Chapter 128 - The Taste of Red Salvia
Dahlia had come to Ozwald’s workshop for her second lesson.
Though it was scorching hot outside, the workshop was cool and refreshing thanks to the cold wind fan.
Ozwald had left for the main building due to an urgent letter.
Dahlia finished enchanting a silver hand mirror and gently placed it on the table.
It looked like a glass pane, but its base was a thinly sliced and polished crystal.
On top of the crystal, she placed powdered sea serpent lung, infused it with mana, melted it, and spread it evenly. If done correctly, it would become as smooth as a mirror, reflecting whatever was in front of it.
The result was a hand mirror with a decent amount of buoyancy, made from a sea serpent.
In this world, the sea was a dangerous place.
The sea serpent hand mirror served purposes like providing buoyancy if one drowned or signaling for help during a drift.
Unfortunately, since it used the rare material of a sea serpent’s lung, it wasn’t cheap. It was often carried as a talisman by nobles or wealthy merchants during voyages.
Having channeled mana for a while, Dahlia’s shoulders felt stiff.
She stood up and stretched, glancing idly at the garden.
In front of the vibrant red and white salvia flowers in the flowerbed stood a boy.
With silver hair and silver eyes, his youthful face was already strikingly handsome. It was clear at a glance that he was Ozwald’s child.
Since she had heard he had just entered High Academy, he was probably around thirteen or fourteen.
The boy plucked a red salvia flower with a smile and sucked its nectar.
Then, he suddenly looked in her direction.
“Ah...”
They both froze for a few seconds before the boy’s face turned troubled, as if he were about to cry.
Dahlia opened the window and called out without thinking.
“Um! Excuse me, could I have a moment?”
“...Y-yes?”
Only after calling out did she realize.
Calling out to him wouldn’t help the boy save face at all.
Desperately thinking, she looked at the boy’s feet.
“...Could I have some of that salvia?”
The boy obediently plucked one of the flowers at his feet and walked over to the window.
His face flushed red as he eagerly stretched out his arm, handing the red salvia to Dahlia.
“H-here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Dahlia plucked the salvia flower and, like the boy, sucked its nectar.
The nostalgic sweetness made her smile.
“It’s sweet, this salvia. It has more nectar than the ones at my place.”
“...My father apparently especially searched for this variety.”
The boy seemed to relax a bit, smiling awkwardly.
“Thank you for being considerate. I’m sorry for making a fool of myself in front of a guest. Um... could you keep this a secret?”
“Of course. I’ll keep it between us.”
Confirming their shared secret, the two laughed like children.
The boy said he’d come over and ran from the garden to the building’s entrance. Soon, he entered the workshop, leaving the door open.
Outside the door, Ivano and Ozwald’s third wife, Elmelinda, looked at them curiously.
“I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’m Raulere, Ozwald Zola’s eldest son. Please call me Raul.”
“I’m Dahlia Rossetti of the Rossetti Company. Please call me Dahlia.”
They changed expressions and exchanged formal introductions, but Raul’s silver eyes widened midway.
“Excuse me, but is your family the Rossetti who made the magic lanterns?”
“Yes. That was my grandfather’s work.”
“And the hair dryer and waterproof cloth too, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s an honor to meet you! I think they’re all amazing.”
Being praised so enthusiastically made Dahlia feel a bit embarrassed. She thanked him, and they sat down diagonally across from each other.
Raul stared intently at the two hand mirrors on the table.
“What kind of magical tool is that?”
“It’s a sea serpent hand mirror. This one’s a sample, and this one’s my attempt. They’re quite different.”
Dahlia sighed as she looked at the glossy silver surface.
Her mirror had about four small air bubbles, while Ozwald’s was flawless, with no bubbles or cloudiness. The difference in luster was stark.
“Um... what kind of magical toolmaker is my father, in your opinion, Dahlia-san?”
“From what I’ve seen, he’s one of the best, if not the best.”
“Even if it’s flattery, I appreciate it. But my father’s mana isn’t that high, and, well... my mother’s family is only a viscounty.”
“I don’t think that matters. Ozwald-san’s knowledge and skills are incredible. He developed the cool wind fan and cold wind fan, which are even supplied to the royal castle. He’s truly a skilled magical toolmaker.”
Dahlia felt as if her respected teacher had been misunderstood and couldn’t help but speak up. But the boy in front of her was that very teacher’s son.
Realizing her mistake, she looked up to see the boy staring at her with wide eyes.
His silver eyes were just like Ozwald’s.
“I’m sorry for asking strange questions, but Dahlia-san, are you working with my father?”
“No, I’m here to learn from him as a magical toolmaker.”
“Learning as a magical toolmaker... So, will you be marrying him eventually?”
“I will not!”
Dahlia’s voice rose unintentionally, and the boy bowed his head.
“I’m sorry! I misunderstood…”
“No... I should have explained earlier. When you say ‘learning as a magical toolmaker,’ it’s easy to misunderstand...”
When it came to teaching magical toolmaking, it was usually reserved for disciples or family.
