Episode 17
We were finally able to leave the imperial capital three days later.
Since there were as many as sixteen people in total, we decided to use the gate to get to Heim.
Rulick was of the opinion that there was no reason for the Magic Tower Lord to waste his energy, but Ren was nonchalant.
“Whether it’s sixteen or twenty, how much energy does it really take to go back and forth? More importantly, do you even need this many people?”
Rulick coldly ignored Ren’s prickly attitude.
From my perspective, knowing what happened in the novel after Louise’s death—that Rulick had harmed him—watching this was nerve-wracking.
“Let’s go.”
The moment I grabbed Rulick’s outstretched hand, Ren grabbed my other hand.
I was caught, almost dangling between two large men, but I was so nervous about my first gate travel that I didn’t dare shake off either of their hands.
My vision swayed and my eyes flashed.
I squeezed my eyes shut and held their hands even tighter.
‘Ugh, is it still far?’
How much time had passed?
With a strong, vibrating shudder, my feet touched the ground.
“Phew.”
As I let out a sigh of relief, Ren looked at me as if I were cute.
“Scaredy-cat Lu. I can’t believe you’re still afraid of gates.”
Fortunately, it seemed that being afraid of gates wasn’t too out of character for Louise.
I whispered my excuse into Ren’s ear.
“Ah, I was worried it might not be good for the baby……”
He laughed comfortably.
“That won’t happen. Don’t worry.”
Just then, Rulick turned to look our way, so I promptly shut my mouth.
It was then that guards with unfamiliar faces saluted us.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Princess. Welcome to Heim.”
The matter proceeded smoothly.
“Regarding the refugee issue, we have already concluded it, Your Highness.”
That was because Callisteon had come to Heim ahead of us and stayed to carry out the imperial family’s request exactly as instructed.
“We plan to set sail immediately next week, before the weather worsens.”
Then again, Callisteon had only provided me with a pretext to visit the Caesarea Monastery; he hadn’t intended to step forward and highlight the refugee issue from the start.
“All those who wish to return to their homelands will board sequentially. If you wish, you could also meet with representatives, though I believe it is unnecessary.”
Rulick, likely having guessed as much, gave a slight nod.
“Well done. Please bill the imperial household for the expenses.”
However, given the situation had caused damage to Heim, he couldn’t refuse the Lord’s request to host a dinner for the imperial family.
The elderly Lord seemed quite excited throughout the dinner, but for me, there were some unwelcome aspects.
“I had heard the rumors, but you are truly a beauty. The popular opinion that you inherited all the most beautiful and precious traits of the imperial family was no exaggeration.”
He kept pouring out compliments, looking down at me as if I were his granddaughter-in-law.
“……Thank you.”
I could only manage an awkward reply, but the Lord leaned towards me and added quietly.
“I heard the sole reason His Grace the Grand Duke remains unmarried is because of you, Your Highness. It’s certainly understandable, hmm.”
Rulick was in the middle of discussing cost matters with Callisteon.
Before my intimidating brother could catch on to the Lord’s slick implications, I decided to excuse myself around that point.
“I have indigestion. I’ll go for a short walk.”
I told Phoebe, and she quickly caught on, supporting me as we left.
“The evening is cool, shall we go to the glass greenhouse? I hear the Lady of the Lord is very interested in cultivating plants and has a wide variety of species.”
“Uh, yes. That sounds good.”
As we exited, I briefly met Rulick’s gaze, and he nodded.
Since he himself found official event attendance burdensome, he seemed lenient with me too.
‘What a relief…’
“If you were going to run away, you should’ve taken me with you, Lu.”
I had just arrived safely at the greenhouse and let out a sigh when I heard a voice from behind.
I turned to see Ren, giggling.
“Sorry. The Lord of Heim kept talking to me……”
Ren laughed along with me.
“He saw me following you out, so that sword guy must be fuming.”
Now that he mentioned it, we were alone for the first time in a while.
Before the trip, we were busy with preparations, and after the trip started, we were always with Rulick, so we hadn’t had a chance to talk.
“How are you feeling? Are you remembering to take your medicine?”
When Ren asked, I pulled out two small glass vials I had hidden in my embrace.
“I’m fine. I took the medicine before departure, and again after arriving here.”
