47 – First Steps
A young child in a state that seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment is often compared to a time bomb, but sometimes the situation can be resolved simply by giving them a toy to hold onto.
The interesting thing is that the application of this solution is not limited to young children.
Even as one grows older, they can still play and enjoy themselves with toys. The heart itself does not change.
What changes is only the toy.
“――♪♬”
And there was someone who had obtained a good toy.
A few minutes after Eugene left the room.
Julia, who was still sitting at the desk, began to hum a tune and sway her body from side to side.
It was a habit.
Because among the big and small things she couldn’t do, the common habit of swinging her legs was included, so it continued until she was nineteen years old.
It was a habit that she had to avoid at all costs in front of others.
That’s why Julia only did this when she was at home.
The implications were profound.
She felt good.
Even to the point of occasionally finding Eugene’s scent lingering in the rose fragrance, it was so fragrant that it was almost nauseating. That scent made Julia’s subtle smile even deeper.
Finally, they were able to drive away the troublemakers.
Just that alone improved the mood, but for Eugene, there was an unexpected joy.
What was thought to be a soldier standing upright without any movement turned out to be a self-moving paper doll.
Where else in the world could you find such amusement?
Since becoming an adult, this was the first time there was someone, other than a servant, who could be dealt with comfortably.
The leisurely financial situation, which was of no use until now, proved helpful at a time like this.
Tick, tock.
Yulia hummed a tune while running her chestnut-colored hair through her fingers.
“I’m looking forward to Monday.”
She muttered to herself in a strange excitement.
Soon after, her solitary time was shattered into pieces.
Knock, knock. The sound of knocking reached her ears.
Yulia immediately responded with a cold voice, “Who is it?”
Someone outside the door replied. It was the housekeeper.
– The master is calling for you.
“…Come in.”
Creak—
The door opened, and along with the housekeeper, a maid with snow-white hair entered the room.
The maid was pushing a wheelchair, and the housekeeper was bringing a separate walking aid.
During the rare moments she spent alone, she seemed to be interrupted. Her demeanor was unusually awkward today.
Though she harbored almost no ill feelings toward Han Yeong, it was different this time.
“Miss, please hold onto the handle of the walker—”
Before Han Yeong could finish speaking, Yulia gracefully descended from the desk.
With both legs, no cane.
Thud!
For a moment, it seemed like she was standing up with her own strength, but it was just a temporary balance due to the structure of her leg joints and weak muscles.
Before a second passed, Yulia’s entire body collapsed forward as if pouring down.
“Miss!”
Han Yeong managed to grab her just in time as she was about to smash her face on the floor.
While Han Yeong was shocked, Yulia’s expression remained casual.
Han Yeong was a trustworthy person, and even if she fell and broke her nose, it wouldn’t be so bad. It would provide a good excuse to stay in the room.
Yulia apologized with a light smile.
“Sorry. Somehow, I felt like I could take more than three steps today.”
“…Please refrain from dangerous jokes.”
“I won’t do it next time. Now, shall we go?”
Swoosh. Yulia, reluctantly seated in the wheelchair, declared.
Muller Mansion was spacious.
To be precise, it was unnecessarily spacious.
It was so inefficient that it took more than seventy steps to go from Yulia’s room to the family-exclusive library.
With a distance that made it impossible to walk with a cane or a walker, even Yulia, who was extremely reluctant to use a wheelchair in the house, would willingly get on the wheelchair at this time without a word.
Swoosh–
The wheelchair smoothly rolled over the luxurious carpet.
When she reached the study room door in the mansion, Yulia quietly cleared her throat.
She needed to raise her voice.
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“Phew.”
Yulia took a deep breath and opened her mouth, speaking loud enough for her voice to be heard beyond the door.
“Father, did you call for me?”
At the same time, she counted silently in her mind. One. Two. Three.
By the time the number reached seven, an answer came from inside.
– Yes.
“A while ago, the mid-term exam at the magic university ended. Luckily, I received good grades, didn’t I?”
– I see.
A monotonous response.
It was enough to match the expected response.
As Yulia was about to close her mouth and wait, the main point popped out.
– Have you become proficient in magic?
“… No.”
– Make progress. You excel in theory, so try to cultivate imagination and intuition.
“Yes, Father.”
“Rest for now.
That’s the end of our conversation.
