Ch. 60

The carriage stopped in front of Ardion’s mansion. It seemed like everyone had already left, as no one was in sight while the sun was slowly setting.

I walked towards the back of the mansion with heavy steps. Fortunately, the door was open. I quickly re-locked it with the hidden iron lock.

It was finally over. All I had to do now was lie down in my room. I turned slowly.

“Lady Laila.”

It was the butler. I froze in surprise.

He slightly bowed his head. “I’ve called someone who specializes in mana treatment.”

When I hesitated and didn’t immediately respond, the butler calmly continued, “It’s a little earlier than dinner time, but your mana seemed unstable, so I sent someone to your room.”

“I’m sorry, I…”

“No, it’s alright. After all, I went against your wishes as well.”

Then the butler glanced at the necklace around my neck. His expression shifted briefly, showing a hint of surprise, before he said in a calm voice, “I’m just relieved you’ve returned safely. Please, go upstairs. The mana healer is waiting for you.”

“Can they treat Derol too?” I gently lifted the still-unconscious Derol.

The butler nodded. “The healer we called is skilled in treating all living beings related to mana. I’m sure they can help even a mouse.”

That was a relief. I entered the mansion with a brighter expression.

As soon as I walked in, the healer jumped up from the sitting room. Upon seeing me, she gave me a wide smile. “Are you Lady Laila?”

Her tone was quite cheerful, with a slightly rising inflection, indicating she was from a nearby region. Sometimes, when living in the capital, you met people with different speech patterns.

I nodded, and she quickly rushed over. A loud clanking sound followed, as if she was carrying something heavy on her back.

She immediately extended her hand towards me. “I’m Ventu. Please, don’t overexert yourself and head to your room.”

When she saw the unconscious Derol in my arms, her expression grew serious. “Is this one also dealing with mana issues?”

“I’m not sure. He was kicked and then hit a wall.”

“Then don’t worry. A mana treatment should solve the issue.” Ventu raised one hand, her eyes shining with determination. Her bright attitude was comforting.

Once we entered the room, Ventu gently laid me on the bed. “I’ll first examine the remaining mana in your body.”

She pulled out a palm-sized device and began scanning my body. Occasionally, flashes of red light appeared, followed by green hues.

Each time, her face furrowed in thought.

After checking me over, Ventu looked at Derol, who was lying beside me. His small body was quickly scanned in just a couple of seconds. Once the examination was complete, the machine made a soft clicking sound and powered down.

“Lady Laila, you only have 10% of your mana left. On the other hand, Derol has plenty, but it seems he lost consciousness after a severe shock.”

Ventu pulled out a long, needle-like rod and lightly touched Derol’s head and torso with it. “He’ll recover soon enough.”

I gently stroked Derol’s head, which was still unresponsive. “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do.” Ventu watched me for a moment. When I lifted my gaze, she smiled and said, “By the way, you’re wearing the maid uniform from Rowell Palace.”

“Ah, something happened.”

“I’ve heard that at the palace, the maids change almost every day.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the crown prince’s personality is rather… strange.”

That was true. 

Rowell had a mind that was almost impossible for ordinary people to keep up with. The memory from earlier was so horrifying that I never wanted to step into his room again.

I glanced at Derol for a moment, but somehow, I had the feeling Ventu knew a lot about the imperial palace. After all, she recognized the maid uniform immediately.

Curious, I asked her, “Did you work at the palace?”

“Yes, I was there for a while, but I left because it wasn’t the right fit for me. I wanted to treat mana using various devices, but my seniors insisted that mana should be purified using one’s own mana, which didn’t suit me.”

I noticed the bag Ventu had brought with her. “Doesn’t it get heavy carrying that around?”

“Sometimes, yes, but it doesn’t bother me. I make a living with this device.” Ventu smiled and brought a chair to sit beside my bed.

I briefly watched her, then quietly said, “By the way, you haven’t told me about my condition yet.”

“Oh, right, my mind’s all over the place,” she said, her expression not really reassuring. She hesitated, biting her lip as if unsure about something.

“Is it serious?” I wondered if all my reckless actions had finally caught up to me. I knew I wasn’t fine, especially after using mana earlier with Rowell.

Ventu lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked at me again. Seeing I was still waiting, she slowly nodded.

