Special Story 6

While Enria, Roseanne, and Belona were discussing the children, the children themselves were already in Heiji’s room, following her around like loyal shadows.

 

Naturally, Heiji did not welcome them.

 

In fact, whenever they visited the Grand Duchy like this and invaded her personal space, she didn’t just withhold a welcome—she openly showed her annoyance and distaste.

 

Of course, to her childhood friends who were already nursing one-sided crushes on her, even that prickly side of Heiji seemed nothing short of adorable.

 

“Hei, so are you really not planning on entering the academy or the Magic School?”

 

Teiro, who took after his mother’s personality and had called Heiji by her nickname ever since he could speak properly, asked her.

 

Heiji, who was sitting in her armchair by the right window reading an ancient tome, merely gave a slight nod in response.

 

She regretted having hinted at something similar earlier, but it seemed it was already too late.

 

“Why? Then where are you going to go?”

 

Lyven asked urgently, his voice tinged with excitement. At this, Heiji finally lifted her eyes from the book she hadn’t looked away from since they arrived.

 

The moment his eyes met her blue ones, Lyven’s ears turned a fiery red.

 

It was instantaneous—obvious to anyone that he was embarrassed just by making eye contact.

 

Part of it was his young age, but Lyven was essentially honest from head to toe.

 

“Are you going to go straight into the Magic Tower, then?”

 

Teiro threw out a question that he knew was impossible, as if trying to pull Heiji’s gaze back to himself.

 

Sure enough, Heiji’s gaze shifted from Lyven to Teiro.

 

“What kind of stupid question is that, Teiro?”

 

Her eyes were filled with a mix of disbelief and pity.

 

“I just thought there weren’t many other options.”

 

Teiro gave a soft smile as he looked at Heiji.

 

Originally, the academy was a place any noble with magic was required to attend. However, after the Magic School was established and the Tower Master changed, the landscape shifted. The academy became a school for mages destined to become heads of their families or those wishing to join the Magic Tower. Meanwhile, the Magic School founded by Roseanne was for those who didn’t want to join the Tower or those whose magic was too meager to qualify.

 

Since no noble skipped both, if Heiji didn’t attend either, the only logical conclusion was that she would enter the Tower directly.

 

Of course, Teiro knew very well that Heiji had no intention of entering the Tower where her brother was the Master; he had asked the question despite knowing the answer.

 

“Why wouldn’t there be other options? There are private lessons.”

 

“Private lessons? From whom? Where?”

 

Lyven stared intently at Heiji’s lips, as if ready to ask to be included if the opportunity arose.

 

Sensing that this conversation would drag on whether she liked it or not, Heiji closed the ancient book and let out a short sigh.

 

“Tell us, Heiji. I want to learn with you.”

 

“Learn what together? You’re a Spirit Summoner.”

 

“You can handle spirits too.”

 

“Mine is different from you summoners; it’s a contract I’ve had since before I was born.”

 

“So, what are you planning to do?”

 

Teiro, who had been watching Heiji explain things patiently to Lyven, asked with a peculiar expression.

 

Heiji looked at Teiro for a moment before standing up and approaching the sofa where they were sitting.

 

The two boys instinctively scooted over, both hoping she would sit next to them, but Heiji naturally took the single armchair positioned between them.

 

“I was going to tell you both anyway, so I’ll say it now. I plan to take private lessons here at the Grand Duchy.”

 

She mentioned that while she hadn’t found a teacher capable enough to instruct her yet, she would find one soon—and even if she didn’t, it wouldn’t matter.

 

“The magic I have is mostly manifested through elemental magic received from spirits, so in reality, even if I don’t learn formally, I can cover it through spirit summoning. More importantly, my holy power is my true strength, so I plan to hone that.”

 

She added there was no reason to worry about that part, as she had her mother, who created barriers with holy power and used summoning magic through the strength received from spirits.

 

“But the academy or the Magic School isn’t just a place to learn magic.”

 

“That’s right. It’s a mandatory place to build bonds with other nobles. My father said the academy is a miniature society with much to learn, so I must go.”

 

“Uncle Rahar always says nice things. My parents said something different.”

 

Heiji shook her head a few times at Lyven’s words and continued, looking at Teiro, who was staring at her as if deep in thought.

 

“Anyway, I am me, and you two should go to the places that will improve your own abilities.”

 

Her expression was a stern warning not to even dream of taking private lessons at the Grand Duchy with her. Teiro merely shrugged.

 

“Heiji, how could we… no, how could I leave you and go to the academy alone?”

 

Lyven said, wearing an uncharacteristically tearful face.

 

His face, which captured only the best traits of Belona and Rahar, was beautiful even at the age of eleven.

 

Heiji actually quite liked Lyven’s golden eyes, which were identical to Roseanne’s and Rahar’s.

