The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 10

Grain, who had been walking ahead, gave me a small wave, and I nodded in return.

“Grain, what do you mean, he’s unwell?”

When Grain reached out to me, I quickly moved to his side.

I felt much more comfortable and familiar with Grain than with Merian, who treated me like a doll.

Besides, perhaps because Grain was a water Arvat, I sensed a comforting and pure aura from him.

“I was just about to explain…”

My father coughed softly. Merian asked sharply,

“Does this have anything to do with your sudden move to Prion?”

“Yes. I’ll explain during dinner.”

My father said with a wry smile.

Merian and Colin also exchanged greetings with Luwen and Erner.  They all seemed to know each other well.

Several other guests were already in the spacious hall, which was lit by a large chandelier.

There were people in knight uniforms and younger men as well.  I also spotted Laillin and Joel, whom I had seen at our home in Merribelle.  They had been invited too.

Shuren, who seemed to have already befriended them, was chatting with them naturally.

“You’re all gathered here.”

I turned my head at the deep voice of a middle-aged man.

An older man with dark gray hair approached, carrying a silver-haired girl in his arms.

It was the same girl who had been sitting beside me when I first woke up at the medical center.

“Welcome, Sir Lesis.”

“Petron, it’s been a while.”

My father, Erner, and Colin placed their hands over their hearts and bowed their heads in respectful salutes, while Luwen and Grain simply nodded.

Only Merian waved playfully, like a child.

The man smiled gently at everyone.

“Thank you for the invitation, Jaden.  And it’s been a while, Merian and Colin.  Especially you, Merian, I would have thought you’d at least submit a return report before coming here.”

“I didn’t?”

Colin asked faintly, and Merian chuckled.

“We came in a hurry.  Seeing your face is report enough, isn’t it?”

“Well, we can discuss that later…  There’s someone I’d like to greet first.  Liveric?”

The man smiled at me.

I stepped in front of my father, and he placed a reassuring hand on my head.

“Liv. This is White Knight, Sir Petron Lesis.  Say hello.”

I politely clasped my hands together and bowed my head.

I remembered the profound respect in my father’s voice when he had spoken about him.

The eldest son of Allen Lesis, one of the heroes and former crown prince of the Lesion Kingdom, a man who had inherited his noble legacy and dedicated himself to Prius.

And the “White Knight,” the highest-ranking knight in Prius…

The White Knight looked down at me with a weighty gaze.

“You look much better than before.  That’s good.  Now, Clementine, you should say hello too.”

The White Knight put down the girl he was holding.

Dressed in a white dress with gold embroidery, the girl hesitated shyly.

She bowed her head without looking directly at me.

“Hello…”

After her greeting, the little girl, her face flushed, hid behind the White Knight.

“She seems shy with everyone looking at her. Liveric, Clementine is my granddaughter.  She’s a little younger than you, but since she’s a Denan, you’re roughly the same age.  I hope you can be friends.”

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Clementine.”

I nodded and smiled.

Clementine just blinked her large eyes at me from behind the White Knight.

Only after the White Knight gently nudged her forward, saying, “Go on,” did she manage to speak in a small, blushing voice.

“…Yes. It’s… nice to meet you too.”

“Oh my, they’re both so adorable!”

Merian squealed, pulling both Clementine and me into a hug.

Clementine was startled, and I was equally flustered.

Only after Colin sighed and pulled the excited Merian away were Clementine and I released from her enthusiastic embrace.

“Merian, let the children play, and let’s go eat.  I’ve been smelling something delicious.”

“The food is ready in the dining room.  Please, come in.”

My father smiled and led everyone to the dining room.

He said they would prepare a separate meal for Clementine and me and told us to play for a while.

I led Clementine, who seemed anxious about being separated from her grandfather, to a window seat in the entrance hall, where she could see the dining room.

Clementine sat quietly on the sofa, glancing at her grandfather in the dining room.

With the guests all in the dining room, the hall became quiet.

Only the maids and servants bustled back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen.

I fidgeted with the Melgram around my neck, a habitual gesture.

The transparent Melgram pulsed as always, emitting a warm aura.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Clementine asked, looking at me.

I blinked.

I hadn’t expected Clementine to initiate the conversation.  I had intended to wait, as she seemed anxious and shy.

Clementine’s face flushed.

“You… you looked very sick at the medical center…”

“I’m okay now.”

I smiled.  I could feel Clementine’s genuine concern.

“I’m much better. Thank you for worrying.”

“That’s good.”

Clementine finally relaxed and smiled brightly. Dimples appeared on either side of her mouth, and her kind eyes softened.

