I did the math in my head and said in disbelief.
"That's impossible. Magicians aren't born into the royal family. It's been that way for a very long time."
Unlike a hundred years ago, perceptions of magic have improved significantly. However, it can never be said to be "good."
Magic was still a shady realm, and wizards lived in towers built in the remote, empty plains of the East.
Even though people enjoyed the benefits of magic, they remained wary of wizards. They believed that if a nation were ruled by a wizard, it would fall prey to their dark tricks. Therefore, even Empresses and concubines were chosen from families where wizards were not born.
"If Princess Abigail is a wizard, it's one of two things. Either Empress Seria's family was actually a family capable of producing wizards, or Princess Abigail isn't a descendant of the royal family..."
But neither of these ideas struck me as plausible. Empress Seria was born of noble blood and would not, for the sake of her own honor, bear a child with anyone other than the Emperor.
Above all, Princess Abigail resembled Prince Cain and the Emperor enough to make it clear that they were family.
“Besides, if she had the talent of a wizard, the Emperor wouldn’t have let Princess Abigail run wild like that.”
The Emperor cherished Princess Abigail dearly, and considering her status as a Princess, she was quite free to wander outside the palace. She even visited Duchzan Territory, a considerable distance from the capital, without any apparent reason.
Julian waited for me to gather my thoughts. Then, when I looked up and saw him, he gave his opinion.
"Princess Abigail is as clever as Empress Seria. Empress Seria cherished her two children, so she likely sensed her daughter's magical talent early on. And she likely kept her under close supervision, keeping her from anyone noticing."
“It’s possible that the wizard’s talent was revealed late.”
“In your past life...”
Julian began to speak, then closed his mouth. He seemed reluctant to tell me about my life before my regression.
I stroked Julian's smooth cheek. As always, it was clean, without a single hair of stubble, the kind I loved. With a satisfied expression, I whispered to Julian what he wanted to know.
"It's not revealed that Princess Abigail is a wizard. It's only natural, since I've been in a more shady place than I am now."
“So, you’re saying that no one was wary of the Princess?”
“If we had left it alone, the Princess might have really become the Empress...and even married you.”
The thought of Julian marrying Princess Abigail made me feel a little gloomy. But Julian shook his head.
“I wouldn’t have done it.”
“Why?”
"If I were to marry the Emperor, I would no longer be able to protect the Duchzan Territory. And my mother's villa. The reason I didn't marry the Princess wasn't simply because the Emperor interfered. I wanted the Duchzan Territory to be free. I wanted it to do whatever it wanted."
A moment of silence passed between us. Julian wanted to say something, and I wanted to hear it.
Julian frowned a little embarrassedly, then spoke as if telling a secret.
“That’s why I liked you.”
It was a word that made my whole body tingle. I smiled bashfully and asked.
“Because I acted selfishly?”
"Yes. I thought that if the daughter of Count Winsley, who is loyal only to the Imperial family, could choose the Emperor, then Duchzan, who is bound only by the Imperial family, could also choose the Emperor. That's why I liked you."
As he spoke, Julian leaned toward me. I followed his touch, leaning back, propping myself up on one elbow, and covering his mouth with the other.
“No.”
A look of regret spread across Julian's face. Perhaps it was because we had been apart for so long. It occurred to me that Julian's physical intimacy had become more intense.
To be honest, I had been away from him for so long that I really wanted to do this and that...
“Please tell me the rest about Princess Abigail.”
Julian didn't press any further. Instead, he supported my waist and helped me upright. I pressed my chest against his, then raised my head.
“You said Princess Abigail was a sorceress? How did you know?”
"It seems that Viscount Lesa realized that siding with us would save his life. That's why he brought these documents."
The documents Julian handed me detailed the amount of magic stones transported to Ravi Tower. Even a cursory glance revealed that it was by no means a small amount.
I sat up straight, tilted my head over my shoulder, and looked closely at the papers.
“He says the Princess gave the order.”
“What will the Princess use all these magic stones for?”
"After recruiting the magician of the Ravi Magic Tower and confirming, I learned that there was a portal inside the tower, and that the Princess periodically moved into it with several magicians. And of course, with the magic stone."
“With the magic stone...”
I raised my legs onto the sofa and hugged my knees. Why did Princess Abigail use a portal to transport magic stones? To sell them to foreign countries to raise political funds? It could be. The Empire's magic stones are of high quality, making them a sought-after resource for merchants.
