***
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***
Translator Note:
This is a long long long chapter.
So...... Bear with me, please (/▿＼ )
Thank You!
***
Paash!
As soon as I felt the
aura of danger from Zenith, I used the magic power within me to the maximum.
Just like Lucas did last night, the magic power that extended from my hand
enveloped the black storm. Of course, the effect wasn’t the same, and it took
me a lot longer than Lucas did. But in the end, I was able to do it without
much difficulty. I was relieved when I felt that Zenith’s magic power had
completely diminished shortly after. Ah, success. In case you didn’t know, I
stayed up all night last night taking extra lessons from Lucas.
Lucas carefully
instructed me to seal Zenith’s power if Zenith’s magic power went berserk again
while he was away. It was said that binding someone’s magic power while their
magic power was going berserk was only a temporary method, so even the
slightest mistake could easily become dangerous. However, I was a good student,
so I was able to absorb Lucas’ teachings like a sponge, which was why the
results were so good for the short-term attribute.
“Zenith!”
Izekiel ran towards
the unconscious Zenith and checked her condition. I immediately felt relieved
when I saw Izekiel’s relieved expression. Izekiel came to see Zenith with
Claude’s permission, and he was shocked to see something that looked like a
power surge. Claude’s eyes would definitely sparkle if he knew what had
happened, but I didn’t want Zenith to die.
Hmph, it turns out
binding magic power wasn’t as difficult as Claude had feared, and… Lucas had
said that I could handle it, and he was right. I guess I’ve gotten stronger
than I was a few years ago.
“What’s going on?!”
I heard a roar and
many people were coming to this place —including the Arlanta delegates who
hadn’t left the Capital and the mages from the Palace Tower who had sensed the
sudden surge of magic.
I clicked my tongue
and snapped my fingers to teleport Izekiel and Zenith to another location.
Then, I purified the remnants of Zenith’s black magic from this place. The
remnants of powerful magic could be seen with the naked eye by ordinary people,
even if they weren’t someone with special abilities like Tower Master Grandpa.
Finally, the people who came here stared in disbelief as the sparkling magic
fragments fell around me.
"Ah, so
beautiful..."
"Oh my God, is
this heaven?"
"Fairy..."
Kuluk...
The sparkling charm
of the magic fragments was beautiful to look at, but the situation was not so
beautiful. And the last person to say, 'Fairy...' was definitely Kavell Ernst!
"Ugh. Princess,
what happened?"
The Tower Mages were
the first to come to their senses.
"Sorry to scare
you, there was a bit of a commotion, but it's settled now..."
Bam!
At that moment, a
meteorite fell from the sky. No, at first I thought it was a meteorite, but it
wasn't. A cloud of dust billowed around me, and before long, a figure in
tattered clothes appeared from the dust cloud.
"B-Black Tower
Mage?!"
At first, I thought
it was a corpse when I saw the figure in tattered clothes lying on the ground.
But, it turned out to be Karax, the Fake Black Tower Mage I had met before.
Lucas, you finally came, and why did you drag him here?
"What?"
"What?!"
"Black Tower
Mage?!"
The Arlanta delegates
felt uneasy when they heard the name of the Black Tower Mage. When they first
came to Obelia, they had expressed interest in the news of the Mage's return
from the Black Tower, so it was only natural that they were overjoyed to see
him now.
"Ah, no, but why
did he appear like that..."
"It's okay, no
need to act like a rabbit*."
T/N: The word
rabbit here is an internet slang with negative connotations, it can be
interpreted as throwing away, running away/escaping, leaving this place, etc.
"Rabbit...
Hm?"
Everyone looked up in
surprise when they heard a voice from above their heads. But not long after,
someone landed on the ground very lightly. A moment later, he kicked the
corpse-like figure that was lying on the ground.
Bugh!
"Argh!"
"When someone
wants to talk things out nicely, it's better to do it while punching them in
the face, right?"
Bugh!
"I know that
I've been losing my temper a lot lately, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let
things go, right?"
"Argh, wait,
Luca..."
Bugh!
"Moreover,
you've already accumulated a lot of sins."
That Fake Black Tower
Mage was really obsessed with Lucas. I looked sadly at the dying dark
green-haired man. I felt a little sorry for him, seeing him beaten up like
that... But, I also knew that he was the one who made Zenith's magic power so
dangerous, so I couldn't feel sorry for him.
"Lucas, please
don't overdo it."
I had to stop him
because I still needed that man. As soon as Lucas heard my words, he stopped
beating Karax.
"Lucas?"
"Lucas?!"
"That's
Lucas?!"