Perhaps because of her dress, embroidered with golden flowers, Clementine seemed to have a floral scent.

It was strange, as she wasn’t a Luoir.

“Say, Liveric, are you a Luoir?”

“Yes.”

“What’s different about Luoirs?”

Clementine tilted her head slightly.

I moved closer to her on the sofa so I could explain.

Clementine, sitting across from me, was so small that her feet didn’t touch the floor, even on the sofa.

“Not much is different. They live a little longer than Denans.  And they have a floral or woody scent.”

“What about Arvats?”

“They live a little longer than Luoirs.  And they have special abilities.”

“Ooh,” Clementine said, looking at me with curious eyes.

I didn’t know why we were having this conversation, but I didn’t mind explaining things to Clementine.

“I know about Lorans.  My nanny is a Loran. She has a fluffy tail, and she sometimes knocks things over with it.”

Clementine giggled.

“What about your nanny?”

“She was a Denan… but I don’t have one now.”

Thinking of Mrs. Amara, I felt a little sad.

I hadn’t realized it when we were at our old home, but now I felt the absence of many familiar faces.

Especially today, with so many guests and so much work to be done, seeing my mother bustling about made me feel it even more acutely.

Before Clementine could ask why, Shuren and my mother approached and told us that dinner was ready.

Clementine politely bowed her head to my mother, and my mother looked at the little girl with affectionate eyes.

We moved to the dining room and ate together.

Having my mother and Shuren with me eased my anxiety about the unfamiliar surroundings and people.

Clementine seemed to feel the same way.  She had grown comfortable and was now eating quietly and politely.

After dinner, Clementine and I explored the ground floor of the manor.

We wandered in and out of the various rooms – the drawing-room, the lounge, the guest rooms – careful not to disturb the maids.

“This is similar to my house.”

“Really?”

Clementine nodded, then left the room and ran to the end of the hallway.

At the end of the hallway was a small space surrounded by windows.

Clementine leaned against the windowsill and pointed outside.

“That’s my house.  Where I live with my grandfather and grandmother.”

A large manor, not far from where Clementine pointed, shimmered in the light.

“What about your father and mother?”

“They work overseas, I think.  I only see them occasionally.”

“Oh,” I sighed softly.

“That must be lonely.”

“No, I have my grandfather and grandmother. And my nanny…”

Clementine glanced at me and smiled brightly.

“And I have a new friend now.  You should come visit my house sometime. Let’s play together.”

“Okay.”

I smiled back and nodded.

We leaned against the windowsill, chatting away without noticing the time.

We forgot all about the scary things that had happened.

Clementine knew every flower and tree in her garden.

She said she followed the gardeners around every day, admiring the flowers.

I told her some interesting stories I had read in books.  Clementine especially enjoyed the old Sernia fairy tales with lots of Luoirs in them.

The cool air by the window made my throat tickle.

I felt a cough coming on.

We returned to the warmth of the hall.

The dining room was still noisy.  Although dinner was almost over, the after-dinner drinks and conversation continued.

We passed by the boisterous dining room and returned to the sofa where we had been sitting earlier.

“So, will you become a knight when you grow up?”

As soon as we sat down, Clementine resumed our earlier conversation.

About what we wanted to be in the future.

Clementine had said she wanted to create a beautiful garden.  A humble and innocent dream for the granddaughter of the White Knight.

“I don’t know yet.  I haven’t really thought about it… *cough*.”

I quickly covered my mouth, but I couldn’t suppress the cough rising in my throat.

My whole body shook as I coughed weakly.

Clementine’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Liveric?  Are you alright?”

“…Y-Yes.”

I managed to answer, trying to calm my breathing by exhaling slowly.

But the coughing wouldn’t stop; it continued relentlessly.

I clutched my aching chest and curled up.

Clementine jumped up, startled.

Someone called my name, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps… which then faded into the distance.

My breathing grew shallow, and my consciousness wavered.

“Liv, Liv. Open your eyes.”

At the sound of Grain’s voice, I managed to open my eyes.

Beyond his shoulder, I saw my father and mother looking down at me with worried faces.

Clementine, held in her grandfather’s arms, finally burst into tears.

I tried to sit up, grabbing Grain’s arm, but I couldn’t muster the strength.

I tried to say I was alright, but my ragged breathing only produced wheezing sounds.

“Grain, may I?”

Luwen appeared suddenly behind Grain.  Grain looked startled but stepped aside readily.

Luwen approached and reached out to me without hesitation.

As his hand touched my forehead, a surge of hot mana flooded my senses.

I gasped for breath and then lost consciousness.