Chapter 14
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**Genetics.**
The passing down of traits to offspring through reproduction.
Genes pass down not only physical appearance but also a person’s personality and individuality to their descendants.
The genetic law theory established by the mage Mandel had been studied for centuries.
Yet, even today, with answers to the question ‘What constitutes a human?’ piling up layer upon layer, it is not easy to apply high-dimensional magic to humans.
Even the healing magic that Albert performed so easily was something that most senior mages couldn’t do properly.
How could magic that uncovers commonalities between humans possibly be simple?
“Doesn’t the private sector also conduct genetic identification?”
“Commercial genetic identification methods are inaccurate. This magic, based on Mandel’s laws, can be said to have one hundred percent accuracy.”
If that was true, once the genetic identification magic succeeded, it would be possible to determine which of the three men was my father.
“This magic can be realized through a potion. However, the manufacturing process is complicated and uses many rare ingredients. But I have already secured all the materials. All that’s left is the research.”
This was the good news I had been waiting for.
As expected of Albert. He had thought of everything!
“So how long will it take?”
While Keith was asking, my eyes inadvertently met Lef’s.
But then.
He coldly turned his head away. His expression was frighteningly icy.
His turning away was clearly a signal that he didn’t welcome me.
*’Lef only wants to take responsibility for his deceased mother.’*
That was understandable.
To him, I must look like a burdensome nuisance who appeared out of nowhere.
My joyful heart shrank and drooped.
*’But I thought I was getting one step closer to Lef.’*
I remembered his words saying he wouldn’t tolerate anyone speaking carelessly about my mother and me.
It had been such a great comfort.
*’I guess I unconsciously believed we could become a real family.’*
I thought I didn’t need things like blood ties, but I’m still this naive.
The world is for surviving alone.
You shouldn’t trust anyone easily.
*Rustle.*
The sudden sound of a twig being stepped on grated on my ears. A primal aversion rose, and I turned to look at where the sound came from.
“Gasp!”
My eyes met exactly with Etienne, who was hiding behind a tree, watching us.
The first feeling was, truly, disgust.
And the second was.
*’He’s definitely going to try to interfere!’*
I urgently pointed at Etienne and shouted towards the three men.
“Over there!”
But by the time they looked, Etienne had already fled.
Keith shot to his feet.
“Did that bastard hear everything?”
“How unpleasant. Eavesdropping while hiding.”
Unlike the agitated Keith, Albert sipped his tea calmly and made no move. Keith, unable to understand his composure, grabbed him by the collar and shook him.
“Don’t you have a memory loss spell or something? Just cast it right now!”
“Do you think it’s that simple? Let go of me!”
“That guy will find some way to be a nuisance! I’m going after him!”
“Stay put!”
When Albert shouted, Keith froze in the middle of his dash. Like a statue of a running man, he stood perfectly still, not moving an inch.
“Wh-what did you dooo? Why won’t my body mooove……!”
Even his mouth froze, stretching out his words strangely.
Albert elegantly placed his teacup back on the saucer.
“There’s nothing we can do just because he overheard. Leave him be.”
Just leave him like this?
I felt uneasy.
Those people would persistently come at us using any means necessary!
But as expected, Albert had his reasons.
“Even if we caught him now, what then? They could just deny it. We’d only end up creating unnecessary issues for ourselves to be blamed for.”
“Thaat’s……! That’s truue……”
“We didn’t mention the specific ingredients or methods. Besides, how could they possibly interfere? It’ll be fine.”
His words made sense.
The fact that we were going to perform genetic identification magic would become known anyway, so it wasn’t a secret.
As long as we didn’t reveal how it was made, they couldn’t interfere with the process either.
I was still anxious, but I decided to trust the confident Albert.
“Now releease me, you wretch……!”
“If you promise not to rampage like a foal.”
“A fooal?!”
While watching their bickering, I was trying to calm my mind.
“Cough!”
Along with a bursting cough, Lef spat out blood.
His large hands and the corners of his mouth were covered in blood, and his complexion was as pale as a corpse.
Even just sitting seemed excruciatingly painful.
*Thud.*
With vacant eyes, he struggled to stand up, but then collapsed limply onto the grass like a paper doll.
“Lef!”
Worry overriding everything, I jumped off my chair and ran towards him.
No, I tried to run.
“Don’t come!”
Lef shouted desperately.
I had no choice but to stop.
His body trembled like an aspen leaf.
It felt like he would shatter if I got any closer.
“Duke Romanov, please lie on your back.”
Albert calmly cleared away the chair and laid Lef down flat.
“I will cast a healing spell.”
A white light emanated from Albert’s hand and touched Lef’s body. But unlike last time, Lef’s complexion did not improve.
Keith, who had knelt down near Lef as the spell was released, watched the suffering man intently.
“This… it doesn’t seem like just a physical illness.”
“What do you mean?”
Keith was unusually serious.
“It’s not that he’s sick with a disease. There seems to be another cause.”
At those words, Albert’s eyes widened.
With a grave expression, Albert withdrew the white light emanating from his hand.
“If that’s true, then the fact that the healing magic was this ineffective means… perhaps…”
I couldn’t immediately understand what they were talking about.
*’If it’s not a physical illness, then what other cause could there be?’*
Albert placed his right hand over Lef’s heart area and closed his eyes.
“O Cornu, Goddess who governs the night sky, save the sorrowful soul and bestow your grace upon the pitiful.”
Along with a deep blue aura like the early evening sky, starlight spread from his hand.
It was a dreamlike, beautiful sight.
“Protect your sacred domain!”
The mysterious energy spread wide, then quickly gathered and was absorbed into Lef’s body.
*Crackle-*
“Ugh!”
Albert pulled his hand away from Lef’s body as if burned. His palm, which had been touching Lef, was now horribly burnt.
The air grew thick with smoke mixed with the smell of burning flesh.
Albert immediately began treating his own hand with healing magic.
Even without understanding magic, I could tell.
This was a failure.
*’Lef’s body rejected the healing magic. Why?’*
Keith asked gravely.
“Was I right?”
I stared blankly at Albert.
“Yes. This isn’t an illness… it’s a curse.”
—
**\*\*\***
—
After sending Lef to the royal physician, we returned to my room.
“Duke Romanov will be treated personally by His Majesty’s physician. He will do his best to keep him alive.”
“What a bolt from the blue. Did you know about this?”
“No. I had no idea whatsoever.”
I was dazed, leaning against Albert, and Keith patted my back.
“Daphne is very shocked.”
“It was a horrific sight. I hope it doesn’t become a trauma for her.”
The two men, worried about me, looked unusually amicable, but my mind was elsewhere.
I was racking my brain, trying to recall if I had ever heard that Lef was cursed. But no matter how much I thought, I could only recall praises mixed with awe, nothing else.
*’Even in my mother’s diary, there was no mention of Lef being cursed. That probably means…’*
It meant that Lef had kept the fact that he was cursed a strict secret.
“His body is weakened to the point where it wouldn’t be surprising if he died at any moment. If the curse isn’t lifted, he might not last long.”
Hearing that, a memory from my past life suddenly flashed in my mind.
One day, people from the imperial palace came to Elmeras and posted notices all over the territory.
—
[…Therefore, in honor of the Protector of the North, the Black Lion, my nephew, Duke Lef Romanov, I command all citizens to wear black during the mourning period.]
—
It was an imperial tribute mourning the death of the young Grand Duke of the North.
Back then, I was struggling just to survive day by day under the abuse of the Pateliers. Naturally, the death of a stranger living far away didn’t register with me.
That’s why even after meeting Lef, I hadn’t remembered.
That he had died long ago in my previous life.
