ã€ŠOne Hundred Years As An Extraã€‹


 Chapter 1

    To set the record straight, I have always been a nerd. Someone who likes cartoons, games and novels. But that didn¡¯t mean I was alone. I had quite a lot of friends because I have a cheerful personality. ¡°Let¡¯s live without regret as though today is thest day of our lives,¡± is what I yell happily when I went out drinking with friends. I always returned home satisfactorily socialized.

    What I didn¡¯t know was that it was really thest day for me. Dying like this is definitely not done. Even though I lived my days like they were myst, it didn¡¯t mean that I had no feelings or ambitions for my life. It didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to live.

    My regrets weren¡¯t really as dramatic and huge as aplishing something significant or a longing for someone. I am an orphan, and I did live my life without regrets, although there is this lingering feeling of wanting to know the end of the novel I was reading.

    I died, thus, in vain. But¡­ I opened my eyes again. I saw a strange scene in front of me and I btedly realized I was in the body of a strange woman. After pondering for a while, I understood this is what it meant to be ¡®transmigrated¡¯. It was verymon in novels these days.

    While reading about it, I had imagined something like that happening to me. But that was it, an imagination, nothing more. It was just wishful thinking when life became tough. I had only wished for it when I was young and na?ve and innocent. I never believed it could actuallye true.

    I used to imagine having a strange creature as my imaginary friend, or a magical fae as my partner, or being chosen to save the world or jumping into a virtual reality to be some sort of a hero. But I am 30 years old. I am too old to wish for things like that.

    I sighed. I tried to focus on what was in front of me. epting my death and taking in my environment, acknowledging that my poor house was the victim of my anger, Iid myself down on a smelly sofa and closed my eyes.

    I had to ept that I was inside a novel. I needed to think and focus. First, I am now Dalia Alshine. I knew this character. She was a character in the novel I had read before I died in a car ident.

    That is correct. That novel that I wasmenting about on not knowing the ending? I was in it! That was bad news. Dalia was a severe alcoholic. She was a drunk Count who was also addicted to gambling.

    In the corner of the room, I could see a pile of bottles and knew even before looking that the lobby, the corridor and the whole mansion would be full of empty bottles rolling around. It is a very dangerous novel even when I wasn¡¯t in it. Why in the world did I have to be possessed in this shabby and worthless body?

    This novel was about the protagonist bing an emperor after going through all kinds of trials and adversities. It was also a male-dominated novel. There were rarely women who were happy in this world.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± I cursed. I wish I had be one of the emperor¡¯s many concubines instead. I would have enjoyed all the riches and a very luxurious life. A quiet,fortable life¡­

    I guess the in-pce fights were also quite fierce though¡­ It was better to get close with the male lead instead. The novels I had read before that focused on people being transmigrated always seemed to end up in a mess when they got into close contact with the male protagonist. On the other hand, if the character tries consciously to avoid being part of the novel, they end up pretty bad too.

    Additionally, protecting one¡¯s favorite character or trying to save someone in the novel ended up destroying the novel and messing it up where the character could turn the tables and be the main lead.

    I, for one, just want to live a quiet life in a rural vige withoutplicating anything. Preferably, without encountering any of the main characters. Safety First! Health and longevity! That is what I have always believed in.

    In that sense, Dalia was a pretty convenient person. She didn¡¯t meet any main or important characters and didn¡¯t really have much of an involvement in the novel as a whole. That was true at least for the parts I had read. There was always a possibility that Dalia could end up bing more involved afterwards in the novel, but Dalia had died at the end of the second part of the novel. So, that was very unlikely to happen.

    A chill went through me and I shook my head, brushing my thoughts away. I tried to remember Dalia and her first appearance in the novel. Oh¡­ she was there in one of the many trials the male protagonist had to go through. The episode was titled, ¡®Expression of Prohibited Magic, Time of Acrab.¡¯

    Dalia was Count Alshine, the lord of ¡°Acrab,¡±and she only had a supporting role in that part. Great! I only appear once as a small supporting role. That¡¯s it! Dalia did not appear throughout the novel after that. Her role would be done in this episode and she would never appear again. That episode had been very ambiguous regarding the main character¡¯s hardships.

    When the main protagonist couldn¡¯t solve a problem by himself, he had sought the wizard¡¯s help. ¡®Kaichen Tenebre¡¯ was a friend to the protagonist and the grand wizard. Nobody was as knowledgeable and powerful in magic as him. It was a n to keep the grand wizard as his friend who was so aplished in magic because he had no other interest.

 Chapter 2

    I can¡¯t believe I became that crazy person. Possessing Dalia didn¡¯t seem as pleasant any longer. But it was a waste of time to regret things I can¡¯t control. The only thing I am good at right now is waiting for the time to pass.

    The title of the novel was, Julius, the heir of the Blue Dragon. The protagonist was abandoned as soon as he was born and left to wander the streets as an orphan till the age of six. He then saved a person by chance who happened to be the owner of a strong magic tower.

    The title was so childish, so was the story. I wouldn¡¯t be caught dead reading it. But it was worth reading to kill some time. That was why I was invested in it. To bepletely honest, I enjoyed it a bit.

    The male protagonist, Julius, bes friends with Kaichen Tenebre, the first person he meets when he enters the tower. Anyway, the novel prattles on to revealter that Julius was the long-lost son of the emperor who was lost because of an evil scheme hatched by the enemies.

    It wasn¡¯t very surprising. These types of novels always had this trope of the protagonist¡¯s secret birth and pedigree. The author probably knew this and didn¡¯t use it as a ¡®plot twist¡¯ter.

    So, the protagonist, after many trials and hardships, ascends to the title of the crown prince. Five yearster, abnormal and banned magic is suddenly detected in the ¡®Acrab¡¯ territory.

    The abnormal magic had sealed the ce. No one could go inside or out. Kaichen, who disliked practically everything and was always so quiet throughout the novel, shows an interest this time.

    Naturally, Kaichen resolves to travel immediately to save Acrab. Julius joined him and asked him to stay by his side. He encouraged Kaichen to take this opportunity to study time magic, which Kaichen was delighted about.

    Julius got a helper by his side and one of the strongest powers of magic. Jeez, just like royals, taking credit for other people¡¯s work! Kaichen was the one who did everything.

    I sat up. Dalia was trapped in time magic at that time. Dalia couldn¡¯t do anything until Kaichen saved her. Eventually, she lost her mind and lived like that for the rest of her life. The ending was tragic for the character of Dalia. This body I was in would meet her end at thest part of the second chapter. Unfortunately, I woke up in her body¡­

    Usually in the novels about transmigration, the characters were possessed at the beginning of the novel. But I dropped here right in the middle of it where the story arc had already developed.

    The worst thing was that Acrab was already trapped in time magic. Even if it didn¡¯t look like it at a nce, three years have already passed. But Dalia wasn¡¯t able tost three years in time magic¡­

    But this time, I¡¯m the owner of this body! I will not go crazy and once I am saved, I will live the rest of my lifefortably.

    ¡°Yes, because Kaichen will definitelye to save Acrab.¡±

    I clenched my fist and looked out of the window. I could only see spider-webs covering the whole of the window making it impossible to see anything outside. It reminded me of my doomed future. So very annoying.

    Crap! Trapped in this freak house! I took a step back and stepped on one of the empty bottles. I fell backward, hitting my head on the wall. It hurt immensely.

    ¡°What a useless alcoholic!¡± I yelled. The anger and resentment were too overwhelming. And yelling was of no use. Dalia was me now. Yelling and cursing at her won¡¯t help anything.

    Rubbing the back of my head, I kicked the bottle away. What is even the point of having such a big, fancy house if it was kept this repulsively? Disgusting!

    This ce is ¡®Acrab¡¯, trapped in time, repeating the same day over and over again. Which meant, even if I somehow clean the house, it will eventually return to the state of disrepair no matter how many times I do it.

    Only I was awake right now. Everyone would be going about their ¡®normal day¡¯, they would be repeating whatever they did on this day for every other day toe. It was a cruel kind of magic. The only person who knew this was Dalia¡­ me. The others just lived the same day repeatedly in the same manner without knowing it.

    ¡°It may be better to develop my skills until I get saved.¡±

    Dalia, in the novel, was trapped five years in the time magic surrounding Acrab. There was still two years left until she would be saved. Five years in Acrab would be only a few hours for Kaichen who flew to the ce as soon as he heard the news. Which meant, even if I was trapped here for five years, it would be only a few hours outside.

    ¡°I should get back at least for the people who locked me up here. The flow of the novel is already at the end of the second part, but this novel is about the growth and sess of the main character. The more the story develops, the stronger the enemies. I need to be strong to survive.¡±

    I wanted to live a quiet andfortable life, but that is also a privilege of those who are strong. If I am weak, I will always be in danger.

    ¡°To makes things worse, I have only read up to the middle of the third part of this novel¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t even know who the most important viin in the story is, or if the main character manages to be the emperor and live happily. The possibilities were endless. The novel had no fixed ending. It is none of my business whether the original story would be messed up or not. I don¡¯t want to die in vain again. There were lots of things I liked doing, and I can still do it¡­

 Chapter 3

    I had the lingering regret of not being able to see the ending of the novel. This was my chance, my quest!

    The body will always reset to square one no matter what I do, but I¡¯m pretty sure that I can improve myself mentally. Then¡­ I can be strong.

    It was despairing to live in a world alone where the same day keeps repeating. Dalia¡¯s body was that of a severe alcoholic. Her hands trembled unless she took up drinking again. Even if I stopped drinking now, her body would return to the same state every day.

    ¡°Oh, this is a terrible body. This is useless.¡±

    When I get out of here, the first thing I do is stop drinking and fix this trembling. I have to hold onto my sanity till Kaichen arrives. Learning something is the best way to focus the mind and keep oneself distracted. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to try things out to find out what I am good in.

    ***

    My eyes blurred. How long has it been? My resolve that I had at the beginning of being newly possessed started dwindling. Learning something is indeed the best way to spend my time. But how long can a human being go on doing it?

    10 years? 20 years? It bes easier if someone else is around to share the burden. But how long has it been for me like this?

    The sky was clear, and people passed by me smiling. I leaned half-heartedly against a wall and looked at the flowing stream. How I wish to be swept away¡­

    But that wouldn¡¯t still kill me. The current was low, and the water too shallow. I sighed. I had so much time at my hands and an adamant wish to build on my skills and abilities. But too much time can bore a person into despair. It was just too overwhelming to handle.

    What was even the use of making a list like, ¡®helpplete the novel by making Julius the emperor¡¯, if nothing was ever moving? I tried and failed to get out of Acrab and the terrible day just kept repeating and making me mad.

    My hands started to tremble. I picked up the familiar wine bottle and gulped the liquor down. I was terribly free with all the time in the world. I was bored to death and lonely.

    I thought someone woulde and put an end to this.

    ¡°When are youing to save me?¡± I yelled and threw the empty bottle into the stream.

    The woman at a small distance, doing herundry, nced at me and whispered. I didn¡¯t care. The young people of Acrab passed by the bridge, shaking their heads. No matter how hard I tried, they only saw a drunk woman walking around with a wine bottle.

    What is the point of being a Count? I don¡¯t have any respect, credibility or even trust. What is the point of holding a high authority? I don¡¯t even have money. All I had was that fancy,rge mansion that was almost breaking down into disrepair.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I shouted at the whispering people around me, like a drunkard. I stumble as tears blurred my eyes. Iposed myself and got my footing.

    How long has it been? A hundred years¡­ I was around a hundred years old.

    ¡°The f*ck! A hundred years? How am I supposed to endure this? Screw them! Screw the main character! Screw the so-called wizard!¡± I yelled, ignoring the nces of the people. I never used to swear. Whenever I did, my friends would always chastise me for doing it.

    However, right now, I could beat up anyone who would approach me and urge me to stop swearing. Who the hell cares? My life is over! I knelt on the ground and cried. Nothing ever changed in this world. Everything remained the same. Crap! Please¡­ someone¡­ I will do anything¡­anything! Get me out of here!

    Prayers didn¡¯t matter. No one heard. Even when I prayed earnestly up at the sky, my eyes were only burned by the dazzling sunlight. I have done this every week, but no one even remembered it, except me.

    It would be better to be a ghost. But how was this different anyway? I looked up at the sky. When will this end? Will the sky darken, and these dark days would end? Will the crescent moon, that has been the same for so many years, finally be full again? Did I destroy the original novel at the time when I was possessed? Why isn¡¯t anyoneing to save me? These endless questions filled my mind.

    I sighed and lowered my head. I walked with slumped shoulders and staggered drunkenly forward. Even when I tried not to stagger, the body would reset to however it had been, and drunken demeanor was the default. But my mind was sharp and focused. It was as though my mind and my body were two different, separate beings.

    With my mental faculties trained for hundred of years, no alcohol made me feel dizzy or drunk. This was all thanks to the hundred years of boredom where I stole all kinds of liquor from thend to try.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The crescent moon moved. I rubbed my eyes. I thought I had imagined it. I looked at it again. The crescent moon was really moving. As I looked, the moon became distorted, and cracks began appearing in the sky. ¡°No way¡­!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop my body from trembling. I wondered if it was just an illusion created by my mind in my desperation. So, I rubbed my eyes, closed them for a while and looked again.

    A cold drop of water fell on my cheek. It wasn¡¯t a dream, delusion or hallucination! One drop fell after another through the crack in the sky. Eventually it began to rain for the first time¡­

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Finally!¡± I eximed as I heard the sky cracking. I had waited for years for this. It was finally here. I had tears in my eyes. It was the tears of happiness. It wasn¡¯t the same as the tears I had shed in despair this afternoon. Now they were of relief.

    Cold raindrops hit my forehead and tumbled down my cheeks. I was soaked with it. I didn¡¯t mind. This felt good. This was the best feeling in the world. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the sky. The light that had substituted for light in the sky vanished as the sky was torn apart to be reced by glowing dazzling moonlight. The sky that had not changed for a hundred years, filled with the same stars, disappeared and rain pelted down from the sky covered with ck clouds. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The sky separated into two and fell away. The rolling ck clouds were a vision of beauty. The rain pouring down was refreshing!

    In the middle of that heavy rainfall, a golden man stood tall. ¡°Did he deceive me again?¡± said the low voice in irritation.

    Even the voice sounded godly in my ears. A real voice from a real, breathing human uttering real words. Is this theing of the angel? Is this it? Something like an angel sent down from heaven to alleviate the suffering of humans. The savior!

    Of course, I knew it wasn¡¯t as dramatic as that. But I also knew that this golden figure was the grand wizard Kaichen Tenebre. The one I was waiting for toe and save me. Even if I have spent thest hundred years cursing and swearing at him for not appearing on time, I was immensely grateful for him saving us. He indeed looked like an angel.

    In this stupid world of the novel, Kaichen was the only person who had the ability and the power to break the forbidden magic surrounding Acrab. The only one who could enter the ce to break it. I had been waiting for this man for the past one hundred years. He was the only one who could get me out of here. And finally, he was here.

    I bit down on my quivering lips. I inhaled. I was finally able to breathe the air of the new world for the first time in a hundred years after being possessed into the body of a crazy alcoholic. I exhaled. The cool pouring rain was testament to it. This was real! I cried. How could I not shed tears? This was the moment I had longed for a century.

    It has been hundred years since I finally opened my eyes to the real world after my death. How lonely I was! How sorrowful! I had tried numerous times to kill myself, but the body always returned to how it was before, and I would always open my eyes in the dpidated mansion. I had endured this for one hundred years. I had been neither able to live nor able to die.

    This is salvation, and I love it.

    * * *

    I opened my eyes wide and shouted out in glee. What a joyous day! I looked around but Kaichen was nowhere to be seen. He had stood there, resplendent like an angel. He was now gone, nowhere to be seen.

    Perhaps he had taken one look at me, saw me as a drunk and a crazy person and went his way. It was exactly like in the novel!

    ¡°Ha¡­ But I know where you¡¯re headed!¡± I hurried along and took long strides.

    The beginning and end of my grand n that I had honed for a hundred years all depended on Kaichen. It would be quite unfortunate if I was unable to make my nse true just because Kaichen had disappeared, never to be found.

    I walked through one of Acrab¡¯s many alleys. I knew them so well that I could navigate with my eyes closed. Spending hundreds of years in a ce can do that to you. I found him easily enough.

    He nced at me icily, so in contrast to his warm, golden eyes. ¡°It took me such a long time to find you,¡± I said. Obviously, it didn¡¯t. But I was panting as I had run all the way here. His energy was so strong that the hair on the back of my arms stood straight up.

    He was about three paces away from me. But his re was so dangerous that I felt like he would slit my throat if I went near.

    ¡°Bahahaha,¡± Iughed as I realized that this time if I was killed, I would die. I was no longer in magical Acrab. Cold sweat dripped down my back.

    If I got hurt, I wouldn¡¯t heal. My body wouldn¡¯t magically reset. The magic was broken. I can¡¯t die in vain after all these years. Not after enduring this for one hundred years!

    Kaichen was the most difficult hurdle I have to ovee for now. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said, ¡°It has been so many years and you are the only new person I have seen in a hundred years.¡±

    If you mix some truth in a lie, people usually were more inclined to believe you. I needed to gain his trust. Although the magic was broken, there were many things to know about what actually happened in Acrab. Maybe he would be curious about that.

    In the original novel, it had taken Kaichen a long time to discover whatever had happened to Acrab. The reason was that the magic was triggered through a medium. And that medium was none other than Dalia, the crazy, alcoholic woman.

    What exnation could anyone expect to get from a crazy alcoholic? But the tables had turned. Who the hell cared what happened in the original novel anyway?

 Chapter 5

    I had to prove that I was the person he needed.

    ¡°I know about you. I thought it was over but.¡­ I knew that if anyone came to save Acrab, it would be you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The fierce energy became a little stronger. I could see the golden magic, which was more clearly visible because of the dark night, slowly forming. But that wasn¡¯t enough to scare my strong heart that has been around for a hundred years.

    ¡°Kaichen Tenebre, an archmage and old friend of his Highness¡¯, the Crown Prince of the Kalhai Empire,¡± I continued quite dramatically in my emotional state, ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you?¡±

    The wind blew past. The sound of the pouring rain sounded particrly loud and strong in my ears in his silence.

    ¡®Normally, when someone says this much shouldn¡¯t you answer?¡¯

    Kaichen was still staring at me without even batting an eysh.

    At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little awkward. ¡°¡­ shall we go inside for now?¡±

    When asked to enter a mansion that seemed to be haunted, Kaichen responded for the first time.

    ¡°Are you Countess Alshine?¡± His heavy, low-pitched voice prated the loud sound of rain and was stuck in my ears.

    Destroying Acrab¡¯s magic and finding thedy Dalia Alshine, who is in charge. The flow was the same as the original novel. So, without having to go all over the city to find him, he just came to this abandoned looking house where I lived. The ce I asked him to enter was the ce where Count Alshine lived.

    That¡¯s why Kaichen figured out my identity even though I hadn¡¯t introduced myself yet. After arriving in Acrab and destroying magic, the Crown Prince had told him to ask Count Alshain to help in magic research. In the end, Kaichen had no choice but to visit me.

    ¡°That¡¯s Right!¡± As I answered with an excited nod, although very slightly, his eyebrows twitched.

    I guess he didn¡¯t like something. ¡®Ah, I¡¯ve been talking to myself for such a long time¡­¡¯

    I realized that I was using informalnguage with an archmage. I cleared my throat and used honorifics.

    ¡°Ah! Shall we go in?¡±

    Pretending to be fine, I lightly pushed the door, which was about to break, with all my might. Kaichen looked at me and the mansion with a cold gaze then moved slowly. Fortunately, instead of going back, he seemed to have chosen to follow me.

    ¡®Let¡¯s be cool-headed, Kaichen is a magic nerd who is crazy about magic. Someone with extreme mysophobia and sociophobia, a typical reclusive wizard!¡¯

    Moreover, Kaichen was a strong man who appeared like a prince on a white horse to save protagonist Julius when something happened to him, not someone else. I desperately needed Kaichen¡¯s strength to realize my dream of ¡®Safety first! Health and longevity!¡¯ To be exact, not his strength but a magnificent shield that would make my existence like an ant passing by.

    Look! The man with such a splendid and powerful presence that he might pierce the back of my head even though he is following silently from behind. I have to make him like me at all costs. And in order to do that, I have to show him the cards I have.

    ¡®You¡¯re in my palm now!¡¯ As soon as I entered the lobby with this thought, I remembered something I have been ignoring for a long time.

    How can one not curse at the stinky alcohol smell and at the sight of alcohol bottles rolling on the floor?

    Habits are scary. I knew that even if I cleaned, it would get dirty again anyway, so I just left it alone. So I didn¡¯t think how terrible mansion state would be now, when the magic has been broken and I returned to reality. After a hundred years, I thought again that I was in the body of a really dirty and ridiculous woman.

    At the same time, the thought came across my mind.

    ¡®Ah¡­ This jerk has mysophobia.¡¯

    I turned my head awkwardly. The first thing that I saw was Kaichen¡¯s twisted face.

    Ah, first impressions¡­ goodbye.

    * * *

    After guiding him to a ce that was embarrassing to even call a sofa, I realized that there was no tea in this house that could be given to guests.

    ¡®There were a lot of things I had in mind, but all of them were meant to be done when I escaped time magic.¡¯

    I¡¯ve known for a hundred years that Kaichen was going to be the first person to visit this house. I thought that if I escaped, I would tear down and fix the mansion first.

    But who would have known? That as soon as the magic was broken, I¡¯d face Kaichen.

    ¡°Uhmm.. you came to see me, right?¡±

    I felt ufortable asking about something that I already knew. It was also embarrassing to stare at his face which did not hide his displeasure with suspicious eyes.

    ¡°Did you know that I woulde to save you?¡±

    While thinking about how to bring it up, Kaichen asked a question first. He didn¡¯t even sit on the sofa. He was standing with his arms crossed and looking down at me, as if he had endured enough just by entering this unclean, filthy space.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said truthfully, ¡° Because you¡¯re the only great wizard I know.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you know that forbidden magic has manifested in this ce?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The sofa darkened with the rain water dripping from the body. Coldness grazed her body, calling for a hot bath right away, but now was not the time. I couldn¡¯t deny that I looked like a wet mouse, but it was the same with Kaichen in front of me.

    ¡°How much do you know about time magic?¡± Kaichen didn¡¯t know how to beat around the bush.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Are you the medium of time magic that Acrab was stuck in?¡±

    Iughed awkwardly at the direct question. ¡°Seems like it!¡±

 Chapter 6

    I answered energetically. Hiding it now didn¡¯t mean it would be hidden forever. It was information that Kaichen would find out right away if he looked at my body with even a little bit of his mana. Dalia in the original novel also helped with the study of forbidden magic in that way. Of course, because she was crazy, she was quite uncooperative, and as a result, Kaichen, holding back his irritation, had to touch Dalia several times to release his mana.

    ¡®He really hated it.¡¯

    When reading that episode, even readers could feel Kaichen¡¯s annoyance and displeasure. However, he did not treat Dahlia harshly. The development was slow due to Kaichen¡¯s humane attitude, but gradually, his poprity grew.

    ¡°Can you cooperate with magic research?¡±

    Harsh tone and displeased emotion. However, as a magic nerd, rather than feelings, he put rationality first and asked for my cooperation.

    I guess I piqued his curiosity by being alive despite the manifestation of prohibited magic in Acrab and bing its medium.

    Being honest was also a way to get his attention. I nodded my head in delight. ¡°As much as you want. But I have a condition. Will it be okay?¡±

    ¡°This is a cooperation request from his highness,¡± he rebutted.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You have the choice, but if you refuse, you will be ced under suspicion; that you have a rtionship with a wizard dabbling in forbidden magic.¡±

    I could feel sweat forming on my temples. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ a threat?¡±

    ¡°Even if you cooperate, you¡¯ll be suspected, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    What does he mean? I¡¯m the victim of this cruel magic! I mean how could he ever suspect that I am on the same side of a vicious wizard who has locked me up for a hundred years?

    ¡°Who refused? Of course, I will cooperate!¡± I raised my hand and stepped forward enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. So, if you are curious about something, ask me!¡±

    I flipped my wet, drooping hair over.

    While doing so, I studied his face, but Kaichen¡¯s expression did not change at all, even though I looked at hisplexion so openly.

    Kaichen looked pale. Is it because he got rained on? Or is it because he breathed in the filthy air of my dirty house?

    ¡°I¡¯lle back tomorrow,¡± he said, his face scrunched up.

    ¡°What? But you can ask me now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Sure enough. The frown on his face seemed to say that if he stayed here a little longer, he would be infected by some disease. Kaichen looked at me and then turned his head away.

    Without another word, he scattered golden magic around him in haste and disappeared. It seemed like he teleported somewhere nearby.

    I stared nkly at the ce where he disappeared and spat out the first thing that came to mind.

    ¡°Argh! He is so rude!¡±

    However, whether he was rude or hateful, Kaichen was undeniably handsome. Soft blonde hair and cold gold eyes. In general, wizards are described to look particrly weak, but his bronze skin and strong, overall features didn¡¯t give that impression at all. In fact, he looked like he would have looked much better with a sword rather than magic.

    Even though I was quite tall for a woman, I had to look up, and even though he was wearing a loose robe, his shoulders were so broad. It was only for a brief moment, but I had that kind of thought.

    I¡¯ve never seen someone as handsome as Kaichen in my life.

    ¡°However, I won¡¯t fall for his looks!¡± But my sly smile probably didn¡¯t match the words I spat out.

    As I filled the bath with hot water, I thought about Kaichen¡¯s appearance over and over again. Because I have to get used to it in order to stay with him in the future.

    Being an avid reader of fiction, I was sure of something. Usually, after possessing someone¡¯s body, there were many cases of the transmigrator being charmed by the handsome faces in the world and bing shackled because of it.

    I have to get used to Kaichen¡¯s appearancepletely and help him spread his wings to his liking without showing the least self-interest. Only after gaining his trust could he be a strong shield; I could hide in his shadow.

    Looking at the bathtub being filled with water, I threw my clothes away and jumped in delight. This body was filthy for the longest time, but I didn¡¯t have a choice because of the time magic. Satisfied how the water cleansed my skin of dirt, I thought that I must clean this damn dirty house first thing in the morning.

    ¡°I have a lot of work to do. First of all, I should save Mimi¡¯s younger sibling, Mickey. And I should give money to the boy who sells newspapers, right? How much money do I have left¡­.¡±

    Over the past hundred years, I have traveled to every corner of the Acrab and closely observed people of this territory one by one.

    I even went and talked to them, but how many people would deal seriously with a drunkendy? So I pretended to be drunk, approached them while talking nonsense, and even watched them secretly.

    It¡¯s not like I only lived doing honorable things. When people are lonely, they behave like stalkers¡­

    ¡°Ah, Dalia you drunkard. It¡¯s because of you that Acrab became like this.¡±

    Dalia, who inherited the title and became the new Lord of Acrab, lived her life gambling and drinking alcohol for three years without working.

    Isn¡¯t it obvious then what state her territory would be in?

    Formerly, Acrab was a promising industrial city with great, skilled craftsmen, but since the Dalia did not properly manage the merchants groups, the economy went sour.

    ¡°After I take care of the most urgent problem, I have to get Acrab back on its feet¡­¡±

 Chapter 7

    After taking a bath with refreshing, warm water, my normal body temperature seems to have returned. Getting wet in the rain and taking a bath sobered me up. Then, a trembling hand caught my eye.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Should I see a doctor first?¡±

    Indeed, I may have to get treatment for my severe alcoholism.

    * * *

    After waking up at dawn and opening the window I looked outside. The rain has decreased a lot and now there was only a drizzle, but it felt good just to see the rain in Acrab, where the weather had been clear for a long time. Of course, I was the only one who knew that, but whatever.

    I finally escaped from that terrible magic!

    I liked the fresh air of the dusky dawn. A clear mind and a light body, not the stale state of depression I felt every morning. I felt like I was going to fly, so I hummed and changed into light clothes and left the mansion.

    I was going to take care of the things I had organized while taking a bathst night. I didn¡¯t know when hard working Kaichen woulde back, so I had to move from dawn to take care of things and then wait calmly for him toe to the mansion. Like that, I arrived on the bridge over the stream that I wanted to jump into someday. The drizzling rain bothered me, but it was not to the point where I¡¯d use an umbre.

    It was still before dawn, but I could see Angel between houses carrying heavy newspapers on his back and delivering them diligently. Delivering on rainy days was harder than usual. Angel had to work hard to prevent the newspapers from getting wet. After the early morning delivery is over, he¡¯ll be running around all morning shouting to people to buy the rest of the newspapers and flyers.

    Angel was a young boy under the age of ten, but he lost his parents early and was the head of the household with two younger siblings. Without an adult to rely on, Angel worked hard to earn a small sum of money so that his brothers wouldn¡¯t starve to death. That was delivering newspapers.

    Usually, at times like this, there are many cases of people being in despair because they do not receive proper wages, but fortunately, the newspaper that Angel worked for was a decent establishment and paid well. I guess it¡¯s just that if he didn¡¯t sell all the newspapers they wouldn¡¯t give him even a penny, since they only give you wages for the newspapers you sold. The problem was the grim situation of Angel¡¯s family, who could barely eat meals with that small sum of money.

    Angel¡¯s skinny, sickly yellowish face, as if he would soon die of starvation, was pitiful. The reason I found about Angel¡¯s situation inside the repeating time, was an interest that arose out of loneliness, but I couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it any longer. He truly was pitiful.

    ¡°Miss! What brings you here so early in the morning when the gambling house hasn¡¯t even opened yet¡­?¡±

    I take it back. I take back what I said of him being pitiful.

    ¡°Do you think I only go to gambling house every day?¡±

    ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t it like that?¡±

    Crap! That¡¯s right. Dalia really went to the gambling house as if she were going to work! I evaded the answer with an awkward silence, and looked at Angel, who was hungry and low in energy, rushing forward and bowing deeply to say hello.

    Doing dishes in the restaurant¡¯s kitchen from the evening, this small boy¡¯s eyes were hollow, his cheeks were sunken and cheekbones were protruding. It seemed that he gave his share of food to his younger siblings.

    Actually, I once gave him freshly baked bread because I felt sorry for him, but he didn¡¯t eat it right away, he put it in his arms, and said that he wanted to go home and give it to his younger siblings. Angel, a boy as pure as a true angel, with his extremely saintly and nice heart was too dazzling for a dirty adult like me.

    ¡°¡­Here, take this.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I checked all the assets of Count Alshine, but there wasn¡¯t much left. I sighed at the very small and insignificant amount, but I didn¡¯t hesitate to give two gold coins to Angel. While it was true that I didn¡¯t want such a good boy to starve to death, I was also repaying him because he was a child who constantly talked to me for a hundred years when he saw me.

    ¡®Oh? Miss! Are you going to the gambling house today too?¡¯

    ¡®Good morning, miss! You are on your way to the gambling house, right?¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re leavingte today, miss! Isn¡¯t the gambling house over there?¡¯

    Fresh memories came to mind, but it looks like this d*mn boy only talked to me about gambling houses¡­ It was disgraceful, but only a few people approached the drunkard, gambling-addict of a Countess and still respectfully called her ¡°Miss¡± as in the past. Everyone pitied thedy who lost her parents overnight and became a Countess, but they got tired with her antics and soon, they didn¡¯t expect anything from her.

    ¡°Ah,dy¡­ What kind of money is this? I¡­ I can¡¯t do anything dangerous!¡± Looking at the two gold coins, the Angel shook its head, recalling the most dangerous thing he could do.

    I grabbed Angel¡¯s hand roughly to hide my shaking hands, which were asking for alcohol sincest night.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything dangerous. I heard that you clean people¡¯s houses in the afternoon. I¡¯m giving it to you because I want you toe to my house and clean it for me.¡± I said casually and forced two gold coins into the child¡¯s hands. Angel opened his eyes wide and looked rudely at me. He seemed to think that I was crazy.

    ¡°The garden is full of weeds. This is money for cleaning the garden. If you help me clean the mansion, I¡¯ll give you more money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, mydy¡­What¡¯s wrong with you? Do you have a deadly disease because you drank too much alcohol?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    What do you mean by deadly disease?! Why is my newfound kindness leading to such an extreme thought?

    Stroking Angel¡¯s messy and shaggy hair with my trembling hands I said, ¡°Don¡¯t say useless things. What is a little boy like you so suspicious of? I just wanted to clean up my dirty house.¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Bu¡­ but¡­ this money is too much for cleaning the garden!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you in advance. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s roughly a month¡¯s wages,¡± I dismissed his fears casually, ¡°Right now, I¡¯m giving this much to you, but after you¡¯re done organizing it, I won¡¯t give you more than the usual wage. Besides.. cleaning my house is an unusual job, so I paid more.¡±

    Angel looked at the gold coin and at me alternately, blinking dozens of times, his mouth gaping slightly. He seemed to be thinking hard with his small head on why I was saying this. As I saw Angel still standing nkly I felt awkward and coughed.

    ¡°Then, take a rest today ande and work from tomorrow. You should buy meat for your younger siblings today,¡± I said.

    Unable to ovee my embarrassment, I waved my hand lightly and hurriedly got out of Angel¡¯s sight. Angel, still standing nkly in his ce, looked like he was dreaming. For people like Angel, who can survive a month with one silver coin, these two gold coins were an amount of money that they couldn¡¯t finish or earn for the rest of their lives.

    How about giving him a decent home¡­Hmm?¡¯ I contemted, ¡®If he cleans the mansion, there¡¯s got to be a spare room after. I¡¯ll give him a ce to live. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave the mansion¡¯s cleaning to him in the future?¡¯ While stuck inside the time magic, the house Angel lived in was so miserable that it was shameful to even call it a house. It was just enough for a person to avoid natural elements like rain and wind.

    In spring, he was kicked out of the shabby house where he lived with his parents because he could not pay taxes. The shack was so small that three people had to curl up just to sleep. And when I saw the dirty nkets scavenged from the trash can, I was heartbroken. It was my fault that these small children were kicked out of the house. To be exact, it was because of Dalia!

    When gambling reduced her wealth and she had little money left, she began to collect taxes in Acrab, which had originally been a tax-free ce. This event happened exactly in the spring season! Of course, there was a lot of protest, but Dalia, who was drunk, only said with zed eyes,

    <strong>¡°Tax exemption is a privilege granted by the imperial family because of the excellent trade in Acrab. But that¡¯s a privilege that ended two years before my parents died. Who do you think paid your taxes in the meantime?¡±</strong>

    Upon hearing the shocking truth, people of the territory were at a loss for words at the fact that the former Count Alshine silently paid taxes for two years and that the drunkard Countess in front of them did the same for two and half yearster.

    Of course, I only happened to find out about this story by ident while hiding in the shadows of Acrab for a hundred years and watching people. Because this information didn¡¯te out in the novel.

    ¡®Dalia, you d*mn Dalia. What if you cut off your privileges instead and collected taxes properly? At least do your job properly as Lord and then collect taxes after!¡¯

    There was almost no ie from the territory itself because the Acrab merchant organization was not doing its job properly. What¡¯s the use of having famous craftsmen from the empire gathered here when merchants couldn¡¯t put out and sell anything? Ie was bound to decrease gradually.

    Unfortunately, Acrab was far from the capital of the empire, and it was difficult to cross a huge mountain range to the capital unless it was a merchant group funded by a rich noble.

    Divided by a mountain range from the Kalhai Empire, Acrab was a unique terrain surrounded by huge mines. Therefore, no matter what happened, it was hard to get help, and even if help arrived, it was often toote. It was also the perfect structure for the wicked viin to test out time magic.

    But here¡¯s what I think: if there is a mine, isn¡¯t Countess Alshine incredibly rich?

    Of course, that was also true, but there were too many monsters in the mine and developing it needed a big amount of funding. Actually, they had tried, but all of the money went to subjugating monsters, so there was nothing Dalia could do. Although the story was different when her parents, especially the predecessor Count Alshine, was alive.

    All misfortune began with a carriage ident three years ago, when the former count and countess died.

    ¡®Who would have known that all the money needed for mine development was borrowed money?¡¯ I thought glumly.

    Furthermore, this sum was from the neighboring count beyond the mountain range.

    As soon as he heard the news that her parents were dead, he got over here immediately, collected all the mercenaries who were subjugating monsters in the mine, and demanded debt to be repaid.

    Before Dalia could even cope with her grief, she had no choice but to pay off her debts bypletely emptying her family¡¯s fortune. Still, the wealth left behind by her thrifty parents was quiterge.

    However, the mine could not be developed because there were no mercenaries, and the number of goods produced decreased because crystals couldn¡¯t be mined, and every time merchants of the Arcab crossed the mountain range, all goods were taken away by bandits, making finances worse.

    Even so Dalia never gave up and sent the merchants, but frequently failed and her wealth continued to decline as she paid enormousnd taxes instead of earning. Left with misfortunes after another, Dalia turned to alcohol to cope with her current predicament.

    ¡®Even if you¡¯re a drunkard with a tragic backstory, what difference does that make?¡¯

    I sighed deeply and shoved my trembling hands into my pockets. Eventually, half a year after inheriting the Count¡¯s title, Dalia gave up everything. When it became impossible for her to gamble, the tax exemption, which had continued half a year ago, also changed drastically.

    There¡¯s a saying that if the loss is too great, the motivation also disappears. It was not wrong to think Dalia had experienced this.

    I shook my head and hurried my steps to deal with the next matter. Now that I met Angel, I also had to go save Mimi¡¯s brother, Mickey. Mimi was a maid who had worked for Count Alshine for 10 years since childhood. The 25-year-old Mimi had a younger brother, who was simr to Angel.

 Chapter 9

    Mickey couldn¡¯t go out of the house because he was weak and always needed expensive medicine. So, even though Mimi¡¯s sry wasn¡¯t that little, they still had to live poorly. And just recently, she had heard Mickey wasn¡¯t feeling well¡­ In fact, with this condition, the child would onlyst about a week at most.

    Naturally, the medicine that could save the child costs a lot of money, so Mimi had no choice but to suffer in despair. The reason why Mickey¡¯s condition worsened was because of Dalia, who had fired all servants from the mansion. Fired from her position as a maid and now jobless, Mimi couldn¡¯t earn money to pay for medicine, and as a result, Mickey¡¯s condition deteriorated rapidly.

    I don¡¯t have Dalia¡¯s memories. But don¡¯t people usually absorb all the memories of the person they transmigrated into at times like this?! D*mn you Dalia, I¡¯m running around trying to clean up the mess you made

    It feels unfair, but there was nothing I could do. Because I was Dalia now.

    Mimi was a sweet and good maid. She was always diligent, frugal, and a woman who loved her younger brother. Dalia seemed to have liked her quite a bit, too. Because she gave her generous severance pay when she was fired. Of course, that was also something I overheard while listening to Las, who runs a restaurant and bar at the same time.

    I wandered the bleak, small front yard in front of Mimi¡¯s house.

    ¡°Miss¡­..?¡± The upant, who had opened the door with swollen eyes, was certainly surprised with my unannounced visit.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    After I waved awkwardly, Mimi pursed her lips and teared up. She was quite a miserable sight.

    While I was trapped in time magic, I had spied Mimi countless of times through the cracks in the window, holding her brother¡¯s hand and crying. And over that long period, I¡¯ve managed to save Mickey countless times. It hase to the point that I¡¯ve be proficient with it and I can now treat him even with my eyes closed.

    The library of the Acrab was very spacious and enormous. Such knowledge was made possible by the numerous master craftsmen who lived in Acrab. It is even rumored to beparable to that of the Imperial Pce Library of the Kalhai Empire. And because I had more than enough time trapped in time magic¡­ I had read all the books in the library of Acrab.

    ¡°Miss, how did you¡­¡±

    Mimi quickly wiped the tears that fell from her face and ran towards me to open the gate. Of course, I was able to jump over the gate that was only about up to my waist, but¡­

    ¡°I heard Mickey¡¯s health got worse?¡±

    ¡°For m-miss toe here¡­¡¯

    Mimi couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Still, she didn¡¯t resent me. Because I gave her a lot of severance pay when she was fired, so she probably had enough money to live until she could get a new job. However, Mimi had entrusted Mickey to a ¡®skillful¡¯ doctor, gave him all of her severance pay, and of course, only realized it toote it had all been a scam.

    When a person is forced to a corner, they are bound to overthink. Rather than resenting the fraud doctor, she thought it would have been better if she hadn¡¯t been fired from her job in the first ce. Mimi med Dalia like that.

    But I soon learned that Dalia¡¯s reason for firing all the people in the mansion was to pay the taxes herself, instead of the people living in her territory. When the maids and other servants who med Dalia knew about this, they were ovee with shame for their unfair resentment for their old master.

    So now, Mimi weed me but she couldn¡¯t make eye contact properly. Although she didn¡¯t resent me now, her past actions had made her feel ashamed towards me.

    But of course, such one-sided dismissal is bound to be an object of resentment.

    I understood the minds of people like Mimi. Especially, when the generous severance pay was swindled, she would have needed someone to me. Dalia was a gambler and a drunkard, a good enough subject for resentment. The only thing Dalia, despite being a trainwreck, did well was paying taxes on behalf of people who lived on her territory.

    ¡°There was some medicine left in the mansion so I brought it here. It might be able to save Mickey.¡±

    I bowed my head and wrapped my arm around Mimi¡¯s back, and asked her to go inside. She tried to say something with her round eyes and slightly trembling mouth, but I opened the door and went into the room where Mickey was. How many times do you think I¡¯ve been here? Even without guidance, I knew where Mickey¡¯s room was.

    Seeing Mickey exhaling hot breaths with a paleplexion as if he would lose air soon, I smiled. I have experienced numerous failures to save this young boy. And everytime, it was agonizing to see Mickey suffering from medicine¡¯s failure, even though I knew he would return to his original state when the day resets.

    It was almost like a human experiment, but I wanted to save this child. I couldn¡¯t dwell too much on whether my way had been humane or not. Else, I would be driven to insanity.

    If someone asked me how I was after being trapped for a hundred years, could I proudly say, ¡®I haven¡¯t gone mad?¡¯

    There were many things I didn¡¯t want to recall during that period of time; I¡¯ve done a lot of horrible things that I couldn¡¯t tell others.

    When a person¡¯s loneliness reaches its peak, they be vicious. Just as Mimi med me instead of the quack doctor, I, too, also reasoned that I needed an object to me and vent my anger on.

    ¡°Miss¡­?¡±

    The terrible memories I wanted to hide have been a fraction of a hundred years, but they brought to me a big change: I no longer felt human emotions like being ¡®humane¡¯. I just pretend to feel it. Like helping Angel or saving Mickey.

    As memories I had buried deeper than the darkness of the abyss began to slip from the abscess of my mind, Mimi¡¯s call brought me back to my senses.

 Chapter 10

    Trying to get my bearings back together, I signaled Mimi, who was anxiously looking at me from behind.

    ¡°The medicine is a little strong. Can you hold onto Mickey for a second?¡±

    Mimi looked at me fearfully. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, Mimi.¡±

    I smiled at her reassuringly. Mimi held Mickey¡¯s arm tightly , still looking anxious, not the least soothed by my words. As I pulled out a blue medicine bottle from my arms, I could see her eyes shaking. My trembling hands, in which I was holding the medicine bottle, didn¡¯t make me look trustworthy.

    ¡°Ah, this?¡± I lightly mentioned, ¡°it¡¯s because I stopped drinking.¡±

    I smiled awkwardly as I exined the reason, but it must have been a shocking statement for Mimi. Regardless, I poured the blue medicine I had made myself, inside Mickey¡¯s mouth. Mimi looked at me dumbfoundedly as she saw Mickey panicking and having a fit, even though I only gave him one drop.

    ¡°M-Miss!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only because the medicine is bitter.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡ª¡±

    Mickey¡¯splexion soon turned blue and the white of his eyes appeared.

    ¡°Cough!¡± he gasped and squirmed.

    Seeing him suffering as if he drank poison, Mimi shed tears and stared at me bitterly. Even so, she was smart enough to not let go of the arm she was holding tightly in fear that her little brother might harm himself from the pain.

    I¡¯ve seen Mimi like this hundreds of times. No matter how much Mimi cursed next to me, I only had to ignore her. Mimi never let go of Mickey¡¯s hand.

    ¡®He¡¯s very dear to her.¡¯

    Is it because she lost her parents early and raised her younger brother like a son? Perhaps, even more so because she was desperate not to lose her only family left.

    In my previous life, I could not understand her well because I was an orphan without siblings. However, I felt strange when I saw Mimi and Angel showing affection towards their siblings; it must have been envy.

    Mickey¡¯s seizure disappeared after I forcibly made him drink all the blue medicine in the bottle. Despite this, he was far from looking well because the next moment, his body became limp.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Mimi looked on, horrified. ¡°How¡­ How can you do this?!¡±

    After knowing the truth she stopped resenting me, but now, Mimi shouted at me if she were using me of all her misfortunes.

    Drenched in sweat, Mickey¡¯s condition was not much different from before taking the medicine. If one were to take a closer look, he was now sleepingfortably, but it didn¡¯t catch Mimi¡¯s frenzied eyes. In her sight, he was still suffering, as if he were on death¡¯s door.

    ¡°It¡¯s painful, but it¡¯s effective medicine,¡± I exined simply.

    ¡°You want to tell me that¡­ you didn¡¯t mean to kill my brother? We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re not the Countess¡¯ toys!¡±

    I nodded calmly at Mimi¡¯s angry outburst. I slowly got up from my seat. Mimi called me ¡®Countess¡¯ instead of ¡®Miss¡¯. Gone was the friendly tone from her voice, as if she was drawing a line.

    Putting two bottles of clear blue potion on the table, I said, ¡°When he wakes up, give him one bottle, and he¡¯ll probably be fine, but I¡¯ll leave another bottle just in case. Keep it as a reserve.¡±

    Mimi, of course, did not believe me. She seemed to think that I had yed a horrible prank on her brother, giving him strange medicine.

    I sighed deeply as she red at me venomously. It was a reaction I was all too familiar with. Nevertheless, Mickey will open his eyes soon, and he won¡¯t be sick anymore.

    It was only one day that I watched this child¡¯s condition, so I didn¡¯t know the after effects he would have. Therefore, as a countermeasure, I left one more bottle of medicine. When she sees his condition improves, she probably won¡¯t throw away the medicine, right?

    Mimi angrily rebuked my attempts to help. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re helping me! I¡­ We! In the first ce, Countess..!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my fault. Still, I gave you medicine for old times¡¯ sake. Make sure that he drinks it when he wakes up. It¡¯s expensive, so don¡¯t throw it away.¡±

    I turned my back and waved goodbye. Mimi red after my retreating figure. I helped people, but rather than receiving gratitude, I was turned away with enmity.

    Still, I was relieved because he would not be returning to his pitiful state. I could have exined it better to Mimi, but a drunk Countess with zero credibility will constantly be misunderstood.

    In fact, would anyone believe me if one day I suddenly said to them I¡¯d change my pathetic ways?

    Trust can be lost in an instant, but building it again takes countless attempts. An exnation was futile, and a little annoying too. After all, even if I had exined so much in my past attempts, Mimi still screamed and kicked me out of the house.

    Not wanting to pay attention to such trivial things anymore, I stretched my tired limbs. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m done with urgent matters.¡±

    The sun had risenpletely and there were quite a few people passing in the streets. Before returning to the mansion, I headed towards the store I often visited.

    Jingle~

    Watching the dusky sunlight be bright, I waved to Las, who opened the store early in the morning.

    ¡°Miss?!¡±

    Seeing Las, his rough face covered with a full, bushy beard, with his eyes wide open like Angel, made me nauseous.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? I feel sick to my stomach,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Stomach? Did you drink again yesterday?¡±

    ¡®No, rather, it¡¯s from the look on your face.¡¯ I felt dejected. Las had responded simrly like Angel. It made my face flush out of embarrassment.

 Chapter 11

    It was my first time properly talking to people after transmigrating inside Dalia¡¯s body.

    I thought they were all like parrots. Parroting the same words back at me since I only got the same answers from them every time. I remember all sorts of words I used to say, yell or whisper in a desperate bid for the people to answer me differently just once. There were people who sometimes got mad at me, with good reason. But there were others, like Angel and Las, who never did.

    ¡°I quit drinking.¡±

    ¡°Did the sun rise in the west today?¡±

    ¡°Really? Is it really so shocking that I quit drinking?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it only a short-lived decision anyway? Besides, I have no intention of selling alcohol in the morning.¡±

    ¡°I never said I came for a drink.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe out early because you ran out of alcohol?¡± It seemed Dalia was well-known for such antics. I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. I handed Las a gold coin.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Payment for my tab.¡±

    ¡°Miss¡­ are you going somewhere?¡±

    I watched Las. I had gotten the same kind of reaction from Angel. I sighed regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s just that I have freeloaded from you without ever paying my due. So, it¡¯s for that. Just take it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Las, I¡¯m going to stop drinking and gambling, no matter how unconvincing you think that might sound. I want to start living properly. I want to start with this, alright? Just take it.¡±

    ¡°But miss¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to take it!¡± I said as I lightly mmed my fist on the bar table. ¡°Well¡­ one gold coin isn¡¯t enough to pay the whole bill on your tab, miss¡­¡± I looked at Las, dumbfounded.

    ¡°If I were to calcte the exact amount, it should close to five gold coins¡­¡±

    I rolled my eyes and slowly slumped down on the bar table, resting my cheek on it.

    ¡°Las, will you give me a cup of orange juice? Put it on my tab.¡±

    Damn you Dalia! Exactly how much did you drink here? I seethed, inwardly. Las looked at me once and went to the kitchen, smiling an awkward, warm smile. This empty space with no customers in the day turned into a bustling bar at night. Las was an excellent cook, but he was more of an alcohol enthusiast who had the best alcohol to sell on thend.

    The alcohol he made sold famously. People bought it even when the price increased. Nobody ever stopped drinking in this go*ddamned ce. So, Las did well in his business. He wasn¡¯t particrly in need of money. The reason I wanted to repay him was because he had always shown concern for me every day I had been inside the time magic. The circumstances of Countess Alshine, which I was unaware of, were only the things I had heard from people gossiping about Dalia.

    Las, finally, arrived with a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. He smiled sweetly at me. I want to gag.

    Las had been very close to my parents. He had been a family friend of theirs and had often visited the mansion when he was young. In fact, he could be my uncle.

    ¡°Why are your hands shaking like that?¡± Las asked with a frown. My hands trembled as I took a sip of the orange juice. With his frowning face, he looked no less than a thug. Honestly, he was too protective for his own good.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I did not drink for a while.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I told you I was quitting. I didn¡¯t drink yesterday, so my body is begging for some alcohol.¡± I gulped the juice down and got up.

    ¡°Are you really serious about quitting?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I have been saying that for the hundredth time.¡±

    ¡°Miss, are you really going somewhere? Are you going to go to the afterlife?¡± Unlike the words that sounded like a joke, Las¡¯ expression was serious. Seeing him worried, I sighed. I couldn¡¯t tousle his hair like I often did for Angel. So, I patted him,fortingly, on his shoulder across the bar table.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m just trying to live properly for a change. I¡¯ll pay you back twice when I finally make some money!¡± I smiled and ran out of the ce before he had time to respond.

    * * *

    I had been working hard since dawn. I was dead tired. It was partly because I couldn¡¯t sleep a wink and this body¡¯s stamina and strength was abhorrent. This body had been drinking and gambling for years, so obviously it had low stamina. I had tried so hard to exercise and build up my strength, but it had all been in vain.

    With a remorseful sigh, I slumped down on the sofa. The dust flew everywhere and I was seized by a fit of coughing. I wasn¡¯t fazed. It was a natural thing in this house; this house was always so dusty.

    I knew Kaichen mighte here soon, and I had to clean the ce before that. But my body refused to move, and I forced myself to get up. Perhaps, my body felt so rxed andfortable being here that it refused to do anything else.

    ¡°Ha, what are you nervous about?¡± I scoffed. But I knew what was bothering me. I was doubtful how I would treat the people I intended to meet today. When magic breaks down, can I treat them as usual? This was a question I asked myself before going to bed every night for a long time. They don¡¯t remember anything about magic. Nobody does, except me. Everybody went along with the next day as it came, not knowing everything had changed.

    But what about me?

    One human spent many years of the same day. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. And I had gone crazy. I couldn¡¯t withstand it. But now, I have gotten my sanity back. Dalia of the original novel lost her mind. I transmigrated into her body and had been alone for such a long time that I went crazy too. I definitelymitted an irreversible sin then. It would have been better if the memories of that period had also faded. I didn¡¯t want to be reminded of it.

 Chapter 12

    I felt nauseous and my eyes throbbed. I pressed my palm over my eyes. My eyes throbbed so painfully that I thought that they would pop out of my head any second. The headache apanying the pain in my eyes continued from within the time magic. It was hard to keep my eyes open. They hurt so bad. I knew the cause of the pain and I resolved to endure it.

    It felt like a sort of karma for my sins. I was going to endure it and get used to the pain as much as possible. The pain in my eyes woke me and reminded me that I had indeed gone crazy. That it wasn¡¯t all a bad dream.

    Whenever I had gone out during the time magic, Acrab was my only reality. The people in it didn¡¯t feel real. But whenever I go out now, it fills me with fear. I wanted to run very far away from here. I didn¡¯t have the courage to look at the people of Acrab directly. They were no longer the shell of people anymore. They had be real.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t gotten up?¡± The low-pitched voice said with pity.

    It wasn¡¯t even whispered in my ear, but somehow the words felt so near, they stuck to my mind. I slowly lowered my hands which were still covering my face. Kaichen¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he looked at me and nced at the room, which was very messy.

    He seemed to be having a hard time believing that he had visited this ce twice. The dust blew even at the slightest movement and the smell of alcohol festered in the room. I was surprised that I was able to read the expressions on such a cold, sculpture-like face which never changed. How was I able to read this man from even the slightest shift in his facial muscles?

    It¡¯s definitely my first time seeing him, I confirmed. Maybe it was because I have missed him for so long. I had pictured him in my mind for the hundredth time. His personality was really cold and indifferent, not what I had imagined. But his existence was a salvation for me. The pain in my eyes melted away just by hearing his voice. This is amazing! Is it something like the¡­ imprinting effect?

    It is said that even a petty beast repays the favor it receives. I owe Kaichen a debt I can¡¯t repay even if I spend a lifetime here. I could no longer delude myself that himing to rescue this ce was a natural flow of events in the original story as I had assumed when I first entered Dalia¡¯s body.

    For me, who endured a terrible period, Kaichen was not just an archmage who, faithful to his role, appeared as a friend to the main character.

    ¡°How long do you n to lie down?¡±

    ¡°I am getting up now.¡± I sat myself up. I clenched my hands to not be caught trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe this early. You are very diligent.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you justzy¡±?

    I had already gotten up at dawn and worked diligently, but I just nodded. It was just too much work to argue and rify. His words weren¡¯t really a lie. Dalia was azy person. I didn¡¯t have Dalia¡¯s memories to confirm this, but I didn¡¯t need them. If I even so much as take a stroll around Acrab, I heard people whispering about theziness and drunkenness of Countess Alshine.

    Kaichen raised his eyebrow and sat on the sofa across from me. Great! So, it wasn¡¯t going to be a short conversation like yesterday. He had just stood there and talked and left yesterday. I felt embarrassed that I didn¡¯t have anything to offer him, not even tea. I scratched my head and turned to him.

    ¡°Hmm, so¡­¡± I began, ¡°What do I have to do?¡±

    ¡°You are ready to cooperate so easily?¡± asked Kaichen, suspicion lining his expression.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, ¡°You saved my life. It is only natural to repay you in gratitude. I am not an imbecile.¡±

    Kaichen frowned and still looked at me suspiciously. I tilted my head at the gaze full of doubt. Why was he looking at me like that? Isn¡¯t that what any human being would do?

    Looking at Kaichen, I realized that I didn¡¯t really have Dalia¡¯s memories. Maybe she had been an ungrateful person. Was that why he was so suspicious?

    No way! Even so, she wouldn¡¯t be this ungrateful. They say blind faith can kill a person. Kaichen obviously held onto that belief. The way he was looking at me, anyone would think Dalia had been despicable.

    Walking around the streets of Acrab for a hundred years, I had thought I had understood everything about people¡¯s perception of Dalia. She was a drunkard. She was addicted to gambling. She could notst a day without alcohol. I had also heard that she had been intelligent, kind and thoughtful when her parents were still alive.

    <strong>¡®How was the old miss? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡®It¡¯s just that I am thinking of the old days. I want to know how people saw her before.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡®She wasn¡¯t good at expressing her emotions, but she had a warmer heart than anyone else.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡®That sounds like a lie.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡®It¡¯s not a lie. When she grew up, everyone said that the future of Acrab was bright.¡¯</strong>

    So, Dalia had been a very good person until her parents passed away.

    I felt that Las minced some words about her childhood, but I didn¡¯t pester him. Everyone¡¯s childhood has some dark history and Dalia¡¯s did too. When she grew up, she got into drinking and gambling but would offer to pay people¡¯s taxes if they were in difficulty. She only spent her own assets on these excursions.

    Thend wasn¡¯t properly managed. But I felt that the situation had been too hard on Dalia as well. She inherited everything right after her parent¡¯s death. She must have found it difficult to cope. People¡¯s dissatisfaction with thend¡¯s deteriorating situation was ever increasing. Fortunately, despite her shorings, Dalia endured patiently. Until now, I felt sympathetic towards Dalia¡¯s plight.

