A Side Story: Charlotte’s Scheme

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**Charlotte’s POV**

Today, I head to the monastery to visit the owner of the place with a gift in hand.

“Good morning, Therese-sama.
I received some apples, but couldn’t finish them and thought I’d share them with you.”

Therese, the owner of this monastery, is an early bird. 

Every morning, she seems to always pray to God. 

I wonder if God really exists.

I stopped believing in God the moment I was judged to have no magical attributes during the magic attribute judgment ceremony. 

Through my ancestor’s memory, I learned that Plundering Magic was in great danger of being eradicated by the gods long ago.
Apparently, my ancestors managed to avert the crisis; thereby passing Plundering Magic to their descendants. 

It may be  that God truly exists.
However, I’ve never seen a god in person. 

“Good morning, Lottie.
Thank you so much for everything.
Have you gotten used to living here yet?”

“Yes, I have.
Every day is full of life.
It was a great decision to ask my late mother’s business associate for help.
Everyone has been just so kind to me.”

All that was merely a pretext.
I had asked Father to buy out the merchant association located in this territory.
ALl the servants were brought from our home. 

When I told him that I wanted to go study to take over the family business, my father gladly sent me a butler, who was an experienced-member of the Baron Campbell family. 

This butler was, of course, also at my beck and call.
I left all the management of the business association to him. 

I only come to visit Therese from time to time to bring her gifts. 

“I’m glad to hear that.
I was worried about how you were going to make a living since you’ve yet to reach adulthood.”

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Three years ago, I had lied about my mother’s death, and Therese invited me to live here.

Seeing such a perfect opportunity to take her Light Magic, I accepted the offer.

However, the life of a nun is much harder than I expected.

Mornings started bright and early, and nights started early as well.
There was no form of entertainment here, and the only thing they did all day was being of service in the village, which meant farming.

Growing up as a Baroness, I couldn’t stand it.

So, I lied, telling her that I had been hired by the Chamber of Commerce, changing my strategy of going to the monastery regularly in order to win Therese over.

I had asked the servants at the trading company to have a chat with me.
The servants here were all men, so they would listen to anything I said. 

“Therese-sama, may I join you in prayer?”

“Why, of course.
Please do.”

Pretending to pray, I began to think.

I had tried several times to plunder Therese’s light magic, but with no success.

If I could I would test out if this Plundering Magic really works, but this magic can only be used once.

I tried to search for someone else who had the attributes of Light Magic or Dark Magic, but there were none. 

These past three years, not a single person has been found to possess either Light or Dark magic. 

Proof of this is the fact that the Crown Prince has yet to be engaged. 

So, the only way to obtain Light Magic is from Therese.
However, each time the Plundering Magic was rejected.

What should I do?

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After praying, Therese never fails to make me a cup of tea. 

Each time when she pours the hot water, a mysterious jasmine flower wrapped in twine opens. 

“Thank you for the apples.
I’ll bake an apple pie with them, would you like some?”

“Of course.”

Therese’s pastries are delicious. 

I once suggested that we sell them at the bazaar, but she shook her head.
She said she would rather give them to the children at the orphanage than sell them.
She wasn’t the least bit greedy. 

Suddenly, I noticed the pendant Therese was wearing.
It shone in the morning sun with a strange glow. 

“Therese-sama, that pendant is very beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.
It’s very precious to me.
I always keep it in my pocket, but today I forgot to place it there.
Have I gotten so old?”

Therese giggled, placing the pendant into her pocket. 

“Is it a memento? Or a gift?”

Intrigued, I asked her. 

“It was a gift from someone I deeply care about.”

Even though she was a nun, Therese is a woman.
She may have had a lover in the past. 

After feasting on Therese’s apple pie, I returned to the Baron Campbell’s villa, which had been built next to the trading post. 

“Charlotte-sama, I have a letter for you from the master and mistress.”

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Stopping me at the entrance, the butler handed me a letter.

Once I returned to the room, I read the letter and found that my father had written to inquire how I was doing and if there was anything I lacked. 

The letter from my mother was one of complaints… 

I was supposed to have been admitted to the Magic Academy this year, but I had suddenly delayed my admission causing my mother to be very upset. 

Her letter stated that I should return home as soon as possible and enroll in the Magic Academy. 

If I managed to plunder the Light Magic, I would return immediately.
But I cannot enter the Magic Academy before achieving that goal.

But one day, the tipping point occurred. 

Therese collapsed one day. 

It happened while visiting the village. 

Receiving the news, I rushed to the monastery.
Therese-sama was there lying on the bed.
She seemed to be asleep. 

I asked the doctor how she was doing after he examined her. 

“Doctor, how is Therese doing?”

With a difficult look, the Doctor said, “She is very weak.
She is getting weaker by the day.
It seems she is approaching the end of her life.”

Therese had the blood of an elf in her veins.
Thanks to her long-lived elven ancestry, she could live much longer than normal humans.
I heard this from the people in the village.

“How much longer can she live for?”

“A year or two at most.
She must stay healthy as long as she can.”

“No, it can’t be……”

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I pretended to be shocked. 

The doctor pats me on the shoulder to comfort me. 

Sitting in a chair by the bed, I waited for Therese to wake up. 

“Lottie, have you been here all this time?”

Therese asked once she woke up. 

“When I got wind that Therese-sama had collapsed, I was worried so I rushed to see you.
I’ll be here every day to take care of you.”

“Thank you.
But it’s okay.
I’ve seen the signs for a long time now.
I am approaching the end of my life.”

She seemed to have known how much longer she was to live.
I burst into tears.
It was an act, of course.
One of my special skills was my ability to cry on the spot. 

“Therese-sama, please don’t say such sad things.
I think of you like my real mother.
You helped me when I was all alone after my mother died…..”

“You’re such a sweet girl, Lottie.
If I had a daughter, I wonder if she would’ve been like you.”

Holding my hand, Therese wept. 

“I will visit you every day until you are better.
Please get well soon.”

Yes, indeed.
You will get weaker and weaker until you depart for heaven. 

It’s said that when a person is about to die, the magic he or she possesses returns to the gods, and that’s the perfect opportunity. 

This also comes from the knowledge I gained from my ancestor’s memory.
But, if I use Plundering Magic when her magic returns to the gods, I’ll surely be able to take it. 

All I have to do now is wait.
I’ll just wait for the moment when the candle of Therese’s life snuffs out……

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