Chapter 73
The carriage continued to move forward. On both sides of the road, endless fields of lavender stretched out. As the scent of lavender drifted in with the gentle breeze and filled the carriage, a wave of longing swept over her.
Eluana recalled the times spent in the lavender fields with her father, Ron, and Rui. Of course, the lavender fields she could now enjoy were even more vast. They were beautiful and fragrant, yet it still didn’t feel like they truly belonged to her.
The thought of one day ruling over all the land she could see still seemed far away. Staring at the seemingly endless lavender fields, Eluana spoke suddenly.
“I wonder what Rui is doing right now.”
“He’s probably doing well. Kieran is surprisingly kindhearted.”
Kazahr’s words about Kieran seemed unusually warm and friendly. Thanks to that, Eluana felt a little more at ease.
“…Do you know Kieran well?”
“I received a lot of help from him. I was blessed by mana, too.”
“What? So Kazahr really was a mage?”
Kazahr shook his head immediately, denying it.
“I didn’t choose magic; I chose the sword. After learning Aura, it’s as if a barrier formed, and mana doesn’t come near me. I can still sense it, but only faintly.”
That seemed like a bit of a waste. Being a prince, Kazahr could have given Kieran whatever he wanted. If he had taken the chance to learn magic, he could have been at least a Circle 3 mage.
“Couldn’t you have become an incredible mage?”
“I was young, and there was no one to protect me. But being a prince, I had the opportunity to meet Kieran alone.”
At that time, Kazahr was only five years old.
Unlike Rui, who grew up in Aden without mana, the royal capital was saturated with it. The first person to notice Kazahr’s natural affinity for mana was his nanny. She sent an invitation letter to Kieran, asking him to enchant an artifact. Even after repeated refusals, the nanny didn’t give up. She added the phrase, “For the prince who lives in a world filled with light.”
The next day, Kieran arrived, and the nanny wept with joy.
Kazahr thought of his nanny again. He could no longer remember his mother’s face. Only the last moments remained in his memory.
“Did Kieran suggest you learn the sword?”
Eluana’s question brought him back to the present.
“Princes and princesses aren’t allowed outside the palace until they turn ten. Kieran couldn’t stay in the capital. There was a way to learn magic after turning ten, but the chances of surviving that long were slim. There were plenty of mages coming and going in the capital.”
The royal capital was an open place, with countless people passing through, including mages. If anyone had noticed Kazahr using magic without training, he would have been dragged to the western mage tower.
Eluana recalled the fate of the “child blessed with mana” that Kieran had told her about. If luck had been worse, Kazahr could have become a weaponized artifact by now.
The grim thought made Eluana frown slightly, but Kazahr spoke as if to reassure her.
“That’s why I have no regrets. If the Empress had noticed, I wouldn’t be alive now.”
“What kind of person is the Empress, anyway?”
Her hostility toward someone she had never met grew rapidly.
Kazahr carefully chose his words to describe the Empress: terrible, vicious, cruel, merciless. The word that best fit her was:
“She’s relentless. Her life’s goal seems to be making Prince Regis the emperor.”
“What would she want from making Prince Regis the emperor? Is she hoping for the empire’s downfall or something?”
If that were true, it would be highly effective. After all, Prince Regis had the power to ruin the empire on his own.
“I don’t know. Only the Empress knows.”
Kazahr always wondered about this as well. She might just be power-hungry, but in that case, she was obsessively meticulous and malicious. If the Edelweiss agents sent to the Valua Kingdom returned, they might find clues.
Thinking of this, Eluana said,
“Well, there’s nothing to worry about. As long as I’m around, Prince Regis won’t become the emperor.”
Her green eyes shone brightly beneath neatly arched brows. Kazahr felt his heart beat a little faster.
“…Dependable.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
The carriage rolled on with the sound of hooves, wind, and a hint of anticipation. Even after arriving in the imperial capital, they kept the windows open, so that as many people as possible could see Eluana and Kazahr.
After a while, Eluana glanced out and asked gently,
“Kazahr, being blessed by mana seems like a huge secret. Can you tell me?”
“You can tell the Duke. He probably already suspects it. I recognized Rui, and there’s a connection with Kieran.”
“With Kieran?”
“It’s somewhat known that Kieran accepted my request to make an artifact.”
“Oh! That stealth artifact. That must’ve been expensive. Didn’t you spend it all because of me?”
“The Duke covered it. He paid for the items you brought as gifts and suggested using it as a sort of laundering method in the future.”
“I heard from Father. He said not to feel burdened by what Kazahr gave me.”
“Exactly. So the things we brought in the morning by carriage were just items. This is the real gift.”
Kazahr pulled a wooden box from his arms and handed it to her.
“A gift?”