 Chapter 13

    From what I had learnt, Acrab was very far from the capital. Its territory was isted because it was surrounded by mountainous terrain. Therefore, thend¡¯s sad situation wasn¡¯t really known in the capital. And those who did know, didn¡¯t report her for the satisfaction to see her fail and fall from grace. That is indeed fortunate for me. It meant that Kaichen had no reason in the past to pay attention to Dalia. Kaichen didn¡¯t point that out. He questioned me for the necessary information for a full-scale magic research.

    ¡°Are you the medium of the forbidden magic that manifested in Acrab?¡±

    ¡°If being a ¡®medium¡¯ means being in a conscious state of the mind while magic is present.. then that¡¯s correct.¡±

    After reconfirming the information that he had already gained yesterday, he asked the next question. ¡°Can you exin what kind of time magic it is?¡±

    There were several kinds of forbidden magic, among them, time magic was particrly difficult to learn and even more difficult to manifest it directly in this way. It was the reason Kaichen, who didn¡¯t like interacting with people, ran here as fast as he could. Yesterday, I had told him I didn¡¯t know anything about this but that was because I wasn¡¯t sure about time magic at all.

    ¡°It was the kind of magic which could make the days repeat on itself.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean repeating time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It was a structure where everything inside the space called Acrab repeated endlessly. As long as they were inside, nothing and no one could escape this ¡®one day¡¯ time.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s the same as when time isn¡¯t flowing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simr, but a little different. Everyone except me was unaware of the fact that the day kept repeating. It was not that time had stopped. After all, time flowed in the same way outside.¡±

    Kaichen furrowed his eyebrows at this new information, pulled out an old notebook from his pocket and began to write something down. The tip of the white quill touched the paper and glided on it. He wrote something down, then frowned, hesitated and looked up at me again.

    It seemed like he was embarrassed by the fact that he was engrossed in research in front of me. I wish I could tell him that he didn¡¯t need to be reluctant. After all, I knew he was the greatest magic nerd in the kingdom. I smiled reassuringly at him.

    However, Kaichen thought otherwise. His brows furrowed even more.

    ¡°It seems moreplicated than I thought.¡±

    ¡°It is. No one could leave or enter Acrab. Above all, it seemed to have made it impossible for anyone else to be aware that they were under the magic¡¯s effect. I tried to tell them. Nobody believed me.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because people don¡¯t really trust you?¡±

    ¡°Really? You are just going to poke me in my sorest spot right now?¡±

    Kaichen stared at me wide-eyed and lowered his head towards his notebook. It was clear that he wanted to be done with this interaction as soon as possible. Perhaps he was wondering if I would cooperate now. That was satisfying to see. But he wasn¡¯t wrong. My reputation wasn¡¯t really top tier right now.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± I said, ¡°They definitely didn¡¯t entertain my words. They thought I was drunk as usual and speaking gibberish. I tried the other day from the beginning. I tried exining it patiently. After a while, I started bing skeptical that they didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Kaichen was silent. ¡°One day wasn¡¯t enough to make them trust a drunkard¡¯s words, so I kept trying.¡±

    Without taking his eyes off the notebook, Kaichen asked, ¡°You must have tried to escape from the time magic.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. I would talk with the people in the day, and they would forget we ever had a conversation the next day. It felt lonely. It is painful to live in a world where nobody ever remembers talking to you. So, naturally, as anyone would, I tried to escape as well.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything you could do?¡±

    ¡°I tried many things, but it was all in vain. It is very hard to break forbidden magic once it has been cast. It can be stopped by the death of the medium or by someone who has a strong power from outside.¡± Kaichen¡¯s gaze slowly rose from his notebook and fixed on me.

    The golden eyes looked straight at me for the first time, and for a moment, my body froze. I hadn¡¯t made a mistake, but my heart trembled as though I had. I didn¡¯t really feel anything, but this body seemed to react strangely to him.

    ¡°I am a little surprised because you know more than I thought.¡±

    ¡°I had plenty of time to study.¡±

    Kaichen now closed his notebook and looked at me. It sent cold shivers down my spine. I felt restless and anxious. I knew it wasn¡¯t possible, but I had a feeling that Kaichen could see through the fact that this body held another soul, a different soul than Dalia¡¯s. His clear eyes were sharp and focused.

    D*mn, what the hell is this feeling of not being able to control my body¡­? I had not felt anything like this in over a hundred years. But now, I feel uneasy with Kaichen. It was as though my body was telling me to run, it was terrified. I felt so tense that it was ridiculous.

    ¡°How¡­ how much time has passed?¡± He seemed quite hesitant to ask that.

    Seeing someone so cold and indifferent feeling reluctant to ask questions made me feel likeughing a little. I had only read about him as a character in a novel, and here he was, right in front of me being all awkward. Besides, he had to talk to a drunkard in a very messy ce. I was sure he hated it the most.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact date, but I think it¡¯s been over a hundred years.¡± I answered without trying to withhold my smile.

    It seemed he didn¡¯t like my answer. He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to joke around. You may not be happy with this situation, nor am I. Please cooperate properly so we both can be done with this as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m cooperating wholeheartedly.¡±

    ¡°Then, please don¡¯t joke.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About the time. It doesn¡¯t need to be exact, but can you at least give me a rough estimate of how long it has been?¡±

    Kaichen had assumed that I was joking. Seeing him so flustered in a serious situation made meugh even more. ¡°It¡¯s true! I am not joking. It has been ¡®roughly¡¯ over a hundred years. I used to count the days when I was trapped in here, eagerly waiting for you¡­ for someone toe break the magic.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean that you have been confined here for a hundred years?¡±

    ¡°Yes! But it has been barely a day since the magic has been broken.¡± Less than a day has passed in the original novel. Only a few hours, to be exact, not even half a day. But a full day had passed for me. I had checked the newspaper to be sure before I met with Angel. I knew that the passage of time here was different, but it had still shocked me.

    ¡°Forbidden magic is maintained by the mental strength of the medium. Are you saying that you¡­ the medium, have been here for a hundred years?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I am not lying. I am telling I worked really hard to break it, but nothing worked.¡± When I put my hands together as if I was asking him to believe me, Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He nced at me for a brief moment in disbelief, then turned his head. He nced around the room, into the air, and fell deep in thought as he pressed his hands on his temples.

    I stared at him. He was so handsome that it was difficult to keep my mouth shut. It was fun teasing him. The fact that my body reacts strangely to him makes me think that Dalia and Kaichen must have shared a past. That was very troublesome.

    I wanted to be an apprentice to Kaichen by actively cooperating like this. Being his apprentice would give me ess to Julius, the protagonist of the novel. Even if that wasn¡¯t possible, I could be of help to Julius by helping his close friend, Kaichen.

    I hoped that Julius would prosper and be an emperor as soon as possible. The novel can then bepleted wholly, and I can live a simple, prosperous life after that. I had it all nned out, so it was important for me to be in Kaichen¡¯s good graces, for which I needed to cooperate.

    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have Dalia¡¯s memory. That was indeed unfortunate. Usually, people would have the memories of the body they possess. But I don¡¯t have any ess to Dalia¡¯s memories. I wonder if there were mistakes like mine where the possessor got a really bad body with no memory. Iforted myself in the fact that at the least I wasn¡¯t trapped in the body of a criminal soon to be executed. My life would have been short and miserable.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll believe you,¡± said Kaichen reluctantly. He had an indifferent face but if you looked closely, his dazzling golden eyes looked at me as though he had a lot of questions swirling in his mind. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here for a while to investigate the matter, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you going to your magic tower?¡±

    ¡°The magic manifested here. There¡¯s no reason for me to go to the magic tower for now. Why?¡±

    I realized that I had it all wrong. In the original novel, Kaichen had taken Dalia to the magic tower because she had lost her mindpletely. Kaichen had to use his privateboratory to get information from her. Kaichen had spent a lot of time with Dalia going back and forth between the magic tower and Acrab to get the whole information to do his research.

    But, what about me now? I am sane and obediently cooperating, so there is no need to go to the magic tower. He looked unwilling to stay but he knew it was best to stay here and do his research. Perhaps he had thought a lot about it. Oh no¡­

    I licked my lower lips and bit it. It was a nervous habit of mine that I hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of. ¡°I will cooperate with your research if we do it at the magic tower.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone can enter the magic tower.¡±

    ¡°There must be a way. I can¡¯t do it here. I can¡¯t cooperate.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you doing well a while ago?¡±

    ¡°I decided not to do it now.¡±

    ¡°This is not a matter that should be taken lightly. You know that it¡¯s not the time to act as you please.¡±

    I did not back down. His cold words won¡¯t deter me. My heart was pounding, and my shoulders shrank as a reaction to his cold words. This time, I couldn¡¯t suppress my body¡¯s reaction to his words, which seemed to shrink in fear.

    ¡°Take it as you please,¡± I said with determination, ¡°If you want me to cooperate to continue your Forbidden Time Magic research, please take me to the magic tower. It doesn¡¯t even have to be the tower, just out of here.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Acrab is a territory that was trapped in time magic, and I was the only one who was aware of everything that happened in it. Although I did not have Dalia¡¯s memories and knew nothing of her life, I was still in her body. And it was important for Kaichen to be in contact with the medium to study the magic. I knew that he couldn¡¯t just toss me aside. I decided to press him further.

    ¡°If you do that, I¡¯ll cooperate no matter what you ask for.¡± He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    I wanted toe off as assertive, but my final words sounded like a plea. I resolved not to break down before my n even started. I needed to be determined. Even if Kaichen would treat me negatively after this, I wouldn¡¯t mind. I had no choice. I had to get out of Arcrab, I didn¡¯t want to face the people living here any longer than necessary.

    My eyes, which had been fine, started throbbing and hurting again. I lowered my head in a hurry so that Kaichen could not see it and pressed my palms to my lids. It felt like my throbbing eyes would fall out of my sockets.

    My body trembled as though some terrible memory was trying to flood in my mind. The difort towards Kaichen and thebined fear and anxiety of the memories made my body tremble even more that an onlooker would have no doubt that I was actually terrified.

    ¡°We will be leaving tomorrow,¡± Kaichen looked at my trembling personage and said in a low voice. He then got up and left.

    The mere fact of being in Acrab rendered me unable to think calmly. I pretended to beposed and smiled and helped Angel, healed Mickey and joked with Lars as though nothing was amiss. I was just distracting myself, to put my mind at ease.

    I still¡­ am not ready. I had yfully told Kaichen that a hundred years had passed. But in reality, I wished I could forget the time that had passed. I can¡¯t do that, so I had to prepare. If I am to sincerely face the people of Acrab without feeling guilty, I had to do this. What could I do to forget everything?

    My eyes kept throbbing as though they were going to fall out, but I had be so used to the pain that I didn¡¯t even let out a groan.

    *

    I had a dream. I was still trapped in time magic. The ce was Mimi¡¯s house which I saw in the morning. There, I fed Mickey the medicine that I had made myself as I had done in reality.

    ¡°Cough! Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Mickey!¡± Mimi screamed as Mickey shook and trembled. His eyes rolled back making the whites visible. I lowered my head as I watched the blood dripping from between his lips. The body which had convulsed in pain became still.

    ¡°Mickey! Mickey!¡± cried Mimi. I couldn¡¯t look away from Mickey¡¯s limp body. His eyes, heavy and sunken and lifeless. His pale skin had a bluish tinge. The medicine hadn¡¯t worked. Mickey had died after taking the medicine.

    ¡°What did we do wrong? Why¡­ Why are you doing this!¡±

    Mimi had endured so much. From being thrown out of the mansion to being scammed for severance pay, she hadn¡¯t lost hope and had cared for her sick brother. He had watched helplessly as the medicine caused seizures and then death. Mimi looked at me with eyes full of usation.

    I shook my head. ¡°I just wanted to save him.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! He is dead! You killed him! You murderer!¡±

    I had really wanted to save him. Mimi¡¯s fist grabbed my clothes and she pped me squarely in the face. It didn¡¯t hurt as much as Mickey¡¯s death hurt me. I didn¡¯t feel anything for ps or fists. I ran out of the house. The people¡¯s eyes that greeted me as I ran were full of contempt. They had probably heard Mimi¡¯s cries.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done anything. Why did you suddenly appear¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you expect from a drunkard?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s the worlding to! I can¡¯t believe she wasted a child¡¯s life¡­¡±

    I wanted to tell them they were wrong. I wanted to yell at them that I had studied and made the medicine. It was supposed to save his life, not kill him. ¡°I¡­ I¡­,¡± I stumbled on my words.

    I couldn¡¯t utter a sound. It was scary to endure people¡¯s gaze which only had hatred for me. I had no choice but to run back to my shabby, depressing mansion. I curled up on the bed and covered myself with the nket. I closed my eyes and covered my ears. Mimi¡¯s cream reverberated in my mind. Mickey¡¯s groans of pain kept ringing in my ears. I didn¡¯t kill him. I didn¡¯t kill him. No no.

    It was only then I understood how irresponsible I had been. I took everything lightly. I thought that it would be okay to give him the medicine because we were trapped in time magic, so even if the medicine didn¡¯t work, Mickey would be alive and well tomorrow. Even if Mimi looked like she wanted to kill me right now, she would wee me again tomorrow because she would forget everything that happened on that day. Because the days kept repeating.

 Chapter 16

    That happened only for them, not me. I would remember everything. My experiences won¡¯t disappear. Killing Mickey because of my carelessness would always remain with me. The guilt would always remain no matter how many times the days repeated, and others forgot about it.

    ¡°Aaaa¡­ahh! Ugh.¡±

    While learning magic and other techniques, I had increased my experiences and my knowledge. Then why didn¡¯t I think about such a thing? Why didn¡¯t I think about the side effects and the pain? I was socent and foolish. I took death too lightly. I wasn¡¯t ying a game or reading a novel, so why had I been so confident when giving the medicine to Mickey?

    I was scared. It seemed as though the spirit of Mickey woulde up to me and shout at me any moment now. They were not wrong. I killed someone today. I was a murderer.

    ¡°Hurk¡­ rgh!¡±

    I felt sick. I felt nauseous. I vomited on the bed. The nausea didn¡¯t subside. The image of Mickey¡¯s to my stomach and vomited on the bed, but the nausea did not go away. The image of Mickey dying did not disappear from my mind. It bothered me excruciatingly. Iy on the dirty bed and sobbed. I had fits of vomit until nothing coulde out.

    I want to get out of here.

    How long do I have to wait for Kaichen toe? Exactly how much time should pass in this repeating world for him toe and break the magic? I know that he¡¯lle, but I don¡¯t know when ¨C 5, 10, 20 years from now? Time went by and I became so ustomed to this repeating world that I did this horrible thing to Mickey.

    What if he suddenly breaks the magic tonight? Then Mickey can¡¯te back to life! Am I going to be called a murderer all my life? My body trembled. The more I thought about it, the more fearful and anxious I felt. What should I really do?

    Thinking about all these, I fell asleep in exhaustion. When I opened my eyes, it was already the next day. The bed was clean as though it had never held a person who had vomited her guts out on it. My body which had been wrecked with nausea and stained with my own vomit was clean as though it had never happened. The day hade back as new. As though nothing had happened, I jumped up and hurried out of the mansion and headed for Mimi¡¯s house.

    ¡°Huh? Miss¡­.?¡± Asked Mimi, looking at me as though I was acting very strange while I panted and gasped, holding the entrance gate. I sat down and burst into tears. Mimi handed me a ss of water, probably thinking I was just having one of my ¡®fits¡¯ after drinking in the morning.

    ¡°Miss, whatever you are going through, you shouldn¡¯t rely on alcohol. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re drinking until morning in such a dangerous way because you told people to pay taxes. What are you going to do if something happens¡­.¡±

    Just yesterday, she had pped me and called me a murderer, and today she is reaching out to me as though everything was fine. This was just hell for me. Alone.

    * *

    I couldn¡¯t sleep properly because of the nightmares. I stared at the night sky, dawn breaking. I saw the Angel snooping in the front gate as it became lighter. As he saw me sitting on the railing, he startled, and his lips curled up in surprise.

    I thought for a moment that the nightmare wasn¡¯t over but looking at Angel¡¯s face reassured me that it was over. It was adorable to see him startled and jump in surprise. ¡°Wee Angel, you didn¡¯t have toe this early. Very diligent, I see.¡±

    ¡°Because newspaper delivery has be a habit¡­¡±

    Angel nced at the shabby and abandoned mansion and then turned to the overgrown garden where bushes and weeds reached one¡¯s knees, and gulped loudly. I burst outughing.

    I rumpled Angel¡¯s hair and stroked it lightly. ¡°Take this first,¡± I said and handed him a pouch of gold coins.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°At first, I just wanted you to clean up the mansion, but I have to leave in a hurry. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back, so I want you to take responsibility for managing the mansion for a while.¡±

    ¡°Wha-What does that mean? Miss!¡±

    He looked at me carefully, thinking that I was under the influence of alcohol. But there was no bottle of wine in my hands, only a pouch of gold coins. Looking at his pale face, I ced the pouch in his little hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I think I have to leave urgently. It¡¯s just a momentary departure so that I can devote myself to Acrab. I am running away temporarily. Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you? You have a deadly disease, right? Uncle Lars at the bar said the same thing yesterday. Miss tried to pay back her credit. He was worried. He said that people change when they are about to die. Are you really going to die?¡±

    There was nothing Lars hid from the little boy. But the thought of Lars talking about me when I just wanted to do a good deed made my mouth twitch. I took his face in my hand and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a disease. I am leaving to find someone who can help Acrab. So, don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Miss, your hands are shaking¡­¡±

    ¡°This is proof that I stopped drinking.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why are you surprised? I¡¯m not lying.¡± Taking a deep breath, I crouched down to Angel¡¯s height and pulled his soft cheeks.

 Chapter 17

    Angel¡¯s mouth was wide open as though he had heard the most unbelievable thing ever. It made meugh.

    ¡°Anyway! I¡¯ll be away for a while, so take responsibility for the mansion for a while.¡±

    ¡°I c-can¡¯t! Miss, just leave it to Uncle Lars!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that because he isn¡¯t attentive. He already has a store, so he is very busy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never managed a noble¡¯s mansion. You also know that I¡¯m a kid who delivers newspapers and does the dishes at a restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Yes, a diligent kid who cares about his family more than anyone else.¡±

    I was still pulling at his cheeks, but he didn¡¯t push my hands away. He was so cute that Iughed again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared an empty room where you can stay while I¡¯m away. The other rooms are messy and dirty, so you¡¯ll know where it is right away. Bring your younger siblings and stay here. With that amount of money, just managing the mansion without doing anything else would be enough to get by.¡±

    ¡°B-But¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hurry. The library is open too, you can read anything you want. You can even go to the library of Acrab and borrow books under my name.¡±

    ¡°Miss¡­ It¡¯s too much. All of this is really too much for me!¡±

    With a pale face, Angel fell to his knees. The innocent boy cried and begged and said that he couldn¡¯t do this. I was doing him a favor, but he acted as though I had made him do something heinous. I felt like a viin.

    ¡°Come on, Angel! I need someone to manage my mansion! I don¡¯t have anyone to trust, so I¡¯m reluctantly entrusting it to you, so please take good care of it. I want you to continue this job when Ie back so I am telling you to read and write while I am gone. I want you to learn.¡±

    ¡°Miss¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stopining and do it. Don¡¯t worry about money. If, by any chance, you need more, write me a letter and address it to ¡®Kaichen Tenebre¡¯. You know how to write, right? No matter where he is, if the letter is addressed to him and sent by a magical carrier, it will reach me through him. It¡¯s expensive but for Countess Alshine, Lord of Acrab, it¡¯s free. So, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I have given the permission for use, so no one will stop you.¡±

    I closed my mouth when I saw Angel shaking his head in tears. It seemed that no matter what I said, this child couldn¡¯t hear anything. I handed him the letter I had prepared for him. He wiped his eyes and took it and lowered his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about money. And use the firece because it will get cold. Don¡¯t try to spare any money for your needs. I don¡¯t have any pricey items, but I am sure you will take great care with everything in the mansion.¡±

    ¡°Why are you being so nice to me? I have never done anything for miss.¡± Angel seemed sad and scared of my kindness. I took a deep breath and took his face in my hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you have always greeted me so nicely.¡± For a hundred years. ¡°If you feel ufortable epting everything, then study hard and make sure everything is well when I get back. Just take it as me lending you some things for now, which I will take backter. Okay?¡±

    Angel sobbed so much that his eyes turned red. I was d that Angel no longer had to worry about the roof copsing on his head when it rains or rummage through the trash to scavenge moldy bread after starving for days. He doesn¡¯t need to freeze in the cold and worry about his siblings dying in winter. I hugged the crying Angel and patted his back.

    Even if Angel ran away with the money, I would not have regretted it. Management of the mansion was an appropriate excuse to help Angel. The mansion was already ruined and abandoned for many years. There was nothing of value here.

    ¡°Then please take good care of it, Angel.¡±

    After leaving behind sniffling Angel, I carried the bag that I had packed yesterday afternoon. It was just a small bag that didn¡¯t look like a traveler¡¯s, but this was the famous subspace bag.

    I wanted to surprise Kaichen, so I bought a small bag and engraved it with subspace magic.

 Chapter 18

    Subspace magic was in the basic magic I learned. At that time, I was so happy that there was actually a subspace that I had only seen in games and cartoons. I didn¡¯t use it for a long time, knowing that it was useless magic for me, who was trapped in the time magic, but it was also one of the things on my list of magic that I wanted to use once I got out of it.

    ¡°Ah! Mr. Kaichen!¡±

    As soon as I picked up the bag, Kaichen appeared outside the gate. I waved my hand happily, proud that I was using teleportation magic without any difficulty. Ignoring my enthusiastic greeting, he gestured for me to follow him. I pushed the still sobbing Angel gently into the mansion and ran to Kaichen. It was not a behavior befit a nobledy, but I had long thrown caution to the wind, along with social etiquettes.

    ¡°We are going to the magic tower, right? Oh, I¡¯m excited. It¡¯s my first time!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be going to the magic tower¡±

    ¡°What?! Why? I have no intention of staying in Acrab!¡±

    I had already passed on the responsibility of managing the mansion and handed over my assets to Angel. I couldn¡¯t go back now.

    Kaichen walked without a break. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not Acrab, it doesn¡¯t matter where we go, does it?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s true but¡­¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be going to the magic tower but somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Wh-Where are we going?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Mr. Kaichen? Where are we going? Exactly what is our destination?¡±

    As if he had decided not to answer, Kaichen closed his mouth tightly. I kept pestering him, but he didn¡¯t tell me. I clenched my fists and nced at Acrab which became smaller as we progressed further away from it.

    I gulped, clenching the strap of my bag and followed him. I was finally able to leave the boring ce, but I didn¡¯t feel good at all. I felt like I was just running away.

    As questions buzzed in my mind, Kaichen said, ¡°Are you going to be like this all the way?¡±

    He was looking at me quietly. He was telling me to stop bothering him, so I smiled like a fool and turned my back on Acrab and walked with him.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me now where we are headed? This isn¡¯t even the direction to Hwangdo Ind. It¡¯s not even the way to the magic tower¡­.¡±

    ¡°We are going to a ce where we can do our research quietly.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the tower of magic that kind of ce?¡±

    ¡°It will definitely be noisy if you go, so not there.¡±

    What noise would I make at an unfamiliar magic tower? However, it was true that I was secretly studying magic while wandering around, so I decided to let it go and pouted my lips. ¡°Then where are we going? It isn¡¯t like we are going to your house, is it?¡± He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Oh my god. Really?

    As though my silence bothered him, he said in a voice full of irritation, ¡°I know it might not be the most pleasant arrangement but there is no other way. So, even if you don¡¯t like it, I guess you will have to adjust.¡±

    ¡°Keep in mind that I am trying my best to amodate a countess,¡± he said in a cold tone and took the lead.

    I looked at his back as he walked forward in quick strides. I am going to Kaichen¡¯s house? I could not believe my ears. The Kaichen, Great Archmage of the continent. I will be at his house which is always shrouded in a veil of secrecy that every magician wants to visit.

    What a weird coincidence? Or should I call it luck? His house definitely was a pleasant change because it would most definitely have an abundance of magic research and books. What does he mean I will have to adjust if I don¡¯t like it? Obviously, there would be no better ce to learn magic than his ce. There is no way I wouldn¡¯t like it.

    This was a marvelous chance! This was the golden opportunity that I had been looking for, to be his disciple. My gloomy mood from escaping from Acrab lifted a little. I followed Kaichen with longer strides. He might abandon me if I don¡¯t keep up to his pace. Hell, he might use his teleportation magic and disappear if he got annoyed.

    ¡°Mr. Kaichen! Are you saying that the two of us will be spending god knows how many days at your house alone?¡±

    I followed him, waving my hand energetically, but Kaichen never looked back. He red at me once because of my taunts and I burst outughing and continued teasing him. He then adamantly turned his back on me and walked on, not looking back at me at all. Thus, it came to this that I followed him towards his mysterious house that I had only heard in stories.

    Oh, what should I do? I¡¯m a little excited.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°So? How was meeting with her after such a long time? Is she really an alcoholic?¡±

    Kaichen looked at Julius, who didn¡¯t hide his excitement from the other side of themunication channel.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered indifferently.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡±

    Dalia Alshine already was a ruined noble in the Empire. She did not even try to fix herself. She was like a bird with her wings torn, unable to make sense of her surroundings anymore. For Kaichen, though, her fall didn¡¯te as a surprise.

    ¡°Was it heartbreaking to see her ruined? Or was it satisfying?¡± Julius asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything,¡± replied a stoic Kaichen.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want to think?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you order me to investigate forbidden magic? Your interest in Countess Alshine is verging on excessive.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re interested, I¡¯m interested too. Don¡¯t be so angry.¡±

    Kaichen frowned at the words ¡®angry¡¯ and ¡®interested¡¯. He had half a mind to turn off themunication tool, but Julius was a prince, he could hardly disrespect him in that manner.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Aren¡¯t you overdoing it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You tend to endure too much. Don¡¯t overdo it. You don¡¯t want to faint in front of her, do you?¡±

    Kaichen furrowed his brows and scowled. He let out a short sigh. Breaking down the time magic in Acrab had taken too much of his mana. It had almost turned out to be fatal. Julius was right. He needed to rest. He had tried to ignore it and stay in Acrab to continue his research but¡­

    ¡°I am not sure, but I think there is something wrong with her since she had been stuck in the time magic for such a long time.¡±

    ¡°Did she go crazy?¡± asked Julius.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that exactly but¡­¡±

    It would have been better if she waspletely mad, then he wouldn¡¯t have to go through all this. This work was too tiresome. Kaichen frowned and pressed tiredly at his temples.

    It¡¯s been three days since he left Acrab. His body was somehow recovering, but it was impossible to use long-distance travel magic. If he went to the magic tower in this physical condition, old wizards aiming for his spot would bother him. In the end, he was forced to go to his home which no one had ever been to before. It seemed as good an idea as any.

    ¡°If she is not crazy, isn¡¯t that a relief? And it¡¯s best for you to recover your body too.¡±

    ¡°It would have been better to stay in Acrab for the research while recovering.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she didn¡¯t want to be there, though?¡±

    ¡°She seemed a little¡­ afraid.¡±

    ¡°That is indeed strange¡­ unless something happened in those hundred years trapped inside the time magic. It might have made her afraid of the people in that territory or the ce itself.¡±

    Kaichen nodded. That made sense.

    Kaichen was familiar with her but Dalia seemed different when he met her in Acrab. She seemed most unlike her. She had been trembling that day, and her face had been white as a sheet with fear. It had left a bad taste in his mouth. It was so strange to see those cold, ck eyes, which had always been proud and arrogant, shaking with fear.

    Dalia, a drunkard. A fallen noble. He would haveughed at her state but seeing her so broken, it felt ufortable and disturbing tough at someone like that.

    ¡°Truly¡­ we can¡¯t be sure that hundred years have truly passed,¡± he said.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a reason to lie, does she?¡± asked Julius.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She is a noble who decided to abandon her people and run away.¡±

    ¡°She probably had a reason. Don¡¯t push her too much, Kaichen. You can¡¯t be sure if your personal feelings are negatively affecting your view of her.¡±

    ¡°I have never done that.¡±

    Juliusughed as though he had told a clever joke. Kaichen was annoyed and restrained the urge to hit him at the back of his head when they met.

    At that moment, Dalia appeared from afar. Kaichen cut offmunication with Julius, who was eagerly arguing about the said ¡°personal feelings.¡± He had held back once on cutting him off. That was enough. The golden light surrounding the ring disappeared and Kaichen looked at the notebook in his hand as though nothing was amiss. Dalia approaching him with a hum and light footsteps was opposite to the woman that he knew as her.

    Kaichen looked at the notebook with heavy and sunken eyes. The words ¡®Dalia Alshine¡¯, ¡®100 Years¡¯, and ¡®Personality Change¡¯ swam in front of his eyes.

    <strong>¡°You don¡¯t look good. Are you sick?¡± </strong>A little girl spoke to him from the still vivid memories that he wanted to forget forever.

    <strong>¡°Traitor! You tricked me! Noble¡­. Why didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t a noble? Dirty! Go away! Go away!¡¯</strong>

    Funnily enough, it was her that had initiated a conversation with him. She had reached out first then shunned him when she realized he was not of noble blood. The time they had spent together was shattered just because of his status. Kaichen never forgot her eyes, filled with such contempt and hate.

    When he had heard about how she had be a wreck, he had felt satisfied as Julius had said. But he was still bothered. When he had run to Acrab after getting the news of the forbidden magic, Dalia had uttered unexpected words when she saw him.

    Her eyes had sparkled in the night and she had said, ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you?¡± It was as though she had forgotten all about her past with him.

 Chapter 20

    He had been so confused. He had been unable to make sense of the words at that time. It had felt unfamiliar and unexpected as though this was the very first time she had met him. Kaichenughed at himself for thinking about her for all these years. He was annoyed that for her, he was nothing but an old memory that she had already forgotten about. He had pretended to not know her. However, in spite of it, it was a very curious thing that she should be the medium of the time magic of all people.

    100 Years¡­. It was hard to believe it. Even harder to believe was the fact that she was calmly skinning the ck rabbit and preparing dinner as though she was used to it. Julius¡¯s statement was correct. Something must have happened in the hundred years inside the time magic that had somehow changed her. The old Dalia definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to cook like this.

    ¡°When did you learn how to cook?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°I learned it when I was stuck inside the time magic. I had all the time in the world, and I was bored.¡± She casually uttered those words while holding a knife in her hands. But Kaichen could sense that the meaning behind those words weren¡¯t as light-hearted as she made it out to be. Kaichen felt like something heavy was pressing against his chest. It bothered him.

    He had to investigate what had happened inside the time magic and also had to examine her body. However, seeing her responding so nonchntly made him feel like he was overly worried about nothing.

    Why? Why does this woman make me feel so ufortable? Kaichen frowned and was about to turn back to his notebook when he saw her hand tremble severely. He nced at her face. The only thing he could gauge from her expression was her focus on ways to cook the rabbit. The whole time she made it seem like everything was fine, but her pallor wasn¡¯t very good. He wanted to look away, but he had to know. If his precious research subject was sick, he would be in trouble.

    ¡°Why are your hands shaking like that?¡± he asked, reluctantly.

    ¡°What? Oh¡­ it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± She tried to hide her hands and smiled. On the surface, nothing looked amiss, but Kaichen knew that that smile was forced.

    ¡°Are you ill?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m extremely healthy.¡±

    ¡°Healthy people¡¯s hands don¡¯t shake like that,¡± he said, impatiently.

    She shrugged her shoulders and avoided his eyes. It was clear that something was going on, but she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Kaichen averted his eyes and looked back to his notebook. She didn¡¯t need to answer if she didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I stopped drinking,¡± she said after a few moments. ¡°I think it¡¯s a withdrawal symptom. But it won¡¯t affect the trip or the research. So, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Kaichen turned away. He shouldn¡¯t have asked her. But it was relieving to know that she was alright. Am I going crazy? Kaichen asked himself. Even if her personality has changed, she is the same Dalia. Why am I so concerned about her? Kaichen scolded himself inwardly but he couldn¡¯tpletely turn a blind eye on Dalia, she was the person who had made him what he was today. Why did she have to be the medium for time magic of all people? If it was anybody else, I wouldn¡¯t have had to meet her again. I could have gone on ignoring the woman who had hurt me.

    Kaichen felt annoyed and frustrated. He let out a short sigh and looked back at his notebook. In the end, all he could do was finish his research on the forbidden magic as soon as possible and go his separate way from her.

    * * *

    The first thing I saw was a lush forest with greenery all around. There was a small pond surrounded by willow trees. The willow leaves were yellowing, which added more color to the surrounding green. There was no wall or fence, so I walked right by the bushes. My jaw dropped.

    Kaichen, in the original novel, was a famous recluse. He would rarely leave his ce. Even if Julius somehow managed a superhuman feat of getting him out of his house once in a while, all he did was shut himself in the magic tower and continue with his research. It was advantageous for Julius to keep Kaichen by his side at all times.

    When I first read about Kaichen, who was always at his home and buried in books about magic and shunned people, I had thought that his ce would be dusty and unkempt. However, seeing Kaichen¡¯s beautiful house for the first time took my breath away.

    Am I dreaming? This is¡­ the house I saw in my dreams before. I had imagined living in such a house after Julius became the Emperor and the novel was finallypleted. I had imagined a couple of ducks in the pond. I had wanted to spend my time cultivating vegetables in the garden. I had pictured myself in this two-storied house overlooking flowers in the garden below. While the picture of my future had changed several times, I had alwayse back to the image of this house and the surrounding.

    ¡°Did we take the wrong road?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°How can this beautiful ce be your house? I dreamt about this house. How can it be possible?¡±

    Kaichen nced at me. He reluctantly indicated for me to proceed inside. I don¡¯t know what was so displeasing to him. His annoyed and scowling face refused to settle into anything else. I even thought that he would have abandoned me without a thought if it hadn¡¯t been for his research, and my 100-year-old experienced cooking skills.

    Following him along a trail where wildflowers bloomed in the well-maintained yard, I was blown away by the beauty of it all. The yellow rose bushes hugging the wall of the house looked exquisite. How can it seem so mismatched with the owner?

 Chapter 21

    It was a warm and beautiful house. It was hard to even imagine that the cold and indifferent Kaichen lived here. After arriving home, he seemed to rx a bit. He looked sofortable here that eventually it became clear that this was where he belonged. I wanted tough but I thought he might really kick me out to fend for myself out there in the wilderness.

    ¡°You can use the second room on the second floor,¡± said Kaichen.

    Unlike the exterior, where the house seemed to be one with nature, the interior was warm, neat and clean. I could not see a grain of dust. Somehow, it suited Kaichen very well. The interior has a few items of need and didn¡¯t waste space unnecessarily.

    After reaching the room which Kaichen had designated for me, I burst outughing. ¡°This has really exceeded my expectations!¡±

    It would have been nice to go to the magic tower, but I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that I woulde to his house. And his house was nothing less than something out of a fairy tale. The room was empty with only a bed. Maybe he didn¡¯t have many guests visiting him, if at all.

    It was ridiculously empty, and it suited his personality perfectly. ¡°It¡¯s really different from what I would have imagined,¡± I chuckled.

    Cold-hearted Archmage with severe mysophobia. Kaichen, in the novel, was always faithful to the protagonist. He always rescued Julius from crisis. It was difficult to see how Kaichen actually was. I didn¡¯t know his personality well. After travelling with him for a week, I learnt a lot about him.

    Kaichen, unlike how he looked, was a man who liked sweets. The original novel always showed him as someone who was picky about his food, so I paid a lot of attention while cooking. Kaichen ate well generally but he had some foods that she wouldn¡¯t touch at all and he made no effort to hide it. I observed him for a while and learnt that he hated carrots but liked meat, and he loved fish. He had enjoyed the ck rabbit stew that I had made, but I was sure he loved the fish I caught from the river because he didn¡¯t spare anything. I had tried cooking various dishes to gauge his taste.

    Kaichen had once smiled, out of the blue, when he tasted the pancakes I had packed in my magic bag. That was cute¡­. As a cook, I wanted to find out everything about what he liked.

    I threw my bag on the floor andid on the bed. I wanted to soak myself in warm water and rx but I felt so tired that I was unwilling to get up. My feet throbbed and I felt sleepy. I had overworked myself and sleeping outside had never beenfortable.

    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s just the beginning, but I¡¯m already so tired.¡±

    This was all because of the low stamina of this body. Dalia was a woman of a noble household who grew up rich and spoiled. I didn¡¯t have memories of her, but I could tell by looking at her body¡­ my body. Her skin was soft, her muscles were nonexistent, and her hands didn¡¯t have calluses. But she was beautiful. A typical kind of beauty.

    ¡°As expected, I need to build up my stamina first.¡±

    The only thing that didn¡¯t work in the time magic was my effort to increase my stamina. No matter how much I exercised; my body would return to its original state the next day. It was the same with swordy or any other physically exerting sport I attempted. It was one of the reasons why my withdrawal symptoms were so hard to manage.

    ¡°Should I really have seen a doctor?¡± I muttered to myself. I sat up in bed abruptly, rubbing my eyes. ¡°Why do I need a doctor when an Archmage is right next to me?¡± All I had to do was ask him toe up with a magic cure to help with the tremors. If there was no such cure, I could ask him to borrow some books on magic and medicine and make it myself. I had a fair knowledge about magical cures since I had spent thest hundred years trying to learn them.

    There only books I could find in Acrab were on production technology and I had no choice but to learn to make different medicines on my own. There had been limited books on herbal medicine but none on magical cures! As if Acrab was rejecting magic, there were no books on magic in the city no matter where I looked. It was very strange.

    ¡°This is an Archmage¡¯s house, there is no way he doesn¡¯t have books on magic!¡± I dragged my body out of the bed and left the room. Trying to remember the outlook of the house, I tried to remember where his room might be. I headed to the end of the corridor at the second floor and opened the door to the room at the far end.

 Chapter 22

    <strong>Chapter 22</strong>

    ¡°Goodness!¡± I snapped and closed the door again with a bang. Unlike my empty room, Kaichen¡¯s was full of things. There were parchments and scrolls scattered everywhere. Rare antiques were also ced randomly around the floor. There were many unidentifiable things in the corner of the room. But it wasn¡¯t these things that had caught my eyes. It was Kaichen.

    He had been changing. He had no shirt on, and it seemed he had just finished putting on his pants. I had thought before that for a recluse and a mage, he was just too fit and muscley. Now that I had seen him half-naked, there was no doubt. His body shimmered with ripped muscles. His shoulders were broad and sturdy. His abs were well-formed. In the fraction of a second when I had opened the door, I hadn¡¯t been able to take my eyes off of him.

    Bronze skin and hard muscles had struck me dumb. I was embarrassed at myself. Was it really my first time seeing such a perfect body? I had been thoughtless. I should have knocked before opening the door. The after image of his body left me flustered. I even saw his und*rw*ar! He was pulling up his pants! And his¡­ thing bulged. Was it my imagination?

    Blood rushed to my face. My heart was pounding. My nose felt weird. I raised my hands to my nose. They were smeared with blood. This was ridiculous! What did I just see? I was so upied with everything that a thought formed in my mind. So, Kaichen positions his thing to the left side¡­

    I was truly, utterly shameless! I hadn¡¯t meant to be brazen. I think I have forgotten my manners in these hundred years. I have never had a need to knock because nothing ever changed.

    I wiped the blood away and pressed a hand to my pounding heart. My hands were shaking, more than before. It was more because of nervousness than alcoholism. I felt like a p*rvert. I had gotten excited and gotten a nosebleed like a hormonal teenager! I wanted to argue that the nosebleed was because I had been very tired.

    I had looked at every nook and cranny of Acrab for a hundred years, and I had seen many vulgar things. Of course, I never felt excited or envious. During the hundred years of living, I had never been frustrated, so I was taken aback by the current situation.

    Am I really that s*xu*lly frustrated? Really? I headed to my own room and washed my face with cold water. I then made my way to the door of his room again and stood there awkwardly. I wonder if he had seen the nosebleed. No! I closed the door fast. Will it show?

    After wiping my face with my sleeves, I made sure I knocked. He didn¡¯t respond from inside. He must be angry at me. I sighed. Of course, he would be angry. Anyone would be. It must have been so very ufortable, more so for him than for me.

    I knocked again, there was no answer yet again. Reluctantly, I pushed open the door. ¡°I aming in!¡± I said as a warning. I decided to be brazen this time.

    What I had learnt while travelling with him was that I had to be brazen with Kaichen. He talked very little, and his face was set in stone. So, unless I looked closely, I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. So, I had to talk and ask boldly in a straightforward way. I just have to act natural.

    ¡°Did you forget your manners too?¡± Kaichen, who was finally clothed fully, said in annoyance. He looked utterly baffled by my very rude behavior.

    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I said, ¡°I lived alone for so long that it became a habit. I will be careful next time.¡±

    ¡°There will be no next time. Do note to my room ever again.¡±

    ¡°What? How can I do that? You are the only other person here!¡±

    Although we had our own reasons for this arrangement, it couldn¡¯t be ignored that we were, after all, a man and a woman living in the same house in the middle of wilderness. It was a strange and awkward arrangement, but it made one smile.

    ¡°Anyway, I came here because I wanted to ask you something,¡± I said.

    Kaichen, who seemed tired, raised his head with a short sigh. I took it as a signal for me to keep talking.

    ¡°If you have any magical potion that can help with my shaking hands, can you give it to me?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t such a medicine.¡±

    ¡°Then, can I borrow your books on magic and medicine?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to make it yourself?¡±

    ¡°If it is not avable then yes, I want to make it myself. I can¡¯t continue living with these shaking hands.¡± I put out my hands towards him which I had hidden before from out of sight. For over a week, my hands had been shaking uncontrobly to make my daily life difficult.

 Chapter 23

    <strong>Chapter 23</strong>

    In my previous life, I heard about the difficulties people faced while oveing alcoholism. I was not prepared for the side effects of quitting drinking on Dalia¡¯s body. It was terrible!

    ording to a medical book I had read at Acrab, the first step was to identify the root cause of the habit and the urge to turn to alcohol. But that was irrelevant to me because the real Dalia had disappeared, and I wasn¡¯t really reliant on alcohol.

    However, there was nothing I could do but suffer the withdrawal symptoms of this body. At first, the only symptom was my hands trembling. But I started throwing up whatever I ate. I felt anxious and I suffered from nightmares frequently. I hid everything from Kaichen, as much as I was able, in the duration of the trip but I doubted that I could hide it from him anymore.

    I¡¯m going to die while trying to stop drinking. D*mn you, Dalia! What the hell was so difficult that you had to be like this? As much as I cursed her, I sympathized with her. It must have been a horrible blow to Dalia, who lost both her parents overnight, and lost almost everything in the midst of the trauma. But it was my body now, and I am going crazy with this!

    ¡°Making a magical potion is dangerous. It might go terribly wrong if you are unable to awaken the magic while having no knowledge of medicine¡­,¡± Kaichen looked at me with a surprised face. ¡°Did you learn those while you were trapped in the time magic?¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean to go red but Kaichen, the great Archmage, looking at me in wonder made me flustered. ¡°I had a lot of time,¡± I said in response.

    Kaichen still looked at me. He seemed to be thinking for a long while. ¡°Did you also teach yourself magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± I said, ¡°But only the basics.¡± Perhaps he felt it was impressive for someone to teach themselves magic without a teacher. Not many attempted to learn magic without a mentor.

    A mage would usually be on the look-out for anyone with the ability to awaken the magical power within them. Having found them, they would take a disciple. The journey would then begin for the teacher to teach their apprentice to awaken their magical power and gather the mana within their heart. There was no mage without a teacher. Nobody could ever awaken their mana by themselves. They always needed a teacher, a guide.

    Nobody in the continent had ever seeded in awakening their mana alone. Even someone as great as Kaichen had learnt from a teacher, Matabju. So, I, who had managed to awaken the mana all by myself, might seem very strange to him.

    ¡°Are you saying that you have awakened your mana by yourself?¡±

    ¡°With great difficulty, yes. But as I said, I had a lot of time on my hands.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯tpletely impossible. Since I was able to do it.

    I had been free and bored with plenty of time at my disposal. So, it hasn¡¯t been difficult to awaken my mana after lots of studies. In the original novel, Julius had brought Matabju as a teacher to Kaichen. The event was described in very intricate detail. I had learnt to awaken my mana by copying Julius. It didn¡¯t work at first, of course. But I had tried it relentlessly for ten years and I was finally, painstakingly, able to do it. I had ced my hopes on Kaichen to rescue Acrab from the time magic and had focused on building my own skills.

    I had tried to train myself physically as well. I had even taken up a wooden sword to learn swordy. But it didn¡¯t matter even if I practiced for the whole day with blisters on my hand, the next day I would be where I had begun. My body would be back to its original state. Pushing myself physically had been fruitless, so eventually I gave up on it and focused on learning magic, instead. But to be eligible to be registered as a mage, I needed a teacher. It was mandatory. I chose Kaichen because I knew that he woulde to Acrab to break the time magic.

    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend on doing you any favors.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on! We will be living together here for god knows how long. Please do me this smallest of favors.¡± I walked to him and shortened the distance between us. I then got on my knees to plead. I had my moments of drama. ¡°Please ept me as your disciple.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Kaichen. He looked surprised but quickly regained hisposure. I refused to get up. I was desperate to be a mage and have him teach me. I didn¡¯t care about lofty ideals like my pride, for example.

    ¡°I beg you! Please! I would have learnt more magic by myself. But it is mandatory to have a teacher even just to register as a mage. I want you to be my teacher. Please!¡±

    ¡°There are many mages who want disciples. Find someone else.¡±

    ¡°But then they would think of me differently because I have already awakened my mana. I don¡¯t want that!¡± Kaichen looked at me and said nothing.

    ¡°Think about it. If a student who is a beginner has already awakened their mana and knows the basics of magic, the teacher might not really ept it willingly. They might be jealous! They won¡¯t teach me properly.¡±

    ¡°Compared to such mages, wouldn¡¯t you, a genius of the century yourself, be the perfect fit for me? You won¡¯t be jealous, and you already know my secret. You are the perfect teacher I could find!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. You know it too.¡±

    Kaichen, who received the surname ¡®Tenebre¡¯ from the magic tower, knew that better than anyone else. He averted my gaze pretending to look away. But I put my hands together and said, ¡°I beg you. Please ept me as your disciple. I will try my hardest and do my best to learn everything from you. You won¡¯t regret it, I promise.¡±

 Chapter 24

    <strong>Chapter 24</strong>

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Kaichen tly refused.

    ¡°I¡¯ll diligently cooperate with the research,¡± I pestered.

    ¡°That¡¯s something you already promised.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ then¡­¡± I searched for things to say. ¡°If you ept me as your disciple, I will do anything!¡±

    ¡°You already said that, too, when you asked me to take you out of Acrab.¡±

    ¡°No! Wait! I will¡­,¡± I raised my head, biting my lips anxiously, racking my brain for anything I could offer. ¡°I will clean and do theundry. I will cook as well. I will do all the chores of the house so that you won¡¯t need to focus on anything else except your research. You don¡¯t even have to teach me every day, just some days. If you lend me your grimoire, I will learn everything by myself and only approach you when I have problems. I promise!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to teach me many things. You can just teach me basic magic. I swear I won¡¯t bother you!¡± I didn¡¯t intend to be the greatest mage like Kaichen, so it was enough for me to learn different kinds of basic magic to protect myself in certain situations. ¡°You know I am a good cook. You ate the food I cooked deliciously on our way here. And I know you like things to be neat and clean. I promise I will cook, clean and do all theundry. You won¡¯t even find a speck of dust anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Have you gone crazy? Do you even know how to do any of that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do! You forget that I had a lot of time. A hundred years! I learnt everything!¡± I insisted, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have a secretary? Those sweets you love, I can make them! You know that Acrab is a ce where the greatest craftsmen live, right?¡±

    Kaichen seemed to be frowning. Perhaps he was thinking about my cooking, or maybe he was thinking about how many sweets I could make. Finally, his golden eyes shifted andnded on me. The gaze was full of question and confusion. He was trying to gauge what my intentions were.

    Hopefully, he saw my sincerity on my face. I wasn¡¯t lying. I was desperate to learn magic and I would do anything in return. I was also immensely grateful to him anyway for breaking the time magic and setting me free. He was the first step to my n. He was the one I waited for a hundred years. I was willing to do the cooking,undry, and cleaning without any problem.

    However, as expected of someone who had not had a single disciple so far, he firmly refused. ¡°I still don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Is it because he doesn¡¯t like me? Or he doesn¡¯t like having a disciple in general? However, looking at Kaichen¡¯s conflicted expression told me that I still had a chance. ¡°Then how about a temporary disciple?¡±

    ¡°What? Why should I agree to something like that?¡±

    ¡°Because I want to be your disciple.¡±

    ¡°I have only brought you here as the subject for my research of forbidden magic. Your sudden request of wanting to be my disciple just doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing confusing about it. Just take it as an unexpected discovery of someone¡¯s magic ability that you want to train.¡±

    ¡°You are hardly a little girl at twenty-two. Usually, teachers search for young disciples.¡±

    ¡°When ites to magic, I am still a little girl at heart,¡± I teased. Kaichen didn¡¯t humor me. I stood up slowly. ¡°Just think of me as a ¡®temporary¡¯ disciple. I will do everything as a disciple does and then you can decide if you want to keep teaching me.¡±

    Kaichen walked to the small study connected to his bedroom and came back with a book. He held it out to me with a short sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a basic magic book about making magic potions.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Iughed in relief.

    Kaichen turned away. ¡°Then please leave.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Of course! I will make dinner.¡±

    ¡°There is no need.¡±

    ¡°No! You epted me as your temporary disciple. Of course, I have to! I will make something delicious. Then teacher, please get some rest!¡±

    After calling him ¡®teacher¡¯, I walked out of the door with quick strides before he could change his mind. Before I closed the door after me, I thought I saw his face going a little red. I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was flustered or angry. Or whether I had imagined the whole thing. It was hard to tell because of his bronzeplexion.

    Even so, I managed to be a disciple to the great Kaichen, albeit temporarily. I will finally be able to register as a mage! Once I make it officially, I will be in his shadow. I returned to my room with a wicked smile.

    It was a gloomy room with nothing but a bed, but I was happy. I had a ce to stay at least. Just knowing that I wasn¡¯t the Countess Alshine of Acrab here, made my heart feel a little lighter.

    I put the magic book that Kaichen gave me on the bed and went down to the first floor with my magic bag. Kaichen¡¯s house had a kitchen, but there were no utensils or equipment to cook with. Judging from the fact that there were only a few fine cups, it seemed to have been set aside to serve tea to the guests (if at all) who came to the house.

    Maybe Julius brought them asionally. I got curious about what Kaichen ate when he lived here. But worrying about him was useless. Even if he didn¡¯t have time to cook, maybe he just teleported to the nearby city and ate there.

    However, in order to win him over and be an official disciple, I needed cooking utensils and ingredients. I saw a vige on the way here. It wasn¡¯t asrge as Acrab but I am sure the vige had some grocery stores that sold ingredients. It was far away. I decided to go to the vige market tomorrow, after cooperating with the research.

 Chapter 25

    <strong>Chapter 25</strong>

    I need money. Will he give me some money if I ask? The dish I made which held my future by a thread was¡­ a simple toast. French toast topped with fine sugar, bought from Acrab, which was also one of Kaichen¡¯s favorite. Of course, I didn¡¯t ask him! I knew it from the original novel because Julius kept teasing him about it.

    I put it on the table and returned to my room. I headed to the bathroom which was attached to the room. After taking a shower, I changed into my pajamas andid down on the bed. I am so tired. My hands were still shaking, and I felt nauseous. I had tried vomiting in the bathroom, but there was nothing left to throw up. I felt so weary but was afraid to sleep because of the nightmares.

    But this isn¡¯t Acrab¡­ maybe I won¡¯t have those nightmares here¡­. I closed my eyes and drifted slowly to sleep.

    * * *

    The woman walked through the halls of the magnificent imperial pce. She was elegantly dressed in fine jewelries worn beautifully without being excessive. She looked divine with straight, blue hair that reached down to her waist. She had cold, blue eyes. The woman, tall and lean, stopped.

    ¡°Sister, did you sleep alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to not be at peace in the quiet imperial pce. You look chirpy. Any good news fromst night?¡± Her voice was soft and kind.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even that good of a news. But I am relieved that the forbidden magic of Acrab has been broken.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s illness is getting worse these days¡­ forbidden magic. Was it Momalhout¡¯s doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I think so. I think it is the work of Momalhout that is disturbing the empire.¡± The woman who had been waving her fan, folded it and smiled. ¡°I wonder why it was Acrab. Do you have any idea why the magic was used against Acrab?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me as if I know something.¡±

    ¡°No way. My sister is the wisest person in the whole empire, so I just assumed you would know about Momalhout¡¯s wicked ns.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an overstatement! There are things I don¡¯t know¡­¡­ I am always embarrassed to beplimented by you. A mighty magic knight.¡±

    ¡°I was just telling the truth,¡± said Julius. He shrugged his shoulders and directed a bright smile at her. The woman looked at him with cold blue eyes. The woman knew his smile was fake.

    ¡°I have work to do, so I¡¯m in a hurry. I will meet youter.¡±

    ¡°Have a good day, sister.¡±

    ¡°You too, Julius.¡±

    The woman who passed Julius, walked as gracefully as before, undisturbed. Her steps, neither slow nor fast, were light and graceful. When she arrived at the study, the guards greeted her, she passed them and turned her back on the stack of documents. Standing by a widely open window, the woman clenched the fan she was holding in her hand.

    ¡°Asta.¡± A masked man appeared like a shadow to the quiet call.

    ¡°Master. May the blue dragon¡¯s protection continue-¡±

    ¡°Enough. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to greet me like that?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t presume to disrespect the princess by not greeting formally when called.¡±

    ¡°I told you not to. Just tell me about Acrab. Seeing Julius soured my mood.¡±

    She pulled a chair and sat down, pressing her forehead as if she could feel a headache forming. She seemed to rx. She seemed morefortable with the masked man.

    ¡°As we expected, Kaichen Tenebre broke Acrab¡¯s magic. It took quite a while, so it was hard to even for the Archmage.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It really took more time than expected. What next?¡±

    ¡°It was as the Master predicted. The day after the spell was broken, Kaichen Tenebre left Acrab with Countess Alshine.¡±

    The hand that had been knocking on the desk stopped abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they went to the magic tower.¡±

    ¡°They did not go to the magic tower.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but the direction they went was not towards the magic tower. It was after they came out of Acrab, so I couldn¡¯t find out anymore because I thought I¡¯d get caught by him if I approached more closely.¡±

    ¡°Which direction?¡±

    ¡°They headed to the south.¡±

    With a short sigh, the woman pressed her temples again. She frowned. ¡°If it is the south, they might be headed to Kaichen Tenebre¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°Shall I follow them?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ll definitely be caught. Let them be.¡± Stroking the fan decorated with peacock feathers, the woman lowered her eyes. ¡°Even if he is an Archmage, he won¡¯t be able to figure out anything about Acrab¡¯s forbidden magic, so we don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°Did you take care of the mage?¡± asked the woman.

    ¡°Yes, I took care of him right after he cast the magic.¡±

    ¡°Do not leave anyone involved alive. You must have brought the magic spell he used, right?¡±

    At the request of the woman, the masked Asta handed her a roll of parchment. The woman slowly put down the fan and opened the scroll. A cold smile formed on her face.

    ¡°This is why magic is bound to be solid. He was a pretty talented mage, but it¡¯s a pity. Should I have kept him alive?¡±

    ¡°His magic power was depleting, so even if I had saved him, you would not have been able to use him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±

 Chapter 26

    The woman put the scroll aside and put her hands together. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this is just the beginning, Asta.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Tell Momalhout to do nothing and justy low for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it may be, it seems like for the time being we can be at peace.¡±

    As the woman smiled with satisfaction, Asta disappeared without leaving a trace, just like when he had first appeared. The woman, who was alone now, leaned slowly against the chair, ncing at the piled documents.

    ¡°I just have to continue like this¡­¡­ Julius, I will not lose to you.¡± Unlike the cold smile on a pure and beautiful face, her blue eyes were full of passion.

    Akshetra Kalhai, Imperial princess and stepsister to Julius. Until Julius¡¯s existence was revealed to the world, she was the Crown Princess and the sole heir to the throne. The unfortunate princess who was deprived of everything and who was qualified to receive protection of the blue dragon would not give up.

    ¡°It is me who will be the Emperor, Julius.¡± There was a fear no one knew about in her boiling desire, but Akshetra lightly pressed her forehead and picked up the documents to do her work.

    *

    I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Instead of feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, my head throbbed in protest. I rubbed my eyes and frowned. The chirping was really getting annoying now. Today¡¯s breakfast will be grilled bird meat if these birds don¡¯t shut up!

    After forcing myself to get up from the bed, I opened the window. The sun hadn¡¯t risen yet and dawn was just emerging. The fact that finally I had fallen asleep only to wake up to the birds screaming made me very angry. I really wanted to grill them. Why do birds have to chirp so early and so loudly? Normally, I would have screamed so loudly to scare the birds away from the window but when I saw the yellow roses in full bloom in the yard and the rustling willow tree by the pond, I could not scream.

    This is not Acrab, I reminded myself. This is Kaichen¡¯s house. Kaichen, my teacher. Even if it was just temporary. My head throbbed and I felt nauseous. I was also very hungry.

