"The moment the words 'remarry' came out of your mouth, my heart ached so much."
Stella nodded blankly.
Stella fiddled with her swollen lips. Even though morning had come, the swelling had not gone away.
'This is a big problem.'
She was planning to visit Roy today. She wanted to confide in him about what she heard from Kratex and seek his advice. Judging by the fact that he gifted her a medicine said to be effective only on wizards, he might have known something for quite some time.
"Hey, could you get me some ointment?"
Stella applied a generous amount of ointment to her lips before leaving. She also applied an ice pack. It might have been her imagination, but she felt relieved to think that the swelling had subsided compared to before. She considered waiting a bit for her lips to calm down before going out, but this was a magic story, after all. She wanted to satisfy her curiosity quickly.
"Your lips are soaked with water."
She heard Kendrick laughing from beside her.
"Why are you laughing?"
'I've been going through all this trouble since morning because of someone.'
She glared at him gently. Kendrick patted Stella's lips, which were smeared with ice water, with his sleeve.
"Why hide it? It's not like I've committed a crime."
Kendrick smiled, folding his eyes into crescent shapes.
"It's embarrassing."
Actually, there was a separate reason why her lips were chapped to this extent. It was because Kendrick had bitten Stella's lips until dawn. Knowing that Stella wasn't feeling well, Kendrick only tormented her innocent lips for no reason.
"You said you were going to meet Marquis Andra? Isn't he your close friend?"
He lightly touched Stella's lips.
"They won't criticize me for showing this side of myself, right?"
Kendrick grinned. Since Kendrick was always wary of Roy, he might actually have wanted to show Roy her lips, which still bore the deep traces of last night.
"It's fine. I'll go first."
Stella hurriedly left the bedroom, fearing that she would be drawn into his trap again if she stayed any longer. Although the weather was not particularly cold, Stella wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled it up to cover her lips. Then, she took a carriage to the Marquis Andra's mansion.
Roy said he had a prior engagement with someone else. While waiting for Roy in the drawing room, she took the opportunity to read a book and organize the questions she wanted to ask him. After a few hours, there was a knock. Roy had knocked, but Stella, engrossed in her book, did not notice his presence.
"Duchess Stella."
Stella lifted her head only when Roy slyly called her name again.
"What's up? You didn't even call."
Stella always visited only on the scheduled date, but it wasn't the promised day yet. Roy was glad about this, but also found it puzzling.
"I have something I want to ask."
Roy shrugged his shoulders.
"What is it? Just speak comfortably."
"Did you know I'm a wizard?"
The drawing room fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it. Through this silence, Stella realized.
'So Roy knew and didn't tell me.'
Stella laughed softly.
"I could tell by your expression that you knew."
Roy looked quite flustered.
"It's dangerous. If the Imperial Family finds out you're a wizard, it will definitely cause a commotion. They might even try to take you in as an Imperial wizard."
Stella nodded. However, there was a part she didn't understand.
"Why did you hide that even from me?"
If that was really the only reason, it might have been better to tell Stella and advise her to keep it a secret.
Roy swallowed hard. He couldn't bring himself to confess that he had wanted to keep her secret to himself and intended to reveal it when necessary.
"Because you would be very surprised. And you might not have believed me."
Stella wasn't angry at Roy. Whatever Roy knew, he wasn't obligated to tell Stella the truth. Stella wanted Roy to verify her magical abilities.
"Then, do you know what my ability is?"
Roy picked up the book in front of Stella.
"Your ability is related to writing."
"Writing?"
"Since you are a writer, you probably haven't realized it, but your novel is a bit unique."
Saying that, he held up the manuscript Stella had brought and showed it side by side.
"Stella, do you have any idea?"
"Hmm..."
Several scenes flashed through her mind. People who read Stella's novel for the first time reacted similarly.
"Depiction."
They all said that her writing felt as if it were alive. Kendrick even said it made him dizzy.
"My writing has unique descriptions."
"That's right."
"So, are you saying I cast a spell that makes me good at describing things?"
"That's not it, but it's similar."
Roy chuckled as he reread Stella's writing.
"Your writing gives the feeling that the scenes you describe are actually unfolding right before my eyes. They are so vivid, it feels like I could really touch them."
Stella tilted her head. Roy added an explanation.
This seems like a type of hallucinatory magic.
"You're saying I show you hallucinations through writing?"
Stella couldn't easily believe it. However, recalling the reactions she had heard so far, the situation fit perfectly. After all, even the children at the orphanage, untainted by the secular world, had said that Stella's writing was alive and moving.
