The Youngest Daughter of the Swordsmanship Family Turned Great Mage - Chapter 30

-Are you giving me this amulet?

-Yes. It’s a magic stone that protects its owner from threats. So always keep it with you.

Once, looking at this, I thought, ‘If only mother had this instead of me, she wouldn’t have been poisoned so tragically.’

I knew the appearance of the jewel well because I would look at the pendant with regret whenever I was reminded of it.

However, the jewel that always shone brilliantly had lost all its light and turned black.

‘Why is this…?’

Did an assassin sent by Duke Lillis come while I was sleeping?

But why have I become so young? Did someone give me a strange potion?

As Joshua pondered, after thoroughly exploring the room, he realized that he hadn’t simply become younger, but had returned to the past. To the winter when he was twelve years old.

‘Then what about the others?’

What about my teacher and Daniel? As soon as that thought occurred to him, Joshua suddenly opened the door and asked a passing servant.

“What happened to my teacher, I mean, Duke Adrian?”

Taken aback by the sudden question, the servant was a bit flustered, but soon composed himself and answered.

“If you’re asking about Duke Adrian’s whereabouts, he just went to have an audience with His Majesty… Your Highness?”

Joshua passed by the servant and headed towards the Emperor’s audience chamber.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t do this!”

“Step aside for a moment!”

When he finally managed to push past the servant blocking the door and entered, he could see Duke Adrian conversing with the Emperor.

As a Sword Master, Duke Adrian aged very slowly. Perhaps because of that, there wasn’t much difference in the Duke’s appearance from when Joshua had last seen him.

But the atmosphere he exuded was different. Rather than the sophistication of middle age, there was a sense of unrefined coolness.

‘Teacher has come back too.’

Joshua threw himself into Duke Adrian’s arms and cried like a child.

At the same time, he made a vow. Although he didn’t know how he had traveled back in time, this time he would protect all his loved ones.

That’s how the story began.

[This is the timeline separator]

Back to the present.

Having finished reminiscing about the past, Joshua took out the necklace he had placed in a secret jewelry box. The pendant was still black.

‘I’d like to ask Mother in detail about the pendant, but…’

If I did that, she would surely make a fuss asking what had happened. Weak-hearted Ophelia might even faint. In a more serious case, the Emperor might start an investigation asking what was going on.

If that happened, everything would get complicated.

‘But I can infer what happened.’

Joshua roughly guessed that someone had turned back time.

In that process, it seemed the magic stone had considered it harmful magic and protected Joshua. That’s why he, unlike others, remembered the past.

It seemed impossible, but for now, that was the most plausible theory.

‘The question is who turned back time.’

In fact, until now, he hadn’t thought deeply about ‘who’ had done such a thing. More important was the fact that he had returned to the past. All this time, Joshua had been pondering how to change the future.

He had only vaguely assumed it was the doing of Celina Owen, a magician belonging to the Adrian duchy who was called the Fire Witch.

But now the situation was different.

‘If Rosette Dallas turned back time…’

What scheme did she have for turning back time, and why was she in the Adrian family?

What exactly was her intention?

‘I should meet her, I suppose.’

First, it seemed he needed to confirm whether Rosette Adrian was indeed Rosette Dallas.

After that, he could decide how to deal with her.

Just as he was about to get up with the intention of visiting the Adrian mansion right away.

A calm knock was heard. When Joshua told them to enter, a servant came in and bowed.

“What is it?”

“The Empress is looking for Your Highness.”

“Mother? I understand.”

Joshua put the pendant he was holding back and headed towards the Empress’s palace.

[This is the timeline separator]

As he left Sapphire Palace and headed towards the Empress’s palace, Joshua thought about his mother, Empress Ophelia Ernhart.

In his now faded memories, his mother was always a beautiful and graceful woman.

Although she didn’t hover over Joshua due to her position as Empress, her love for her child was no less than any other mother.

Ophelia Ernhart was originally a princess of the Kingdom of Evelyn, famous for magic. She left her beloved family to come here, the Ernhart Empire, to protect her country.

Unfortunately, Joshua had never met Ophelia’s family. He had never set foot in the Kingdom of Evelyn. The Emperor did not allow it.

Conversely, people from the Kingdom of Evelyn were not allowed to come to the Empire either.

Ophelia was isolated alone in a foreign land. The Empress’s palace where she resided was decorated as lavishly as the Imperial Palace, but it was no different from a well-decorated cage.

Even to young Joshua’s eyes, it was apparent that his mother was withering away day by day.

When I grow a little more, I must protect mother. With that thought, he diligently learned swordsmanship and magic.

However, before that day could come, Ophelia suddenly passed away. He was twelve years old at the time.

13 years ago, he held back his tears at Ophelia’s funeral. Ignorant people gossiped that he was a cold-blooded person who didn’t know sorrow, but the truth was different.

He was sad. So sad that he wanted to prostrate himself before his mother’s coffin and beg her not to leave him alone.

But thinking that his mother shouldn’t have lingering attachments to this land, he pretended to be calm.