    This is getting serious. A throbbing head, trembling hands, nausea, and now insomnia. I entertained myself with the thought of whether I should take up alcohol again just to be rid of these symptoms. I wasn¡¯t reliant on alcohol like Dalia, but her body and its withdrawal symptoms were making me crazy.

    Dalia, d*mn you Dalia! Why the hell did you have to do this to yourself? What was so unbearable that you had to get to this state? I cursed her as I asked the unanswerable question. I yawned and stretched. I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep anyway, and there was nothing to do in this empty room. I decided to take a walk near the house, which I wasn¡¯t able to do yesterday.

    Should I take some books with me too? It would be the perfect time to read the book that Kaichen had given me. It was still dark, but it didn¡¯t matter. I could use magic to create a small light. The cool air soothed my throbbing head a little.

    If the original story goes on, nothing special will happen for the next three months. But after that¡­ I sighed deeply, recalling the original story that I had thought about for the thousandth time. Will I be able to get my alcoholic body back to normal in three months? Or will treatment be better in this case?

    While trapped in time magic, I never imagined that this body¡¯s addiction to alcohol would be so serious. When I felt my hands tremble if I didn¡¯t drink for a day, I just thought that it would get better. However, after returning to reality outside of time magic, I realized that this body was in an even worse condition than I had imagined it to be.

    I had thought that my trembling hands were the only problem, but all kinds of symptoms started to manifest. How can I ovee this? It was fortunate that I believed that it was possible for me to survive without resorting to alcohol. However, I felt so anxious that my physical health deteriorated every day. If this goes on, and if I am unable to cope with it, I might start searching for alcohol soon.

    ¡°I must make the cure.¡± I spat out the words of determination, passed the yard, andid down on a pretty meadow full of wildflowers. A small sphere of light that I had made with magic floated over me. It was brighter than amp and I didn¡¯t need to hold it on my palms to be able to read. Everything was set. I could begin reading the book.

    Hmm¡­ It¡¯s really not that different from making Mickey¡¯s medicine. The efficacy of the medicine is also something to consider, but I need to know the symptoms of the disease in detail. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be very difficult because I had already made the medicine that treated Mickey¡¯s disease, which wasn¡¯t yet identified.

    I had read so many books before that it didn¡¯t take me long toplete the book that Kaichen had given me. After finishing reading it, I covered my face with the book. Treatment for Alcoholism¡­ I might need Kaichen¡¯s help¡­. But I was someone who knew all the medical books and herbal medicine of Acrab. Maybe I can do it.

 Chapter 27

    It¡¯s not that I was unaware of the effects of alcoholism, but Dalia¡¯s body had reached such a level of addiction that her body was unable to function without alcohol. The withdrawal symptoms kept bing severe and I was afraid it was going to get worse.

    ¡°Will he help me?¡± I mumbled to myself and sighed. Soon it was bright enough that I didn¡¯t need the sphere of light anymore. I rolled around on the grass for a while and sat up.

    I need to be positive. ¡°Besides, he would hardly want his one and only disciple to die of alcoholism. If I persuade him a little, I know he will help,¡± I said aloud to myself.

    My condition had be worse than what I had expected. But I still had three months before the incident foretold in the original story coulde to pass. I just have to make the cure before that and improve my physical health. It wouldn¡¯t be easy but there was no other way.

    I will keep addressing him as ¡®teacher¡¯. Who knows that he might eventually get used to it and ept me as his official disciple?

    * * *

    If I could sum up my duties and my rtionship to Kaichen, it would be ¡®temporary disciple to the archmage¡¯ on the surface, while also being his research subject and a capable maid.

    Sitting on my bed, I recalled the past week. First, Kaichen hade home in such a long time that he didn¡¯t emerge from the safety of his room for four whole days. When I prepared the first breakfast and saw that it had been left untouched, I opened his bedroom door to offer the food. I enquired whether he could spare some money so that I could buy some ingredients for better food. Upon which, he looked at me with deep contempt and threw a bag of gold coins at me and threatened to throw me out if I ever came to his room without being summoned. Granted I should have knocked (which I had forgotten to do, yet again), but did I really deserve to be looked at with so much loathing?

    While repeating to myself that I needed to learn to knock, I walked to the nearby vige with gold coins in my pocket. Sharatan was the southernmost vige in the Empire. It lookedpletely different from Acrab, which was towards the east.

    Due to its unique terrain, Acrab had only two roads to Hwangdo Ind, one of which passed through the rugged Mencar Mountains. It used to be a very steep road, but in recent years it had been overrun with thieves, who stole all of the goods from merchants of Acrab.

    The other way was a detour to the south, which took longer than crossing the mountain range, and the cost of passage was expensive as well. So, going that way was a loss for the merchants. Since both routes posed problems, I had no choice but to put a hold on the travelling merchants till I found a solution. I am so unlucky all the time.

    I looked at the Sharatan vige. It wasn¡¯t as big as Acrab, obviously, but it was big for a vige and had decent shops and taverns. The peculiar thing I found out about this vige was that it was warm all year, so everyone wore light clothes. I, having been cold in Kaichen¡¯s house, had opted for a thick robe thinking it would be cold here. Great! Now I felt like an outsider. My whole outfit screamed ¡®outsider¡¯, in fact.

    People were very tan in Sharatan vige. They had brown skin. I now realized why Kaichen¡¯splexion was copper-colored. In the original novel, it was briefly mentioned that he was from the southern part of the country.

    ¡°Mister, this is delicious! What is it made of?¡±

    ¡°You have good taste! It¡¯s a desert-scorpion, grilled over a direct fire with Sharatan¡¯s special seasoning sauce!¡±

    It was savory and sweet and had a tangy, spicy taste which lingered in my mouth deliciously. The flesh was plump and juicy. I had never tasted anything of this sort in Acrab.

    I barfed. A pity that my body couldn¡¯t digest anything delicious. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I apologized hastily, ¡°This is really delicious. I would eat it every day if I could, but I am not feeling very well right now, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t feeling well, maybe you should see a doctor.¡±

    I paid for the food and waved to the shopkeeper as I walked away trying to avoid his concerned gaze studying my face. I had lost my appetite now. No matter what I tried, I felt queasy and nauseous. I gave up on tasting the various delicious food here. I couldn¡¯t digest it anyway, so what was even the point?

    I went to the furniture store next, cursing Dalia in my mind for being a drunkard that she was. I didn¡¯t really need to buy too much but I was getting tired and lonely of the empty room. I at least needed a desk and a chair, and maybe a few other things to study and make my potion.

    ¡°You want to make a custom order?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a desk that looks like this, can you make it for me?¡± I asked, showing the owner of the store a blueprint that I had drawn myself. ¡°I can exin everything in detail if you have any questions.¡±

    ¡°This is curiously a very detailed drawing. It won¡¯t be difficult to make,¡± the owner looked at me. ¡°But if you can draw it in so much detail, I am sure you can even make it yourself.¡±

    ¡°I am not well, so I don¡¯t have the strength to make it myself.¡±

    The owner nodded and agreed to make it, probably because I looked so sickly and exhausted after having walked all the way to the vige.

    ¡°Seeing how fair you are, you don¡¯t seem to be from around here.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am visiting an acquaintance. I will be staying here for a while.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really hear about anyone arriving in the vigetely.¡± The owner looked at me, suspicion clouding his gaze.

    I pulled down the hood low over my head. ¡°It is a bit far from here. He doesn¡¯t like associating with people.¡±

    ¡°What a recluse and a nerd.¡±

    Iughed out loud. I had heard so many nicknames for Kaichen but ¡®nerd¡¯ was a first. And where was the lie? He was a nerd and a recluse.

 Chapter 28

    I paid the price for my things and told the owner that I woulde pick them upter. I really needed to purchase a change of clothes. I was surprised at the way the people in the vige treated me. They were always polite and kind. Perhaps many merchants passed through here, and they were no strangers to outsiders. I was really grateful for it.

    It waspletely different from Acrab where entrics like Kaichen lived. People were always suspicious of outsiders in Acrab. The craftsmen always assumed the foreigners and travelers might steal their art and technique. Acrab was full of craftsmen from all over the empire who had unique trades. It was understandable for them to feel protective of their techniques, but it was still rude. They were like the dwarves from a fantasy novel, convinced that their skill was the best in the entire world while treating others as though they were less than them. In contrast, people in Sharatan, were very pleasant.

    Because of Acrab¡¯s attitude towards outsiders, they depended on merchant group run by Count Alshine to trade their goods outside of Acrab. Due to their entric nature, nobody wanted to trade with them personally.

    I continued to explore Sharatan. ¡°Wow! This is really fresh! Can I buy a box?¡±

    ¡°Are you having a party? Since you are an outsider, I must tell you that if you buy a lot of these, they will go bad in the hot weather.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you! But that¡¯s alright, I will buy a box.¡±

    I bought a few snacks and some ingredients at the food section of the market. I had learnt freezing magic and had managed to make something like a refrigerator. It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult. I intended to convert a box into a refrigerator to store the food when I reached back to Kaichen¡¯s. Only a small box. I didn¡¯t want to change the atmosphere of his house.

    ¡°What do you call this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a blue apple, Sharatan specialty. It¡¯s juicy and sweet as sugar. It¡¯s a little expensive, but it¡¯s a fruit that nobles like.¡±

    I squinted at the blue apple. For some reason, its blue color reminded me of the main character, Julius. He had blue hair. He was the man I must approach if I wanted this novel toe to an end so that I could live my life peacefully.

    ¡°I will take five.¡±

    Despite its blue color, which gave away a feeling of it being cold and maybe bitter, it was exceptionally sweet. It would be perfect for Kaichen. I put the fruits in my bag with a smile. I walked around.

    I wasn¡¯t feeling very well but buying things for the house was exciting. I liked how Sharatan was so lively and bustling with people. It was so opposite to Acrab. At times, it made me forget about Acrabpletely and it eased the guilt weighing on my mind. By the time I was done with my shopping and reached home, it was already midnight.

    I looked at Kaichen¡¯s room. No light shone from under the door. I remembered his contempt and anger from this morning, so I turned away and walked to the kitchen. Kaichen stayed inside his room and didn¡¯te out. I started working on the kitchen. When I was done with that, I decorated my room with the furniture I had bought.

    After wandering around Sharatan for a few days, I became familiar with the ce. I even became friendly with the people there and greeted them every time I saw them. It was partly because of my open and brazen personality. Many were surprised by my fair skin and ck hair. My health deteriorated day by day and I felt bloated all the time.

    ¡°Why are your eyes so sunken? Are you taking good care of yourself? You¡¯ve been buying so many ingredients, and yet your face is still so white.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see a doctor? Your face looks so pale it feels like you¡¯re about to die soon.¡±

    ¡°Dalia! Why are you sitting on the ground? Are you dizzy again? Didn¡¯t I tell you to go see a doctor?¡±

    Store owners and vigers alike threw words of caution and concern at me since I had be fairly close to them in these few days. They were so kind, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell them that I was suffering because I was a recovering alcoholic. I just smiled at their concerns for me and thanked them.

    I didn¡¯t know what Kaichen did in his room all day and night. But when he came out after four days, he took one look at me and said, ¡°What is this? Even a day-old corpse would look better than you!¡± I took it to mean that he was worried about me in his own way.

    A week passed. I couldn¡¯t get out of my bed. I blinked at the sunrise because it was too bright. My condition seemed to worsen day by day. The trembling of my hands and feet were so extreme that I couldn¡¯t function normally. I sat up slowly and dragged myself to the bathroom. I washed my face with cold water, but my mind was still hazy, and I felt very weak. I looked in the mirror, horrified.

    I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep because of insomnia and nightmares, therefore, Dalia¡¯s body had deteriorated even more. Her face looked back at me in the mirror with rough, pale skin, frizzy hair and sunken eyes with huge dark circles underneath.

    What the heck?! I cursed at Dalia. This is all your fault! Why in hell do I have to suffer like this all because of you? My anger red and bubbled. I impulsively punched the mirror.

    The loud shatter rang through the quiet room. Broken sses scattered everywhere. Blood dripped from my hands. But my frustration didn¡¯t go away. The pain made me even more angry. I knew that I was being irrational, but it didn¡¯t matter at the moment. I was so angry. I didn¡¯t even get to choose a body. Why? Why do I have to go through so many hardships? Why in hell did I transmigrate into this damned novel in this d*mned body?!

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Aaaaa!¡± A piercing headache stabbed so painfully that it felt as though it would split my head apart. Memories came rushing but they were blurred and flickering. I bit my lips and stumbled out of the bathroom. I knew that this was a part of the withdrawal symptoms but there was nothing I could do to fix it.

    I had tried everything. When Kaichen was cooped up in his room, I had read the book and tried all kinds of experiments and mixtures. I had used my own knowledge and tried everything in the medical book. Nothing worked. The symptoms were all so diverse that I couldn¡¯t make a proper cure. Unfortunately, I was running out of time. It wasn¡¯t the same as when I was trapped in the time magic and could start over the next day when something went wrong with the medicine I made for Mickey.

    There had been plenty of time, and I observed Mickey as a third party. And¡­ as terrible as it sounded, I had a subject to experiment on who would be returned as he was the next day. I couldn¡¯t experiment on my own body because I only had one. And it wouldn¡¯t be returned to me. What if it made the symptoms worse?

    I didn¡¯t know it would be so frustrating to be unable to save myself. I felt guilty for using a small boy to experiment on. I was horrible!

    ¡°Aargh!¡± I felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t stand upright. I fell on my knee. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. I felt as though my pores were on fire. My vision blurred, and all I could see was Mickey¡¯s miserable face and his convulsing body.

    It¡¯s just a hallucination, I told myself. It¡¯s just a hallucination. Mickey is not here¡­. Holding onto that shred of rationality, I tried to recall the contents of the book. Hallucination was one of the symptoms associated with withdrawal from alcohol. Even though I knew all that, horrible memories and visions blurred my sight. I could not bear to see them. I could not stand hearing them scream. All the despair and resentment.

    ¡°¡ªlia!¡± I shut my eyes. I thought that I heard someone calling me.

    My whole body ached and itched. I felt as if bugs were gnawing on my skin. My lips were parched and dry. I bit my lips and scratched my skin. The pain didn¡¯t go away. I kept seeing horrible things even with closed eyes. I wanted to gouge my eyes out. I was going to do just that, but I felt someone holding down my hands. I struggled and heard someone calling distantly, amidst all the screams and resentment ringing in my ears.

    ¡°Dalia!¡± A low voice called.

    Dalia¡­ Dalia¡­ that is my name! I flinched as I heard the name from among the screams. I struggled to free myself to scratch my skin to soothe the burn, to tear my skin away. But something held down my arms. I could taste blood between my lips. It was so painful. Everything hurt. ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡± I screamed and sobbed. I didn¡¯t know whether I was saying it aloud or my mind was ringing again. ¡°It¡¯s so painful.¡±

    ¡°Dalia. Get a hold of yourself! Open your eyes.¡±

    Open my eyes? ¡°I would see the horrible things again,¡± I screamed. I didn¡¯t know if I was screaming in reality or only in my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see. I want to gouge my eyes out. Please.¡±

    ¡°Stop it. Calm down, Dalia.¡±

    I don¡¯t know who I was begging with, but I cried and begged. It must be in my mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. Please,¡± I cried. ¡°Please don¡¯t let me die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± said the voice, ¡°So, stop it now.¡± A warm, calm energy filled my heart.

    I could feel my skin being soothed. The itching subsided. The headache disappeared. My eyes didn¡¯t throb anymore. I felt that this was all unlikely. Is this another hallucination? But the screams in my mind had stopped. The voices, the despair, the visions, everything stopped.

    ¡°Open your eyes, Dalia. It¡¯s okay now.¡± The low voice sounded exhausted. It brought me back to my senses. My mind slowly cleared and all I could think was, Ah, this is crazy!

    I should have expected this. Dalia¡¯s alcoholism was very severe. I knew that the withdrawal symptoms would get worse. Hallucinations, impulsive behavior, irrational thinking were all symptoms that were normal in this case. I was not prepared for the horrible visions. The memories of experiencing those horrible things were something no one should be subjected to.

    Alcoholism was more horrible than I expected. I had thought of asking Kaichen for help, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to intrude upon him. I had tried to make the cure myself. I had avoided asking him. I opened my eyes slowly. Kaichen¡¯s face came into view. He was holding me down, maybe thinking I would try to gouge out my eyes again.

    ¡°Teacher¡­,¡± I mumbled. Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched in annoyance but he didn¡¯t tell me off like he usually did.

    ¡°I tried¡­ I couldn¡¯t make the cure. Can¡­ you help?¡± I winced. ¡°If you could¡­ I would be grateful.¡± I tried to smile but only winced because of the pain in my mouth. I stammered but the words wouldn¡¯te out properly. Eventually, I let out a dryugh and winced again.

    ¡°You fool!¡± Kaichen reached out a hand and ced it on my forehead. The world turned ck. But it was a soft darkness that enveloped all in a warm tranquility. There were no hallucinations, no screams. I felt safe and rxed for the first time and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 30

    Kaichen had realized that his body was in a much worse condition than he had initially expected. He suffered from depletion of his mana. It was good that he had returned home instead of going to the magic tower.

    Even after sleeping for four full days, he was still exhausted. He hadn¡¯t recovered fully but this would do for now. If he hadn¡¯te back and rested, it could have been fatal. It would take time to restore his mana. The magic he used to break the time magic in Acrab had taken its toll on his body.

    Kaichen had chosen to build his house in the forest where no other people could find it easily. He had also created a magical circle around it so that the space was infused with recovery magic. It was his resting ce and also a ce where he could hide from others in the continent. Although that might be contestable now, since he wasn¡¯t alone in living here. There was someone else who felt it okay to casually open his bedroom without knocking. Even after his outburst, she had just softly smiled without seeming surprised.

    It stumped him. How does she just casually open the door to a man¡¯s room? Even if she had been trapped and alone for a hundred years, it would be embarrassing to open the door to a man¡¯s room unannounced, especially for a woman. Is it because she doesn¡¯t see me as a man? The thought didn¡¯t make him happy.

    He frowned and tried to brush off the thought. He felt the mana building within and around his body. It wasn¡¯t aplete recovery, but it was working. He liked the food she cooked. It was better than the Imperial Pce Chef¡¯s for starters. He restrained himself from pouncing on the food because she always watched him as he ate to gauge what he liked. Her gaze was always curious, and persistent.

    Why aren¡¯t you eating? He wanted to ask. They had eaten together during the trip here. But every time she made him breakfast; it was only him who ate while she watched. She had transformed the kitchen that he had maybe visited only around five times in his entire life. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it definitely felt more homely andfortable. He didn¡¯t need to go to the vige to eat anymore and she always made things that he liked.

    ¡°Teacher! The soil in the yard is good. Can I nt vegetables there?¡±

    ¡°How is it? I made it to suit your taste.¡±

    ¡°I know you like it, but you don¡¯t want to admit it! You think I don¡¯t know?¡±

    Endless questions! Just a week, maybe two that they had spent together, and Dalia already knew all about his taste. His mysophobia that Julius said was serious was nothing to worry about with Dalia. She cleaned everything spotlessly. Not a speck of dust anywhere.

    Kaichen was curious in the beginning but now he was sure. There was always a scent of rose emanating in the house from the time she came. It seemed she was concocting something with the yellow roses blooming outside the house. How many talents does she possess? What else did she learn for a hundred years? He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he was in awe. Of course, he would never mention it aloud.

    Why the hell do I not mind when she changes things in the house? Kaichen wondered. He had always been a stickler when it came to his house and his space but curiously, he seemed to like it when she changed things around here.

    He always heard her downstairs from early in the morning tote at night. Always busily moving around. Does this woman even sleep? He had wondered more than once.

    One day when he went downstairs and saw her, herplexion looked very pale, and she looked ragged. But he was reminded of painful childhood memories, so he didn¡¯t pry. He wanted to distance himself from her as much as possible.

    He only viewed her as his subject for research, so he spent a while in the morning to ask her about the hundred years she had spent in the time magic and what she could tell him about the forbidden magic.

    He loathed even that interaction. So, he suggested that she write her experiences in the time magic in a report and give it to him. He looked at her haggard and fatigued face but didn¡¯t think much of it because Dalia¡¯s reputation as an alcoholic preceded her. Besides, she had said she was quitting drinking, so he found no reason to worry.

    ¡°Aaaaah! Aargh!¡± A piercing scream cut through the quiet one morning. When he rushed to her room, he found that her hands were cut and dripping with blood. Shattered mirror sses were everywhere. She was kneeling on the ground with her hands pressed tightly against her ears and her eyes tightly closed. Her body was shaking uncontrobly. She then started scratching her skin as though she wanted to tear them away from her body.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°Dalia!¡± shouted Kaichen, startled, as he rushed in and grabbed her hands, horrified at the scene.

    How long has she been doing this to herself? He looked at the crimson trails on her skin. Her entire body was bleeding. It was because she scratched herself raw without seemingly being aware that she was tearing at her own skin.

    When he grabbed her hands and held her down, she struggled and screamed. Her eyes fluttered open and then shut again. She shook her head vigorously, trying to deter him from interfering with whatever she was doing.

    ¡°Argh! It¡¯s itchy! Bu-bugs¡­¡­ Let go! Let go of me!¡± There were no bugs, but she looked as though she was going to die if she didn¡¯t scratch them away from her body.

    Dalia¡¯s body convulsed painfully. It didn¡¯t matter if he was kicked, scratched or even beaten, he wouldn¡¯t let go of her hands.

    ¡°Dalia! Stop!¡± He shouted her name over and over again, trying to reach her. But Dalia seemed to have gone mad. She couldn¡¯t hear him at all. Kaichen was worried and confused. He had no idea what had happened to her so suddenly. He knew she was an alcoholic and was suffering from withdrawal symptoms, but he had never thought it would be this serious.

    He had known people who had spent their whole life being an alcoholic, and even then, their symptoms hadn¡¯t been this drastic. Dalia had started alcohol only two years ago. It was very strange that the symptoms manifested so severely in such a small time. Usually, symptoms increased slowly but it has been only two weeks and Dalia suffered like this. Kaichen felt that something was amiss, but right now, his priority was to calm her down.

    ¡°Damn it! Dalia, get a hold of yourself! Open your eyes!¡± No matter how loud he shouted, it didn¡¯t make a difference. She couldn¡¯t hear him.

    Kaichen gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on her wrists and pressed her down with his knees. When she felt a heavy weight pressing down on her making her unable to move, Dalia struggled a while and then seemed to calm down a little. Dalia burst into tears. Saliva, mixed with blood, dripped down from the side of her mouth.

    Kaichen frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡­ Please, please. Let me go. I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡­ No, no!¡±

    ¡°Dalia, stop! Come to your senses!¡± Kaichen wondered what she was hallucinating about. She cried and seemed terrified and apologized constantly.

    Dalia always brushed off the details of her life in those hundred years as though they were nothing. But seeing her like this, Kaichen realized that she had been pretending. Dalia tried to hide the facts of her past and darker memories under the guise of pretense and tried to pass them off as nonchntly as she could.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. Please,¡± sobbed Dalia. ¡°Please don¡¯t let me die.¡±

    Kaichen clenched his teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± he said. ¡°So, stop it now.¡± He pressed his palm down on her chest, near her heart. There was no time to be embarrassed. He needed to save her.

    Her skin was burning under his palm. He could feel her heart fluttering. He generously infused her heart with his mana. The mana flowed through his palm and to her heart. The mana spread throughout her body through her blood vessels. With shuddering and soft feel of her body on his palm and his heart beating as if it was about to explode, Kaichen generously infused her heart with his mana. The mana that flowed into the heart spread throughout the body through blood vessels. Doing something like this needed utmost caution and attention to detail, but for someone as experienced as Kaichen, it wasn¡¯t very difficult.

    If the subject who received the mana unconsciously or consciously blocked it, it would be dangerous. But fortunately, Dalia didn¡¯t resist it perhaps because she was in no frame of mind to do so anyway. Dalia¡¯ breath stabilized. She was still in pain. Her eyes were unfocused, but her face seemed to ease a little. She closed her eyes hurriedly.

    ¡°Open your eyes, Dalia. It¡¯s okay now,¡± he said gently.

    ¡°Teacher¡­,¡± she mumbled. He was annoyed but he kept quiet.

    ¡°I tried¡­ I couldn¡¯t make the cure. Can¡­ you help?¡± she winced. ¡°If you could¡­ I would be grateful.¡±

    She was always so annoying, and he always detested her. Nothing could change that. But why then was he feeling his chest constrict in sympathy?

    ¡°You fool!¡±

    Dalia blinked weakly. Her eyes still unfocused. Her body trembled. Kaichen reached for her forehead. He felt his heart sink at the sight of her closing her eyes. He had cast the sleep magic so that she could drift off to sleep and be rested but seeing her so helpless pricked his heart. She looked as though she was going to die.

    Why? He wondered why he felt so worried and sad for her. The ces where she had kicked him when struggling throbbed. But seeing her so helpless begging for her life had been more painful to witness.

    He tried to deny it to himself, but it was clear that he was worried about this annoying woman. He didn¡¯t want to see her in pain. It¡¯s because she is my research subject, he tried to justify. Nothing else. He needed to save her because he needed her to uncover the truth about the forbidden magic, that¡¯s all. But she wanted to eat the food she cooked¡­ just a little. He knew that the excuses he made weren¡¯t convincing, but she brushed the thought off.

 Chapter 32

    He lifted Dalia and carried her to the bed. He was struck with guilt when he realized how light she was in his arms. She looked so frail and thin that she could have been made up of only her bones. Damn it! He cursed himself. He hadn¡¯t noticed how thin she had be. He hadn¡¯t even tried to pay attention, in the first ce. He had always averted looking at her and treated her with indifference, even when she couldn¡¯t sleep or hadn¡¯t been eating. She was suffering and still she had cooked for him with a smile. Beyond the painful memories he had buried about her, he remembered a little girl with plump cheeks and lively smile. A little girl who loved meat. She had loved food so much.

    Kaichen felt awful. He med himself for ignoring her condition until it had turned severe. He could clearly see that her condition had deteriorated drastically since the first time he had seen her in Acrab. She looked like a different, sickly person.

    He gentlyid her down on the bed. Her robe, soaked with sweat, clung to her bare body. Kaichen turned his eyes away. But he still couldn¡¯t turn away from her skinny arms and legs, and her ribcage that poked through the outline of her robe. She was really very sick.

    He swallowed his guilt, clenched his teeth and covered her with a nket. Kaichen looked at her messy desk before leaving the room. There was no way she would have been able to create a cure from the information found in that one book he gave her. If he had given her several books to help her¡­ If I had helped her from the beginning, she might not have suffered in this way.

    He had given her one book, just to shut her up and get her out of his face. He had thought it didn¡¯t matter because she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it anyway. But as he looked at her messy desk, she had done her own research and came up with so many effective solutions. The potion she had made didn¡¯t look like it was made by someone who hadn¡¯t been taught magic officially.

    If she had been guided just a little, she could have been able to make it perfectly within a week. He felt pathetic for ignoring and underestimating her. He held onto his childhood memories. People change, and she might not even remember it. He had been so petty to hold her against things that had happened when they were little children. Kaichen clenched his jaw, feeling angry at himself for being so selfish. He slowly walked out of her room.

    It was as if an unfamiliar, subtle rose scent had settled into his body just by being in her room for a while. At first, he didn¡¯t know where it came from, then he recalled the rose scent that he had noticed throughout the house. Even when she had been here for just a week, so many traces of her lingered around everywhere near him. Normally, he would be irritated because of it, but he didn¡¯t mind it. It pricked at his heart. This was the reason why he didn¡¯t want to get close to her.

    ¡°Tsk,¡± he clicked his tongue. Kaichen went to his researchb. At a nce at Dalia¡¯s table, he had understood the type of potion she was trying to make. Dalia hadn¡¯t been able to seed because she stillcked some knowledge regarding magic. But he had no such difficulty. He gathered the materials and measured the ingredients for it. It wasn¡¯t as difficult. Dalia had envisioned the amount of the different ingredients perfectly but had messed up on the method. It was abination method beyond the basics.

    She came up with such a perfectbination without knowing the method! Kaichen was impressed. He frowned. It was certainly shameless pressuring him to ept her as his disciple and calling him ¡®teacher¡¯. But she did seem to have a talent.

    He recalled Dalia saying that other teachers might not want to teach her because they may be jealous of her. He had thought that she was just bluffing. But seeing as how she had single handedlye up with the potion, he now believed her. Dalia, who always talked lightly about the hundred years she had spent in time magic, seemed a great deal talented than she let on. Kaichen was now truly curious about her and what she had learnt in those hundred years.

    * * *

    I blinked. I thought I was still dreaming when I saw the golden hair glimmering in the sun before me.

    ¡°If you havee to your senses finally, get up, will you?¡± said a voice.

    ¡°Ah¡­,¡± I groaned. So, it wasn¡¯t a dream. I blinked a few times to get my blurry sight to adjust. I saw him, sitting by the bedside, with arms crossed. He was looking at me. I looked around to make sure this was indeed my bedroom. I never thought the day woulde when I would see Kaichen, who has mysophobia, sitting in anyone else¡¯s bedroom, least of all, mine.

    I looked at him in a mixture of surprise and shock. Kaichen frowned in displeasure and let out a short sigh. ¡°Get up,¡± he said, ¡°You need to take your medicine.¡±

    ¡°Medicine?¡¯

    ¡°I made it referring to the medicinal recipe you made,¡± he said. He handed me a bottle of yellow liquid. It looked like the murky pond water.

    I had tried so hard to make this! But no matter how manybinations I tried, I never seeded. I had almost lost my mind. It was touching to see that Kaichen had made this for me, and he had saved me from the hallucinations.

    I guess he is not as cold-blooded. My efforts weren¡¯t wasted! My cooking and cleaning hadn¡¯t been in vain. I opened my mouth and gulped down the medicine. It tasted so bad and bitter, but I was so happy that Iughed.

    ¡°Thank you so much, teacher!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± said Kaichen but with much less contempt than usual.

    ¡°But still! As expected of you, teacher! I kept trying to make it but couldn¡¯t seed but you made it in just one go!¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°It was because the method was wrong, yourbination was correct,¡± he exined. ¡°There are countless ways to make magic cures. The specific magic cure can bepleted bybining it in a way which matches the property of the medicinal ingredients used. So, you better learn it properly.¡±

    I stared at Kaichen, perplexed. Was he finally teaching me how to make magical cures after so much resistance?

    ¡°When mixing a medicine with a cold property, you need to mix it with about a third of the mana,¡± he continued. ¡°But when you mix two ingredients with cold and hot property, you need to add more mana.¡± He looked at me. ¡°The reason you kept failing was because you couldn¡¯t control the amount of mana used.¡±

    I blinked as I listened to him exining everything calmly. I was still confused. Why is Kaichen, who doesn¡¯t want me as a disciple at all and doesn¡¯t want to teach me, calmly exining things about magical cures? I wondered what had made him change his mind. I listened to him attentively and nodded.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!¡± I eximed. ¡°I did think there would be severalbinations but didn¡¯t know it would depend on the property of the ingredients!¡±

    ¡°When you feel better again, I will give you a book on how to make mixtures,¡± he said. ¡°If you read it, you will be able to understand it easily.¡±

    He is going to give me another book on¡­. I wondered whether Kaichen had hit his head somewhere. I remembered him vaguely helping me when I had copsed but I couldn¡¯t remember the whole thing. Did something happen? I frowned at the thought. I had experienced memory loss when I possessed Dalia¡¯s body. I had to ept it when I found out that it was a symptom of alcoholism.

    Is it a temporary memory loss? It probably has to do with severe alcoholism. I didn¡¯t know whether it was the privilege of being transmigrated to another world or if Dalia indeed had sharp memory. Thanks to it, I never forgot what I saw or read so it helped me a great deal when learning about various fields. The painful memories, though, was entirely another matter altogether. This good-for-nothing body had just that advantage.

    ¡°Teacher, are you epting me as an official student?¡± I asked, cautiously.

    At my question, he went quiet for a while. And then he scowled. ¡°You are a ¡®temporary¡¯ disciple, but I don¡¯t want to be an ipetent teacher. So, I am teaching you.¡±

    ¡°So, you indeed are epting me as a temporary disciple at least?!¡± He looked displeased with himself, but he didn¡¯t deny it. He looked adorable so Iughed.

    My body didn¡¯t get any better but my rtionship with Kaichen improved. At least I felt like it did. Kaichen had left three bottles of the medicine on my desk and left the room. He left without saying anything further, so I thought that he had nursed me back to health to the best of his abilities. Iid back and buried my face in the pillow.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    The medicine Kaichen had made (the one I had intended to make) was to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms to some extent. So, it did help with the trembling and nausea. It was meant to help me eat and not vomitter. If a body is deprived of nutrients, it bes weaker. So, the medicine was supposed to help me when I ate food to restore my health.

    Trembling hands hindered my day-to-day life, so I mixed the medicine to reduce the trembling as much as I could. But whenever I had a headache, I couldn¡¯t mix the medicine with the one I took for headaches because it conflicted with the gastrointestinal effects. I needed to develop my stamina to be able to take both medicines together.

    The medicine I took really helped with the nausea and since I had barely eaten food these past few days, my body wanted nutrients. I was really hungry now. I don¡¯t have the energy to cook, though. Maybe I could crawl to the kitchen and eat some fruits I had boughtst time. How long was I asleep?

    While I was busy thinking all these things, Kaichen knocked the door and entered. I tried to wriggle out of the nket before kicking it off and sat up and awkwardly looked at him. Kaichen looked at me with his cold, golden eyes and I blushed. What is wrong with me?! I was bold and brazen, never embarrassed with something as silly as an eye contact! I pulled the nket back with trembling hands. Thankfully, Kaichen didn¡¯t make anyments. He let out a short sigh and held out the tray towards me.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked looking at the tray with a bowl on it.

    ¡°Food,¡± he said, ¡°You created a recipe for such an effective medicine, but it is not going to be of any use if your body doesn¡¯t get the nutrients that it needs.¡±

    ¡°So, this porridge is for me?¡± I asked slowly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I made it with ingredients that would provide necessary nutrients.¡±

    ¡°You made it yourself?!¡± I eximed with more gusto than necessary.

    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± he asked, looking annoyed.

    ¡°What? You made it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    I thought I was brazen and bold but I was stumped for words. I had never before cared whether I had annoyed him with whatever I did. I would just direct a smile. But this was¡­

 Chapter 34

    I took the tray from his hands and looked at the food in the bowl. I swallowed in nervousness. It was definitely a porridge but¡­ Is it supposed to look so ck? The steam rose off the dish. I was doubtful whether this could be called a ¡®porridge¡¯ becauserge chunks of unpeeled vegetables floated in the bowl I agony. I was sure I would die if I tasted this abomination.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my teacher cooked this himself¡­ haha¡­. How can I casually eat it?¡± I said, carefully.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make it with you in mind,¡± he said, generously. ¡°I don¡¯t want a corpse in my house. So, dig right in!¡±

    I nced at his face. His chin jutted out proudly at the ¡®food¡¯ he had made. His demeanor seemed to say that he had made it so generously so I would better eat everything. He was arrogant but this was valuable food. It would be such a shame to waste it. Besides, Kaichen the Great had made it himself for someone. He must not have done something like that for anybody his entire life. He did say that he hadn¡¯t made it for me, specifically but his expression said otherwise.

    If I eat it¡­ I hope I don¡¯t barf in front of him. It was his effort for someone he had distrusted and despised. It was no less than a peace offering. I couldn¡¯t refuse it if I wanted my rtionship with him not to spiral down to whatever it was before, or worse¡­

    I didn¡¯t think for long. If I did, I might never be able to raise the spoon to my lips. I looked at the hellish food in front of me. I gulped. I was starving but¡­

    I raised a spoonful to my lips with trembling hands. I don¡¯t know if I was trembling because it was a symptom or because of the prospect of tasting the porridgeid out for me. I realized that Kaichen was still looking at me.

    ¡°Ahem, t-teacher,¡± I said, ¡°Are you going to keep watching as I eat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Can¡¯t I do that?¡±

    Oh, dear god! What if I throw up? What the hell happened to him while I was sleeping? Why does he seem so interested in whether I eat it or not? I smiled at him and shook my head reassuringly. I put the spoonful of food in my mouth. The ck, gooey porridge steeled on my tongue. Please, dear god, have mercy on me! I prayed. I chewed it slowly and swallowed. Whatever slimy, slippery thing that slipped down my throat was unidentifiable. The taste itself hit me like a brick to the face. It was fishy, tangy and bitter all at the same time, while something sickly sweet hit my nostrils.

    I barely managed not to gag. If I somehow force myself to eat everything in that bowl, I will surely pass out. I had only finished a spoonful; I had a whole bowl left! I was definitely going to throw up. Damn it! I cursed. I wanted to shove a finger down my throat and vomit everything that I had eaten and throw away the hellish food. I nced at Kaichen.

    I was shocked. He was smiling! He smiled in satisfaction as I ate the disgusting porridge. F*ck, I cursed. I scooped another spoonful with trembling hands. I closed my eyes and prayed. May my poor stomach endure this food. I wish I could lose the ability to taste food just for this moment.

    I couldn¡¯t disregard his smile; it was the very first time I had seen him smile at all. I don¡¯t know if he is smiling like that because I am diligently eating the food he cooked for me or because of his sessful attempt at poisoning me. Whatever the reason, he smiled at me earnestly and I didn¡¯t have the heart to break his illusion.

    He had epted me as his disciple, albeit temporarily. Now, I could go anywhere, register anywhere as his disciple. Hell, I could brag about it! I could tell anyone that I was the disciple of Kaichen Tenebre and it wouldn¡¯t be untrue. This was a very big development, a huge leap. So, as a determined Korean I showed my indomitable will and ate the revolting food.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± A groan escaped through my lips. I wished I could stop feeling my tongue at all, or whatever fell on it. I pretended to cough as though I had eaten too fast and almost choked. Without doing so, I had no way to exin the tearsing out of the corners of my eyes.

    I finally finished the repulsive thing. Kaichen took the tray from my hands, with the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

    He looked at the empty bowl and smiled brightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would eat everything so deliciously,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a spare bowl, so I brought you the portion for dinner too!¡±

    I stared at him wide-eyed. Crazy piece of sh!t! You should have said that before! I had been calling him ¡®teacher¡¯ respectfully all this time and cursing him felt sacrilegious. But I had been deceived! I wanted to quarrel, but I felt that if I opened my mouth, I would vomit everything back. So, I stayed quiet.

    I smiled at him awkwardly. And Kaichen smiled back proudly. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to cook but I will make it for you again. You are sick and you need nutrition to be healthy again,¡± he proudly dered.

    No, STOP! Imented inwardly. Are you nning to kill me?! I had no choice, and I didn¡¯t want to open my mouth, it could turn out to be disastrous. So, I nodded at him and smiled awkwardly. Kaichen looked at me, beaming. He then quietly closed the door to my room and left.

    Ugh, I wanted to pass out right about now! It felt like my soul had left my body already. I was only able to breathe properly when I was leftpletely alone in the room. My stomach was churning. I felt nauseous. My anger and frustration bubbled.

 Chapter 35

    It felt as though all my internal organs were in a revolt for feeding them this repulsive thing.

    ¡°Ugh¡­,¡± I groaned. My stomach twisted again at the strange feel of the slippery mass that remained on my tongue. Even so, I couldn¡¯t throw up. This was what Kaichen made for me. The great recluse who didn¡¯t care about anyone else, who also suffered from mysophobia. Someone who had hated me for some unknown reason. He had made this for me.

    I have to at least pretend to like it. I ate the porridge and muttering to myself,id down on the bed. He had said that he had made the porridge with only nutritious ingredients, but it felt like this one dish had sucked all the remaining nutrients from my body. I wanted to ask what else he had put in the porridge but decided that it was better not to know. I closed my eyes.

    For the first time I acknowledged that living as Kaichen¡¯s disciple wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    * * *

    After receivingmunication from Kaichen, Julius immediately started an investigation on Momalhaut and Acrab. His suspicions were right. It was confirmed that Momalhaut¡¯s forces had frequently visited Acrab.

    The Momalhaut was a rebel group formed by the remnants of the vassal states that had been merged after the war and were aiming for independence. The fact that such Momalhauts went in and out of Acrab likely means that Countess Alshine was on their side. Why else would she allow them in her city otherwise?

    ording to Kaichen, she, herself, had been the medium for the time magic that was cast on Acrab. She must have been in contact with the mage. There seemed to be an undeniable connection between her and Momalhaut forces unless something went amiss¡­

    Julius stroked his chin and sighed. If Countess Alshine was really involved with Momalhaut, his friend, Kaichen, would be in terrible danger. Of course, Kaichen can take care of himself against a drunkard but it still worried Julius. Kaichen usually returned to his home to recover.

    It would have been better if they had directly gone to the magic tower. But Kaichen would have already noticed this. Did he take her home despite knowing that she was involved with Momalhaut¡­? Julius smiled dryly. Kaichen pretended to be indifferent, acting as though this didn¡¯t affect him at all. He must have been unable to forget his childhood memories. Perhaps when he met her, he was reminded of their childhood yet again.

    Is he still not over her or is he nning his revenge? Julius wondered. He was curious. He sprinted out of his office neglecting the documents on his table.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡± said Bart with surprise, the Crown Prince¡¯s aide, with a pile of documents in his hands. ¡°Your Highness! Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Bart! I need to be away for a while. Can you do me a favor this once?¡±

    ¡°Nooo, I can¡¯t!¡± eximed Bart. But Julius patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the room.

    ¡°I trust you with everything in my absence,¡± said Julius with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Your Highness! No! Please¡­¡±

    Ignoring Bart¡¯s cries, Julius stopped the guard who followed him and left the imperial pce on his own. Usually, royalties weren¡¯t allowed to leave the pce without a guard, but he was Julius, the Crown Prince. He had had a rough childhood and he wandered around freely as a disciple of Matabju. He was strong and capable and didn¡¯t need a guard. He had appeared out of nowhere and pushed aside the Crown Princess to take her position. Julius was that kind of a person.

    Leaving the Imperial Pce, Julius took out the parchment Kaichen had given him and tore it. It would teleport him to Kaichen¡¯s private residence. There were only two ways to reach Kaichen¡¯s home: either memorize the winding ways through the forests and travel on foot, or use the parchment given by Kaichen.

    The house was different. A bench had been ced in the deste yard and a new vegetable garden was the recent addition. It was a house where an old mage could rest his feet and recover. Julius smiled. He recalled Kaichen would never take the effort to do this.

    It seemed the seeds were just sprouting and somebody had put some effort in beautifying the garden. Julius stroked his chin, deep in thought. Only someone talented and skilled in farming could have done so much to make this dpidated house in the middle of nowhere look like a home.

    He felt a presence in the doorway. Julius had thought it might be Kaichen who hade out annoyed by him tearing the parchment that he had given Julius for emergencies. However, the door did not open. He heard a thump. Did Countess Alshine do something to harm Kaichen? He wondered.

    His imagination ran wild even though he knew Kaichen could take care of himself. He pushed the door open. If Countess Alshine had really joined with the Momalhauts, she must have many tricks up her sleeve to best Kaichen.

    However, it wasn¡¯t Kaichen that he saw when he stepped in. ck hair and a lean body. A tall woman who was so skinny that the feet poking out of her nightgown looked painfully frail. She was on the floor, groaning. It was pitiful to see.

    ¡°Countess Alshine?¡± he called. Countess Alshine was the only woman in the Empire who had ck hair as dark as night. It could be no other. She had copsed on the ground. He approached her confused and worried.

 Chapter 36

    Julius approached her confused and worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Countess?¡± he said.

    ¡°S¡­s¡­sav¡­¡± the countess struggled.

    ¡°Shot?¡± he tried helpfully.

    ¡°please¡­ save¡­help¡­me..¡±

    Her hands trembled. She was so skinny and frail it was pitiful and painful to look at her. Before he could respond, she fell unconscious. He touched her shoulder lightly to try to wake her. There was no response. He turned her pale face to the side. He felt as though she might have stopped breathing. Her lips had turned blue. A ck liquid flowed out of her lips.

    He remembered that he had encountered a dead person who had been poisoned before. This was no different. Was she poisoned? He wondered. Julius hesitated. It didn¡¯t make sense. He brought his index finger under her nose to check for breath. She was not dead yet. Her breathing was faint, but it was there. But how did this happen? Julius wondered in bewilderment.

    Did Kaichen do this? Julius thought. Was Kaichen so angry that he couldn¡¯t forget his old memories and he¡­? Julius suddenly remembered why he hade here in the first ce. He shouted for kaichen.

    ¡°Kaichen! Kaichen!¡±

    Such a quick-tempered man! There is still information to be gathered from her. Why did he kill her off? Contrary to his frustration and urgency, Kaichen descended down the stairs in his own pace appearing calm for all the world to see.

    ¡°You are here.¡±

    ¡°This person¡­. Isn¡¯t she Countess Alshine?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Why is she¡­. Did you try to kill her?¡±

    ¡°No. She has seizures like that several times a day.¡±

    ¡°Seizure?¡± said Julius in surprise.

    Kaichen walked to where Countess Alshine had copsed and gathered her in his arms, as though he was used to this by now.

    He is lifting her himself¡­ not even with magic. Even though it looked normal in such a circumstance, Julius¡¯ mouth was opened in shock. Kaichen lifted Countess Alshine in his arms and made his way up the stairs again.

    ¡°What is this¡­ Kaichen? What the hell happened? Why is the Countess like this?¡± Julius followed him up the stairs. Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. He was someone who spoke only when he felt like it. It was frustrating. Especially at times like this.

    Kaichenid the Countess on the bed and covered her with a nket. If it wasn¡¯t for his cold, hard expression, someone would have mistaken him for a friendly man who was taking care of the sick Countess.

    That can¡¯t be true. Julius was confident that he knew Kaichen better than everyone else. Julius looked around the room with a serious face. He saw a desk full of tools for making potions and a few books scattered across the desk and the floor. There was a smaller desk full of herbs and other magical ingredients.

    This room used to be the room where Julius used to sleep whenever he came to visit Kaichen. Is this the Countess¡¯ room? Why are magical herbs and ingredients and tools for potions scattered everywhere? Julius was usually a good-natured and friendly man, but his curiosity was making him impatient and theck of answers from kaichen was making him very annoyed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out. I¡¯ll exin,¡± said Kaichen finally as though he had noticed Julius reaching the limits of his patience. He led Julius out of the room to the living room. They sat down, facing each other. But Kaichen didn¡¯t start with an exnation immediately, he seemed to be deep in thought. Julius couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so he asked whatever was on his mind.

    ¡°Does the Countess know how to use magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Did she learn it while she was trapped?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Julius looked shocked. ¡°Did she¡­ how did she awaken her mana all by herself? I didn¡¯t even think it was possible.¡±

    Julius, like Kaichen, was a student of Matabju. He was a genius in swordy and although he wasn¡¯t as gifted in magic as Kaichen, he was still fairly versatile in it. Having learned magic, he knew how difficult it was to awaken one¡¯s mana even under the tutge of a mage. It was very shocking to learn that the Countess had awakened her mana alone. He had never heard about it being done before.

    ¡°It is shocking,¡± said Kaichen, nodding slowly. ¡°Really shocking. I think it wasn¡¯t a lie when she said she had been trapped in the time magic for a hundred years.¡±

    Julius thought Kaichen would exin some more. But kaichen suddenly got up and headed to the kitchen as though he suddenly remembered something important to do. This was an even bigger shock for Julius. He had never imagined Kaichen in the kitchen, ever. He stared at Kaichen in disbelief, but he seemed quite familiar with using adle.

    Now that¡¯s just in crazy¡­. Julius got up and walked to the kitchen. He watched Kaichen plop something in therge bowl. He walked closer to inspect it and made a serious face.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s porridge,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Is this a new poison porridge you are making? Indeed, just looking at it, I can feel the lethal energy.¡± Julius maintained a very serious face. The thing in the bowl looked terrifying. Julius wondered if he would drop dead at an instant if he ever tasted it. What the hell did he put in it?

    ¡°Maybe you¡­ ah¡­. Did you feed this abomination to the Countess? No wonder she copsed.¡±

    Julius couldn¡¯t see Kaichen¡¯s jaw clench. ¡°Sorry friend, but this experiment is a failure,¡± said Julius, ncing at the ck liquid sloshing around in the pot. ¡°Anyone can tell it looks poisonous. I would never ever eat it if I can help it. If you were going to kill an enemy, perhaps this lethal thing would do its job. But¡­ if you are cooking this for people to eat it, you need to pay more attention and learn basic dishes.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. Julius was befuddled. Why would Kaichen turn to making colorless food rather than making potions as usual. But he wasn¡¯t one toin. He liked that his friend was trying new things. Julius smiled and looked at therge bowl.

    ¡°I knew you had a great grudge against the Countess, but I never thought you would take revenge by using her as a subject for your poisonous porridge experiment. Well done!¡±

    ¡°I am not saying, have some restraint but we need her for now. She is the medium for the magic, and she may have been in contact with the Momalhaut,¡± said Julius. Heughed out loud and pped kaichen¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can stop making this gruel. Looking at the Countess, I thought she would die. It¡¯s troublesome if she dies. Don¡¯t kill her yet.¡±

    Julius took thedle from Kaichen¡¯s hand and put it down. He then steered Kaichen back to the living room. Seeing Kaichen¡¯s darkened expression, Julius thought maybe he was having second thoughts on revenge.

    ¡°I have a lot to ask the Countess,¡± said Julius, ¡°My sister hasn¡¯t made any move as of yet, but it only feels like the calm before a storm.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So, please stop torturing the Countess and take care of her properly. We need to investigate the forbidden magic, right?¡¯

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. ¡°If she hasn¡¯t joined hands with Momalhaut, we could turn her to our side,¡± Julius urged. ¡°If she has spent a hundred years learning magic, then imagine what other things she must have learnt!¡± Julius looked at Kaichen. He still didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Kaichen?¡± he called.

    Kaichen sighed. ¡°It was supposed to be porridge,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Julius.

    ¡°I was trying to make porridge for Dahlia because she was sick. It is not a poison.¡±

    Julius was taken aback. Are they on first name basis already? The ck liquid from the Countess¡¯ mouth was definitely this ¡®porridge¡¯. So, kaichen has been feeding this to her so that she can be healthy again. Julius sighed. If Kaichen was stepping into the kitchen to cook, then her condition might really be very bad.

    Julius remembered Kaichen who grew up with him at the magic tower when they were young. He would always chastise Julius for getting a cold saying he should have protected his mana better. He would call him weak for not taking care of his mana. The same Kaichen was taking care of her? Kaichen never ever made food for himself but he was trying hard to cook so that he could nurse her back to health. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Kaichen. Kaichen wasn¡¯t someone who would lie.

    ¡°So you were really¡­ trying to make a porridge?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re were not trying to kill her?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Did you feed this to the Countess?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because she needs nutrition.¡±

    Julius suddenly felt sympathy for the Countess who had passed out. Even though he disliked her because his friend had been hurt by her, he really couldn¡¯t imagine her eating this porridge with a straight face.

    ¡°Kaichen¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Have you tasted this porridge while making it?¡±

    ¡°I have not.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why not taste it to see how it is?¡±

    ¡°Because getting the nutrients she needs is more important. Do I really need to care so much for taste?¡±

    ¡°The food needs to be edible before anything else.¡± Kaichen is arguing about taste while he is the one who is the most picky when ites to food. Julius sighed. He did not want the Countess to die before he could talk to her. Kaichen¡¯s heart was in the right ce. He had made an effort to cook to nurse her back to health, but he had little to no experience with cooking.

    ¡°If you want her to get healthy, you¡¯d better stop feeding her that porridge.¡±

    ¡°She liked it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Julius had no choice but to sigh. Is she repenting for her mistake by going out of line to eat and praise him for this revolting thing? Does she regret the past? He wondered.

    People change. And it had been a long time. They had been children. Maybe she had a long time to reflect on her mistakes. Julius felt moved and shook his head softly. He had to stop this terrible cruelty that was going on under the guise of ¡®porridge¡¯.

    This was clearly torture. She didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Kaichen that his ¡®porridge¡¯ was disgusting. Julius determined to step in and put an end to this and solve the conflicting feelings of the two people involved.

    ¡°A sick patient cannot eat everything.¡±

    ¡°She ate it deliciously,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°She liked the porridge I made.¡±

    Julius felt so much pity for the Countess. ¡°But a person can¡¯t just keep eating one type of food for every meal,¡± said Julius. ¡°How about making another kind of porridge? A new recipe, maybe?¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. She seemed to be thinking. Julius pushed on. ¡°I know of a good nutritious recipe,¡± he said hurriedly. ¡°It is healthy and nutritious, and she will be up in no time!¡±

    Julius knew Kaichen. He was always quiet and listened to people. And he was a practical person. As long as something had a function, kaichen would listen to it attentively. He had never been very stubborn when it came to good ideas. And this was as good an idea as any, contrary to his poison porridge.

 Chapter 38

    Kaichen nodded. Julius thanked his lucky stars. Hopefully, he would stop feeding this hellish thing to the Countess. The goal now was to make a simple porridge that Kaichen can make himself that won¡¯t taste like the ckish thing.

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s wrong with the Countess¡¯?¡± asked Julius. The Countess had looked frail and skinny, like a corpse. Kaichen¡¯s repulsive porridge might not be the only reason for this.

    ¡°She is recovering from addiction.¡±

    ¡°What kind of addiction?¡±

    ¡°Alcohol addiction.¡±

    Julius sighed and pressed down on his temples. He wanted to abandon the sympathy he had felt for her. He had half a mind to return to his pce. ¡°You and the Countess¡­. Are you doing this to me on purpose?¡±

    ¡°You knew she was an alcoholic,¡± said Kaichen in defense.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ her condition was that serious?¡±

    With a frown on his face, Kaichen said, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s strange. It has only been a little over two years since she started drinking. I have only seen addicts of over ten years suffering from such a condition. Is it possible to develop such serious symptoms when you have been an alcoholic for only two years?¡±

    Julius thought it sounded really pathetic, but he looked at Kaichen¡¯s hard and determined face and thought better than to say it aloud. But if he was right¡­

    ¡°Could that mean that the Countess¡¯ addiction symptoms were elerated? Maybe by magic?¡±

    ¡°It is highly likely. After she recovers¡­ I n to look into it.¡±

    ¡°It must have been the Momalhaut forces who used the forbidden magic,¡± suggested Julius. ¡°Maybe they chose her as a medium and used drugs to turn her into an alcoholic. But why?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure¡­,¡± said Kaichen, deep in thought. ¡°maybe they had a strong reason for it.¡±

    If Kaichen¡¯s words were true then Countess Alshine may not have been involved with Momalhaut, at least not willingly. Julius stroked his chin, thinking. He nced at Kaichen. Julius saw that Kaichen¡¯s face was set and looked cold, but he knew his friend. His friend was worried and conflicted at this information. Julius smiled.

    ¡°So, just to rify¡­ you really had no intention of getting revenge on her?¡±

    Kaichen was quiet. ¡°It was refreshing, at least for me, to see her ruined because of alcoholism,¡± said Julius, ¡°Maybe for you as well? But if it was caused by someone¡¯s conspiracy and not by her own will, you must be feelingplicated.¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s not refreshing¡­ I don¡¯t feelplicated either,¡± he said coldly, but he hesitated a little while answering. Seeing Kaichen like this, Julius was d he visited.

    ¡°Hm,¡± said Julius, ¡°You seemed to enjoy living with her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that.¡±

    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say it didn¡¯t matter to you?¡±

    Julius decided not to tease him any longer seeing how conflicted he looked. ¡°I want her toe to her senses. I want to have a proper conversation with her,¡± said Julius.

    His wish however did note true. Countess Alshine did not wake up on that day and Julius had no choice but to return to his pce as it began getting dark. He taught the simple recipe to Kaichen so that he could at least make a porridge that was edible. Julius was sure that he would get to meet her very soon.

    ¡°Your Highness! Really! There are so many things to do!¡± said Bart. ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere Bart, nowhere,¡± said Julius, with a sly smile ¡°Just saved a life and returned.¡±

    ***

    It took me ten days toe to my senses after eating the hellish, ck, repulsive thing that Kaichen generously called a ¡®porridge¡¯. I don¡¯t know what had happened in the time I was unconscious but the ck porridge from hell had suddenly changed.

    It looked better and tasted better. I didn¡¯t know if I had be immune to the revolting thing and was seeing it differently, or if it was a different recipe, but it certainly didn¡¯t feel as disgusting as the previous one. Besides, it didn¡¯t make me lose consciousness.

    The effect of this new porridge was excellent. I ate the new special porridge for a few more days and gained a bit of weight! I didn¡¯t look like a corpse anymore. I looked like a normal human being. It still tastes terrible, but it certainly feels nutritious and edible. I wasn¡¯t in a perfect condition but thanks to Kaichen¡¯s nursing, it was possible for me to return to daily life. If I were alone, I would have died. But it was strange. Dahlia, in the original novel, lived as an alcoholic and suddenly died in an ident.

    The original never described her symptoms. It only said she had been an alcoholic for two years, then she gets trapped in the magic tower as Kaichen¡¯s subject for research, goes crazy and dies. The book didn¡¯t really talk about anything else except that she was a ¡®crazy¡¯ woman. I scoffed. Typical!