Ah, it seems that the
Tower Mages didn't know that it was Lucas. No wonder, it was because he
suddenly grew up overnight.
"Lucas, you
bast#rd! You've been extremely rude to the Black Tower Mage!"
The Tower Mages who
were watching this bright day suddenly became restless and shouted when they
saw their idol, the Black Tower Mage being trampled to dust(?) by Lucas.
"Is that brain
in your skull just a decoration?"
"W-What?!"
"If he really
was the Black Tower Mage, would he have been beaten so badly by me until he was
this battered?"
Hearing Lucas' words,
the Tower Mages widened their eyes, glancing at Lucas and the corpse-like
figure at Lucas' feet in turn.
"I think you
need to calm down."
"Tower Master?!"
Right at that moment,
Grandpa appeared. I clicked my tongue in my heart when I remembered Grandpa's
face which was so white as if he was almost dead in the morning.
"We'll take him
and deal with him."
By the way, it seemed
like Grandpa must have known who Lucas really was, that's why he spoke formally
—different from before.
“Black Tower Mage, I
apologize for the trouble.”
Hah……!
At that moment,
everyone around me sucked in a breath at the same time.
“B-B-Black Tower
Mage?”
“W-Who are you
talking to……?”
“I-It can’t be,
right?”
The Tower Mages,
especially those who had known Lucas for a long time, stuttered in disbelief as
if they were buffering.
“M-Master, have you
gone senile or something? I mean, I can understand since he suddenly became an
adult, but that’s not right, Lucas……”
“Y-You idiots! You
idiots! Can’t you watch your speech?”
The Tower Master
shouted in a cold sweat, but those words didn’t reach the ears of the panicking
Tower Mages.
“That’s right, it
can’t be!”
“How could Lucas be
the Black Tower Mage……!”
Lucas smiled broadly
as if he found the current situation extremely funny.
“Really? Then, how
can I make you believe it?”
Oh, but wait, his
face made me think he was going to do something!
"Do I have to
show something like this?"
My suspicions were
correct.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, dark clouds
gathered in the sky that was previously illuminated by sunlight. In an instant,
the sky darkened and flashes of lightning could be heard everywhere.
"Meteor……?"
Everyone watched in
awe. Meteor was the magic that was said to have destroyed the old Obelia
Dynasty in the past, but it was a strange thing to call it a 'Meteor'. There
were no meteorites in sight, it was a black sky accompanied by lightning, and
it began to circle in an ominous shape. It seemed that the birds also felt an
ominous premonition, they circled the sky in groups.
Kwaaaaa!
Then, the sky began
to open and the Tower Mages began to scream in worry.
"No, this can't
be……!"
"Oh, my
God……!"
Bruk!
One by one, their
legs went weak and they fell to the ground, stunned by this incredible sight.
The delegates were shocked, but the shock of the Tower Mages seemed even
greater than theirs —especially when they realized what was happening before
them right now, their bodies trembling with fear and awe.
"Oh my God,
'Divine Punishment'..."
It was the ultimate
magic that I had only read about in ancient books. It was so outrageous that it
could recreate the heavens and the earth with just one spell. If Meteor was the
magic that had destroyed the old Obelia Dynasty, then Divine Punishment was a
disaster magic that could destroy the entire continent. Of course, I was not
immune to this fear-inducing sight before me, but the sight of Lucas standing
majestically there was enough to make me feel fear.
He looked at me as if
to say, 'Do I look cool?'
"Lucas, that's
enough!"
I think it's enough
for you to show off the majesty of the Black Tower Mage, so stop! As I said
that, Lucas immediately withdrew Divine Punishment with ease. It only took a
moment to manifest such a large amount of magic, and he could even cancel the
ongoing magic immediately. He was truly a monster.
"Oh my God, this
is impossible…… This is a dream…..."
"Oh, my God,
why…..."
However, they were
still dumbfounded.
Lucas snorted at
them.
"This is
nothing."
I-It's nothing! How
could Divine Punishment be nothing? It's a spell that can destroy the entire
continent!
"Hey, don't
pretend to faint."
Lucas kicked him once
more, and the person lying limply under his feet flinched.
"Grandpa, I'll
take this bast#rd with us, there's no need to rush*."
T/N: Here, Lucas
is speaking in formal language, precisely he (a person of high status) speaks
politely to someone whose position is lower than his.
Lucas said to the
Tower Master, who was just as shocked as everyone else, then he grabbed my hand
and teleported away.
***
"Hey, you have
to get rid of that chimera's power right now."
Lucas immediately
exclaimed as soon as we teleported into a room. The aftermath of this sudden
teleportation was that Karax writhed like spinach faced with salt. Ah, no
matter how big an incident he caused, isn’t the treatment of this Fake Black
Tower Mage so meaningless……
“You said you would
come up with a solution, but you came up with a corpse instead.”
