Chapter 65
“Your Highness, are you going somewhere far?”
“Actually, I’ll be attending Melvel Academy.”
Melvel Academy.
It was an academy founded by the Great Sage Melvel himself, where his disciples continued his legacy by teaching new generations of students.
“The Delide royal family has a tradition of graduating from Melvel Academy before entering public office. I heard the Great Sage Melvel was close friends with our ancestor.”
“I see…”
“It’s a place that rarely interacts with the outside world. Once I go, we probably won’t be able to see each other for several years—it’s that difficult to graduate.”
“I can still send letters, right?”
“Will you write back?”
“Of course.”
“…Sigh. While I’m gone, you’re going to meet all sorts of guys. I’m worried.”
For some reason, Rozian couldn’t bring himself to meet Jeina’s eyes, bowing his head instead.
“Don’t forget about me just because we won’t see each other for a while, okay?”
Jeina lightly took his hand and said with a calm smile,
“What kind of little sister forgets her older brother?”
Only then did a faint smile appear on Rozian’s face.
After Rozian left for the academy—he used to visit the Magic Tower in person or often summon Jeina to the capital—Jeina suddenly found herself with plenty of free time.
“Phew…”
One day, while wondering how to spend that extra time—
“Meow.”
“Hm?”
Izren approached, holding a letter in his mouth. Jeina tilted her head, surprised.
“I don’t really have anyone who’d write me…”
Could it be from Rozian?
—I’ll write to you often.
Jeina remembered what Rozian had said and briefly allowed herself a bit of hope—only to shake her head soon after.
He had barely left. He wouldn’t have had time to write yet.
‘Then who…?’
She tore open the envelope that had no sender listed.
—I am Marilyn Bondrud. Since you’re reading this, you can’t run away.
At the name “Marilyn,” Jeina immediately recalled a certain girl.
—Don’t even think about hiding behind your knight again! Let’s fight fair and square—just you and me!
‘She’s the one who challenged me to a duel first…’
But since Marilyn hadn’t done anything shady like hiring mercenaries afterward—as the Neuwin Countess had—Jeina actually liked her straightforward approach.
‘She even took my side when Lady Neuwin picked a fight… maybe I’ll visit her.’
So Jeina wrote back immediately, agreeing to visit the Bondrud estate.
Time passed, and the day of the duel arrived.
A duel’s all about strong weapons and good armor!
When Mikael heard Jeina was going to duel someone her age, he was confident she’d win—but still packed her with gear just in case.
As a result, Jeina wore ten magic rings—one on each finger—six magic bracelets, and a magic necklace to top it off.
“Well, well, you’ve come! I’ll give you credit for your confidence!”
As Jeina entered the estate, Marilyn crossed her arms and tilted her chin up proudly.
“Though you’ll regret your decision soon enough!”
Jeina didn’t reply. She simply pulled down her hood.
The sharp, cold aura she exuded made Marilyn’s pupils tremble violently.
“Who’s going to officiate the duel? And what about injuries—how do we handle them?”
“W-What…?”
The confidence Marilyn had just moments ago evaporated, replaced by panic.
“You said your name was Marilyn Bondrud, right? I didn’t think you actually knew magic or swordsmanship.”
Jeina spoke calmly, summoning a breeze at her fingertips.
Marilyn jumped in alarm.
“Are you crazy?! I don’t have such barbaric hobbies!”
“You challenged me to a duel without knowing either magic or swordsmanship?”
“I meant a gentleman’s duel, not that savage kind!”
Panicking, Marilyn dashed deeper into the mansion and shouted,
“Emily! Bring what I told you about!”
“Yes, milady!”
“At our age, it’s better to have refined battles of the mind rather than brute strength!”
The situation was turning out completely differently from what Jeina expected.
“And whoever loses has to call the winner ‘big sister!’”
Marilyn then proudly set a chessboard down in front of her.
“Hmmm. So you’re thirteen too, huh?”
Click.
“I didn’t think we were the same age.”
Click.
As the chess game went on, conversation naturally flowed between them.
Chocolate chip cookies, cheese sablés, whipped cream pound cake, crème brûlée…
Pretty and colorful desserts filled the table beside the young noble girls.
The Bondrud estate’s head chef had quite the talent for sweets.
“What’s wrong? Not eating?”