But for some reason, I felt like there was a more important reason than that.
“Je say it’s been a long time since she showed up.”
"Because the Princess is taking care of herself. She's barely able to attend meetings. So..."
Is that really all?
The reason Princess Abigail attends the meeting despite her own personal circumstances is that it is something she must do.
If that's the case, then the reason it doesn't appear on the Magic Tower is probably because it's not something that "must be done." It was something that had to be done before, but now it doesn't have to be done... It can't possibly be political funding.
“Since when has the Princess not appeared on the magic tower?”
Julian opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for me to ask that.
“It’s been since the Demonic Beast Suppression War began.”
My eyes widened, and Julian nodded. I muttered, considering several possibilities.
“Magic stone... Magic beast... Portal….. Things she doesn’t have to do anymore...”
Combining all the clues revealed so far, there was only one possible outcome: this wasn't a matter of political funding or anything like that.
"It was Princess Abigail who brought the demons to the Riar Plains. She..."
Just as I was about to finish speaking, a sudden knock on the door silenced me. Then, in a sharp voice, I asked the visitor.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Hela.”
“Ah, Hela. Wait a minute!”
Julian disliked the commotion and didn't want to reveal to anyone else that the curse had been lifted. So, I waited until Julian put on his mask before speaking to her.
“Come in.”
Hela quietly opened the door, entered, and knelt down on one knee. I stood up and introduced Hela to Julian.
"It's Hela, who protects me here. She's also my father's watchman. Hela says no, though."
“...No, Your Highness.”
“Right?”
After I said something playful, I told Hela to stand. Hela rose from her seat, her posture stiff. She folded her arms in front of her chest and gave her report.
"A fight broke out between the soldiers of Winsley. If it were a minor altercation, it wouldn't be a concern, but I'm reporting this because I believe it could lower morale among the soldiers."
“What’s going on?”
“Do you know the knight Garon?”
I nodded immediately. He was a young man with blazing red hair, a man of generous spirit, who had accomplished many feats and was cherished by his father.
Ten years ago, as a boy, he had been a soldier in our family, and now he had been given the title of knight. I asked, my face a bit shocked, that such a man had gotten caught up in the fighting.
“He got into a fight. Who did he get into a fight with?”
"This is Mila, a fellow knight. In fact, Mila is the most prominent figure, but she seems to be involved with other knights and soldiers as well."
“What? What on earth is going on?”
I put on my outer garment and went outside. Julian, also wearing his cloak, followed me. Hela stood slightly behind me and finished her report.
"There was one among the demons that proved rather difficult to deal with. It was larger than the Large One and just as fast as the Small One. Garon reported that he had killed it, and His Excellency the Count praised him greatly. He also promised to help him achieve a knighthood when he returned after the expedition. Garon was so proud of this that he told many people about it."
"What's the problem with that? Becoming a knight is a great honor. Garon, being a commoner, is even more so."
"The problem is, it seems Garon wasn't the only one there when that entity was captured. It's said that the sub-knight Mila and other soldiers were also present. Mila, who had been knocked down by a demonic attack, woke up today. Upon hearing that Garon was being promoted to a knight, she immediately confronted him. She demanded why he was taking the credit alone."
“Whether it is true or not.”
"In fact, Garon is a skilled cavalryman, but he doesn't yet have the skills to single-handedly hunt a large entity. However, because the entity appeared in a densely forested area, there are no witnesses who can be considered third parties."
“I need to talk to both Garon and Mila.”
"Yes. This has caused other soldiers to question fairness. They say this is uncharacteristic favoritism, unbecoming of His Excellency the Count of Winsley."
"No way. My father is a fair and just man. He was deceived by either Garon or Mila."
“I believe so too, but the soldiers who do not serve His Excellency closely seem dissatisfied.”
“...Hela, as you said, it must be directly related to the soldiers’ morale. Thank you for telling me so quickly.”
Hela answered with a smile.
"You're welcome."
I confronted Mila one-on-one. Mila, unwavering, declared that there was not a shred of truth in her words and that Garon was an unbelievable coward.
We talked for an hour, but Mila's words were flawless, and she didn't seem to have any remorse.
Next, I entered the room where Garon had been brought to talk to him.
“Semi-Knight Garon.”
The moment I closed the door and called him, Garon immediately knelt down.
