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Chapter 82
Actually, the red magic stone on the bracelet had been slowly flickering for a while.
At first, I wasn’t sure, but as I got closer to the iron bars, the flickering light grew stronger and faster.
‘It reacts to magic, right?’
If this place had magic that could react with the magic stone, there was only one possibility.
‘Sylvia.’
Following the stone’s reaction step by step, I finally saw the innermost iron bars. A woman with long silver hair was crouched inside, concentrating on something.
‘Huh?’
Crackle, crackle—
There was a sizzling sound. What on earth was she doing? Looking closely, it seemed she was trying to break the lock with electric magic.
But the power was too weak, so it barely had any effect.
“Haah, if I had a staff, this would be done in no time…”
Even seeing her struggle like this, she looked ridiculously cute. Is this why she’s the heroine?
I tried to carefully call her from behind so as not to startle her, but a low voice came from my back.
“Amelia, I told you not to go far.”
“Eek!”
Startled by Vincent’s voice, I sank down, and Sylvia shouted urgently behind me.
“It’s dangerous!”
Sylvia, also startled, turned back mid-spell, and the magic shot out.
Crackle, BOOM!
A loud explosion sounded, and I sank down partially hidden in Vincent’s arms.
His Divine Blessing activated immediately, so nothing happened. The explosion itself wasn’t huge, but it would have been dangerous if someone had taken the hit.
“A-are you okay?”
Sylvia looked worriedly from inside the iron bars. If this was the first time the heroine Sylvia and I met…
‘Hmm, she’s pretty.’
Her softly glowing silver hair framed her shoulders calmly, and her large, clear eyes were like a pristine lake.
Her mysterious yet pure appearance made it easy to see why Vincent would fall for her at first sight.
‘So… Vincent?’
I glanced at him and unconsciously pressed my lips together.
Vincent still had his arm around my shoulder, staring at Sylvia. And Sylvia stared back at him.
It was the first eye contact between the heroine and the male lead.
‘I need to step back… now.’
Somewhere in my chest felt a strange twinge, but I knew my role. It was my turn to retreat.
As I tried to slip away, Vincent suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Amelia.”
“Y-yes?”
“It’s safe now. Let’s go.”
“Wait!”
I resisted Vincent’s strength, and he gently released my wrist.
“Hmm? Why?”
“Why… don’t you release her?”
I urgently gestured at Sylvia hanging in the iron bars, and Vincent shook his head.
“Slaves will be checked for identity and sent to their proper places in order.”
“Wait! I’m not a slave! I’m a magician!”
Clang, clang.
Sylvia shook the bars in protest, but Vincent continued speaking to me, not her.
“Especially magicians are dangerous, as we just saw. They cannot be released until the palace magicians arrive.”
“Uh… I see.”
It made sense, but… she’s the heroine. Wait, didn’t Vincent just fall for Sylvia earlier?
Flustered, I alternated my gaze between Vincent and Sylvia, then hurriedly grabbed Vincent’s sleeve as he turned away.
“Your Highness, Your Highness.”
He glanced at the sleeve I held, looking at me as if asking what was wrong.
What should I say? I couldn’t demand he release her immediately. But leaving the heroine trapped wasn’t an option either.
“S-so…”
Sylvia and Vincent both focused on my lips. I looked at Sylvia with sympathy.
“The palace magicians will take some time to arrive. In the meantime, she’s probably hungry. Could we at least give her something to eat?”
“……”
“……”
Ugh, my grand idea was just food.
But Sylvia must really be hungry, since she probably hasn’t had even a sip of water since leaving the Mage Tower.
‘She must have come straight here.’
I glanced at Vincent.
“Would that be alright…?”
Vincent looked toward Sylvia once and said with a sigh,
“You may handle that yourself.”
Then he stepped back slightly and spoke with Oscar Cobran. The palace knights were surrounding the area, which seemed to ease his mind a little.
I approached the palace knights and got some dry bread and water. I knew they always kept some emergency rations.
I carefully brought them to Sylvia.
When I handed the water and bread into the iron bars, Sylvia hesitated for a moment.
“It’s okay. Start with this. I’ll ask His Highness to release me as soon as possible.”
Finally, she took the food and started eating quickly, as if she had never hesitated.
I watched her from a short distance, feeling uneasy.
‘Why isn’t this going as planned?’
Vincent didn’t look at Sylvia, speaking only with Oscar Cobran, and Sylvia paid him no attention.
‘What was that intense eye contact earlier?’
This wasn’t just a glance. Normally, the moment the heroine and male lead meet, things progress automatically.
I watched Sylvia silently, feeling frustrated at how this wasn’t going according to plan.
The exhausted Sylvia quickly finished the bread and water.
Only then did she shyly speak to me.
“Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“……”
An awkward silence lingered. Ah, what now? Sylvia isn’t a bad person, so eventually she’ll be freed from the iron bars.
But after that… originally, the crown prince should naturally take Sylvia to the Crown Prince’s Palace.
Then a thin voice came from the iron bars.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
Sylvia glanced at Vincent and nodded.
“Are you His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes, I am. Crown Prince Vincent.”
“Then… are you two… a couple?”
“I’m Amelia Wentworth. As for His Highness… um, I’m temporarily staying at the Crown Prince’s Palace due to circumstances.”
I deliberately skipped mentioning that I was his fiancée.
“Amelia Wentworth…”
Sylvia repeated my name once as if to remember it, then nodded and looked at me.
“Then, milady, could you call His Highness for a moment? I have something important to tell him.”
“Ah…”
I wanted to say okay, but my head and mouth weren’t cooperating. If Sylvia wanted to meet Vincent, I needed to step aside.
“Okay—”
“Looking for me?”
Just as I hesitated to respond, Vincent appeared behind me, hands behind his back.
Sylvia slightly lifted her robe and bowed politely inside the iron bars.
“Crown Prince, I’m Sylvia Norman. I was originally an apprentice magician affiliated with the Mage Tower.”
“Originally?”
Vincent picked out a word from her sentence, and Sylvia shut her mouth, glancing at me.
“Your Highness, I have something important to tell you. Could you give us some privacy?”
“……”
Vincent glanced at me once but said nothing. I decided to step aside.
“Then, I’ll be over there.”
“Amelia.”
Vincent called me, but I smiled slightly and walked away quietly. I felt his gaze follow, but I ignored it and spoke to Oscar Cobran.
“Oscar Cobran, how’s it going?”
