Chapter 37: Soaring Through the Skies of the Imperial Palace
Chapter 37: Soaring Through the Skies of the Imperial Palace
Determined, she stepped forward slightly.
“If everything is ready, I shall proceed with the Drakan flight demonstration. As I mentioned before, I will skip walking on the ground and instead circle three times from here to the other side and return.”
Sillas pointed beyond the knights toward the inner palace wall.
“Miss Fay, over there, some noble ladies have gathered to watch the Drakan. We kept them at a distance to avoid agitating the creature. If you hear any loud voices or sudden shouts from that side, please do not be startled.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Knowing Momo’s playful nature, he would likely get excited if someone called out to him from afar. He enjoyed having people watch him, and once the flight ended, he would probably roll around on the ground in delight. However, he was always serious when spreading his wings in flight, so there was no need to worry.
“Here.”
“Thank you.”
Lucius handed Fay a hood to prevent her hair from being tousled by the harsh wind and even placed it on her head himself.
Kassel, who had been watching Fay warmly, twitched slightly at the corner of his eyes.
‘Who does he think he is?’
“Then, I shall mount now. Since the Drakan’s large wings will inevitably stir up strong winds, I ask the mages to deploy Windy Shields to protect the spectators.”
Lucius remained with his arms crossed while the palace mages busily cast protective barriers around the Crown Prince and the knights. Fay also cast a spell around herself before taking off.
Soon, the massive Drakan flapped its wings and soared into the sky with Fay on its back.
A Drakan, freely traversing the skies – not just anywhere, but at the very edge of the Imperial Palace.
Lucius slowly turned his head, following Fay’s flight path with his gaze.
‘Hmph, not bad. My teaching has paid off.’
His eyes fixated solely on Fay, seated steadily atop the creature, ignoring Momo’s rounded belly and flapping wings.
Unlike their practice sessions, she could not remain airborne indefinitely. The spectators were all nobles; even if they found the sight fascinating, their interest would soon wane.
Fay glanced downward, tracing a large circle three times before landing safely. Once she was airborne, the tension dissipated so completely that she hadn’t even had a chance to drink the recovery potion Lucius had given her.
The notoriously ferocious Drakan neither rampaged nor tore up the ground – it stood calmly. Then, with a soft pop, it transformed into a fluffy, down-covered baby bird and nestled into Fay’s embrace.
Some spectators, overwhelmed by this unexpected sight, could not contain their astonishment and let out gasps of admiration.
Duke Klein burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha! I had no idea Drakans could look so adorable. Truly astonishing, Your Highness.”
“Ancient texts claim that Drakans have low intelligence and struggle with magic, but that is evidently false. If it can alter its appearance at will, its capabilities are quite impressive.”
The Crown Prince looked satisfied.
Fay added her own thoughts.
“I believe those records describe the Drakan as an evolutionary failure from the perspective of dragons, which is why they are written so disparagingly.”
“An interesting analysis.”
“Many other ancient creatures share similar traits, yet they are not perceived as unintelligent.”
“Well done, Miss Fay.”
That day, after having tea with the Crown Prince, Fay returned directly to the royal carriage. If left alone, people would swarm her with endless questions, an inconvenience the Crown Prince had thoughtfully spared her from.
‘I’ve been through that enough as Eina… Ugh, I’m really glad I’m a mage of the Mage Tower. Otherwise, they might have tried to follow me all the way home.’
Seeing Duke Klein today had brought back old, melancholic memories.
Still, she did not regret officially declaring herself a Drakan Rider and stepping into the Imperial Palace.
After washing up, as she lay in bed, she recalled an unexpected sight from earlier that day. She had tried to forget, but it was difficult.
‘That person I saw – it was definitely Maurice Klein. Wasn’t it? There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize him.’
Before saddling Momo, she had sought the help of the royal stablekeepers to check if any repairs were needed. With assistance from the Crow Knights, she had made the necessary arrangements. But among them, dressed as a squire, she had unmistakably seen Maurice’s face.
Maurice Klein, a haughty, pleasure-seeking noble, playing the role of a squire? He couldn’t have been dragged into it. Could he possibly have volunteered?
It was baffling.
She couldn’t very well rush up to him and demand confirmation of his identity, so she kept her discovery to herself, though her heart pounded wildly.
Even after seeing Duke Klein and Kassel, she remained puzzled. How could she ask them if their second son and brother was serving as a squire rather than a knight? How could she even phrase such a question?
No one would naturally listen.
“…Have you changed too, Maurice? Surely, after Dottt was recognized as the missing Duke’s princess, your fate did not take a turn for the worse, leading to your exile from the family.”
She whispered into her pillow.
“So… I’ll believe that you, too, have undergone some unknown shift within yourself, even if your memories don’t return.”
Aside from Dottt, I alone – I alone bear the weight of all these tragedies and pains.
On nights like this, when the bitter sorrows of the past overwhelm me, I feel like I could cry. So, I want to believe that someone out there shares my burden.
Even if that belief is a lie…
Maurice Klein, so arrogant he would never beg for forgiveness from the deceased Morgana.