It was a twelve-year-old child’s consideration, telling her that he would be fine without her, so she shouldn’t worry and should depart.

Also, he didn’t want to be looked down upon by people.

But what was the use of that? He should have expressed his emotions more to his mother, acted spoiled and such.

Still, after 13 years, he thought the sorrow over his mother’s death had disappeared.

However, on the day he returned to the past, after meeting Duke Adrian and heading back, Joshua suddenly turned his steps towards the Empress’s palace and wept like a child again upon seeing Ophelia.

-What’s wrong, Joshua? Did something happen?

A name he hadn’t heard in a long time. The first time hearing his name since Ophelia’s death, so it had been a full 13 years.

Joshua then realized anew how sweet and beautiful the pronunciation of his name was.

-It’s nothing, I just had a bit of a nightmare.

-Oh dear. You must have been very frightened.

While the Emperor had mocked those words, Ophelia didn’t laugh at all. Rather, with a worried expression, she embraced him tightly in her warm and soft arms.

At that moment, Joshua realized. That he had loved and missed his mother much more than he had thought.

‘This time, I’ll protect you.’

This time, he would be a little more honest with his feelings. And he would build his strength so he could protect his precious people.

So that people wouldn’t look down on him even if he showed his emotions.

Making such a resolution, Joshua entered the Empress’s palace.

Empress Ophelia Ernhart was in the rose garden attached to the Empress’s palace. Although it was still early spring and few roses were in bloom, other flowers were blooming, so the garden was not desolate.

Joshua approached Ophelia, who was admiring the flowers while being attended by her ladies-in-waiting.

“Mother. You called for me? Is there something wrong?”

Ophelia turned to him and smiled softly.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just called you to see your face. We haven’t seen each other much lately. Oh, did I interrupt you when you were busy? I called because I heard all your classes were cancelled today.”

Concern clouded her face. Joshua quickly denied it.

“Not at all. I was resting after Daniel left.”

“That’s good then.”

Ophelia took Joshua’s hand and led him to a table set with refreshments. Even after sitting down, Joshua was filled with mixed emotions as he looked at the white hand still holding his own.

To be honest, Joshua still felt awkward with Ophelia. It didn’t feel real that she was alive before his eyes.

Even if that wasn’t the case, the truth was that he didn’t have a strong bond with Ophelia originally.

It couldn’t be helped. From birth, according to royal custom, he was raised by a wet nurse, not Ophelia. He hadn’t spent much time with Ophelia.

However…

After hesitating, Joshua grasped Ophelia’s hand in return. As it was rare for him to initiate physical contact like this, Ophelia’s eyes widened.

Unable to bear the awkwardness, Joshua lowered his gaze.

Observing his face, Ophelia asked in a worried voice.

“You seem troubled.”

“Ah…”

It was strange. Ophelia always seemed to understand his feelings well, both in the past and now. He had never let others see his true feelings.

In fact, Joshua had been anxious ever since hearing the news of Duke Adrian’s accident.

‘I must somehow prevent Mother’s poisoning.’

He had been trying to prevent Ophelia’s poisoning all this time. First, he had dismissed the maid who was the culprit on other pretexts.

‘But that alone is not satisfactory.’

If he didn’t completely uncover the mastermind, the poisoning attempts would continue. If he at least knew what poison was used, he could prepare an antidote…!

“Joshua? Are you alright?”

“Ah, I’m just a bit worried thinking about my teacher. Daniel said there was no need to worry, but…”

“Ah, yes. I heard Duke Adrian had an accident this time. It could have been a disaster. But thankfully it wasn’t.”

“Yes, it’s truly fortunate.”

“But if you’re worried, why don’t you visit the Duke’s mansion?”

“Yes, I was thinking of doing that anyway.”

Joshua muttered softly, then gathered his courage and said.

“Mother.”

“What is it?”

“I’m very happy to be able to have tea with you today.”

Ophelia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“To hear such words from you. It’s astonishing.”

Joshua cleared his throat awkwardly. In the past, he never expressed his emotions to Ophelia like this.

But seeing her smile happily, he thought he should change a lot more in the future.

“I’ll visit more often.”

“I’d be glad if you do.”

“I have something that suddenly came to mind, so I’ll be going now.”

“Alright, take care.”

Joshua stood up and scanned the surrounding ladies-in-waiting with sharp eyes.

‘I wonder if there’s another spy among them?’

Joshua suspected that the person who killed Ophelia was Duke Lillis. Right after her death, Leonie Lillis was appointed as Empress as if she had been waiting, and Louis appeared.

If Duke Lillis was really the culprit.

‘Wouldn’t Viscount Dallas have known about the poisoning too?’

If so, did Rosette Dallas also know about the culprit?

Damn it, if he had known this would happen, he should have asked her the last time they met.

Joshua gritted his teeth as he passed by the lined-up ladies-in-waiting and returned to Sapphire Palace.

The need to visit the Adrian mansion and confirm whether that youngest princess was the same person as Rosette Dallas had increased.

“Prepare a horse.”

He instructed a servant as soon as he returned to Sapphire Palace.

“I need to go out.”