When Jeina’s hand stopped, Marilyn glanced at the plate and called out to a maid,
“We’re out of desserts? Ellie, could you bring us some more?”
Even though Jeina had eaten more than her, Marilyn didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
That moved Jeina.
‘I thought she’d be greedy, but she’s actually not like that.’
Even though their first meeting hadn’t been pleasant, Marilyn treated her like any other noble lady friend.
And as the saying goes, nothing is worse than someone stingy with food—so Jeina decided Marilyn couldn’t be that bad a person.
As they ate more sweets, both girls grew sleepy, their fighting spirit melting away like sugar.
Before long, their “duel” had turned into idle chatter.
“So, you live with your cousin brother?”
“Yeah.”
“Is he handsome?”
Without hesitation, Jeina answered,
“Extremely.”
“Introduce me to him.”
“Then he’ll get arrested.”
Jeina replied while picturing Mikael.
“Why would he get arrested?”
“He’s twenty-one. An adult.”
“Then why isn’t he engaged? All my cousins got engaged in their teens.”
Jeina recalled asking Mikael a similar question once.
—What? Why don’t I have a girlfriend?
—Most nobles get engaged in their teens…
—That’s normal nobles. A true magician devoted to truth doesn’t get engaged until they’ve reached a certain level.
—And when’s that?
—Oh, about thirty years later.
By then, Mikael would be in his fifties.
He had glanced around to make sure Diamid wasn’t nearby, then whispered:
—Honestly, I think your father was reckless. Falling in love in his twenties and even having a kid?
Jeina couldn’t tell whether it was Diamid or Mikael who was the strange one.
“I guess magicians are just different.”
“Then your dad’s like a grandpa, huh?”
At that, Jeina reflexively thought of Diamid, then shook her head.
“I don’t have a father.”
“Did he… pass away?”
“No. I just never had one to begin with.”
Marilyn looked puzzled, so Jeina quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, that means your parents must be young.”
Thankfully, Marilyn followed the topic shift without comment.
“My dad’s thirty-one. Mom’s thirty.”
The chess match had consistently leaned in Jeina’s favor. Marilyn wasn’t bad—she clearly had experience—but she always lost momentum near the end.
“Ugh! Why am I so nervous!”
Frustrated, Marilyn grabbed a deck of cards and shoved it toward Jeina.
“Let’s settle it with cards this time!”
And in the card game, Jeina didn’t fare as well as she had in chess.
Luck mattered more here, and every hand Jeina drew was terrible.
“How could you play so badly?”
With Jeina losing several rounds in a row, Marilyn’s grin nearly reached her ears.
“But this time… I feel like it’ll be different.”
“Hm?”
Jeina laid down a flurry of cards in quick succession.
Marilyn’s expression immediately darkened.
“Rematch!”
“Request accepted.”
They played one game after another—chess, cards, all sorts of games—until before they knew it, the sun had set.
“Oh my, how adorable.”
“Our young lady never had a friend before, but it seems she’s found one she likes.”
Jeina and Marilyn were fast asleep at the table, neither knowing who dozed off first.
The maids chuckled softly as they fetched blankets to cover the two.
“Both of them are just precious.”
That night, the stars shone especially bright.
As a result, Jeina had unintentionally stayed the night.
The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, she hurried back to the Magic Tower.
‘I fell asleep and didn’t tell anyone…’
Apparently, Mikael had stormed into the Bondrud estate in the middle of the night.
—Where’s my little sister? Did you hide her?!
Fortunately, once he learned she had simply fallen asleep after playing with Marilyn, he returned home.
‘Good thing I had that tracker on me.’
Jeina glanced down at the sapphire bracelet on her wrist.
‘I heard both Lord Mikael and Lady Hilvenzia are really upset…’
She couldn’t deny she was at fault—she should have at least sent word that she’d be late.
Now she worried they might impose a curfew or restrict her outings.
‘I’d better sneak in quietly so no one notices.’
Carefully peeking around, Jeina tiptoed toward the Tower’s entrance.
“Lady Izren…”
She was about to greet Izren when she noticed someone standing beside her—and froze.
“Hello, Tower Master.”
It seemed Izren had been talking with Diamid.
Jeina quickly bowed and started up the stairs.
“Where have you been?”
Diamid’s sudden voice stopped her mid-step.
Jeina turned around slowly.
