After I told them about the treasure hunt, we spent the rest of that afternoon searching for Great-grandfather’s diary. Just, the only thing I could make out of the hazy memories was that the cover of the book was green with seemingly no title written on it. So, we began searching for titleless green books and ended up finding quite a lot of them. Unfortunately, most of them were books about plants or herbs research journals; none was a diary.

Because Theo’s and Clara’s excitement rubbed off on me, even I have lost track of time. If Amy didn't come to get us, we might have searched for it until night. She informed me that the adults were back home and that all of us would have dinner in an hour, so I told the two fidgeting kids to get a bath and some rest in the meantime. I wanted them to calm their mood a little. Well, in truth, it's me who would like a bath so bad, now that I realized my state. 

Our library had Magic Devices for temperature and humidity control installed in every corner and every bookshelf. Moreover, the glass of the windows was specially created by mixing light-attribute Magic Stone powder into it. So it could prevent heat and light of a certain wavelength from entering the room. All these were set in place mainly to keep the pages of the books stored in the library from turning yellow. Thanks to these expensive Magic Devices, the temperature inside the library was pleasant all year round. It was cool even in the middle of summer, yet warm when winter came. 

Such a cozy and quiet place, I'd love to spend all my days lazing around in there. But it would be a different story if I had to move around non-stop, searching for a single diary. Even in the cool temperature, my body was sweating a lot. The sticky feeling of a drenched-sweat body was very uncomfortable. That's why I usually took a bath three to four times a day during summer. Not to mention, the dress I wore today was a bit more fancy than usual because of the guest reception. Thank God I didn't put on any excessive makeup; it would be a disaster if I did. Being in the heavy class was really a lot more work if you wanted to keep a clean appearance. 

Anyway, both Theo and Clara finally nodded their heads meekly after I assured them that we would continue our search tomorrow. Staring at their dejected backs while being escorted by the servants to each of their rooms, I couldn't help but be amazed. One of them was hostile towards the other when they first met. Then, in just a few hours, they were already close enough to become so similar in both action and expression. The speed they were befriending each other was truly terrifying. Were all kids like this? Or was it my plan that was too brilliant? Which was it? 

...That aside, haven't I been too fickle this whole day?

Not only was today full of "surprises", but my emotions also went on a roller coaster ride. I was glad that my matchmaking plan was going smoothly, but I didn't expect it to be this smooth and it scared me. I couldn't stop thinking that something bad would happen when everything was going so well like this…

*Sigh* Let's have a relaxing bath to refresh my mind. I'm sure we still have some aromatherapy left. 

[***]

That night's dinner party was several times more "lively" than usual. It looked like a normal welcoming dinner but, of course, that was only on the surface. The presence of the two guests was enough to levitate everyone's mood, including our servants who were serving the dinner. Overjoyed thoughts just kept buzzing, it was almost dizzying. 

Grandfather maintained his dignified attitude and spoke in a calm tone just like how a former General should be. His mind was nothing alike, though. He was very impressed with Clara that his thoughts were not far from "what an adorable little girl" or "as expected of my granddaughter's friend". And he persistently never forgot to include, "my beloved Eira is still the best". Grandmother surprisingly had similar thoughts as him. She even praised her as knowledgeable since Clara was able to keep her company in their conversation. 

It wasn't only them who had a great time. Mother, who was looking forward to meeting the Clare Company's President, was very pleased with the handkerchief samples he presented. Mother was usually a quiet person, so her being so chatty while cheerfully smiling like this was a sight to behold. I almost spit out my drink when I heard Clark's "trouble" thoughts and inaudible "gulps". Well, who could blame him? Anyone would be flustered if a bombshell like Mother was staring at them with such sparkling eyes. I just hoped he remembered his wife at home and quickly noticed Father's murderous aura for his own good. But my worries were unnecessary because Mother was indeed an expert at reading the air. She smoothly switched back into being the "Grand Duchess" just a few moments after Father began to give off that dangerous aura, so we successfully avoided a tragedy.

With her appearance and the way she acted, I figured some people might misunderstand Mother to be a cunning woman. But Father and everyone in the family knew that her sole motivation was her love for her precious family, so what others said didn't really matter. Father trusted Mother and it's also true for the other way around. Maybe that's why Father would never question Mother's loyalty, no matter how "flirty" she might look to others. I wondered if the same trust also existed between Grandfather and Grandmother. I meant they are still married to each other to this day despite fighting a lot. Well, I wouldn't know because I've never been in any romantic relationship before, let alone marriage. 

