🌷 Chapter 13 –
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The next morning, everyone set out for the capital.
“Please take care of yourselves. I will protect the mansion well in the meantime.”
Noel smiled and bowed politely to see them off.
Evelina, who felt hesitant, whispered softly:
“I’m sorry we’re going without you. I’ll buy you a gift when I come back.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
Noel’s eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitated before responding.
It was cold outside, so Evelina wore a thick coat, scarf, and even heavy gloves.
As her hands began to sweat from the heat, Arsene said to her:
“It’s very cold out, so please be patient.”
“Y-Yes. Fortunately, Berry dressed me well.”
“But we still need to tie your scarf tighter.”
Arsene looked concerned and adjusted her scarf more carefully.
Only after making sure there were no loose buttons on her coat did his expression ease.
“I’ll be riding in the carriage anyway… so you don’t need to worry.”
“Snowstorms usually come without warning. You’re fragile, Evelina, so we need to be extra cautious.”
“Yes, sweetheart. We’re used to this weather, but you’re not. So let’s make sure the cold wind doesn’t get through your clothes.”
Karina double-checked Evelina’s outfit.
Noel, who could barely see Evelina under all the layers, cleared his throat and spoke:
“You should leave now to arrive on time.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of us quickly.”
Karina murmured quietly and turned her head.
Noel felt a little wronged.
It wasn’t easy to activate a magical portal, so they had to leave at the appointed time.
The mana required to activate the circle just once was enormous.
Of course, even if Arsene was late, no one would say anything.
So Karina and Arsene were relaxed, but Evelina was not.
“I don’t want us to be late, so let’s go quickly. Noel, we’ll be back soon.”
“Wishing you a safe and pleasant journey, Your Grace.”
Finally, the carriage departed.
Inside the shaky carriage, Evelina looked out the window.
White snow was falling everywhere.
Though it always snowed in the north, it never accumulated in the palace garden.
Naturally, that was thanks to magic.
The white snow was beautiful and stunning to behold.
Karina and Arsene looked at Evelina with pleased expressions.
She had become brighter and occasionally voiced her own thoughts.
However, when even the slightest bad thing happened, she still blamed herself and claimed it was her fault – something not easily fixed.
Arsene always said kind and encouraging things to her, believing he had plenty of time with her and shouldn’t be impatient.
Whenever something good happened, he told her it was because she was with them, and each time he saw her, he said she looked lovely.
Evelina always reacted shyly, but she looked so beautiful that he couldn’t help himself, even when she asked him to stop.
When they arrived at the temple, the carriage came to a slow halt.
As Evelina stepped out with Arsene’s help, she saw the massive temple she remembered from the first day.
The wind was cold, but perhaps because she was dressed so warmly, she didn’t feel it much.
The mage was already waiting for them outside the temple.
As Evelina approached, the mage bowed politely.
“I’ve been expecting you. Please, come inside.”
Evelina looked around as she entered.
Last time, she had been so nervous and embarrassed that she kept her eyes forward and didn’t even glance at the temple’s interior.
Now, she noticed the structure was simple – bleak, even, lacking warmth.
There were no statues or paintings anywhere.
Evelina felt slightly frightened by the desolate space and instinctively moved closer to Arsene.
As she suddenly approached, Arsene didn’t understand why, but he welcomed it, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.
Inside, a massive door appeared before them.
The mage pushed it with all his strength, revealing a large magic circle drawn on the ground.
“Please stand here.”
The glowing magic circle gave off a strange, mysterious feeling.
When Evelina shuddered slightly, Arsene gently squeezed her shoulder, perhaps thinking she was afraid.
“In a few seconds, we’ll be in the capital. So there’s nothing to fear.”
“I’m okay. I’ve done this before.”
“Thank goodness.”
Arsene smiled.
After finishing the preparations, the mage spoke:
“Then I shall activate the magic circle. Please do not move, as even slight motion could cause a malfunction. Stay in place until you arrive.”
The more the mage chanted, the brighter the circle glowed.
Eventually, it shone so brightly that Evelina couldn’t keep her eyes open.
She shut them tight and felt as though she were floating – then suddenly sinking, just like last time.
Then she heard Arsene’s voice in her ear:
“We’ve arrived, Evelina.”
She slowly opened her eyes.
It was a strangely familiar scene.
