《An Arranged Marriage with an Enemy》


 Chapter 0

    Prologue


    Kaon barely swallowed the urge to curse. He had just been woken up by the ruthless sunlight streaming through the large window, so exceptionally bright that it would have woken just about anyone, not excluding himself.


    He tried to block it out somehow.


    The hands he used to cover his face weren¡¯t enough, and neither was his summer blanket, thin and utterly useless against the light as it was.


    Alas, even as he tried to bury himself further into the bed, the sun was simply demanding his attention.


    ¡®The curtains were left open again.¡¯


    Finally, Kaon got up and stared resentfully at the bare glass panels and neatly tied velvet curtains. It was obvious who the culprit was.


    ¡®Try me, Alessia.¡¯


    Jaw clenched, he thought about the resident of the bedroom on the opposite side of the corridor, the woman he would eventually marry¡ªprovided that nothing drastic would happen.


    ***


    Kaon intended to have a serious conversation today. He could no longer endure another day of his curtains being left open when he only had afternoon training. Such days were few and far in between, and therefore extremely valuable to him. What greater happiness was there than sleeping in?


    Alessia Ingelos had been cruelly stealing that happiness from him for a whole month now. He had brushed it off the first few times, thinking that it was a coincidence, but now it was crystal clear. She was definitely doing it on purpose to interfere with his simple desires.


    ¡°Madeleine, you don¡¯t have to help me all the time.¡±


    The voice Kaon heard as he went down the stairs was soft, seemingly regretful and gentle at the same time. The sound of it made him stiffen.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Miss Alessia? You always do so much for the Ferdinand estate. Giving you these snacks is the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come now, people might think I¡¯ve done something big. If you keep talking like that, it might go to my head.¡±


    ¡®Wow.¡¯


    Kaon swallowed his dumbfounded laugh at the show of humility.


    The maid continued her praises, ¡°You deserve to think a little highly of yourself, Miss. You¡¯ve been surveilling the monster-infested forest for a whole week; if that¡¯s not a big deal, then what is? The Ferdinand family regards sincerity as the highest virtue, and you are inimitably sincere.¡±


    ¡°It is very encouraging to hear that. I only do what I can¡­ Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°As a part of the estate, I should be the one thanking you. How much help do you¡­ Oh?¡± Madeleine, who was fully immersed in the conversation, suddenly noticed Kaon standing in the middle of the staircase. ¡°Young Master! Are you up?¡±


    Alessia also turned slowly to see him, as if she had only just noticed his existence. Her eyes, which seemed to harden for a moment, smoothly curved into graceful crescents. ¡°Kaon? You woke up early today.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The young master never comes down at this time on afternoon training days¡­ Why did you wake up so early?¡±


    The expression that began crumpling at Alessia¡¯s greeting became fully sour at Madeleine¡¯s comment. That was because the maid¡¯s inner wonderings about what could have happened to the lazy young master were inadvertently revealed.


    Her thoughts weren¡¯t wrong, but it didn¡¯t mean Kaon liked being perceived as such.


    ¡°Because a certain someone forced me to wake up,¡± he answered bluntly, poking his opponent to see if she even had a conscience.


    ¡°Who would¡­?¡±


    ¡°It must be me, Madeleine.¡± Alessia didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I woke him up by pointlessly trying to make repairs this morning. Yesterday, my favorite clothes got a little torn, so I had been looking at them earlier,¡± she mumbled pitifully.


    ¡°Oh no! Come to think of it, you did mention that something happened during your inspection, so it turned out that even your clothes were damaged. How upsetting! I¡¯ll mend your clothes at once, Miss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was planning to throw it away, but I just felt so regretful. If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you to help me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask. I¡¯ll be there anytime,¡± Madeleine said determinedly to appease Alessia, glaring at Kaon in the next moment.


    He flinched.


    Even though she didn¡¯t open her mouth, it was clear to him what the maid wanted to say.


    Something like, ¡°Grow up, Young Master. Someone¡¯s out here getting engaged to their enemy and still making an effort to be of assistance, but now we have someone making a fuss because they woke up a little early?¡±


    From those fierce eyes, Kaon could read everything he didn¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kaon. I¡¯ll be more careful the next time.¡±


    He was already annoyed, and now Alessia was apologizing for something she didn¡¯t have to be sorry for. Her attitude and mild tone made her look so mature, which meant that he looked even more childish in comparison.


    ¡®The only reason why I woke up was that the curtains were left open on purpose!¡¯


    Kaon reined in his fury. He didn¡¯t need to tarnish his reputation even further.


    However, Alessia turned her head subtly and stuck her tongue out from the corner of her mouth that was angled away from Madeleine.


    His patience cracked. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Young Master!¡± Madeleine reprimanded.


    He could only watch as the victor of this round shrugged cheekily.


    ***


    Kaon attacked the wooden figure with frightening speed. His practice sword¡ªalso made of wood¡ªmoved in a clean arc and struck the dummy¡¯s head, arms, legs, and waist one after the other.


    ¡®That annoying girl. Does she perhaps have a split personality disorder?¡¯


    This was the first time in his neither-short-nor-long seventeen years of life that he had encountered something like this.


    Even if a person acted differently from how they looked, there was often at least a certain degree of overlap. That girl, however, was different. She almost¡ªno, not almost¡­ She definitely had two personalities.


    ¡®However, do the people who have such an identity disorder possess the capability to switch between their personalities at will?¡¯


    In terms of medical knowledge, he was no expert, but he did know that such conditions were not characterized by symptoms that one could arbitrarily control. That description did not apply to Alessia.


    So what was it? Why did she act that way? How could he understand the girl who smiled and laughed like an angel around other people, but acted mischievously only in front of him?


    ¡®Why is she so confident at doing that?¡¯


    Alessia Ingelos was a swindler.


    She wasn¡¯t even a mage, yet there she was pretending to be one, pretending that she was protecting the Ferdinand estate¡­


    These weren¡¯t light charges, but unfortunately, Kaon couldn¡¯t put her in prison. That was because he was the only one who knew her secret, and he wasn¡¯t in the position to disclose it.


    At the end of his rope, he let himself yell in frustration, at which point he also heard a voice¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ Young Master?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve called you eleven times already, but¡­¡± Joseph, his aide, trailed off as he tiredly pushed the frame of his slipping glasses up his nose.


    Eleven?


    Kaon straightened. It seemed that he had lost track of his surroundings in the heat of his angry training. Whatever the truth to the mystery of Alessia, it was clear that she would not be of any help in his life.


    ¡°Why did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, hemp is strewn all over the training grounds. May I suggest moving to a different place to avoid giving the poor servants more work?¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± He looked around with a slight frown on his face, dropping his sword.


    Just as Joseph said, bits of pieces of hemp were scattered everywhere. Some bits were still in the air, slowly floating down like dust. The rope used to secure the dummy had loosened due to the force of Kaon¡¯s attacks, and so it was eventually hacked into ruins.


    Actually, the aide was a little surprised that his master had been able to cut through the rope despite not focusing on a single area, but he decided not to say anything about it. He knew Kaon well enough to know that the young man would dismiss any admiration by attributing it to luck.


    Instead, he wanted to find out the motivation behind the obsession with training.


    ¡°Did Leo scold you?¡±


    ¡°Why would my older sister do that? Do I look like the type of person who gets scolded out of boredom?¡±


    One of the probable causes was eliminated. Thus, Joseph naturally moved on to the next candidate.


    ¡°Ah, you fought with Miss Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Fought!? She¡¯s always the one doing the provoking!¡±


    Judging by the violent reaction, that was the right answer.


    He nodded carefully, wondering what had happened this time. These incidents occurred fairly often, but it wasn¡¯t much of a concern because it was usually just Kaon who did the huffing and puffing.


    Joseph normally would have let it pass, but his curiosity was piqued at the moment.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two get along at first? True, it was a little awkward, but I remember you agreeing that she was very pretty and nice.¡±


    ¡°Nice? Her? Alessia Ingelos? As if!¡± Kaon denied indignantly, thinking that if that was considered being nice, then practically everyone in the world was.


    ¡°Think back to the day she first came to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°At that time¡­¡± Kaon paused, his momentary speechlessness providing an opening for his aide.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now, so there¡¯s not much point to discussing it further.¡±


    Still silent, Kaon Ferdinand picked up the practice sword again.


    Truthfully, Joseph¡¯s assessment was correct. It wasn¡¯t like the relationship between the two was bad from the beginning. Contrary to expectations that it would be terrible, it had been quite nice.


    ¡®It was like that at first.¡¯


    There was a reason why their petty antagonism had reached this point, and it all began half a year¡ªperhaps even a full year¡ªago.

 Chapter 1

    Leonida and Kaon Ferdinand were a pair of siblings who had little to fight about.


    First of all, Leonida was not the kind of person who treated her younger brother carelessly. Kaon also respected and followed his sister. The considerable five-year age difference also played a part.


    In addition, the siblings had lost their parents three years ago. Naturally, they could not afford to fight and complain for childish reasons.


    Although the occasional quarrel happened, the two consciously tried to understand and put up with each other because they knew there was no one else in the world they could trust with private¡ªeven embarrassing¡ªmatters.


    ¡°Leo, have you gone crazy?¡± Kaon finally asked after replaying his sister¡¯s words for the tenth time in his head.


    He couldn¡¯t just let it go this time. For sure, the problem was either within his ears or within her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯d honestly rather be crazy, but that¡¯s regrettably not the case.¡±


    ¡°You want me to marry an Ingelos girl?¡±


    ¡°I told you to get engaged. Though if you want to get married right away, I won¡¯t stop you. Oh, but of course, you¡¯ll still have to wait until you officially come of age.¡±


    ¡°Leo!¡± Kaon wasn¡¯t in the mood for semantics.


    Wasn¡¯t timing the only difference between an engagement and a marriage?


    ¡°Are you done with your tantrum?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! Are you kidding me?¡±


    His sister, the one who said something absurd first, was still at ease. In fact, she had been busy looking at documents throughout their conversation, so calm that he debated whether the person he was talking to was really a person and not a wall.


    He thought of the events that led up to his current dilemma.


    ***


    It was a normal, leisurely spring day. The midday sun felt hotter than usual, and Kaon, done with morning training, was pleasantly lounging on his bed.


    ¡°Young Master Kaon, Lady Leo is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°My sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s waiting in her office.¡±


    ¡®I wonder what for; she always has a set reason for calling me.¡¯


    Kaon stood briskly, guessing that it was probably to admonish him for having faked sickness last week to get out of march training. Today was probably the right day for a scolding.


    ¡®Well, I managed to get some rest for a day, so even if I get in trouble¡­¡¯


    He humbly accepted his fate.


    However, Leonida remained silent despite his arrival, staring at paperwork and leaving her brother to agonize over his impending punishment.


    Perhaps it was a new sort of discipline?


    Many thoughts running through his head, Kaon elected to also remain silent. It was painfully boring, yes, but it seemed only fair that he endured as much for his wrongdoing.


    Leonida finally looked up by the time he had counted thirty-three folders stacked on the desk.


    ¡°Get engaged to the Ingelos family¡¯s second child,¡± she said bluntly, then turned back to her work as if that was the only thing she had to say.


    ***


    So that was why Kaon was now doubting the mental state of his highly respected sister.


    ¡°Get engaged with an Ingelos? Why are you suggesting something that would make our parents roll in their graves if they knew?¡±


    ¡°If I had known of such a marvelous method earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have let them stay in their graves for three years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± he retorted hotly.


    The feud between the two families was engraved into their bloodlines. In the Gaius Kingdom, their relationship was so infamous that it was more common to use it as a metaphor as opposed to something like ¡°cats and dogs¡±.


    As a descendant of Ferdinand, renowned for producing knights, Kaon had grown up listening to gossip about the mages of Ingelos.


    They were allegedly cowardly, selfish bastards who callously regarded knights as worth less than insects. Social misfits who had no loyalty¡­


    Merely thinking about their name sent curse words bubbling up his throat. To marry one of them was incomprehensible to him.


    Instead of explaining the situation, Leonida picked up one of the folders from the stacks and threw it at Kaon.


    He caught it easily, scowling as he scanned the first page of the document inside. He wasn¡¯t fond of papers and letters, but his sister didn¡¯t look like she would open her mouth anytime soon, so he was more or less forced to read it himself.


    <Request for a higher wage for dispatched mages>


    While the Ferdinand estate was a good place to live in with its fertile land and mild climate, its forests held the largest population of monsters in the entire kingdom. The family itself had a long history, being one of the founders of Gaius, and it had been subduing monsters for hundreds of years.


    And as much as Kaon hated to admit it, mages were essential, all the more so because monsters were difficult opponents in close combat. Long-distance firepower was undeniably useful in dealing with that particular problem.


    Unfortunately, mages were rare in any era. Although they were supposedly more common than swordmasters, the comparison was meaningless considering that there were never more than five of those across the whole continent within a generation.


    One could not become a mage if they were not born with mana, and even being born with it was not a guarantee that they could use it.


    In its entire history, the Ferdinand family had never borne a single mage, and understandably so, because mages generally came from families of mages. However, problems arose when there was no mage in the land and they had to be recruited via the Magic Tower.


    ¡°What? Thirty percent more? Isn¡¯t this just a robbery?¡± Kaon exclaimed, itching with annoyance¡ªthe request for increased salary and improved conditions might as well have been demanded with a knife in hand. ¡°They¡¯re asking us to build a branch of the Magic Tower here? On the eastern part of the land? Have they gone mad? At this point, this is basically asking for autonomy in someone else¡¯s territory.¡±


    His outrage was not just because he was a Ferdinand. Objectively speaking, such requirements were excessive.


    Ferdinand had met their demands last year, and even the year before that. The incentives were also raised each time!


    ¡®Ignorant bastards¡­¡¯


    ¡°Please read through the entire proposal.¡± Leonida observed her resentful younger brother, shaking her head.


    Kaon obeyed, looking back down at the papers. As he read on, his jaw tightened and his eyes turned cold.


    ¡°¡­So if we let royal knights garrison in our land, they¡¯ll provide support for the royal mage? And then we have to grant them an equal share of the mana stones?¡±


    The document was a proposal from the king himself.


    At first glance, it seemed benevolent, the words praising the Ferdinands¡¯ efforts against monsters and recommending that they accept assistance. In reality, though, letting in any of the Royal Knights was practically welcoming their interference; it would be no different from letting in an informant. Not only that, but the matter of the mana stones was¡­


    Mana stones were obtained from the corpses of monsters, and they were extremely valuable due to the low probability of finding one. Their family was already supplying the Magic Tower with stones in exchange for dispatching a high-ranking mage¡ªand they didn¡¯t even ask for an equal share.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Both the Magic Tower and the Gaius Royal Family were in a frenzy over Ferdinand. Since Kaon¡¯s parents¡¯ passing three years ago, there had been a void that Leonida was struggling to fill, one that many people tried to take advantage of.


    Kaon ran a hand through his hair as he set down the folder. ¡°Why does it have to be Ingelos? There are other mage families out there.¡±


    ¡°Because we share a somewhat similar situation.¡±


    He came to understand why his sister had suggested something so ridiculous and extreme. They needed mages on their side who would not be swayed. He didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on, but if the Ingelos family was having the same troubles, then they would be the best partner to cooperate with.


    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡±


    Rationally, Kaon understood, but he hated the idea of marrying an Ingelos, and that she would be a mage.


    Love and romance didn¡¯t feature in his dreams, but it still didn¡¯t seem like a good choice to spend the rest of his life with someone he disliked on a fundamental level.


    ¡°There may not be any.¡±


    ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Raise your sword, Kaon.¡± Dark brown eyes that resembled their father¡¯s stared back at him solemnly. ¡°Knock me down and take my seat. Our uncle wants it too, so there are probably no objections to that.¡±


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe there¡¯s a way for me to marry the Ingelos family¡¯s third son. I heard he was turning nine this year? I suppose a twelve-year gap is fine, so long as I wait ten more years.¡±


    That made even less sense. As common as arranged marriages were, it was very rare to have such a large difference in age.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to step down, and Uncle will have to take over as your deputy until your coming-of-age¡ªa position that will surely delight him.¡±


    Kaon bit his lower lip.


    Leonida looked exhausted.


    He was well aware that their uncle was aiming for the lordship of the estate, and well aware of his sister¡¯s efforts to stop him.


    In Kaon¡¯s eyes, Leonida was best-suited for that seat despite the opposition of their adult relatives, who didn¡¯t like the idea of a woman leading a knight family. Even now, she was still not officially acknowledged as anything other than a deputy head, a proxy.


    Nevertheless, he was confident in his sister, who was responsible, dedicated, perceptive, and disciplined. For all of their sakes, she was the only true candidate for the succession.


    He, on the other hand, had neither the desire nor the ability to be one.


    ¡°What should I do¡­?¡± Kaon murmured to himself.


    Thoughts tangled in his head and made him dizzy, and then they were resolved at once. After a long sigh, his decision was made.

 Chapter 2

    Leonida¡¯s first order was for him to attend a banquet in the palace as her representative.


    Since she was the deputy head of Ferdinand, that meant he was now the deputy of the deputy.


    Kaon laughed inwardly, looking outside the carriage¡¯s window and watching the walls of their duchy grow farther away.


    ¡®Actually, this isn¡¯t funny at all. What the hell am I supposed to do? Why didn¡¯t she tell me about this in advance?¡¯


    He crossed his arms and glowered at the aide sitting opposite him.


    Quick-witted as he was, Joseph obviously sensed the figurative daggers pointed at him, but he opted to feign concentration on his book first before raising his head. ¡°Lady Leo said to only let you know right before the event.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, whose aide are you, again? Mine or my sister¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I serve you, Young Master, but Lady Leo pays the salary.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    It went without saying that the deputy had greater authority than the young master. Still, the present circumstances made his head hurt.


    Kaon blinked rapidly to dispel the fog in his mind. ¡°Never mind, just tell me about what happened with the Ingelos family. What even happened? Was this really the agreement between our families? Those foolish wizards¡­¡± He frowned.


    Was it a hoax? The Ferdinands and Ingeloses were equally disdainful of each other. The latter was comprised of typically arrogant mages who looked down on everyone who couldn¡¯t control their mana; they especially hated knights because, by their standards, they were beings so far from intelligence. Moreover, Ferdinand was the knight family from the founding myth that was recorded to have been their enemies since the beginning. It was no exaggeration to say that the two were mortal enemies.


    There had to be some reason why the Ingelos family had agreed to an arranged marriage, and he believed that he at least had a right to know what it was¡ªgiven that he was the other half of the arrangement.


    ¡°Since ancient times, their family has always been devoted to the study of magic, as you must already know.¡±


    Well, yes, he did know. The whole kingdom did. Mages and research were inseparable, and Ingelos was the oldest mage family in Gaius, as well as the one that was most abundant raw power and talent. Everyone knew that they were madly engrossed in all things magical.


    ¡°All forms of research are expensive, but magic research has a particularly astronomical cost. That¡¯s why the Magic Tower is trying to earn and save every penny.¡±


    ¡°Persistent bastards¡­¡± Kaon ground his teeth.


    How many negotiations had his sister conducted with them? They really were a miserly bunch.


    ¡°But the Ingeloses, in a good or bad sense, are the ones most like the ancient mages.¡±


    ¡°Ancient mages?¡±


    ¡°In terms of being purely obsessed with magic. Money or anything like that is not part of their priorities.¡±


    Kaon paused. He had a rough idea of ??what Joseph was trying to say.


    ¡°¡­Are you saying they have a financial problem?¡±


    It still seemed surreal.


    Even though they were his family¡¯s enemies, Ingelos was still one of the seven families representing the kingdom. It was not a nameless family tucked away in a corner of the kingdom. A duke¡¯s family undergoing a financial crisis? Wasn¡¯t that absurd?


    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s quite a serious situation. They¡¯re on the verge of bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Joseph confirmed it, explaining that it really was quite dire.


    ¡°How could that be?¡±


    Kaon was genuinely curious.


    King Helios I, the founding king of Gaius, did not forget to pay tribute to the five families who contributed to his founding. Each family was given the land they wanted along with huge amounts of gold and precious stones.


    Of course, it was a story from several hundred years ago, but even considering that, it was incomprehensible that Ingelos alone was on the verge of ruin.


    The situation of the other four families was more or less the same as theirs because even if the Ferdinands were worried about the future and looking for ways to prepare, they weren¡¯t in serious financial trouble right now.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? They are the ones who are the most like the ancient mages. How would you describe a mage?¡±


    ¡°What¡­? Single-minded and reticent? Selfish?¡±


    Kaon knew he was biased, but it wasn¡¯t like mages didn¡¯t act that way.


    Even the mages officially dispatched from the Tower who were obligated to protect the territories neglected their duties, contributing to the prejudice against them.


    ¡°Ingelos is an exceptionally antisocial family. There is probably no other in Gaius and beyond who can exceed them in that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ something.¡±


    ¡°If each member of the family was raised to value only the act of increasing their own magical power and dislike all other activities, wouldn¡¯t that be a fundamental problem?¡±


    ¡°It means no one is making money.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    There was obviously nothing wrong with cultivating intellect and exploring academic pursuits in itself, but what if every single one in the family is focused on that? No matter how much gold was there, it would run out one day if nobody bothered to add to the pile.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there many places that need mages? I know that the recruitment for royal mages is always open.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what they want to do.¡± Joseph shrugged. ¡°According to the information we have received, it seems that the king has also made an offer to Ingelos. He said he was willing to pay off their huge debt to the central bank and even support their research.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that deal much better than what the royal family wants with us?¡±


    It was bittersweet to admit, but without a swordmaster, even a good and loyal knight family was not as useful as a mage family.


    ¡°However, it seems that the king intends to actively interfere with their family by ordering regular mage training and issuing essential research tasks.¡±


    ¡°So that was the catch¡­¡± Kaon sighed, understanding why Ingelos wanted to cooperate with Ferdinand this time.


    The two families wished to choose the lesser evil, with the arranged marriage being the reason to politely decline the king¡¯s offers.


    ¡°It seems too deceitful.¡±


    From the king¡¯s point of view, it would appear that the two families chose the enemy instead of cooperating with him. Wouldn¡¯t that provoke his ire even more?


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the execution. If the reason looks plausible, he has no choice but to let it slide despite any suspicions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m being told to be as obedient as a lamb.¡±


    Two sacrifices would be raised on the altar, and in return, both families would get what they wanted.


    Kaon began to wonder who the poor lamb from Ingelos would be.


    ***


    ¡°¡­What in what now?¡±


    ¡°You must act as if you have fallen in love with the Ingelos¡¯ eldest daughter.¡±


    ¡°Fall¡­¡±


    It really was just one crazy thing after another. Kaon ran a hand through his well-groomed hair¡ªwhich would have horrified the maid who had made it so neat in the first place, but that was the least of his worries at the moment.


    ¡°That is Lady Leonida¡¯s second order.¡±


    Kaon felt his good mood disappear. Somehow, his cooperation had led him to this point, on his way to the palace, absolutely befuddled at all the plans that involved him but were made without him.


    Was this why Leo hadn¡¯t been nagging him these past few days?


    ¡°This is crazy. Would you do something like that? Because I wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to actually fall in love with her. You just have to pretend that you did.¡±


    ¡°I know that! Still, I don¡¯t like the idea, so I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    Kaon wasn¡¯t an actor in a traveling theater group. His pride would never allow him to do it.


    ¡°Well, my role is only to relay messages. The one who must go back to the duchy and talk to Lady Leo is you, Young Master,¡± Joseph stated calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also worry about seeming deceitful? She is concerned about the same thing.¡±


    ¡°So she wants me to act like a fool? Does she think so lightly of her brother¡¯s pride as a knight?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he was unaware or unappreciative of Leonida¡¯s hard work. Kaon also wanted to help his sister for the sake of Ferdinand, which was why he accepted the command to be betrothed to an Ingelos. He even willingly undertook the twenty-day journey with little knowledge of what he was supposed to do.


    This, though, was too much. By this point, he was almost wondering whether Leonida really thought of him as a brother.


    ¡°Does she? You know how much Lady Leo loves you, Young Master. Besides, there is no doubt that you will become a great knight in the future.¡±


    ¡°Is this the usual thing that beloved little brothers are made to do?¡±


    ¡°But, Young Master, if you don¡¯t do it, the young lady of Ingelos will have to do the pretending, and in that case¡­¡± Joseph looked at Kaon with ominously bright eyes. ¡°Won¡¯t it hurt her fragile heart? If you, who will become a knight representing Ferdinand, do not take care of her, won¡¯t that be a shameful act that goes against the code of chivalry?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Lady Leo, who has exceptional foresight, must have had that in mind, hoping that her one and only brother will walk the righteous path of a knight.¡±


    Kaon was presented with the unusual sight of Joseph clenching his fists and speaking with fervor.


    He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. ¡°How much were you supposed to get?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. As your aide, please remember that I am also always thinking about your future. Even if Lady Leo had indeed promised a bonus, would I have dared to sell my soul for just a few gold coins?¡±


    He definitely would have dared. In fact, it was unlikely that there was anything left of his soul at this point. Even though he always looked weary, his eyes shone in the presence of money.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really difficult for you, just try asking for a dance. Lady Leo would not have given these orders in hopes of a passionate courtship. It would just be nice to have ideas on how to propose.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not going to do anything other than ask her to dance, so don¡¯t expect anything big or make me do more than that. I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Joseph paused, looking at Kaon¡¯s pensive expression, then said abruptly, ¡°You never know, right? Perhaps the lady will be beautiful enough for you to fall in love at first sight.¡±


    ¡°With an Ingelos? Me? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    The words were comforting in their own way, but they wouldn¡¯t work on him.


    ¡®I can¡¯t fall in love with her, of all people¡­ It would be like a dog eating grass.¡¯


    Kaon waved his thoughts away and kicked Joseph out of the carriage. He just wanted to carry out his sister¡¯s orders as soon as possible and shake off the burden placed on him.

 Chapter 3

    The tower bells rang and the curtains rose to signal the start of the royal banquet.


    Lined with pure white marble columns, the hall was nothing short of splendid. The ceiling mural depicted the first king and the founding myth, the golden chandelier illuminated the space with brilliant light.


    With a gentle melody playing in the background, a certain man caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    His remarkable height, broad shoulders, and lean legs were all captivating in their own right, but his face was definitely the best part.


    To say that he was handsome was an understatement.


    The combination of black eyebrows that matched his perfectly arranged hair, almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and a firm mouth made for a wonderful appearance, seemingly a masterpiece come to life.


    However, despite attracting numerous eyes, he was not approached by any of his admirers. That was because he looked somehow young and yet fiercely decisive.


    He certainly had a nice face, but all the softness in it was erased by his frown.


    Still, there was no shortage of courageous women. A young lady who had been glancing at the man for quite a while took a step closer.


    ¡°Diana, do you know that the man you¡¯re looking at is Prince Ferdinand?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The other woman, who was also facing the same direction, covered half of her face with a fan and clicked her tongue. ¡°The youngest son of the Ferdinand family. He¡¯s sixteen this year.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Diana asked in amazement.


    The man looked young, but because of his physique, she never would have thought he was that young.


    She glanced again at the man¡ªno, the boy¡ªand sighed. The fresh atmosphere surrounding him that she had attributed to his being a handsome man was apparently mostly a product of his youth.


    ¡°I¡¯m really unlucky.¡± Diana took a deep breath and stepped back.


    Even though there were three years left before he came of age, there was no chance of winning when it came to the son of Duke Ferdinand.


    Her heart broken before she had even fallen in love, Diana turned away and accepted a glass of wine, melancholy appearing on her face.


    ***


    ¡°So, when is she arriving?¡±


    Kaon Ferdinand, the young man who had unwittingly caused many women heartache, had lost count of the times he had asked that. Initially, the agreement was to meet before the third song started, but Princess Ingelros was nowhere to be seen even after numerous waltzes and galops.


    Standing idly by one of the huge pillars, waiting, he was at his limit. ¡°Is she really going to arrive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s already time¡­¡± Joseph trailed off, having run out of excuses.


    First, it had been that the Ingelos family was so far removed from society that balls and banquets were unfamiliar territories, and thus required more time to prepare for. Next, that mages probably had trouble grasping the concept of time and appointed times.


    He decided to shut up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who she is, so how will I know if she¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°Your portrait was sent to them, so it is highly likely that the young lady will recognize you first¡­¡±


    The question of when his portrait was sent bothered Kaon to no end, but he knew it was useless to focus on it at the moment.


    ¡°Still, it was agreed upon in advance, so this is an unexpected development. They are truly beyond imagination, given that they¡¯re actually in a more urgent situation than we are.¡± He grumbled several times before calming down.


    Kaon could now understand why Ingelos had gone bankrupt. With this kind of behavior, it would be impossible to do business, let alone socialize with other families.


    ¡°Well, you said that she has silver hair and red eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°I can see more than ten people here with silver hair.¡±


    Gray and platinum hair looked like silver at first glance, and some people wore silver wigs because they preferred that color. Additionally, after the royal couple¡¯s arrival, guests were no longer announced at the entrance. It became rather difficult to tell who Princess Ingelos was¡ªif she was there at all.


    ¡°¡­But wouldn¡¯t the eyes make it obvious? The red color is an indication of mana.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll have to look for those in the middle of this large gathering.¡±


    At that, Joseph was silent. He sympathized, but there was nothing left to say.


    ***


    Time passed steadily. The king and his wife had already left the banquet hall, leaving the attendees with a more liberal, fun atmosphere.


    From the conversations around him, Kaon surmised that the next piece of music would be the last one to dance to.


    ¡°I did exactly what I was told. It was Ingelos who did not respect the agreement, not me,¡± he told Joseph, whose expression turned complicated.


    He seemed to be silently mourning the loss of his bonus.


    ¡®I attended and even said my greetings.¡¯


    As his sister¡¯s representative, he had fulfilled his responsibilities. The only thing left to do was to wait until the event was officially over and then quietly leave.


    Kaon felt more comfortable now, so he could afford to look around. He occasionally made eye contact, smiled moderately, and relaxed into the light mood.


    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯


    He saw someone enter the hall for the first time. The latecomer was dressed in a long robe with a puffy hood, but from the small stature and the general shape of the clothes, he could tell that she was a woman.


    From afar, the plain black dress stood out among the colorful garments¡ªand not necessarily in a good way.


    ¡®What kind of mage¡­¡¯


    His thoughts stuttered.


    A mage.


    That person was a mage.


    Somehow, a sinister feeling overcame Kaon.


    ¡°Young Master, look at that person over there.¡±


    The woman¡¯s head turned freely, as if used to the cumbersome hood.


    He stared at her wordlessly, vaguely seeing the color he was looking for from under the fabric.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little¡­ unusual? To dress up a little like¡­ a mage?¡± Joseph said carefully.


    As distinctive as her outfit was, the other nobles were also gawking at her.


    ¡®¡­!¡¯


    Their eyes met. Her gaze slowly scanned Kaon in confirmation, stopping at his face and staying there.


    She walked closer, her eyes laden with intent. Her hair from underneath the hood became visible. It was perfectly, undoubtedly silver hair.


    ¡®The princess of Ingelos¡­¡¯


    They finally met.


    ***


    Kaon was a little nervous. This entire situation was new to him, so he was suspicious of even the other person¡¯s mental state.


    What if this supposed lifeline was no good?


    She had arrived long after the scheduled time, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, her clothes were not suited for a banquet and she wasn¡¯t showing her face. These were reasonable causes for worry.


    ¡°Are you Prince Ferdinand?¡±


    His eyes widened. From her outfit alone, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to hear an old, croaky voice, but the voice was surprisingly clear and mellifluous.


    And in the next moment, the woman lowered her hood and looked straight at him. ¡°My name is Alessia Ingelos.¡±


    Silver hair and red eyes.


    Joseph¡¯s description was correct.


    But at the same time, it was insufficient. Terribly insufficient.


    Luscious hair shone like delicate silver threads, slightly tousled from being under a hood. A sharp jaw framed striking features. Her red eyes were more intense than those of any other mage he¡¯d seen before, but their round shape and downturned corners evoked a strong sense of gentleness.


    ¡®¡­A fairy?¡¯


    Her mysterious appearance and small stature¡ªshe barely reached his chin¡ªmade her look more like the fairies of old rather than a human.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± she said, breaking the silence.


    Kaon belatedly realized that he had been staring too hard. And also that he was supposed to be pretending to fall in love.


    ¡®How do I do that?¡¯


    He feared that it was already too late to start now, ignorant of the fact that to everyone else, he already looked mesmerized.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Princess. My name is Kaon Ferdinand, and I¡¯ve also heard a lot about the Ingelos family,¡± he answered, unknowingly doing a great job following Leonida¡¯s orders.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie, it was just that he had only ever heard gossip. Although he guessed that that was also the case for Alessia.