“Your Highness, please forgive me!”
"That's impossible. Magicians aren't born into the royal family. It's been that way for a very long time."
Unlike a hundred years ago, perceptions of magic have improved significantly. However, it can never be said to be "good."
Magic was still a shady realm, and wizards lived in towers built in the remote, empty plains of the East.
Even though people enjoyed the benefits of magic, they remained wary of wizards. They believed that if a nation were ruled by a wizard, it would fall prey to their dark tricks. Therefore, even Empresses and concubines were chosen from families where wizards were not born.
"If Princess Abigail is a wizard, it's one of two things. Either Empress Seria's family was actually a family capable of producing wizards, or Princess Abigail isn't a descendant of the royal family..."
But neither of these ideas struck me as plausible. Empress Seria was born of noble blood and would not, for the sake of her own honor, bear a child with anyone other than the Emperor.
Above all, Princess Abigail resembled Prince Cain and the Emperor enough to make it clear that they were family.
“Besides, if she had the talent of a wizard, the Emperor wouldn’t have let Princess Abigail run wild like that.”
The Emperor cherished Princess Abigail dearly, and considering her status as a Princess, she was quite free to wander outside the palace. She even visited Duchzan Territory, a considerable distance from the capital, without any apparent reason.
Julian waited for me to gather my thoughts. Then, when I looked up and saw him, he gave his opinion.
"Princess Abigail is as clever as Empress Seria. Empress Seria cherished her two children, so she likely sensed her daughter's magical talent early on. And she likely kept her under close supervision, keeping her from anyone noticing."
“It’s possible that the wizard’s talent was revealed late.”
“In your past life...”
Julian began to speak, then closed his mouth. He seemed reluctant to tell me about my life before my regression.
I stroked Julian's smooth cheek. As always, it was clean, without a single hair of stubble, the kind I loved. With a satisfied expression, I whispered to Julian what he wanted to know.
"It's not revealed that Princess Abigail is a wizard. It's only natural, since I've been in a more shady place than I am now."
“So, you’re saying that no one was wary of the Princess?”
“If we had left it alone, the Princess might have really become the Empress...and even married you.”
The thought of Julian marrying Princess Abigail made me feel a little gloomy. But Julian shook his head.
“I wouldn’t have done it.”
“Why?”
"If I were to marry the Emperor, I would no longer be able to protect the Duchzan Territory. And my mother's villa. The reason I didn't marry the Princess wasn't simply because the Emperor interfered. I wanted the Duchzan Territory to be free. I wanted it to do whatever it wanted."
A moment of silence passed between us. Julian wanted to say something, and I wanted to hear it.
Julian frowned a little embarrassedly, then spoke as if telling a secret.
“That’s why I liked you.”
It was a word that made my whole body tingle. I smiled bashfully and asked.
“Because I acted selfishly?”
"Yes. I thought that if the daughter of Count Winsley, who is loyal only to the Imperial family, could choose the Emperor, then Duchzan, who is bound only by the Imperial family, could also choose the Emperor. That's why I liked you."
As he spoke, Julian leaned toward me. I followed his touch, leaning back, propping myself up on one elbow, and covering his mouth with the other.
“No.”
A look of regret spread across Julian's face. Perhaps it was because we had been apart for so long. It occurred to me that Julian's physical intimacy had become more intense.
To be honest, I had been away from him for so long that I really wanted to do this and that...
“Please tell me the rest about Princess Abigail.”
Julian didn't press any further. Instead, he supported my waist and helped me upright. I pressed my chest against his, then raised my head.
“You said Princess Abigail was a sorceress? How did you know?”
"It seems that Viscount Lesa realized that siding with us would save his life. That's why he brought these documents."
The documents Julian handed me detailed the amount of magic stones transported to Ravi Tower. Even a cursory glance revealed that it was by no means a small amount.
I sat up straight, tilted my head over my shoulder, and looked closely at the papers.
“He says the Princess gave the order.”
“What will the Princess use all these magic stones for?”
"After recruiting the magician of the Ravi Magic Tower and confirming, I learned that there was a portal inside the tower, and that the Princess periodically moved into it with several magicians. And of course, with the magic stone."
“With the magic stone...”
I raised my legs onto the sofa and hugged my knees. Why did Princess Abigail use a portal to transport magic stones? To sell them to foreign countries to raise political funds? It could be. The Empire's magic stones are of high quality, making them a sought-after resource for merchants.
