# 4
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“Huh.”
Then, as she looked at the threadbare clothes Diana would be wearing in a moment, she let out a frowning, sigh-like sound.
It was nice and salty at the same time, she said, trying to hold back her laughter.
“I will wash your clothes tomorrow.”
“You will do that?”
"yes i will."
Diana was tilting her head like a little lark, and she was so cute that she unconsciously stroked her head.
Although there is no soap, washing in the lake several times should clean you up somewhat.
Of course, the way to the lake was difficult.
The reason why Thomas is able to give in to the kids every time is because he and his gang fetch water from the lake.
‘It will be difficult, but there is nothing I can do, because I promised her. '
She actually let out an anxious sigh at the thought of going to the lake to wash clothes tomorrow, but then she raised her head.
'Am I stupid?'
It occurred to her that she had completely forgotten what happened to her hair when she returned to her childhood.
'How can I forget that?'
She hit herf on the head gently and smiled widely, unable to hide her joy.
Although she did not become a great mage due to her low natural mana, she was able to use many simple magics with great skill.
“I can use lightweight magic!”
Tomorrow, when she shows how to lift a bucket of heavy water with both hands in front of the children, everyone will be amazed and their mouths will open.
'I have to show Thomas what's good about me too.'
Even though she knew it was a childish thought, she covered her mouth and laughed, and Diana, blinking her eyes wide, smiled along with her.
“Now let's wash the feet too.”
After she regained consciousness of the idea of replenishing the water with magic, she put the wet cloth aside and took a large bowl of water.
As she splashed water on her bare, dirt-soaked feet and legs, Diana shrank.
“Oh?”
She thought it was because of the cold water, but the washed leg was full of scratches, and there was also a big gash on her foot. Her eyes trembled violently as if she had been struck by a storm.
She had no idea. In the past, even not long ago. To think that he left the state of loneliness and left this sick child uncomfortable.
Diana suddenly shouted as her face turned serious.
"No! It doesn't hurt!"
Diana shook her head stubbornly. At the same time, her plump cheeks were trembling which was cute, but her eyes looked troubled. She was like a frightened rabbit.
“It's okay, I'm not angry, you can be honest.”
“...Really? Aren’t you going to scream?”
She nodded yes, but the child, still hesitating whether she was uncomfortable, gasped.
“Diana...”
“I won't hurt you.”
Will you use magic?
As soon as she spoke to her heart, Diana's eyes widened.
Leah burst out laughing at her innocent words.
She couldn't let a beautiful little girl like her get sick.
She quickly extended her little hand and placed it at the little girl's feet.
The moment she cast a healing magic spell on her, a dazzling bright light emanated from her hand.
The light emanating from her hand quickly covered Diana's feet, and her wounds were healed in an instant.
"wow !"
Diana, who was looking at her curiously, widened her eyes and exclaimed loudly.
“You are so amazing!”
Diana clapped her hands for Leia.
Originally, she was going to laugh awkwardly at being surprised by such a trivial healing magic, but when she used the magic, she emitted a much stronger light than usual, which also surprised her.
She smiled slightly at Diana and closed her eyes to check the mana in her body. At that moment, she felt a strange warmth from within her heart.
Confused by the mana filling her entire heart, she quickly opened her eyes.
'Wasn't the amount of mana innate?'
It was very confusing.
The teacher who took her in and taught her magic clearly told her that she did not have the qualifications to become a witch due to her lack of mana.
Although it was a sad matter, being born with mana itf was a rare thing for commoners, so she was content with the fact that she had mana.
That's why I focused more on physical training...
'What the hell is going on, Creator of Hell?'
Why was she flowing with manic energy in her heart that she had never felt in the past, that is, in her previous life?
While she was as confused as she was coming back from her death, Diana was suddenly grabbed by the neck.
“Thank you, thank you.”
I heard a gentle laugh.
I forgot what I was worried about and was amazed at the baby's warm body temperature.
It was embarrassing to share a temperature with someone.
As she awkwardly raised her hand and patted Diana's back, she suddenly thought of a question she had never thought of before.
How did the Duke of Elade lose this beautiful child?
* * *
That night, in order to comfort Diana, who was complaining of difficulty sleeping, she went out to the large window in front of the stairs on the second floor instead of the shared bedroom.
The view of the full moon floating above the leafy trees was so beautiful, but it was cold enough to take a breath away.
