🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 52
The next day, when Maybel opened her eyes, she was not alone.
“Ugh… so heavy… huh? Master?”
To her surprise, Zigmunt was lying beside her, holding her in his arms as he slept.
W-why is this man here?
Her confusion lasted only a moment before she remembered the conversation from the night before.
And the shock that had caused her to faint—realizing she might not be just a simple reincarnator.
“Ah…”
Had he stayed with her the entire time?
Maybel’s gaze wandered unconsciously toward Zigmunt’s shoulder.
Her face twisted in pain at the thought of the grotesque mark hidden beneath his wrinkled shirt.
Even after Sophia did something like that to him, I should probably hate him…
No matter how much you like someone, there are limits!
Feeling upset and guilty, she also became angry.
Squirming slightly in his arms, Maybel puffed her cheeks in frustration. At that moment, Zigmunt slowly opened his eyes.
“You’re awake…”
Though his voice was hoarse from fatigue, it was filled with concern for her.
His gaze on her, the way he checked her condition, the warmth he shared… every gesture showed he was completely considerate of her.
Impulsively, Maybel spoke.
“I’ll take it off for you.”
“Hm?”
“This… Master’s mark.”
Maybel stretched her short arms toward the area near Zigmunt’s shoulder but hesitated, afraid it might hurt, letting her hands hover uncertainly above it.
“You said yesterday it was a seal modified by Mom with alchemy. She used an enormous number of magic stones to succeed.”
“Mm… yes.”
“Then, wouldn’t it be possible to reverse it if one had alchemy and magic stones?”
As Zigmunt listened to her, the drowsiness in his eyes gradually faded.
He slowly sat up and responded.
“Yes. That’s probably true. But as of now, it’s impossible. Even the subjugation seal on beastmen cannot be removed.”
It wasn’t that Zigmunt hadn’t tried.
But the subjugation mark was a remnant of magic.
“You can modify or enhance an existing artifact, but you can’t create an artifact that cancels another artifact’s power.”
“But, people still live well using alchemy even after magic disappeared,” Maybel replied, rising to sit beside him.
In the past, a single artifact could easily heat water.
Without artifacts, people had to burn countless logs to boil water.
“No, actually, because alchemy spread, life became more convenient for many people,” she added.
With the disappearance of magic, even wizards could no longer use artifacts.
Those inconvenienced immediately started developing alternatives, eventually creating ways to accomplish the same tasks without expensive magic stones or magical talent.
In a sense, the disappearance of magic led to an improvement in living standards.
“Then, if we continue researching, won’t the day come when we can remove an artifact’s powers with alchemy?”
“That… you’re right. But as I said earlier, even I—”
“Oh, come on. What’s there to worry about?”
Perhaps frustrated by many past failures, Zigmunt was not one to hold hope easily. Maybel interrupted him and tapped her chest with a confident smile.
“From now on, I’m here!”
The moment Maybel spoke with confidence, Zigmunt’s eyes widened.
A faint glimmer of hope flickered through his red eyes, previously clouded only by resignation.
Of course, even Maybel didn’t know if she could truly remove the subjugation mark on Zigmunt.
This was something not in any novel.
But even tattoos that were said to be permanent eventually had removal methods developed. Nothing in this world is perfect.
Though she had no clear solution yet, she was certain a way existed.
Whether I’m a reincarnator or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that I have knowledge others don’t.
What began as impulsiveness gradually turned into an inexplicable certainty.
Grasping Zigmunt’s hands firmly with both of hers, Maybel said,
“Let’s work on this together!”
Hearing that, Zigmunt’s heart stirred.
He had faced countless failures and disappointments.
The more he researched, the more he realized there was no escaping the subjugation mark.
He had resolved never to harbor any hope or expectation again.
But… with Maybel…
It felt strange.
Maybel, known as the Saint of the Alchemy God for her intelligence, was still a child.
And yet, working alongside her made him feel… so reassured.
Why…
Why did he feel, for the first time, a certainty that he might finally escape the mark?
Even knowing it might be absurd, Zigmunt could not reject the child holding his hands.
He didn’t want to.
