Chapter 30
That evening at dinner.
“Eliana.”
Michalis paused mid-meal and called her name.
Thanks to what had happened in the carriage earlier, the atmosphere was noticeably softer than the day before.
“Yes?”
“What are your thoughts on making friends?”
Eliana hesitated for a moment. In truth, since she had no idea when she might log out, she’d never really felt the need to make friends.
“I’m not quite sure yet.”
She had already declined the idea of taking on a lady-in-waiting because it felt like too much. The thought of making a friend didn’t exactly inspire confidence either.
“We’ve received an invitation to a dinner hosted by a noble family we encountered at the palace earlier.”
“…”
Eliana focused, curious about what he would say next.
“The young lady of that house expressed interest in becoming friends with you.”
“Which family is it?”
Eliana asked carefully.
“The House of Count Espensen.”
That was unexpected—she had approached first.
“If you’re not interested, I’ll decline.”
“No, I’d love to!”
Eliana replied immediately, unable to hide her eagerness.
She had been wondering how to get close to Freya—and now, the opportunity had come from Freya herself. It was more than welcome.
And more than that—her suspicion had just turned into certainty.
“Freya is definitely aware of me.”
And that awareness likely came with hostility. Their eye contact at the wedding banquet clearly hadn’t been a coincidence.
“I’d like to meet her as soon as possible.”
“Then I’ll send word accordingly.”
Hearing her bright voice, Michalis gave a quiet nod. He hadn’t said anything before, but it was clear now—Eliana needed a friend.
“Also, the items you ordered before we left have arrived.”
“Oh, perfect timing.”
“I’ve had them placed in your room. Check after dinner.”
“Michalis, thank you so much.”
It was a rare, genuinely warm smile from her.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Flustered by her dazzling smile, Michalis awkwardly cleared his throat.
“There’s something else I’d like to show you. Could you come to my room tonight?”
The materials needed to activate ancient magic had finally arrived.
“Time to start earning my keep.”
Eliana was already buzzing with excitement at the idea of running experiments.
And Michalis, the only one she could safely share the details with, would also be the perfect partner to test the spells with.
“Of course.”
“And… would you mind making sure no one comes to the third floor after 9 p.m.?”
“That’s easily done.”
“After 9 p.m.… Is this finally my chance to redeem myself?”
Michalis, unaware of her real intention, found himself filled with a very different kind of anticipation.
Despite the earlier commotion, this was the first truly warm and peaceful evening they’d shared since their wedding night.
“You can go now—get some good rest until morning.”
“Yes, my lady.”
After dinner, Eliana took a quick bath and dismissed Amy early for the night.
Once the bedroom door was fully shut, she approached the desk with excitement and opened the box resting on top.
Everything was exactly as she had ordered.
Thick, high-quality paper sorted by seven colors, waterproof specialty ink, glue made from premium resin, and tiny magic stones—each no larger than a fingernail—neatly divided by grade into smaller boxes.
“Perfect.”
She finished checking the materials. Time to activate the system.
[Yes, I’m listening. Please select a function.]
“Show me page 3 of the spellbook Black Rock.”
[Data search complete.]
The spellbook’s table of contents began on page 3.
“Go to page 52.”
Eliana skimmed through the table of contents, selected the spell she wanted to test first, then took out a sheet of white paper roughly the size of her palm and laid it flat on the desk.
“…”
After adjusting the size of the magic circle from the results window, she placed it on the page and began sketching it carefully with a pen. It wasn’t difficult.
In the silence of the room, the soft sound of pen against paper—scratch, scratch—filled the air.
This was the beginning of her first fully hand-crafted magic card.
The circle from Black Rock was actually simpler than the flashy “pink lightning” formation, so completing it didn’t take long.
After a brief pause, Eliana selected the lowest-grade magic stone and pressed it into the center of the circle. Thankfully, the premium adhesive held it firmly—it didn’t look like it would fall off easily.
“Perfect.”
With the first card complete, she called up the system again.
[Yes, I’m listening. Please select a function.]
“Image search.”
Eliana looked down at the completed card and activated the intended function.
[Beginning image search.]
[Data retrieval complete.]
Image Search Results
- Name: Magic Card (Imperial Cure Physical)
- Function: Healing
- Grade: B
- Materials: Paper, ink, adhesive resin, lowest-grade magic stone
- Market Value: No transaction record
- Effect: Physical recovery
- Creator: Eliana Ascher
- Uses Remaining: 20/20
Note: This is a spell from the first emperor of ancient Sardis, “Villasehir de Laodiceani.”
