“Gene-emyah Magic Tower, are you hurt? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, Loretta’s words snapped him back to reality. Her large eyes, filled with concern, were fixed on him.
“There’s no need to worry… I’m fine.”
His tone softened, and Loretta seemed relieved.
“And don’t call me Jeremiah Magic Tower.”
“I know. Because Loretta is smart.”
“…?”
“Actually, you’re Gene-emyah Bowaldwin, right? I’m not fooled.”
The child puffed out her thin belly, boasting proudly.
“…Hm.”
Jeremiah wanted to correct something in Loretta’s statement.
After all, he was planning to leave the Baldwin family.
“I’m not a Baldwin but…”
For some reason, he stopped himself mid-sentence.
“Not a Bowaldwin? Then what?”
Loretta quickly urged him to finish his sentence, her face confident as if challenging him to point out any mistake in her statement.
“Baldwin.”
At his response, Loretta’s face turned red. She seemed embarrassed for being corrected on her pronunciation. He willingly taught her the correct pronunciation again.
“Baldwin.”
“Gene-emyah Bowaldwin…?”
“No, Jeremiah Baldwin.”
He said his full name for the first time in a while. He thought it would feel awkward, but it came out as naturally as if it had always been at the tip of his tongue.
“Let’s try again.”
True to his association with the Magic Tower, he revered repetitive learning. He also believed that learning should not be postponed.
So, despite the circumstances, he conducted a strict pronunciation lesson.
“Jeremiah…”
Loretta tried hard to follow his teaching, but soon her efforts were drowned out by a loud noise from her stomach.
Growl, a sound demanding food.
“Loretta hungry. Gene-emyah brother.”
It seemed like she had just pronounced ‘Jeremiah’ correctly a moment ago. Somehow, it regressed back to ‘Gene-emyah.’
He was about to point it out, but Loretta’s stomach started its grand opera again, and he decided to let it be.
***
Loretta energetically finished a bowl of porridge.
The family doctor of the ducal house announced that she should rest for today and could start short walks from next week. He also advised to gradually increase her food intake.
Thanks to Loretta waking up, the atmosphere in the ducal house, which had been heavy, brightened up instantly.
Jeremiah was the only one among the joyful people who maintained silence, following the Tower Master’s advice to keep his mouth shut when his mind was cluttered.
As three more days passed, the season turned into full winter.
Long, dark nights.
Jeremiah completed the report to be submitted to the Magic Tower. It shouldn’t have taken this long, but there were some troubling points that required extra time.
‘The truth is, I should write everything I’ve discovered.’
He ignored the Magic Tower’s rule, which he had never broken before, and did not write the truth he discovered about his mother.
Of course, the truth always comes to light, so this too will eventually be revealed by someone.
‘I don’t have the right to reveal the truth.’
He had always prioritized his feelings for a long time, never considering other possibilities.
He believed it was right for the secrets of the ducal family to be revealed by someone who had been part of it for a long time.
He tidied up his room, which he had used for a while, and packed his belongings from the Magic Tower.
Clothes neatly folded by the maids, a few books, and his favorite stationery.
Soon, he heard the sound of a carriage outside the window. It seemed the carriage from the Magic Tower had arrived to pick him up tonight.
He hurriedly closed his bag, put on his coat, and was about to head out to the hallway when he heard the windows rattling in the wind.
He stopped and looked back at the place for a moment.
Staring blankly at the clear glass, he used to think only of the pain from the scar on his forehead.
But now…
“….”
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Jeremiah forcibly brushed off the gentle and affectionate voice that echoed in his head.
It must be someone coming to inform that the carriage had arrived, so he quickly opened the door.
“Shh!”
However, contrary to expectations, it was Loretta who came to see him. Why was this mischievous girl wandering around in her pajamas at this late hour?
“Well, Melody and brother Ronny fell asleep while waiting.”
“You knew I was leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Apparently, someone had tipped off the children. He regretted not asking to keep his departure a secret.
“The little one managed not to fall asleep.”
“Loretta slept a lot.”
Despite her words, the child yawned hugely, as if her mouth would tear.
“Go back to sleep soon.”
“Okay. But I show you something cute first.”