    The events here weren¡¯t going ording to the original novel. The flow was already disrupted because I hadn¡¯t turned out to be crazy, first of all. And unlike the original novel, I had spent a hundred years in the time magic. For Kaichen, it had been just a day when he came to rescue Acrab. So, it was very strange that the plot was going drastically different from the original novel and this body suffered from severe symptoms. The time frames didn¡¯t fit.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°But I think something is not right.¡±

    I enjoyed drinking in my previous life, but I had no idea alcoholism would be this difficult and painful. It felt somewhat unsettling, but I couldn¡¯t even discuss it with anyone, so I just sighed. I thought I should set aside myplicated thoughts and express my gratitude to Kaichen first.

    I went down to the kitchen and made French toast, his favorite, to express my gratitude for taking care of me. It tasted even better when I added the jam made from ground green apples, which I bought from Sharatan vige the other day. It was better than using sugar. Even though he made me eat some repulsive food, I was alive, thanks to him. Perhaps because of the sweet aroma wafting up from the kitchen, Kaichen came down from the second floor looking drowsy.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot better! It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to examine your body from today.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Kaichen sat down at the table and took a bite of toast that I made. His eyes widened. Perhaps the toast was delicious.

    ¡°Like I said I will study your body.¡±

    I wondered if it only sounded strange to me. Iughed awkwardly. I ce a freshly bakes toast on his te. ¡°Umm, is it because of the time magic?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, but also because of your addiction.¡±

    ¡°Alcohol addiction?¡±

    Kaichen nodded and ate another toast. Did my withdrawal symptoms surprise him so much that I have now be the subject of his new study? It did seem to me that my symptoms weren¡¯t natural. There was something amiss with the symptoms I experienced.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that my symptoms aren¡¯t caused by alcoholism?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that someone was after me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± In response to the question, Kaichen licked the jam off his lips and looked at me. My heart suddenly pounded when he looked at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, but I think we will know for sure after taking look at your body.¡±

    ¡°Ohh. Then what do I have to do?¡±

    Kaichen looked at me and said softly, ¡°You just have to cooperate.¡±

    The word ¡®cooperate¡¯ always sounded so sinister to me. It sounded as though when you agreed to it you had to do anything and everything no matter how much you might not want to. But I was captivated by his golden eyes at that moment and gave a nod. He sat there, even after finishing his toasts.

    ¡°Teacher, would you like another toast?¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­ more?¡±

    Because his skin had a bronze tint, I wasn¡¯t able to see in the beginning if his face or earlobes were red, but Kaichen asking me reluctantly for more food was new. Cute¡­. I tried not to smile. I put the toast that I had made for myself on his te. He ate seven toasts! After being satisfied with his breakfast, he called me straight to theb.

    ¡°First, I will check to see if there is any drug in your body.¡±

    I realized it was the first time I felt like a real test subject. The first thing Kaichen did was to draw my blood. I thought I was finally going to be a real test subject, but the first thing Kaichen did to me was to draw blood. After drawing enough blood to fill five ss vials, he handed me a pink, liquid-like medicine.

    ¡°Drinking this will make you less tired.¡±

    It felt like I received a reward for donating blood. The medicine was curiously sweet, but it wasn¡¯t really my cup of tea. Kaichen closed the vials and wrapped it in ice magic.

    ¡°Teacher, if my alcohol addiction is due to other¡¯s intervention, wouldn¡¯t it be better to detoxify it than to treat it?¡±

    ¡°That is only possible after we know what ingredients were used.¡±

    Then there was still hope. I had never really entertained the thought that someone could be after Dalia. I had only begun reading after the beginning of Part 3 of the novel. It seemed there were many things I didn¡¯t know. Until the middle part, the novel predominantly focused on growing period of the protagonist, Julius, so not much was revealed for the other characters. I don¡¯t even know the identity of the mastermind behind all of it.

    If only I knew who the viin was, then the novel would be over if we could just get rid of them.

    ¡°Who the hell wanted to kill me in such an annoying way?¡±

    ¡°They probably didn¡¯t mean to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°Your mind¡­¡­ It¡¯s highly likely that they tried to shake up it.¡±

    ¡°But I thought I was going to die. In fact, I would have died if I hadn¡¯t taken the medicine you made for me.¡±

    My memory was hazy from that day, but I vaguely remembered wanting to die. I had even grabbed Kaichen and begged him to kill me. The bruises and scars from that day still throbbed all over my skin even if I didn¡¯t remember it in great detail.

    I was manic. I threw things around and struggled when Kaichen¡¯s magic held me down. My memories, as a result, weren¡¯t clear from the day I had copsed until I had regained consciousness.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you¡¯ve been stuck in time magic for a hundred years.¡± Kaichen spread the scroll down on his desk and wrote down aplicated form with a white quill, paused and murmured while looking into the air.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a kind of a drug that brings out painful memories that you don¡¯t want to remember and induces hallucinations, but seeing that you got angry, self-harmed andined about the pain, it must mean that it is poisonous. You had seizures, itching and said that bugs were crawling on your skin¡­. It looks like side effects fromponents in your body which doesn¡¯t mix well.¡±

 Chapter 40

    I often spoke to myself because I was alone for a long time but looking at Kaichen murmuring to himself, I thought I should refrain from that. Looking very serious, he unfolded the parchment paper and pressed on it hard with the quill. He was talking to me just a moment ago, but now he was lost in thought, asionally scribbling something like forms on the parchment. No wonder people say he is a genius.

    Kaichen, stared down at his parchment, flinched and put down his quill. He didn¡¯t look at me, but I thought he looked embarrassed.

    ¡°Teacher, then, is it most likely that I was exposed to a poison mixed with several drugs, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I shrugged and sat down by the window. I opened the window wide and looked at the pond over the rose bushes. A marvelous yellow-leaved willow tree was swaying in the wind. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but he must have hated me a lot. And I thought I lived a good life¡­¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°How should I know?¡± Kaichen frowned as if he was displeased. However, seeing him flinch, holding the parchment, he seemed to know something. Dalia had a good reputation, but Kaichen hated me all the time. Las also said that it was not the case when Dalia was young¡­ Then it is very likely that he met her when she was young.

    ¡°Teacher, have we met before?¡± It¡¯s best to ask things straightforwardly. There¡¯s nothing good about dragging it out for no reason. Rather, it is amazing that I have endured this long without asking.

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±

    ¡°Because you act like you have met me before¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never done that.¡±

    ¡°But you hate me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ never did.¡±

    ¡°I think you just hesitated.¡±

    He looked at me with his cold eyes, but he didn¡¯t answer me. Kaichen closed his mouth as if he didn¡¯t want to deal with me anymore and took out a vial of blood. After opening the scroll where he had written a form a little while ago, he poured golden magic into the magic circle. He then slowly poured the blood on it. The blood floated right above the circle and boiled.

    It¡¯s amazing to do that with one magic circle. It reminded me of a drama like the Scientific Investigation Corps that I had watched in my previous life. I think it required some very modern technology.

    ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯ve met me before?¡± After activating the magic, Kaichen slowly turned and looked at me. Sitting by the window, I smiled at him.

    ¡°No. The very first time I saw you was on that night when you broke the time magic.¡± But it did feel different for Dalia. Her body seemed to react fearfully whenever I faced Kaichen.

    It does not seem to be a good memory. It was frustrating, but I was not the Dalia that Kaichen used to know (if he did). Even if this body did something wrong to him, it wasn¡¯t me. But that doesn¡¯t mean I canpletely ignore it. Kaichen looked at me with eyes colder than before and turned his head away.

    ¡°Then that day must be the first time that I met you, too.¡±

    What was that supposed to mean? He didn¡¯t say anything further. I regretted it a bit that I had offended him again but what was I supposed to say when I didn¡¯t remember? One thing was certain. Kaichen had met Dalia, maybe when they were young. And maybe it wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory for both of them. Damn you Dalia! Why do I need to clean up your mess? I let out a sigh and turned back to look at the willow tree again.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell you this, but I actually don¡¯t have many memories of the past,¡± I said slowly. ¡°My childhood was not ten years ago. It was a hundred years ago¡­ I can¡¯t even remember my parents.¡± I knew too much to say that I had amnesia. In this case, the hundred years of being trapped was a good excuse.

    ¡°And while I was trapped, I lost my mind a little in the middle, so I can¡¯t remember most of the things from before.¡± My first impression was already bad, and Dalia has been worst in the past too, so what¡¯s the use to be cautious of my image now? But I thought I had to tell Kaichen at least.

    Those who knew Dalia will surely know that she is different from the past. Having gone crazy once, it will be easier to understand to some extent that her personality had changed.

    ¡°Theponents came out,¡± said Kaichen putting a stop to the conversation. However, it felt like the coldness had somehow subsided a little.

    ¡°It¡¯s as we expected.¡±

    Seeing the boiling blood divided into five categories, I came down from the window. Going just close enough to Kaichen to not make him ufortable, the ingredients I saw were familiar.

    ¡°It¡¯s a drug substance. It was probably added to keep you drinking. I think the most important thing was to make it unstoppable.¡±

    ¡°Since there are ingredients that enhance the alcoholponent, the auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations and haptic hallucinations may be due to this. It has goodpatibility with the drug ingredients, so it must have been several times more effective.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Teacher!¡± Isn¡¯t this a tromer? It¡¯s the worst ingredient thates out of the tromer flower. I guess this caused the hand trembling!¡±

 Chapter 41

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is¡­¡±

    I turned to Kaichen to see him deep in thought, examining the ingredients. ¡°This is something I don¡¯t know. What is this ingredient?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s gordon.¡±

    ¡°Gordon? Hmm¡­ Gordon. I think I heard it once¡­.¡± I felt like I had heard the name before but failed to recall it. ¡°Ah! The poisonous herb ¨C Gordon! I¡¯ve seen it in herbal medicine books. It¡¯s not in Acrab, so I¡¯ve never actually seen it, but¡­. Perhaps the cause of depression¡­ mental breakdown¡­¡± I closed my mouth after bbing excitedly. It wasn¡¯t the time to be excited about finding out something new. What was I so happy about? This came out from my blood.

    ¡°Seems like someone really hates me.¡± I smiled awkwardly scratching my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something tough about. Alcohol with these ingredients¡­ You may have been drinking it steadily for two years!¡± said Kaichen, frowning.

    I flinched and bowed my head at his rebuke. He must think I did not understand the gravity of the situation. However, I cannot turn back time. I had possessed the body of this woman who had consumed this poison for two years. And, I might have done the same for a hundred years while I was in the time magic¡­

    ¡°By looking at the amount of ingredients, you must have been drinking a small amount consistently. Rumors of you being an alcoholic began to spread two years ago. It must have been a deliberate rumor to turn you into an alcoholic and as an excuse for the symptoms.¡±

    ¡°Can we make an antidote?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible because we know the ingredients, but it won¡¯t be easy because they all have different propensity and are difficult to mix.¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s face turned dark, and I looked at the ingredients extracted from my blood. ¡°But it feels somewhat familiar.¡± I narrowed my eyes and looked a little closer at Gordon, the only thing I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Does Gordon have a cold nature?¡±

    ¡°It has a hot nature¡±

    ¡°Were hot-naturedponents rted to the mind, maintained at high temperatures, mixed with the opposite ingredients, and then infused with magic at the end?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever done it?¡± Kaichen looked surprised.

    ¡°It somewhat feels very familiar.¡±

    In a hundred years, I had umted so much useless knowledge. I learned magic, learned herbalism, read medical books, and read all the other books in Acrab. But these ingredients were very familiar for a different reason. There were many times when I developed novel drugs through all kinds of experiments, but there were only a handful of drugs with such a uniquebination.

    ¡°Ah, Mickey¡¯s disease¡­¡± My eyes widened and my mouth opened slightly. ¡°Oh my god, teacher.¡±

    Kaichen looked at me.

    ¡°I have made this.¡±

    It was a nightmare that I didn¡¯t want to remember, but it was a drug that I made after hundreds of experiments. At that time, I didn¡¯t know how to use magic to infuse and extract the ingredients like Kaichen. I had, therefore, experimented on all of them. The medicine I had worked so hard on, to save Mickey might actually end up saving myself.

    ¡°I already have an antidote, teacher.¡± Kaichen frowned at my absurd words but didn¡¯t protest.

    ¡°You mean you made the antidote yourself?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Yes, that is right. So¡­ well, where should I start?¡± My head started spinning. The drug that I made to try and treat Mickey¡¯s disease. Could that medicine be the same one that could treat my addiction? So, Mickey was addicted to the same poison as me?

    ¡°Dalia!¡± Kaichen¡¯s voice brought me back to the present. Thanks to Kaichen, who called my name loudly, I was able toe to my senses. When he grabbed my head, I winced. He flinched too but he held on. He seemed to have bit his tongue a little. I tried to organize my thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to think slowly¡­. So, calm down.¡± His low, calm voice pierced through my confused mind with rity. But I couldn¡¯t brush off my thoughts.

    The actions taken to cure Mickey¡¯s illness, the artificial symptoms of alcoholism that drove me to the brink of death, are all because of someone¡¯s poison? Did Dalia incur that much resentment from someone?

    It now made sense that everything had been nned from the beginning. Everything had been premediated even before Dalia was chosen as a medium. Then, is it possible that the numerous things that had happened within the span of those hundred years were also part of somebody¡¯s n? What if Mickey¡¯s illness was because he was tested on first before they applied the poison to me? Was the child¡¯s illness my fault then?

    ¡°Dalia!¡± Kaichen¡¯s voice brought me to my senses for a moment. I stumbled into the chair with staggering steps and shook my head. If I wanted to tell him about the antidote, then I needed to tell him about Mickey too.

    What should I do if he asks me how I made the antidote? My hands began to tremble again. Everything became pitch ck, and my eyes tingled. I knew what this meant, and the memories came flooding back to my mind.

    Murderer! Mimi was right. I¡¯m a murderer. Tell Kaichen everything. It seemed Dalia was urging me. I bit my lips and covered my face with both hands. It¡¯s going to be unsightly; I can¡¯t show him the face of a hideous murderer. He might notice it.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°Dalia!¡± Dalia!¡± While I was constantly ming myself and getting overwhelmed, I felt Kaichen¡¯s hand on my shoulders and his voice calling me.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Teacher¡­,¡± I managed to mumble. Kaichen knelt in front of me and held my shoulders tightly and looked me in the eye.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, I won¡¯t ask¡­. So, stop,¡± he said gently. ¡°You can stop thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He told me what I had wanted to hear the most. He didn¡¯t expect an answer and it was okay. It was so reassuring, and his eyes looked at me so warmly. I sighed in relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, teacher,¡± I uttered useless words of apology. I was already soaked in a cold sweat. I could even feel the heat throughout my body. I felt unstable both physically and mentally.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today and take some rest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I bid him goodbye and returned to my bedroom, but I felt ufortable. I let out a weary sigh. I searched my bag for the medicine I had made. I hadn¡¯t known what Mickey¡¯s disease was, so I had brought the medicine along to consult Kaichen about its efficacy and the ingredients.

    I grabbed the vial of medicine tightly and headed back to theb where Kaichen was. He looked surprised to see me here again. But when he saw me, he approached me from the desk.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be sick again?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°If you do not want to get sick, then listen to me and take the day off.¡±

    It was strange to see him scolding me so gently. The frown on his face was the same as usual but his tone was different. I braced myself for what I was about to say.

    ¡°This¡­ this is the antidote I mentioned earlier.¡± I offered him the vial of medicine. ¡°Teacher, please examine it in detail. It will help you with your research.¡±

    He looked at me and sighed. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have given this to meter?¡±

    ¡°You told me to cooperate actively.¡±

    As he leaned against the door, he smiled. It was a strange to see him reach out to support me and then clench his fists and lower them. He looked conflicted. He wanted to help but I guess his mysophobia stopped him from touching others. I smiled and thenughed.

    ¡°Then I¡­ I will leave now and rest a bit. I don¡¯t want to cause you more trouble¡­,¡± I said hurriedly. He epted the medicine vial and ced it gingerly on the palm of his hand. I returned to my room andid down on the bed.

    I had only been able to get out of my bed after ten days, and I couldn¡¯t believe I copsed on the bed after only half a day. How do I have such poor stamina? I thought about the ingredients in my blood. If it was really Gordon, then I might be suffering from mental degradation.

    I thought she was perfectly normal, but she turned out to be apletely crazy woman. Dalia had lost her mind because she was trapped in time magic, but I thought it might be because of this that her mind did not return to normal even after the magic was broken. Looking at what has been revealed so far¡­ It had been a perfect crime. Someone had tried to assassinate Dalia in the most unsuspicious and brutal way. Damn you, Dalia!

    I closed my eyes tightly. Not for the first time, Imented that I was stuck in a useless novel. My eyes throbbed. I took the medicine that Kaichen had given me from the table, drank it all up and pressed my palms to my eyes. It was a familiar pain.

    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± I was really used to pain but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt. I smiled hollowly, while pressing on my eyes.

    It¡¯s really damn hard to get off on the right foot.

    * * *

    Nightmares always started with the same scene. I wake up in a boring room where not a single grain of dust has changed. The sky is clear without a single cloud, and bottles of alcohol are rolling around in the spacious room.

    The dazzling sunlight shines through the thick curtains. It was the same day every time. Whether I woke up early orte didn¡¯t matter. It was the same every time. The same room, the same view. After waking up, I kicked the bottle on the ground and drank the alcohol on the table. Otherwise, my hands would tremble violently.

    Who said it? That one drinks because of weak willpower. I¡¯ve been drinking like this for decades. The same day, the same habit. No matter how much I drank, I didn¡¯t get drunk. At first, I thought that Dalia¡¯s body was strong, she resisted intoxication, but it was not the case. My mind was strong.

    I wanted to get drunk and forget but my mind did not get intoxicated no matter how much I drank. At first, with my body, I thought my mind was also getting drunk, but it began to be clearer instead of intoxicated.

    ¡°Lady, you already drank a lot.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No¡­ no matter how much I drink, I don¡¯t get drunk, so it¡¯s okay. Las! Bring me more!

    You will forget this tomorrow, anyway. Nobody remembered the events of any day anyway, everything started with a clean te the next day. Nobody remembered me either. I was so lonely, so I brazenly pretended that I knew them. I wanted to not feel so alone. Hardly anyone weed the drunken countess.

 Chapter 43

    I was a stranger to them, and they seemed afraid of me because I knew their secrets. Even though they were the ones who told me of their secrets, in a conversation over some drinks. One day was too short for bonding with people. I had given up every hope of meeting people and for them to remember me. So, I had shut myself in my mansion.

    ¡°Exactly¡­ when are youing? When are you going to rescue me?¡± I burst into tears, threw the bottle away, and wrapped my arms around myself. Even if I ran through the weedy garden and screamed my lungs out like a crazy person, no one ever came.

    It was true that no one was concerned about the Drunken Countess. To them, I wasn¡¯t just a Drunken Countess, I was also a lunatic who screamed in the mansion asionally. Because it hadn¡¯t been a few months for them, it had been just one day. The same day on repeat.

    ¡°Ha Ha ha! Ahaha!¡± Iughed hysterically. Tears flowed from my eyes, but Iughed. Iughed and I cried, and I pointed at the sky that had not changed from the crescent moon for months. And just like that I lost my mind.

    * * *

    When I woke up, the memory that popped into my head was hell. It was the same morning with the same scenery but today was peaceful. People greeted me today, again. Acrab was peaceful. The room was the same but the bottle of wine that rolled on the floor seemed unfamiliar. Everything today seemed unfamiliar.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± I grabbed my head and screamed. I don¡¯t know how much time has passed. The memory, which I thought was a blessing, made me think of the memories of the period when I had lost my mind. How many nights has it been? How crazy did I go? What the hell did I do? I felt awful.

    My shaking hands were not the tremors caused by abstaining from alcohol. Not today. A chill crept through my body, and I started to scratch my arms. Blood appeared on my skin, but it didn¡¯t hurt. My trembling hands were soaked in blood. I ran out of the mansion shouting that my memories were not true.

    Clear sky without a single cloud. I could see people smiling and spending their day no differently than usual. People were the same as usual. The day was the same. But they didn¡¯t look the same to my eyes.

    I knelt down and sobbed. I felt the eyes of the people on me. They must think I was intoxicated this early in the morning.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­,¡± I mumbled and screamed. No matter how much I apologized, my memories wouldn¡¯t go away. It was true. I killed them. I killed them countless times. They were always fine the next day. The same day would repeat again. But I wasn¡¯t fine.

    Teras streamed down my cheeks. I had lost my mind and now I was here. It was so hard to endure it. Why did I do such things? Has a devil possessed my heart? Did it want to treat them like that? I didn¡¯t want to believe it. Because I knew I was the one who did it.

    I knew it and I felt it. I trembled. People around me whispered in worry. It was like they couldn¡¯t ignore my pain. Did I even deserve them? I wrapped my arms around myself. My arms and my hands were dripping blood.

    Perhaps they thought it was not amon drunk behavior. Their murmurs grew around me. Dalia¡­ Dalia¡­ Dalia¡­. You don¡¯t deserve to look at them.

    I heard a scream. The tears were no longer falling from my eyes. It was blood. I had gouged out my eyes. A relief spread through my heart. I couldn¡¯t see anything. I didn¡¯t need to see the same scenery, the same people again. Everything turned into darkness.

    I thought I was going to pass out because of the pain. I heard myself scream. But it would be okay. They had suffered more than me. They had suffered by my hands. Even if they don¡¯t remember, I do. I know everything and I can never forget.

    It wasn¡¯t a sin I could erase by gouging out my eyes. As long as my memory remained, I would always drown in shame and guilt. After that day, I didn¡¯t lose my mind again.

    After possessing Dalia¡¯s body, I spent thirty dull years. The other ten being out of my mind. For the next sixty, I was weighed down by my own guilt where I longed for Kaichen toe and put an end to this since I myself was unable to. I had tried everything.

    I also got into the habit of gouging my eyes out. To remind myself of the terrible things I had done. This was my punishment, inflicted upon myself by my own volition. But every time my body would get better, and I would have my eyes back the next day. I lived in this madness for ten years, trying to kill myself again and over again.

    After countless death and madness, my mind became devastated, but my body was the same, frozen in the same day. I finally realized that gouging out my eyes was helping nobody. It wasn¡¯t even able to abate my guilt even a little. The pain and the guilt were the most brutal punishment for me, and I had to live with it. I will not forget.

    * * *

    I had barely fallen asleep when the nightmares were presented. I felt weak and tired. I hadn¡¯t forgotten the memories of my time at Acrab. I am, however, trying not to think about them as much as possible because there is nothing I can do about it. There is nothing good for me to remember except the pain and the guilt.

    I frowned. My pajamas were soaked in a cold sweat. Maybe I can take a warm bath to calm myself, I thought. I was really lucky that I had a bathtub. I took off my clothes and sighed.

    When I grabbed the handle to open the bathroom door attached to the room, I heard the sound of the room door opening. When I turned my head in surprise, I could see Kaichen frozen at the door. Sh!t! I am doomed! I let go of the bathroom door handle and covered my chest.

 Chapter 44

    I was so embarrassed that my mind went nk and couldn¡¯t react. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t take off my underwear, was myst thought.

    Thankfully, I had very long hair. It came up to my hips. Besides, my back was turned to him, so he must not have seen much. And anyway, I had done the samest time when I had opened his room door without knocking, and I had seen him half-naked. We were even in that regard. I turned to look over my shoulder at him, who was still frozen in shock at the door.

    ¡°Um, Teacher?¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should close the door after you and leave at this point?¡±

    Kaichen turned his face away, red to the roots. I thought I wouldn¡¯t know even if he blushed because of his bronzeplexion. But I was wrong. Maybe he felt so embarrassed that his blush pierced beyond the color of his skin.

    I am the one who was seen naked so why is he the one who is so embarrassed? I could see him very flustered like I had never seen him before. He tried to not spill the water in the basin he carried.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to lock the door?!¡± he shot back.

    ¡°There was no lock¡­¡±

    I could see his jaw clenching. Kaichen, annoyed, almost threw the basin down randomly on the floor, mmed the door after him and left.

    I stood there awkwardly. I slowly approached the basin on the floor. There was a towel draped on the side. It seemed he had intended to take care of me today. Was he worried about me? ¡°Pfft,¡± I scoffed.

    He hade to my room because he was worried. Seeing me standing naked would have shocked him so much. His embarrassed and flustered appearance was burned into my mind. I had never seen Kaichen like that before. I couldn¡¯t help butugh a little.

    ¡°What is this? Why are you acting so cute?¡± If I hadn¡¯t been exhausted from nightmares, I would definitely haveughed a lot.

    I had lived alone for a hundred years where nothing mattered. I had even forgotten to knock on doors before entering. But I had never expected Kaichen, who had given me a scolding for doing so, opening my door without knocking. Maybe it was because he had been nursing and treating me for the past ten days and going back and forth between the rooms had be a habit. Habits can be scary. However, I felt thankful because now I didn¡¯t feel as depressed.

    I couldn¡¯t forget his blushing face. Iughed as I took my bath. After I was clean and warm, I made my way downstairs. It was already lunchtime. I coughed to dere my presence as I came across Kaichen sitting at the kitchen table with a serious face. He flinched. He must have been very deep in his thoughts. Trying not tough out loud, I sat across from him.

    ¡°Teacher, did youe to take care of me earlier?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You came to put a towel on me, right?¡±

    ¡°I told you that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed about it.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who is supposed to be embarrassed?¡±

    ¡°Really? Why is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­!¡± He caught himself and stopped. It seems he couldn¡¯t say it. He was really embarrassed about the current situation, it seemed. I smiled a little. I suddenly remembered he always used honorifics with me.

    ¡°Teacher, why do you use honorifics with me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to be polite. You are of noble birth.¡±

    ¡°But you are my teacher, so there is no need for that. Besides, you are an invaluable mage who works in the Magic Tower! You received the surname of Tenebre. You don¡¯t need to use honorifics towards me.¡± He looked at me, eyebrows twitching. I wondered if I had offended him again.

    I realized that perhaps it¡¯s to do with Dalia¡¯s childhood. They had definitely met before. I wondered what had happened then to make a man so bound. I also felt upset that I couldn¡¯t remember what, supposedly, had been my childhood.

    ¡°Teacher, even if I¡¯m a noble, I¡¯m your disciple now. So, you can speakfortably.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that because you are not my official disciple.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not official, you¡¯re still teaching me, right? Besides, the magic tower¡¯s Tenebre are equal to a Marquis or a Duke. I am just a Countess.¡±

    He was quiet.

    ¡°In any case, there is no reason for teacher to use honorifics with me.¡±

    Kaichen stared at me with a disapproving look and sighed briefly. ¡°Is it a problem if I speak politely? It has nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be addressed like that. I don¡¯t feel like I deserve it,¡± I said, ¡°You always address me as Countess, or ¡®you¡¯, but when I was sick, you always called me Dalia. I wasfortable with that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never done that. You must be mistaken.¡± He lied so tantly. I titled my head to look at him.

    ¡°I have a very good memory. I know I was not in a very good condition, didn¡¯t know reality from imagination but I clearly recall you calling me by my name.¡± I looked at him. ¡°You called me by my name yesterday too. I hope you can keep calling me by my name.¡±

    ¡°What do you think, Teacher?¡± I asked. Kaichen seemed to be nowfortable with the title of ¡®Teacher¡¯. He didn¡¯t protest. Maybe he was alwaysfortable with calling me by my name but was forcing himself to be polite. In the original novel, I remembered that Kaichen was so cold and standoffish that he often came across as aloof and arrogant, as befit his status as an archmage.

 Chapter 45

    Once, Kaichen couldn¡¯t say to annoyingly persistent Julius so he attended a ball. Where he said to the Marquise¡¯s daughter, ¡°Do not approach me with the smell of an animal who is in heat¡­ It¡¯s dirty and indecent.¡±

    The marquise¡¯s daughter was from one of the most prestigious families in the empire, so it didn¡¯t go down well. She was beautiful and talented, and she had approached Julius, for which Kaichen had said something like that to her.

    That had been so harsh. Kaichen was known to dislike people except maybe Julius but saying something like that was harsh and uncalled for. Which was why it was so surprising to see the Kaichen in front of me. He was so different from the Kaichen I had read about in the original novel. His mysophobia was still present and he was still a sociophobe, but he was somehow different.

    ¡°I have no reason to listen to you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then use honorifics if you want but at least call me by my name. Even if it¡¯s temporary, it¡¯s funny to hear you call me ¡®Countess¡¯ when I¡¯m your disciple.¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t say anything. He mped his mouth shut. I thought it was okay to be stubborn in this matter and I would hold onto it. I felt good when Kaichen called me Dalia. The weight of my guilt seems to ease a little when he did that. I felt as though I was human, and I wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Have you checked the medicine?¡± I asked, intending to change the topic.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I was going to tell you that today¡­.¡±

    The door flew open loudly and Kaichen was cut short mid-sentence. ¡°Kaichen! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to cut offmunication like that?¡± said Julius as he came in. He was all beautiful eyes, smiling lips and blue hair. He looked refreshing. Julius was always of a cheery disposition.

    Kaichen sighed, ignoring Julius. ¡°His Highness decided toe today,¡± he said. I gulped and jumped out of my seat. I put my hands together and bowed respectfully.

    ¡°As a subject of the empire, I feel very honored to greet His Highness the Crown Prince,¡± I said, lowering myself to bow down respectfully.

    ¡°No, Countess! It¡¯s perfectly alright. Please get up,¡± said Julius.

    My n of making a good impression on Kaichen when I first met him had already been ruined and I couldn¡¯t let the same happen with Julius. He was, after all, the protagonist of the story.

    ¡°It is an honor to be able to meet you like this, Your Highness,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t really care for ¡®His Highness¡¯ but I couldn¡¯t look disrespectful, especially since he was the Crown Prince and friend to Kaichen. I got up and smiled at him. Kaichen scowled at me and didn¡¯t hide his annoyance at Julius.

    ¡°I was done talking, so I just cut off themunication,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°But I was not done with what I had to say?¡±

    ¡°Do I have to say it for you to know?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t know, Kaichen.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear what you had to say,¡± said Kaichen at which Julius closed his mouth. I looked at them both but observed Julius more. He indeed fit the description of ¡®embracing a fantasy¡¯ and ¡®incarnation of a blue dragon¡¯ as in the novel. He had a cheery personality, the spirit of a young boy but also the dignity of an Emperor.

    Personally, I liked Kaichen better but the two were so different. While I was lost in thoughtparing the two, I felt both pairs of eyes at me.

    ¡°Should I bring you some tea?¡± I asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s tea in this house?¡± asked Julius in surprise. I recalled that the ingredients in the kitchen had run out. And I also remembered that I hadn¡¯t bought any tea thest time I went to the vige.

    ¡°Oh¡­ actually no. I am sorry, Your Highness.¡± I bowed apologetically. But Julius justughed it off.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright! Besides, I knew that Kaichen¡¯s home would never have any tea anyway.¡± Iughed with him awkwardly. I made a mental note to buy some tea when I went to the vige.

    In the original novel, it was often mentioned that Kaichen enjoyed drinking tea. So, I had assumed that there would be some tea in his house. Butt since I had met him, I could not imagine Kaichen brewing and drinking tea at all. I got up from my seat.

    ¡°I am sure you both have a lot of things to talk about,¡± I said. ¡°I will leave you to it then.¡± The two of them might have very serious things to talk about so it was only natural for me to step out and give them the space. I made my way to the second floor to get changed intofortable clothes to go out.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°I am going to go to the vige and buy some groceries. The ingredients are running out so I need to go to the market anyway.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered enough to go out alone.¡±

 Chapter 46

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just grocery shopping. I feel much better than yesterday. I will just take the medicine. I wille back really soon.¡± I went up to get my coat and headed downstairs again. I heard some mumblings.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me behind?¡± asked Julius, incredulously.

    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± asked Kaichen, with a frown.

    ¡°I had so much trouble taking out some time toe here and visit you!¡±

    ¡°I know you left Bart behind to take care of things.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to deal with Bart?¡±

    ¡°Well then, rest here for a while and go back.¡±

    ¡°What?! You know why I am here!¡±

    I thought they were fighting but when I could peek inside the kitchen, Julius was actually tugging at Kaichen¡¯s arm and begging him. ¡°You said that it was true and you made an antidote after you confirmed it was some kind of poisoning, right? You know I came here to check the facts for myself and to gather information.¡±

    ¡°Organize it and go. I¡¯ll check it when I get back.¡± Kaichen put on the robe that he had thrown on the sofa in the living room. I blinked awkwardly and looked at the two of them.

    Kaichen looked at me. ¡°What are you doing there? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the vige? Come here.¡± It was only then that I could make some sense of the situation unfolding. Did he tell Julius he was going to the vige with me? He was leaving Julius behind¡­?

    ¡°Teacher, are you also going to the market with me?¡±

    ¡°I am going to buy the things I need so you cane along.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going with me because you¡¯re worried about me, are you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I smiled at his answer and went up to his side. ¡°Then that is okay.¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he saw me chuckle quietly. He didn¡¯t say anything else. He stretched out his hand to me as though asking me to take it. He was going to use teleportation. Looking at his stretched hand, I wondered if I should take it. I grabbed his robe instead. Kaichen¡¯s face stiffened and then he scowled as Julius took his outstretched hand instead.

    ¡°What? Teacher? I didn¡¯t know anything about that,¡± said Julius, teasing Kaichen. ¡°What is it about then?¡± he held tighter to Kaichen¡¯s hand as Kaichen tried to extricate it from his grip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like being left alone at the house, so I¡¯m going to join you on your errands to the market,¡± dered Julius, in all his princely glory. The Crown Prince certainly is a sly person. I smiled. It was like he had a thousand faces and selected what he needed the most based on the circumstance.

    He was the protagonist after all, full of talent and tricks up his sleeves. However, Kaichen wasn¡¯t any less of an opponent. They had been childhood friends. They knew each other well.

    ¡°If you want to follow us,e on your own,¡± said Kaichen with a frown. ¡°I do not want to travel with Your Highness.¡± He extricated his hand from Julius¡¯ grip and grabbed my hand that held onto his robe and teleported in an instant.

    I wasn¡¯t prepared for the golden light to rise in front of my eyes and engulf me. But the light fell away as soon as it had risen and Sharatan vige came into focus. I was so surprised even when I had expected it. No wonder he was called the greatest archmage in the entire continent.

    ¡°Teacher, can we leave His Highness just like that?¡±

    ¡°If he is with us, only annoying things will happen.¡±

    ¡°He came to get a report on what happened to me, right? Maybe he wanted to examine my body?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, are you going to give up your body?¡± No, Teacher. That sounds really wrong and weird. I looked up at his cold face in confusion.

    ¡°Do you not want me to offer my body to the Crown Prince for examination?¡± I asked back. His expression is as cold as frost, but why do his golden eyes feel so hot? His gaze was always filled with displeasure. I didn¡¯t know what made him so grumpy.

    Does he really hate it? I had just asked the question as a retort to his question but Kaichen didn¡¯t answer. Only the corners of his mouth twitched.

    ¡°Is that really it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to give up my body to His Highness for examination, do you?¡±

    ¡°Why are you talking so crudely?¡±

    ¡°Did you not bring it up first?¡±

    Again, he had no answer to that. He clicked his tongue and looked away. His ears looked a bit red. I observed his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said teasingly, ¡°I will not give my body, not even for examination, to anyone but my teacher.¡±

    ¡°Dalia!¡± he eximed.

    ¡°Yes, Teacher!¡± I said, saluting him. He closed his mouth. I suddenly remembered that Kaichen was still holding my hand. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s a lie that you have mysophobia, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked with a smirk, indicating my hand that he held.

    Kaichen let go of it in annoyance. He then wiped his hand on the hem of his robe and looked at me with an icy gaze.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°You¡¯re so frivolous. Do you know that?

    ¡°Oh my! Of course, I know!¡± When I winked at him andughed, Kaichen furrowed his eyebrows, pursed his lips and turned away. Iughed louder at his back. He is so adorable. Then I hurried and followed him at a brisk walk.

    * * *

    Kaichen looked at Dalia as she bought vegetables with a very serious face. She was his subject of observation and study. He found her fascinating. She suffered severely from symptoms of alcoholism, but once she was back to her senses, she had a wonderment of a yful child.

    She was so different from when she was sick. She was always so meticulous in everything she did, but once the symptoms affected her, she started hallucinating and muttering things.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a murderer¡­¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be ugly, ugly¡­ I¡­ no, no¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t show it¡­ Oh, no.¡­ I, I¡¯m sorry.¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I killed you¡­¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t understand any of it in the beginning. He was always on the alert to stop her from harming herself. She always looked like she was in immense pain. Most times she wasn¡¯t aware of her episodes, and it hurt somewhere deep within Kaichen¡¯s heart. It was an indescribable emotion.

    Kaichen had cared for her the entire night and saw her suffer through her hallucinations and pain. Even when he cared for her, she asked repeatedly for forgiveness.

    She had been trapped in the time magic for a hundred years. Kaichen checked the ingredients to the antidote recipe she had given and was somewhat able to figure out what might have happened to her.

    Dalia had not escaped the time magic unscathed. What I felt at that time¡­ was she feeling that way all along?

    When Kaichen had broken through the barrier in Acrab, he had felt an overwhelming feeling of pain, loss and loneliness flow through him. He had no intention of sympathizing with the woman in front of him but whenever he saw her smile at him, his chest seized in pain.

    ¡°Teacher, doesn¡¯t this look fresh?¡± Dalia smiled. ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t matter since you don¡¯t eat carrots.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s not going to eat it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t like carrots¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just not my preference.¡±

    ¡°That is what ¡®dislike¡¯ means.¡± Dalia scoffed.

    Kaichen smiled at that, shaking his head. Dalia always had a retort ready and never hesitated to fling it at him. Her dark eyes made it impossible to guess what she was thinking at the moment. Her long hair, that was tied into a ponytail, and pale skin¡­

    Kaichen didn¡¯t want to see her in pain. The childhood resentment towards her remained, but this woman was different from who he had met in the past. I must be going crazy, thought Kaichen.

    She imed that she forgot her memories due to the influence of time magic. Was it possible? Did people forget their memories if they lived a hundred years? Kaichen wondered. He also noticed that the people in the vige knew and greeted Dalia as though she was their own.

    It was strange to see her like this. So different from the childhood version of her that he had known. She talked to the merchants, the vigers, the ordinary people as thought she was friends with them. She was more familiar with them than Kaichen who had lived near the vige his whole life. If she was the same person of his past, this would have been impossible.

    ¡°Dalia!¡± said the fruit vendor, ¡°So great to see you! Where have you been all this time? It¡¯s been a while. Oh my! What happened? You look so pale. Have you been sick?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, do I look that sick? I was actually sick the past few days. You don¡¯t know how much I craved the fruits you sell.¡±

    ¡°Oh no! You pretty little thing. Take these,¡± said the fruit vendor, handing Dalia a bag of fruits, ¡°Eat this and get your strength back. You should be healthy at your age!¡±

    Kaichen looked at the fruit vendor, who Dalia talked with so casually. She looked like she could have lived in the vige for about 20 years.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Dalia. ¡°I am sure these will help a great deal. Do you mind packing me a box of green apples?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, not at all. Any others you want me to pack?¡±

    ¡°Just the green apples. They are my teacher¡¯s favorites.¡±

    As she had done before, she winked at the fruit vendor as though they shared an inside joke. Then she pointed to Kaichen standing a little far off.

    ¡°I¡¯m here with my teacher today! Can you see him? He¡¯s so shy, so don¡¯t act like you know him, alright?¡±

    ¡°Is that the teacher you have been bragging about all this time? Hm¡­ he doesn¡¯t look as great as you have described. And why is he wrapped up in such a weather like this?¡± The fruit vendor directed a suspicious nce at him. Kaichen stared at Dalia in astonishment.

    Dalia justughed loudly and didn¡¯t borate. Kaichen pulled his hood lower, annoyed. Usually, kaichen altered his appearance when he came to the vige. But today, he had been in a hurry. He debated on whether he should change his appearance, but the damage was already done. He looked at Dalia, who talked with the vendors animatedly. I haven¡¯t even epted her as my official disciple, and she is already telling everybody she is my student! Dalia was very bold and brazen. That¡¯s how he saw her.

    ¡°Never knew you were going to be this swayed by her.¡±

    ¡°Who is being swayed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s clear as day, my friend. Even the blind could see it. You. Kaichen Tenebre, you.¡± Julius had arrived silently. He put a hand on Kaichen¡¯s shoulder in mock solemnity. ¡°So, is it Momalhaut who poisoned her?¡±

 Chapter 48

    ¡°The ingredients from Dalia¡¯s blood were notmon. You can¡¯t find it just anywhere. Isn¡¯t there only one person capable of collecting these ingredients andbining them into a highly efficient poison?¡±

    ¡°Anteresse?¡± Julius muttered with a solemn face. His face was stiff, and his attitude wasn¡¯t his signature cheery self. Kaichen swatted Julius¡¯ hand from his shoulders and scowled at the name.

    ¡°If he is involved, it will not end with Dalia alone.¡±

    Julius nodded. ¡°That was why I had toe personally. If that is true, you and I both know who could have nned this.¡±

    Kaichen nodded. ¡°Dalia would have been a good subject for their experiment to test all ingredients at once.¡±

    ¡°I think so, too. I am just d she didn¡¯t go entirely crazy.¡±

    Kaichen couldn¡¯t share his relief. Did she really not go crazy? There were a lot of questions in his mind but as Julius said, it was indeed a relief that she was alive. Kaichen was surprised at that thought and turned to Julius highly annoyed.

    ¡°If you just wanted to check, you could have waited. Why did you follow us?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ because I wanted to. It seemed like you two were having so much fun together.¡± Julius turned to kaichen with a smirk. ¡°And how could I have missed this? You being swayed by her. Wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡±

    Kaichen rolled his eyes at Julius, and turned to look at Dalia, who had moved to a different store and was having yet another conversation with the vendor of the shop. Kaichen thought Julius and Dalia were simr in their ability to annoy him to no end.

    ¡°By the way, what does she mean by ¡®teacher¡¯?¡± asked Julius.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Did you ept the Countess as your disciple?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just temporary.¡±

    ¡°Now this is really surprising! I don¡¯t think my heart can handle any more surprises.¡± Julius looked at Dalia, then at Kaichen. ¡°What did I tell you about being swayed? The most powerful archmage who had never, I repeat, NEVER, epted anyone as a disciple has finally done it! Countess Alshine must be really powerful! Do-er of the impossible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°You must have taken her as your disciple since you are interested in her ability.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just something temporary.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ ¡®temporary¡¯. Even if it is temporary, you gave her the authority to mention you as her teacher.¡±

    It was always a norm for any wizard to reveal the name of their teacher. It helped them establish themselves in the magical hierarchy. Kaichen and Julius were disciples of Matabju. Only the two of them were ever epted as the disciple of Matabju on the continent.

    Julius had never taken a disciple. He was the Crown Prince so it would be aplicated process. And Kaichen had never wanted to. He was the strongest archmage in the continent, but he wasn¡¯t a people person.

    Numerous people had sought to be Kaichen¡¯s disciples, but he had never coe out of hisb on the top floor of the pagoda. When people had pestered him, he had retreated to his house which no one knew about except Julius, and now Dalia. He would disappear at lengths at a time. Sometimes for weeks, maybe months.

    Even if he was temporary, Julius immediately wanted to run to the top of the tower and tell his teacher Hamal, that Kaichen had now be a teacher.

    Julius wanted to run to his teacher and tell him that the great recluse, kaichen, had finally found a disciple. Kaichen anticipated this. ¡°You better not,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡± said Julius, innocently.

    ¡°If you tell anyone, I will disappear to a ce where even you cannot find me ever again.¡± Kaichen smiled an evil smile. ¡°You need my help solving this problem.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it is.¡±

    ¡°You are so mean,¡± said Julius, ¡°I am just d you have a student.¡±

    ¡°I know how ¡®d¡¯ you are. Always trying to find a reason to pull my leg at any possible moment.¡±

    Julius smiled, nudging Kaichen on the shoulder. ¡°Tell me. Countess Alshine is your first love, isn¡¯t she? I can¡¯t believe you epted her as your disciple. What were you even thinking?¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t my ¡®first love¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I remember you bawling your eyes out every night thinking about her. You were frustrated, then sad and wrote hundreds of love letters¡­¡±

    ¡°Just shut up!¡± said Kaichen, shoving Julius away from him. ¡°You can bber to yourself; I am going to disappear right now.¡± For god measure, he also summoned some magic lights.

    Julius waved his hands. ¡°Alright. Alright,¡± he said hurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t leave. I need you. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t true and Kaichen knew it. Julius was the Crown Prince and his sheepishness had not changed. He was always the troublemaker. People using honorifics didn¡¯t change that. He just smiled and brushed it away.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± said Dalia, panting and running towards them. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here!¡± She had seen kaichen summon magic and had assumed he was leaving.

    Kaichen had a strong urge to disappear to somewhere where no one knew him. And he did just that.

    * * *

    Kaichen¡¯s mood suddenly took a plunge when Julius impeded in the middle. I nced cautiously from the shops to where he was standing with Julius. The displeasure was clear on his face.

    If I annoy him even more, it would be hazardous. I saw Julius giggle and look towards me. Kaichen¡¯s face stiffened and he looked at Julius with a murderous gaze. He then summoned his magic and disappeared.

    ¡°Countess, did you hear what he just said?¡±

    ¡°I thought he told you to shut up.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you have a good ear.¡± Julius nced awkwardly at me. ¡°Then did you hear what I said?¡±

 Chapter 49

    ¡°What? Not really. Why? What did you say? He seemed angry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, as long as you didn¡¯t hear it, that¡¯s alright. I guess you will have to walk back to the cabin. So sorry about that. Will you be okay with that?¡±

    I was a bit surprised with how Julius talked to me. It felt so different from when he talked to Kaichen. He was polite and formal. But the protagonist in the original novel did talk formally when greeting others. And¡­ I had heard what Julius had said to Kaichen.

    ¡°The way Count Alshine looks at you is strange. An unnatural rtionship between teacher and student. What do you think?¡± That was what Julius had said to Kaichen.

    What does he mean by ¡®strange¡¯? If I get hate from Kaichen because of this, are you going to take responsibility Mr. Main Character? We have only just begun to talk properly. I sighed. I hadn¡¯t even carried my magical bag. How was I going to carry everything back?

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped,¡± I said, ¡°I guess I will go rent a carriage.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering what you were buying. I see that it¡¯s all ingredients for cooking. Are you going to make Kaichen cook?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ as a disciple, I must treat my teacher to delicious food. In fact, I am ashamed to say that I asked him to ept me as a disciple in exchange for anything I could do to serve him.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, he likes my cooking. I was able to be his temporary student.¡± I emphasized the word ¡®temporary¡¯.

    This world that I am in revolves around the protagonist, Julius. So, naturally, I had to please him and get on his good side. So, I smiled at him and decided to praise his friend, Kaichen, to the skies.

    Julius was loyal to Kaichen. They were childhood friends. So I thought if Iplimented Kaichen, he would think positively of me.

    ¡°Oh¡­you are the only person that has such a positive opinion of Kaichen,¡± said Julius, ¡°Usually, people just avoid him and with good reason. He doesn¡¯t take warmly to anybody at all.¡±

    I pasted a smile on my face. ¡°The reason why people are like that is because they only approach him for something they need,¡± I said, ¡°And if he refuses, they judge him. But I know that teacher has a very warm heart and cares about everyone deeply.¡± I praised Kaichen as I rented a wagon and loaded up my things.

    I was too tired to see Julius¡¯ gaze full of mischief. I bought a cool drink to moisten my throat and hopped on the wagon. Julius, calmly, followed me.

    ¡°I assume you like Kaichen?¡± he said in a secretive voice.

    I almost dropped the drink I was holding. Julius was like one of those kids in school who deliberately asked you what you thought of the guy in the other ss to get you to admit to things.

    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t spill much of my drink. As I wiped my hands, I wondered what to respond to his question. I must not overreact. Maybe he is just asking me if I like Kaichen as a general human being.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said and nodded.

    Julius excitedly pped his hands. It was only then that I recalled what Kaichen had called me. ¡®Frivolous¡¯. I guess this was how I was. I decided to reflect on my own actions from now on.

    After that was sorted, I had to listen to Julius¡¯ childhood stories. I was sick of it after a while. But who would dare say that to the Crown Prince? I knew about his childhood. I was interested only when he described his time with Kaichen because it wasn¡¯t described in detail in the book.

    After the wagon reached Kaichen¡¯s house, I got off the wagon and sighed. ¡°Your Highness, as much as I love your stories,¡± I said, ¡°I have to move these things so I might not be able to listen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is simple,¡± said Julius, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Julius wriggled his fingers and a blue magical light appeared. The light surrounded the luggage and then everything disappeared. ¡°And I thought all this time, you had a real hobby of traveling in a wagon.¡±

    Juliusughed. I could see why Kaichen was so annoyed by him. I was reminded that he was also a student along with Kaichen. He was a powerful wizard. His cheery andid-back attitude fooled everyone. I realized that it would be a mistake to underestimate this man. But¡­ he could have teleported us and saved us a ride!

    ¡°There isn¡¯t a lot of chances I get to ride a wagon and rx,¡± said Julius jokingly.

    A sarcastic retort crept up to my lips, but I suppressed it. When I went inside the house, I felt calmer. Kaichen was in the living room, reading a book. Having spent time with Julius, I definitely preferred Kaichen more.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± I was relieved to see him. I thought my ears would bleed if I listened to any more of Julius¡¯ stories. Hopefully, Kaichen won¡¯t leave abruptly from here like he did before. ¡°Teacher, are you hungry? I¡¯ll prepare a meal fast.¡±

    ¡°Me too! I want to eat too!¡± added Julius.

 Chapter 50.1

    Of course, you do. I smiled at Julius and headed to the kitchen. I had bought a lot of fresh fish. I wanted to make Kaichen¡¯s favorite dish with fish. I didn¡¯t worry about Julius. There wasn¡¯t anything in the whole world he would not eat. The main character of Blue Dragon Heir, Julius, was perfect enough to say that the only weakness was the heroine he loved.

    Thinking of Kaichen having to deal with Julius, I worked faster. When I finished cooking the dish and ced it on the table, it looked just perfect.

    ¡°Kaichen, is this what you have been eating every day?!¡± said Julius, stopping mid-way while sipping the tea. His eyes were wide open. ¡°Countess Alshine, do you perhaps want toe cook at the pce?¡±

    I smiled awkwardly and turned to kaichen. ¡°I was able to buy some fresh Perca today. So, I made Perca steak.¡±

    I urged him to try. Kaichen reluctantly took a bite. ¡°Is it good?¡± I asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. Usually, he would have said it was delicious but because Julius was present, he replied dryly and averted his gaze.

    I knew he liked it because he silently finished the fish in an instant. I put the second helping on his te and he smiled. I felt d to see someone enjoying my cooking. I always took care and effort to cook a dish perfectly.

    ¡°Can I have some more, Countess? Asked Julius.

    I looked at his te, which was already empty. ¡°I am sorry¡­,¡± I said awkwardly, ¡°I only have teacher¡¯s share.¡± I refilled Kaichen¡¯s ce, this was the third time.

    ¡°But Kaichen is already on his third helping¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher usually eats till the fifth helping.¡±

    ¡°Are you allowed to treat the Crown prince like this?¡± asked Julius, with mock seriousness. His attempt at seriousness was undermined by the speck of fish stuck near his lips.

    I gave him one more steak. He is annoying but he is still the main character. I will have to leave a positive impression on him. In the end, Julius would be an emperor. I must tread carefully.

    Eventually, both ate with relish and filled their stomachs. I was still not able to digest rich food properly, so I ate my porridge.

    ***

    I sat on the sofa, peeling a green apple for dessert. I like the current atmosphere. It¡¯s very peaceful and friendly, I thought.

    ¡°It seems like you two have managed to turn this cabin into a house,¡± said Julius, taking a bite out of the apple and sipping his tea.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± replied Kaichen. I pretended not to hear it and continued peeling the apple. I was reluctant to interrupt. I don¡¯t want to be involved in a fight between them.

    ¡°I mean¡­ it feels nice. Cooking, eating, reading¡­.¡± Julius turned to Kaichen. ¡®it definitely doesn¡¯t sound like just a typical ¡®teacher-student¡¯ rtionship. It feels a little different.¡±

    Kaichen stared at his hand holding the apple, and then the book. He then turned to me. He did a double take as though he had realized his mistake. It was okay for us to take care of each other, but it had reached a point where it had be toofortable. Kaichen frowned.

    ¡°She might be your student, but you shouldn¡¯t treat her this way.¡±

    I was taken aback. I was doing this because I wanted to be epted as his disciple officially. For that, he would need to trust me to some extent. Besides, he had saved my life. I didn¡¯t mind cooking, after all. I was happy to cook and see himfortable. This was my n to be a little bit more likable to Kaichen so I could be a proper disciple and learn more magic.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± I said hurriedly, ¡°I like cooking, so I don¡¯t mind. Besides, I am thankful that teacher saved me from time magic. This is the least I can do.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Julius nodded.

    However, Kaichen still seemed doubtful. He looked at the apple and looked ufortable.

    Great! Now he will be more cautious of everything thinking I have permeated into his life a little too much. I sighed inwardly, cursed Julius in my mind, and continued peeling the apples.

    *

    Exchetra was sitting in her study and staring at the map of the empire. As she tapped on the edge of her armrest, Asta, her henchman appeared in front of her. ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Let him in,¡± she said, waving her hand.

    When Exchetra beckoned, a man wearing a ck robe entered the study from outside. ¡°I present myself to the imperial empress,¡± he dered.

    After the greeting, he sat on a chair across the table as though he was familiar with this interaction.

    ¡°The experiment was sessful,¡± she said, ¡°But your expression is solemn.¡±

    The man took off his hood and bowed. Red eyesshed beneath dark brown hair. He had dark circles under his eyes. ¡°As you already know, there was a ¡­ disturbance.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it something that was already predicted?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different this time. Countess Alshine was a very good medium.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°She¡­ disappeared from Acrab but she must have gone crazy. It is not easy to escape my poison.¡±

    ¡°What about the little boy who was experimented before the Countess?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That little boy from Acrab. I believe he is still alive.¡±

 Chapter 50.2

    *We made an error with the chapter number. This will be renamed as 50 part 2 for rification.

    ¡°There is no way!¡±

    ¡°Kaichen was there.¡±

    ¡°No matter how great of an archmage he is, my poison cannot be treated in a day!¡± Exchetra remained calm as the man shouted. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Whether it was by chance or not¡­ it is true that the little boy survived. Antares, I have no doubts about your skills. But I think we should release the poison before it bes useless.¡±

    ¡°Have you decided on a location?¡±

    Exchetra opened her eyes and looked at the map. She looked at the red circle on it.

    ¡°It would be nice if it¡¯s a secluded ce ruled by a poor lord. I would like it to be a ruin that no one will look for.¡± Antares nced at Exchetra who had anguid smile on her face. The ce that the red circle marked on the map was Acrab, a unique and secluded terrain to the east of the Empire.

    The forbidden magic had already manifested once before in Acrab. It was a ce where he had gone before with an already dead magician to poison the countess and activate the said forbidden magic.

    ¡°What if the Countess recognizes me?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not in Acrab right now, so don¡¯t worry. She was taken by the Archmage to be his research subject.¡± Exchetraughed as though this was all fun and games for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what I had expected, but it¡¯s not a bad development. Originally, I was going to aim for a different ce, but¡­ I think it would be better to turn Acrab into ruins now, which might one day interfere with our ns the most.¡±

    ¡°Did you¡­ foresee the future again?¡± At Antares¡¯ words, Exchetraughed aloud.

    ¡°If everything goes ording to n, it will be different from the future that I know of.¡± Exchetra dismissed Antares. He was headed to Acrab to spread the poison he had used on the countess.

    ¡°Do you know the greatest enemy for a country?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± Asta stood there with lowered head. Exchetra got up from her seat and walked to the window. She lifted the curtains and looked outside at the lively street.

    ¡°There may be many external enemies who wage their wars,¡± she said, ¡°But the greatest threat for a nation are not the external enemies. It¡¯s an internal one. One person on the inside can undo all that a country has worked for and bring them to their knees.¡±

    ¡°And the way to defeat an enemy within is through a disease.¡± Exchetra turned away from the window and looked at Asta.

    ¡°Because humans are angrier at the imminent death of a family member than an unfamiliar external enemy. One¡¯s own life and blood is more important, isn¡¯t it? Even throughout history, the greatest number of deaths is through epidemics. A disease could be so great that it could turn the bnce of the world.¡±

    Asta didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Because when people begin dying one by one, they will doubt what they believed in and give up.¡± Exchetra calmly leaned against the window.

    ¡°Can Antares¡¯ poison be made contagious?¡±

    ¡°No way. You can¡¯t build a weapon of mass destruction like that with his head.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other way?¡±

    ¡°There is a rumor.¡± Exchetraughed. Herugh sent chills down Asta¡¯s spine.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a contagious disease, it is a poison, but if people die indiscriminately, suspicion will arise. But if it is somewhere secluded like Acrab, where one can¡¯t easily get help from the people outside due to its geographical location, it is the perfect ce to do it.¡±

    It was easy to instigate people. If people kept dying, it would obviously arouse suspicion. If someone called it contagious, the suspicion would turn into fear. If the deaths continued, then the fear about a contagious disease that didn¡¯t even exist would be a reality.

    ¡°Asta, there must be no mistakes. We must stop the Archmage from being next to Julius. He¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Exchetra walked away having said what she wanted to and left the study with her face covered with a robe and a hood.

