ODEN 18

Chapter 18

“Y-Your Majesty……”

Kalix had been leisurely walking in when he suddenly sensed something strange and stopped.

His red eyes quickly swept across the classroom.

At last, he found me and made an odd expression.

After thoroughly examining me, he spotted the oversized ribbon headband on my head and Rubellin beside me dressed as a dwarf. His eyes narrowed.

Kalix immediately turned around.

“……I interrupted. Carry on.”

Carry on what?! That makes me sound like some kind of weirdo!

I hurriedly tore off the headband.

“Y-Your Majesty! There’s a problem!”
“A problem?”

Kalix stopped, only slightly turning his head.

“Rubellin is acting strange. She keeps calling me……”
“Calling you?”
“I mean, she calls me……”
“Calls you?”

My face burning red to my neck, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“S-She calls me a princess……”
“……”

The room turned as cold as if a northern wind had swept through it.

Kalix fully turned around.

“So you enjoy playing house.”

That’s not it!

Just as Kalix was about to leave the classroom, Mevern rushed forward and prostrated himself. His forehead slammed loudly against the marble floor.

“Y-Your Majesty! The outfits Her Highness and Lady Lucina are wearing are from the Snow White storybook and costumes I o-ordered from the boutique!”

“Snow White?”

Kalix furrowed one brow. He looked back and forth between me and Rubellin.

“Ah.”

Only then did he seem to understand.

“I thought your fever had finally rotted your brain. Apparently not.”

How rude!

Just as I bit my lip in indignation, Rubellin stepped forward.

“Hey! Watch how you speak to the princess!”
“……”

For the first time, Kalix looked genuinely dumbfounded, as if questioning his own hearing.

I hurriedly grabbed Rubellin by the shoulders and lowered myself to her eye level.

“Rubellin, don’t speak to His Majesty like that, okay?”
“Princess, you stay outta this!”
“S-Stay out……?”

Her sharp rebuke left me speechless. Huffing angrily, she continued yelling.

“That guy’s the youngest dwarf! How dare he be rude to the princess!”
“You can’t call His Majesty the youngest dwarf! He’s your uncle— no, your father. You shouldn’t say things like that, okay?”

Perhaps my desperate pleading failed to reach her. Rubellin stubbornly protested.

“Nope! Anyone rude to the princess deserves a good scolding!”

She was unbelievably stubborn. Where on earth did she even learn to talk like that?

Meanwhile, Kalix spotted the fallen storybook and raised one eyebrow high.

He walked over and picked it up.

“Your Majesty, that is—!”

Ken hurriedly ran over, but he was too late.

Crackle—!

Black flames burst from the part touched by Kalix’s hand, and a violent dark whirlwind spiraled around the storybook.

As Kalix muttered something under his breath, an ominous wind rose from nowhere, causing his hair to billow.

“Rubellin!”

Instinctively sensing danger, I pulled Rubellin into my arms.

Crackle—!
Yellow flames erupted, and the storybook was completely incinerated.

When I cautiously opened my tightly shut eyes, I saw the blackened remains of the book in Kalix’s hand.

Crumble.

Ash scattered down.

Silence filled the classroom.

Everyone sensed the ominous atmosphere and could only stare blankly at the burned book.

* * *

“Black magic?”

My mind reeled at Yukar’s words.

“Yes. More precisely, it’s a type of black magic once passed down through a certain clan centuries ago. It controls a person’s mind.”
“So the black magic embedded in the storybook and costumes has forced Rubellin into the Snow White worldview?”

Yukar gave a small nod.

Good heavens!

Horrified, I immediately hugged Rubellin tightly beside me.

Rubellin buried her face in my chest before suddenly looking up.

“Princess, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

I shook my head and rested my chin on top of her head.

“Who would do something like this……?”

Yukar, who had been watching me with an unreadable expression, calmly continued.

“Well, according to the investigation, it appears to be someone’s prank. Merchants usually need imperial approval before selling magically imbued items. The boutique madam did receive permission, but to lower production costs, it seems she made a deal with a wandering mage.”
“A wandering mage?”
“Since the mage has no affiliation and constantly travels from region to region, it may take time to track them down.”
“I see……”
“Well, if it truly was only a wandering mage, that would actually be fortunate……”
“Hm?”

