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Chapter 24
And so, the garden tour with Licht ended after a short thirty-minute stroll. It seemed he wasn’t truly as leisurely as he appeared, since he was quickly pulled away by Tayden, who had come rushing to find him. The fact that he made time for me despite being busy moved me all over again—not that I’d admit it out loud.
Honestly, when I used to read the novel, I identified with the heroine, Sepina, so Licht never really interested me much beyond the descriptions of his good looks. But during my time in the Magic Tower, and later after coming to the Imperial Palace, the way Licht treated me had a certain… warmth that made me grow attached to him.
“Somehow, he makes you want him to live happily. That kind of feeling.”
Which is why I once again found myself tearing at my hair.
Unverified objects cannot be brought into the Imperial Palace. The multiple layers of wards would detect any danger, and the palace guards were by no means negligent.
But the Empress will probably take care of that part.
As long as I kept my eyes open during the banquet, it wouldn’t be hard to spot Lady Bastieu. I remembered the description of her anxious expression that caught everyone’s attention. If all else failed, I could always ask Lellia.
The problem is how to stop the explosion.
This was the part that just wouldn’t resolve, no matter how much I thought about it.
First option: block it with my body. In this case, since I had zero holy power, I’d probably die instantly. If I got lucky, it would be a quick death; if not, I’d suffer horribly before going. Either way, my newly granted second life and peaceful side-character existence would be over.
Second option: ask Licht for help. But telling him about this and asking him to prevent it would most likely make him think I was insane. With no proof and no way to expose the Empress’s plot, I couldn’t make him believe me.
Which left the third option.
“Eliminate the reason for it being taken out in the first place.”
There’s no law that says I have to just die. Didn’t the author—or god—who threw me into this world at least leave me one lifeline to cling to?
Namely, the one who loves, cherishes, and protects me: the great and powerful Duke Meliz Evgenin, Master of the Magic Tower.
“If it’s just this once. No, maybe just one more time after this, it should be fine, right?”
I did have a conscience. I couldn’t keep asking for help endlessly! But in this case, it wasn’t even really for my sake—it was for Licht and Lady Bastieu. So, the guilt wasn’t as heavy.
“And strictly speaking, it’s not like Lord Meliz himself has to directly do anything.”
Right. No need to make a busy man even busier. Besides, he was probably preoccupied with researching my strange traits anyway. As expected, humans are masters of rationalization. I found myself nodding at my own thoughts.
“Time… ah, it’s already past ten.”
After eating, walking, and agonizing, the hours had slipped away. Without a job to rush to, I had plenty of free time, even after doing everything I wanted. Back in the day, I used to stay up until one or two in the morning, but these days, I was able to peacefully go to bed by eleven.
“I wonder if he’s still up.”
By normal standards, past ten wasn’t the best time to contact someone of higher status, but I knew that Lord Meliz was an extreme night owl. He was probably the most active right now.
I pulled out the video-communication orb hanging around my neck and pressed the button to send a signal.
In the Rudença Empire, particularly in Prince Licht’s palace, the qualifications to serve were strict. Not only was one’s background examined, but loyalty to Licht—hailed as a hero for standing against the Apostle faction—was essential. Even the laundress working in a remote washroom had undergone scrutiny.
Because of that, it was nearly impossible for news of real importance to leak from within.
But when it came to stories deemed romantic rather than secret? There was no need to hold one’s tongue.
In a secluded staircase of the palace’s administrative hall—where nobles gathered to discuss politics—an illicit conversation was beginning. A maid sweeping the steps glanced around carefully. Aside from the other maids working nearby, no one else was in sight.
With a sly grin, she quickly beckoned the others closer. As though they had been waiting for the signal, the maids within ten meters scurried over in an instant.
“So? What’s the big news? I nearly died of curiosity waiting.”
“You think it wasn’t hard for me? I barely held it in, I’ll have you know!”
The maid in the center waved her hands dramatically. Her confident expression only made the others more desperate. All eyes were fixed on her lips.