“Wow.”
Eliana’s lips parted in awe. What amazed her most was the number of uses.
The pink lightning spell, when made with a lowest-grade magic stone, could only be used three times. But this card? Twenty uses. The efficiency was incredible.
If modern magic was like a fifth-tier electric appliance, then Sardis’s magic would be first-tier—high output for minimal input. Truly a spell optimized for magical capitalism.
Knock, knock.
A knock at the door interrupted her moment of marvel.
“It’s me.”
“Come in, Michalis.”
She answered cheerfully at the sound of his voice—his timing couldn’t have been better.
When Michalis entered and saw her seated at the desk, he froze for a moment. While he had come prepared for bed, she was dressed neatly in a refined evening gown. He, on the other hand, wore loose pants and a short-sleeved pajama top.
“You came at the perfect time.”
Eliana smiled at his outfit, amused. Slightly flustered, Michalis composed himself and walked over.
“What is this?”
He accepted the sheet of paper she handed him, though he was unsure what to make of it. He could tell it was a magic circle, but had no idea what it did.
“Michalis, read the inscription on the back.”
“Imperial Cure Physical…?”
Whoosh—!
The moment he spoke the words engraved on the back of the card, a clear, refreshing sensation swept through his entire body.
“How does it feel?”
“It’s…”
It felt as if he had just woken from a full night of restful sleep—his entire body refreshed.
“It’s a healing spell, isn’t it?”
Even the sharpness in his senses, dulled from a week of sleepless nights, had been restored in an instant.
“Yes. You seemed tired lately, so I made it for you.”
“…”
Michalis was at a loss for words. Eliana had said it so casually, but this was far from ordinary.
He had heard from reports that she had tested the pink lightning spell in the training hall, but this… this wasn’t on the same level as mere experimentation.
“How did you even make something like this?”
For the first time, Michalis began to question who Eliana really was. Was she truly just a noble lady who had never left the North until her marriage?
Could she possibly be a hidden great magician, someone cloaking herself in disguise?
No. There’s no such thing as a hidden archmage.
He shook off the sudden suspicion and focused on her. Through blood-sweat training, he had learned to sense mana. And Eliana’s body had none. Not a trace of accumulated mana.
“If I said the magic circle just came to me… would you believe me?”
“…”
Could he believe her completely? Michalis couldn’t answer right away.
“Eliana, you are my wife.”
But there was one thing he was certain of. Whether she was a fairy or a sorceress, she was his wife. That wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t let anyone take her from him—not now, not ever. Even if she wanted to leave… he wouldn’t let her go.
“If you ask me to believe you, then I will.”
In truth, it didn’t matter what Eliana was.
As long as she wasn’t a spy from an enemy nation, that was enough. And in that regard, there was no one he trusted more than his father, who had chosen her as his match. If there had been even a hint of a foreign connection, a marriage proposal would’ve never been considered.
“Thank you.”
Relief washed over Eliana as she saw that Michalis wasn’t pressing her with questions. His cooperation was essential—without it, she wouldn’t be able to carry out what she had in mind with peace of mind.
“Now, let me test the next card.”
“Dream, show me page 457 of the spellbook Black Rock.”
Eliana placed another sheet of white paper on the desk and began sketching the next magic circle she wanted to try.
“…”
Michalis watched the entire process in silence, words failing him.
Eliana was drawing the magic circles without consulting any books—just effortlessly sketching them from memory. It really did seem like they were appearing in her mind.
If the report from the training hall was accurate, then the pink lightning spell had been her very first exposure to magic. If she had known magic beforehand, she wouldn’t have needed to pretend otherwise.
Michalis fell silent, suppressing the confusion stirring inside, and sought the most reasonable explanation.
“A Sage.”
A being enlightened by the heavens. That was the only way to describe her.
As he stared blankly at her, Michalis lowered his gaze to the card still in his hand. The magic stone embedded in the center showed no signs of cracking. That meant this card could be used multiple times.
“How many uses does it have?”
“I’ve used it once, so there are nineteen left.”
Her answer came as easily as breathing—but it sent a chill down his spine.
A magical item with multiple uses, made at such a low cost? This wasn’t just innovative.
It was revolutionary.
