Chapter 19
Jaina stepped closer and carefully examined the boy she had bumped into.
Judging from his pulse, he seemed to be unconscious.
Thank goodness, I didn’t crash into him directly…
It looked like he had just been swept away by the shockwave right before she fell.
Jaina let out a sigh of relief, but then a group of people—merchants, by the look of them—came rushing over. Their eyes went wide.
“A kid, not a mage?”
“Some wicked magician must’ve attacked him!”
“Hey, are you all right, little one? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Did someone cast a spell on you?”
The barrage of questions left Jaina overwhelmed.
At this rate, this is going to spiral out of control…
Determined to salvage the situation somehow, Jaina decided to use Mikael’s name again.
“A-ah, no… I’m the mage. I was learning magic under my master, the great archmage… I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”
“You—you’re a mage?!”
Jaina glanced around nervously and nodded. The merchants exchanged grave looks.
They’ll definitely demand compensation for damages. But I don’t have a single coin on me… Should I tell them I’ll work under Lord Mikael and borrow the money?
While Jaina was agonizing over this, the merchants suddenly burst into cheers.
“Wow, the little mage caught the pickpocket!”
“To use magic at such a young age—she really must be an archmage’s apprentice.”
“Ahh, now I can finally sleep in peace. Do you know how many times that thief’s robbed us?”
Jaina blinked in confusion. She couldn’t understand what was happening.
A pickpocket? What’s this about? Was the crowd not gathering because of me?
“What do you mean by that—”
“I’ll explain.”
As Jaina stared at the merchants with a puzzled expression, a boy stepped forward from the back of the group.
He looked about twelve years old, judging by his height.
His tawny hair gleamed softly, and his eyes sparkled like they were filled with tiny stars.
Though still a child, his features were so striking that it was obvious he’d grow into a handsome young man.
He approached with a gentle tone and a graceful smile, offering his thanks.
“If you hadn’t stepped in, things would have gone very badly. What that pickpocket stole was a treasure of my family.”
The boy took Jaina’s unguarded hand and pressed a light kiss onto it.
“May fortune shine upon you always, as bright as the dawn. That’s my blessing, in my own name.”
Jaina froze in bewilderment. Did he just kiss my hand? Is he a noble or something?
“My name is Rozian. I can’t reveal my family name—you understand, don’t you?”
But at that moment, all of Jaina’s questions scattered the instant she heard his name.
Rozian?
The name felt strangely familiar.
“I’d rather not speak a lie to my benefactor. Better not to say it at all.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I can’t reveal my status, but I want to repay you.”
Rozian untied the pouch hanging from his belt.
Inside was a gleaming gold coin—so obviously valuable that even Jaina, unfamiliar with this world, could recognize it instantly.
“…”
Jaina stared at it silently, then shook her head.
“I’ll decline your reward.”
Her unexpectedly firm voice made Rozian pause.
But then he smiled again and offered the coin once more, assuming she was just being modest.
“Please, don’t refuse.”
“Catching the thief was just an accident.”
“But the fact remains—you helped me.”
Jaina’s eyes grew distant. Old memories surfaced.
—We’re going out for dinner. Buy yourself something tasty with this money.
The money she had found sitting alone on the dining table after school.
—Jaewon has a cold, so he couldn’t come.
The money pressed into her palm as compensation for missing parent visitation day.
They had called her a “good girl” while giving her money.
But it hadn’t been out of kindness. It was just to ease their own guilt while leaving her neglected.
She had piled up those wounds, never forgetting them.
I don’t want money like that anymore.
She hadn’t caught the pickpocket out of kindness—it was just a fluke.
She didn’t want money that wasn’t truly hers, earned through her own will and effort.
“Your words of thanks are enough.”
“My mother taught me never to let a benefactor leave empty-handed. I can’t let you go like this.”
“Then I suppose this will be the first time for you.”
As their back-and-forth dragged on, Rozian’s expression grew increasingly flustered.
What’s with this girl?
He couldn’t understand.
As the son of Princess Ellia—the heir to the Empire—Rozian had been surrounded by countless people since childhood.
