Chapter 2
It was a bright morning in February.
Anne, the head of the Ivhill Orphanage, was in a very good mood.
‘What a perfect start to the day.’
Even sleepy little Tom had woken up early and made his bed properly.
The soup she’d thrown together in a rush was seasoned just right,
and when she’d caught her reflection while washing her face, she’d actually liked what she saw.
‘Maybe it’s because today’s special.’
Smiling contentedly, Anne looked up.
Beyond the large window that took up one side of the orphanage’s living room,
the hills still sprinkled with unmelted snow gleamed faintly under the sun.
And there—lined up in the distance—was a long procession of carriages.
“Wow, it’s the Longton Duke! He’s really here!”
Three-year-old Lulu grabbed the hem of Anne’s skirt, her face glowing with excitement.
Anne chuckled and lifted the child into her arms.
“That’s right! He’s come today to take your big sister Lia with him.”
“Waaah, wow! Lia’s so lucky!!”
Lulu looked around the living room, searching for Anelia.
But among all the children huddled together, Anelia was nowhere to be seen.
‘That’s strange.’
Anne frowned in concern.
Usually, children about to be adopted could barely sleep the night before, trembling with anticipation.
On the morning of, they’d be glued to the window, unable to sit still.
But Lia wasn’t there.
‘Maybe she’s out in the garden?’
Anne headed toward the kitchen and peeked out the side window into the backyard.
No sign of Anelia there either.
‘So she really did seem uncomfortable yesterday… it wasn’t my imagination.’
The adoption had been arranged a month earlier.
When Anne had gently told Anelia the news, the girl had been thrilled—
eating well, sleeping well, playing with even more energy than usual,
and proudly explaining to the other children what kind of noble family the Longtons were.
But then, suddenly, she’d changed.
About two weeks ago, she’d burst into tears at the dinner table.
Since then, something had felt off.
‘She didn’t show it, but she must have been feeling conflicted.’
Anne sighed quietly.
Well, it was Lia after all.
Lia wasn’t like the other children.
‘And I call myself her teacher—how did I not notice sooner?’
Yes, that child… she was different.
***
“Duck stew with spinach…? Teacher! That’s a crime!”
Anelia spoke fast—much faster than most children her age.
The tiny, skinny girl could string words together so fluently that Anne had been shocked the first time.
And that wasn’t all.
“Teacher! There are no books in the playroom!”
“No books? Then what are those on the shelf? Magic books only I can see?”
“Nooo, I mean there are no books for me to read!”
Once she learned to read, Anelia devoured every single book in the orphanage.
And then she read them all again, over and over, until she had memorized them.
Because of her, Anne had made countless trips to the secondhand bookshops in town over the past two years.
Once, Anelia had begged so persistently that Anne finally took her along.
The moment they entered the shop, Anelia’s big eyes sparkled as she darted between the shelves.
Just before leaving, she shyly handed Anne a few thick books.
“What’s this, Lia? A Beginner’s Dictionary of Magical Pharmacology?”
Not a storybook. Not a picture book.
But a book on magic.
Magic—an ancient art once called sorcery.
According to the founding myths of the Taranta Empire, its ancestors had been sorcerers who carried the blood of gods.
But over time, that blood had thinned, and humans had lost the ability to use magic freely.
That didn’t mean magic was completely gone.
Through complicated formulas called “magic formulas,”
it was still possible to produce limited magical effects.
Only two institutions in the entire continent studied these formulas—
the International Mage Tower and the Imperial Academy of Magical Pharmacology in Taranta.
And the book Lia had picked up?
It was a textbook written by the latter.
“H-ha ha, Lia, that book’s a little difficult for you, don’t you think? How about I pick a different one?”
“One. The goal of pharmacology is to standardize the creation of materials required for magical research.”
“…Lia?”
“Two. Magical pharmacology is based on all magic formulas composed of straight lines and fixed-angled curves!”
“L-Lia…”
“Three. Pharmacology is classified as a sub-discipline of magical studies, and its fundamental value is—”
“O-okay, Lia! Got it!”
That day, Anne had ended up buying several books she couldn’t even understand:
Basic Magical Formulas, Introduction to Magical Pharmacology, Advanced Theories of Magic, and more.
She never noticed the shopkeeper staring after them, eyes wide as saucers.
A few weeks later, a letter arrived at the orphanage.
It bore the seal of the Longton family.
“You want to adopt Lia?”
In short, yes.
The bookshop owner, amazed that a child could recite an entire magical dictionary, told his wife.
His wife, who worked at a library, mentioned it to a regular customer—
a young man who, as it turned out, was an academic acquaintance of one of the Longton estate’s administrators.
‘A very lucky coincidence, but…’
Anne saw no reason to refuse.
“His Grace has long desired to form a fateful bond with a child of Anelia’s age.
If the adoption is successful, the Longton family will also provide generous and regular donations to the orphanage.”
Anne had been so proud of Anelia.
Of course, the promise of financial support was a relief.
But more than that—
she truly believed that Anelia was destined for something greater.
When she’d first found that baby abandoned in the mountains,
she had never imagined this child would turn out to be so special.
“Lulu, your sister Lia is a blessing. She’s kind, cute, and the smartest genius in the world.”
Anne hugged Lulu tightly, and Lulu nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes! All the kids know! Lia’s a genius!”
Yes. Lia was indeed a genius.
Even the great Duke Longton himself had come all the way to this tiny, remote orphanage at the far end of the Abner territory just to meet her!
Anne gently set Lulu down and turned to the other children with a proud smile.
“Alright, everyone, are you ready to greet our guests?”
“Yes!!”
It was finally time to welcome their visitors.
***
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
I peeked out from behind the barn, watching the crowd gathered in the orphanage garden.
Someone was bowing to Miss Anne.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Just as your letter said, this is a lovely place.”
That was the Longton family’s butler—I knew him well.
And beside him…
“It would be better to skip the pleasantries. Where is the child?”
That calm, commanding baritone voice—
my heart skipped a beat.
It was him.
Duke Lambert Longton.
My foster father from my previous life.
I crouched lower behind the barn, barely daring to breathe.
He looked younger than I remembered.
Of course—this was the past.
Miss Anne bowed politely.
“The children are inside, Your Grace.”
“And the girl?”
“Well, actually…”
Miss Anne hesitated.
Her next words didn’t quite reach me from this distance.
But then—
“What, the child is anxious?”
The Duke’s voice carried clearly this time.
“Yes, she’s seemed a bit unsettled these past few days…”
The Duke frowned deeply.
He stayed silent for a moment, then said,
“…I see. You said she’s a precocious child. Perhaps she’s frightened by the thought of her environment changing.”
He gestured slightly to the attendants behind him.
Immediately, they began searching the garden.
I clutched the small bundle hidden under my sleeve, my palms slick with cold sweat.
‘Why… why isn’t he here yet?’
He was supposed to come by now.
“Why isn’t anyone coming…?”
I bit my lip, trembling, as the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer.
