š· Chapter Fifteen
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Evelina swallowed hard and looked toward the door.
Soon after, a gentle knock echoed, and the door opened.
The man who entered had silver hair and bright blue eyes.
He wore a sharp expression, but when he smiled, it softened slightly.
“It’s been a while, Archduke. I haven’t seen you since you moved north.”
“Yes, it has indeed been a long time.”
Arsen replied briefly, shaking Leonard’s extended hand a few times.
When Leonard’s eyes shifted to Evelina, she quickly greeted him.
“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Evelina Rutzfeld.”
Since she wasn’t married yet, she was not legally an Archduchess, so she introduced herself with her father’s name.
Arsen quickly added, “She will become the Archduchess in a few months.”
“I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Iām Leonard Velocci.”
After exchanging brief pleasantries, everyone sat down.
Leonard took a sip of the tea Noah had brought and then spoke.
“So, the princess is the one whoāll have her mana measured?”
“Y-Yes. That would be me,” Evelina answered in a soft voice, nodding.
Leonardās sharp eyes, magnified behind his glasses, landed on her.
Somehow, Evelina felt like prey in front of a predator.
Unable to meet his gaze, she lowered her head. But at that moment, Arsen gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Marquis Velocci.”
“My apologies. I drifted off in thought without realizing it.”
Despite his apologetic words, his tone was firm.
Leonard looked away belatedly, and Evelina sighed, releasing a breath she hadnāt known sheād been holding.
“Iāve heard a few details from Lady Rockfield. She said you experienced no side effects from traveling through the teleportation gate. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“No dizziness, nausea, or temporary vision blackouts?”
“No, none of that.”
Though Evelina had passed through the teleportation gate twice, she had not experienced any of the symptoms Leonard listed.
Leonard, stroking his chin, muttered quietly, “Perhaps you really do possess mana…”
“M-Me?”
“Well, of course, the measurement will confirm it. If there’s nothing else, shall we proceed to measure your mana now?”
Evelina hesitated briefly, then nodded. She thought it best not to waste Leonardās time any further.
“Is there anything I need to prepare in advance?”
“No, we just need a large open space.”
“There’s a knight training ground behind the palace.”
“Perfect. Letās head there.”
Leonard stood up, and Evelina followed.
Karina tilted her head slightly and whispered to Arsen, “I have a good feeling about this. My intuition is rarely wrong.”
“…I think so too.”
It was rare for Karina to agree with Arsen, but this time was an exception.
Leonard and Evelina stood facing each other in the empty training grounds. Karina and Arsen observed from a distance.
“So, what should I do?”
“Princess, do you know how mana is measured?”
“Iāve never done it myself, but Iāve seen my brother do it.”
She recalled the scene from a few years ago.
“I believe itās done using a round glass orb.”
“Correct. This is it.”
Leonard pulled a glass orb, about the size of a fist, from his coat pocket.
Evelina inspected the orb curiously.
“Let me explain what you should do.”
“Yes.”
“Hold the orb with both hands, close your eyes, and try to channel the energy inside your body into the orb. If you possess mana, you’ll feel it moving. This orb is slightly attuned to amplify the connection to mana.”
“Alright.”
Evelina swallowed nervously and nodded.
Perhaps because she was tense, her heart pounded.
She grasped the orb tightly with both hands and closed her eyes.
She wasnāt sure if she could feel the energy within her body, but she decided to follow the instructions anyway.
As she focused, she began to feel somethingāsomething like a thin thread, or scattered particles.
When she imagined guiding the energy into the orb, it began to move.
She felt as if her body was sinking.
Uncertain if the sensation was normal, she continued to focus, as no one had told her to stop.
After several minutes, she heard someone gasp.
Evelina, being sensitive to sound, opened her eyes.
Leonard was staring at the orb in her hands, stunned.
She lowered her gaze to see for herself.
The orb was a magical artifact that changed color depending on the mana within the person.
For someone with no mana, it remained unchanged. The stronger the mana, the whiter the orb became.
When Leonard tested his own mana, the orb turned nearly white with a few impurities.
Also, for someone measuring their mana for the first time, even if they possessed it, controlling it usually took hours of assistance.
Leonard had expected the same of Evelina.
But the result was entirely different.