"I don't know what will happen if this fact becomes known. Hallucination magic is quite dangerous."
"I don't think it's to that extent. Isn't it just that you can concentrate better when reading?"
Roy shook his head.
"You didn't even know you had a magic power. It's just that you haven't been able to use your abilities properly yet."
"What if I hone my skills?"
"Then I can use you as a weapon of war as well."
Stella's pupils widened. Weapons of war?
"With you by my side, I can defeat the enemies without using a single weapon."
"How?"
"Imagine you wrote a message that causes a dragon to appear and breathe fire into the enemy commander's bedroom. What would happen if the enemies read it?"
"They'll probably think a real dragon has come out and is breathing fire."
'Ah....'
Stella squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them. It was a series of unbelievable events.
"It's strange."
"What?"
"The fact that I have such an ability."
Stella senselessly clenched and unclenched her hand.
"Are you done with your business now?"
Roy asked as he watched Stella pack her bags and get up.
"Yeah. Sorry for taking up your time."
"Don't go."
"Yes?"
Stella looked up at Roy. He smiled nonchalantly, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
"Eat before you go. You should eat well."
"It's okay. I'll come again next week."
Stella gave a lovely smile and stood up from her seat. She felt sorry for Roy because it seemed like she had literally just gone out to take care of her business, but she had other business to attend to.
It is business at the Imperial Palace.
'Is it okay to just show up at the Imperial Palace?'
She stretched out before getting into the carriage. A man's face came to mind.
My taciturn older brother.
'What's so great about family?'
I should at least make use of it now.
Stella had business with Kratex. Since she had already met her once through Sia, meeting her would not be difficult. However, entering the Imperial Palace would be tricky because it was not the scheduled day.
'However, if I say you will meet Skyle, who is family, then it's a different story.'
To be honest, she did miss Skyle. She had seen his face almost every day for a while, so not seeing him made her worried and curious.
"What's up? Why did you come all the way here first?"
Stella examined Skyle's face. Fortunately, he did not look gaunt or ill compared to before.
"I felt a bit empty because you haven't come for a few days."
"Really?"
Skyle's eyes widened in surprise at her words. Stella chuckled.
"Do you feel good?"
Skyle's ears turned red, as if he were embarrassed.
"What are you talking about?"
Skyle's eyes narrowed as Stella did not stop laughing.
"Don't lie. You came here for something, didn't you?"
She nodded.
"Where is the building used by the Imperial Wizards?"
Skyle grumbled but still gave Stella a tour of the Imperial Palace. As they walked and chatted lightly, a man came toward them from the opposite direction. Dozens of people were following behind him.
'Anton Geron...'
It was Anton Geron wearing the uniform of the Imperial Knights. He seemed surprised to see Stella from a distance, then strode over and greeted her.
"Greetings, Duchess Stella."
And she also confirmed with a sidelong glance that the man next to her was Skyle.
"I didn't hear that you were visiting today, though."
"I visited because I have business with you."
"I see. Then I'll be going now.'
As Anton Geron passed Stella, the knights following behind him also bowed to her and passed by. The sound of their footsteps echoed loudly.
"It looks like you're still close."
"With that guy?"
Stella nodded.
"Well, he's not a bad kid."
"...Yes?"
Stella considered telling him that Anton Geron had crossed the line. However, she did not want to add to Skyle's worries.
"I do keep my distance compared to before."
At Skyle's words, Stella raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes were asking for the reason.
"That kid has liked you since he was little."
"Anton Geron...?"
Stella recalled being confessed to by him, but pretended not to know anything and asked back.
"Yeah. Ever since he was very young, he kept asking me to introduce you and saying he would send a proposal to my house. It was absolute chaos."
Stella felt somewhat embarrassed and walked down the street without saying anything.
"It was severe. I even saw him drawing your face on paper during class at the academy, I tell you."
"So is that why you kept your distance?"
"Then what am I supposed to do? Every time he sees me, he pesters me to create a chance to talk to you."
Stella shook her head.
"No. Not with Geron. With me."
Skyle furrowed one eyebrow.
"You deliberately wouldn't even let me go to your room because you were afraid your friends would approach me, right?"
Stella recalled the time she read Skyle's memories. There definitely had been such a scene. As Skyle's pupils wavered, Stella suppressed her smile and quickened her pace.
"Did you know that?"
Then, he suddenly stopped walking.
"We're here."
It was the space where the wizards stayed that Skyle had mentioned. Stella laughed and patted Skyle's butt.
"Thanks for giving me a ride. Go inside and get to work now, brother."
