Volume 1 Chapter 52 A Magic Power Test For Two
Sir Ciel opened the old entrance of the mansion covered in vines.
I thought he would use a key, but when Sir Ciel held his hand over the door, strange patterns appeared, and it seemed like that was how the door opened.
"Not a key, huh, door?"
"Yes. Inside, there are research materials and such. If something dangerous were taken out, it wouldn't be good."
"That sounds a bit scary..."
"Scary?"
"Not you, Sir Ciel! It's just... the lab sounds a bit scary. And this mansion has been empty for a long time... the way the vines twist around is kind of creepy."
I explained, feeling flustered.
Sir Ciel isn't scary.
It's just the atmosphere of the mansion and the lab with dangerous things that feels a bit frightening.
"Ms. Lydia, would you like to hold hands? If you're scared, it might help."
"Uh, um, yes..."
I placed my hand on Sir Ciel's outstretched hand.
It reminded me of a mother holding a young child's hand while walking through the town.
Even though Sir Ciel isn't a woman,
his hand was much bigger than mine, and my hand fit perfectly in his.
Being led by him, I entered the mansion.
In the entrance, there was an old magic stone lamp hanging down.
As we passed through the spacious, empty entrance, I saw a living room that was even bigger than my restaurant.
A leather sofa sits in the room, and on the table, there are piles of paper and a fountain pen. Many books are stacked messily.
From the ceiling hang new magic stone lamps and plants that look like herbs.
Inside a large glass tube, something that looks like a part of an unknown creature floats gently.
Beakers, flasks, and strange tools are scattered around the room.
"...I'm sorry for the mess. I'm not very good at cleaning up."
"Sir Ciel, your room has a nice image, but... you're not good at tidying up, huh?"
"I've lived a long time with very few things, so... my room is clean. I only have a bed and some clothes. But when I had to move my lab, I brought a lot of stuff from the Mage Headquarters, so things piled up."
Sir Ciel said this with a troubled look and let me sit on the only sofa.
"Um, I've received a lot of help from you, Sir Ciel, so I'll help with cleaning and tidying up."
"...Thank you. You're very kind. I can't help but want to rely on you."
"When you came to my shop, you helped with washing dishes and cleaning... so I want to help too."
"Even if it's not cleaning or tidying up, feel free to come anytime. I work at the Mage Headquarters and sometimes go on trips, but I live here."
"It's close to my restaurant. I'm happy that both Mx. Margaret and Sir Ciel are nearby."
I was just living a life waiting for someone to visit, but if I wanted to see him, I could go to Sir Ciel's house.
I worried about whether he was eating, so I thought I might bring him some food sometimes.
Sir Ciel stared at me quietly for a while without saying anything.
When he looked at me with his red eyes, like ripe apples, I felt a bit uneasy and looked away.
"...Ms. Lydia. Do you know about the water mirror for magic power diagnosis?"
"Y-yes. When I was little, my father took me to the Great Temple to have my magic power checked. But I didn't have any magic, so the color of the water in the water mirror didn't change."
Sir Ciel nodded and reached for a cup on a tall pedestal in the center of the room.
"The water mirror for magic power diagnosis is managed by the priests. It can't be taken out of the temple, so what's here is something I made. It's as close as possible to the real water mirror, so it can check magic power."
I stood up from the sofa and went over to Sir Ciel to look into the water mirror.
The white ceramic bowl was filled with clear water.
When Sir Ciel lightly touched it, the water rippled and changed to a dark black color, like deep darkness.
It looked like black ink was dropped into the water and spreading out.
"The color of the water changes based on the characteristics and concentration of the magic power. In my case, I don't have any special powers, but I have a lot of magic power, and my attributes are not limited, so it turns black. For example, someone like Sir Roxas, who has special powers, would see it turn gold."
"I can't change colors... and I can't use magic either."
"...I put the sausage you gave me here for diagnosis. There was no special change."
"Um, then, I... really have no power, do I...?"
