By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Short Story

Eleonora Prepares for Her First Day

The day after the duke and duchess met Ryoma in the Forest of Gana, Eleonora was walking down the hall of the duke’s residence, her brows knotted together.

“Oh, Miss Eleonora.”

“Good day, Lord Rosenberg.”

“I was hoping I would find you... Is something troubling you?”

“Nothing as serious as that. Now that my tasks were completed, I was wondering what I should do next,” Eleonora said stiffly, failing to mask the restlessness of having no tasks on hand. “How can I help you?”

“Just now, I debriefed the duke on this.” Rosenberg showed her a booklet that Eleonora recognized.

“That’s the training material Master Ryoma composed,” she said.

“Yes, based on his own experiences. He was concerned that he might have accidentally cursed it, so I inspected it as a precaution. I’ve been told that all contact with him is to go through you. Could I ask you to return this to him?”

“Of course. Is there anything I should keep in mind while handling it?”

“No. There were signs of a curse that must have been active at one point, but it’s harmless now. That I can guarantee,” Rosenberg reassured.

Eleonora had shared her first impression of Ryoma with the warlock as part of his assessment of the curse, yet she hadn’t heard Rosenberg’s first impression of the boy in return. Although she knew that he had no need to share his feelings about Ryoma at the time, she was curious about her new boss.

When Eleonora asked him, Rosenberg considered his answer before speaking, “Hard-lived, to put it shortly. Accounts in that document show that he’s been through tough times, especially when it comes to interpersonal conflicts. The fact that there were signs of a curse only emphasizes the severity of his tribulations. Anyone could theoretically cast a curse unintentionally, but the amount of negative emotions you would need to do so would be enough that you could kill someone with hatred alone. At the very least, he is not merely a child spoiled with luck and talent.”

“I’ve heard stories of his accomplishments too. I can hardly believe they were all done by a child... I can’t help wondering if someone else is pulling the strings.”

“I don’t blame you,” Rosenberg laughed. “Are you feeling reluctant to work as his secretary?”

“On the contrary! I never dreamed that the duke would push for my assignment without verifying those stories, nor do I doubt that Master Ryoma himself is responsible for his accomplishments. I don’t have any complaints about my work either. I am already treated better than I deserve under the protection of the duke... Yet, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel nervous. I’ve never been the cheerful type, and I don’t have any experience in working with children, so—” Eleonora stopped herself. There were plenty more things she was nervous about, but spilling them all now seemed irresponsible, like a sign of weakness.

Rosenberg saw that on her face and gently said, “As far as I can tell, he is very mature for his age. There should be no expectation to treat him like an ordinary child. I’d even suggest speaking to him as you would to an adult, considering what the future has in store for him. More importantly, I think you should spend your efforts on maintaining a pleasant relationship between him and those around him. Conflict is usually drawn to those with exceptional abilities, and negative emotions are the root of all curses. My professional opinion as a warlock is that I want him to master those emotions and keep them from hurting himself or others... And I could say the same of you.”

Eleonora stiffened at those words, and Rosenberg took his leave with a bow.

Left alone in the hallway, she twisted her features again, her gratitude for Rosenberg’s concern and her guilt for accepting it clashing within her heart.

After a few seconds, though, she blew out a long breath and continued walking down the hall. “There’s no sense in standing still. I must keep moving.”

That was how she’d survived. She told herself to keep moving: to keep looking for the next thing she could do. Whether it was a spark of courage or to escape from her anxiety, she didn’t know. Perhaps she would discover that about herself, one day.

Two days later, Eleonora would find herself drawing the concern of others again when her face clearly showed that she’d read through the employee handbook in an attempt to better understand Ryoma’s personality.