SWMD 67

Chapter 67

Diana looked breathtaking in her pure white wedding dress.

She looked exactly like the version of her Lueri had imagined in his dreams—golden hair elegantly tied up, a tiara adorned with platinum and pearls resting on her head.

Soon, she kissed the man who was to become her husband. Nobles watching them erupted into cheers and applause.

But Lueri couldn’t hear any of it.
It was like he’d been hit on the back of the head—his ears ringing, his mind blank.

He had finally become a Grand Mage—finally able to stand by her side with confidence.

So why wasn’t he the one standing next to her?

Had it been a mistake to enter the Magic Tower? He began to question everything.

Yet Diana smiled radiantly at the man beside her.

In the end, Lueri had no choice but to let go—for her happiness.

After the wedding, Lueri sought out Diana. Despite his broken heart, he wanted to congratulate her—and wish her a life full of joy.

“Lueri!”

She hadn’t changed a bit. Still pure, still warm—just like the girl from the orphanage.

“What happened? You disappeared after going to the Tower! Do you know how worried I was…?”

Tears welled in her eyes, though she smiled with relief. She had truly been concerned for him.

“Training must’ve been tough… Are you okay?”

Seeing her again made his heart race. Lueri took a deep breath, trying not to let her notice.

“I’m doing well, Diana.”

“Still the same! You should call me ‘nuna,’ Lueri!”

“Not a chance.”

She spoke playfully, like talking to a younger brother.

Lueri just smiled faintly. He refused to be her little brother—he wanted to be seen as a man.

“I became a Grand Mage.”

“What?! Really?!”

She grabbed his hand in excitement.

“I knew it! I always believed you’d do great things!”

“Tomorrow I’m headed to the imperial palace. Apparently, Grand Mages have to greet the Emperor.”

“That’s amazing, Lueri! I’m so proud of you!”

She gently patted his head, as if he were still a boy. His face flushed red.

“…Thanks, Diana. It’s all thanks to you.”

Then, after hesitating, he forced the words out:

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

It was hard—harder than anything—to say it aloud.

But Diana, unaware of his pain, beamed.

“Thanks, Lueri. I’m moving to the Duchy of Ernst. Come visit sometime, okay?”

“…Alright.”

Lueri nodded, hiding the bitterness in his chest. He said his final goodbye and left.

He felt aimless—but he couldn’t throw away the title of Grand Mage he’d worked so hard to earn.

If he became the Tower Master one day, maybe he could still help Diana in some way.

The next day, Lueri arrived at the imperial palace. He knelt respectfully before the Emperor.

“Lueri of the Magic Tower. I greet His Majesty, the Sun of the Edith Empire.”

“So you’re the young Grand Mage, Lueri.”

“Yes.”

Lueri kept his head bowed, hoping the meeting would end quickly. The wedding still weighed heavily on his heart.

“Remarkable, for someone so young.”

“Thank you.”

He looked up slightly. His eyes met the Emperor’s—and the Emperor flinched.

It was as if he had just seen a ghost.

“Your Majesty?”

“…Lueri, is it?”

“Yes.”

“Which noble family are you from?”

Lueri was confused. But he answered confidently. He had nothing to hide.

“I’m an orphan.”

“You don’t know your parents’ names? Not even your mother’s…?”

The word “mother” made Lueri’s eyebrow twitch.

“…No. I don’t know anything.”

“You don’t…?”

“I was abandoned at birth.”

The Emperor gestured for him to come closer.

He studied Lueri’s face carefully.

Then, the diamond in the imperial seal began to glow—signaling that royal blood was near.

The Emperor’s expression changed—he looked stunned.

“Red hair… sapphire eyes… I once knew a woman who looked just like you.”

Tears formed in the Emperor’s eyes. Lueri was speechless.

“The only woman I ever loved… the one who ran away from me…”

“What…?”

The Emperor, clearly overwhelmed, led Lueri to his study. A maid brought tea, and he began his story.

When he had first become emperor, he was forced into a political marriage—with a woman he didn’t love. She died of illness not long after.

Nobles didn’t give him time to grieve. They paraded their daughters before him, desperate to become the new empress.

Disgusted, the Emperor left the palace in secret.

He wandered through the slums—not the noble districts—seeking real people, real air.

And there, he met a woman—Lueri’s mother.

She had hair like fire at sunset and eyes like sapphire—he was entranced at first sight.

They fell in love quickly. Every day, he went to see her.

Eventually, he confessed that he was the Emperor and asked her to come with him to the palace.

But the next day, she was gone—leaving only a letter behind.

The letter said she was ill… and wouldn’t live for another three years.

Though devastated, the Emperor tried to find her. He sent knights in every direction—but she had vanished without a trace.

He buried the pain, never forgetting her.

Now, in front of him stood a young man who looked exactly like her.

“So what you’re saying is… I might be Your Majesty’s son…?”

The Emperor didn’t answer. But his eyes gave everything away.

“Can I… do a test?” he asked.

Lueri agreed. He didn’t believe it—but better to put false hope to rest.

“Let’s do it.”

The Emperor quickly called a priest.

A drop of blood from each was placed into holy water.

The water should’ve turned red. But it remained clear—just a ripple.

That meant their blood was related.

The Emperor embraced him tightly.

Lueri froze.

He’d thought he’d been abandoned. But he hadn’t.

His mother had been dying. His father didn’t even know he existed.

The Emperor’s tears soaked his shoulder.

“So I was… someone precious to someone, after all.”

At that moment, Lueri thought of Diana.

Without her, he wouldn’t have become a Grand Mage. He wouldn’t have met his father.

She was his light—more precious than any diamond.

She was his savior. The only one who had reached out to him with warmth.

Her kindness had made everything possible.

He silently thanked her again and again.

Held in his father’s arms, he finally found the emotions he’d been missing all his life.

Years passed.

Lueri became busier—as a Grand Mage and a prince in all but name.

Because the Emperor already had a crown prince and empress, Lueri’s identity was kept unofficial. But he was treated like royalty behind the scenes.

Still, his thoughts often wandered back to Diana.

He missed her so much it physically hurt.

But fearing his heart would grow too weak, he never visited her again.

They exchanged rare letters, and he only wished silently for her happiness.

She lived in his heart, always.

Because of that, Lueri never married.

He could’ve had any noblewoman he wanted—but none of them were Diana.

Then one day, he went to visit the Emperor.

“Today’s your daughter’s debutante ball, isn’t it? Congratulations, Calypso. But what are you doing here, not with your daughter? It’s late.”

Calypso?!

Lueri froze.

That was Duke Calypso—Diana’s husband.

He glanced sideways and recognized him—the same man from the wedding years ago.

Lueri lingered, listening carefully, hoping for news of Diana.

But what he heard shocked him.

“I needed an alibi.”

“Alibi?”

“By the time I get back, everything should be done.”

“You mean… that plan?”

“Yeah. Alicia should’ve dealt with that damn Pereshte woman by now. Feels good. Now I just have to deal with the one who killed my wife. Still deciding how.”

Lueri scratched his ear—sure he’d misheard. But Calypso’s sneering face told him it was real.