Claude who was
sitting on his throne turned towards us and said sarcastically. As I expected,
he was in a bad mood, and I knew that the cause of his bad mood was my request.
“Karax* will
stabilize Miss Magritta’s magic power.”
T/N: Here, Athi
uses the term ‘-ssi’ for Karax, even though Athi has never called Karax with a
specific suffix before.
From what Lucas told
me, it was Karax who had given Zenith too much magic power, and that caused
Zenith’s magic power to go berserk. If Karax took back her magic power, then it
would eliminate the risk of the magic power going berserk for good, not just temporarily.
Claude kept wanting
to kill Zenith, and I honestly didn’t know how hard it was for him to restrain
himself. The Albie’s face became so gloomy overnight as if he had been in
life-or-death situations so many times that he was dying now. Zenith was still
unconscious in Izekiel’s arms.
At that moment, Karax
who was dying on the floor spoke.
“Wait…… You want me
to die now?”
“You’re going to die
soon anyway.”
Lucas said without
hesitation.
“You should at least
clean up the mess you made before you die.”
Eh, but does that
mean that if he takes back Zenith’s magic power, then he will really die, or is
that just the most dangerous side effect? Uhm, I’m guessing it’s the latter.
Karax muttered something again, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying because
he had just been beaten up by Lucas a moment ago.
It seemed like Lucas
wasn’t interested in healing him, so I glanced at him and used healing magic on
him to make it easier to talk.
“I……”
I could now hear his
words clearly.
“Lucas, I thought you
would like it.”
“Where did you get
that confidence from?”
“I cleaned up the
bugs that were stuck to the Princess.”
W-What? Why are they
suddenly talking about me? And, bugs? Who? Zenith? And, why is the word plural?
Now that I think about it, the Albie and Izekiel are on the list of people who
should be punished for this matter. No, the reason he ‘cleaned up the bugs’ was
because Lucas kept getting annoyed with them and kept saying ‘Albie’s nest’ or
something? What kind of crazy person is he? Yandere*? Is he a yandere?
T/N: A Japanese
term derived from 2 words; yanderu (mentally ill/crazy) and deredere (full of
affection). In short, a yandere character is a character who vents their
emotions through violence/brutality because of their love for someone. Yandere
characters will do anything —even kill to gain love/protect the person they
love.
I turned to Karax who
was ranting incoherently with an annoyed expression on his face.
"You're a
clueless bast#rd."
Lucas clicked his
tongue as if to say that he wasn't worth talking to.
"Lucas, you
should make friends."
"Who are these
friends?"
Hearing my words,
Lucas looked very annoyed.
"Hey, my
Princess doesn't want any of that."
Lucas said as he
nudged Karax with his foot again.
"Honestly, I
don't care whether the chimera dies or not."
Ugh, wait a minute,
aren't you being too dismissive when everyone is here?
"My Princess
wants a peaceful way. Do you know what the word peaceful means?"
Karax chuckled at
that and wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Why are
his hands so black?
"Are you really
Lucas?"
"Do you think
there will be another great person like me in this world?"
“You’re getting
boring, and I’m disappointed in you.”
“You’re the one who’s
disappointing, you failed and it drained your magic power quickly and
disappeared.”
Karax shut his mouth
when he heard Lucas’ cold words. Judging from the look on his face, it seemed
like he had no interest in being belittled so easily……
“It doesn't matter if
he wants to survive longer. Just kill that bit#h, and done. That’s it.”
Claude said
sarcastically as if his desire to kill Zenith had not changed. I glared at him
with a reproachful gaze upon hearing his words, and Claude flinched for a
moment under my gaze. He looked confused for a moment, and then he spoke again.
"But, Athanasia
doesn't want that. So, I want you to finish this right now."
It was obvious that
he didn't want to be hated by me, considering that he immediately changed his
words like that and was now urging Karax. In fact, I was surprised that he
changed his mind and decided to spare Zenith, even though he did it because I
asked him to.
At that moment, Lucas
clicked his tongue softly and opened his mouth as if he was regretting it.
"Ah, the problem
is that I'm a very gentle and kind person."
What kind of nonsense
just passed through my ears……?
"Since your life
is so boring and sad, then I'll grant your lifelong wish."
Ugh, I don't know
what it is, but it seems like Lucas has pulled out a secret weapon. I wonder if
this is what is called a quid pro quo[ ]?
T/N: A Latin
phrase that literally means ‘something for something’. In short, it’s the same
as bartering.