Eluana grinned and opened the wooden box, engraved with fish patterns. Inside was a silver brooch adorned with small emeralds. Unusually, the main gem’s slot was empty. Judging by the groove, it seemed unfinished.
“The empty space is for your little orb friend.”
The orb, which had been rolling along Eluana’s shoulder, stopped. It rolled down her arm and reached the wooden box through her fingertips, settling in the center of the brooch. The orb spun gently once in its groove.
“Looks like your orb likes it.”
“That’s a relief.”
“I like it too. There aren’t many dresses with pockets, so carrying the orb around was inconvenient.”
Eluana pinned the brooch onto her dress. After fidgeting with it a few times, she looked up and met Kazahr’s blue eyes.
“Thank you.”
Eluana’s dazzling smile made Kazahr’s heart beat faster again.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Kazahr answered awkwardly and looked away. When he placed his hand near his chest, he could feel the faster heartbeat.
‘Did someone poison the stew we had this morning?’
Thinking he needed to be more careful, he noticed the carriage stopping at their first date location. Eluana adjusted her outfit as the carriage slowed.
“From now on, we have to act as affectionate as possible, right?”
“I’m counting on your acting skills.”
“Just trust me, Jagi.”
Seeing Kazahr’s disgusted reaction, Eluana chuckled. It was strange, but she enjoyed it whenever he scowled.
“Stop laughing.”
“Alright.”
Eluana wiped away a tear hanging from her eye, and Kazahr reached out his hand.
“Let’s get off. And today, try not to stand with your legs crossed.”
“I won’t. I worked hard to fix my posture… Though with this dress, you wouldn’t see it even if I did.”
“I could see it.”
“Really? How?”
“You were standing like that at Countess Lavia’s tea party.”
Ah, she was really doomed. Eluana pouted.
The theater had two entrances. The first was for nobles to use the upper-level entrance, and the second for wealthy commoners to use the lower-level entrance. Although the entrances were different, people didn’t block them; the groups simply waited separately.
As the performance time approached, nobles trickled in through the upper-level entrance. Today’s performance was rumored to be attended by aristocratic young ladies, including Shavia, so a few young noblemen were also present. Whispers of “Lavender Lady” could be heard here and there.
Shavia smiled sweetly at them.
“Is it true that Prince Regis turned into a dove?”
A young lady with an innocent expression approached Shavia. Judging by her unremarkable family, she must have been from a minor noble house.
How rude.
But this was the question Shavia had been waiting for. The rumor had spread instantly, causing the Empress worry, so it needed addressing.
Shavia smiled gently and replied,
“It was a mistake by the servants. Prince Regis was greatly distressed because of it as well.”
“Of course. Even as a dove, he made a mistake.”
“Well, at least it wasn’t horrible, just a dove.”
The young ladies laughed, seemingly enjoying talking about Regis.
Regis had a poor reputation among them. As the prince most likely to become emperor, people flattered him in front of him but mocked his shallow knowledge and character behind his back.
Shavia understood this, but the prince’s image had fallen too far, which was problematic.
“Don’t be too harsh. It was an accident. Something that could happen to any of us.”
“Miss Shavia, you truly have a kind heart.”
“You’re too kind; it’s a problem.”
As she listened to their praise, Shavia smiled pleasantly. It was time to act on the Empress’s instructions.
“The Empress is deeply concerned. It happens to coincide with your brother preparing to welcome the princess consort.”
“The princess consort?”
The young ladies’ ears perked up.
“Yes. The position of princess consort is still vacant.”
“Is there a designated candidate?”
“No, it will be decided among the noble faction. One of you might become it, you know.”
Shavia exchanged glances with each young lady in her group. Watching the greed ignite in their eyes, she smiled softly. One young lady took out a fan, fluttering it, and said,
“The other young ladies have fiancés, so they have no chance.”
She was the only young lady, Miss Loni, without a fiancé. There had been talks of an engagement with Fortio, but after waiting four hours at a meeting a few days ago and being stood up, the matter had fizzled out. Her moment of crisis had become an opportunity, leaving her feeling confident.
Other young ladies quickly remembered their fiancés and said,
“We can make our own opportunities. Breaking an engagement isn’t a flaw.”
“Engagements are meant to be broken.”
The young ladies laughed and compared their strengths. They didn’t want Regis, but they wanted the Empress’s favor.
Watching their subtle battle, Shavia smiled and continued,
“Anyway, the rumors have spread so far that the Empress is extremely worried. Even the young ladies who may become princess consort might be mocked. It’s a problem. What should be done…”
The young ladies’ eyes flickered sharply. Shavia’s group represented noble families. Their powers were roughly equal, so it wasn’t strange that all would aim for the position of princess consort. From today, they would work to erase the rumors about Regis, in order to secure the position they might rise to.
They would do their best.
As the theater-goers exchanged light greetings upon entering, their gazes turned elsewhere.