    Anyway, he still had to ask for a dance. Kaon was a little embarrassed by how unconventional their first meeting was, but he had a mission to accomplish.


    Just then, the orchestra played the first note of the piece for the last dance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit late to do this, but would you like to dance with me?¡± Alessia held out her small hand before he could say anything.


    He took it as if possessed. ¡°It would be my honor.¡±


    It was an unconscious, unprepared response.

 Chapter 4.1

    ¡°I must report to Lady Leonida. Would you like to see her first?¡±


    It was the last day of the arduous, twenty-day journey back to the duchy. Joseph had already lost all his enthusiasm and was asking merely as a formality.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Kaon?¡±


    The aide looked at his unresponsive master, exhaustion showing on his face. It was as if the young master¡¯s gaze was glued downwards.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Kaon came to his senses, pretending to be calm¡ªalthough more than anything he had the awkwardness of one who had just woken up and was pretending that they hadn¡¯t slept at all, ¡°No, I¡¯ll go to her later, so you can go first.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel sick?¡±


    ¡°No? I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You kept looking down at your hand so I thought you were injured. In any case, I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t have any health issues.¡±


    Joseph was certain that something else was going on, but he decided not to push. It wasn¡¯t his place to take a deep interest in his master¡¯s private affairs. Whatever the matter was, it was likely going to annoy him, especially in such a travel-worn state.


    Also, he didn¡¯t have to be enthusiastic about things that didn¡¯t make money.


    Granted, the latter reason was more weighty, but the conclusion was the same. The moment the carriage stopped, Joseph excused himself without hesitation and left.


    Left alone, Kaon looked down at his hand again before getting off and walking back to the Ferdinand estate.


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    At first, he thought it was only in his head, but then he saw a dog running towards him from a distance, paws seemingly on fire for how frantically they were moving.


    ¡°Koda!¡±


    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡±


    He knelt and held out his hands. The dog wagged his tail frantically, then whined and rolled over. Kaon gently stroked his pet¡¯s exposed belly.


    There was a kennel next to the back door of the mansion, facing the forests. It had been his gift to what had once been a stray dog who came out of nowhere.


    ¡°Hand, Coda.¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    The dog with dark gray fur was very clever, one who didn¡¯t need extensive training to heed his owner¡¯s commands.


    Coda, who seemed a little disappointed with the empty hands, rubbed a damp nose against Kaon¡¯s palms and wagged his tail as if in forgiveness.


    Since the two had been together for many years, it was obvious that he was already a fully-grown dog, but he would always be a cute little puppy to Kaon.


    Kaon had liked cute things since childhood, probably because everything around him was so big in comparison. In fact, that was why he had taken in Coda in the first place.


    ¡®By the way, the princess was also small.¡¯


    A little girl whose head barely reached his chin.


    He kept thinking back to their dance. Her hands, which were proportional to her stature and thus made him feel as if they would break if he gripped them with too much force. He had been conscious of his fingertips the entire time.


    The Ferdinand family had been bearing knights from generation to generation, and all of them had big bones and tall statures. Leonida herself was seventy-one inches tall, and he was around two inches taller. In comparison, Princess Ingelos was too small.


    Was she around sixty-three inches tall? It was possible that she was even shorter than that.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for dishonoring our appointment. There was a small accident on the way so I ended up arriving this late. I hope that Prince Ferdinand may generously forgive me.¡±


    Kaon¡¯s ears felt ticklish. Having lived his entire life surrounded by yelling and shouting, the soft sounds of her voice were wholly unfamiliar.


    ¡°¡­Then, were you unharmed?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Prince, it¡¯s very kind of you to ask. Fortunately, no one was injured.¡± She smiled softly.


    Despite her twinkling eyes being a disquieting color for him, there were surprisingly no negative thoughts in his head. Rather¡­


    ***


    Chomp.


    Chomp? Kaon turned his gaze to the small sound that interrupted his reminiscing.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Why are you eating grass?¡±


    Perhaps because his owner had gotten lost in memories, Coda had grown bored and began grazing. Now that he had been stopped, finally the center of attention, he barked and lay on his back once more.


    Kaon stopped thinking too deeply.


    ***

 Chapter 4.2

    ¡°Oh my, Young Master! What¡¯s going on? Oh my!¡±


    After spending a long time with Coda, Kaon was met with an unusual atmosphere in the mansion.


    Baroness Robert, the Ferdinand household¡¯s nanny and housekeeper, was weeping and wailing. She was also, by the way, the wife of Bronson, the butler, and Joseph¡¯s mother.


    Compared to their power-hungry uncle, she had been more like family to Kaon.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re going to faint if this continues.¡±


    ¡°Does this make sense, Madeleine!? The young master, engaged to a random Ingelos?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t! Anyone from here would agree to that.¡±


    Kaon, who had been hesitating because it felt like he shouldn¡¯t just pass by, finally figured out the situation.


    Whether Joseph was coerced into telling his mother, or Leo had announced it herself, or whatever else happened, it seemed that the news of his engagement to Princess Ingelos had spread.


    The first dukes of Ferdinand and Ingelos were a swordmaster and an archmage respectively, heroes who took the lead in helping the king suppress the monsters and restore peace. However, the two, who had once roamed the land as strong allies, began to show differences in various aspects as time passed. Their relationship deteriorated day by day, finally resulting in the swordmaster losing both his arms and the mage losing his powers and going into hiding.


    Subsequently, their remaining descendants fought fiercely. No matter what the other¡¯s opinion was, one would cast a negative vote first, and they did not hesitate to bare their fangs at each other.


    It all happened a long time ago, but the generations of anger still persisted, just as it did right in front of Kaon¡¯s eyes today.


    ¡®I need to escape now¡­¡¯


    He took a step back, envisioning a tiring conversation ahead, but Baroness Robert approached too quickly.


    ¡°Young Master! I heard that those bastards didn¡¯t keep their promise! Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡±


    Well, technically it was true. Agreements between families had always been important, and breaking them was terribly rude.


    Kaon had also felt that anger while he was waiting.


    ¡°So it is true! Rude bastards! Do they think it¡¯s fine to ignore Ferdinand?!¡±


    ¡°What do they think they¡¯re doing?¡±


    The problem was that silence was often seen as affirmation.


    Kaon¡¯s inability to deny what had happened led to Baroness Robert and Madeleine furiously gnashing their teeth.


    ¡°Did you at least receive an apology? Hah! I doubt those mannerless fools could even do that.¡±


    ¡°No, the princess¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Madam, mages have always been that way. They always think they¡¯re the best in the world! Everyone else is insignificant!¡±


    ¡°She sincerely apologized¡­¡±


    ¡°Leo must know very well how much the duchess hated mages during her lifetime!¡±


    ¡®I already said that I received an apology¡­¡¯


    Kaon tried to interrupt, but it didn¡¯t work. The two women were so angry that sparks seemed to burst from their eyes. It didn¡¯t even seem like they heard him.


    ¡°What wrong has our young master done? Why must he be engaged to someone he doesn¡¯t even know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Madeleine, I can¡¯t believe Ferdinand¡¯s young master must accept a witch as his wife. I can¡¯t stop crying. What should I do¡­?¡±


    As he glanced around, he saw the other servants nodding. Some were even holding back tears.


    It was not that he didn¡¯t understand them. Ferdinand was a territory that had suffered from the tyranny of mages for a long time, with the Ingelos family as their leader. Until a month ago, he would have agreed with them that mages were all rude and selfish, that the people of Ingelos were ignorant and reckless.


    That was not the case with the princess whom Kaon faced. She was polite and kind, and she asked for forgiveness.


    ¡°She must have been vicious and ugly. What if she tries to possess our young master with evil magic, Madam?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t evil, and she wasn¡¯t ugly either. With her hood down, she stood out amazingly even in a plain black robe. The word ¡®vicious¡¯ didn¡¯t suit her either. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration on his part to say that he had a good impression of Alessia Ingelos from their encounter at the banquet, especially because she looked so kind.


    But wouldn¡¯t it be a little weird if he said that? It was an arranged engagement, so he didn¡¯t really need to defend her, right?


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I, Beverly Robert, swear on my name to say something to Leonida.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Despite my weakness, I, Madeline, vow to help, Madam.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Please don¡¯t do that,¡± Kaon said, thinking that he shouldn¡¯t just stand by and let them storm into Leo¡¯s office. ¡°It was a decision that my sister made after much deliberation. In the end, it is all for Ferdinand.¡±


    He knew as much, and he wasn¡¯t lying, so he didn¡¯t know why his throat felt dry.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remain protected forever. As our parents are no longer here, I have to help Leo and do my part. Please, both of you, trust in my sister¡¯s judgment. It will be more helpful for our family that way.¡±


    ¡°When did you become so mature, Young Master¡­!¡±


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡±


    Baroness Robert sobbed, moved by his words. Madeleine and the rest of the onlookers as well wiped tears from their eyes.


    Kaon turned around, walking away from the praise and hearing the sound of a dying conscience.

 Chapter 5.1

    Shortly thereafter, the engagement news of Kaon and Alessia was officially announced.


    Kaon, having had his breakdown earlier, was calm, but the rest of the household wasn¡¯t, as the announcement had been delayed in consideration of the negative public opinion that would inevitably crescendo.


    ¡°You mean that Ingelos? Oh my!¡±


    ¡°What are those wicked men trying to do with Ferdinand?!¡±


    A commotion broke out in the estate.


    ¡°Ah! How could there be such disgrace? Our young master fell in love at first sight and wooed that¡­ Ingelos¡­!¡±


    The situation inside the mansion was no different. Baroness Robert, who loved their duchy¡¯s legacy very much, wiped away tears of anger brought on by the rumors flying in from the capital.


    [The prince of Ferdinand fell in love at first sight and convinced his older sister to negotiate with the Ingelos family, which thus resulted in the finalization of an engagement.]


    She was grossly offended by the rumors that were so biased that they made Kaon appear like he was lovesick.


    In the first place, Leonida was the one who spread those rumors to avoid the king¡¯s scrutiny. However, there was no way for the entire household to know that, and the idea of it was too absurd for anyone to believe him if he did reveal his older sister¡¯s involvement.


    Kaon did feel a bit indignant.


    Baroness Robert grabbed his hands and spoke, half-sobbing, ¡°Young Master, we will always remember your noble sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Wait, no, it¡¯s not¡­¡± he muttered, a bit embarrassed even though he had always been prepared to bear the burden of being their family¡¯s scapegoat.


    It was extremely uncomfortable to be talked to and about like that, because while it was true that he had accepted the engagement for the sake of Ferdinand¡¯s future, it was also true that that was the simplest of all their available options. Kaon merely chose the easiest way out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will take responsibility for the future,¡± the baroness assured him, which was the first clue that they were no longer on the same page, the second being the gleam of determination in her eyes. ¡°We plan to show our determination.¡±


    ¡°¡­What kind of determination are you talking about?¡±


    She was acting far too solemnly.


    ¡°We have to show it what Ferdinand is like!¡± Madeleine, the maid who had been standing behind her and nodding constantly, chimed in.


    Unfortunately, it was easy to understand that the word ¡®it¡¯ referred to the princess of Ingelos.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to showcase the Duchy of Ferdinand¡¯s unique way of living.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure that anyone Ingelos blood will never ignore Ferdinand again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Madeleine. Did you understand what I was saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    The two looked at each other intently. There was a kind of camaraderie in their eyes.


    In the next moment, she looked back at the other listeners and said dramatically, ¡°Does everyone understand?¡±


    A combination of ¡°Yes!¡± and ¡°Of course!¡± rang all over the place, along with ¡°That¡¯ll teach ¡®em!¡± and ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Madeleine punched into the air as if making a toast.


    Kaon massaged his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache that was likely as strong as all the ones he had ever had together.


    And ten days after, on a fine summer day, a carriage bearing the seal of the Duchy of Ingelos entered Ferdinand.


    ***


    The emblem of the Duke of Ingelos was a staff studded with red jewels. The soldier who was monitoring the gate from the watchtower recognized it and immediately reported it.


    Ferdinand¡¯s workers, who had been queuing up in two rows¡ªone on either side of the front door¡ªadjusted their postures individually when they heard the news of the princess¡¯s arrival.


    It was quite a long distance from the gate to the front door, so it took quite a while for Ingelos¡¯ carriage to appear. Kaon glanced at it as it drove down the road lined with beautiful trees.


    Was the road that long? No, was it really that short?


    It was a sweltering summer day, bereft of all of spring¡¯s chilly energy.


    He¡¯d been waiting for Alessia to arrive for a long time, even counting the dates for some reason, and was currently feeling quite strange.


    The road he saw daily hadn¡¯t changed, but the distance seemed to have increased, and yet the carriage looked too close¡­


    Such useless delusions were clearly a symptom of having too many useless thoughts.


    ¡®The temperature in Ingelos is said to be generally low, so will she be able to adapt well to Ferdinand, where the sky is often clear? It¡¯ll also be difficult for her to live in a place so different from what she¡¯s used to.¡¯


    His head felt turned inside out from his worrying.


    ¡®I¡¯m allowed to be this concerned, at least. It¡¯s a basic principle to take care of one¡¯s colleagues no matter the situation.¡¯


    He rationalized that as a chivalrous knight, it was only appropriate for him to worry.


    ¡°Kaon,¡± Leonida called out quietly.


    It meant that he had to get ready to welcome his guest. Yes, his guest, because even though Leo was the acting head of Ferdinand, the princess was Kaon¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and so he had more responsibility.


    ¡°I know.¡± He clenched and opened his fist repeatedly, secretly, pretending that nothing was wrong and that he was not ridiculously nervous at the moment.


    Meanwhile, the coachman, who knew nothing about the young master¡¯s pounding heart, diligently opened the door of the carriage.


    After a moment that felt like eons to Kaon, she slowly appeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Prince Ferdinand.¡±


    Kaon¡¯s breath hitched.


    The long-sleeved, navy blue dress was not particularly special, but Alessia practically shone in it. He couldn¡¯t decide whether it was because of her silver hair backlit by the sunshine or her smiling eyes, but he was positively stunned by her presence.


    ¡°¡­Welcome to Ferdinand.¡±


    Alessia placed her hand in his outstretched one. He looked down at it, as feather-light and small as it was in his memories. It was questionable whether she would be able to hold a dagger properly, let alone a sword.

 Chapter 5.2

    Looking at it again, he wondered how a human¡¯s hand could be that dainty, but he also realized that he had to put an end to that train of thought.


    She turned to Leonida, holding up her skirt as she bent her knee. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Ferdinand, heir to the duchy.¡±


    The silent tension shifted slightly. Alessia was impeccably polite, and that was why everyone was embarrassed.


    How arrogant would Ingelos¡¯ princess be?


    The vast majority of the household was waiting to see how she would compare to the arrogant mages Ferdinand had already met. In their minds, it was likely that she would be just as terrible, if not more. Even if the two families were currently allied on the pretext of an engagement, nobody believed that she would give up her pride.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone through a lot to have come this far, Princess.¡±


    However, far from being arrogant, Alessia was constantly respectful.


    Those whose ears were wide open in hopes that she would insult their master looked at each other.


    ¡®What¡¯s your plan?¡¯


    ¡®You probably haven¡¯t revealed your true colors yet.¡¯


    They stared with doubtful eyes.


    Kaon, who had grasped the atmosphere instantly, smiled bitterly. He could practically see Alessia¡¯s future amidst all the deep-rooted distrust.


    Would this little, slender girl be able to withstand such a formidable territory? The concerns that had been lingering for months reared their heads again.


    Not to mention that she looked so fragile. If her disposition was cold and indifferent as she entered her family¡¯s enemy, it would have been better, but she didn¡¯t look like that at all.


    And so she was concerned. There was no other reason except for feeling sorry for the hardships that this soft-looking princess would suffer.


    ¡°You must be tired after the long journey, so let¡¯s talk during the dinner banquet tonight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind consideration.¡±


    ***


    Baroness Robert stiffly led Alessia to her room. True, she was a noblewoman who valued a dignified attitude and the right posture¡ªstraightened neck and waist and all¡ªbut she¡¯d gone too far today and now looked like a soldier marching to battle.


    Kaon sighed and followed after them. To observe the baroness¡¯ extraordinary momentum, yes, and also to go to his own room, which was just opposite his fianc¨¦e¡¯s anyway.


    As they walked, he occasionally peeked at her, still surprised that he was actually engaged to an Ingelos and that the person was actually on their land voluntarily.


    Of course, the most surprising thing was Alessia herself. There were a lot of people shorter than him within the duchy, but to have someone that was that slim in addition as well? Was she really not a fairy?


    He squinted.


    Pale eyelashes, just a few shades darker than her hair, were so long that they looked like butterfly wings.


    They entered the mansion and crossed the lobby. Kaon¡¯s eyes flitted around as they climbed the stairs.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Bright red eyes looked up without warning and met his. Because of the huge height difference, his head was a little tilted, so he couldn¡¯t even pretend that they hadn¡¯t made eye contact. He contemplated how to get out of this ambiguous situation that he couldn¡¯t face openly nor avoid.


    ¡°It¡¯s well-lit here.¡± Alessia closed her eyes and smiled lightly, likely aware that he was looking at her but unperturbed all the same.


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it the same in Ingelos?¡±


    ¡°The weather is not so good there. Our windows are small and always covered with thick curtains. Mages don¡¯t normally welcome the light, so they are very thorough in that.¡±


    On the other hand, Ferdinand was a warm, sunny land, so the light was inevitable, really.


    Kaon paused.


    ¡®Mages don¡¯t welcome the light¡­?¡¯


    Then was she like that as well? Alessia¡¯s room had been newly renovated a few months ago, and although he hadn¡¯t looked inside yet, he knew that most rooms in their residence had a large window.


    ¡®Should I ask for the curtains to be changed into thicker ones?¡¯


    The gears in his head started spinning again, but they were halted when Alessia turned her head.


    ¡°But I like the light.¡±


    It was like she had read his mind. Kaon was a bit startled, but he felt fortunate all the same.


    Mages were a unique bunch, but it was impossible for all of them to be the same.


    ¡°This is the room where the princess will stay in the future,¡± Baroness Robert said coldly, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I hope you rest comfortably,¡± he added, then backed away.


    Or at least tried to.


    ¡°As you have to stay with Young Master Kaon, we have prepared the largest room, so please feel at ease.¡±


    ¡®Wait, what?¡¯

 Chapter 6.1

    ¡°Leo!¡± Kaon barged into his sister¡¯s office.


    Two familiar figures were in the messy room that had been his deceased father¡¯s. One was Joseph, and the other was, of course, the successor of the room.


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Joseph frowned, displeased that the lord¡¯s younger brother would actually be so rude.


    His mother, who was in charge of teaching etiquette, would have fainted if she witnessed this, but he decided not to comment. There was something in Kaon¡¯s fierce expression that made him pause.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Joseph backed away, trying not to make eye contact with the angered beast.


    Unfortunately for him, Kaon had a keen eye and enough wisdom to reach the right conclusion¡ªat least in this case.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Everyone knew except me, right?¡±


    It was truly ridiculous that all those people knew about it beforehand and didn¡¯t bother to tell him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? Who else could have given the order for me to share a room with the princess?¡± Kaon growled, his patience fraying.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Is that the only thing you can say right now?¡±


    Leonida nodded calmly, making his gut twist.


    He groaned, running a hand through his hair. It felt like his head would burst if he didn¡¯t relieve the pressure somehow.


    ¡°Is there any reason not to do it? You two are engaged, and if nothing extreme happens by the time you come of age, you will get married. It¡¯s a binding agreement between families, and they have already entrusted their princess to us.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just because we need mages and they need money.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We need mages. We always will.¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking about that again? We¡¯ve discussed this before.¡±


    Ferdinand needed a mage to work for them, and Ingelos needed money to continue with their work. Except for the fact that the two families were mortal enemies, there was no better partner to trade with.


    And the transaction was established. Alessia was sent to Ferdinand as proof of that. Kaon couldn¡¯t understand why Leonida was saying this again.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say you two would be engaged? There are still a few years left before the marriage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we haven¡¯t come of age yet¡­¡±


    ¡°With the consent of both families, marriage is still possible. It was the norm until just ten years ago. The process is cumbersome, but indeed, it is not impossible,¡± Leo replied. ¡°If Duke Aubrey hadn¡¯t done those disgusting things, it wouldn¡¯t even be a problem now.¡±


    Right. Kaon had heard of that. The ugly acts committed by the king¡¯s younger brother led to the sudden halt of marriages involving minors.


    ¡°Any more questions?¡±


    Well, what he really wanted to know was why they had to share a room. He was pretty clear on what the difference between an engagement and a marriage was, and he didn¡¯t have the time to rehash that conversation.


    Kaon needed to know the reason first before explaining anything to Alessia, especially because he wasn¡¯t about to say that there was a mistake.


    Leonida stood and walked to her window, looking out at their territory.


    A large number of people lived in Ferdinand, enjoying the fertile land and mild climate. But to their left was the monster forest. Just as people chose to settle down in places where crops grew abundantly, monsters also liked to be near places with a lot of people.


    The barrier that many mages had placed around the forest grew progressively weaker as time passed, as evidenced by the soldiers detecting more and more anomalies and calling the Royal Knights more and more frequently.


    Countless lives had already been lost. Leonida had vowed not to lose any more loved ones, which meant constantly looking for ways to protect their duchy.


    ¡°Ingelos is in need now, and yet they don¡¯t want to make a deal with the king. The reason why they¡¯re being so docile now is that, to some extent, they know their situation.¡±


    They would rather provide mages to an enemy¡¯s family than be leash-bound by the king. There was even a clause in the agreement that stated that if the mage they sent did not faithfully carry out their duties, the responsibility rested with them.


    ¡°But won¡¯t they change their tune when they¡¯re no longer in such dire straits?¡±


    That was what magic research was about. If it failed, it was possible to lose billions, but if it succeeded, it became the foundation on which a family could thrive.


    People were fascinated by the unknown. The success of a mage was incomparable to the success of a knight.


    So, Leo, you mean that I have to share a room with her just in case Ingelos is uncooperative?


    ¡®What kind of headache-inducing sophistry is that?¡¯

 Chapter 6.2

    Kaon rolled his eyes, still not seeing what the point was. ¡°She¡¯s a woman. A delicate princess. Moving to an unfamiliar place is one thing already, and now to be asked to stay in the same room as a big guy? She must be itching to run away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad either.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If the engagement is called off, the party who decided on it first bears the responsibility. So if the princess runs away, Ingelos will be in debt,¡± Leonida said bluntly, drawing the curtains closed and blocking out the light.


    Kaon, who was about to get angry, paused when he looked at his sister.


    ¡®Since when has she had such a cold, expressionless face¡­¡¯


    In his memories, his older sister was not sweet, but she was kind. Although she didn¡¯t comfort him when he cried after falling down, she pulled him up by hand. On days when their parents scolded him, she casually handed him his favorite snacks.


    The sister in front of him now was trying to take advantage of a tiny princess by putting her into a terrifying situation.


    Kaon was well aware that Leonida was only thinking about what was best for Ferdinand, but there were just some things that he didn¡¯t want to do on principle.


    ¡°¡­Are you telling me to kick her out? Make her uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°Or you can make her fall in love with you so she won¡¯t want to leave. It¡¯s easy to become attached to someone with whom you share a room. If you think that¡¯s more convenient, then that¡¯s fine. Of course, if Ingelos isn¡¯t in favor, the situation will grow messy.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop talking nonsense?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like either option, then look for any reason to disqualify her from the role. If Ingelos makes a move, she and her family will have to be held accountable as well.¡±


    In the end, the matter was largely dependent on whether Alessia chose to stay or to leave, and her choice would probably also depend on how she was treated in Ferdinand.


    The deadline for the decision was the year they came of age, when their families would meet to discuss marriage again.


    ¡°Kaon, remember that we need a mage who works only for Ferdinand.¡±


    Leaving behind his sister¡¯s familiar face and unfamiliar words, Kaon stepped out of the office.


    ***


    ¡°Ah, really¡­¡± Kaon rubbed his face.


    He had gone to Leonida for an answer but had ended up with more questions.


    ¡®How do I explain this?¡¯


    When Baroness Robert brought it up the first time, he had been shocked into stillness. Then, just as he had realized that she wasn¡¯t joking, he had excused himself immediately to confront his sister.


    ¡®I don¡¯t even remember what the princess¡¯ face looked like then. Which is fair, because I couldn¡¯t even look at her out of sheer embarrassment.¡¯


    That was the least of his problems. Again, explaining the situation took precedence.


    Also, how honest should he even be?


    ¡°What, should I just say, ¡®It is what it is, so if you don¡¯t want to share a room, you can return to Ingelos. Don¡¯t forget to send back another mage who¡¯ll stay here permanently. Or just try to like me and live with it.¡¯¡±


    The thought of saying that in front of her made Kaon¡¯s hair stand on end. He would be a madman to do that.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯


    Sometimes it was better not to tell the whole truth. He was determined to carry that truth to the grave, so began thinking about which excuse would be reasonable and yet not hurtful.


    ¡°Hey, you really saw the princess? Was she scary?¡±


    Kaon¡¯s thoughts sputtered to a halt, interrupted by the word ¡®princess¡¯.


    ¡°I saw her. Its¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes? Tell me quickly.¡±


    A few servants were chatting near a pillar, so engrossed that they didn¡¯t seem to notice the new presence.


    ¡°Her eyes are really, really red. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such bright red eyes, and I have to admit, it was a bit creepy.¡±


    ¡°Can she control minds with her eyes? Like hypnosis? There was a rumor that mages did that in the past.¡±


    ¡°No way! Really? She¡¯s an Ingelos, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°To be safe, just don¡¯t make eye contact. In any case, our young master has to endure the most out of all of us.¡±


    Kaon swallowed back laughter. Leonida was clearly mistaken in thinking that he had to make an effort to drive the princess out.


    All of the employees in their estate hated and feared her. Who would want to stay in such a place for a long time? Alessia would eventually grow tired of the hostility and run away¡ªjust as everyone wanted.


    If she left like that, would Ferdinand be at peace? For some reason, Kaon felt that he couldn¡¯t accept a peace such as that.

 Chapter 7.1

    ¡°The princess is already resting inside.¡± Baroness Robert, whom he met in the hallway, left as soon as she delivered the news, looking suspiciously knowledgeable.


    ¡®This is absurd! Everyone knew of the plan beforehand and conveniently forgot to inform me? Even Joseph!¡±


    Kaon realized again that he had no one he could fully trust in this world.


    He stared at the closed door, letting out a long sigh. He couldn¡¯t stand like that forever, but he hardly had the courage to enter and face the princess.


    His gaze turned to the nearest window for no particular reason other than to buy a little more time for himself, but he found himself unable to look away. Much like the situation Kaon was in, his reflection was ridiculous.


    ¡°What the hell happened to my head?¡±


    It looked like a magpie¡¯s nest. His habit of running fingers through his hair when something didn¡¯t go as planned had struck again.


    Kaon hurriedly began to comb the strands back into place.


    Creak.


    He looked back and found Alessia peeking out of the slightly open door.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    His fingers were still in his hair, so he couldn¡¯t pretend that he was just looking outside and not using the window as a makeshift mirror. Kaon lowered his hands awkwardly. He didn¡¯t like nor make a habit of grooming himself in front of people, especially in front of ladies.


    It couldn¡¯t have looked good for a knight to be caught doing that. Also, it made him seem overly conscious of her. He wasn¡¯t, but if she understood, it would be a big deal.


    ¡°Oh, so this one opens to the outside too. I entered from that one,¡± she said, smiling and pointing to the door on her left.


    It wasn¡¯t strange for a suite to have two doors, but the princess understandably didn¡¯t know that given that she had just arrived.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was intentional or not, but whenever he felt at a loss for words, she always led the conversation, so Kaon was grateful.


    Alessia didn¡¯t stop there, as she pulled the door open and gestured to him. ¡°Come on in. We¡¯ll be sharing a room, right?¡± she said, bringing up the topic he had been agonizing over the entire time so very easily.


    There were no signs of displeasure on her face. Rather, she looked so calm that she made Kaon¡¯s nervousness seem strange.


    ¡°I think this one is your room. I¡¯m sorry for entering it without asking for permission, I was wondering if both sides had the same structure. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a room like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be curious. I don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    The two walked further into the room together. The way the place was arranged was very nice; it was obvious that a lot of care was put into it considering who the occupants would be. Kaon breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were separate bathrooms and a bed in each room.


    He looked around absent-mindedly, then paused.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the curtains cute?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will ask for them to be replaced as soon as possible.¡±


    Sky-blue lace hung from the top of the passage that connected their rooms, so thin and delicate that could still see the silhouettes of the furniture on the other side. A sorry excuse for curtains is what it was.


    The atmosphere evoked by the flimsy fabric was strange.


    ¡°Princess,¡± Kaon, determined to get rid of the offending curtains, cautiously called out to Alessia.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry you have to share a suite with me, and I know it¡¯s going to be uncomfortable, but please feel free to stay here. Just treat it like you would a normal room.¡¯


    He had to open his mouth to at least say that much. Not as a Ferdinand, but as her fianc¨¦.


    ¡°Prince? Prince Ferdinand? Prince Kaon Ferdinand?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Kaon?¡±


    He jolted.


    Alessia hummed his name several times, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call each other a little more comfortably now? Even though we¡¯re only engaged¡­¡± Her red eyes blinked slowly, as if eager for an answer.


    Kaon knew he was supposed to say something, anything, but his mouth felt clumsy. The sound of her saying his name echoed in his head. The name he had heard all his life seemed unfamiliar to him at that moment.


    ¡®Had my name ever sounded so soft? I don¡¯t think so. No one had ever called me so gently before.¡¯


    ¡°I apologize if that was rude. I just want to be a little closer¡­¡± She bit her lip, red coloring her cheeks.


    ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t rude at all. I will also call you by your name, so it would be better if you continued calling me by mine,¡± Kaon reassured her, waving his hands around even as his eyes remained glued to her pale eyelashes.


    Princess Alessia pressed her hands to her chest and sighed in relief.


    If another person had done that, he would have thought that they were being too much. But in Alessia¡¯s case, her movements suited her¡ªthey made her look adorable.

 Chapter 7.2

    ¡®What am I thinking?¡¯


    No one was listening in on his thoughts, but he immediately denied them.


    ¡®She isn¡¯t adorable, she just looked adorable at that moment.¡¯


    Alessia held out her hand to him first, the second time in the entire time they had known each other, and she smiled when their eyes met. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to living here. Please take care of me in the future, Kaon.¡±


    ¡°I hope you enjoy your life in Ferdinand¡­¡± he trailed off before softly adding, ¡°Alessia.¡±


    Her eyes turned into crescents, and Kaon had a feeling that her brilliant smile would stay with him for a long time.


    ***


    A quiet atmosphere surrounded the dinner banquet. The occasional polite question was asked, such as whether the travel route was peaceful, if the room was satisfactory, and if there was anything else that could be done.


    Leonida didn¡¯t ask anything else. The words, ¡°I hope you have a comfortable stay,¡± marked the end of the banquet.


    ¡°The estate¡¯s cook is very skilled. The grilled turkey was especially excellent! The cream sauce was so soft; it wasn¡¯t greasy at all,¡± Alessia said on their way up the stairs, so enthusiastic that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were lit up like lanterns.


    This was the most excited Kaon had seen her since they first met.


    ¡®She looks like she¡¯s a picky eater, but¡­¡¯


    Alessia was so petite that he assumed she was fussy about her food, so it was refreshing to see her eat so well. Her healthy appetite made her feel more relatable somehow, more human and less otherworldly.


    ¡°The desserts were really good too. How did they make the cream pink?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, they added dried and powdered strawberries to it.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness! Really? That¡¯s fascinating.¡±


    She had been that excited and admiring too when the chef proudly shared his creations earlier.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t Ingelos have desserts?¡¯


    Kaon frowned. The trend of making colorful desserts started from the social circles within the capital and spread to all the corners of the realm. Since the quality of the desserts was a measure of how wealthy a family was, most of the nobility spared no money for their kitchen budget.


    In their mansion¡¯s case, it was just that their chef enthusiastically devoted himself to his cooking, which was the only reason why Kaon knew of the trend and the nature of the sweets they ate.


    But Ingelos wasn¡¯t a no-name family either¡­


    ¡®Well, they probably weren¡¯t in the position to splurge on desserts.¡¯


    Sugar was still one of the most expensive ingredients on the market. If someone was in a bad enough situation that they had to ally with their enemies for money, desserts would undoubtedly be a needless luxury.


