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Chapter – 13
“You really didn’t have to go this far.”
Ah… there it is again. That look.
I really should fix my habit of sounding so indifferent around Serdian.
“I didn’t need it—but since you worked so hard on it, I’ll wear it properly. Thank you.”
“I’m touched. May I put it on you?”
“…Sure.”
Serdian stepped behind me and fastened the necklace around my neck.
“Now I feel at ease.”
“……”
“If anyone tries to force you to go somewhere while I’m gone, make sure you call my name.”
“Alright, alright. Just go already.”
“I’ll be back really fast!”
I waved vaguely at Serdian as he hurried away.
This is why going out with Serdian is exhausting.
When Serdian graduated early two years ago, he’d been stubbornly opposed to letting me attend the academy alone.
Convincing him back then had been seriously hard.
Still… I really need to ask him about my memories today.
Is it nerves? This isn’t as easy as I thought.
As I stood there blankly waiting for Serdian, someone approached me.
“Lenia?”
“Ignis?”
He was wearing a robe, so I couldn’t see his face clearly—but after harboring an intense crush on him for two whole years, I recognized his voice instantly.
“How are you here…?”
“Ah, I just felt stifled, so I snuck out for a bit.”
Ignis, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was still as gentle as ever.
“I see.”
“I’m glad I came out.”
“Huh?”
Ignis lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers as he spoke slowly.
“I was hoping I’d run into you, Lenia.”
“……”
“And to actually meet you like this…”
He lifted his head and continued with a bright smile.
“I’m so happy!”
Because he raised his head so suddenly, the robe slipped slightly, revealing his face.
Even in the dark of night, his face shone like warm sunlight.
I lightly brushed beneath my nose with one hand and adjusted his robe with the other.
“You said you snuck out. You shouldn’t let this come off.”
“Right.”
Ignis continued smiling cheerfully, accepting my touch like a puppy.
Seeing him smile so brightly lifted my own mood as well.
Then—
Something fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Ignis and I naturally turned our heads toward the sound.
And there—
“…Lenia?”
“Ah…”
Serdian was standing there, his expression inexplicably cold.
“Lenia. Who is that guy in front of you?”
“That guy?”
Is he trying to get arrested for insulting the imperial family?
Everyone’s attention is already drawn this way—how am I supposed to say he’s the Crown Prince?
Unnecessarily handsome, seriously.
Unable to reveal that the person before me was Crown Prince Ignis, I hastily explained to Serdian.
“He’s a friend. Just a friend.”
“A friend… that you’re being that affectionate with?”
“Friends can be affectionate.”
“Lenia, when I’m right here—”
Combined with Serdian’s pitiful expression and how it looked like I was cheating right in front of him, people’s gazes began to gather.
Ah… I really can’t let Ignis get exposed.
I gently took Serdian’s hand and spoke in the most sweet, cutesy tone I could muster.
“Oh! That reminds me—there’s something I’ve always wanted to do with you.”
“…With me?”
“Yeah! Can’t we go do it now?”
“…….”
“…Huh?”
Serdian’s stiff expression slowly softened.
“There was something you wanted to try with me?”
“Y-Yeah! So let’s go, hurry.”
“Alright.”
Success.
Since I almost never acted this affectionate, he fell for it instantly.
I quickly turned to the still-standing Ignis and hurriedly said goodbye.
“Then I’ll be going now. See you again later!”
“…….”
“…Huh?”
Why did he grab my arm?
Does he have something to say?
Serdian’s expression is getting worse.
Ignis, who had only been staring blankly, suddenly flustered and spoke.
“Ah! Right. Lenia, enjoy the rest of your vacation.”
“Yeah. You too. Take care.”
After finally getting Serdian home, I seated him on the terrace in the garden.
Then I carefully explained what had happened earlier.
“The person in the robe was His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yeah. He said he snuck out because he felt stifled. And in that situation, you were drawing attention…”
“It’s because you were being too gentle with him. I’m not ready to let you go yet.”
“Where are you ‘letting me go’ to? I’m not showing any signs of that, so don’t worry.”
