She returned to her room, intentionally leaving the bedroom door wide open instead of closed.
Since the heir's room window was broken and she was using the adjacent room, she wanted people looking for her to see the open door and come here.
In the meantime, she had hidden the basket, placed the ointment back in its spot, and rewrapped the bandages.
"Huh? Miss!"
Charlotte, who came looking for Navia, was surprised to see the door of the adjacent room open.
"Good morning, Charlotte."
Navia greeted her nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
Then she briefly explained what had happened yesterday.
"What? His Highness the Prince...!"
"Until the right time comes, we must be careful not to let this leak out," Navia said.
Charlotte nodded solemnly at Navia's words.
"Yes, I understand."
Charlotte then discussed that Suleiman had plans to go out today and what they should have for breakfast.
"Huh, Margaret is late today?"
Margaret usually came to see Navia around breakfast time.
'Could she be unwell?'
Navia suddenly became worried.
"I'll go see Margaret. Can you prepare breakfast alone in the meantime?"
"Of course."
For the first time, Navia visited the annex where Margaret stayed.
"Miss Margaret."
Navia cautiously opened the door of the annex and called out to her as she entered.
Margaret was in the study cum office of the annex.
There was a cold cup of tea and a newspaper on the table.
Margaret turned her gaze from the window and gave Navia a faint smile.
"Oh, my lady. Good morning."
Navia sensed that her mood was somewhat subdued compared to usual.
"I came to see if anything was wrong. You're not feeling unwell, are you?"
"Hehe, I was just caught up reading the newspaper and lost track of time."
Navia glanced at the newspaper as she approached.
"Ah, today they've discovered a treatment for mana reflux disease."
"It's such shocking news that I got absorbed in it."
Navia recalled when she had researched Eseled, learning that Margaret had divorced her husband long ago and had a child who had died.
'Was it because of mana reflux disease?'
Margaret's daughter died at eight years old due to mana reflux disease.
So, she must have been engrossed in the newspaper article about the new treatment for mana reflux disease, letting her tea go cold.
Navia guessed that the cloak Margaret had once put on her might have belonged to her deceased daughter.
Her heart ached.
Margaret had been keeping her daughter's belongings clean for decades.
Navia couldn't imagine how she must be feeling about this news.
Margaret did not cry or show anger about the late discovery of the treatment for mana reflux disease; instead, she simply smiled calmly.
"It's really good news. Mana reflux disease is... truly a dreadful disease."
Unsure of what to do in such a situation, Navia quietly closed her mouth and then hugged Margaret's waist.
'I've learned a lot from this woman.'
Among them, this way of comforting was truly a precious lesson.
Navia hadn't realized how much comfort she had received from hugs. She hadn't expected to be able to warmly embrace someone else like this.
"Oh my, is this consolation?"
Margaret gently smiled and leaned in to return Navia's hug.
"Thank you."
Margaret simply said that and didn't go on to reveal her past to the child. She just acted as usual.
"Shall we go have breakfast?"
But it didn't seem like she was forcing herself to be okay. It wasn't resignation either.
Navia faintly realized what it meant to 'grow old.'
Living through the long years and aging seemed to be a bit different from simply being mature and adult.
For Navia, who had only lived up to the age of twenty-two at most, this felt like uncharted territory.
'In this last life, will I also experience growing old?'
Could the natural weight of passing years also come to her? Holding Margaret's hand, Navia left the annex and entered the main building's lobby, where she spotted Lark coming down the stairs.
Lark, having stayed up all morning to repair the maintenance magic on the mansion, was on his way to the child's room.
However, the child was again not in the room.
"Such a little thing, yet so disturbingly diligent."
Aren't children supposed to sleep in until the sun is high in the sky?
But Navia was up and about since the early hours of the morning.
"Why are you bustling about so early in the morning?"
At his gruff words, Navia greeted him with a smile filled with delight.
"Did you sleep well, Duke?"
Lark furrowed his brow, feeling like he had turned into trash.
"Quite the sourpuss this morning, my lord."
Margaret teased, and Lark, about to retort, raised an eyebrow.
"Why the face?"
Navia's eyes were wide open, but inside, she was shocked at his rudeness.
"A cure for mana reflux disease has been discovered, it seems."
Navia was again surprised by Margaret's nonchalant response.
"Aha."
Lark nodded as if he understood, then looked at Navia.
'I remember Nikan bringing that tutor or whatever who talked about the cure for mana reflux disease.'
He knew what kind of person Margaret was, so he brushed it off as nothing serious.
"Suleiman?"
"He should be in the study. Should I call him?"
Lark handed over a piece of paper.
"Bring this to him."
It was a list of items Navia would need.
Margaret headed to the study, and Lark flicked his hand towards Navia.
Navia obediently responded to his rude summon.
"Do you have something to say?"
"No."
Saying so, he abruptly picked her up.
Navia, startled, looked up at Lark with wide eyes.
"Let's play."
"…What?"
"Play house. You like that, right?"
"…Me?"
Navia blinked with a dumbfounded expression.
Since when did she like playing house? And to play at the crack of dawn?
Navia spoke.
"We should eat breakfast first, Duke."
Lark snorted with a mischievous expression at the child's suggestion.
"Quite the planner, aren't you."
'Planner, what's that about?'
Navia couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
Lark felt her suggestion was reasonable.
'She's too skinny. Needs to eat more.'
"Then we'll play after you've eaten."
Navia, though not interested in playing house, nodded with a smile, sensing Lark's effort to get along with her.
"Then together…"
She was about to suggest eating together when she was interrupted.
Suddenly, there was a thudding sound on the doorknob.
"Who could it be this early in the morning?"
Lark muttered irritably and flicked his hand, causing the door to split in half and swing open.
The middle-aged gentleman who had knocked stood there, momentarily startled, then stared blankly at Lark and Navia standing before him.
His reaction was not unwarranted.
Apart from their red eyes, Lark and Navia each possessed entirely different color schemes.
Their juxtaposition was like two extremes meeting, creating a synergistic effect.
Perhaps it was because they both possessed an otherworldly beauty that seemed almost too perfect to be human.
"What do you want?"
The visitor, who had been lost in the overwhelming beauty before him, was abruptly brought back to reality by Lark's haughty tone.
‘Who is that man? He definitely can't be Duke Eseled.’
He hesitantly greeted the man, unable to imagine that this shabbily dressed man could be Duke Eseled.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I am Benjamin from the Alchemist Guild."
Navia knew who the man was.
'Why is the Guild Master here?'
Benjamin spoke politely.
"I've come to deliver a letter to Lady Navia."
His gaze settled on a girl, presumed to be Navia.
'A letter? Oh, a message from the informant.'
Navia smiled reassuringly in response to Benjamin’s puzzled look.
"I am Navia."
"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, Miss Navia."
He moved towards Navia with a bright smile but then halted.
Lark was glaring at Benjamin with a faint hostility.
Navia whispered in a troubled voice.
"Duke, could you put me down, please?"
"No."
Navia, momentarily at a loss for words, decided to treat Lark as a high chair and turned her attention back to Benjamin.
"You came to deliver a letter to me, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes. That's correct. The letter is here..."
Benjamin cautiously handed over a silver envelope while watching Lark's reaction.
Navia immediately opened the letter.
It was a letter from Erkin.
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