Chapter 43…………………………………………..
Dream Interpretation
“I’m really fine.”
Aria spoke carefully, watching Lowell’s expression intently.
“Yes. I’m fine too. And Leon is fine as well.”
Lowell pressed his forehead, feeling compelled to speak. His fevered state might have made his words less convincing, but it wasn’t something he needed to worry about right now.
“No, Lowell. You can continue what you were doing with my husband. I really—”
“I didn’t do anything!”
In the end, Lowell had to stand up and shout in a hoarse voice.
“I’m not someone who does weird things in the library…”
“Oh? Ah, I see. Sorry.”
Aria flinched slightly at his overreaction before speaking again.
“Weren’t you looking for me to say something?”
Lowell, thinking it was better to change the subject, asked.
“Oh, right. I went to look for you, but they said you weren’t in your room.”
“Why were you looking for me?”
“I… went to see my brother… no, Sion. That guy.”
Aria spoke with a slightly resigned tone.
“Excuse me?”
In an instant, Lowell’s gaze, which had been fixed on the table, sharply lifted to Aria.
“…Are you okay?”
His gaze swept carefully over her face. Concern, pity, anxiety—these emotions made Lowell’s breathing uneven.
“I’m fine. Of course I am, since you’ll stay by my side.”
“My lady…”
A gentle smile that put others at ease. Seeing Aria like that, Lowell felt his own breath calm.
“He’s still insisting that your magic came from a contract with demons.”
“Still.”
“Yes. No one believes it, yet he keeps obsessing over it. Makes me wonder if he’s always been that foolish.”
Aria continued, her tone calm but slower than usual.
“I used to think he was some huge being. But seeing him locked up in a prison, he looked really insignificant. Why couldn’t he escape all that time? He was actually someone meaningless.”
Aria’s voice grew hazy, blending with memories from the past.
“If I hadn’t been so foolish, could I have escaped sooner?”
She said this, then looked back at Lowell and gave a faint smile.
“No, my lady.”
Lowell took Aria’s hand in his.
“You couldn’t have helped it back then. You were young and fragile. Don’t hurt yourself over something we couldn’t have controlled.”
“……”
Warm words. At that moment, Aria realized that the repeated cycles had strengthened not only herself but also Lowell.
Perhaps even the painful times had some value.
“Thank you, Lowell.”
A newfound comfort settled around the two of them.
“So, does that mean you’ll inherit the title of Marquis?”
After a brief pause, Lowell asked, holding the teacup brought by a palace servant.
“I suppose so? If my brother is expelled from the family, I’m the only one left to inherit.”
Aria replied, gazing at the ornate teacup.
“Expelled…”
Lowell pondered her words. Sion Heinstein had committed serious crimes and tainted the family name. His expulsion was only natural.
“Why?”
“Oh, I always hoped he’d be expelled. But now that it’s actually happening, it feels kind of strange.”
“Now my brother will lose the Heinstein name and be driven out. I probably won’t see him again.”
“Do you think the noble council will remain quiet? If nobles with connections to your brother oppose it, the punishment might face obstacles.”
“That’s true. Even the emperor would have trouble enforcing punishment if the council opposed it. Besides, since father has been absent, my brother has been treated with the respect of a duke by the council.”
Aria paused, took a breath, and continued.
“But this time, with the war going on, it’s a special situation. I’m now a war hero, so if I push it to the end, the council will have no choice but to accept it.”
With that, a slightly subdued atmosphere lingered in the library.
This time, it really has to be handled properly… If that man interferes in her life again…
“Ugh.”
At that moment, Lowell was pulled out of his deep thoughts.
“Lowell.”
Aria suddenly pressed her hands against his cheeks and met his eyes. Lowell’s lips pouted like a little fish under the pressure.
“Shall we stop talking about dark things now?”
Aria blinked playfully while still pressing his cheeks.
“Ah, yes.”
“You said you need to go to the temple soon, right?”