People who always wanted something from him.
Rozian disliked such people. That’s why he offered one-time rewards, but never prolonged the connection.
Help received, reward given.
A simple equation.
Yet the girl before him wanted nothing from him. She insisted she hadn’t acted out of expectation.
At first, Rozian thought maybe she was just too young and naive.
But the more they spoke, the clearer it became—that wasn’t it.
Her tone, her eyes, made it obvious: she didn’t want to carry the burden of obligation. It came from her own strong principles.
“You’d really make me into someone ungrateful?”
“Still… what I don’t want, I don’t want.”
Her voice sank lower, as if the conversation itself was a bother.
Hah. Is she saying I’m annoying her?
So many people in the world would kill just to exchange a few words with him.
He had only meant to settle the matter with a reward and move on—but now his pride was piqued.
But the conversation couldn’t continue.
A disturbance across the street caught Rozian’s sharp attention.
“Knights of the Violet Order. We’ll be conducting a brief inspection.”
“Huh?”
“There’s someone we must locate urgently.”
Tch. Rozian cursed inwardly.
Just when I meet someone interesting for once…
Lately, his life had been dull to the point of suffocation.
Even carrying around a stolen national treasure like it was nothing—just to break the monotony.
Thanks to this little girl, he hadn’t lost it after all.
But that didn’t matter. He didn’t care if people called him the “disgraced imperial grandson” for misplacing it, or if his mother disowned him as “not my son.”
I’m so sick of being called heir.
He had been forced to study every subject, train in swordsmanship, and constantly watch his back in the treacherous social world—all because he was the crown prince’s successor.
Yet he had never once wished to inherit the throne.
The accursed Delriad dynasty… the accursed Princess Ellia…
Grinding his teeth, Rozian glanced around and sighed.
If I linger, they’ll catch me.
And then—
Plop. Plop.
Raindrops began to fall from the sky.
Droplets streamed down Rozian’s smooth face.
“Oh heavens, it’s raining!”
“A sudden shower—oh no, my brand new dress!”
The unexpected downpour sent the crowd into a stir.
Rozian turned his head back.
Looking at her again, he realized the girl barely reached his chest. She was so small.
Without hesitation, Rozian slipped off his cloak.
It was enchanted to appear ordinary, but its ruby-red color exactly matched his eyes.
No one will recognize me by this, right?
His voice held a note of regret.
“I hope we meet again someday.”
With that, he draped the cloak over Jaina’s shoulders.
Though not overly large, on her small frame it enveloped her completely, with fabric to spare.
“This is…”
As a finishing touch, Rozian pulled the hood snugly over her head.
“You’ll catch a cold if you get wet.”
But won’t he get soaked instead?
His tawny hair was already darkening as it absorbed the rain.
Caught off guard, Jaina couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She reached to remove the cloak—
“Until we meet again.”
But he was faster.
Tap.
Rozian leapt lightly, kicked off the middle of a high wall nearby, and vanished in an instant.
With just a few nimble movements, he was gone, leaving even the bystanders dumbfounded.
If he’s that agile, why couldn’t he catch the pickpocket himself?
And another thing didn’t make sense.
He seemed like he wanted to say something… so why did he suddenly run away?
Jaina stared blankly at the spot where Rozian had disappeared.
After a while, she became aware of the warmth surrounding her.
In such a short time, he wrapped it around me so neatly.
Around her, people scrambled for shelter, some running frantically, others trudging along in soaked clothes.
Only Jaina remained calm.
“So warm…”
She buried her face deeper into the cloak. It had both waterproofing and heating enchantments.
Lifting her head slightly so the hood wouldn’t slip, she saw the rain pouring down harder, with no sign of stopping.
But what about him?
He looked a little older than her—maybe by two years—but he was still just a boy.
Wooong—
Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar vibration of magic nearby.
Wooong—
“Damn it, why isn’t the tracking spell working?!”
Gasps erupted as a handsome boy suddenly appeared out of thin air.
First earlier, and now again—two rare mages in one day. People could hardly believe their eyes.
