Chapter 39
He then glanced around quickly, as if wary of something, and lowered his voice.
“Are you worried someone might overhear us? Well, I guess that’s possible.”
Then, with a sharp snap of his fingers, he smiled with satisfaction.
“You don’t have to worry anymore, Princess! I’ve put up a soundproof barrier in this drawing room.”
—Oh my~, that’s supposed to be my job~.
Marine suddenly popped out and smacked Hist on the cheek with her tail.
Hist was about to greet Marine with a chuckle, but after catching Moren’s watchful gaze, he quietly shut his mouth.
I shot Hist a subtle sideways glance and smiled sweetly.
“It’s only proper to be polite to an esteemed guest of the Imperial Family like the Tower Master!”
What’s the point of a barrier when Moren is inside it?
I had never once revealed my true self to Moren.
To him, I was just a kind, cheerful, affectionate older sister.
I can’t act the same way I do when we’re alone in a situation like this.
Hist had discovered my true nature far too quickly.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I changed the subject.
“Oh, Moren, I heard about the rumors involving you and the Tower Master.”
“Rumors?”
“Yes, the rumor that the eccentric Tower Master is bullying the powerless youngest prince!”
“Oh, that’s an interesting rumor.”
Hist chuckled at my words, then tilted his head.
“Well, I suppose it’s not entirely untrue, is it, Moren?”
With that, Hist ruffled Moren’s hair roughly.
Moren seemed quite used to the gesture, as though it had happened often.
“It was tough, but… it was all necessary.”
Moren smoothed his messy hair and answered with composure.
I carefully observed my little brother.
For the record, that rumor spreading in the palace had been deliberately planted by Hist himself.
Unlike my secret meetings with him, he visited Moren’s quarters openly.
The reason he made such a show of it was written plainly in the growth journal he kept on Moren.
—Princess, if Moren becomes my disciple, we can’t hide it. The moment his dormant magic awakens, every skilled mage will notice. And anyway, a royal of Lorrenod seriously learning magic will attract everyone’s attention. You know that, right?
Of course. Royals usually didn’t bother learning magic.
So if the previously invisible youngest prince became the Tower Master’s disciple…
Everyone would watch closely to see how he progressed.
That was why Hist thought it best to show his connection with Moren openly—it would actually lessen suspicion.
I had agreed with that reasoning.
But I also asked him not to give the impression too soon that they were in a master-disciple relationship.
I didn’t want to distract attention from Agatha, Gobad, and the Crown Prince succession struggle.
Hist took my request to heart and instead acted like he was just pestering Moren.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—since Hist already had a reputation for bizarre antics, no one found it strange.
Of course, Moren, who didn’t know any of this, hurried to defend him.
“Don’t misunderstand, sister. The Tower Master didn’t actually bully me.”
I smiled faintly at his defense.
“I know.”
I knew Hist had taken careful care of Moren when he was falling into lethargy.
Being an outsider, he could provide exactly what my brother needed.
Otherwise, he couldn’t have written such a meticulous growth record.
Even Modway seemed to have completely warmed up to him now…
So I sincerely thanked him.
“You’ve been looking after Moren. Thank you again.”
“…You’re only just now acknowledging my hard work? I’m so touched, Princess.”
Hist scratched his chin awkwardly after a delayed reply.
“Strange… why does that make me feel so…”
He trailed off, shrugged, and looked at me.
“And Princess—”
“Yes?”
“I told Moren everything.”
“…What?”
“About us.”
“…Huh?”
This time, I was the one to respond a beat late.
Moren grinned brightly and cut in.
“That’s right, I heard it all. You became ‘friends’ with the Tower Master, didn’t you?”
“…What?”
“And you asked him to take me as his disciple. I heard everything.”
“Friends?”
“Yeah! I knew you had a lot of friends, but I didn’t think you’d make even the Tower Master your friend!”
Moren’s eyes sparkled brightly.
“That’s amazing, sister!”
“…”
I gave him a sweet smile and turned my gaze to Hist.
He must have interpreted my look in some way because he burst into hearty laughter.
“You have no idea how hard I worked to become friends with the Princess, right?”