“Do you know why His Highness Prince Licht leaves training—even the kind that makes knights faint—exactly ten minutes before seven in the evening?”
The maids all shook their heads violently. Prince Licht was too lofty a figure to even be mentioned lightly, but even the smallest rumor about him was irresistibly tempting.
“Well? Tell us already!”
“Don’t drag it out!”
Acting as though she were revealing a tremendous secret, the central maid crouched down. Naturally, the others huddled close as well.
“It’s so he can be right on time for dinner at 7:30.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, dinner—with the guest staying in the Prince’s palace!”
“What?!”
One of the maids slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. So the rumor was true!
“Wasn’t he usually eating with the knights?”
“And isn’t he famous for refusing even the Emperor’s summons if he couldn’t be bothered?”
“Unbelievable…”
“Apparently the palace’s head chef is thrilled! Finally, a chance to show off his skills properly!”
The group erupted into chatter, piecing together scraps of gossip like opening bundles of treasures. The star of all these rumors was none other than the guest in the Moon Chamber of the Prince’s palace—the magician from the Tower.
Lately, among the palace servants, rumors about her appearance, her background, and even wild stories of how she and the Prince had fallen in love were spreading like wildfire.
“They say she looks delicate and fairy-like.”
“I actually saw her hair once when I went to deliver something—it shone silver, like nothing I’ve ever seen before!”
“So, did His Highness fall for her while she was caring for him?”
“But wasn’t the Prince bedridden?”
“Honestly, with that face, who wouldn’t fall in love?”
“They say he was moved by her devoted care. Of course, her beauty didn’t hurt either.”
The maids fell into dreamy silence, picturing Licht’s striking face alongside the mysterious guest. Compared to the romance novels they devoured over and over, this real-life story was far more intoxicating. Even the tiniest detail set their hearts racing.
“But weren’t there countless young ladies fighting to sit by his side before?”
“Exactly! You couldn’t count them all on both hands.”
One maid even began ticking off her fingers, recalling all the noblewomen who had cast coquettish glances—or even shamelessly thrown themselves—at him.
“That’s why everyone’s just waiting for the victory banquet!”
The Emperor had already ordered a grand celebration for Licht’s safe return, to be held no later than next month. And on that day, nobles would swarm the palace, eager to confirm with their own eyes both Licht’s return and the rumored magician.
“Ugh, just imagining it is terrifying.”
“They say she’s a common-born magician who spent all her life in the Tower. What if she bursts into tears and runs out?”
“Can you imagine if Lady Delluna goes after her? I’d flee to the farthest corner of the continent!”
Every banquet meant hard labor for the palace maids—serving picky, temperamental noble heirs and heiresses while enduring endless complaints and harassment. And then there were the infamous troublemakers, like Lady Delluna, notorious for shamelessly throwing herself at Licht…
At the mere mention of her name, the maids shook their heads vigorously. If Lady Delluna really set her sights on the magician, it would be more than the poor woman could handle. She might disappear in shock—or flee back to the Tower.
“Oh my gosh. If that really happened, it’d be headline news!”
For the maids, whose lives were otherwise monotonous, this was the juiciest gossip they could hope for—enough to sustain them for months. For once, even preparing for the Imperial banquet felt exciting.
“Hey! What are you all doing, huddled together like that?!”
They had been so engrossed in their chatter that they hadn’t noticed the head maid approaching.
“Ah! Scatter! Scatter!”
Caught off guard, they quickly darted back to their spots, sweeping their brooms as though nothing had happened.
The magician brought by Prince Licht is, in fact, his lover.
What had begun as a whisper in some corner of the palace was now spreading like wildfire, gaining wings. Soon, the rumor reached not only the palace staff, but also their friends, relatives, and acquaintances in the noble households of the capital.
In short, there wasn’t a single soul in high society left unaware.
Thus, events were already moving in a direction Edel had never anticipated.
