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Chapter 21
“You came back having won, didn’t you.”
What was he even saying?
Did you leave a prize with me or something?
Cecilia shot him a look full of disbelief, but her hand remained firmly outstretched.
Long, elegant fingers and prettily defined knuckles made her intention unmistakably clear.
Hand it over. The prize.
Right now.
She briefly felt the urge to grab a fistful of his black hair and yank it out.
Instinct tempted her—but as always, reason prevailed.
Cecilia let out a long breath. There were too many eyes watching for her to put on a childish sibling squabble between royals.
With a light sigh of resignation, she reached into her pouch, took out a lollipop, and plopped it onto his palm.
“Here. Your prize.”
It was something she usually carried around to soothe crying children—never did she imagine she’d use it to appease her younger brother’s absurd sulking.
When she waved her hand dismissively, as if to say eat it and get lost, a soft snort of laughter came from above.
“If you don’t want it, I won’t force you.”
“As if. Thank you very much, Sister.”
The ruffian promptly slurped up the candy and finally backed away from behind her.
A series of rustling sounds followed, announcing that Alexis had begun thoroughly enjoying his reward.
“Sir Yulike.”
Cecilia took another step away from her brother and called out.
“What was that about earlier?”
“…Nothing at all.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
He nodded with a deliberate smile, but she—naturally—wasn’t fooled.
That level of shock was not “nothing.” At least try to make it believable, Sir Yulike.
Wait.
She had been looking at the educator adjusting his glasses when she suddenly turned her head.
Behind her, Alexis slowly pulled the candy from his mouth.
Slightly damp lips, a tongue stained a deep red—clear evidence he’d been eating pomegranate candy.
She tore her gaze away from the candy and fixed it on his handsome face instead.
Had Alex just warned Sir Yulike to keep his mouth shut?
As her eyes narrowed with suspicion, the man casually held out the candy.
“Would you like some?”
“…No, thanks. I have my own.”
“Then give me one too, Sister!”
Blanche came hopping over, cutely holding out her hand. Cecilia kindly unwrapped a lollipop and placed it into the girl’s mouth.
This one was salted caramel.
The harmony of sweet and salty was apparently perfect—Blanche’s face instantly turned blissful.
“I’m aliiiveee~!”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Thaaank yooou~!”
Blanche beamed and acted adorably sweet.
Unlike Alexis, who visibly recoiled at the sight, Cecilia simply chuckled.
“Sister! Sister!”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Do you want to look around the academy now?”
“If we get permission.”
“That won’t be a problem, Your Highness.”
At Yulike’s reply, Blanche’s face brightened at once. She scampered over and quickly looped her arm through Cecilia’s, staking her claim.
And so, once again, a precarious peace began.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was already evening by the time the noble royals returned to Ponlev.
After receiving the report from his secretary, Yulike reached out and tapped the magical lamp, turning it on.
His empty stomach protested loudly after hours without food.
Grrrkk.
It rumbled like thunder.
He’d skipped dinner entirely, too absorbed in analyzing the Crown Prince’s results.
Instead of heading to the dining hall, Yulike asked his secretary for a sandwich and began boiling water in the teapot.
Amid the bubbling sounds, the door quietly opened and closed.
“My eyes are going bad.”
Wasn’t there a spell that could restore eyesight?
Yulike grumbled while pressing around his eyes.
“I focused too hard…”
It was a teacher’s unavoidable desire—to see just how much their student had grown.
Even if it earned him a headache and hunger in return.
He carefully set aside the results sheet and began tidying the documents on his desk.
“You may come in.”
The doorknob turned smoothly.
Darkness seeped in through the opening, threatening the pale light inside.
The man who appeared leaned casually against the doorframe.
It must have rained under cover of night—the young man was faintly damp all over.
Long fingers roughly ran through his moisture-laden hair.
The collar of his shirt was undone by a few buttons, revealing prominent collarbones, and below them, a solid yet finely sculpted upper body with beautiful lines.
The shadows beneath his lowered lashes and the vivid red of his lips clearly marked him as an adult—but…
In that slightly tilted stance lingered a rebellious air reminiscent of the past.
Not the innocence of a child anymore, but the passion of a young man.
A sensuality no longer describable as youthful.
The man, formed of sharp and solid lines, embodied arrogance itself.
The Victorious Lucen.
