Chapter~04
“Ugh.”
At that moment, Diana looked at the ragged clothes she would be wearing shortly and let out a dejected little sigh.
It was both cute and pitiful, so I held back a small laugh and said,
Diana tilted her head like a little lark, and she was so adorable that I unconsciously stroked her hair.
Although we didn’t have any soap, if I washed them several times at the lake, I could get them reasonably clean.
Of course, the path to the lake was difficult.
The reason Thomas could always act so high and mighty toward the other children was because he and his group were the ones who fetched water from the lake.
‘It’ll be difficult, but I can’t help it. I promised.’
I was already letting out a worried sigh at the thought of going to the lakeside tomorrow to do the laundry when I suddenly raised my head.
Returning to my childhood had apparently made me completely forget something I should have remembered.
I lightly tapped my head several times, unable to hide my happiness, and smiled broadly.
Although I hadn’t been born with enough mana to become a great mage, I was quite skilled at using various simple spells.
If I showed the children tomorrow that I could effortlessly lift heavy buckets of water with both hands, everyone’s mouths would drop open in surprise.
Even though I knew it was childish, I covered my mouth and giggled.
Diana, who had been blinking her large eyes at me, quietly giggled along.
Feeling rich at the thought of replenishing the water with magic, I set the wet cloth aside and scooped up a large ladleful of water.
When I poured it over Diana’s dirt-covered bare feet and legs, she flinched.
I had thought it was because the water was cold, but once I washed away the dirt, her legs were covered in scratches, and there was even a large wound on her foot.
My eyes shook violently.
I hadn’t known.
Not in the past, and not even until a moment ago.
I had left such an injured child alone because I found her inconvenient, simply because she had suddenly been separated from everyone she knew.
As my expression turned serious, Diana suddenly cried out.
Diana stubbornly shook her head.
Her plump cheeks shook along with it, making her adorable, but her eyes looked anxious.
She looked just like a rabbit frightened out of its wits.
I nodded to reassure her, but the child still seemed uneasy and hesitated nervously before sniffing.
Diana’s eyes widened at my sympathetic promise.
I burst out laughing at her innocent words.
There was no way I could leave such a tiny and lovely child in pain.
I quickly opened my small hand and placed it over her foot.
The moment I silently recited the healing spell, a dazzlingly brilliant light burst from my hand.
The light from my hand quickly enveloped Diana’s foot, and the wound healed in an instant.
Diana, who had been watching me with intense curiosity, widened her eyes and shouted.
Diana clapped her hands, telling me how amazing I was.
Normally, I would have felt embarrassed and laughed at her being amazed by such a simple healing spell, but even I was surprised because the light produced when I used magic was far stronger than usual.
I gave Diana a small smile before closing my eyes to check the mana within my body.
At that moment, I felt a strange warmth beginning deep inside my heart.
Startled by the mana filling my entire heart to the brim, I quickly opened my eyes.
‘Wasn’t the amount of mana something you were born with?’
I was extremely confused.
The Master who had taken me in and taught me magic had clearly told me that I had little mana and wasn’t particularly suited to becoming a mage.
Although I had been disappointed, it was rare for a commoner to be born with mana in the first place, so I had been satisfied simply knowing that I possessed mana.
That was why I had focused even more on physical combat……
Why was my heart now overflowing with abundant mana that I had never once felt in my previous life?
As I struggled to comprehend this situation, which was just as inexplicable as returning from death, Diana suddenly threw her arms around my neck.
I heard her gentle voice accompanied by a bright smile.
The child’s warm body heat made me forget my worries for a moment, leaving me flustered.
Sharing warmth with someone like this felt unfamiliar.
Awkwardly raising my hand to pat Diana’s back, I suddenly thought of a question I had never considered before.
How had the Elrad Ducal Family managed to lose such a lovable child?
—
That night.
Perhaps she was fighting sleep, because Diana was whining, so I brought her to the large window in front of the second-floor stairs instead of the communal bedroom to soothe her.
The full moon hanging above the dense trees made for a rather picturesque scene, but it was cold enough that white breath escaped our mouths.
