Chapter 62…………….
Everyone, including Evangeline, doubted their own eyes.
An unbelievable sight was unfolding before them.
The sun had suddenly begun to vanish.
As if Hylia’s gesture had been the signal.
As if the sun itself were obeying her command.
Evangeline was aghast.
“An eclipse? So suddenly? No word of this from the observatories or scholars!”
Although the science of this world lagged far behind Earth’s, great events such as solar or lunar eclipses could still be predicted.
Even if there were slight errors in timing or location, their occurrence could be foreseen.
But this time, there had been no prediction, no warning whatsoever.
Darkness spread its wings, blanketing the land in an instant.
The figure of Hylia, standing on the second-floor terrace, vanished from sight.
No—she disappeared, only to reappear immediately in radiant light.
The hem of her rippling gown began to shine within the darkness.
A faint glow shimmered gracefully in the night that had cut away the day.
It was as if a strip of the Milky Way at the edge of night had been torn down and draped over her.
So alien—yet undeniably beautiful.
Evangeline did not know, but this scene had been calculated to perfection.
By Hylia.
At her insistence, the gown had been lavishly adorned with Iliaden pearls and pearl dust, known for their phosphorescent glow.
Thus, when darkness fell suddenly, the gown sparkled like the Milky Way.
Evangeline bit her lip.
Contrary to her expectations, Hylia was shining far too beautifully.
“What in the world is that? How is this even possible?”
Even setting the gown aside, this eclipse was unprecedented.
Among all the brilliant minds Evangeline had gathered, not one had foreseen it—surely an anomaly.
These talents had been verified through knowledge of the original story.
Even among the imperial scholars, not a single one had predicted this eclipse.
“…Could such a thing even be possible?”
Just then—
Someone shouted.
“A d-dragon?”
“It’s a dragon!”
Evangeline, who had been watching only Hylia, realized it belatedly.
“…What?”
She raised her eyes at last—and saw it.
The sun wasn’t simply hidden.
It was blocked by something—its outline glowing several times brighter, like a ring-shaped eclipse.
A blinding line of gold.
It formed a shape.
Even Evangeline, upon seeing it, could think of only one being.
“The dragon… Artanus?”
A great existence with two mighty wings spread wide hovered in the sky, eclipsing the sun.
The phenomenon seemed like an eclipse caused by its very body.
Meanwhile, the light radiating outward shone even brighter, magnified by reflection off the dragon’s scales.
Sunlight filtering through tree branches cast shadows that outlined the dragon’s form.
And there was an even more serious problem.
“This… this was never mentioned in the original story.”
There was no way such a unique and extraordinary event would have been omitted.
Besides, this part of the tale corresponded to the early chapters—there should be nothing beyond what she had already read.
Nowhere in the original work had she ever encountered such an event.
Before her bewilderment could settle, a familiar voice resounded.
This was a performance I had calculated down to the smallest detail, rehearsed several times in advance.
The moment darkness began to fall all around—
I activated the magic tool I had brought with me.
Murmuring the trigger words, faint mana flowed out from the glass bird I held.
A cool breeze wrapped gently around my body.
“Thank you, Mother!”
This glass bird was part of a set—its twin had been used to produce light when I threatened Ludwig’s attendant.
The one I brought now generated a faint breeze.
“This was perfect for hot summer days!”
I remembered how, as a child, I would wear a long cloak or gown, activate the bird beneath it, and startle the maids as the fabric swirled dramatically.
That memory inspired today’s performance.
And the effect was… spectacular!
Flutter, flutter!
The deliberately layered thin fabrics of the gown billowed gracefully and beautifully.
Dyed with Sharring petals, its colors alone were stunning.
The Iliaden pearls and dust sewn along the hem glittered in the darkness.
The glow-in-the-dark pearl decorations were my proudest touch.
Even Issefin, who watched during rehearsals, had been moved to say:
“It looks as if the Milky Way of the night sky is swirling around Your Highness’s body!”
“You know it sounds like self-praise when you say that, right?”
“No, no—in this case, I’m praising Your Highness’s genius for coming up with the idea!”
“…Genius might be a bit much.”
Still, if even sharp-eyed, aesthetic Issefin was amazed, ordinary people would surely be awestruck on sight.
I could feel it—even Evangeline, Madam Philerne, and all the others below had their eyes stolen away.
“Yes! The finishing touch to any performance is special effects!”
At that moment, right on cue, Arpad strode to me and raised his voice.
“This proves it! The great Artanus has recognized my wife and blessed us!”
His words, charged with magic, rang clear as if whispered at one’s ear.
No matter the distance, anywhere within Arpad’s reach of power, they would be heard the same.
He drew close, wrapped his arm around my waist, and whispered, his eyes alight:
“You even predicted this phenomenon?”
“Of course.”
I smiled back.
“You could’ve told me beforehand.”
“Then you wouldn’t have been surprised. I wanted to see your real reaction.”
That was true.
Arpad’s usual face was either mocking or insufferably smug.
I wanted to see the man genuinely caught off guard.
So I had kept this phenomenon a secret until the last moment.
And I enjoyed it thoroughly—Arpad, truly astonished.
He gazed at me a moment, then chuckled.
“…You know, sometimes I really wonder.”
“Wonder what? How I knew about that?”
“That too, of course. But more than that—I wonder if you do all this on purpose, or if you truly don’t know, just as you seem.”
“What are you talking about?”
I honestly had no idea what he meant.
What I knew? What I didn’t know?
In any case, I had no time to ponder his cryptic words.
For awe and joy were quickly spreading all around us.
“My goodness! Lord Artanus himself has appeared!”
“Ooh! We are blessed to witness his glory!”
“Praise the great dragon! Praise the Imperial House!”
“Waaah!”
Not only the people gathered in the hall, but also the servants I had discreetly planted near the Crown Prince’s Palace could be heard shouting:
“It’s Artanus!”
“Artanus has revealed himself!”
“The Dragon himself acknowledges and blesses the new Crown Princess!”
The uproar was immense.
And even from afar, I could see it clearly—
Evangeline, in her green dress, her face pale as a corpse.
It was not long after Evangeline, Madam Philerne, and the others had left.
At the Empress’s Palace, during the ball hosted by Marchioness Quinibel, a commotion reached her ears.
“Artanus has truly appeared!”
“Just as Her Highness said!”
“It is the dragon’s blessing!!”
The shouting was so loud it disrupted the ball.
Marchioness Quinibel frowned at first, but then felt the blood drain from her body.
“Wait… what did they just say? Did I mishear?”
Only then did others notice the anomaly outside the windows and begin shouting.
“Look there! Why has it gone dark?”
“It’s still daytime! The sun hasn’t set yet!”
Balls were usually held in the evening.
Yet for some reason, Hylia had hosted her gathering in the day, and to disrupt it, this rival ball had also begun early.
Thus, the world outside should have been bright.
But a sudden darkness had fallen like a curtain.
Some, sensing something amiss, opened the windows or stepped out onto the terrace to look up—only to cry out in shock.
“A dragon! It’s a dragon!”
“Artanus!”
Disturbance spread swiftly through the ballroom.
