I Adopt The Male Lead - Chapter 31

“Mrs. Bloe.”

Claude’s voice was heard.

Karina turned around.

“Are children scared of cats?”

“No.”

Lord Renke only made Roland attack one dog and the others are beasts.

Karina once saw the children playing with cats at Lord Renke’s mansion.

“That’s a relief. I’m raising a lot of cats because of rats.

“Rats?”

Karina blinked.

Even the duke, who ruled the entire South, was unable to avoid the rats.

Then, Roland’s voice was heard.

“Cat?”

“Yeah, if you’re scared, you can bring the grass that the cat hates in your room.”

“Cats are great.”

Roland nodded sharply.

Fortunately, Melissa also calmed down, so Karina was able to move while holding her children’s hands.

As soon as Karina entered the duke’s residence, she found out why Claude had mentioned the cat.

A white cat sat at the head of a statue that seemed to be out of value and stared at them.

Melissa reached out to the cat.

“Meow.”

“This guy’s name is Daisy.”

Melissa turned her head sharply, but Karina did not miss the shape of Melissa’s mouth, muttering “Daisy.”

‘There’s really a lot.’

One cat popped out from all over the place.

It seems that there are more cats than servants, so I wondered if there were enough rats in the duke’s residence to feed these many cats.

There were different kinds of cats and Claude seems to know them all.

Each cat has a flower name attached to it. Karina wondered if there was a cat named Melissa inwardly, but it seemed there was none.

Finally, they arrived at a small bunk house in the inner courtyard of the duke’s residence.

It was a simple and small brick house.

‘He never said we would stay in his house.’

The bunk house was closer to a home of a high-ranking servant than an accommodation where members of the duke’s family and guests would stay.

Rather than being disappointed, she felt relieved.

If I had to stay at the duke’s residence and receive the hospitality of guests, it would be burdensome and every day would be a thorny road.

The door opened itself as Claude approached.

“……!”

Karina and the children’s eyes grew larger. The interior of the brick house, which looked like an ordinary commoner’s house from the outside, was as gorgeous as the duke’s interior.

“Are we really living here?”

Roland, whose dark look had completely disappeared, asked brightly.

“Then.”

“Until all the bad guys are gone.”

Karina gave Roland attention. When the mark in her heart disappears, they have to leave the house.

I didn’t want to see my children’s disappointed faces if they expected to live in this house forever.

But Roland seemed happy enough to live in a house like this for a while.

“Is there a cat here, too?”

“Wherever there are rats, there is a cat.”

Claude said solemnly.

“And there are a lot of rats here.”

Karina shrugged. There were more things around the inn than rats anyway.

Claude bent his back toward the children.

“I think there’s a room for you on the second floor. Why don’t you check them one by one first?”

Melissa pretended not to hear, but Roland asked Karina excitedly.

“Mom, can I go up?”

“Then. Let’s go together.”

Claude stopped Karina from moving towards her children.

“I have a place to show only to you Madam.”

Karina nodded.

It’s not that she wasn’t worried about her children, but she could always go after them.

The children climbed the stairs as soon as Karina gave them permission.

Claude guided Karina somewhere after confirming that the children had completely disappeared from view.

It was a huge warehouse, completely separate from the house.

“It would be better if the Madam opens it herself.”

Karina involuntarily turned the doorknob, thinking that it was a food storage full of food ingredients.

“……!”

The interior was filled with materials of different uses. Karina recognized more than ten magical materials in an instant.

Most of the ingredients were fairly easy to obtain, like dried herbs, but there were also a lot of ingredients that Lord Renke loved, like the horns of monsters.

The only thing missing was the mana stone.

If Lord Renke had seen it, she would have stuffed his pocket full of precious magical ingredients with a greedy look on his face.

“This house was originally where my cousin studied magic.”

Karina opened her eyes.

This simple-looking house was actually a place where a member of the duke family, and also a valuable wizard, had used as her laboratory.

“It’s a really necessary place for children. Thank you.”