Skyle wore a dazed expression.
Stella nodded blankly.
***
Stella fiddled with her swollen lips. Even though morning had come, the swelling had not gone away.
'This is a big problem.'
She was planning to visit Roy today. She wanted to confide in him about what she heard from Kratex and seek his advice. Judging by the fact that he gifted her a medicine said to be effective only on wizards, he might have known something for quite some time.
"Hey, could you get me some ointment?"
Stella applied a generous amount of ointment to her lips before leaving. She also applied an ice pack. It might have been her imagination, but she felt relieved to think that the swelling had subsided compared to before. She considered waiting a bit for her lips to calm down before going out, but this was a magic story, after all. She wanted to satisfy her curiosity quickly.
"Your lips are soaked with water."
She heard Kendrick laughing from beside her.
"Why are you laughing?"
'I've been going through all this trouble since morning because of someone.'
She glared at him gently. Kendrick patted Stella's lips, which were smeared with ice water, with his sleeve.
"Why hide it? It's not like I've committed a crime."
Kendrick smiled, folding his eyes into crescent shapes.
"It's embarrassing."
Actually, there was a separate reason why her lips were chapped to this extent. It was because Kendrick had bitten Stella's lips until dawn. Knowing that Stella wasn't feeling well, Kendrick only tormented her innocent lips for no reason.
"You said you were going to meet Marquis Andra? Isn't he your close friend?"
He lightly touched Stella's lips.
"They won't criticize me for showing this side of myself, right?"
Kendrick grinned. Since Kendrick was always wary of Roy, he might actually have wanted to show Roy her lips, which still bore the deep traces of last night.
"It's fine. I'll go first."
Stella hurriedly left the bedroom, fearing that she would be drawn into his trap again if she stayed any longer. Although the weather was not particularly cold, Stella wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled it up to cover her lips. Then, she took a carriage to the Marquis Andra's mansion.
***
Roy said he had a prior engagement with someone else. While waiting for Roy in the drawing room, she took the opportunity to read a book and organize the questions she wanted to ask him. After a few hours, there was a knock. Roy had knocked, but Stella, engrossed in her book, did not notice his presence.
"Duchess Stella."
Stella lifted her head only when Roy slyly called her name again.
"What's up? You didn't even call."
Stella always visited only on the scheduled date, but it wasn't the promised day yet. Roy was glad about this, but also found it puzzling.
"I have something I want to ask."
Roy shrugged his shoulders.
"What is it? Just speak comfortably."
"Did you know I'm a wizard?"
The drawing room fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it. Through this silence, Stella realized.
'So Roy knew and didn't tell me.'
Stella laughed softly.
"I could tell by your expression that you knew."
Roy looked quite flustered.
"It's dangerous. If the Imperial Family finds out you're a wizard, it will definitely cause a commotion. They might even try to take you in as an Imperial wizard."
Stella nodded. However, there was a part she didn't understand.
"Why did you hide that even from me?"
If that was really the only reason, it might have been better to tell Stella and advise her to keep it a secret.
Roy swallowed hard. He couldn't bring himself to confess that he had wanted to keep her secret to himself and intended to reveal it when necessary.
"Because you would be very surprised. And you might not have believed me."
Stella wasn't angry at Roy. Whatever Roy knew, he wasn't obligated to tell Stella the truth. Stella wanted Roy to verify her magical abilities.
"Then, do you know what my ability is?"
Roy picked up the book in front of Stella.
"Your ability is related to writing."
"Writing?"
"Since you are a writer, you probably haven't realized it, but your novel is a bit unique."
Saying that, he held up the manuscript Stella had brought and showed it side by side.
"Stella, do you have any idea?"
"Hmm..."
Several scenes flashed through her mind. People who read Stella's novel for the first time reacted similarly.
"Depiction."
They all said that her writing felt as if it were alive. Kendrick even said it made him dizzy.
"My writing has unique descriptions."
"That's right."
"So, are you saying I cast a spell that makes me good at describing things?"
"That's not it, but it's similar."
Roy chuckled as he reread Stella's writing.
"Your writing gives the feeling that the scenes you describe are actually unfolding right before my eyes. They are so vivid, it feels like I could really touch them."
Stella tilted her head. Roy added an explanation.
This seems like a type of hallucinatory magic.
"You're saying I show you hallucinations through writing?"
Stella couldn't easily believe it. However, recalling the reactions she had heard so far, the situation fit perfectly. After all, even the children at the orphanage, untainted by the secular world, had said that Stella's writing was alive and moving.
