CHAPTER 130
"That won't happen."
The Duke shook her head at my question.
"Though Bella has been diligently studying magic lately and seems to have made a peculiar potion, Lewis is still the Master of the Tower. There's no way Lewis can't break Bella's magic on his own."
"That's true, but..."
"The problem is that Lewis believes he can't use magic, but once that belief is broken, it's just a matter of time."
He emphasized further.
"Lewis will definitely return. The only thing we should worry about is the wedding tomorrow. We can't have a child groom, can we?"
A child groom? Just the thought made me dizzy.
"This isn't the time for this. I'll take my leave."
The Duke quickly stood up.
I remained in the drawing room, anxious.
If Lewis realizes he's a wizard, then it's just a matter of time?
I treated him like a child because he seemed not to believe it, but if I change my attitude now...
I was pondering this while pouring myself some wine when the door to the drawing room creaked open.
"What are you doing here?"
It was the young Lewis.
"Huh?"
I was just about to drink alone.
As I awkwardly stood there holding the wine bottle, Lewis came inside.
He sat down opposite me.
"Are you in a bad mood?"
"Huh? No?"
Though I denied it, Lewis seemed convinced that I was in a bad mood.
"You look upset."
"Um... that's not it."
I wasn't in a bad mood; I was just troubled. After all, the wedding was just a day away.
Lewis was still a child, with the mental age of an eleven-year-old.
"Can I have a drink too?"
Of course, though he spoke like this, he wasn't just any ordinary eleven-year-old.
"No, children can't drink."
Drinking alcohol in a child's body is unacceptable. Instead, I poured him some grape juice to lift his spirits.
"I wanted to try it."
"Think of it as wine. Here, have some snacks."
Then I offered him the canapés and cheese that were on the table.
"Just to set the mood?"
Lewis made an unchildlike remark as he ate the snacks.
"If you're not in a bad mood, why are you drinking alone? With that face?"
He was as persistent as ever. He continued to scrutinize my mood.
"You've had a sour expression all day."
"Me? Didn't we have fun today?"
"When you thought I wasn't looking, you seemed upset. You only smiled when we made eye contact."
So he had been watching me all this time?
Though I felt a pang of guilt, I hastily made an excuse.
"My head just hurts a bit."
"You're drinking alcohol even though your head hurts?"
Lewis tilted his head.
"Mother always said drinking alcohol makes her head hurt the next day. Won't it hurt more if you drink?"
"It’s okay if I drink just a little."
"You do drink quite a lot."
Fortunately, he seemed to accept it quickly, perhaps remembering his mother. His mother must have suffered from hangovers frequently.
"But when is Mother coming?"
Suddenly, Lewis changed the subject.
"I hope she comes soon. I like it here."
He must have enjoyed the two nights at the Duke's mansion.
"I want Mother to come soon too, to eat delicious food and wear nice clothes."
He must miss his mother since he's enjoying all the good things alone. For eleven-year-old Lewis, delicious food and nice clothes were luxuries. His mother had never asked her family for help.
...I still can't tell him.
If I want to make young Lewis realize he's an adult, I have to explain the situation so far.
That would surely shock him greatly.
Even if this child disappears when the real Lewis returns...
Hiding my thoughts, I spent time with young Lewis until it was time to sleep.
"When is Mother and I leaving here?"
Lewis asked as we went up to the second floor.
"You said you're living here, right?"
"Huh? Yes."
"I see."
He seemed to be contemplating something upon hearing my words. I couldn't tell what he was thinking since he didn't speak.
"The Duke will let you stay here as long as you want."
"That would be nice."
Lewis smiled brightly.
Then, suddenly, a different voice came.
"It won't be ready by tomorrow morning."
Huh? The sound came from Bella's room that we were passing by.
"It would be faster for Lewis to break the spell himself than for me to make an antidote."
Who is she talking to?
Hearing Bella's anxious voice, I froze.
"If he realizes he's a wizard, he can easily break my spell. So let's tell him the truth now."
"Calm down, Bella."
She was with Yaniels. Yaniels tried to calm her down.
"You gave up on that because he didn't believe it. Lewis thinks he's eleven. If you tell him now, he'll be shocked."
This was a conversation Lewis shouldn't have heard.
I was about to leave when Bella spoke again.
"Even if he's shocked, Lewis will accept it. He'll want to return to his original form before the wedding. We can't let him wait endlessly for his deceased mother while staying in the mansion."
Oh no, Bella!
I turned my head to see Lewis standing there, shocked.
"Lu-Lewis. Let's go to your room."
I hurriedly took Lewis to his room.
Once inside, Lewis asked with a dazed expression.
"What does she mean by Mother is deceased?"
"..."
"Was it true that I was an adult? And those twins are really my siblings?"
