Chapter 05
The Red Dragon and the Flowering Heart
A carriage bearing the insignia of a red dragon ascending toward the sky passed through the gates of Hagrahn’s capital.
The sight of a mage’s carriage—especially one from the Magic Tower—was rare enough to cause the citizens to widen their eyes in awe.
“Whoa! I actually got to see a Magic Tower carriage today! I must be lucky.”
“I wasn’t feeling great earlier, but now I can’t stop smiling.”
Young and old alike, everyone smiled and beamed as they gazed upon the carriage.
Every citizen of the Empire naturally loved the Magic Tower. After all, it was the founder of the Tower who had turned Hagrahn into the land of art and wonder.
Moreover, the Magic Tower continuously strove to improve the lives of the people using magic—whether it was magical street lamps lining the roads or cold storage units powered by mana stones.
Most items that improved the Empire’s quality of life came from the Magic Tower’s inventions. Although many of these magical tools were expensive and out of reach for commoners, the Tower had also created more affordable versions to ensure that the average citizen could benefit from them too.
“Wow, look! They’re waving at us!”
“Let’s wave back!”
The children inside the carriage, Lulu and Lara, stuck their heads out and waved cheerfully at the people. The crowd responded with excitement, cheering at the adorable appearance of the young mages.
Jae, watching the two children, cleared his throat awkwardly before slowly turning toward the window. With some hesitation, he timidly extended his hand in a wave. When the crowd responded warmly to him as well, his cheeks turned bright red.
Miel, watching the three of them, smiled softly.
Such enthusiastic greetings were nothing new to her. Every time she visited a major city in the Empire, the reception was similar. But for Lulu and Lara, who were newly recruited members of the Tower, and for Jae, who rarely ventured beyond the Empire’s borders, this experience was unfamiliar and exciting.
As Miel watched their innocent joy, her gaze slowly drifted toward the back of the carriage, where the cargo was kept. Inside were rare materials collected from dangerous regions across the Empire—ingredients used in advanced healing potions obtained from magical beasts.
Most commoners feared magical beasts—both for their overwhelming power and their terrifying appearance. This fear extended even to their client.
Although their client bore noble blood and likely had the strength to face such beasts, there was no reason for someone of his stature to risk facing such creatures personally.
And with the time-consuming nature of collecting materials from across the Empire, it was only natural he had delegated the task to professionals—especially since his wealth was virtually endless.
Miel’s thoughts shifted to the client just as the carriage reached its destination—his residence.
‘But why would someone like him need these potion ingredients? Is someone in his family sick?’
Miel shook her head, deciding not to think too deeply about it. Dwelling too much might just get her entangled in something troublesome.
Instead, she peeked out the window to take in the scenery that had changed dramatically.
At the heart of the capital, behind towering white walls, lay a brilliant and majestic sight. Under the sunlight, white and gold buildings sparkled so brightly it was almost blinding. The exteriors were decorated with intricately carved lions—symbols of the royal family.
In the center stood a grand fountain where water gushed from the mouths of lion statues. All around, trees remained lush and green all year long, and seasonal flowers filled the air with their fragrances. Beautiful ornamental plants, meticulously cared for by royal gardeners, added vibrant colors to the scene.
“Wow! It’s so pretty!”
“There are so many buildings! One, two, three… how many are there?!”
Lulu and Lara were in awe, pointing at everything around them with wide eyes. Jae, seated next to them, was also captivated by the sight, unable to take his eyes off the royal palace.
Only Miel remained composed.
This wasn’t her first time at the palace. Long ago, she had traveled here with her father and even met the emperor himself. So rather than being overwhelmed by the splendor, she quietly smiled at the comforting memories.
“Welcome.”
Just then, the carriage stopped and the door opened. Waiting outside were royal attendants, all dressed neatly.
The oldest among them greeted them politely, and the others bowed respectfully. Miel and the others returned the bow and stepped down from the carriage.
“Thank you for coming such a long way, mages.”
The four of them were guided to the White Hall—a structure located in the royal palace’s east wing. True to its name, the building was entirely white, both inside and out. Elegant treasures from the royal collection were displayed at intervals, adding charm to the pristine space.
They were led into a reception room, already prepared with refreshments. The attendants explained that the royal head chef had prepared these delicacies as a gesture of welcome for the mages.
As soon as the attendants left, Lulu, Lara, and Jae rushed to the table and eagerly devoured the sweets—clearly hungry.
