"I am being sincere in my response, not hypocritically polite," Lillian broke the silence and said to Fontaine "There's no need to bother, there are already plenty of things here, aren't there?"
"The therapist expressed their hope that you can maintain a positive mood, as it has been found to be beneficial for your physical recovery," Fontaine said.
This statement made Lillian tilt her head, so in the eyes of this older brother, is the original way for Lillian to stay happy by buying things desperately?
"Um--" she decided not to deliberately emphasize that she had not only lost her memory but also completely changed her personality after waking up, "Thank you. If I think of anything I need later on, I will inform the maids, just like yesterday when I told them I wanted this lamp." She pointed at the magic desk lamp that Kate had just rearranged on the dressing table.
"Do you like it?"
"Um..." In her eyes, it's just a battery-powered desk lamp. But since heasked, she still graciously supported it by saying, 'It looks exactly how I imagined and it's quite beautiful, so I really like it.' There is one thing to note though, I don't know if Joseph reminded you."
Seeing her bewildered expression, Fontaine looked towards the two maids still standing in the corner and asked, "Where are the boxes containing the magic ore?"
After Megan successfully searched through the lengthy row of drawers and located the small box, Fontaine motioned for Lillian to open it. "Alright, take one out from inside and hand it to me, then close the box."
Although she didn't understand why, Lillian still followed his request and placed a withered stone onto the open palm that Fontaine extended towards her. In the blink of an eye, the previously dark stone emitted a brilliant light akin to burning magnesium in the air upon contact with Fontaine's skin.
Due to her caution as a chemistry major, Lillian reflexively took several steps back and covered her mouth and nose while closing her eyes. She felt a distinct dark blue-black mark appearing in the center of her vision. There was no smell of anything burning in the air, and when she opened her eyes again, the stone had returned to its inconspicuous appearance. The two maids had similar reactions, indicating that even though they moved around in noble households every day, their exposure to magic was still very limited.
"These magic ores should not come into direct contact with individuals who can sense magic, as they will become activated once sensed," Flint showed no intention of mocking her, "The same applies to already activated magic ores, as the contents inside will accelerate their depletion due to sensing."
"Then how are they made? Is it that people with magic inject their power into them?" Lillian felt curious. "Or is it a natural substance?"
"This is the product of natural mineral veins after being mined and processed. You are absolutely right, only people who cannot sense magic can undertake the mining and processing." Fontaine's tone sounded like a teacher answering a student's question. "As for infusing magic into depleted magical ores artificially, to my knowledge, magicians in the Magic Tower have been researching and experimenting on it, but there haven't been any results so far."
"Ah, a one-time energy source. I don't think the distribution of this type of stone is very widespread. If the cost is low enough, it will definitely be widely used among ordinary people as well," Lillian understood. She thought that this magical lamp seemed quite rare to Kate. "So, with that kind of lamp, they just need to hold it and it will light up, while someone like me who doesn't know anything would need a battery-powered lamp."
"Sorry," she immersed herself in her own world for a while before realizing that now was not the time to dwell on the specific details of her magic, as there was still a marquis waiting for her attention. "Um... do you have anything else to instruct me?"
"Do you still not remember anything?" the man looked into her eyes.
"Yes," Lillian calmly met Fontaines gaze, "Is there something you hope I remember?"
Fontaine slightly turned his face and looked at the curtains behind Lillian, which were being blown by the wind. "No, it seems like you have completely forgotten everything. I'm just concerned that if this state continues, I may need to inform the Capital Academy about postponing your enrollment."
"Academy?" Lillian looked confused and instinctively glanced at Megan and Kate. They had never mentioned that she still needed to go to school - well, ever since she woke up, it was mostly her asking the maids questions and them answering without volunteering any information.
"Not a big problem, there is still some time before the planned trip to the capital. We will have to assess your physical condition at that time." Fontaine didn't explain to her as he took out a pocket watch-like object from his pocket and glanced at it. "Keep one of the maids here to take care of Miss, and send the other one to Mrs. Pascal to explain tonight's oversight and ask for her judgment on what kind of punishment should be given to you all."
Kate showed a fearful expression, while Meghan gave Lillian an reassuring look and followed behind Fontaine in a submissive manner as they left the room.
"The towels that Meghan brought may have all cooled down. Oh! It's so hot!" Kate reached out to touch the towel in the basket and recoiled her hand from the heat. "The towels have been left for so long, it's strange. They'll need to be left for a while longer. Miss, would you like some preserved fruit?"
"Then have one." Lillian sat down. "Kate, tell me about the school. Was I supposed to go to school? Or was I already attending before?"
.....
"Miss Lillian has really completely lost her memory?" Maintaining his position, Fontaine stopped at the corner of the second floor and turned around to look at the maid.
"Yes," Megan replied obediently, "Miss's personality has also undergone significant changes."
"Like when she suddenly stopped talking for a period of time before? " Fontaine asked. "The therapist said they are unsure if amnesia is a result of poisoning. Did anything happen before she was poisoned?"
"No, Lord Fontaine. After Miss fainted from being poisoned and woke up, both you and the old Marquis were by her side. Except for today when Master Joseph came over during the day, she has been in her room all this time without any contact with anyone other than the maids."
"Has she cried these days?" Fontaine recalled the tears that flowed incessantly down Lillian's pale face as he stood by her side during her life-threatening coma. "What was her reaction after Joseph left today?"
"Miss Lillian seems to have been crying in her dreams at night, and she has also said some dream talk that Kate and I couldn't understand." Megan hesitated for a moment before answering, "But she is in good spirits during the day. Master Joseph has been calm since he arrived until he left. Miss really likes that lamp, and after Master Joseph left, she sat in the room playing with it for a long time."
"Take good care of her." After asking all the questions he wanted to ask, Fontaine turned around and said, "Such poisoning incidents must never happen again."
"Yes, Mr. Mason and Mrs. Pascal have requested that all the food Miss enters is tested by at least three maids beforehand. The same applies to potions, except for the one potion that the Marquis specifically instructed Miss to use since she was young, which does not require testing before serving it to her."
"Lillian Miss asked today what the medicines she takes are for, and also questioned why she has been taking them since childhood. This matter was mentioned to her by Mr. Joseph." Megan pondered for a moment and decided to bring up the issue, saying, "I informed Miss that those medicines are only meant to enhance her physical condition, and she did not ask further questions afterwards."
"Well, that's right," Fontaine was very satisfied with Megan's style of work. She was disciplined and obedient enough, but also flexible enough to come up with suitable reasons for things she didn't even know about. It was precisely for this reason that he assigned Megan to take care of Lillian, who had suddenly become silent and occasionally hysterical. Even during the most whimsical moments, Lillian couldn't find any faults in Megan.
"Perhaps... could Miss Lillian take a walk in the courtyard? The sunlight has been lovely these days, and Miss Lillian has been spending more and more time daydreaming by the window." As Fontaine lifted his foot to head towards the study, Megan seized the last opportunity and asked, "I will prepare a windproof cloak for her."
Fontaine hesitated for a moment, thinking about how the girl had sneezed several times after stepping barefoot on the carpet when he opened the door tonight. He said, "Wait a few more days."
"Someone will go to the library on my behalf later and fetch some books for you. If Miss doesn't like them, you can return them to the library without notifying me again." As Megan was already heading towards the hallway, preparing to go to the basement and collect Mrs. Pascal's punishment, she heard Fontaine's voice.