This was exactly why I didn't want to tell him. For Lewis now, his mother was his only family, and suddenly, it was as if she disappeared.
It was a huge shock, naturally.
I hesitated but finally answered.
"Yes... it's true. You took the wrong potion and turned into a child. Your mind reverted to when you were eleven, so you couldn't recognize us."
Lewis's complexion grew worse.
"When did Mother... how did she pass away?"
His voice was trembling. His big golden eyes filled with sorrow.
My heart grew heavier.
"She passed away a few years ago... She died of an illness..."
I barely managed to get the words out, and a tear fell from his eye.
"Ugh..."
Lewis's face crumpled.
Seeing him cry silently, I hugged him tightly.
"You don't have to hold back. Cry out loud."
If he doesn't return to normal, he'll just get hurt!
It seemed too cruel. This was why I hesitated. Now, even I felt like crying.
"Lewis!"
As I patted his back, the door burst open. Bella and Yaniels, who was holding her arm, were there.
"Huh?"
"Lewis..."
Seeing Lewis with tears in his eyes, the twins were flustered.
Close the door! He already knows everything!
Yaniels, sensing my signal, quickly shut the door.
Lewis buried his head deeper into my arms, as if not wanting to show his tears.
He finally calmed down after a while.
"I wanted to eat delicious food with her..."
He was still saddened.
I led the somber Lewis to bed.
"Let's get some sleep. You'll feel better after resting."
I reached out to wipe his tear-streaked cheek.
"You have tear marks here."
Lewis dodged and wiped his face roughly with his sleeve.
"I can do it myself."
I wanted to help...
Lewis lay there silently, thinking.
As I quietly watched, he asked,
"Will it hurt less when I'm an adult?"
His voice was heavy.
"Since you said I was an adult... after Mother passed away and some time has passed... it should hurt less."
Having concluded this, he asked another question.
"What was I like as an adult?"
"You were an amazing wizard."
I could answer without hesitation.
"You succeeded, just as you said you would. Everyone acknowledges it."
"And you had a lot of money?"
"Yes. You even have a large mansion. In the southern region, you have an estate."
Lewis chuckled softly.
"It sounds like a dream. To think I was that kind of person..."
"It's not a dream. It's the reality for the current Lewis."
"Reality..."
Knowing what his adult self was like seemed to give him some comfort.
"But what's this about a wedding?"
"Huh?"
"They said you'd want to return to your original form before the wedding. Whose wedding is it?"
"Oh, that..."
It's your wedding. Would it be okay to tell him this?
After hesitating for a moment, he asked again.
"Is it my wedding?"
Oh... correct.
"With whom?"
"You're not surprised?"
Why isn't he surprised about his own wedding?
"I guess adults should get married."
Oh, I see. He sounded more mature, perhaps because he had shown me his crying face earlier.
Feeling a sudden mischievous urge, I decided to say something shocking.
"Actually, the person you're marrying is me."
Will he not be surprised this time too?
Lewis chuckled.
"You were Bella's friend and also my lover?"
"It's true that I'm Bella's friend."
"You've been very nice to me."
Embarrassed, I muttered as Lewis quietly murmured.
"If the wedding is tomorrow, what will happen?"
"It'll be postponed."
We'll have to notify the guests on the day itself that the wedding is postponed!
Ugh, my wedding... I crawled into the blanket with a resigned heart.
"Today, I'll make a special exception and sleep with you. Let's sleep together."
"Why are you coming so close?"
"Oh, do you not like it? Should I move away?"
"No."
As we lay facing each other, I gently stroked his soft brown hair.
"Let's sleep. No matter what happens tomorrow, let's sleep well."
I won't be able to sleep, worrying about tomorrow. Will I stay up all night and end up with dark circles under my eyes?
- But that was an unnecessary worry.
Seeing Lewis close
his eyes, I closed mine too, and soon enough, I lost consciousness.
I really can't beat sleep...
I must have fallen asleep without realizing when.
Then I regained consciousness.
Gasp. As soon as I came to my senses, I opened my eyes wide.
This is Lewis's room, right? I had intended to leave after putting him to sleep but had forgotten.
I was lying on my back, looking at the ceiling, though I had been lying on my side facing Lewis.
What time is it? It's so dark, I can't tell. It must be early morning... Anyway, I should get up.
I decided to leave the room now. Before getting out of bed, I looked over at Lewis.
But... I saw a silhouette that was too big for a child.
What?
Feeling something was off, I looked carefully.
Although I could only see the silhouette, it was clearly not a child's frame. Just as I was about to get a better look by raising myself, Lewis grabbed my wrist.
His one hand completely enveloped my wrist. Feeling the large hand, I realized I wasn't mistaken.
'No way...'
Then, a familiar man's voice came.
"Selina."
"...!"
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