So, instead of reassuring her verbally, he held her hands tightly in return.
“Yes. Let’s work on this together.”
At his words, Maybel’s face brightened.
Brighter than ever before.
Meanwhile, in the capital of Greenhurst.
“As expected, this morning’s newspaper featured it prominently!”
“When we heard the special edition yesterday, it was unclear, but now it’s confirmed.”
From early morning, people whispered as they read the papers.
The front page reported the heated legal battle between Esclide and Ashilonia.
“How awful… he lost parental rights without even divorcing? How terrible must it have been?”
People clicked their tongues and pointed at the portrait of Caesar printed in the paper.
A woman, paying close attention to the reactions, quietly folded her paper and left.
She arrived at a carriage parked in a quiet alley.
Receiving the driver’s familiar escort, she boarded and said,
“I’ll return to the palace immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the driver replied respectfully and took his seat.
“Move out!”
The empress Francesca’s secretive carriage began moving quietly.
“Phew…”
Removing the hood that had covered her, Francesca exhaled.
Her green eyes peeked from the slightly upturned corners, falling on the newspaper in her lap.
“So the trial of Ashilonia’s princess ended like this…”
She hadn’t expected Sophia, who had supposedly hidden herself, to submit a petition.
“This could be a bit troublesome…”
But there was still a solution.
A faint smile curved Francesca’s lips.
Her gaze fell on the enormous compensation Ashilonia owed.
Several days later.
Summer had fully arrived in the Esclide Grand Duchy.
When Maybel first arrived at the Grand Ducal Palace, it had been early summer.
Now, walking in the garden, the heat made one sweat slightly.
Even though the palace was at a high altitude and usually cooler than the city below.
“Miss! Don’t stand in the sun too long!”
Maybel tilted the parasol she was holding in response to Ella’s voice.
“I’m fine! I’m holding it properly!”
“Oh dear, what if you get heatstroke~”
Ella stomped her feet in the gazebo.
“I’ll go with you, don’t worry,” Aselt said, appearing and smiling as he headed into the garden.
“Maybel, aren’t you hot?”
“Ah, Aselt-oppa!”
His lighter summer clothes made sunglasses suit him perfectly.
“Come here.”
When Aselt opened his arms, Maybel ran and hugged him tightly.
Being a Basilisk, Aselt’s body temperature tended to be cooler.
He tolerated heat well but was extremely sensitive to cold.
“Ah, this is so cool,” Maybel exclaimed, feeling relief from the heat.
Aselt smiled and took the parasol from her hands.
Twirling around him to cool off, Maybel suddenly remembered something.
“What about Kellic-oppa?”
“He’s probably lazing around as usual,” Aselt replied with a shrug.
Unlike Aselt, Kellic was weak in summer but strong in winter.
Usually, he stuck close to Aselt in summer, but this year was different.
“Then shouldn’t we go see Kellic-oppa? He must be waiting for you to come back.”
Recently, Aselt had been leaving the palace daily for social engagements.
Of course, Aselt could still sweat in summer, especially outside the palace where it was hotter.
The sweat against his sensitive skin under the eyepatch was unbearable, so he normally avoided summer outings.
But now, the situation had changed.
Thanks to the sunglasses Maybel had given him.
“Who do I owe for being able to socialize like this? I must repay the favor.”
Aselt stylishly adjusted his sunglasses and playfully pinched Maybel’s cheeks.
Feeling cool against her flushed skin, Maybel laughed.
“Oh, my new friend asked if he could buy sunglasses too.”
Aselt, holding her parasol, replied,
“Buy them? I’ll just make them. He’s my friend anyway.”
“True, but it’s not just one person…”
Recently, Aselt’s social gatherings were Basilisk meetings.
Everyone worried about their powers going out of control, and suddenly, Aselt appeared with sunglasses.
“Hmm, then…”
Maybel was wondering how best to sell them.
Looking at her thoughtfully, Aselt suddenly asked,
“By the way, did you patent these?”
“Huh?”
Patent?
“What’s that?”
Maybel tilted her head, confused, and Aselt’s face suddenly drained of color.
“Huh?”
