#58
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
“I get that Raymond is in the magic department, but you have magic too. So why am I the only one without it!”
‘Our house is the only one without a kitten’? This isn’t even that kind of situation.
Raymond burst out laughing at Noah’s sudden complaint about being the only one without magic. Despite meeting many people and having various experiences throughout his life, no one was as fascinating as Noah. How could anyone say such things in this situation?
For him and Derik, dragons overflowing with magic, it was natural. But among humans, less than 1% were born with magical abilities. Even among those born with magic, countless people went to their graves never realizing they possessed it. So it was no exaggeration to say that students who discovered their magical abilities at a young age and made it to the academy were incredibly fortunate.
Since a magician’s capabilities directly contributed to the empire’s power, regardless of one’s background, if they could prove they had magic, their future was secured. Even the imperial academy, known for its expensive tuition, offered nearly free education for the magic department in an effort to discover more talented individuals.
“Magic isn’t a piece of bread that you can just want and have. Stop chattering and clean up.”
Raymond, who had been watching Noah lamenting his lack of magic and Derik spouting nonsense like “Well then, should I give you some magic?”, rose from his seat with clouded eyes.
With a wave of his hand, the broom moved diligently, and with a few flicks of Derik’s fingers, the auditorium was restored to perfect condition. Looking around at the now spotless hall, Raymond let out a long sigh.
No one would believe that one magic student wearing a magic-sealing bracelet, one physically strong student, and one neither here nor there student could clean such a vast and high-ceilinged auditorium in such a short time to such perfection.
Raymond kept grumbling, knowing that he’d immediately be blamed for not properly wearing his magic-sealing bracelet.
The Dean’s intention in giving this punishment was obvious. For noble children who couldn’t even dress themselves properly, cleaning was out of the question. So naturally, he wouldn’t expect them to clean properly.
This punishment was merely an example—a warning that continued troublemaking would result in the punishment of cleaning dirty places.
Anyway, Raymond began to mess up the too-clean auditorium again, looking disapprovingly at Derik and Noah, who were still bickering about magic.
“What magic? Like ‘Now you’ll have magic! Ta-da!’ and it just appears? Talk sense.”
“It could happen.”
“What do you mean ‘it could happen’? And why did you hide that you have magic?”
“I didn’t hide it—you just never asked.”
“Who asks if someone has magic? Besides, you never mentioned it when we attended magic department classes together. By the way, when can I meet our Aeongi? You’re leaving the academy in a few months.”
Noah sat cross-legged in mid-air, pointing his index finger accusingly at Derik, who merely smiled in response.
What human in this world would point fingers and raise their voice at a dragon? Seeing Derik grinning foolishly while being scolded, bringing disgrace to his entire species, Raymond was seriously concerned that although Derik hadn’t realized it yet, his heart was already given, and he might soon hand over his dragon heart as well.
“Both of you, enough. Let’s deal with this first.”
As Raymond grumbled that it was easier to clean thoroughly than to make things appropriately dirty without being obvious, he pulled a chair with a noisy screech, only to hear two ridiculous responses simultaneously.
“You stay out of it!”
“Be quiet.”
Who’s telling whom to stay out of it and be quiet? These guys aren’t even doing the cleaning they’re supposed to do. You may not realize it, but what you’re doing right now is flirting!
Raymond knew better than anyone that trying to talk sense to a couple was futile, so he resumed messing up the auditorium.
He had enjoyed countless diversions in the human world, but none had ever been as absurd, confusing, and entertaining as this one.
* * *
“Aeongi.”
Noah lay with his head on Aeongi, who had sauntered into the bedroom as soon as the sun set, and slowly stroked his soft fur with his palm. With Derik also leaving the academy, there was no reason for Noah to stay.
While contemplating what excuse to make for returning home, Noah looked toward the door at the sound of commotion.
In the late night when everyone was asleep, unlike his expectation that it would soon quiet down, Noah awkwardly sat up when his door opened without even a knock.
“Young Master.”
Before he could speak, Noah instinctively bit his lower lip hard when his eyes met Elisa’s, her eyes brimming with tears. There were few instances when Elisa, who always valued etiquette and rules, would fling open his door late at night without knocking.
And the events that would bring her to tears…
“Mother?”
“Hurry… hurry and get ready…”
As Elisa turned and left without finishing her sentence, Noah tumbled out of bed. What should I do? He began changing from his pajamas into outdoor clothes, his lips trembling.
