Chapter 131

“His Majesty the Emperor does not view this situation favorably,” the Crown Prince said, lifting his teacup to take a sip.

 

Enria, who had been bringing a cookie to her mouth, stared at him blankly for a moment, struck by a grace similar to what she had once felt from Caldeon. Suddenly, Caldeon grabbed her wrist and popped the cookie she was holding into his own mouth.

 

“I’m right here. Where are you looking, Enria?”

 

In that instant, Caldeon provocatively licked her fingers with his tongue, causing her face to flush deep red immediately.

 

“My, my. I never thought I’d live to see brother act like this.”

 

“I don’t mind you looking at me, but I would appreciate it if you refrained from looking at my woman,” Caldeon replied.

 

“Haha, are you actually wary of me?” The Crown Prince let out a hearty laugh.

 

He seemed more amused than offended. Sensing this, Caldeon spoke to him with a calm expression.

 

“I am wary of every man in this world, so there is no need to feel so special.”

 

“Hahaha, you truly are showing me a new side of yourself.”

 

The Crown Prince remarked that it was a deeply moving moment to realize Caldeon was human after all. He then offered Enria some kind advice.

 

“Do not be too hurt even if His Majesty treats you coldly. Truthfully, His Majesty had strongly desired a marriage between brother and Young Lady Kaznaren—”

 

“Useless talk,” Caldeon interrupted, cutting him off, but the Crown Prince only smirked without a hint of annoyance.

 

“In any case, regarding the matter of Young Lady Kaznaren’s magic tutelage, I will provide as much help as I did with the surrogate Grand Duchess matter, so do not worry. Though I know well that brother isn’t the type to worry about much…”

 

“Your Highness only needs to think about what you will give my wife as a wedding gift,” Caldeon interrupted again.

 

At those words, Enria naturally recalled the massive wedding gift mentioned in the original novel.

 

“Hmm, what would be good… What is it that you desire, future Grand Duchess?” the Crown Prince asked Enria.

 

As Enria faltered, caught off guard by the sudden question, Caldeon cut in.

 

“The giver should be the one to worry about that.”

 

“Ah, is that so?” The Crown Prince nodded with a small laugh.

 

The Crown Prince muttered that he wasn’t sure what would make her happy, to which Caldeon told him he didn’t need to worry about making another man’s woman happy—prompting an even louder laugh from the Prince.

 

“But why is he so late?” Caldeon asked, looking at the Crown Prince with an expression that said they had been kept waiting too long.

 

The Crown Prince smiled apologetically, explaining they would likely have to wait a bit more.

 

“As I said, His Majesty does not look upon the future Grand Duchess with favor. He knows Brother has come to the palace to proceed with the wedding. He likely intends to make you wait on purpose.”

 

Enria’s face stiffened slightly at his words. If the Emperor disapproved of the marriage, he certainly wouldn’t grant the marriage certificate easily. In her excitement over becoming Caldeon’s wife, she had momentarily forgotten that in the original story, the Emperor had put immense effort into pairing Caldeon with Roseanne.

 

She felt a sudden surge of fear. What if the Emperor refused to permit it? But Caldeon didn’t seem worried at all. He snorted at the Crown Prince’s words, stating that the Emperor didn’t need to like his woman.

 

“She is my woman, so only I need to like her. It’s actually better if he dislikes her.”

 

He added that he wouldn’t allow a single biological male to harbor any ulterior motives toward Enria, making the Crown Prince’s jaw drop even further.

 

“Now, isn’t it a bit much to even be on guard against the Emperor?”

 

“His Majesty loves beautiful and noble things. You are his son; you should know that well.”

 

Caldeon’s expression asked if there was anything in the world more beautiful and noble than Enria. The Crown Prince, lost for words, firmly shut his agape mouth.

 

Looking at the Crown Prince, whose face clearly said, ‘This is a clinical obsession,’ Enria felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.

 

“Anyway, if we have to wait longer, may I step away for a moment? I’d like to show Enria around the palace.”

 

“Ah, there won’t be enough time for that right now. As brother knows, while His Majesty is making the future Grand Duchess wait out of spite, he has no intention of wasting too much of your busy time.”

 

“…”

 

“Furthermore, his health is not great these days, so he won’t keep you long. Postpone the tour until after the audience.”

 

The Crown Prince then turned to Enria with an “Ah.”

 

“I can give you the tour myself.”

 

“I decline.”

 

Caldeon rejected the favor instantly, then asked if the Prince could help with something else, sparking both disappointment and curiosity in the Prince’s eyes.

