Chapter 37

Julius Bartshak was drawing everyone's attention.

"Oh, it's been a while, Julius! I'm glad to see you're in good health!"

"It's been a while. I'll be coming to the laboratory more often, so please take care of me."

"Oh, Julius! I have something I want to discuss with you! Can it wait until later?"

"Of course. I also have something to report."

"Lord Julius, I've heard much about you. It's wonderful to see you getting along so well with your fiancée's daughter."

"Heh, it really is. I'll introduce Laila to you when we have the chance."

And Vernelle, following a step behind Julius like a shadow, felt proud of her master, who was being greeted by everyone they passed.

Julius had suffered from an excess of magical power and rarely visited the magical research institute. However, his sincere and kind personality was well-received by many, and Vernelle felt a sense of pride in the young man she had recognized as having such a noble character.

But Vernelle was not idle either. As Julius kept saying, "Let's talk later" and "Yeah, I'll send the materials later," she had to take notes while walking. Soon, her notebook was filled with Julius's scheduled meetings and their contents, and she felt a sense of fulfillment every time she turned to a new page.

...But.

"Lord Julius, are you really going to handle all these people?"

In the institute's guest room, Vernelle asked, and Julius, sitting on the sofa, nodded nonchalantly.

"Of course. The issues people want to discuss with me and their solutions are already in my head. I just need to explain them. It won't take much time with each person."

"…I see."

"But, I'm starting to miss Laila."

He leaned forward and sighed deeply, causing Vernelle's hand to tremble.

"…Could it be the excess magical power…?"

"That's not the issue yet. It's more like… I'm lacking in Laila's presence. I just want to hug her and kiss her a lot."

As he said this, Julius raised his right hand to about Laila's height. "Laila's presence" referred to the nutritional value Vernelle considered when planning meals.

In any case, Vernelle couldn't replace Laila, and creating an illusion of Laila would only be a hollow experience. While it was possible to create an illusion with magic, it would still be just an illusion, and she couldn't embrace it.

"…First, please complete all your scheduled tasks. If you return in the evening as promised to Laila, you can have dinner together and do what you mentioned before going to bed."

"Right, that's a good idea. …Yeah, I need to try—"

At that moment, Julius suddenly raised his head and stared at the empty space.

Startled by his sudden change, Vernelle immediately became alert and scanned the surroundings for any magical presence, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.

"…Lord Julius?"

"The barrier around the mansion has been breached."

Julius's words made Vernelle drop her notebook.

---

My head hurts. My body is in excruciating pain, screaming.

My arm was yanked hard. It hurts.

But the scream doesn't form words.

(I don't want this, I don't want this! Where am I? What's happening to me?)

My vision, blurred by tears, couldn't make out the surroundings.

But I could tell that as I was dragged by someone, my hand was made to touch various things, and each time, there were gasps of surprise from around me.

(What, why… Helka, what happened to Helka!?)

Just before I lost consciousness from the intense pain, I heard Helka's scream and the sound of something breaking. The voice calling out "Lady Laila" gradually faded away—thus, Laila found herself in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, and being made to do unfamiliar things.

"…So, this woman also has value…?"

"Seems so. …He'll be here soon, but use her while you can."

"In the 'weapon' room? …Ah, that's why."

"Right. …Hey, you. Stand up."

I was ordered, but my legs wouldn't move, and I was carried by someone with a sigh. The sensation of a man's hand on my waist, a place only Julius had ever touched, made me feel nauseous even amidst the headache.

(Disgusting… My head hurts… I can't see… )

After a while, being carried on someone's shoulder, I heard what sounded like a child's cry and the sound of something breaking.

"Stay in here."

As soon as I was roughly thrown in, my body hit the ground with a thud, and my head spun.

(…Where am I?)

The pain must have cleared my blurred vision. Propping myself up on my elbows, I saw several children crying in front of me, and I was startled.

I had been thrown into a small, dark room about the size of my own. The walls were dark, and there were no windows. The only light came from a lamp hanging from the ceiling.

In the corner of the room, five children were huddled together. Their ages ranged from about three to seven, and they all had unkempt hair, ragged clothes, and were severely underweight, making it hard to tell their genders.

Their abnormally thin limbs reminded me of Julius's past, and I shuddered. I quickly turned around to see a robed man who had thrown me in, about to close a door that looked like an iron grate.

"Wait…!"

"Shut up if you don't want to die. And take care of those brats."

"Take care…?"

As I tried to protest, the man was startled and quickly locked the door, then hurried away.

"Hey…!"

As I tried to call out, I noticed an unusual presence behind me.

The children's hair was standing on end, even though there was no wind. They were all panting heavily—

"…It wasn't an easy time. It was hard to breathe, I felt like vomiting, and tears streamed down my face from the pain. Those tears dried up quickly."

The image of Julius's dark profile when he was extremely thin flashed through my mind, and I rushed to the children.

They must have been in an unhygienic place for a long time, with ragged, injured bodies.

—Their faces overlapped with Julius's.

If these children—had the same condition as Julius—

Their thin, frail bodies and labored breathing.

If their hair standing on end without wind meant their excess magical power was about to go out of control—

As I closed my eyes and hugged the children tightly, their hair settled, and their trembling stopped.

My guess seemed to be correct.

(Thank goodness…)

I didn't know why children with the same condition as Julius were gathered in this dark, cramped place.

I didn't know where I was, if Helka was safe, or what would happen next.

(There are so many unknowns, but… the only truth is that I can alleviate these children's suffering.)

"…Are you okay? Are you not in pain anymore?"

As I gently spoke, the children looked up.

Five pairs of different-colored eyes gazed up at me—

"…Mom"

"Huh?"

"Mom, mom!"

The youngest child called out to me in a hoarse voice, and the others clung to me, calling "Mom!" and "Mommy!"

As if they were seeking my warmth.

As if they were wishing for their bodies to feel better because of my constitution.

I had never been a mother, but I couldn't reject the children who called for their mother in such weak voices. I bit my lip and hugged them tightly.