Because of this thoughts-hearing ability, I limited my contact with other people to what only was necessary. Even within the Bellux Family, I was only close to the main family members and my personal maid. You could say they were the only people I truly trust. Meeting new people was a pain so I couldn't deny it when people assumed that I was a loner. Still, human relationships were indeed interesting, especially when I was just a bystander. I guessed it was also due to this ability that I enjoyed watching others more than being directly involved with them. Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly fine with it. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy another "entertaining show" such as this?

"Oh my, I wouldn't have known that the southern tribes own such a mysterious culture." (I do know that they have rare symptoms which they become sick the moment they make any contact with Magic Power.)

"It is indeed mysterious, Ma'am. Despite forbidding themselves from magic, I think they might have some knowledge about Magic Circuit. For example, one of the patterns they used to make curtain doors has similarities to the Magic Circuit of Wind Barrier Magic." (The patterns on their clothes too.)

"Now that's intriguing. How about their clothes?" 

"Yes! Their women's clothing is the most sophisticated one. There are so many patterns which overlap each other, but we can still distinguish the similarities to some barriers magic and other magic too." (That surprised me! I'm just thinking about their clothing!)

"But, it's not like their clothes are Magic Items, right?" (Even though she had difficulty solving that one problem about Magic Circuit in her homework… How could she talk about it so smoothly now?)

"Oh, n-no, they are not Magic Items. But, I wonder if we can adopt their techniques and combine them with ours to make more durable clothes… Dad also thinks it's possible, right…" (Eh?! Why is the Young Master in a bad mood? Did I do something again?)

While Clara had an exciting discussion about the mysterious patterns of the southern tribes' culture with Grandmother, Theo was sulking. He knew that Grandmother liked smart children. Watching Clara as she had an even conversation with her, seemed to hurt his pride a little, hence he saw Clara as a rival again. It alerted me, but after being on my guard for a few minutes, I realized that his sulking wasn’t something serious enough to trigger that “voice”. And so, I just enjoyed myself watching the scene where he desperately maintained an expressionless face while pouting inside.

On the other hand, Clara sensed Theo’s sour mood and was confused, making her shrink her shoulders unconsciously. She glanced at her father for help, but the old man only gave her an encouraging smile before continuing to eat his dinner while chatting with Father. Moreover, he praised his daughter in his mind, thinking that she was already getting along with the young master. The poor Clara was only able to put on an awkward smile. Watching these two, I couldn't help but imagine a pair of cat ears on Theo's head and mouse ears on Clara’s. 

Theo's feelings right now might be the same as when you accidentally met your neighbor and her child as you were walking with your mother, but then your mother kept praising that child in front of you. No matter if it could be considered merely pleasantries, you'd still feel uncomfortable. I assumed Theo would become more sensitive to such things and be more possessive of our parents in that regard. After all, we were the first ones to treat him with such warmth after his real parents died. I was confident about this since the same happened in the game with the heroine. Nevertheless, this little squabble might be a good exercise to treat his trauma. 

"Oho, that's never been done before, right? Combining our technique with the south's." (A more-durable clothes… It'll not only be useful for everyday life but also the military.)

Grandfather, who had been silent for a while, put in a word as well. His mind was full of fanboying remarks up until then, but now he suddenly got serious. Once a warrior, always a warrior.

By the way, didn’t Clark figure out that some of those patterns had similarities with Magic Circuits just this afternoon? How could he and Clara already bring out ideas to combine our techniques with them? If this worked, Claire Company could become the number one textile company in the world. This father-daughter sense of business was really something. As expected of a successful merchant family.

“Yes. Any of our research which tries to imbue Magic directly into the cloth has been unsuccessful. This new approach is worth trying.” 

“No one has been successful in doing that until now? Then, what about the Magic Bag? Aren’t we imbuing its cloth with Magic to make one?”

When Grandmother confirmed Grandfather’s words, Theo was surprised. His sour mood evaporated in an instant as he voiced his doubt. Well, the general public usually wasn't aware that the technique used to make a Magic Bag didn’t imbue Magic directly into the cloth. Moreover, I hadn't taught him about it, so Theo, who only started deepening his study about Magic Items a few weeks ago, naturally didn’t know.

After his voice faded into the air, a gentle smile appeared on Grandmother’s face. Her voice as she answered him was full of delight. And the rest of us, except for the two guests, were watching him warmly; Theo didn’t seem to notice it. 

“No, it’s different. That is the case for Magic Items whose Magic Circuits is directly affixed onto its Medium, but it’s not like this with cloth-based Magic Items.” (How cute~ Theo still doesn't realize the difference, Eira must not have taught him yet. I wonder if he’ll get it with this~?)