    ¡°At Ingelos, we don¡¯t value food very much,¡± Alessia explained in tandem with his thoughts.


    So they disliked sunlight and food, which was¡­ suspicious, to say the least, but Kaon kept his mouth shut. He was more curious about something else.


    ¡®You¡¯re very observant, aren¡¯t you?¡¯


    He¡¯d thought it was just a coincidence, but the more he looked at her, the more quick-witted she seemed. Even though he didn¡¯t voice all his thoughts, she spoke as if responding to them. She always looked like she was reading the room.


    Which was great, really. She wasn¡¯t selfish or insensitive like most of the troublesome mages he¡¯d encountered either in the flesh or in rumors.


    They quickly and silently reached the second floor.


    Kaon stopped in front of her door, taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in my own room, Alessia. It will be more convenient for you to use the room alone, so please be at ease,¡± he said, reciting the words he had mulled over during dinner.


    ¡°But Kaon, they prepared a room for us to share. Is it okay to do that?¡± she asked cautiously, eyes wide.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It must be difficult for you to adjust to a new land, so let¡¯s just do what¡¯s more comfortable for the both of us.¡± He nodded in reassurance.


    Perhaps Leonida would scold him, or Baroness Robert would nag him, but that was tolerable. His future¡ªtheir future¡ªwas already set in cold stone anyway.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I don¡¯t know how to thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural. In the first place¡­¡± Kaon bit back his words.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to say, ¡°In the first place, isn¡¯t it absurd to suddenly share a room?¡±


    Instead, he said, ¡°See you tomorrow, Alessia. I hope you have a good night.¡±


    Kaon turned around to step closer to his own room, opposite hers, feeling a little proud of himself. After all, a knight never abandoned their comrades. The two of them were destined to be on the same boat, so they had to look out for each other.


    He turned the doorknob.


    Or at least tried.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Clink. Clink.


    An ominous sound filled the hallway. He tried twisting the knob with more force and knocking on the door, but it still did not open.


    Feeling a chill streak down his spine, Kaon walked down the hallway to look at the state of the other rooms.


    His hunch was correct.


    All of the doors on their floor were stuck.

 Chapter 8.1

    ¡®Damn it, Leonida!¡¯


    Kaon wrestled the door that still didn¡¯t open, cursing to himself. Of course, the locked door didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the clinking sounds faded, silence filled the hallway.


    Kaon, closing his eyes tightly and suppressing his anger, bit his lip and turned around. ¡°¡­There seems to be something wrong,¡± he said, hating how ridiculous this was.


    ¡°Come in first, Kaon. It¡¯s already a bit late.¡±


    Fortunately, Alessia didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest desire to mock him. She just smiled quietly and pointed to her open door.


    He felt compelled to obey.


    ***


    Alessia¡¯s room had exactly the same structure as his, although it was totally bare of her personal belongings because she hadn¡¯t had the time to unpack her belongings yet. Kaon instinctively relaxed at the familiar atmosphere.


    Although it would have been better if he had gone through the door leading to his part of the suite, but, as was often the case, realization was slower than action.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m prepared to share a room, but¡­¡±


    Kaon didn¡¯t say anything. It was obvious that she was considering him.


    ¡°If staying with me is unpleasant¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± he immediately denied.


    And it was true. He really hadn¡¯t thought of it as something unpleasant exactly. Yes, he was uncomfortable since he had never shared a room with anyone before. But would his discomfort even be comparable to what she would feel? It probably wouldn¡¯t even compare.


    How would anyone like to be in an unfamiliar¡ªeven enemy¡ªterritory for the first time and have no personal space? And to be with a boy who was much bigger than her?


    On his end, this development was inconvenient, but on hers, it was downright scary.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m fine with it. After the engagement period, we will have to get married anyway¡­¡± Alessia paused in front of the unnecessarily delicate lace curtain, looking a little shy.


    Engagement. Marriage.


    As sixteen-year-old boy, those words always seemed so far away, but the girl in front of him seemed to have accepted it.


    Her appearance made him shy as well, probably because the reality of their relationship was only now sinking in to his unwilling mind.


    ¡°Oh, is it too early to say that?¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­ It¡¯s true¡­ It seems that there¡¯s no other way to do this¡­¡± Kaon rubbed his nape in embarrassment.


    Alessia laughed and it was so charming that it made his ears burn.


    Kaon drew the curtains aside and walked briskly to his side of the suite, basically running away.


    ¡°Sleep well, Kaon.¡±


    ¡°¡­You too, Alessia.¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to respond.


    ***


    He answered really confidently, but he couldn¡¯t sleep well at all. By the time he finally fell asleep, dawn had already broken, and even then he was woken up by rustling sounds.


    ¡®Oh, damn it. Field training today.¡¯


    He despaired, clutching his head for lack of sleep. The thought of doing physical training under the scorching sun while he was feeling like that made him want to die.


    Normally, he would have tried to force himself to go back to sleep, but that wouldn¡¯t work today. A faint silhouette was visible from behind the lace, and the sounds were from her folding her blankets and making her bed.


    Alessia, the cause of his inability to sleep and early waking, seemed to be an early bird.


    The soft fabric sounds stopped, and not long after, the sound of running water followed, the thing that had contributed to him staying up the entire night. It was only a faint sound, so he didn¡¯t know why he was so concerned about it in the first place.


    ¡®She is also diligent.¡¯


    Forcefully shifting his attention away, Kaon learned one more thing about Alessia.


    It was her first day in a new place, and she might not have slept well. If she was lazy, she wouldn¡¯t have woken up early. That trait was very good, because the Ferdinand estate¡¯s inhabitants all rose early. Laziness was a sin because their duchy¡¯s pride was in producing the best knights in the kingdom.


    He had never seen the mages of Ingelos himself, but he had observed the tendencies of the mages who had visited their territory in the past. Their habits were generally irregular and unpredictable, so they were at odds with the knights. He never could understand why the couldn¡¯t seem to stick to a schedule.


    ¡®¡­Will Alessia go out for an inspection?¡¯

 Chapter 8.2

    Kaon stiffened. She was a mage, and the only reason why Ferdinand needed one was to inspect the monster-infested forest and eliminate the threatening ones.


    ¡®She¡¯s going there with that fragile body?¡¯


    Obviously, that was the deal, but he was still worried that she might pass out from fear.


    He heard the door open. Even though he wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong, he immediately closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.


    It seemed that she was ready to go out even though it was barely morning.


    ¡®Wait, where is she going?¡¯


    Alessia didn¡¯t know anything about the layout of the estate yet. Kaon was supposed to give her the tour only in the evening, so it was safe to say that she knew little to nothing about Ferdinand.


    Was she simply curious? Even so, normal people didn¡¯t wander around alone at such early hours.


    ¡®Oh, but she¡¯s a mage.¡¯


    Their inquisitiveness was unparalleled, so it made sense that she would be willing to wake up early to sate her curiosity.


    Kaon decided to let it go for now and no longer worry.


    ***


    But that wasn¡¯t as easy as he had thought it would be. He had been an overthinker since childhood. Letting go and not worrying never worked for him. His thoughts popped out one after the other.


    ¡®What if she gets lost? Or runs into anyone?¡¯


    With only a few hours left until field training, Kaon twisted underneath his blanket to try to get in a bit more sleep.


    ¡®What if Alessia gets in trouble?¡¯


    He knew he was thinking too much, but he might just be her only ally in Ferdinand at the moment. He felt responsible.


    Kaon went straight to the stairs first. Alessia didn¡¯t seem careless enough for her to enter unfamiliar rooms, so she must have gone down and out.


    However, contrary to expectations, she didn¡¯t look to have left the mansion yet.


    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Her voice came from the first floor. To be exact, from the entrance hall.


    Kaon was startled by the exasperation he heard.


    It was just about the time that the employees started preparing for the day¡¯s work. Then¡­ Did something happen with one of them?


    Of course, there was no way for a proper fight to take place as the difference in social status was too large. Even if she was from an enemy family, Alessia was still the princess of a duchy.


    In the end, though, it would be detrimental to her. An altercation would only be an opportunity for the hostile forces to unite.


    Kaon hurriedly approached the railing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It really isn¡¯t.¡±


    He could now see who the other person was. Madeleine¡­ And her tone was very uncharacteristically blunt.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of the Ferdinand estate for forty years, that seems like a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. There¡¯s nothing special about this for people like us.¡±


    The conversation was a bit strange. Kaon decided to wait and listen before he intervened.


    ¡°You have no idea how surprised I was when I first arrived here. I heard it was an old mansion, but it doesn¡¯t look that way at all. The maids must have worked so hard.¡±


    So, if his hearing wasn¡¯t defective, Alessia was praising Madeleine, and she didn¡¯t give in even though the other person was being cold.


    ¡°What do you mean? Worked hard? I just did what I¡¯ve always done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been said that one can tell the state of the management of a mansion just by looking at the front door.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I guess the entrance does determine the impression of a house, so that might be where that idea came from.¡±


    ¡°Well then, the impression of this place is that you are in control and have taken care of everything.¡±


    Madeleine¡¯s walls began to crumble at the gentle praise. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re exaggerating. Of course, I¡¯m the one who manages the mansion, but there are people who would be disappointed if they heard me say that¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± she said, then whispered, ¡°Actually, the Ingelos estate is not this clean.¡±


    And the game was over.


    ¡°Really, if you insist that much, it¡¯s not a good look to deny it too much. Ah, you¡¯ve made this old lady embarrassed!¡± Madeleine giggled like she usually did, her mood vastly improved like thin ice warmed by a spring day. She even asked what kind of food Alessia liked.


    Kaon, who had been gripping the handrail, about to descend, slowly retreated.


    It suddenly occurred to him that his fianc¨¦e¡¯s life in Ferdinand might go in a different direction than expected.

 Chapter 9

    Madeleine started working as a maid at the age of fourteen and eventually rose to the position of chief maid. Still, no matter how long she worked for the duchy, she would still be a commoner.


    She wasn¡¯t too upset about that, to be honest. She only admired the dignity and elegance of Baroness Robert, whose neat hair, straightforward gaze, and elegant tone made her look more aristocratic than anyone else. The woman occasionally lost her cool when she was excited, but that was very rare.


    ¡°Madeleine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Even her name sounded so noble from her mouth!


    Madeleine thought to herself that she would call the other maids that way the next time the opportunity arose.


    ¡°I heard you talked to the princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, for a bit earlier.¡± She recalled what had happened that morning.


    Princess Ingelos, the young lady of an enemy family whom they had only heard of, was in many ways different from expected.


    First of all, she was gentle and friendly. Alessia spoke so sweetly and pleasantly that it was impossible to treat her coldly.


    Really, it wasn¡¯t because Madeleine was moved by the obvious flattery.


    It was just that her smiling demeanor and responsiveness were appreciated. It had been three years since Duchess Ferdinand passed away. Three years since the sweetest of her superiors left the mansion. Princess Ingelos was kind enough to fill that void.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s as useless as I feared she would be,¡± she said cautiously.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she accepted her for Kaon, whom she cherished as her own child. The arranged marriage was still a waste of his future in her opinion.


    She added, ¡°It seems that she respects Ferdinand as well.¡±


    Nevertheless, being hateful in the face of kindness didn¡¯t sit right with Madeleine. Besides, it would also have been wrong to treat Kaon¡¯s fianc¨¦e as their enemy.


    Moreover, Alessia¡¯s face had not even lost its baby fat yet, being the same age as her second daughter, looked pitifully thin and fragile. As a mother, Madeleine couldn¡¯t bear to be cruel.


    ¡°Oh, Madeleine. Respect?¡± Baroness Robert shook her head in shock, placing a hand on her temple. ¡°Respect this, respect that¡ªwhat words has she been using to coax our chief maid?¡± Her tone was curt, eyes sharp.


    Madeleine shrugged. She realized belatedly that she had misspoken, but she had already offended the baroness.


    ¡°Ingelos is a family that does not know how to respect others. Of that I am certain.¡±


    She¡¯d known that the baroness had a grudge against Ingelos, but it was even worse than Madeleine had imagined. Everyone in Ferdinand, historically and empirically, had that hatred, but in this case, it seemed particularly strong.


    ¡°You might think I¡¯m saying too much, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s Ingelos that we¡¯re talking about, then I¡¯ll agree. I made a mistake,¡± Madeleine lied, deciding that the baroness, her idol, must have had a proper reason to react that way.


    Baroness Robert, who had been silent for a while, slowly closed her eyes. The wrinkles around her mouth deepened. ¡°My younger brother passed away when he was twenty.¡±


    ¡°Something like that¡­¡±


    There was a shadow of tears in the old woman¡¯s eyes. Even though it had already been several decades, her heart still choked whenever she remembered what happened.


    ¡°He told me that I shouldn¡¯t worry about the monsters.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But he couldn¡¯t come back.¡±


    Her younger brother had prided himself in being an elite knight, and he had also been their family¡¯s pride and joy.


    That day, the behavior of the monsters had been particularly strange. Hundreds of knights had been injured, with dozens dead, including her brother. The woods had become his eternal resting place due to a runaway monster.


    ¡°It was sudden. Monsters are always vicious and incomprehensible, but that was the first time we ever saw anything like that.¡±


    That day of screams and weeping still often crossed the baroness¡¯ dreams, disturbing her peace.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working for Ferdinand for quite some time,¡± Baroness Robert said with a forced calm, ¡°You know the previous duke put in a lot of effort in his work.¡±


    He had been busy trying to recruit a talented mage to the estate to protect the young knights. The task wasn¡¯t easy because mages were a resource directly managed by the ryal family, so there were hardly any skilled mages who were not yet under anyone¡¯s employ.


    Typically, mages were obtained through the king, through a mage family, or through the Magic Tower.


    The king used mages as a means of reinforcing his power, mage families were arrogant and disinterested in others, and the Magic Tower was a thief with a staff instead of a knife.


    ¡°Although not known to the outside world, he also considered allying with Ingelos. He was willing to put the past on the shelf because he valued every life.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness. The master?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Under such dire circumstances, it had been natural for the former duke to wish for cooperation. Even though the old grudges were piled up, Ingelos was still the best of the mage families.


    ¡°And Ingelos laughed at him.¡± the baroness¡¯ eyes reddened.


    Duke Ingelos, who rarely attended court banquets on spring days, had said, ¡°Hundreds of years of passed since the monsters appeared in this world, and if the knights still can¡¯t respond independently, then why do they exist?¡±


    He had been aware of the crisis in Ferdinand, and yet he had turned his back on them in public so inhumanely.


    Baroness Robert engraved those words in her chest so that she would never forget them. For the sake of her younger brother who had given his life to fight monsters, that grudge was meant to be taken to her grave.


    ¡°The princess seems to have been kind to you, but she must have had ulterior motives.¡±


    She trusted no one from Ingelos, no exceptions. Those glowing red eyes were inimitably tied to the cruel rejection from the duke, the bloody scabbard that returned instead of her younger brother, whose body could not even be retrieved.


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I was too frivolous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to open your heart so easily. You¡¯re too soft-hearted.¡±


    How could an Ingelos ever be welcomed in Ferdinand?


    ***


    Standing in front of the wall next to the lace curtain, Kaon didn¡¯t knock, but instead put his nose to his sleeve.


    ¡®I don¡¯t smell like sweat anymore, right?¡¯


    He¡¯d taken a bath as soon as he came back from rigorous outdoor training, so he only smelled of soap. He also usually didn¡¯t care what he smelled like because he was always just training, but now he was strangely concerned.


    Kaon agonized a bit more before deciding to change his clothes again. He had to guide Alessia through the estate once a while, and he also had to stop worrying.


    Then he stood in front of the wall again, knocking this time.


    Soon after, a silhouette appeared behind the curtains. It was small because she was small.


    He held out his hand on a whim, checking to see if he could cover the entire figure. He couldn¡¯t, but it was close.


    ¡°Kaon?¡±


    ¡®Her voice is so pleasant¡­¡¯


    An Ingelos was being friendly with a Ferdinand. It would have been unimaginable in the past.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being late, I just finished training. If you¡¯d like, I can show you around the estate now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to do that! Shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Sure. And¡­¡±


    Kaon was just about to say that he¡¯d ordered the weird lace fabric to be replaced when the said fabric was pulled back and the soft scent of flowers wafted over to his side.


    He saw Alessia and stiffened. She had on a white dress, and the lace curtains looked like a veil. She looked like a spring bride¡­


    It didn¡¯t take him long to snap out of his thoughts. Obviously, it was just a plain white dress, nothing like an elaborate wedding gown.


    ¡®A bride? Is the heat getting to me?¡¯


    He began to doubt his own sanity. Kaon had been out training in the scorching sun from morning to afternoon.


    ¡®No way, it¡¯s not that bad.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you.¡±


    So the reason why his heart was racing like crazy was the heat, not her playful smile.

 Chapter 10.1

    He led her around the estate in a clockwise direction. ¡°The whole annex is used as training grounds. Though there¡¯s a separate space outdoors for that, this one is divided into floors  for specific uses, like swordsmanship training.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a lot of them here, though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an outdoor training day. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all resting in the barracks.¡± Kaon gestured to a structure just behind the training annex.


    The Ferdinand estate provided separate accommodations for their knights, renovating an entire building and dedicating it to them. It was obvious that the previous dukes intended to provide the best environment for the knights.


    ¡°Do you also do outdoor training?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine staying outside in this hot weather¡­ It must be possible because everyone has a sense of duty. The knights are amazing.¡±


    Kaon blushed a little. Truthfully, knighthood wasn¡¯t the path he had chosen for himself. It was closer to being a path set out for him. As a Ferdinand, there was no other option for him, and even then he wasn¡¯t doing a particularly great job at it because he felt like it would only cause chaos.


    He had no intention of becoming the head of the family anyway, nor did he have the qualifications to do so, so what would have been the point of trying too hard? He¡¯d do just enough to support Leonida.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired, Kaon? I guess I should have waited until tomorrow, it¡¯s not really urgent right now¡­¡± Her downturned eyes seemed to droop even more.


    ¡°This is nothing. I promised, so I have to keep it. Besides, I thought you¡¯d be bored if you stayed in the room all the time.¡± He shook his head hurriedly.


    Actually, Kaon was quite tired until just then. He wasn¡¯t able to sleep well and his head felt fuzzy and his body felt heavy and he wanted to lie down. However, when he came out with Alessia, his fatigue was washed away.


    She listened intently to even trivial stories, occasionally asking questions with twinkling eyes.


    ¡°In Ferdinand, we start learning how to ride a horse at the age of seven. All those who choose to become a knight learn to work with horses from then on.¡±


    ¡°Seven? Oh my goodness! Even now, I don¡¯t know how to ride one, which is rather shameful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. I¡¯ll teach you later if you want.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll take you up on that later.¡±


    In the first place, responsiveness is the most important thing. If a student was eager to learn, the teacher would be more eager to teach more. Kaon wanted to teach her more and more things.


    Alessia¡¯s deep interest and positive reaction were surprisingly pleasant.


    And it was just that, obviously. It wasn¡¯t that he was having fun with her. It was simply his responsibility to teach her about Ferdinand, and he was only slightly encouraged by her response.


    ¡®It¡¯s not that I think it¡¯s fun or anything like that. It really isn¡¯t, I swear. Or maybe not, if I¡¯m swearing on something important, but anyway¡­¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re really sweet, you know that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all just used to it, probably, so they don¡¯t even have to say it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well, let¡¯s move on. There¡¯s nothing more to see here.¡±


    Kaon walked away quickly, embarrassed. The faint laughter that had now become a little more familiar followed his ears from behind him.


    ***


    It was close to impossible to tour the entire estate in a day, so the two returned to the mansion after a look at the most important areas.


    Kaon led Alessia into an arched cloister. Several portraits hung in a row on the wall, all of them depicting the dukes and duchesses that had ruled over Ferdinand.


    ¡°Is this the former duchess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my mother.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really beautiful,¡± Alessia said admiringly.


    Kaon stepped closer and looked up at his mom¡¯s likeness as well. She¡¯d been a great beauty with brilliant blonde hair and light blue eyes.


    It was obvious how the daughter of a tenant farmer became the duchess.


    ¡°I heard the duke fell in love at first sight,¡± she added.


    In Ferdinand, it was a story everyone knew. Maybe even Alessia already knew about it too, since it was something that had also spread to the capital.

 Chapter 10.2

    The story was quite simple. The young duke, who had been mingling with commoners during a festival to hear their sentiments, fell in love with a woman dancing in the public square. The beautiful woman from a humble background reciprocated that love, and the two overcame all the objections against their union and eventually got married.


    It sounded like a clich¨¦, but the process by which a peasant became the duchess was neither trivial nor simple.


    When Kaon first learned about it, he was amazed that his father had been prepared to face all that just from one glance.


    ¡®But my mother ended up¡­¡¯


    A shadow fell upon his face as he recalled unpleasant memories. His father had been so obsessed with love, and yet so incapable of it until he died. If it had been a great story, he would¡¯ve understood, but in the end, didn¡¯t falling in love at first sight only mean that one was drawn to the other¡¯s appearance?


    What was physical beauty if not something that withered?


    He pulled himself out of his thoughts and promptly choked on air.


    Alessia was close¡ªtoo close. She was right in front of him, her face turned up to his. Kaon forgot to blink.


    There was nothing else he could think of but the soft lines of her face and long, fluttering eyelashes framing big, beautiful eyes. Her height made her look adorable, and the fact that she was tilting her head as if in confusion only made her look cuter¡­


    He was embarrassed, but he also couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you, I was just worried because you were so quiet.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I was just lost in thought. I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Kaon, who had clearly lost his mind because he couldn¡¯t stop staring even then, backed away hastily.


    Alessia blinked. ¡°But you don¡¯t look too good. Your ears have been red since a while ago¡­ Could you have overexerted yourself?¡±


    Ears? He quickly touched them, instantly understanding what she meant. Kaon could feel the heat on his fingertips.


    ¡°I just run a little hotter than most people, nothing to be worried about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Of course, that was all a load of crap. He did have a bit more body heat than most, but his ears weren¡¯t particularly hot to the touch or anything. Was that even possible in the first place? For a person to just be like that normally? He wasn¡¯t a steaming teapot¡­


    But now that he had already said something and refused to think too deeply about the real reason why his ears were hot, much less admit it out loud, Kaon decided to leave it at that.


    Meanwhile, Alessia¡¯s gaze was still on his face, which was concerning.


    ¡°Is there anything on my face?¡±


    ¡°No. I just think you resemble the late duchess a lot.¡±


    Well, at least those words were familiar.


    ¡®Personally, I think it¡¯s just the eyes.¡¯


    Their eye colors were somewhat similar. His mother¡¯s eyes were the blue of a clear sky, his were a light grayish-blue. Still, everyone who knew her well said he resembled her, so it was probably true.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s pretty useless anyway.¡¯


    What use did a knight have for a pretty face? Rather, Kaon was more envious of Leonida¡¯s face, which took after their father¡¯s. The sharp and neat features were perfect for a knight.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so handsome.¡±


    Kaon blinked. Several times. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d heard that, and the word had been thrown around so often that he wondered if he really looked that unusual. But even though it was praise he only ever brushed off, waves were now crashing in his heart.


    ¡°Shall we go in now? It will soon be dinnertime, and I¡¯m really curious about what other dishes will come out today. I had a great lunch earlier.¡± Alessia, blissfully unaware that she had just shaken someone¡¯s heart up, walked away with a spring in her step.


    Looking at her from a distance that was only growing wider, Kaon opened his mouth abruptly, ¡°You as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She turned around slowly, bright silver hair reflecting the sunlight pouring into the archway.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty too,¡± he said, then strode past her.


    This time, her laugh only came after he had taken a few more steps further.


    It somehow made his heart pound even more.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Joseph asked in bewilderment. He¡¯d only come in to deliver Leonida¡¯s orders, but he had been cursed as soon as he entered.


    It was embarrassing, but he quickly regained his composure. As the eldest son of the Roberts, a family that had accompanied the Ferdinands from generation to generation, he was prepared that something like this could happen. None of the previous dukes nor the current head was rude to their subordinates, but there was no guarantee that the young master would be the same.


    Truthfully, Joseph lived a comfortable life. He knew from the stories of other aides working for other families that Ferdinand was a paradise. His salary was decent and he wasn¡¯t mistreated.


    So, he decided that he would be the better person and take the young master¡¯s cursing in stride.


    ¡°If you say it so bluntly, I¡¯ll be quite upset¡­¡±


    ¡°Not you,¡± Kaon said curtly, picking up a book before putting it down immediately. ¡°Crazy bastard¡­¡± he muttered with a distressed look.


    Joseph discreetly glanced around the study. The two of them were the only people there, and so if he wasn¡¯t the ¡°crazy bastard¡±, then that meant Kaon was probably referring to himself.


    As an aide and a vassal, agreeing to such a statement was blasphemous, but to be honest, he couldn¡¯t disagree either. Of course, he didn¡¯t make the mistake of letting those words slip out of his mouth.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°I have no appetite,¡± Kaon answered half-heartedly.


    To divert his thoughts, he had gone to the study¡ªwhich he normally didn¡¯t do¡ªto read, but it was to no avail. His mind kept replaying that one moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty too.¡±


    His memories were torturously vivid. He had no idea why he had said that. He just said what had come to mind at the time, and it had been a mistake.


    As Alessia¡¯s face revealed an unfamiliar bashfulness, his regret had grown even stronger.


    ¡°Is that so? Miss Alessia is having dinner with Lady Leonida.¡±


    ¡°So Alessia¡­ Wait, are you sure it¡¯s her?¡± Kaon wanted to know if she looked bewildered or anything like that.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure because I saw them.¡±


    ¡°It might be uncomfortable. Leo doesn¡¯t talk much.¡±


    ¡°She must be trying to fit in with Ferdinand.¡±


    Kaon suddenly remembered the conversation between Madeleine and Alessia, his fianc¨¦e¡¯s friendliness opposite the maid¡¯s chilly¡¯ demeanor.


    ¡°The response has not been very favorable, so she might want to quit right away. What can we do? Such is the fate of those who bear the surname of Ingelos,¡± the aide added nonchalantly.


    The tone rankled Kaon. How could it have been comfortable for her to depend on an enemy family to survive? The thought of her wandering around in a mansion where there was no one on her side made him feel bad.


    ¡°What are you saying¡­¡± he began indignantly, before remembering that he had also thought that way in the beginning.


    Besides, he still didn¡¯t like Ingelos itself as a bloodline. As a descendant of Ferdinand, it was only natural. There were only a few records left from the era of legends, but he was very familiar with the poor relationship their families had during his father¡¯s youth.


    ¡®Still, Alessia¡­¡¯


    Kaon paused.


    From his observations, Alessia had great respect for knights, with none of the arrogance associated with mages. Rather, it could be said that she was even trying to get closer to the people around her.


    For some reason, he felt a bit shy.


    ¡°Yes? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why are you here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to act suspiciously. It didn¡¯t matter much if he suffered, but since the people would just shift the blame onto Alessia, he didn¡¯t want to get involved in such a mess in the first place.


    ¡°Lady Leonidas has ordered that Miss Alessia be introduced to the knights.¡±


    ¡°The knights? Why so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she need to cooperate with them to go to the monster forest? Of course, they usually act as they please, but it would still be good to have a meeting in advance.¡±


    Kaon¡¯s brow furrowed. He knew that part of the reason why Alessia was brought to Ferdinand was to obtain a mage in their employ, but it was still too early for that. No matter how determined they were to get rid of her, it was too much to send a person who had only just arrived to go to the monster-filled forest right away.


    ¡°She probably hasn¡¯t adjusted to Ferdinand yet. We shouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Lady Leonida¡¯s idea, though.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, thinking of who else other than his sister would put that responsibility on Alessia. Was it Baroness Robert?


    ¡°Apparently, Miss Alessia had requested it first. She wants to join the inspections as soon as possible,¡± Joseph added.


    Kaon only became more confused.


    ***


    That evening, he returned from training and was welcomed back by Alessia at the door. And after asking courteous questions like whether his training went well or whether he had eaten dinner, she asked quietly, ¡°Kaon, when can I meet the knights?¡±


    She seemed quite excited, so Kaon put off taking a bath and instead brought her to the barracks.


    ¡°Carl, summon the elite knights,¡± he ordered the first apprentice he saw.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kaon glanced at Alessia. For someone who was about to deal with monsters in the near future, she looked very calm. He didn¡¯t know what was going on with her.


    ¡°Did you call, Sir Kaon?¡±


    Shortly thereafter, four knights entered the hall, three of which were wearing armor while the remaining one had on a comfortable-looking chemise.


    ¡°Alessia, these are Ferdinand¡¯s elite knights. They¡¯re the ones in charge of dealing with monsters. Knights, this is Alessia Ingelos. As you already know, she is my fianc¨¦e.¡± He pointed to the four one by one. ¡°Pierre Bonello, Niels Duval, Yvonne Leroy, and Maurice Duret. They lead each of the units.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Alessia. Please remember my name, as one day I will be famous for my exploits. Feel free to call me Maurice,¡± said the lively, wheat-haired young man who stepped forward first.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well, Maurice. I¡¯ll make sure to never forget that name.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor!¡±


    ¡°I am Niels Duval. I¡¯m glad you met us like this first.¡±


    ¡°Pierre Bonello.¡±


    A large middle-aged man, then a handsome one. Alessia greeted both with a bright smile.


    ¡°Yvonne,¡± said the only woman in attendance. Her eyes and face were cold and oozed reluctance. ¡°Yvonne Leroy.¡±


    Alessia, who had been watching Yvonne closely from the moment she entered, smiled widely. ¡°So there were also women in the elite knights as well. That¡¯s amazing, Dame Leroy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yvonne?¡±


    But the lady knight didn¡¯t even look up at Alessia, her gaze fixed on the ground. The middle-aged knight, Niels, made a face but stayed silent.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished training yet,¡± she finally said. ¡°May I go back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Kaon swallowed a sigh. If he took issue with Yvonne¡¯s attitude right away, she would have changed it, but he knew from experience that that wouldn¡¯t be a permanent solution.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I apologize for that.¡±


    ¡°No, Niels, don¡¯t worry. Training is the most important for a knight.¡±


    ¡°Even if she behaves like that, she¡¯s a professional. She doesn¡¯t let private matters interfere with her work. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about that.¡± Contrary to the expectations that his bear-like size entailed, Niels seemed quite good-natured.


    Kaon, who watched the events unfold, sent the three knights back first. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room for a detailed explanation.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Kaon sat down, setting down a glass of lemon juice. He¡¯d taken the tray from the maid himself to ease his nerves. It was ridiculous, really. There was only a single curtain blocking the way, but he was nervous about passing through it.


    He sat down, and Alessia, who had looked at the condensation droplets on the surface of the cold glass, took a careful sip.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious! So refreshingly sweet and cool!¡± Her eyes widened, her cautiousness thrown to the wind as she gulped the juice down.


    Kaon wondered if she knew what lemon juice was and that was why she like it so much, but it was also weird to see her react like it was her last meal.


    ¡®Does she just like to eat?¡¯


    He decided to move on. He had more important things to think about.


    Kaon bowed politely. ¡°I would like to apologize for Yvonne¡¯s disrespect, Alessia.¡±


    ¡°No, no, as I¡¯ve already told Sir Duval earlier, I don¡¯t really mind.¡± She waved her hands, smiling like she always did.


    Her generous forgiveness made Kaon feel even guiltier, but apologizing any more would be burdensome, so he decided to bring up the main topic. ¡°Yvonne has a bad memory of mages.¡±


    Two years ago, a mage who had been dispatched to Ferdinand had claimed that his powers were exhausted. However, he had already missed the inspection several times for various reasons, and due to that insincere attitude, was scheduled to return to the Tower. In the end, the knights had gone out to the forest without a mage.


    ¡°Several of the knights in Yvonne¡¯s unit were wounded and killed that evening.¡±


    The reason why the mage¡¯s negligence had not caused any problems previously was that the forest had been quiet for several weeks at that time. It was a terrible coincidence that a group of hungry monsters had gone wild and passed the borders.


    ¡°Yvonne¡¯s closest friend passed away that day. He was her childhood friend.¡±


    Kaon had seen her cry for the first time that day. Had seen the uncommonly talented knight cry like a child.


    ¡°She held onto the coffin and cried until she was exhausted. Yvonne staggered like someone possessed and went straight to the mage¡¯s quarters. Of course, she was stopped because harming the mage would ultimately do more harm than good, and she failed to achieve her purpose.¡±


    Yvonne hadn¡¯t even been able to touch the mage¡¯s collar. Her fellow knights had stopped her because they didn¡¯t know what would happen if she attacked a mage from the Tower.


