EUILV 27

Chapter 27

Magic Power Was Life Energy.

Even people who couldn’t use magic still possessed magic power.

However, directly wielding that power wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Only a few, like mages with a high amount of magic power, could handle it skillfully—because they used spells that visibly expressed the magic they held.

‘But in my case, the power leaks through my wings, so my body unconsciously seeks external sources to compensate.’

Absorbing another’s magic power wasn’t something even seasoned mages could easily do.

But Seraphine’s body had always instinctively skimmed and absorbed the magic energy that enveloped others.

‘That’s how desperate I am.’

It didn’t matter if she didn’t know how to manipulate magic properly. Her body acted on instinct to survive.

Still, Seraphine unconsciously limited how much power she took from others by distributing it efficiently.

But if she didn’t regulate her power at all…

“…Are you even truly alive like this?”

Within seconds, Metatron shook off the hand he was holding.

He had tried to transfer magic power to Seraphine—but it was like pouring water into a bottomless jar.

“Well, I am talking to you right now, so I suppose that counts.”

Seraphine nodded.

For now, nothing serious had happened from a few brief contacts.

Still, the world was unpredictable, so she wanted to be careful.

“Metatron, from now on, let my brother take control of the body. And if Icarus shows up nearby again…”

Seraphine issued her command firmly.

“Don’t even bother signaling me—just catch him immediately.”

This time, she had no intention of letting him slip away.

Metatron, whose pride had already been wounded from letting Icarus escape several times, was eager to capture him.

He nodded readily.

Then, the control of the body shifted, and Erez blinked awake, swaying slightly.

Realizing that he was in a completely different place than he remembered, Erez quickly assessed the situation.

“I didn’t make a mistake again… did I?”

“Nothing happened.”

“For nothing, quite a bit of time seems to have passed. And strangely, I feel very tired.”

Thump.

“…Really, nothing happened, so don’t worry.”

For the sake of Erez’s mental health, Seraphine couldn’t mention that he’d called her “princess” in public.

Having no way to know what happened while Metatron was in control, Erez felt relieved and pulled a pocket watch from his coat.

“It’s already this late? The Red Diamond auction will begin soon. Let’s move.”

“Yes, let’s.”

“But Seraphine…”

“Yes?”

“What’s that handkerchief?”

As he moved hurriedly, Erez noticed the blood-stained handkerchief.

Seraphine, realizing she’d forgotten to dispose of it, quickly folded it up.

“It’s my blood. You don’t have to worry.”

…Wasn’t that exactly the kind of thing to worry about?

Erez hesitated, visibly alarmed.

“You said we were running late, didn’t you? Let’s go.”

Seraphine urged him forward, acting as if it were nothing.

Erez suddenly recalled how Seraphine had once swallowed a mountain of pills without flinching.

That time, too, her calm, matter-of-fact attitude had been more disconcerting than the act itself.

Though he’d always known she had a chronic condition, he’d assumed she was also prone to exaggeration.

Like pretending she’d die from the tiniest prick of a needle.

But recently, after spending more time talking to her than in their entire lives, he realized—she wasn’t that kind of person at all.

I don’t want to die. But I don’t want to keep living like this either.

That was a pointless thing to say. You don’t even care about me.

Seraphine had been right.

He had never really paid her proper attention. He’d misjudged her, wearing tinted lenses.

At that moment—

Erez’s eyes widened as he noticed something.

“Seraphine, you…!”

He stepped toward her quickly and reached out—then stopped himself.

I don’t want you to touch me.

That phrase suddenly flashed in his mind.

“Is something wrong?”

Seraphine, confused, asked.

Looking at her face, which seemed completely unaware, Erez swallowed dryly.

“You’re bleeding.”

“Bleeding?”

She had wiped the blood from her lips thoroughly with the handkerchief.

So… what blood?

Wondering if it was on her cheek, she suddenly felt something trickle downward.

Touching her philtrum with a finger, she found red blood.

“Your body seems to be in a bad state.”

“I broke off the engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince. I guess it’s because I can no longer receive magic from him.”

Though Metatron’s interference had also played a part.

Unable to draw power from Leonhardt, Seraphine had been struggling to manage the leaking magic.

No matter how tightly she tried to stop it, magic power kept seeping out like water from a cracked jar—her body was bound to hit a critical point soon.

She hurriedly wiped under her nose with the handkerchief.

Coughing blood, now a nosebleed…

At this rate, she’d collapse from blood loss before magic loss.

“If you’re unwell, let’s go home. You can send a proxy to the auction…”

“No.”

Seraphine abruptly cut off Erez’s sentence.

Both of them were momentarily startled.

‘That was too harsh.’

Ugh.

Feeling slightly awkward, Seraphine tried to ease the mood.

“I just… want to see and experience it with my own eyes. As you know, I don’t get out much.”

In truth, after hearing that Metatron had encountered Icarus, she decided she needed to stay outside longer.

But she didn’t mention anything Erez wouldn’t understand.

‘I don’t know why Icarus is following Lady Rubia…’

Metatron had said Icarus had been watching her not just today.

‘That means he has a goal. And until he achieves it, he’ll keep pursuing.’

He might have fled for now, but who knew when he’d return?

So, staying with Erez naturally would buy her time.

Because only Metatron could detect and capture Icarus if he came close.

‘I just have to hope he comes back soon.’

As Seraphine made this resolution and continued her outing, Erez misunderstood the faraway smile on her face.

‘Come to think of it, Seraphine rarely goes out because of her illness. She must be excited like a child. I wasn’t thinking.’

“Alright, we’ll do as you wish. But if your condition worsens, we’re going home immediately.”

“Of course.”

As they approached the auction house, there was a large crowd.

Others seemed to notice too.

“There are more people than usual today. Must be because of the Red Diamond.”

“I heard even His Highness the Crown Prince has his eye on the Red Diamond today.”

Diamonds were typically colorless and transparent.

Colored diamonds were rare—especially the elusive Red Diamond, which explained Leonhardt’s visit.

“I heard Lady Rubia desperately wants the Red Diamond.”

“Wasn’t she the prince’s fiancée? Then I guess the diamond’s hers by default.”

As expected.

The moment Leonhardt was mentioned, Seraphine had sensed that talk of her would follow—and she’d been right.

Even if she didn’t want to hear it, their gossip reached her ears.

“You’re all behind the times. Lady Rubia was recently dumped.”

“I heard she was the one who broke it off. Honestly, I get it—her temper is pretty infamous.”

They had no idea that the infamous Lady Rubia was right there among them.

“I heard this from Lady Bazelan herself…”

Whisper whisper.

In short, their gossip claimed that the wicked, devilish Rubia tormented her fiancé, and he finally couldn’t take it anymore and broke it off.

‘They’ve flipped the roles.’

Seraphine didn’t know if Melanie had spread the rumors or if someone used her name to make them more believable.

But at this rate, even her debutante appearance would be riddled with gossip.

‘I’ll have to publicly prove at some point that I wasn’t the one clinging to him.’

While Seraphine calmly planned her counterattack, Erez was secretly glancing at her.

He had been the one who said the royal family should be the one to initiate the breakup, for the sake of their house.

But he hadn’t expected such malicious rumors to circulate afterward.

He’d never cared about high society gossip before, so he didn’t realize how cruel people’s words could be.

“They’re talking about you again. If you’re upset, just say so.”

“If I said I was, would you scold them like children?”

Erez fell silent.

Looking at his profile, Seraphine knew instinctively.

He really would do it.