Chapter 014
Chapter 14: The Master and the Apprentice (8)
“The priority now is to reclaim my body. I can’t stay trapped in this miserable body forever.”
“Do you think I can perform soul transfer magic in this body?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll see how far it can go.”
For the first time, Leonard, who was always confident, spoke in a hesitant tone.
In fact, the success of the soul transfer magic he performed before his death was nothing short of a miracle. The problem was whether such a miracle could happen twice.
The baron, fully aware of this reality, said with a worried expression:
“My lord, if you attempt advanced magic in this state, even if you used all the magical stones in Erschie, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“In my laboratory, I have the last Lancel flower, the Tears of the Saint, and the Breath of the Red Dragon. If I use them properly…”
All the items Leonard mentioned were precious and rare sacred artifacts, their value nearly impossible to estimate.
But the baron shook his head in denial.
“No sacred artifact can compare to my lord’s magical power. Besides, this current body can’t withstand that immense power.”
“Then what? Do you want me to give up and live in this countryside? Do you expect me to watch Maximilian seize the throne of Atily without doing anything?”
Leonard glared at the baron with angry eyes. The old man blinked calmly before speaking:
“What about using Cordelia?”
“…What?”
“If we combine the magical power of the three sacred artifacts with my power, we can almost perform soul transfer magic using Cordelia.”
“You mean using her as a conduit.”
To perform magic, there are two methods: either the sorcerer does it themselves, or they use a conduit to channel the magic.
Leonard stared sternly out the window.
The sunset was approaching. He could see Cordelia walking slowly in the corridor, illuminated by the red sunlight.
“As you know, I’m too old to handle sacred artifacts. My body isn’t suitable for bearing that power. But Cordelia is different. She’s young, talented, and has a body perfectly suited to withstand that magical power.”
“…”
“Of course, after that, she won’t be able to handle any magical power, but if you guarantee her a comfortable life afterward, Cordelia would accept it.”
“Just a moment ago, you were amazed at the emergence of a new great sorcerer, and now you’re suggesting we strip her of her magical ability?”
The baron suddenly smiled gently and bowed his head.
“Nothing in this world matters to me more than your safety, my lord. Even if it means sacrificing a future great sorcerer.”
***
When Cordelia returned to her bedroom, darkness had fully settled.
She opened the door with her exhausted body, and three maids rushed to greet her.
“You’re back, my lady.”
“Hmm? Who are you?”
“I’m Rachel.”
“And I’m Mary.”
The two maids, whom she was seeing for the first time, bowed. Then Emily added with a bright smile:
“Today, the head housekeeper called me and asked if I was finding it difficult to serve the young lady alone, then sent two others to help.”
This was strange. The head housekeeper had always been cautious and sided only with Helena, never caring about Cordelia. So, Emily had been the only one serving her. And now, suddenly, she sent two more?
Before she could solve this puzzle, the two new maids began helping her undress gently. While she was changing, something fell to the floor.
“Oh, a letter fell, my lady.”
Rachel picked up the crumpled letter and handed it to her mistress.
Cordelia sighed instinctively. She looked at the letter as if it were something filthy, then opened the envelope hesitantly.
[We don’t have enough money for Dennis to enter the academy, so send us a hundred thousand linkets as soon as possible. It’s urgent, so don’t delay. We married you into a good place, so it’s your duty as a daughter to do this.]
The letter, as always, was a demand for money.
Disgusting.
At first, she used to respond to the letters, explaining that she wasn’t in a position to send money. But her father would get angry, accusing her of ignoring him. So, in the end, she started ignoring all letters from the Vasquez family, which made her feel much more at ease.
“Burn it.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Rachel took the letter and asked with a smile:
“What about dinner? Would you like me to bring it here? It’s late, so shall I prepare something light?”
“Would you like to bathe first? I’ve warmed the water.”
“Uhh… yes.”
Their kindness was extremely embarrassing. Cordelia managed to dismiss the two maids and entered the bathroom with Emily.
“Are they always like this?”
“Haha, it’s spread around the castle that you’ve been spending all your time in the count’s bedroom lately.”
“What?”
“And besides, the count no longer invites those women.”
Emily laughed softly while pouring warm water over Cordelia.
Only then did Cordelia realize why people were being so kind to her.
“It seems the count has finally recognized your devotion, my lady. Since the day he collapsed, you prayed by his side every day for him to wake up.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
In truth, her prayers were for his death, but she couldn’t say that, so she just smiled.