    ¡°Still, the mage returned and protested fiercely, and as a result, she was sentenced to probation for three months. Since that incident, she¡¯s become extremely vigilant and hostile against mages.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s understandable. I would have been the same.¡± Alessia¡¯s face darkened.


    Kaon winced. It was uncomfortable to tell the story to a mage, but it seemed a better option than leaving her clueless as to why Yvonne hated her.


    ¡°Like Niels said, she doesn¡¯t act recklessly during inspections. However, if she makes you even more uncomfortable, then I¡¯ll step in.¡±


    He sympathized with Yvonne, but that didn¡¯t mean she could keep crossing the line. Again, this wasn¡¯t a concern for Alessia, just a concern for the knights¡¯ discipline.


    ¡°No, Kaon, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°But, Alessia¡­¡±


    She shook her head firmly, her determination seemingly at odds with her small stature, then smiled mischievously. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I need help. Please help me then¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered immediately.


    But he knew deep in his bones that Alessia would never ask for help.


    ***


    Lying in bed, Kaon stared at the passage. Not a single glimmer of moonlight passed through the thick velvet curtains that had replaced the annoying lace ones.


    ¡°Apparently, Miss Alessia had requested it first. She wants to join the inspections as soon as possible.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s words had come as quite a shock to him, as he expected such a request to come from Leonida first.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    He kept thinking, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer. No mage ever appreciated going to the forest of monsters, even though it was an excellent opportunity for research. Did she perhaps not realize that she could lose her life?


    ¡°Why in the world¡­?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kaon closed his eyes. It seemed he was having hallucinations now after too much thinking and too little sleep.


    ¡°Kaon?¡±


    ¡°Alessia?¡± But he¡¯d never heard of hallucinations being able to make appropriate conversation. He jolted to a seated position.


    ¡°What were you saying? I heard my name.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little bit?¡±


    The suite was so spacious that he hadn¡¯t even thought it was possible, but at the same time, it was believable that the sound could be carried over since it was a quiet night.


    He carefully opened his mouth, ¡°I heard that you asked Leonida to go to the monster forest first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Alessia answered without hesitation. ¡°She asked if I needed anything while we were eating lunch.¡± Her quiet voice sounded so different from what he was used to. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t need anything, but that I had a request.¡±


    Which was the request to participate in the inspections.


    Kaon was still confused. Even Leonida must have been surprised.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early? The mage from the Tower is expected to stay in the duchy until the end of the year. Also, even knights must be at least seventeen to participate.¡±


    No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed too unreasonable to let her join the inspections now. Even skilled mages sometimes froze in the face of the monsters, not because they were cowards, but because the monsters were just that terrifying.


    Knights were given time to adjust during their first few inspections.


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, Kaon,¡± she said, halting the litany of worries running through his mind. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have to do it at some point.¡±


    ¡®Yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to do it in advance, right?¡¯


    He sincerely hoped she would reconsider her decision.


    ¡±I think it will be easier to learn if I experience it,¡± Alessia replied maturely. ¡°Although it¡¯s a little scary since it will be the first time I¡¯ll see a monster. I don¡¯t know if I can do it well¡­¡±


    Maybe it was just the late hour, maybe it was just an illusion, but she seemed different somehow. More cynical than cheerful.


    ¡°I will do well, though. It¡¯s my role here, so I want to perform it well.¡± She sounded optimistic once again, as if the darkness in her voice earlier had just been in Kaon¡¯s imagination. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be recognized, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Kaon wondered what kind of face she was making from behind the velvet.

 Chapter 13

    When the sun was high in the sky, a carriage rumbled across the paved road and out of the estate. It was time to purchase Alessia¡¯s other necessities and also introduce her to the territories under Ferdinand.


    Usually, merchants were brought inside the walls so that their goods could be inspected and they could take orders, but Alessia wanted to go out, so it was decided that they would visit the city.


    Kaon stole a glance at her, who was busy looking out the window.


    ¡®Are her eyes creepy?¡¯


    His casual admiration of her countenance turned focused.


    ¡®Not really.¡¯


    Her ruby eyes seemed even more dazzling in the sunlight. They weren¡¯t scary or creepy at all like the maids had said, just mesmerizing in the way jewels were.


    ¡°Kaon, was this wall built to keep out monsters?¡±


    Unfortunately, his appreciative thoughts had to stop there. Following her gaze, he answered, ¡°Yes. Ferdinand has very little history of being involved in territorial disputes, but its biggest enemy has always been monsters. My forefathers built the fortress starting with the side facing the forest before the city was even built entirely.¡±


    After the end of the first war against the monsters, the walls built on the orders of the first Duke Ferdinand were still functional. They were sturdier than the walls that protected the city from human invasions, and it was so strong that even though it was the first fortress built, it had the least number of requisite repairs.


    ¡®Well, it was built with permanence in mind, obviously¡­ It cost a whole lot of money and mana to build.¡¯


    Kaon stared at the faint shimmering across the walls. At first glance, it looked like haze, but it was an energy barrier erected by the immense power of a single person. It had always amazed him how the entire thing was in one piece, created by some person who was chock-full of mana.


    Barriers consumed a lot of mana, being a protective type of spell. Any mage who performed it on that scale alone was either very strong or very crazy. Probably both.


    He¡¯d checked the archives one time out of curiosity, but the records were saying something contrary. The phrase ¡°dozens of mages took turns to cast the barrier¡± was particularly wrong.


    Kaon knew as much because he was capable of ¡®seeing¡¯ the flow of mana, and it was clear that all of it only came from one person. He and his dearly departed mother were the only ones in the family who had such an ability, one that manifested at a young age.


    ¡®But she didn¡¯t like it.¡¯


    His mother had begged him not to tell anyone about it, up until the very end.


    Kaon averted his eyes.


    ¡°I heard there are several cities, Kaon. Where are we going today?¡±


    ¡°Briar. It¡¯s the city with the most shops.¡±


    It was the busiest, most crowded city in Ferdinand, with the largest number of permanent residents and businesses. No city could rival the shop sizes and product quality either.


    A long time later, the carriage entered the city of Briar and slowed down. Large shops were lined up on both sides of the street. People were outside doing business.


    ¡°How lively,¡± Alessia muttered quietly after a stretch of silently staring out the window.


    Kaon followed her gaze. Traders and customers were bargaining with each other, passers-by were laughing, and lovers were walking while shyly holding hands.


    It all looked so¡­ ordinary.


    Alessia watched on, her face somber.


    Kaon spoke openly, ¡°We have to stop by the boutique first. It must have been difficult for you to bring a lot of luggage due to the length of your journey, so it would be best to buy several sets of clothes right now. Not to mention, you¡¯ll be inspecting the forest soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, will I need some kind of armor?¡±


    ¡°Mages don¡¯t usually wear any, but it would be better for you if you had clothes that you can move freely in.¡±


    Alessia nodded in understanding, then a look of hesitation crossed her face. Kaon remembered that no other carriage carrying her stuff had arrived.


    The Ferdinand estate was far from Ingelos, so he¡¯d thought that her luggage would arrive later to reduce the number of things she would bring with her, but he realized now that maybe that wasn¡¯t the case.


    What if Ingelos was more impoverished than he had imagined? Of course, such a thing seemed improbable for a ducal family, but it was a question worth asking.


    Kaon decided to test the waters. ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e¡­ I know that you came here under an agreement, but you will also be paid separately for your work as a mage.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Really. All items we will purchase today will also be paid for by Ferdinand, so please feel free to choose what you like,¡± he said in reassurance.


    And the effect was great. Alessia¡¯s eyes widened, then a noticeable blush spread across her face. Her eyes turned into crescents even as she pursed her mouth in an attempt to school her expression.


    ¡®Why is she so happy?¡¯


    Her reaction was confusing, yes, but she looked so innocent and¡­


    ¡®¡­Cute.¡¯


    ¡°She isn¡¯t planning on staying here permanently, is she?¡±


    ¡°No way! How can you say that so easily, man?¡±


    The sound of a conversation crept into the slow-moving carriage, one that bore the Ferdinand coat of arms on purpose so that they could travel around comfortably.


    ¡°Is she a mage? I¡¯ve heard that those who come from the Tower are pretty arrogant. The knights who come to our bar complain about their headaches each time.¡±


    ¡°Would that be the case for someone from Ingelos?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I just hope we never meet. I don¡¯t want to see those red eyes.¡±


    Even if no names were passed around, it was obvious who the words were about.


    ¡°Alessia¡­¡± Kaon trailed off, interrupted by the coachman announcing their arrival at the boutique.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re here.¡± Unlike him, who had stiffened in embarrassment, Alessia smiled innocently as if she¡¯d heard nothing.


    But Kaon knew better. He saw her hand clenching into a fist.


    ***


    ¡°Welcome, Sir Kaon and Miss Alessia. I¡¯m Deborah, the person who runs this boutique. It¡¯s my honor to serve you.¡± A woman with an impressively puffy hairdo bowed politely.


    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ve come to order some clothes for my fianc¨¦e here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Deborah led the two upstairs past a clothed dress form. ¡°Kaon, will you be joining us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait here, so please go ahead and take a look, Alessia.¡± Kaon settled on a sofa and looked around.


    Finished dresses were displayed on one side, while dozens of fabrics and threads were neatly arranged on the other.


    ¡®I hope she finds something she likes.¡¯


    There were so many things in the boutique that it was difficult to see everything with a single glance. Kaon observed Alessia from afar, noting her polite smile.


    ¡®By the way, does she not get hot easily?¡¯


    Ferdinand had particularly hot summers. Everyone tried to escape the heat during this season. Even the wooden dress form¡¯s dress had short sleeves.


    Alessia was the only one who had on clothes with long sleeves.


    ¡®Come to think of it, she hasn¡¯t worn anything with short sleeves ever since she arrived. It¡¯s not like the sun avoids her.¡¯


    Perhaps she just liked the warmth.


    Kaon also noticed the ring on the index finger of her right hand, which had a large ruby as its center gem and several small diamonds surrounding it, imitating the appearance of a sunflower.


    Even to his untrained eyes, it looked expensive. Expensive and too old-fashioned for her. The design was outdated, and the gems themselves were too big for her small hands. Did she like the ring so much because the ruby was the same shade as her eyes? Enough to wear it all the time without fail?


    ¡°Kaon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alessia?¡± He stood up when she approached.


    She beckoned for him to lower his head, then brought her mouth to his ear when he did. ¡°Can I buy some hats?¡± she whispered.


    Really, there was nothing out of the ordinary with what she said or how she said it. But in that moment, Alessia¡¯s warm breath and soft voice made his hair stand up.


    ¡°¡­Of course. As you wish,¡± Kaon eked out stiffly, the strange feeling he had lingering.

 Chapter 14

    Alessia tried on a few dresses, and then a sundress and several hats. Kaon had never seen her with a hat on, so he didn¡¯t know for sure, but she seemed to like them. He vowed to remember that just in case.


    Their trip back to the mansion was very serene. Unlike when they had just left the mansion, Alessia had closed her window and was resting quietly.


    Kaon¡¯s thoughts ran wild. It would be ideal if she were simply tired from their excursion, but what if she felt depressed because of the words they had overheard earlier?


    ¡°Alessia, If you¡¯re not very tired¡­¡± he began, then paused when she opened her eyes.


    The lack of expression on her face was unfamiliar, almost strange. But as soon as their gazes met, she smiled and raised her eyebrows as was her habit.


    ¡°I have something I want to show you. Would you like to come with me?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Can I look forward to it?¡±


    ¡°Look forward¡­¡±


    Alessia grinned widely, and Kaon decided to set aside his unnecessary thoughts for a while.


    ***


    ¡°Are we going through the back door?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been there yet.¡±


    The two got off the carriage and walked side by side.


    Upon approaching, Alessia seemed to regain her usual vigor. ¡°What is it that you want to show me? You haven¡¯t even given me a hint,¡± she complained.


    Kaon managed to contain himself. He was thinking of introducing her to his little friend, Coda, whom he visited several times a day, especially when he was in a bad mood. He was certain that she was at least somewhat hurt by the conversation they had overheard, and tired from choosing all those clothes, so he thought it would be a nice change of pace to play with the puppy.


    The sound of panting grew louder and louder even though they hadn¡¯t reached the door yet.


    ¡®What a good boy! You can tell it¡¯s me, can¡¯t you? Good boy!¡¯


    ¡°Coda, come here.¡± Kaon stretched out his hands and sat down.


    Emboldened by his master¡¯s voice, the dog ran at full speed with its relatively short legs.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re the best runner.¡±


    As usual, Coda rolled over, his tail wagging enthusiastically, pinkish belly plump due to all the snacks the doting knights gave him.


    ¡°Come on, boy. Behave.¡±


    Coda responded to Kaon¡¯s tone and sat down quickly.


    Kaon admired his pet¡¯s sleek fur. It was a dark gray color, glossy from the grooming that he performed himself. It was hard to believe that Coda was once a stray dog. The black eyes and perfect inverted triangle of a nose were all so cute. He couldn¡¯t believe that such a cute creature could exist.


    ¡°Alessia, this puppy here¡­¡± He turned around. ¡°Alessia?¡± His smile faded.


    She was frozen, almost petrified, then staggered back.


    Kaon jumped up, grabbing her shoulders and scanning her too-pale face. ¡°Alessia, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Hic¡­¡±


    Getting her to breathe was the priority. He shook her body gently, receiving a low groan in response. Fortunately, while she was still immobile, her eyes became more focused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize properly later,¡± Kaon muttered, then swept her straight off the ground into his arms.


    ***


    After returning to their room, Kaon carefully lowered Alessia onto her bed as if handling a fragile glass doll. He was terrified that he would break her accidentally because she was so light. Even though he knew she was eating well, he was beginning to have his doubts.


    ¡®What happened? Why did she suddenly¡­¡¯


    He bit his lower lip nervously.


    Was it because of Coda? It must have been, since nothing else had happened, but he really couldn¡¯t have foreseen this situation.


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    ¡®I should have asked.¡¯


    Kaon ran a hand through his hair, his stomach churning. He¡¯d only wanted to give her a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°Young Master Kaon, I¡¯ve brought warm water,¡± came the voice of a maid.


    ¡°Give it to me. Also, where¡¯s the doctor?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on his way.¡±


    He felt unease rise within him even though he had asked for one on the walk back, meaning that it wouldn¡¯t take too long.


    ¡°I told them to hurry¡­¡±


    ¡°Kaon.¡± A cold touch brushed over his skin.


    Kaon hurriedly turned around to face Alessia, who had opened her eyes and was barely holding onto his hand. ¡°Alessia, are you awake? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Please, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    If the person concerned didn¡¯t want to receive treatment, he was in no place to force it. Alessia sighed in relief when he called the maid again to instruct her that the doctor didn¡¯t have to come.


    ¡°Can I have some water, please?¡±


    ¡°Ah, here¡­¡± Kaon finally realized that Alessia¡¯s hand was still on his. ¡°It¡¯s a bit warm, so it is better to drink slowly,¡± he said awkwardly.


    She nodded, taking a sip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You must have been surprised. Truthfully, I¡¯m a little afraid of dogs.¡±


    Kaon firmly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to apologize for; I should have checked beforehand. I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to give you a small present because you seemed down.¡± He avoided meeting her eyes in embarrassment and guilt.


    ¡°Down?¡±


    He hesitated. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure you care about that.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Alessia blinked. ¡°Care¡­¡±


    She looked a little lost, a little broken, but Kaon¡¯s frustration and worry prevented him from noticing it.


    ***


    As if she had run out of energy, Alessia fell asleep quickly. Kaon carefully left the room and headed to Leonida¡¯s office.


    ¡°Leo!¡¯


    ¡°Knocking won¡¯t make me disappear, you know.¡± Leonida didn¡¯t even look up.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry.¡± Kaon frowned, scratching his nape with a sheepish expression and gaping at the impossibly tall pile of papers stacked on his sister¡¯s desk. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have eyes left if I had to do that. Why are you working on them alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. We¡¯re just double-checking.¡±


    ¡°Double-checking?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


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    Well, to be fair, Kaon did remember how his father always used to be wrestling with a sickening amount papers too. Still, Leonida was going through the documents at a speed that implied a familiarity with the process.


    He was amazed. As expected, the position of the head of the duchy was not for everyone, but it was definitely suitable for his sister. His uncle and the rest of his relatives had no idea just how much was involved if they were still insisting on entrusting him with that position.


    Kaon had no such qualifications for it, but even if he had, he didn¡¯t want to become the duke. He imagined it would be torture for someone like him, no matter how much wealth it entailed.


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t come here just to chat.¡± Leonida pushed aside a bundle of documents that had just been processed.


    Recalling his original purpose, Kaon clenched his fists. ¡°I want to participate in the forest inspection.¡±

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Did I ever say you couldn¡¯t?¡± Leonida shrugged, turning back to her desk indifferently.


    ¡°I mean now, not next year.¡±


    Those words successfully attracted her attention. She looked back up at Kaon, arms folded. ¡°The person who hates troublesome things is now volunteering to go to the monster forest.¡± Her tone was bitter. While she knew that her brother was not aiming to be the head of the duchy, he was still acting uncharacteristically. ¡°You¡¯re doing things you¡¯ve never done before because of that girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Kaon snapped back, instantly regretting how hasty he sounded.


    ¡®How is she going to deal with monsters if she trembles in front of a small and cute puppy?¡¯


    Alessia had never seen a monster and yet she was still trying to fulfill her responsibilities valiantly. He, on the other hand, was wearing himself out with worry.


    ¡°If you just use your heart, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Leonida stared at him, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you to use your heart.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? My heart has always been my own to use. Anyway, please grant me permission.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it really is your heart talking, I see.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not. Stop being ridiculous,¡± Kaon grumbled.


    Did she not know what kind of person he was? It was almost disappointing.


    ¡®As a Ferdinand and a knight, what else is more important to me than the elimination of monsters? Also, it¡¯s so rare to get a mage who¡¯s enthusiastic about working. Is it so unnatural that I want to help?¡¯


    And¡­ Alessia was his fianc¨¦e.


    It was still unclear whether their engagement would end in an annulment or a marriage, but he wanted to do his best, at least for now.


    He asked again, ¡°So, will you allow me or not?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of skipping training. Ask for permission from the inspection party leader.¡± Leonida sighed.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be leaving now!¡± Kaon ran out before his sister changed her mind.


    ***


    ¡°Leonida gave her permission.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ve heard,¡± Commander Alain replied, looking a little surprised. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be difficult to allow it, but regardless, there¡¯s only less than half a year left until the next. Do you have a particular reason why you want to start inspecting early?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, the Ingelos girl will be joining, so as a Ferdinand, I can¡¯t just stay still and let her go unsupervised.¡± Kaon made it a point to remember that that was the excuse he would be using from then on.


    ¡°I see. I heard that she will start in autumn after she has completed some training and education. You can join her by then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Master.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m proud that you have such conviction. Your parents would have been too.¡±


    Kaon cringed a little, but the assertion wasn¡¯t wrong. His conscience was clean.


    ¡°It would be better if you attended training more often, then.¡± The gray-haired commander¡¯s tone was gentle but exasperated.


    Kaon bowed his head sheepishly, feeling some shame. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re growing up nicely. It has not been too long since the former duke passed away, and I remember you being a bit lost at first.¡±


    The words were sobering. He¡¯d always been playing hooky and refusing to practice his swordsmanship. It was not an overstatement to say that he had been the epitome of laziness.


    ¡°When you started training under me, I felt bad that I couldn¡¯t be a big help to you.¡±


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    ¡°How would that be Master¡¯s fault? I myself am lacking.¡±


    ¡°A teacher must support their students¡ªif their students have shortcomings, they must lead them. The failure to do so is the teacher¡¯s fault.


    It was hard to face Alain directly. Even more so because Kaon wasn¡¯t really a good student even at present, and wouldn¡¯t be even in the future.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so guilty. I have never been disappointed in you. On the contrary, you have always made me feel anticipation.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t exaggerate.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Now that I¡¯m older, I¡¯m tired of flattery. It is only that I can still see the boy who sparred with elite knights at twelve years old.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    It was a good time. A time when he could wield his sword with no worries. When he didn¡¯t know that his blade could threaten his sister¡¯s position instead of just his enemies.


    ¡°Before this old man dies, you must become a swordmaster and surprise everyone.¡±


    ¡°How can I even reach that level?¡±


    ¡°I assure you, no one can do it except you.¡±


    Kaon laughed bitterly. He couldn¡¯t bear to tell his master that such a day would never come.


    ***


    A few weeks passed, and the two had not talked much. If they ran into each other, they only said their greetings.


    There was no particular reason for it. Alessia did not ignore him, nor did he avoid her. It was just what it was.


    Unlike in the beginning, when she was always in the room, she became busy with training. Kaon was in the same boat as well, so it was really just a coincidence.


    So when he saw Alessia in the dining hall he was about to enter, he was a bit embarrassed. Outdoor training ended early due to the scorching weather, so he came to eat relatively early.


    Also, she was wearing a hat again. Each time he saw her, she was wearing one from Deborah¡¯s boutique, the current one being a large, feathery, and flowery affair. The designs were the type to overwhelm the wearer, but Alessia seemed to like them.


    All her hats were that way, colorful and bulky. They obscured her face, not just because they were distracting, but also literally. Her small face was sometimes covered by lace on both sides of the hat, or by feathers, like now.


    ¡®But her clothes are so simple. I guess it really is just a matter of taste.¡¯


    It suited Alessia somehow, and even if it didn¡¯t, there was no reason to criticize her.


    ¡°Kaon!¡± She waved her hands happily, eyes forming twin crescents.


    He waved back awkwardly.


    ¡°What are you doing at this hour? It¡¯s time for training.¡±


    ¡°The day was so hot that our activities were inevitably finished early. We¡¯ll continue in the evening.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not easy to get away from that.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    The two sat facing each other. Before long, appetizing dishes decorated the surface of the long table.


    ¡°Wow, Kaon! Look at this!¡± Alessia pointed to a plate on which there was a roast turkey. Its skin looked crispy and juicy at the same time.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s great, but why is she pointing that out in particular?¡¯

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Last time, I told the chef that the roast turkey was super delicious, and he responded that he would prepare it again soon. I thought he said it out of politeness, but¡­¡±


    ¡®¡­Is that something to be so happy about?¡¯


    Alessia was the daughter of a duke and his fianc¨¦e too. Given her status, Kaon thought it was normal that the chef remembered her words and kept his promise. In any case, there was no harm in finding joy in the little things. An optimistic person was better than a pessimistic one.


    ¡°Then, this turkey is dedicated to you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Come on, Kaon.¡± Alessia laughed softly. Her smile was different from her usual, but she seemed happier.


    It wasn¡¯t a big thing, but he engraved the difference in his heart. Each time he did that, it somehow felt heartwarming and rewarding. When he was with her, the small things about her eroded his prejudice.


    ¡°Hana, can you call the chef here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    It was a little surprising that the servant in waiting was so friendly.


    After they¡¯d been eating for a while, the chef showed up, greeted Kaon briefly, and went straight to Alessia¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Alessia, I heard you called.¡±


    ¡°Albert! I just want to tell you that today¡¯s meal is great.¡±


    ¡°You did mention before that you liked the turkey, so I put my skills to the test.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really delicious. How are you able to cook so well all the time? You¡¯re definitely the best chef in the world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you flatter me. I¡¯m just thankful that you always eat well. Next time, I will serve salmon¡ªhow do you like salmon?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ of course I like it! I¡¯m looking forward to what you¡¯ll cook.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    Kaon looked at the two, feeling more and more bewildered as the conversation went on. A chef from Ferdinand and a princess from Ingelos were having friendly banter; all the while, he found the situation so strange that he couldn¡¯t adapt quickly enough.


    ¡®Was Albert such a talkative person?¡¯


    Although he had lived in this mansion his entire life, he had only had a handful of personal conversations with the chef, who usually stayed in the kitchen, enjoying his work.


    Seeing Alessia, whom Kaon thought would be ostracized, get along well with the employees, made him happy. Her personality was so pleasant that she deserved to be loved so brightly and naturally.


    He began to sincerely hope that she would stay in Ferdinand for as close to eternity as possible.


    ***


    The two of them left the dining room and headed side by side to the training annex. Kaon didn¡¯t really have to go right away, but Alessia said she had business to attend to, so he followed along on the pretext of personal training.


    ¡°I heard that you will be participating in the inspections starting in autumn,¡± he began, aiming to let her know that he had joined too.


    She would find out anyway, but he wanted to tell her ahead of time so she wouldn¡¯t be surprised to see him.


    ¡°Yes, that is correct. Apparently it¡¯s a difficult to go out right now.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t training difficult?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s closer to education than training. I don¡¯t know much about monsters yet, so I¡¯m learning in many ways,¡± she replied excitedly¡ªthough there was nothing exciting about dealing with monsters or with knights who weren¡¯t welcoming. ¡°It¡¯s not just studying, but I often meet and work with the knights. I ask them a lot of questions. because I don¡¯t have any practical experience.¡±


    ¡°Everyone said you were working hard.¡±


    ¡°¡­! Really? Who?¡± Alessia stopped walking and looked up at him, her eyes so passionate that it made Kaon flinch.


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    ¡°Maurice and Niels told me.¡±


    ¡°I see! I¡¯m really grateful to the both of them for their help. Sir Bonello is a bit blunt with his words, but he¡¯s a great listener. And Dame Leroy¡­¡± she trailed off.


    Kaon knew what the issue was immediately. ¡°Actually, I also decided to join you in the inspections,¡± he changed the topic.


    Alessia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Kaon? You said that knights can only join after they turn seventeen, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Kaon hadn¡¯t expected her to remember that. ¡°¡­I¡¯m an exception because I belong to an elite knight unit.¡±


    In Ferdinand, elite knights had the highest rank. They served as the commanders of each unit, followed by the senior knights, then ordinary knights, then finally apprentice knights. Below them were the pages, so they were not knights yet.


    Kaon became an elite knight in the winter of the year he turned twelve, all through his own skills. Of course, he didn¡¯t go out to the monster forest often, but his being an elite knight was a good reason. Besides, he¡¯d gone on an inspection with his father before and had experience in dealing with monsters, so it technically was not a blatant lie.


    ¡°Ah! Right, I¡¯ve heard that among the elite knights, you are the youngest. I also heard that there are less than ten of you, which means that you must be a prodigy.¡±


    It was a little embarrassing to hear all that praise when he¡¯d just used his position as an excuse. The word ¡®prodigy¡¯ made Kaon flinch. It was a word he had heard a lot when he was younger, but now he didn¡¯t deserve to be called that.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a prodigy. I just like swordsmanship a bit more than average.¡±


    ¡°Like¡­¡± Alessia¡¯s face hardened briefly, then melted back into a smile. ¡°Just because you like something doesn¡¯t mean you can do it well, right? I think you¡¯re simply naturally talented.¡±


    The atmosphere became a little tense then, but it was too subtle to analyze quickly.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s great. I feel more at ease now that I know you¡¯ll be with me.¡±


    Kaon, still contemplating what had just happened, completely forgot what he had been thinking about.


    ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯


    It appeared that he was right to have gone to Leonida.


    ***


    ¡°Young Master!¡± Madeleine called out to him as he was on his way back from the annex. ¡°You¡¯re here just in time! Have some of this.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    She handed over the glass she was holding, the liquid inside a dark color.


    Kaon put it near his nose to check what it was and immediately felt nauseous. ¡°Ugh! What even is this?¡± At this point however, he was no longer genuinely curious, he just wanted the foul liquid as far away from him as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s my special health concoction. It¡¯s a masterpiece that combines the powers of the manua root, the jacinthe fruit, and other herbs that are beneficial for the body.¡±


    Well, Kaon didn¡¯t know for sure if it would be good for his body, but he was sure that it would be really bad for his stomach. He considered that it might be better to live a short life of pain than to drink whatever that was and become healthy.


    ¡°Why did you make this all of a sudden?¡± he asked, trying to distract Madeleine.


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    ¡°Lady Leo has been so busy these days. I prepared it because she looks so haggard now.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Kaon was certain that Leonida¡¯s stomach would be upset by that juice. In his opinion, it was better to be haggard than incapacitated. Although he still felt a bit betrayed by recent developments, she was still his only sister. He couldn¡¯t in good conscience let his busy sister drink that.


    He resolved to stop Madeleine from bringing the glass to Leonida, but¡­


    ¡°I just gave some to Lady Leo, so it¡¯s perfect that you arrived too.¡±

 Chapter 17

    ¡°¡­Just gave some? Did Leo drink it?¡±


    ¡°Yes; she looked at it for a long while and then took a sip. She thanked me and said she would drink the rest of it carefully.¡±


    Poor Leonida. Kaon paid a moment of silent tribute to his unfortunate sister. She likely would have been pressured to drink by Madeleine¡¯s expectant gaze.


    ¡°Oh my! I almost forgot! Young Master, hold on a second!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes? Take your time, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± He immediately ran to his room, set the glass down somewhere, and hurriedly returned to where he came from.


    Fortunately, Madeleine didn¡¯t comment upon the suspicious absence of her special juice. Instead, she held out a basket. ¡°When Miss Alessia returns later, give her this.¡±


    ¡°Cookies?¡±


    There were chocolate-stuffed ones and savory butter-flavored ones and sugar-sprinkled ones.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I was eating cookies with my kids the other day and she asked if I could give her one. She looked so happy while she was eating it¡­¡±


    ¡°So you prepared all this for Alessia?¡±


    ¡°What preparation are you talking about? I just baked a little too much.¡± Madeleine waved her hand in disbelief, stressing that she hadn¡¯t made much of an effort.


    However, even Kaon knew that the wide variety of cookies in the basket could not have been a coincidence. The expensive confectioner¡¯s sugar sprinkled on the surface made it clear that she intended to give them to Alessia in the first place.


    ¡®You said you would show her what Ferdinand was like¡­¡¯


    It had only been two months since she had referred to Alessia as ¡®it¡¯. Was Madeleine showcasing that Ferdinand was well fed? It was quite amusing, but it made sense. Madeleine was an affectionate person.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you want to give it to her directly?¡¯


    As if answering his question, the head maid said, ¡°The baroness will definitely have words for me if I get caught doing this. They taste good even when they¡¯ve cooled down, so just leave it in the room. It would be better if you two ate them together, but you¡¯re not a fan of sweets¡­¡±


    Baroness Robert. Kaon immediately understood why Madeleine wanted the cookies to go through him first. The baroness was aggressively hostile to Ingelos, and at the same time the most insistent on etiquette. She believed that there should always be a certain distance between nobles and their employees.


    ¡°How did you become so close? Didn¡¯t you hate even the idea of her?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Even Young Master is making fun of me¡­¡± Madeleine grimaced, then lowered her voice, ¡°Well¡­ If I may explain, it¡¯s just that she is so very kind. The young lady comes and talks to me every morning. In a way, it¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t even give people a chance to hate her.¡±


    Reservations set free, the maid began to lament that Alessia kept trying to help with her tasks, even at the expense of being scolded.


    The way she tried to get along with people was so cute and innocent. She had also picked the right person for that method. If she had tried doing that to the baroness, she would have been sent straight to etiquette class.


    ¡°I just think Miss Alessia is a good person. Even the other maids know that, so they¡¯re less afraid these days.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Everyone was scared at first because she¡¯s a mage from Ingelos. We couldn¡¯t even make eye contact¡ªit was a mess. Maids started procrastinating so they got scolded¡±


    Kaon knew very well that there was judgment and prejudice mixed in with that fear. While it may not be everyone, it was fortunate that some of them had warmed up to Alessia.


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    ¡°Come to think of it, it might be because we can¡¯t see her eyes that well anymore.¡±


    Delighted by the news, it took a moment for him to pause. ¡°Eyes?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing strange hats these days. Maybe they¡¯re fashionable in Ingelos, but in any case, there was an unexpected effect.¡±


    ¡®No way¡­¡¯


    ¡°So since they can¡¯t see her eyes clearly, the maids are feeling more comfortable?¡± Kaon¡¯s face hardened.


    ***


    Kaon hurried up the stairs, mind racing. He kicked the door closed, then hesitated in front of the curtain separating their rooms. Bracing himself, he slipped into Alessia¡¯s side of the suite. He knew it was an awkward thing to do, but there was something he needed to check.


    He went straight to the dressing room, eyes zeroing in on the hat shelf without straying. It only had the hats purchased from Deborah¡¯s boutique. Next, Kaon opened the jewelry box, and it was totally empty.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kaon swallowed a groan.


    If Alessia had originally liked hats, there would have been more than what they¡¯d bought at that one time. She would have had full sets of jewelry if she liked flashy things. Even if a lack of funds was an issue, if she really liked them, she wouldn¡¯t have left her jewelry box totally empty.


