TMKWPL CH 13

Chapter 13

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Caught?

“Well then, we’ll be going. It won’t take more than an hour.”

“Yup! Heath is nearby, so don’t worry and wait. Little Commander!”

Giliana and Vernon climbed into the carriage, waving their hands toward the dormitory. The coachman, who failed to notice the timid little eyes peeking out from behind the curtain, looked at them strangely.

Gilliana had to leave urgently due to family matters, and Vernon had gone out to buy groceries for dinner. Both were busy, so they asked Heath to look after the child, but the boy seemed to be engrossed in a book in the corner of the training ground, not even show his face.

Nia was alone for a short while. She slowly surveyed the dormitory that had become quiet after they left.

A dollhouse, a rocking horse, wooden blocks, a toy chest she still hadn't unpacked, and more. Nia still found the new toys unfamiliar, which she had been eyeing at for days.

With nowhere else to place her gaze, Nia looked down at the clothes she was wearing. It was a very fine dress with a small sky-blue ribbon attached. She fiddled with the small ribbon on the dress. It was still an unfamiliar, luxurious dress, but there was one thing that caught her interest.

Rustle. Rustle.

The ribbon had acrisp, it sounded like a sparkling fairy's wings fluttering, making her laugh softly.

After standing there for a while touching the ribbon, she headed straight for the bedroom. She climbed onto the bed with a bit of difficulty and looked at the two pillows side-by-side. She buried her face in one pillow and rubbed against it.

“This one is, Nia’s.”

No one had asked, but she mumbled as if talking to someone. Then, she looked at the other pillow and a shy smile appeared on her small lips. She quickly straightened the blankets, as if afraid of being caught, and then jumped down and scurried off to the bathroom.

Nia stared intently at the two toothbrushes placed side-by-side. She picked up her tiny toothbrush and pretended to brush her teeth while looking in the mirror.

“This one, Nia’s. And this one is…”

She suppressed her laughter at her own reflection, then carefully placed it back next to Lucia's toothbrush.

“Lusha’s.”

The child rested her chin on the sink and smiled brightly, looking at the large toothbrush next to hers.

“Hello, my name is Nia. Lusha gave it to me. Lusha is…”

She babbled to the mirror, then trailed off, her cheeks turning red. She then burst into a wide smile and repeated the name again.

Nia was quite fond of the new name Lucia had given her.

The names assigned in order at the orphanage had never meant much to her, and knowing there would always be another child after she left, Nia felt happy to finally have a name that was truly hers.

And for some reason, Nia didn't express likes or dislikes in front of others, but among the many gifts Leon had sent, she was elated to secretly look at the items that were a matching with her mother. This unblemished appearance was the innocence of a five-year-old child, clearly different from how behave around other people.

With lively quick steps, headed somewhere else. In the kitchen window, Nia stood on her tiptoes and barely managed to pull a small, sun-dried piece of cloth closer to her.

Clutching it tightly, she went to the bathroom and dampened it with water. She held the damp cloth and headed to the living room and widened her eyes at what she saw.

For Nia, she hadn't been able to do her chores because of Vernon and Gilliana's interfering, this was the perfect opportunity.

Imagining herself as the best child she could be, she began diligently wiping the floor. She wiped the glass display cabinet, under the sofa, and under the table. Sweat beaded on her forehead as the tiny girl bustled around, cleaning everything she could.

A breeze blew in, cooling her forehead. Nia instinctively lifted her head, closed her eyes, and breathed in the scent of the wind. When she opened her eyes, a plate was precariously placed on the open window. It was a cracked plate Giliana had put there intending to throw away.

Nia stared at the plate.

“…Plates belong in the kitchen!”

Intending to even tidy it up despite the danger, she stood on her tiptoes and managed to reach the plate.

Creak.

Nia was startled by the sound of someone suddenly entering. Had Giliana and Vernon returned already? No, it was Heath who opened the door and entered. His indifferent eyes went toward something in Nia's hand.

Following his gaze, Nia slowly looked down at her hand.

“...!”

The plate, broken into two pieces.

Though they stood in the same space, the air between them was starkly divided between despair and indifference.

“Th-This one, Ni… Nia, d-didn’t…!”

Heath’s indifferent gaze held no kindness to listen to Nia's explanation.

“It’s broken. The p-plate…! W-what do I do, Nia will be k-kicked out now…! Wahhh…”

Nia spoke incoherently and began to shed tears.

“…”

Heath simply stared at her, it wouldn't be bad if he could just kick her out right now, as the child herself was suggesting. But Lucia was not the kind of person to kick a child out over a broken plate.

Suddenly, divine power emanated from the distraught, crying child.

Seeing the glowing divine power, Heath’s eyes widened.

The strong and immense divine power for a child her age, along with her black hair, were the conditions of the saint that not only the temple but the entire continent was desperately looking for.