Maybe everything that happened until now was a mistake.
Or maybe, Goddess Alexandria only lent me her power that one time.
But what if that wasn't true?
What if it was all just in my head?
What if Sir Ciel's curse of death is still not broken, and Sir Rail and Olive's illnesses are still not healed?
──I'm just a failure, useless, and a liar.
"I..."
"Ms. Lydia, it's okay. ...I'm always making you cry, huh? ...I'm sorry."
Sir Ciel reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes.
"Thanks to you, Ms. Lydia, me and Leavis are still alive. The people with White Moon disease have also healed. ...That's because of your cooking, but I think the power of your cooking only works right after you make it."
"So, it has to be fresh, right...?"
I do think fresh food tastes better.
But can that really be true?
Sir Ciel touched my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine.
"Magic is something that flows in your body. It's like the blood that runs through your veins. Using magic means controlling the magic inside you and making it appear in the outside world as different things. You will use your small hands to cook. You will touch the ingredients, the cooking tools, and the dishes."
"Y-yes..."
"If you have a special power inside you, but you can't use it well, it might overflow through cooking without you even realizing it. Since it's just a tiny bit, it will disappear over time."
"I... never thought about that."
"The first one to notice was Lucian. Things like increasing physical strength, boosting muscle power, recovering magic, cleansing curses, and healing diseases... Overall, it's about activating the power of the body. You could say it's all a form of healing power."
Sir Ciel tightened his grip slightly on my hand.
It looked like he was checking something with our overlapping palms.
I wonder if someone like Sir Ciel, who is a powerful mage, can feel other people's magic.
I don't really understand it.
"Ms. Lydia... If there's a chance that a small amount of magic is overflowing from your hand, the color of the water mirror should change... Would you like to try it?"
"B-but, when I was little, it didn't change..."
"As you grow, some people have an increase in their magic power. Maybe something has changed now."
Sir Ciel gently pulled his hand away from mine and lifted it towards the water mirror, releasing our intertwined fingers.
I cautiously placed my hand over the water mirror and slowly dipped it into the water.
The color of the water doesn't change.
It shouldn't change, right?
But the moment I put my finger in, the water started to shine in rainbow colors.
"...Huh, ah..."
The rainbow light filled the room so brightly.
I was surprised and pulled my hand out of the water mirror, stepping back. I almost tripped over something on the floor, but Sir Ciel grabbed my arm to help me.
I held onto Sir Ciel's arm and leaned my weight on him.
I thought I fell hard on the floor, but it didn't hurt much.
It felt like I fell on something soft.
Sir Ciel was underneath me.
He seemed to have protected me and became my cushion.
"...Sir Ciel, I'm sorry. Did it hurt? I'm sorry, I got surprised..."
"No... it's okay. You're light."
"But..."
I shrank down while still on Sir Ciel's stomach.
Then, when I tried to get up in a hurry, Sir Ciel sat up and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his forehead against my shoulder like he was praying.
I felt the hard touch of a gem against my body.
"...As I thought, the goddess's blessing is with you. ...But you can only release your power through cooking, and that's not intentional. ...If something is blocking your power..."
"Sir Ciel..."
"This will be a secret between you and me for a while. ...I have a feeling something bad might happen."
"...Y-yes."
"I will protect you. I have a responsibility for spreading your power to everyone."
Sir Ciel's body was warm.
Even though we're not related by blood, it felt like family.
But it wasn't just that; when I thought about how big and hard he was, I felt nervous for some reason.
"It's not just about responsibility... but as an important friend."
"...Thank you."
Seeing Sir Ciel in pain, I gently stroked his hair to show that I was okay.
It was smooth, and at the end, there was a hard gem.
I wanted to return the comfort he gave me last time because it made me feel safe.
Even though it was about me, I felt like I didn't really understand myself.
I thought I didn't have any magic.
I could only nod, but since I wasn't alone──now, I wasn't scared.
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