“Your Highness, how have you been?”
A bright voice chirped into the room like morning birdsong.
It was the voice of the mage who visited Licht three times a day. It had been quite a while since he first began hearing her. He had long since figured out her visiting schedule.
“Wow, the weather is amazing today! I can even see the bell tower in the village beyond the forest! Incredible!”
Was she in a particularly good mood today? Her voice sounded even brighter than yesterday.
Without realizing it, Licht smiled. The village beyond the Angresia Forest—he vaguely remembered seeing the bell tower as they passed through on the way here.
The mage’s conversations usually followed the same pattern. She would enter the room, greet him, and then talk about the day’s weather.
Through repeated visits, Licht had learned that she especially loved clear, sunny days—just like today.
On days like these, her voice always carried a slightly higher tone.
Weather had never been important to Licht. As long as it didn’t interfere with battles, that was enough.
But thanks to the mage, for the first time in his life, he found himself hoping for good weather.
Because then, the mage would be a little bit happier.
“I can finally see the Procia flowers blooming! Over here, and there too. Wow, they’re even blooming like crazy near the tower entrance!”
“So, so pretty.”
Next, she would marvel at the scenery from the top of the tower.
If Duke Meliz had entrusted her with caring for him, she was clearly not a newcomer to the Magic Tower. She had been visiting several times a day for days now, so one would think she’d be used to the view by now.
“Woooow…”
And yet, she still gasped in wonder. That was what Licht found so fascinating about her.
She was, quite simply, pure to the core.
When he thought of Duke Meliz—that sly man who always acted relaxed but knew every dirty secret of the imperial court and noble houses—this girl felt like the complete opposite.
Maybe he keeps her close precisely because she’s so different from him.
A reasonable theory.
Step, step. The now-familiar sound of the mage’s footsteps approached him. It seemed she was about to check the surroundings next.
“Oh, I meant to clean up today.”
Her movements paused, and then he heard rustle, rustle—the sound of her taking something out. This wasn’t part of her usual routine. Apparently, she had decided to tidy up a bit today.
“It’s been bothering me, so I can’t help it.”
From her voice, Licht had first thought she was a young girl. But the more he listened, the more he suspected she might be closer to his age. If Duke Meliz had entrusted her with this task, perhaps she was nearly an adult.
As time passed, his curiosity about the mage only deepened.
She still sounded youthful—was her appearance the same? What color were those eyes that lit up every time she admired the view from the window? What did her hair look like as it fluttered in the wind?
He didn’t know when it would happen, but Licht found himself yearning more and more to open his eyes and meet her gaze.
“You’re seriously so handsome today, too.”
Here we go again.
If Licht’s body could feel anything, his cheeks would surely be tinged with a soft blush. At least in moments like this, he was thankful for his numbness.
“How are your eyelashes that full? It’s not like they’ve been curled with a lash curler or anything. They just are like that every day!”
That’s right. The mage didn’t just admire the view outside the tower every day.
If only his fingers moved—if only he could say even a few words—he would let her know he could hear her. But sadly, that wasn’t possible.
And so, he had no choice but to lie there, day after day, listening to someone praise him from up close—right beside his ear.
“How do you look so handsome every day like it’s the first time?”
Licht knew he was considered attractive. But he had never been praised—or more accurately, admired—this directly before, so he couldn’t help but feel awkward every time.
“I mean, forget celebrity level—you could totally make it in Hollywood.”
Sometimes, the mage used words he didn’t recognize. Licht wasn’t familiar with all the latest slang, especially from the world of mages, so he assumed they were idioms common in the tower.
But that wasn’t the real issue.
“After seeing all the wild and carefree folks in this tower, then looking at Your Highness’s face…”
Ahem.
“Of course I’d fall in love.”
At some point, the mage had begun to confess her love to him.
Of course, even as a child, Licht’s appearance had caused many hearts to flutter.
Even if he had lost some of his youthful charm with age, his father—Emperor Ergo—was still a tall, ruggedly handsome man. And his late mother, the former empress, had been known for her delicate beauty, like a dewdrop lily.
There was no way the child of those two wouldn’t be stunning.
But perhaps because of the excessive attention he received from a young age, Licht had little interest in romance. Whether it was flirtatious glances or noble ladies throwing themselves at him, it only wore him out.
He didn’t bat an eye even when women confessed their love with tears in their eyes. Simply getting through each day had always been enough for him.
That had been true—until now.
But somehow, the mage’s confession of love didn’t feel so easy to brush aside.
Am I going to end up breaking someone’s heart without meaning to?
He didn’t want to make the mage sad. And strangely… he didn’t dislike her confessions either. Licht was surprised by his own reaction.
Not that I could start dating her right away or anything…
They’d need time to get to know each other first, wouldn’t they? Besides, he didn’t even know what the mage looked like.
But just from her voice, he imagined her as kind and lovely.
…Maybe it really is time for me to meet someone.
If his aide or the Emperor heard that, they’d probably rush in with open arms.
He had always been too busy traveling the empire and resolving conflicts to think about romance. But he was well past adulthood now. The current emperor had married during his time as crown prince, too.
That’s why the Emperor occasionally asked if there were any noble ladies Licht was interested in.
But Licht was a prince of the empire. He couldn’t just date anyone. He believed that what mattered most wasn’t status or background, but the person themselves.
If he were to meet someone, she would need the attitude, ability, and integrity to live as a member of the imperial family.
And judging by the mage’s personality…
She was diligent and optimistic. Even while he lay there helpless, she gave him energy and warmth.
Since his mind had awakened, her voice had become his light, his salt, and his sweet honey.
If his curse were lifted, and they could talk face to face… perhaps their relationship could deepen even further.
And she’s a skilled mage—one trusted to guard me.
His father, the Emperor, had also fallen in love and married the queen of a ruined kingdom, regardless of her background.
It’s not like there’s a law that says I have to marry a noble lady.
There was no reason he couldn’t do the same. In fact, the lack of noble in-laws might be a relief.
She seems to be the tower master’s beloved disciple. Hmm… Maybe I could even suggest adopting her as the duke’s daughter?
That was a great idea. Duke Meliz had no interest in politics, but he was still one of the few dukes in the empire and deeply respected.
If someone like that supported her, she wouldn’t have any trouble adjusting to imperial life.
Yes, that’s a solid plan.
Licht felt oddly cheerful about this. It was a shame he couldn’t tell the mage directly.
Unaware of what Licht was thinking, the mage continued to gaze at him, completely absorbed.
“I mean, usually if you just lie around, you start losing muscle, right? But wow, not a bit. It’s so fascinating.”
Born with powerful magic, Licht had never once put down his sword. That’s how he’d become the empire’s strongest magic knight. From the moment he could walk, he trained every single day.
This physique isn’t going away so easily.
Licht nodded to himself in his mind. All that training now felt worthwhile.
He hadn’t maintained his body to impress anyone—but the mage’s pure reactions didn’t feel bad at all.
He’d brushed off countless compliments from noble ladies in the past, yet here he was, listening intently and sweetly to the mage’s every word of admiration.
I’ll have to invite her to one of the knights’ training sessions someday.
He loved sparring one-on-one with each member of the knight order during training. It let him encounter various fighting styles.
And the training wouldn’t end until the entire knight corps was lying exhausted on the ground.
She’ll definitely see how I built this body and strength then.
If Edel or his knights heard that, they’d probably faint. But Licht just calmly continued his thoughts.