Aria removed her hands from Lowell’s face and picked up a cushion from the sofa.
“Yes. They said they need my last memory to track something.”
“Hmm… now that I think of it, you mentioned seeing a scene before collapsing. What was it again?”
“……”
Lowell hesitated. The memory he had seen involved a woman who resembled Aria. He didn’t want to burden her with uncertain thoughts.
“It was nothing. I was too distracted to remember clearly.”
Lowell shrugged with an awkward expression.
“Is that so? Well then.”
Aria hugged the cushion casually.
Sorry. I’ll tell you once it’s sorted out.
Lowell muttered quietly to himself, watching her.
“I’d love to circulate an official decree with your face stamped across the entire empire.”
The emperor raised his cup and laughed heartily.
“Haha… thank you for the compliment.”
Before the emperor, Lowell awkwardly smiled, hoping he was joking.
This week alone, Lowell had already faced the emperor three times. Conversations with heroes or whatever—it was uncomfortable for someone who had lived half a lifetime as a commoner.
At least Leon has been accompanying me; otherwise, I would have run away long ago.
Lowell quietly thought while looking at the droplets on the cup before him.
“Honestly, it’s a shame you’re already married.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you weren’t married, we could have paired you with one of the princes. That would have been much simpler than going through the complicated process of giving titles and whatnot.”
Lowell flinched at the serious tone, but looking up, he realized the emperor was just teasing. The emperor’s beard twitched mischievously.
“Oh, just kidding. Don’t frown in front of the emperor. Relax your expression.”
“…I apologize.”
That response came from Leon. He relaxed his tense gaze and gave a small bow to the emperor.
“Anyway, you’re married now, so nothing can be done. But why not show me your magic? The magic that defeated those demons. I want to see it with my own eyes.”
The emperor leaned closer, eyes sparkling.
“Ah… yes.”
Lowell took a breath and reached out.
Whoosh.
A small breeze blew, filling the room with the scent of dew-soaked grass and flowers.
“Ah! Truly magnificent.”
The emperor’s eyes gleamed. He couldn’t look away from Lowell’s magic for a long while.
Thud.
Back in the room, Lowell dove into the bed and buried himself deeply.
“Let’s change clothes and sleep.”
“I’m too tired.”
Leon’s teasing remark earned a muffled grumble from Lowell under the blanket.
“The emperor must have seen far superior magic knights than me, so why does he insist on seeing my magic?”
Lowell muttered in dissatisfaction. This week, he had been repeatedly performing magic at the emperor’s command. Until Leon asked him to stop, mentioning the magic flow.
“I don’t understand.”
Lowell grumbled from under the covers. Seeing this, Leon chuckled quietly.
“Ah.”
Hearing Leon’s laugh, Lowell suddenly sat up.
“Leon, do you also think my magic smells like the dawn?”
“What?”
Lowell spread his magic around Leon with sparkling eyes. The energy curved from his hands, enveloping Leon’s whole body.
“Dawn scent. Hmm… I suppose it does.”
Leon closed his eyes briefly, savoring the scent, and perched beside Lowell.
“It’s fascinating how each person’s magic has a different scent. For example, Leon…”
Lowell suddenly brought his nose to Leon’s neck. A warm, comforting fragrance spread deep inside him.
“It smells like the deep night.”
With that, Lowell withdrew from Leon’s body.
“……”
Then he noticed it. Leon’s flushed ear tips, twitching long eyelashes, the slow movement of his Adam’s apple.
“Ah… um.”
In the suddenly heated room, Lowell’s gaze darted around nervously.
“Kontak! Are you getting proper treatment at the temple?”
Finally, Lowell scrambled to his feet and asked.
“Uh? Oh…”
“Ah, I see. Good. Haha.”
Feeling relieved, Lowell gave a thumbs-up.
“I’ll go for a short walk. You sleep first!”
Not hiding his panic, Lowell moved stiffly like a toy soldier.
Bang.
Leaning against the closed door, Lowell muttered, hand over his heart.
