~Chapter 66~
“You all, whatever you think, that’s not it. It’s not true.”
“Oh, yes…”
They didn’t seem to believe me at all. Sweat started to run down my back.
“Did the mage get hurt?” Felix asked after a delay.
“Oh, it’s just a little scratch on my hand…”
“You wouldn’t know, right?”
I was surprised by the harsh words.
‘Aska?!’
I hadn’t seen him talk like this since our academy days when he would argue with classmates he didn’t like. The tension between the investigator and Aska was palpable. I widened my eyes.
‘Why is the atmosphere like this?’
Even Shiz, who usually liked Aska, fell silent and nervously glanced between the two of them.
I slowly backed away and gestured toward Philippa.
“Hey, Philippa. Have those two met while I was away?”
Philippa’s face darkened immediately.
“Met? You mean…?”
Philippa, with a tired and somber voice, told me about the days I had been gone.
“Since they exchanged drinks, they’ve been coming to the mansion every single day.”
“What? And I wasn’t here?”
I was speechless. Philippa continued with an even more unbelievable story.
“They came, but instead of being quiet, they started competing!”
“Competing? In what way?”
I asked. Philippa pointed at Shiz, who was still in Aska’s arms.
“They were competing to win Shiz’s favor.”
“…What?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
These big adults came to the mansion and started competing over who could be more popular with a child?
“Don’t believe me? I didn’t either until I saw it with my own eyes…”
Philippa sighed deeply. The usually strong Philippa looked deeply troubled now.
“They should have just kept to themselves, but they let their competitiveness take over.”
“I can’t believe it…”
I murmured, thinking about the strange situation.
***
After the formal investigation, the case of the assassination attempt became a topic of discussion again when I had to appear in court.
I told the court everything I knew about what happened, including how I had saved the crown prince.
‘Because I became widely known for playing a key role in saving the prince…’
I was rewarded with a grand gift from the royal family.
“The royal family deeply thanks you for saving the only heir to the throne and for your efforts in introducing life-saving lifeboats to protect the guests.”
It was all part of the royal recognition, and I accepted the gift graciously.
It had been a long time since I had an audience with the king.
With a nervous heart, I kneeled and paid my respects.
King Donowell IV of Edelheim had golden hair and blue eyes. He was a strong middle-aged man.
Aside from his hair and eyes, his appearance didn’t seem to resemble anyone else in the royal family.
Queen Calera stood beside him, staring at me with unsettling pink eyes before slowly speaking.
“Thank you for saving our precious heir.”
‘Could it be Princess Dalen behind all this?’
‘Maybe the queen is also involved?’
I thought about my conversation with Aska. The queen had an aura of kindness, but everyone knew she was behind this plot. However, the truth of that day was lost to the sea, with no solid evidence left behind.
‘The crown prince has become a threat to her, but now she has gathered enough power to lead such a plot.’
I thought of Reyester and felt mixed emotions. Behind all his splendor, he must have faced untold struggles.
“It is a great honor.”
After an uncomfortable moment of praise, I quickly left the royal palace.
As I passed through the inner and outer palace, I saw someone running toward me.
“Ah, Relshiz! I’m glad to see you before you leave the palace.”
It was Reyester’s aide, Sabin Hartman.
This aide had been absent during the cruise trip due to health issues, and now, as he approached, he looked visibly tired.
“Hello, Sabin. What’s going on?”
“Just a moment, follow me to the garden…”
I already had an inkling of what he wanted to talk about.
I followed Sabin to the outer garden, where Reyester was waiting under a white gazebo.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“It’s been a while, Relshiz.”
He looked perfect as always, his hair tied neatly and blowing slightly in the wind.
“How’s your hand?”
“Oh, it’s fine now.”
He suddenly asked about my injury, and I nodded reflexively.
Thanks to the ointment Aska used, my hand had healed quickly. There was no serious scar, which I was relieved about.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Well then, I called you here because there’s something important we need to discuss.”
Reyester hesitated for a moment and then signaled Sabin to bring something.
Sabin returned with a small velvet box.
“I’ve been thinking about how much my life is worth…”
I was confused. Wasn’t the investigation about this already done? I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Reyester handed me the box.
“I think this would be enough to settle it.”
“…?”
“Go ahead, open it.”
I carefully opened the box, and a dazzling light burst out, almost blinding me.
Inside was a golden gemstone, glowing with incredible beauty.
“Do you know what this is? It’s called Sunstone.”
“Wha-?!”
“It’s rare, right?”
“Of course! It’s so rare!”
The Sunstone was a magical gemstone, incredibly rare, and I had only studied it theoretically. This was the first time I’d seen one in person.
This stone could store 100 times more mana than a regular magic stone, and it was produced only during rare natural phenomena, such as the midnight sun.
I was so amazed that I could barely speak.
“Can I really accept this?”
“Of course.”
“Well then, I won’t refuse!”
I laughed brightly and embraced the Sunstone. It could help me return Shiz to her original time if used correctly.
“But, Relshiz…”
As I was caught up in the excitement, Reyester asked me something. I hadn’t been paying full attention, so I asked him to repeat it.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“When will you bring the child?”
“Huh?”
I was confused.
“Bring her here? To the palace?”
I couldn’t believe it.
Reyester nodded.
“You don’t want to leave your young daughter alone at home every time, do you?”
“Oh, I’ll hire a maid to watch her.”
“You can bring her to work with you. I’ll allow it. If it becomes too difficult, I can take care of her for a while.”
I had just said I was fine, but now he was telling me I could bring Shiz to work?
I stood there speechless, unsure of what to say, and Reyester frowned slightly.
Sighing, he relaxed his expression.
“So, what I’m saying is, I won’t make an issue out of your child.”
“Ah…”
“You can rest easy.”
I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?”
Reyester smiled, looking as if it was obvious.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to make you mine, truly.”