“Next time I see you,
I’ll pretend to know you.”
Huh! W-What? That’s
Karax’s lifelong wish? No, I mean, even if he did all this because he liked
you, that’s not the case. Right? Lucas Shadow, what kind of baseless confidence
do you have……
“……You, will pretend
to know me the next time we meet?”
Hmph, but maybe it’s
not baseless confidence. I watched in confusion as Karax’s black eyes blinked.
Hmm, mmm. He must really like Lucas…… Lucas said he only knew Karax as an
acquaintance, but it doesn’t seem that simple, and I wonder if Karax is really
that much older than he looks?
"How long do I
have to put up with this play?"
Claude spoke again,
apparently getting annoyed by their pathetic behavior.
“If it’s done, then
hurry up and take care of it. Duke Alphaeus, you must remember your
conversation with me today and never forget it.”
While muttering a few
words, Claude rose from his seat as if he didn’t want to waste any more time,
and immediately after that, Duke Alphaeus and Izekiel bowed to him. For once,
it seemed that Claude had decided to give Duke Alphaeus some leeway for hiding
Zenith. Honestly, no one accused him of betrayal since he had been hiding
Zenith all this time.
However, I was
relieved that Albie didn’t pose any real threat to me or reveal his true
intentions to Zenith. Furthermore, Albie didn’t know that Zenith was the result
of Anastasius’s black magic, and he insisted that if he had known, he would
have told Claude immediately.
He was truly a good
talker, he settled the matter by saying that he thought Zenith was a Princess
and that he was defending Zenith because of his loyalty to Claude…… Of course,
if the people in the Banquet Hall last night had seen Zenith’s jewel eyes, the
situation would definitely be different from the current situation. However,
fortunately, the truth of this matter was easy to ask since only the people
here knew Zenith’s identity.
To my surprise, Duke
Alphaeus prostrated himself before Claude and begged him to spare Zenith’s
life. He pleaded several times earnestly saying that if Claude turned a blind
eye to Zenith like Claude had been doing all this time, then Zenith would never
be seen by Claude again.
Actually, I was quite
surprised by that. I thought that Duke Alphaeus would probably abandon Zenith
at any moment to save his own life.
In any case, that
made it easier for me to ask Claude. Of course, I didn’t listen to their entire
conversation that night, but I guessed that there was some kind of agreement
between Albie and Claude.
“I am very grateful
for your mercy, Your Majesty.”
"You should
thank Athanasia, not me."
With that, Claude
left the room.
"Thank you, Dad."
I immediately
followed him out. I knew that Claude wouldn't have done all this without my
asking, even if he had made a deal with Duke Alphaeus.
"This is also my
fault."
But then, somehow Claude
blamed himself —not me, and the words he said next made me pause.
"When I realized
that neither I nor the people in the Emerald Palace could ever fill the
emptiness inside you."
He spoke in a low
voice, without looking at me who was following him.
"I thought,
maybe you need someone who can soothe your loneliness."
I began to realize
that Claude cared for me, his daughter, much more than I had realized. And
often, as I walked closer to him with each step, I could see his face.
"That's why I
put the Young Mage you like by your side. And then, I thought it would be a
good thing for you to have a friend your own age."
So, Lucas and Zenith
were the ones who ended up by my side now. One was a centuries-old Mage of the
Black Tower, and the other was the daughter of the person who had once clashed
with Claude. What an ironic combination. Claude rolled his eyes as if he was
thinking the same thing.
"Ever since your
debutante, you've always talked about her in front of me."
Really? I don't
really remember it, but if Claude said that... He may be been uncomfortable
with Zenith's appearance since her debutante, and I, who keep bringing up
Zenith from time to time have kept Claude on his toes.
"I didn't like
her, but you showed interest in her. So I let her be."
It seemed that Claude
was a little regretful for letting things develop to this point by letting
Zenith be.
"So, my
stupidity has made you who you are now."
"No."
I denied his words
without hesitation.
"No one knows
better than me how much you have done for me, Dad."
I said that while
holding his hand, and Claude looked at my face speechlessly.
"None of the
things you gave me were bad. So, don't think that way. Just like what you just
said, I've gotten a lot of joy and happiness."
I looked at his face
and gripped his hand even tighter.
“Dad, it’s not your
fault that this happened, and I don’t want anyone to think that.”
Claude stood still as
I said that, he just listened silently to my words flowing into his ears. I
didn’t take my eyes off him as he stared at me as if looking into my mind.
After a while, Claude
closed his eyes for a long time, opened them, and then opened his mouth again.
“If you can keep your
heart by keeping that girl alive, then that’s enough.”