I spread one thin blanket on the floor and covered her with the other.
Diana wriggled around, rested her head on my leg, and spoke.
She nodded repeatedly.
Faced with such an innocent request, I didn’t know what to do.
Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing that ordinary children outside had their parents read them fairy tales when they went to sleep.
But the children here had no parents to read them fairy tales, and none of them could read, so even if there had been books, they wouldn’t have been able to read them.
Seeing Diana’s face fall in disappointment, I smiled bitterly and stroked her hair.
Then, although it wasn’t the princess story she wanted, I recalled an old memory and slowly began to speak.
—
Diana listened to the story with great interest for a while, but soon she fell asleep, snoring softly.
When I carried Diana back to the bedroom, I was extremely hungry and exhausted.
‘Could it be because I used magic……?’
I vaguely wondered about it, but I had no strength left in my body and fell sound asleep almost the moment I lay down.
As a result, I didn’t notice when someone spent quite some time fiddling with my hair with tiny hands several hours later.
However, I was sensitive to the creaking metallic sound, so when I eventually opened my eyes……
Diana, who had been intently focused on my hair, greeted me with a bright smile.
I was startled.
I had secretly expected her to cry and whine after waking up, just as she had in the past.
I hadn’t expected her to wake up so bravely all by herself.
Perhaps it had been because no one had properly comforted her before, but Diana really was a clever and lovable child.
I quickly scanned the surroundings and whispered as I looked at the other children who were still asleep.
Looking out the window, I saw that dawn was just beginning to break.
It must have been quite an exhausting day for Diana as well as me.
Perhaps the bed was uncomfortable?
At that moment, Diana placed her tiny hands over her stomach and said sadly,
I looked at her sympathetically before asking gently,
Diana blinked her blue eyes and shook her head.
I froze at the unexpected words.
Seeing Diana raise both hands and wiggle them excitedly, I couldn’t say a word.
For some reason, my chest tightened and I felt as though I might cry.
Had anyone ever told me that I was pretty?
Actually, when I was young, I thought I was very pretty.
Every time I looked in the mirror to wash my face, I was surprised by my own appearance.
I had pale pink hair that gently fluttered like a watercolor painting and deep pink eyes that shimmered as brilliantly as jewels.
My skin was clear and pale, my nose was nicely shaped, and my lips were small and cute.
But none of the children ever told me I was pretty, and I thought it was because they were all jealous of me.
That was until someone told me that my hair was the most common brown color in the Empire.
Five-year-old me was shocked when I heard that, so I went around asking the children at the orphanage.
〈Emily, what color do my hair and eyes look to you?〉
〈Huh? You have brown hair and brown eyes.〉
Not only Emily, but every other child gave me exactly the same answer.
Unable to accept it, I eventually went to Jack, whom I wasn’t particularly close to but who seemed like someone who would never lie.
〈Hey, Jack…… Do my hair and eyes look brown to you, too?〉
Jack must have been waiting for his turn after seeing me repeatedly ask the same question to all the children at the orphanage, because he immediately answered.
〈Yes. Your eyes are dark brown, and your hair is a soft brown that’s a little lighter than your eyes.〉
〈……I see.〉
Only then did I admit that something was wrong with my eyes.
Even when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t find anything brown about myself, but I never said it aloud.
‘I’m the one who’s strange.’
But understanding something in my head didn’t mean I had completely accepted it in my heart.
Near the central square, close to the information guild Terenchium on the busiest street in the capital, there were many street artists who danced, sang, or painted and sold their works to make money.
After the orphanage fell apart and I joined Terenchium, I often passed through that street and became interested in one particular painter.
A merciless artist who painted incredibly realistic portraits without caring about the feelings of the person paying him.
A man with a hooked nose, a huge mole that seemed to occupy a third of his face, and only a few strands of hair left on his balding head……
〈Mister, please draw me exactly as you see me.〉
I gathered my courage and sat down in front of him.
And that day, for the first time, I was able to face the way other people saw my face.
