Chapter 007
Chapter 7: The Master and the Apprentice (1)
A few days later, Cordelia visited Leonard’s bedroom as usual, intending to talk, but when she arrived, the door swung open without warning.
“Craig!”
“My lady.”
There was only one person in this castle who could be so rude.
Cordelia immediately stopped and bowed slightly toward Helena.
Of course, Helena ignored Cordelia and approached Craig directly.
“You’re able to stand and move now?”
“…”
“Oh, Craig. Seeing you so full of life like this truly makes me happy. Do you know how worried I was?”
Helena forced herself to cry. Then she reached out and tried to embrace her son, but Leonard stepped back.
Before the situation could become more awkward, Cordelia hurriedly stepped between them.
“He’s improved a lot. Now that you’re active, that’s wonderful.”
“Craig, do you remember anything?”
“What.”
He tilted his chin at her question and acted with extreme arrogance, but surprisingly, Helena was pleased by this.
“Oh. You may not have your old memories, but your personality is the same. I’m sure you’ll regain your memories very soon.”
In fact, his uncooperative attitude reduced her suspicions.
How many people would suspect that another person’s soul had entered this body?
“You can handle it well even if Jared comes, right? Huh? I trust you, Craig.”
“Jared?”
“Oh, he’s your cousin. His name is Jared Abrams…”
“He’s one of the people waiting for your death.”
Before Helena could finish, Cordelia interrupted and explained, and Helena quickly joined in. She said, pretending to wipe her fake tears.
“Craig, you can’t lose to Jared.”
“Oh, whatever.”
“You need to get up quickly and prove to him that you’re still alive. Only then can this mother rest.”
After that, Helena continued to bother him, citing her endless fear.
But Leonard didn’t even bother pretending to listen to her.
“I’m tired.”
He maintained his angry expression the entire time, but when Helena kept talking incessantly, she said something that irritated him.
“Oh, Cordelia. What are you doing? Why don’t you leave quickly and let Craig rest?”
“Yes.”
She was blaming Cordelia, as if she had completely forgotten that she was the one bothering him all this time.
Cordelia helped Leonard back to bed.
“That’s good.”
Helena looked Leonard up and down, who had recovered significantly, and left his room with a somewhat satisfied expression.
As soon as the door closed, Leonard frowned.
“Were we originally on good terms?”
“No. Even in the past, your relationship wasn’t very good. Still, after Count Jonday’s sudden death, the only person she could rely on was Craig, so she treats him kindly.”
“That’s not worth knowing.”
He stared at the spot where Helena had left with eyes full of disdain. Cordelia smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.
“By the way, your body is recovering very quickly. I heard you went out to the garden alone yesterday?”
“Well, even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to walk for more than an hour.”
“The doctor says it’s a miracle you can stand on your feet now.”
“If that’s a miracle, then what do you call a living soul entering a dead body and moving it without it decomposing?”
Leonard answered bluntly. At the word “dead body,” Cordelia looked closely at his body and asked.
“That means… Are you saying Craig is completely dead?”
“This body? Yes. I was able to enter because the soul had already left the body.”
“Oh, really.”
“Really?”
“Thank goodness.”
An unexpected word came out of her mouth. Cordelia said with a relieved smile.
“I was afraid he’d come back to his senses after you returned to your original body.”
“…”
“I feel relieved knowing he’s really dead.”
Leonard stared at Cordelia’s profile because of her extremely honest reaction. His gaze was completely fixed.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your blood is cold.”
“My goodness, what does that mean? The one with cold blood is the head of the family.”
Cordelia smiled like a child with bright eyes. Leonard made a hollow sound and said, as if it were absurd.
“I think your blood would be cold compared to saying you’re happy about your husband’s death.”
“Oh. That can’t compare to someone with no blood who cast magic on a poor woman who lost her husband and didn’t teach her magic.”
“Huh? Do you think magic is a joke?”
“I said I have talent. Don’t you think it’s a waste of my talent? Maybe my talent will leave a mark on the world of magic?”
“If anyone else heard you, they’d think you’re a genius. Hey, seeing magic and doing it are completely different things.”
“But I have an advantage over others in learning magic.”
Of course, that wasn’t wrong. If she had met Leonard when she was five, he would have made Cordelia his apprentice without a second thought.
“You’re too old to learn magic. At the very least, you need to start before the age of ten to expect success.”
“I’m not trying to become a great sorcerer. Just something small to help with tasks is enough, right? Well?”
“I can’t stand it. If you’re my apprentice, you should at least be able to achieve one star!”
“A star? What star?”
