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Chapter 14
“Sir, what do you mean by that? Have you been cursed to freeze to death or something?”
Worried glances were cast from all around, but the young official seemed completely unconcerned.
People grew even more worried.
Seeing his entranced expression, it was clear the witch had put a strong spell on him.
A nobleman shouted with a resolute voice:
“Your Majesty! That witch… she’s definitely done something! Please…”
“No.”
The young official shook his head hastily.
He shook it so violently that it looked even stranger.
“This… thing that Her Majesty the Empress gave me… I don’t know exactly what it is, but it creates a wonderfully refreshing breeze.”
Cecilia smiled wryly.
Of course—this invention had already received praise at the Guardian Tower. In the Linek Empire, it must feel like a miracle.
Since temperatures in Mejina were perfectly regulated, it hadn’t been widely known, but here, in this distant land, it could be put to good use. The future was unpredictable.
The colleagues seated beside the young official eagerly tried out Cecilia’s invention and lavished praise on it.
“This is much cooler and more convenient than a fan. My hands don’t even get tired!”
“I’ve heard that the people of Mejina make treasures, but I didn’t expect it to be this good… You should count yourself lucky!”
If a noble had received Cecilia’s invention, they likely wouldn’t have immediately praised it. Nobles always thought first of status and appearances.
But young officials were different.
Full of vigor, they weren’t afraid to accept new innovations.
One of them, looking especially excited, raised his head and asked:
“Your Majesty the Empress, what is this?”
Cecilia’s clear voice rang out.
“This is called a hand breeze. I made it back when I was training at the Guardian Tower. It creates a small breeze anytime, anywhere. Do you like it?”
“Yes!”
Cheers erupted not just from the one who asked, but from various corners of the room.
A smile spread across Cecilia’s face.
“I like honest people, so I shall reward you.”
“…!”
The officials’ faces brightened.
Cecilia pulled out several of her inventions—the so-called “hand breezes”—from her pocket.
The magic-compressed pocket was connected to another space, allowing her to store an infinite number of items.
Its flaw was that living things couldn’t be stored, but otherwise, it was perfect.
“May I ask how it works?”
“It’s magic,” Cecilia replied casually.
“It’s a simple magical mechanism, so it works perfectly even without the caster’s magic.”
“So, it’s not powered by Her Majesty the Empress’ magic right now…?”
“Exactly. As long as it isn’t destroyed, you can use it anywhere, anytime. Keep it safe.”
The officials gratefully accepted the hand breezes.
Gradually, the atmosphere in the conference room began to change.
The room, which seated dozens of people, was stifling and hot.
But the officials who had received Cecilia’s hand breezes were completely unaffected by the heat, looking comfortable and cheerful.
‘Just as planned.’
Cecilia treated both nobles and officials from commoner backgrounds with courtesy.
She had to think about her life a year from now, after divorcing Edward.
Of course, she could always rule through force.
‘Then at least life would be easy for now.’
But a year later?
She didn’t intend to live her whole life as Empress, so she needed to prepare to return to life as the daughter of Baron Graham.
To do that, she first had to resolve the deep-rooted fear of magic.
‘The best way is to show how wonderful magic can be.’
It was even better that she could simultaneously solve Edward’s problems.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, please do not remain passive—help us!”
Cecilia Ceres.
The Empress of the empire, who had returned only two days ago, had thrown the entire palace into chaos.
Many remembered her.
The cherished only daughter of Baron Graham and the most beautiful woman in the Linek Empire.
Thanks to her beauty, she had overcome social barriers and become the Duchess of Ceres—a fortunate and enviable position.
Despite her youth and delicate appearance, she had shattered prejudices that she couldn’t survive in society, becoming the indisputable flower of social circles—a woman not to be underestimated.
…Yet, her greatest weapon remained her beauty, simply being a woman.
Even five years later, nothing should have changed—but Cecilia Ceres had caused a major stir.
During the years she had hidden away, she had been in none other than Mejina.
Not only hiding, but Cecilia Ceres had returned as a Grand Mage.
No citizen of Linek felt positively toward Mejina.
Historically, Mejina had never submitted to Linek, and its powerful magic had often intimidated the empire.
Occasionally, nobles or wealthy families would hire Mejina mages, but they always remained secluded.
To avoid compromising their patrons’ dignity, they stayed indoors.
Thus, the wisest choice for Cecilia Ceres would have been to quietly remain in the Imperial Palace.
Yet, she boldly strutted about.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, our empire has always kept a distance from the unorthodox powers of Mejina. So please, we ask that you…”
“Are you telling me to imprison the Empress?”
The Emperor, Edward Ceres, spoke with unmistakable sarcasm.
“Being a husband doesn’t give you the power to restrain your wife. I do not believe so.”
He slammed the documents in his hand onto the table.
After the official meeting ended and most participants, including the Empress, had left, only the Emperor and his close aides remained in the conference room.
“Instead of wasting time with pointless talk about the Empress, you should focus on solutions for heatstroke.”
The aides’ expressions darkened.
It seemed the Emperor wasn’t taking the Empress’ side, but was scolding them for failing to address the urgent problem.
The Linek Empire was experiencing an unusually hot summer, and more and more people were collapsing.
Nobles, who did little labor, could simply stay indoors, but hardworking commoners—the backbone of the empire—kept fainting, which was a serious issue.
Immersing oneself in cool well water would help, but there wasn’t enough to use endlessly for drinking water.
“Perhaps we should ban outdoor activities during the day and only allow them after sunset?”
“That’s absurd! You’d be giving thieves the perfect opportunity. And even indoors, it’s fine to light fires, but how are we supposed to farm in the dark?”
Even when plausible suggestions arose, they were immediately countered.
The prolonged meeting dragged on into the evening without resolution.
“…I expect everyone to come prepared with proper ideas by the next meeting. We can’t just wait for summer to end.”
Edward ended the meeting with an annoyed tone and stepped outside.
At that moment, Sir Perol, hair disheveled, ran up hurriedly.
“What is it, Perol?”
A bad feeling settled in.
Perol was usually calm, rarely losing his composure.
If he was running, flustered and agitated, it could only mean…
‘Cecilia.’
Perol had lost his composure over anything related to Cecilia even before she suddenly left.
And Edward’s suspicion proved correct.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
He hurriedly spoke.
“It’s serious. The Empress… she’s distributing magical tools to the commoners!”