    * * *

    Julius, who hade in like a storm, and then left after being ignored by Kaichen did not visit despite saying ¡°I wille again,¡± for over a whole month. I was so nervous because I didn¡¯t know when Julius would barge in again. It seemed to be his habit.

    I had to be prepared anyhow. In this world, he was the main character. So, I had to be careful of how I treated him. His emotions mattered. I couldn¡¯t have him assuming I was being rude to him.

    I shook my head to dislodge that thought. I was afraid of him. He was the main character. Julius got what he wanted, and if he felt threatened by something, he would surely destroy it. I had to be on his good side.

    It was one of the reasons why I chose to be a disciple of Kaichen. Also, because Kaichen is the greatest archmage the empire has ever seen but he was also Julius¡¯ best friend. It was the reason I tried to hide behind Kaichen¡¯s shadow so that I would be safe from Julius. It was my n for making Julius the Emperor andpleting the novel to live my life in peace.

 Chapter 51

    In the end, it all came down to gaining his favor. I did not want to be involved with him, but I already was, by being associated with Kaichen. So, I had to try as much as I was able to keep the main character in my good books.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I closed my eyes with a sigh. Compared to Kaichen, I was cold to Julius. I asked myself why I was so cold to Julius, but I wasn¡¯t any closer to an answer.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t like him!¡± I shouted to myself and hit my innocent pillow. Just because I was cold to him doesn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t visit Kaichen, though. I should have given him more steak.

    Lying on the bed and hitting fruitlessly on the nkets and the pillows, I reflected on myself. I heard a knock on the door while Imented about things I should and shouldn¡¯t have done to the main character.

    I flinched knowing there was only one other person at home who could be knocking at my door. Kaichen. He was also the reason for my worry and agony over everything. I knew that Kaichen would do anything for Julius even though most of the time he was cold and annoyed towards Julius. I sighed.

    When I heard the knock, I got up from my bed and opened the door. I had intended to open it slowly, but the door flew open at the slightest pressure. Maybe Kaichen had anticipated it because he had taken a step back from the door.

    His cold eyes looked at me. He was very tall, so he had to look down to look at me. He wore the magician¡¯s loose,fortable clothes. Contrary to his icy and cold expression, his golden eyes exuded a warmth. Damn¡­

    In the end this man had be more important to me than Julius. The really important person should have been Julius as he was the main character and Kaichen should have been just a foothold for me but¡­

    The corners of my mouth lifted up. Seeing Kaichen, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Teacher! What brings you here early in the morning? Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°I found the connection between time magic and the medium and the definition of magic.¡±

    ¡°What?

    ¡°Did you forget it already?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little. Without holding back a smile, I leaned against the door and nodded. It had already been two months since I hade here. I was reminded of my purpose here. I came as Kaichen¡¯s subject of study. Ipletely forgot about it with everything going on, my symptoms and all¡­

    I was surprised at his deration. Kaichen, in the original novel, had a hard time figuring it out because of the crazy Dalia. But I wasn¡¯t crazy here, so it would have been easier to figure out.

    ¡°After all, the Teacher is amazing!¡±

    ¡°If one bes a medium of forbidden magic, they usually cannot survive. Until you, that is. You are an exception. How can a person be so carefree? You even forgot about it.¡± His eyes looked at me, full of annoyance.

    I smiled at him. ¡°Because I am yourpetent student?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he said and walked away. I closed the door to my room and followed him. I had been to the research room multiple times. It was full of scrolls and books scattered everywhere that there was no ce to sit.

    It was so disorderly that I doubted whether he actually had mysophobia. But I guess he didn¡¯t have a problem with things being messy only with them being dirty. I could see no grain of dust anywhere. Even old items that had been in the room were spotless. I realized he cleaned it every day. Or maybe he uses cleaning magic on them.

    There was one thing I learnt while being here. Apart from the mysophobia, Kaichen had so many things that bothered him. He also wanted to eat delicious food, but he doesn¡¯t want to cook. He was a cold-hearted, indifferent person or he pretended to be, but he was sentimental.

    I found these out as I explored the house. I thought the two ducks in the pond were wild ducks who had wandered into the pond by the house and made it their home. But they were Kaichen¡¯s pet, and he took care of them. It was a surprising thing to discover. I had found this out the hard way. The conversation went something like this:

    ¡°Teacher, there are two ducks in the pond. Do you want smoked duck for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°What? You can¡¯t eat duck meat?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about touching them! They are my children.¡±

    I was really perplexed and embarrassed at the using way he looked at me, as though I was some murderer. I had begun to feed the ducks in the pond in the mornings. I also found out that the circle of influence of Kaichen¡¯s magic was not only limited inside the house but also outside to a certain area. I stumbled upon this realization when I saw no duck poop around. There was no duck poop on sight and no smell. While being grateful and astonished about his fact and how convenient it made our lives, I couldn¡¯t help wondering what a waste of mana that was.

 Chapter 52

    Kaichen raised ducks, had a cozy yard, and yellow-leaved willow around his house. It was so unlike the cold exterior he put up for the world. He was a sentimental person with loads of emotions. The ce exudedfort and I had be sofortable in this ce. It felt like home.

    I skimmed through the items in Kaichen¡¯s clutteredb. After some trial and error and an usatory gaze from Kaichen, I managed to clean up a spot to sit on. I rolled up the parchment and secured it with a string, which I ced on a desk, and then sat down on the empty spot I had just created.

    Whenever I came in here, I would sit on the sofa after cleaning it or by the window, but today, these spots were full of things. It meant Kaichen was really busy. Kaichen didn¡¯t say a word to me all this while but raised an eyebrow when he saw me casually sitting on the floor. He seemed to be familiar with my easygoing behavior by now.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that you were chosen as the medium of time magic that manifested in Acrab.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. As expected, right?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember anything? You must havee in contact with the magician.¡±

    Do you think I have never thought about that before? I sighed.

    ¡°His Highness said he has found traces of a member of the Momalhaut visiting Acrab,¡± he continued, ¡°You can say you are a victim of forbidden magic now, but since you have encountered Momalhaut, you can¡¯t escape the suspicion that you might be on their side.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even remember!¡±

    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t remember it doesn¡¯t erase whatever you might have done in your past.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I would ever be conspiring with the Momalhaut.¡± Even in the original novel, Dalia hadn¡¯t consorted with the Momalhaut. Dalia had died even before the third chapter. Granted Dalia was a drunken countess who wasted her life, but consorting with Momalhaut was even beneath her.

    Ugh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have been frugal with money and should have bought and read everything! I regretted reading the novel for leisure and skipping chapters.

    ¡°The focal point between you and Momalhaut is Acrab. Keep in mind that you can¡¯t prove anything right now. And another important thing is that the magic connection with the medium and the definition of magic ispletely dependent of you.¡±

    ¡°Me? I know that my mental strength might have been something that maintained the magic but¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Not much about the most dangerous forbidden magic ¨C time magic ¨C has been revealed. Have you ever thought about it? Why was Acrab enchanted by the time magic that repeats one day out of countless days? Why only time magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Time magic varies depending on the medium. This is the connection between the medium and time magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic was maintained based on my mental strength. Are you saying that I created the source of magic that repeats the day?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kaichen replied calmly. The notebook he was holding was already tattered with how many times he had looked through it. It was almost new two months ago. While nursing and treating me, he had found the time to study on his research until his notebook was this worn out.

    Right now, rather than his dedication and effort, I was more shocked that I had created the time magic. No, I corrected myself, it was Dalia. It was created by Dalia. Damn you Dalia! The bad choices of Dalia would always haunt me. Dalia¡­ me. I had created hell on my own.

    ¡°But¡­ how is that possible? Why on earth¡­,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°As soon as the medium is selected and the magic is activated, the magic changes form ording to medium¡¯s desire. Forbidden magic is tricky and takes a lot of mana, but what¡¯s more important is the medium.¡±

    ¡°Medium¡¯s desire?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we usually choose those with desperate desires as the medium. You¡­ what did you desire back then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what I wanted¡­.¡± I was so frustrated. I had no memory. Over a period of 100 years, I had cursed the magician who created the time magic a thousand times.

    Dalia, who lost her mind. Dalia, who gave up everything. Dalia, a drunkard. Surely, she was in a tight spot. She was suddenly betrayed by a neighboring count who was close to her parents. Her parents then died suddenly and the situation of hernd and estate was deteriorating. Because of the burden and responsibility, she turned to alcohol to cope. That might have been an opportunity for the Momalhaut.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but maybe¡­ I might have wished for no tomorrow.¡± If the time magic became attuned to the Medium¡¯s desire, then this made sense.

    Dalia didn¡¯t want tomorrow toe and having to deal with everything again. But why? Why Dalia? Only thing that was apparent was that Dalia was the head of Acrab. And Dalia was already at the edge with depression. She had turned to alcohol, but it wasn¡¯t enough. She had no one she could rely on. I felt like I understood why she might have desired something like that. And because of it, she must have seemed like a good bait for Momalhaut.

    ¡°Then, Teacher¡­ is it me who set the characteristics of time magic, and is it because of me that I spent a hundred years in it?¡±

 Chapter 53

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to my mental strength thatsted that long, the magic¡­ was it stronger than you thought?¡±

    There was no response, but he didn¡¯t deny it. I understood now why it had taken Kaichen so long to reach Acrab and break the time magic. In the original novel, Dalia had lost her mind and copsed, so it was easy for Kaichen to break the magic. But I was still sane in Acrab, therefore, it had taken Kaichen a long time.

    But what about my mind? I had spent 100 years of hell and possessed Dalia¡¯s body. I had all my memories of the past but none of Dalia. My mental strength must have been resilient. Dalia had created this hell, but I had maintained it for a long time. 100 years. I couldn¡¯t even curse Dalia anymore. My chest felt stuffy.

    ¡°The definition of Forbidden Time magic is that from beginning to end it depends ultimately on the medium, not the magician.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big discovery.¡±

    I had survived so I became the living evidence. Forbidden magic had been difficult to study and make sense of because the mediums always died. But I had lived. As Kaichen had said, I was an exception. It was indeed a great discover. Nobody had been able to study forbidden magic but now Kaichen could. He had the authority and a medium he could conduct his studies on. This could prove to be very advantageous to him. He could have even more authority and power because of this knowledge.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to disclose this information to anybody,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°What? Why? Uncovering the secret of forbidden magic is a great discovery.¡±

    Kaichen looked at me intently after closing the worn-out notebook and putting it on the desk. I looked at him, studying his face.

    ¡°It is not ¡®forbidden¡¯ without reason,¡± he said, ¡°If people learn about human-mediated magic and its rtionship¡­ are you confident that they won¡¯t use that magic for bad ends?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Magicians are greedier than anyone else. There are people who secretly use forbidden magic and there are people who study it. Don¡¯t you think innocent people will be sacrificed if magicians started learning it?¡±

    ¡°Probably¡­ it would mean a lot of suffering and sacrifices if the knowledge fell in the wrong hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as I said before, the beings that be the medium usually end up¡­ disabled or dead. You are an exception. You had the mental strength to maintain that magic up to a hundred years ande out of it alive and well.¡±

    I scratched the back of my head awkwardly at his words. After a while, I nodded my head, swept my hair away from my face and said, ¡°Well¡­I guess that I¡¯m a little special.¡±

    ¡°A little?¡±

    ¡°Oh, a lot. I¡¯m very special. I am your disciple after all.¡±

    At my words, Kaichen sighed a long, weary sigh and turned away. Theb, at this moment, felt very cozy. He didn¡¯t protest when I called myself his disciple and it warmed my heart. I thought because of Julius, he must be keeping his distance from me, in an effort not to get toofortable with me. But after this conversation, it seemed a distance had grown between us again.

    ¡°The fact that you were a medium of time magic is probably impossible to hide. Momalhaut will try to use you again when they find out that you are fine.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to be used again.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t hide it, it would be advantageous to reveal it here first. But let¡¯s pretend that you don¡¯t remember anything about what happened there.¡±

    I squinted at Kaichen. I thought he was only focused on research, but it seemed that he had been thinking about various things to protect my position in the future. His blunt and straightforward words sounded so sweet in my ears. Was he worried about me?

    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten all my old memories anyway, so that¡¯s great. Should I call it partial amnesia?

    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°If it is strange that I am neither disabled, nor dead after being a medium for magic, can I just say that you healed me when you freed Acrab and epted me as your disciple?¡± I smiled at him sweetly.

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The golden eyes slowly fixated on me. I must be crazy to find such eyes warm when he was staring daggers at me. ¡°Do as you please.¡±

    I thought he would call me crazy or mad, but his unexpected answer gave me hope. He handed out three books he had chosen for me. I epted them in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find out how far your magical powers go.¡±

    ¡°All of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be my disciple?¡±

    ¡°I did want to be officially epted as your disciple. But it is only temporary at the moment, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I will decide where to start and how to teach. Don¡¯t expect me to go easy on you.¡± Did he just¡­? My mouth fell open. He wanted to teach me properly! If I could see myself in the mirror, I know I would have looked like a bbergasted idiot.

    ¡°Teacher¡­!¡±

    ¡°Time magic research is over. The results will be reported to Juli¡­. After reporting it to His Highness, nothing will be revealed to the world.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Then do I have to go back to Acrab?¡± Kaichen frowned and kept quiet. This time, I couldn¡¯t guess what he was thinking.

 Chapter 54

    Can I really do as I please? I don¡¯t want to go back to Acrab yet. There is still a month left before the new, life-altering event and I wanted to enjoy a little bit of peace before that happened. I don¡¯t know if my life right now can be called peaceful but still, it feels good.

    Anyway, this was a time where I needed to focus on myself. Even if I had, identally, made an antidote to treat my own symptoms, I didn¡¯t know if it was going to be effective. I didn¡¯t even know the amount I should take for it to treat my symptoms. Kaichen hadn¡¯t analyzed the ingredients of the antidote yet.

    ¡°You¡¯re still studying the antidote I made, right?¡± I asked. ¡°And after taking the test, I have to learn magic properly¡­ because I have a lot of things to do in this house¡­.¡± I paused. ¡°I want to stay here a while longer. Can I?¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s frown softened. ¡°Do as you like,¡± he said.

    His voice was soft, almost gentle. I realized that he was relieved and thankful that I had said something that perhaps he had wanted to say. I smiled brightly, hugging the books he had given me.

    ¡°Then, Teacher, please study the antidote I made! I will study hard too!¡± I closed my eyes andughed like a fool. I was so d I didn¡¯t have to leave for Acrab and even happier that I get to stay with Kaichen a little longer. I was also happy about Kaichen¡¯s warm side that he asionally showed. Why is he so adorable sometimes?

    I jumped out of my seat, hoping he wouldn¡¯t change his mind about me staying. ¡®I will¡­ go water the garden. I will interrupt you no longer!¡± I couldn¡¯t wave because my hands were full of the books he had given me. So, I bowed, said goodbye and rushed out of theb.

    After I reached my room, I shut the door andughed maniacally. It was a joy that I couldn¡¯t hide. This was some good news finally. I ced the books on my desk. It was a step, a tiny step, of eptance from Kaichen¡¯s part. The fact that he taught me how tobine ingredients before meant he was willing to teach me. He was willing to help me.

    I couldn¡¯t suppress my happiness today. And I didn¡¯t want to. I wanted to tell everyone and everything. I wanted to shout it out to the yellow-leafed willow tree that I saw outside the window. I wanted to yell at them that I finally did it! My efforts weren¡¯t wasted. If I put in more dedication and effort, perhaps I can be his official disciple. Once and for all. There was still hope. ¡°As expected, gaining his favor through cooking was the right thing to do!¡±

    In the afternoon, I decided to go to Sharatan vige and cook something delicious for dinner. I hummed to myself joyfully.

    * * *

    The carpentry shop in Sharatan vige was very smallpared to those in Acrab. I had now adapted to the weather here. So, I came out wearing loose clothes and not the robe I used to wear that covered my face. The clothes here were usually very open. It covered the chest and left the stomach bare. It looked a little like the clothes worn by princess Jasmine in ddin. Anyway, I liked them better than the fancy, borate gowns in Dalia¡¯s closet back in Acrab.

    I made my way to the crafting station and began hammering.

    ¡°Dalia! What are you doinging into my studio as you please again?!¡± said Hanmer¡¯s booming voice.

    I smiled. ¡°I was making a bench for the house.¡±

    ¡°This is the workshop where I work. If you need stuff, you need to ce a request for custom-made order.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to do that because that¡¯s easier for me too!¡± I said, jokingly. ¡°But your skills are terrible.¡±

    Hanmer was a middle-aged, good-natured man with a shaggy beard that suited him. He wasrge and had a huge hammer to match his personality. How is it that all craftsmen are always sleeveless? Hanmer put the hammer down on the floor, pulled a chair and sat down. He took arge swig out of his sk. He gulped the chilled beer and cleared his throat.

    Alcohol was the most popr beverage in Sharatan vige. In this heat, everyone had a sk of chilled beer or wine to take a drink.

    I stopped hammering and rubbed my sore arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop drinking like a goat and watch what I do? Who knows? Maybe you could improve yourself.¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡¯

    ¡°Well then¡­ do continue to be terrible at this.¡± Hanmer and I had be very good friends. I smiled at him and continued hammering.

    Hanmer crept close to where I was working. I chuckled. ¡°Where on earth did you learn such a skill?¡± He asked after working and watching me work for a while.

    The fact that I was from Acrab, city of craftsmen, and also the Countess Alshine who ruled the city, was something only Kaichen and Julius knew. Most people didn¡¯t even know that Acrab had been trapped under time magic for a hundred years. How could I exin to him that I had plenty of time and I had used it to learn the crafts of the craftsmen of Acrab over the course of a hundred years? Even if I did, he would not have believed it.

 Chapter 55

    ¡°I fell asleep and when I woke up I could do it,¡± I said as a joke. ¡°Try not to be too jealous. There are geniuses like me in the world you know.¡±

    ¡°You shameless brat.¡±

    Iughed. ¡°I think so too.¡±

    Despite his grumbling, Hanmer was a good friend. He was one of the first few people I had gotten close to in Sharatan vige. His skills were poor but that was only because I had seen what craftsmen in Acrab could do, otherwise he was the best carpenter in Sharatan vige. I had given him blueprints for a desk I wanted made the first time I was here. After looking at it, he asked me who had made it. That was how we had struck up a conversation and became friends.

    ¡°No matter how much you fly and brag, you can¡¯tpare to craftsmen in Acrab.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ why?¡± I feigned ignorance.

    ¡°That is a city in the empire where the best craftsmen live in,¡± said Hanmer, ¡°It is the city of dreams for people like us.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m going to fall behind on the skillspared to the craftsmen living in Acrab?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Because there is Haram, who is said to be the best among the craftsmen!¡± said Hanmer reverently, with his eyes sparkling.

    How is it that all production workers are the same? The Acrab craftsmen, who thought they were the best, were weak towardspliments. If you praised them and their craft, they would readily teach you. Perhaps great craftsmen had forgotten whatpliments feel like since they were busy checking for ws in their crafts instead of praising it.

    Haram¡­ he was so very strict. He certainly had amazing skills, but he didn¡¯t really like me.

    ¡°You¡¯re a weirdo. You are so pretty but here you are sitting here and hammering things.¡± After praising Haram, Hanmer clicked his tongue as he looked at me sitting on the floor casually.

    ¡°Right? It¡¯s such a shame that my beauty is wasted in a countryside like this.¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that face, I would have thrown you out of my workshops instead of putting up with your cheeky arguments.¡±

    I gasped in mock distress. ¡°How can you say that? A gentleman like you!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Hanmer smiled. I grinned back at him. I might have looked so sickly and weak for him to even consider throwing me out. Heughed out loud.

    I had been in bed for ten whole days. I didn¡¯t know whether it was because of my symptoms or Kaichen¡¯s hellish porridge, I had lost a lot of weight. I felt like all my energy had run dry. People of Sharatan had the same kind of skinplexion like Kaichen, and my pale skin made me the odd one out. It was highly noticeable.

    Looking at the nearlypleted bench, I lifted the hammer again.

    ¡°But what is that weird thing that you are making?¡± asked Hanmer.

    ¡°There¡¯s a very big and pretty willow tree at home, and I thought it would look good if I put a bench under it.¡±

    ¡°But why? If it is just for the purpose of beautification, just leave it as it is.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Hanmer?¡± I said, working on the finishing touches. ¡°On a sunny day, you can rx by lying in the shade of the willow tree, eating fresh fruit, or reading a book. The tree is by the pond which has ducks in it. It is a very nice ce.¡±

    ¡°Are you have some kind of dream?¡± Hanmer said, confused. I ignored him and imagined sitting on the bench under the willow tree. I couldn¡¯t wait toplete the bench.

    I wanted to do what I really wanted before I left from here. I didn¡¯t know if I will be wee again into Kaichen¡¯s house in the future. I didn¡¯t know if he would let me into thepound at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought it was weird, but where do you disappear every time? Where on earth do you live? I heard that you were living with a teacher somewhere¡­¡±

    After I packed thepleted bench in a magic bag, I hurriedly cleaned my seat. ¡°Thank you for letting me work! I¡¯ll put the money here, so stop drinking and practice your skills.¡± I left Hammer behind, confused and without answers to his questions. I pretended to be in a hurry and rushed out of the carpentry shop. I was close to the people of the vige but none of them knew where I was staying.

    The vigers knew of Kaichen. He used to visit Sharatan vige asionally to eat and people knew him as a wizard who was doing always doing some kind of research. I had told them that he was my teacher, but the vigers only saw me as his maid. They hardly believed me. Well, I did visit the vige to buy groceries and supplies so it made sense why they would think I was the wizard¡¯s maid. The less the people knew, the better. I decided not to use magic in the vige.

    Nobody seemed to recognize Kaichenst time when he came to the Sharatan vige with me. I realized that he might have used transformation magic. Even when I said I was a disciple to the archmage, Kaichen, nobody really seemed interested. Kaichen must have never shown his face in public for others to recognize him.

    ¡°Oh? Dalia! Are youing back from Hanmar¡¯s again?¡±

 Chapter 56

    I turned to face the source of the voice. It was Azel, Hanmer¡¯s childhood friend. She was born in Sharatan vige and had lived here for 45 years of her life. She is also the owner of the fruit stall who had introduced me to blue apple. She asionally gave me free fruits.

    ¡°Hi, Azel,¡± I greeted her. ¡°Yes. I had something I wanted to make. I just finished it today.¡± I walked towards her.

    ¡°People talk about you here. They say you look different.¡±

    ¡°And how exactly do I look?¡±

    ¡°You look like you belong to the noble peerage. Sometimes the wives and young girls of noble families pass by here.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­. Do I really look like a noble? I¡¯ve never heard that before.¡±

    ¡°You do, actually. Whenever I visit the tavern for dinner, you are all they talk about. A young, feeble woman from outside who suddenly appeared in this vige. Nobody knows where you are from and you look different than the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®feeble¡¯? It would be better to say dazzlingly beautiful,¡± I joked.

    ¡°When you first came here, your condition was¡­ bad. You looked so pale and sick. You looked as though you would faint at the slightest stress.¡±

    I nodded at Azel. She smiled at me and gave me a ss of fresh fruit juice to drink. I tried to pay for it, but she just waved me off and pulled a chair for me to sit on. I had plenty of time to spare so I gratefully say down.

    I loved the fresh fruit juice Azel asionally offered but I did miss smoothie. Isn¡¯t there such a drink in this world? Really, has no one ever figured out how to make a smoothie? Now that I lived like a recluse in Kaichen¡¯s jungle house, there was no way to discover the kinds of drink in the empire.

    Can¡¯t I make it myself? I could but if I did ¡®invent¡¯ a new kind of drink or dish, then it would catch people¡¯s attention. Besides, I was in Dalia¡¯s body, so I wanted the invention toe out of Acrab. I was attached to that ce despite my better judgement.

    Even though I ran away, I can¡¯t abandon my people. Acarb is why I have money that I can use in this world. Thinking about Acrab made me sad and tressed. I took a deep breath and handed the empty ss back to Azel.

    ¡°Azel, do you have any fruit this size?¡± I asked, holding out my hands and making a fairlyrge, round shape.

    ¡°Hm¡­,¡± Azel then pped her hands in joy. ¡°I think I do.¡± She went inside the store and carried arge wooden box outside. People here were so strong. Is that why Kaichen is also very strong? And¡­has a great body?

    I brushed my thoughts away from Kaichen¡¯s strong arms and chest. Azel pried open the lid of the wooden box.

    ¡°Will this do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a watermelon!¡±

    ¡°Watermelon? This is called Siron here, but it looks so ugly that people hardly buy it. Unless a nobleman passes by, that is. No one wants it. I was thinking maybe I should stop importing it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ such a pity! Where do you get these from?¡±

    ¡°Siron isn¡¯t found in the empire. It onlyes from the territory of the old Af Kingdom in the southwest.¡±

    The old Kingdom of Af was a recent country which became a part of the Kalhai Empire, maybe fifty years ago. Momalhaut was formed by the rebels when their countries were defeated by the empire. Could the people from Af Kingdom be behind the Momalhaut? People in countries that had already belonged to the Kalhai Empire and lived a morefortable life did not want independence. But those people who had lived in independent countries and were forced to assimte after the defeat could indeed form the rebellion.

    The war was terrible. The Af Kingdom did not want to form cooperative bonds with the Kalhai empire, thus they were defeated in war and absorbed within the empire. I had read about them in one of the three books that Kaichen had given me. That book was full of history. I didn¡¯t know why I had to learn history to learn magic, but I read it anyway. I didn¡¯t want Kaichen to reject me as his student again.

 Chapter 57

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame¡­ this is really delicious.¡± I imagined myself eating a watermelon under the willow tree. Should I travel to that region once and learn how to grow watermelons?

    ¡°I was going to throw it away, but you can take them if you want.¡±

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t it very expensive for you to import them from such a far ce?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s better to give it to someone who wants it rather than throwing it away.¡±

    ¡°Azel¡­,¡± I said with gratefulness, ¡°Thank you.¡± I stuffed the wooden box with watermelons in my magic bag. Azel helped to stuff it in the bag because it was too heavy for me to carry it by myself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take it for free, though,¡± I said and handed her a pass. ¡°Take this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Acrab pass. I got it by chance, but you can have it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my! Acrab?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The situation there is¡­ not very good right now but it will definitelye in use someday. If you show this pass at the border, you don¡¯t need to pay the toll.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Azel put her hand on her cheek and looked at the pass I had given her. It was of immense difficulty (not to mention extremely expensive) to get the pass. It did notpare to a box of Siron at all. But I didn¡¯t feel like it was a waste. Azel had been very kind to me. The pass will allow ten people to travel within Acrab at a time. The toll money was too expensive even for me who used Kaichen¡¯s money to even shop for groceries.

    I had heard people say money can¡¯t buy happiness, or that poverty wasn¡¯t a crime. They were all wrong. It was all lies. Poverty makes people impossible to be happy because they are always stressed over how to live the day. So, in that respect, money did buy some amount of happiness. I wish Dalia had known this before she gambled and drank away her fortune on alcohol. Because of that, I was poor. I used the money that Kaichen handed to me for shopping. I had given every little amount I had to Angel to manage the mansion back in Acrab.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Acrab a ce you can¡¯t easily get into unless you¡¯re a merchant or a craftsman of extraordinary talent? If Janmer knew about this, he would swoon.¡±

    Iughed at the prospect of Hanmer, a giant of a man, swooning. ¡°Well, with that pass you can have ten people apany you. Of course, you will have to go through with an identity check but that¡¯s will be okay. Use it wisely.¡±

    ¡°Wow, really? But can you really give me something so precious just for a box of Sirons?¡±

    ¡°Not just a box of Sirons, but you have been so kind to me. You offer me fruits and fresh juice. And are always there for me. You might not know it but oftentimes that was all it took so that I wouldn¡¯t faint by the roadside. I am very grateful to you.¡± I smiled.

    Azel wrapped me in a bear-hug. ¡°Azel¡­ I can¡¯t breathe.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Sorry¡­ I am just so happy.¡± She released me and smiled brightly, tears in her eyes.

    Was a pass to Acrab really this precious to people? I smiled at her and made a mental note of the passes I had in my bag. Acrab was closed and no merchant groups were travelling inside Acrab for now. The passes had all piled up. I was d to see her happy, either way.

    I didn¡¯t know if I will ever get back to this quiet, little vige in the future, but these people had helped me so much with the pain and the guilt I felt whenever I thought of Acrab and its people. I was immensely grateful for that.

    Afterwards I headed for home. When I came out of Hanmer¡¯s carpentry, it was still sunny. I left the vige, walked a little away and came to a meadow where no one was there. I took out the piece of paper that Kaichen had given me and ripped it.

    I was so touched when he had given a few of them o me to use when returning from the market. In the original novel, Kaichen had only given these magical pieces of paper to Julius, and his teacher Matabju.

 Chapter 58

    When I reached back home, Kaichen was outside. ¡°Teacher! Have you been waiting for me?¡± I asked brightly, partly teasing and partly wishing he had. I waved at him and jumped past the yellow rose bush.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you out too often these days?¡± he asked, displeased.

    I thought I heard it wrong. I stopped waving at him. His voice was serious and dangerous. But I was confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you studying at all?¡± he asked, ¡°I am pretty sure I told you that there will be an exam tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ that. Of course!¡± I said, ¡°I finished reading them.¡±

    ¡°Reading alone isn¡¯t enough,¡± he said, ¡°I told you to memorize everything.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t people memorize everything when they read it once?¡± I asked, now confused more than ever.

    Kaichen looked shocked and amazed. He was definitely thinking, you have that kind of ability? I realized most people didn¡¯t really memorize everything they read just once.

    ¡°I told you,¡± I said, ¡°most teachers would have gotten jealous except you.¡± I winked at Kaichen. He scowled. I didn¡¯t think he liked the way I hadplimented him. ¡°Are you worried that I keep going out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you hanging out here?¡±

    Kaichen seemed embarrassed. Perhaps he had no exnation, or he didn¡¯t want to voice it out loud. I guessed he hadn¡¯t expected me to ask so bluntly.

    I held myughter and patted my bag. ¡°I have made something really nice,¡± I said, ¡°I was going to show you when I was done setting it up but it¡¯s still good that you are here.¡± I decided not to push him further for an exnation on why he was out in the yard. I doubted he would obligingly answer anyway. He might just get irritated.

    ¡°Please give me a moment,¡± I said, and ran into the house to fetch a knife and a te. Kaichen¡¯s gaze followed me. I ignored it and approached the willow tree near the pond. A stray yellow willow leaf swayed in the wind. The view was so beautiful. The yellow color of the leaves painted everything gold. Kaichen¡¯s house as a whole and the area around it was very dazzling. Yellow trees, yellow rose bushes¡­

    There was also a red wizard¡¯s cape that had beautiful gold embroidery on the hood. I have never seen Kaichen wear it. He seems to like golden colored things¡­ a lot. Kaichen¡¯s mana was golden, too. His golden hair and golden eyes distinguished him. Everything about him was as precious as gold.

    I took the bench out of my magic bag. I didn¡¯t forget to cast ¡®lightweight¡¯ magic on the bench otherwise it would be too heavy to lift. In woodworking, Hanmer had helped me, and I avoided telling him that I could do it myself because I didn¡¯t want to reveal myself as Kaichen¡¯s student. It would have caused too much ruckus. But right now, right here, I had no such qualms.

    I lifted the bench and put it down by the willow tree. I had trimmed the space under the willow-tree to get rid of the wild bushes and to make the ground even.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Kaichen.

    I had already measured the ce right next to the pond. The bench fit there perfectly. ¡°It¡¯s a bench.¡± I said. ¡°You can sit here, eat delicious food, take a nap, or just rest¡­¡±

    Kaichen looked disapprovingly at me as if I had disobeyed his orders. I dusted the bench and sat there. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful ce,¡± I said, ¡°Besides, if you sit here, you can even feed your ducks while you rx.¡±

    Kaichen raised his eyebrows. I knew very well how much he cared about those ducks.

    ¡°I read in the book that if you be one with nature, you can gather more magic,¡± I said.

    ¡°It definitely is easier to use magic that way,¡± he said.

    ¡°Same thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    He looked interested in exining more but wanted to uphold his aloof demeanor. I could see he was having trouble doing that.

    ¡°Oh, juste on. Sit here,¡± I said and pulled at the hem of his robe. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s okay to rx and rest.¡±

    If he wanted to, he could have resisted but he sat beside me. He wanted to sit here. He wanted to act all cold and distant from the outside, but internally, he wanted something else. I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.

    I took the te I had brought from inside the house and ced it beside me on the bench. I took out a siron out of my bag. It was heavy but I had again used the lightweight magic on it.

    ¡°Did you use lightweight magic for that too?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ lightweight magic is usually used for construction purposes. You know¡­ to moverge rocks and things.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said, ¡°But if I am not wrong, it is also the basic magic that one learns after learning to gather mana.¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°Correct. But many people don¡¯t really want to learn it,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°They believe it is not really needed.¡±

    ¡°Really? But why? It makes things so convenient¡­.¡± I cut the siron in half. It did require a bit of strength, so I concentrated on cutting it.

    ¡°It also consumes arge amount of mana. You can¡¯t really lighten arge number of things at once, or things of considerable size. If you falter, the objects will be heavier, so you would also need to concentrate and maintain control.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Injecting and pulling mana into an object is the hardest part of mana control. On top of that, distributing urate mana to items that needs to be lightened also requires great control.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Lightening magic is difficult to maintain but it is ssified as the basic form of magic. Even a beginner wizard can do it right away.¡±

    Kaichen wasn¡¯t this talkative usually. So, I nodded and gratefully listened to the facts that I hadn¡¯t known about before.

    ¡°Then, does that mean I have a talent?¡± I asked. ¡°I can use only basic magic, so maybe not. But I have practiced and used the basic magic so often that it nowes naturally to me.¡±

    Kaichen raised his eyebrows. He only did that when he had something to say¡­ or if he was displeased. What else is he going to say? I wondered. I pretended to be upied with the siron. I cut it into triangr shapes and ced it on the te.

    I ced the te of sirons near him. His eyes looked at me questioningly. ¡°It¡¯s called a siron. Have you tried it?¡±

    ¡°No, never.¡±

    ¡°Then you are in for a pleasant surprise! It is really sweet.¡±

    I didn¡¯t hide my smile when I saw Kaichen ncing at the siron. I picked up a piece to take a bite out of it. The taste was refreshing. ¡°It¡¯s sweeter than I thought.¡± Relishing the sweet taste of siron, I hummed to myself.

    The willow leaves swayed in the gentle wind. The rustling of the leaves and branches created a nice sound. The clouds were so sparse in the sky. Everything felt so peaceful. As I was humming, I heard Kaichen next to me taking a bite out of the siron. When he tasted it for the first time, he opened his eyes a little wider. He slowly took another bite. It was adorable to see Kaichen tentatively taking another bite of the siron.

    His golden, blonde hair and beautiful natural tan shone in the sunlight filtering through the willow leaves. The tips of his ears were a bit red. Everything about Kaichen right now was so adorable to me. I averted my gaze quickly and tried to brush my thoughts away. I must be going crazy. We didn¡¯t talk until the te was empty. I felt all fluttery. He hates me yet he worries about me and asionally cares for me¡­I really don¡¯t know what to make of it¡­

    He was also extremely serious and focused while teaching me facts about magic. He never looked at me like I was a monster. He didn¡¯t get jealous of me, either. He only asionally twitched his eyebrows.

    I had been trapped in the time magic for a hundred years. It would make sense if people looked at me strangely or treated me differently because of that fact alone. I was grateful Kaichen never treated me any different. He would only disy surprise not resentment.

    ¡°Teacher,¡± I said tentatively. ¡°I have to go back to Acrab, right?¡± It was something I didn¡¯t want to bring up. However, it has been three months. The ¡®incident¡¯ described in the novel would take ce soon. Kaichen would leave to be by Julius¡¯ side, and I will have to leave for Acrab. Besides, I couldn¡¯t ignore my work back in Acrab any longer.

    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡± asked Kaichen. I had expected him to say yes. His question surprised me. He looked at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go back to Acrab?¡± he asked calmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not up to me to decide,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s mynd. My people are there.¡±

    ¡°Will you be resuming your duties as the countess?¡±

    I sighed andy down on the bench. The cool wind ruffled my hair. ¡°I can¡¯t abandon Acrab,¡± I said, ¡°I can¡¯t let it go to ruins.¡±

    Going back to Acrab was akin to going to hell, but that was the only way. I had to protect my people. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself. It was as much my duty as a need to appease my guilt from my past.

    ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± said Kaichen after a long pause.

    ¡°Ask me anything you want,¡± I replied. I looked up at him with my back on the bench.

    His warm, golden eyes looked at me. Usually, he would have nagged me forying down so carefree on the bench, but today he went oddly quiet. Today he was different.

    ¡°I want to know what happened when you were trapped there.¡±

    My eyes went wide. The Kaichen I knew was so indifferent to everything so why was he asking me that? Was it for his research? But his research on time magic was already done.

 Chapter 60

    The question must have been a very personal one to Kaichen. I wondered why he wanted to know exactly but couldn¡¯t think of anything. I could tell him everything about anything except what he had just asked me. I just couldn¡¯t do it.

    I licked my dry lips. My mouth felt dry. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because¡­,¡± he said, cautiously, ¡°it looks like you don¡¯t really want to go back to Acrab.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to go back,¡± I said. Kaichen looked at me silently. His gaze gently urged me to answer him. I gulped several times to help with my dry throat and mouth. ¡°Do you have any secret that you wouldn¡¯t want anyone to know?¡± I asked.

    He didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Everyone has something they can¡¯t talk about,¡± I continued. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too.¡± It wasn¡¯t a convincing answer. And I know it sounded forced. But Kaichen looked at me and nodded as though he understood what I was trying to say. He turned his gaze away from me. I felt like I could finally breathe.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go,¡± he said, ¡°You are always wee to stay here.¡±

    He said it in a very indifferent tone like usual. But his words were kind. He could offer that kindness because he didn¡¯t know the future, but I knew it. I had read it.

    ¡°Teacher¡­,¡± I said reluctantly, ¡°Can Ie here even if you aren¡¯t present?¡±

    ¡°Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°Really? Can Ie here whenever I want?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You can do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­ can I be your official student?¡±

    I had to try my luck. Perhaps another ¡®do whatever you want¡¯ could actually make my day. Kaichen raised his eyebrows and pressed on his temples as though he had a headache.

    ¡°Do you really want that?¡± he asked. I jumped. That was something I hadn¡¯t expected. I had expected displeasure and rejection from him. Kaichen was a bundle full of surprises today.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I nodded earnestly. ¡°I really want that.¡±

    Kaichen sighed and looked at me. ¡°Then it¡¯s done.¡±

    It would be an understatement to say that I jumped for joy. One year. I had thought it would take me that long, even longer to be his disciple. It was an ordeal of monumental difficulty because Kaichen had never taken a disciple.

    He was picky, sensitive, indifferent, cold and hated interacting with people. But no one could surpass him in his skills regarding magic. Which was why I had decided that I would do anything possible: beg, lie, cook, clean, steal, murder¡­ maybe not murder, to be his disciple. It was the reason why I had volunteered to go with him. I had volunteered to cook and do chores in the hopes that my wish would be fulfilled.

    Finally! This was a pleasant surprise¡­ more of a shock. Kaichen epted me as his official disciple!

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, still not able to believe it. ¡°Please tell me this is real¡­. Teacher, from henceforth, I am your official disciple. Do you really mean that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then do I have permission to tell anyone who asks that I am your disciple? Can I be called your student when I get the certificate from the Magic Association?¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then, teacher!¡± I started murmuring gibberish. This was so shocking. Kaichen looked tired but he made no move to leave. I hurriedly took out a piece of parchment and a pen out of my bag. I always carried pen and parchment in case I had to jot something down. I wrote on it and handed it to Kaichen. He looked at me with a questioning look and took the piece of parchment and read it. Then he chuckled.

    Oh gosh! He isughing!!! I couldn¡¯t believe it. My mouth fell open, my eyes wide. He took the pen from my hand and wrote something in return and handed me the parchment.

    I took the parchment with trembling hands. My heart raced. I read the words on the parchment again and again to make sure this was not a dream. I could see Kaichen¡¯s neat and graceful writing under my messy ones.

    Disciple certificate

    I acknowledge that Dalia Alshine is the only student of Kaichen Tenebre on the continent.

    ¨C Kaichen Tenebre: I agree

    His name, his affirmative ¡®I agree¡¯ and his signature glowed a golden color. It was a magical binding statement. This could never be forged or revoked. This had be a magical binding certificate infused with his mana.

    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± he asked.

    As though he had never chuckled. He returned to his intimidating, cold expression with some difficulty. But his eyes shone warmly. Holding the certificate close to me I nodded, and Iughed.

    ¡°I am your official student now!¡± I said happily, ¡°I will follow your steps forever.¡±

    ¡°Oh god¡­ Not for the rest of my life¡­¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Yes! For the rest of your life. Forever!¡± I rolled up the parchment and tied it carefully with a string. I then cast a protective magic on it to prevent it from any damage. Kaichen raised an eyebrow at the use of magic, but I smiled brightly at him and ced the parchment carefully in my bag.

    I thought he wanted to say something more, but he turned his head away. I noticed that the tip of his ears had turned a little red. I giggled and was finally able to rx. I felt for the first time that my life was going in the right direction, that everything was going to be alright. The prerequisite for a perfect, happy life had been achieved.

 Chapter 61

    I felt like I had seeded in a very arduous goal. I felt so happy right now. Regardless of anything, the fact that Kaichen had acknowledged and recognized me made me all warm and fuzzy. I am going to stick right next to him forever¡­

    Even if Ipleted this novel with a happy ending, I wanted things to remain like this. I wanted to live peacefully with him. I always had an image of enjoying the rural life alone. I always pictured myself alone. Was it because I had epted that there would be no one with me? Or was it because I knew that nobody would ever understand my loneliness and pain?

    I was lonely from the moment I arrived in this novel and realized I was neither the protagonist, nor someone important or likable. I was trapped in a world which was under a spell for a hundred years. It made me despair. I hadn¡¯t afforded myself the luxury of wishing someone to like and understand me.

    So, I had decided I would help Julius until he became an emperor and quietly disappear into a peaceful life in the country for the rest of my life. Well¡­ that was what I had nned until¡­

    I looked at Kaichen, who was quietly biting the siron and looking at the yellow willow leaves swaying in the wind. I wanted to freeze this moment and preserve it. I wished it would always be like. I wanted to stay here in this tranquil moment with a little anxiety gnawing at my heart.

    Couldn¡¯t I just tell him everything? Kaichen was a serious and strict man, but he would never abandon me no matter how ugly my truth was. Would he understand me? I hadmitted a hefty crime. Could he really brush that away and be with me? I wanted to tell him. I didn¡¯t expect him to understand me, but I wanted somebody to tell me that it was okay. That everything would be okay.

    I wanted to share it with someone in the hopes that the burden would be lighter on me. I remembered tat day when I was struggling with the symptoms of addiction, Kaichen hadforted me and told me that everything would be okay. That I will be alright.

    I wanted to pour out my secrets and hear him say the same. That it was going to be alright. Am I greedy in wishing that? I sat there debating for and against the idea until eventually I couldn¡¯t really tell him. Kaichen had just acknowledged me and epted me as his disciple, I didn¡¯t want that to be ruined. Human being are desperate creatures. I was used to his cold indifference and harsh words, but the warmth he had shown me today made me want more of it. I didn¡¯t want him to revert back to his cold self towards me again.

    I couldn¡¯t help it. My heart fluttered whenever he looked at me with that warmth in his eyes. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to ruin this tranquil and peaceful moment we shared together. I wanted to keep this moment with me. Next time when I have a chance to tell him, I won¡¯t avoid it.

    I organized my thoughts and tried to lie back down on the bench. A golden butterfly flew by. Kaichen was obsessed with gold, I guessed.

    ¡°A magic letter.¡±

    Each wizard had a different shape of receiving a magic letter. Julius¡¯ was, obviously, of zing blue mes. Kaichen¡¯s was a gold butterfly. It was adorable that a cold, towering Kaichen had such an amiable messenger form. Kaichen seemed to avert my gaze.

    ¡°Your messenger¡­ is very much like you.¡±

    Kaichen nced at me. The butterflynded on his index finger before dissolving into gold powder and spitting out a parchment. It was so fascinating. This was my first time seeing a magic message. It was entrancing. In this world, letter could be sent by anyone via the Magic Association for a price. However, magical messages could be sent only by registered wizards. Usually, it¡¯s in the form of a round spere of light that flies to the person and disperses. Kaichen¡¯s was beautiful. It, however, consumed mana so I was surprised when Kaichen opted for magic messages. Usually, he likes to keep his mana consumption to the minimum and doesn¡¯t care for fancy messengers.

    However, sending magical messages was very convenient. The messages get delivered to great distances and really fast. But it costs a lot of money¡­. Great wizards usually stored a part of their mana on objects which they use tomunicate, like the ring Kaichen uses tomunicate with Julius. It was much like a video call. I was curious. If it was Julius, he would have justmunicated through Kaichen¡¯s ring, so who could have sent a magic letter?

    ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Kaichen handed me the parchment. I epted it. I recalled telling Angel, whom I had entrusted with the management of the mansion before leaving Acrab, that he could send a letter and address it to Kaichen in emergencies.

 Chapter 62

    I never thought Angel would ever use it. I imagined Angel, who was so timid, trembling at the prospect of writing and sending the letter.

    I looked at the parchment with a smile and was about to read what the letter contained when there was a sudden ripping sound and Julius appeared before me, sweating. ¡°Countess Alshine!¡±

    I was startled by the urgency in his voice. I had expected him to look for Kaichen like he always did. I was positively shocked and was momentarily rendered speechless.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡± I hurried to my feet. I was trying to bow into a curtsy in confusion when Julius strode towards me and grabbed my shoulders.

    ¡°You must go to Acrab!¡± said Julius, which made me worried. I felt his fingers digging into my shoulders. My hands holding the letter trembled a bit. Kaichen looked very serious too.

    Kaichen had read the letter. A sense of dread settled into my heart. Something had happened to Acrab, I was sure. Something really bad. The truth of the fact that I needed to return to Acrab at one became apparent to me. I had run away in cowardice; how would I ever be able to face Acrab?

    It felt that the peacefulness of a moment ago had only been the silence before a storm. The storm had finally arrived. I sighed. Didn¡¯t I even have a little bit of luxury to enjoy the peace even for a day?

    * * *

    In the original novel, the third major part of the plot started only after Dalia¡¯s death. Dalia¡¯s death had marked the end of the second milestone in the plot and Kaichen had grieved for her. He had locked himself in the magic tower for three months and refused to meet anyone.

    I had wondered why he had locked himself in the tower instead of returning to his home. After three months, something horrible had happened in KaIhai Kingdom, north of Garten region. It was also known as the ¡®Garten Incident¡¯.

    ¡®Kaichen, we need your help, it¡¯s a contagious disease! It makes no sense!¡¯

    ¡®How long are you going to be like that? I understand her death was a shock to you, but you already knew that she could not live long due to being exposed to time magic.¡¯

    ¡®I knew that but¡­¡¯

    ¡®If you don¡¯te and help, everyone in the Garten region will die. You know who is behind all this. You know what he can do.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll head off first. I trust you wille help. Don¡¯t disappoint me, Kaichen.¡¯

    Kaichen had obviously helped Julius save Acrab. He had no choice; he helped, not because Julius was a sessor to the throne but because he was a dear friend. As much as Kaichen seemed indifferent to Julius, he cared for his friendship with him. Thus, the locked door that hadn¡¯t opened for three months, finally opened and Kaichen left the magic tower.

    ¡°There have been rumors going on for about a month that there is some type of disease in Acrab. I did send some people to check if the rumors were true, but they weren¡¯t able toe back. They caught the sickness too. I wanted to go and check to confirm it¡­.¡± Julius looked down, his head hanging low, as though he was disappointed in himself.

    Nobody in the Imperial pce would even dare to send their crown prince to a ce infected with a deadly virus. He was the sessor to the throne. Everyone had begged him not to go so he had stayed and sent his people to check on the virus, who hadn¡¯t yet returned.

    That made the rumors seem true. It confirmed that there was indeed a deadly disease in Acrab which spread steadily. But that incident was supposed to happen in Garten¡­, thought Dalia. It was too early for that to happen.

    The original incident happened 3 months after the magic banw was put on Acrab. This was simply too early.

    ¡°The pce is trying to confirm the rumors with the Countess of Acrab. However, you are here¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I now understood why Julius wanted to send me to Acrab as soon as possible. In my mansion, there was amunication tool that was used especially in emergencies. It was used in urgent situations like the present. It was a tool for distressing incidents like the spread of a virus or attack by enemies.

    The contact from the pce should never be ignored. However, usually the pce only contacted when there was a danger of ambush. They would never contact to confirm a rumor.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t think the pce would contact Acrab just to confirm a rumor. Is there something more that you aren¡¯t telling me?¡±

    ¡°We think the disease in Acrab is a conspiracy hatched by the forces of Momalhaut¡­.¡± Julius looked at me, unable to finish the sentence. What he said was rming. However, it was fortunate that he didn¡¯t think I was consorting with the Momalhaut.

    Kaichen walked to me and loosened Julius¡¯ hands from my shoulders. ¡°I will go with her,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?!¡± eximed Julius.

    I realized that my shoulders were throbbing in pain. I wasn¡¯t able to tell Julius off, but Kaichen had noticed.

    ¡°There might really be a pandemic in Acrab. Besides, if this is done by the Momalhaut, their forces might be hiding in Acrab. I can help.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Julius seemed as though he wanted to protest and persuade Kaichen to not leave. In that, I agreed with Julius. I did not want Kaichen to be in danger. If this incident was the same as the Garten incident, then everyone would be barricaded inside and killed. The pce would order it and that was absolute. No one would be able to protest. The pce would do it. It was genocide but they would still do it to prevent the spread.

    In the original novel, it happened in haste. When peopleter checked the dead bodies, no disease was found. The pce hadn¡¯t cared. They had shrugged their shoulders and made the excuse that it had been necessary to prevent a greater catastrophe.

    The statement had made the imperial guards proud of their actions as though they had really saved the world and not killed numerous people in cold blood. Some people had imed, in whispered words, that it had been the Pce¡¯s strategy to clear off the Garten region where those people, who had been defeated and theirnd snatched by the Empire, lived in misery.

    With no remorse from the pce, as well as from the guards who carried out the genocide, the people of the old kingdom became frustrated and angry. This unfair treatment was the fuel with which Momalhaut functioned. Many people joined them for justice.

    The Garten incident confirmed the discrimination of the pce against the citizens of the old kingdom. It was a tant infringement of human rights. Thinking about it makes me angry. But the people behind it yed the citizens as well as the pce. Julius had lost the loyalty of many people because of that incident. Maybe it won¡¯t happen this time. But why is it happening in Acrab?

    If Momalhaut wanted to attack Julius and the pce, they would attack the Garten region. Wasn¡¯t Acrab already used before for time magic? I didn¡¯t understand their motive. I came up with multiple reasons but none of them seemed usible. There must be something I am not aware of¡­

    It must have something to do with the ending that I was unable to read. I got frustrated.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± I heard Kaichen calling out to me softly. I flinched. I was so lost in thought that it startled me. I let out the breath I was holding as Kaichen put his hands on my shoulders, gentlyforting me. It made me feel a little better.

    I knew that fretting about the situation endlessly would lead me nowhere. It would eventually take a toll on me. I was taking antibiotics, but my treatment was far fromplete.

    Kaichen investigated the antidote and tried to improve it to make it better. It would take me a year even with the medicine he prescribed for my body to get rid of the poison. I will then have to take pills to soothe my mind once a month. Kaichen wasn¡¯t a doctor, but he knew about my poison, and he took great care with the medicine and the pills I was supposed to take and when I was supposed to take them for them to have optimal effect on my body.

    ¡°Kaichen¡­,¡± said Julius sadly, ¡°Are you really going to go?¡±

    Kaichen nodded. I could still feel his gentle hands on my shoulder. My lips were dry from worrying about Acrab.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­,¡± I addressed Julius, ¡°Do you know of any sort of symptoms of this disease? I might be able to know how to make an antidote¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t brush off my suspicions that this disease might be simr to what Mickey and I went through. If so, there was hope. If it was the same sort of disease, I knew what would happen in Garten. From what I knew of my disease and what Kaichen had told me, it seemed Momalhaut wasn¡¯t just dabbling in banned magic but also testing poison in Acrab.

    ¡°How would you¡­¡± mumbled Julius.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated to exin¡­,¡± I said, not knowing how and when I should start with the whole exnation. I bit my lips.

    Thankfully, Kaichen took it from there. ¡°It¡¯s likely that the symptoms might be simr to what Dalia went through. It isn¡¯t contagious but the symptoms are simr to what happened in the empire in the past.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ is it possible that they studied a type of poison before Acrab was banned from practicing magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And she was able to heal a young boy suffering with the same symptoms,¡± said Kaichen pointing with his chin towards me. ¡°There is a possibility that people can be saved from this disease.¡±

    Julius looked at me in surprise and admiration. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°I guess there is a lot I don¡¯t know about, but we don¡¯t have time right now. Then, Countess Alshine and Kaichen, I bid farewell to you both. Please head back to Acrab. Will you be able to tell me whatever is going on there once you reach?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Highness,¡± said Kaichen, using honorifics.

    I found it hard to understand between them. Sometimes Kaichen used honorifics but sometimes he cursed at Julius so casually. In the original novel, even if they were best friends, they never crossed the line. But when I saw them here, casually being friends, it was strange to see.

    Julius sighed and swept his blue hair away from his eyes. He looked at the side and saw the bench finally. ¡°What in the world is that? Is that a bed for the outdoors?¡±

 Chapter 64

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a bed as hard as this,¡± said Julius. ¡°Hm¡­ Is this a siron? Oh! Let¡¯s see! Do you eat it while sitting here? So, I guess this isn¡¯t a bed and an outdoor table? No, since it¡¯s a chair I guess it¡¯s a¡­? What in the world is this?¡± Julius looked at the bench with great interest. The somber face from a while before waspletely reced by wonderment.

    ¡°Just looking at it makes me feel rxed,¡± said Julius with sparkling eyes. Kaichen sighed and looked away. ¡°Give this to me. It would be perfect for the pce gardens.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Kaichen even before I could utter a word. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± I looked at Kaichen in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± he said.

    Well, the bench was actually mine. But Kaichen directed a fierce nce at me. He was asking me not to say anything. He might burn my student certificate, so I obeyed. What in the world does he want me to do?

    ¡°It¡¯s yours?¡± asked Julius, finding it hard to believe. Kaichen however nodded briskly.

    The bench was nothing precious and it was easy to make. Hammering and sawing it took a bit of energy and strength but assembling it was fairly easy. However, I had made it with extra care and attention. The surface was smooth, and it wasfortable. Kaichen was picky, and I wanted to gain his approval to be his official disciple. But I hadn¡¯t known that Kaichen would be this stubborn for a bench. I could always make another¡­

    I didn¡¯t understand why Kaichen wanted to hold onto the bench. He knew I could make another one, if need be.

    ¡°Where did you have it made?¡± asked Julius, ¡°Order one for me, too.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do that,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t make it anymore.¡±

    ¡°What? Even if the crown prince requested it? How do you know the makers? Are you close to them?¡± Julius narrowed his eyes and looked at Kaichen.

    Kaichen frowned. He nced at me. Why? I thought. What do you need me to do now? His gaze seemed to indicate to me to stay put. What should I tell Julius if he asks me? I could hardly tell him that I made it after what Kaichen had said to him. I could hardly tell him that I could make one more, but Kaichen doesn¡¯t want me to.

    I felt really confused with Kaichen¡¯s behavior. But if I spoke up, would he take away my certificate. I couldn¡¯t have that happen.

    ¡°The maker isn¡¯t here anymore. He is traveling as we speak.¡± I looked at Kaichen. It seemed he was having a hard timeing up with lies. Does he ever lie?

    Julius seemed to notice something was amiss. He looked at me as though asking me what was going one. My mouth was dry. ¡°The maker left. He said he wanted to stay with his granddaughter for the rest of his life. We gave him some money for travel and other expenses, and he gave us this bench.¡±

    ¡°Really? A shame!¡± said Julius, ¡°Where is he traveling to? I might be able to order it from his new ce.¡±

    I maintained the same expression. A little slip and all this would fall apart. ¡°We went across the sea to the East Continent,¡± I lied. ¡°He said his granddaughter lives there now.¡±

    ¡°How in the world was he able to find such information from the East continent?¡±

    ¡°Sharatan is a ce where all kinds of merchants pass by. I guess a merchant who might have traveled to the East Continent saw a familiar face and told him.¡±

    ¡°How did that merchant know about his granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°How should I know?¡± I said, ¡°That¡¯s what the old carpenter said. I mean it doesn¡¯t really matter. He is really old. He might not even have so many days left in this world. I think he just grabbed at whatever hope he found to hold onto his granddaughter.¡±

    Julius was quiet. ¡°I am so sorry, Your Highness,¡± I said, ¡°The maker left for the East. He said something about making this bench ording to some designs and information from a merchant who visited the vige.¡±

    Julius scratched his chin and looked at me. It seemed he was trying to confirm whether my words were true or lies. The corners of his mouth rose up in a smile. He looked at Kaichen.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Are Countess Alshine¡¯s words true?¡± asked Julius calmly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kaichen reluctantly. He stared daggers at me. I shrugged and turned away.