    There were no other hats in her dressing room, no other accessories except for the ruby ring she wore all the time. Her closet only had the plain, everyday clothes they bought together, all of them far from being glamorous or unique.


    If her taste in clothes was that simple, it was highly unlikely that she had purchased those hats because they were to her liking.


    Kaon trudged back to his room helplessly, covering his face with his hands and closing his eyes.


    ¡®So it was her armor against the people of Ferdinand who hate her existence.¡¯


    Alessia was trying to blend in, and he hadn¡¯t noticed at all. ¡®Cute¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe her efforts.


    ¡°You stupid bastard¡­¡±


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Joseph swallowed his irritation at the unusual command.


    His master, the young master of Ferdinand, suddenly came to his room while he was resting, gave an absurd order with a sad expression on his face, then disappeared.


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    ¡°Joseph, have you thrown away all the jewelry Mother used to use?¡±


    ¡°No? I can¡¯t just throw away your family¡¯s belongings. However, it¡¯s unlikely that Lady Leonida took them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Great, please go and get them.¡±


    ¡°¡­The former duchess¡¯ jewelry?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, but you don¡¯t have to bring them all, just the red ones.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Joseph looked at Kaon dumbfoundedly, pushing his glasses up and gaping. ¡°Excuse me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    Kaon, who was looking into a mirror, frowned. ¡°Why did you even excuse yourself if you were going to say it anyway?¡±


    ¡°I work for you, so it would be a bit odd if I just asked you that right away, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    He stopped trying to point out that changing the order of the words wouldn¡¯t change the meaning. With a serious mission ahead, he couldn¡¯t be hung up on these trivial things.


    Instead, he stared at himself in the mirror. Kaon¡¯s appearance was indeed unusual, with the combination of a red cloak, a pure white doublet, a hat full of red feathers, an overly chunky ruby necklace, and a red diamond ring.


    To borrow Joseph¡¯s words, he did indeed look like he¡¯d gone mad.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get any earrings?¡±


    ¡°Ah, shall I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Joseph, who had been sarcastic, nearly fainted when Kaon picked up pairs to choose from.


    Unfortunately, none of them had rubies or were red. Kaon decided to just be satisfied with what he had already found. He was already conspicuous enough.


    In the first place, his purpose was to catch people¡¯s attention. Judging from Joseph¡¯s reaction, it was clear that the goal would be easily achieved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°¡­In that outfit? I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out first.¡±


    Joseph reluctantly and helplessly behind his needlessly determined master.


    ***


    Kaon walked around the mansion as if on pilgrimage. As he passed by, the people who greeted him by habit took double takes.


    ¡°Ah, sorry!¡±


    ¡°No problem. Go on ahead with what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Those who couldn¡¯t control their surprise bowed their heads in apology. It had happened around six or seven times already, so he was already used to it.


    ¡°Can we stop now?¡± Joseph suggested uncomfortably.


    ¡°No.¡± Kaon suddenly looked up at the clock tower, whose hands pointed to noon.


    It was the time he had been waiting for.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Joseph.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°To the dining hall in the barracks.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Joseph¡¯s hopeful face darkened instantly, expression bordering on disgust. ¡°Young Master? It¡¯s the busiest time there right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡±


    True to the aide¡¯s words, the dining hall at this time was the most crowded place in the estate. The knights who had completed their morning training rushed in to sate their hunger, and the servants also prepared to welcome them, so it was very noisy.


    Kaon entered the packed hall without hesitation. Alone among the people in armor or training clothes, the red-and-white-clad figure stood out ridiculously.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just because I¡¯m not using my full strength. You won by a hair, Henri.¡±


    ¡°You went down easily!¡±


    ¡°I was distracted!¡±


    ¡°You have too many excuses¡­ Isn¡¯t that Sir Kaon?¡± The knight, who had been wrestling with his colleague while they ate near the entrance, stared at their master¡¯s unusual appearance. ¡°Look, there!¡±


    ¡°Sir Kaon? Maybe he¡¯ll have lunch with us.¡±


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    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what¡­¡± The other knight looked half-heartedly over his shoulder.


    Starting with that, all eyes gradually turned to the same place. As they chatted and murmured, even those who weren¡¯t very interested at first began to turn their heads.


    And saw the prince of Ferdinand, an elite knight and their source of pride and the one whom they swore allegiance to, currently looking like an actor in a traveling troupe.


    The noisy dining hall became quiet, as if cold water had been poured over the entire area.


    Suddenly, someone whistled. ¡°Sir Kaon! You look so passionate today!¡± It was Maurice, cheering alone.


    Kaon looked at the rest of the room, noting their distorted expression. The knights all seemed to be thinking the same thing. Most likely, they were probably wondering what they were looking at and if their master had gone crazy.


    ¡°Are you attending a banquet? Do you have to wear red to go? Looks fun, I want to go too!¡± Maurice yelled, waving his fists over his head as if begging Kaon to take him too.


    It was weird, but it did shift the knights¡¯ focus from the oddly garish attire to its color. Kaon took the opportunity and opened his mouth, ¡°Well, I really like red.¡±


    Everyone exchanged glances.


    ¡°There must have been a lot of people that didn¡¯t know that until now. Well, I never mentioned it before, so I understand.¡±


    ¡®Obviously, they might have wondered who made my sword, but not what color I like.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t really want them to be too interested in his personal preferences.


    ¡°But please remember it from now on.¡± Kaon looked at the knights one by one. ¡°I really like this color.¡±


    At this point, even a tactless fool would understand what he meant. His actions today would be passed on from word of mouth, and eventually, the whole estate would know of them.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to be nagged.¡¯


    It was only a matter of time before Baroness Robert gave him a stern warning. Still, he was prepared for that happening, so it didn¡¯t matter. It was fine. Now, no one would dare gossip about Alessia.


    Kaon turned around, satisfied. He¡¯d accomplished his goal, so now he just had to let Joseph return his mother¡¯s things back where they were stored and that was it.


    ¡°Jo¡­¡± He stopped in his tracks.


    She was right there outside the dining hall.


    ¡°Alessia.¡±


    She was frozen, her expression stiff with surprise and something more. Her shaky red eyes met his for a long moment, then she stepped away and sprinted out of the building.


    ¡°Alessia!¡±


    Kaon immediately chased after her.


    ***


    She was a surprisingly fast runner. But he couldn¡¯t just let her go, so he continued to follow her up to their suite. He supposed it was only a matter of course since it was the only place in Ferdinand that could conceivably be her private space.


    ¡®Am I being presumptuous?¡¯


    Kaon paced in front of their curtain.


    He didn¡¯t want Alessia to suffer alone, and he didn¡¯t want to pretend that he didn¡¯t know what she was experiencing. He hoped that she wouldn¡¯t feel so alone in this remote land, that no one would be rude to her, and that she knew that there was someone who cared about her.


    Kaon wanted her to want to stay in Ferdinand, but he might have made a huge mistake just now. His actions might have been too embarrassing for her.


    ¡°Alessia, I¡­¡±


    At that moment, the curtain was suddenly pulled open. Alessia glared at him, biting her lip.


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    Kaon rushed to get the words out of his mouth, ¡°I can explain¡ª¡±


    She threw her body into his and hugged him tightly.


    He froze. His mind went blank. He had no idea what was happening, but he did notice that the small body in his arms was trembling.


    Pat. Pat.


    Kaon clumsily comforted Alessia for a long, long time.

 Chapter 19

    Vi7-9 minutes 31.01.2022


    ¡°I called the teacher again. I think you should take this opportunity to learn a little bit more about court etiquette.¡±


    As expected, Baroness Robert had something to say. Even if Kaon had already completed his etiquette lessons a few years ago, he agreed to taking them again without complaint.


    He knew how to accept the consequences of his actions.


    Their lives hadn¡¯t changed much since that day. Alessia treated Kaon the same as before, and he did the same. They both acted like nothing had happened.


    But they were a little bit more comfortable with each other.


    ¡°Kaon, are you coming in now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Are you on your way to the training grounds?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Dame Leroy today, so I¡¯m going to go early.¡±


    ¡°Alessia, if Yvonne is being rude in any way, you must tell me, alright? This is a matter of discipline.¡±


    ¡°If she goes too far, I will. It¡¯s still not that bad, though, so it¡¯s fine.¡± She paused. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be off, Kaon!¡± Alessia waved goodbye and walked hurriedly to the stairs.


    Kaon waved back, staring as her silver hair fluttered in the wind.


    She didn¡¯t wear weird hats anymore. Her eyes were in plain view again, just like when she first arrived.


    He remembered how relieved he¡¯d felt to know that he was able to comfort her. Their relationship didn¡¯t change much, but it didn¡¯t matter. Kaon was content that he had been able to take a load off her mind.


    ¡®Shall I ask Madeleine to bake some cookies?¡¯


    With the way things were going, it was possible that the two of them could grow closer.


    ***


    ¡°I think Sir Pierre is the most handsome. His aura is so intimidating!¡±


    ¡°I like how Sir Morris is always kind. Also, he¡¯s so cute! He may not look like his face was sculpted from marble, but I¡¯m more attracted to his appearance anyway.¡±


    The maids gathered in a small space next to the kitchen and behind a large pillar.


    Handsome knights were popular regardless of age, and Ferdinand was the place with the most knights in the kingdom save for the king¡¯s palace. Thus, the maids gossiped to their hearts¡¯ content.


    ¡°Still, can any of them keep up with Young Master Kaon?¡±


    ¡°Foul! Don¡¯t bring him in this discussion.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about Lady Leonida?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly. Where¡¯s the fun in playing the game if you¡¯ve already decided on a winner?¡±


    The reply seemed harsh, but everyone knew what it meant. The siblings were both extremely beautiful, so they didn¡¯t count. It didn¡¯t make sense to talk about obvious winners.


    ¡°Still, Sir Pierre is objectively a very handsome man. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s impossible for him to win over everyone else.¡±


    ¡°The match-up was just unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s unfortunate?¡± A new voice piped up.


    ¡°Oh, bloody¡­ Miss! You scared us!¡± The maid put a hand to her chest. ¡°I thought it was the baroness at first! Why are your steps so quiet?¡±


    Alessia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ¡°Sorry. I was afraid I might get in the way of your lively discussion,¡± she said. ¡°What are you talking about in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually¡­¡±


    It was a bit disgraceful for commoners to be comparing the appearances of the knights, who were quasi-nobles.


    Still, one of them wasn¡¯t able to resist, ¡°Which knight is the most handsome to you?¡±


    ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t just ask that!¡±


    ¡°What? The lady was curious. Will you keep it a secret, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Of course. My lips are sealed.¡±


    The maids grinned. After several months together, they became very close to Alessia. Despite their wariness brought about by her identity, the princess of Ingelos was more bubbly and bright than they expected from her timid appearance.


    Everyone gradually took a liking to her, who always initiated conversations, smiled, and occasionally gave out snacks. As a result, unlike before when they sneaked away when she approached, they now often welcomed her into their circles.


    Alessia never tattled on them, so it was easy to talk to her.


    ¡°So, whose face do you like, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Only the face?¡±


    ¡°Does the lady also consider the figure? Ha! Those who know a lot are truly on a different level!¡±


    Laughter erupted from their corner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alessia mused. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a broad physique be better than a slim one?¡±


    ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just about that, Miss! Honestly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of her! Ignore her, we¡¯ll have this conversation when you come of age,¡± one of them interrupted. ¡°So, please tell us who is the best-looking in your eyes¡­¡± She jumped out of her seat. ¡°Baroness!¡±


    ¡°Everyone looks so energetic today, hm? We shouldn¡¯t waste that, should we?¡±


    ¡°S-sorry!¡± the maids apologized in unison, scattering like mice in front of a cat.


    Only Alessia was left there. But Baroness Robert turned and left the way she had come, as if she¡¯d seen nothing.


    ***


    ¡°Alessia¡¯s magic?¡± As usual, one day on the way home from field training, Kaon was surprised to hear the unexpected news.


    ¡°Yeah, she showed it to us for the first time yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Master, you missed it! Oh, I could burst into tears.¡±


    Niels and Maurice answered one after the other, agreeing that it had been amazing.


    ¡°The mage from the tower was also surprised. It seems that Miss Alessia is even greater than I thought.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful and kind and also so skilled! Ah, I want to be born as Master Kaon in my next life.¡±


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Kaon, who had cut off Maurice¡¯s nonsense, fell into deep thought.


    ¡®Alessia is using magic.¡¯


    She was a mage, a daughter of Ingelos at that, so it was no surprise, but it somewhat felt a little strange to hear. Perhaps because it reminded him that their engagement was just an excuse, and that her purpose for being in Ferdinand was primarily to render service as a mage.


    ¡®It¡¯s not going to work as Leo wants.¡¯


    Kaon was relieved. His sister had been planning to take advantage of Alessia¡¯s flaws and use them to negotiate their terms. The assumption was the Ingelos had sent them a useless mage, but it seemed that even their enemy had honor.


    He wondered if it was because they were a family so obsessed with being mages that they went bankrupt due to spending all their money on research.


    And Alessia had even requested to participate earlier in the inspections.


    In any case, Kaon was happy. They had to go to the monster forest eventually, so it was better for them all if she was a strong mage.


    ¡°Hey, look at those leaves. It really is autumn now.¡±


    Kaon, who had been thinking about Alessia, lifted his head at Niels¡¯ gruff voice.


    Indeed, the oak trees lined up in the distance were covered in colorful foliage. He thought back to the day the Ingelos¡¯ wagon first passed that road, how his heart pounded as the carriage drew closer under the shade of green leaves.


    ¡°You know that next week is Octavius, right, Niels?¡±


    ¡°Really? Time really flies. Maurice, you need to watch out; you¡¯ll soon be an old man like me.¡±


    ¡°Hah? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be like you, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s harsh!¡±


    Her arrival felt like only yesterday, but it was already time for Alessia to join the inspections.


    ¡®Please, let this season pass without any problems.¡¯


    Kaon prayed intensely.


    Two weeks later, Alessia¡¯s first excursion was scheduled.

 Chapter 20

    The monster forest was located at the eastern end of Ferdinand based on the map. So dense that the sky was barely visible under the foliage, this was the place where those evil beings first appeared.


    Once upon a time, it had been a beautiful place where deer and migratory birds stayed. Now, access to it was restricted with the use of an iron fence placed along the perimeter.


    ¡°Get ready to go in,¡± Yvonne commanded the knights, who immediately shut their mouths and checked their weapons.


    Kaon noticed that Alessia¡¯s shoulders were stiff, seemingly affected by the sudden change in the atmosphere as they stood near the entrance to the forest.


    ¡°Alessia,¡± he whispered.


    She turned around, and indeed he could see the anxiety etched on her face.


    It was normal. Training and actual battles were always different, and the first real experience was always terrifying.


    Besides, Alessia had never actually encountered a monster before.


    ¡°Breathe slowly. It¡¯ll help you calm down.¡± Kaon pretended to press his hand down over his heart.


    Alessia looked at him suspiciously, nodded, then immediately exhaled loudly. It was such an honest reaction that he almost laughed even though it was truly not the time to do that. Her slim shoulders, which had gone up and down a few times as she breathed deeply, soon returned to their original position as if she had regained composure.


    Once again, Alessia turned to him again with a smile in her eyes.


    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±


    Kaon, who had been about to smile back, stopped when he heard a disapproving tongue click in the vicinity. When he looked in the direction of the sound, he saw that the mage walking next to Alessia was making a sour face. Their eyes met, but the offending person looked away instantly.


    ¡®What was that for?¡¯


    He briefly glared at the mage¡¯s head, then smiled at Alessia as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Following Yvonne¡¯s orders, their party immediately entered the sunless forest. Each of the trees seemed to form a single entity, a convoluted mess of individual trunks and intertwined branches. It was cool under the all-encompassing shade, but the humidity was much higher than it was outside.


    ¡°We won¡¯t split up today, so let¡¯s not slow each other down.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    There were two barriers within the forest.


    The first was one that existed before the territory was even known under the name of Ferdinand, before even the establishment of the Gaius Kingdom. It limited the area where monsters could lurk. The second was located closer to the perimeter, installed by a mage from the Tower after more than two hundred years since the creation of the first barrier.


    The initial wave of monsters who had appeared in this world was annihilated by an archmage from Ingelos and a swordmaster from Ferdinand. At first, everyone believed that those creatures would disappear entirely.


    Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. They reappeared, looking different from before. Their appearances were not uniform, but they all had one thing in common: they looked like corrupted animals.


    Problems arose when the new wave started crossing the first barrier. The duke of Ferdinand at that time had already spent a lot of money to have the second barrier erected, but it wasn¡¯t as strong as the first one.


    The knights once again had to fight against monsters. They patrolled the vast forest from time to time to see if there were any that had escaped the second barrier and dealt with those who had.


    For a while, Ferdinand¡¯s strategy was to send a large team of knights to do the inspections. However, they soon learned that the new breed of monsters was sensitive to that. The more humans gathered, the stronger and more aggressive they became.


    That was why it was decided that only a specialized group of knights and mages would go to the forest.


    ¡°It¡¯s quieter than I thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°Monsters don¡¯t always appear, so it¡¯s mostly silent without them.¡±


    Alessia seemed to have lost some of her nervous stiffness. Kaon kept an eye on their surroundings even as he replied.


    The inspection continued for a long time, but nothing came of it. Only the sound of footsteps crunching on dried leaves echoed through the forest.


    ***


    In short, Alessia¡¯s first inspection ended safely. As Kaon looked at her sigh in relief after entering the mansion and felt relief flood him as well.


    Even if something had happened, he wouldn¡¯t have let her get hurt anyway, but it was good that nothing had happened in the first place.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    Kaon came out of the bathroom and cursed inwardly at the pile of papers on his desk. He wanted to rest, but he still had homework to finish.


    Baroness Robert¡¯s principle that everyone should be attentive to their words and deeds was reasonable.


    Two months later under the tutelage of an etiquette teacher, Kaon wanted to set aside all things related to liberal arts and courtly language.


    ¡®I¡¯m not a kid anymore. Why do I have to do all this again?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t easy to take the class again since it had been so long ago since he¡¯d forgotten everything he had learned the first time around.


    While his memories slowly came back as he read, he feared that they were not enough to handle his teacher¡¯s homework.


    ¡®This is useless.¡¯


    Kaon felt a little embarrassed about doing this again. It would have been better if he was told to study arithmetic or history, because they were both useful and interesting¡ªas far as he remembered.


    Courtly language, however, was pointless for him. In the first place, he had no intention to mingle within the social circles of the mobility, even during banquets. He also didn¡¯t plan on serving the king closely, visiting the royal palace more than thrice a year, or holding aristocratic gatherings, so he really couldn¡¯t understand why he was being made to study it again.


    ¡°Kaon, are you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No, Alessia, I am not sleeping,¡± Kaon immediately responded, his furrowed brows smoothening and tired eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Can I come over for a second?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He happily figured that his homework could just be the problem for tomorrow¡¯s him so that the Kaon of today could talk with Alessia for a bit more.


    After a while, she slipped through the curtain with a sweet-smelling basket.


    ¡°Albert prepared it for me since he knows I went with the inspection today. I was a bit embarrassed since I didn¡¯t have to do anything earlier¡­ But I was very thankful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning. You did well.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that.¡± Alessia put the basket on the table, inviting him to eat with her.


    As sweet as it smelled, it was no surprise to see that it was full of tarts. Kaon didn¡¯t like sweets very much, so he wasn¡¯t all that impressed with the chopped peach and apple toppings, but Alessia looked very happy.


    Seeing that, he decided to like tarts from then on.


    ¡°What are all those?¡± she asked smilingly.


    Kaon flinched. ¡°Ah, those are the liberal arts assignments I talked about last time¡­¡±


    It was a little embarrassing how obvious it was that he hadn¡¯t touched them yet.


    ¡°You must be a really studious person. Can I look at them for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Alessia, wiping her hands on a napkin, went straight to his desk. Curiosity shone through her eyes as she alternated looking at the books and his homework.


    ¡®If I recall correctly, Madeleine said she often visits the library.¡¯


    Most mages did enjoy reading, so it was not a surprise.


    ¡°This is a different way of seeing things.¡±


    ¡°Did you also have to study courtly language?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t take lessons on that. It¡¯s just that courtly language itself is almost identical to the ancient language of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡®So her classes were about the kingdom¡¯s ancient language? Why?¡¯


    As if she¡¯d read his thoughts, Alessia continued, ¡°The language of magic is ancient. It¡¯s so natural to read, write, and speak in the ancient language, even in everyday living. In fact, it may even be harder for a mage if they do not know it.¡± She mouthed the words in the book, looking somewhat lonely. ¡°But that¡¯s a thing of the past.¡±


    Her red eyes quickly regained their light, but her smile still looked sad. Kaon wondered what was going on, but he didn¡¯t feel like it was right to ask anymore.


    He was struck with the desire to get to know her a little more.

 Chapter 21

    In Ferdinand, mages were expected to participate in inspections five days a week, but they often missed a day or two due to fatigue. Calling in several mages didn¡¯t solve the problem, because they put the blame on each other when they were together, so the outcome was even worse even at a higher cost.


    That was why there was only one mage there at a time. After many trials and errors, it was the best option.


    In comparison, Alessia went out to the forest for two whole weeks since she started. The majority of people thought she would only join once or twice, but her presence was consistent. Thanks to that, the knights began to look at her in a different light.


    Ferdinand needed a diligent mage, but Kaon was worried. He wondered if she was overdoing it.


    ¡°I think you should take a break tomorrow,¡± he carefully told her on their way up to their room.


    He never would have thought that the day would come when he would tell a mage to rest, but alas, here it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m still okay. Actually, it still doesn¡¯t feel real to me, probably because I haven¡¯t met a monster yet¡­¡± Alessia shook her head.


    Beads of sweat shone on her forehead. It was difficult to walk through the dark forest for several hours, but it must have been even more stressful because she couldn¡¯t let down her guard.


    ¡°My stamina seems to be improving as well.¡±


    It was obvious that she was having a hard time, but seeing her smile reassuringly made his heart clench.


    ¡®How can a person be so kind?¡¯


    It was almost unbelievable that such an angelic mage could come out of Ingelos.


    Kaon thought that Alessia deserved a prize from the Tower for breaking the stereotypes about mages.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but don¡¯t overwork yourself. If you run too fast at the start, you¡¯ll burn out easily.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, Kaon. I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± she replied, looking up at him and sending his heart into a bashful tizzy. ¡°But are you okay? Everyone else comes out in turns, but you¡¯re also present every day¡­ Is that because of me?¡¯


    Kaon, who had been distracted thinking about how pretty his fianc¨¦e¡¯s smile was, jolted in surprise.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t have to join all the time. As was the case with the other elite knights, it was just fine to take turns. He went out every day to protect Alessia because he would be eaten by anxiety if he didn¡¯t.


    The way she looked, frozen in front of Coda, was still vivid in his mind.


    He wanted to protect the small and fragile girl, especially against monsters who were far more terrifying than small dogs.


    But how could he confess all of those thoughts to the person herself? He¡¯d rather die than do such an embarrassing thing.


    ¡°Uh? No? It¡¯s not like that¡­ It¡¯s¡­ better for me to have real-world experience than to simply train in the estate.¡±


    ¡°I see. It if was because of me, I¡¯d be really sorry to you. I¡¯m glad that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    Kaon sighed inwardly, relieved that his lie had been believed.


    ***


    ¡°What about the mage?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t come today.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? They¡¯ve only come once or twice, right?¡± Raising his hand, Niels asked for some knights who were good at archery.


    The blood of monsters was poisonous to humans. Since they had to fight as far apart as possible, their strategy and personnel needed to change in the absence of a mage.


    ¡°Are you going to tell Maurice to wait?¡±


    ¡°He should stand by just in case.¡± Kaon called for a reserve unit and a messenger to deliver the news with a horn, both of which were essential when fighting without a mage¡¯s support.


    ¡°What about Miss Alessia?¡±


    ¡°We go without her today,¡± he answered curtly.


    Exhausted from her arduous schedule, Alessia didn¡¯t get up early this morning. Kaon had debated whether to wake her or not, and ultimately chose to leave her alone.


    After participating in the inspections without a break for nearly a month, it was about time for her physical strength to reach its limits. She didn¡¯t listen to him no matter how much he nagged her to rest, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to let her recuperate.


    ¡°Ugh, so we can¡¯t see her?¡± Maurice asked right as he arrived.


    ¡°She needs to rest today. She won¡¯t come, so stop looking.¡±


    Her absence left a small but noticeable void.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Footsteps followed the high-pitched voice.


    Kaon squeezed his eyes shut, knowing who it was even without turning to look.


    ¡°Alessia? You¡¯re coming too?¡±


    ¡°Niels, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. I thought I had woken up earlier, but I must have fallen asleep again.¡±


    ¡°No? Kaon told us you wouldn¡¯t be coming today, so that means you must have woken up in surprise. From our point of view, we can only thank you for coming.¡±


    Kaon turned around slowly, feeling the full brunt of Alessia¡¯s resentful glare, her eyes asking him why he didn¡¯t wake her up.


    ¡®That¡¯s because I want you to rest a little¡­¡¯


    He pretended not to notice and left Niels to lead the party and retreated to escort Alessia.


    ¡°Why did you leave without me?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were already here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± she shot back immediately. ¡°This won¡¯t happen another time, but if it does, please wake me up at once.¡±


    ***


    As late autumn approached the temperature decreased day by day, and today was unusually cold. It had been better outside with the sunlight, but without it, the chill was palpable.


    Not long after they entered the forest, Kaon saw Alessia¡¯s thin frame trembling.


    ¡°Alessia, put this on.¡± Without a second thought, he took off the overcoat he wore over his armor and handed it to her.


    ¡°Can you give it to me? It must be cold¡­ Your armor isn¡¯t warm either¡­¡±


    ¡°The other mage didn¡¯t come today, so you must be nervous. You should wear it.¡±


    She put on the coat hesitantly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll accept your help. Thank you.¡±


    Alessia looked like a small puppy in a blanket. By itself, the pair¡¯s size difference was already huge, but it became even more ridiculous since the coat was supposed to be worn over armor.


    Fascinated by small and cute things, Kaon kept glancing at her unintentionally.


    ¡°¡ªstrange?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You keep looking at me. Are the clothes too big?¡± Alessia waved her arms, sleeves flapping, and tilted her head.


    At that moment, he felt like something huge had crashed into his heart.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Just¡­ wait a minute.¡± Kaon hurriedly turned his head.


    If he kept looking at her, his heart might just have exploded. He could already feel his neck and face burning. She was cute. Devastatingly so.


    ¡®Father, I was wrong¡­ I must reflect on my arrogance¡­¡¯


    He now understood why his father made a big fuss over his mother. It didn¡¯t matter that physical beauty withered eventually; the present moment was much more important. A huge wave crested against his heart.


    The feeling must have been what the former duke had.


    ¡°Kaon¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, Alessia, my voice isn¡¯t working properly¡­¡± he lied, not confident enough to face her.


    The image of her tilting her head in his coat was burned in his mind. Kaon didn¡¯t want to show how red his face had gotten.


    ¡°Wait, do you hear something?¡±


    ¡°Sound?¡±


    Kaon turned his head, shaking off his distracting thoughts. As Alessia had said, a strange howl was heard from somewhere. It sounded like a bear¡¯s cry, but something was off.


    His face hardened. ¡°Niels!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, stop! Prepare for battle!¡± Niels cried.


    The archers fell back and the swordsmen stepped forward, forming a line.


    A pregnant pause, then something huge appeared in the distance.

 Chapter 22

    At first glance, it could have been mistaken for a bear with an unusually large body, but the out-of-focus red eyes, strangely twisted arms, and long fangs made it obvious that it was much more dangerous than even an above-average predator.


    ¡°Is there only one of them?¡±


    ¡°For now, at least. I don¡¯t feel any other presence.¡±


    ¡°We need to get rid of it before they begin to gather. We need to find the nucleus. Prepare your bow!¡± Niels skillfully ordered.


    Each monster had a nucleus, which functioned as its heart. Unless it was destroyed, it would not die. Even if it lost parts of its body and couldn¡¯t walk, it would regenerate slowly while it still had its nucleus.


    So, in order to finish off monsters, the team first had to locate the nucleus, then focus on attacking that area. It was very weak to heat¡ªit took a long time with ordinary flaming arrows, but the high-purity flames created by mages melted the hard nucleus instantly.


    That was why Ferdinand always insisted on hiring flame-type wizards. The knights were capable of beating monsters, but having a mage around reduced the time needed to deal with them, thus reducing damages. In cases where there were many monsters, the presence of a wizard made a huge difference.


    In order not to provoke a monster while it was still on its own, they needed to eliminate it with as few people as possible.


    Graaaaah!


    The two-legged monster¡¯s mouth was wide open, black poison dripping from its fangs.


    ¡°Shoot!¡±


    Arrows rained down on it. It swung a large arm to block them. Some stuck to it, but most were swatted away, unable to pierce its thick skin.


    ¡®We¡¯ve got a nuisance on our hands.¡¯


    Kaon rolled his eyes.


    Monsters resembling small animals such as roe deer and raccoons were the easiest to defeat, followed by wolf packs, and then bears. The ones that looked like bears were strong and difficult to subdue.


    However, there were no other monsters around the one they were facing now, and it was also fortunate that it was relatively small for a monster.


    ¡°Aim for the eyes!¡±


    The knights of Ferdinand had been fighting against monsters for a long time. Hundreds of years of experience were left in records and passed on to future generations. They knew that the nucleus was most likely to be in the body part that had undergone the most transformation and that they should aim for the eyes of large monsters first.


    As the slew of arrows continued, the monster struggled and fumbled around. At some point, its screams sounded different from before.


    ¡°We hit the eye!¡±


    ¡°Go on! Team One, prepare yourselves!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Kaon, keeping one eye on their surroundings, carefully placed a hand on Alessia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alessia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? Yes, Kaon.¡±


    ¡°You have to calm down. I will need your help soon.¡±


    Red eyes wavered. It wasn¡¯t just her; all mages who learned in a classroom setting showed similar reactions. It was difficult to adapt to the environment of a battle and keep their cool. No matter how much training knights and mages had, putting it into practice was an entirely different experience.


    ¡°Listen, Alessia.¡± Kaon crouched and looked directly at her. He¡¯d hoped that she wouldn¡¯t go through such a thing this soon, but she needed to go through it eventually.


    For her to remain in Ferdinand for a long time, she had to prove herself. Didn¡¯t she say herself that she wanted to be recognized and do well in her role?


    Kaon wanted her to do her best and achieve her goals. Well, and he also wanted her to stay.


    ¡°The knights will soon find the nucleus and focus on shooting that place. I¡¯ll make sure no one touches you while you work.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, I get it.¡±


    ¡°You can fail. You can try again, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s eyes were wide.


    ¡°You can do it,¡± Kaon insisted. ¡°You should be able to.¡±


    Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was steady.


    ¡°All firing stops after five seconds! Team One will enter immediately!¡±


    ¡°Ready to enter!¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡±


    The baptism of fire stopped suddenly. Several elite knights rushed in and climbed up the monster¡¯s body like they would a wall and swung their swords. Attacks were aimed simultaneously at its mouth and the concave area under its twisted arm. The thick, fur-covered skin was tough and hard to wound, but as they aimed at the same spot over and over, the monster twisted in pain.


    ¡°Take care of the wounded!¡±


    A knight who had been slapped away was taken away by a person on standby. Another one went into the fray immediately. It was spectacular to see the team move in unison as if they were one body.


    Gooooooo!


    The writhing monster roared loud enough to shake the forest.


    Kaon, deep in observation, noticed something near its shoulder, glistening under all the blood. ¡°Everyone, back off! The nucleus is on the right shoulder!¡±


    At his call, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the spot. Now, it was Alessia¡¯s turn. When Kaon looked at her, she nodded in comprehension.


    ¡°Niels! If you see a gap, shout! Alessia will go for it!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Spread out and begin firing again!¡±


    As he instructed, the knights in charge of close combat fell back and the archers began shooting again. The monster, who looked to be running away, stopped and slammed its huge paws to the ground in retaliation.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Alessia, who appeared to be muttering the words to a spell, reached for the monster.


    The swirling fire shot out in a straight line and hit the monster¡¯s shoulder, quickly penetrating the nucleus. Black smoke rose from it immediately.


    Woooooooong!


    The monster, who was constantly moving despite being hit by numerous arrows and swords, fell limply to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Niels confirmed.


    Cheers burst out immediately.


