Chapter 65
***
“…?!”
And he was so surprised that he involuntarily opened his mouth wide.
Melody was resting her head on his shoulder.
“Why, why, why?!”
He repeated his questioning words three times, but no response came from anywhere.
Jeremiah tried to push Melody away from him quickly.
The thought of embracing a girl he barely knew felt uncomfortable.
However, Melody didn’t budge easily.
He regained his composure and reassessed his surroundings.
Just as Melody was leaning on him, Loretta was resting her head on her lap, stubbornly hugging his waist with her short arms.
It seemed the reason Melody wasn’t easily pushed away was because of Loretta.
‘That’s strange.’
Waking up in a situation similar to Loretta’s memory.
‘I’ve entered someone’s memory several times, but…’
It never once affected the appearance of reality.
‘Could it be magic?’
He looked down at Melody again. The girl with palms smaller than a human’s.
If some special attribute she possessed had caused this situation.
‘That’s nonsense.’
After all, Melody didn’t even appear in Loretta’s consciousness.
“Uhm.”
Just then, Melody cautiously opened her mouth. Her voice was a bit hoarse.
“How old are you?”
Jeremiah immediately asked, and Melody responded with a ‘huh?’ He repeated the same question.
“How old are you?”
“Eleven years old, I’ll be twelve after the winter.”
“What’s your name?”
“Melody.”
Jeremiah was relieved by the straightforward answers. Knowing her name and age correctly meant she recognized herself correctly.
“More importantly, is Miss Loretta alright? Did everything get resolved, and that’s why I woke up?”
Jeremiah nodded in response to Melody’s question.
“For now. Yes.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried. I couldn’t see anything after all…”
Apparently, she had no idea what had happened in Loretta’s dream.
In the meantime, Loretta, who was holding Melody, also opened her eyes.
“Melody!”
It seemed she was very happy to see Melody as soon as she opened her eyes.
She let go of Jeremiah and immediately buried herself in Melody’s neck.
Now, he was finally able to get up from the bed.
“You.”
As he shook off his tousled hair and began to speak, Loretta also sat up with a ‘hmm?’
“How old are you?”
Loretta glanced at Melody for a moment, with a troubled expression, as he asked. Just as Jeremiah was starting to feel uneasy, wondering if she didn’t know, Melody nodded.
“It seems like this is a question he asks everyone who wakes up, Miss Loretta. I answered it just a moment ago too.”
With her explanation, the child immediately stretched out all five fingers of her palm with a beaming smile.
It seemed to be her way of saying she was five years old. Why she had to seek Melody’s explanation to answer such a simple question was beyond him.
“…And your name?”
He put aside unnecessary chatter and asked his second question.
Thinking that if she sought Melody’s explanation this time too, he would have to sharply reprimand her.
“Loretta.”
Fortunately, there was no need for his scolding. Instead, her answer was insufficient, so he altered his question.
“Which Loretta are you?”
“Bowaldwin! Loretta Bowaldwin!”
Someone must have tried to teach Loretta elegant pronunciation.
Although they evidently gave up after failing. It was clear from the funny sight of her lips rounding and her eyes widening when she said ‘Bowal.’
“Are you alright, Miss?”
Soon, Melody, who was holding the child, asked with concern. Jeremiah nodded.
Of course, they would need to stay a few more days and keep an eye on her condition.
“I was worried… Loretta.”
“Loredda was worried about Melody too.”
“Me? Why?”
“Hmm, that’s because. Melody wouldn’t wake up.”
“…?”
Melody tilted her head in confusion at Loretta’s answer. It was Loretta, not Melody, who hadn’t woken up.
Yet the child’s words continued.
“I was so scared because no matter how long I waited, you wouldn’t wake up. But big brother told me.”
“Master Jeremiah?”
“Hmm. So now I know.”
Loretta sat up straight from Melody’s embrace and answered, counting on her fingers.
“Loretta loves Melody, and.”
The child counted on the other hand too.
“Also loves mom. I love both of them.”
At the mention of ‘mom,’ Melody was surprised and quickly checked Jeremiah’s expression. He didn’t give any particular explanation, but she seemed to understand somehow.
Since Loretta said, “Big brother told me.”