Teaching someone from another family, who could be considered a business rival, was extremely rare.
“My father passed away suddenly, and my knowledge and application of magical toolmaking are lacking. That’s why I’m learning as a student.”
“I see. I’m very sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“No, I should have explained earlier. My apologies.”
As they were caught in an apology battle, Ozwald, the subject of their conversation, returned.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, surprised to see Raul in the workshop.
“Raulere, do you need me urgently?”
“No, my apologies. I’ll leave right away.”
“Wait, I was the one who called out to him!”
Dahlia quickly interjected as father and son exchanged cold words.
“Lady Dahlia did? Was there something?”
“Um, I was asking for some salvia.”
“Raulere, isn’t giving red flowers to a woman a bit premature for you?”
“That’s because I thought they were pretty, so I asked for them.”
Dahlia covered for the flustered boy, answering in his stead.
She didn’t want the boy to have to explain to his disapproving father that he had been sucking salvia nectar.
Ozwald shifted his silver gaze from Raul to Dahlia.
“Lady Dahlia, do you wish to become close with my son?”
“Huh?”
“Giving red flowers to an unmarried noblewoman can mean ‘I want to get close.’ Though salvia means ‘respect,’ so it’s not a flower symbolizing love.”
“...I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Dahlia blushed deeply. She had almost become the woman who flirted with a young boy.
“Shall we return to the lesson? Is that alright?”
“Um, would you like to join us, Raul-san? The sea serpent’s lung is rare, and I’ve never seen it in the academy’s magical tool department.”
When Dahlia called out to the boy as he was about to leave, he froze.
Raul finally lifted his gaze, which he had dropped earlier, and looked at Ozwald.
“Father, if it’s not too much trouble, may I join you?”
“Of course. Sit next to Lady Dahlia.”
“Thank you.”
Raul moved to the chair next to Dahlia.
In front of him, Ozwald’s sea serpent hand mirror sparkled.
“When you channel mana into powdered sea serpent lung, it creates buoyancy. However, if the mana is insufficient, it remains powder, and if there’s too much, it scatters. You need to spread it evenly with a consistent amount of mana.”
Since Raul had joined midway, Ozwald repeated the explanation Dahlia had already heard.
Dahlia was about to check her notes in her magic tome when she noticed Raul’s gaze.
The boy’s eyes, looking at her magic tome, shone with a deep longing of a magical toolmaker.
She quickly glanced at Ozwald, who slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
“Raulere, you should take notes too.”
Ozwald pulled out a black box from the bottom of his desk.
“Set the Blood-Bond. This is your magic tome. Be careful, as it will burn if anyone else tries to open it. Keep it in this workshop.”
From the black box, he pulled out a thick book bound in black leather.
In the center of the cover, there was a beautiful red magic stone, the same as Dahlia’s, surrounded by a delicate magic circle drawn in silver ink.
And at the bottom of the cover, in elegant silver script, was engraved “Raulere Zola.”
“Father, is it really alright?!”
“What is? It’s a necessity for a magical toolmaker.”
Though Ozwald’s tone was dismissive, Raul seemed to understand.
He eagerly pricked his finger with a needle to set the Blood-Bond. He was so enthusiastic that it looked a bit painful.
After that, the lesson continued with the three of them.
The salvia placed at the edge of the worktable, though scentless, looked sweet.
・・・・・・・
After the lesson, Dahlia left, and Ozwald was having tea with his wives.
Raul, unusually, entered the sitting room.
“Father, I’m sorry about today.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Keep working hard.”
“Yes, I will.”
Though Ozwald couldn’t find the right words, his son nodded earnestly.
Feeling a bit deflated, Ozwald noticed Raul’s silver eyes looking straight at him.
“Father, do you plan to take a fourth wife?”
“No, I have no such plans.”
“I see. Then, I’ll return to the dorm... Um, if possible, I’d like to join Dahlia-san’s future lessons.”
“I’ll send a messenger when the schedule is set. Take care of yourself. And come home as often as you can during breaks.”
“Yes, I will...Um, Thank you for the magic tome and the lesson, Father.”
Raul bowed and left the room, and Ozwald smiled as he watched him go.
His son’s back, walking away with perfect posture, suddenly seemed taller.
When had he grown so much? It was truly mysterious.
“Well—is Raulere coming down with ‘measles’?”
To Ozwald’s words, his wives gave no answer. They simply smiled with eerily similar expressions.
“I think Lady Dahlia might be a bit too old for Raulere.”
“His preference for older women is just like yours when you were young.”
Caterina, the first wife, laughed merrily.
“The age gap is a bit large for someone in High Academy.”
“I believe it is a difference that you of all people, husband, should not point out.”
Fiore, the second wife, answered with a slightly troubled expression.
“If this keeps up, he might have to compete with the kingdom’s most handsome young man...”
As his wives seemed ready to send their son into a hopeless battle, Ozwald lowered his voice slightly.
In response, Elmelinda, the third wife, said with a straight face:
“He’s our son, after all. He should at least aim that high.”
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