After briefly falling into thought, Yukar lifted his head.

“Never mind. In any case, we are currently recalling all distributed products and narrowing the investigation to rogue mages and those with criminal records.”
“If they never catch the culprit, will Rubellin stay a dwarf forever?”

Anxiety poured from me without pause.

Rubellin slipped out of my arms and glared fiercely.

“Princess! Are ya lookin’ down on dwarves? Ain’t no problem protectin’ ya!”

Her words left me speechless.

The issue wasn’t whether she could protect me— the empire’s princess had become a dwarf…….

The boutique madam’s severe punishment was already certain, and Mevern, who brought the costumes, was also under investigation.

Once things settled down, I would likely be investigated too for opening the book.

Though Mevern and I were victims as well and probably wouldn’t receive heavy punishment, at this rate Rubellin……

Unable to face the grim reality, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“A dwarf…….”
“Lady Lucina.”

At Yukar’s voice, I slowly opened my eyes.

“Do not worry. The mind-control magic should wear off after one full day. Until then, please avoid any behavior that contradicts the Snow White storyline. According to the Tower Master, if the worldview collapses, there may be psychological side effects.”
“R-Really?”

I let out a deep sigh and rubbed my chest in relief.

Thank goodness. Thank goodness.

So after just one day, Rubellin would return to normal.

Wait.

I abruptly lifted my head.

“I think I misheard something…… Does that mean I have to spend today acting as Snow White……?”
“Yes. You must wear that outfit and behave like Snow White.”
“…….”
“If you need apples or a mirror, please let me know. I can provide those.”

Judging from his serious expression, he absolutely was not joking.

“Y-Yukar…….”

As though his work was done, Yukar pulled out a black orb from his pocket, focused it on Rubellin, and activated it with several clicking sounds.

Looking at the orb, he smiled in satisfaction.

But the moment our eyes met, he quickly returned to a straight face and stood up.

“Then I’ll be going—”
“Wait a minute!”
“What now?”

Yukar sighed and looked back at me.

“There’s one more thing I’m curious about. Why was I unaffected by the mind-control magic?”
“Well, according to the Tower Master, it’s because ‘you’re an adult.’ You can distinguish fantasy from reality.”

Having said all he needed to say, Yukar bowed politely.

“Please do your best not to disrupt the Snow White worldview. I still have work remaining, so excuse me.”

I stared blankly at Yukar’s retreating figure as he left the bedroom.

Honestly, I almost wished I’d been mind-controlled too……

In my right mind, I had absolutely no confidence in playing Snow White.

* * *

Using a magical recording artifact that captured moments instantly, Yukar replayed footage of dwarf Rubellin with a pleased smile.

Rubellin covering the lens while yelling not to film her.
Rubellin lifting her head from Lucina’s embrace.
Rubellin frowning fiercely.

Watching the footage, Yukar’s expression suddenly hardened.

“I’m glad I got to witness Lady Rubellin’s adorable side, but what kind of bastard……”

He muttered darkly through clenched teeth.

“To dare use black magic within the Empire.”

The Empire was one of the world’s great magical powers.

The imperial family, descendants of dragons, and the Mage Tower were threatening simply by existing.

Especially because black magic was fundamentally incompatible with imperial mana, it had become taboo within the Empire after the witch clans were exterminated.

Yukar narrowed his eyes.

Could it be… witches?

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

He himself had once suggested the possibility that witches still existed, yet after centuries of only rumors, even their existence had become doubtful. More realistically, it was likely the work of a wandering mage obsessed with the witch clans.

“Well, it’s still worth investigating.”

Recalling the witch-clan records hidden deep within the Emperor’s library, Yukar looked back at the orb.

As he smiled fondly at Rubellin again, another memory surfaced.

After hearing the report about black magic, he had rushed toward the classroom and encountered Rinel on the way.

“Once His Majesty released his mana, Lady Lucina sensed danger and shielded Her Highness with her entire body.”

Shielded her with her entire body?

Yukar scoffed inwardly.

Anyone could pretend in front of His Majesty.

But later, when he saw Lucina turn pale at the mention of black magic and tightly embrace Rubellin, he felt just a tiny bit— a very, very tiny bit— guilty for suspecting her.

