Chapter 16
When night falls, the communication stone lights up.
The two little girls whisper softly, sharing stories about what happened during the day.
Wrapped up to the top of her head in her blanket and buried deep into her pillow, Winter whispered quietly.
“I read a book today called The Crow Knight and the Winter Princess’s Rose Blooming Every Night.”
“[What kind of story is it?]”
In truth, she had only managed to read up to page three.
Naila had confiscated it, saying it wasn’t something a child should read.
But Winter decided to make something up.
Judging by the title, it seemed to be a romance novel—and thanks to memories from her previous life, she was fairly well-versed in that genre.
“It’s about a capable, amazing woman with no flaws whatsoever who ends up suffering because she gets tied down to a selfish, self-centered man who only thinks about himself.”
Now that she said it out loud, she understood why Naila had taken the book away.
“[Why would she go through all that suffering?]”
“Who knows. Probably because she loves him.”
“[That selfish, self-centered guy?]”
“He was probably ridiculously handsome.”
After all, eighty percent of a romance novel’s plausibility depends on the male lead’s looks.
After that, the two little girls fell silent for quite a while.
Lately, Winter’s stamina had dropped sharply, and she was already starting to nod off.
Listening to her breathing gradually slow, Medilliane softly said,
“I miss you.”
Even half-asleep, Winter didn’t forget to answer.
“Mmm… me too…”
As if it were a promise, the two girls hugged their communication stones tightly and fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, Aisel burst into Winter’s room in an excited frenzy.
“Go ahead and rejoice, you wicked little brat!”
Still half-asleep, Winter blinked her dazed eyes, but Aisel didn’t seem to notice at all.
“At last, we’ve found a way to save you! Hahaha!”
“How?” Winter asked flatly.
Hands on her hips, Aisel laughed heartily. Winter’s indifferent tone didn’t faze her.
“I found out where my master is!”
She had discovered the whereabouts of the Great Sage Erquil Monesty—the one who had vanished from the world.
No wonder she was this excited first thing in the morning.
“Where is it?”
“Manutra Island.”
“…An island?”
“Yes. About a week’s journey by ship from the eastern edge of the continent—”
“W-wait. Hold on a second.”
Winter hurriedly stopped Aisel’s flood of words.
The eastern edge of the continent?
For Winter, who had been living comfortably in a townhouse in the imperial capital, this was nothing short of a disaster.
And on top of that, another week by ship?
“Don’t tell me… I have to go there?”
Aisel scoffed as if the idea were obvious.
“Of course. It’ll take some time, but we’ll try sealing your mana.”
Winter immediately felt uneasy.
Aisel said it would take “some time,” but she was a mage with absolutely no sense of reality.
Clasping her hands together as if praying, Winter asked cautiously,
“How long… are we talking?”
“Hmmm. Let’s see. If the research succeeds, maybe within ten years?”
Ten years, my foot. I’m doomed.
Winter was suddenly facing the prospect of being stranded on a remote island for at least a decade—without letters, without proper contact of any kind.
She felt utterly hopeless.
But Duke Vladimire felt differently.
At the words we can save your daughter, the Duke became more motivated than anyone, declaring that he would grant Aisel anything she wanted.
The saying Half the Empire’s gold belongs to Vladimire wasn’t an exaggeration.
When the Duke told her to request whatever support she needed and presented an enormous budget, Aisel was horrified.
Despite always being greedy for money, her courage turned out to be surprisingly small.
She had demanded astronomical sums just for medicine until now—yet now she rejected the entire budget outright.
But her opponent was Duke Vladimire.
The Duke casually rejected Aisel’s refusal and packed their supplies for the sparsely populated island with piles of gold and jewels.
“Y-you little brat. Stop your mother!”
Aisel, pale as a sheet, rushed over to Winter.
“Why me?” Winter muttered, buried in her bed.
Thanks to Aisel, Winter was about to be dragged off to an island. Her mood had been at rock bottom lately.
“I—I said I’m sorry, okay?!”
Aisel shouted out her apology.
She knew perfectly well that Winter was about to be separated from Medilliane.
But even in response to Aisel’s apology, Winter only sighed deeply.
All her plans—to stay by Medilliane’s side until the very end and help her—had completely fallen apart.
Even if the research succeeded and she survived, what would be the point?
What if Medilliane lost control and stormed the imperial palace in the meantime?
What if she was betrayed again and died?
