Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 74

Leta said with a smile, but Vanessa barely managed to swallow the words she was about to say.

“If you’re interested in meeting, we can arrange it right away. I mentioned you to him… I told him you were a kind wizard, although I don’t know the specifics of your magical conditions [the specific circumstances or requirements needed to fully realize one’s magical abilities]. He said that since you’re acquainted with me, he could probably figure them out for you…”

There was something subtle in Leta’s words, a hidden implication that made Vanessa uneasy.

“He’s met so many wizards. Apparently, there are some common threads in the conditions for magic!”

That couldn’t be right. If that were the case, wouldn’t every wizard in the world have already figured out their conditions? The professors at Bamberg Academy would have discovered that knowledge long ago.

Vanessa slowly tilted her head, considering this. Suddenly, Evan’s words flashed through her mind.

‘I heard that some officials are quitting without a word these days. They’re all wizards.’

Vanessa calmly replied,

“Thank you, Leta. I’ll think about it.”

“Vanessa, please! He said he’s only available today. I went to so much trouble to ask him.”

Let’s go, okay? It’s a really good opportunity.

As Leta whined, the smile vanished from Vanessa’s face.

Many people she met later didn’t perceive any shortcomings in her, but Vanessa had grown up in an orphanage.

The reason why no one noticed her background unless she mentioned it first was that Vanessa had forged new connections.

Her teacher.

From the moment he reached out to her in the guise of sponsorship, many things changed. Vanessa received an opportunity.

Fortunately, Vanessa didn’t squander it and had been diligently building her foundation in a new environment.

However, with her own strength alone, she would have lacked the necessary resources to truly flourish.

But Vanessa had many people who reached out to help her along the way.

They helped Vanessa to value herself and realize that she was not inherently lacking.

Although it’s still a work in progress, Vanessa had changed significantly from the person she once was.

But that didn’t mean her previous life simply disappeared.

Vanessa had witnessed a lot of harsh realities growing up. She had learned valuable lessons from working odd jobs from the age of nine to become a useful child.

So she knew how easily children desperate for affection could be led astray.

The children who disappeared suddenly never returned. Or they were unable to return. Sweet words spread like poison to vulnerable children, clouding their judgment.

In the end, the children willingly walked into the trap.

If Vanessa was still consumed by her own perceived flaws, she might have fallen for those enticing words. She would have immediately grabbed Leta’s hand and eagerly tried to discover the conditions for realizing her magic.

But the current Vanessa was no longer fixated on the idea of finding out those conditions.

She was confident enough in her own abilities, even without knowing them. It might be a little slower and more limited, but she was progressing. And even if she never learned the conditions, the people who cared about her would still be there for her.

However, she was curious as to why Leta had approached her in the first place. What had motivated her to approach a lower-level official like herself?

If it was because Vanessa was an ‘orphan,’ whatever the underlying intention, Leta had made a grave miscalculation.

“Leta.”

“Yeah?”

As Leta answered brightly, Vanessa offered a disarming smile.

“Where did you meet these people? I’m curious.”

“Huh? I just heard rumors about them. They’re very, very famous behind the scenes! I asked someone who had met them to put in a good word for me. They said they don’t meet with just anyone.”

“But they’re willing to meet with me?”

Vanessa hoped her tone didn’t sound too accusatory.

“Because you’re my friend, I asked them separately and made a special appointment. They’ll come right away if you just say the word, right?”

Leta smiled brightly, but Vanessa felt even more uneasy.

An appointment, so they must be nearby. Were they planning to drag her away if she kept refusing?

Vanessa remained outwardly calm even as she watched Leta’s hand slowly reach out towards her, but inwardly, she was deeply puzzled.

No, this is a really crowded place. Would they really try something here?

And the moment she glanced down at the floor below, she noticed an unsettling silence. Before she had even realized it, the first floor was completely empty, and the sound of someone climbing the stairs to the second floor echoed softly.

Whoever was coming, it didn’t seem like it would be advantageous for Vanessa.

Of course, she still didn’t understand the full picture. To go this far just for her? The amount of time Leta had invested was nearly a month.

Vanessa tilted her head for a moment. Could it be that she was actually some kind of hidden, extraordinary talent?

Now Leta’s hand was almost within reach. She could see a small magic circle subtly engraved on the inside of Leta’s palm.

Teacher, look at this. A person should always have at least one way to escape.

A soft whooshing sound, almost like the flapping of a bird’s wings, escaped Vanessa’s lips as she smiled briefly.

The moment Leta’s eyes widened in surprise, golden lines and circles were rapidly drawn beneath Vanessa’s feet.

And in an instant, nothing remained in the spot where Vanessa had been sitting.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

No matter how she looked at it, Gideon Sol Valder was undeniably a person who had been of great help in Vanessa’s life.

The only reason Vanessa had studied space movement magic with such fervent dedication was because she deeply regretted the day she couldn’t secretly escape from Valder Castle.

Of course, thanks to that, she had achieved a very satisfactory result, but the chilling feeling that had coursed through her body when she had opened her eyes that morning! She still couldn’t forget it.

Yeah, a person should always have at least one way to escape.

Her proud thoughts were only temporary.

The place Vanessa had instinctively thought of was near the main gate of Friba Royal Castle. There were guards stationed nearby, and it was the most brightly lit area in Pydom, making it seem relatively safe.