"I don't know what will happen if this fact becomes known. Hallucination magic is quite dangerous."
"I don't think it's to that extent. Isn't it just that you can concentrate better when reading?"
Roy shook his head.
"You didn't even know you had a magic power. It's just that you haven't been able to use your abilities properly yet."
"What if I hone my skills?"
"Then I can use you as a weapon of war as well."
Stella's pupils widened. Weapons of war?
"With you by my side, I can defeat the enemies without using a single weapon."
"How?"
"Imagine you wrote a message that causes a dragon to appear and breathe fire into the enemy commander's bedroom. What would happen if the enemies read it?"
"They'll probably think a real dragon has come out and is breathing fire."
'Ah....'
Stella squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them. It was a series of unbelievable events.
"It's strange."
"What?"
"The fact that I have such an ability."
Stella senselessly clenched and unclenched her hand.
"Are you done with your business now?"
Roy asked as he watched Stella pack her bags and get up.
"Yeah. Sorry for taking up your time."
"Don't go."
"Yes?"
Stella looked up at Roy. He smiled nonchalantly, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
"Eat before you go. You should eat well."
"It's okay. I'll come again next week."
Stella gave a lovely smile and stood up from her seat. She felt sorry for Roy because it seemed like she had literally just gone out to take care of her business, but she had other business to attend to.
It is business at the Imperial Palace.
'Is it okay to just show up at the Imperial Palace?'
She stretched out before getting into the carriage. A man's face came to mind.
My taciturn older brother.
'What's so great about family?'
I should at least make use of it now.
***
Stella had business with Kratex. Since she had already met her once through Sia, meeting her would not be difficult. However, entering the Imperial Palace would be tricky because it was not the scheduled day.
'However, if I say you will meet Skyle, who is family, then it's a different story.'
To be honest, she did miss Skyle. She had seen his face almost every day for a while, so not seeing him made her worried and curious.
"What's up? Why did you come all the way here first?"
Stella examined Skyle's face. Fortunately, he did not look gaunt or ill compared to before.
"I felt a bit empty because you haven't come for a few days."
"Really?"
Skyle's eyes widened in surprise at her words. Stella chuckled.
"Do you feel good?"
Skyle's ears turned red, as if he were embarrassed.
"What are you talking about?"
Skyle's eyes narrowed as Stella did not stop laughing.
"Don't lie. You came here for something, didn't you?"
She nodded.
"Where is the building used by the Imperial Wizards?"
Skyle grumbled but still gave Stella a tour of the Imperial Palace. As they walked and chatted lightly, a man came toward them from the opposite direction. Dozens of people were following behind him.
'Anton Geron...'
It was Anton Geron wearing the uniform of the Imperial Knights. He seemed surprised to see Stella from a distance, then strode over and greeted her.
"Greetings, Duchess Stella."
And she also confirmed with a sidelong glance that the man next to her was Skyle.
"I didn't hear that you were visiting today, though."
"I visited because I have business with you."
"I see. Then I'll be going now.'
As Anton Geron passed Stella, the knights following behind him also bowed to her and passed by. The sound of their footsteps echoed loudly.
"It looks like you're still close."
"With that guy?"
Stella nodded.
"Well, he's not a bad kid."
"...Yes?"
Stella considered telling him that Anton Geron had crossed the line. However, she did not want to add to Skyle's worries.
"I do keep my distance compared to before."
At Skyle's words, Stella raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes were asking for the reason.
"That kid has liked you since he was little."
"Anton Geron...?"
Stella recalled being confessed to by him, but pretended not to know anything and asked back.
"Yeah. Ever since he was very young, he kept asking me to introduce you and saying he would send a proposal to my house. It was absolute chaos."
Stella felt somewhat embarrassed and walked down the street without saying anything.
"It was severe. I even saw him drawing your face on paper during class at the academy, I tell you."
"So is that why you kept your distance?"
"Then what am I supposed to do? Every time he sees me, he pesters me to create a chance to talk to you."
Stella shook her head.
"No. Not with Geron. With me."
Skyle furrowed one eyebrow.
"You deliberately wouldn't even let me go to your room because you were afraid your friends would approach me, right?"
Stella recalled the time she read Skyle's memories. There definitely had been such a scene. As Skyle's pupils wavered, Stella suppressed her smile and quickened her pace.
"Did you know that?"
Then, he suddenly stopped walking.
"We're here."
It was the space where the wizards stayed that Skyle had mentioned. Stella laughed and patted Skyle's butt.
"Thanks for giving me a ride. Go inside and get to work now, brother."
Skyle wore a dazed expression.
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