    ¡°We did it!¡±


    ¡°Alessia, you were wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Beautiful workmanship!¡±


    She stood there with an embarrassed expression, but she didn¡¯t deny the praise heaped onto her.


    Kaon stood on the sidelines, watching.


    ***


    ¡®What was that?¡¯


    Standing in the cold water, Kaon thought about that last moment¡ªwhile everyone was looking at the monster, he was looking at Alessia.


    The role of elite knight escorts was to help the mage freely spread their magic without interference, so they were also the strongest and most skilled. As one such escort, Kaon focused his senses on her as was his duty.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t feel any mana.¡¯


    The first oddity that he noticed occurred while Alessia was muttering her spell. Mages usually cast magic by drawing magic circles or reciting spells. The methods were different, but the principles were the same. It was an artificial reaction, the mage stimulating the mana in the atmosphere with their own.


    When spells were cast, the mana from the mage¡¯s body temporarily leaked out, and Kaon could see it. In other words, he could distinguish the mana in nature from the unique energy possessed by the mage. That was why he knew that the mana surrounding the eastern wall and the magic that made up the first barrier belonged to one person.


    ¡®Obviously nothing¡­¡¯


    With Alessia, she felt nothing. There was not a single bit of the energy that oscillated strangely around mages and made it look like time and space were being warped. At first, he¡¯d thought that she was too nervous to do it properly, and so he began to plan accordingly.


    ¡®Then suddenly, there was fire.¡¯


    As soon as Niels gave the signal, she cast the spell.


    It was impossible.


    Kaon had seen quite a few mages work in the past. No mage could use the atmospheric mana without their own magic. But still, the flames from Alessia¡¯s fingertips were definitely magic.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    His eyes darkened, lost in thought.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kaon! I¡¯m up!¡± The voice coming through the curtain was livelier than ever, despite it being far too early in the morning for any sort of cheerfulness from anyone.


    She seemed to be in a good mood.


    Kaon looked at the curtain and said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t go out today and just rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, though.¡±


    ¡°Leonida also told me to rest. Since you dealt with the monster yesterday, you should take today off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really okay¡­ but if Lady Leonida said so, I can¡¯t help it,¡± Alessia replied, her tone disappointed.


    Kaon felt bad for disappointing his unusually excited fianc¨¦e, but he had something to look into. He swallowed the words forming on his tongue with a sigh. As it was, if he continued to talk to her, it was highly likely that he would end up giving in to Alessia¡¯s wishes.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just figure this out for now.¡¯


    He turned away from the curtain and stepped out of his room.


    ***


    After the inspection, the mage headed directly for his room. While the knights were likely to gather around and talk for a bit, but there was no such thing for him.


    He didn¡¯t waste his time on talking.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    And that was why he didn¡¯t look back. It wasn¡¯t clear that he was the one being called anyway, was it? The mage simply decided to ignore it.


    ¡°Mage.¡±


    This time, there was no other choice but to respond.


    As surmised from the curt, confident speech, the person was of high status. Very high status.


    ¡°Prince Kaon? What is it?¡± the mage responded as sincerely as possible, if not as kindly.


    ¡°I want to ask you something. Do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯m a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your willingness. Please follow me.¡±


    His attempt to politely decline promptly ignored, the mage trailed after Kaon with a sour expression.


    Kaon knew that the mage was very unhappy with the situation, but he didn¡¯t intend to let him go until he sated his curiosity.


    ¡°Can you explain what happens when you use magic?¡±


    The mage frowned at the simple question, almost like he would have laughed or sighed in his face if he were not Ferdinand¡¯s young master. ¡°It¡¯s an innate skill. You just have to harness the mana and go along with it.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You just have to be born with the capabilities.¡±


    So far, it was all knowledge Kaon had already known. ¡°So you can¡¯t use magic if you don¡¯t have it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that obvious? How do you bake bread without flour?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to explain it in more detail.¡±


    The mage sighed. ¡°To put it simply, it¡¯s like this.¡± Looking around indifferently, he picked up a nearby tablecloth and blew into it, the sky blue fabric shaking violently. ¡°Can you see it? The tablecloth moves because I¡¯m blowing air into it.¡±


    Kaon nodded.


    ¡°As the prince may already know, the air in space is invisible. When I disrupt it with my breath, the tablecloth moves. If I don¡¯t do that, nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The air is like mana, my breath is the magic within me, and the phenomenon of the tablecloth shaking is magic. So if you don¡¯t stimulate it with your own power, the mana won¡¯t react.¡±


    ¡°Will it react if you hit it?¡±


    Dumbfounded, the mage looked at Kaon derisively, but avoided eye contact when he saw the steely look in the young man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°One last request.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything else to ask?¡±


    Kaon tilted his head toward the candlestick on a side table. ¡°Can you light that candlestick? I heard you are a recognized fire mage.¡±


    ¡°Prince Kaon, it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t know, but using magic consumes a tremendous amount of stamina¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a bonus.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± The mage obediently retrieved the candlestick, closed his eyes, and murmured unintelligibly.


    At the same time, Kaon watched the space distort like a rising haze. A faint green energy swirled and wrapped around the mage.


    The moment he uttered the last word, the energy flew toward the candlestick, whose wick burst into flames immediately.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t forget my promises.¡± Kaon opened the door and stepped aside, letting the mage pass first. ¡°Are you sure that you can¡¯t use magic if you aren¡¯t born with it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better not ask such a question in front of a wizard ever again.


    That answer was enough.


    ***


    ¡°All of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There were a lot of knights who couldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Since when did our master think of knights like that¡­ Oh, don¡¯t look at me that way, it¡¯s heartbreaking.¡± Maurice smirked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re asking Miss Alessia to show you magic?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Kaon had confirmed that his knowledge about magic principles was accurate. Now all that was left was to watch Alessia use her magic once again.


    ¡®I might have been mistaken.¡¯


    He obviously stared at her more than anyone else, but he might have poor eyesight, after all.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to apologize if this misunderstanding came about because I didn¡¯t see properly.¡¯


    What was happening? She used magic right in front of his eyes, but he was suspecting that she was not a mage. If all people could control mana despite not being born with the ability to, Ferdinand wouldn¡¯t have needed to hire any mages.


    Kaon only needed to verify that he was the one being stupid so he could sincerely apologize for the unnecessary suspicion.


    ¡°Lady Alessia!¡±


    Kaon, who had been waiting impatiently, raised his head at Maurice¡¯s lively greeting.


    Alessia, who had just exited the barracks, approached the two with an open expression.


    Kaon¡¯s heart fluttered.


    ¡°Maurice! Kaon!¡±


    ¡°I heard that you did a great job yesterday. Oh, oh, it¡¯s so sad that I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes. How could a monster appear while I was not there? Had I been with you, the lady wouldn¡¯t have even lifted a hand,¡± Maurice prattled on, his tongue as smooth as butter.


    Kaon almost felt regret, but the beginnings of it were instantly washed away by Alessia¡¯s clear laughter.


    ¡°How are you so good at flattery?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not flattery, it¡¯s sincere praise. Is there anything else that makes people happier than sincerity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned something new again.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one other person who knows that, Miss Alessia.¡± Then Maurice pretended to have a sudden thought, ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Maurice?¡±


    ¡°Lady, if you don¡¯t mind, can you use your magic now? I¡¯ve talked a lot about your greatness, but there are those who think I¡¯m exaggerating.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°It¡¯s the evening, so if you could shoot fire into the sky, everyone will believe what I¡¯ve been saying.¡± He clasped his hands together.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not really that great, so they may have a point.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that. Lady Alessia is no less than a god in my eyes.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, seemingly burdened by the knight¡¯s twinkling green ones.


    Noticing that this method wasn¡¯t working, Maurice hurriedly changed tactics. ¡°Actually, I just want to see it again. Is that weird? But even if I asked the other mages, nobody would agree¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, please, just this once¡­ I mean, I¡¯ve never used magic in my entire life.¡±


    Kaon hadn¡¯t asked Maurice to go that far in his acting, but at this point, it was probably just that he was immersed in the role.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not that difficult. You can stop begging now.¡±


    ¡°Alessia Ingelos, you are an angel!¡±


    She giggled.


    Kaon, caught off-guard by her pretty smile, came to his senses when she quietly began to murmur the spell.


    A brief moment passed and Alessia raised her right hand to the sky. Then, just as she had melted the monster¡¯s nucleus, fire shot out of her hand and lit up the sky with a pop.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best mage ever!¡±


    As many eyes turned to the sky and Maurice sang her praises, Kaon grabbed Alessia¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Let me talk to you for a minute, Alessia.¡±

 Chapter 24

    A heavy silence descended upon the two after the door closed.


    Kaon didn¡¯t say anything as they walked to their suite. Couldn¡¯t.


    While everyone was captivated by the fire shooting upwards into the stars, he only saw Alessia.


    Fluttering silver hair stark against the night sky, closed eyes and slowly moving lips.


    He didn¡¯t miss a single second.


    Thus, he now knew that he had not been mistaken. The mana in the atmosphere was stable and did not undergo any changes.


    But shortly thereafter, Alessia used magic.


    According to the arrogant mage from the Tower, that was impossible.


    ¡°Kaon? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He struggled to clear his thoughts and not respond instinctively to the worry in her voice. Kaon knew that he had to say something, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth.


    What if there was no misunderstanding? What if Ingelos cheated Ferdinand by not sending a true mage?


    The truth was¡­


    He shook his head. The worst-case scenario was too terrifying to imagine.


    It was a strange thing, this fear. At twelve, he¡¯d been able to rise to the rank of an elite knight because he was very good at managing his emotions.


    Even if a sharp blade flew straight at him, he did not lose concentration. He was praised for having been born with the composure of a swordsman.


    His hesitation at the present moment was inconceivable.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a big deal. We can just talk about it.¡¯


    Kaon inhaled deeply and turned around. ¡°Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Has anything happened? You look pale¡­ Are you sick?¡±


    As soon as he heard the gentleness in her voice, he realized why he was so afraid.


    Kaon liked Alessia.


    He didn¡¯t know when it all started. Or maybe he did and just didn¡¯t want to admit it. Because ever since she reached out to him that day at the ballroom¡­


    Joseph was right. It was indeed possible for him to fall in love with the princess of Ingelos at first sight.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    Maybe he was too much like his father, blinded by appearances. Perhaps this was the price of disparaging the former duke.


    Kaon sighed. He really, really liked Alessia.


    He liked that she was small enough to have to look up at him, that she tried her best at everything in a land full of people who didn¡¯t like her, and always had a smile on her face and friendly words to say.


    If he faced the truth, he might lose her.


    ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll take it as a good thing that I figured it out before anyone else did.¡¯


    In other words, Kaon might be able to solve the problem without making a fuss.


    ¡°Alessia, are you¡­ a mage?¡±


    ***


    There really must have been a better way. A skillful way to ease the truth out of the other party without asking outright.


    Kaon was, unfortunately, not good at that.


    His physical prowess was admirable, but he had no talent in using his words.


    Baroness Robert often emphasized that eloquence was an important virtue for the nobility, but he¡¯d never thought it would apply to him, a knight who was far from society.


    What mattered to the knights was not words but actions. Trust gained through words was limited.


    Kaon had believed in his choice wholeheartedly. Up until now.


    ¡°Ahaha! Kaon, what are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± Alessia burst into laughter.


    ¡°But what if you¡¯re not a mage?¡± he asked openly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Kaon blushed. He didn¡¯t expect the situation to turn out this way. Deep inside, he still hoped that it was all a big misunderstanding.


    But he couldn¡¯t ignore the truth of the situation even if he liked her.


    ¡°Hm, Kaon? What do you think?¡± Alessia was calm, so much that he felt like an idiot.


    His gaze lowered, his attention snagging on the ruby ring on her index finger. He remembered that she hadn¡¯t been wearing it during the banquet where they first met.


    Kaon remembered these moments with her clearly because he¡¯d gone over them in his head dozens of times.


    The first day he saw that ring was when Alessia arrived in Ferdinand. And from then on, he never saw her without it.


    It was remarkable in its old-fashionedness, but it wasn¡¯t serious enough to think deeply on.


    He only took notice of it again today. The moment Alessia finished chanting, a tremendous amount of magical energy was released from the ruby.


    ¡®It was definitely that ring.¡¯


    Kaon had never seen such a sight in his life. It was as strange as a knight moving as if they had a sword in their hand but didn¡¯t.


    The magic that disturbed the atmospheric mana was not from Alessia, but the ruby ring. It was not an illusion, nor his misunderstanding.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t speak. If he pointed out that he knew that she used the ring to control magic, that would reveal that he was able to see the flow of mana.


    To the eyes of non-mages, magic was simply a strange and wonderful phenomenon. They didn¡¯t know how magic manifested into the world.


    Kaon was an anomaly. He didn¡¯t know how he was born with an ability that only a few mages had, but it was his reality.


    The only person who knew about it was his mother, who¡¯d urged him to hide it for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Kaon, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone what you saw today, got it? Promise your mom.¡±


    ¡°Not even Dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, not even your father. Live as if you don¡¯t see it, alright?¡±


    At that time, he couldn¡¯t understand why he had to hide it, but he naturally learned as he grew up. The Ferdinands possessed no mage¡¯s blood, and his mother was also incapable of using magic. If Kaon¡¯s ability was revealed, she would be suspected of infidelity.


    ¡®We¡¯re all hiding something.¡¯


    Kaon briefly swallowed a bitter smile at the memory.


    In any case, he¡¯d lived his entire life following his mother¡¯s instructions. Now, if he told Alessia that he saw the magic come out of the ring and not her, all his efforts that far would go up in smoke. That alone was bad, but that wasn¡¯t all.


    If the story were to be passed on to Ingelos, it would soon reach the royal family, and then the whole kingdom. His uncle, who pretended to support him in order to oust his sister, would be determined to go ahead and become the duke on his own.


    There were far too many things at stake if he exposed himself.


    Then, should he frame it as the mage from the Tower being suspicious of her?


    No, that wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡®I was too hasty.¡¯


    At this rate, with all his mistakes and lack of planning, he would end up ruining their relationship and becoming a stranger to her.


    Alessia, who had been silently watching him, spoke first, ¡°I¡¯ll show you magic right now. If I do that, will you be convinced?¡±


    It was a simple, na?ve proposition, but there was nothing else he could do.


    ¡°¡­Yes, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Well, then.¡± She smiled cheerfully and began to mumble under her breath.


    Kaon stared at the ruby ring. There were no signs yet, but he was certain that the magic would come from there.


    After a short time, Alessia¡¯s voice stopped, but there was no magic anywhere.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    He raised his head.


    ¡°Kaon.¡± Alessia, left hand still raised to the sky, looked at him intently. ¡°I raised this hand¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only looking at my ring, aren¡¯t you?¡± She stepped closer, her forehead close enough to almost touch the tip of his chin.


    Their eyes met, and Alessia¡¯s were as red as they¡¯ve always been, but they presently had a cool glow that he¡¯d never seen before.


    ¡°Kaon Ferdinand.¡± She raised her right hand, the ruby ring flickering in front of his eyes. ¡°You see it, don¡¯t you.¡±

 Chapter 25

    It was an era when the power of mages was getting weaker and weaker. No longer could anyone bring forth rain from a clear sky nor move mountains with a single gesture.


    The first mages, nearly godlike in their abilities, were a relic of the past.


    This phenomenon was first noticed by the mages themselves. As the generations passed, the number of notable talents decreased significantly.


    ¡°The level of mages these days is no joke. It makes me wonder how some of them are accepted in the Tower.¡±


    ¡°We need an alternative. What if one day we just become¡­ painfully average?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! How can we, who have attained enlightenment, become like the ignorant?¡±


    ¡°You have a point. It¡¯s just that there are relatively few skilled mages in this generation.¡±


    Such debates were commonplace even within their circles. The opinions on whether the situation was temporary or not were sharply opposed.


    However, all mages shared the concern that their position would be shaken. Mana was a natural force, magic an inborn capability. Numerous attempts had been made to discover how certain people were able to harness magic, but all of them had led to failure.


    That was what made them anxious. If the source was unknown, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if it suddenly disappeared for an equally unknown reason.


    And as the demand for mages was decreasing, so was that anxiety exacerbated. They became less important as wars and territorial disputes decreased and technology became developed enough to be a cheaper alternative to hiring mages.


    While mages were still necessary to deal with the reappearance of the monsters, and occasionally accepted as a king¡¯s advisor, that was not enough.


    Their status was definitely not the same as before.


    ¡°How is the situation in Ingelos? Don¡¯t you think we should inquire?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they would answer. I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t care too much because their successor is apparently quite capable.¡±


    ¡°But the successor is still a child.¡±


    ¡°Still an Ingelos, though.¡±


    The greatest mage family in the history of Gaius had produced powerful mages from generation to generation, but even their numbers were dwindling. Ingelos, who was on the extreme end of the stereotypically reclusive tendencies associated with mages, did not interact with the outside world. Only when they were summoned by the king did they sometimes attend court banquets.


    ¡°Will this successor enter the Tower?¡±


    ¡°Would they want to? It would be in vain.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re still an Ingelos¡­¡±


    Despite their arrogance, mages and mage families were all interested in having a connection with Ingelos, who possessed both power and an enormous amount of research in their archives and libraries.


    So what about Ingelos themselves?


    ***


    Ingelos, treated as the last bastion of magical power, was keenly aware of the issue of weakening powers.


    As they had inherited the blood of the first great mage, they were in better shape than the rest, but that did not mean they were not suffering from the same problems, incapable of returning their family to its former glory.


    They had spent many resources trying to strengthen the existing mages instead of waiting around for a renaissance. With their multiple failures, they had incurred huge debts and thus ended up like the rest, simply hoping that their bloodline would pull through.


    ¡°Richard isn¡¯t there yet. He¡¯s eight years old and still has to draw mana from someplace else to use magic.¡±


    ¡°His development is slow considering his age.¡±


    The eldest son of the duke had shown great potential, capable of casting magic at an early age, but he did not turn out to be the genius of the century.


    Richard¡¯s parents were greatly disappointed that he did not seem to be fit to be an archmage.


    That was not to say that the child was a poor mage. On the contrary, he was outstanding among his peers. The problem was that the duke and duchess had both been in the spotlight for being promising young mages, and Richard was the fruit of their union.


    ¡°Is he our best bet?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    The two quickly agreed, their marriage turning into one big experiment.


    Great mages were borne from great mages.


    Their methodology began with immutable truth. The innate magic power in one¡¯s bloodline was the most influential factor in the conception of a powerful mage. With some unusual exceptions, mages were consistently born only in mage families, their magical tendencies similar to that of their parents.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we conceive on the day when our magic is strongest?¡±


    The couple, who had referred to various studies, established a hypothesis and began experimenting.


    They first checked and tabulated the state of their magical powers by day and night and season. By collecting data and comparing their findings over the course of three years, they were able to see a pattern in their mana fluctuations.


    Of course, similar studies had already been conducted, but they had never been linked to pregnancy. Based on their findings, Duke and Duchess Ingelos set a date for the first day of Almorius, the first month, four years later. It was because that was the day when the intersection of their powers was the most powerful.


    Various reagents and magical rituals were utilized to increase the likelihood of pregnancy. The two mages went into the bedroom, having made sure that they had calculated the right dates for their second and third attempts.


    Almost ten months later, a child was born.


    ***


    The child, who had hair like strands of moonlight and clear red eyes, was born on the first day of winter.


    While the conception was a success, it was not yet known whether their experiment was successful. Thus, Duke Ingelos prepared a huge mana stone.


    Since it responded to magic by emitting light, it was possible to recognize a baby¡¯s potential.


    As the main members of the family watched, he placed the stone next to the newborn. Gazes of anticipation and skepticism alternated between the two in the crib.


    When lots of time passed, they frowned one after the other.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The mana stone suddenly began to shine. From a thin beam of light, it spread in all directions, illuminating the surroundings. It eventually shone so brightly that it was difficult to look at.


    While everyone was mesmerized, Richard, now sixteen, picked up the mana stone and separated it from the child. The light faded and the stone regained its original black color.


    ¡°Did you all see it? Did you see that light?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a success! It¡¯s a huge success!¡±


    ¡°Oh, finally¡­!¡±


    Those who came to their senses began to cheer.


    It was very rare for a newborn baby to possess that level of magical power. Often, babies had insignificant levels of power even if they had the qualities of a mage.


    The ducal couple was delighted with the result that exceeded expectations, naming the child after the middle name of the first Duke Ingelos.


    News of an archmage¡¯s birth spread not only within the main branch of the family, but to all of Ingelos and then some.


    Alessia Ingelos.


    Everyone thought that one with such an ambitious name would shine as that mana stone had forever.

 Chapter 26

    TW: bullying / childhood trauma


    The small child carefully placed her hands on the black stone. Her eyes were tightly closed, hands clenched, but the gaze on her was cold.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t feel anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, something¡­ seems to be moving,¡± the startled girl hurriedly replied, tightening her grip on the mana stone.


    Unfortunately, nothing happened.


    Duke Ingelos stared at his child pityingly, and suddenly raised his hand to point at the stone.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    A small explosion sparked just above the mana stone, causing black smoke to rise. The child dropped it with a shrill scream.


    ¡°This is futile.¡± The duke turned his back on his little daughter without looking back.


    She trembled for a long, long time before breaking down in tears.


    ***


    Alessia, who was staggering back to her room, saw a group of children. She quickly tried to escape, but she had already been spotted.


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s Alessia, our archmage!¡±


    The children gathered at the end of the hallway rushed closer to her.


    ¡°What other miracles did you accomplish today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something that ordinary mages like us can never accomplish, right? Can you show it to us?¡±


    Alessia, who was thin and small, was quickly surrounded.


    ¡°Make it rain¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± she mumbled.


    The children, her cousins who had always been compared to her, laughed uproariously. As they all lived together in a large castle, sharing research progress reports, all of the adults¡¯ hypotheses about Alessia spread to the children.


    ¡°Oh, how dare we laugh at our archmage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    They looked down on Alessia with similar red eyes.


    ¡°Did you think we¡¯d say that?¡±


    ¡°My dad says you¡¯re not a proper wizard. That Uncle failed.¡±


    ¡°You thought you were the best, didn¡¯t you? Because everyone loves you, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything, I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°So noisy!¡± A hand flew towards her.


    She crouched instinctively, and the children began to pull her hair. Alessia swallowed her tears and didn¡¯t scream once.


    ¡°Alessia can¡¯t use magic. She¡¯s a fool, she¡¯s a fool¡­¡± they sang.


    Ever since then, the words of their little song were¡­


    ***


    Her name, which once bore her family¡¯s hopes, had thus been reduced to ridicule.


    In fact, the anomalies between her perceived potential and actual skill appeared when she was four, when she had first started taking classes. Alessia had not been able to sense mana concentration, something that most descendants of Ingelos could do.


    She was overflowing with mana, so it should have been simple to sense and harness it, but it seemed like she didn¡¯t even know mana existed.


    Sometimes there were children who were late bloomers, so the duke brought a mana stone. If she couldn¡¯t feel it herself, it would be enough if there was an external stimulant.


    Had he not witnessed her potential with his own eyes? Even though several years had passed, the sight of the mana stone shining like a glass bead was still vivid in his mind.


    As such, he did not doubt that Alessia would soon overtake her peers.


    However, that belief was quickly shattered. The mana stone did not respond at all. He brought out all the others that Ingelos possessed, but none of them reacted to Alessia.


    The duke hurriedly called his wife and brother to the room, interrupting their own research. Monique and Xavier were annoyed at first, but immediately understood the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s her first time, so she might be too nervous.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way that nothing would happen at all.¡±


    ¡°Alessia, did you try to connect with the mana?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    The child, who sensed the strange atmosphere, eventually withdrew without them noticing.


    Their days passed just like any other, and the years went by quickly.


    Each member of the family had their own suggestions. Some said that the dormant mana could be awakened by force, while others said that exposure to magic stones would be helpful.


    Unfortunately, none of those methods work. Alessia and the mana stone were at an impasse.


    It was rare for a child with magical power to lose it temporarily, and even rarer for one to lose it entirely.


    In an unprecedented event, the ducal couple made no progress in their studies related to Alessia¡¯s condition.


    They were left with an ordinary child, and as usual, their interest soon shifted to their next experiment.


    ***


    Failures were bound to be discarded, easily forgotten.


    But Alessia Ingelos was neither discarded nor forgotten. It would have been better if she were, but her existence itself became a disgrace to her family.


    ¡°Poor Alessia, why are you even reading? You can¡¯t use magic, can you?¡± Stella tapped her head and kicked the torn book away.


    ¡°Just behave, will you? Don¡¯t make me feel bad by trying out things that won¡¯t work.¡± Pascal, who had upturned the room, giggled and left.


    The book¡¯s pages were scattered on the floor, and a stream of blood dripped from Alessia¡¯s forehead, which had been hit by the book¡¯s spine. She leaned against the wall helplessly, reflecting on what had gone wrong.


    Pascal and Stella, who had not received much attention from their parents due to their unremarkable magic powers, grew up to be mages of little importance. They were not smart enough to devote themselves to research, not talented enough to cultivate their abilities.


    So they took out their rage on Alessia.


    But just as it was not her fault that she had no mana, her cousins¡¯ lack of it had nothing to do with her.


    Her wound tingled and throbbed.


    She knew better than anyone that nothing would come out of reading books that she could not follow. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t live waiting for the day she would be discarded. Alessia just wanted to live, even as a human being.


    Was that so greedy of her?


    A squeak interrupted her thoughts.


    Alessia managed to raise her head.


    Richard Ingelos was there. Her older brother was sixteen years older than her and the de facto hair to the duchy, as their parents had stepped back to devote themselves to research.


    He did not directly hit or bully his little sister, but he did not help her either. Under his indifference, their cousins grew bolder and more aggressive.


    So why was he looking at her now?


    An ominous feeling began to creep up on her.


    Richard wordlessly threw something at her.


    ¡®A ring?¡¯


    It looked a little too old-fashioned for Alessia, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to argue about it.


    ¡®Is he trying to frame me for stealing?¡¯


    She had already gone through similar plots many times, so that was the most likely assumption.


    But Richard had never been the type to waste time on useless things.


    ¡°You can¡¯t live this worthless life forever. Now you can do something to help the family.¡±


    Normally, she would have jumped at the opportunity, but she no longer had the energy to do so.


    Drops of blood clung to her eyelashes, obstructing her vision.


    ¡°Take that and go to Ferdinand. You¡¯ll be betrothed to their prince.¡±


    Her eyes opened wide.


    Ferdinand? Betrothed?


    Still, Richard was now suggesting that she leave, something that she had always imagined but never dreamed of coming true.


    ¡°You¡¯ll deal with the monsters there.¡±


    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s that, then¡­¡± Alessia¡¯s elation was washed away coldly.


    She was being told to go and die.


    Alessia swallowed a bitter smile, feeling all the more foolish for her anticipation. ¡°I see. I will do that.¡± She nodded.


    After all, her existence was no better than death. If she could live somewhere else, even for just a little while, it would be better than whatever her current life was.


    Even if that somewhere else was the land of Ferdinand, their mortal enemy.


    ¡°Use that. If you wear that ring and cast spells, you¡¯ll be able to do it. The magic is in the ring.¡±


    Yet another surprising development. Alessia had heard that Richard was conducting research on magic transfer methods. Everyone expected to make a huge amount of money if he succeeded.


    It seemed that he had indeed done the impossible.


    Sighing, she came to her senses.


    ¡®Why is he giving it to me?¡¯


    It was unbelievable that she would be given an escape route and a way to survive in one go, much less from the brother who had always ignored her.


    She would have been more relieved if he had hurt her.


    Alessia looked at Richard.


    He looked uncharacteristically anxious. Uneasy.


    She realized that he was keeping his success quiet for now, given that his discovery would have already shaken the world if it had been revealed.


    ¡°Make sure no one finds out that you¡¯re using magic through the ring. I¡¯ll slit your neck if that happens. If something goes wrong, send me a letter immediately.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Richard seemed to want her as his test subject. Even if side effects occurred, she would die in their enemy¡¯s land, so she was the perfect candidate.


    Ferdinand also needed mages, but there were no volunteers there, so it was likely that that would be her role.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯


    Alessia clenched her fingers around the ring after Richard left.


    Even a trap had to be turned into an opportunity. She had no strength and possessions to escape Ingelos alone, and there was no telling when such fortune would arrive again.


    Besides, maybe she could start a new life in Ferdinand. It had been a long time since she was branded a failure, but the people there knew nothing.


    ¡®If I could do that¡­¡¯


    She didn¡¯t care that she was subject to experimentation again. She would do anything for a normal life.


    Alessia would survive at all costs.

 Chapter 27

    After many twists and turns, her life in Ferdinand began.


    Living alone in the enemy territory was not easy, as expected. The people here did not like Ingelos, and she was also wary of them.


    Fortunately, she was quick-witted and good at sensing the atmosphere. It was a skill she¡¯d picked up when she was younger to avoid the ire of her cousins. She built a favorable impression by subverting the prejudiced expectations of the people of Ferdinand, who were amazed by even the smallest of courtesies.


    As time went by, their gazes gradually changed. Alessia also felt more and more comfortable.


    ¡°Alessia.¡±


    Well, with one exception.


    ¡°Kaon, are you going out now?¡± She skillfully concealed her stiff expression and clapped. ¡°What a coincidence! Why don¡¯t we have breakfast together?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    While she knew that he¡¯d been waiting for her as early as an hour ago, when he first sensed her presence through the curtain, she smiled and feigned ignorance.


    A beautiful boy who was a full head taller than her, one who seemed to have a huge crush on her.


    Alessia made it a point to be conscious of how other people felt about her, and Kaon Ferdinand was a candid person. It would have been harder not to notice that he really liked her appearance.


    This was a great advantage. Ferdinand¡¯s prince and her fianc¨¦ was an important figure whom she needed on her side.


    But even before she¡¯d done anything special, he showed interest in her first. It was a little ridiculous that it was only because of her face, but the outcome was in her favor anyway.


    She knew she should be happy, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel so good.


    Because while everyone else was getting used to her, he didn¡¯t seem to be.


    ¡°Have you experienced any inconveniences recently?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, Kaon. I¡¯m doing very well thanks to your care.¡±


    ¡®I feel the most uncomfortable with you.¡¯


    Alessia swallowed the urge to be frank and paused, deliberately making eye contact and smiling softly.


    Kaon¡¯s sky-like eyes ran away from her gaze bashfully. His cheeks were as red as they had been during their dance at the banquet.


    The sight made her chest hurt a little, and she forced her face to keep its expression.


    ***


    Her cousins had always told her that it was annoying that she always pretended to be nice. Even if she just wanted to pass the days without problems and obeyed people, they still cursed her for not being fun.


    She¡¯d never understood their reasoning, but now she did.


    Otherwise, why else did she dislike Kaon Ferdinand so much when he was the one who liked her the most?


    Alessia felt twisted inside when she saw someone who was loved by all¡ªloved as if it was the most natural thing in the world¡ªshow her so much favor like it was a simple thing.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early? The mage from the Tower is expected to stay in the duchy until the end of the year. Also, even knights must be at least seventeen to participate.¡±


    The night she had volunteered to join the forest inspections, his pleasantly, purposefully soft voice through the curtain was rife with worry.


    ¡®You¡¯ll be fine even if you do nothing but play and make yourself comfortable because you don¡¯t have to worry about being kicked out.¡¯


    Unlike Kaon, she could not be at ease. She was worried about facing the monsters that she had only seen in books, as well as her performance with the ring.


    She wasn¡¯t a real mage, so she had to step up. There was a limit to how much she could do with words, so she needed to do something to endear herself further to people.


    Alessia bit her lip, feeling horrible at the sarcasm that wanted to pour out of her.


    Kaon Ferdinand was just concerned for her. He was just an overly transparent boy who was afraid of her getting hurt.


    Because he liked her.


    She knew that it wasn¡¯t fair to blame him.


    But she couldn¡¯t help her resentment whenever she compared her situation with his.


    How could their lives have been so different even when they were both children from ducal families? Why did he have everything she had never had?


    Faced with the full force of Kaon¡¯s concern, Alessia was overwhelmed.


    She felt guilty and inferior.


    ¡®You don¡¯t even know what kind of person I really am.¡¯


    It was funny, in a way. The image of her that Kaon liked was not real. A sweet and lovely mage who was not really a mage and not really sweet at all.


    He must have naively fallen for her persona.


    If he found out the truth¡­ It was clear to her that he would turn his back on her.


    Alessia had already been abandoned once by her own parents for not meeting their expectations. She had lived a life that was worse than death for failing to become the mage they had hoped for.


