CHAPTER 129
"The Marquis won't be able to come today, so we need to inform them. Michael, you take care of it."
"Yes, Mother."
The Duke decided to keep the fact that the child was Lewis a secret from the staff.
"I'll only inform the butler. He'll recognize Lewis's face immediately anyway."
"I'll work on the antidote."
Bella volunteered with a serious voice.
"Why did that potion get mixed in the first place...?"
Bella, who had been grumbling to herself, turned to me.
"Selina, don't worry too much. I'll make it as quickly as I can."
"Alright. Then I'll take care of Lewis."
I said confidently.
"I hope Lewis returns to normal by tomorrow morning."
The Duke spoke worriedly and then left with the Yaniels twins.
Shortly after, Lewis came out of the bathroom. Seeing me alone at the table, he asked,
"Where are the others?"
"They've all gone to their rooms."
"Then what about you?"
"I was just about to have a chat with you before I go."
"You're not going home? You said you're a friend."
"Oh, I live here."
Lewis nodded, only asking that much.
"That's good. I was curious about something."
"What is it?"
Does he have something serious to discuss?
Lewis sat opposite me. Due to his small stature, his legs dangled off the chair.
He really is a kid...
"Are those people really my relatives? My relatives live in such a big house?"
It seemed this was what Lewis was curious about.
Even though this room was simpler compared to others, Lewis seemed very surprised.
"The bathroom is also huge. If I have such wealthy relatives, why is our house like that?"
Ah, this is hard to explain...
Even though it was an innocent question, it gave me a glimpse into how Lewis had lived as a child.
How could I tell him that his mother had eloped for love and lived in hiding?
I didn't want to burden the temporarily young Lewis with thoughts about his parents' circumstances.
He'll revert soon anyway.
"It's just the way adults handle things. Just because a relative is rich doesn't mean our house will be rich too."
Lewis seemed to understand my vague explanation better than I expected.
"That's true. So, will my mother really come to get me if I stay here?"
"Of course!"
"I never heard I had relatives. Why did they send me to them first?"
His puzzled muttering prompted me to quickly change the subject.
"Lewis! What time do you go to bed at home? Isn't it bedtime now?"
"It's about time to sleep."
"Should I put you to bed?"
"No. That's not necessary."
Lewis firmly refused. How decisive.
He said he didn't need it, so after saying goodnight, I returned to my room and lay on the bed.
Will Lewis return tomorrow? It was hard to fall asleep with these thoughts.
Please come back, Lewis...
I whispered it countless times in my mind.
Unfortunately, the next day, Lewis did not return to normal.
"Contact the Magic Tower."
"Yes, Mother."
Michael, who had contacted the Marquis's residence yesterday, was now tasked with contacting the Magic Tower.
I thought this period would be busy with wedding preparations. Who knew something like this would happen...
Lewis, heading to the dining room for breakfast, was once again astonished by the size of the mansion.
"How can a house be this big?"
Bella looked at Lewis as if it were a novelty and whispered to me.
"Lewis is acting more like a child than when he first came to the mansion."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Back then, he had no expression at all. I wondered how such a kid could exist."
Considering how Lewis came to the Croft estate, it wasn't hard to guess why.
At least now, he had family around him.
I was worried about how much it would shock him if he learned the truth.
This thought made me more attentive to Lewis during breakfast.
"Do you like the food?"
"Yeah, it's edible."
"I thought you'd like it."
It was worth preparing dishes that suited a child's taste.
When I smiled, young Lewis looked at me curiously.
"How do you know what I like?"
Of course, because I knew him well.
But I didn't say that outright.
"It's obvious what kids like."
Lewis gave me a strange look, then tilted his head.
"You speak as if you know everything."
During breakfast, Bella excused herself to make the antidote.
"I'm going upstairs. You two keep talking!"
When Bella left, Lewis looked at me.
It seemed like he had something to say, so I asked first.
"Do you need anything?"
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why is it so quiet in my head?"
Huh? Is he talking about noise?
"You mean like background noise?"
"Yeah."
Even at this age, he heard the noise!
Since it was caused by his innate magical power, it must have been present in his childhood too...
Seeing it firsthand felt different.
"Is it very noisy?"
"Not really, but I heard something small recently. I thought my ears were broken, but I can't hear it here."
"You thought your ears were broken?"
