Chapter 29

It seemed to be about Estelle, and Reina shrank back slightly.

“Ah!”

At that moment, a sharp jolt of pain flickered through Reina’s head. Then, all at once, scenes from the novel surfaced.

In the novel, on a snowy day, Estelle plays happily. And a few days later, she comes down with a feverish cold.

‘They thought it was because of the snow and the cold, and tried to buy a bunch of temperature control magic tools, only to realize that wasn’t the reason.’

It had been described as the tension she had been holding onto finally easing, brought on by the sense of security that she was allowed to stay in this estate.

Hadn’t it said that she believed she’d be abandoned just for being sick?

It was a truly heartbreaking reason.

‘I remember my lady crying because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to play with the snow anymore if she got sick.’

Once she started thinking about it, the contents of the novel began flowing naturally into her mind.

‘If it happens again this time, I should tell them in advance that it isn’t because of the snow.’

“…?”

The moment that thought finished, another strange sense of déjà vu washed over Reina.

She rushed out of the bathroom and looked around the room. When she saw the empty room with Bonita gone, that déjà vu turned into a sentence that overwhelmed her.

[On a night when no one was around, at the hour when the garden was swallowed by pitch black darkness, Estelle secretly sneaked out to see the snowman she had made.]

Reina dies early in the story.

[The fact that her small snowman was among all the snowmen everyone had made was such a ticklish experience.]

Reina knew exactly where Bonita had gone.

It was written in the original work.

Reina ran across the pitch black garden.

[And when she reached her destination, what Estelle witnessed was someone smashing the snowmen…]

“Boni!”

White breath billowed at the end of Reina’s ragged breathing as she ran without stopping.

She had rushed out without even throwing on a thin coat, and the sharp, icy wind cut into her.

‘Boni was there.’

Even after Reina died, Bonita stayed in the estate. For reasons unknown, the duke didn’t kill Bonita and kept her under protection in the estate.

‘Boni was there, but…’

Not long after that, Bonita also disappeared from the story.

After the description of her smashing the snowmen Estelle and the knights had made, Bonita vanished from the estate.

“Mom?”

Right now, Reina was alive.

But what if Bonita smashed the snowman? What if, without Reina knowing, the seed of inferiority had been planted in Bonita’s heart?

Reina was overwhelmed with anxiety.

“Boni, what are you doing out here? Hm? You said you were cold.”

“Mm… I’m cold too, but she looked even colder, so I lent her my gloves.”

As Bonita said that, she pointed ahead. There stood a small snowman.

On each of the bare branches stuck into the snowman’s sides were a yellow glove and a purple glove.

“I-I only lent them! I didn’t give them away! I’m definitely taking them back later.”

“I see…”

Bonita hadn’t smashed the snowman.

Just that alone made Reina feel this much relief. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the ground.

“I-I was going to come back soon! Were you worried? I’m sorry, I was going to tell you, but… I thought I’d be a bother.”

Bonita bounced on her feet, worried about her mom who had come out without even a coat.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Huh?”

Forcing the corners of her mouth up, Reina spoke to Bonita.

“Hey, Boni. There’s something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“What would you think if Mom started studying?”

Bonita blinked her big eyes, not quite understanding.

“Studying so I can receive a title.”

“A title?”

Bonita looked at Reina with a face that clearly didn’t understand what receiving a title meant.

“So… if I get a title, it means Mom and Boni can live even happier.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But getting a title means Mom has to work really, really hard.”

Reina continued, gently stroking Bonita’s cold cheek.

“So for a while, Mom might be so busy that I won’t be able to spend as much time with you as I do now. Would that be okay?”

More than changing the original story, she was afraid of the child being left alone more often.

Because Bonita only had her.

‘But that’s not the answer.’

Reina knew why Bonita smashed the snowman in the original story. It was the loneliness and pain after truly being left alone.

If Reina gained even a little more strength than now, if something about her changed, then maybe Bonita would gain more choices too.

That her world wouldn’t be limited to just Reina. That was what Reina hoped for.

‘If Bonita says she doesn’t like it, I won’t do it.’

What would this small child say?