“…What is this?”
Leonard frowned, removed his glasses, wiped them, then put them back on.
Still, the color remained unchanged.
“Itās perfectly white…”
He muttered, astonished.
The orb had turned a pure, brilliant white.
What shocked him even more was that it had turned that color in under ten minutes.
Leonard looked at Evelina, who was still focusing intensely.
There must be an unfathomable amount of mana in that small body.
Evelina opened her eyes in surprise, having heard his gasp.
She looked at the orb with a confused expression.
“Princess.”
“Yes?”
“You’re a genius.”
“Huh?”
Leonard spoke quickly, excitement in his voice.
“This is talent that must not be wasted. Did you see the color of the orb? Even though mine turns nearly white, yours is perfectly pure. That means you have more mana than I do. And whatās more surprisingāwhile most people need hours of help to move their mana, you did it alone in less than ten minutes. It took me thirty minutes with assistance to do it for the first time!”
“M-Me…?”
“Yes, you. Truly… youāve been blessed by the gods. Otherwise, this would be impossible.”
Evelina opened her mouth, incredulous.
“Could there be a mistake…?”
“Absolutely not. This orb has been tested by many skilled mages.”
Leonard took the orb and tucked it into his robe.
At that moment, Arsen and Karina approached quickly.
Unbothered by their presence, Leonard spoke again.
“Princess, would you consider attending Helis Academy on a special scholarship? Iāll write your recommendation myself. With a professorās letter, you can skip the entrance exam.”
“No!”
Evelina was so shocked she nearly shouted.
When Leonard tilted his head at her unexpected reaction, she quickly added,
“It’s alright. I’ve long since passed the age to attend an academy. Thereās no use going now. Iām satisfied with just knowing the result of the measurement.”
“Hmm… Then how about this instead.”
Leonard wasnāt ready to let her go.
A talent like this hadnāt appeared in hundreds of yearsāhe couldnāt miss the chance.
“Archduke, are you returning to the north after the Foundation Festival?”
“Yes.”
“Then Iāll travel north three times a week to teach the princess magic.”
“Lessons?”
“Yes.”
Leonard smiled confidently.
“It seems the princess feels pressured by the idea of going to Helis, so Iāll do my part instead. I cannot allow her gift to go unused. She is a genius, perhaps unseen for a thousand years. I can teleport, so commuting wonāt be an issue.”
“As I suspected, my intuition was right.”
“Lady Rockfield, your instincts remain exceptional.”
Leonard adjusted his glasses and smiled.
Karina looked unfazed, as if she had anticipated this all along.
Evelina, on the other hand, fidgeted and shook her head.
“Iām truly fine as I am. Even if I learn magic, I doubt it will be useful. Besides, Iām sure I wouldnāt be able to keep up, so Iād only waste your precious time.”
……
Leonard narrowed his eyes at Evelinaās excessive self-doubt.
Anyone else would have backed down after being rejected twice.
But not Leonard.
He dropped to his knees without hesitation.
Evelina panicked and grabbed his arm.
“M-M-Marquis! Why are you doing this? Please stand up!”
“I wonāt rise unless the princess agrees to let me teach her.”
His face looked pitiful, almost on the verge of tears.
Karina and Arsen were both visibly surprised.
Unsure of what to do, Evelina tried to pull him upābut he didnāt budge.
Then Arsen stepped in, gripped Leonardās arm, and lifted him as easily as a feather.
Leonard looked bewildered by Arsenās unexpected strength.
Arsen sighed and spoke firmly.
“Marquis Velocci, I ask that you refrain from troubling Evelina.”
“…Iām sorry for acting out of line. But I canāt pass up this chance. The princess is an unpolished gemāshe will shine brilliantly if properly nurtured.”
He spoke earnestly, trying to convince Arsen.
“Then, princessāat least give it a try.”
“Try…?”
“Yes. Just attend three of my lessons. If you still feel the same afterward, Iāll give up, though it would truly be a pity.”
Leonard clung to her so persistently that it became difficult to continue refusing.
After hesitating for a while, Evelina finally nodded shyly.
Leonard beamed.
“Then, after the festival, Iāll see you in the north.”
Somehow, Evelina had a feeling sheād be seeing him for quite a while.
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