“You’ve already kept your promise, sir.”
Melody was referring to what she had asked Jeremiah to do – to talk to Loretta.
“….”
Jeremiah, however, seemed displeased with something and just turned his head away.
“Right. I need to ask big brother too.”
Loretta quickly got up from the bed. However, having been lying down for several days, her body didn’t move properly, and she staggered momentarily.
“Ah!”
Loretta let out a short scream, and Melody quickly extended her arms.
But Jeremiah was a bit quicker to react. The child was falling towards him, so he had no choice but to catch her. He caught her gently and safely, with the help of magic.
“Be careful.”
Despite his scolding tone, Loretta, still embracing his neck, laughed.
“How old are you?”
Then Loretta asked him the same question he had asked Melody and herself.
It seemed she was paying attention to Melody’s comment about asking everyone who wakes up.
“You don’t ask the one casting the magic. You only ask the subjects.”
He coldly stated the fact, but Loretta didn’t seem to care.
“Your age! Big brother’s age!”
Insisting with strict words for an answer.
Jeremiah didn’t want to argue with a child over something trivial, so he decided to give an appropriate answer.
“Ten years old, but smarter than adults.”
He knew there was a significant gap between his actual age and his intelligence, so he answered that way.
He didn’t want Loretta, who was just a child, to see him as merely a peer.
Loretta, smiling, said, “I see,” and then leaned back to face him.
“Then, what’s your name?”
“Jeremiah. Is that enough?”
At his unenthusiastic response, Loretta shook her head vigorously.
“What more do you want?”
“Where are you from, Gene-miah?”
“It’s not Gene-miah, it’s Jeremiah.”
“Gene-emyah?”
“…Fine.”
He completely detached Loretta from himself and exited the bed. He had to record the details of Loretta’s world before he forgot.
He also needed to send a letter to the Magic Tower.
Since he had awakened Loretta, as promised, he had to claim the title of magician.
‘And this time, finally…’
It was about officially breaking free from the bonds of Baldwin.
“Gene-emyah.”
Soon, a small hand grabbed his clothes, calling out to him with her still awkward pronunciation.
“Loretta Baldwin.”
He turned around to look at his sister, his face scrunched up. At the Magic Tower, even adult magicians wouldn’t dare bother Jeremiah when he made such a face.
Of course, he rarely made such a face except when problems were not getting solved.
However, Loretta seemed not to care about his intimidating demeanor and continued speaking on her own.
“Gene-emyah, where are you from, Gene-emyah?”
She was also imitating what he had said earlier. He thought he had already answered that question sufficiently.
“Where are you from, Gene-emyah?”
Obviously, he was Jeremiah from the Magic Tower. He had called that place ‘home’ for a long time, and the Tower Master Owen was like family to him.
“…The Magic Tower.”
So he answered without difficulty.
Soon, Loretta nodded with an ‘Ah, I see,’ not raising any further questions.
Jeremiah felt a sudden surge of emotion. He was irked by Loretta’s carefree attitude after asking such a sensitive question.
Even though he knew it couldn’t be helped since she was just a child.
“The Magic Tower?”
“Yes.”
“Gene-emyah Magic Tower?”
It seemed Loretta thought ‘Magic Tower’ was a surname, just like ‘Baldwin.’
He understood that a child could naturally get confused, but to Jeremiah, who was running out of patience, it was just an irritating response.
“Loretta Baldwin!”
The moment he shouted, his eyes met with the child’s, who had them wide open.
The child, who in his memory was covered in her mother’s blood, was now smiling brightly at him.
The accidental chain of memories naturally led him to recall the last whisper of their mother he had heard with Loretta.
“Please protect my beloved children. All four of the Baldwin’s… I wish for their happiness.”
In her last moments of life.
Beatrice Baldwin had equally blessed her four children with words of blessing.
And also…
‘Scars!’
The moment the window shattered flashed through his mind, and he touched his forehead.
She had blocked almost all the shards with her body. Only a few had grazed Jeremiah.
‘Maybe.’
He entertained a terrifying thought, a new hypothesis that he had never asked anyone before.
‘…It can’t be.’
But the long-held hatred soon shook his head. Holding onto hope would only lead to more disappointment.