She purposely ended her explanation there and went silent, letting Theo think about it for a moment. Not even 30 seconds later, his eyes lit up. 

“...Oh!! The Medium for cloth-based Magic Items is the thread used to sew the circuits!”

Smiles bloomed everywhere with his exclamation. I even heard chuckles coming from Father. 

“That's right. The cloth is simply a space we used to hold the shape of the circuits. It's still a very important element of the Magic Item, but unfortunately, the Magic Power can't spread outside from the thread Medium.”

“I see…” (So, cloth-based Magic Items and any Magic Items that are using other Mediums than its main material to scribe the circuits, activate the Magic beyond the items. It’s understandable since not all material can be used as a Medium. Hmm… Then in regards to clothing, if we want to add a protective function to it, we can sew a Magic Circuit of a Barrier Magic to it. But if the wearer will be moving their body a lot, like a soldier, there’s a high possibility the circuit will easily be damaged. The thread can be unraveled, or the part where the circuit is sewn can be cut by a weapon since the cloth is just an ordinary fabric without any Magic properties… I see, in that case, the Barrier Magic will be useless.)

Wow. That’s amazing. Just from that small hint, Theo could form such an accurate understanding of the problem. That’s the genius 2nd capture target for you.

“So, the space created inside a Magic Bag is a separate one altogether. The Magic Circuit activates the Magic to create the space somewhere else, and the Magic Bag just contains the portal leading to the space… Is this right, Father?”

“Yes. You summarize it nicely. Well done.” (Theo is as quick-witted as ever. Just a few weeks studying under Eira was able to draw out his potential this much. It seems we have another skip-grader here.)

Father smiled warmly as he praised Theo. The boy’s eyes lit up again and pink blush tinted his cheeks as he smiled bashfully. It was such a harmonious sight, yet I couldn't see that warm smile as anything other than an evil grin. 

This was his face when Father planned something. If this had something to do with the “skip-grader” he was thinking about just now, he must be planning to make Theo take the Royal Academy entrance exam ahead of time. Just like in the game. Well, I guessed that’s fine, but I didn’t want to hear how he planned on doing so. That’s why I turned my attention to our guests.

The father-daughter pair was unsure of what was going on, but they understood that the new Young Master of the Grand Duchy was not your typical boy. Clark was quite surprised, even though he already had an idea about Theo’s capabilities thanks to this afternoon's “nerve-wracking” tea break. And the one who had witnessed the full display of it at this evening's study session, Clara, secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Not for the same reason as Mother has, but because Theo no longer directed a prickly gaze or remark at her.

“Wait… What happens to the things stored in a Magic Bag if it’s accidentally broken beyond repair?”

Theo’s sudden question halted everyone’s hands. A second later, some of them smiled bitterly. They must have had a bad experience regarding his question.

“They usually just drop on the ground, but if you are unlucky they will be lost forever along with the magical space inside the bag.”

Father answered him and glanced toward Grandmother. She acted as if she didn’t hear Father or notice his gaze. But her mind was slightly shaken as she involuntarily remembered her bad experience. Grandmother wasn't one of those who had a bitter smile. If I didn’t hear her thoughts, I wouldn't know that she had lost some valuables by accidentally burning her Magic Bag before.

What were you doing to end up turning it into ashes like that? 

I bet it was some dangerous experiment involving Magic Items. She’s a Magic Items Fanatic, after all. I heard she didn’t have any interest in anything besides Magic Items when she was young. Ultimately breaking several noblemen's hearts who tried to win her over. Even her work as a Court Lady was only done to support her obsession. 

Huh? How did a woman like that end up marrying Grandpa? ……Let's not think further about this.

I deliberately decided to give up right that instant. If I asked them, I had a strong feeling that it would be a painfully long, complicated story. It’s not that I wasn’t curious but now was not the right time.

“What? Our things will be lost forever?” (No way, I don’t want to lose anything again…)

Out of the blue, Theo’s mind turned dark. He imagined losing his precious item in a magical space in another dimension which he would never be able to reach again, and suddenly terrified. His face paled as he unconsciously grabbed the top button of his vest, but I realized what he wanted to grab was something underneath…

“Magic Bags won't be that easy to destroy! If you take good care of it and don't do anything dangerous, the Magic Bag can be used for decades. Besides, if you feel like your Magic Bag is about to stop working, you can move its contents to a safer place before that happens. Anyway, if you are careful, everything will be fine!”