    It was funny to see Kaon Ferdinand eagerly, tenderly care for her, knowing that it would all go away forever.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯


    She unclenched her jaw and closed her eyes. There was no need to get heated over the future anyway. It would be more beneficial for her to devise a plan to fit in with Ferdinand more easily.


    ¡®Why is he so nice to me?¡¯


    Alessia almost preferred that he insult her and call her names like the mages of Ingelos did. She was the daughter of an enemy family, after all.


    And it would¡¯ve been easier for her to hate him that way. Hate the clumsy, affectionate prince who could live as he pleased.


    But Kaon Ferdinand kept showing her favor.


    Alessia, who had always wanted to look good to others but had never been genuinely liked, was put in an unfamiliar position.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to waste her time on such useless thoughts, but the boy who seemed to have it all kept trying to take her time.


    So she disliked him just that much more.


    ***


    ¡°Alessia?¡±


    She stepped back in surprise and chewed on the inside of her cheek.


    ¡°There were leaves in your hair, so I¡­ I guess I surprised you, sorry.¡±


    She¡¯d been so preoccupied with her thoughts that her instincts had overreacted to Kaon¡¯s approaching hand and had her own raised as if to block it.


    She¡¯d gotten too used to having things fly at her and being attacked from behind.


    ¡°No, I just overreacted. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Alessia grinned, trying to change the mood, and checked his expression.


    She didn¡¯t want to expose her miserable past, and her mistake had practically advertised it. That much likely was not enough to infer anything from, but she didn¡¯t want any loose ends.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for moving so suddenly. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Kaon looked to be more interested in her current state than what her reaction might have revealed.


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡± she blurted out.


    He looked down at her with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful, Kaon. As you know, I¡¯m from Ingelos, so I was very worried, but thanks to you, I was able to adjust very quickly. So I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Spilled milk couldn¡¯t be put back in the glass, but it could be wiped up.


    Her tone was friendly and casual in hopes that he would take the question lightly.


    But unfortunately for her, Kaon was unwilling to do so.


    He slowly opened his mouth, ¡°You work hard on everything, so I thought it would be nice if I could be of any help¡­¡± he trailed off, oozing embarrassment.


    ¡°Did you not have any results today?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to sense her magic at all.¡±


    Little Alessia would have died for even the slightest recognition. She didn¡¯t eat or sleep properly and worked hard all day.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do such an easy thing? I¡¯m not asking you to do something great?¡±


    ¡°I can do it, Mother. Please give me one more chance. If you give me a little time, I¡¯ll be sure to¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you can say?¡±


    But she was unable to harness her mana until the end, and she didn¡¯t become a mage.


    Alessia was the only one in Ingelos who could not do what they all did. No matter how hard she tried, no one recognized her. Because she ended up as nothing, her efforts were also nothing.


    Her parents, who could neither abandon nor be proud of her, left her alone. They didn¡¯t care that she was being bullied by her cousins and wasting away.


    No one had ever acknowledged how hard she worked.


    Kaon Ferdinand had no idea how much she wanted to hear those words, even just once.


    Why did he have to be the one to notice her?


    Alessia¡¯s head spun.


    It was a good thing that he averted his eyes. If he hadn¡¯t, he surely would have seen how close she was to tears.

 Chapter 28

    As she spent more time here, Alessia learned something new.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯ll be troublesome to have a separate unit. I haven¡¯t even reached the age of majority yet.¡±


    ¡°You only talk of not being an adult at times like this. Anyway, I¡¯ve delivered Lady Leonida¡¯s message. You can¡¯t say you didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, who is your master, again? No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s not me.¡±


    It was the fact that Kaon Ferdinand only pretended to be mature in front of her.


    Once she noticed it, it became evident in each interaction.


    It was kind of hilarious that the perfect-looking boy was actually an immature child to others.


    ¡°Miss Alessia.¡±


    When he saw her, his face automatically smoothed out, his voice lowered, and his posture straightened as he became the Kaon Ferdinand that she knew.


    ¡°I heard that we¡¯ll be going out in a week, Kaon. Can I ask you a few questions?¡± Alessia pretended to not have seen the two of them earlier and was rewarded with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Of course. Joseph, we¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± the aide replied, understandably shaken by the appearance of a gentle young master.


    Alessia laughed out loud and two pairs of eyes turned to her at once.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Kaon¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re suddenly looking at me that way, Joseph.¡±


    ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°Just keep doing it.¡± He patted Joseph on the shoulder encouragingly, then looked at her with a huge, carefree grin. ¡°Shall we go, Alessia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Somehow, she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She didn¡¯t feel unpleasant or uncomfortable. Just¡­ strange.


    But she didn¡¯t want to explore those feelings.


    Briefly, she wondered if the two of them would be able to keep laughing and smiling like that if they stayed with each other.


    ***


    Alessa ran into her dressing room and shut herself in her wardrobe in search of darkness. She¡¯d just run away from Kaon Ferdinand, who was wearing a garishly red cloak and red jewelry.


    Just like how she had been as a child, she wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face in them, trembling.


    ¡°But please remember it from now on. I really like this color.¡±


    His clear yet quiet voice lingered in her ears, his appearance burned into her eyes.


    Alessia had noticed early on that the people of Ferdinand hated her red eyes. It was hard not to when they all bowed in haste when she accidentally made eye contact.


    Her solution had been a hat, colorful and distracting like a poisonous mushroom.


    Although she looked peculiar and it occasionally obstructed her vision, it was worth wearing because the people were no longer terrified of her.


    She was adjusting faster than she had anticipated, and she felt a little proud of herself.


    However, the moment she saw Kaon saying that in front of everyone with that absurd outfit, countless emotions tangled in her chest.


    Did she look that funny? That pitiful that he intervened in that way?


    Looking at it logically, it was easy to see that the young man just wanted to make her feel a little more comfortable.


    But right now, she felt embarrassed and ashamed. She thought she was doing well in her own way, and her pride stung at the thought that someone had to help her.


    She wanted to look dignified in Ferdinand, in the land where no one knew that she was useless. She didn¡¯t even want to be pitied, thinking that it would help her forget a little of her past.


    Alessia gritted her teeth and held back tears. She decided that it would be better to have a word with Kaon. She would thank him and then reassure him that he didn¡¯t need to go so far because she could take care of herself.


    She¡­ would also tell him that she would rather that he pretended not to know if he saw her struggle¡­


    ¡°Alessia, I¡­¡±


    But as soon as she pulled open the curtain between their rooms and faced him, she realized that she would never be able to say any of that to the boy who was looking at her with innocent concern.


    ¡°I can explain¡ª¡±


    She didn¡¯t need an explanation. She knew just from his eyes that he didn¡¯t intend to make fun of her or pity her.


    Oh, those eyes were so sincere. Clear and honest, practically screaming that he only hoped for her not to have a hard time.


    Alessia impulsively ran into his arms. She didn¡¯t want to hear the words she already understood, or let him see her crying face.


    She didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of Kaon Ferdinand.


    He was big and strong and infinitely warm, one of his hands sweeping across her back, awkward but still welcomed.


    Alessia buried her face deeper into Kaon¡¯s chest to smother her tears.


    ¡®Oh, now I have to admit it.¡¯


    Kaon Ferdinand liked Alessia Ingelos, enough that he didn¡¯t mind looking funny.


    And she didn¡¯t mind it either.


    ***


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two held each other for a long time before pulling apart abruptly. Kaon looked at the ceiling while Alessia stared at the floor.


    Her embarrassment worsened when she saw dark spots on the red cloak. With her swollen eyes, it was obvious that she was the one who cried.


    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡±


    She turned around and realized belatedly that she had spoken casually, but she wasn¡¯t in the position to pay attention to that. She just wanted to get out of this situation quickly.


    Being with Kaon no longer felt uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t feel comfortable either. Besides, she had shown more vulnerability to him than she was intending.


    ¡°Wait a minute! I mean, could you give me a moment, no, could you spare me some time?¡± he babbled.


    He seemed to be so flustered that he couldn¡¯t pick between polite and casual speech.


    It made her feel better.


    ¡®I thought I was the only one with confusing feelings.¡¯


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just talk casually? After all, it¡¯s just the two of us,¡± she offered.


    ¡®Is it because I feel at ease?¡¯


    Fortunately, Kaon didn¡¯t seem to hate it. ¡°Can you give me a bit of your time later this evening?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Alessia nodded slowly, thinking that she would have to soak her face in cold water after this conversation.


    In the first place, she was not in a position to reject the man whose arms she had borrowed earlier.


    ¡°Then, see you later.¡± She pretended to be calm until she crossed into her room.


    ¡®What have I done?¡¯


    Regrets flooded in, but in truth, she was not confident that she would have done differently even if she went back in time.


    This realization made her even more confused.

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Alessia, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be out soon.¡±


    Hours after the incident, Alessia met with Kaon again with a clean face. She couldn¡¯t hide the redness around her eyes, but she probably wasn¡¯t too ugly to look at.


    ¡°Did you rest well?¡± he asked awkwardly, keeping his eyes on her face.


    She suddenly realized why she had been so uncomfortable around him. No one in her life took notice of her more than he did.


    It had always been her role to be conscious of others and try to fit their mood. Such was not the case with Kaon Ferdinand, who looked at her and¡­ cared for her.


    That¡¯s what bothered her.


    Of course, there were her feelings of inferiority, but the inconvenience of experiencing unfamiliar things all at once was even more annoying.


    ¡°Yes, thanks to you.¡±


    It was a little better now. Maybe because she had let go of some of her negative feelings against him, or because his clumsy consolations broke something in her, but she no longer had the same thoughts as before.


    Although it was still kind of scary to be at the end of so much effort.


    Alessia followed him quietly, ignoring his gaze.


    Kaon guided her through and outside the mansion, stopping in front of a relatively small residence away from the main building in the estate.


    She remembered hearing that it had been built by the previous Duke Ferdinand for his wife. After the two died, it had been abandoned.


    ¡®Why are we here?¡¯


    She resisted her curiosity and first let herself be led to a staircase.


    The ceiling and windows were all made of clear glass, ensuring the presence of light throughout the day and a full view of the beautiful surroundings.


    The former duke¡¯s love for his wife was palpable.


    As they climbed, the deep blue sky seemed to inch closer and closer.


    Alessia suddenly felt a deep envy for the woman she had only seen in portraits, who received this wonderful place as a gift.


    To her, whose cursed name was the only gift she had received, such a life was unimaginable.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Kaon said, the first words he had spoken since they left their rooms. He stopped in front of the third room to their right. ¡°Here.¡±


    There was a key in his palm, making his intentions obvious.


    Alessia was greeted with the familiar smell of paper when she opened the door. The room looked like both a study and a bedroom, boasting a clean and comfortable atmosphere. There was an armchair in front of a large, panoramic window that overlooked the estate.


    It was very similar to what she had once dreamed of having.


    ¡°It¡¯s the room my mother used to use.¡±


    ¡°She must have liked books.¡±


    ¡°She did, which is why they fill most of the rooms in this place. Still, this room was her favorite. Mother said it made her feel like she was floating.¡±


    Alessia knew what the late Duchess Ferdinand had meant. It was a joy to be able to read without disturbances in a well-lit room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she did.¡± She grinned.


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t a very interesting or unique story. It would have been more advantageous to her if the duchess was alive, but¡­


    Alessia turned to Kaon, trying to figure out if he had brought her here to share his memories of his mother.


    Kaon worried his lips and sighed. ¡°Sometimes, being alone is easier. I have times when I feel that way.¡±


    ¡°Everyone does, Kaon. I do too,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Come and rest here when you feel that way. I haven¡¯t cleaned the other rooms yet, but¡­¡±


    In the brief silence that followed, their gazes met. Kaon was fiddling with the back of his neck with a shy expression.


    ¡°¡­You want me to use this place?¡±


    ¡°Leo doesn¡¯t really care about this mansion in general, so you can use any other room, but it would be better if you use the cleanest room¡­ This place is maintained once every three months, but¡­ Anyway, this is the cleanest room at the moment.¡±


    ¡°But this is your mother¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s not here now. All the other rooms are unoccupied as well. It¡¯s perfectly fine to use it,¡± he said, averting his eyes. ¡°And¡­ I heard you like books.¡±


    The light from the sunset poured into the room, further casting redness onto Kaon¡¯s blushing face.


    Alessia looked at him and the key in her hand alternately.


    To summarize, he wanted to give her a space where she could rest alone, so he chose the place where his mother used to stay and cleaned it himself because he didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about his plans.


    ¡®I¡­ can¡¯t.¡¯


    Alessia did not want to think of Kaon Ferdinand as special. She did not want to always feel hyperaware of one unpredictable boy.


    Unfortunately for her, he kept creeping into all her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, right. Do you want to visit that boutique again soon? It¡¯ll be winter shortly, so I was thinking about getting a coat before the cold really sets in. While we¡¯re out, we can also look around Briar for a bit. It¡¯s boring to just stay here all the time.


    This overly tall, beautiful boy who shyly avoided her eyes and offered her good things felt like a gift from a god who sympathized with her.


    ¡®I will definitely become the best mage because that¡¯s what everyone said.¡¯


    That little girl and her expectations were gone now.


    ¡®I¡¯ll finally feel the mana today.¡¯


    ¡®If I¡¯m honest with everyone, maybe they won¡¯t hate me anymore.¡¯


    ¡®My parents probably don¡¯t know that this is happening. They will surely help me when they find out.¡¯


    None of her trivial, desperate pleas had been answered. In time, it became easier not to wish for anything at all.


    But each time she looked at Kaon Ferdinand, a building sense of anticipation loomed in the back of her mind.


    Perhaps he was the only blessing she would ever receive in her life. And perhaps¡­ she could bear to hope that he would be hers forever.


    ***


    Did it all go wrong the moment she started having expectations again? Was it bad to hope for something better because it never came true?


    Her life had never gone her way. From the moment she was born and given her glorious, burdensome name, nothing had ever worked out for her.


    ¡°Alessia, are you¡­ a mage?¡±


    The tension and rigidness in his facial muscles told her how much he had agonized over the question.


    ¡®It has come.¡¯


    When Maurice had asked her to show him her magic, she quickly noticed who was really asking. Even if Kaon wasn¡¯t standing right next to her and staring anxiously, she would have known.


    For the past few days, his attitude had been very different from usual. Alessia was expecting that this day would arrive.


    So, although she knew early on that Maurice¡¯s request was a trap, she cast a showy spell using her ring.


    If there was a trap, there surely will be someone who will come to collect it. She deliberately let herself get caught, intending to observe the hunter¡¯s reaction.


    As a result, Alessia learned that Kaon Ferdinand was a skilled knight, but not a skilled hunter.


    ¡®So this is how it ends.¡¯


    Alessia swallowed a bitter laugh. This was probably the price of wishing for something that wasn¡¯t meant to be hers.


    At first, she¡¯d hated him. She had hated how his only worry seemed to be making himself look good in front of her. It would have been better if she still hated him now, or if he didn¡¯t like her either.


    ¡®I wish¡­¡¯


    If that had been the case, she wouldn¡¯t have to feel this way.


    But it was already too late.


    She had to throw away those nonsensical thoughts and get her act together if she wanted to stay in Ferdinand. And Alessia very much wanted to, preferring to be eaten by a monster than to return to Ingelos.


    ¡°You see it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Kaon flinched, practically confirming her hunch that he was also hiding something.


    This was her last chance.


    Alessia instinctively knew that she had to seize it. Even if it meant targeting Kaon Ferdinand¡¯s weakness.


    Miracles were only temporary, after all.


    Alessia Ingelos returned to her eternal reality, just like that.

 Chapter 30

    Ruby-red eyes filled his vision.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Kaon was stunned. Too many unexpected things had happened in quick succession.


    If he understood the situation correctly, Alessia was now the one interrogating him, not the other way around.


    He observed her, unable to avert his eyes, noting how her silver hair reflected the moonlight just as it always did, her features just as beautiful¡­


    But the person in front of him didn¡¯t look like her at all.


    She, who always had a soft smile when their eyes met, was now staring at him with a breathtakingly unfamiliar chill.


    ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡±


    ¡°You see it. You see something that others can¡¯t. Am I wrong, Kaon Ferdinand?¡±


    Alessia, who always used a light, careful tone, was now questioning him with an aggression that seemed more appropriately used by someone holding a knife to one¡¯s throat.


    The addition of his family name, too, created a sense of distance.


    ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden, Alessia?¡± Kaon smiled, knowing that it was time to back off.


    He would regroup and ask her again later.


    ¡°Explain to me why you were only looking at my ring, right after asking me if I was truly a mage?¡± she pressed, cornering him. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t use the mage from the Tower as an excuse. He¡¯s seen me cast spells many times already, and he hasn¡¯t said anything. If he had noticed anything, he would have reported it already.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kaon faltered, thinking of another excuse.


    Alessia laughed, smirking coldly. ¡°There¡¯s only one other mage in this place, and he didn¡¯t doubt me at all. Meanwhile, you¡¯ve only seen me wield fire twice, and yet you started acting weirdly after the first time.¡± She stepped closer.


    He felt a wall against his back. ¡°¡­!¡±


    Just as he was about to tell her to put more distance between them, she grabbed him by the collar of his coat and pulled.


    Her eyes were close enough for him to see his face reflected in them.


    His mind went blank. He couldn¡¯t push her away, nor see anything else but her.


    ¡°What did you see that time that pushed you to ask that question?¡± Alessia asked, quiet but not uncertain. ¡°You are right, Kaon Ferdinand.¡±


    He struggled to pay attention to the soft words, thoughts running wild.


    In the end, the most important issue was whether she was a mage or not, deceiving the entirety of Ferdinand including himself. The truth would ultimately determine what to do next.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a real mage,¡± she whispered, only audible because of their proximity.


    Kaon¡¯s eyes widened. This was the answer he had been looking for, but it was still somehow hard to believe.


    Alessia wasn¡¯t a mage, and she had been fooling everyone the entire time.


    Also, the Alessia that Kaon knew would have been apologizing by now, explaining her situation and asking for forgiveness. The person in front of him didn¡¯t seem at all inclined to do so. For someone caught in the act, she seemed overly composed, even relaxing as time passed.


    ¡°But how are you going to prove it?¡± She released his collar and gently pushed him back. ¡°The people here love you so much. They¡¯re proud of you; I heard a great deal of anecdotes from them.¡±


    Kaon knew she was right. He wouldn¡¯t be able to prove to anyone that she wasn¡¯t a mage.


    ¡°But no one ever mentioned that you had such a special ability. Isn¡¯t that strange? If a knight had the ability of a mage, it would make sense to show off.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess they didn¡¯t know, did they?¡± She grinned like a child who had found treasure.


    In contrast, Kaon¡¯s expression had darkened worryingly. He¡¯d been planning on persuading Alessia to tell him the truth, so he wasn¡¯t prepared for her to openly admit her guilt and turn the tables on him.


    ¡°Does your sister know about this? That her brother can see mana? If she does, what reason does she have to hide it?¡±


    The barrage of sharp questions flustered him.


    ¡°I see. She doesn¡¯t know either, does she?¡±


    Kaon wasn¡¯t able to deny anything. This scenario was totally unfamiliar to him, who lived simply and straightforwardly.


    ¡°Still, I want to know. Why didn¡¯t you think of telling your sister about the truth about me? She seems like the sort of person who would listen to you in earnest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kaon paused.


    If he¡¯d spoken to Leonida, she certainly would have listened. He knew that he¡¯d have to tell her eventually, but¡­


    ¡°Or is that not the case?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told her?¡±


    Alessia¡¯s red eyes stared deep into his soul, tilting her head when he tried to look away due to the irrational fear that she would be able to see all his secrets.


    ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Well and truly embarrassed, Kaon snapped his mouth shut.


    It was one unbelievable thing after the other in this conversation.


    She¡¯d asked so nonchalantly about his feelings, making him realize that everything she¡¯d shown to him so far was a lie.


    A dull pain rushed into his heart.


    ¡°Do you? If so, just pretend you don¡¯t know anything, Kaon.¡± Alessia bit her lip, the perfect image of the girl he knew and liked.


    ¡°You knew all that?¡± He clenched his fist.


    He didn¡¯t even know if he genuinely wanted confirmation. He just felt like he should ask something, say something.


    ¡°How could I not know? I can see the way you look at me,¡± she replied, raising her gaze from his whitened knuckles.


    ¡®Then why did you pretend otherwise?¡¯


    Even though he would look like a fool if he asked, he really wanted to. If it was as obvious as she made it out to be, why did she pretend not to know for so long? His life would have been much easier if she¡¯d given him a hint that she knew.


    Kaon was prepared to give her his heart even if she wasn¡¯t ready to share hers. If there was something she didn¡¯t like about him, he would fix it, and he was ready to step aside if she preferred to be with someone else.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t possible to do all that, she would at least try.


    He might have even tried to cover for her secret. If she had explained the situation to him and not used threats, he would have helped.


    Alessia¡¯s conjecture was right. Kaon hadn¡¯t run to Leonida to tattle because he liked her.


    Perhaps inherited from his father, he was so intent on giving his all for the person he liked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Kaon Ferdinand.¡±


    Something in his chest sank at the sight of her cold gaze. It was proof. Proof that she had never liked him, not even a little bit, that every bit of sympathy and affection was all an illusion.


    ¡®It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen those eyes.¡¯


    Kaon belatedly recalled that he¡¯d seen a fleeting glimpse of coldness once, in between smiles. At the time, he¡¯d brushed it off, but it turned out to be the real thing.


    ¡®Was everything really fake? Do I even know anything about her?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll hide your secret, and you¡¯ll hide mine,¡± Alessia said with a finality, the confidence of knowing that there was no other option.


    Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel without hesitation, and Kaon didn¡¯t stop her.


    Neither of them knew or realized that Alessia¡¯s fingertips were trembling just then.

 Chapter 31

    The flames soared high, casting an orange glow over the faces of everyone looking.


    At that moment, Alessia¡¯s eyes seemed to shine a bright vermilion.


    Kaon stared blankly at her side profile, thinking that she was more incandescent than the flames embroidering the night sky.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± she asked, taking her gaze down to meet his eyes.


    His heart skipped a beat when he saw her smile.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He nodded despite not having paid the display any attention, his uncertain thoughts melting away.


    ¡®Uncertain?¡¯


    Kaon paused. His heart had indeed felt strangely heavy¡­ And now that she was smiling like that, it no longer made sense to have that feeling¡­


    ¡°Really? Is it really pretty?¡± Alessia¡¯s eyes opened wide like an innocent rabbit.


    His heart pounded. ¡°Yes, very pretty,¡± he replied shyly.


    Everything about her was. Her smooth forehead, long eyelashes, moderately high nose, and sparkling eyes¡­ were all pretty.


    Alessia smiled, suddenly raising her hand. ¡°Even though this ring is the one that made them?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is the flame really pretty, Kaon Ferdinand, even though it¡¯s not from me?¡±


    ***


    Kaon sat up with a gasp. The vivid scene before his eyes had disappeared.


    He downed a whole glass of water at once, irritably pushing the sweaty hair out of his forehead. His physical reaction was so extreme that it was laughable.


    Kaon sighed, then glanced at the curtain to make sure that he hadn¡¯t woken her up with his restlessness. Fortunately, it seemed like she was sound asleep.


    He lay back down, relieved that he didn¡¯t have morning training the next day, meaning that he could sleep in.


    Everything would be fine when he woke up.


    Drifting off to sleep, he drew a rough schedule of what he wanted to do the next day. They¡¯d go on an inspection in the afternoon, then have dinner together, then¡­


    When the evening came, he wouldn¡¯t have any useless dreams, and¡­


    Kaon¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°Dream?¡±


    ***


    He stayed up all night, too upset to relax. Disoriented as he was when he woke up, he hadn¡¯t been able to set apart dreams and reality for a few moments.


    Quickly, though, his memories supplied him with scenes of Alessia turning into a completely different person, one who threatened him with his own weakness. It couldn¡¯t have been anything else but the truth, but it was still absurd.


    ¡®Alessia wouldn¡¯t do that, right? Did I also dream that all up because I keep thinking about her ring?¡¯


    Whether he had dreamt up both scenarios or not, the important thing was that he had learned to prepare thoroughly when he wanted to bring something up.


    Kaon decided that he would only talk to Alessia about it after considering his thoughts further.


    The moment he stepped out of his room, he also heard a click from the adjacent door.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    It felt a bit awkward between them.


    Alessia spoke first, a little hesitantly, ¡°Kaon, did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I slept well,¡± she replied lightly.


    She didn¡¯t look at all like the girl in his memory-dream.


    Kaon sighed in relief, ready to clear the dark thoughts from his mind.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect you to sleep that well, actually. If I were you, I would have been tossing and turning all night.¡±


    He looked up in a daze. ¡°Huh?¡±


    The smile was still on her lips. ¡°We made a deal, remember? Don¡¯t even think about tattling to your sister, Kaon Ferdinand,¡± she whispered, the sweetness totally at odds with what she was saying.


    His mouth fell open.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was all a dream, did you?¡± Alessia forced him back to his senses, seemingly pitying.


    She sighed, then her face totally transformed. ¡°Oh, Lily! Are you going down? Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Pushed to the side, Kaon stared blankly as she pranced ahead of him and approached the maid cheerfully.


    ***


    ¡°Everyone worked hard today as well.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? My lady, you¡¯ve been going out here for two months straight, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m just following from behind. You and the other knights were doing all the hard work, Niels.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it is. Rather, we are all grateful to you, so much that we don¡¯t know what to do when you say things like that.¡±


    The middle-aged elite knight seemed moved by her thoughtful words, and the same was true of the knights under his command. Such a reaction was only natural since they were used to dispatched mages being tyrants.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of room for improvement. I look forward to working with you in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing a good enough job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡±


    It was a heartwarming scene where the knights and the mage showed gratitude and goodwill towards each other, but Kaon could only stand to the side with a grimace.


    ¡°Oh, and we mustn¡¯t forget about Kaon either, who went with me every day.¡±


    That was because the mage who was looking at him with the sweetest face in the world was not a real mage. She was a swindler pretending to be one.


    ¡°Kaon, you¡­ Are you alright? You don¡¯t look so good.¡±


    Even now, she was pretending to be a caring fianc¨¦e.


    Well, the reason why his expression wasn¡¯t good was that he¡¯d been seeing that pretentious figure for a whole month, which made her question hard to answer.


    ¡°Niels, I¡¯m afraid we have to go ahead earlier today. I¡¯m worried about Kaon.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine. In fact, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re fussing over him this much! It¡¯s nice to see you both be like that, heh.¡±


    Before Kaon could open his mouth, Alessia took the lead and pulled him away. He heard Niels burst into laughter.


    ¡°I envy you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man!¡±


    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯


    In the amicable atmosphere, he swallowed a curse, just like he¡¯d been doing for some time now.


    Sometimes, he wondered if rolling around in the snow with a broken nose and in wet clothes would feel that painful.


    A month had passed since the deal-that-was-not-a-deal was made. In the meantime, Kaon had revised all of his thoughts about Alessia Ingelos.


    First, she was not kind at all. No, well, she was, but only when there were other people around.


    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you manage your facial expressions?¡±

 Chapter 32

    As soon as they returned to their rooms, Alessia¡¯s tone had completely changed, completely different from when she was pretending to be shy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell everyone what happened, huh?¡± she scolded. ¡°Were you even thinking? Is that thing on your shoulders just for decoration?¡±


    Kaon stood there, listening to the nagging. It was true that he had been acting visibly awkward over the past month, and that he had often heard rumors that the two of them were fighting. But while he didn¡¯t make any excuses, he felt like his reaction was warranted. He was being forced to deceive his family, and he felt like all of his years of honest living were slipping away.


    In addition, it was difficult to adjust to Alessia¡¯s real personality, which was so different that it wouldn¡¯t have been hard to believe if she was actually exchanged for an identical twin.


    ¡®I¡¯m crazy.¡¯


    Most painful of all was the fact that he¡¯d idiotically fallen in love for the first time with someone like Alessia. That he¡¯d wanted her to stay in Ferdinand forever, worried about the way she looked so fragile¡­ In retrospect, none of it was real.


    All of his plans for the future were made in sincerity, but their experiences together were a farce to her.


    Kaon shivered. He¡¯d been having a hard time sleeping recently, the memories plaguing his mind.


    ¡°Does it look like a decoration?¡± he replied roughly.


    His head throbbed with worry and weariness.


    ¡°The candlesticks are decorative, and so are the rugs, but your head? Oh, and that carpet is wonderful to look at.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to ignore her, though.


    ¡°So? Aren¡¯t you going to do anything about your face?¡±


    Kaon, fed up with her incomparably rude and sharp criticism, snapped back, ¡°What do you care about my face?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessia snorted, then suddenly tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°On the other hand, you like my face, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Another childish response on the tip of his tongue was swallowed when he really looked at her.


    She was pretentious and cunning, but her face was still exactly suited to his taste, much to his annoyance.


    ¡°Right, Kaon?¡± Her soft voice was just how he remembered it.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re crazy,¡± he muttered, unable to deny it, and quickly turned away.


    ***


    ¡°Madeleine? What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what?¡±


    Out of nowhere, Madeleine had brought her special¡­ juice on a tray, seemingly overjoyed. ¡°I¡¯m really happy that the young master appreciates my intentions. If it¡¯s your health, doing this much is no trouble at all, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend you don¡¯t know. Lady Alessia told me everything. You shared the juice I made last time because you didn¡¯t want it to go to waste! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so considerate of me¡­¡± Genuinely moved, she wiped her eyes. ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯m making a fool of myself.¡±


    Kaon glared at the velvet curtain.


    It appeared that that crazy swindler was playing another trick on him.


    Alessia knew why he didn¡¯t like drinking it because he¡¯d practically begged her with his eyes to drink it with him that one time.


    However, to misinterpret it in such a way and tell Madeleine about it was truly insane.


    ¡°I made a lot today, especially for the young master, so please feel free to drink all of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Unable to deny her expectant gaze, he held his breath and drank.


    The lingering aftertaste made him nauseous.


    ¡°How is it? I made it a little stronger than last time. You¡¯ll surely be energized.


    Kaon didn¡¯t know about that, but he appreciated Madeleine¡¯s affection and concern.


    But still, taste-wise wasn¡¯t it closer to poison than anything else?


    Desperately enduring the bitterness in his mouth, he raised his head. ¡°¡­Wait, Madeleine.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I feel a bit bad for drinking all of it alone. Alessia must also be tired from all the inspections.¡± Kaon forced a smile, pointing at the curtain.


    When making trouble for others, one must be prepared to suffer retaliation.


    ¡°She should have some as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, our young master has truly grown up!¡±


    The older woman looked at him so proudly that he felt a twinge of guilt, but he suppressed the discomfort for the sake of his revenge.


    ¡°But what should I do? The lady is allergic to jacinthe fruits¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kaon¡¯s expression crumpled.


    Jacinthe trees grew mainly in warm regions, which meant that it was unlikely that they could survive in a place as cold as Ingelos. And yet, she was allergic to it? It didn¡¯t make any sense that she even knew about the fruit.


    ¡°Indeed. She said she wanted to try it for herself, but couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Alessia Ingelos, that sly girl, must have prepared for this situation beforehand.


    ¡°She can¡¯t drink it, so please drink on her behalf and stay healthy. That will please everyone¡­¡±


    Not him, though¡­


    Kaon swallowed his tears.


    ***


    ¡°Allergic to jacinthe? Have you even ever tried jacinthe fruit?¡± Kaon stood huffing in puffing in front of the curtain after Madeleine left.


    He¡¯d had to empty two glasses in a row in front of the maid, who said things like ¡°I¡¯m satisfied just watching you drink,¡± and ¡°The lady in heaven will be so happy to see you grow up well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be healthy. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The answer from behind the velvet angered him even more.


    ¡®If you like it that much, just drink it yourself.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with nonsense and just go about your day. Read another book or something.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this something trivial?¡±


    He laughed coldly. ¡°Alessia Ingelos, do you think this is a small matter?¡±


    ¡°Then is it so important that you complain about something bitter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about this. You¡­!¡± Kaon paused, resisting the urge to yell.


    The curtain moved to the side, revealing his fianc¨¦e, arms folded as she leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Do you want to live like this for the rest of your life? Are you really going to marry me and keep doing this?¡±


    At one time, he¡¯d sincerely hoped for such an outcome, but now¡­


    ¡°What else can I do?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    He was genuinely curious. Their families still had unresolved issues between them, so she could still leave now that they were yet to be married. As such, that meant that they could simply part ways and keep each other¡¯s secrets.


    ¡®If she leaves, everything will be solved.¡¯


    The thought of her leaving sent a pang through his heart, but Kaon tried to ignore it, a bit dismayed at the proof that he was a bit more like the romantic that his father had been.


