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Chapter 42
As planned, the object imbued with target magic aimed at Licht was retrieved by Zen, and the magic stones in the box were without a doubt ones Zen had personally brought from the Bastille Mine.
It was a plan I had revised countless times while recalling the original story. And in that plan, there had been no such exceptions. At that moment, a sense of déjà vu washed over me.
“That voice—!”
I hadn’t misheard it. Somewhere in this banquet hall, hidden from sight, there was a servant of the cult.
The surge of magic blocked by Licht’s crimson barrier clearly carried a pitch-black hue. Not only the imperial court mages but also the attendees of the banquet seemed to have noticed. Among them, a young lady—one who had once kindly spoken to me—was trembling pale-faced in fear.
The imperial palace of the Ludenza Empire had, since its founding, been protected by an unshakable barrier maintained through the continuous blessings of the temple and the efforts of mages. It was known as a fortress impenetrable by evil energy.
And yet now, that barrier had been breached. Worse still, in a hall filled with the Empire’s royal family and nobility.
“A servant of the cult has infiltrated the palace?!”
The shout came from a portly middle-aged man who had been hiding behind a pillar. Straightening his disheveled jacket as he rose, his flushed face contorted in alarm.
“Something must have happened to the palace barrier!”
“In the very palace, not even the capital streets—a cultist appears here?”
At his words, others began to murmur, voices overlapping in fearful speculation.
‘Mariné… is she safe?’
My eyes darted about anxiously until they found her—collapsed in someone’s arms. Mariné. Thanks to Licht’s quick deployment of defensive magic, she seemed thankfully unharmed. Her eyes, though, were wide with confusion.
“Mariné…!”
The one shielding her was Lucas. Likely, having stood near Licht, he had instinctively embraced and guarded Mariné when the blast struck.
‘Thank goodness.’
At least she was safe. And perhaps she had been searching for me as well, because strength returned to her gaze when our eyes met. Her lips moved soundlessly, forming words I could not hear, yet I could easily guess what she wished to ask.
‘She wants to know what’s happening.’
Lucas was soothing the shaken Mariné. I too was reeling. I had thought I’d successfully cleared her of suspicion—but in the end, the explosion still occurred. Even with the danger momentarily contained, my heart pounded as though it beat right beside my ear.
I couldn’t move a step. Licht, who held me in his arms, hadn’t budged an inch. His body betrayed not the faintest tremor, yet I couldn’t bring myself to look back at his expression.
‘What’s going on…?’
At least, we had narrowly prevented disaster—the exploding magic stone had been suppressed. My barrier alone would never have sufficed. Only because Licht reacted swiftly and at the right moment were lives spared. But still…
‘Mariné, Licht… they nearly got hurt right before my eyes.’
A chill spread through me; even my fingertips went cold. This was no longer just a story in a book. Real people lived, bled, and might die here—right before me.
My chest tightened painfully. What had I been thinking? On what grounds had I believed everything would resolve smoothly? From the moment Licht awakened, the original plot had already begun to unravel.
‘The so-called perks of reincarnating in a novel… what a joke.’
A mocking whisper echoed in my memory—the dark mage’s voice, playful yet chilling, that had once slithered across my skin in gooseflesh at the Magic Tower. That feeling was unforgettable, impossible to mistake.
‘The story’s flow has changed. Completely.’
Events were unfolding faster, more violently than in the original. The skeleton of the story might remain, but the currents were different. Even this explosion proved it.
The moment shattered my naive belief—that awakening Licht was mere coincidence, and from then on the story would follow the novel.
‘Or… was it because I removed the explosives?’
My thoughts tangled into knots. It was Licht’s worried voice that finally pulled me back.
“Edel, the explosion has subsided. Are you hurt anywhere?”
His deep blue eyes scanned my face intently. Normally, I would have answered right away, but my body refused to obey.
I only met his gaze in silence, and his strong arms tightened around me.
“I… I’m fine.”
I forced my lips to move, though even that was difficult. Licht, still watching me closely, murmured under his breath:
“For now, it would be best to leave this place and rest.”
At once, he slid an arm under my knees and lifted me as though I were weightless.
“Lady Edel!”
Through the clearing smoke of the banquet hall, I saw Lelia approaching, her neat attire unruffled—likely because she had been standing farther back and protected herself with her own barrier. Relief washed over me. As a mid-level mage, Lelia had the strength to defend herself.
She moved as if to support me, but Licht shook his head.
“Edel can’t walk alone right now. I’ll take her to her chambers myself.”
“Ah… yes, Your Highness.”
Lelia bowed and stepped back. Still dazed, I remained in Licht’s arms, blinking blankly. The once-clamorous hall was now steeped in chilling silence.
“The banquet is over.”
With weight in his voice, Licht declared. All present immediately bowed their heads, having awaited his word. The Emperor, Empress, and Prince Cayden were already gone—naturally, the royals would have been evacuated from danger first.
“…I can walk by myself.”
At last, I became aware of how close we were—how I was being carried, like some storybook princess. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Softly, I asked to be put down, but Licht gave no reply, only walking on with steady, protective strides.
‘This man isn’t a bed, yet he’s absurdly steady.’
Still, though my body rested easily, my heart churned uncomfortably. The banquet hall cleared of smoke, but the stares remained—curious, probing, unspoken.
‘Ugh, this is mortifying.’
I clutched at his chest, lifting my face to speak more firmly.
“Please, put me down, Your Highness.”
Licht finally halted.
‘At last, he’ll let me down.’
But instead of lowering me, he simply stood still, his sharp gaze locked onto mine. Normally, I would have looked away, but I held firm this time, determined to walk on my own.
Licht sighed softly, then adjusted his hold to draw me even closer. Leaning down until his lips brushed my ear, he whispered:
‘?!’
Caught off guard by the sudden nearness, I froze as his low voice spilled out—half-grave, half-veiled:
“No. You’re too shaken to walk.”
“…Excuse me?”
The tone was difficult to read—serious, teasing, or perhaps straining against something unspoken. He continued in a slow whisper:
“I won’t risk letting the mage who threw herself in harm’s way for me stumble and fall.”
“…Ah.”
Now that he said it—hadn’t I once again rushed to shield him with my body?
‘Is this… some kind of occupational hazard?’
I hadn’t even thought about it—my body simply reacted. After months of caring for Licht at the Tower, perhaps throwing myself in front of danger for him had become ingrained. The realization sent shivers down my spine. Licht was far stronger than I, hardly in need of protection.
‘Still… maybe the timing left me no choice.’
Yes. It must have been an unconscious reflex, a desperate move in the golden moment. That’s what I told myself—an attempt to rationalize my actions.