No matter what anyone said, Lucas and Loren were now his family. The longer they spent together, the more deeply he felt their love for him, and the memories they built together were beyond words.
In this situation, it was inevitable that he would feel anxious as Loren, who according to the author’s setting was physically weak, spent more time in bed. After all, Noah, who had become part of a completed book, knew nothing of what was to come.
Lucas and Loren, who had found happiness as the author intended, were living very happily and lovingly together. If the author was going to end it like this, they should have made the frail Loren stronger. If they had written even one line to that effect, it wouldn’t be this difficult.
With no time to pack, Noah changed clothes and left the room, following Elisa who had grabbed his hand and was walking ahead. He quickly looked back. Aeongi.
Aeongi, who had just been lying on his bed in his large true form, had somehow shrunk to the size of a kitten, but Noah didn’t find it strange. He simply bent down, picked up the small Aeongi, and carefully placed him in his shirt pocket.
Even as they rode in the prepared carriage to the warp zone on the outskirts of Feyrn and took the warp, Noah couldn’t say a word.
After being enveloped in blue light for a moment, as soon as they arrived in Austen, Noah let go of Elisa’s hand and began to run. Please don’t let this be the end. Surely it’s not the end. When he had first transmigrated, when he was nineteen, Loren was still alive then.
But the fact that someone had contacted the academy in the middle of the night to urgently summon him to Austen meant that her condition was serious.
“You’ve arrived…”
Unable to greet the passing servants, Noah had run like mad and only stopped when he reached the large door. His hands trembled as he roughly caught his breath that had risen to his chin. It’ll be fine. Nothing serious will happen.
With a small sound from the hinges, the heavy door opened slightly, and Noah felt the faint light and warmth flowing from inside, but he couldn’t step in readily.
“Noah, you’re here.”
At Lucas’s voice, deeper than usual, Noah took a step and his gaze immediately went to the bed in the center of the bedroom. He bit down harder on his molars, trying not to cry as he confirmed Loren lying in the middle of the large bed and Lucas sitting in a chair beside the bed.
“Mom?”
When her slender hand moved, Noah rushed in and held her hand with both of his.
So that’s why. He felt like he finally understood Lucas’s heart when he had insisted on marriage with that stern expression.
Her hand, thin and bony, couldn’t be held too tightly for fear it might break. Looking at Loren, who slowly opened her eyes and smiled faintly at him, Noah burst into tears that he had been holding back.
Let me tell you in advance.
About two weeks ago, until just before this semester started, Loren had been fine. She was often tired and had many quiet moments of rest, but it wasn’t this bad…
“I’ve made our Noah worry for nothing.”
“How can you say that!”
“Why did you call Noah all the way here? You’ve scared our Noah. If I just rest a bit, I’ll be fine again.”
Noah quickly shook his head at Loren, who was reproaching Lucas in a voice so small it seemed about to fade away. What did the academy matter?
It was the first complete love he had ever received. Unlike his previous life of neglect and solitude, this place was always overflowing with love. Although he had been sent to the academy at a young age, almost as if he’d been driven out, that was just a punishment Lucas had given because Noah had caused trouble.
Loren had practically lived in Feyrn, using the excuse of seeing Noah. He had spent a lot of time with Loren at the house in Feyrn on weekends…
“Now that you’ve seen mom is fine, you should rest too. It must have been hectic coming so suddenly.”
Noah wanted to stay and talk more while holding Loren’s hand, but at Lucas’s urging, he reluctantly stood up.
“Aeongi came too.”
As he was about to kiss her forehead and leave, Noah suddenly remembered Aeongi in his pocket and took him out.
Aeongi, who made small kitten-like sounds when he shrank, waddled across the blanket toward Loren. Did he know without being told? The small Aeongi approached her and rubbed his cheek against Loren’s, causing a small laugh to escape from her lips.
While Aeongi was rubbing his small body against her cheek and kissing her, Noah kissed Loren’s forehead once more and then tried to grab Aeongi.
“Aeongi, you’ve said hello, so let’s go. We can see her again tomorrow.”
“Nyaa—”
As Aeongi dodged Noah’s hand and slipped under the blanket, poking out only his small head, Noah gestured urgently.
“Come out now. Mom needs to rest!”
“I’m fine, so leave Aeongi here. When has Aeongi ever come when called or left when told? He’s always done as he pleased…”
Before Loren could finish speaking, Aeongi had already settled down beside her pillow, leaving Noah with no choice but to leave the bedroom with Lucas alone.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