Sensing the impending danger, I rushed to pacify Theo. Everyone’s eyes were wide-opened with surprise since they didn’t expect me, who was silent up until that moment, to suddenly babble nonstop.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed the dining hall. For a few seconds that felt like forever, I broke out in a cold sweat as I waited for that “voice” to come out. But the relief smile that slowly appeared on Theo’s face, showed that we successfully avoided a tragedy for the second time tonight. No one seemed to realize what just happened. And amidst the confusion, the dinner continued like my sudden burst was just an illusion. Only God knows how grateful I was to them for that. 

As I let go of the breath I've been holding, I caught the thoughts that were passing through everyone's minds. Most of them were questioning my odd behavior, as expected, but there's one that was dejected. Again, it didn’t show on her face but Grandmother was upset.

What? Why? 

She was already feeling a bit gloomy after remembering the incident that burned her Magic Bag to ashes, but now it was like dark clouds were hanging above her head. Adding that with her calm, expressionless face, sent shivers down my spine. 

In contrast, pitying thoughts on Grandmother were heard from Grandfather's and Father's minds. They put on the same calm face, but apparently had troubles holding in their laughter. The incident was replaying inside their minds with their respective points of view. 

That's not funny at all? Why are they laughing?

(It feels like Eira was scolding me all over again… It happened a long time ago, but I can't accept it yet… I was careless, sure, but still…)

(*chuckles* That’s a big blow, huh, Tina? My dear Eira is such a careful child!)

(Reckless behavior will bring more harm than good, after all. Mother must learn from Eira about this one. *chuckles*)

So, Grandma was upset by what I said to calm Theo?

I didn't understand why it upset her, but I might need to attend to her later. Grandmother was kind most of the time and she wasn't someone who usually let her feelings affect her work, but I still wouldn’t risk my future lessons with her. She could become pretty difficult when sulking. 

"Now then, what have you been doing this afternoon?"

Ignoring his wife, Grandfather turned to me with a face full of smiles. Just like him, I put on an ignorant smile and decided to deal with Grandmother's sullen mood later. 

"We had an afternoon tea break, then went to do our summer homework in the library."

"Did you two finish your homework?"

“Yes. Theo also helped us.”

Theo didn’t think that I would mention him. Clara seemed to understand what my gaze was telling her since she immediately nodded to Theo in gratitude. To our great relief, the boy showed a bashful smile. I wondered if he wouldn't pick on Clara again after this. 

“I see. Then you kids will have a full day to play tomorrow. What do you want to do?” (I already told Henry that I won't come again tomorrow, so I can spend all day playing with the kids~)

Damn, he works fast… 

Grandfather was so adamant about enjoying this summer vacation with us, he even ditched the Commander of the 1st Army. 

But now that Grandfather asked me, I found myself conflicted about whether it's okay to tell the adults about our treasure hunt. The Legendary Wand was not only our family's heirloom but also a national treasure. It might be dangerous to let normal citizens like Clara and Clark know about its whereabouts. Well, I believed they wouldn't say a word, but I guessed this wasn't just a matter of trust. 

...Was I too rash? Even though it's a good idea… 

I glanced at Father while I pondered. I was surprised to find he was also looking at me, silently waiting for my answer. Not only him, everyone at the table was staring at me too, including Theo and Clara. I'm grateful the two of them didn’t run their mouths recklessly and understood that this little adventure of ours was probably something that the adults would forbid. Although because of that, now the pressure was all on me. 

"Well… When we were at the library… The topic of the Hero and the Mage came upon some problems in our homework, so…"

Because nervousness suddenly attacked, I stammered my sentences. This wasn't good. Even though I intended to hide our plan, it would be found out immediately if it’s like this. 

"...So?" (It’s rare for Eira to be nervous like this… Hmm, is it something dangerous?)

See?! He already picked it up! 

At times like this, I really hated Grandfather's over protectiveness. It allowed him to notice the slightest change in my behavior. Let's divert it a bit…

"So… I remember that Grandpa once told me that Great-grandpa likes to write diaries. Since we were already in the library, we tried looking for it, but we couldn't find it yet… So, we plan to continue tomorrow." I sounded normal just now, right? 

"I see. But, isn't that a bit boring? Why are you looking for his diary anyway? Why don't we play outside?" (We can go horse-riding or just picnic in the garden~)

Your thoughts are slipping out! And what's with that "we"?

"Me! I'm a fan of the Mage, so I really want to read his diary. I want to know what kind of things he wrote in his diary."

