The Mage Duke who Returned with a Daughter

(Lumiere’s perspective)

To be honest, I had no idea what to make of Father’s total reversal in attitude toward me.

“Lumi! Let’s go out on a father-daughter date!”

“Gross. No thanks.”

“C’mon…it’s been a while since we’ve gone out together! Also, what’s with your clothes? They’re all so plain and simple. It’s decided, we’re buying you a new wardrobe!”

“I don’t need a new wardrobe!”

If anything, I needed freedom and a way to cast magic. To avoid my tragic fate.

Though I couldn’t remember every single detail – despite priding myself on having a good memory, it was certainly far from flawless – I could still recall the major events of my previous life with vivid clarity. Particularly, the social humiliation, and my death – these tragic incidents remained crystal clear even as minor details of daily life faded to the background. How could I not, when I constantly saw them replayed throughout recurring nightmares?

Often, I would wake up in a cold sweat, my arms trembling and my heart pounding. Fear, from having suffered death once. Rage, from betrayal by those I thought I loved. Despair, at my powerlessness and total lack of magic.

Shame, especially when I remembered how pathetically I had behaved. I still saw myself in those nightmares, weeping and pleading at his highness Prince Leonard’s feet when he annulled our engagement. The first time it happened, I had wailed and thrown myself at him, imploring him not to call it off. He had looked at me in disgust. His new fiancée, Silvia Sainte, had watched me in pity, which further fueled my resentment against her.

Eventually, I was removed by force, with the other nobles calling the royal guard to physically extricate me from the hall and have me thrown into the streets. Father had arrived shortly after, to berate me for disgracing the family instead of offering words of comfort.

Again, I couldn’t recall the details, but glimpses of memory reminded me of my sins. Bitter and resentful, I had schemed to bring about the downfall of Silvia, the thieving cat who had stolen my love. But there was no one who would stand by my side. Slowly, even the few allies I had left broke ties, leaving me increasingly isolated.

Desperate to win the love and recognition from my increasingly estranged father, who ordered me confined to the manor and deprived me of all freedom, I had resorted to extreme measures. I still remember ordering the servants to bring me forbidden tomes and scrolls of proscribed knowledge.

I had turned to learning black magic.

I had heard the rumors, of course. The reasons why black magic was prohibited. Black magic was parasitic, its principles dependent on sacrifice and bloody rituals. It drained vitality from the living, manifested as plagues and curses, its effects inevitably bringing suffering. It conjured malevolent demons from beyond the veil and indiscriminately unleashed death and destruction upon the population, feeding innocents to ravenous monsters who only hungered for the annihilation of humanity. Practitioners were known as witches and warlocks, and were highly abhorred. Rightly so, for their very existence was a blight, corrupting our realm with sickness of both body and spirit.

And I had foolishly stepped on the path of becoming one. There were massive gaps in my memory, but sometimes I caught a glimpse beyond the veil that protected my fragile mind from insanity. Apparently, I had conjured something…something unfathomable, an eldritch existence that I had inadvertently unleashed upon the capital.

Blood stained my hands, the iron stench never completely fading away no matter how many times I washed them. The guilt of causing the deaths of so many innocents weighed upon me, their voices whispering incessantly in my ears no matter how tightly I locked myself away. I still couldn’t piece together a coherent timeline, but I was aware that the demon I had summoned was eventually defeated by the combined efforts of Leonard and Silvia, the second prince wielding the legendary sword passed down through generations of the royal family, and the Saintess being anathema to the demonic with her holy magic.

Here…the memories and the nightmares were at their clearest. Apprehended, captured and put on trial, I was sentenced to public execution and burned at the stake. My father’s last, cold words to me before my trial,

“You are no daughter of mine.”

The hatred and loathing in the eyes of the surviving civilians, stoning me even as the royal guard tied me to the stake and set me on fire. The blazing agony. The tears of guilt and bitterness. The shame and realization that I had deserved it.

And then I woke up. Even so, I knew these weren’t mere nightmares.

They were memories.

I won’t repeat the mistakes of my past.

