Chapter 03
Meryl said she had yielded, but from her own perspective, it was outright theft.
“It still hasn’t changed, Sister.”
She thought of the imperial elders who had cherished her for so many years.
But her heart was uneasy. She wanted to trust, so why did it feel so uncomfortable?
She had resolved not to doubt, but the words of her magic teacher, Master Puring, came to mind.
<In life, you must always live prepared for storms. Waves that seem calm can turn at any moment. You must always be ready for the worst. Otherwise, when the sea suddenly rises, you’ll be betrayed and suffer the loss alone.>
<But Master, if the storm never comes, wouldn’t all that preparation be a waste?>
<That is the nature of “what if.” What if things are fine? What if the storm never comes? But if you trust that “what if” and fail to prepare, you’ll be the one who gets hurt.>
<Get hurt?>
<Ah, if only I had prepared for the storm… When you fall into self-reproach with such regret, isn’t that an even greater loss? What I want to tell you, my Lady, is that you are more important than any expensive treasure. So if you feel even a hint of doubt, you must prepare.>
<And if I do prepare?>
<At the very least, you won’t regret it.>
<Do you always prepare too, Master?>
<Of course. It’s something I’ve learned over 80 years of living. That’s why I’m still alive like this, hahaha.>
<Then is there any way to know when a storm will come?>
<Doubt.>
<Doubt?>
<If you feel doubt about anything, prepare. Even if the subject of your doubt is your own parents. To put it simply, it’s like thinking, “That wall looks like it might collapse.” That thought is doubt. A wall that seems fine to one person might look like it’s about to fall to another. In that case, if you reinforce it so it won’t collapse, then it won’t fall, will it?>
Back then, she had taken Puring’s words lightly.
<You may be able to see through clear water, but not into a person’s heart. Do not forget that doubt comes just before a storm.>
A single doubt had arisen toward those she had trusted without question.
‘We’ve spent ten years together. I have to trust them.’
She knew that the thought of needing to trust was itself doubt.
She had already begun to doubt. She couldn’t help it. Luman and Meryl had acted far too confidently, speaking as if the broken engagement had already been decided.
<If doubt arises, think of it as the calm before a storm. If nothing happens, that’s fortunate. But if you prepare for the storm when doubt appears, at least you won’t suffer a loss.>
The gentle waves now felt like they might soon turn into a storm.
I should prepare. So I won’t be swept away and hurt by it.
Her doubts only continued to grow.
Meia received countless invitations and letters every day.
But the one letter she truly awaited never arrived—the letter from Empress Ellemin.
It had already been over a week without any letter from Ellemin. Normally, she would have already received inquiries about tea party preparations or an invitation to the imperial palace.
But now, the letters had suddenly stopped. This had never happened before.
Why hasn’t she sent one?
“You sent a letter, right?”
“Yes, I did. But she hasn’t even replied.”
Yudi looked at her, unable to hide her concern.
“Meryl went to the imperial palace, didn’t she?”
“…Yes.”
“With things like this happening, it really feels like the engagement might be broken…”
Yudi and the other maids who attended Meia grew restless at her frail and delicate words.
They all knew how fiercely Meia had studied since childhood to become Empress.
“Yudi.”
“Yes.”
“Is Agnita still in the valley?”
“Yes. I’m worried whether she’s even eating properly.”
“Tell Agnita to return to the ducal residence.”
“Understood.”
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Meia spoke with a pitiful expression.
“Could it be that they’re taking my place—the one my parents left me—to make Meryl the Crown Princess?”
With a bitter smile, Meia skimmed through the remaining invitations.
Then her hand stopped at one.
On the envelope, it read: ‘Olivia of the Perzenga Family.’
“I should attend Lady Olivia’s tea party.”
“…Pardon? Lady Olivia’s tea party?”
Meia smiled brightly.
“Yes. I want to see Lady Olivia.”
If she was to prepare for a storm that might come, there was no better place than the tea party hosted by Lady Olivia.
Olivia of Perzenga.
Among noble ladies, Olivia was known as the second figure in high society. The reason for that title was not only the difference in family status, but also because she had never once managed to take Meia’s position as the “flower of high society,” which Meia had held for so long.
“You’re really going?”
Yudi asked anxiously.