She tried to act grown up, but she was a child who became anxious whenever Reina wasn’t around.

Just as Reina thought Bonita might oppose it, Bonita’s eyes sparkled and she broke into a wide smile.

“That’s cool!”

“Cool?”

“Yeah!”

That pure and clear answer made Reina smile sincerely.

‘I was overthinking it.’

* * *

That night, after putting Bonita to sleep, Reina knocked on the door of the study where the lights were still on.

Damian replied as if he had expected her to accept in the end, and he recommended Peter as the instructor who would be in charge of her.

That was because Peter was the person Damian knew who treated others equally regardless of status or gender.

* * *

“Shall we talk about the development of magic tools today?”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

A week had passed since then, and they were still going over basic history lessons.

From Reina’s perspective, Peter was a very good teacher. On the first day, he checked how much Reina already knew and prepared the lessons accordingly.

And from Peter’s perspective, Reina was a good student.

Reina said herself that she wasn’t smart, but her comprehension was quick.

And because she had unintentionally gone through many experiences at a young age, she was also good at applying what she learned.

“The development of magic tools isn’t as old as you might think. It was eighty years ago that the Pantale family discovered how to process magic stones into refined magic crystals, and seventy five years ago that they began putting them to use.”

“Ah.”

Reina nodded, recalling the magic crystal refinery she had read about before. It wasn’t a pleasant memory, since that was where she had met Bonita’s biological father.

“The Pantale family created many magic tools, which instantly improved quality of life. They were made quite efficiently, so tools that use low grade magic crystals can even be found in commoner households.”

“Oh, is that why they received the count title?”

“Yes, it’s a name that came up in the previous lesson.”

“They were a family that had the support of magic, right? I remember that the Pantale count family was arrested as criminals for plotting a rebellion, and after that, the Magic Tower took on an uncooperative stance.”

“Yes, you remember very well!”

“It’s thanks to how well you taught me.”

Peter smiled warmly at Reina’s polite reply.

“Recently, His Grace has proven that the charges at the time were a misunderstanding and is proceeding with their restoration.”

“I see…”

“However, there is only one surviving member of the Pantale count family, and that person is still in a coma. So it seems it will keep being delayed until another suitable heir appears.”

“Oh, in that case, soon…”

Reina spoke softly while neatly summarizing the lesson they had just covered.

She almost said that the lover the survivor had hidden would soon appear, then quickly shut her mouth.

‘Did I almost say something weird?’

Peter’s eyes widened as he looked at Reina.

‘Oops.’

Reina rolled her eyes slightly, pen still in hand.

Half baked knowledge was dangerous. She had spoken without thinking, just letting whatever came to mind slip out.

This was exactly why people shouldn’t talk without thinking. Seeing Peter look at her with curiosity filled his face made Reina break into a cold sweat.

“I-I mean, they should regain consciousness soon. Someone who needs the Pantale count family’s power might try to present a fake heir.”

“…”

“There was a similar case in the noble history we learned last time. Like the incident where they took advantage of the complicated imperial family tree from several generations ago, killed the youngest prince, and put in a stand in instead…?”

Reina prayed desperately that this lie would work.

Peter looked at her with an expression of admiration.

“You even remember the previous lesson?”

“Y-Yeah, because we learned it?”

Reina looked as if it was no big deal, but Peter was deeply moved, staring at what he believed to be a genius.

The history from the previous lesson had only been meant as something to hear once. He had planned to summarize the vast content quickly, then teach it properly step by step later.

Yet back then, she had been sitting there scribbling something into her small notebook, and she had memorized it.

For such a genius to only emerge now because of her environment.

Unaware that Reina had used her knowledge to lie, Peter thought she was an exceptional talent.

“Reina Botn said herself that she isn’t smart, but I don’t think that’s true.”

“I’m not smart.”

“No, you are.”

“I’m really not.”

Reina hid her heavy feelings as she looked at Peter.

‘It’s true.’

If she were truly the original Reina, she wouldn’t have been able to give such textbook answers. This had to be some kind of possession bonus.

Reina simply smiled at Peter as he praised her.

She felt a crushing sense of guilt, as if she had taken everything, Bonita and this place included.