Claude’s sincerity
was so obvious in those words that I immediately hugged him.
“Thank you very much,
Dad.”
***
For some time, Zenith
still didn’t wake up after that. Vaguely, Karax felt satisfied when Lucas said
that he would pretend to know him the next time they met, so he would remove
Zenith’s jewel eyes. Hmm, those words sounded scary, it felt like the genre of
this story had suddenly changed to gore*…… That meant the magic power that
created the jewel eyes could be cut off and replaced with normal eyes.
Originally, jewel eyes were a phenomenon caused by the magic power inherent in
the Imperial Family Members.
T/N: A genre that
features violent content.
He wasn’t sure, but
Karax said that he could do that since it was easy for him to manipulate
Zenith’s magic power directly. However, to do that we would have to wait until
Zenith woke up, he said he would do it if that was what Zenith wanted.
Stabilizing magic power was a matter of life and death, and even if she
couldn’t control it, it wasn’t anyone else’s business whether she had jewel eyes
or not; Zenith did know the whole truth, but she probably didn’t want to get
rid of the only thing that connected her to her parents.
“I don’t have the
face to meet you, Princess.”
Since I had decided
to keep Zenith in my palace until she woke up, it wasn't hard for me to meet
with Izekiel. He spoke to me with a stern face, just like when I met him on the
day Zenith's magic power went berserk for the second time.
I studied his face
for a moment, then shook my head.
"This isn't your
fault."
"Princess, how
can it not be a sin when I hid the truth from you and even deceived you?"
But Izekiel kept
asking me to punish him, saying that he was the one who sinned.
"I understand if
you call me a liar."
"Izekiel."
However, how could I
blame him?
"I know that
what you said to me and the way you looked at me were always the truth, not
lies."
I didn't deserve it,
I didn't have the right.
"There are some
things in life that are destined to happen, and I think this is one of
them."
And he wasn't the
only one who lied.
"And, if you are
a liar, then I deserve the same accusation."
In a way, I may have
played a small part in bringing Zenith to this point. I don't want to see the
end of this story as the main protagonist, because I'm not as kind or
altruistic* as everyone thinks I am. Honestly, I'll keep pretending not to
notice Zenith's heart slowly breaking if it will preserve the peace that is so
precarious now.
T/N: A voluntary
act by an individual or group of people to help others without expecting
anything in return.
"You said that
when we were little."
I couldn't give her
what she wanted, and I didn't want to make her even more unhappy with my own
hands. So in a way, I took on her suffering. It's no wonder she hates me for
not doing anything to solve her unhappiness because, after all, my happiness is
more important.
"Zenith is
someone you should protect."
Maybe it was the
guilt in my conscience that drove her away 3 years ago, and I secretly knew
that she felt the same way.
"Go to your
rightful place."
If this were a
children's fairy tale, everyone would have a happy ending, no one would be
unhappy, no one would lose anything, and everyone would be smiling.
"I am not the
one who needs to be comforted, then or now."
Izekiel, who was no
longer the male protagonist in this book, smiled faintly when he heard my
words.
"Yes, because
you are a strong person, Princess."
There was a hint of
bitterness in his eyes, but he still smiled at me. Somehow, he looked better
than when we last met.
That night, Zenith
woke up from her long sleep, and the next day she left the Capital with green
eyes —like her mother's, shining in the sunlight. Thus ended a long story.
***
The Harvest Festival
had ended smoothly, and the weather had cooled down a bit. It was now spring,
or perhaps summer in Obelia. Even as I went about my daily routine, I found
myself thinking about Zenith and Izekiel from time to time. The Alphaeus family
had become very quiet since that incident. Now and then, Duke Alphaeus would
come into the Palace to see Claude, but he didn't tease me like he usually did.
I didn't bother
asking how he was either, so when we ran into each other, we just said hello
and then parted ways.
"Come to think
of it, it really was strange."
One day the Young
Ladies I still met occasionally said while shaking their heads.
"Back then,
every time I saw Miss Magritta, I would always want to talk to her."
"Miss Fiona was
like that too? I experienced the same thing too. I mean, I really wanted to get
to know Miss Magritta and even asked her to come to the villa with me."
"How funny is
Sir Xavier. The Gray Wolf who fell in love with Miss Magritta."
In the back, they
seemed to wonder about their sudden interest in Zenith. As Karax stabilized
Zenith's magic power, the influence of her charm magic on everyone faded.
"But she turned
out to be a nice Young Lady."
"That's right, I
honestly felt like she was just a shy person."
"I wish I knew
where she was being treated so I could visit her."
To the public, Zenith
was said to have gone to a sanatorium due to her deteriorating health. No one
thought this was strange since she was known to be sick often and stay at home
even after her debut.