 

“Anything that would be of help to brother…”

 

“The one who carved the palace pillars.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I wish to commission him to carve the pillars for the Grand Duchy’s castle.”

 

This time, it was Enria’s mouth that fell wide open.

 

 

***

 

 

Taking heart from Hayden’s words, Tearen spoke to Roseanne.

 

“I intend to ask Rahar for his permission regarding us. What do you think?”

 

Roseanne’s face turned bright red with a mix of fluster and joy. Since this was what she had been waiting for, she nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

 

Tearen gave her a tender smile and offered an apology.

 

“I should have made up my mind sooner. I’m sorry I was late.”

 

“Ah, no, not at all.”

 

“He will surely oppose it, but I will change his mind somehow. Just trust me and follow my lead.”

 

“…Yes, I trust you.”

 

As Roseanne nodded, Tearen pulled her into an embrace and laughed softly. Hayden, who had been watching them, suddenly called out to Tearen.

 

“Uncle, you should get help from Auntie Belona.”

 

“The light-attribute mage?”

 

“Miss Belona?”

 

Tearen and Roseanne asked back simultaneously, looking puzzled. Hayden nodded.

 

“If he opposes, Auntie Belona is there.”

 

“How does having a light mage help with Rahar’s opposition?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Then Roseanne cut in and asked, “What kind of help?”

 

Tearen looked at Roseanne’s bewildered face and then back at Hayden. Suddenly, a realization struck him.

 

“Is it true that Rahar has feelings for the light mage?”

 

At those words, Roseanne, who had been looking at Tearen in confusion, grasped his meaning and her face instantly froze.

 

“B-Brother likes Miss Belona?!”

 

 

***

 

 

“It has been a long time,” the Emperor said to Caldeon as they entered the audience chamber.

 

Enria, who bowed alongside Caldeon, widened her eyes at the Emperor’s voice, which was gentler than she expected.

 

“So, you are the only daughter of Viscount Ribenus.”

 

“Enria Ribenus greets His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

As she introduced herself using the viscountcy created by Tearen’s illusion, she wondered why this specific illusion lasted longer than others. She eventually found the answer from Tearen later.

 

“Unlike other illusions, this type of informational illusion doesn’t need a maintenance period. Simply put, the illusion has already encoded into their memories that the Saintess is a Viscount’s daughter. Even if the spell fades, they’ll think, “I thought she was a Viscount’s daughter? Was I wrong?” because human memory is fickle.”

 

Ultimately, imperfect human memory would confuse the illusion with fact, shifting from I think so to It is so.

 

“I have kept you waiting. Sit.”

 

The Emperor sat and gestured for Caldeon and Enria to do the same. It was only after sitting that Enria could see the Emperor’s face. He looked much like the Crown Prince, but with sharper, fiercer eyes.

 

Enria swallowed hard under his gaze. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was glaring at her.

 

‘Of course. He must think the marriage with Roseanne was ruined because of me…’

 

She decided to breathe as quietly as possible and stay out of the way until the conversation ended.

 

“Cough, cough. So, you wish to marry.”

 

The Emperor’s face, which had looked sickly from the start, grew darker with a dry cough. Instinctively, Enria began to scan his features.

 

‘He looks ill…’

 

The constant coughing while speaking to Caldeon and the look of perpetual discomfort on his face caught her attention.

 

‘The Crown Prince did mention earlier that His Majesty’s health wasn’t good.’

 

In that moment, a passage from the original novel flashed through her mind.

 

‘Ah! The episode where Roseanne gains the Emperor’s trust!’

 

In the original story, the Emperor grew weak as magical energies clumped together inside his body. Since it was a disease of conflicting internal energies, the empire’s best physicians couldn’t diagnose it, and the Emperor spent every day feeling exhausted no matter how much he slept.

 

‘That was when Roseanne thought of the recovery spell.’

 

Roseanne, having read ancient texts about Saintesses who occasionally healed mages suffering from magical collisions, thought of holy power when she saw the Emperor’s condition. She sought out a Saintess capable of recovery magic, cured the Emperor, and earned his absolute trust.

 

Remembering this, Enria realized that since she could use recovery magic, she could use this opportunity to change the heart of the Emperor who currently disapproved of her.

 

She waited for a lull in his conversation with Caldeon, then asked the Emperor cautiously.

 

“Your Majesty, do you feel fatigue no matter what you do? Do your shoulders and head feel as heavy as lead? And do you feel unrefreshed regardless of how much you sleep? Am I correct?”

 

In an instant, the Emperor’s eyes grew so wide they looked as if they might pop out.