Chapter 15
“These hieroglyphs. I said I memorized them. To be exact, I’ve memorized about one-fifth of this volume… but it’s only a matter of time before I learn it all.”
It was her memory ability.
The gift that had allowed Rin to survive as a guide.
She never forgot a road she once traveled, nor a single sentence in any book she had read.
Of course, never forgetting also meant never escaping terrible memories.
But that was all in the past now.
Through aura training, Rin had learned how to distance herself—if only a little—from the memories she didn’t want.
‘But to think that ability still works in Yana’s body.’
How is that possible?
Could Yana have possessed the same ability as Rin?
A surprisingly plausible theory.
The Head of the Household, who had been staring at her with astonished eyes, soon offered her a gentle smile and patted her shoulder.
“Well done, Yana. If it’s you, I have no doubt you’ll be able to memorize all of Gonradic.”
‘He must think I’m bluffing.’
There’s nothing more convincing than showing it directly.
Rin ran over to the desk, grabbed her grandfather’s pen, and began drawing hieroglyphs on a blank sheet of paper.
“Look here… It says, ‘Grandfather’s hair is white. It looks cool.’ I wrote it correctly, right?”
The Head of the Household came closer and checked what she’d written. His eyes widened.
‘Don’t be surprised just yet, Grandpa.’
Suppressing a smug grin, Rin continued by writing a second and third sentence.
After checking each one, he muttered in disbelief.
“My goodness… I can’t believe this! Yana, have you been studying Gonradic since you were little?”
“No. I’ve never learned anything from anyone.”
“Then how… I was only out of my office for maybe three or four hours. Are you saying you memorized a fifth of this book in that short time?”
“Yes. I usually memorize things really fast.”
So use me already!
I’m smart—give me any task, work me to the bone, and build trust from there.
Just make sure you give me something in return!
‘You’re slow.’
He had a look on his face like something had clicked, but he was still just sitting there in silence.
What, are you feeling guilty about taking advantage of a child?
Growing impatient, Rin decided to give him a little push.
She picked up the pen again and began writing more sentences like drawing a picture.
“This is fun.”
“…You find it fun?”
“Yes! I’ve never done anything like this before. I want to learn more.”
After a long pause, the Head of the Household gently held her shoulder and spoke calmly.
“Yana, I’d like to make a proposal. I want to be clear—this isn’t an order, just a request. If you don’t want to, you can say no, and there won’t be any consequences.”
Heh. That’s it, Grandpa…
“How about coming to my office every three days to work on puzzles with me?
They’re puzzles where you gather Gonradic words to form complete sentences.”
That’s it. You’re doing great, Grandpa…
“A request? Then… will I be paid for it? Since I’m technically being hired?”
“Haha! I didn’t know you were such a sharp child. Of course, Yana. Is there anything you want? Tell me anything.”
The answer she’d been waiting for.
Having achieved what she came for, Rin took a small step back and shyly shook her head.
“Not right now… I’ll tell you later. Nothing comes to mind at the moment.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Honestly, just being able to solve puzzles with you makes me happy. I was always alone in the annex.”
“……”
That was your cue, Grandpa.
Remember this moment clearly, and make sure you invite me to the main residence later.
“Then I’ll get going now. I’m sorry for barging in. Please feel free to call me whenever you like.”
With light steps, she left the office.
This should take care of the pilgrimage to the Grand Temple of Phindias too.
There was no way she’d be sent that far when she had work to help the Head of the Household with.
“Hmph.”
A hum of satisfaction slipped out.
Time to channel that happiness into physical training once she got back to her room.
‘…But what exactly was the Head of the Household trying to translate with Gonradic?’
It probably was a philosophy book after all.
Thinking that philosophy really did suit the Head of the Household, Rin returned to her room.
Inside the large drawing room located along the northern corridor on the second floor…
Roman took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
It had been nearly a year since he’d felt this tense or uncomfortable.
This wasn’t an opportunity—it was a crisis, which only heightened his alertness.
The stress from the past few days had even triggered a bout of gastric cramps.
‘Yana… that wretched girl…’
Not long after, the sound of footsteps signaled someone’s arrival.
Roman’s gaze met the eyes of an elderly man with white hair, who entered with a slow, composed stride.
“Father.”
“Master.”
As the elder sat down across from him, his wife—Karen—poured tea as if she had been waiting for this moment.
Her calm, gentle expression, as always, helped Roman relax a little.
“I heard you had the flu. How are you feeling now?”
“I’m fine. I’ve mostly recovered, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I see. Roman, it seems quite a lot has happened while I was away.”
Straight to the point, as soon as he sat down.
Roman composed his expression into one of remorse and answered solemnly.
“I apologize. I have no excuses to offer.”
The moment he bowed his head, Karen, seated beside him, nudged his arm with her elbow.
Taking the signal, Roman continued with the prepared response.
“Using this incident as a turning point, we’ve begun improving the greenhouse’s security weaknesses.
We’re planning to develop an intrusion alert system in collaboration with the Alchemy Department—one that won’t disturb the greenhouse environment. I’ll submit a detailed report on it later, Father.”
“Good. You should take greater care. This isn’t just about Yana. Some of the poisonous plants growing in that greenhouse must never be leaked outside. You understand why, don’t you?”
“Of course. As the person in charge of the Poison Greenhouse, I’ll keep that in mind—always.”
The Head of the Household took a silent sip of his tea—his way of saying he had no intention of bringing the subject up again.
Phew.
One hurdle cleared.
It all ended far more quietly than Roman had feared, and that was a relief.
It was proof that the Head of the Household still trusted him.
‘Hmph. Gregory, you fool. You think you can outsmart me?’
As the Head of the Household wet his throat with milk tea, he calmly called out to Roman.
“Roman.”
“Yes, Father?”
“Yana has changed a great deal. Did something happen while I was away?”
The Head of the Household seemed surprised even as he raised the topic.
It had been almost a full season since he’d last properly seen Yana.
Children change quickly.
But it was still unexpected for that change to begin with Yana.
‘She looks healthier. Her complexion’s improved, and she’s even gained a little weight.’
Which, in other words, meant her complexion hadn’t been good before.
A child of House Tusslena with such a dull appearance?
The Head of the Household slowly tried to recall the Yana of the past.
But even her appearance earlier that year felt hazy in his memory.
She had always walked with her head down, looking listless. Her clothes…
They’d been plain, hadn’t they? Probably something colorless, like the dress she wore today.
‘…Was I really that indifferent?’
A heaviness settled in his chest.
“Haha… I hesitate to say this, but I believe it’s thanks to my wife Karen.
Even after Yana collapsed from eating the Sky Wolf Flower fruit, Karen looked after her with such care… maybe something about that reached her.”
“Roman, there’s no need to—”
“No, it’s true, Karen. There’s no need for modesty between family.
Father clearly meant it in a positive way, didn’t you, Father?”
As Roman grasped Karen’s hand with a cheerful laugh, she turned her head shyly.
Normally, the Head of the Household would’ve laughed heartily at the affectionate couple.
But today, he was different.
“I’m curious what exactly she realized. She’s only fourteen, after all.”
“Ahem… Well, who knows? Fourteen is practically grown these days. Maybe she just hit puberty a little early. Haha…”