"Sometimes, I
miss her."
After a while, one of
the Young Ladies muttered those words, and the others agreed. I thought the
same thing to myself.
About 1 month later,
a letter from Izekiel came to me with a short note from them. I was happy to
hear that they were doing well, at least as well as I was. I also wanted
Izekiel and Zenith to be happy.
"Sir Knox*, it's
time to eat."
T/N: Here, Knox is
indeed called 'Sir'. Hannah used the suffix '-nim' to call it.
"Woof!"
It seemed that Knox
understood the word 'eat'* because he immediately ran towards Hannah with its
black tail wagging. Hannah had been taking care of Knox almost exclusively, and
even though she didn't say it, I'm sure she missed Blackie very much.
T/N: The word for
eating that Hannah used was 맘마 (mam-ma), which means food (for babies).
"But Hannah,
aren't you feeding it too much?"
"What are you
talking about, Seth? Sir Knox is growing, so he needs to eat a lot!"
U-Uhmm. I guess I
have to admit, Knox's belly seems to be getting bigger lately. Eating too much
is not good for your health, so you should pay attention to your diet in the
future.
"I'm going to
the Tower."
"Oh,
goodbye!"
"See you,
Princess."
The sight of Hannah
and Seth bickering like usual was a peaceful one. I left them and walked out of
the Emerald Palace.
***
“S-S-Sir Lucas.
Doesn’t the chair feel uncomfortable? As you know, this Tower is very shabby……”
“That’s why I told
you to get rid of this stupid chair a long time ago.”
“I-I’m sorry…… I’m an
idiot who doesn’t understand the profound meaning of the Great Black Tower
Mage!”
“How could you not
know that? You should be able to tell just by looking at it. Isn’t that right?”
“S-Sir Lucas! Don’t
you think it’s a bit hot for you today? It’s strange, I keep sweating……”
“That’s because
you’re old.”
Stab!
“In terms of age, the
Black Tower Mage is much more…”
“It’s fine, because
I’m still young.”
Stabbbb!
I miss the peace I
felt a while ago…… I thought sadly as I looked at the scene before me. Tsk,
tsk, how much do you have to focus your five senses on Lucas that you don’t
even realize I’m here?
“Why are you bullying
the Imperial Mages again?”
“Ah, Princess!”
I opened my mouth to
speak, and they were so happy to see me. Ah, but they were too much. Did you
just shed tears? Oh my, you suffered because of Lucas! I glanced at Lucas who
was sitting leisurely by himself, he looked very relaxed —in contrast to the restless
Imperial Mages.
"When have I
ever bullied them?"
"Isn't that what
you do every day here, lately?"
Since when did you
trample (humiliate) the Tower like that? Didn't you do it just because you
enjoyed seeing the Imperial Mages' reactions? But, Lucas showed no signs of
pondering my words, instead he turned to the Imperial Mages with a frown.
"Is that what
you told her? I bullied you?"
"Ah, of course
not!"
"How is that
possible!"
Naturally, the
Imperial Mages facing him turned pensive, and they all shook their heads —in
denial as if they had made a promise. I couldn't see Lucas' face from where I
was, but when I saw the Imperial Mages shaking their heads so hard that their
hair was messed up, I thought I knew what Lucas looked like right now.
A moment later, Lucas
turned to me and said,
"This is a
brotherhood, look how close we are."
You can't fool me
with that smile!
But, when Lucas
turned his gaze to the side for the second time, the Imperial Mages immediately
echoed the words they said with enthusiasm.
"That's
right!"
"We are not Sir
Lucas's foot wipers*... But rather valuable co-workers!"
T/N: Foot wipers
(발닦개) is not a
commonly used word, it means 'foot cleaning tool'. In that sentence, this word
becomes a metaphor(?).
"That's right,
we are co-workers who sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears for Sir Lucas!"
Dude, if you guys are
co-workers, then why are you sacrificing your blood, sweat, and tears for him!?
"Princess, you
keep misunderstanding our relationship. I think you'll believe me if I show you
that we're learning magic together."
Hearing Lucas' words,
the Imperial Mages jumped up and down like fish out of water.
"Huh! You mean
learning magic, then I'll be the first!"
"No, I have
999,999 magic spells that I want to ask you, Sir Black Tower Mage!"
"Sir Lucas, this
is the body I dedicate to you. With my blood, sweat, and tears, if you choose
me, you won't regret it!"
Wow, this is like an
election campaign scene. As soon as Lucas mentioned magic, they all reacted so
enthusiastically, and I realized that they were indeed mages.