“That’s good.”
Ren touched my cheek, and when I snapped back to attention, I saw that Phoebe had already swiftly made her escape.
It was early evening, so it was dark outside, and not a single ant was stirring inside the greenhouse.
Under the faint lighting, shadows fell across Ren’s strong-featured face.
His deep purple eyes seemed particularly vivid, and he looked straight at me without even a slight tremor.
‘……Get a hold of yourself. He might not be the father.’
Belatedly grounding myself in reality, I took hold of Ren’s hand and gently moved it away from my face.
“Ah, right. There was something I was curious about.”
I needed to start a conversation about something, anything, and I was glad I had a topic prepared.
“What is it?”
Ren asked, but he continued to fiddle with my hand.
‘Is it because of the darkness, or because I saw the Ren from the diary?’
His fondness for me felt vividly palpable, almost tangible.
‘He’s completely different from the man in the diary.’
Suppressing my fluttering heart, I brought up the question I had been desperately curious about for days.
“No, I was wondering if such magic exists. The kind that hides part of an object and then reveals it unexpectedly.”
“Part of an object?”
Since I suspected the magic on the diary might be Ren’s, I gave a slightly more specific example.
“For instance, a book… that one day reveals hidden pages.”
Ren stopped playing with my hand and asked seriously.
“Suddenly? In what way?”
Wouldn’t it be too obvious if I mentioned the pattern specifically here?
Thinking ‘just in case’, I rephrased the question a bit.
“Hmm, what about something like this? What if the pages I touch suddenly turn black? Wouldn’t that be interesting?”
He smiled faintly.
As he tilted his head to one side, half of his face was hidden in shadow.
“Anyway, ‘one day’ implies the magic has to activate when the caster isn’t nearby, right?”
“I suppose so?”
Ren shook his head and emerged back into the light.
“That’s difficult, Lu. ‘Suddenly, one day,’ not manipulating it from nearby.”
He added an explanation.
“That’s magic too complex and intricate for such a trivial purpose.”
“……Why?”
The process of the diary revealing itself seemed too simple to the eye, so I didn’t understand.
“Ugh, Lu. Do you still think magic is like a toy you can use freely just by having magic stone powder?”
Ren asked that while gently pinching and shaking my cheek.
“It’s cute when you’re like this sometimes, but even so……”
Then, he scattered some black powder in the air.
“Magic is divided into two types, remember?”
As he wiggled his fingers, the magic stone powder formed straight horizontal and vertical lines, creating an ‘ㄴ’ shape.
“Those that use the axis of time, and those that use the axis of space.”
I watched, mesmerized, as Ren collected the powder again and looked back at me.
“The magic you’re talking about would clearly use time. You’d need to use state-altering magic or, conversely, cast restoration magic. To control it from afar, you usually need to install a magical tool.”
Judging by his expression, it seemed he had given Louise a similar explanation before.
So, I put on a slightly embarrassed expression, as if I had forgotten.
“That’s right, indeed…… So, using a surprise magic like that would be difficult because of the tool.”
Ren chuckled.
“Exactly. Someone of the Old Man’s caliber might design it without a tool, but even then, you’d need a marker.”
A marker? Like that pattern, perhaps?
And who is this ‘Old Man’?
“Old Man?”
I asked casually, and Ren shrugged.
“Well, the Master enjoys those kinds of pranks, you know.”
Ren’s Master?
I don’t remember creating such a character!
‘Maybe I can find something in the letters from the drawer?’
Actually, there were quite a few unfamiliar names in the letters, so I had organized the contents focusing on the names I knew.
While I was thinking that, Ren added.
“But don’t ask the Master for help, okay? Our Old Man would take it completely seriously.”
Judging by his tone, the Master was clearly also acquainted with Louise.
It seemed risky to pretend not to know such a Master, so just as I was about to change the subject, another voice chimed in.
“Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince is coming.”
Phoebe, have I ever seen such an excellent maid?
The moment I quickly stepped about two paces away from Ren, Rulick and Callisteon appeared.
“Lu, they will show you to your room. Let’s go.”
Rulick reached out his hand towards me while looking at Ren.
“Magic Tower Lord, please come along as well and help with the inspection.
