Chapter 44: No One Can Live Alone part 1
“Huh?”
Prince Astein?
He scratched his head sheepishly.
“I’ve gotten used to wearing these extravagant clothes, so I thought it would be cool if I could shoot fire and ice from my hands.”
“Ahaha…”
Fay chuckled softly.
Before she even knew she had any magical talent because of the ruby pendant, she, too, had once indulged in such fantasies.
If one day I had a great awakening and wore a robe to cast magic, everyone at the monastery would be astonished! What spell should I use? Maybe I could climb onto the monastery roof and conjure delicious chickens, sending them down to the ground! If that kind of magic doesn’t exist, I must develop it so no one ever goes hungry!
It was a thought from before she had even turned ten, but recalling it now was somewhat embarrassing. Now that she understood magic, she knew how absurd it had been. There was no such thing as magic that could create living beings.
Perhaps a golem animated by a spirit’s soul or the ominous necromancy that involved the dead, but certainly not summoning magic.
And the reason mages mostly wore robes was to conceal their scruffy appearances from their research not to look impressive.
Raphael, who had never known of the prince’s trivial yet boyish aspirations, finally spoke up.
“Even without magic, that’s easy enough, Your Highness. You can throw ice with your hands and swing fire around in a can.”
“…Sir Raphael, what kind of reckless suggestion is that?!”
Kassel, unable to take it any longer, stepped in and covered Raphael’s mouth.
Encouraging Astein to do something ridiculous? That was unbecoming of a knight. Throwing ice was one thing, but getting him interested in playing with fire? That was dangerous.
“I was just saying.”
“Sir Kassel, please don’t blame Sir Raphael. He always spares time to keep me company, and I’m grateful to him for making sure I’m never bored.”
Raphael, you have nothing to do with the Orleans family’s suspicious affairs, do you? You must not.
Kassel narrowed his eyes, suppressing his unease.
“From now on, refrain from teaching the Prince any strange things.”
“Haa, but throwing ice can simply be done by scooping it from the lake in winter, and burning fields with fire is an essential annual event for spring farming. As a member of the royal family, shouldn’t His Highness be well-informed about such things?”
Feigning disappointment, Raphael teased Kassel.
“……”
Of course, there was no arguing with that.
To Fay, their dynamic was honestly amusing.
‘Pfft. Kassel b…brother? Mm, I can think of him that way, right? We do share the same blood, after all. Anyway, I never expected my brother to be weak against someone like Sir Raphael. ‘
She struggled to suppress a smile as she glanced between Kassel and Raphael, who was having fun teasing him.
Kassel had been away from the capital for four years, yet they were still close, perhaps because they were both heirs of ducal families. They even joked around like this.
And since they were in front of the prince, they were probably holding back. If they were alone, things would surely be even funnier.
Watching from a distance would be entertaining.
Since Astein had naturally guided the conversation, the mood had lightened. Though she had to snap back to reality whenever she met the eyes of the three stunningly handsome men before her, she had only one impression of today’s gathering.
She truly liked these three.
— — —
As she was enjoying herself, a waiter entered and presented a bouquet to Fay. Tulips, brimming with freshness, were wrapped in delicate paper.
“Ah…”
“Please accept them, Miss Fay. I prepared them to celebrate our gathering today.”
Kassel spoke with a faint smile.
“Tulips in the middle of winter?”
As she received the extravagant bouquet, she recalled a past event.
Just days ago, she had been forced to accept a bouquet from Lucius. A rare bouquet of crimson and lilac roses, as if meant to gently melt the pure white winter.
She had stared wide-eyed and asked,
[“What is this? Don’t tell me it’s one of those flowers that bloom once every hundred years?”]
[“No, it’s just… a regular flower.”]
[“Then why are you giving it to me?!”]
She had every right to react that way. After all, the last time he had given her something, a supposed fatigue recovery potion, it had turned out to be an elixir!
Worse still, she had absentmindedly gulped it down in the carriage on the way back to the Magic Tower.
An entire elixir? When she wasn’t even injured? What a waste!
She had only realized it afterward when she saw the empty bottle labeled ‘Elixir’ before tossing it away. She had even checked with Lucius to see if it had been a mistake, but he had just smiled brightly and said, ‘I wanted you to have it.’
A mage who had unknowingly downed an entire elixir – how ridiculous!
As if that wasn’t enough, Lucius had fidgeted before dropping another bombshell.
[“…It’s work.”]
[“Huh?”]
[“Today is the anniversary of the Magic Tower’s founding. It’s just flowers, so don’t feel burdened.”]
[“Don’t tell me these aren’t regular roses but some rare, priceless variety–”]
[“This time, I swear they’re not!”]
Why they had to celebrate the Magic Tower’s anniversary together, when no one in the tower cared about it, was beyond her. Regardless, those flowers still sat in a vase on her desk.
Holding the bouquet Kassel had given her, Fay briefly wondered if she had another vase before expressing her gratitude.
“Thank you. Flowers in the middle of winter really brighten things up.”
“Make sure to take them with you when you leave.”
“I will.”
As a courtesy, she inhaled their scent, trying to push aside her other thoughts.
