Gerard stood in place until Estella and the Squirrel Mercenary Band disappeared from view, then turned back toward his lab. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her retreating figure growing smaller in the distance.

‘Why? What is this feeling?’

As he watched Estella rush forward without once glancing back, worry and a strange pang of hurt bloomed inside him at the same time.

‘She could’ve at least waved.’

Trying to shake off the petty feeling like some grumbler sulking over nothing, Gerard quickened his pace.

His lab was situated not far from the forge to facilitate collaboration with Dolan. But it was still far enough that smoke or explosions from magical experiments wouldn’t affect the blacksmith.

“Ack, my knees...”

He hadn’t walked far before his knee began to throb. Groaning like an old man, Gerard plopped down on a low stone and began tapping his knee. It seemed to be acting up again, likely due to the approaching autumn. The old injury was starting to ache deep inside. On rainy days, the pain could be so unbearable that sleeping without painkillers was nearly impossible. By his calculation, the worst of it would hit in about two weeks.

“Ugh...”

Gerard rolled up his sleeve and fanned himself with a hand, but let out a deep sigh when his eyes fell on his unusually bony arm. For some reason, the image of Ciel’s robust frame came to mind. Whenever he saw Ciel standing beside Estella, an indescribable sense of inferiority twisted in his gut.

Today was no different. Watching that dignified figure on horseback—it was envy, plain and simple. Ciel possessed deep knowledge of magic, brilliant creativity, and a memory that never forgot once it saw. Gerard had never felt inferior to anyone when it came to intellect. And he had certainly never once wished to be one of those musclebound types. He’d even scoffed at them, silently mocking their dependence on brute strength.

But lately, he found himself kneading his limbs—dry as firewood—and wondering if he could even carry Estella if she got hurt. Realistically, not a chance. He probably couldn’t even lift her. Even if he somehow did manage to pick her up, he’d collapse after five steps. Honestly, Estella might have to carry him instead.

“Dammit.”

Gerard snapped irritably and jumped to his feet. They must have already ridden far off, but for some reason, the sound of hooves lingered in his ears. Stretching his neck out, he peered in the direction Estella had gone. Of course, there wasn’t even a trace of dust in the distance. Estella and Ciel had already galloped far, far away.

Of course, she’d come back eventually.
And she needed him more than anyone.
He was certain—he was the one Estella needed most.

But still, there was a hollow emptiness inside that certainty couldn’t fill. And every time he acknowledged that fact, the void seemed to widen just a bit more.

Lost in thought, Gerard eventually arrived at his lab.

It was a semi-subterranean stone building, sturdy enough to withstand magical shockwaves. Just outside the door lay a stone slab he’d brought from his original lab, functioning like a doormat but engraved with a magic circle that prevented unauthorized entry.

Only one other person besides Gerard could enter here: Estella. While practicing teleportation spells, she’d brought over the slab and the very first name he had engraved into the access spell was hers.

On one wall, crudely scribbled signs in Gerard’s terrible handwriting read “Danger. Explosion hazard. Keep out.” slapped on haphazardly. The letters were all different sizes, and the planks used as signs were mismatched scraps.

Standing on the slab, Gerard took a slow, deep breath. After a moment, a soft blue light shimmered from the circle, forming the shape of a human hand. The translucent fingers brushed against his shoes, and Gerard scowled.

“It's me. Every day, the same crap. Annoying.”

Snapping at it like he was talking to a person, Gerard watched the glowing hand pat the dust off his worn leather shoes before slipping back into the slab. But if someone unauthorized were to step on it, those friendly fingers would sharpen into claws and shred their feet to ribbons.

Gerard, still eyeing the overzealously thorough stone slab with disdain, had just reached for the doorknob when—

“Magician Gerard.”

A calm child’s voice called from behind him.

A child? Here?

For a moment, Gerard wondered if it was Estella’s younger brother. He already knew Jad’s voice, but this one was softer, more cautious.

He spun around and fixed his chilly gaze on the child visitor. The boy had neatly combed brown hair and strikingly bright eyes. His eye color was different from Estella’s, but something about his gaze resembled hers.

Behind the boy stood two knights, likely his guards. Their faces looked vaguely familiar—people he’d probably passed in the corridors.

“What is this now?” Gerard asked in a haughty tone, though he already knew who the boy was.

“I’m Luka Cardeine, Estella’s younger brother and the son of Marquis Cassian.”

Not bad.

If the kid had strutted in like a noble brat, flaunting his status as the marquis’s only son, Gerard would’ve thrown him out. But the boy seemed either quick-witted or simply well-mannered from birth—composed and polite beyond his years.

