Episode 10
It felt suffocating. She wanted to move freely, but something seemed to be restraining her, rendering her completely immobile.
The inability to see even an inch ahead added to the overwhelming sense of fear.
‘I’m scared… I hate this… Is this a nightmare?’
Just as she was being consumed by fear, a bright light began to spread. It was warmer and more radiant than sunlight, gradually washing away her terror.
At the center of that light stood a man. With silver hair flowing down to his waist and golden eyes filled with a dreamlike sweetness, he was an incredibly handsome young man.
It was her father.
‘Dad.’
Just hearing his voice brought a sense of comfort.
—
“MIel, Sella. The carriage is ready.”
While they were chatting, Door, the manager of the magical tower’s lobby, approached.
Miel and Sella wrapped up their conversation and stood up. As they walked toward the entrance of the tower, the doors opened automatically.
As always, the desert heat rushed in.
“It’s hot—let’s get on quickly, Miel.”
“Yeah. But wait, Sella.”
Just before boarding the carriage parked at the entrance, Miel hesitated.
She noticed a hazy cloud of dust approaching in the distance, as if something was racing toward the tower.
“A guest?”
Miel shaded her eyes from the sun and stared into the dust cloud. Slowly, the shape of a carriage emerged through the haze.
It was a luxurious carriage adorned in white and gold. At its center was a lion insignia with its mouth wide open—one she recognized well.
“Huh? That’s the imperial crest, isn’t it?”
Sella, noticing Miel not boarding, walked over and said:
“Yeah, I thought I wasn’t seeing things.”
The royal carriage sped toward them and stopped right in front of their carriage.
The coachman and servants following behind carefully opened the door.
From inside, the crown prince stepped out. His golden hair, shimmering under the desert sun, and his deep blue eyes focused straight on Miel.
“Lady Miel!”
It was the Crown Prince.
—
“This should be enough.”
Jade looked at the paper with satisfaction. He had just finished drafting a lesson plan.
For the past two days, he had locked himself in the study, finalizing the theme and content of the first class.
And now, he had even completed a schedule for the afternoon session.
“She’ll like it, won’t she?”
Though he’d never seen Miel smile before, he felt sure she would like it. Imagining her joyful face, Jade stood up from his seat.
Just then, he heard a commotion outside the hallway.
“Master!”
A knock came, followed by the door swinging open. It was Shulien.
It was rare, both in the past and in this life, for the elder to be so lacking in formality. Clearly, it was because the crown prince had arrived.
“What’s all the fuss about?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has come!”
Of course. Jade responded calmly.
“So?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Door will handle it, won’t he?”
“I only came to inform you because… the relationship between Lady Miel and His Highness seems… not ordinary. I thought—what if the first-ever crown princess from the tower is born?”
Jade’s face hardened. Shulien realized too late that he’d made a mistake.
In his excitement over the possibility of a royal marriage involving someone from the tower, he had spoken too casually.
‘Ah, what a blabbermouth I am. Both Miel and the Crown Prince are not exactly people the Master is fond of. No wonder he’s angry. I’ve just added fuel to the fire…’
—
Miel wanted to run straight into her father’s arms. But her body wouldn’t budge.
Instead, her father, Liard, came toward her. He gently embraced her.
Only then did Miel realize where she was.
‘Ah. This is a dream.’
There had been a time in the past when she had been consumed by fear, following her sudden death and reincarnation.
After experiencing such unreal events firsthand, fear began to consume her.
But then she met her father for the first time—and he wrapped her in warmth and comfort.
Her father gave her the deepest and widest love imaginable, always making her smile.
Thanks to her father’s love, Miel was able to accept her new life fully.
Because she retained memories of her past life, her early childhood felt a little frustrating. But once she could walk and run freely—
Around that time, she began to travel the world with her father.
She had thought the world was no more than a place from a tale—not worth much. But it turned out to be grand and beautiful beyond her imagination.
She saw countless natural wonders, met mysterious creatures, and encountered the brightest of people.
Through those journeys, Miel discovered that her father, Liard, was the great sage that everyone admired.
She was shocked at first. But whether he was a sage or not didn’t change the fact that he was her father.
It simply allowed her to understand his life more deeply.
Liard Carlradan, the Great Sage, always wished for peace in the world.
He never stayed in one place, wandering from region to region, helping those in need. Miel followed him and helped many people too.
Miel didn’t necessarily wish for peace like her father did. She believed that complete happiness for everyone was nearly impossible.
