Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

The three of them walked back to the forest where Eileen and Cordelia had come from. 

 

When Eileen was sure no one was around, she turned to Rosalia.

 “How did you know that I was looking for you?” “Because you were looking for me~” “No pun intended.” “But I’m not joking, because the stars told me so.” “…Are you a gypsy?” 

A gypsy. A nomadic people who read the stars to tell them they have a small amount of fairy blood in them.

 

Nonsense. Felix’s teacher was not a gypsy…

 “Gypsies can’t be wizards.” 

Gypsies, the so-called Children of the Stars, were imbued with the aura of the stars and could foretell the future, but they felt no mana. Rosalia raised her index finger.

 

Rosalia replied with her trademark wry smile.

 “Ah! I’m a gypsy, but only half gypsy. My mother’s mother. So only my grandmother, so I can’t read completely, I can only see the crumbs of stars, but you… you can see clearly.” “See what?” 

Eileen forced a dry mouthful together and swallowed. She didn’t want to hear it. But it was strangely inescapable.

 

Rosalia grinned, her eyes sparkling like shards of a star. She lunged forward, grabbed Eileen’s arm and squealed with glee.

 “The future where you spend a lot of money on me!” “…ah?” 

Cordelia’s response was so ridiculous that she forgot to pull Rosalia away from Eileen and grab her hand. Rosalia spoke in the fast, agitated tone of an excited child.

 “Firefly to the north and Antler to the east told me you’ll pay me a lot of money for whatever it is. Not just money, but a place to live and things to do! That’s why I came looking for you. I even put on an act to make myself look cool… but as you can see, I’m a failure. Hehe.” 

Cordelia looked at the giggling Rosalia with the eyes of a pure lunatic. Her eyes darted back and forth between Rosalia and Eileen, suspicion filling her,

“Is this really the person you’re looking for?”

 “You really can only read half the time. What do you think I’ll ask for in exchange for the money?” “Um, everything, really, because it looks like fun~ something you’ll give me.” 

Eileen hesitated for a moment, then smiled weakly, as if she couldn’t help it.

 

It was unexpected that Rosalia was a gypsy, but there was no other choice; no one could teach Felix better than her, and since they seemed to have a mutual interest, there was no point in hesitating.

 

After all, she knew that Rosalia was not someone who would do Felix any harm in the future.

 “Then we’re a good match. Would you like to come with me?” “I was waiting for you to say that!” “Eileen!” 

Cordelia called Eileen, not happy with the situation. As Eileen broke into a cold sweat and tried to talk Cordelia down, Rosalia stalked up behind Eileen, her eyes clear as glass.

 

‘Why are you holding onto a broken star?’

 

The question bubbled up inside Rosalia, but she didn’t say it, she just swallowed it.

 

It was a Gypsy taboo to hold a broken star in one’s mouth.

  

* * * 

  “Do you think this plan will work?” “I mean, I don’t know what else to do.” “Hmph…” 

The three of them paused in front of the mansion, embarrassed. They had brought Rosalia here to be Felix’s tutor, but they weren’t sure how to explain the situation to the Duke.

 

They accidentally escaped and found a wizard who is wonderfully skilled, and she wants to teach Felix!

 

But they couldn’t imagine how the Duke, a staunch realist, would react to that, so they pulled together what little imagination they had and came up with a plan.

 “Call it Operation Gypsy Prophecy!” 

The plan was simple. Their plan was to use Rosalia’s

“gypsy”

heritage against her.

 “We’ll sneak back to the manor, and then Rosalia will arrive, pretend to be drawn by the prophecy, and come to the ducal family on her own!” 

The gypsy’s prophecy was too frightening to trust, too tantalizing to ignore. Their ability to read the course of the world under the guidance of the stars was akin to absolute, unchangeable

“fate”

.

 

Even a duke would find it difficult to ignore the Gypsies entirely, for folklore has it that those who mess with them are cursed.

 

There was the small matter that Eileen and Cordelia would have to return to the manor via the stifling crypt in order for the operation to go smoothly, but with no other option, they had no choice but to go underground in tears.

 “See you later, Rosalia.” “Yeah~ I’ll be strong!” 

Despite the difficult task ahead, Rosalia seemed to be in an unusually good mood.