“Something cute?”
Loretta took a deep breath in front of Jeremiah and then exhaled. She puffed out her chubby belly.
After finishing, Loretta said with a proud face,
“Brother, now you can say Loretta is cute.”
“….”
“Loretta is cute just by breathing.”
Who on earth taught her such nonsensical words?
He sighed heavily. Loretta, who had been quietly observing his breathing, clapped her hands in amazement.
“Wow, it’s true!”
“What is?”
“Jeremiah brother is cute and smart, they said. Brother’s breathing is also cute!”
“Who said that?”
Jeremiah was somewhat proud that Loretta had pronounced his name correctly, but he couldn’t forgive the strange things she was saying about him.
“Mom.”
“…Mom, why? When?”
He stuttered involuntarily as he asked.
His voice sounded almost childlike.
“Hehe, want to hear?”
“…No.”
The boy turned his head slightly away, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his enthusiastic response.
“I’ll tell you next time, brother. So you have to play with me again, okay?”
Play again.
He was planning to completely sever ties with anyone bearing the Baldwin name once he became a magician.
“You will, won’t you? You will?”
But he couldn’t bear to say no to Loretta’s persistent questioning, so he reluctantly nodded.
“…Alright.”
Loretta smirked and said, ‘I’ll go now,’ then twirled around and started running back to her room.
‘Pesky girl.’
He adjusted his bag and walked to where the stairs were. Soon, a servant came up and quickly offered to carry his bag, saying, “Master, are you leaving already?”
Jeremiah glanced at the duke’s room as he went downstairs.
The faint light leaking out suggested that he was awake.
‘What should I do?’
He hadn’t had a proper conversation with his father in the past few days. It wasn’t really the duke’s fault. It was Jeremiah who unilaterally avoided him.
After ignoring him for so many years, maybe that inertia was still present.
‘But I came here under the orders of the Magic Tower.’
It was polite to greet the owner of the house before leaving, especially since he had helped Jeremiah complete this task.
“Please take the bag to the carriage.”
After sending the servant ahead, he stood in front of the duke’s office.
He hesitated for a moment but then gathered his courage and knocked. The door opened immediately.
“Master?”
Butler Higgins opened the door, and Jeremiah quickly peered into the office.
…It was empty.
Perhaps Higgins had just turned on the light for cleaning.
‘I thought… I thought father was waiting.’
Embarrassed by his own presumptions, he turned red and turned away.
Higgins shouted something from behind, but it didn’t reach the young boy’s ears. He closed his eyes tightly and hurried down the stairs.
‘Why bother with such foolishness.’
Just when he thought that, his feet surprisingly found nothing but air.
He really kept making foolish mistakes.
Thinking so, he gathered magic into his right hand. Even though it was a time when hardly anyone was around, he didn’t want to end up sprawled ungracefully on the floor.
“Jeremiah!”
But before the magic could take form, large hands and arms swiftly lifted him up.
“…?!”
The sensation of floating in the air like magic was fleeting. Soon, Jeremiah found himself resting his head on someone’s solid chest.
He knew who his savior was just by the voice that had called his name. The Duke of Baldwin, his father.
“I’ve heard the Magic Tower has many stairs.”
The old Jeremiah might have misinterpreted the duke’s words, thinking he was being criticized for stumbling despite coming from a place with many stairs.
But now, for some reason…
He sensed that his father was actually expressing concern about whether he would fall and hurt himself even at the Magic Tower.
‘Strange.’
He had never thought this way before. What had changed in him?
‘But “now” it changes.’
If, as Melody said, he was reevaluating his past, and Jeremiah’s present was beginning to change little by little…
“…Father.”
He leaned his forehead fully against the duke’s body. A calm response came back, as if to say, go ahead.
“I have something to ask.”
“Ask anything you wish.”
Jeremiah had several questions that immediately came to mind.
Is the scar on my forehead a small remnant left after my mother took on all the pain?
Why did she leave despite that?
Perhaps, did my mother…
However, it was late at night, and the carriage waiting at the front door to take him away meant he couldn’t linger on these questions. So, he promised himself to ask them later, and posed just one question to the duke.
