(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "I''m sorry," I said.


    "You don''t have to apologize, Your Highness," she said quickly. "It''s really alright."


    "We need to go now," Luc said. "You can bber to Her Highnesster."


    "We weren''t talking to you, Lord Luc," the dark brown-haired knight said.


    "Well, we really need... to go now," I said. "By the way, I c-couldn''t catch your names..."


    "Oh, right. I am Perita. And my brother is Azriel," she said. "He is Kade and the gloomy one is Christophen."


    "I see. Then I will... see you guyster," I said. "We''re in a hurry actually."


    "Yes, Your Highness. I wille to you to spend time with you," Perita said excitedly.


    "You can''t. You''re a Royal knight," Azriel said.


    "If Her Highness gives permission, I will be able to meet her," Perita pouted. "Are you my brother or not? Why do you always oppose me?"


    "Isn''t it because you''re always talking nonsense?" Azriel rolled his eyes.


    "Those two always fights," Kade said, grinning at me. "Your Highness, please, when you''re free, let us, at least, me to spend time with you. I will even help Your Highness with anything you need."


    I smiled. "I will make sure to meet you all," I said.


    It took Luc and me some time to finally reach the magic tower. Since Luc was the most powerful magician of the kingdom, Dem entrusted me to him. Luc seemed irritated with the soldiers, though I found them cute. If I could talk to them for a bit, I would. But Luc seemed to want to hurry, so I did not protest. But I would surely find them to spend some time with them.


    "They sure do like you," Luc said.


    "I am... surprised," I said.


    "I think the dagger incident got you a fan club," he said. "They looked truly excited to meet you. Well, I''m surprised too. I mean, how did you even throw it at the right space? It takes a lot of practice..."


    "It was a c-coincident," I said. "Even I was surprised..."


    "Didn''t your husband get angry? What am I even asking? It''s impossible for him to not get angry at this," he said. "After all, you just threw yourself."


    "Not as much... as I thought h-he would be," I said. That day, even I was surprised that he did not react much. He was surprised, but I expected him to be angry as well since he always hated it when I got hurt or even almost got hurt. But that time, he did not get angry much.


    "What? Really?" Luc eximed, surprised. I expected this kind of reaction. For someone who knew Dem well, they were supposed to react like that.


    I sighed and rubbed my ankle. I hurt my ankle a bit that time. It was not too much. That was why I did not tell Dem about this. He overreacted about every single thing.


    "Did you get hurt there?" he asked.


    "No... I''m fine. Let''s get... it is done now," I said.


    "Alright, then. Wait a bit," he said.


    I looked out the little window on my left side. It was surprising that Luc lived alone in the whole magic tower. The magic tower was a big ce. I was sure that at least a hundred people would be able to live there without any problem.


    Since he was the only one here, it was very peaceful and quiet. I always preferred quiet ces. But these days, I wanted to be in a peaceful and silent environment even more.


    "I don''t know why, but your personal maid seems to hate me," he said while looking for something in a cab.


    "Ruby?"


    "Yes, her..."


    Ruby''s behavior towards Luc surprised me a bit as well. She was a naturally excited person. But it was rare that she behaved rough with someone, or perhaps she always showed her excited side to me. But since the beginning, she did not talk well with Luc. She was always kind of shady towards him.


    "I don''t think... she hates you or s-something...," I said.


    "I can''t agree. She was literally ring at me," he said. "I was looking for a reason why she might do this. But well, I don''t think I have ever done anything wrong to her so she would hate me."


    "Um... I don''t know," I muttered.


    "Whatever. It''s not like I care or anything. But it''s kinda annoying to have a set of re on me for no reason or a reason that I don''t even know about."


    "I will talk to... her about it."


    "It doesn''t matter even if you don''t," he said. "I don''t care."


    It did not seem like he did not care. It was more like he was pretending not to care. Perhaps I should talk to Ruby and tell her not to be rude to Luc.


    "Here..."


    "What''s t-that?" I asked as I nced at the brown paper. The paper did not look like normal paper at all. It looked pretty old and it seemed if pulled with a bit of force, it would tear apart in a moment.


    "It''s something that we''re gonna use today," he said. "I made this. Isn''t it cool?"


    "Well, I g-guess... so..."


    "It''s a boring expression."


    "Do you want... me to jump... in surprise or something?"


    "... Anyway, give me your hand."


    I ced my hand on his left palm. He held my index finger and suddenly sliced it with the edge of the paper. A sharp but little pain rushed through me.


    "Paper cut! It''s gonna... hurt for days!"


    I preferred bigger injuries than paper cuts always. Paper cuts were very little that it was hardly visible, but it ached. What was even harder was the fact that I did not even know where it was hurting, but it still hurt.


    "Don''t worry. You won''t even be able to see it," he said.


    "That''s the p-problem! I won''t... be able to see it, but i-it will hurt!"


    "It''s not too much," he shrugged. "Don''t tell me you''re afraid of this little cut when you didn''t even flinch much when I cut your shoulder."


    "That was..."


    "You even threw a dagger at a man and he died," he added.


    "That was unintentional..."


    "Really? Is it something to be worried over?" he grumbled.


    "Well... Alright, it''s f-fine..."


    "Your husband won''t be able to tell me anything since he won''t even be able to see the cut. Anyway, why do you have so little blood? I think I have to cut a bit more?"


    Luc shed the paper on my finger at the exact same ce. It was brilliant to do so at the same ce without missing it. Perhaps because he was a werewolf, it was possible.


    A drop of blood fell on the paper and almost instantly, a ck thread spread throughout the paper and it turned ck.


    "What does this..."


    "Confirmed."


    "That I have..."


    "Yes, you do have ck mana inside you," he nodded.


    ''It''s like litmus paper.''


    "God, I''m not even surprised anymore. But no matter how I try to view it, it actually is a huge coincidence that''s impossible to ignore," he sighed.


    "W-What do you mean?" I asked.


    "Give me your ne," he said, ignoring my question.


    I took it off and handed him my ne. It was the first time I took it off after I put it on for the first time. My neck felt strange and empty without it. This was the very ne that prevented Demetrius from reading my mind.


    "What''re you... g-going to... do with it?" I asked.


    "The brightness... I''m gonna stop it from shining. Just why did I take your blood then?"


    I watched him cing the ne in a huge bowl filled with some kind of liquid. I did not bother to ask anything since he seemed very concentrated.


    "I will give it to you before the banquet," he said.


    "The b-banquet?" I asked, surprised. "Am I gonna... go there?"


    "Demetrius and I decided that if the result is positive and you get better a bit, then you will go to the banquet as well," he said.


    "But Dem hasn''t told me anything..."


    "Perhaps he was waiting to get the result," he said.


    "But why... do I have to go there?" I asked.


    "Well, to awaken your power as a dark mage."


    "Wha..."


    "Yes, it''s important," he said. "I can''t awaken your power. There is someone else who will be able to do it. Demetrius knows him."


    "I see... But... what did you mean by coincidence?" I asked. For some reason, I could not let it go. It seemed like a major face that would perhaps raise a few questions, yet I needed to know them.