“Ah, haha… right.”
“And I told him how we decided to drop honorifics with each other. You talk comfortably with friends, after all!”
As I listened to his carefree voice, I tilted my head slightly.
Friends…
It was indeed a convenient word to gloss over the relationship between us.
I had needed an excuse for Moren anyway.
I didn’t bother to refute him and simply smiled more brightly.
“Yes, we’re friends.”
Of course, I’d still have words for Hist later for blabbing.
“So you’ve been speaking however you like, huh?”
“I only told Moren, so not too freely.”
Hist smirked.
“And Princess, that casual tone really suits you.”
He looked very pleased with himself.
Finding him irritating, I glared slightly, but he suddenly sprang to his feet.
“Well~ since I’ve set up the barrier and bragged about my friendship with the Princess, I guess I’ll get going.”
“Now?”
“You’ll miss me, won’t you?”
I ignored the pointless question and said,
“Hmph, I wondered why you suddenly came to my quarters with Moren… it was for the barrier, wasn’t it?”
Moren nodded.
“I haven’t learned how to make one yet. In the palace… you have to be careful everywhere.”
A flash of strong wariness passed over his face.
The taste in my mouth turned bitter—his mother’s end had made him this way.
—I can make a soundproof barrier too!
—Me too! Me too!
—Hmm~ but I make the best ones~!
The spirits appeared one after another, but Moren couldn’t hear them.
I calmed them inwardly and waved Hist away.
“Alright, goodbye.”
“Isn’t that a little too curt?”
“I always speak casually to friends.”
Throwing his own words back at him made him blink, then laugh.
“Good. I like your lack of formality.”
—Seeing you show that candid side only to me is kind of thrilling.
A voice whispered right by my ear, making my eyes widen.
I looked at Hist, but his lips hadn’t moved at all.
Magic?
Sensing my confusion, the voice returned to my ear.
—I wanted to have secret conversations with you like the spirits do, so I researched a new spell.
I don’t want to.
—Oh? So you feel the same? I knew it!
Hist, wearing a mischievous grin, bowed politely.
“Well then, Princess, enjoy catching up with your little brother.”
With that, a familiar gust of wind blew and he vanished.
I sighed softly at the spot where he’d stood.
Exhausting.
Perhaps misreading my reaction, Moren quickly moved to sit right beside me.
“The Tower Master was teasing you just now, wasn’t he? He’s really impossible.”
“It’s fine, Moren. He’s at least competent.”
“That’s true. The invisibility magic he used when we came here wasn’t noticed by anyone!”
That was because, like mine, Moren’s quarters—being far from the centers of power—only had the most basic wards.
Even so, avoiding the eyes of all the mages in the palace was impressive.
“To think I can be the disciple of one of history’s greatest archmages… it still feels like a dream!”
At that, I watched him for a moment, then patted his head.
“Really? I’ve felt guilty for arranging it without asking you first… do you truly want to learn magic?”
I turned fully toward him.
“Royals of Lorrenod are born with a natural disadvantage in magic. Hist says you have talent, but no one knows how things will turn out. Even so, you still want to learn?”
Moren didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. I’m going to become strong. I have to.”
I froze for a moment.
I had never seen that look—or heard that tone—from him before.
There was a desperate determination in his eyes.
I knew Moren took Hist’s hand because he wanted to grow stronger.
It had all been in the growth journal—Hist had sought him out, coaxed him with his silver tongue, and after days of deliberation, Moren agreed.
He said it was because he wanted to be strong.
But he had always faithfully followed our mother’s advice that strength could be dangerous…
The reason wasn’t written.
Even Modway, who had been with him constantly, hadn’t heard it.
So neither I nor Hist knew where this desperation came from.
Perhaps that was why…
“Why?”
Even though I had set up the whole arrangement for him to become Hist’s disciple, the question slipped out.
“Why do you want to be strong?”
Moren hesitated for a long time, staring at me.
A strange anxiety began to churn in my chest.
Is your reason tied to Mother’s death?
Back then, you said her death wasn’t a suicide—what did you mean?
What is it that you know?
Countless questions rose and vanished in my mind.
