TYHL 123

~Chapter 123~

Because of the magic shackle around her neck, this place felt even harder to bear.

But thanks to it, she could cross the border and come all the way to the capital of Babilon without being caught as a mage.

‘Duke Zebbert is really here… Let’s look around first.’

The woman, mumbling to herself, quickly left the Academy and disappeared into the crowd.

‘Seventh one, you can’t escape.’

Her green eyes shone.

She was the mage called the “Second” of the Magic King.

To be honest, the entrance ceremony was…

“Yaaawn…”

Very boring.

‘Principal Odelli talks as much as the Emperor.’

So this is how a real principal is.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and put my bag down in a corner.

When I flopped down on the dorm bed, Sortie—who had been staring at me for a while—finally spoke.

“Rubian, did you sleep badly? I want to ask that, but… Actually, there’s something I’ve been dying to say. You really…”

Sortie’s familiar sky-blue pigtails tilted to the side.

“You must’ve had an amazing summer…”

“Sniff… I’m kind of funny, right?”

In the end, I buried my face in my hands.

“No, you’re not funny… How do I say this?”

Her clear eyes sparkled like glass as she looked at me.

Sortie couldn’t hold back anymore and jumped up to sit right next to me.

“You’re like a different person! I almost didn’t recognize you at first!”

I stared at my own reflection in those bright eyes.

My hair was now long enough to wrap around my chin.

My cheeks had gotten a little chubby.

My blue eyes looked like the southern sea—and just like Dad’s…

So, just like Dad and my older brothers…

Black hair.

“Ruby! Want to go to the harbor with Mom? Let’s have some fun!”

It all started with Mom’s sweet whisper.

“Oh… Who are you?”
“Daughter, you’re mean.”
“Wow! It’s blue this time!”
“I got inspired by the southern sea.”
“Wow!”

At the end of summer, my family went on vacation to the southern part of Babilon.

It was because Grandpa insisted that if I was going to a fall camp for ten days, then the family should also go camping for ten days.

‘No magic trackers anyway… It was fun.’

And that’s how I saw it!

The first sea of my life!

“Me too! I want a disguise too!”
“You want to dye your hair?”
“I really want to try!”

I begged as I looked at Mom’s deep blue hair. Something about vacation makes people bold!

“Oh, if Leviathan finds out, we’ll be in trouble.”
“Then… just don’t let him find out? It washes out anyway…”

Mom narrowed her eyes.

“Who are your parents? Such a clever kid. Alright, come with me!”
“Yes, ma’am!”

And so, well…

“That’s what happened…”

Sortie clicked her eyebrows in concern and touched my hair.

“So your hair won’t turn back to normal…”

“Yeah. Asha said it’s because she mixed in some special magic to make it last. My hair isn’t magic-friendly, so it absorbed better.”

Mom’s old dye used to wash out with rain or moisture.

So Asha made a new one that would last longer for Mom—but that caused trouble…

If I washed it with the special shampoo, the color would come out, and it was mild enough for kids to use… but not for me.

‘Maybe my magic fused with it and made it stick…’

Ugh. So now I look like a crow.

Not even nullifying magic works, so I guess the color really soaked into my hair.

“At least it’s slowly fading…”

It was lighter than at first.

At least it’s not a crazy color, right?

“But it looks really good… You look even more like Duke Zebbert! Amazing!”

“Huh, really?”

That was actually nice to hear.

‘Dad will like it even more.’

I remembered the shocked look on Dad’s face the first time he saw my hair.

“Who are you?”
“I’m your daughter.”
“…”

Dad was silent for about a hundred years.

Even Dad, who doesn’t notice much, was shocked by my big change.

“Oh my. Where’s Rosetta Zebbert? What did she do to your hair…”
“But Dad, look!”

I squatted in front of the big mirror and spoke while looking at myself.

“Don’t I look just like you?”
“…”

At that moment, Dad went silent again for another hundred years.

Looking at the two of us in the mirror, I was really amazed.

“Wow, it’s just the hair color, but we look like twins.”
“…Where’s my lovely Rose?”

After that, Dad didn’t say anything more. That’s why Mom could come out of hiding behind the closet safely.

There were a lot of other things that happened—it was a wild summer!

‘Do other families have such noisy vacations too?’

Hmm. I wouldn’t know.

“Why didn’t the Duke come to the entrance ceremony?”

Sortie asked innocently.

“Oh, he had to go meet the Emperor in a hurry. Mom and Grandpa are taking care of the house in the North.”

When Dad went to the palace, he looked like a prisoner heading to his execution. He really looked like the world had ended.

‘Well… he did come to the capital for me.’

I remember him wanting to throw the Emperor’s letter straight into the fire as soon as he got it.

But when he heard about the ‘Continental Union,’ he couldn’t ignore it completely.

“But Knight Leon and the other senior knights came! Didn’t you see them?”

“I saw, but I thought they came to see Khalid off.”

Sortie took a cookie out of her bag and handed me one too.

“So that’s why nobody recognized you in the auditorium. Right! You kept your face hidden at the Spring Festival, didn’t you?”

This is kind of funny!

Sortie laughed cheerfully.

Since I’m not a regular student, there’s no nameplate outside my dorm, or anything with my name on it.

‘Hmm.’

I chewed on my cookie and stared up at the ceiling.

Suddenly, I wondered—

‘Why do I always…’

Why do I always have to hide something?

Is it fate? Munch munch.

“But oh well!”

I laughed lightly.

“It’s just ten days, anyway!”

“Hehe. True. And on the last night, your parents can come too!”

Sortie smiled and started braiding my hair. We became even closer over the summer by exchanging letters and dropping formal speech.

While we chatted away, there was a knock at the door.

Sortie and I answered together, “Yes!”

A maid, assigned to our room, peeked in.

“I’ll help you get ready since lunch will be brought up soon.”

“Oh, okay!”

Sortie quickly tidied the room.

“Since today is the first day, you’ll eat in your room. Starting tomorrow, you’ll have breakfast and dinner in your room, but lunch in the student cafeteria!”

The maid winked brightly.

“The Academy’s dining hall was expanded this time, and it’s amazing.”

‘Wow, this Academy must be rich.’

I helped set the table, not thinking much of it.

Soon, dinner arrived and it was amazing. I’m not joking—the table almost bent from all the food.

‘This Academy must be really rich!’

As I ate the delicious food, I spaced out.

‘And the bedding earlier was incredible too.’

As a bedding lover, I can say—this is top quality. And they have it in the dorms?

‘They must be so rich…’

Suddenly, my fork stopped.

“Ruby? What’s wrong? Is it too good?”

I was worried for a moment, but shook my head quickly.

“No way!”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing! Wow, this is so good! Please give me another bowl!”

I dipped my fork into the meat and ate with all my might. The flavor just melted in my mouth!

Still, the sauce made me a little homesick…

‘No, no, it’s just ten days.’

No way!

“Phew… It’s a whole ten days.”

Leviathan ran his hand through his hair. His footsteps on the palace floor sounded sharp and tense.

“Sir, as you asked, everything is ready.”

His aide hurried to keep up and reported.

“Changed all the bedding, expanded the dining hall, brought in more chefs, changed food suppliers, double-checked building safety, sent extra guards… Oh.”

He was proud of his work and grinned.