Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 73

To Teacher, From Vanessa (73/146)

“Vanessa, it’s me. Leta.”

Leta, with her hair disheveled and wearing large glasses, was smiling brightly. Vanessa, startled, trembled and then shrieked.

“What! Why are you here? What time is it now!”

“I suddenly wanted to see you at night. I was waiting for you, Vanessa.”

Leta’s eyes twinkled strangely. Vanessa briefly wondered if Leta had been crying, but it didn’t seem so.

Then, suddenly, another thought occurred to her.

“Did I tell you where I live?”

“Huh? I think you did.”

“I did?”

Vanessa calmly asked again. Leta smiled awkwardly.

“You roughly said you lived around here last time. So I just… thought it might be around this area. I just waited on the street, and you came along.”

At Leta’s words, Vanessa nodded ambiguously.

It was possible. This place wasn’t right in front of her house, but it was near, and it was connected to several alleys.

Vanessa asked gently.

“I see. But we were supposed to meet tomorrow. Why?”

“I have nothing to do at home. And I felt bad today too… I thought I’d take a walk. I feel better when I see you.”

Leta smiled brightly. Vanessa chuckled in disbelief and patted Leta’s back.

“Why did you do that when it’s cold? You should go home and bury yourself under the covers.”

“Yeah… Could I possibly sleep at your place tonight? I feel lonely all alone….”

Vanessa flatly refused.

“My place is dirty, and there’s no room for two people to sleep. Besides, my neighbor is very sensitive, so I’d be done for if I brought someone over.”

At Vanessa’s playful words, Leta nodded and smiled faintly.

It was such a fragile smile that Vanessa felt a sense of guilt for no reason.

“I guess all the small accommodations are like that. Seeing you makes me feel a bit better. Let’s definitely meet tomorrow, Vanessa.”

“Okay.”

Vanessa waved enthusiastically at Leta’s back as she walked away. As Leta disappeared into the distance, Vanessa’s expression hardened slightly.

Why do I feel so strange?

Vanessa didn’t go straight to her accommodation but wandered around for a while. Her hesitant steps eventually stopped where she had parted with Leta. Then she turned around and headed in a different direction.

Vanessa decided to go to Lina’s house. Lina’s house wasn’t too far, it was safe, and it didn’t feel as burdensome as Valder Castle.

Of course, if she went to Valder Castle, she would receive a tremendous welcome, but Gideon would be busy.

When Vanessa rang the bell, a servant came out and smiled at her.

Soon, Lina, who had come out of the bright house, yawned and greeted Vanessa. Fortunately, she hadn’t been able to sleep because she had a lot of work to do.

“What, what’s going on? You came without an invitation. Will something good happen tomorrow?”

“Let me sleep over. Oh, and lend me Hornier too! And a pen and paper. Oh, and lend me some clothes too.”

“Aren’t you a complete thief?”

Lina, laughing in disbelief, gave her pajamas to change into, a guest room, Hornier [a magical communication device, like a messenger bird], and a pen. And, as if she didn’t want to work, she sat next to Vanessa and watched the letter she was writing. The letter Vanessa wrote was very short and simple.

「To Gideon.

I have a dinner appointment with Retima Kina tomorrow.

-Vanessa.」

Lina wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Does your boyfriend tell you to report even this?”

“No, it’s not that. Something’s strange, but it’s a bit ambiguous. I hope it ends with my worries, but I thought it would be reassuring to let Gideon know.”

Vanessa also looked down at the letter she had written with a pathetic expression. But she folded it up and put it in Hornier.

Looking at the faint light, Vanessa scratched her cheek. Leta is a good friend in her own way, so is she overthinking it?

While Lina was fixing Vanessa’s hair after she came out of the shower, Hornier glowed softly and a reply arrived.

Gideon clearly couldn’t leave his office. The reply was very fast.

Lina stuck close to her, trying to peek at the contents, so she ended up unfolding the note in front of her.

「Didn’t you tell me not to hang out with other people? I’m disappointed.」

Lina looked at Vanessa with disgust. Vanessa subtly avoided her gaze. On the pure white silk wallpaper, there were places where lace patterns occasionally divided the walls.

Um, pretty. Lina’s taste was still the same.

“What are you two really doing?”

“Dating.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Lina slapped Vanessa’s arm and left the room.

After chuckling for a moment, Vanessa shook off her doubts and crawled onto the fluffy pink bed and lay down.

It’s probably just unnecessary worry. I’ll have a very enjoyable time chatting with Leta tomorrow and then go home and fall asleep.

Vanessa yawned softly and closed her eyes.

And the very next day, she faced the situation she had worried about head-on.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

That day was very ordinary too. Ordinarily getting hit with all sorts of work, and returning the work that others subtly passed on with a smile.

Still, the morning was quite good. It was because she met Gideon among the special forces members moving at a fast pace.

Vanessa hesitated slightly, but Gideon didn’t slow down his pace.

Just as she was about to become sullen, Gideon suddenly stepped back and quickly brushed Vanessa’s cheek with the back of his hand.

As Vanessa looked around in surprise, the man laughed briefly and disappeared.

Vanessa puffed out her cheeks as she quietly recalled the scene.

Very, very skilled. No matter how she thought about it, she suspected his past. Isn’t there something he hasn’t told her?

Vanessa finished the documents she was looking at and arranged them on her desk. Fortunately, there was nothing that had to be postponed until tomorrow.

Vanessa got up and greeted.

