Chapter 50
“Ah, do you remember Kirkan? The magician. He came once before, and today he’s supposed to come again.”
The morning once again began with her in his bed. The curtains were drawn tight, but the slivers of sunlight sneaking through revealed the time of day.
“That’s not exactly a name I want to hear first thing in bed.”
Theoen casually spoke words that sounded far too affectionate for his usually cool, blunt tone. Agnes felt like she might become addicted to hearing such tender remarks from such a man.
“How about coming with me?”
He sat up and looked down at her from behind. When his face leaned closer, as if to rise above her, she reached out, brushed his cheek, and gave him a small smile.
“Would you let me meet him alone? There’s no reason for you to be jealous.”
She spoke with a surprisingly serious face. Seeing her solemnly insist that there was no reason for jealousy made Theoen almost laugh.
It sounded like she was asking him to trust her—but the seriousness itself seemed adorable. He wondered if he had lost his senses rather than simply liking her.
Without realizing it, he was already stepping into the first stage of love.
“There’s no reason I can’t. I spent a whole day needlessly tormented by jealousy, so I should apologize anyway.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Agnes blushed as if her face were on fire and carefully sat up. He helped by wrapping the sheet around her and supporting her waist so she could rise more comfortably.
“Th-thank you.”
Though this was already the third morning she had woken up in his bed, she still flushed red every dawn.
At first, he found her bashfulness so charming that he teased her relentlessly. But now, he only shielded her gently so she wouldn’t grow more embarrassed. That, too, when she blushed again, was something he found lovely.
“I’ll finish my talk quickly and come back to help with work.”
“There’s nothing for you to do today, so take your time… No, actually—come back quickly. Even if there’s no work to do.”
It was a warning not to spend too much time with another man. Agnes knew that very well, so she smiled and nodded.
She, too, found her time with him far more enjoyable, so she had no reason to refuse.
Agnes arrived at the meeting place first. Since her position was high and she was a woman, the head maid had advised her to arrive late. But since she was the one who had invited him and she had questions to ask, she came early and waited for her guest.
Would he really have the answers she wanted? Or was she foolishly expecting too much simply because he was a magician?
With those thoughts, Agnes began brewing the tea herself. She had insisted on preparing it, afraid she might bring up matters of ruin—or worse, that someone might overhear at the wrong moment.
While she measured the tea leaves and poured in the hot water, a knock came at the door.
The left-side drawing room of the Crown Prince’s palace was spacious, filled with windows that let in warm sunlight. If the doors at either end were opened, a pleasant breeze flowed through. On that breeze, the sound of knocking spread.
“Come in.”
Her voice must have carried clearly, for the door opened cautiously and a few polite words followed.
A tall man with striking red hair stepped into view. Though he had entered the space of the Crown Princess herself, he showed no sign of nervousness.
It was Agnes whose hand trembled slightly as she welcomed him.
“Thank you for inviting me back to the palace, Your Highness the Crown Princess. I am Kirkan, a magician. Meeting you so often makes it feel like I’m seeing an old acquaintance.”
With a bright, eye-smiling grin, Kirkan sat on the sofa she gestured to. Then he fixed her with an intent, intrigued gaze.
Agnes didn’t reply to his pleasantries. She poured the steeped tea into their cups.
The liquid shone a soft brown, fragrant steam curling upward. Kirkan, quiet now, watched her every move.
“You pretended not to know me after acting so familiar.”
“Hahaha, I thought you might feel uncomfortable, so I played along. But if you’re this straightforward, I suppose I don’t need to feign ignorance.”
The rising steam filled the room with aroma as Agnes lifted her first question.
“Why did you take my necklace?”
Before asking her true question, she demanded this. He was a magician, and he had sold gems in a shop. During their last meeting, he had even taken her necklace.
Though she had never sensed anything unusual from the piece, something about it seemed connected.
“Ah, the way the light reflected looked odd—as if the stone was scratched. I took it to check, but I should have explained properly. My apologies.”
His unchanging eye-smile, his sly tone, and his excessively polite words together made him seem even more suspicious.
Even worse, he avoided speaking of magic entirely.
“After being scolded so harshly last time, I fixed my manner of speech. I’ve grown used to it now. Do you dislike it?”
His voice and gestures brimmed with confidence. He was the type who wouldn’t cower even before the Crown Prince or Emperor themselves.
Perhaps because of that attitude, he had always been able to act freely, regardless of rank.
But that wasn’t the important matter.
After finishing his words, Kirkan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box, sliding it across the table to her.
Inside was a jewel that shimmered with a blue glow.
It was beautiful, but for some reason, she immediately thought of someone’s eyes. Before, she had only vaguely recognized the resemblance. Now, it came naturally, without trying.
She meant to push the necklace aside, but Kirkan stood, displeased.
“Why not try it on now? I’m curious to see if I’ve restored it properly.”
Grinning, he walked around the table toward her back. Before she could refuse, he opened the box himself and took out the jewel.
“I can put it on my—”
“The chain is small, so it will be difficult to fasten yourself. Allow me.”
With long, deft fingers, he clasped the necklace around her neck. Though careful, his fingertips brushed against the bare skin of her nape and her collarbone.
It wasn’t startling enough to make her flinch, but she could feel her heart beating faster each time.
Once fastened, the necklace gleamed against her up-styled hair, which revealed it more than usual. Kirkan smiled, his gaze unusually sharp.
Resting a hand on her shoulder, he leaned close, lowering his eyes to admire the sparkling stone.
“It carries the deep blue of the ocean depths. It seems I returned it correctly. It shines beautifully now.”
Agnes walked to the nearby vanity mirror and checked. It did seem to gleam brighter than before.
She didn’t stop him. If left alone, people usually revealed their true intentions—just as Kirkan had, by insisting on fastening the necklace himself.
“Well, I’ve finished my task. Didn’t Your Highness also summon me because you had something to ask of me?”
He was still smiling. Sometimes it was a broad grin, sometimes a faint curl of his lips, but always there. He seemed to manufacture reasons to smile.
It was a careful balance—to keep his sharp gray eyes from drawing too much notice.
“I wanted to consult you about my father.”
Agnes quickly set aside the lingering sensations of his touch and asked her first question.
Kirkan tilted his head, his smile faltering for a fraction of a second. Then his eyes curved again as he raised his lips into another grin.
“Your father…? You mean Marquis Riezen, do you not?”
She studied him carefully, trying to see if he was pretending not to know, or if he truly didn’t. But his armor was thick—too thick for her to read.
“Yes. My father, Marquis Riezen. Lately, he’s been coming to the palace nearly every day.”
It had already been some time since the Marquis resumed regular work at the palace. Now, with the Crown Prince’s suggestion, he might even take up a temporary residence inside the palace.
In fact, preparations for a residence near the training grounds had already been made when the proposal was first given to him.
That would be good for her, but… she couldn’t shake a sense of ominous dread closing in.
“He wasn’t just skilled with the sword. He could use magic, too. Now, with mana disappearing and magicians dwindling… If you are a magician, then surely you understand my worry. That is why I hoped to ask for your help. Of course… it may not be something you can do.”
She hadn’t been sure he would know, but she said it anyway.
Kirkan flinched, his brow twitching.
“I suppose I should find out everything I can for you.”
For the first time, Agnes saw his smile twist into something truly dangerous.