“There’s nothing for you to worry about, Yudi.”
Meia lifted the corners of her lips.
“I have a feeling something very interesting will happen at Lady Olivia’s tea party. And I’m curious.”
Every time Meryl met people, she went around mentioning “Meia’s broken engagement.”
Moreover, she spoke as if she herself would become the new fiancée, which displeased Meia.
But she decided to turn this to her advantage.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Puring, my Lady.”
“Come in.”
The person who entered was an old mage with long white hair and a long white beard.
“My Lady, your complexion looks much better today.”
Puring, Meia’s magic teacher and one of the six great archmages of the Magic Tower, said as he observed her expression.
To Puring, Meia’s father, David, had been his benefactor. His death had been a shock, but he had to protect and care for his benefactor’s daughter.
Originally, Puring visited only on designated days to teach Meia magic, but after the deaths of David and Violet, he could not leave Meia alone. For the time being, he stayed at the ducal residence and looked after her closely.
“If you need to go to the Magic Tower, please go ahead. Master, I’m fine now.”
Before being her magic teacher, Puring was an archmage of the Magic Tower. Meia knew well that the tower needed him.
Puring let out a deep sigh.
“I received a letter from the Magic Tower. I must handle its affairs for a while, so I came to say goodbye before departing.”
Seated before her dressing table, Meia, who was being attended to by her maids, waved her hand and gestured for them to leave.
The maids quietly stepped back and closed the door behind them.
After confirming they had left, Puring stroked his long white beard and began to speak.
“They say the Sirius Empire has taken all mages of the third circle and above, so the Magic Tower is currently short on mages.”
“The Sirius Empire? Are they going to war or something? They already have Duke Rockbellion, a war fanatic. Why would they even hire mages from the Magic Tower?”
“They say Duke Rockbellion of the Sirius Empire is waging a territorial war.”
“With vast lands, excess wealth, and military power… they really do anything. There’s no reason for the Magic Tower’s mages to go… unless the reward is good.”
“As expected, you’re perceptive. The reward is magic stones from the Rockbellion ducal house of the Sirius Empire. So everyone is rushing to go. They’re accepting every mage who applies.”
Magic stones were stones infused with mana, divided into two types:
Red magic stones and blue magic stones.
Though their uses differed, they had one thing in common—they were extremely expensive.
Mages usually earned money by taking requests from the Magic Tower to buy magic stones. But now that the reward itself was magic stones, it was only natural that mages flocked to the Sirius Empire.
“That’s quite a reward. I’d go too, if I were them.”
Puring carefully examined Meia’s expression again.
She was smiling, but there was a hollowness in her tone.
She had recently lost her parents, yet she showed none of her grief. Instead, she acted calmly, reassuring those around her.
But Puring knew.
‘Inside, she must be unbearably sad.’
“My Lady, are you aware?”
“Of what?”
“You are someone who can make proper use of both victory and defeat.”
Meia shifted her gaze from her reflection to Puring in the mirror.
“I have a question.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“If everything you’ve ever done were to become meaningless, what would you do?”
Puring pondered why she would ask such a question.
Everything she had done until now had been solely to become Empress.
If it all became meaningless, it would mean her efforts toward becoming Empress were rendered useless. But Meia would never give up that position.
Puring’s brow furrowed deeply, as he anticipated something he did not want to imagine.
“My Lady, nothing I have done can ever become meaningless. To achieve results from the time that flows, one must continue to strive. If, after all that time and effort, one calls it ‘meaningless,’ then that is a disrespect to time itself.”
“A disrespect to time?”
“Time always watches us. And it always grants results to those who make an effort.”
Meia listened intently.
“We live within time. Whatever we do requires time—eating, laughing, sleeping, training. Those who invest time and effort are rewarded with growth. Time acknowledges them and grants ‘results.’”
At his words, Meia slightly raised the corners of her lips.
“Effort invested over time never betrays you. Even if it feels disappointing now, in the future, it will surely shine. Just like the works of the painter Shardik, which were only appreciated as time passed.”
“I see I lacked respect for time. Thank you for your wise words before your departure.”
“My Lady, if you ever wish to avoid the storm, come to the Magic Tower anytime. Listening to an old mage’s stories is always enjoyable.”
At Puring’s playful tone, Meia let out a small laugh.