The real problem was that there wasn’t a single person in the ducal household she could talk to about this.
If they didn’t interfere, that alone would be a blessing.
“I mean, sure, I like money—but I don’t want to be crushed to death under it!”
Clutching her head, Aisel lamented dramatically as she suffocated under the Duke’s gold supremacism.
Watching her with a look of pure disdain, Winter suddenly asked,
“Mage.”
“What?”
“Don’t you want to try playing marbles with rubies?”
“….”
Aisel’s twisted expression instantly went blank.
Then her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Ahem! I just remembered I have something urgent to do!”
And with that, Aisel vanished like the wind.
Completely drained, Winter flopped back onto her bed.
“…Finally, some peace and quiet.”
Winter did nothing.
She did absolutely nothing, yet preparations for leaving the island were progressing at alarming speed.
She had promised Medilliane she would recover and come see her.
Now, it seemed she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.
“Miss, you have a visitor.”
Not long after, a guest arrived for Winter, who had been gloomily shut inside her room.
“Let them in.”
Naila opened the door.
Behind her stood a sharp-looking woman with blue hair—Ellison.
Since their previous deal, and thanks to Winter’s advice, the Jenima Trading Company had been supplying the Vladimire household with Mona Flower fruit.
The Mona Flower was a poisonous plant infamous for killing mages.
Even a small amount rapidly drained a person’s mana.
But because of that very property, it was beneficial for Winter, who suffered from mana overload and runaway magic.
—
I want to meet the person who brings this.
—
Not long ago, Winter—who rarely left her room—had suddenly said that.
—
Mona Flower?
Yeah.
—
Aside from meeting Medilliane, there was nothing in the Vladimire household that didn’t go Winter’s way.
The Duke immediately contacted the Jenima Trading Company.
At the word that Winter herself had requested the meeting, Ellison dropped everything and rushed over.
“I-it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss. I am Ellison from the Jenima Trading Comp—”
Ellison froze mid-greeting, mouth falling open.
Those who consumed Mona Flower fruit developed blue-tinted lips.
Winter’s lips often turned blue after taking Aisel’s medicine.
But Ellison had no way of knowing that.
Buying large quantities of poison herbs wasn’t strange for the Vladimire household—but the idea that this tiny young lady was actually consuming it never crossed her mind.
And seeing how noticeably thinner Winter had become since the last time made the shock even worse.
—
I’m going to die within eight years.
—
Why did those words suddenly resurface now?
The rumor that the Vladimire heir had been given a terminal diagnosis had already spread quietly.
Could it really have been because of this poison?
What kind of circumstances led to this?
A remark she had once brushed aside now pierced her heart painfully.
Seeing the child—so small and frail she barely filled the bed—Ellison felt her eyes sting.
—
Making Mei the emperor.
—
That gaze—so resolute it looked like a sworn mission—made Ellison’s chest ache all over again.
“Naila, please leave us.”
“Yes.”
Not knowing why Ellison was acting this way, Winter dismissed Naila first.
The moment the door closed, Ellison stepped forward.
“Why—why are you going this far for His Majesty—no, for Lady Mei…!”
Her words came out scattered, more like tears spilling than speech.
Ellison covered her mouth sharply.
After all, she had already heard the answer to that question before.
—
Because I like that child.
—
Such a heartbreaking love, at such a young age.
Ellison’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“I’ll support your love, Miss. No matter what.”
“…What are you talking about now?”
Winter clicked her tongue lightly at Ellison’s sudden declaration.
Yet even that blunt reaction somehow looked like embarrassment, and Ellison smiled faintly as she wiped her tears.
Watching Ellison sink deeper into a strange misunderstanding, Winter let out a heavy sigh.
Could she really leave things in these people’s hands?
As she pressed a hand to her forehead, a low fever was starting to rise again.
With this fragile body… could she really return alive?
“Ellison. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
Gathering her fear, Winter spoke.
Night fell again.
After an exhausting day, Winter finally collapsed onto her bed.
“…I’m done.”
She had told Ellison everything she could about what needed to be done from here on out.
All she could do now was hope that the smart Ellison understood and carried it out properly.
As the tension drained from her body, pain screamed from every corner.
Her head throbbed, the low fever worsening.
Ignoring her body’s urgent pleas to rest, Winter lay flat once more.
At some point, the communication stone was already in her hand.
The red mana stone reminded her of someone’s eyes.
“Now I just need to… calm Mei down properly…”
