Chapter 88

Rustle.

On a moonlit night, in a room where the lights were still on, the only sound was the turning of pages.

Reina was leaning against the bed in her room, reading a book. It was about magical circuits used in magic tools.

‘Come to think of it, the play we saw on Star’s Birthday had a magician too.’

Was that magician not affiliated with the magic tower. They were part of a traveling troupe. Reina let her thoughts wander aimlessly.

‘If I had magic too…’

She stopped there and shook her head hard.

Even after drinking the magic enhancement potions given by the mages, all she felt was nausea. There wasn’t any effect at all.

Reina truly didn’t have even a speck of magic, and that was an undeniable truth.

With lingering regret, she closed the book she’d been reading.

‘Since I’m sleeping separately from Boni, I can keep the light on this late.’

Having her own personal space made it easier to manage her schedule freely, and it felt quite comfortable. Reina began getting ready for tomorrow.

She dimmed the light in her room and quietly slipped into the room where Boni was sleeping.

It was to close the window.

‘Is she asleep…?’

It was hard to see in the dark, but she could make out a small, round shape rising slightly on the bed.

‘She’s curled up.’

Why was she sleeping like that. Even in spring, the night air was cold. Thinking that, Reina closed the window.

Rustle. A faint sound came from beneath the blanket.

At that tiny movement, Reina smiled softly.

‘Is she pretending to sleep?’

She hesitated, wondering if she should play along, then quietly approached the bed.

But Reina’s expression quickly stiffened.

“…Boni?”

When she gently pulled back the blanket, Bonita was trembling, unable to fall asleep.

“Oh my goodness, Boni. What’s wrong. Did you have a scary dream?”

Bonita must have known Reina was outside the room, yet she hadn’t asked for help. When Reina entered, she hadn’t even let out a single loud breath.

As Reina lifted the blanket, the child curled up even more, then suddenly lifted her head at Reina’s voice.

Bonita looked at her with a face streaked with tears.

“M-Mom…”

Only then did Bonita finally breathe out, letting out a small sob as she clung tightly to Reina.

“Boni, did you have a bad dream?”

Bonita didn’t answer and only shook her head.

She’d seemed energetic and happy all day. Reina couldn’t understand why this was happening all of a sudden.

She didn’t press further and instead soothed the child.

“Do you want to sleep with Mom tonight?”

“…”

“If you want, we can sleep together tomorrow too.”

“Mhm…”

And the next day, and the day after that…

Boni, if you want, we can sleep together as much as you like.

Reina murmured as she comforted the child until her crying subsided and she fell asleep.

As if she were chanting a magic spell.

* * *

Today was the day a new teacher would visit to teach Estelle. Damian said it’d be good for Bonita to learn alongside her too.

Reina wanted to refuse, but it was a good opportunity, and Damian said he’d already paid.

Refusing would clearly be a loss.

Reina had been in the sitting room since early morning. She’d stayed up all night.

At least the silver lining was that she was starting to get used to pulling all nighters, to the point where she didn’t feel as exhausted as before.

‘Not sure if that’s really something to be glad about.’

When the sun rose and Bonita woke up, she didn’t seem to remember anything at all.

It wasn’t the same as pretending not to remember. A child’s acting wasn’t polished enough to fool an adult, so Reina was sure.

Whenever Bonita slept in the same bed as Reina, she never once cried in her sleep.

After several days of barely sleeping and staying by Bonita’s side, Reina became certain.

That strange behavior only happened on the first night, when Bonita slept alone.

Reina seated the two children side by side in the sitting room and pondered.

‘Why did that happen?’

Was it because she slept alone in a dark room.

She considered whether it was the aftermath of the kidnapping incident, but Bonita hadn’t cried suddenly in her sleep even once in the months since then.

Back when they lived in the Winternight duchy, Reina had often been busy and left Bonita alone.

Even then, Bonita had to sleep alone in her room, but she never cried or showed signs of distress.

As Reina was puzzling over it, the butler’s voice announced that the teacher had arrived.

“My lady, Lady Reina Botn. The teacher has arrived.”

“Yes.”

Damian had truly chosen carefully.

At a glance, the woman looked simple and discreet, said to be a young lady from a neutral family aligned with neither the noble faction nor the imperial faction.