“Nouna, read the book...”
She placed a thin blanket on the floor and the other over her body, then Diana moved and placed her head on Leah's leg.
"book?"
“Yes, princess!”
"princess?"
She nodded.
Leia felt embarrassed by the request that came so naturally.
If she thought about it, it was as if she had heard that when ordinary children outside go to bed, their parents read them a storybook.
“What? I don’t have any books here.”
But the children here had no parents to read to them, and no one knew the letters, so even if there were books, they could not read them.
Are you ready to read a book?
When she saw Diana's face turn pale with astonishment, she smiled bitterly and stroked the child's head.
Although it was not the princess story she wanted, she slowly opened her mouth, recalling her old memories.
“A long time ago, a very long time ago, there was an orphanage, and one day, a large cart, which we don’t see very often, stopped in front of the orphanage.”
* * *
After Diana listened to her story intently for a while, she soon fell asleep with snoring in her nose.
When she returned to her bedroom carrying Diana, she was very hungry and tired.
“Maybe it's because of magic....?”
She thought about it vaguely, but there was no strength in her body, and she fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down.
Thanks to that, she didn't even notice that someone was playing with her hair for a long time with a small hand after a few hours.
However, because she was sensitive to the sound of creaking metal, she opened her eyes shortly after….
“...Diana?”
“Yes? Noona is awake!”
Diana, who had been focusing on her head for some time, greeted her with a wide smile.
I was surprised.
Deep down, she thought that when she woke up, she would cry and complain like she did in the past.
She didn't know she could stay awake so bravely on her own.
She had never been properly soothed, but Diana was a smart, beautiful child.
She quickly looked around, looked at the still sleeping children and asked in a whisper.
“Diana, sleep more, why are you awake?”
I looked out the window, dawn was just beginning.
This must have been an exhausting day for Diana as well as for her.
Was the bed uncomfortable?
Diana said sadly, placing her delicate hands on her stomach.
“Diana is hungry...”
“Ah...you were hungry.”
She looked at him sadly and asked tenderly.
“Aren't you bored when you're alone?”
Then Diana, whose blue eyes were flashing, shook her head.
“I touched Nona's hair, it's beautiful.”
I froze at the unexpected words.
". … Beautiful?"
"Oh, Missy, you're beautiful, so beautiful! Your hair is shining!"
When she saw Diana writhing with her hands, she felt speechless. She felt like she was about to cry.
Have you ever heard someone tell me I'm beautiful?
'. …It's a first for me.'
* * *
In fact, even when she was young, she thought she was very beautiful.
She was shocked every time she looked in the mirror to wash her face.
Her light pink hair gently flutters like a watercolor painting, and her dark pink eyes sparkle like jewels, as well as pure, flawless skin, a straight nose and cute lips.
But none of the kids called her pretty, and she thought it was because everyone was jealous of her.
Someone even told her that her hair color was the most common in the empire.
When she heard this, the 5-year-old girl was shocked and asked the children in the orphanage.
“Emily, what do my hair and eye colors look like?”
"Huh? He has brown hair and brown eyes."
Emily was not the only one who gave the same answer, but all the other children gave the same answer.
Because she couldn't accept this, she finally asked Jack, who she wasn't close to, but he didn't seem to be lying.
“Hey Jack....Are my hair and eyes brown in yours too?”
When Jack saw me asking the same questions to the kids at nursery all the time, she answered immediately, perhaps waiting for the moment when the question would come to her as well.
“Well, your eyes are dark brown, and your hair is a little light brown.”
". … Understood ."
Only then did she admit that her eyes were strange.
She still couldn't find any brown in me when she looked in the mirror, but she didn't say so.
“Because I'm weird.”
But just because she understood it in her head, it didn't mean she completely accepted it in her heart.
The central square was closed to the Terensium, the busiest street in the capital.
Among them, there were many street performers in front of the fountain who danced, sang, or painted and sold to make money.
After the nursery went bankrupt and she entered Terenceum, she glanced at the painter as she walked up and down the street.
A hooked nose, a large point that seemed to occupy a third of the face, and a few strands of bald hair. …
A cruel painter paints hyper-realistic pictures without thinking about the money giver!
‘Sir, please draw the same drawing you see.’
She gathered her courage and sat down in front of her, and that day, for the first time, she was able to see her face as others saw it.