“Gene-emyah Magic Tower, are you hurt? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, Loretta’s words snapped him back to reality. Her large eyes, filled with concern, were fixed on him.
“There’s no need to worry… I’m fine.”
His tone softened, and Loretta seemed relieved.
“And don’t call me Jeremiah Magic Tower.”
“I know. Because Loretta is smart.”
“…?”
“Actually, you’re Gene-emyah Bowaldwin, right? I’m not fooled.”
The child puffed out her thin belly, boasting proudly.
“…Hm.”
Jeremiah wanted to correct something in Loretta’s statement.
After all, he was planning to leave the Baldwin family.
“I’m not a Baldwin but…”
For some reason, he stopped himself mid-sentence.
“Not a Bowaldwin? Then what?”
Loretta quickly urged him to finish his sentence, her face confident as if challenging him to point out any mistake in her statement.
“Baldwin.”
At his response, Loretta’s face turned red. She seemed embarrassed for being corrected on her pronunciation. He willingly taught her the correct pronunciation again.
“Baldwin.”
“Gene-emyah Bowaldwin…?”
“No, Jeremiah Baldwin.”
He said his full name for the first time in a while. He thought it would feel awkward, but it came out as naturally as if it had always been at the tip of his tongue.
“Let’s try again.”
True to his association with the Magic Tower, he revered repetitive learning. He also believed that learning should not be postponed.
So, despite the circumstances, he conducted a strict pronunciation lesson.
“Jeremiah…”
Loretta tried hard to follow his teaching, but soon her efforts were drowned out by a loud noise from her stomach.
Growl, a sound demanding food.
“Loretta hungry. Gene-emyah brother.”
It seemed like she had just pronounced ‘Jeremiah’ correctly a moment ago. Somehow, it regressed back to ‘Gene-emyah.’
He was about to point it out, but Loretta’s stomach started its grand opera again, and he decided to let it be.
***
Loretta energetically finished a bowl of porridge.
The family doctor of the ducal house announced that she should rest for today and could start short walks from next week. He also advised to gradually increase her food intake.
Thanks to Loretta waking up, the atmosphere in the ducal house, which had been heavy, brightened up instantly.
Jeremiah was the only one among the joyful people who maintained silence, following the Tower Master’s advice to keep his mouth shut when his mind was cluttered.
As three more days passed, the season turned into full winter.
Long, dark nights.
Jeremiah completed the report to be submitted to the Magic Tower. It shouldn’t have taken this long, but there were some troubling points that required extra time.
‘The truth is, I should write everything I’ve discovered.’
He ignored the Magic Tower’s rule, which he had never broken before, and did not write the truth he discovered about his mother.
Of course, the truth always comes to light, so this too will eventually be revealed by someone.
‘I don’t have the right to reveal the truth.’
He had always prioritized his feelings for a long time, never considering other possibilities.
He believed it was right for the secrets of the ducal family to be revealed by someone who had been part of it for a long time.
He tidied up his room, which he had used for a while, and packed his belongings from the Magic Tower.
Clothes neatly folded by the maids, a few books, and his favorite stationery.
Soon, he heard the sound of a carriage outside the window. It seemed the carriage from the Magic Tower had arrived to pick him up tonight.
He hurriedly closed his bag, put on his coat, and was about to head out to the hallway when he heard the windows rattling in the wind.
He stopped and looked back at the place for a moment.
Staring blankly at the clear glass, he used to think only of the pain from the scar on his forehead.
But now…
“….”
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Jeremiah forcibly brushed off the gentle and affectionate voice that echoed in his head.
It must be someone coming to inform that the carriage had arrived, so he quickly opened the door.
“Shh!”
However, contrary to expectations, it was Loretta who came to see him. Why was this mischievous girl wandering around in her pajamas at this late hour?
“Well, Melody and brother Ronny fell asleep while waiting.”
“You knew I was leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Apparently, someone had tipped off the children. He regretted not asking to keep his departure a secret.
“The little one managed not to fall asleep.”
“Loretta slept a lot.”
Despite her words, the child yawned hugely, as if her mouth would tear.
“Go back to sleep soon.”
“Okay. But I show you something cute first.”