Had anyone else noticed, they might have knelt in reverence and kissed her feet. But Heath was different, his expression hardened.

What if I just leave her in front of the Temple? I could get her out of the commander’s life.

“…”

The child would be gone. That meant he could go back to enjoying life with Lucia, traveling all over the Empire just like before.

Having made up his mind, Heath raised his hand without a moment's hesitation. To open a portal and send the child to the Temple.

But then, the divine power around Nia began to waver violently. It fluctuated every second, reflecting her cries and anxiety. It looked as though it might soon spiral out of control.

If this were mana, its aggressiveness would destroy the surroundings, but the divine power is harmless and had no effect on the environment.

But, seeing the unstable movement disorienting his eyes only reminded him of his past.

Heath was the son of a worthless swindler. His father travelled from village to village selling fake medicine, and when rumours reached the capital, they hid in a village deep in the mountains.

But a monster appeared in that small village, and seizing the opportunity, his father used his son—a mage, to collect money under the pretence of protection.

Young Heath was terrified of the monster, but he was still happy. It was because he had made a friend in the first village they had settled in.

But that joy was short-lived, a monster that the young mage couldn't handle attacked, and Heath was gravely injured. Yet, the people pushed him injured, towards the monster. So did his father and his friend.

That cruelty shattered the mind of the ten-year-old child and caused his magic power to rampage. Just like the erratically moving divine power before him now.

Will this child end up the same?

The screams from that time and the roars of the monsters. Remembering the fluctuation of that magic power, Nia’s rampaging power was not unfamiliar to Heath.

He quietly suppressed the raging divine power with his own magic. As her body suddenly stabilized, Nia stopped crying and looked up at him.

“Sigh.”

That’s how I probably looked like after she stopped my magical outburst.

“…You want to stay here, don’t you?”

Nia, covered in tears and snot, sobbed again and answered after a long pause.

“...Y-Yes…”

A small but definite answer. Heath stared at her momentarily, then magically put the plate back together.

“...W-Wow!”

Nia was surprised, then cautiously placed the mended plate on the table. She promised herself she would never touch it carelessly again.

“Doing things like that makes you stand out. It’s better to live… normally. For you, too.

You, too.

Those words probably referred to himself.

Heath possessed immense magic power comparable to Nia’s great divine power, he hid most of his abilities, chose crafting rather than joining the Mage Corps.

It was because he wanted to be by Lucia's side, but more accurately, because he couldn't trust the greed of anyone other than her. Was this child, whom Lucia had picked up, was no different?

“Normal…? What is that?”

Nia asked about the word that stood out the most.

“I don’t know.”

“…”

Nia was sullen.

Heath reconsidered the word normal that he had uttered carelessly.

Then, the friend he had made in the first village came to mind. Even though that friend had pushed him into danger, they were the first person he thought of when he thought of 'normal.'

Heath traced the memories he had with that friend.

“…Laughing together. Eating well. Having many friends.”

The fact that those memories could remain intact was thanks to Lucia and his comrades now.

“Friends…?”

As Nia mulled over his words, the door to the lodging opened. It was Giliana, who had promised to return quickly. But, she was not alone. In her arms was a small child. 

The red-haired child hopped down from her arms, blinked her bright eyes and audaciously scanned the interior as if it were her own domain.

“Mmhmm. This place look…liveable.”

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In front of the Imperial Central Library, groups of nobles out on an afternoon stroll whispered among themselves.

“Look over there. I can’t believe it.”

“I know, she apparently asked for parenting books!”

“Good heavens… It must be true that she has a child…!”

When Lucia turned toward their whispers, they all scattered, pretending not to notice and sweating nervously.

As they said, she had come to the palace library to borrow parenting books while she was there. 

It’s been a while… since I’ve received this kind of attention.

Having lived in the mountains until recently, experiencing those who avoided her made Lucia think of her youth and look around.

Their eyes filled with fear, yet unable to look away due to curiosity, and lips busily spreading rumours. It was a peculiar feeling rather than irritating, as it was exactly like her younger days before regression.

A crowd gathered a short distance away and Lucia guessed who might be in the centre of it.

Light and darkness. A person from the world of light, vastly different from her own.

And just as expected, a man emerged from the group and quickly walked toward her. A man who looked as though he were cloaked entirely in light.

“Lady Lucia. It seems you came to borrow books.”

It was Leon Lewins, after rushing over, now feigned composure and acted as if they had met by coincidence. Lucia merely nodded without answering. Leon’s eyes, scanning the book in her hands, suddenly froze. 

“Oh, parenting books…”

Seeing the illustration of a small child on the cover, reality finally seemed to sink in for him that she actually had a child.

As he stood silently, Lucia turned to leave with the books in hand. 

Suddenly, he called out in a flustered tone. 

“…W-Wait! That book…!” 

When Lucia turned back, she saw Leon’s face flushed red, his gaze fixed on the back cover of the book.

Chapter 12

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Chapter 14