Chapter 22

“It’s as his uncle. And the more people celebrate, the better.”

When Rahar shrugged his shoulders and said that, Caldeon seemed to think for a moment, then nodded, mumbling that he supposed that was true.

Seeing that, Roseanne’s eyes sparkled as she asked, “Then, can we invite Lord Tearen too?”

“…Marquess Gradei?”

“Yes. I’ve already asked him for a favor, and I requested that he visit the Grand Duke’s castle sometime soon.”

“Gradei? Why are you calling your friend by his family name?”

No sooner had Roseanne spoken than Rahar raised an eyebrow in disapproval.

Then, turning to her, he said, “But Tearen’s in another country right now.”

“What are you talking about? He returned yesterday.”

“Really? …And how exactly do you know that?”

Rahar looked suspiciously at Roseanne, wondering why his little sister knew his friend’s schedule so well.

“O-of course I know. I’ve asked Lord Tearen for a lot of favors, and also…”

Her face flushed red like a tomato, and Enria’s eyes widened slightly as she watched her.

‘Wait, could it be…?’

Not long ago, Roseanne had insisted that she didn’t like Caldeon and even said that if she were to fall for her brother’s friend, she’d prefer Tearen instead.

Now, seeing her red cheeks, Enria felt her heart give a small thump.

It seemed Roseanne hadn’t just said that to make a point — she truly had feelings for Tearen.

It was hard to believe that Roseanne, who was meant to share an immortal love with Caldeon in the original story, would fall for another man.

But since Roseanne herself had said she could never love Caldeon, it wasn’t impossible that she’d come to love someone else.

After all, this world had already diverged from the novel Enria once read— perhaps even the destinies of the main characters could change.

Enria, both wanting to help Roseanne and wondering if she might be able to create a spell to break Silri’s magic, carefully raised her hand to shoulder height and spoke.

***

Because of Enria’s suggestion, Caldeon and Rahar united in rare agreement to flatly reject Tearen’s invitation — as if they were the closest of friends.

As a result, Tearen’s attendance was canceled, leaving Roseanne looking dejected, and Enria feeling guilty for having interfered.

Once Rahar and Caldeon went off to the study to discuss plans for Hayden’s party, Enria immediately apologized to Roseanne.

“Rose, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have butted in like that.”

“What are you talking about, Enri? You have nothing to apologize for.”

Roseanne waved her hands quickly, her large eyes round as ever, insisting that it was all her foolish brother’s and that idiot Caldeon’s fault.

The way she emphasized “idiot” made it obvious she held a particular grudge against Caldeon, and Enria gave an awkward laugh.

“By the way, what kind of person is that illusionist?”

Enria asked, curiosity piqued by the man who’d been banned from coming. Roseanne’s eyes widened slightly.

“Lord Tearen?”

It was clear she hadn’t expected to hear about the man from Enria.

Enria nodded. “Yeah, I’m curious.”

“Hmm…”

Roseanne’s face filled with thoughtful hesitation — as if she were carefully choosing how to speak of him.

After a moment, her golden eyes shimmered as she leaned closer and said softly,

“Actually… I’m in love with him.”

Enria’s eyes widened in shock.

She’d half-expected it, but hearing Roseanne confess it aloud still startled her.

“I once told you that if I were to fall for one of my brother’s friends, I’d prefer Lord Tearen, right? Truth is, I already liked him back then.”

Roseanne began to recount everything — how she’d first met Tearen and how her feelings for him had grown.

Enria hadn’t planned to listen to a love story, yet as Roseanne’s cheeks turned pinker and pinker, Enria couldn’t help feeling her own heart flutter as well.

When her father and the emperor had tried to force her to marry Caldeon, Roseanne was miserable, saying she didn’t want a loveless marriage.

That was when Tearen had suggested they hold a fake wedding, with him standing in as the groom’s proxy.

Fortunately, Caldeon—who’d been desperate to escape the emperor’s pressure — agreed readily.

Using illusion magic, Tearen made everyone, including the emperor and his ministers, believe they’d attended Caldeon and Roseanne’s wedding.

And to avoid any later complications, he ensured that once the rebellious mage’s tower and the allied high spirits were dealt with, everyone under the illusion would simply forget that the wedding ever happened.

“Wow, he’s a real genius, isn’t he?”