I still resent you. Before Dottt stole my place, you thrived in your privileged life because of your influence.
Second son of the Duke’s household, you were terrifying and oppressive to the weak, young me. And yet…
I hope you have changed, even just a little.
You don’t have to remember who I was or how much pain I endured. Just for your own sake.
Exhausted, Fay’s eyes gradually closed.
Unlike the night she discovered Kassel’s true identity, she did not cry tonight.
Slowly, inch by inch, she continued to grow.
* * *
At that very moment, in the brightly lit Klein Ducal estate, a late-night conversation was unfolding.
“Did you enjoy the spectacle today, my dear?”
“Yes. Good heavens! That monstrous creature flying through the sky! Everyone was in awe, but I nearly fainted. Truly, who would have thought such a terrifying sight would be so well-received?”
Duchess Klein shuddered as if repulsed by the memory, making the Duke chuckle heartily.
“Haha! It is far from the refined, elegant creatures you favor. You only like white horses with neatly groomed manes.”
“And the rider was a woman, you say? Add more milk to my tea.”
The Duke casually replied as the Duchess instructed more milk to be poured into her cup.
“Yes, a mage from the Tower. Her name is Fay, from the Grace Monastery.”
“A monastery?”
The Duchess’s tone was far from pleasant upon learning her origins.
Crash!
The spoon in the young lady’s hand slipped with a loud clatter just as she was about to stir a small amount of sugar into her tea.
As the hot tea splattered onto the tablecloth, the Duchess hurried to tend to her daughter’s mishap. It was a rare display of kindness, one she never showed when Dorothea was studying as Eina.
“Hurry and clean this up. Bring another one. Tiana, are you all right? You must be quite shaken after seeing something so strange today. Did you hurt your hand?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Strange, indeed. But how can you all make such a fuss over a single Drakan? Our Arkan Empire has a long-standing legacy of slaying dragons since its founding!”
“Well, I didn’t care for it at all.”
“Tsk. Then don’t bother coming next time. Tiana, you should avoid such spectacles as well.”
“Yes, Mother.”
It wasn’t when she heard about the Mage Tower or even when the name ‘Fay’ was mentioned that the young lady had reacted.
Kassel, who had returned to the mansion with the Duke after a long time away, found this peculiar. But he kept his suspicions to himself and remained cautious.
Just as the tea was being cleared away, the young lady, who had been sitting silently, finally spoke in a hesitant voice.
“The… the rider on that monstrous creature… Did you say she was from the monastery?”
“Hmm, yes. You probably didn’t get a good look, since she wore a hood before mounting. But she had long, light pink hair, beautifully grown out. From what I saw, she seemed about your age.”
Light pink hair?! A girl from the Grace Monastery with light pink hair – there’s only one person that could be. Morgana!
Dott clenched her fists tightly beneath the table as a sickening dread churned in her stomach.
When that girl suddenly appeared in the Arcadnia Hall, Dott had suspected she’d secured some new status for herself, but this? Changing her name, handling terrifying creatures? Have you truly lost your mind?!
As someone who had barely managed to secure her place as a noble lady, Dott felt like the world was spinning. She wanted nothing more than to faint on the spot.
Meanwhile, the Duke was too busy marveling.
“So that mage is the one who conjured ice for the festival, is she? To control a Drakan on top of that is truly impressive.”
“I’ve heard from other mages that her progress has been remarkably fast. Even the Tower holds Miss Fay in high regard. It seems she possesses extraordinary innate talent.”
Kassel smoothly inserted himself into the conversation, and the Duke let out a hearty laugh.
“Haha, Kassel! If you knew of such a remarkable talent, you should have introduced her to me first instead of taking her straight to the Crown Prince!”
“If I had, multiple noble houses would have moved to suppress her all at once.”
Duke Klein chuckled, fully understanding his son’s predicament.
“Well, true enough. Good thinking. We can build rapport with her gradually, so don’t worry. But… hmm. That Mage Fay. She doesn’t belong to any noble house, does she?”
“She went from the monastery straight to the Mage Tower, so it’s unlikely.”
The Duchess, who was all too willing to believe whatever her daughter told her, did not take this information well.
“A monastery girl, you say? Tiana, do you know this mage? Our family has little connection to mages, so I find myself quite curious.”
“…”
The young lady sat there, stunned, her complexion turning not just pale but an ashen gray.
No… What the hell is going on? Morgana, her, of all people! Why are you paying attention to her?! I was finally recognized as your daughter. I can finally breathe. So why… Why are you ignoring me to look at that orphan instead?!
“Tiana?”
Seeing the sickly color on her daughter’s face, the Duchess recalled what she had once been told.
Our Tiana… wasn’t particularly loved at the monastery, was she? Hah. Disgraceful wretches. The other children raised there must be no different. They’re all accomplices!
Irritated by the memory and the mention of that wretched Drakan, she curtly cut off the Duke’s conversation.
……
(T/N: Kassel’s lips twitched because his biological sister is having her own loveline already; Duke Klein is happy watching his biological daughter because he felt proud somehow; on the other hand, Duchess Klein’s love was put into the wrong place ☹️)