The phrase used to describe the empire’s ruling family rose unbidden to Yulike’s mind.
It fit perfectly.
To those who remembered the prince’s boyhood, this growth was bound to stir emotions.
“Your Highness.”
He spoke, then fell silent.
Whether from awe or awkwardness, emotion clogged his throat.
Seeing his silence, the Crown Prince offered a faint smile.
When he entered the office and closed the door, the sound of the automatic lock followed.
“Why does everyone make the same face?”
“…Indeed.”
“Seems you like this shell of mine.”
“It was perfect even when you were young, Your Highness.”
Yes—annoyingly so.
As Yulike muttered darkly, the Crown Prince let out a low laugh.
His eyes softened, Adam’s apple shifting as the corners of his lips lazily lifted, breathing life into his sculpted face.
Yulike found himself unable to look away from even the smallest movement.
He parted his lips.
It was different.
Completely different from daytime—his atmosphere, his smile. How could they be this different?
“The results are out, aren’t they, Yulike?”
“Yes. Right here.”
When Yulike handed over the prepared sheet, the Crown Prince propped his chin on his hand and skimmed it.
“Your manifestation ability is, as expected, top-tier. You’ve improved even more since childhood.”
“Mm.”
“And your mana capacity has increased as well as you’ve grown.”
As if he’d expected it, there wasn’t a trace of irritation or despair on the young man’s face.
He merely shrugged.
“However, as your mana increased, your madness has risen proportionally.”
Only Yulike sighed in resignation as he interpreted the next graph.
“Fortunately, your control has also improved, so for now you’re maintaining a very delicate balance.”
“I see.”
“For now.”
He clenched his teeth to emphasize it, but received a nonchalant reply.
“Yeah. I’ll get the imprint done as soon as possible. I get it.”
“Yes. Please.”
The direct line of the Lucen family had a clearly defined way to stabilize their madness.
To fall in love with someone—and imprint with them.
“Mm. Yeah. Got it.”
The Crown Prince’s easy nod somehow felt deeply unsettling.
Yulike pressed his forehead, openly expressing his worry.
“You must succeed in imprinting if you wish to inherit smoothly.”
“Oh dear. I don’t like that.”
Alexis replied playfully.
If he succeeded, Armand would immediately pass on the throne and go traveling with Marisa.
Laughing, enjoying themselves.
Son, work hard! Suffering builds character! That’s just how life is!
Thinking of his father’s smug letters, Alexis felt zero desire to inherit.
“His Majesty will cry.”
“Let him. It’s not like I haven’t worried him before.”
Should I report this?
While Yulike seriously considered it, Alexis carefully reviewed the results again.
Judging by the graphs’ slopes, it was doubtful he’d make it through winter.
If he failed to imprint by then, he’d be dragged to the Mage Tower in a mad state.
Six months to decide fate.
Folding the paper neatly in half, Alexis recalled the pale face of the judge who would decide his end.
“Your Highness.”
“Mm?”
The renowned educator’s face had grown noticeably dark.
Understanding his hesitation, Alexis smiled again.
“Speak freely, Yulike.”
As manifestation ability develops, one can begin to see the “fragments” left behind by another’s magic.
In Alexis’s case, it was an innate gift since childhood; for Yulike, a skill honed over long years.
During the earlier test, Yulike had clearly seen it.
Traces of magic lingering in Cecilia’s hair.
And a seasoned mage would have roughly guessed what those fragments meant.
“Was it a spell to make her hair fuller? Or perhaps glossier?”
Yulike asked, playing dumb.
“Let’s go with that.”
Alexis replied lightly.
“…Your Highness. Did you do it?”
“Use your head. I rotted away in the Mage Tower for seven years.”
And even during his absence from Saint-Roc, Cecilia Lucen had maintained her black hair.
The implication of imperial involvement made Yulike let out a short hum.
Fatigue clouded his eyes as his lids opened and closed.
When his vision cleared, his resolve to remain silent was evident.
As the academy’s headmaster, avoiding political entanglements was his principle—hardly surprising.
Alexis calmly rose from his seat.
“Have a good night, then.”
As he turned to leave with a formal farewell, a brief question stopped him.
“Then, Your Highness… may I ask just one more thing?”
“What is it?”
“What is the Princess’s true hair color?”
Alexis pulled the corner of his lips up into a smooth smile.