    ¡°If I go back,¡± Alessia began after a long while. ¡°I am going to die.¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°¡­Die?¡± What are you talking about?¡±


    Kaon was terribly perplexed, as he¡¯d had no doubt in his mind that she would be better off returning.


    Rather than staying in a relationship to keep an eye on the other person, fearing the exposure of their respective weaknesses, he thought it was much better to live separately.


    ¡°What do you think my family will think of me if I simply return to Ingelos like this? Will they welcome me when I couldn¡¯t even properly fulfill my role? What¡¯s more, you know the truth about me,¡± Alessia matter-of-factly described a situation that he hadn¡¯t ever imagined.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    ¡°And I should trust you?¡±


    Kaon¡¯s embarrassment stunned him into silence.


    What did she mean, she¡¯d die if she went back?


    In the first place, he didn¡¯t intend on revealing that she wasn¡¯t a real mage. Ferdinand and Ingelos had agreed to discuss the possibility of a marriage between their families, and so it seemed possible to simply put an end to those negotiations before they came of age.


    Didn¡¯t Leonida also say that? That they didn¡¯t know if the Ingelos family would change their mind once their situation improved?


    ¡°Why would such a bad thing happen to you? It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°If Ferdinand rejects the agreement, it is my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Kaon cried.


    After all, it was the Ingelos duchy who sent her, who was not even a mage, to Ferdinand. Since both parties agreed, she had been sent all the way to pretend to be a mage, which meant that it was the whole family that violated the contract, not the individual.


    Besides, wasn¡¯t Alessia their princess? She was not a criminal, nor was she alone in her deception.


    ¡®How could they treat a precious princess like that?¡¯


    Kaon, trying to quell a growing sense of dread, began to remember.


    Desserts, which were common in most aristocratic families, made her react in amazement. She also seemed greatly moved when the chef complied with her requests.


    She hadn¡¯t worn a proper dress at the banquet, and neither did she have a single attendant.


    If Alessia was someone they valued, she would not have been so neglected. At those times, her attitude was so confident that he didn¡¯t think much of it, but now¡­


    Kaon¡¯s eyes shook. She had been born into a prestigious family of mages, but she couldn¡¯t manipulate mana herself. He¡¯d been so caught up in the betrayal of her deception that he didn¡¯t even consider the huge gap in his assumptions.


    What if Alessia was forced to leave for Ferdinand? What if she lived without being loved, made into her family¡¯s pawn?


    ¡°Have you¡­ Did you experience anything bad in Ingelos?¡±


    ¡°What is ¡®bad¡¯? Being thrown into a lake in the middle of winter? Being strapped to a wall to see if I could get myself out? Or being shot at by a fireball to feel what mana is?¡± she replied casually.


    ¡®She was abused.¡¯


    Those were obviously acts of cruelty.


    His face stiffened. How could they make a sixteen-year-old girl suffer so much?


    His anger flared.


    At the same time, he understood Alessia. If those were his home circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to return. Even if it meant living in enemy territory, it would still be better than returning.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t go back,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°Just¡­¡±


    Soft laughter interrupted him.


    Tears glistened in Alessia¡¯s eyes as she giggled. ¡°Kaon Ferdinand, you¡¯re so naive.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d believe me. It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re not the head of your household, lest you get swindled out of your territory.¡± She wiped her eyes, not a trace of seriousness on her face.


    ¡°So all that earlier was a lie?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was. How badly do you think of Ingelos that you would believe all those accusations?¡± Alessia¡¯s eyes were wide.


    ¡°You!¡± Kaon burst forward in anger.


    There were things that one could joke about, and things that one shouldn¡¯t. How worried had he been in those brief moments? If she¡¯d cared for him at all, she wouldn¡¯t have told those lies.


    ¡°What kind of¡­¡± He bit his tongue.


    Alessia was leaning back, and it had never been more obvious than in that moment that he was both larger and broader than her.


    Kaon took a deep breath and stepped away, placing his hands behind his back to show that he wouldn¡¯t harm her. ¡°Why would you lie like that? Are you in the habit of lying?¡± he asked gruffly.


    ¡°¡­Yes. So don¡¯t be fooled next time.¡± Alessia laughed.


    ¡°I would sooner deny my identity than trust you another time, Alessia Ingelos,¡± he said through his teeth, then crossed the curtain into his room.


    Mages and people pretending to be mages were not to be trusted.


    ***


    As soon as the curtain fluttered into place, Alessia¡¯s legs gave out from underneath her.


    She pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, moisture seeping out.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure that idiot has come to his senses now.¡¯


    Bitterness filled her heart. It was the first time she¡¯d seen him so angry. No matter how stupidly in love he was, surely by this time he¡¯d lost all affection for her.


    Alessia welcomed it. It soothed her conscience, as well as her remaining pride. She didn¡¯t want to take advantage of the only person who truly liked her.


    Since Kaon had discovered her secret, her new plan was to stay in Ferdinand until she came of age, then leave and live as if she was dead.


    It would be difficult because she had no possessions, but if she worked hard for the two years she had left before she turned eighteen, she could at least manage to live quietly on her own.


    ¡®If I dye my hair and keep my eyes hidden¡­¡¯


    She could live as long as she wasn¡¯t in Ingelos.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t go back. Just¡­¡±


    She had expected him to be visibly agitated, but not to say those words unhesitatingly.


    ¡®Stupid Kaon Ferdinand.¡¯


    He was too soft-hearted, too kind to the wicked girl who was deceiving his family. He was born soft and foolish¡­ and good.


    Had he been a little less foolish, she would have been able to stomach manipulating him, pretending to be pitiful and good-natured, relying on his kindness. Perhaps she would have even been able to stay in Ferdinand forever because Kaon would certainly keep her secret.


    But she couldn¡¯t. She was a bad person, but she still didn¡¯t have the heart to do it.


    And so Alessia decided to be as mean and unlikable as possible so she could eventually leave peacefully.


    She hoped that Kaon would someday forget her.

 Chapter 34

    The snow that began to fall early in the morning covered Ferdinand in white by the time noon approached¡ªwith the exception of the mansion¡¯s porches. Kaon, who had left the training grounds earlier than the rest of the knights, stepped leisurely on the snow. The soft sensation of the snowfield was worth enduring the cold for.


    ¡°Coda! Stop!¡± came a gasping voice from afar.


    A blur rushed towards Kaon fiercely.


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    Kaon laughed and went on his knees. The dog hopped onto his lap, instantly ruining his pants, but it was easy not to care.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to run like that just to give me a hug, you know.¡± He held him close, brushing off the large snowflakes caught in his ears.


    Coda licked his cheeks in approval.


    ¡°Young master!¡±


    ¡°Were you looking for this guy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I was about to put his leash on when he shot past me. Ugh, how can this little fellow be so quick?¡± the huffing soldier explained.


    Coda originally roamed the estate freely, but after learning that Alessia was afraid of dogs, Kaon had limited his playtime. Since she usually went out for lunchtime, he ordered for him to be leashed during that period.


    ¡°You must be having a hard time,¡± Kaon muttered, gently patting Coda¡¯s chubby belly.


    ¡®Because of that swindler.¡¯


    He¡¯d been ignoring Alessia since their quarrel a few weeks ago. Well, they were both ignoring each other, but he firmly believed that his will was stronger, so long as Alessia wouldn¡¯t apologize.


    Honestly, this status quo seemed quite peaceful.


    ¡°You¡¯re a year older too, Coda.¡±


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    Kaon laughed at his dog¡¯s ¡°reply¡±. He wished he could keep him inside the mansion as a house pet, but Coda probably wouldn¡¯t enjoy that as much, and Alessia was afraid of dogs.


    ¡°¡­That reaction wasn¡¯t a lie, was it?¡±


    His face darkened. Alessia hadn¡¯t been able to breathe properly at the sight of Coda. If even that was a lie¡­ He wouldn¡¯t be able to trust people anymore.


    ¡°Woof!¡± The dog wiggled, and his tail began to wag violently.


    ¡°Coda, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Alessia! Good morning!¡±


    Kaon, who was soothing his pet, froze.


    ¡°Hello, Bill, it¡¯s been snowing a lot. It must have been hard to keep clearing it out.


    He¡¯d hoped it wouldn¡¯t happen, but a kind, bright voice came clearly from behind him. It seemed that Alessia had come down after finishing training.


    ¡°It¡¯s our job, so we must do our best! Your concern is very encouraging, my lady.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad if that¡¯s the case. Oh, and Kaon is here too.¡±


    It would have been nice if they simply continued to ignore each other, but since there was a soldier in front of them, Alessia greeted him first.


    ¡°I suppose training¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten? Shall we eat together?¡±


    The presence of an audience led to all of this pretense.


    Kaon¡¯s thoughts were sarcastic, but he still turned his back to the side to keep Coda out of Alessia¡¯s field of vision, just in case.


    He never intended on trusting her again, but he didn¡¯t want to see her look so terrified either.


    ¡°Sorry, but I have some work to do,¡± he deflected, hurrying away as his dog¡¯s tail wagged busily.


    ***


    ¡°Maurice, can I really go? I¡¯ll probably make everyone feel uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, my lady. I assure you, there will be no greater joy and honor to have you with us to welcome the new year.¡±


    On the way back to the mansion, the knight¡¯s mouth was working as busily as usual. Right now, he was inviting Alessia to their annual gathering.


    Kaon, who was listening to the conversation from a little distance away, spoke up, ¡°An honor?¡±


    It annoyed him to see a mage¡ªa fake mage¡ªbeing invited to a place where the knights celebrated harmoniously.


    Though, of course, Maurice knew none of that.


    ¡°It is! Please just stop by for a few moments. You might be surprised to learn that I¡¯m very close with the chef and that he will be putting in much effort for our gathering.¡±


    Such a grand dinner was possible because Ferdinand let supplies flow generously from their storehouses during the start of a new year. In this period, everyone, including the relatively poor, ate their fill and enjoyed a feast held in the city.


    As a result, Maurice was pretty busy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it, then. You have a talent for enticing people, it seems.¡±


    ¡®Oh, so you¡¯ll say that my head is a decoration, but that other people speak enticingly?¡¯


    The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it became. Why was she only harsh to him? He knew her weakness, as well as her family¡¯s, but she didn¡¯t treat him nicely at all.


    Although, on the other hand, Alessia also knew his secret¡­


    In any case, his stomach still twisted when he remembered how cold-hearted she was when it was just the two of them.


    ¡°Oh, Kaon will get jealous if you say that. It is said that handsome men have many sins, but please do not make me a sinner.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, Kaon, jealous? I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°I know the hearts of my fellow men well. Is our young master not staring at me right now? I feel an unusual aura surrounding me.¡±


    ¡®Does he have eyes at the back of his head? Also, what nonsense is he saying now?¡¯


    Kaon frowned.


    Alessia also seemed to agree that he was not jealous. Not of Maurice, and certainly not because of her.


    That would be impossible.


    Nevertheless, he was bothered that they were talking so casually about something strange, and that their voices were so fond when they mentioned him.


    He swallowed his irritation once again and sighed.


    ¡®How did we end up like this? It¡¯s only been a year, but it feels like I have a decade¡¯s worth of worries.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of whether or not he would reveal the truth about Alessia. He knew that exposing her would be more trouble than it was worth for both their families.


    What troubled him was his relationship with her.


    The two of them were destined to live together for the rest of their lives, or at least until they became adults. Kaon didn¡¯t know if he could stand this status quo for that long.


    He didn¡¯t want to apologize as he¡¯d done nothing wrong, but¡­


    His head ached as he fell into the swamp of his worries.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my lady, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No, Maurice,¡± Alessia shook her head and smiled as if nothing was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m just a little cold. I¡¯ll be fine when I warm up inside.


    Kaon glanced at her flushed face and pretended not to care.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mind it. Don¡¯t worry.¡¯

 Chapter 35

    Kaon woke up earlier than usual to the sound of birds chirping.


    The light peeking through the curtains was dim.


    ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t have training today.¡¯


    He rejoiced, relishing that he didn¡¯t have morning training for the first time in a while, and decided to forgive the birds who woke him up.


    About to go back to sleep, he wrapped himself cozily in a blanket.


    Kaon frowned.


    There was a faint, nearly inaudible sound stimulating his keen hearing.


    ¡®¡­Did I just imagine it?¡¯


    He concentrated, but he could not hear the sound again. Perhaps it had only been an invention of his half-asleep mind.


    But as soon as he closed his eyes, there came a slightly clearer voice.


    Kaon stared at the curtain between his room and Alessia¡¯s.


    Conflict shrouded his heart. If it was just sleep-talking, it didn¡¯t matter, but¡­


    ¡®Is she in pain?¡¯


    He remembered that she had coughed yesterday, and that he had berated himself for getting worried.


    Reluctantly, he got up and crept closer. ¡°Hey,¡± he began softly.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, there was no answer. Even the faint sounds she had been making were gone.


    ¡°Are you sleeping?¡± Kaon ran a hand through his flattened hair, then asked again¡ªwith more or less the same results.


    ¡®Was I so worked up for nothing?¡¯


    ¡°Ngh¡­¡±


    ¡°Alessia?¡±


    Another suppressed groan came through the curtain.


    Kaon froze, then moved a little closer.


    ¡°Mmm, hnng¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, kicking the fabric aside to check on Alessia.


    She lay curled up on the bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­¡±


    Alessia was clearly not in any condition to be answering his questions, so he swallowed his embarrassment at entering a girl¡¯s room and approached her bed.


    The blanket was tangled tightly around her, as if she was holding on to it for dear life.


    Kaon carefully touched her forehead.


    He cursed and ran straight outside.


    ***


    ¡°It looks like a simple cold, possibly caused by fatigue or by staying in a cold place for a long time.¡±


    The old doctor advised the maids to change the wet towel on her forehead frequently and wipe her down if she sweated too much. Lastly, he told them not to worry too much because he would prescribe her medicine.


    ¡°What happened? She was fine until yesterday¡­¡± Madeleine, who¡¯d come running, looked down at Alessia sadly.


    She seemed to have completely forgotten her past hostility.


    ¡°She overworked herself. When I tell her to take a break, she just says she¡¯s fine. With such a thin body, of course walking around during cold days will make her sick.¡± She stood, thinking of how the girl was only half the size of her second daughter. ¡°I¡¯m going to make some soup.¡±


    The door closed with a quiet click, leaving only Kaon and the patient in the room.


    He looked at her reddened face. ¡°You even let it get to this point¡­¡±


    Madeleine was right. She¡¯d overworked herself. Except for that one mandatory day off, she participated in all the inspections.


    It was different for him, who was a trained knight.


    Thinking about it that way, it was only natural that she was sick.


    Kaon replaced the warmed-up towel on her forehead with a fresh one. It moved gently with her breathing.


    ¡®Who¡¯s the foolish one now?¡¯


    He was upset. No one in his life was as incomprehensible as Alessia Ingelos.


    She was unnecessarily sincere for a pretend-mage. Even real ones didn¡¯t work that hard.


    The diligence with which she performed her role was also one of the reasons why he couldn¡¯t just tattle to Leonida. Even if they kicked her out and hired a real mage, it was highly doubtful that anyone from the Tower would do their best like she did.


    Alessia worked hard, got along well with the people of Ferdinand, and cared for others.


    Except for the fact that she was decidedly not a mage, she was perfect.


    ¡°Take care of yourself¡­¡±


    Kaon really couldn¡¯t figure out why she acted like she did. If this was all because she didn¡¯t want to get caught or criticized, she was already doing more than enough.


    Other than for their abilities, Ferdinand¡¯s expectations for mages, especially those from Ingelos, were not very high, so no one would have said anything if she were just to do the basics.


    Why was she trying to protect Ferdinand so desperately, even at the expense of her own body?


    ¡°If you¡¯re sick, just say it. Is it that difficult?¡±


    Kaon didn¡¯t quite understand his own feelings at the moment. She was a fake who was deceiving his family, but she was more helpful than any real mage, and she kept frustratingly silent even as she was struggling.


    He sighed, then began repeating the process with the towel over and over again.


    ***


    Alessia, barely able to lift her eyelids, felt a thread of relief. Her vision was blurry and her mind felt muddled, but at least she didn¡¯t feel like she was spinning anymore.


    ¡®How long did I sleep?¡¯


    The room was dimmer than she was expecting it to be, which she attributed to the dark winter mornings.


    She sighed and sat up, something falling from her forehead.


    Alessia stared at the towel.


    No wonder she felt a cool energy every now and then, lending her power.


    ¡°¡­Who would do this?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t asked for medicine because she wrongfully assumed her condition wouldn¡¯t get worse.


    Lost in thought, she gave permission in a hoarse voice when someone knocked on her door.


    ¡°What? You woke up already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Kaon Ferdinand?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, tacking on that last name. It seems that you¡¯ve regained your strength.¡± The unanticipated visitor placed a tray on the bedside table. ¡°Eat. Madeleine cooked it this morning.¡±


    ¡°Madeleine? How did she know¡­¡±


    Warm steam rose from the bowl. It was potato soup, boiled carefully with tender meat and seasoned perfectly.


    ¡®Is this a dream?¡¯


    It seemed like the more likely option. It was the only explanation for why anybody noticed that she was sick and took good care of her.


    ¡°You¡¯d better finish it before it gets cold. There¡¯s medicine waiting for you after you eat.¡±


    If this was not a dream, Kaon would not have been helping her like this after a month of tense awkwardness between them.


    Alessia¡¯s brain gave up on thinking about it. All she knew was that she¡¯d always wanted someone to take care of her when she was sick, at least once. Moreover, Kaon Ferdinand was different from anyone she¡¯d ever known.


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s not surprising that I¡¯m dreaming about him, about this.¡¯


    Head pounding, she relaxed and lay down again.


    ¡°Looking at your face, it seems that your fever hasn¡¯t gone down yet.¡± His tongue clicked.


    Alessia ignored it. It was her dream, and she didn¡¯t want to engage with him.


    ¡°Put this on.¡±


    A refreshing sensation cooled her forehead. Judging by its weight, it was probably a wet towel.


    ¡­A wet towel?


    The change in temperature was too vivid to be a dream.


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 36.1

    Alessia sprang to her feet, the wet towel landing on the floor¡ªalthough she didn¡¯t have the time to care about it.


    ¡°Why are you getting up?¡±


    Once she came to her senses, she immediately saw her surroundings clearly.


    The Kaon Ferdinand in front of her was real.


    How? Why? Why was he¡­?


    There were so many things she wanted to ask.


    Kaon naturally picked up the towel and began to fold it, the sight distracting her from her thoughts. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he put it in a bowl of water that she had no idea had even been there and wrung it out peacefully.


    ¡°The towel¡­ Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he denied, almost too quickly, then added, ¡°The maid must have prepared it. I went on an inspection, so I¡¯ve only just arrived.¡±


    ¡°You went on an inspection?¡± she asked straight away.


    Alessia had thought that morning hadn¡¯t come yet, but if Kaon had already gone on an inspection, that meant it was already evening.


    She was the only mage left in Ferdinand now that the one from the Tower left as soon as his contract period ended and before the new year.


    He lightly pressed down on her shoulders the moment she tried forcing herself to stand and check the time. It was obvious that he had only used a fraction of his strength to do it, weak as she was at the moment.


    ¡°Nothing bad happened. Our knights are not so incompetent, you know.¡±


    Alessia bit her lip fiercely, feeling terrible for not taking care of her body properly.


    If Ingelos ever requested that she return early, she was hoping that Ferdinand would step up and oppose it.


    It was so pathetic that she couldn¡¯t even solidify her position by showing a perfect appearance. Perhaps her cousins were right after all when they said that she lacked instinctive, innate abilities.


    The building sense of shame, which she had been trying to ignore the entire time, quickly enveloped her.


    ¡°Why are you trying so hard?¡±


    The wet towel was put back on her forehead. She glanced up and saw Kaon, his expression in the darkness complicated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far. It won¡¯t make that much difference if you don¡¯t work so hard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Alessia silently wondered why he was asking her those questions. Wasn¡¯t it better for him if she worked hard? Did he even need to understand her reasoning?


    Besides, the explanation was simple. She had to look good. That way, she could buy some time until she could permanently escape her loathsome family.


    And also¡­


    ¡®Because you need me.¡¯


    The people of Ferdinand had been the first to give thanks to her, to her who had been treated as an incompetent fool all her life. Here, Alessia realized for the first time that someone might want her around. Her days were not spent meaninglessly, and she was able to live without being afraid of being hurt again.


    Kaon Ferdinand would never know how great of a change that was.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the people will know about everything you do,¡± he added.


    ¡°¡­But I know about it,¡± she replied firmly. ¡°I know, and that¡¯s all I need.¡±


    Alessia always worked hard. She¡¯d always tried to do her best, unwilling to give up even after being sarcastically told to die. She¡¯d put in the effort to control her mana, to study for days and days in order to fit in even just for a little bit, to read books silently so as not to be beaten up.


    Even if no one knew that she was trying so hard, at least she did. Because of that, she was ashamed of her incompetence, but not of herself.


    ¡°Since I always work hard, I thought it would be nice to be of any help¡­¡±


    Alessia always lived hard. I always tried to live somehow. He didn¡¯t give in even after dozens of sarcasm telling him to die.


    Efforts to generate magical powers, efforts to study Gore for days and days in order to fit into the world of wizards even a little bit, efforts to read random magic books while getting beaten up for not messing around¡­ .


    Even if no one knew about her hard work, she knew it herself. So even though I was ashamed of my incompetence, I wasn¡¯t ashamed.


    ¡°Since I work hard at everything, I thought it would be nice if I could be of any help¡­¡±


    And¡­ honestly, there was now one more person who knew about what she was doing.


    ¡®Kaon Ferdinand, you said that you knew¡­¡¯


    She closed her eyes, suppressing her desire to be recognized.


    ***


    The chaos of winter passed and the gentle breeze of spring blew through the open windows, caressing Kaon¡¯s cheeks.


    Leonida had called him to her office for the first time in a while.


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 Chapter 36.2

    Joseph shrugged when he looked at him suspiciously. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to tell you anything even if you stare at me like that. I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what you said about my engagement.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, it is clear then that I have always served you with a sincere heart.¡±


    ¡°This damn¡­¡±


    Kaon thought that his aide was probably so skilled that he wouldn¡¯t starve even if he was thrown into the wilderness, then shook his head and went ahead and knocked.


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Leonida took her eyes off the papers. She¡¯d left for the Asciutto estate in the northwest two months ago and had only just returned late last night.


    ¡°Did you lose weight?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°You probably did.¡±


    Asciutto, much like Ferdinand, was a land inhabited by demons. However, their situation was much better in the sense that the territory was much smaller and that Count Asciutto¡¯s son belonged to the Magic Tower.


    Soon after Leonida rose to the position of head of the household, she took over the diplomatic roles that her father had. Her journey must have been exhausting, for her to lose so much weight so as to leave a sharper impression than usual.


    Kaon began worriedly, ¡°Get some rest first, we can talk¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°A court banquet will be held soon, and you have to go too, so get ready.¡±


    ¡°Is it that time of the year again?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The royal family held a grand banquet every year when the warmth of spring was in full swing. Unlike regular court banquets, this was a large event where all prominent nobles were required to participate.


    Leonida held out the invitation, the royal seal gleaming faintly. ¡°I also heard that Princess Audrey is coming back too.¡±


    ¡°Princess Audrey?¡±


    The current king had a son, and also a daughter whom he cherished dearly.


    According to a certain anecdote, he had been very opposed to letting her, who was not yet an adult, study abroad as she had wanted, but eventually relented when she completely abandoned eating and drinking and instead locked herself in her room.


    It had been two years since then, and now it was already time for her to return.


    Kaon suddenly felt that the flow of time was truly merciless.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a mess.¡±


    At the same time, he was annoyed just thinking about how noisy the banquet would be. An environment where people looked at each other, trying to gauge intentions, did not suit him at all.


    ¡°This year, the young lady must attend too.¡±


    Kaon barely managed to stifle an expression of disbelief. ¡°¡­Alessia too?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re already engaged, but if you don¡¯t take her, it¡¯ll seem even more strange.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± he reluctantly agreed.


    As it was the banquet that most nobles attended, it was the best opportunity to show off. In addition, as both Ferdinand and Ingelos rejected the king¡¯s propositions by instead cooperating, they had to attend and pretend to be friendly with each other.


    ¡°Is everything going well with her?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, oh yes. Everything is going well.¡± Kaon forced a smile.


    A lot had happened in the two months that his sister was gone. So many dizzying developments, so many new things that he learned that he didn¡¯t need to.


    But he couldn¡¯t tell Leonida any of that. He was uneasy that he was tricking his sister, but that was the best option as nothing would be solved nor changed if he revealed the truth.


    Leonida nodded. ¡°She seems to have adapted better than I thought she would. She¡¯s going out for inspections daily.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she even got sick and collapsed.¡± Kaon frowned at the memory.


    Even after that day, she worked diligently. How absurd was it that she had even begged Maurice to help her train because she was lacking in physical strength? Seeing her run around the estate like that gave him an indescribable feeling, somehow.


    ¡°Well, there are two years left.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, right, yes.¡±


    Kaon, whose concentration had been interrupted by the mental image of a little girl frantically moving around, jolted in surprise before realizing that she was talking about the time left until he married Alessia.


    ¡®It¡¯s been half a year already?¡¯


    He¡¯d been through so many things that he felt that it had already been years since he¡¯d gotten engaged, but he also felt that time had flown by too quickly.


    Kaon wondered if the two years would pass in a blink of an eye.


    Would Alessia still be with him then? Or would she return to Ingelos and end their relationship.


    No matter how hard she was working, she was still not a real mage, so it was logical to hope for the latter, but considering her family¡­


    He gulped down a suffocated breath.


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 Chapter 37

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you, Young Master Kaon.¡±


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    Deborah, the famous seamstress from Briar, bowed respectfully. Her boutique had become famous in recent years, and had grown to the extent that it was sought after not only by the nobles of the Duchy of Ferdinand, but also by those from nearby territories.


    As such, Leonida chose to invite Deborah to their estate rather than to have their outfits tailored in the distant capital.


    ¡°I am living comfortably through your grace and trust, which I shall do my best to repay.¡±


    ¡°Simply do what you do best and all will be well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After the ritual words of courtesy were exchanged, Deborah immediately set to work, diligently measuring and recording measurements with admirable accuracy.


    Even as someone who had no interest in fashion, Kaon could recognize her skill.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough time, do you?¡±


    There was only a little over a month¡¯s worth of time left before the court banquet. She might have been a wonderful seamstress, but it was still difficult to make new clothes in that short a time.


    ¡°If I had to make them from scratch, yes, but the young master¡¯s clothes were prepared since last autumn so I simply need to alter the sizes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since last autumn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Baroness Robert had visited me then, so I was able to prepare a number of patterns.¡±


    Convinced, Kaon nodded.


    ¡°When Miss Alessia¡¯s dress has been chosen, we¡¯ll just have to decide which of the fabrics and designs will be used for your suit.¡±


    The statement was rather bothersome.


    In short, Alessia¡¯s dress had not been decided yet.


    If a month was not enough for a man¡¯s suit, then it surely would not be sufficient to make a woman¡¯s dress.


    ¡°¡­Alessia¡¯s dress is being made separately?¡±


    ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t heard anything about making her a new dress. Up until today, I¡¯d thought that it was getting tailored by someone else.¡±


    ¡°Untill¡­ today?¡±


    ¡°When I got here, Baroness Robert asked me if I could make a new dress for Miss Alessia, I explained that it was impossible because that I would be too pressed for time, so today we decided on having an existing dress altered to her size.¡±


    ¡°Only today.¡±


    Kaon was at a loss for words. Baroness Robert was well versed in social activities. She couldn¡¯t not have known how long it would have to take to make a dress.


    She must have known, seeing that she¡¯d given Deborah notice of new clothes for him last autumn.


    ¡°Do I have to stand here for a long time?¡±


    ¡°No, it will be over soon. If you¡¯re busy, I can speed it up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could do that,¡± he responded briefly, eyes darkening.


    ***


    ¡°I heard you called, Young Master.¡± Baroness Robert bowed, graceful as always, a familiar affection in her gaze.


    ¡°Beverly, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Kaon.¡±


    Looking back, he knew that she had always taken care of him and Leonida with love. Sometimes harsh, sometimes warm.


    Their mother had also relied on her heavily during her life. While the baroness had not pleased with her humble origins, she did her best to support the new duchess.


    It was Baroness Robert who restored order in the estate after the deaths of their parents. Even their uncle, who was eager to gain legitimacy by tricking the vassals into supporting him, did not dare cross her. It was not a stretch to say that she was more like family to him then his other relatives.


    Kaon also cared for her deeply, so he had no intention to criticize her too much. However, he wanted stuff like this to be avoided in the future.


    ¡°I heard that Alessia¡¯s dress was not prepared in advance.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she affirmed calmly, as if she had already predicted this situation from the moment she was called.


    ¡°Can you tell me why you did not prepare it?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not my job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your job?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kaon frowned. If it was not Baroness Robert¡¯s job, then whose was it?


    She spoke again, explaining, ¡°Miss Alessia¡¯s dress must be prepared by Ingelos. My position is in service to Ferdinand only, so if I get myself involved in that, I will be overreaching.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s staying in Ferdinand now. She¡¯s my¡­¡± He hesitated briefly, ¡°¡­She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e. You know that she didn¡¯t have a lot of things with her when she came.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Beverly!¡± Kaon¡¯s patience broke, finally raising his voice for the first time against the baroness.


    She, too, seemed a little agitated, the thin crack in her composure mending itself quickly. ¡°Young Master, Ingelos did not send a dowry.¡±


    ¡°Alessia and I are not married yet. The dowry is sent when the ceremony is about to be held.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that is usually the case, but an engagement wherein one party moves to the other¡¯s estate is a different story.¡± Her dark turquoise eyes flashed with contempt. ¡°Like you said, she arrived in Ferdinand with practically nothing but her own body. There was only one carriage, with not even a wagon to be seen following¡­¡±


    Kaon kept his mouth shut. Baroness Robert was not wrong.


    In fact, Alessia was not well-received the first time because she brought no gifts with her, let alone a dowry, which was tantamount to ignoring Ferdinand outright.


    ¡°If Ingelos really respected Ferdinand, would they really do that? If they had seriously considered this engagement, they wouldn¡¯t have. It was Ingelos who betrayed their duties first, not me.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t refute the things she said, all the more so because he knew how much she cared for the duchy.


    ¡°Young Master Kaon, I will never do anything to harm Ferdinand. Not in the past, not in the future.¡±


    His determination to have the last word faded, and he had no chance but to let her excuse herself.


    ***


    Kaon glanced around the conference hall and the empty seats in it. It was the day for deciding the new inspection route, but Alessia wasn¡¯t there.


    Actually, she hadn¡¯t been around for some time.


    ¡°What about Alessia?¡±


    ¡°The maid came earlier and took her for dress fittings, apologizing for the rush.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, a dress? It seems that the lady will also be attending the court banquet. Hm, I will defend her with all my might, so can you take me with you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Maurice. It¡¯s not your place.¡±


    Kaon looked at Niels gratefully for saving him the trouble of opening his mouth.


    ¡®Has the dress been chosen?¡¯


    With less than two weeks left until their departure, it obviously had been, but he still felt uncomfortable.


    Although he didn¡¯t like it, the court banquet was an event that most nobles dreamed of attending. In particular, the one held in spring was famous for being beautifully decorated, and was awaited by many young ladies.


    He heard that those attending were fully prepared to stand out¡ªsomething that his cousin Gideon probably said, as someone who enjoyed banquets.


    In order to keep up with the latest trends or create new ones, any decent family would have hired a famous seamstress and put all their efforts into receiving an excellent product.


    But now, Alessia was going to attend with a mended dress.


    Kaon knew that Baroness Robert was right, but he was still worried. He wondered if it was the right thing to do in response to the offense Ingelos committed.


    ¡°Ah, how beautiful Miss Alessia must be! You must be careful with your eyes, Sir Kaon.¡±


    ¡°What about my eyes?¡±


    ¡°Why, you may be blinded by her beauty!¡±


    Kaon glared at Maurice, who didn¡¯t budge at all, being so used to such annoyance directed at him.


    ¡°Oh, Sir Kaon, the man who has good fortune truly is not aware of it! I suppose you will only feel regret when a smitten man challenges you to a duel for her hand.¡±


    A duel, just for that? What sort of man would do such a thing? And even if it did happen, what was it to him?


    He snorted. If it was his former self who liked Alessia, he might have been affected, but now he would rather laugh if some crazy man fell for her act.


    It would be a big, hearty laugh, too.


    Thus, Kaon began mentally preparing for something that had not yet happened.


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