“Good. Take your time with dating. I think it’ll take me a while to prepare myself.”
I stared at Serdian, who had a hand over his chest, taking deep breaths.
Just ask casually. Like it’s no big deal. Don’t get nervous.
After steadying myself, I slowly opened my mouth.
It was the question I had resolved to ask him today.
Because Serdian was so perceptive, I’d been nervous—and only now could I finally bring it up.
“Brother, by any chance… through magic or some other means, is it possible to recover lost—”
“Sir Serdian!”
Someone suddenly shouted his name and rushed over.
“Lu… Luas?”
“Luas? Who’s that?”
The man who approached us spoke urgently, eyes brimming with tears.
“Sir Serdian, what are you doing here?!”
“Luas, I told you I’d return in a month. You agreed to let me go.”
“You knocked someone out and left only a note behind! How is that ‘letting you go’?!”
“If it’s work, it can wait a month. You know that.”
“I do, but you never know what else might come up! I told you to stay at the Mage Tower.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“Yes. It’s urgent. Everyone’s panicking, telling me to bring you back!”
Serdian looked at Luas irritably, then turned away, lowering his eyes.
“I want to stay with Lenia a little longer.”
“It’s really urgent. It’s a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…….”
What is it that’s making Serdian look that miserable?
“If you don’t come, His Majesty will activate the summoning spell. And if he does, Sir Serdian won’t—ah!”
“Alright, alright. Be quiet.”
I watched Serdian cover both ears after pushing Luas aside with his foot.
…Is there something wrong with the summoning spell?
Serdian was bound to the Emperor through a summoning spell.
A summoning spell was a peculiar magic—when the summoner called someone bound to them, the summoned person’s own mana was consumed to complete the spell.
“…Ha.”
Serdian let out a deep sigh, then firmly held both my hands.
“Lenia, I think I have to go now.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. His Majesty is calling for me.”
“I see.”
I’d hoped to at least pretend curiosity and get some help while he was here—but I guess not.
Despite it being late at night, Luas and Serdian immediately began preparing to head to the Mage Tower.
Watching them, I went to my room and retrieved a gift I’d prepared in secret.
Before Serdian boarded the carriage, I approached him and handed it over.
“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“I picked it out while you were busy buying things for me.”
I gave him a box containing a feather pen.
“You do a lot of research at the Mage Tower, so I thought you’d be writing a lot.”
“Lenia… if you do things like this, how am I supposed to leave?”
“Go on. We’ll see each other next vacation.”
“Until then, make sure you keep wearing that necklace. It took a long time to make—especially since magic doesn’t work well on you.”
“I know. I’m kind of unusual.”
In truth, I had a peculiar constitution—magic didn’t work well on me.
On top of that, I had no talent for magic whatsoever.
This condition began after I was seriously injured as a child.
Because it could be either a weakness or a strength, only my family knew about it.
“Still, Lenia, always be careful of black magic. No—don’t even take an interest in it. That’s why I’m being called away this time.”
“Did something happen?”
“It seems traces of black magic were found again. So I probably won’t be able to contact you much.”
In this otherwise peaceful empire, there was only one thing treated with absolute severity.
Black magic.
Anyone even loosely connected to it risked execution—not only themselves, but also those around them.
“Oh, and this is new information.”
“…….”
“If you see someone with scars like this, be careful. They’re likely connected to places that use black magic.”
Using the pen I’d given him, Serdian drew a circular spiral on the back of my hand.
“Why?”
“This is a scar that only appears after being afflicted by black magic. Getting involved in things like this is dangerous—and never good.”
I nodded casually.
“Got it. Anyway, I’ll keep wearing the necklace, so don’t worry. Take care.”
“…Alright. I’m going.”
Serdian pulled me tightly into his arms, then kept turning back to look at me as if he couldn’t bring himself to leave, before finally boarding the carriage.
I stood there watching until the carriage disappeared from sight.
But… I thought Serdian could teleport.
Why does he keep taking carriages?
If the summoning spell bothers him, couldn’t he just teleport?
That aside…
“Seeing him leave like that… makes my heart feel heavy.”