Hey, is that really
all? The experience of being able to learn magic directly from a real Black
Tower Mage is a very valuable opportunity, one that can't be obtained even if
you pay billions of dollars. Hmm, but this kind of thing usually bothers me,
but it seems like, lately Lucas has been answering questions from the Imperial
Mages sometimes…… Also, every time he comes to the Tower, he always appears in
his teenage form, it seems like he is considerate of the Imperial Mages who are
not used to him……
“I will give a prize
to the first person who shouts ‘Sir Lucas is a genius mage, the most handsome
man in the world’ 10 times. How about it?”
……What the heck is
that!? Are you some kind of cult leader?!
“Oooooh! Sir Lucas is
a genius mage, the most handsome man in the world!”
But it seems like,
these Imperial Mages have lost their minds and started praising Lucas in
unison. For a moment, I was stunned by the sight, but then I left the place
while saying, “Tsk, tsk.”
***
“Don’t get too close
to that bast#rd.”
That night, Claude
suddenly said those words to me, he looked very uncomfortable. The bast#rd he
was referring to was, without a doubt, Lucas.
“You better keep your
distance from that bast#rd.”
“Your Majesty,
weren’t you the one who stuck ‘that bast#rd’ near the Princess?”
“Felix, when did I
allow you to enter this room?”
Keugh. Felix was
chased out of the room with Claude’s sharp glare. Ugh! Felix, why did you have
to say that fact in front of Dad!?
“Dad, doesn’t need to
worry. Uhm, he’s even better than I thought.”
Keugh. I didn’t
expect myself to not stutter when I said that.
I-I’m not lying, but
why does my conscience hurt so much when I say that Lucas is a good person? Why
does it make me feel like Tower Master Grandpa and the other Imperial Mages
will come running at me with foam at the mouth because of Lucas……
“If he’s a good
person, then there are no bad people in this world.”
Claude snorted loudly
as if he had known everything. Ugh, Lucas’ true personality has been exposed!
But, he is actually better than everyone thinks.
"Ah, no. Even
though he looks like that, he's actually quite kind, and he listens to
me..."
Why did I defend
him...? I stopped talking, not because I didn't want to defend Lucas, but
because something didn't feel right, and then I realized that Claude was
looking at me with a scary expression.
"He must have
cast some kind of spell on you."
What? Spell?
"Somehow, I
think it's strange when you defend him like that."
I was momentarily
stunned by Claude's words, but then I quickly came to my senses when he stood
up from his seat with a sour expression.
"I'll get rid of
that cunning bast#rd right now...!"
"Huwaaa,
Dad!"
After that, I don't
know how long and hard I fought to stop Claude, who looked like he was going to
beat Lucas up. But speaking of which, who would win if the two of them fought?
No matter how strong Claude was, Lucas was already beyond human to begin with,
so of course Claude would lose, right? O-Of course, if I said this right now,
he would definitely get even angrier. But when I thought about it, I couldn't
help but stop Claude with more enthusiasm. Ugh, my life.
***
"Princess, did
you have a good day today?"
Keugh, yes, I had a
very spectacular day.
I held back my tears
as I felt a gentle hand stroking my hair. At least I have Lily, so I don't have
to cry when I feel lonely or sad!
"Lily is my
angel!"
"I am honored to
be your guardian angel."
When I saw Lily's
smiling face in the mirror, my heart melted. Keughh, it's amazing.
"Tomorrow will
be a better day."
Her words reminded me
of what Claude had said to me before we parted. 'If there's anything you want
to do tomorrow, you can tell me —no matter what it is. So tonight, think about
what you want.' When I remembered his words, I smiled widely.
"Princess, I
can't believe you're already 18."
Lily's caressing of
my hair slowed down a bit. She showed an expression that was usually seen on an
old person's face.
I replied playfully.
"Please take
good care of me even after I turn 18."
"Of course I
will."
Lily replied to my
words, and we turned to each other and lowered our heads. Then, we looked at
each other and laughed.
After a while, Lily
led me to my bed and left my room. But I couldn't sleep, so I rolled around,
and before I knew it I was on the balcony lit by the moonlight.
"Ah, it's so
bright."
Tonight was a full
moon night. For some reason, even though the lights were turned off, my room
seemed brighter than usual.
Wow, am I really 18
now? In the past, Lily had an expression like a parent, but to me, she was
still the same. Originally in <Lovely Princess>, Athanasia was killed by
Claude on her 18th birthday! That's why I crossed the Jordan River. Therefore,
my dream was to survive until the end and live a peaceful and long life. But
for some reason, I couldn't believe that I managed to turn 18 without any
problems. Suddenly, the days I had lived so far flashed through my mind like a
kaleidoscope. Looking at all that, it turns out that there were a lot of
strange things that happened in my life... Even so, it was a happy 17 years
because everyone was there.