“Well, I suppose I’ve investigated and monitored her enough.”

Besides, since Her Highness adored the woman so much, meddling any further would only earn him resentment.

Yukar would rather die than end up hated by the princess the way Mevern was.

Just as Yukar finished organizing his thoughts and picked up the orb again—

BANG!

The office doors burst open violently.

Seeing who entered, Yukar immediately stood and bowed.

“Your Majesty.”

Kalix merely glanced at him before striding straight to the desk.

“How’s the investigation progressing?”
“It’s underway, but unless the mage uses black magic again, it may take considerable time.”

Kalix picked up the investigation report lying on the desk. As he scanned it, his crimson eyes glowed faintly.

“To dare.”

Crunch.

The report crumpled in his grip.

The killing intent radiating from his lord made Yukar’s skin crawl and his breathing tighten. Compared to this, the pressure Kalix had once directed at him before was nothing more than child’s play.

Swallowing dryly, Yukar carefully spoke.

“The mages stationed throughout the Empire are searching. We should find them soon.”

Kalix tossed the crumpled report aside and sat down behind the desk.

“Keep everyone silent. If the ministers hear about this, they’ll do nothing but flap their mouths.”
“Yes. We’ll dismiss it as merely the ‘playing house’ Lady Lucina mentioned.”

Kalix gave a short nod and picked up another stack of paperwork.

Watching him carefully, Yukar hesitated before speaking again.

“Um…… Your Majesty. Will you hold her responsible as well?”
“Responsible for what?”

Kalix sharply lifted his gaze.

“Lady Lucina. She hasn’t been questioned yet. Of course, the product was brought by Mevern, but ultimately she was the one who activated the mind-control magic.”

Kalix lowered his eyes toward the heart-patterned blanket draped over the edge of the desk.

He recalled Lucina turning deathly pale and shielding Rubellin in her arms.

“Tch.”

He clicked his tongue briefly.

“Forget it. If I punish her, who’s going to take care of Rubellin?”
“……You’re not even going to investigate her?”
“There’s no need.”

After saying that, Kalix resumed reviewing documents, only to sense an intense stare directed at him.

He looked up.

Yukar was narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“Is there a problem?”
“……No.”

Yukar quietly withdrew his suspicious gaze.

His Majesty had been strange lately.

No matter how competent Lucina was as an educator, Kalix was strangely lenient only toward her.

Despite being indifferent to Lucina’s proposal of pretending to be a married couple, he had personally brought back that mysterious heart-pattern blanket on the rainy night and even ordered it washed himself.

He had gone to pick her up simply because her report was delayed, and eventually even carried her to his own bedroom when she caught a cold.

Yukar still remembered the dagger that had narrowly missed his throat the first time he visited Kalix’s bedroom after being appointed aide back when Kalix was crown prince.

How long had it taken before he himself was even allowed into that room?

While Yukar sulked internally—

Click.

The office door opened again.

He instantly hardened his expression and turned toward it.

“Discipline has grown lax. How dare anyone enter His Majesty’s office without—”

Then he spotted who had entered and swallowed the rest of his scolding.

“Her Highness… and Lady Lucina?”

Rubellin marched in proudly with her chin raised high, while Lucina followed behind her wearing an exhausted expression.

“……”

Kalix had already lifted his eyes from the paperwork and was quietly observing them with his chin resting on one hand.

Like a rabbit puffed up with confidence after dominating the forest in a race… followed by a dejected hamster.

That was the impression that crossed his mind.

Rubellin stopped directly before him.

Planting both hands on her hips, she bit her lip.

“Hmph! Youngest dwarf, what’re ya doin’? Ain’t yer job to protect the princess from the queen?”
“……?”

Unable to hide his bewilderment, Kalix turned toward Lucina.

Lucina gave him a troubled look and drooped her eyes apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I tried to stop her, but Rubellin is incredibly stubborn……”

Lucina sighed deeply.

“Haah… What am I supposed to do……”

Eventually, she buried her face in both hands and whimpered.

“I can’t possibly ask Your Majesty to do something like this…… What do I do……”

After a long silence—

“……What is it?”

Kalix finally asked with a somewhat resigned expression.

Watching the scene unfold, Yukar narrowed his eyes.

See? He really is soft only toward this woman.