Goodbye. Father’s business was always the same, and any other small talk seemed completely unimportant to him.
After greeting her unseen father beyond the invisible wall, Yulia turned and left.
“Go ahead.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Returning to her room was quick.
The unfamiliar scent of Eugene had long disappeared.
The room was once again filled with a faint rose fragrance.
The housekeeper and butler laid Yulia on the bed like an object, handed her the cane, and then withdrew.
“….”
The exam had ended just a few days ago.
She didn’t feel the need to sit at her desk to study. To do that, she had to grab her cane and walk like a foal.
It was still too early to sleep, but Yulia didn’t care and collapsed onto the bed.
Her face was converging into an expressionless state.
“What are imagination and intuition.”
A room where it was difficult to step out even an inch with her own strength.
A monotonous and unpredictable life.
I can’t even imagine myself walking freely on the streets, so how can I imagine magic?
Facing her own limits was no different from a caged bird testing how strong the window bars were.”
And so, Yulia started humming again.
It was a natural thing.
Just like when you promise to give a wonderful toy as a gift to a child, and they start getting excited two days before.
Yulia was the same.
And the weekend passed by.
June 10th. Clear skies.
Monday morning dawned.
The early summer sky was high and clear, as if asking when it had rained.
Yulia slightly dampened the curtain inside the carriage and looked out the window.
Whether it was because the spring breeze had subsided or because the midterms had a significant impact, the atmosphere among the students in her correctional class seemed somewhat calmer.
Kiiing—
The carriage came to a stop in front of the lecture hall.
Grand Hall. Lecture room for [Understanding Literary Genres].
She leaned on her cane, carefully descended the carriage steps, and got onto her wheelchair.
At the same time, Yulia saw something unexpected.
“Oh my.”
There was a person right in front of the carriage.
The carriage’s decorations were so luxurious that there were usually a few people nearby admiring them, but hardly anyone came this close.
Yulia raised her head and recognized the person’s face.
Immediately, she realized that it was a familiar face.
“…Eugene?”
“Yeah. Why are you staring like that?”
Yujin responded with a puzzled expression.
But there was a good reason for that; there were many changes in him overall.
To exaggerate a bit, even his distinctive gray hair was hidden to the point of being unrecognizable.
“A lot has changed.”
“I received a down payment of a thousand pounds. Since I declared I’d sign, I thought I should pay attention to maintaining some dignity.”
That was an immediate excuse he spat out, and Yulia had no way of knowing about Lena’s skillful makeover from head to toe.
Yulia just smiled and scrutinized every inch of Yujin.
The usually messy hair was neatly arranged.
Although neat, the shirt and pants, which used to exude cheapness, were now matched with those from a decent tailor shop. Along with that, the neglected contours of his body came alive.
In other words, he looked cleaner than the offspring of most prestigious families.
Realizing that she had been staring at Yujin more than necessary, Yulia immediately changed her expression.
A tailored expression.
She slightly lifted the corners of her mouth more than usual and narrowed her pumpkin-colored eyes a bit.
Was it to match him? Yujin, who usually didn’t show much emotion on his face, also let out a light smile.
He asked, “How is it?”
“It’s fine.”
It was an excellent pretense.
“Shall we go to attend the lecture?”
Without delay, the two liars began to parade through the correction.
*
[Understanding of Literary Genres] The classroom was filled with the usual calm murmur, but its nature was somewhat different from the previous week.
Despite students gathered, each telling their own stories, their gazes often converged on the same place.
Two vacant seats.
One towards the front, designed to accommodate a wheelchair.
And the one in the middle at the very back, an empty spot.
It was already five minutes before the lecture began.
Though Yujin Oslo, who occasionally entered the classroom on the edge, could be excused, it was strange that Yulia, who commuted through a carriage, had not arrived yet.
No one brought up the direct conversation, but in reality, everyone was recalling the scene from last week.
What could be the situation?
With every tick of the clock, the students’ curiosity multiplied.
Tick―
Finally, when the classroom door opened, everyone’s jaws dropped.
Unlike usual, Yulia, sitting somewhat provocatively with enchanting pumpkin-colored eyes, and the young man behind her, pushing a wheelchair, appeared in view simultaneously.
The two silently moved to their respective places.
And then.
“Ah.”
Everyone in the classroom saw.
Eujin didn’t go behind the lecture hall; instead, he casually slipped into the seat next to Yulia.