Chapter 65
***
“…?!”
And he was so surprised that he involuntarily opened his mouth wide.
Melody was resting her head on his shoulder.
“Why, why, why?!”
He repeated his questioning words three times, but no response came from anywhere.
Jeremiah tried to push Melody away from him quickly.
The thought of embracing a girl he barely knew felt uncomfortable.
However, Melody didn’t budge easily.
He regained his composure and reassessed his surroundings.
Just as Melody was leaning on him, Loretta was resting her head on her lap, stubbornly hugging his waist with her short arms.
It seemed the reason Melody wasn’t easily pushed away was because of Loretta.
‘That’s strange.’
Waking up in a situation similar to Loretta’s memory.
‘I’ve entered someone’s memory several times, but…’
It never once affected the appearance of reality.
‘Could it be magic?’
He looked down at Melody again. The girl with palms smaller than a human’s.
If some special attribute she possessed had caused this situation.
‘That’s nonsense.’
After all, Melody didn’t even appear in Loretta’s consciousness.
“Uhm.”
Just then, Melody cautiously opened her mouth. Her voice was a bit hoarse.
“How old are you?”
Jeremiah immediately asked, and Melody responded with a ‘huh?’ He repeated the same question.
“How old are you?”
“Eleven years old, I’ll be twelve after the winter.”
“What’s your name?”
“Melody.”
Jeremiah was relieved by the straightforward answers. Knowing her name and age correctly meant she recognized herself correctly.
“More importantly, is Miss Loretta alright? Did everything get resolved, and that’s why I woke up?”
Jeremiah nodded in response to Melody’s question.
“For now. Yes.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried. I couldn’t see anything after all…”
Apparently, she had no idea what had happened in Loretta’s dream.
In the meantime, Loretta, who was holding Melody, also opened her eyes.
“Melody!”
It seemed she was very happy to see Melody as soon as she opened her eyes.
She let go of Jeremiah and immediately buried herself in Melody’s neck.
Now, he was finally able to get up from the bed.
“You.”
As he shook off his tousled hair and began to speak, Loretta also sat up with a ‘hmm?’
“How old are you?”
Loretta glanced at Melody for a moment, with a troubled expression, as he asked. Just as Jeremiah was starting to feel uneasy, wondering if she didn’t know, Melody nodded.
“It seems like this is a question he asks everyone who wakes up, Miss Loretta. I answered it just a moment ago too.”
With her explanation, the child immediately stretched out all five fingers of her palm with a beaming smile.
It seemed to be her way of saying she was five years old. Why she had to seek Melody’s explanation to answer such a simple question was beyond him.
“…And your name?”
He put aside unnecessary chatter and asked his second question.
Thinking that if she sought Melody’s explanation this time too, he would have to sharply reprimand her.
“Loretta.”
Fortunately, there was no need for his scolding. Instead, her answer was insufficient, so he altered his question.
“Which Loretta are you?”
“Bowaldwin! Loretta Bowaldwin!”
Someone must have tried to teach Loretta elegant pronunciation.
Although they evidently gave up after failing. It was clear from the funny sight of her lips rounding and her eyes widening when she said ‘Bowal.’
“Are you alright, Miss?”
Soon, Melody, who was holding the child, asked with concern. Jeremiah nodded.
Of course, they would need to stay a few more days and keep an eye on her condition.
“I was worried… Loretta.”
“Loredda was worried about Melody too.”
“Me? Why?”
“Hmm, that’s because. Melody wouldn’t wake up.”
“…?”
Melody tilted her head in confusion at Loretta’s answer. It was Loretta, not Melody, who hadn’t woken up.
Yet the child’s words continued.
“I was so scared because no matter how long I waited, you wouldn’t wake up. But big brother told me.”
“Master Jeremiah?”
“Hmm. So now I know.”
Loretta sat up straight from Melody’s embrace and answered, counting on her fingers.
“Loretta loves Melody, and.”
The child counted on the other hand too.
“Also loves mom. I love both of them.”
At the mention of ‘mom,’ Melody was surprised and quickly checked Jeremiah’s expression. He didn’t give any particular explanation, but she seemed to understand somehow.
Since Loretta said, “Big brother told me.”