Karina’s voice was several times brighter than the tone she usually uses when speaking to Claude. It was easy to understand why Claude had only shown this place to her.

Of course, it would mean to develop Roland’s talent.

But Claude frowned.

“Why are you suddenly talking about the children?”

Karina then sensed that something was strange.

“Of course, isn’t it a place for children to learn magic?”

“Mrs. Bloe.”

Claude interrupted Karina.

“I understand your desire for your children to learn magic. There is no way to raise your rank as quickly as a wizard.”

“Desire…?”

“But let me make sure of this one thing. It’s dangerous here, so don’t let the children come here.”

“Then, am I the only one allowed here?”

“Yeah. It’s a space that only Madam can use.”

Karina frowned.

She clearly told him that she cannot use magic.

What kind of nonsense is this?

“Duke, as I said, I am not in a position where I can use magic freely.”

“I know.”

Claude replied bluntly.

“Well, these aren’t for me.”

“Do you think all the things here are only for wizards?”

“That’s not it. But…….”

Claude broke off her words as if they were not worth listening to.

“Didn’t you handle the mana stones under Wilder? Neither Wilder nor madam is a wizard.”

“Mana stones are different. But these are all ingredients for magic. The one who should know better than the wizard about the ingredients for that magic is the magic merchant.”

“Oh……!”

It was then that Karina realized what Claude wanted.

‘If I become a magic merchant, it will help Roland.’

Magic merchant is a rare profession.

Talented magic merchants were even more rare, and there were a number of wizards who crossed the border to find outstanding magic merchant.

Of course, it would also be helpful for the duke.

‘Aside from that I also want to help Roland.’

Just the thought of that made her heart race.

But Karina hurriedly put the idea on the side of her head.

He’s a man who shouldn’t be close to Roland anyway.

“I heard from Wilder. He said that you would be a good magic merchant.”

Karina bowed politely.

“Your Grace, I sincerely thank you for your favor, but I cannot be a vassal of the duke.”

“I am not asking you to become a vassal. An outstanding magic merchant is a great asset in Tors alone.”

Karina couldn’t find any more words to refute.

‘Still, Roland’s education may be something you’re hoping for.’

She asked questions to double-check Claude’s purpose.

“Oh, what about the children?”

“Children?”

Claude raised an eyebrow.

“Did I not tell you? It’s dangerous.”

“But, I…….”

“Aren’t they only seven or eight years old? It seems like you’re too hasty in teaching them magic.”

“Is that so?”

“When I first encountered magic, I was eleven years old. If you think about it now, that’s still too young.”

Claude hesitated a bit before continuing.

“I didn’t know anything back then, so, I risked my life just trusting the words of adults.”

“……..”

She was speechless.

Until now, all of the children that Lord Renke brought were younger than ten years old.

All this time, Karina only thought that Lord Renke’s method of teaching was wrong, and she never thought that the children were too young to be exposed to magic.

But as she listened to Claude, doubts arose that she had never thought of before.

Being successful in magic brings more pleasure than ever before, but in order to achieve that success, you have to go through countless desperate failures.

Her heart pounded at her complicated thoughts.

‘These were things that a child shouldn’t have to go through.’

In fact, of the children Sir Renke brought with him, half of them became delinquents and left the mansion.

“Mrs. Bloe.”

It wasn’t until she heard Claude’s surprised voice that Karina realized that tears welled up in her eyes.

She hurriedly wiped her tears away with her sleeve.

“Dust……..I got dust in my eyes….”

“…….”

Fortunately, the tears dried quickly, but there was an awkward silence.

“I sincerely apologize if I said anything disrespectful.”

“No.”

Karina shook her head.

“I just, I think I’ve been thinking of things that my children shouldn’t be doing……”

All she had in her mind was the thought that Roland and Melissa had to learn magic.

She even recommended learning magic to Roland, who was still reluctant to do so.

“Mrs. Bloe.”

Claude called her seriously.

With the fake name she used in pretending to be a mother of the children.

“Whatever you are thinking, it was all for the sake of your children. I hope you don’t forget that.”