“Something cute?”
Loretta took a deep breath in front of Jeremiah and then exhaled. She puffed out her chubby belly.
After finishing, Loretta said with a proud face,
“Brother, now you can say Loretta is cute.”
“….”
“Loretta is cute just by breathing.”
Who on earth taught her such nonsensical words?
He sighed heavily. Loretta, who had been quietly observing his breathing, clapped her hands in amazement.
“Wow, it’s true!”
“What is?”
“Jeremiah brother is cute and smart, they said. Brother’s breathing is also cute!”
“Who said that?”
Jeremiah was somewhat proud that Loretta had pronounced his name correctly, but he couldn’t forgive the strange things she was saying about him.
“Mom.”
“…Mom, why? When?”
He stuttered involuntarily as he asked.
His voice sounded almost childlike.
“Hehe, want to hear?”
“…No.”
The boy turned his head slightly away, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his enthusiastic response.
“I’ll tell you next time, brother. So you have to play with me again, okay?”
Play again.
He was planning to completely sever ties with anyone bearing the Baldwin name once he became a magician.
“You will, won’t you? You will?”
But he couldn’t bear to say no to Loretta’s persistent questioning, so he reluctantly nodded.
“…Alright.”
Loretta smirked and said, ‘I’ll go now,’ then twirled around and started running back to her room.
‘Pesky girl.’
He adjusted his bag and walked to where the stairs were. Soon, a servant came up and quickly offered to carry his bag, saying, “Master, are you leaving already?”
Jeremiah glanced at the duke’s room as he went downstairs.
The faint light leaking out suggested that he was awake.
‘What should I do?’
He hadn’t had a proper conversation with his father in the past few days. It wasn’t really the duke’s fault. It was Jeremiah who unilaterally avoided him.
After ignoring him for so many years, maybe that inertia was still present.
‘But I came here under the orders of the Magic Tower.’
It was polite to greet the owner of the house before leaving, especially since he had helped Jeremiah complete this task.
“Please take the bag to the carriage.”
After sending the servant ahead, he stood in front of the duke’s office.
He hesitated for a moment but then gathered his courage and knocked. The door opened immediately.
“Master?”
Butler Higgins opened the door, and Jeremiah quickly peered into the office.
…It was empty.
Perhaps Higgins had just turned on the light for cleaning.
‘I thought… I thought father was waiting.’
Embarrassed by his own presumptions, he turned red and turned away.
Higgins shouted something from behind, but it didn’t reach the young boy’s ears. He closed his eyes tightly and hurried down the stairs.
‘Why bother with such foolishness.’
Just when he thought that, his feet surprisingly found nothing but air.
He really kept making foolish mistakes.
Thinking so, he gathered magic into his right hand. Even though it was a time when hardly anyone was around, he didn’t want to end up sprawled ungracefully on the floor.
“Jeremiah!”
But before the magic could take form, large hands and arms swiftly lifted him up.
“…?!”
The sensation of floating in the air like magic was fleeting. Soon, Jeremiah found himself resting his head on someone’s solid chest.
He knew who his savior was just by the voice that had called his name. The Duke of Baldwin, his father.
“I’ve heard the Magic Tower has many stairs.”
The old Jeremiah might have misinterpreted the duke’s words, thinking he was being criticized for stumbling despite coming from a place with many stairs.
But now, for some reason…
He sensed that his father was actually expressing concern about whether he would fall and hurt himself even at the Magic Tower.
‘Strange.’
He had never thought this way before. What had changed in him?
‘But “now” it changes.’
If, as Melody said, he was reevaluating his past, and Jeremiah’s present was beginning to change little by little…
“…Father.”
He leaned his forehead fully against the duke’s body. A calm response came back, as if to say, go ahead.
“I have something to ask.”
“Ask anything you wish.”
Jeremiah had several questions that immediately came to mind.
Is the scar on my forehead a small remnant left after my mother took on all the pain?
Why did she leave despite that?
Perhaps, did my mother…
However, it was late at night, and the carriage waiting at the front door to take him away meant he couldn’t linger on these questions. So, he promised himself to ask them later, and posed just one question to the duke.
