The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Curiosity and Failure

It felt as if I had sunk into a deep, endless swamp, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

My lungs felt as if they were filled with mud, making it hard to breathe. My entire body was as heavy as lead, making any movement nearly impossible.

—It’s painful.

Even though I tried to gasp for air repeatedly, my lungs wouldn’t expand properly. The pain was overwhelming, and my whole body was as cold as ice, unbearably chilly.

I gagged repeatedly from strong nausea, but only a faint gasp came from my chest.

—What happened to me?

I couldn’t open my eyes; it was frightening. How long had this condition lasted?

It felt as if I were slowly emerging from the clinging mud. The pain gradually diminished, and with it, breathing became slightly easier.

Though my body was still very cold, someone was holding my hand, and I was slowly able to grip back, just a little.

Eventually, when I was finally able to open my eyes, the first thing that came into view was a pair of pale blue eyes, brimming with tears.

“…Marie?”

“Lady Melfina!”

“Sister!”

As my hand was tightly gripped, I finally realized that Marie and Serleine were by my side.

“I’ll go get Simon!”

“Lady Serleine, please don’t run!”

Marie’s voice blended with the sound of footsteps growing distant, but my hand was never released.

Relieved by this, my eyelids slowly fell shut once more.

“Magic poisoning, is it?”

The next day, I was finally able to sit up in bed, and an explanation of what had happened to me was given.

Since I still couldn’t leave the bedroom, the only people present were Marie, the underage Serleine, and the doctor, Simon. Marie seemed a bit calmer but had dark circles under her eyes, which looked painful. Serleine, on the other hand, had been holding my hand by the bedside the entire time.

“It seems you were practicing appraisal and separation in your room.”

Simon explained.

“It’s a case of magic poisoning due to overuse. When you didn’t appear in the morning, I came to check on you and found you collapsed on the floor. No matter how much I called, there was no response, and your body was cold…”

Marie explained with a voice struggling to keep her emotions in check. She seemed to want to embrace me but probably held back to avoid causing more worry by collapsing herself.

Serleine, still gripping my hand, was trembling lightly.

I remember being engrossed that night, after Julius taught me the technique of separation using appraisal. I had returned to my room and was obsessed with trying to separate everything I had brought with me.

Even simple strong imagery of separation worked, but once I realized that constructing images with chemical formulas increased its accuracy, I repeatedly tried combinations of these, and succeeded, becoming like a child delighted by the results.

During the day, the details of separation became somewhat fuzzy, but according to Julius, it should be possible to increase the alcohol content through separation. In that case, would it involve removing the water content from the alcohol, or separating the alcohol itself?

Particularly, after separating water into hydrogen and oxygen and making the water itself disappear, I wondered if it might be possible to approach the reverse.

If I could synthesize oxygen and hydrogen from the air into water, wouldn’t that be akin to a pseudo-water magic?

Moreover, if I could manipulate the molecular structure of water, I could potentially create hydrogen peroxide or carbonated water by combining water and carbon dioxide.

For separation, the counterpart would be synthesis. Couldn’t I expand the magical layer of appraisal as well? Perhaps with simple molecular structures, I could produce a lot at once. I kept trying all conceivable combinations… and I couldn’t even remember when I lost consciousness.

“Wizards can become poisoned by magic through casting large spells or continuously using small spells over long periods, which leads to their bodies being contaminated with magical power. Once this happens, neither temples nor churches can provide treatment or recovery, so the only option is to warm the body and wait for the magic to naturally leave the system.”

Serleine said this in a trembling voice.

“Sister, how could you do something so reckless? I can’t believe you went through such suffering.”

“I’m sorry, Serleine. …I’m truly sorry.”

Serleine, born with an unusually high amount of magic, had even her growth affected by it. She must have repeatedly endured such painful experiences from a very young age.

“No, no. I’m not blaming you, sister. But please, I beg you, be more careful. There are people who get their bodies ruined or even die from magic poisoning.”

Seeing Serleine biting her lip and crying, I felt my own carelessness and guilt deeply.

I had used appraisal countless times before, but never had I felt any discomfort, so I never imagined it could lead to magic poisoning.

Reflecting on it, the magical layer used for appraisal is so thin and small that even I, who use it frequently, hadn’t noticed it before. Enlarging that layer would require a corresponding amount of magic, and repeatedly performing separation would only increase the amount of magic used.

Those born with a large amount of magic and who have overcome various hardships tend to develop strong magic resistance. Although I am from a high-ranking noble family, my magical capacity is not large, and I am at a level where I cannot even activate the wind attribute magic I possess.

My body was not accustomed to using magic, and it seems I collapsed all at once when reaching my limit.

—Even during the first separation, I felt shortness of breath and nausea. I should have been more cautious.

It’s possible to choke on vomit and suffocate or hit my head when falling, leading to accidents. The fact that such things did not happen was simply a stroke of luck, or rather, a matter of chance.

Separation holds many possibilities. If I could complete the technique of synthesis and master it, I might be able to create various things that I had previously given up on as impossible in this world.

However, if the operation of magic is essential for this, then there would be immediate limitations.

It seems that even though it’s not as severe as magic itself, it’s still an overwhelming power for a human body.

“I’m sorry for causing you so much worry, Serleine. Marie, you’ve been holding my hand the whole time, haven’t you?”

“No, I couldn’t do anything…”

“It was cold, painful, and frightening, but I heard you calling my name. Thank you both.”

Marie tightened her lips and shook her head, while Serleine sniffled repeatedly. Seeing this, I let out a faint sigh.

“Do you have an appetite? Ed is making bread porridge. If you’re hungry, he said he could make stew or roast pork or anything you want.”

“Then, could I have some warm milk? My stomach still feels a bit uneasy, so I don’t want to eat much.”

“Even if you can’t eat solid food, it’s better to drink plenty of fluids.”

“I’ll bring it right away. I’ll also prepare some corn tea.”

“Don’t rush. Take your time.”

As I watched Marie leave the room, Simon, having finished his examination, packed up his tools and sighed with relief.

“The manor was as if a fire had gone out until Lady Melfina recovered. You should be aware of how important you are.”

“…Thank you, Simon.”

“I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me.”

I had no intention of reproaching the doctor, who, despite his stubborn and cantankerous nature, had given me a reprimand. I smiled back at Serleine, who was left with a lingering anxious gaze.

Though Serleine was a child underage, having a male remain in a woman’s bedroom was generally considered improper. However, I couldn’t bring myself to tell my dear “little brother” that it was time for him to leave because I was already feeling better.

“Will you stay here a little longer? I still feel a bit lonely, Serleine.”

“Y-Yes, sister!”

Seeing Serleine finally show a bit of brightness, Melfina let out a sigh of relief.

Then, she reminded herself once again to be very careful with the use of magic, resolving to be more cautious in the future.