“He did. He said I was infatuated. Everyone was infatuated.”

“That’s a big problem.”

“It is.”

“We should do something, shouldn’t we? For Kei and the Green family.”

“What can I do? I don’t have the power.”

“What if I lend you my strength?”

“Hmm.”

Eldi shrugged.

“Even so, because my sister-in-law is already part of our family. Whether we like it or not, we can’t meddle with family.”

Maeri squinted her eyes.

“What if someone messes with your sister-in-law? Will you protect her?”

Eldi chuckled.
“At that time, it varies.”

+++

Lishi was in the study.

The study, where Kei always was, felt desolate today. It was strange to miss him so much after he had left the mansion for only a few hours.

A little later, without a knock, Eldi opened the door and walked in confidently.

“Sister-in-law, upset?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about the moment you come in.”

“Maybe I upset you by treating Princess Maeri so well.”

Lishi sighed softly.

“Don’t scratch the princess too much.”

“I’ll handle my affairs. Sister-in-law, do what sister-in-law has to do.”

“Why did you ask to meet?”

“Kei asked me. He asked me to teach magic to his sister-in-law.”

“I don’t have a talent for magic.”

Magic was not something that could be used through effort alone. One had to have an innate talent at birth to develop it. No matter how hard someone without talent tried, feeling the natural mana was the best they could achieve.

“I know you don’t have talent, sister-in-law. What I’m teaching is theory. Magical theory.”

“What if I learn that?”

“Kei thinks it would help if you learn that even handling relics. I’m not sure.”

According to Eldi’s explanation, magic had stages.

Feeling mana, trapping it, processing and releasing it.

“Mana needs to be handled very sensitively and meticulously. You have to draw in the mana permeating this air, condense it like a thread, and send it into a very small needle hole. Learning the theory of this process might help in handling other powers in a similar way, I guess.”

It made sense.

“Even feeling mana, an ordinary person can do it with enough effort. Kei says you’re quite intelligent, so I think you can feel it in about a week.”

“So fast?”

“What I mean is not feeling the entire mana but feeling the spectrum. It’s like a vague feeling. It’s like, ‘What is this?'” Eldi explained. “Anyway, at some point, you’ll feel something different. Most people can do that. It’s a mandatory course at the academy, even for kids, you know.”

He didn’t know that.

Lishi knew almost nothing about magic. Still, he decided to learn as much as possible. If he learned well, it might be helpful when handling relics later.

Perhaps surprisingly, there was an expectation that there might be some talent for magic, and even small magic could be used.

Eldi taught surprisingly diligently, and Lishi, too, studied hard, even skipping meals.

A week later, Eldi shouted.

“Have you seen such an idiot!”

+++

“Eldi… shouted at Countess Green?”

“Yes. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he yelled, asking if you’ve seen such an idiot.”

Upon the maid’s report, Maeri chuckled.
Even though Eldi spoke as if he sided with Maeri last time, Maeri hid herself. It’s because it could be an unexpected situation.

However, seeing Eldi yelling that he’s an idiot, it seems certain that things are not good between them.

Now, it’s time to start moving.

Maeri dismissed the maids and left only Jane.

“Jane, have you seen the mansion?”

“Yes.”

“How is it?”

“It’s fine as long as I get paid.”

“Kei’s shadows are not easy men to deal with.”

“I have no intention of opposing them.”

“Alright. You can just stay for now.”

Maeri smiled, caressing a glass box containing a toad.

“For now.”

+++

Lishi was melancholic.

He even heard the word ‘idiot’ from Eldi.

The problem was that he couldn’t find words to respond to it.

‘Yeah, I’m an idiot.’

A week ago, on the day he started learning magic from Eldi, he thought, ‘Maybe I’ll be able to use even a small magic.’ Now he felt foolish.

To use magic.

When he couldn’t even feel mana.

There was nothing wrong with Eldi’s teaching method.

Eldi was rough but taught in detail, and surprisingly patient, repeating what Lishi didn’t know many times.

Still unable to do it, Lishi, wondering if Eldi was teaching him wrong, even communicated with Zen. Zen, who graduated from the academy, might know.

Zen’s explanation was the same as Eldi’s.

In the end, the problem was Lishi.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Lady Iris. Reading mana isn’t something anyone can do; it’s not a strange thing.”

Krishna, who knew what Lishi was doing these days, said with a sympathetic expression.

“Do you not know how to feel mana, Krishna?”

Krishna pursed her lips. With an awkward expression, it seemed she might know how to feel mana.

“What about Erwell? Does Erwell know how to feel mana?”

Erwell stared into the distance as if staring at a distant mountain.

“I can’t do it either.”

Lishi pouted sadly.

Krishna and Erwell exchanged glances. Krishna shook her head, and Erwell raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Why?’

Just as Lishi raised his head to see that scene, he said.

“There’s one way.”

Interrupting Krishna’s words, Erwell spoke.

Pff!

Krishna gave Erwell a strong punch in the side, but this time, Erwell did not retreat.

“It’s just a very dangerous method. It’s called, dying and coming back to life.”