Unlike the dull temples in the north, this place was utterly dazzling.
Golden ornaments sparkled everywhere, so bright they almost hurt her eyes.
Evelina looked around to make sure everyone had arrived safely.
But Karina beside her looked extremely pale.
“Mother, are you okay?”
“I… let me sit down first.”
Karina moved away without saying anything positive or negative.
Upon closer inspection, Evelina noticed everyone except herself and Arsene had similar expressions.
Tilting her head in confusion, she hurried after Karina.
Karina took a deep breath and then stumbled.
“M-Mother? Are you alright?”
“Just for a moment… I felt dizzy. But darling, are you okay?”
“Me?”
Evelina’s eyes widened at the unexpected question.
But seeing how tired Karina looked, she quickly helped her sit on a nearby bench.
Instead of the pale Karina, Arsene spoke up:
“Let the others rest too.”
Only then did the rest sit down on the benches one by one.
Arsene tilted his head, looking at Evelina.
“Come to think of it… you don’t suffer any side effects from magical teleportation.”
“Side effects?”
Evelina tilted her head, hearing the term for the first time.
“Yes. Usually, teleportation magic uses spatial spells, and if someone can’t adjust to the sudden change, they might feel dizzy like my mother. In severe cases, one might faint immediately.”
“But I’m fine…? And you’re okay too, Arsene.”
“I’m a swordsman. I can adjust my energy to match my surroundings, so I don’t get dizzy or anything like that.”
Karina narrowed her eyes.
Her pale complexion had somewhat returned to normal.
“Darling, have you ever measured your mana?”
“N-No.”
Evelina shook her head.
Karina clicked her tongue as if displeased with the answer.
Normally, children are required to measure their mana when they reach academy age, but Evelina never did due to her father’s neglect.
When she was little, Evelina had hinted to the maid that she should do it, but the maid only scolded her, saying it was a waste of time and that a girl like her couldn’t possibly have mana.
In the end, Evelina gave up and said no more.
Since there hadn’t been a single mage in the Rotzfeld lineage, Evelina never felt much regret—though it was disappointing.
“Then let’s take this opportunity to measure your mana.”
“Me? But the mage will probably say I don’t have any… There’s never been a mage in the Rotzfeld family.”
“Is there proof that mana is hereditary? It’s an innate talent. Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to know if you have mana in your body or not?”
Karina smiled, and Evelina hesitated.
Though she was curious, she felt uneasy—as if she were wasting everyone’s time.
“Did I mention before that I know a professor and mage at the academy? Now that we’re in the capital, I’ll invite him to the mansion tomorrow. He’s always complaining about how rare mages are these days, so if I mention it, he’ll probably run over barefoot.”
Evelina also knew the number of mages had declined significantly.
Still, she never imagined she might possess mana.
She was a bit curious, but that was all.
Once Karina looked better, they all got up to head to the carriage.
Outside the temple, a large carriage bearing the archduke’s crest awaited them.
Everyone boarded, and they made their way to the mansion in the capital.
Though it wasn’t as large as the one in the north, the capital’s mansion was far grander than others.
Evelina stepped down and looked up.
The pointed roof soared so high it looked as though it pierced the sky.
“Evelina, let’s go in.”
“Y-Yes.”
Evelina entered with Arsene.
Inside, the first person she saw was Noel.
‘…Noel? But Noel said he would stay in the north…?’
Evelina stared at the man who looked exactly like Noel in confusion.
Then the man smiled, bowed, and greeted her.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace. I am Noah, the butler who manages the capital mansion.”
“…Noah?”
“Yes. Noel is my twin brother.”
“Ah~!”
Evelina clapped as if she’d finally realized, then said with a shy smile:
“You look so much alike, I thought you were Noel for a moment.”
“We are identical twins, so it’s not uncommon for people to mistake us. That’s why Noel keeps his hair down while I wear mine up.”
As Noah said, everything about them was identical except their hairstyles.
“Your room, Your Grace, is adjacent to the Archduke’s, and Madam Karina’s room is this way.”
Evelina and Arsene, soon to be wed, had rooms next to each other, while Karina’s room was a bit farther.
“Then I’ll leave you to rest for now. I’ll inform you once the meal is ready.”
Noah bid farewell and disappeared.
Everyone went to their rooms to unpack, and Berry, who had followed Evelina, looked around the room in admiration.
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