Chapter 64
Baldwin was still under the illusion spell.
As Baldwin grew, the magic grew with him, keeping pace.
That meant Baldwin could now present a more mature and sophisticated appearance than before.
Ha… everything else slipped from my mind, leaving only the graduation ball.
What do I do…? I might get a nosebleed.
Baldwin puffed out his cheeks.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Yeah! Baldwin, you’re really beautiful.”
It felt like all the worries of the world had disappeared.
Even the events of last night. At times like this, I think I really am too simple-minded…
Just because Baldwin came didn’t mean Laila’s schedule was canceled.
While she was in class, Baldwin went to the training ground with his sword.
He wanted to greet his old master and loosen up after a long time away.
‘Am I not liking this a little too much?’
It was almost troubling.
Laila might actually prefer Baldwin being a girl.
[That’s a useless thought. She just likes everything you do.]
If only the cursed sword was right.
The reason Baldwin hadn’t turned down that boy’s invitation was because of Laila.
The boy’s real target was Loro Vante.
If Baldwin had refused, the boy might have invited Laila instead.
And Laila might have accepted, simply because it sounded fun.
Better Baldwin in a frilly, feathered dress than to watch that happen.
Camilla had laughed so hard when Baldwin got a public confession.
She was also the one who spread those rumors about that boy.
[Still, you’re thinking it’s fine as long as she’s happy, right?]
“Laila sees this kind of thing as romantic.”
And the sword was right—Laila was happy, and that was the only good thing in all this.
It seemed she had forgotten completely about last night.
Her clear face no longer showed any of the guarded wariness she once had toward him.
Baldwin suppressed a smile.
‘She’s just too cute…’
Even the Tower had received a secret directive about this mission.
“Isn’t there a way to stop Laila? She really needs to rest.”
Aldis was troubled.
Laila’s health was in bad shape.
She should rest more, but she insisted on taking the lead again this time.
Aldis rubbed his forehead.
Every day, Laila questioned her own worth.
For some reason, each time she completed a mission, she seemed to feel a little lighter.
Endia sipped from a straw and answered.
“I don’t think we can stop her. Laila is…”
Endia frowned, unsure how to phrase it.
“Mm… if work is taken from her, it’s like she’ll die.”
“She throws herself into everything with desperate sincerity.”
“That’s why she’s so cool.”
“And that’s why she’s in danger. She’s like a runaway carriage with broken brakes.”
Endia nodded.
Aldis was right.
Laila never rested, not even for a moment. She was always doing something—even when others were asleep.
“But still, Laila is amazing.”
Aldis’s detached expression cracked slightly.
Three years with Laila and Endia.
He had changed a lot.
He was no longer the indifferent sage of the Tower.
People said he had grown much more human—in a good way.
And Aldis agreed.
Laila and Endia were pure, bright children, the kind that even the Tower could love. It wasn’t strange that he had been captivated by them.
“Yes, Laila is amazing. It’s just that she could afford to loosen up a little.”
Aldis let out a long sigh.
“Laila never shifts her burdens onto others. But if she keeps this up, won’t she fall seriously ill?”
Endia asked gloomily.
Her face was full of sadness as she toyed with her cold glass.
“…Endia, do you like Laila?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“One day, you may have to choose between Laila and your mother.”
Endia was left speechless.
Did that mean she didn’t love her mother?
No. Endia loved her mother too.
Even if Queen Caitlyn saw her only as a stepping stone for Fidelo, Caitlyn still loved her. That truth wouldn’t change.
So Endia loved her mother as well.
“…I suppose that day will inevitably come.”
“Will you be all right then?”
“I’ll think about it when the time comes, Aldis. If I think about it now, it hurts too much. Isn’t there a world where both can be happy?”
Aldis gave a faint smile.
“Fidelo likes Laila too. A lot. But he’s so foolish that she can’t stand him.”
Endia spoke with pity.
Fidelo was always trying to win Laila’s favor, but it was a mess.
The expensive jewels and dresses he gifted her were laughable.
Laila wasn’t someone who could be swayed by material things.
It was a world apart from Baldwin’s heartfelt letters and pressed flowers.
And then there were the clothes Fidelo wore to try to impress her…
And his words—oh, his words.
‘Laila, don’t you like me now? Don’t I look handsome? Laila, I learned a new sword technique! And I finished three history books too. Isn’t that impressive?’
Ugh. Just thinking of it made Endia’s skin crawl again.
How could anyone say things like that? That’s the sort of brag you tell your parents, not the girl you like.
It was clear he was desperate for Laila’s attention, but still…
Watching it from the side was painful.
But that didn’t mean she wanted to help him.
Fidelo and Laila simply didn’t match.
“…Still, Fidelo is family.”
“Laila is my family too. And you, Aldis. Ugh, let’s stop talking about depressing things.”
Endia shook her head.
“…If Laila tries to push herself too hard on this mission, can you stop her?”
“I’ll do my best. This contest doesn’t mean much to me anyway.”
“And Prince Fidelo…”
“I think Fidelo and Einz can manage on their own. The reason I volunteered was Laila. Like you said, Aldis, she’s pushing herself too much.”
“…Then I’ll leave Laila to you.”
Endia nodded firmly.
Aldis smiled as he watched her.
He wasn’t the only one who had changed over the past three years—Endia had too.
She used to be timid, unable to say what was on her mind. Now she was different.
Now she spoke her mind and carried herself with confidence.
It was clear the change was thanks to Laila.
‘Endia! You’re amazing. You can really do that?’
‘Endia, I’m so glad I got to know you.’
Hearing such words, it was only natural she would change.
And the things Endia had asked of him…
Aldis narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
Much had changed in Vendelheim over the past three years as well.
The price of land bought by Bora Han had skyrocketed.
The tunnel through the mountains was finished.
All that remained was reinforcement, laying tracks, and building stations.
Then trains would run across it.
The gateway linking East and West was about to open.
That was why so many now sought Bora Han.
The Alice Trading Company, too, was working with Tower mages to ramp up furniture production.
These would be sold once cultural exchange between East and West began.
If everything continued according to Laila’s plan, then Laila…
And the Tower would become immensely wealthy. Just as Laila had foreseen.
‘And she was only eleven then…!’
Aldis hugged his arms, goosebumps rising. No eleven-year-old could see so far ahead.
The future of Loro Vante was something worth looking forward to.
Perhaps I’d been living just for today.
For the graduation ball, themed after Swan Lake, Baldwin had to try on several dresses to choose the one that suited him best.
Ah… perfect.
This was a day that absolutely had to be written down in my diary.
At fifteen, unlike in childhood, you wore dresses in more varied styles.
And Baldwin was trying them all on now.
“Oh no…”
I’m going to get a nosebleed.
I covered my mouth. Kara, who had accompanied us to the dress shop, spoke up.
“My lady, please calm yourself.”
My mother had firmly asked Kara to make sure I carried myself as a mature young lady, and Kara always made sure of it.
This time was no different.
“What would you do without me?”
Kara dabbed at my nose gently.
“Ugh… and yet you still always come with me.”
We were at the atelier where I usually had my dresses made.
I had chosen somewhere familiar because it was a place that could guarantee discretion.