“He’s not just a genius. I doubt there’s anyone in the world who can rival Lord Tearen’s intellect. Of course, most illusionists are cleverer than average mages or humans, but he’s… exceptional.”

Illusion magic, she explained, required delicate precision — only the sharpest minds could master it.

“I see,” Enria murmured, feeling an unexpected curiosity about the man Roseanne loved — the man who had captured her heart instead of Caldeon’s.

When Enria had given birth to Hayden, it had been Tearen who cloaked the spirit village and Silri’s manor in illusion, making them appear as a small country estate.

But because she’d been in labor at the time, she hadn’t seen him — and now, she regretted that slightly.

“This time, I couldn’t introduce you because of my stupid brother and his stupid friend,” Roseanne said with a pout. “But I’ll see him soon anyway, to discuss the silence spell. I’ll introduce you then.”

“Okay.”

Enria smiled and nodded.

***

Hayden’s first-steps celebration turned out to be a grand affair.

Though the only guests were Rahar and Roseanne, the personified spirits of Rahar and one of Caldeon’s — a fire spirit — made the event lively and noisy.

Even Caldeon’s aide, Arsen, came briefly to offer his congratulations before returning to his mountain of paperwork.

“This one’s Blizzan, my spirit,” Caldeon said, introducing a red-haired man who bowed politely to Enria, holding a glass of white wine.

Blizzan, he explained, was a fire spirit who usually took the form of a phoenix — a being equal in power to the spirit Panz who had sided with the mage’s tower.

He added that Blizzan was the only one of his spirits she should be cautious around, hence the personal introduction.

‘Wait, why cautious?’

Before she could ask, Blizzan laughed and said, “I’m not interested in humans, Caldeon.”

Then he leaned closer to Enria with a sly smile.

“He calls me a flirtatious spirit, but I’m really not, you know?”

Startled, Enria instinctively drew back.

Blizzan chuckled again.

“See? Do I really look that way to you?”

‘Yes. Absolutely,’ Enria thought, sensing the easy charm behind his words. She suddenly understood why Caldeon called him a flirt.

“Enri.”

Roseanne approached with Hayden in her arms. She’d taken the baby as soon as Caldeon mentioned introducing Blizzan, and judging from Hayden’s happily munching hands, she’d pacified him with plenty of snacks.

“Can you call Caldeon’s spirit by name too?”

“Huh? Oh… Blizzan, was it?”

At that, both Caldeon and Blizzan widened their eyes in surprise.

“Oh? She said my name,” Blizzan said, intrigued.

“Wait—you spirits don’t form contracts with human magicians, do you?” Caldeon asked, frowning.

“Of course not,” Blizzan replied, shrugging. “Those of us who desired your mana instead of magic power don’t form contracts with humans.”

Caldeon’s spirits, though of the same race as those in the spirit village, were a different breed entirely.

Whereas the village spirits formed contracts with humans to obtain spirit stones, his didn’t need such things — they desired Caldeon’s mana itself, and thus stayed with him instead.

For that reason, it was astonishing that Enria could call Blizzan’s name at all.

“Just as I thought,” Roseanne said.

“What do you mean?” Blizzan asked.

“I think Enri has the ability to summon a spirit just by knowing its name.”

Roseanne glanced at Caldeon. “I looked into it when she called my brother’s spirits before. You placed a spell on Enri to block teleportation magic, right?”

‘He did what?’

Enria’s head snapped toward Caldeon. He hesitated for a moment before admitting,

“I didn’t want anyone to suddenly abduct you. I kept it secret, but since you were the only saintess capable of calming my mana surges, I knew word might leak somehow.”

“I think that’s how a bit of Caldeon’s mana seeped into Enri,” Roseanne said.

“My mana?”

“Yes. I can’t prove it, of course, but it’s the only explanation that fits.”

Caldeon nodded thoughtfully. “That may be possible.”

“But even with Caldeon’s mana inside you,” Blizzan said with a puzzled tilt of his head, “you shouldn’t be able to call my name so easily.”

Only someone whose body continuously radiated mana—like Caldeon—should be capable of that.

Which meant this woman wasn’t ordinary.

There was something unique, something otherworldly about her presence that drew him in—an ability unknown even to spirits.

Caldeon’s spirits had an instinct for new kinds of power, and right now that instinct whispered to him: Stay close to her.

‘Well now,’ Blizzan thought, his red eyes glimmering with amusement, ‘this could get interesting.’