    It felt unfair. I had helped him out and now he looked at me so usingly. Why is he mad? I scowled.

    ¡°What a shame¡­ can Ie here often to rest on it?¡± asked Julius.

    Kaichen grimaced. I guess things weren¡¯t going as well as he had nned. What was wrong with him? I wondered. Kaichen was actually acting strange.

    ¡°I think I have a blueprint¡­ which Ipletely forgot about,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°I thought you said he left, and no one knows how to make it?¡± said Julius, narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°I am pretty sure I can find it.¡±

    ¡°So, the maker gave the bench as a gift to you along with a blueprint?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make a really special gift?¡±

    ¡°Kaichen¡­ you are acting really weird today.¡±

 Chapter 65

    <strong>Chapter 65</strong>

    I fully sympathized with Julius in that regard. Kaichen was indeed acting very strange today. He clicked his tongue several times in disappointment and red at me with fierce eyes.

    He looked at the bench and red at me again. I sighed. It was his signal. I took a step forward thinking about the precious certificate that I had achieved after so many hardships. My mouth felt dry.

    ¡°Yes, I think he left a blueprint. I remember asking for one since I liked the bench so much.¡±

    ¡°Will the blueprint help to make something the same as that?¡±

    ¡°I am sure you can. Probably even better than this one. I am sure there are many extraordinary craftsmen in the pce who can include their own designs and make it with better material.¡±

    ¡°Great! Give it to me then¡­¡± said Julius reaching his hand towards Kaichen as though to receive the blueprint. How the hell were we supposed to give him the nonexistent blueprint right now?

    Kaichen scowled at me. He sighed then swept his hair over his forehead. He looked like he was going to fall apart now that the situation was getting out of his hand.

    ¡°I will look for it and give it to you,¡± I said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have it here with you?¡± asked Julius.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± snapped Kaichen. ¡°I thought there were more important matters to deal with right now. I thought we were supposed to leave for Acrab.¡±

    Julius narrowed his eyes at Kaichen. But he didn¡¯t respond. He seemed shocked seeing Kaichen like this. ¡°When are you nning to leave?¡± he asked after a pause.

    ¡°Right now,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°What? So soon? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any other solution to the problem?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Then, I think that¡¯s one thing sorted.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°We will need to pack and leave right away. So, please leave.¡±

    ¡°Are you kicking me out?¡±

    ¡°Last I checked, this was my house. So, yes. Can¡¯t I kick you out of my house and my area?¡±

    ¡°Well, no! I am the Crown Prince!¡±

    Kaichen gave a weary sigh, scowled at Julius and stormed up the path to the house. After Kaichen mmed the front door, Julius turned to look at me. I awkwardly gave a bow.

    ¡°Then¡­ please take care, Your Highness.¡± I walked to the bench to clean up the leftover siron, trying to ignore his questioning gaze as much as possible. I walked along the path to the house.

    ¡°I feel like I interrupted something,¡± mumbled Julius. I pretended not to hear.

    I wondered what happened to Kaichen. Why was he acting so strange and cooking up unconvincing lies? He had looked so warm and kind when he epted me as his disciple but then he had turned so grumpy all of a sudden. I prepared myself mentally for Kaichen¡¯s fluctuating mood as we left for Acrab.

    * * *

    When I returned to Acrab, I noticed that so many things had changed. There wasn¡¯t much to prepare for the journey because we used Kaichen¡¯s mobility magic.

    It¡¯s going to be okay. Everything will be okay. I chanted as I packed my bags. When I received Angel¡¯s letter and even when Julius had warned us, I hadn¡¯t been prepared enough. I hadn¡¯t thought the situation was this serious.

    I didn¡¯t want to return to Acrab but I had a duty to fulfill. I had to protect Acrab. I owned it to the people who lived here. I had to prepare myself to face whatever came my way even if I suffered from it.

    ¡°My Lady!¡± cried Angel.

    The mansion, which had always looked so dpidated, shone in the sun. The ground around it was covered in bright green grass. There were no weeds around it.

    Even the ivy which creeped through the walls looked beautiful. Previously, they had been so wild that the mansion looked haunted. To me, the mansion had held no attachment. It was my prison. So, I had let it go to rot. But now, ck roses bloomed around it like in the old days. Angel had turned the mansion into its old glory. It looked like a ce out of a fairytale,plete with roses, vines and ivy.

    ¡°Is this my house?¡± I wondered aloud.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°It looks so pretty and grand. It looks like someone else¡¯s ce.¡±

    Acrab used to be a wealthy city. And the Alshine mansion was magnificent. How was it possible that Angel had turned a dpidated shack of a mansion into this beauty in just three months?

    Mimi walked behind Angel. Ah¡­ it makes sense that Alshine mansion was able to turn into this grand beauty if Mimi helped Angel. Mimi was her maid. She had lived in the mansion for more than half her life now, serving the Alshine family. No one knew the mansion better than Mimi.

    ¡°Wee, My Countess.¡± Mimi politely put her hands together and bowed her head to greet me. It felt strange to see Mimi greet me so formally. There was nothing amiss because the maids and servants greeted the owner of the mansion in this way in Arab but¡­ I had fired Mimi. She had no reason or obligation to help Angel, or to greet me so respectfully.

    Mimi politely put her hands together and bowed her back to greet me. I¡¯ve never experienced it, but this would have been the proper greeting a maid would have given to her owner.

    I looked at her in confusion and curiosity. ¡°I wanted to thank you for saving my brother¡­,¡± she said hesitantly.

    I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. I was grateful and d but Mimi and her brother, Mickey, were people that I wasn¡¯t really prepared to meet, right now. Of course, they didn¡¯t remember it, but I remembered everything. They were part of the terrible memory I carried with me. I wanted to bury the memory deep in my heart. Seeing them made me feel like I would choke on my own guilt.

 Chapter 66

    <strong>Chapter 66</strong>

    I couldn¡¯t tell Mimi that, of course. She was so kind. She had managed the mansion with Angel for three months even without pay. I could feel Kaichen¡¯s gaze on me. I felt anxious.

    ¡°Um, you didn¡¯t have to do this¡­ but thank you! I am very grateful,¡± I said. ¡°I received Angel¡¯s letter. I would like to know more about that. Mimi, were you the one who asked him to send a letter?¡±

    ¡°I am very sorry if it wasn¡¯t something I should have done,¡± said Mini, bowing low. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the authority to do it and yet¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± I said, hurriedly, ¡°You did the right thing. If there is a major problem ailing thend, then I do need to be notified. Thank you for doing it.¡± Mimi looked at me with surprise, then bowed once again.

    ¡°Oh, this is my teacher. He teaches me magic. I will exin everythingter. Let¡¯s head inside for now.¡± Mimi and Angel both looked at Kaichen for the first time. They led the way to the mansion and held onto their questions because I had promised an exnationter. It was a long story and frankly, it wasn¡¯t a story to be told at the gates of the mansion.

    Despite it being a bright day, the street was quiet. Even if people had avoided these streets because of the ¡®drunkard countess¡¯, it was unusual for everything to be this quiet and empty.

    When I entered the mansion, the living room was clean and smelled of citrus and wood. My favorite fragrance. It makes me feel like being in the woods at the crack of dawn. Especially when I was trapped in the time magic, it had helped calm my mind at times, so I had made a lot of candles with the scent. It seems Mimi and Angel had discovered my stack.

    It smelled different from the scent I used to make at Kaichen¡¯s house with yellow rose petals. This one had a light scent that calmed my mind sinceing here.

    ¡°Do we have tea?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Mimi and left us in the living room. I wasn¡¯t able to offer Kaichen when he came to the mansion before¡­twice. I was d that this time I was making a good impression and doing things the right way.

    I don¡¯t know why but I felt shy and nervous that he was here, in my house. It felt strange since I had already spent three months at his house. He knows everything about me. He already knows all of my miserable side. So why am I so nervous?

    I nced at Kaichen while pretending to cough. He had mysophobia so I was worried. But my mind was put at ease when I saw him sitting on the sofa casually. The house didn¡¯t seem to bother him. I congratted myself on making the right decision of leaving the management of the mansion to Angel. He had done a terrific job of it.

    ¡°My Lady, where have you been?¡±

    ¡°I was learning magic from my teacher all this time.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Are you a magician now?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I winked at Angel and jutted my chin out. I didn¡¯t want to brag to a little boy of just ten years old, but I was so happy. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I wanted to say: Yes! I am Kaichen¡¯s one and only disciple! I never wanted toe back to Acrab but thinking about being Kaichen¡¯s disciple put a smile on my face and made it a bit better.

    ¡°Oh? Your hands are not shaking anymore!¡± eximed Angel happily. Maybe the image of my trembling hands had been engraved into his mind. He seemed to be more surprised that my hands had stopped trembling than the fact that I had be a magician.

    ¡°I told you I stopped drinking.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s true? I can¡¯t smell alcohol on you!¡±

    Was he that surprised that I had stopped drinking? ¡°Yeah, Angel. But more importantly, look at this. The kind of magic I can now do is¡ª¡±

    ¡°My Lady! Does that mean you stopped gambling as well?!¡± Angel was ecstatic. ¡°I want to tell Uncle Las right away! He was so sure that you went to gamble somewhere and might be in trouble. He will be shocked to see this!¡±

    Las, that bastard! I nced at Kaichen. Angel¡¯s reaction to all this was understandable. The ¡®Dalia¡¯ he knew was different from who he saw in front of him. A changed woman. But it was too much for me. I felt like I was being med for something I didn¡¯t do. Something I wouldn¡¯t have ever done. Dalia, you wretch! It¡¯s your fault I suffered so much!

    ¡°My Lady! I am so happy for you,¡± said Angel, his eyes welling up. ¡°I am so proud of you. People talked about you and said all sort of things. You proved them wrong.¡± I was really embarrassed now. Everyone had such low expectations from me. Stop talking now, Angel. Please! I prayed.

    ¡°I am so relived you are here. I am so d you are healthy and have stopped with drinking and gambling,¡± said Angel, sobbing. ¡°Uncle Las was also worried about you and about Acrab. He thinks the epidemic might spread throughout whole Acrab¡­¡±

    I felt so sad looking at Angel crying. But what he said was true. Rumors of an epidemic spreading throughout Acrab had worried everyone. Even those outside of Acrab. People might have been panicking already. The scary thing about epidemic is that no one knows who might be infected so they would avoid each other as much as possible. The panic had a tendency to turn into fear and resentment, with people fighting among themselves. The disease needed to be contained if Acrab was to be kept together. It was hard in a ce where medical technology wasn¡¯t very developed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Angel,¡± I said, trying to console him. ¡°I am here now.¡±

    ¡°My Lady,¡± sniffled and sobbed Angel. ¡°They say everyone is going to die! Is that true? Is there no cure for this? Are we really going to die?¡±

 Chapter 67

    <strong>Chapter 67</strong>

    Looking at Angel made my heart feel heavy. Had this little kid trembled in fear of death this whole time without anyone to turn to? I pulled him to me into a hug and gently stroked his hair. ¡°No,¡± I said, ¡°Trust me on this, okay? You are not going to die. I won¡¯t let you.¡±

    I knew that I the current situation was grim and Kaichen and I might not seed but I wanted tofort this little kid. I had a duty to thisnd. I would try anything to save them. Besides, having Kaichen by my side made me feel better. Knowing that he would try to sort this situation out with me gave me courage and hope. I nced at Kaichen.

    Angel had stopped crying by the time Mimi returned to the living room with hot, scalding tea. She poured a cup for Kaichen and me. I hadn¡¯t ever hoped that I would be here in the mansion drinking fine tea ever again.

    ¡°Angel told me a little about what is going on here. Tell me about the situation here.¡± Mimi smiled softly. Her expression then turned somber as she exined everything happening in Acrab.

    The situation in Acrab was worse than I had expected. Half the poption had already caught the disease and were suffering. Although everybody maintained distance and reduced their time outside of their homes, the number of people catching the disease only increased. I could make out some details though. That this wasn¡¯t really an epidemic that was spreading but there might be someone who was poisoning people.

    The more I listened to the exnation, the more simrities I could find in the current situation and the Garten incident in the original novel. It seemed the story had somehow changed. The Garten incident was happening in Acrab now. But why? I couldn¡¯te up with a possible exnation. The only thing I could think about was that I was a glitch in this world. Dalia was supposed to have died but I am alive in her body. But it was just too big a conclusion to jump into without proper evidence.

    This was a disruption of the original story. I had a bad feeling about this. If the plotline was changing on its own, there was no way the ending would be good. Mimi left the living room with Angel, who was still sniffling. Kaichen and I didn¡¯t start talking about the situation immediately. This was too uch to process.

    This wasn¡¯t an epidemic. It was worse. People are fearful right now, and the Momalhaut forces are hiding in Acrab spreading this poison. But I felt like I knew the cause and the end for thismotion.

    ¡°Teacher, what do you think about the whole thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certain.¡±

    ¡°I think so, too. I think the symptoms are simr too. As expected, it¡¯s probably Momalhaut¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°To be exact, this is the work of a magician named Antares.¡±

    I blinked at the name. The name was familiar to me. I remembered everything I had read. I mulled over the name Antares with a sip of tea for a while. The ck magician! I frowned. Then I sighed. It was true. The Garten situation was actually taking ce in Acrab because the cause of the Garten incident was a ck magician named Antares.

    ¡°Is it his poison that made me sick?¡± Kaichen didn¡¯t have to respond. I was sure of it. ¡°Every poison has an antidote. We can save the citizens of Acrab! But I guess we can¡¯t really do anything to stop the rumors since it has already spread too far.¡± I frowned. ¡°His Highness told us to hurry. I think the Imperial pce might already have given the order to block Acrab!¡± I looked at Kaichen.

    He looked calm but he didn¡¯t deny what I had said. I was right! He couldn¡¯t tell me because I was the countess, leader of Acrab. I knew that Julius had talked briefly with Kaichen before we left. Maybe he had told him then.

    So Acrab is already blocked¡­. Acrab would receive no aid. The people would fight amongst themselves for scraps of food and sumb to the disease. We need to do something! The Imperial pce might send soldiers to ughter the people of Acrab and burn the city to the ground to stop the spread of disease thinking this was an epidemic. I am not going to let that happen! I leaned back on the sofa and pressed my temples. My eyes throbbed. I needed time to think.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± called Kaichen softly, pulling me out of my thoughts to the present.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I answered without opening my eyes. I felt Kaichen¡¯s gaze on me.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t answer that question. How could I ever be okay with something like this going on? I looked at Kaichen through half-open eyes. He still looked cold and indifferent and maybe a little stubborn. But there was worry in his eyes.

    Why does he always look so cold and intimidating? If he smiled asionally, he would definitely be a heartthrob of many. No doubt about it. The thought made me upset.

    He is my teacher. If he became the heartthrob of many and women courted him, I would not be able to learn magic properly. Maybe he should just appear cold and indifferent. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t really smile. That was better.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I said wearily.

    ¡°Being back here.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ There is no reason not to be okay. This is my¡­ home.¡± I smiled at him and closed my eyes. If I said I wasn¡¯t okay, then I would have to exin why. I just didn¡¯t have the energy to exin everything. I closed my eyes again. I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to tell him the truth even in another hundred years.

 Chapter 68

    <strong>Chapter 68</strong>

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed this before¡­,¡± he said, in a low voice. I imagined how it must feel to fall asleep to that voice reading aloud. Maybe then I would be able to sleep without any nightmares. ¡°You are good at lying.¡±

    That jolted me awake. ¡°What? No!¡± I said, ¡°I have never lied before.¡±

    ¡°That is a lie, too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°That, too.¡±

    I looked at him, perplexed. ¡°When did you get into the habit of lying every time you open your mouth?¡± he asked.

    Is he picking a fight with me? I nced at him, but he just looked as indifferent as before. His golden eyes looking at me so intently made me nervous.

    ¡°How can you not trust your own disciple?¡± I asked, incredulously.

    ¡°You were very good at lying to His Highness.¡±

    ¡°Well, you asked for help.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Even though your eyes were busy signaling me toe to your aid?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you just made an assumption on your own.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ didn¡¯t you lie to him too in the beginning? You didn¡¯t tell him I made the bench. You concocted some lie about the maker leaving to somewhere ¡®far away¡¯.¡±

    Well, I guess I struck a nerve. Kaichen sighed and closed his eyes. He turned away. He took a while and then turned back to me. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it mine anyway since it was my area around my house?¡±

    So, that was how it was going to be. Fine! I don¡¯t know why I was even arguing with him over something as trivial in the first ce. But if I stepped back now, I would be practically admitting that I was a liar. No way!

    ¡°It might be,¡± I said, ¡°But you still lied. I am the one who made it and you didn¡¯t tell him that. I made that bench. I put it there. That doesn¡¯t mean you own it!¡±

    ¡°As long and I own thatnd and that house, everything in it belongs to me.¡±

    ¡°That sounds just too far-fetched.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m the one who made it, so I have the right to choose the owner. Just because I put it there ¡°That is just too doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s yours, does it?¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s in my house, everything in it belongs to me.¡±

    ¡°Is not that too farfetched?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°I was living there these three months. Just because I lived in the house. Do I belong to you then?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I was bbergasted. My mouth hung open. He answered that so brazenly without batting an eye. He seemed like he was trying not to smile. Why am I the one who is embarrassed at this? I wondered, flustered. He calls me brazen but he is even more shameless than me.

    I sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I am okay. Not entirely at least.¡± What in the world did he expect to hear when he asked such a question at such a time? I wasn¡¯t entirely okay but having Kaichen by my side made me feel at ease.

    ¡°I have the medicine which is helping me heal. I have be quite healthypared to the time I left from here, and¡­,¡± I paused. ¡°And¡­ you are here with me. So, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± I looked at him. ¡°So, isn¡¯t this enough to say that I am actually feeling okay?¡±

    Kaichen looked at me with his intense gaze and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Was he satisfied with the answer? Will it be bothersome to ask him? He looked satisfied but you never knew with Kaichen. You never could guess what went on in his mind.

    ¡°Teacher, do you know what Antares looks like?¡±

    ¡°I do remember, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be hiding here as himself. He will have disguised himself.¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to look for people who might have changed their appearance?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Antares is skilled enough to not be noticed. Besides, he might have changed his appearance without magic. It¡¯s hard to find him if he does that.¡±

    I thought about why it was so difficult to track someone who might have just dyed their hair. Then I realized that there were artifacts and potions which could change appearances without directly using magic. When magic wasn¡¯t used directly to maintain the changed appearance, it was difficult to know who might be in disguise.

    Kaichen could recognize people using magic to maintain their changed appearance, but Antares was a very skilled at potions as well. It would be difficult to spot him. I also had to think of other things that could go wrong. We couldn¡¯t just go into this recklessly. There is only one way¡­

    I looked at Kaichen, just to find out that he had been studying my face. I smiled to reassure him that I was alright. But Kaichen¡¯s expression grew darker. I stood up from the sofa, pretending that I had noticed nothing.

    ¡°Teacher, first and foremost, we better take today off. We need to rest. Tomorrow, let¡¯s look around the city and try to figure out a way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Kaichen agreed.

    Before leaving, I asked Mimi to show Kaichen to the guest room. Hopefully, Mimi and Angel had cleaned the guest room as well. She seemed to have. She bowed and led Kaichen away happily.

    I walked to my room. I swung open the door to my room. This room had been my prison and my private space for a hundred years when I was trapped in the time magic. I half expected the alcohol bottles to be lying about the floor. But the door swung open to a neat and clean room. No bottles. No dust. Only a citrusy and musky scent wafted from the room which calmed me. A cool breeze was blowing in through the open windows. I dropped my bag onto the sofa and looked around the changed room.

    Are you okay? Kaichen had asked. I wasn¡¯t okay. Not at all. I didn¡¯t want to be back here. This was a ce I was trapped in for a hundred years. I never wished toe back.

 Chapter 69

    <strong>Chapter 69</strong>

    With a sad sigh, I sat at the windowpane and looked at the garden below. It was so unfamiliar. The garden was no longer overgrown with wild bushes and thorns which was my constant view from this window in the past. The flowers looked very beautiful. The budding ck roses would be in full bloom when the weather starts getting warmer.

    Angel had done his job brilliantly. The rose bushes which had withered were now carefully pruned, watered and fertilized. The nts and flowers hade to life again. I should praise him for doing a great job.

    The peace and quiet weren¡¯t really tranquil. I felt very stressed andplicated. I needed to figure out a way to ovee the epidemic. I had to step up and do my duty. I couldn¡¯t hide behind Kaichen¡¯s back here. After all, I was the ruler of this city and I had to live up to my name.

    This is tough. Will I be able to do it? This was not an easy matter. I couldn¡¯t rx and depend on Kaichen. Although I was recovering from the poison, my symptoms hadn¡¯t gone awaypletely. My trauma usually exacerbated my symptoms. I could not let my guard down. I could not afford to break down and panic. Not I Acrab. Here, my people needed me.

    I had recovered considerably in Kaichen¡¯s house, but it was also true that Kaichen¡¯s house and surroundings were covered with magic to replenish mana. I still had nightmares. Damn it! I had to find a way out of this. Why on earth is this happening in Acrab?

    I leaned against the windowpane and closed my eyes. In the original novel, the Empireunched a massacre under the guise of necessary evil to prevent the disease from spreading to other regions. As a result, more people turned to the rebellion and Momalhaut grew in size. The Momalhaut was the biggest obstacle to Julius¡¯ session to the throne. The true identity of the person who took advantage of the two divided forces to divide them further was not known. I felt that I had read it once in the novel, but I couldn¡¯t remember.

    Up until now, the Momalhaut is just a small group of rebels that doesn¡¯t have much significance. But I remembered that after the Garten incident, the Momalhaut had grown to such a big number that it couldn¡¯t be ignored anymore. In the novel, a war had broken out. It wasmonly called the War of Rebellion, or the War of Independence. It had caused a big stir and even more deaths.

    But why Acrab? I wondered. I came back to the same question. It didn¡¯t even have a geographical advantage like Garten. The majority of residents in Acrab were all Kalhai Empire¡¯s citizens. Acrab itself had been no threat to the Empire. It was a city formed by the merchants and craftsmen who settled here to practice their crafts. Acrab wasn¡¯t of any use to the Momalhaut nor to the Empire. So why Acrab?

    I sighed and shook my head in annoyance. I got up from the window and jumped into my bed. As Iy down, I smelled a strong fragrance of soap from the sheets. The warm sunlight fell on me. I never imagined being back here. I never ever thought I would be back in my bed and that my room would feel this clean and pleasant.

    It was touching to know that Mimi and Angel had cleaned it for her. The fact that I wasn¡¯t alone made my heart feel heavy. I had been so lonely for a hundred years that I wasn¡¯t prepared for this feeling offort and warmth.

    In those hundred years, when I had been trapped here, nobody reached out to me ever. I felt so touched by Mimi and Angel being by my side now. Even Kaichen. My emotions almost overwhelmed me. I buried my face into the pillow and tried to gather my thoughts in order.

    It¡¯s not a time to be emotional or to turn away. I needed to tread carefully. If I don¡¯t seed, I might end up offering the whole of Acrab up for ughter at the hands of the soldiers from the Imperial Pce. If that happened, I would never be able to live with myself. I have to protect the people of Acrab at any cost. I felt fortunate that I was at least aware of the situation and had an inkling of who was behind it. There was still hope.

    * * *

    The next day I woke up to the sun filtering through my window. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t get a nightmare. Even though this was my house, I couldn¡¯t shake off the awkward feeling that it all seemed unfamiliar. I had lived here for a hundred years, so why do I miss my room back at Kaichen¡¯s ce? Maybe because thest three months I spent there had been good.

    I woke to a realization that I was an official disciple of Kaichen and nothing could change that! And he had said that I could visit his house any time. Well¡­ he didn¡¯t say it in so many words, but he had told me to do whatever I wanted. I had saved the scroll he had given me when I had gone to Sharatan vige. It was supposed to make me return home.

    Maybe I can teleport myself! I had tried so many times to learn teleportation magic, but I wasn¡¯t able to. I decided to try once again. Kaichen had taught me how. Before he had made the scrolls for me, he had taught me the spell for teleportation, but it had never worked. It didn¡¯t work now as I tried. I even drew a circle on my floor to trigger the magic manually. It didn¡¯t work.

    Kaichen had told me before to give it some time to work. ¡°Time Magic and Teleportation Magic seem to sh with each other. I think you are unable to use teleportation magic because you were exposed to time magic for so long. Give it some time. Maybe it will work in the future,¡± he had said. But I wasn¡¯t so sure.

 Chapter 70

    <strong>Chapter 70</strong>

    I spent a hundred years trapped in time magic umting mana. In the end my magic became closely rted to time and became ipatible with teleportation magic. Writing down theplicated form Kaichen had given me, I was determined to try once again. I gathered the magical energy that was condensed all over my body into my palm.

    ¡°Seems like your mana is like you,¡± Kaichen had once said.

    ¡°Is that apliment?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as you please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking because it didn¡¯t sound like apliment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this kind of mana before.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing or a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°Think about it on your own and decide.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking because I know very little.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to y with words.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±

    Kaichen had warned me about showing my magic in front of others. He said they might take it as a form of ck magic. When I asked the reason for it he got annoyed to do whatever I wanted if I wanted magicians surrounding and bullying me. I nodded and decided to listen to him.

    ¡°It is true that your mana was umted in a way that ispletely different from ordinary people, but considering the state and location of a particr magic, your mana is likely to be specialized in time magic,¡± he had exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m doomed. Time magic is forbidden magic!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also true, but because of its opposite nature it¡¯s notpatible with teleportation magic, so you won¡¯t be able to use it.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, you specialize in teleportation magic, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then, if I just follow you, there will be no problem.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to use me as a means of transportation?¡±

    ¡°Me? You are treating your disciple too harshly.¡±

    ¡°You are not my disciple.¡±

    I had smiled sweetly at him and he had turned away. But in the evening, he handed me the scroll for the teleportation magic. It seemed he did care about me in his own way. He might appear cold and indifferent all the time but his actions said the opposite. He was so adorable.

    Anyway, I had gathered an enormous amount of mana in the hundred years, close to what ordinary magicians managed in their lifetime. The density of my mana was four times higher. There was a limitation of me not being able to use teleportation magic but there was also the fact that my magic specialized in tie magic. I knew only basic magic for now but I think it¡¯s good considering I was a self-taught magician who did better than most.

    I walked through the foggy garden at dawn to enjoy the cool and crisp morning air. The fresh air calmed my mind. It was a habit. Even at the willow house, I used to get up at dawn to take a walk. Willow House¡­

    When I had first named Kaichen¡¯s house as The Willow House, I had giggled. Kaichen had looked at me with disdain and asked how could I name other people¡¯s houses as I pleased? Well, there was nothing else to call the house. Willow House fit right it. I felt very attached to that house to just call it ¡®Kaichen¡¯s House¡¯ and I couldn¡¯t very well call it ¡®Our House¡¯. Whenever I thought of his house as our house, my face heated up and I felt fluttery in my stomach.

    Suddenly I imagined sitting next to him on the bench and I realized that I wouldn¡¯t mind spending the rest of my life in that way.

    ¡°Have I gone crazy?¡± I shook my head. To spend the rest of my life with Kaichen who had the pickiest eating habits and sensitive personality?! But when I thought about the Willow House in the sunlight, it didn¡¯t seem that imusible. I could imagine us sitting side by side on the bench and eating fruits and just talking.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± I felt all fluttery. I wondered if the withdrawal symptoms were back. Was I hallucinating again? I sat on the ben in the middle of the rose garden and took a deep breath to calm myself. I felt refreshed but I was still tingly with thoughts of Kaichen. This isn¡¯t the time to be thinking about things like that!

    I looked up at the sky. It wasn¡¯t going to lighten yet. I could still see the stars twinkling. Whenever I looked up at the sky full of stars in Willow House, I was wracked with guilt thinking about the citizens of Acrab. I always knew that I had to protect and repay them.

    ¡°One life per star.¡± I blinked. A star fell. I had never thought I would see a shooting star in the morning. But how was that possible?

    ¡°One life per star,¡± I muttered again and the stars poured down like a meteor shower. What was even happening?!

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I shouted up at the sky. I wondered if there was a god who was ying a prank on me. As though to mock me more, the stars continued dazzling up the sky in a meteor shower. I should have been happy and enchanted with something rare like this happening. But the only thing I could think of were the citizens of Acrab dying if I wasn¡¯t able toe up with something to save them.

 Chapter 71

    ¡°Yeah, do whatever you want, Assh*le! You have never been by my side anyway! No one has.¡± I used to pray to a god. There was no god who could save you. Or if there was, he didn¡¯t care. Otherwise, he would have had the heart to hear my pleas when I was trapped a hundred years wishing to die.

    ¡°Did you take your medicine on time?¡± asked a familiar voice as I grumbled up at the sky.

    ¡°Yes, I took it before I went to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are in your right mind. Maybe drink the medicine once more.¡±

    ¡°What? There is nothing wrong with me!¡±

    ¡°A person who shouts at the sky early in the morning as though looking for a fight doesn¡¯t look normal to me.¡±

    I sighed and took out the vial of medicine from my pocket that I usually stored for emergency seizures. I drank it. My mood sometimes fluctuates because of the withdrawal.

    ¡°What about sleep?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, I slept well. How about you? I bet the beds were ufortable if you are up so early.¡±

    ¡°It was ufortable.¡±

    ¡°As expected. nkets in our house are too heavy and mattresses are so soft that they can make one nauseous. I thought it would be ufortable for you. I¡¯ll tell them to change it today.¡±

    The sky was not lightening. The freak show was over. I could see the sun rising in the horizon painting the sky orange.

    I remembered that Mimi would wake up early to prepare breakfast. The meal must taste nd to Kaichen. He had a sweet tooth and the pickiest taste in food. Mimi didn¡¯t know about his taste yet. She didn¡¯t even know my taste and I had lived here for so long before I left.

    She doesn¡¯t know me now either. The Dalia she knew waspletely different from the person I was now. My perspective and my taste had changed too.

    ¡°Teacher, what do you want for breakfast?¡± I asked Kaichen as I thought it would be better to prepare it myself. However, Kaichen, sitting at the end of the bench, raised an eyebrow at me.

    ¡°Are you going to tend to me here too?¡±

    ¡°I said I would do it forever, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Your subordinates are watching.¡±

    ¡°But Mimi and Angel are not exactly my subordinates¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t theymoners who work for you?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that they are like friends.¡±

    I had the title and status of the lord of Acrab, Countess Alshine, but I didn¡¯t think of it as that important. I wasn¡¯t the type of person to divide people ording to their status. Their work was the job they did, it wasn¡¯t their identity.

    ¡°Are you afraid that I will be ignored by people?¡±

    ¡°I never¡­ thought of that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the drunkard Dalia here anyway. There is nothing surprising.¡± When I smiled with a shrug, Kaichen raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t a drunkard. You were poisoned.¡±

    ¡°But I did drink alcohol every day,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s also true that I abandoned my people.¡±

    ¡°Do you regret it?¡± It was a strange question. Kaichen was weird yesterday too, but he¡¯s even weirder today. Not knowing what he was thinking made me a little frustrated.

    ¡°Rather than regretting the past, I¡¯m a person who values living in the present while thinking about the future.¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t buy that. His eyebrows rose higher in his forehead.

    I sighed. ¡°I regret it, but I don¡¯t want to waste time thinking about it.¡± I got up from my seat with a smile and stretched.

    ¡°And now that I have be your disciple, I think the future will be bright.¡± Kaichen rolled his eyes at my sheepish smile. But he did smirk. Iughed. He slowly got up and suddenly walked closer to me.

    Kaichen didn¡¯t interact with people and didn¡¯t like others being in his personal space. The distance between us right now was only about a span of a heartbeat. I was so startled that I almost took a step back. His hand reached out and pulled me closer by my wrist. Compared to his big and warm hands, my wrist looked shrunken and tiny. Courtesy to throwing up more times than I ate.

    ¡°I admit it. I will not refuse you anymore.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see¡­ my student being unhappy, so I¡¯ll help you.¡± He then moved his hand and a sparkling golden light appeared on both my wrist. The golden light snaked around my wrist and settled as golden bracelets. My mouth fell open. I looked at the bracelets and realized that they were made from Kaichen¡¯s pure and concentrated mana. I realized I had been very quiet for a while. I looked up at him.

    Kaichen was smiling. It was a genuine smile. He wasn¡¯t smirking. He didn¡¯t appear cold and indifferent. I could see myself in his eyes. Ahh, I am doomed¡­. The sun illuminated the sky as it rose. My heart felt heavy.

    The golden bracelets were so light with almost no weight. The beads were small and sparkly that hung on thin and delicate stems. These bracelets wouldn¡¯t be ordinary. They would never get dirty or break. Unless Kaichen broke them himself. It mustn¡¯t have been easy to create something so tangible with mana alone. I had a momentary thought of them being shackles but all those intruding thoughts scattered away when I saw him looking at my wrist with bright eyes and a warm smile. I wanted to close my eyes and freeze time.

 Chapter 72

    I never thought the day woulde when I saw him smile like this. It was a smile without any worries, without limit. It was warm and golden just like the sun shining on my back. It was more enchanting than the meteor shower I had seen. It illuminated everything around him.

    My face heated up and my heart pounded. I swallowed. My lips were dry. My stomach was fluttering. I almost panicked. Was this a hallucination? But I took my medicine.

    ¡°Dalia, remember that I am by your side,¡± he said. I was speechless. ¡°Answer me,¡± he said again, looking at me with that sweet smile.

    I managed to nod. ¡°A teacher doesn¡¯t use honorifics with a disciple,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I croaked out.

    ¡°A teacher will ask you to do a lot of things and he expects obedience.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.

    ¡°And¡­ the disciple shouldn¡¯t keep a secret from their teacher.¡±

    I stopped. I looked at him. But he looked back calmly. The smile was gone. I thought it was an illusion created by my deranged brain.

    ¡°Dalia¡­,¡± he urged.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Kaichen held my wristfortingly. ¡°No secrets,¡± he said, ¡°What did you do in Acrab when you were trapped in the time magic?¡±

    His voice was gentle and calm. It wasn¡¯t a question to force an answer out of you. It was just a tentative and gentle nudge. I could listen to his voice all day and all night. It made me want to blurt everything out. I wanted to be heard. I wondered if Archmage Kaichen imbued his voice with magic. Was he doing it now?

    He looked at me unwaveringly. ¡°Dalia?¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±

    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said gently.

    ¡°Well, I¡­ learnt magic and read books. I also learnt some production techniques for¡­¡±

    ¡°Not that.¡± He didn¡¯t speak any formalnguage. It seemed he was going to abide by his words to speak informally to me. In other circumstances, that would have made me happy.

    ¡°Tell me what is making you suffer so much, ¡°he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ there is no such thing.¡±

    ¡°Dalia, no secrets.¡±

    His hands tightened a little on my wrist. I frowned and looked down. He loosened his grip on my wrist as though he hadn¡¯t known what he was doing. He didn¡¯t want to cause me pain. He wanted to know what happened to help me.

    I looked at him and wondered how I could escape from this situation. D*mn, I wasn¡¯t prepared! I didn¡¯t mean to be swayed by his smile. I had imagined that after being epted as a disciple, I could learn some magic, hide away and live a peaceful life. But¡­ Kaichen was adamant. He usually didn¡¯t show any interest whatsoever towards anyone. This was¡­ surprising, to say the least.

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± I squeaked. Why are you calling me so sweetly? Should I just tell him? I debated with myself. My heart pounded. I wanted to tell him but at the same time I couldn¡¯t. I felt very distressed. I wanted to pour everything and lean on him but¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s making you suffer?¡± Kaichen asked again. I knew he wouldn¡¯t back down until he got an answer.

    I sighed. ¡®Teacher¡­ is it okay if I take some time to think?¡±

    Kaichen raised those d*mned eyebrows again. ¡°I just need time to prepare myself to confess my secret to you.¡±

    Kaichen waited silently. I couldn¡¯t look at him. I wondered what was going in his mind. Was he angry? Although I lowered my head, I could still feel his gaze on me. His golden eyes zed. I counted to seven in my mind waiting for him to let it go. I wanted to wriggle and run off from here. In my defense, how many people could escape from the Archmage once you had caught his attention? None, that was the answer.

    I nced at my other hand, the one he wasn¡¯t holding. I could see the delicate golden bracelet properly for the first time. I didn¡¯t know what it would represent. These bracelets. But it was said that when a magician epted a disciple, they would offer a token as proof. I wondered if this was the token. Does this prove that I am the first official disciple of Archmage Kaichen?

    ¡°And if I wait?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If I wait patiently, will you be able to tell me your secret someday?¡± His voice was calm. I hadn¡¯t thought about it. I had just blurted it out because I felt backed into a corner. It had ended up being a promise.

    ¡°I¡­ want to do that,¡± I murmured and realized it to be true. I did want to share my secret with him, in my own time. ¡°I too hope that a day wille when I can tell you everything.¡±

    I was always thrown off-guard with Kaichen. Whenever he spoke softly to me and his clear golden eyes shone warmly, I lost my head. I became weak. ¡°Um¡­ teacher? How long are you going to hold my hand? I am a little shy¡­.¡± Kaichen let go of my hand, frowning.

    ¡°So, you do know how to be shy.¡± He returned to his usual grumbling self. His slightly reddened ears and his eyes made him look even more adorable. It tugged at my heart.

 Chapter 73

    <strong>Chapter 73</strong>

    I was afraid he would catch me looking at him. I clutched at my wrist. My skin felt warm where he had touched it. But the bracelet was cool.

    ¡°Teacher, I will go first and prepare breakfast for you. Enjoy your walk!¡± I hurriedly walked away and ran to the mansion without waiting for a response. I could feel his gaze on me but I tried hard to ignore it.

    By the time I walked into the kitchen, Mimi was already preparing breakfast. She was really very diligent.

    ¡°Miss¡­ Countess, are you up already?¡±

    ¡°Just call me Miss, that¡¯s more familiar.¡± I didn¡¯t really care about being addressed by my title. I checked the breakfast menu she had been preparing.

    ¡°Are you very hungry? I¡¯ll hurry up and finish preparing it. It¡¯s braised chicken with potatoes, your favorite.¡±

    Mimi might have assumed that¡¯s why I came to the kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves and continued her work. The menu was very appetizing for today. But there were several things in the ingredients that Kaichen didn¡¯t like.

    Kaichen liked potatoes but hated carrots. These two ingredients were used abundantly in many dishes. I looked at the chicken soaked in the water to get rid of the blood, dirt and the smell. It would be cleaned thoroughly. Mimi was always meticulous. But Kaichen would not eat it after just a bite especially due to the carrots.

    ¡°Are you making this for Angel and his brothers too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? No, Miss! How could they eat the same meal as you?¡± Mimi had worked for the Alshine family for a long time. Even if titles didn¡¯t matter to me, it mattered to her. I was of noble birth and they weremoners. Even if I was the ¡®drunkard¡¯ and ignored most of the time, they always remembered I was of noble birth. I sighed. No matter how many times I exined otherwise, it was in vain.

    ¡°Then, I will prepare something for me and teacher. You make something for you, your family and angel¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°But, why?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, my teacher is very picky when ites to food.¡± He certainly was picky. I smiled. I had always taken it as a challenge to prepare something that could match his taste. If he didn¡¯t like the food, his forehead would wrinkle ever so slightly. If he liked the food, the corners of his mouth would twitch up. He was also a big eater when it came to food he liked. Watching him eat brought me great joy as a cook.

    ¡°Are you going to cook Miss?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Would that be a problem?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ no problem, Miss!¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. ¡°There is a problem! How can you cook, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mimi, why not? Why can¡¯t I make something to eat?¡±

    Mimi stomped her feet. ¡°Mimi, please,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s not that impossible. You and I are the only ones here. And this is my house. What is so wrong about cooking sometimes in your own house? Don¡¯t you cook in your house too?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you are a nobledy¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I am also a student now. So, think of it as a disciple¡¯s duty to her teacher,¡± I exined, ¡°If I make the teacher happy, he will help me to make Acrab a better ce.¡±

    I came up with many excuses for Mimi to let me cook this once. She relented but she kept ncing at me as I cooked. I think she was doubtful about whether I could actually cook. But she didn¡¯t press me. It would be rude to doubt someone¡¯s capabilities before they had the chance to try. Besides, Mimi had grown up together with Dalia. Even if I couldn¡¯t remember the childhood memories, I knew that Mimi was a dear friend to Dalia. But I had so much trauma from the time I was trapped. Mimi didn¡¯t remember, of course. I kept my distance from her.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­.¡± When the finished dish was ced neatly on the tray, Mimi let out a short exmation. The refrigerator was full of ingredients, so I had no difficulty cooking.

    I had set the braised chicken with potatoes on the tray without the ingredients that Kaichen hated. Mimi opened her mouth wide in shock.

    ¡°Enjoy your breakfast!¡± I smiled at her and left. I grabbed the tray and headed to the dining room. I met Kaichen in the hallway, he was heading to the dining room as well. He took the tray I was holding and walked by my side.

    Why is he suddenly acting like a gentleman? Is it because the hallway leading to the dining room was long and we had to walk quite a while. The Willow House had been small and cozy. Big mansions were nothing but inconvenient. But I was d I got to enjoy Kaichen being a gentleman and helping me with the tray.

 Chapter 74

    ¡°Teacher, today¡¯s breakfast is braised chicken with potatoes.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Are you ufortable talking casually to me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then why does it seem to me that you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    But I did worry about it. His formal address felt awkward. Considering his cold and indifferent face, it suited him just fine. I nibbled at the food. Braised chicken with potatoes definitely was delicious. But I missed rice. It wasn¡¯t easy to obtain rice in this ce. It had to be imported from the east. It wasn¡¯t even avable in Sharatan. But it was sold at Acrab food stores but the price was preposterously high.

    If I grow rice, won¡¯t I be the richest person in this ce? I pondered whether Acrab had the right terrain and climate for growing rice. It wasn¡¯t really a bad idea. I needed to research on it further.

    ¡°Teacher, what are you going to do today?¡±

    Kaichen raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I asked you first.¡± He didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to see the patients,¡± I answered while avoiding Kaichen¡¯s gaze. He stared at me as though I had said something stupid. He ate in silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± he said, after a while.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    I lowered my gaze as Kaichen looked at me with those intense eyes. I didn¡¯t know what was happening. He used to be so indifferent to everything. I narrowed my eyes and nced at him. He looked fine, as usual. He looked like the same person but something was different.

    Is he just worried after I became his disciple? Is that why he never had a disciple before? Were the teachers supposed to solve their disciple¡¯s problems? But I didn¡¯t think there was anything else left to research. I thought the research was done since he knows about what happened to me and why.

    ¡°Then, Teacher, I will wash up ande down.¡± In the end, we decided to go around the city together and visit the patients to take a look. I certainly needed his help. He was the only one knowledgeable enough to determine theponent of the poison in their bodies and create an antidote. Besides, if he is with me, it will be easier for me to face them.

    I went up to my room and headed to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and tried to calm myself. My heart was pounding and my face was flushed. I didn¡¯t know why I felt this way. I ate with Kaichen as usual and took my medicine. What had changed?

    The hair in front of my face was long and messy and bothered my eyes. I grabbed scissors out of the drawer and leaned close to the mirror.

    ¡°Well, this body does have pretty eyes, might as well take advantage of it.¡± Appearance was a weapon; it always had been. I was finally putting on some weight as well.

    Dalia had such pretty eyes. It would have made anyone fall in love with her. She could have been a celebrity in another world. In the past, she had given up on taking care of herself. But her body was recovering now. I decided to cut the hair in front to reveal more of her eyes.

    I went for bangs. I snipped and leveled the hair so that my bangs sat a little over my eyebrows. I smiled, satisfied. I felt refreshed. The nting eyes were striking. Dark, almost ck eyes on pale white skin. A petite nose and luscious lips that were now tinted red which used to be colorless and pale before.

    Dalia had a mole under her right eye which gave her a different charm. It seemed to change her image. With her nted eyes, she looked regal and upfront. But when she smiled, the moleplimented her face and made her appear soft and charming. Her dark hair fell down her shoulders.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. I look good!¡± I may not be the most beautiful woman in the Empire even with Dalia¡¯s charms but I felt that this was enough for me to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

    I straightened my shoulders and took a deep breath. I finished taking a shower while humming to myself. When I applied the scented oil on my body, I could smell the cool, woody scent that lingered in the whole house.

    ¡°Um, this is nice.¡±

    When I went straight into the dressing room, I found Dalia¡¯s gorgeous dresses lined up in the wardrobe. I didn¡¯t want to see them at all. As I left Acrab in a hurry before, I forgot to sell them. So, they still hung there, lifeless. The dresses made me think about Dalia and how much she must have loved her dresses. She must have loved to dress up in such regal attires.

    I supposed she really was desperate seeing how she must have gone from wearing those dresses and being regal to being a miserable drunkard. The people of Acrab remembered the old, beautiful Dalia. I felt sorrier for her and them.

    I skimmed through the dressing room. I had done this a thousand times before. I pulled out dark brown pants and a beige shirt. I didn¡¯t really hate skirts but wearing huge dresses wasn¡¯t really my thing. Besides, Dalia seemed to love dresses with fancy frills. I didn¡¯t. Sorry, I was not going to wear frills.

 Chapter 75

    <strong>Chapter 75</strong>

    ¡°They all look like something a princess would wear.¡± I shook my head as I pulled on my pants and buttoned the shirt. As I folded up my sleeves, I saw the bracelets Kaichen had given me. They made no sound. They were so light I wouldn¡¯t even have known they were there. Suddenly the room felt too stuffy so I unbuttoned the first two buttons on the top of my shirt to free my neck. I stood in front of the mirror, examining myself. I was satisfied. I had gained weight and for once my body looked healthy and nice. I didn¡¯t look like I was a corpse anymore.

    ¡°For once I¡¯m in great shape!¡± I murmured in the mirror. Dalia was indeed beautiful. When I possessed her body for the first time, I used to stare at it in the mirror for a long while before going for a shower. Of course, it was the initial shock of finding myself in a different body but also feeling sorry for what Dalia had be and what she could have been.

    A big chest, narrow waist, wide pelvis and plump hips. Every time I looked at myself or Dalia, I was amazed. I reminded myself that it was my body now but sometimes, it didn¡¯t feel like it.

    It¡¯s my body now! I reemphasized. I tried to erase my past life from my mind. I was satisfied and happy with my current body and my present life. Just unbuttoning a few buttons made me feel like I was confident about my body. I looked at myself, smiled and decided to head out. I picked up my bag and suddenly a thought crossed my mind.

    Why didn¡¯t I choose to wear loose clothes like I usually do? Why is my heart fluttering so much? You are crazy! I scolded myself. Just then my eyes met Kaichen¡¯s. I was reminded of first dates when I used to be all fluttery and nervous and cared to look pretty from head to toe. I was on my way to deal with a traumatic event happening in the state, so why care about how I dress?

    There was no turning back anyway. So, I straightened, braced myself and approached Kaichen. His eyebrows went up as he looked at me. I was so nervous. The hair in front which used to be messy but at least covered half my vision and protected me somehow was gone. I could see him very clearly and he could see me. His intense gaze was difficult. Get a hold of yourself! You are supposed to be bold and shameless! I raised the corners of my mouth into a smile.

    ¡°Teacher, I am a littlete, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± he said, ¡°Did you cut your hair?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes! It¡¯s getting very hot, isn¡¯t it? I couldn¡¯t bear to have them fall on my face anymore.¡± That was a lie. But it served the purpose. Kaichen stared at me a little longer. Our eyes met. He quickly turned away. I wondered what would happen if we just looked at each other¡¯s eyes a little longer. But I felt relieved that he averted his gaze. It was making me nervous.

    ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± I asked brightly. The cheery demeanor was inappropriate for someone going to see sick people but I didn¡¯t know what to do. Kaichen took the lead without a word. I watched his back. His blonde hair was even more dazzling today.

    * * *

    Kaichen looked at Julius¡¯ floating form in the air through the magicalmunication tool. He didn¡¯t speak but narrowed his holographic eyes at Kaichen, sighing asionally and shaking his head.

    ¡°What is it exactly?¡± asked Kaichen, annoyed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you have something to say, say it,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°If not, this is a waste of magic.¡± He fumbled for the ring on his hand to cut off themunication but Julius spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare cut me off,¡± said Julius. ¡°Are you really going to ept her as your disciple? You said it was just a temporary thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it three times already that yes, I am epting her as my disciple.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ hard to believe,¡± said Julius with a chuckle. He muttered something to himself. Kaichen was annoyed that his habit of talking to himself was still intact.

    ¡°What¡¯s so hard to believe?¡± said Kaichen indifferently, as though it didn¡¯t matter to him either way.

    Julius spread three fingers in the air. ¡°First of all, it is just unbelievable for you to take anyone as a disciple. You didn¡¯t want anyone at all. You hated interacting with people. You said they would be a nuisance when it came to your magic research.¡±

    ¡°Dalia has talent,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°She woke her mana herself. You and I both know that was close to impossible until she did it.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± said Julius mockingly. ¡°It is so weird to hearpliments from your mouth.¡± Julius curled another finger. ¡°Anyway, second point, the person you just happen to ept into your tutge is Countess Alshine of all people you could have picked!¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°You hated her, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Julius. ¡°That¡¯s what you told me.¡±

    Kaichen crossed his arms across his chest. ¡°I have changed my mind. Is that so shocking?¡±

    ¡°As expected,¡± said Julius, ¡°It¡¯s a love-hate rtionship, isn¡¯t it? Your first love suddenly appeared in front of you and your hatred and your resolve was shaken. She won your heart.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I see it. I mean love and hate can mess up a person so I guess I understand.¡±

 Chapter 76

    <strong>Chapter 76</strong>

    Kaichen really had a very strong urge to cut off this annoying conversation. Julius was really very talkative for a crown prince. He should have been guarding his tongue. But Kaichen resisted his urge. He knew he would suffer even more in the future if he hung up here. He will never hear the end of this.

    ¡°The third point is that this could turn into something that would be disastrous.¡±

    Kaichen raised a questioning eyebrow.

    ¡°How far are you going to trust her?¡± asked Julius.

    It was a very stupid question but logical, nheless. Julius was a crown prince and he was sharp despite his appearance and his talkative habit.

    Kaichen clicked his tongue. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I have told you before that there is no evidence that she might be conspiring with the Momalhaut but there is no evidence to prove she isn¡¯t, as well.¡±

    ¡°She was poisoned by them,¡± Kaichen pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe she wants us to think she was poisoned. Maybe it¡¯s a trap.¡±

    ¡°And why would she do that? Why would she willingly take a poison that destroys her life and her state. Acrab is her territory.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Julius, ¡°And it has been known to everyone that she has let it go to hell before. Wouldn¡¯t she do it again?¡±

    ¡°Julius¡­¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t believe how ardently you are defending her right now.¡±

    Kaichen pressed his temples. He red at Julius. How was he defending her? ¡°I am not defending her. I am just pointing out valid reasons that might prove that she isn¡¯t really with the Momalhaut and we can trust her.¡±

    Julius smirked. ¡°That surprises me so much,¡± he said. ¡°Look. I know you. We grew up together. When you are obsessed with something or someone, no matter if it is for love or hate, you don¡¯t see anything else at all. Whether you loved her or hated her, you have been constantly thinking about Countess Alshine all these years.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Julius.¡±

    ¡°Look at you now,¡± continued Julius. ¡°Where is the cold and distant archmage who abhorred interacting with people?¡±

    His words struck a nerve. Kaichen was quiet. This was why he hated getting close to people. They knew too much about him and used it against him. Julius was the most annoying of them all.

    ¡°What do you mean to say?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°I am just saying, be careful,¡± said Julius, ¡°Don¡¯t get too deep into it. If, by any chance, she turns out to be conspiring with Momalhaut and if this turns out to be a trap, I will turn my sword on her to protect you my dear friend.¡±

    That bothered Kaichen. The ¡®turning his sword on her¡¯ really bothered him more than he could actually say. Kaichen had been so sensitive and irritable these past few days. His house was filled with traces of her. His stomach churned every time he thought about her. The image of her smiling and waving. Whenever he closed his eyes, her face came to mind.

    He had wanted, more than once, to tuck her hair behind her ears that kept falling onto her face. Whenever the wind rustled and blew the hair away from her face, her smile and her eyes made his heart pound. He longed for her at night.

    Whenever he tried sleeping, her face woulde to mind and he would feel so many intense emotions. He would feel a heat in his belly and his heart tried to beat out his chest. When he opened his eyes, he was always at a loss at the stiffening in his lower body.

    Kaichen had felt confused at first because this had never happened to him. He knew that this would happen at some point in his life. He was a man. But he still couldn¡¯t hide his shame and embarrassment. He did not want to hold and stroke it. It was painful. He felt even more ashamed to do it when he knew the source of it was Dalia.

    He would take a cold shower to get rid of it. The swollen member begged to be stroked for release. It l*sted after Dalia. It was so absurd that it rendered him speechless. He could not believe himself that he was l*sting after Dalia when she had been the person who had made him resolve that he wouldn¡¯t be involved in any long-term rtionships.

    epting her as a disciple had been a little test on his part. He even apuded himself when he saw her happy with that wide smile. He had praised himself saying it was a good decision. It was all that was. He was still trying to deny and ignore his feelings towards her and Julius breaking it to him didn¡¯t help.

 Chapter 77

    <strong>Chapter 77</strong>

    He was annoyed when Julius asked for the bench that Dalia had made for him. He shouldn¡¯t have been but he was. He wasn¡¯t sure how the word ¡®mine¡¯ popped into his head. It was so sudden and subconscious. He didn¡¯t know why he felt so crappy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again,¡± said Kaichen, ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that you will turn the sword on her. Not even as a joke.¡±

    Julius looked at him, deciding whether he should smirk or act surprised.

    ¡°Even just thinking about it makes me feel sh*tty.¡±

    ¡°Kaichen¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± he said. ¡°If she has a problem, I will take care of it. You won¡¯t have to get involved. It won¡¯te to that. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Kaichen knew Julius wasn¡¯t someone toy low. But Kaichen couldn¡¯t tell him to do as he pleased, like he usually did. Turn a sword at her? Kill Dalia? It made him feel protective, irritated that he felt that way and made his heart pound.

    It was difficult to believe that she was the only thing he could think of. Damn it! It will be another sleepless night. Kaichen pressed his temples and closed his eyes with a sigh.

    ¡°She is my disciple, no matter what. She is my responsibility.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought she was the only one who was poisoned.¡±

    He took a deep breath and tried to calm his breathing.

    ¡°The Imperial knights will be leaving for Acrab soon,¡± said Julius, ¡°The one who is leading them is Asta. I am sure you know that he is also my sister¡¯s henchman. You should be able to negotiate well. Acrab has a lot of resources and it has mines too. The mines lead to the eastern continent.¡±

    Kaichen nodded. He had noticed and observed Acrab¡¯s topographical advantage. It was at the eastern edge of the Empire that no one paid any attention to. It was far from the capital and craftsmen gathered to this ce for exactly that reason. Acrab was also connected to the eastern mountain ranges that the Empire had not reached yet.

    The east was assumed to be a different continent, entirely. It was assumed it could only be reached by sailing through the seas. It turned out that there was another way. Considering the tremendous benefit of possible future trade exchanges, it was of enormous importance to Julius, the future Emperor.

    ¡°Try to buy me some time,¡± said Julius, ¡°Hold out as long as you can. If I can find evidence that proves that it is not a contagious disease, I will do everything I can to persuade His Majesty.¡±

    In the end, it was up to him. He knew how difficult it was to convince the emperor. He was almost d that it was left to Julius to do that. Kaichen nodded and was finally able to cut off themunication. He still felt like Julius was staring at him narrow-eyed. He got up from his seat. Julius sure was good at tormenting people early in the morning.

    Kaichen stared at the ufortable bed. He was having trouble sleeping which was why he had epted Julius¡¯munication request. He red at his bed. He knew that not everything could be tailored to his taste. He needed to adapt. He sighed. Perhaps he was finding it difficult because he never went to other people¡¯s houses and Dalia had tended to him when he hadn¡¯t even asked for it. Was he bing used to her presence?

    Knowing he couldn¡¯t sleep; he went outside to cool off. He saw Dalia just then, seated at a bench and shouting away swear words at the sky. She was thest person he wanted to see right now but that did nothing to calm his racing heart.

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s a love-hate rtionship, isn¡¯t it? Your first love suddenly appeared in front of you and your hatred and your resolve was shaken. She won your heart.¡±

    Kaichen tried to push Julius out of his mind and watched Dalia. While she let out swear words, the face that looked up at the sky was lonely. He took a step towards her without thinking. Damn it!

    I hated her. I believed that I hated her. He had thought he hated, loathed and resented her. That there would never be a ce in his heart for her. How then is this possible? How is it that his frustration and annoyance disappeared whenever he looked at her? She looked at him and smiled boldly.

    He hadn¡¯t ever been able to touch another person but he had reached out for her wrists before he even had time to register what he was doing. He could smell the cool, woody scent of hers. It was in the mansion. It was back in the Willow House. It was everywhere. The scent made him feel like she was everywhere he went.

 Chapter 78

    <strong>Chapter 78</strong>

    Her scent was too stimting to him. He had this urge to ce his nose on the nape of her neck and inhale all of her whenever she passed by. He could already feel the heat in his body. He was worried the heat would reach his lower body so he let out some mana to control himself.