Gerard might’ve been someone who lived far from the world of etiquette and propriety, but Luka’s upright attitude left a decent impression. The kid stood with a straight back and square shoulders.

“And?”

“I heard you’re currently researching Flame Stones.”

“So?”

“I was told you’ve been a great help to Sister. Thank you.”

His formal tone caught Gerard off guard, making his own voice drop instinctively.

“Yeah, well. You didn’t come all the way here just to say thanks, did you, kid?”

Gerard deliberately used “kid” to belittle him, half-expecting a reaction—but Luka remained calm and composed.

“I came to give you this.”

He held out a high-quality notebook wrapped in leather. Embossed on the cover were three golden stalks of wheat—marking it as a product of House Barende, Leonora’s family.

Gerard took it without a word. It wasn’t new. Something was clearly written inside.

Curious but playing it cool, Gerard flipped the notebook open.

He assumed it was some trivial magic formula scrawled by a kid wanting feedback. His expectations were low. But for the first time, Luka’s calm face tensed with nervousness.

Flip… flip...

Flipflipflip!

The pages, initially turned slowly, began flipping faster and faster. Gerard’s eyes darted side to side, up and down, absorbing the contents with growing intensity. He was so shocked that crude curses slipped out of his mouth mid-reading.

Too late, he realized the kid had heard him—but pretending not to notice was easier than trying to smooth it over.

How much time passed, he didn’t know. When he finally reached the last page, Gerard let out a long exhale.

Only then did it hit him—he’d left the kid standing there this whole time.

With a sheepish grimace, Gerard turned to Luka and asked,

“Would you like to come inside for a bit?”

His voice had softened noticeably.

Since Luka couldn’t cross the entry slab, Gerard picked him up and stepped onto it himself, muttering a string of spells that temporarily permitted guests to enter. As a glowing blue hand emerged, startled, Luka clung tightly to Gerard’s skinny neck, causing him to stagger before regaining balance.

He looked light, but the kid actually had some weight to him.

After setting Luka down inside the lab, Gerard began massaging his arm, which had cramped from carrying him.

“Wowww…”

Luka looked around in awe, his voice full of wonder. Perhaps it was his unusually sharp mind and those clear eyes, but under the dim lighting of the lab, the boy who’d seemed so mature outside now looked like a typical curious child.

No surprise—Gerard’s lab was full of things most people wouldn’t see in a lifetime.

“If you touch anything recklessly, I’ll—”

He’d meant to scold Luka in advance just in case his curiosity got the better of him. But he didn’t need to. Luka was more courteous and mindful than anyone who’d ever set foot in the lab.

Worried he might break something valuable, Luka tucked his arms in and rounded his shoulders, carefully weaving through the maze of equipment.

He was so careful that Gerard ended up personally telling him which items were okay to touch.

“Oh? That’s my mother’s Flame Stone.”

Noticing a fragment of Flame Stone on the desk, Luka’s voice brightened.

“Estella gave it to me to study.”

Gerard quickly clarified, worried Luka might think he’d stolen it.

“I know. She already told me.”

“As long as you know.”

“Did you know that Flame Stones generate heat on their own due to internal energy circulation?”

Luka asked, still staring at the stone.

“Of course I know. It gets hot just from holding it.”

Gerard grumbled in irritation.

“I thought so. Did you also know they resonate across distances?”

“You mean how different Flame Stones vibrate and reveal their locations if they’re within a certain range of each other?”

“Yes! What do you think causes that? What is it inside Flame Stones that makes them resonate like that? If we could harness that trait, maybe people carrying pieces of the same stone could always find each other—no matter how far apart. Using that resonance, amplified. It could help people locate loved ones! I decided to call this the Twin Flame Phenomenon. What do you think?”

Luka spoke excitedly, unaware his speech had sped up. It had been so long since he spoke his thoughts without worrying about how others would react.

Maybe, Gerard thought, this kid was even smarter than he seemed.

Watching those sparkling eyes locked on him, Gerard couldn’t help but think of Estella. The resemblance was uncanny. Maybe that’s why...

He seemed oddly endearing.

Normally, Gerard despised whiny, stubborn, willful kids. Creatures driven by instinct over reason had always repulsed him—children included.

But Luka... was different.

“You...”

Gerard, staring in disbelief, murmured at last.

“Wanna see something cool?”

Without thinking, he’d offered—just to see the boy smile. Something the usual Gerard would never have done.

“Yes!”

Only after seeing Luka’s eyes sparkle like stars did Gerard realize what he’d said. He sighed deeply.

This damned house... It keeps turning people weird.

Chapter 121

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