After the first time I had that nightmare, I had made that vow. Especially after realizing that they were real. It didn’t take me long to come to terms with the fact that I had somehow returned to the past, and this was my second chance at life. I could do over everything.

Nobody cared about me. I was alone. I only had myself to rely on. Trusting people would only hurt me, yearning for their affection and acknowledgement would only lead to my death. I…

“Lumi!”

Father’s bright and cheerful voice – a tone I hadn’t heard in years, not ever since Mother’s passing – pierced my brooding thoughts. I flinched, and realized that I was in the dressing room, a fancy new dress with exquisite embroidery held in one hand.

Ah, right. In the end, I had given in and allowed Father to drag me out for shopping. He had picked this dress out for me, saying that it was better than the simple outfits I had selected for myself.

“We’re going to completely revamp your wardrobe! I can’t have the other nobles thinking my daughter is a cheap hillbilly!”

He had made that promise, cancelled all meetings for the day, and arranged a carriage to the most fashionable district in the capital. And…that brought us back to the present.

“Lumi! How’s the dress? Let Father see how beautiful you look!”

He pulled the curtains open, and I smacked him.

“I haven’t even gotten dressed yet!”

“Ah, my apologies, my beloved daughter! Please take your time!”

“You’re too close! And stop groveling!”

I winced when I caught sight of the boutique assistants, staring and whispering curiously. No doubt they hadn’t witnessed my father, the duke, behave like this before.

Father’s insistence on affection didn’t stop there.

After shopping, we ended up in a cafe. I sighed, weary after the crazy shopping spree, and stared at the rows of bags in exasperation. It was almost as if Father had bought every single type of fashion in the boutique. I had no idea how we were going to fit all these new clothes into the carriage.

Feeling a headache coming, I sipped my tea and inhaled the warm, comforting aroma. As I felt the pounding in my temples slowly ease away…

“Lumi!”

Father hurried over, somehow balancing a fully stacked tray despite the haste at which he was running. An assortment of cakes and sweets were piled atop each other, making the pastry collection seem more grotesque than delicious.

“Have you eaten yet? If you haven’t, well, I’ve picked out every delicacy in the cafe for you to try! Feel free to have a bite of everything!”

“Father, can you not…?” I gritted my teeth and massaged my temples, feeling the headache return with a vengeance.

Unfortunately, my foul mood failed to deter him.

When I was washing my hands…

“Lumi!”

When I was having a meal.

“Lumi!”

When I was strolling through the manor garden for much-needed fresh air.

“Lumi!”

When I was about to go to bed…

“Lumi!”

“WHAT IS IT?!”

“Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?”

“NO! I’m not a child anymore! Leave!”

I slammed the door shut and threw myself onto my bed, clutching my head. I honestly had no idea how to react to Father’s stifling affection. After years of neglect and cold indifference, he wanted to play the role of good parent now?

As if. The hurt he left wouldn’t fade away.

…still, it didn’t feel too bad.

*

“Lumi!”

“Not again! Father, I already told you to stop that!”

By now, a week had passed since Father’s curse had been lifted, but his enthusiasm hadn’t dampened even one bit.

“But…” He looked so crestfallen I actually felt sorry for him. And this was the same man who was nothing short of an unfeeling ice statue just recently. “I apologize if I am overstepping boundaries, but I sincerely wish to make it up to you. I will do anything for you.”

“Yes, you’ve already shown that throughout the past week.” I gritted my teeth and attempted to smooth my frazzled hair, which was usually silky and straight because of my meticulous grooming every morning. “But I really do not need anything.”

“Really? Not even…”

“No, I don’t need Sir Louis Vishton’s latest design. I have no interest in fashion.”

“Then…”

“I would prefer to dine at home today than visit the Les Gout restaurant for Chef Verne’s latest recipe.”

“How about…”

“I’d rather train in magic than go hunting beasts in Fratton Park.”

“...I see.” Father’s shoulders slumped, but only for a second. He brightened. “You said you’d rather train in magic?”

