MFWSP 51

Episode 51

After 10 PM, the banquet reached its peak.

As the performance by the dancers prepared by the Empress began and the guests’ gazes became transfixed on them as if bewitched, Iris stood by the pond located on the eastern side of the imperial palace.

It was the place David Adelon had mentioned.

After exchanging several messages through Ray, he had requested a private meeting here under the guise of asking for a date.

Given how well-informed he was, he likely knew in advance when the dancers would start performing. Choosing this particular time was probably his way of avoiding unnecessary attention.

Rustle—

“Is that you, Young Master?”

“No.”

Sensing someone behind her, she turned around to find Carciel standing there.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“The Empire’s second sun…”

“I told you to skip the formal greetings.”

Carciel quietly approached and stood beside Iris.

“But,”

“If you don’t stop, I might just order the knights to greet you every time with ‘We pay our respects to the Goddess of the Empire.’”

“…I’ll never do it again.”

It was a terrifying thought once she considered it, so Iris quickly nodded in agreement.

“…Were you waiting for someone else?”

“Yes.”

“A man?”

“Yes, a man.”

Answering honestly, Carciel nodded without complaint.

“Well, there must be countless men who would want to meet you.”

He muttered as if talking to himself, then turned to look at Iris.

“But since I ran into you first tonight… I’d like to have a word with you.”

“…Pardon?”

When their eyes met, he gazed at her quietly.

His deep violet eyes glowed bluish under the moonlight.

“I have something to show you.”

He pulled out something round and white from his coat and handed it to her.

“What is this?”

“Is this your first time seeing a bracelet like this?”

As he said, what Carciel held out was a white bracelet carved from stone.

A pair of two identical ones—it looked quite ordinary at first glance.

“But it doesn’t seem like an ordinary item.”

“Correct. It’s made from magic stone. They can indicate each other’s location. I heard that in the royal family of Tar, they use these by putting one on a royal child and the other on their escort to prevent losing the child.”

“‘Lover’s Stones,’ I see.”

Iris finally recognized the item and smiled faintly.

“I’ve seen them in necklace form before.”

As she held both bracelets apart in her hands, the white stones emitted a faint light pointing towards each other.

“You’ve seen ‘Lover’s Stones’? There are only a few in the entire western continent.”

“They are rare, yes.”

Iris answered the curious-looking Carciel.

“They are made by splitting a single magic stone into two, then converting their pull towards each other into light. They’re commonly used between master and guard, lovers, or between children and adults.”

Carciel frowned slightly and stared at Iris.

What kind of education did she grow up with?

Even the experts residing in the Mage Tower had barely identified this item after digging through countless books.

The usual excuse was that such items were rarely seen in the Parnassus Empire.

Yet, this woman in front of him instantly recognized it—not only the name but also its principles and use.

Iris was always like this.

She could analyze and describe the geography of Kahnav, a place she’d never even been to, and she had tamed a Pegasus that no one else could even approach.

Countless questions bubbled up to the top of his mind, but Carciel quickly masked them with a nonchalant expression.

Fortunately, he was good at hiding his thoughts.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s a gift for you.”

“Pardon?”

Iris raised her head and met his gaze.

“Think of it as part of your life-saving reward. Or consider it a spoil of war that a strategist deserves.”

“I thought I received my due reward when I inherited the dukedom.”

“The life of a prince is worth more than your calculations.”

Carciel chuckled lightly as he answered.

“I can’t say one favor covers the whole debt.”

“…In that case, I will gratefully accept it.”

Her deep green eyes held a faint smile.

She seemed genuinely happy. That somehow annoyed Carciel. Did she have someone to share this Lover’s Stone with?

If so… was it a lover?

If not…

“Have you used one of these stones before?”

In the end, Carciel couldn’t suppress his curiosity and asked.

“Yes. That’s why I was glad to see it.”

“…With whom?”

“There were too many to count.”

Carciel’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t hide his emotions for a moment.

“Too many to count?”

Past lovers?

Did she share this kind of item with all of them? And here he was, giving her something similar, calling it a reward for saving his life.

At that moment, Carciel wanted to strangle the researcher from the Mage Tower.

Didn’t they say there were none in the Empire? And even if they existed, weren’t they supposed to be exceptionally rare?

Of course, it was just a gift.

He hadn’t expected an over-the-top reaction from such a small thing.

Iris had left a few unforgettable impressions on him, but their relationship wasn’t exactly close.

Still… he had hoped the gift would carry some special meaning.

“Good. I’m glad it’s something you’re familiar with.”

Forcing a smile again, he added,

“No one else could use a Lover’s Stone as well as you.”

Carciel’s smile looked strangely off.

His eyes curved, but he didn’t seem to be smiling.

Had she answered too honestly?

But she couldn’t help it. The moment she saw the bracelet, memories from her first life surfaced.

Back then, she had broken the Lover’s Stone into dozens of pieces and handed them out to her guild members to wear around their necks.

That way, even if they got isolated while hunting monsters, they could always find each other. It was quite useful.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll use it well.”

“…Duke.”

Receiving her polite thanks, Carciel sighed.

“You said you were waiting for a man here.”

“Yes.”

“That man… Is he… No, never mind.”

Carciel started to ask but stopped mid-sentence. After a moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes, then opened them again.

“That man…”

Just as Carciel was about to speak again, a familiar voice called from behind.

“That man is me.”

“Young Master Adelon.”

I greeted him cheerfully.

“Please, call me David.”

Soft pink hair, delicate features like a woman, a bright, boyish smile, and a seductive gaze.

“Maybe, if we get closer… I’ll end up calling you Iris too.”

David Adelon stood right behind me and Carciel.

His face looked slightly thinner than before, but he gave a gentle smile.

As Carciel narrowed his eyes, David quickly lowered his head.

“Apologies for the late greeting, Your Highness. I pay my respects to the Empire’s second sun.”

“Rise.”

Carciel said, erasing his smile.

“You promised you’d keep your word. You arrived just in time.”

At my comment, David smiled apologetically.

“I didn’t take long to get here, but the procedures were quite complicated. You wouldn’t believe how much I struggled just to meet you, Duchess.”

“Struggled? From the Adelon estate by carriage?”

Though it was far, the journey shouldn’t have been too harsh.

Instead of answering, he pointed to the small emblem attached to his shoulder strap.

“It was too late to come by carriage.”

“…”

“I used a portal.”

He replied.

“We opened one connecting the Imperial Palace and the Adelon Marquisate.”

My eyes widened at the word ‘portal,’ and David’s smile deepened.

“Don’t worry. It’s a small portal, so getting the Imperial Family’s permission wasn’t difficult.”

“That’s not the issue…”

Getting approval from the Imperial Family was easy. With the Mage Tower’s technology, safety concerns were minimal.

But the reason nobles didn’t use portals for palace visits was simple—the cost was enormous.

Given the Adelon Marquis’ notorious stinginess and the fact that they rarely entertained guests, I had never heard of them maintaining a portal.

“I funded and developed it personally. Just to invite you, Duchess.”

As if reading my mind, David added with a playful smile.

“As I told you before, the son of Adelon always honors the outcome of a bet.”