However, space movement magic was considered the pinnacle of incantation magic [a type of magic that relies on spoken words or phrases to produce effects], so it was easy for beginners to make mistakes.

Vanessa pronounced the incantation more hastily than usual and inadvertently channeled far too much magic power.

As a result, she didn’t land right near the central gate, but rather near a small, unassuming blue iron gate a little further away.

“Ack!”

She could see a couple of people standing a few steps away, illuminated by the soft glow of a magic stone lamp, but Vanessa didn’t have the余裕[leeway/capacity] to pay attention to them.

Because she had performed the movement magic while seated, Vanessa 그대로[directly/immediately] hit her knees hard on the ground, and as an unfortunate side effect, she also developed a throbbing headache.

Vanessa 그대로[directly/immediately] buried her head in the dirt floor and groaned in pain.

“It hurts, it hurts!”

Someone nearby walked over and asked with concern, but Vanessa didn’t have the strength to even lift her head. So she remained with her head buried in the ground and gestured weakly for them to leave her alone.

But those people simply continued their conversation near Vanessa.

“It must hurt terribly. Her knees must be all scraped up.”

“That’s right.”

“Why don’t you heal her a little?”

“Me?”

It was a tone laced with a distinct feeling of ‘why should I bother?’ The woman who had initially asked Vanessa if she was in pain clicked her tongue in disapproval and said,

“That’s why your reputation is so bad. Can you even properly train your successors?”

“What’s the point of having a good reputation? It just means I’ll have to work even harder…. Successors, well…”

“Well, look at Duke Valder. He takes on all kinds of work without complaint, and secretly, work just piles up on him. He’s a really weird guy.”

Even though her head was pounding, the name Duke Valder registered clearly in Vanessa’s mind.

Vanessa barely managed to lift her head.

What she saw in her blurry vision was a very tall woman with a hood pulled down low, obscuring her face, and a man wearing a vibrant red cloak. The woman was looking down at Vanessa with a curious expression.

Vanessa 짚으며[supporting herself] mumbled, clutching her throbbing head.

“Are you cabinet officials? Or nobles from the Joint Conference [a governing body comprised of nobles]?”

“No, I’m the king.”

Vanessa, who had suddenly fallen near the castle and was about to explain that she was definitely not a dangerous person, paused abruptly.

What?

“N-no, you’re joking.”

“I’m serious.”

The woman pushed her hood back, revealing her face.

Only then, against the backdrop of the imposing castle walls, did Vanessa recognize the unruly black hair, often seen in portraits, sticking out in all directions, and the strangely bright gray eyes. The woman was scrutinizing Vanessa intently.

Vanessa hurriedly suppressed the cough that was threatening to erupt.

Her headache was steadily worsening, and she couldn’t tell if it was due to the aftereffects of the movement magic or the sudden, unexpected appearance of the king.

Why is the king here!

“To be able to perform space movement magic is quite remarkable. Was that incantation magic?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. However, even among incantation magic, it is exceptionally difficult, so it is rarely used except by those who have 깨우친[awakened/realized] the conditions. It also requires an immense amount of magic power.”

A man with a meticulously groomed mustache said in a very sleepy tone, idly picking at his ears. The king continued to look at Vanessa with an intrigued expression. Vanessa was feeling increasingly dizzy.

“A wizard who knows the conditions. I think I’ve seen her in the castle before. I’m good at remembering beautiful women…. Which department do you work in?”

“Th-that, I… I don’t know the conditions. I just really wanted to try movement magic! I just gave it a shot. It worked out well… I think it was because I was in a hurry.”

The king scoffed dismissively at Vanessa’s 구구절절[long-winded/detailed] excuses.

“These days, young people don’t want to work, it’s a big problem. Look at her, just spouting nonsense when I asked her where she works. Aberdeen, I’ll go on ahead, so 탈탈털어[thoroughly investigate/shake down] come and get all the information about that wizard.”

The king leisurely pulled his hood back up and walked away.

The king waved casually to the guards standing far away, as if greeting a friend. Of course, the guards responded with a very formal salute.

Vanessa was simply gaping at his retreating back.

Saying I don’t want to work. How hard did I work!

Seeing Vanessa belatedly hitting the ground in frustration and complaining unfairly, the man wearing the red cloak stroked his chin thoughtfully with his long fingers.

The man gave off a strange impression, like a fancy, predatory spider.

He had a very lean body, but his limbs were disproportionately long, and his fingers were simply long and slender, lacking any prominent joints.

And on that hand, he wore four rings adorned with large, ostentatious stones hanging 주렁주렁[dangling/clattering].

The man opened his mouth in a sleepy voice.

“To fall right in front of His Majesty, I don’t know whether to say you’re lucky or unlucky.”

“I really don’t know the conditions!”

“But to be able to perform space movement magic is even more amazing. It’s not called incantation magic that only those who know the conditions can perform for nothing. Even those who know the conditions often can’t manage it.”

The man neatly trimmed his mustache and looked down at Vanessa, who was 힘없이엎어져[powerlessly sprawled] lying on the ground.

Vanessa 발끈[suddenly/angrily] got angry.

“Are you a wizard?”

“That’s right. I am Aberdeen Chara, a wizard of the eastern border.”

Vanessa immediately shut her mouth. She was a wizard that Vanessa also knew from textbooks. He was not just any wizard, but a wizard who 막아내는[prevented/held back] storms!

“What is the name of the wizard who is 넘어져[fallen/lying] down?”

Nothing in the world goes as you want.