Both Bonita and Estelle seemed to like her well enough.

“Are you the young ladies I’ll be teaching. Nice to meet you.”

She even seemed to like them.

She handed each child a small, pretty bouquet. The two accepted them, exchanged glances, and burst into giggles.

Watching Bonita behave just like usual after that night, Reina hid her complicated feelings.

“And you must be Baron of Lian. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Chelsea Dun. Please call me Chelsea.”

“Nice to meet you, Chelsea. Then could you please call me Reina instead of Baron of Lian.”

Reina liked her as well.

Even knowing that Reina was the Baron of Lian, she didn’t look at her as if sizing her up at all.

She didn’t bring up recognizing her from the newspapers or talk carelessly about magic stone powder, which made her hard not to like.

“All right, Reina. I look forward to working with you. My aunt will be arriving soon as well. Please wait just a little.”

Reina was puzzled by the word aunt.

“Is the young lady’s and Boni’s teacher your aunt?”

At Reina’s question, Chelsea widened her eyes briefly, then smiled silently.

“No. She’s Reina’s teacher. His Grace summoned her. I was recommended for this position by my aunt too.”

“Oh…”

Reina nodded blankly, not fully understanding.

‘My teacher…’

My teacher. Right, back in the territory, Peter taught me. Thanks to that, I built up some knowledge… and it was actually pretty enjoyable…

Her thoughts drifted toward something close to escapism.

“…?”

Her mind, which had been spinning, suddenly came to a halt.

“…My teacher?”

“Yes. Reina’s teacher.”

Chelsea never imagined that Reina didn’t know this.

And Reina never imagined that she had already been told.

Damian had mentioned it during breakfast the day after they arrived at the mansion, but Reina had been completely focused on Bonita and forgot it entirely.

“W-Where is His Grace?”

Not knowing, or rather not remembering any of this, Reina flusteredly looked for Damian.

“His Grace is out. Baron of Lian.”

And then a refined woman’s voice was heard.

Beside the head butler stood a noblewoman with water colored hair and deep violet eyes.

“Ah, hello… um…”

Looking straight at the bewildered Reina, the woman spoke.

“From the look of it, His Grace only passed on the words and didn’t bother checking whether you actually understood. Typical.”

That was exactly right.

Reina couldn’t even nod, just stared at her blankly.

“Th-That…”

“I can tell. It happened the same way before.”

‘Before?’

The lady first sent Chelsea and the children to the study room. Once the butler guided the three away, only the two of them remained in the sitting room.

“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Dorothy Beanz. Please call me Madam Beanz.”

“Ah, hello. I’m Reina Botn. I’d be more comfortable being called Reina Botn rather than Baron of Lian, if that’s alright.”

Reina bowed awkwardly, following Madam Beanz’s lead, and felt a sense of discomfort.

‘Beanz?’

She straightened up.

“May I ask how you’re related to Eleanor Beanz.”

Madam Beanz replied,

“She’s my daughter.”

Reina snapped her mouth shut before it could fall open.

The only thing they shared was their water colored hair.

* * *

Dorothy Beanz, Madam Beanz, had once taught Titania, the missing Duchess.

‘A new woman?’

Madam Beanz observed Reina quietly.

Reina was so focused on the lesson correcting her posture that she didn’t notice Madam Beanz watching her.

‘Doesn’t seem like it.’

Comparing Titania’s appearance to Reina’s, Titania won by a landslide.

No one could deny that Titania was lovely, even as a Finecke.

And more than that, Reina had an overly indistinct impression.

Even Madam Beanz, who had memorized the entire list of nobles, might forget Reina if she wasn’t careful.

But there was another reason Madam Beanz was certain that Reina wasn’t Damian’s new woman.

Madam Beanz knew Damian well.

Damian protected those who entered his domain.

To be precise, he overprotected them.

So much so that no one could’ve imagined an attack like the one that happened to the Duchess.

Not a single hair of his people could be touched, and anyone even slightly suspicious was kept from approaching.

‘He doesn’t protect that woman to that extent.’

That suffocating level of overprotection.

Damian had assigned knights around Reina as well.

But not as many as Madam Beanz remembered.

That alone was enough for Madam Beanz to conclude that Reina was not Damian’s love.