He must have initially interpreted the noise that way. Hearing a sound led him to think something was wrong with his ears.
"Did you tell your mother?"
I asked, thinking he would have mentioned it, but Lewis shook his head, his face darkening slightly.
"No. I didn't say anything. If I did, I'd have to see a doctor."
"Ah, you don't like going to the doctor."
Finally, a childish trait of eleven-year-old Lewis emerged.
"Are you afraid of being sick?"
"Do I look like a kid who would be scared?"
Lewis retorted, pouting.
"We don't have enough money for treatment anyway."
Ah... His blunt statement revealed what the real issue was.
It wasn't fear of doctors; it was the worry about medical expenses.
That's why he kept silent, thinking he had to endure the discomfort.
I knew things were tough after his father passed away, but I hadn't realized he had been worried about such practical matters since he was so young.
I felt terrible. Unintentionally, I had hurt young Lewis.
Selina, you fool...
I was about to apologize when Lewis spoke nonchalantly.
"It's okay. I'll earn money and fix it later."
"Don't feel bad. It's not your fault we're poor. I'll make money in the future."
He spoke with such confidence as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
He didn't yet know that he would become a great magician in a few years, but his self-assurance was comforting.
"No, you don't need to see a doctor."
At least for the noise issue, I could help.
"A hospital can't fix this anyway. The top expert in this field is this noona."
When I spoke confidently, Lewis looked at me as if I were speaking nonsense.
"Really, it's true."
I took his hand, and he looked surprised but didn't pull away. He just stared at our joined hands with an awkward expression.
Then he spoke with a nonchalant face.
"It's still the same."
"Usually, this would make it better."
I felt embarrassed as I explained. It seemed the noise had already stopped.
Frustratingly, I couldn't prove my usefulness!
Lewis found it amusing, smirking slightly.
Despite claiming it was ineffective, he didn't let go of my hand. He just stared at our clasped hands.
When did he start holding my hand so tightly?
I was puzzled by our tightly held hands.
"Since you're visiting, let's play today. I'll keep you company until your mother arrives."
"Will you stop playing with me when she comes?"
"No? We'll keep playing. Always!"
I didn't know how long 'always' would be. The wedding was just two days away...
For now, I decided to do what I could: keep young Lewis entertained!
I couldn't make the antidote, so this was the best I could do.
"Is there something you wanted to do when you came to the capital?"
"Hmm... Just sightseeing?"
'It should be fine to go out, right?'
Who would think Lewis had turned into a child? I could just introduce him as a distant relative of the Duke.
The decision was quick.
"Alright. Let's go out!"
* * *
Lewis and I went out to the city, watched a circus, and had a delicious lunch. We even rode the carousel together.
"The capital is an amazing place."
Though he didn't smile openly, I could tell Lewis was enjoying himself, which was a relief.
"Lewis, do you like drawing?"
Before sunset, we returned to the Duke's estate and spent time drawing together.
"I don't want to. If I can't draw perfectly, it's not worth doing."
"Ah, should we stop then?"
Lewis quit halfway, so we stopped.
"Look at this, isn't this flower pretty?"
"It's pretty, but why grow so many flowers?"
We also went to the garden to look at the flowers—
"You're the first person I've seen who enjoys being called 'noona'. Do you like being older?"
"Selina, can I hit him once? It's still Lewis anyway."
I also had to mediate when Bella got provoked by Lewis's remarks.
"No, Bella! You can't fight with an eleven-year-old!"
It was a busy day. Probably because he wasn't an ordinary kid...
The day with Lewis passed in a blur.
The next day, Lewis was still the same. Another day of playing with Lewis.
Playing with young Lewis was fun.
But since it was the day before the wedding, I couldn't shake off my worries. Especially as evening approached.
After dinner, I gathered with the Croft family in the parlor for a serious discussion.
"What should we do? The wedding is tomorrow."
"It's a big problem. It's too late to announce a postponement."
Delaying the wedding seemed like
the best option, even if it was last minute.
But after all the anticipation, both Lewis and I had for the wedding...
Bella's face showed fatigue, likely from trying to fix the situation.
"Why isn't this working?"
Bella groaned and suddenly stood up.
"I'll make it happen before midnight tonight. Mother and Michael are working on it too!"
Bella and Michael left the parlor together.
I asked the Duke.
"What if Lewis doesn't return to normal?"
With two nights gone, I was starting to get anxious.
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