tell her.
Tomorrow was finally the day Veronica and Dantalion would wed. Veronica had been frantic, checking over the ceremony details until the very last minute.
I thought I wouldn't be able to see her today either, so I rubbed my face against her chest, acting spoiled.
“Do you want to see the dress I’ll wear for the wedding?”
“Yeah!”
“Fufu.”
Veronica led me into a room while holding me. Inside, a pure white dress was on display.
“Whoa.”
A genuine exclamation escaped my lips. It wasn't forced; it came out instinctively. The dress was just that beautiful.
“Are all these sparkly things jewels?”
“That’s right.”
“Wow, it’s so pretty.”
While pure white is said to symbolize a bride’s purity, this was Veronica’s second marriage, not her first.
However, I was certain that this beautiful dress would suit Veronica better than anyone else.
“My mommy is going to be the prettiest bride ever!”
“Oh, my.”
Veronica looked moved by my words, her eyes welling with tears. I gave her a tight squeeze.
“Thank you, Dia. Mommy loves Dia the most.”
“Yeah, me too. I like Mommy the best.”
“Fufu.”
We stayed hugged like that in front of the dress for a long time. Sniffling, Veronica forced a smile and spoke again.
“Shall we look at Dia’s dress too?”
“Huh?”
Ah, there was a dress for me too. Realizing this late, I nodded.
“Since Dia and Niel have to be the flower children. Shall we practice the walking path while we’re at it?”
“Mhm.”
Now that she mentioned it, we were supposed to do that. I gave an awkward smile as I remembered the role I had forgotten.
Flower children refer to the children who scatter petals in front of or behind the bride and groom at a wedding.
Usually, a niece or nephew of the couple takes the role, but since this was Veronica’s second marriage and she had me, no other children were needed.
And because I was so young, Nathaniel was going to do it with me. I heard he had a tuxedo custom-made as well.
Nathaniel’s tuxedo was white, perfectly matching my dress. It went well with his snowy hair.
“Oh, you both look so adorable and lovely.”
“Hehe.”
Dressed in my gown, I tightly held the hand of Nathaniel, who had also changed into his tuxedo. For some reason, his hand was stiff as if he were nervous.
“Niel, how many flowers are you going to scatter?”
“…….”
“Niel?”
Nathaniel kept his mouth shut and didn't answer. He just stared at me blankly.
What’s wrong with him?
When I tilted my head in confusion, Nathaniel slowly moved his hand.
“About this much.”
“Ah, I see.”
Nathaniel grabbed a handful of petals from the basket with his other hand and scattered them. Seeing that, I tossed a similar amount into the air.
“Wow, it’s pretty.”
“Dia, is this fun?”
“Yeah!”
Scattering petals was surprisingly fun. I excitedly threw petals while practicing the walking path with Nathaniel. Veronica clapped, saying we were doing a great job.
I hope I don’t get nervous and do well tomorrow too.
I let out a quiet sigh.
[Nothing bad is going to happen on the wedding day, right?]
Don’t say such unsettling things.
[It’s been quiet lately, but I just can’t trust it.]
Hmm.
Perhaps the Empress Dowager had exhausted too much strength at the lake, or maybe the aftermath of what Duke Winston did to her was significant. She hadn't shown herself much since then. Thanks to that, the wedding preparations had gone smoothly, but I was worried she might pull something during the wedding and the ball period.
Now that I’ve learned magic, should we try to strike back next time?
[That would lead to a real disaster, Master.]
[Yes, Master’s tiny body could be crushed.]
Then the Body Growth Sorcery…
[Absolutely not!]
Desmond shouted vehemently. I didn't push it further after seeing the demons' intense reactions.
I suppose it’s still difficult to completely drive out the Empress Dowager. And if I egged on Dantalion or Duke Winston, it might start a civil war.
I guess I have to stick to the plan of revealing the true identities of the Empress Dowager and the Temple.
Whenever I thought about that, my mind kept drifting in one direction. And not a good one.
Whew.
I sighed inwardly, picturing Marianne’s kind face. I felt wretched for even thinking about using her, when she cherished me like a younger sister.