“You’ve already kept your promise, sir.”
Melody was referring to what she had asked Jeremiah to do – to talk to Loretta.
“….”
Jeremiah, however, seemed displeased with something and just turned his head away.
“Right. I need to ask big brother too.”
Loretta quickly got up from the bed. However, having been lying down for several days, her body didn’t move properly, and she staggered momentarily.
“Ah!”
Loretta let out a short scream, and Melody quickly extended her arms.
But Jeremiah was a bit quicker to react. The child was falling towards him, so he had no choice but to catch her. He caught her gently and safely, with the help of magic.
“Be careful.”
Despite his scolding tone, Loretta, still embracing his neck, laughed.
“How old are you?”
Then Loretta asked him the same question he had asked Melody and herself.
It seemed she was paying attention to Melody’s comment about asking everyone who wakes up.
“You don’t ask the one casting the magic. You only ask the subjects.”
He coldly stated the fact, but Loretta didn’t seem to care.
“Your age! Big brother’s age!”
Insisting with strict words for an answer.
Jeremiah didn’t want to argue with a child over something trivial, so he decided to give an appropriate answer.
“Ten years old, but smarter than adults.”
He knew there was a significant gap between his actual age and his intelligence, so he answered that way.
He didn’t want Loretta, who was just a child, to see him as merely a peer.
Loretta, smiling, said, “I see,” and then leaned back to face him.
“Then, what’s your name?”
“Jeremiah. Is that enough?”
At his unenthusiastic response, Loretta shook her head vigorously.
“What more do you want?”
“Where are you from, Gene-miah?”
“It’s not Gene-miah, it’s Jeremiah.”
“Gene-emyah?”
“…Fine.”
He completely detached Loretta from himself and exited the bed. He had to record the details of Loretta’s world before he forgot.
He also needed to send a letter to the Magic Tower.
Since he had awakened Loretta, as promised, he had to claim the title of magician.
‘And this time, finally…’
It was about officially breaking free from the bonds of Baldwin.
“Gene-emyah.”
Soon, a small hand grabbed his clothes, calling out to him with her still awkward pronunciation.
“Loretta Baldwin.”
He turned around to look at his sister, his face scrunched up. At the Magic Tower, even adult magicians wouldn’t dare bother Jeremiah when he made such a face.
Of course, he rarely made such a face except when problems were not getting solved.
However, Loretta seemed not to care about his intimidating demeanor and continued speaking on her own.
“Gene-emyah, where are you from, Gene-emyah?”
She was also imitating what he had said earlier. He thought he had already answered that question sufficiently.
“Where are you from, Gene-emyah?”
Obviously, he was Jeremiah from the Magic Tower. He had called that place ‘home’ for a long time, and the Tower Master Owen was like family to him.
“…The Magic Tower.”
So he answered without difficulty.
Soon, Loretta nodded with an ‘Ah, I see,’ not raising any further questions.
Jeremiah felt a sudden surge of emotion. He was irked by Loretta’s carefree attitude after asking such a sensitive question.
Even though he knew it couldn’t be helped since she was just a child.
“The Magic Tower?”
“Yes.”
“Gene-emyah Magic Tower?”
It seemed Loretta thought ‘Magic Tower’ was a surname, just like ‘Baldwin.’
He understood that a child could naturally get confused, but to Jeremiah, who was running out of patience, it was just an irritating response.
“Loretta Baldwin!”
The moment he shouted, his eyes met with the child’s, who had them wide open.
The child, who in his memory was covered in her mother’s blood, was now smiling brightly at him.
The accidental chain of memories naturally led him to recall the last whisper of their mother he had heard with Loretta.
“Please protect my beloved children. All four of the Baldwin’s… I wish for their happiness.”
In her last moments of life.
Beatrice Baldwin had equally blessed her four children with words of blessing.
And also…
‘Scars!’
The moment the window shattered flashed through his mind, and he touched his forehead.
She had blocked almost all the shards with her body. Only a few had grazed Jeremiah.
‘Maybe.’
He entertained a terrifying thought, a new hypothesis that he had never asked anyone before.
‘…It can’t be.’
But the long-held hatred soon shook his head. Holding onto hope would only lead to more disappointment.