"Hey,
Princess."
As I was drowning in
my sentimental feelings, a mischievous voice rang out above my head. Ah, it's
you again? Whatever it is, it feels like this guy never gives me a chance to be
serious.
"Are you unable
to sleep because you hate getting older?"
"Even if I get a
year older, it still won't happen because I'm still young."
Of course, you
wouldn't understand that, since you're a mage who's been around for centuries!
Hmph.
"It's been 10
years since I met you."
But today, it seemed
like Lucas followed my mood, so he came beside me and said something normal for
some reason.
"I see. It's
been 10 years."
Come to think of it,
Lucas and I were really close.
"When I first
saw you, you were really annoying."
"What? What did
I do? Didn't I look like a really good and great mage back then?"
Are you crazy……? I
won't be fooled by that innocent expression on your face!
"Time flies so
fast."
I looked up at the
moon, ignoring Lucas who was looking at me with a guilty look.
"You've only
been alive for 17 years, and you talk like you've seen the world."
"If you haven't
noticed, my mental age is much higher than that."
"Not
really."
When Lucas said that,
it felt like he was right. Well, compared to him, no matter if this was my
second life, I was still young.
"Even so, it was
really fun to be with you."
Since tonight was my
last night as a 17-year-old, I was able to say things to Lucas that I wouldn't
have been able to say at any other time. There were days when I was frustrated
with him, and I felt like my stomach was going to explode, but I don't think I
ever got tired of him, and I always enjoyed every minute of our time together.
So, I said all that to him and smiled. His black hair fluttered wildly in the
air. Lucas stared at my smiling face without saying a word, but a moment later,
there was a warmth that was more than a spring breeze that touched my lips.
I looked at him —he
was still close to me, I didn't realize what had just happened. I saw my face
in his red eyes, which were now very close to mine.
After a while, I
realized that my lips had just met Lucas's.
"Why did you
kiss me..."
A small voice escaped
my mouth in surprise. However, before I could finish that sentence, I felt the
same touch on my lips again.
I didn't expect him
to do it again, so I stayed silent and held my breath. After what felt like a
very long time had passed, Lucas moved away from me a little, I didn't know how
I should react. But, as soon as I came to my senses, my mind immediately went
into panic mode.
"Y-You, just
now..."
This wasn't a
coincidence or a mistake, and it didn't just happen once, so it wasn't
something that happened by accident... No, of course, this wasn't something
that could be brushed aside! Not just once, but twice!
"What did you
do?!"
I was confused and
wondered. Just now, what did he do to me? What should I do to him now?! But
Lucas indifferently said to me, whether I panicked or not.
"Oh, sorry. I
just thought you looked really pretty."
Uwaaaaaaa. I was
speechless.
“You, would you do
this to anyone who looks pretty?”
In the end, the words
I managed to say were something stupid like that.
“What? Of course
not.”
As I felt angry
inside, Lucas narrowed his eyes and laughed as if I had said something
unreasonable.
“I just wanted to do
it because it’s you.”
Ugh, I was speechless
again. This whole situation felt so ridiculous now. What just happened, the
conversation we had, it all felt so weird and embarrassing. My head became
dizzy and I started rambling.
“You…… This,
something like this, without my permission……”
“Oh, so it’s okay if
I ask for permission?”
Hey, that’s not what
I meant!
Lucas was as
shameless as ever, and I found myself getting carried away by him —just like we
always had been.
“I want to do it one
more time, is that okay?”
And then, I felt
strange. As I looked at Lucas’ face that was hit by the moonlight, and
strangely enough, no words came out of my mouth. I just stared at him, my lips
pursed, and our eyes met once more before I finally answered. Or maybe that's
what I wanted to think, that it had happened without me getting a chance to
answer.
The moment our lips
touched, I unconsciously closed my eyes. Warmth enveloped me a little deeper
than before. What is this? What is this? What am I doing with him? My mind was
in turmoil, and then it went pitch black as Lucas' hand stroked my hair and touched
the back of my head.
A moment later, his
eyes which were like roses in the night, looked at me with a smile.
"Oh, you're
blushing."
His voice that
whispered in my ear sounded like a spring breeze. Sure enough, my cheeks turned
red. I stared at the face in front of me, feeling confused —whether to run and
hide behind the curtains, or continue to look at that smile?
Suddenly, in the
distance, I heard the midnight bell ring. My 18th birthday, which in the past
might have felt like the end of a story, but now, for me it was the beginning
of another story.
< END >
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