Theo promptly raised his hand. I could sense his urgent mood even though he tried to hide it with a cheerful tone. But, well done with that assistance!

"Is that so? I thought you’re a fan of the Founding Emperor." (Well~ I guess it can not be helped if Theo wants it. Though there’s nothing interesting written in there.)

Hm? Wait. Grandpa, did you━

"I'm a fan of them both! I love reading their tales! ...They always encourage me so I don't give up no matter what happens." (Because after mom died, I'm all alone…)

Wha━! Now you wait too! 

Before I could completely process what Grandfather said, Theo just had to go and drop that bomb. I was freaking out that "that" voice would surface after all the effort to stop it before, and was unable to think of anything to prevent it…

"You've worked hard. You're a strong boy, Theo."

"Yes, truly well done. Now, you're not alone anymore. We're all here with you."

But while I was panicking, Grandfather earnestly commended Theo. Hints of sadness were clearly visible in his eyes and a warm smile had replaced his teasing grin. Grandmother also didn't hesitate to reassure the boy sincerely. As she stared into his eyes, I could hear the emphasis in each of her words. As if "lonely" would be the last thing she wanted to hear coming out of her grandson's mouth. 

I was stunned. To be honest, this was the first time I saw my Grandparents look so sad. Then it occurred to me that they must have known about Theo's past long before I did. 

The one who was most surprised was Theo, of course. He froze on top of his chair, and didn’t move or even blink. He just stared blankly at Grandfather and Grandmother who were both sitting to his right. I tried to peer into his thoughts but I couldn't hear anything. Seemed like his thoughts also became stand still along with his body. 

This got me more anxious instead. Last time, his thoughts also came to a pause before going berserk. I knew I had to snap him out of it right now, but what was the best thing to say in this situation? 

Argh, to the hell with it!

Just when I was about to open my mouth, a hand reached out to Theo from his left. His shoulders flinched when it touched his cheek, then he turned around slowly to face the hand's owner. 

What welcomed him was the most gentle smile. Mother didn't say anything. She just nodded her head as if to affirm Grandfather's and Grandmother’s words. As Theo felt the warm, soft caress on his cheek, he was suddenly awakened from his trace. Feeling a heat quickly engulfed his face, he bowed down to hide it. But he jolted back in the next second and looked at Mother with a pale face, seemingly afraid that he just offended her in his hurry to hide. Yet, instead of being angry, Mother was laughing at his antics. 

...Did Mother just save the day again?

The unexpected crisis had passed, it seemed. 

The situation was changing rapidly, and I wasn’t sure what had happened. Well, there was often too much information I received that sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything. I had my share of being clueless several times, again, all thanks to this ability. Anyway, I was just glad that the eerie silence in Theo’s mind had been replaced by a chaotic mess of disbelief, embarrassment, and happiness.

Laughter filled the dining table again, it's such a perfect moment since we were in the middle of enjoying dessert. Whilst tormented by all that stress, I was surprised I still managed to finish my meal. Must be because this afternoon I only sipped on my tea and hardly ate any snacks. 

...Hold on. What is the difference between this and that nerve-wracking tea break?

Even though I wanted to sit back and enjoy the "show", I had failed miserably. The sweet taste of my pudding got a little bad when I realized that. And now it worsened because of the noisy mind of that particular father-daughter pair who busily revered us.

"Alright! Since Theo wants to read it that much, I shall help you look for it!"

"What?"

"Really?!"

Theo and I looked up at him at the same time, but my voice came out to be unnaturally high. There's an awkward pause, but I'd just ignore it. 

"Grandpa, will you help us looking for the diary?"

"Why yes. You kids want to read it, right? I think I remember where the old man said he put it."

Alright! Now we don’t have to search the entire library! 

I was so ecstatic that I made a victory pose secretly. But a worried voice sounded from beside me.

"Excuse me. I apologize for asking this late, but am I allowed to read the diary?" (It’s the diary of a late Mage. Its contents must be important and top secrets.)

Clara voiced my previous concern. Now that she put it forward, I couldn’t keep the victory pose any longer. Just like she thought, if what was written inside was something dangerous, outsiders wouldn't be allowed to read it. If so, then Clara would be able to participate in the treasure hunt.

"Oh, don’t worry. The diary doesn't contain anything important, just━" (Oops, I almost tell them that the book only contains his daily life written in the form of poetry.)

Poetry? Now that I remember, that guy was indeed a romantic. 

(I remember he also wrote a few plays and songs that were compiled in books.)

These books, what were they called again? …Oh! It’s━

(That’s the Green’s Anthology.)