“…That’s it. I’m arguing with a child who doesn’t even know what a star is. Stop talking and get out. I’m tired.”
Leonard raised his voice unconsciously in his excitement, but he stopped when he saw his reflection in the window.
Self-mockery surged. He suddenly realized he had fallen to rock bottom. If it were his former self, he wouldn’t have engaged in such a ridiculous discussion.
“Really? It hasn’t been long since I came here… Fine. From now on, I won’t mention magic in front of you.”
“Get out. Why don’t you understand?”
Cordelia persevered despite Leonard’s cold dismissal. She forced herself to smile and changed the subject. Fortunately, he didn’t kick her out anymore.
“By the way, have you heard? Lily is coming soon.”
“Who’s that?”
“Craig’s half-sister. She’s also Lady Helena’s biological daughter. Now, she’s Countess Dahlia, married into the Dahlia family. And she loves you a lot.”
“Great. That’s really useful information. When I see her, I’ll at least give her a hug.”
Leonard replied in an extremely angry tone. Cordelia covered her lips with her hand and smiled lightly.
“And she hates me a lot.”
“Why? Did you ask her to say something and then stab her with a knife?”
“What?”
Cordelia’s mouth opened slightly as she realized he was referring to his younger brother’s actions.
“Well… No. She’s the woman who hates me the most, even though I never did anything. I suddenly feel a bit wronged. I never stabbed her with a knife.”
“So what did you do?”
“Nothing. To be precise, she hates the existence of Craig’s wife.”
Cordelia shrugged. Though the time she spent with Lily wasn’t long, her bullying was so severe that Cordelia had grown tired of her.
“But why did your younger brother kill you? Is he really trying to inherit the title?”
“Well. I’ll have to ask him about that when we meet again.”
Leonard’s voice quieted in an instant. When he first opened his eyes, he felt only hatred toward Maximilian, but as time passed, other questions arose one after another.
‘Why did Maximilian make such an extreme choice, and why did he try to kill his brother, born of the same parents?’
But if the Council wasn’t foolish and the circumstances of the murder were clear, it would be impossible for them to acknowledge the succession.
‘Even if the Council doesn’t approve, the position can’t remain vacant forever.’
“Can’t a different successor be chosen for the title?”
“That’s not possible. Even if it were, Maximilian wouldn’t leave it alone.”
“After all, it’s impossible for the head of a great family like Atily to be absent for long. In the end, time is on his side.”
“Yes. That’s why I have to reclaim my place before that time.”
He clenched his fists with a serious tone. Cordelia, sitting on the chair beside the bed, nodded as well.
“That’s sad. It would be great if I could help the head of the family. For example, helping as your apprentice…”
“What?”
“No? I know how to see magic. If the killer uses magic, I might be able to warn you and save your life then.”
She didn’t know where to begin or where to point.
They were having a truly serious conversation. Leonard laughed helplessly at the sight of her skillfully asking him to take her as an apprentice.
“Oh? Did you just smile?”
“Annoying.”
“I think you smiled because you felt reassured imagining me as your apprentice.”
“Calm down.”
“Don’t you need a strong apprentice?”
***
“Rooty. What should I do?”
Cordelia was sitting in a corner of the stable. In front of her, a dirty, unattractive gray dog was greedily eating meat.
“How can I get this man on my side? No, not really on my side. It would be great if he taught me some magic tricks.”
Before she knew it, the dog had finished eating the meat and was sniffing the straw. It was a deeply disappointing sight.
“You ate everything already? I should’ve brought more.”
When Cordelia reached out and tried to pet the dog’s back, the dog flinched away. Cordelia frowned, as if disappointed by this as well.
“But we’ve known each other for over a year, and you still won’t let me touch you.”
She had given it a name and often fed it, but the dog still hadn’t opened its heart to her.
“But it’s okay. All you need to do is live a long, good life.”
Rooty’s pup went fox hunting with her father but was fatally injured.
Her father, angry at Rooty for her weakness, abandoned her, not even providing proper treatment.
Cordelia stayed up day and night trying to save the dying Rooty in any way possible, but in the end, she caught a cold and left her.
The only similarity between Rooty the pup and Rooty the mother was their gray color, but for some reason, Cordelia kept noticing them.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get more meat.”
She exclaimed. Rooty, who had been sniffing the meat scraps, looked into the air and growled lowly.
“What’s going on?”
“Hello.”
“Ah!”
Cordelia heard a human voice in the empty stable. She looked around in shock. But no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t see anyone there.
“Oh. Over here, Countess.”
“From there?”
Above the water-filled trough, a small white body the size of a palm was waving vigorously.