“I’ll be leaving work now.”

“Va, nessa….”

Danny Marlon, sitting next to her, called Vanessa gloomily. He looked at Vanessa, who was putting on her cloak, with truly envious eyes.

Most officials always maintained a clean and tidy appearance for the sake of their reputation, but Danny Marlon was wearing loose clothes as if he had just woken up from home, and his hair was as messy as a bird’s nest.

It couldn’t be helped. On his desk, piles of documents that looked like they were about to collapse were precariously tilted.

“Is it okay to leave work early alone like this these days?”

“No, there’s no work these days! The special forces did a great job cleaning up. They’re really grateful people.”

As Vanessa said with a bright smile, Danny Marlon groaned and lay weakly on his desk.

“It’s really the worst as we head into winter.”

Danny Marlon was managing and supervising magic-related accidents, and as the weather got colder, there were many fires due to people trying to add warmth by using the wrong magic.

Thanks to that, Danny Marlon repeatedly jumped up and ran out, then trudged back, losing a lot of weight.

Looking at Danny Marlon, whose cheeks were sunken in, Vanessa said with a pitiful voice.

“Please tell me if there’s anything I can help you with.”

“I didn’t even help Vanessa when she was having a hard time. You’re dressed nicely today. Have fun….”

Vanessa finished her white cloak, which she had been using since her academy days, with a ribbon and smiled.

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

It took quite a while to get out of the castle. It was cold, but it wasn’t yet the weather to pull up the hood.

Vanessa deliberately walked through the garden path to exit the castle gate. The winding garden path was well-maintained and beautiful even in winter.

The garden surrounding the 1st district is said to be incomparable to the 2nd district. Vanessa was somehow a little curious about the king’s garden.

The guards, who had become familiar with her, smiled and greeted Vanessa as she passed through the castle gate. But they definitely checked the pin on her collar.

“You’re leaving work early.”

“I feel even better when everyone says that. Thank you!”

Vanessa smiled and walked away cheerfully.

Leta said she would be waiting in front of a cafe called . It was a place that was gaining popularity these days for its cakes filled with plenty of fruit, and it was a very crowded place.

Vanessa walked happily, thinking that her worries from yesterday were quite useless.

If Gideon asked, she could just say she sent it to tease him.

Vanessa opened the door of the cafe, which was painted bright blue.

The inside of the cafe was clean and the tables were spaciously arranged, as befitting a newly established cafe. But Leta was nowhere to be seen.

As Vanessa looked around, Leta appeared from behind.

“Vanessa! I’ve reserved a seat on the second floor.”

“There’s a second floor here too? It’s huge.”

Vanessa followed Leta up the stairs.

The interior, even the stairs, which were painted blue, felt cool, which was not suitable for the almost winter season, but the appropriately placed yarn decorations appropriately neutralized that feeling.

Vanessa looked around with interest.

Perhaps because it was dinner time, there were still some empty seats.

On the dark brown wooden table, a piece of cake was placed on a pure white plate.

Leta urged her to eat, saying that it was a cake she had ordered in advance.

“There are really a lot of cherries inside.”

“Ah, you eat it. One piece isn’t enough for me.”

Vanessa took a bite of the newly ordered cake and nodded happily. The pure white cream melted softly without leaving anything in her mouth, and the occasional cherry flesh that was chewed was soaked in sugar and sweet.

“Maybe I should just open a cake shop, rather than searching for cakes like this every day.”

Vanessa said seriously. Leta smiled softly.

Today, Leta seemed to be in the best mood she had seen lately.

The dark yellow dress that fit her well made her pale skin look lively, and the white headband reflected the lights in the cafe and sparkled.

Vanessa was greatly relieved to see Leta in a good mood.

“Your cheeks are flushed. Is there something good, Leta?”

At the kind question, Leta smiled shyly.

“Vanessa, it’s a secret….”

Leta whispered and leaned closer. Vanessa also moved closer.

“I’ve become able to realize magic.”

“What?”

Vanessa looked at Leta in surprise, but Leta’s smile was still bright.

“Some people helped me awaken my powers.”

“Have you tried incantation magic or something?”

Vanessa frowned slightly.

As soon as she realized she had magical powers, she realized magic?

Even incantation magic, let alone things that are unconsciously manifested, required the process of learning Edirne [a system of magical formulas] and several formulas. Right away?

In front of the doubtful eyes, Leta answered as if singing.

“No. Someone figured out my magic conditions.”

Vanessa coughed for a moment.

“Um, Leta….”

“Really.”

Leta looked around for a moment and then tapped the end of the glass lightly.

Bouncing water droplets floated in the air for a moment and then fell again. Plop, plop.

“Actually, I met them yesterday and received teachings. That’s why I went to find you! Somehow, I was scared to meet that person. But now I’m going to be a magician.”

Leta smiled confidently.

“Even if the innate magic power is low, if you know the conditions! You know… it’s different.”

Vanessa nodded, barely maintaining a smile.

If you knew the conditions, you could use a much wider variety of magic. Because it’s not tied to something.

“Congratulations, Leta. Maybe you’ll come to the Magic Department as you wanted later.”

“I might go to a better place than the Magic Department.”

Leta smiled brightly.

Vanessa didn’t know who ‘some people’ were, but she thought it was a good thing that Leta had awakened her magical powers and even realized the conditions, so she tried to move on. She wanted to talk about something else.

But.

“Vanessa. Do you want to meet them too?”