But for some reason, I felt like there was a more important reason than that.
“Je say it’s been a long time since she showed up.”
"Because the Princess is taking care of herself. She's barely able to attend meetings. So..."
Is that really all?
The reason Princess Abigail attends the meeting despite her own personal circumstances is that it is something she must do.
If that's the case, then the reason it doesn't appear on the Magic Tower is probably because it's not something that "must be done." It was something that had to be done before, but now it doesn't have to be done... It can't possibly be political funding.
“Since when has the Princess not appeared on the magic tower?”
Julian opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for me to ask that.
“It’s been since the Demonic Beast Suppression War began.”
My eyes widened, and Julian nodded. I muttered, considering several possibilities.
“Magic stone... Magic beast... Portal….. Things she doesn’t have to do anymore...”
Combining all the clues revealed so far, there was only one possible outcome: this wasn't a matter of political funding or anything like that.
"It was Princess Abigail who brought the demons to the Riar Plains. She..."
Just as I was about to finish speaking, a sudden knock on the door silenced me. Then, in a sharp voice, I asked the visitor.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Hela.”
“Ah, Hela. Wait a minute!”
Julian disliked the commotion and didn't want to reveal to anyone else that the curse had been lifted. So, I waited until Julian put on his mask before speaking to her.
“Come in.”
Hela quietly opened the door, entered, and knelt down on one knee. I stood up and introduced Hela to Julian.
"It's Hela, who protects me here. She's also my father's watchman. Hela says no, though."
“...No, Your Highness.”
“Right?”
After I said something playful, I told Hela to stand. Hela rose from her seat, her posture stiff. She folded her arms in front of her chest and gave her report.
"A fight broke out between the soldiers of Winsley. If it were a minor altercation, it wouldn't be a concern, but I'm reporting this because I believe it could lower morale among the soldiers."
“What’s going on?”
“Do you know the knight Garon?”
I nodded immediately. He was a young man with blazing red hair, a man of generous spirit, who had accomplished many feats and was cherished by his father.
Ten years ago, as a boy, he had been a soldier in our family, and now he had been given the title of knight. I asked, my face a bit shocked, that such a man had gotten caught up in the fighting.
“He got into a fight. Who did he get into a fight with?”
"This is Mila, a fellow knight. In fact, Mila is the most prominent figure, but she seems to be involved with other knights and soldiers as well."
“What? What on earth is going on?”
I put on my outer garment and went outside. Julian, also wearing his cloak, followed me. Hela stood slightly behind me and finished her report.
"There was one among the demons that proved rather difficult to deal with. It was larger than the Large One and just as fast as the Small One. Garon reported that he had killed it, and His Excellency the Count praised him greatly. He also promised to help him achieve a knighthood when he returned after the expedition. Garon was so proud of this that he told many people about it."
"What's the problem with that? Becoming a knight is a great honor. Garon, being a commoner, is even more so."
"The problem is, it seems Garon wasn't the only one there when that entity was captured. It's said that the sub-knight Mila and other soldiers were also present. Mila, who had been knocked down by a demonic attack, woke up today. Upon hearing that Garon was being promoted to a knight, she immediately confronted him. She demanded why he was taking the credit alone."
“Whether it is true or not.”
"In fact, Garon is a skilled cavalryman, but he doesn't yet have the skills to single-handedly hunt a large entity. However, because the entity appeared in a densely forested area, there are no witnesses who can be considered third parties."
“I need to talk to both Garon and Mila.”
"Yes. This has caused other soldiers to question fairness. They say this is uncharacteristic favoritism, unbecoming of His Excellency the Count of Winsley."
"No way. My father is a fair and just man. He was deceived by either Garon or Mila."
“I believe so too, but the soldiers who do not serve His Excellency closely seem dissatisfied.”
“...Hela, as you said, it must be directly related to the soldiers’ morale. Thank you for telling me so quickly.”
Hela answered with a smile.
"You're welcome."
I confronted Mila one-on-one. Mila, unwavering, declared that there was not a shred of truth in her words and that Garon was an unbelievable coward.
We talked for an hour, but Mila's words were flawless, and she didn't seem to have any remorse.
Next, I entered the room where Garon had been brought to talk to him.
“Semi-Knight Garon.”
The moment I closed the door and called him, Garon immediately knelt down.
“Your Highness, please forgive me!”
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