 

‘Of course… since she took so much money…’

 

Before they carried out their plan, they first negotiated the price to be paid to Rosalia. Here’s what Eileen compromised with her.

 

Room and board at the highest level, research grants at twice the level of the Matriarchy, and regular samples of plants grown with elemental power. No interference with Felix’s teaching methods. Payment of a dignity allowance (Rosalia called it

“pocket money”

).

 

It was expected, but a painful expense.

 

She is lucky to have a botanical garden.

 

Money has to be earned. Eileen reminded herself again of the immutable truth of the mango.

 

After catching their breath, Eileen and Cordelia grabbed Lynn and ran into the crypt. The plan was executed.

  

* * * 

  “Eileen, did you hear? Some crazy woman showed up at the mansion entrance and locked herself in the dungeon.” “Pffftt!!!” 

Eileen, who had returned to the mansion as if nothing had happened and was nervously sipping tea in the conservatory, spat out her mouthful of milk tea.

 “Wha-what?” “What scared you?” 

Flustered, Lucian pulled a handkerchief from his chest and held it out. Eileen wiped her mouth accordingly.

 “Tell me more about what you just said!” “Huh? Oh, her? I heard about her from Oslo, too, and she didn’t seem normal with all that prophecy and magic talk. My dad doesn’t like junk dealers. I guess he threw her in the dungeon because she wouldn’t leave when he asked her nicely.” “Shit.” 

Eileen’s hands shook uncontrollably. The milk tea spilled over like an earthquake.

 

‘Oh, well, she’s a gypsy, but I didn’t expect her to be treated like a peddler.’

 

Eileen cleared her throat, barely able to keep the lump out of her throat.

 “But this… is supposed to have a prophecy, don’t you think it’s worth a listen? What if she is a gypsy? Why, they say it’s bad luck to ignore gypsies!” “Eh, there’s no such thing.” 

She hates him. This unromantic rich man.

 

The light faded from her eyes and Eileen turned to Cordelia impatiently. Cordelia, who was watching the situation with equally clouded eyes, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

 “Um, what happens to the people in the dungeon?” “Well, we’ll keep them locked up for now, but if they don’t cooperate and act suspicious, we’ll interrogate them, right?” 

Felix said, surprised at Lucian’s answer.

 “The Duke of Gaudium is merciful. Forss was more of a torturer from the beginning. The slightest touch of their fingernails or toenails and they’d usually spill the beans.” 

Well, no one ever got out alive after that.

 

When he finished, Felix felt a little shy as the kids looked at him like how could they know?

 “Oh, we played in the dungeons a few times.” 

Eileen’s head snapped up and she shed an inner tear. There was no tragedy like the tragedy of a

riestess with experience in the dungeons. Cordelia handed Felix a comforting cake with a sympathetic look.

 

‘No answers, Rosalia!’

 

Eileen really wondered if she should use Star to break her out of the prison after dark. Oslo opened the greenhouse and entered with an embarrassed look.

 “Uh, master. It’s about the woman who was thrown in prison earlier.” “What about her?!” 

Eileen jumped to her feet and threw up her hands, feeling all eyes on her.

 “Uh, no, I’m just curious.” 

Oslo looked a little surprised, then continued.

 “She says she’s from Matap, and while I could only confirm it with the naked eye, the markings she wears suggest that she is.” “I thought she said she was a gypsy?” “I think I heard her say quarter, and she’s very drunk, though she hasn’t done anything yet.” 

The Duke was away on business, so Oslo, giving Lucian a brief report, chuckled to himself at the absurdity of the situation.

 

“It’s me…, Rosalia Felze, second apprentice to Master Razavel, the Ice Sorcerer of the Tower… He doesn’t look suspicious, heh heh. I’ve got my marks here, and oh, I’m twenty-eight years old, and I’m not really here to see what the… stars… Apprentice is… my welfare, uhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

 “I just went down the dungeon to find out who the visitor was. The woman hadn’t done anything particularly threatening, so if she was just a lunatic or a simple imposter, the guards would be called in to take her away.” “Does she look scary?” 

But as soon as Rosalia saw Oslo and the knight behind him, she burst into tears, wondering what she’d gotten herself into.

 “Well, she’s bothering me.” 

Lucian said, tapping the table lightly.

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