After their journey ended and they arrived at the magic tower, Miel asked Liard a question as he prepared to leave again:
‘Dad, why do you help people? Isn’t it impossible for everyone in the world to be happy?’
Liard smiled gently and replied.
Miel could never forget the look on his face at that moment. His smile was warmer and more radiant than the sunlight.
‘Even if I leave this world someday, I believe that at least one person I helped will go on to help others. And the one they help will go on to help someone else… Eventually, that cycle might reach everyone. Wouldn’t that make the world a little happier?’
—
Miel’s eyes opened suddenly. She had just dreamed of the past—from the moment she was born in this world, to the last day she spent with her father.
The dream had played like a fast-forwarded film, showing the key moments of her life.
The lingering feeling of the dream still clung to her as she slowly sat up.
She could still vividly see her father’s face in the dream—so calm, as if he could depart from the world at any moment.
He had always worn such an expression, one of someone who had long observed the world and become detached.
‘I miss you, Dad.’
It had been a beautiful dream, but it left a deep longing behind. Miel didn’t know where her father was.
If he stayed in one place, she could send a letter—but that wasn’t possible. All she could do was wait for one of his occasional letters.
—
“Ugh… I should go to the hot springs.”
Stretching, Miel got up and prepared to head out.
It had already been three days since she returned to the magic tower. During that time, she had done nothing but eat, sleep, and rest.
As a result, she had gained a little weight, and her face now had a healthy glow. Miel looked in the mirror at her refreshed appearance and then stepped outside.
—
“Miel!”
Just as she left the room, someone called out to her.
Recognizing the familiar voice, Miel lit up and turned around.
A stunning beauty was beaming at her. Miel ran straight toward her.
“Sella!”
She hugged Sella tightly. Taller than Miel, Sella lifted her easily into the air.
“It’s been so long!”
After spinning around twice mid-air, Miel was finally put down.
She was a little dizzy from the grand greeting, but it was joyful.
Sella was one of the mages Miel was close to.
But due to various assignments, they hadn’t met often. It had been almost three months since their last meeting.
“Sella, how have you been? You look even more amazing!”
“You too, Miel! You look so healthy. Are you heading somewhere?”
“I’m off to the hot springs. Just got back to the tower recently. I’ve recovered a bit, but I want a good soak to unwind.”
“Oh! Then I’ll come too. Let’s go together.”
“Great!”
Miel had been a little bored about going alone, so she welcomed the company. The two of them headed down the tower together.
At the carriage waiting area, they rented a carriage—one without the magic tower’s crest since it was for private use.
While waiting for the carriage, they sat on the first-floor lobby sofa and chatted, eating cheesecake and tea prepared by Puke.
—
“You know, Biggs was out shopping for a request item, and while I was alone, these annoying guys started hitting on me.”
“Oh no.”
“They were those typical sleazy types. I was seriously considering using magic. Then, Mix showed up.”
“Ooh! And?”
“Mix is usually super gentle, right? So I thought he’d try to talk them down. But nope—he got really mad, face bright red, and just attacked them with magic!”
“Really?!”
Miel’s eyes sparkled. Sella’s stories were always entertaining.
“He looked like a furious god of wrath, blasting them like crazy. I had to stop him—those guys were about to die!”
“Yeah, getting arrested wouldn’t be good. If Mix went to jail, he’d probably miss you every day, huh?”
“Totally. But after chasing them off, he started crying. I thought he was crying because he was worried about me.”
“And he wasn’t?”
“He was, but not in the way I thought. He was crying because he was afraid he might have killed someone. He was relieved I didn’t get hurt, but more so that he didn’t hurt anyone else.”
“Pfft! Mix is such a softie.”
“He said if anyone had to get arrested, he’d rather it be him than me. He went berserk for my sake! What does that even mean?!”
Miel couldn’t stop laughing. Sella and Mix were such a contrasting couple.
Sella was fiery and passionate, while Mix was gentle.
But when it came to Sella, Mix would throw caution to the wind and fight with all he had
—
Meanwhile, contrary to Shulien’s fears, Jade wasn’t angry at all. Just a little surprised.
The crown prince’s visit wasn’t a big deal. What was surprising was how close he and Miel had become.
Something definitely happened between them the last time they met.
But Jade didn’t care.
“Shulien.”
“Yes, Master?”
“Miel will never become the Crown Princess.”
“…Pardon?”
Because that girl likes me.
A faint smirk formed at the corner of Jade’s lips. The crown prince was no match for him.