Meanwhile, Miel calmly sipped her tea. It was surprisingly bitter, likely made that way to balance the sweetness of the desserts. She set down her teacup quietly.
The lingering bitterness in her mouth made her crave something sweet—something fresh.
“…I want an apple.”
A bright red apple appeared vividly in her mind.
In her previous life, she had never tasted anything as sweet as the apples in this world. She loved them so much that she could go days without food if she had them.
But she hadn’t had a single apple in days. After finishing the request, they had come straight to the palace without stopping anywhere.
Just as she was yearning for an apple, the door opened.
The same attendant from earlier entered again.
“His Highness has arrived. May I ask who represents the Magic Tower?”
“That would be me.”
Miel stood up immediately at the mention of the client’s arrival. While the others were still absorbed in dessert, she quickly grabbed the pouch of ingredients and followed the attendant. She wanted to finish the job quickly.
‘The sooner I finish, the sooner I can go buy an apple.’
Even as she walked down the hallway, the thought of apples lingered in her mind.
—
Meanwhile, in the royal palace…
Troy de Hagrahn, the Crown Prince of the Hagrahn Empire, was in a good mood.
Not only had the hunt for the magical beasts gone well, but the critical potion request had been fulfilled a whole month earlier than expected.
Thanks to that, his one and only sister, Princess Revina—the Empire’s only princess—could finally get out of bed.
Revina had always been weak since birth. She frequently fell ill, fainted often from anemia, and was prone to minor ailments. Thankfully, she had never suffered from a major illness—until recently.
One day, she became inexplicably lethargic. She lost interest in everything, skipped meals, and spent most of her days sleeping. She even stopped playing with her favorite royal pets.
Worried, the Empress had summoned numerous doctors, but none could identify the cause. Eventually, a botanist discovered the culprit: a rare and dangerous plant called Bedmoon.
Bedmoon was a beautiful flower with crescent-shaped blue petals. But its beauty was deceptive—it was a poisonous plant that sapped the life force from weak beings, eventually leading to death.
Once, many children had unknowingly touched the plant and died. After that, the Empire had burned all Bedmoon plants and eradicated them. But its persistence had allowed one to bloom again in the princess’s garden.
The Emperor punished the negligent gardeners severely, and the botanist was ordered to develop a cure.
The antidote required materials gathered from deadly magical beasts in dangerous regions.
Troy had intended to lead the expedition himself. However, just then, monstrous creatures had begun appearing at the Empire’s borders, slaughtering civilians.
As the Crown Prince, Troy had no choice but to lead a subjugation force to protect the border.
Before he left, he commissioned the Magic Tower to collect the materials, offering no explanation—only an urgent plea.
It was crucial to keep the princess’s illness a secret during such a turbulent time.
‘I don’t particularly trust the Magic Tower, but they are experts when it comes to dealing with magical beasts…’
Troy never liked the Tower much. Even if their founder had helped the old kingdom, he believed no organization should hold power even the emperor couldn’t touch.
If the Tower ever turned against the Empire, the consequences would be disastrous.
But everyone—from nobles to commoners—idolized the Tower.
Even the Emperor himself liked them.
When Troy complained about relying on the Tower, his father had simply said:
“The Tower can be trusted more than our royal guards in matters like these. They are experts.”
And indeed, they had completed the task faster than expected—one month ahead of schedule.
If Troy had sent soldiers instead, the process might have taken longer or cost more lives.
‘I might not like the Magic Tower, but I must commend them for this.’
Especially since it was for his precious sister, he planned to reward them generously—perhaps even add a jewel on top of their payment.
Still, he didn’t feel the need to offer thanks. It was a job they had been paid to do.
Just as he was thinking this, a knock came at the door.
“Your Highness, the Magic Tower representative has arrived.”
“Let them in.”
A figure entered, dressed in a cloak with the hood pulled down low. Their body was wrapped so tightly it was hard to even tell their gender.
Troy frowned.
How dare they meet royalty dressed like that?
Just as he opened his mouth to reprimand them…
“Greetings, Your Highness. I’m Miel from the Magic Tower.”
A soft voice spoke as the figure lowered her hood.
And in that moment, Troy froze.
Her golden eyes sparkled like jewels. As their eyes met, his world turned upside down.
The stiff and cold reception room transformed into a garden where petals danced through the air.
It felt like he had wandered into a hill full of blooming flowers.
A sweet fragrance filled the space and tickled his nose.
Then, as she tucked a lock of her short silver hair behind her ear with a small hand—
Troy’s heart began to pound violently.