“Yes, and no, we do not need to visit the bookstore. I’ve already acquired the books I need. I just need to find a way to put the spells into practice.” I raised my hand and tried to channel mana through it, the same way the tomes instructed. Nothing. Not even a spark. I pursed my lips in frustration. Why couldn’t I do something so simple that came so naturally to everyone my age?

“Don’t pressure yourself, Lumi.” Father placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “It matters not if you can cast magic or not. You’ll always be my daughter, and it will not affect your succession to the duchy.”

I stiffened. Despite his words, I felt doubt creeping in.

“You’re no daughter of mine.”

That cold look. The abandonment. The despair. The realization that he had never loved me as a daughter.

But now, everything had changed. The memories I had of my past life…they were no longer applicable. I thought I had everything planned out, that I had mapped out a route to avoid my eventual demise. Father’s curse being lifted, Father returning to his original, cheerful self and the person he was before Mother’s passing, Father showering me with affection even as I grew into my late teens…none of that had occurred in the previous timeline.

This was a major deviation that I did not foresee, and it made me…uncomfortable. Insecure. Worried.

“Lumi, don’t worry. I love you because you’re my daughter, and not because of whatever magic you can wield.” Mistaking the cause for my anxiety, Father placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. He grinned. “Besides, there’s no warrior more skilled than you. No mage can beat you in combat. That, both Sebastian and I can guarantee!”

“I appreciate it, but still…I wish to learn magic.”

I looked at my hand and clenched it into a fist. My memories were vague for the most part, but I could still glimpse major incidents here and there. Demonic incursions conjured by someone other than me. The limits of physical combat against mage opponents. Enemies who could not be defeated by mere flesh and blood. The dazzling achievements and incredible spells of his highness Prince Leonard and Silvia Sainte as they vanquished the demon I summoned.

No. This was my second chance at life, and I had resolved to learn proper magic. Not black magic, but actual magic that would allow me to stand in the same space as those two.

“If that is your desire, then naturally, I’ll do everything within my power to assist you.” Father pondered for a moment before his eyes brightened. “That’s right! I’ll hire the best magic tutor I can find!”

“Will you really do that for me?” I asked, hope flaring in my bosom. I had reached the limits of self-learning, having realized that reading alone would not avail me of magic mastery. In the past, too, I had no access to any tutor, having been isolated from the world. If I had a competent teacher, would that change everything?

“Of course,” He ruffled my hair again. “And I’ll pick only the best and most trustworthy.”

It was because of that statement that I held high expectations. Father, whether his cold self or cheerful personality, was not someone who told lies. And being a duke, he had connections with high-ranking royal mages. Perhaps he might hire someone from Arcana Academy, a professor who had spare time before the semester was due to start in a couple of months. Or maybe he might request assistance from a professional mage.

I could already imagine being under the tutelage of someone as esteemed as Lucas Chrome, a royal mage of the highest rank and a reputable alchemist, famous for his advancements in homunculus and golem research. If it was him, then it was possible he could diagnose what prevented me from casting spells.

Even then, I did not expect Father to return to our manor library the very next day, a huge grin plastered across his face.

“Lumi!”

I tried not to sigh. “What is it, Father?”

“Your magic tutor…I’ve hired him!”

“So soon?” Despite my excitement, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical. It had only been a day!

“Of course. He’s currently waiting in the reception hall, and he says he is fine with beginning your lessons immediately…”

I didn’t wait for Father to finish speaking. I was already dashing out of the library and past him, heading toward the reception hall. Unable to contain my excitement, I plunged through the corridor, and before I knew it, I was already pushing the double doors to the hall open.

“Greetings, sir! I heard from my father that…”

My words died in my throat when I caught sight of the black-haired, frost-blue-eyed, bespectacled boy seated on the couch. There was no one else around aside from him, and when I halted abruptly, he rose to his feet and waved casually, sporting that familiar, goofy grin that I had come to so detest.

“Hello, Lady Lumiere.”

“Sir Trevor?” I finally found my voice as I glared at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh? Your father didn’t tell you?” He tilted his head in amusement. “I’ve been hired as your magic tutor. Starting today, we’ll be finding a way to help you cast spells.”