    Kaichen approaching Dalia and igniting the magic deep within him to create bracelets on both of her wrists had been¡­ impulsive. Kaichen gave up trying to understand his feelings. With her, his feelings were always mixed and confusing. Unpredictable. Dalia¡¯s existence did that to him.

    Her actions were unpredictable to him. But, recently his feelings towards her have been unpredictable as well. The emotions within him that dominated over his rational thought embarrassed him greatly. As he let go of her thin wrist, he clicked his tongue in regret.

    His instinct urged him to put his lips on her wrist and kiss it. He wanted to lick it. What would it taste like? He wanted to have a taste of her. He assumed she would taste sweet. He was aware that his thoughts sounded like that of a madman. But he couldn¡¯t forget the feeling of her skin on his palm. Soft and delicate.

    I must be out of my mind, thought Kaichen. He thought it was fortunate that Dalia¡¯s eyes were lowered and couldn¡¯t see him be this flustered. His mind was haywire. Meeting her alone here in the garden made him very impulsive.

    The nape of her neck was visible as she had her head lowered to look at the bracelets. He wanted to kiss it and leave a trace. D*mn it! Kaichen could not control his thoughts. He felt the heat course through him. He felt a stirring in his lower body. For the first time, he felt grateful that he was wearing a wide and billowy robe. Otherwise, he would have been exposed. He had no choice but to leave. His body was betraying him. He didn¡¯t want to be exposed.

    Kaichen wished she would leave. While thinking ofplex magical modifiers to distract himself, practically running away, he looked at her waving at him. Why was she smiling so sweetly?

    He was angry at himself for thinking she looked lovely. He was annoyed at himself. That smile drove him crazy and she had no idea. If his past rational self could see him now¡­

    What should I call this? Why did she appear in front of me again and confuse me? Kaichen thought it was because she had changed. He had seen her struggle, and recover. His resentment and anger was reced by empathy andpassion. His irritation with her was reced by his yearning for her. He had hated her arrogant smile before. But now, he could spend all day looking at herugh and smile. He had hated her voice which had been the cause of his trauma. But now, he could listen to her all day.

    His chaotic thoughts raged in his mind as he got himself ready to go out and waited for her at the parlor near the front door. When she alighted from the stairs, he couldn¡¯t take her eyes off her. She had cut her hair into bangs and her cheeks were a little red. How is she so beautiful? Her eyes which were a bit nted set his heart racing. He wished he could kiss that little dot on her cheek.

    Kaichen wondered if he was going crazy. The kind of thoughts he had of her which excited him and got him all heated. Is this just human desire? He gritted his teeth. His heart was already pounding. He felt like it might beat right out of his chest. It was a good thing he chose to wear a robe. It would be easier to hide the¡­ shameful thing.

    He wanted tough out loud. He was using his magician¡¯s robe to hide his desires. I am certainly going crazy. It would be another sleepless night today. With that, he walked out of the entrance towards the town of Acrab with Dalia by side.

    ¡°Teacher, this is thergest square in Acrab,¡± said Dalia, showing him around. ¡°See that bridge over there? I used to visit that ce a lot. That was also I found you when you broke the time magic.¡± He tried hard not to pay too much attention to her reddish lips that chatted on.

 Chapter 79

    <strong>Chapter 79</strong>

    Whenever she gave him attention, he felt like pulling her close and kissing her. He wanted to pry her mouth open and shove his tongue inside her and taste every bit of her. Kaichen¡¯s heart and stomach was boiling with l*st. He felt disgusted with himself. He was acting like a dog in heat. If she gave him a little bit of attention, he wanted to hug her and kiss her, parting her mouth, he wanted to put his tongue inside and confirm what kind of taste she had. Kaichen¡¯s stomach was boiling with lust. When he saw Dalia smiling brightly, he felt like a disgusting ck magician. It¡¯s dirty, one can¡¯t do this unless you¡¯re actually a dog in heat.

    Julius pestered him saying his case was of importance and he should resolve it. But Kaichen couldn¡¯t think. His eyes strayed to her chest. The upper part of her shirt was unbuttoned. D*mn it! The sight of her corbone and skin made it difficult to focus on the shred of rationality that he had finally grasped. He recalled the softness of her skin on her chest when he had been treating her for her symptoms. He felt dizzy.

    He clenched his hand. His fingernails dug into his palm. He mped his mouth so that he couldn¡¯t talk nonsense. He looked straight ahead to try to calm his ar*usal. However, even when he averted his eyes, Dalia was always in the field of his vision, giving him a tour of Acrab.

    ¡°Oh?! Teacher! This is the store I used to frequent. I¡¯m pretty close with the owner. I think it would be good to ask him about people who got sick around here. Would it be okay to stop by for a moment?¡±

    Kaichen nodded silently, and Dalia hummed as she walked. He wasn¡¯t surprised. She always seemed to build a rapport with shopkeepers. She did the same in Sharatan. However, when she opened the door of the tavern and entered, his mood turned foul the moment he saw a big man rushing out with surprised eyes.

    ¡°Huh? Las?¡±

    ¡°Miss! Where have you been all this time? You disappeared without a word. I was so worried!¡±

    ¡°Did you shave your beard?¡± Dalia asked him in surprise. Las sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I shaved my beard because I thought cleanliness would prevent the disease.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? It was your trademark,¡± said Dalia, sounding disappointed.

    With burly muscles and a huge body, Las looked intimidating. He looked like someone who could be relied upon. A sword around his waist would suit him well. He could easily work as a soldier. However, Kaichen got annoyed as he observed him. Thankfully, that helped to calm his ar*usal.

    ¡°I found out about the situation a littlete. We have also brought in a strong support group to solve the problem.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Las, can you tell us about the people who fell ill?¡± Dahlia sat down in the corner.

    Although it looked like a pub, it functioned as a diner too. Kaichen saw several people eating. They nced at Dalia warily.

    ¡°You seem to have¡­ changed,¡± said Las.

    Considering that Dalia had entrusted the mansion to a small boy and left, it seemed that she didn¡¯t have many people she could rely on. In the past, so many people had reached out to her family. Even when he knew that the Alshine family had fallen into ruin, he hadn¡¯t really grasped the extent to which Dalia had felt lonely and isted. She practically had nobody.

    He had heard stories about her being very concerned about hernd and her people. She was considered a wise person. He felt stupid to have hated her for something she said as a child. People grow and change. But why did the people of Acrab abandon her so quickly?

    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m d that you are back, Miss. You asked me about the people who fell ill. I saw some of them the other day¡­ It was horrible! It was like they were infected with something like rabies.¡±

    ¡°What were the symptoms?¡±

    ¡°At first, they have fever and were delirious. They act like they have no hope left. Then they have seizures. They suddenly turn violent after that. They attack other people for no reason at all. They act really crazy. Some of them fall into despair and weep endlessly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°No matter what they eat, they vomit. They can¡¯t sleep well. It¡¯s very tormenting to watch them.¡±

 Chapter 80

    <strong>Chapter 80</strong>

    Las shook his head sympathetically. Kaichen looked at Dalia. She had her usual attentive expression on her face with that polite smile. Kaichen knew about that smile. Whenever she felt depressed and helpless, she put on that sad smile.

    The symptoms Las mentioned were very simr to those that Dalia had been suffering from for the past three months. Kaichen closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, he didn¡¯t want to picture Dalia¡¯s struggle again.

    ¡°Where are the guards of Acrab?¡±

    ¡°They were the first to copse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Then who is patrolling the city?¡±

    ¡°Nobody. To avoid harm and spread of the disease, everyone locks their doors and stay inside.¡±

    Dalia sighed. ¡°It sounds like a very infectious disease.¡± She nced at Kaichen. She looked at him as though she wanted help. Kaichen felt better suddenly. He felt good when Dalia needed him. Otherwise, he felt useless.

    Scratching her head, Dalia said, ¡°Teacher¡­.¡±

    Kaichen cenched his hand. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him to patrol the city to see if he could find something. Of course, he would do that. But he didn¡¯t want to leave her here.

    ¡°Can you put a barrier on the whole Acrab?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± asked Kaichen, surprised. No patrol? Dalia fidgeted with her fingers on the table. He looked at her.

    ¡°So that no one will be able to enter or leave.¡± She looked at him. ¡°Please, could you do it?¡±

    Kaichen wanted tough. She was so different from the child he had seen going out to the market with her mother. That child had been very full of herself. She had ordered her mother to buy her things instead of asking.

    Dalia smiled at him, almost pleadingly, since he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Teacher? Can you do it for me, please?¡±

    Darn it. Kaichen tried to avoid her gaze. He clicked his tongue. Why is she smiling at me so sweetly? The polite, fake smile did me less harm. It set his heart racing again. Damn it.

    He used to like a little girl named Dalia Alshine. She was his first love. But his heart was trampled. He had been hurt. He had hated and resented her with all his might after that. But here she was, apletely different person. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

    I hope you don¡¯t get sick. I hope you are not in pain. I want to be your strength. If there is anything I can do, I want to do it. I want to see you smile. I want to hear your voice. I want to hold your hand. I want to feel her heart against my chest. I want to caress your slender waist. I want to kiss you and taste your lips. I want to leave marks of love on you. I want to be inside her as I watch her gasp for breath¡­

    I¡¯m out of my mind, Kaichen admitted. He could not deny it anymore. He wanted her. Denial didn¡¯t work anymore and it was toote to regret falling for her. He was already addicted to her closeness to the point that he wanted her by his side always.

    *

    After leaving Las¡¯ tavern, we stood in front of the house of one of the patients. My mouth was dry and I was trembling. My palms were and my heart raced. I was nervous. It was difficult to face people after having run away for three months.

    Even after I had determined to heal Mickey, I had felt like this. I had killed him and other people of Acrab trying to make the medicine which would heal him. Even if he died then, he would be back the next day. Which was why I was determined to heal him. But it wasn¡¯t any easier. The trauma and the guilt remained with me.

    The reason I allowed Mimi to work at the castle even now was because I had hopes that seeing her would have helped me prepare to some extent to face the people of Acrab. I had hoped I would be used to seeing people I had inflicted suffering on

 Chapter 81

    <strong>Chapter 81</strong>

    How many times have I killed them? I remember everything. No matter how many times I reminded myself that they were alive now and the time magic was broken, it didn¡¯t make it any easier for me. I had taken my medicine, but my hands still trembled. It wasn¡¯t because of alcoholism anymore. I clenched and unclenched my fists.

    I stood at the door trying to heave deep breaths and calm myself. Kaichen, normally, would have asked me why I was beingte but right now he waited silently beside me, giving me space. I swallowed and unclenched my fists and walked inside.

    Victor. He was a diligent young man who lived alone. He had inherited the grocery store from his parents in the central shopping district in Acrab. He had a timid personality and a crush on Rush, the cksmith. He was never able to confess. When you have a hundred years to live with no way out, you notice things about people. I use to observe him when he went red in the face whenever Rush walked by him.

    But invasion of privacy was wrong. Just because I was lonely doesn¡¯t mean I get to spy on people like it wasn¡¯t a sin. I had acted like a psychopath. I had experimented on people and caused their deaths. I had stalked people of Acrab just because I had nothing to do. I am sorry Victor.

    The guilt ravaged at me constantly. It was why I would never be able to get over the guilt of my actions enough to be friendly with the people of Acrab anymore.

    When I opened the door, the air was musty inside the house. It smelled like a dump. Those who lived alone had no choice. When they fell sick, they couldn¡¯t even take care of themselves so how could they clean their space. I nced around the living room. Rotten fruit lined the selves. Old clothes were strewn on the floor.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± I eximed remembering Kaichen was here with me. ¡°Don¡¯te in! It smells terrible in here. This must be horrible for you. I am so sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°It¡¯s a patient¡¯s house. I am not here to judge.¡±

    ¡°No! You will get dirty.¡± Kaichen frowned and stood at the door, looking at me. He then entered the house without protest. He had mysophobia, so I was greatly worried. He scowled. I did tell you not toe in.

    What is the probability that someone like Kaichen, who has mysophobia, would enter a house like this? I have never seen him going to other people¡¯s houses. Ever. I felt sorry for him and tried to push him out of the door. Victor was messy and a bitzy. He wasn¡¯t the cleanest person but the disease must have affected him so much that he had simply left the ce to rot.

    I tried to usher Kaichen out of the door, but he didn¡¯t budge. He grimaced but stayed put. He looked at me with a determined face.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. It must have been a shock to him. Kaichen stared at me in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I have a strong stomach.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying this is something you can tolerate if you have a strong stomach?¡±

    ¡°To some extent. Teacher, it¡¯s hard to bear it, right? Go out. I¡¯m good at cleaning, so I¡¯ll call you after I clean it up.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why should you clean this ce?¡± he asked in disbelief.

    Then how are you going tost in here? I tried to usher him outside once again but he wouldn¡¯t budge at all. He looked annoyed. He stretched a hand in the sir and muttered something. A golden, glittery light scattered around the room. The effect was quick. Did he use this magic to keep the Willow House always clean? No wonder it was always neat. It must consume a lot of mana but Kaichen looked unfazed. Whoa, he isn¡¯t called the archmage for nothing.

    ¡°How on earth can you endure this?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Forget it.¡±

    The air had been purified. The cobwebs and dirt had been swished away. Everything looked clean. Well¡­ almost everything. The clothes had to be cleaned by hand. It was still on the floor. But the room didn¡¯t smell anymore.

    ¡°Were you very surprised?¡± I asked. ¡°Teacher, most men who live alone seem to live like this.¡±

 Chapter 82

    <strong>Chapter 82</strong>

    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Not all men who live alone are like that.¡±

    ¡°But everyone I¡¯ve seen was¡­¡±

    ¡°You have seen what?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Never mind.¡±

    I mped my mouth shut just in time. I tried to kick the stuff lying on the floor but Kaichen stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything,¡± was his response.

    Great! He wasn¡¯t just a germophobe. He was a germophobe who paid attention to the people around him. Maybe he didn¡¯t want me to get dirty because he was going to spend the whole day with me and if I was dirty, he would feel dirty too. So, I abided by his wishes and stayed by his side.

    ¡°I will say this once again,¡± said Kaichen, ¡°Not every man who lives alone lives like this. I feel crappy beingpared to such a messy person.¡± I nodded apologetically. It seemed he was offended by this generalization. He was so adorable!

    ¡°Oh, Victor!¡± I just remembered that we were supposed to be seeing him. I went to the kitchen and found him copsed on the floor.

    ¡°Oh dear¡­ ¡±

    I frowned and nced at Kaichen. Victor had be so skinny that his cheekbones were clearly visible. Perhaps he came to the kitchen to get something to eat because he was hungry, then felt nauseated, vomited, and fainted like the rest. Victor, who had copsed in the vomit, looked so filthy I wanted to barf.

    This punk¡­¡­ What did he eat exactly? Grateful for Kaichen¡¯s magic which had removed the smell, I examined Victor. When I nced at Kaichen, he had turned his back to us. I retrained augh. This was so funny. Kaichen was one of the strongest magicians in the continent and filth rendered him unable to take any action. He looked so helpless. I disliked filth too but I had seen worse. I could handle this much.

    ¡°Teacher, I will take care of it this time.¡± It must have been really hard for him to offer this time because he just nodded and stepped back. His face was pale.

    ¡°Are you going to¡­ touch it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Ew, no,¡± I said, ¡°No matter how strong my stomach is, I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°Should not a magician use magic at times like this?¡± I grinned and reached for Victor, who had copsed. As a small magic circle floated in the air, dirty foreign substances and vomit on his clothes gathered into the air where the magic circle was. It was magic simr to what I used to sweep away the dust in my room.

    I experimented a lot with magic. Ibine different magic to see what happens. Sometimes I tried to focus my mana on two different kinds of magic to learn to control my mana and not deplete it in one go. It was good practice. Kaichen narrowed his eyes. When he noticed I was using two spells at the same time to create one effect, his eyes widened.

    ¡°Did you learn how tobine magic by yourself?¡± he asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yes, I had a lot of time to practice.¡± I smiled.

    Soon, all the filth gathered in the circle and I threw it away. Thankfully, Victor now looked human. He was finally clean. Kaichen, still cautious, lifted Victor up and carried him to his bed. He didn¡¯t do this by hand though, he used magic. Floated Victor up and about till his bedroom. Kaichen seemed like he would choke to death if he was made to touch anything in this house.

    I recalled that he had mysophobia. He didn¡¯t show any trepidation when he touched me at all. Therfore, I was beginning to forget he was a germophobe. Victor was out first patient for today. Kaichen looked tired already.

    ¡°Well, Teacher¡­. Victor is the only one who lives alone so his condition was bad since no one was there to take care of him but the next one will be fine, I promise. They won¡¯t be in such deplorable condition, at least.¡± Kaichen cut off the magic as Victor reached the bed so that he could fall on it.

    ¡°Are you close with him?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you close with this bastard?¡±

    I was taken aback with the question. I understood why he thought I was close. Victor was ayman of Acrab, and I was a leader. It was unusual for the leader to know every person in the ce by name and their habits. But I had lived here a hundred years. I had nothing to do except watch these people day after day. We weren¡¯t ¡®close¡¯ in the sense Kaichen assumed. Maybe he was curious how I knew Victor¡¯s name and so much about how he lived. Argh, why did I have to mention his name?

    ¡°As a lord and a countess, it is natural to know the names of the people of Acrab. I¡¯m not close to him, but I know his name and his profession,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I have a good memory!¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond and his surly expression didn¡¯t change. Why the hell am I making excuses for this? This shouldn¡¯t be anyone¡¯s business.

    Kaichen had no intention of letting this go. He looked at me with cold eyes. ¡°You seem to know the structure of the house well.¡± His tone was so icy.

    ¡°Because the structure of all the houses in Acrab is simr!¡± Kaichen still looked displeased but he didn¡¯t protest. He looked away.

    He was mercilessly drawing blood from Victor, who was lying on the bed, unconscious. Does he have any grudge against him? Maybe he is angry at the state Victor left his house in¡­

 Chapter 83

    <strong>Chapter 83</strong>

    While Kaichen was checking Victor¡¯s blood, I checked his body. Victor was undernourished. It was expected. He had no one who could look after him in his illness. God knows when he hadst eaten! The symptoms were brutal and nourishment was needed. But it was hard to do it alone. Ls had said it was a horrifying disease that even observing it made one feel helpless and terrified. My symptoms had been the same. But Kaichen had cared for me then. The fact that I was the most addicted to the poison and the alcohol and I was recovering game me hope for these people.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There is more poison of the narcotic substance that stimtes thetent nature.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so¡­¡± What does he mean bytent nature? Is he saying the poison made this guyzy?

    ¡°How different is it from my condition?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡±

    ¡°Will the same antidote work?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a small amount, so it¡¯s possible.¡±

    I brought out a vial of diluted antidote. It was weaker than the one I took. I unplugged the vial and poured it into Victor¡¯s open mouth. He tried to spit it out but I held his mouth close urging him to swallow it. After he gulped it down, he coughed. He struggled. His iling arms almost hit me, but Kaichen blocked it with a stick.

    Where the hell did he get that from? I wonder ho much Kaichen hated Victor to even attempt to block the swing with a stick when he didn¡¯t even want to touch him. I turned away and held back myugh. I didn¡¯t want him to see I was trying hard not to smile at that. I wiped ma hands on my pants. Some medicine had spilled on my arms. The stickiness remained. I felt icky. Suddenly a white handkerchief was thrust in front of my face.

    ¡°Use it,¡± said Kaichen.

    He truly was a germophobe. He didn¡¯t even carry a bag. Where did he get these things from? How much space does his robe have? Wat else is in there? I had a lot of questions.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. Kaichen used magic to wet the handkerchief and handed it to me. The corners of my lips twitched. I was trying so hard not to smile. He wouldn¡¯t like it. This is a serious matter. We are at a patient¡¯s house! Why in hell am I enjoying this?

    My nervousness and fear at having to face the people of Acrab had disappeared a little. Maybe it was because Victor was unconscious but the terrible memories didn¡¯t bother me too much. In fact, I was able to think about the good memories I had in Acrab. It¡¯s probably because of Kaichen next to me. He could have abandoned me and ran. He could have chosen to not follow me here. But he stayed by me, patient and calm.

    Did Julius give him a special order? There was never a moment when Kaichen endured something without Julius¡¯ request. Perhaps he had ordered Kaichen to solve Acrab¡¯s problem. I wiped my hands clean and we left Victor¡¯s house.

    Even though Kaichen had purified the air by magic, I still felt relieved breathing fresh air outside. It had been a shock, alright. Even if someone lived alone, how could anyone be so messy? I was embarrassed to face Kaichen but I didn¡¯t show it.

    Victor had no chance with Rush. No one would want to live with someone so filthy who couldn¡¯t clean after himself. No one deserved that. I would be grateful if Victor¡¯s one-sided romance remained just that, one-sided.

    ¡°Teacher¡­if we continue, will you be okay?¡±

    ¡°If not, will you be able to do it alone?¡±

    ¡°No way. How can I do it without Teacher?¡±

    ¡°You just need to check the patient, draw blood and bring it to me.¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know how to draw blood properly. I think it would be better for Teacher to do it himself.¡±

    ¡°Must I?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also ask me to put the barrier too?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you realize how shameless you are?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. That¡¯s my specialty.¡± Iughed yfully. It was good to talk to him so casually. Besides, I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me go alone. Ah, it felt good.

    ¡°Teacher, I was actually afraid to meet the people here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an emotional issue. I havemitted a great sin against the people of Acrab while I was trapped in the time magic.¡± I didn¡¯t want to go into details. I wanted this to be enough for him to choose to stay by my side for now.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t tell you everything. Not yet. I am not ready.¡± I prayed that would be enough for now. I had promised myself to keep my secret to myself because it was horrifying and yet, I had almost blurted it out to this man. He made me sofortable and less lonely. He was the only one who had broken through my guarded self.

    ¡°I just¡­ need more time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Take your time,¡± he said. I could feel his eyes on me and I knew he was concerned. I was relieved and worried. What would he think of me after this? What would he assume I did? Would he wonder if I had killed someone?

    It would be better if he thought that¡­ when I reveal it to him finally, it wouldn¡¯te as a shock.

    I took a deep breath to steady myself as we reached Jamie¡¯s house. This was our second stop. Jamie had lost his wife and raised his two kids alone. He worked really hard but I sometimes ran into him at the gambling ce. Jamie was the type to gamble away half of his earnings in the heat of the moment.

 Chapter 84

    <strong>Chapter 84</strong>

    The children were very impatient and noisy and badly behaved. Also, Jamie¡¯s house wasn¡¯t the cleanest. What is wrong with everyone today? Jamie¡¯s eldest daughter was close to age with Angel. She was smart and hardworking. Poor child tried to do the house chores while taking care of her younger brother when their father was off to work.

    I didn¡¯t much like kids. Children had been rude and insufferable in her world. Her encounter with children had gone something like this in her world:

    ¡®What kind of adult are you? I really wanted to have that! You otaku bastard.¡¯

    ¡®What did you just say? Come here, you punk. You are still wet behind the ears; how can you say such a thing!¡¯

    ¡®Are you happy that you beat an elementary school student and won? Huh? Are you happy?¡¯

    ¡®Yes! F*ck! I feel damn good! You¡¯re dead, you bastard!¡¯

    If my friend hadn¡¯t dragged me out, I would have pped the child silly. But it was a long time ago. Another lifetime. We reached Jamie¡¯s door. It was Jenny who opened it after we knocked. The first thing I noticed was how swollen her hand was.

    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s the Countess!¡±

    I curtseyed and smiled at Jenny. ¡°Hello, Jenny. Is your father home?¡±

    ¡°Father is¡­ sick.¡±

    Jenny looked like she was about to break down and cry. Poor kid. She took care of everything around the house at such a young age but without the ie of her father, they would starve. My heart sank. I patted Jenny on the head. It had only been a few days since Jamie copsed. There was still hope.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to look at your father. May Ie in?¡±

    Jenny let us in gratefully. She must not have heard rumors about me yet. People usually were wary of me entering their homes because they knew I was a drunkard and a gambler.

    ¡°Countess,¡± said Jenny, taking my hands. ¡°Will my father get well soon?¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± I said and squeezed her hand to provide some assurance. I walked in slowly. Kaichen followed in silence. There were so many symptoms of alcoholism. Mood swings were the mostmon. Sometimes it causes the person to be violent. If Jamie had such a symptom, then the children would have no safe ce.

    My anger surged. The Momalhaut bastards! How dare they make my people suffer so much? All the frustration I had suppressed soared up in my heart. I looked at Jenny and calmed myself. Once I make sure my people are healthy, I am going to kill those bastards.

    Acrab was my heaven and hell. It was home. No matter the trauma I held when it came to this ce, it was my duty to protect these people. These were my people. I have to ensure their safety and their health. I am not the drunkard anymore. I am the leader of this ce.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± called kaichen softly. He must have noticed I was getting worked up.

    ¡°Teacher, Acrab will be safe, right?¡± I asked, unsure.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Everyone will be okay, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered so easily. It was easier said than done. But knowing that it was Kaichen who responded and knowing that he was never one for empty words, it calmed me down. He was powerful. Acrab would be okay. I had to believe that we would ovee.

    ¡°Father has been crying everyday through the fever,¡± said little Jenny. ¡°He asks for mother.¡± Jenny was sobbing now. It wrenched my heart. These children must be so terrified seeing their only parent delirious. They had already lost their mother. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Jenny,¡± I said, ¡®Listen to me. I will take care of it, alright? Everything will be okay.¡± Just as I found stability in Kaichen¡¯s words, I tried to push some sense of hope onto Jenny with my words. I patted her on her head and told her to stay in the room with her younger brother.

    I entered the room where Jamie had copsed. I was relieved it was cleaner than Victor¡¯s ce. But I felt sad that Jenny must have worked hard to keep it this way. She was a little child herself who had taken up too much responsibility.

    Jamie mumbled something, his face tear-stained. He was barely conscious. He didn¡¯t seem to recognize people very well.

    ¡°Countess Alshine,¡± I introduced myself.

    ¡°C-countess¡­?¡±

    I realized he wasn¡¯t as oblivious about me as Jenny. He frowned. I did meet him often at the gambling ce.

    ¡°I brought you some medicine,¡± I said. ¡°It will help with your illness. Will you be able to drink it?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ kind of medicine?¡±

    ¡°The kind that works on this illness. If you drink it, you will feel better.¡± I extended the vial towards him. Thankfully he epted it and gulped it down. Kaichen extracted his blood and analyzed it.

 Chapter 85

    <strong>Chapter 85</strong>

    ¡°It seems like he¡¯s addicted to a drug simr to yours,¡± said Kaichen. The drug that had affected me had evoked deep-rooted emotions and hallucinations. It seemed Jamie was suffering the same. He longed and cried for his dead wife. Did he gamble to forget his sadness as well? I hurried out of the house. I couldn¡¯t deal with this right now. I felt exhausted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop for today,¡± offered Kaichen.

    ¡°What? No!¡± I said, ¡°We still have three more houses to visit for today.¡±

    ¡°No. We stop here today,¡± said Kaichen, firmly. ¡®You don¡¯t look well.¡± Kaichen grabbed at my wrist and pulled me to him. It was just a casual thing to do and yet, my heart pounded.

    ¡°But, Teacher¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher can demand a lot of things from the disciple. This is one such instance,¡± said Kaichen, looking at me. He looked determined as though there was no ce for argument at all. He walked on, holding my hand and pulling me with him. What was up with him?

    My hands sped in his felt hot. I wondered if it was normal for the body temperature to be this high. I tried to shake off his hand thinking he must have sped it and forgotten about it. But he held my hand firmly. I walked as though swept by an unstoppable force. I was curious why he was like this. Had I done something wrong to make him grab my hand and hurry away?

    I looked at the hand that was holding mine and looked at him. But his face was turned forwards. I couldn¡¯t make out anything of his expression. I have to let go of his hand. People are watching me. Do I want to be gossiped about even more? I had to have some dignity as a Countess.

    But another part of my mind whispered. It¡¯s alright. Your image is already ruined. What difference would this make? Why do you even care what they think about you?

    D*mn! I looked around. The people who recognized me looked at me with surprise in their eyes. Kaichen was wearing a robe so it must be difficult for them to see who he was. Great! There will be no misunderstandings at least. Also, I had been dragged around like this (albeit more aggressively) because of my debt before. So, this was nothing new.

    But I wanted the people to see the changed me. Granted it woulde as a shock for them to see someone transformed overnight. I tried ti calm down and walked faster so that I matched Kaichen¡¯s stride. .

    ¡°Teacher, are we going home?¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Teacher, are you trying tofort me?¡±

    He still didn¡¯t respond. I figured if he wasn¡¯t saying no vehemently, his silence answered in affirmative. That¡¯s just how he was. He always had his words ready whenever he wanted to reject or refute something but when he acknowledged something, he usually kept his mouth shut. He was strange that way. I felt a lump form in my throat and my chest. I was touched by his kindness. My difort melted away. Kaichen, the savior, was still saving me from disgrace. I didn¡¯t understand why he still stuck by Julius though.

    ¡°Teacher, I want to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What is your rtionship with the Crown Prince? Is he just a dear friend?¡±

    ¡°He is someone who was taught by the same Teacher as me. And we grew up together.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, so it¡¯s true that he is one of Teacher¡¯s few friends.¡±

    Kaichen slowed down a little. It was now a little easier to walk. I was having a hard time walking so fast. I smiled and swung my hand that held his back and forth. Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The tips of his ears were red. Why is he embarrassed now? He was the one who grabbed my hands in the first ce! I wondered if he grabbed it under an impulse and was looking for the right moment to let it go.

    I smiled at the thought. That would be just like him. He was so adorable! You are out of your mind, Dalia! However, the devil in my heart jumped for joy. This was an opportunity to tease him. I looked straight ahead and hummed as I walked. I then moved my hand so that my fingers interlocked with his.

    Kaichen gasped in surprise. I pretended not to hear. I continued humming and swinging our interlocked hands as we walked. I tried to ignore his gaze. I heard a grunt. The veins on his neck were visible. He seemed restless. He stopped walking.

    His hand was hotter than it was before. Does he have a fever? I wondered if he was falling sick. Then I saw him re at me. Uh-oh, maybe I had teased him too much and now he was angry. He unsped his fingers from between mind and held my hand like before. I guess interlocking our hands made him feel ufortable. I didn¡¯t think about that. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Even if Kaichen is an adult man and a powerful archmage, friend to the crown prince, I realized that he had had no experience holding hands with women.

 Chapter 86

    <strong>Chapter 86</strong>

    His beautiful bronze skin was flustered and red. His forehead was beaded with sweat. He closed his eyes and swept his hands through his hair. Perhaps he was taking a deep breath to calm himself. His chest rose and subsided in rhythm. I watched him and forgot to breathe.

    He was like a painting. A gorgeous, breath-taking painting. I swallowed and stared at him. Kaichen noticed me looking and red at me a while longer before muttering, ¡°Damn it!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Teacher!¡± I reached out, but it was toote. He has already disappeared from the middle of the street with the teleportation magic.

    After standing there in a daze, I burst into nervousughter recalling his reactions. ¡°Why is he so cute?¡± I muttered. I am really losing my mind! Although he looked angry, I knew he was shy and he couldn¡¯t stand feeling embarrassed. He was so flustered he used magic to disappear! I couldn¡¯t hold back myughter at that. Considering the situation in Acrab right now, I shouldn¡¯t beughing but this was just too funny.

    * * *

    I made my way home after a good, heartyugh. We had only inspected two patients from two households for today and we were able to analyse the nature of the poison to some extent. The poison was undoubtedly simr to the one I was given but it certainly had more narcotics that made the people behave crazy and wild. The situation was grim but because of what happened with Kaichen, I wasn¡¯t as depressed as I expected to be.

    I headed to the bridge I used to visit frequently in the past. Whenever I approached this bridge, I felt like jumping off it. But the stream wasn¡¯t even deep enough. Even if I were to jump, I wouldn¡¯t even drown. I did jump from it before when I was trapped. Right now, I feel tranquil and at peace. This was new. I hade a long way.

    ¡°Countess Alshine,¡± called someone. I had been daydreaming as I watched the stream flowing down the bridge. I turned around at the unfamiliar voice and saw a neatly dressed man with a kind face looking my way. He ced his right palm on his chest and bowed respectfully.

    ¡°Nice to see you again.¡±

    I blinked and looked at the man closely. He was a stranger. I had never seen him before in my life. But maybe Dalia had known him before I possessed her body. He certainly seemed to know her well.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± he asked.

    I had tried to pretend to not know him but there was something about his swept dark brown hair and gentle eyes that bothered me. The man approached me, narrowing the distance between us while I tried not to flinch. I maintained myposure and looked back at the stream.

    ¡°I am d that you are safe. I was worried. You weren¡¯t here in Acrab so I searched for you for a while.¡±

    ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± I asked. He looked genuinely concerned. Maybe he was a loyal follower of the Alshine family. However, it bothered me that he looked on edge and stressed. It was certainly giving out red gs.

    Who is he? I wondered. Someone Dalia owed money to? Someone she met at the gambling house? He doesn¡¯t really look like a gambler¡­. He certainly wasn¡¯t local to Acrab because I knew everyone in Acrab. Is he a merchant? No¡­ something¡¯s wrong¡­

    ¡°Did the Archmage Kaichen heal you?¡± he asked. ¡°You look well.¡± His voice didn¡¯t give away anything. Gentle eyes and dark brown hair. But the eyes looking at me were red. Red eyes¡­. My head throbbed. I thought I saw those eyes somewhere. Suddenly I felt nauseous and dizzy. I had taken my medicine on time. But the sight of this man triggered my symptoms. I hid my hand. I didn¡¯t want him to see it. The man smiled nastily.

    ¡°Seems like you haven¡¯t healedpletely.¡± His smile was evil. I backed away from him. He leaned on the bridge as though it didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered by him again. I need to get the subject of my experiment back.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± I shouted. ¡°I am no one¡¯s subject for experiment.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the medium for forbidden magic?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I chose you. I was the one whoforted the countess during her darkest days. Have you already forgotten?¡±

    What a load of rubbish! I red at him. The man¡¯s eyes turned even redder than before. I am dead! The man smirked at me and my vision turned ck.

    I had wondered, more than once, how we could find the ck magician Antares. I hadn¡¯t known he would appear in front of me so casually. Was it his n? Had he been watching us? He appeared exactly at a time when I was no longer with Kaichen. It must have been a coincidence! I teased Kaichen and Kaichen had disappeared. I hoped that Kaichen had reached the castle safely as I fell into the darkness. This kind of darkness and despair was too familiar to me now. It didn¡¯t scare me anymore.

 Chapter 87

    <strong>Chapter 87</strong>

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t use our hands. I was too fast¡­.¡±

    ¡°Does it make sense that you could not block a barrier put by a single person?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I heard a familiar husky voice and a lot of discouraged voices. Even when I opened my eyes, my vision was dark. I realized I had been blindfolded. I tried to listen to every little detail to make sense of my surroundings.

    ¡°If we break the barrier now¡­¡±

    ¡°What a nutcase! Are you saying that you can break that barrier when you could not even prevent it from beingpleted?¡±

    ¡°If we all try together¡­.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t do it all together earlier?!¡±

    ¡°You useless bastards!¡± No one could even squeal against Antares¡¯ anger. The air was heavy with dread and silence.

    ¡°Tsk. What aboutmunication? Is it still working?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Useless scums!¡±

    Oh God! Antares had abducted me! But Kaichen had set up the barrier. Was it because I had requested earlier or he knew I was missing? Either way, I felt very grateful. He had even blockedmunication! I could feel Antares¡¯ frustration, it was so palpable. And I gloated in satisfaction. He deserved it.

    Magicians had their own strengths. Most of them could do any magic when needed but they always had a specialty where they exceeded expectations. For Antares, it was potions and drugs. For Kaichen, it was making and breaking of barrier magic. I knew that and that was the sole reason why I had asked him to put up the barrier. No one would be able to break the barrier he had created.

    Kaichen was also Julius¡¯ right-hand man. In fact, I wondered if Julius was able to be the crown prince only because he had Kaichen¡¯s protection. Kaichen was very powerful. Nobody dreamt of crossing him on the continent. It must be true. I read about something like that in the introduction in the book. I only vaguely remembered that Julius would be an emperor but hadn¡¯t given enough attention to the protagonist¡¯s friend, Kaichen.

    The barrier shone in a translucent golden light. No one could doubt whose magic it was. Just as I hadbined magic to gather the dirt andbine them in a ce in Victor¡¯s home, Kaichen had integrated all of the individual barriers and used them all at the same time forming a very strong, invincible barrier. It was very difficult. Sometimes magicians went mad when they overdid it while learning it. Maintaining one spell is difficult. Maintaining several at the same time is unthinkable.

    He made it possible for the barrier to have defensive properties, reflective functions, stamina recovery, wound recovery, and blockedmunication. I could only imagine how strong Kaichen really was. I had only read about it in the original novel. He had performed this on arge scale to engulf everything within sight in the novel.

    When it was revealed that Julius was the long-lost prince, he was attacked by assassins from everywhere. But Julius was always with Kaichen. When Julius was injured by a sudden attack, it was Kaichen¡¯s barrier magic that had saved his life. Kaichen had also put a spell on the barrier magic to help Julius recover and his sword to appear by his side automatically. The spell had, at the same time, blocked anything flying from outside, thus protecting Julius. The barrier also repelled the attack on the attacker a thousand folds more. The assassins had tried to breach the barrier and attacked to the point of self-destruction. Kaichen¡¯s barrier stood till the end.

    ¡®Julius, contact the teacher.¡¯

    ¡®It will take¡­ time for him toe.¡¯

    ¡®I can handle it until then.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll just fight.¡¯

    ¡®In your current condition? Don¡¯t be crazy. Just contact the teacher. Don¡¯t hurt yourself more out of your stupidity and waste more of my mana. Contact him now!¡¯

    Julius had obeyed and contacted Matabju throughmunication magic. They could have run away with teleportation magic but their enemies were no fool, they knew how to use teleportation magic to follow. Until forces from Matabju arrived, they were on their own. Kaichen had protected Julius for four full days with his barrier magic.

    It was why Kaichen was given the title of Archmage. He had proven himself more than worthy. Although people also called him The Mana Monster, he spent the next two days unable to get out of bed from exhaustion. It had turned from praise to curse. Magicians were jealous. No one ever spoke of that incident ever.

    There are probably three possible options. It blocks outgoings, blocks iings, and disruptsmunication.¡¯ Although the whole city was put under the barrier, there were only three possibilities. But Acrab wasn¡¯t a very big city so this could still work in my favour.

 Chapter 88

    <strong>Chapter 88</strong>

    Kaichen could probably maintain the barrier for a few weeks. He has grown even stronger than that incident years ago. Perhaps he could even maintain it longer. Thinking of Kaichen doing his best for me made me feel touched.

    I wasn¡¯t in a situation to be admiring kaichen but my stomach was fluttery. It was so reassuring having Kaichen on my side. I felt that I was safe as long as he was in Acrab. Kaichen had said so. He had said he would help me. He had said the people of Acrab would be okay too. I realized that I trusted him.

    I wondered how long it had been since I had fainted. The day seemed to have passed quickly but I couldn¡¯t be sure. My hands shook and my heart pounded. It was time for my medicine. I had it in my bag but I couldn¡¯t risk showing the antidote to Antares. He must not know otherwise he mighte up with another shitty poison to harm the people of Acrab.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have such a high opinion of me. Most likely he thought I was the same drunkard he had known before because he hadn¡¯t taken away the bag at my waist. As I thought of ways to take my medicine without him knowing, a hand pulled me roughly and pushed me onto a chair.

    ¡°Ow!¡± I bumped my knee on something and a splitting pain travelled up my spine. The men didn¡¯t care. They pulled my hand roughly behind and tied me to the chair. Wait till I have an opportunity, I will make you all pay! I seethed.

    The pain didn¡¯t faze me. I had been through countless types of pain, most of them I inflicted upon myself in those hundred years. But it still hurts. It¡¯s funny how human bodies can go through so much pain and still feel pain.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least be decent?¡± Iined. There was no response. Only sceptical nces. ¡°Didn¡¯t you take me with you because you needed me? If anything happens, I refuse to cooperate. Not like I will cooperate with you even now. You just lost your chance even further.¡±

    Something mmed at the back of my head. I spat out and scowled. I was hit again. This time I felt dizzy. I decided that it was better to keep my mouth shut than be beaten to death. I decided to just stay still. If I had, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have been hit.

    I was worried but not scared. It wasn¡¯t pleasant that my symptoms seemed to be returning without the medicine but Kaichen had said that I wouldn¡¯t have those hallucinations anymore. I should trust his judgement. My hands were shaking and my head hurt. My eyes itched. But all in all, it was bearable. As long as there were no hallucinations, I could handle this. Why does he want to kidnap me though? I wondered. What is he up to?

    ¡°Seems like you are not afraid.¡±

    I licked my lips, pretending to be surprised at the familiar husky voice. ¡°Oh, I am petrified. Can¡¯t you see I am shaking? Are you going to kill me? You don¡¯t have a grudge against me, do you?¡±

    ¡°Not against you but certainly against the man who is connected to you.¡±

    ¡°Who do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What is your rtionship with Archmage Kaichen?¡± Antares asked. ¡°I saw you walk hand in hand so don¡¯t even try to deny it.¡±

    So, he was watching us. Perhaps his men had been around, disguised and cursing us. But why does he care anyway?

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any kind of rtionship. At least not that I know of.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°Well, to bepletely honest, I have been trying to woo him because he looks kind of handsome.¡±

    Antares looked at me doubtfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± I insisted. ¡°He is my type, you know.¡± I had no idea what might be going on in the head of Antares but if I told him Kaichen had epted me as his disciple. He would know I could use magic. That wouldn¡¯t be good. I would lose any chance of freedom at all.

    ¡°So, I forced him to hold my hand. He is mad about magic, obsessed, if you ask me. He wanted to study me for the little stunt you pulled casting the forbidden magic in Acrab. So, I told him I would cooperate with his studies if he would hold my hand. He has mysophobia. Still, he obliged. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± I smiled. ¡°You saw the rest, if you were watching. He couldn¡¯t stand it any longer so he disappeared. What did the rtionship look like to you?¡±

    I hope my lie works. I was grateful I could be so brazen. My imagination and shamelessly ced words might just help me escape. Who knew I could lie so convincingly?

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about that man for you to be chasing him?¡±

    ¡°I told you, he is handsome. Just my type. He¡¯s got a great body too. I peeked when he wasn¡¯t looking.¡±

    Surprisingly, Antaresughed. Did he think I was crazy? My head throbbed and I was just bbering. It seemed I talked a lot when I was upset. But a lie with a little bit of truth can be very strong. It sounded sincere enough to me.

    ¡°How are you not crazy? All those who be mediums end up mad and useless.¡±

    ¡°Do I seem normal to you?¡±

    Antares was quiet. I was waiting for him to respond. If I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, I couldn¡¯t concoct more lies. ¡°Tell me,¡± I urged. ¡°Do I seem normal to you?¡±

    ¡°You certainly sound half-crazy to me.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Iughed. ¡°Well, I can neither deny nor confirm. Anyway, he gave me medicine and when I came to my senses, I was like this.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying he has developed a drug to treat the mind of the medium?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How would I know? It¡¯s not like he likes me enough to tell me anything. I am just research subject to him. Maybe I am just special?¡± I smiled again. The blindfold slipped down and I could see a little of my surroundings. I also saw Antares studying me with amusement. His red eyes were even more red than before but his appearance was different. He seemed to have used transformation magic before. It was¡­ unappealing to my senses.

    ¡°Special¡­,¡± he muttered. He didn¡¯t seem to have believed me. Perhaps it was strange to him that I, who had been fed the poison that he made, had survived against all odds.

    He studied me as though he was thinking of different experiments to inflict upon by personage. I shuddered to think what he had in mind. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know how to draw blood and study theponents like Kaichen. That would be a blessing.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m sure the addiction wasn¡¯t pleasant, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a sane mind like this.¡±

    ¡°Exactly what part of me looks normal to you?¡± I was trying to stall for time. My hands were shaking so badly behind the chair that it even shook the chair where I was tied to. My headache was killing me. The pain in my eyes was worse. I had forgotten how it felt because I had been taking my medicine for so long that it had worked wonders. It was harder now to bear it.

    ¡°Do you have nightmares?¡± asked Antares.

    ¡°Everyday.¡±

    ¡°What about sleep?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t even remember when was thest time I slept well.¡±

    ¡°How about your hand?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see for yourself?¡±

    ¡°Do you have hallucinations or hear things?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a ¡®hallucination¡¯ is.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel the intense desire to do something?¡±

    ¡°I often binge eat.¡± Of course, it was all lies. Kaichen had always told me that whenever I opened my mouth, only lies appeared. I wonder if that was true. I didn¡¯t know what the truth was anymore.

    Antares probably wanted to check the symptoms to gauge the progress of his poison on my mind. I knew for a fact that he was behind the epidemic in Acrab. Bastard! But why would he kidnap me?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s highly likely that the poison has mutated under the influence of the forbidden magic. But it¡¯s amazing. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to survive in the forbidden magic. What did you see and experience in it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Seems like a lie.¡±

    Suddenly everyone is a judge! You believed the lies that I told you till now! I frowned and groaned. ¡°I really don¡¯t remember. I was curious to find out myself but no matter what I do, my memory is fuzzy.¡±

    ¡°As with other prohibited magic, the medium of time magic is bound to be ruined. You don¡¯t have an idea how valuable an experimental subject you are, do you? To the extent that even Kaichen did things he doesn¡¯t like to seek your cooperation for his research. It would have been a great help if you could remember what exactly happened in the time magic. You really don¡¯t remember anything?¡±

    Whether I¡¯m a valuable experiment subject or not, I have no intention of cooperating with anyone like Antares. I became the subject of Kaichen¡¯s research because he saved me from the terrible time magic. If I wasn¡¯t grateful, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to bing a test subject at all. Cooperating with Antares? I would rather just drop dead.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I can¡¯t really remember anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. But don¡¯t worry, I have some drugs that can dig up your memories,¡± he said. ¡°I will make you remember everything.¡±

    ¡°No, I am fine as I am.¡±

    Antares approached me with a medicine from his shabby desk. This bastard was a ck magician! Obviously, he would have thought of something like this! The bright-red liquid in the vial he brought with him didn¡¯t look too good. The drug that shattered the mind to unearth forgotten memories didn¡¯t sound very safe.

    I made a mistake and I will die for it. It was toote now. I struggled but Antares was strong. He opened the vial and grabbed my mouth and poured it down my throat. I could feel his fingers prying my lips open. I felt disgusted. How dare he put his dirty finger on my mouth?

    It looked like liquid but it didn¡¯t go down my throat smoothly. It felt slimy and jelly-like. I tried to spit it out but Antares forced my mouth shut and I swallowed. Tears sprang in my eyes. It tasted terrible! I was disgusted. I retched.

    ¡°Ugh! Uck!¡± I wanted to throw up but the stuff was already gone. My heart, which had pounded so hard, began to race overtime as though it was going to explode. I felt like I was going to have a seizure or a heart attack.

    I gasped for breath. My body heated up. My heart palpitations became worse. The headache was so bad that it felt like my head would explode. My eyes throbbed. I groaned in pain as my body twisted. The ropes cut into my skin as I struggled. I was still tied to the chair. I grabbed the armrest of the chair to calm myself but this was too overwhelming. It hurt so much. It felt like my vital organs had twisted themselves and turned upside down inside my body. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. It was ridiculous that the pain would be so bad.

 Chapter 90

    I choked and struggled.

    Antares smiled an evil smile. My vision was hazy. I could barely see anything. Beyond the haziness, I saw Kaichen. It was a hallucination when he rescued me in the past. He had said I wouldn¡¯t have any more hallucinations. The illusion made me desperately miss him. I had not felt terrified at all till now, but now the thought of losing him caused me pain. I bit my lips and endured. It was useless.

    ¡°You have an extraordinary memory. Now I want to dig further to find out what happened.¡±

    That was thest thing I had dreamt. D*mn Antares! You rotten bastard! I spit out curses multiple times. But my eyes rolled and drool dripped down my chin. I couldn¡¯t see anything clearly anymore.

    I could feel the heat. It was so hot. My body was burning up. Then it was freezing cold. What¡¯s happening? It was hot and it was cold to the extent that it might even freeze my bones. Was the human body able to feel both hot and cold at the same time? Fire and ice? Am I being burned at the stake or frozen in ice? I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hot. It¡¯s cold¡­

    My thoughts and sensations were all mixed. I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. Something was causing me pain. Something ck and wet and slimy was swimming in my mind. I heard a conversation from not so far away.

    ¡°Can you stand at least this much?¡±

    ¡°P-please¡­ please no more¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t? Um, can you move your arms?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ just k-kill me¡­¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t working! Should I just use this medicine then?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a conversation. It was me. I was conducting an experiment on someone while muttering to myself while they begged for reprieve. My face looked serious. The man was sobbing and begging me to kill him. I didn¡¯t listen.

    I closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t do this. No¡­ no¡­ no. But the visions didn¡¯t go away. I could see everything even with my eyes closed. It was in my mind. I could hear and see even with my eyes closed and my ears covered.

    ¡°Crazy bitch! Murderer! Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to wrong you?¡±

    Someone¡¯s scream rang in the air. I had just ignored them. They were in my memory. I wonder what they thought of me. I have died a hundred times for my terrible deeds. I have died at the hands of people of Acrab as well. I was stabbed a dozen times. I was thrown into a raging fire. I was buried alive. I was stoned to death. I was drowned. Human anger was incredible. It makes people do the cruelest things.

    Anger is the driving force in everything. Power, magic, love¡­. I thought it was understandable to be captured and killed for what I had done to them. I did experiments on them, in return I epted death on myself as another experiment on myself. It didn¡¯t matter. I had wanted to die. But the next day I would open my eyes and nobody would remember anything¡­ except me. No matter how many times I had experimented on them and they had ripped me apart, they would smile kindly the next day. They would have forgotten everything. It was the same day for them. But for me, I remembered everything.

    That was how I used the days to gain more knowledge because there was nothing else to do in that godforsaken ce. Ibined drugs into medicine, poison and magic. I did not hesitate to die, kill or ughter. I tested the medicine on children, adults, and the elderly I knew I had done things that I would be never forgiven for. I had killed and made people suffer.

    I knelt down. Please¡­ please¡­. Stop it! I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t! I knelt and begged. I didn¡¯t know who was in the room anymore. I just begged and begged for someone to take me out of this hell. My tears were dripping. I was drooling. I must have been hideous to look at. But I didn¡¯t care. I wanted this to end. My memories were more hideous than anything else in this world. I looked at the mes burning Acrab. I had done that too. I had burned the whole town to see how long it took for the mighty ce to burn to nothing.

    I¡¯m¡­ not even a human. That was the first word I uttered when I came to my senses. I couldn¡¯t indulge in the luxury of thinking that this was all an illusion. It was real. They were my memories. I had done all those things. Maybe others could believe that everything had been an illusion. But not me. I was the medium and my memories would haunt me forever.

    I had brazenly dered that I was a genius and that the magic I had was innate. It wasn¡¯t. I was a scum, a pretender. I had mastered my magic over a hundred years, most times at the expense of people¡¯s lives in Acrab. It had been a century of madness. I was the madwoman.

    Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Somebody¡­ Please¡­ Help me¡­¡­.

    My mind erupted in a brilliant gold light. A golden light that cut through everything. I remembered that light and held onto it. I waited for him. He had promised he would grab hold of even the most rotten rope if it meant he could save me. Kaichen Tenebre. Archmage. The greatest disciple of Matabju. Friend to the Crown Prince. Mana Monster. The Golden Magician.

 Chapter 91

    He was the only one who could save me. He had saved me before. He would save me now. Tears flowed from my eyes. I had never cried after escaping from the time magic. Now, I wept thinking of him. I knew he would save me somehow. Thinking of him made me realize that what I saw and heard weren¡¯t real.

    These were things that had happened in the past. People changed. The guilt remained. It would remain with me, too. I might not be able to escape from the fear and the guilt. I pretended to be strong but I was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from having a mental breakdown. Weak Dalia. When are you going to grow up?

    I thought that this was how I died. It was inevitable. And it mighte to pass soon. I recalled Kaichen walking by me and held onto that memory.

    Save me.

    He raised his eyebrows to express his dissatisfaction. His annoyed expression always stered permanently on his face. I smiled. I liked his low-pitched voice, his irritated gaze and his flustered self. Help me.

    I met his warm gaze in my memory. It warmed my heart. It felt like aforting hug. I was saved every time by that one gaze. That kindly gaze which said he understood and that it was okay.

    Save me¡­ Teacher.

    I believed in him. I trusted him. He was precious to me and irreceable. I longed for him. I realized I had feelings for him and didn¡¯t mind it even if it was just one-sided.

    He was a ray of light that I had barely grasped as I struggled inside the terrible memory. The suffering, the pain, the terrible voice and everything I saw remained unchanged, but I felt alive and hopeful. My tears were a testament to the fact that I was still human. I just had to hang on till he came to save me. Just thinking about him felt reassuring. I could withstand this. I will ovee it.

    He had made a home deep in my heart. It wasn¡¯t because offort that the thought of spending the rest of my life in Willow House appealed to me. It was because I had feelings for Kaichen. I loved him. I wanted to be by his side. I wanted him to be by my side if he was okay with it.

    I realized I had made numerous excuses just to be by his side. I had convinced myself that he was just a path for me through which I could build a quiet life here. I had sought to be his disciple because I wanted to be by his side to give fruition to my ns. But Kaichen was my beginning and my end. It was a pity I had never been able to tell him about my feelings for him because I had never acknowledged it. I had been lying to myself all this time. If only I could see you onest time, Teacher, I would hold your hand this time. For real. Not as a joke.

    *

    Kaichen himself thought that he was crazy. Just as the time of rutes to beasts, he wondered if such a time may havee for him as well. He washed his face with cold water, seriously contemting the changes in his body that had no other exnations. He had already surpassed the appropriate range of patience with holding hands, but the feel of her skin had given him goosebumps all over.

    ¡°D*mn it!¡± He had been frequently spitting out curse words at the mirror these days. He was irritated by the desires he felt for her. He felt frustrated at his bloodshot eyes. He wasn¡¯t able to sleep.

    One bes an adult in the Kalhai Empire at seventeen. The average people of the Empire get married and have children in their early twenties. So, Kaichen, by that measure, was old.

    In his twenty-eight years of life, Kaichen had never been interested in any woman. After suffering betrayal from Dalia when he was young, he had lost interest in forming any kind of bond with anybody else. But that didn¡¯t mean he was clueless about s*xual awakenings. Kaichen had wandered around the Empire with Julius. Julius wasn¡¯t one to ignore his needs.

    ¡°Kaichen. Let me tell you this. There are three most basic needs for a human being: Food, sleep and s*x.¡±

    ¡°S*x is not a need. It¡¯s just like¡­ excretion.¡±

    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Julius hadughed. ¡°S*xual desire is a human urge and a need. People can¡¯t live without it.¡±

    ¡°In the first ce, don¡¯t go making generalizations about human needs. It might be your choice to live life in that manner and other people might have different choices.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! The core, basic needs of humans are those three.¡±

    ¡°S*x is nothing more than an act of reproduction to propagate the human race. It doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t live without it.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on, Kaichen! How do you know if you haven¡¯t tried it? Do you want to go with me today?¡±

    ¡°Just get lost and leave me alone.¡±

    Julius had never been one to shy away from things that gave him pleasure. He knew his needs and he sought them. There were things Kaichen knew about those needs when your friend has been around the block more than necessary.

 Chapter 92

    He had never followed him, but there were times when he went looking for him because he never came back on time. He had walked in on him doing the deed multiple times. Julius honestly knew no shame! The act of touching another person¡¯s skin felt disgusting to Kaichen.

    But why? Why is it that when he saw Dalia, his ¡®thing¡¯ reacted? He had never felt his desires getting so extreme. But now, every day was difficult. He had always been in control. He knew that his feelings for her were something he needed to acknowledge and he would. It wasn¡¯t like he was in denial but his body always betrayed him.

    It wouldn¡¯t do to tell her about his feelings and hope she felt the same. Rtionships should be built on mutual trust and affection. He wanted to be sure how she felt about him before he confessed anything.

    And here I am acting like a dog in heat! I am not even young enough to be swayed by desires, so why? I have to be patient. I have to work on myself. It was a shameful thing for him to admit that just holding hands with her caused him to be like this. She had been humming and waving. She looked so adorable. He had wanted to just grab her and kiss her.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that love turns one into a fool. Kaichen, isn¡¯t that anger of yours love?¡± Julius had once asked when Kaichen had confessed his hatred towards Dalia in the past.

    He had ignored and dismissed Julius because he had loathed and hated Dalia so much at that time. But he realized now that Julius¡¯ words had been true.

    He was a fool. He was surely acting like one. The greatest fool in the world. His body and mind had been taken over by her thoughts. His rationality struggled to seize control. He was trying not to fall for her. That was the only shred of pride he had left.

    He let out a sigh and washed his face with cold water. He ran his fingers through his wet hair. He walked out of the washroom and opened the windows in the room to let in some air. The weather in Acrab was always sunny. It had been like this since the day he arrived here. The image of Dalia smiling and waving to him came to his mind.

    ¡°I am hopeless,¡± he muttered. The sunny, nice weather reminded him of her face. Was there nothing he could do without recalling her smile? He frowned and stretched his hand out. The golden mana melted from his hand. This only happened when the magic he had ced permanently on something was interrupted.

