Published: August 25, 2025
“Lady Rosemine.”
Filine entered the reception room, having finished preparing the luggage together with Liselotte. She alternated her gaze between me, who was standing in a position to protect Conrad from Jonasara, and wore a complex expression of relief and resignation.
“Filine, Conrad will accompany me to the temple.”
Filine shook her brows sorrowfully, then nodded, looking up at her father with eyes full of dissatisfaction and anger.
“Father, Conrad’s magic tool originally belonged to our mother. Why do you allow Lady Jonasara’s tyranny like this?”
The magic tool, taken away to be given to a stepchild, apparently had originally been used by Filine’s biological mother. Filine trembled on her lips and glared fiercely at her father, who had made the decision, and at the stepmother who had taken the magic tool, unable to forgive that her mother’s keepsake was taken from Conrad and that the mana registration was overwritten.
“The mana registration has already been overwritten. There’s no helping that... Besides, it’s only natural that the one with stronger mana becomes the heir.”
Sichark’s attitude did not change even upon hearing his daughter’s desperate plea.
Filine’s eyes filled with disappointment as she realized that her words and feelings didn’t reach Sichark, and a tear fell quietly. She closed her eyes tightly and looked down.
...That it was the magic tool, a keepsake of our late mother, that was taken away.
I don’t want to understand why nobles want the strongest mana users to be heirs, but I understand. However, I can’t comprehend taking a mother’s keepsake away from her child because of that.
“Lord Ferdinand, how much does a magic tool given to an infant cost?”
“If you want to buy a new one, it might cost about five small gold coins? The materials are expensive, but you can’t make it without high mana.”
The high priest murmured, “I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never bought one.” After all, the high priest is unmarried and wouldn’t know the exact price of magic tools for babies.
“Filine, I will lend you money. But just as a loan. Use that money to buy your mother’s magic tool. It’s an important keepsake, after all.”
“If it’s such an old magic tool, it won’t be worth even three small gold coins.”
The high priest said this as he smoothly pulled out a card resembling a Guild Card. He showed the rainbow-glowing card and directed it at Sichark.
“Sichark, sell that magic tool. Three small gold coins. No complaints, right?”
Sichark’s eyes widened slightly at the high priest’s words. He nodded reluctantly and took out a similar card. Clicking the cards together, Sichark reached for the infant’s magic tool.
“That is this child’s magic tool!”
“Buy another magic tool.”
“I refuse! We don’t know when we could get another one!”
Jonasara resisted, but Sichark shook his head, took the magic tool, and handed it to the high priest.
The high priest placed the magic tool on the ground before me with a soft clatter. I handed the magic tool, said to be a keepsake of Filine’s mother, to Filine.
“Thank you, Lord Ferdinand, Lady Rosemine.”
Filine hugged the magic tool tightly and cried, now smiling happily with narrowed eyes.
As I sighed in relief at her regained smile, Filine looked down once more, wiped her eyes, then lifted her face sharply and looked up at her father and stepmother with strong eyes.
“Father, Lady Jonasara, I will live in the castle as Lady Rosemine’s attendant. I will not return here without Conrad.”
Her father’s face quickly changed, while her stepmother sighed with relief — their expressions were starkly contrasting. Filine’s young eyes gleamed with a light of farewell as she spoke.
“Though the threads woven by the goddess of time, Dreffangua, may never cross, I wish you to live well under the gods’ blessing.”
After her greeting, Filine took Conrad’s hand and left her home.
“Rosemine, are you planning to take him to the temple today? That’s unexpected, really.”