“Especially on the day that argument happened between Lady Helena and the count.”
Though the bathroom was empty, Emily lowered her voice and whispered.
“Since so many people witnessed what happened, the news spread quickly. Now they’re saying in the kitchen that it’s time for Lady Helena to step back.”
Emily seemed pleased with Helena’s declining status.
‘I didn’t realize because I was busy learning magic, but I haven’t seen Helena since that day.’
“Really, after such humiliation, it’s hard for her to show up again as if nothing happened.”
If the real Craig had stood by Cordelia and pushed Helena out, perhaps her life would have become easier. But Leonard was in his body, and he might leave this place at any moment.
Her thoughts became muddled.
Cordelia submerged her head in the water. The water’s temperature was moderate, so she could endure it.
“Would you like me to wash your hair?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, right. The task you asked me to do earlier, I found both women.”
“Really? Who are they?”
“One has red hair and a slightly crooked nose, and the other has black hair, dark eyes, and a mole on her neck. I forgot their names.”
As Cordelia listened to the information Emily brought, she tried to organize her tangled thoughts.
After bathing, she sat at her desk and began solving the mountain of accumulated problems, and her scattered thoughts gradually faded.
Though she complained to Leonard about the difficulty of his teaching, in truth, she enjoyed learning magic. She felt happy because she felt she was becoming a person of value with every lesson.
“My lady, it’s midnight.”
“Oh, really? Already?”
“You haven’t eaten yet. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’ll finish this and then sleep.”
Cordelia waved her hand with a smile. In the end, she didn’t fall asleep until late at night.
When morning came, it was very difficult for her to open her eyes. Even while washing her face, her eyes were half-closed.
As she was changing her clothes, the new maid approached her cautiously.
“My lady.”
“What?”
“Lady Helena has invited you to have breakfast with her.”
“Breakfast?”
Normally, there were no invitations to meals or even tea, so this was surprising.
Though she knew Helena would say something to upset her, she couldn’t ignore the invitation.
“Can you inform Craig that I’ll be a little late?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Cordelia changed her clothes carefully to avoid criticism and then left.
When she arrived at the dining room, she found that Helena wasn’t alone; Arnold, Lily, and Baron Lancaster were also there.
This was an unusual gathering.
“Sorry for being late, my lady.”
“It’s fine, you’re not late. Please, have a seat.”
Cordelia apologized naturally, but Helena smiled at her kindly and invited her to sit, which made Cordelia feel uneasy.
“Good morning, Countess.”
Arnold and Lily didn’t even glance at Cordelia, while Baron Lancaster stood to greet her.
“I haven’t thanked you yet for taking care of Craig during his illness.”
“Oh, no need to thank me. It’s my duty.”
“Nothing in life is truly a duty.”
It was uncomfortable to hear Helena speak so casually.
Perhaps because she was under Baron Lancaster’s scrutiny?
Cordelia felt a bit confused and smiled awkwardly instead of responding.
“Come, the food will get cold. Let’s eat.”
“Yes.”
A maid brought tomato soup. Cordelia picked up her spoon and began eating silently.
Helena continued smiling and asked:
“How have you been lately? Is anything bothering you?”
“Thanks to your care, I lack nothing.”
“Haha, compared to your previous home, this castle must seem like paradise, doesn’t it?”
Cordelia’s face stiffened slightly, but she tried to control her expression.
“Have you been in contact with your father lately?”
“No, I haven’t spoken to him in a while.”
“What a professional liar!”
“It must be a natural talent, Mother.”
Lily openly mocked Cordelia, leaving her bewildered.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re asking as if you don’t know? Or are you pretending to be ignorant? Have you forgotten that your father, Lord Vasquez, ordered you to steal money?”
Cordelia couldn’t comprehend what Helena was talking about.
Then Helena pulled something from her pocket and began reading it.
“There’s no longer enough money for Dennis to enter the academy, so send us a hundred thousand linkets as soon as possible. It’s urgent, don’t delay.”
“This is what we get for taking in this poor girl. A hundred thousand linkets? That’s blatant theft.”
Lily pointed at Cordelia with her finger, her contempt clear.
“My lady!”
Unable to endure the continuous insults, Cordelia shouted.
The letter Helena read was the one she had received from her father the previous day.
She had asked the maid to burn it, but it seemed Helena had bribed the maid to get it.