For a moment, my mind went blank. But I was desperate to know, so I quickly asked, “How serious is it? Am I running out of time?”

Maybe it was inevitable for my body to be in such a state. After all, in the original story, I was supposed to die.

So, that’s why my body feels so weak…

Lost in thought, I was jolted by Ventu’s following words.

“It’s not to the point of death, but you do need a strong infusion of mana.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it means you need to mix your mana with someone who has a strong mana.”

Her explanation was hard to grasp.

Mix mana…

A cold chill ran down my neck.

I vaguely remembered reading something like that in a book once: that to properly mix mana, you had to be in close physical contact. The thought made me uneasy. 

It seemed too embarrassing and alarming for my current situation.

Seeing my confusion, Ventu quickly clarified, “Simply put, you’ll need to share your mana with someone else, someone with powerful mana.”

“…”

“Preferably someone with very strong mana.”

I blinked in shock as Ventu continued, her voice steady.

“I thought you’d be surprised. But that’s the only way. Right now, your body is losing mana constantly. This means the mana isn’t settling properly in your system, and it’s some kind of side effect.”

“Someone forced me to give up my mana.”

“Then that must be the side effect. Even without that, your body doesn’t have the mana attached properly, so if you take the mana out like that… I can understand why your mana is unstable.”

I sighed. “Is there no other way? Can’t we replace the mana without having to do it with someone?”

“Of course, there is a way to drink mana made of water, but that is unstable. First of all, the mana in a person’s body needs a strong effect to be attached to the mana. This is especially true in your case, Miss Laila.”

I was silent for a moment. But I opened my mouth to confirm if I understood correctly. “So, in order for the mana to be attached to my body, I have to spend the night with someone who has strong mana?”

“Yes! That’s right.” Ventu nodded with a big smile, resuming with the same expression. “That’s why there are cases where people who have mana that can communicate with each other marry each other. It’s a mutual benefit.”

As I sat frozen in silence, Ventu examined my face. “If it’s hard to find someone right now, I can…”

I looked up in surprise. “Huh?”

“Oh, there are cases like that sometimes. People with similar mana get married, and things like that. I can introduce someone similar to you.”

“… It’s okay.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

I nodded with a forced smile.

“Then I’ll stabilize your mana for a month to make sure you’re fine.”

Ventu rummaged through something in his bag. She finally took out a machine with a twisted iron core and moved my arm around. “It’ll sting a little. If it’s too much, please let me know.”

I nodded and looked down at my arm. It stung just like Ventu said, but it wasn’t so bad that it was bothersome. “If I use my mana often, will I die?”

“If your condition worsens, you could die. Or you might suffer from severe headaches and not be able to open your eyes properly…”

“That’s no different from dying.”

“… That’s right.”

Finally, Ventu completely removed the iron bar from my body. “First, you’ll be fine for a month. And for a week, don’t inject any mana and just stay that way. During that time, if you inject mana, it will be more unstable.”

Hearing that, I thought of Ardion. Does Ardion know about my condition?

As I was blankly staring at the ceiling, Ventu approached me. “Then I’m leaving. Rest well.”

“Yes, thank you.”

She nodded and walked to the door but suddenly stopped in her tracks. “Oh, but I can feel a lot of mana in this mansion. Is this the prince’s mansion?”

“How did you know?”

“As expected. I met him at the palace before. I thought the mana coming from him was different from other people's, but now it seems even stronger."

"If ever, will I get better if I inject his mana? The prince’s I mean.”

"His mana is so strong that it’s dangerous. So please, you should use and treat his power appropriately. If not, you might not be able to control it and inevitably die.”

My expression changed drastically.

Seeing my expression, Ventu waved her hand in embarrassment. "Oh, I guess I said something unnecessary. Someone like the prince should be able to control his strength well. In any case, please get some rest."

Ventu said goodbye and left the room. Silence came again after the door closed. In the original story, Ardion's power was mediated by Serina, so Ardion was more obsessed with her.

But I didn't have that kind of power. I was just a magician who lacked mana.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking about reality, then lowered my gaze.

Derol's breathing was more stable than before. It certainly seemed that Ventu was a capable healer.

I slowly caressed Derol’s face. The thin, soft hair felt good against my fingertips. At that moment, Derol's whiskers moved slightly.

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