 

Of course, she also liked his silver hair, which felt as cool as dawn-fallen snow.

 

Regardless, while she didn’t particularly care for his personality, his appearance was very much Heiji’s type.

 

“Think again, Heiji. I don’t want to spend years apart from you.”

 

‘Ah, I don’t like either of their personalities.’

 

A long sigh escaped Heiji at Teiro’s words.

 

Teiro, the son of Tearen and Roseanne, was a boy whose deep navy-purple hair and green eyes—identical to Tearen’s—looked incredibly mysterious.

 

Based on looks alone, he was handsome enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her father or brother.

 

However, perhaps because he was an illusionist like his father, those green eyes were difficult to look at for long.

 

The green irises, reminiscent of thick, lush foliage, made one feel like they were being sucked in if they stared too long, always leaving a lingering, slightly uncomfortable feeling that his true intentions were unreadable.

 

That inscrutable nature was likely a direct inheritance from his father, Tearen.

 

“It’s only natural for us to live apart; we aren’t even siblings.”

 

“But if we go to the academy, it won’t be easy to come see you like this.”

 

“I sincerely hope so. Don’t you think you two step foot in the Grand Duchy a bit too often?”

 

When Heiji shrugged at Lyven’s words and suggested they use this chance to focus on honing their magic separately, both Lyven and Teiro cut her off instantly as if they had rehearsed it.

 

“We can’t do that, Heiji.”

 

“That’s not allowed, Heiji.”

 

As soon as Teiro finished, Lyven shook his head vigorously with a miserable face, causing Heiji’s expression to twist slightly.

 

“And why exactly is it ‘not allowed’?”

 

“We’ve been together since birth. Even if we didn’t meet every day because we lived in different places, we’ve never been apart for that long.”

 

“Exactly. If we go to the academy, we’ll see you even less than before, and I hate that.”

 

Teiro and Lyven explained that due to the nature of the academy, they would live in dormitories and only be allowed to return home at specific times. Until then, they couldn’t leave the dorms at will, so Heiji had to go with them.

 

Heiji furrowed her brows in disbelief.

 

“The premise that we must go together is what’s strange. As I said before, we aren’t family.”

 

“Not now. But when we grow up, you’ll become family with me.”

 

“Wait, why with you? If she’s becoming family, it’ll be with me.”

 

Triggered by Teiro’s “family” comment, the conversation shifted to marriage—a topic that should have been years away.

 

Lyven, with veins popping in his neck, demanded to know whose permission Teiro thought he had to become family with Heiji. Teiro shot back, asking if he was stupid, since the only permission needed to marry Heiji was from Heiji herself and her parents. Heiji watched them both with a look of practiced weariness.

 

“I’m telling you right here and now, Heiji will marry me when she becomes an adult. I’m the one who will hold Heiji’s hand and walk into the wedding hall!”

 

“Are you saying that by then, Uncle Caldeon will be so old he’ll have trouble moving, so you’ll stand in as the father of the bride?”

 

“I’ll be the groom! The groom!”

 

Heiji swallowed a long sigh that threatened to escape at their childish bickering and turned her gaze out the window.

 

Just then, a welcome voice she hadn’t expected rang through the room.

 

“What were you planning to be for my daughter?”

 

“Dad!”

 

Heiji’s bored expression vanished instantly, brightening the moment she saw Caldeon.

 

Watching Heiji run to her father and hug him tight, Teiro and Lyven felt a surge of envy and jealousy toward Caldeon—the man who might one day be their father-in-law.

 

“I told you, you shouldn’t let boys into a lady’s room so easily, Heiji. Even if this place is a library.”

 

Caldeon spoke to Heiji with eyes as loving as the ones he reserved for Enria, then immediately turned his head toward Lyven and Teiro, his expression turning ice-cold.

 

Teiro gave a sheepish smile at Caldeon’s extreme temperature shift, which was jarring no matter how many times he saw it.

 

“Did you say you wanted to be my daughter’s groom?”

 

At Caldeon’s question, Teiro and Lyven both nodded at the same time.

 

A crooked smirk crawled up Caldeon’s lips.

 

It was clearly a look of displeasure, making Lyven and Teiro instinctively tense up.

 

After all, if they wanted to marry Heiji, they had to stay on Caldeon’s good side.

 

“I do.”

 

“I—I want to be, too!”

 

Lyven shouted, raising his hand as if refusing to be outdone by Teiro.

 

Heiji shook her head as if they were beyond help and leaned her head against Caldeon’s shoulder.

 

Caldeon gently stroked Heiji’s back and spoke to Teiro and Lyven.

 

“I will discuss this matter with your fathers, so do not pester my daughter with this topic any longer.”

 

The words were spoken in a gentle tone, but the voice was unendurably cold.