    He remembered the magic he had ced on Sharatan¡¯s house. But if something had happened there, the reaction would have been different. There was only one answer.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± He clicked his tongue and moved to the garden in a heartbeat. He stretched out his hands toward the perfect sky and watched his magic.

    A translucent golden barrier surrounded the entirety of Acrab. There were numerous interruptions, but that was normal. There were several things he had casted permanent spell on but they were all limited to a fixed ce¡­ except Dalia¡¯s bracelets.

    She wouldn¡¯t have disappeared without a word. She should have been back by now. He felt restless and worried. He had made it on impulse so that her suffering could be lessened.

    It had been a gift. A magical symbol connecting a teacher and a disciple. He had hoped to establish some form of connection with her. It had been a harmless act fueled by hisplex feelings for her. He had felt pathetic and shameful for being impulsive but right now it felt like he had done the right thing. He could find her by the bracelets if anything was wrong.

    Where is she? What happened? He gritted his teeth. There was amotion outside the mansion. Kaichen did not have the time to inform or exin to anybody. He analyzed the magic he had gathered from the bracelet. Barrier magic was used along with teleportation magic.

    Since there was no contact between the two, she must have been¡­ locked up somewhere. He didn¡¯t want to think of the alternative. He was worried about her safety. She was in a ce where his magic couldn¡¯t reach easily.

    I should have made it so that I could be connected with the bracelet no matter where she went. I should have thought about it. He felt regret and frustration clouding his mind. He kept thinking he should have added some protection when making the mana crystals so she could have had some help to escape. I am sorry Dalia¡­ please¡­ please let her be safe.

 Chapter 93

    ¡®Ugh¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ Sorry, sorry¡­ ¡­ Ah, uh, no, I¡­¡­ It¡¯s not me.¡¯

    She had mumbled in a cold sweat when she was suffering from the side effects of the poison. Kaichen had wanted to know what was causing her so much pain. He could guess to some extent from her reaction but he pretended to not know anything about it. He had asked her the same question multiple times but she hadn¡¯t beenfortable sharing the answer. She had asked for time. He had wanted to press her for an answer but the way she had looked at him while asking him for some time had been heart-breaking. She looked like she would break down if he even pushed a little. So he had let it go.

    ¡°D*mn it!¡±

    He analyzed the direction of his mana which possibly could lead him to Dalia but there were too many interruptions. There was no consistency. Had Dalia known about this? Was that why she asked me to set up the barrier? Maybe she was trying to find the Momalhaut forces hiding in Arab¡­

    His hunch about cutting offmunication had been right. They will first start looking into why Dalia, who was a medium, was alive. They might try to uncover the secrets of time magic¡­

    If that happens¡­. His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his hands into a fist. This was troublesome. Dalia had taken with her thest shred of his reason. He could think of nothing but her. He was anxious and worried that she might be in danger. He couldn¡¯t bear it if anything happened to her.

    He was anxious that they might try to torture her to get her secrets. He couldn¡¯t bear to think about it. He couldn¡¯t think of her in pain.

    He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He was furious at the fact that he had left her there on the street. Alone. He was angry that the scums had taken her by deceit.

    I will find her! Regret and anger aren¡¯t going to help me. I shouldn¡¯t be swayed by emotions at this moment. Kaichen bit his lip and grabbed at something invisible in the air. He then pulled a wand from the air. His eyes lit up. His ferocious golden eyes sparkled like that of a madman.

    It was his wand but it looked like a sword. It was made of steel. Gold vines and a wooden trunk wrapped around the rod. The tip of the wand had a bud which glowed a brilliant gold.

    Since the wand was used only as a weapon, Kaichen didn¡¯t use it often. It was a weapon used for offense. He had always felt that it was too shy. Besides, he had never needed it. He was able to control his mana and use it as he pleased without resorting to a wand. Julius had alwaysughed at his shy wand.

    It¡¯s said that love makes a fool of you. Kaichen remembered his words. There was no denying it now. If he was a fool, then so be it.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to spread and maintain the barrier, but it did require detailed control to unleash more magic while spreading it. The wand helped the magician control his magic and allowed him to use higher and more efficient magic. So, magicians who received certification from the tower usually carried a wand that they used especially during emergencies.

    Kaichen took a deep breath and then mmed his wand to the ground roughly. The wand went through the floor as though the floor was butter. Brilliant gold magic flowed from the wand. He pulled the wand away again and started drawing a magic circle in the middle of the garden. The garden wasrge enough to contain it. Epleted aplex and borate magic circle and stood at the center of it. He felt a bit calmer now. He took a deep breath and gathered the magic around him. The bud at the tip of his wand got brighter, pouring out gold light and scattering into the circle on the ground.

    Kaichen, who linked the barrier magic with the circle, found what he was looking for. It didn¡¯t matter where she was trapped. She had bracelets made out of his mana. Thank God, he had been impulsive and created it! He could now find the magic that connected the bracelet and follow it.

    He could see the twinkling rays of light that were brighter than others and extending towards a certain direction. It led him to an abandoned vige on the outskirts of the town of Acrab. They had set up their own barrier. He destroyed it. He had assumed he was calm but his anger was only bubbling within. Kaichen¡¯s eyes were cold when he broke their barriers with a flick of his wrist.

    That was what was preventing him from sensing her presence. He felt a familiar ck magic fluctuating uneasily. It was the same magic he had detected in her blood and when she had her seizures. It was different from the magic she used. Kaichen moved quickly.

    I hope I am notte. I hope she is safe. Please, Dalia¡­ Kaichen prayed a thousand times. Please be safe. I am here.

    * * *

    The very first thing that caught his eyes as he arrived there was the group of people who pointed their swords at him at the sudden copse of their barrier. They looked tense and disorderly. They didn¡¯t seem like knights seasoned for battle, but looked like a bunch of scoundrels.

 Chapter 94

    They might be hired mercenaries or trained Momalhaut forces. Either way it didn¡¯t matter to Kaichen.

    ¡°If you value your life, bring her out.¡± His voice sounded so cold and dangerous that it could have frozen everything around him. Kaichen¡¯s words echoed through the small vige. No one moved.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to? I see,¡± said Kaichen. He had never hated the Momalhuat more than right at that moment. He had long wanted to deal with their leader. They imed to fight for independence but they always fought dirty. They exploited poor and desperate people and acted rashly outside of thew. Their actions didn¡¯t really indicate that their intentions were righteous. That was why Kaichen hated them so much. He wondered how many of them were actually fighting for independence and how many just wanted to cause trouble. Most wanted thetter, it would seem.

    ¡°You also want to die by being the most annoying, don¡¯t you?¡± Their swords were held out towards Kaichen. They clustered in front of the tall building behind them. Kaichen would feel Dalia¡¯s magic pulsating from there. He also felt therge-scale magic that was put in ce to prevent him from entering. It was done well, albeit clumsily. He wanted to get rid of everyone in one fell swoop but Dalia would be inside that building.

    Kaichen was annoyed and displeased. The thing that annoyed him the most was that he was unable to check Dalia¡¯s condition right at that moment. Kaichen struck the ground once with his wand.

    A thunderous sound apanied the lighting. It swooped down from the sky and struck his wand and scattered around. The screams didn¡¯tst long. Kaichen took a step forward. He didn¡¯t even nce at the bodies that had been burnt to crisp by the lightning. He had given them a choice.

    The closer he got to the building, the more he could feel Dalia¡¯s unstable magic. He also saw an eerie red aura directed towards him. It was the same sinister magic he had felt a long time ago.

    Kaichen recalled Antares, when they had been in the same magic tower. Antares hadn¡¯t been into ck magic in his young years. He had dark brown hair and gentle eyes. Although, his shaggy bangs had always given him a gloomy look. He had shown promising talent in potion-making. He had been a very determined magician and improved his craft and ascended to the upper floors of the tower.

    But his talent was only that. Potion-making was a very difficult field and not much sought after. One had to first learn herbology and medicine to even begin making potions. One also had to learn immense control regarding the magic one used. Antares had mastered those. Once he reached a limit, he had no more steps to take. He had started feeling insecure with other magicians, especially Kaichen. Kaichen had studied every kind of magic. He had been very smart and could absorb new knowledge very fast. He had also dabbled in ck magic solely to learn about the craft.

    But Antares began studying the dark side of potion-making. Potions that could harm people and never came back from that. It had been a foolish thing to do. He had be corrupted. Kaichen instead had learnt what he wanted to and then left it at that. Kaichen hated the dark and ugly side of the mana that was revealed while learning ck magic. He hated the smell of gutter which apanied anyone indulging in ck magic.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see it as individuality? I can¡¯t believe the mana smells¡­ it¡¯s something I¡¯ve never heard of.¡±

    ¡°But it does.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher, do you think I am lying?¡±

    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t lie. However, there is simply no way to prove whether a mana smells. I mean, would you believe something just because someone said it when there was no other way to prove it?¡±

    Kaichen was convinced by his teacher¡¯s words. He couldn¡¯t really prove it anyway so it was logical for others to not believe him. He had tried to ignore the smell but it lingered. His nose stung with the small whenever Antares was nearby. That was what he could smell at that moment as he approached the building. A very strong smell of the gutter.

    ¡°Kaichen, we meet again,¡± said Antares, appearing at the entrance. ¡°And as always, you are here to stand in my path.¡±

    ¡°Standing in your path?¡± Kaichen scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t even deserve to stand behind me.¡±

    ¡°You arrogant bastard! Do you really think you are a god just because the world supports you?! Just because you have a little bit of shiny talent¡­¡±

    ¡°A little?¡± Kaichen continued closing the distance between himself and Antares. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would call my talent ¡®little¡¯ if I were you.¡± Kaichen smirked.

    Antares scowled. His face crumbled in disgust. His red eyes shed and his eerie, reddish mana became stronger. It was a magic that cursed anyone who came into contact but as Kaichen walked towards him, the red mana touching gold became powdered dust and flew away. Each magic was simr. The cursed one that Antares used and the golden one Kaichen used to protect himself from the curse. The only difference was the purpose for which the magics were used. Both required to be fed by enormous amount of mana to stay active.

 Chapter 95

    Antares¡¯ face turned pale. ¡°This is not fair,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! How can you have such magic? You, a bastard, a monster! You are nothing but vermin!¡±

    Kaichen stood in front of Antares. ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked in a low and dangerous voice.

    Antares trembled in rage. ¡°You are all crazy!¡± he shouted. ¡°How else could someone do that? You are all crazy, including her! I am normal¡­¡±

    Kaichen red at Antares. As soon as he asked about Dalia, his whole demeanor had changed. Kaichen grabbed Antares by his cor.

    ¡°Where is she? What did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I was just trying to reveal a secret.¡± He trembled. This time in fear. Kaichen threw Antares to the floor. He was useless. He only knew how to herm people. Kaichen recalled how Dalia had struggled because of it. His rage boiled. Kaichen bound Antares on the floor with his magic and rushed inside.

    A full day had passed since he had ced the barrier on Acrab. He had taken so much time to draw a circle and track Dalia. He hoped he hadn¡¯t beente. He sensed the power that was used to conceal this ce. He would have been curious under normal circumstances how Antares had achieved it. But right now, he was blind. He couldn¡¯t see or hear anything except his worry for Dalia.

    He flung open the door. He felt the unstable magic through stinging his skin. He had told her not to show her magic to others just yet. He didn¡¯t want anyone to see her beautiful ck mana. But he had also been worried that a ck mana might not be perceived positively by others.

    He had seen her mana when she had had her seizures. It had pulsated around her. It filled the room now. The ck mana blurred the boundary between good and evil. It was heavy and freezing cold. The rippling mana looked like fog in some ces, but shimmered like ck water in others. He took a step forward and the heaviness made him choke.

    He realized why Antares had turned into a madman spouting gibberish.

    ¡°Die! A monster like you¡­. It¡¯s better not to be in this world!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill the witch! Burn her!¡±

    ¡°When I think of the people who have died, even tearing off your limbs and torturing you is not enough. Think of those who were buried alive and died at your hands! What did they ever do to you to deserve that?¡±

    He saw visions. Someone decapitated. Limbs ripped from their bodies. Buried and burned alive. The crying and swearing of countless people filled his head and overwhelmed him. He saw everything. The pain of being burnt alive. The smell of decay. The touch of his skin on hers.

    Kaichen wondered if he had finally been cursed. Was my protection not strong enough? These weren¡¯t hallucinations. They were too familiar as though he had experienced them himself. He realized they were her memories which flowed into him through the ck Mist. This was what she had been trying to hide from him.

    He saw the chair where she was bound. A few more steps. ¡°Dalia,¡± he called. His vision was blurry. Her head dropped to the side. She looked as though she was dead. He felt terrified that she might really be. A voice screamed constantly in his mind. He didn¡¯t know who it was. He didn¡¯t even know what it was. A baby crying? Desperate pleas of children? A mother wailing? All the sounds almost drove him mad.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± He lost his strength and fell to his knees. His wand ttered to the floor. He wanted it to stop.

    Just one step, and it¡¯s like this! Dalia¡¯s painful memories flowed into his mind. He felt and saw everything. It was too painful. He wondered how painful it was going to get if he walked to her. If he could even walk to where she was bound by the chair.

    Kaichen realized that Antares was right. This monumental pain wasn¡¯t something normal humans could handle. No wonder he had gone crazy. Kaichen clenched his jaw and tried to clear his vision. He groaned. He bit his lips so hard that they were bloody. He was trembling all over. He gathered all his strength and staggered up to his feet. Just a few more steps.

    The magnitude of pain and the memories got worse as he tried to walk to the chair. He took one step. Then another. And grabbed the sides of the chair where she was bound to not fall face first on the floor. He touched her hand which was tied to the arm rest.

    It was cold, like a corpse¡¯s. He was frightened. His heart fell. He struggled to see her. His vision was blurry and he was about to faint. He tried to keep her in sight. Please. Kaichen was so crushed by her memories that he couldn¡¯t stay on his feet any longer. He knelt down by the chair and held her hand. E didn¡¯t want to let go. Not this time. He wanted to transfer his own warmth to her.

    ¡°Dalia¡­,¡± he called again. He wanted to say many things to her: I am sorry I camete. I am sorry I left you alone on that street. I am sorry. But he could only barely spit out her name.

    Dalia opened her eyes but those eyes have the shine they used to have. She didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t look at him. Kaichen ced his head on her knees. He wanted to touch her and give her all his warmth. Her skin was frighteningly cold. He trembled. He didn¡¯t know if it was the pain her memories caused, or if it was his regret for not telling her about his feelings for her sooner. Perhaps it was both. But she had suffered so much. His body trembled and his heart felt heavy. He couldn¡¯t help but cry.

 Chapter 96

    ¡°Dalia¡­,¡± He called over and over again. He would give anything for her to say, ¡°Yes, Teacher!¡± like she always did. He recalled her smile and how lively she always was. Kaichen regretted everything. He should have epted her as his disciple sooner. He should have ced some protective magic on her bracelets even if he had just created them out of impulse. He could have done something¡­ anything¡­ to prevent this. He should have done something.

    I knew of my feelings for her. I should have told her. I should have tried harder. If I had known she felt such pain, I could have helped her. I should have tried harder. He regretted not paying attention to her. He had clung to his shallow anger and childhood mistakes. That had been so petty. Kaichen cursed himself for being an idiot.

    If I had only tried to find her after her parents died, I could have consoled her. She wouldn¡¯t have been so lonely and broken. Momalhaut couldn¡¯t have taken advantage of her then. Dalia wouldn¡¯t have been a medium and wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer like this. If only¡­. Kaichen sobbed.

    I want to help her. She went through all this alone. He wasn¡¯t able to tell me her secret and she was suffering all alone. How can I help her? The tears streaming down Kaichen¡¯s cheek wet Dalia¡¯s dress on the knees. He tried to bite his lips to withhold the sobs escaping from his mouth but he couldn¡¯t.

    Please¡­, he prayed. Please. If I had known anything at all, I would have tried everything to get you out of this pain. Kaichen couldn¡¯t stop crying. He recalled her apologizing for the seizures she had. She had apologized to him for having to take care of her. He couldn¡¯t forgive himself. He had been so wrapped around his own anger and hatred and then the desire he had for her that he had never questioned what she must have been struggling with.

    You stupid, stupid woman. Why couldn¡¯t you ask for help? How did you struggle this much pain alone? She had told him that she had sinned. That she had done terrible things when she had been stuck in time magic. Why did you think you did this by your own will? Why do you me yourself for everything?

    ¡°Dalia¡­ Dalia¡­ please.¡± Dalia didn¡¯t move. Kaichen had dissolved the robe binding her. And yet, she didn¡¯t move. Kaichen cried. He wished his hot tears would melt her coldness. He wished he could end all this pain with a swish of his wand. She had always said that she found his mana so dazzling and beautiful. He filled the room with his golden mana. It burst forth from him, pulsating and brightening everything. He wished it would be enough to melt her darkness.

    ¡°Please ept me as a disciple.¡±

    I should have found her sooner. I should have helped her.

    ¡°Teacher, are you trying tofort me?¡±

    He recalled her voice and her words haunted him. I really should haveforted you. I should have known how vast your loneliness was.

    ¡°I remember that you called me Dalia. You called me that yesterday, too. I hope you¡¯ll continue to call me that.¡±

    How lonely it must have been for you! How terrible it must have been! Dalia¡­ I hope I can get you out of that terrible ce if you will allow me. Let me help you.

    Dalia¡¯s ck mana seemed to have been thinned slightly by kaichen¡¯s golden mana. He poured out more. He didn¡¯t care how much he had to pour out if it meant she would be okay. He had already used a lot of mana on the barrier and other countless permanent magic he had cast around Acrab. His wand couldn¡¯t handle the rush of power and it shattered. Dalia drooped forward on the chair like a broken doll. He hugged her.

    He was happy when she had started gaining a little weight and appearing a bit healthier than before. But he had still felt that was nowhere near enough. She still looked thin and sickly. He remembered how she had cooked for him, taking care to cook dishes that he liked. While she wasn¡¯t able to keep food down and vomited every time she ate. She was the one who needed care and yet, she had cooked for him. What in the world can I do to bring back your smile? Oh, why did you have to return to Acrab if it caused you so much pain? Kaichen wiped his tears.

    He held her and stroked her cold cheek. He held her hands and blew onto it try to warm it. She was a bit calm now. Her ck mana wasn¡¯t making Kaichen lose his mind although it was still very painful. He realized that he could get back on his feet now. He lifted her up from the chair and carried her out of the building. She shivered. He took off his outer robe and wrapped her in it. It made his heart ache to see her unconscious and frail. He wanted to teleport to her castle at once but he had used an awful lot of mana and there was still the barrier that he had to maintain. He had to save every bit of mana he had.

    When he walked out of the building with Dalia in his arms, he saw Antares struggling on the floor where he had left him. As Dalia¡¯s mana calmed down, he seemed to recover his senses a little.

 Chapter 97

    ¡°You bastard!¡± cried Antares.

    ¡°How far did you see?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°She is a monster. Why are you trying to protect her? She is ruined already. I made her like that. I thought she was normal but she wasn¡¯t!¡± Antaresughed like he had lost his mind. ¡°Do you still think she is human? Countess is so rotten from the inside that her own mana has turned ck!¡±

    Kaichen listened to him. He didn¡¯t even feel any anger towards this wretch anymore. He wanted to glean any information he could from Antares¡¯ words instead. That scum had made the poison that had harmed Dalia. Kaichen thought that maybe the scum would blurt out anything of importance that could save her.

    ¡°Your poison is curable. Dalia was just poisoned.¡±

    Antaresughed again. ¡°You are crazy too! You do know that I am a master of potion-making. Do you think addiction is the only thing that poison elerates? You have been able to keep her alive till now so you know a little about poisons. Most people of Acrab have already died. They were only partially poisoned.¡± Antares shook with mirth. ¡°Do you know why she didn¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°Because there is an antidote to that poison,¡± said Kaichen.

    Antares guffawed. Kaichen gritted his teeth. Antares was really getting on his nerves now.

    ¡°You know that Gordon is a mind-destroying poison, right? A person cannot live with a broken mind. They either destroy those around them or they destroy themselves. Mostmit suicide because they can¡¯t live with themselves anymore. All of the poisons have different capabilities. But when they are used together, it is deadly to body and mind.¡±

    He continuedughing. He was shaking now trying to contain hisughter. ¡°And yet she survived. But did she, really? Even if she had tried to kill herself, she would havee back to life the next day when she was trapped in time magic. So, everything would be back to normal. But would it? You know as well as her that she isn¡¯t fine. She is far from fine.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Kaichen.

    ¡°My poison is irreversible. Maybe you can make an antidote for the physical ailments,¡± said Antares. ¡°But what will you do with her mind? Even if you somehow fixed the whole world, you won¡¯t be able to help that woman.¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut the hell up,¡± said Kaichen in a low voice.

    Antaresughed,¡°A broken mind and a broken person. And you hope to bring her back to her senses? That is so funny. A fool¡¯s goal. Do not underestimate humans, Kaichen Tenebre. They have a knack for destruction by their own hands.¡±

    Kaichen decided that that was it. He didn¡¯t think he could get any more information out of the scum. He raised his finger and cast a spell.

    Antares screamed.

    ¡°An easy death for everything you have done till now would be a mercy,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°But I am not merciful.¡±

    The groans and screams ripped the air as Antares was wrecked with pain.

    ¡°What you said is wrong in two ways,¡± said Kaichen.

    Antares screamed and gasped as his body slowly rotted away.

    ¡°One¡ªthe poison you made is trash. You give yourself far too much credit,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°Two¡ªa human can always be helped and saved. A lost mind can always be helped back home.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± screamed Antares in pain.

    ¡°So, I throw your words right back at you. Do not underestimate humans,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°Besides, Dalia is stronger than most. Her mental strength is superior to me or you, or anyone in this d*mn world.¡±

    Kaichen turned and walked away. He had no wish to see the disgusting end of Antares. He sure as hell couldn¡¯t stand the smell of his rotting body. He couldn¡¯t even stand his scream anymore. No less than what he deserves. For now, the most important thing was to get Dalia home.

    Dalia was wrapped snugly in his arms. Acrab were generally wary of strangers. Kaichen could feel their gaze on him. People of the Empire would know the person with blond hair, golden eyes and bronze skin. He couldn¡¯t hide any longer. Kaichen ignored them all and made his way out of the vige, through the town and towards the mansion.

    When Kaichen arrived at the mansion, the glowing magic circle in the garden disappeared. He made his walk to her bedroom andid her down on her bed. He pulled the covers over her and tucked her into bed. He hoped this would help bring her temperature to normal.

    ¡°You know you are stronger than any of us,¡± said Kaichen softly. She was asleep or unconscious. She might not hear him but he had to say it anyway. ¡°Just get well soon. And I will wait. I will wait till you are able to ask for help directly.¡± He stroked her hair and tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

    ¡°I will be stronger, too.¡±

    For you.

    * * *

    I woke up and blinked at the ceiling in the familiar bedroom. I heard a rustle of sound. I propped myself up on my elbow to look. It was Angel. He was opening the windows and drawing back the curtains.

    ¡°Angel?¡± I croaked. It was hard to even talk. My mouth was so dry.

    Angel turned in surprise and sprinted to me. ¡°Miss!¡± he cried. He ran right into bed and hugged me tight. I almost fell against the whirlwind that he was. ¡°Miss! I was so worried. We were all worried when you didn¡¯t wake up for a week!¡± I gently patted the child on his back.

    A week! It wasmentable to think that without a proper meal and exercise, I would be back to looking like a corpse again.

    ¡°That sounds¡­ bad,¡± I said, carefully so as to not make Angel sob again. He had finally calmed down a little. ¡°A week. In the meantime, I hope nothing has happened out of the ordinary?¡± There was no way a week would have gone uneventfully. I just wanted to ask because it was wishful thinking.

 Chapter 98

    The reason I hurried back to Acrab was in the hopes of receiving some kind of correspondence from the Imperial Pce. I had to confirm that the epidemic wasn¡¯t true. But this was terrible! I received no message from them. They must have sent the knights. There might be a massacre soon!

    ¡°Well¡­ if you want to know,¡± said Angel. ¡°I was really scared of the epidemic but the Archmage solved everything! People are praising you for bringing the right person to Acrab at the right time.¡±

    ¡°Really? Teacher?¡± Acrab was arge ce. How did he manage to solve the problem in such a short amount of time?

    ¡°Yes! He said that he couldn¡¯t ignore the matters rted to his disciples. You are amazing! When did you be a magician?¡±

    ¡°Did Teacher really say that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Uncle Las said that if the Imperial Pce had sent the knights, we would have all been killed. We got contacted to prove that it wasn¡¯t an epidemic. We could not answer. You were unconscious. We didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°So? What happened?¡±

    ¡°The Archmage received it instead.¡±

    ¡°Oh god!¡±

    ¡°After receiving the call, he spoke really seriously. I was terrified. I was right next to him so I heard everything.¡±

    I gulped and clenched my fist. I hoped everything was okay.

    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± I said. ¡°What exactly did Teacher say?¡±

    Angel squared his shoulders trying to impersonate Kaichen. ¡°Your ipetence to take care of the ces in your own Empire, especially those gued by the Momalhaut is astounding even to me,¡± Angel mimicked. ¡°Instead of solving the problem, you intend to send knights to ughter innocent people of the Empire? Even stupidity has its limit. This is tyranny.¡±

    I looked at Angel dumbfounded.

    ¡°Do you think it makes a difference to me whether you know who I am or not? Send the knights if you want, they are fit for only this. This will be an opportunity to find out how idiotic your knights are,¡± continued Angel.

    ¡°Oh no¡­,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What is it to me?¡± mimicked Angel. ¡°I am not a teacher who will turn a blind eye to his disciple¡¯s critical situation.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­.¡± I covered my open mouth with my hand. This was shocking. Angel¡¯s acting was excellent, obviously. He took over the role so passionately that I could indeed see Kaichen in him. He carried the role very urately including the minute changes in facial expressions.

    ¡°So, what happened next?¡±

    ¡°He said he ¡®got it¡¯?¡± said Angel in confusion. ¡°The person that he talked to on the other end seemed very flustered.¡±

    ¡°R-right.¡± Nobody would dare trigger Kaichen deliberately. Kaichen had revealed that he had taken a disciple while I hadn¡¯t even been certified yet by the Magic Tower. It was a huge statement he had made brazenly willing to fight for me with the Imperial Pce, if need be.

    No matter how important and powerful Kaicen was, even if he owned the top floor of the Magic Tower and earned the surname Tenebre, he could not go against the order of the emperor. And yet¡­

    ¡°I-Is he okay? Where is Teacher? I need to see him right now.¡± I struggled to get out of the bed but Angel rushed towards me and pushed me back on the bed gently.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t get up,¡± said Angel. ¡°You haven¡¯t healedpletely. Besides, the Archmage told me not to let you get out of the bed even if you wake up.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°He said you need to rest until he returns here.¡±

    I looked at Angel in shock.

    ¡°My Lady,¡± said Angel with reluctance in his voice. ¡°He said¡­ that you were in a lot of pain. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± His voice was sad. I sat back on the bed, leaning onto the pillow and looked at him. ¡°He also said that the poison that was used to make people of Acrab sick was first used on you by somebody. Someone targeted you first to get rid of Acrab.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°He also said that you drank and gambled to hide that because¡­ if someone had known that the young ruler of Acrab was sick, then it would have led to bad consequences for the ce. Acrab would have been in a worse state than now.¡±

    ¡°Angel¡­¡±

    ¡°The Archmage said so! He told us everything as he made medicine and handed it out to those with the ailment.¡±

    ¡°He gave a speech about it?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t really prepare a speech. He just informed everyone. I think he is really amazing!¡±

    Maybe he did it with sound amplification magic. How many things happened this week? Did Kaichen finally go crazy? Is it the same Kaichen I know? The person I knew would never take such pain and effort. He wouldn¡¯t have taken such drastic measures. It wasn¡¯t even a matter rted to Julius. But in the original novel, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to such an extent even for Julius. He only assisted Julius when he needed his help but never initiated things in this manner.

 Chapter 99

    <strong>Chapter 99</strong>

    But why was he doing this now? It was my business and Julius wasn¡¯t even involved. Kaichen stepped forward and took care of everything in my absence. Why?

    ¡°So, I have to stay in bed until hees back? Where did he go anyway?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ until yesterday there was a yellowyer in the sky but the Archmage removed it today.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the barrier¡­.¡± As expected, Kaichen had put the barrier on the whole of Acrab. I vaguely remembered Antares running wild with anger. That was six days ago. If he had made and distributed the medicine to all of Acrab, it meant that Kaichen had done it continuously without a break for six days!

    ¡°Then what happened?¡±

    ¡°He disappeared after asking me for a favour,¡± said Angel. ¡°He said he would be back. He needed to take care of something.¡±

    What did he need to take care of? I was about to try to get out of bed when Angel gave me a warning look.

    ¡°Really, My Lady,¡± he said. ¡°Please don¡¯t be stubborn.¡±

    ¡°What? I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°You should tell us if you are suffering. Do you know how sorry everyone is?¡±

    I wanted to protest and brush it off as a misunderstanding but I kept my mouth shut thinking that it would have taken Kaichen a lot of thought to lie on my behalf. He wasn¡¯t normally like this. I was the one who should have been sorry. I felt nauseous so Iid down on the bed again. I felt like I had just woken up from a nightmare and everything had changed in the meantime.

    It was like a game. I came across a quest that was most difficult to ovee. But I was able to pass it so easily because I had help from a powerful person. That person was Archmage Kaichen. I had ovee the problem in Acrab and it was all thanks to Kaichen. Was this a good thing or a bad one? It was definitely good to see that everything was solved but it made me feel uneasy.

    Ah, why now? I can¡¯t believe this is the situation after I just realized my feelings for him!

    Angel kept nagging me to rest and forbade me from getting out of bed. He then left me in peace. I did want to rest but so many things were circling in my mind. I had questions. I wanted to find out what had happened. I wanted to know every detail. But I was reluctant to go forward since Kaichen was involved in all this now.

    What should I say if I meet the citizens of Acrab right now? Should I apologize to them for hiding my own sickness? Should I apologize for abandoning them? My conscience was pierced by guilt and uncertainty.

    ¡°Ugh! What the hell? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I chastised myself. Even if I was his disciple and he had made it official, it was still a bit excessive for me to be thinking about him all the time. My heart pounded and I realized I was smiling without meaning to. I was happy. I was relieved and happy to find that he cared for me. He worried about me and did so much to take care of all my problems. The smile spread wider on my face and I blushed.

    As I acknowledged this, I buried my face in the pillow and squeaked in delight. What is this? Is he interested in me too?! No teacher cared for his disciple this much. A teacher wouldn¡¯t get involved in matters rting to national importance just for a disciple! I realized that perhaps he had feelings for me too and that made me go red in the face even more.

    I mean what woman wouldn¡¯t be wooed when the man she liked stood up for her ready to fight the empire itself if need be?

    ¡°Calm down,¡± I said to myself and took a deep breath. Iid down on the bed and ced my hands on my pounding heart. I felt the racing of my heart through my palm which gradually calmed. My thoughts became calmer. I closed my eyes and thought about the situation at hand. One at a time.

    First, I was kidnapped by Antares and rescued safely. It was undoubtedly kaichen who rescued me. I vaguely remember him calling my name. But maybe that was just my imagination.

    Since the antidote was made and distributed throughout, it was also possible that the Momalhaut forces hiding in Acrab were found and dealt with. Antares was probably one of them.

    Did Kaichen fight Antares? I should have asked for more details from Angel. Did he kill him? I brushed aside the grim thought for now.

    Kaichen had receivedmunication from the Imperial pce. It was highly likely that it hadn¡¯t gone down well. He might have had to search for the Momalhaut as he maintained the barrier magic to prove that what was happening in Acrab wasn¡¯t an epidemic but a premeditated scheme. Only then would the Imperial Pce agree to not send those knights. The fact that the knights were here yet ughtering the people of Acrab meant that the Acrab disturbance had been dealt with.

    What did he need to take care of? Did he mean the Imperial Pce? Did he go there to take care of it? Even if he did, the Imperial Pce would want to check it for themselves before they made any kind of decision.

    The current emperor of the Kalhai Empire was not stupid. However, his achievements paled inparison to the previous emperor. The present emperor was indecisive and easily swept away. There must have been someone else! I realized that there was someone in the picture who convinced the emperor to give such a heinous order.

    The viin of this novel¡­. A person who was involved in all this and was in league with the Momalhaut. Maybe someone close who could influence the emperor very easily. I frowned. A person came to mind. I had dismissed that exact person as insignificant before. Maybe they weren¡¯t as unimportant as I thought.

    Princess Akshetra¡­

    I had never considered that she might be the viin of this story because she didn¡¯t have much of an appearance in the original novel. The Empress had been childless, so Akshetra, born from a concubine, had been dered an heir. The Crown princess. She had been eight years old when the Empress had finally given birth to Julius.

 Chapter 100

    <strong>Chapter 100</strong>

    Fearing that her daughter and her status would diminish, Akshetra¡¯s mother had stolen the new-born baby in the beginning of the novel. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to kill Julius so she had dumped him in the slums.

    The Empress had been so bereaved that she had died as a consequence. The emperor was saddened and becamex in the affairs of the empire. Akshetra had taken the reins of the empire at a very young age. When Julius returned one day, the emperor had stripped her of the title and made him the Crown prince. She must have felt betrayed after doing so much for the kingdom.

    Akshetra hadn¡¯t taken things in stride and never shown any contrary reaction. I had assumed she was just a supporting character who had been thrown in the story to support Julius¡¯ narrative. She hadn¡¯t reappeared until the Guartenmotion when I had read the novel.

    Fool! I felt like such a fool. The person who had any reason to hate Julius was Akshetra. She had lost everything. She had lost the title she had been given as her birthright. She had worked for the empire and yet, had been betrayed of her title. Why had I ever assumed Akshetra had just been scared and let go of the whole thing?

    The interpretation was up to the reader but in this case, I had just ignored Akshetra as unimportant. I hadn¡¯t even given a thought about her. I might have heard Julius talk about his sister at some point but I must have been caught up in my own affairs that I hadn¡¯t listened.

    I sighed. At least I know now. This will give me time toe up with a way to help Julius. Because he has to take over the throne for me to livefortably in this world. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be any peace.

    If Julius didn¡¯t be the emperor, the Kaichen would have to be on his beck and call. He will never be free of the responsibilities. I wanted to be with him. I didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore. For us to be happy together, we needed to help Julius fulfil his ending in this story.

    Wish we could just ignore everything and live a secluded, peaceful life in the Willow House! But I knew Kaichen by now. He would not turn a blind eye when Julius needs him. Maybe Kaichen went to negotiate with Akshetra. Maybe he knows about her. Julius didn¡¯t have so much power yet. Akshetra knew more about the empire. She had run it in his absence. She knew things he didn¡¯t.

    Julius might have won some support from a number of people but Akshetra had taken care of the empire since a very young age. The nobles trusted her and saw her as the most capable one. She could make the nobles turn their back on Julius and the empire. I hadn¡¯t known her in the novel but I had certainly seen her name appear often in newspapers and books while I was trapped in time magic.

    She had taught herself matters of the state at the age of six on behalf of the ipetent emperor. The benevolent Crown princess had single handedly taken care of the affairs of the entire empire. Her title of ¡®crown princess¡¯ might have been taken away but the things she had done to keep the empire afloat had been admirable and respectable. Her charisma and capability were undeniable. A woman who had had to mature beyond her age with a brilliant mind was the enemy of the protagonist.

    The throne was the core of the novel. I felt stuffy thinking about all this. I heard the door squeak open. I could smell the scent of a rose. It didn¡¯t take long for me to understand the familiar yet so unfamiliar scent was Kaichen. I wanted to greet him but it would be too awkward so I pretended to be asleep.

    I felt a hand on my forehead checking my temperature. A sigh from him. I felt his hands stroking my hair and tucking back the stray strands of hair behind me ears. I was in disbelief. I wanted to open my eyes just to make sure this was really the Kaichen I knew. His touch was warm on my skin.

    ¡°Dalia¡­,¡± said Kaichen in a low voice. His voice sounded cold in contrast to the warm hands stroking my cheeks. His voice was full of strange worries. I felt my heart pound. I suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe. I should have opened my eyes and greeted him! I felt a hand on my chest.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± he said again. I wanted to see him. Just as I opened my eyes, I felt his mana course through his hand and into my heart. The warm golden mana spread from the ce he touched to every nook and cranny of my body. It lulled me and I felt myself rx. My pounding heart calmed, and my thoughts were peaceful. They must have fed me an antidote before but he must have detoxified the remaining poison in my body like this.

 Chapter 101

    <strong>Chapter 101</strong>

    I didn¡¯t even think that was possible. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about another person¡¯s mana running through my body. It mingled and merged with mine, collecting all the impurities. My body would regain its health and be refreshedter but the slow movement of the mana somehow tickled me.

    It was dangerous to douse someone¡¯s body with someone else¡¯s mana. He knew the danger if my mana rejected his. Does he ept me as more than just a disciple? Maybe he had grown attached. My worries were brief. As the mana coursed through my body and detoxified me, I felt light and suddenly drifted off to sleep.

    I think I heard his murmur full ofughter. ¡°Pretending to be asleep. Really?¡±

    ***

    After changing intofortable clothes, I headed to the kitchen. I was worried about Kaichen¡¯s food habits. He wouldn¡¯t say it but I knew that he was very picky when it came to food.

    He used his mana recklessly. But even if he was very powerful, he needed to regain his strength. No matter how strong a person might be, they could copse due to exhaustion. Mimi hurried over to me as I opened the refrigerator. She was surprised to see me.

    ¡°Countess! You can¡¯t be in the kitchen. You need to rest! You just woke up a while back,¡± she said. She then gasped when she saw the food I had finished preparing.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just made it really quick. I do need to replenish my energy, right? Besides, I was tired of lying down.¡±

    I smiled at her as I finished ting the food. ¡°I made a lot today, so let¡¯s all eat together. I will take this to my teacher.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The Archmage never ate the dishes I made. You did say that he was a picky eater, but I didn¡¯t realize it was to that extent.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even take a bite?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he told me not to prepare anything.¡± Mimi looked upset. Maybe she thought she wasn¡¯t able to feed the saviour of Acrab at all. I didn¡¯t hide my smile. I ced the te on the tray with a pitcher of water and left the kitchen.

    I noticed my reflection in the window and I didn¡¯t like what I saw. But he had seen the worse side of me. I just wanted to see him. The room where Kaichen stayed had been a guest room which hadn¡¯t been used for a long while. It was rare for any guest to visit Acrab so the room had not been maintained in the past.

    Acrab was a production city where craftsmen and artisans converged to create things. There was no need for people to travel so far to buy from Acrab as it would eventually reach the capital anyway. The only advantage was that, if you reached Acrab to buy things then you would be the first to buy them, which wasn¡¯t much of an advantage to be honest.

    Count Alshine had been a kind person with no political greed. He did not covet and desire power for himself. So, he managed the town of Acrab and made space for the craftsmen. He would then invest the money he got from it into strengthening the territory of Acrab to keep it safe.

    Dalia had squandered most of that money. I had to handle the aftermath of it, naturally. In my previous life, my hobbies had cost a lot so I had gotten a job to sustain myself. I wasn¡¯t very social but wasn¡¯t a bore with people either. I used to read novels all weekend at home. My house hadn¡¯t been very spacious but it was sunny and I liked it. Even that would have been impossible in Seoul but I lived in a rural area so I was fortunate enough to have my own space. I had a decent job and manageable workload. I was afforded a decent number of leave. Thinking back, I did have a pretty quiet and peaceful life.

    It felt so distant now. It was even surprising that I had not forgotten about my past life. It felt like it happened to some other person a long time ago. But if I exclude the time I was trapped in the time magic, it must have been only four months ago. For me, it felt like a lifetime away.

    The life of a Countess might look like a treat. A mansion,nd and guaranteed ie through taxes. But Acrab had suffered because of the time magic and then the epidemic. The jobs had been closed down. Ie had dried up.

    It would be difficult to get Acrab to its previous glory. The mansion will have to do as it is. Young Angel did a great job managing the mansion and Mimi worked for free. But that wouldn¡¯tst long. Mimi had a younger brother she needed to support. I will eventually have to find a way to generate ie so that I can provide her a decent sry for all the work she does. Right now, I had no money on my hands.

    I had a little of the pocket money Kaichen had given me when I lived in the Willow House but I wasn¡¯t shameless enough to spend his money while here in Acrab.

 Chapter 102

    <strong>Chapter 102</strong>

    I felt really pathetic. But I chose to look on the brighter side. I wasn¡¯tpletely doomed yet. I couldn¡¯t hire mercenaries so I was unable to subdue the monsters in the mines but after learning a little magic from Kaichen would surely make me capable enough to get rid of them myself. I could learn barrier magic if I wasn¡¯t able to fight the monsters. It would keep them out of the road to the mines.

    Learning new skills always helps you win in difficult situations. I opened the door to the guest room where Kaichen was staying. I should have learnt my lesson. I should have knocked. But this ce was so familiar to me that I forgot all about it.

    Fortunately, Kaichen wasn¡¯t changing his clothes like he had been doing thest time I barged into his room without knocking. He was asleep. The sun filtered through the gap in the curtains and fell on him. He slept soundly. I quietly walked over to his bed and ced the tray of food on the side table. His room was messy, like it had been in the Willow House.

    Papers were scattered on the floor. There were three desks in the room. I didn¡¯t know if they were already here or were bought since he started living here. It looked like a hurricane had passed by the room. There wasn¡¯t any space to step on the floor. I tried to sidestep all the papers, taking care not to trample on them.

    As I got closer to the bed, I saw his face. He slept so soundly despite the sun shining on him. He had dark circles under his eyes. I wondered how tired he must have been. His face looked serene and calm, almost carefree. I had never seen him like this. He was always on his guard. I observed him in earnest.

    His bronze skin was smooth and wless. His dishevelled bangs fell on his perfect eyebrows. When awake, he always frowned and appeared very serious. But now, his face was calm and peaceful. His sharp nose looked so sculpted. His eyshes were so long. I hadn¡¯t noticed them before. I knew that his golden eyes rested behind those closed eyelids which when it fell on people rendered them speechless by its intensity.

    My gaze fell on his lips. I blushed. I felt like a creep because I wasn¡¯t able to take my eyes off him¡­ I wondered if his lips were soft. His corbone was visible through his loose shirt. I had been worried about him. The mattresses were too soft in this mansion and wondered if he would sleep okay. But here he was, sleeping like a log, his gold hair dazzling in the sunlight. My rescuer who shone as bright as the sun.

    Resting my chin on my hand, I looked at him for a long time. I felt like I would never get tired of watching him my whole life. I remembered that I had painted a portrait of Kaichen when I had been trapped in the time magic. Out of hundreds of paintings that I had made, not one quite resembled Kaichen. Maybe I had poor imagination or perhaps a handsome face like this was impossible to paint into existence.

    How can something this beautiful be put down onto a piece of paper? I suddenly wanted to take a photo of him. There was no such thing as a camera in this world. Such a shame, really. I wanted to capture this moment of Kaichen sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.

    I had read in the novel that I could make something equivalent to a picture if I knew enough magic. However, the novel hadn¡¯t exined the whole process. Unfortunately, I will just have to imprint this moment in my memory and try not to forget it. I had good memory. Maybe I could remember this forever.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked a cracked, sleepy voice which startled me from my reverie. His drowsy eyes were open and looking at me while propping himself up on the pillow. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± he asked again.

    Even half-asleep and tired, he worried about me. He didn¡¯t even seem surprised that I was here. His gaze made me feel embarrassed. I leaned down and buried my face in the bed. D*mn. I felt myself blush. I was sure my ears were red.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± he called. ¡°Are you still unwell?¡±

    When had he started being so sweet all of a sudden?

    ¡°I-I am fine. I am very healthy,¡± I managed to croak out. Kaichen was quiet for a while. Was he relieved? Or had he fallen asleep again? I raised my head to look at him. Watching him sleep had been intense enough. Seeing him awake was too bad for my heart. I could feel my heart pounding double hard.

 Chapter 103

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± he said finally.

    What the hell happened when I was unconscious? Why is he acting so sweet? Kaichen never asked me how I was feeling. This was strange. He was relieved?!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are all better. What are you even doing here now?¡± That would be ssic Kaichen. I would haveughed at that and maybe joked around a bit. But him turning suddenly all sweet and asking after my health threw me off guard. I met his eyes and flinched.

    I could hear my heartbeat in my ears now. At this rate, my heart might just give away. Kaichen¡¯s dishevelled appearance with messed up hair and dreamy eyes were just too overwhelming for me. Calm down, I said to myself. Calm down!

    Kaichen didn¡¯t say anything after that. That was what was strange. By now. Kaichen would have frowned and gotten annoyed and asked me what I was gawking at. He would tell me to leave if I was done staring rudely. But he didn¡¯t. I thought I should get out of here before I overstayed my wee and make him annoyed but¡­ I didn¡¯t want to. I wanted to be with him a little more.

    I wanted to look at him a little more.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± he called.

    That startled me again. I hoped he didn¡¯t know the things on my mind at that moment. That would be too embarrassing.

    ¡°Yes, Teacher,¡± I asked. Do I look flustered? I was suddenly conscious of my appearance.

    ¡°Shall we¡­ eat breakfast together?¡± he asked. He smiled slightly.

    He is¡­ smiling? This all felt like a fever dream. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± I stammered.

    ¡°You brought me food, right?¡± he said. ¡°Alright. If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, let¡¯s eat together.¡±

    I was speechless. I heard the sheets rustling and Kaichen got out of bed. I stared nkly at him. Kaichen smiled at me and ced a hand on my head. I flinched slightly. This was all so new. This was weird. He then headed to the bathroom.

    Am I still dreaming? I found it near impossible for him to initiate any kind of physical touch. Kaichen had mysophobia. He asked me whether we could eat together. And he gently touched my head. Either this was a dream or the world was truly ending!

    I raised my hand to my head where he had touched and jumped up. He had asked me to eat with him! But, I didn¡¯t bring my share of the meal. I rushed out of the room and ran to the kitchen. I had set aside my share of the food. I could just get it and run back in time.

    When I ran back, I heard Mimi shouting after me. ¡°Countess, there is a guest outside¡­.¡± But I didn¡¯t hear it properly. Angel did say we had a lot of guests arriving in the mansion these days. Most days they were residents of Acrab visiting the mansion to apologise for misunderstanding me.

    I didn¡¯t really want to see them. It was heart-breaking and difficult for me to face them still. I didn¡¯t harbour any resentment towards them. Instead, I felt guilty for putting them through difficult things. However, I just couldn¡¯t face them yet. It seemed Dalia was capable and kind, but inflexible. Her parents, the Alshines, had been simr. Aside from the counts in the neighbouring cities, they did not really interact with other nobles in the empire. Oftentimes, this led to them not being able to ask for help in a crisis. Dalia did not try to forge a new path in that direction. Besides, I preferred having breakfast with Kaichen over listening to people¡¯s apologies anyway.

    When I opened the door to his room, he was already dressed infortable clothes. I noticed that he wasn¡¯t wearing the magician¡¯s robe that he always had on him. It was the first time ever that I saw him in a casual grey shirt and ck pants. I froze. Really, what was wrong with him today? I sat down opposite of him on the table and tried to appear nonchnt.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t learnt to knock, I see.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry!¡± I said hurriedly. ¡°It has be a habit¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you go into other people¡¯s rooms like that too?¡±

    ¡°What? No way.¡±

    He smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s true! Nobody ever visits here long enough to stay.¡±

    ¡°What if it happens in the future?¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± I mumbled while putting a spoonful of food in my mouth. Would I knock if someone else was staying here?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will do that.¡±

    ¡°Really? Why?¡±

    ¡°It would be awkward,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, why would I take the pains to go into a guest¡¯s room anyway? I might just send Angel or Mimi with a message requesting them toe to the living room.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ am I not a guest here too?¡±

    ¡°You? You are Kaichen. You are my teacher.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different!¡± I said. ¡°First of all, you are my teacher so it would be disrespectful of me to call you to the living room. Besides, I can juste to you if I need something.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows as he listened to me but did notment. I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was satisfied by my answer or annoyed.

 Chapter 104

    ¡°You need to fix your bad habit of entering someone¡¯s room without knocking,¡± he said while eating.

    I looked at him. He put down the empty bowl on the table. ¡°It¡¯s in rude to do that. Also, how can a woman casually enter a room where a man is staying?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t enter any man¡¯s room. Just you.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I am not a man?¡±

    ¡°What? No! I just¡­ meant¡­,¡± I fumbled for words. How do I put into words that I trusted himpletely? I also wanted to say I was worried about him. ¡°I would never do that with others. It¡¯s because you are my teacher and it¡¯sfortable.¡±

    I saw his face harden slightly. Did I say something wrong? Why was he asking me so many questions anyway?

    ¡°There is no way teacher is like just anyone,¡± I said, trying to repair the damage I had done. Was he annoyed I had been in his room and was watching him sleep? It bothered me. ¡°I heard that you helped me a lot while I was unconscious. Can I ask what happened?¡± I collected the empty tes and stacked them on the tray. I pulled the bell-rope to call the servants. Most days nobody ever came when I did that but today, of all days, Mimi was there in a second.

    ¡°Mimi, can you bring us some tea?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, Countess.¡±

    Mimi left. Kaichen leaned back on the sofa and stayed silent. I slightly opened the windows for some venttion. Mimi appeared at the door again. She walked over to the table and ced the tray and poured a cup of the sweet, aromatic ck tea. I pulled a cup towards me.

    ¡°Do you know Princess Akshetra?¡± asked Kaichen suddenly.

    I almost spat out the tea I was sipping. I nodded.

    ¡°The battle for the throne between Prince Julius and Princess Akshetra had been going on secretly and steadily. I had spected that she might have joined hands with Momalhaut. This incident has made it clear.¡±

    ¡°Have you got any evidence?¡±

    ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here.¡± Kaichen let out a sigh. ¡°The forbidden magic cast upon Acrab and themotion about the whole gue situation. It was all settled as Momalhaut¡¯s scheme.¡±

    ¡°By Julius?¡±

    ¡°No. princess Akshetra.¡±

    I was amazed by the princess. I had never met her but she was meticulous. Whenever something led to her, she cut it off cleanly. It was admirable but it also made me wary of her.

    ¡°Hm¡­,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t prove anything rting to the time magic. We still have Antares! He created that poison that affected me and the whole of Acrab. You caught him! He can be a witness. I am sure he will blurt out the truth if we¨C ¡°

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I had expected it. Somewhere in my mind I had known he had killed him. Kaichen appeared calm. He got up slowly and rummaged through some paper on his desk. He seemed to find what he was looking for. He walked to me and held it out to me.

    ¡°Antares is dead. Without witnesses, of course, I can¡¯t link this case to Princess Akshetra,¡± he said.

    I epted the sealed envelope he held towards me. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Julius Prince told me to give it to you.¡±

    I opened the letter. It read:

    ¡¸I feel sorry for the series ofmotions that took ce in Acrab and the damage that has been done to you. We can¡¯t catch the culprit for doing so right now, but I swear I¡¯ll eradicate them soon. I may need your help, so I hope you are safe and sound. I hope this will be offort to you who have suffered.

    P.S. I secretly hope that you will be the new ck Rose of the Empire.

    ¨C Julius, Countess Alshine¡¯s strong supporter. ¡¹

    I read the second tost line once again. The letter felt very informal and personal. As expected of Julius. He was friendly with everybody.

    Both of them must have gone crazy!

    Kaichen was acting all strange today and Julius had sent a very strange letter. What the hell is ¡®ck Rose of the Empire¡¯? I never heard about it even in the novel.

    There was the rumour that Count Alshine¡¯s garden in Acrab was filled with ck roses. Right now, those roses were just buds and they hadn¡¯t bloomed. But that was just some sort of exoticisation that people did. The roses were just roses. Besides, just because we had a garden of ck roses didn¡¯t mean I was a ck rose.

    Maybe it was because of the Alshine lineage. Ours was the only family who had ck hair and ck eyes. It wasn¡¯t verymon in the empire. ck eyes and ck hair were very rare in this world. People didn¡¯t dislike it but it was considered unusual for someone to have it.

    ¡°Do you know what the letter is talking about?¡±

    ¡°Roughly¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to take this?¡±

    ¡°As you please,¡± Kaichen said, drinking his tea gracefully.

    I didn¡¯t know what to make of that. I looked at the small key that was in the envelope with the letter. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw the unique engraving on the key.

    ¡°Is this the High Bank key?!¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Why is he giving this to me¡­? Could it be His Highness¡¯ slush fund?!¡± Was it the secret hoard of money that I heard a lot about? I put the key gingerly into the envelope. I folded the letter neatly and put it in my pocket. I returned the envelope with the key to Kaichen. He burst outughing.

    He leaned back on the sofa,ughing. He looked so carefree and striking that it took my breath away.

 Chapter 105

    ¡°Why do you always think like that?¡± said Kaichen, chuckling.

    ¡°Because the High Bank is a ce of secrecy and strict confidentiality with very meticulous security! And if he is giving me this key to the safe kept in that bank, I figured it might be his slush fund.¡±

    ¡°I am amazed at you,¡± he said, trying to hold back his smile. ¡°It¡¯s funny you think Julius is someone who would hoard money and raise a slush fund. Does hee off as such a person to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not that. I didn¡¯t mean it that way but¡­ any human being would have something like that for emergencies if they could afford it. I thought maybe¡­.¡± My words slowly tapered away when I saw Kaichen smiling so openly without a hindrance.

    ¡°Well, anything is possible,¡± I said finally.

    Kaichen seemed to be enjoying this. He looked at me with that smile on his face as though I was the most amusing thing he had found in this world.

    ¡°Are you worried that you might identally get your hands on the Crown Prince¡¯s slush fund and use it all?¡±

    ¡°Obviously!¡± I said. ¡°I know that the Crown Prince isn¡¯t that kind of person but as I said anything is possible, Besides, I feel ufortable using other people¡¯s money¡­¡±

    I had debts all over the ce. I had debts I needed to repay in Acrab. I also have debts to repay to the count of the neighbouring city. I thought that selling my assets would have been enough to pay my debts but¡­

    In order for the Acrab merchants to trade, they had to pass through the neighbouring territories. Until now, the passage had been free of charge without any taxation or fees. But the neighbouring count had reiterated that all of it had been on credit. I had wanted to let loose a lot of swear words but figured that it wouldn¡¯t do any good for my image. Instead, I had asked them to show me proof of such an agreement since my father was dead, I couldn¡¯t confirm it with him. I knew that the neighbouring count was just making this thing up to trick Acrab while it was in a difficult situation.

    Anyhow, I couldn¡¯t go into more debt. I couldn¡¯t use money from Julius¡¯ ¡®slush fund¡¯ or whatever it was. I didn¡¯t know what terms and conditions woulde with it. I would never be able to repay it.

    ¡°Are you going to refuse it even if I say you earned it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what His Highness wants from me but I am still much burdened by my other debts. I don¡¯t think I will be able to pay it back. So, no. I can¡¯t take this money.¡±

    ¡°You could take it aspensation for the damage done by the empire on your city.¡±

    ¡°Acrab suffered from the damage done by Momalhaut, but with your help, thankfully, the damage was significantly small. I am rather indebted to you.¡±

    ¡°Momalhaut is an enemy to the empire. Julius is trying topensate the damage that was done by the enemy to destroy the empire. Acrab is sheltered under the empire, is it not? There is no reason to decline thispensation.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± I said, ¡°Still¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s mine, not Julius¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I looked at Kaichen. He jutted out his chin and gestured towards the envelope containing the key.

    ¡°But Teacher!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to borrow Julius¡¯ money either. God knows he can be endlessly annoying. So, I decided I would lend you mine.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t be so much more in debt.¡±

    Kaichen raised his eyebrows. ¡°You did say you were indebted to me because I helped save Acrab. What¡¯s the difference in being more indebted?¡± Kaichen crossed his legs and looked at me arrogantly. I looked at him and then at the key. He kept smiling.

    ¡°Take it and pay me back slowly. It¡¯s not like you will be running away. Just pay me back slowly by my side.¡±

    This reminded me of some drama I had watched in my past life where a heroine became indebted to the man and had to live by his side for the rest of her life. I had found such dramas very stupid. But when I was in the same situation, it felt¡­ different. Kaichen was asking me to stay by his side!

    I had said I would serve him for the rest of my life if he epted me as his disciple. My feelings werepletely different now. I wanted to be by his side. My face flushed and my heart fluttered.

    ¡°I will need a lot of money,¡± I said.

    He nodded. ¡°I know,¡± he replied, smiling.

    ¡°I have a lot of debts to repay.¡±

    ¡°I know that, too.¡±

    ¡°I tried living a frugal life because I didn¡¯t really have any money but I am quite extravagant when I do have money to spend.¡±

    ¡°I expected nothing less.¡±

    ¡°Even if I stay with you for the rest of my life, I may not be able to pay you back.¡±

    Kaichen looked at me with that smile and his eyebrows raised. His eyes looked at me questioningly. I smiled back and pulled out the key from the envelope and held it in my hands. What would it be like to spend the rest of my life with him? Was it better to owe a lot to one person than owe to many?

    ¡°I will borrow money while serving as Teacher¡¯s disciple for the rest of my life then¡­¡±

    You should seize an opportunity when you can. An opportunity to settle my debts. An opportunity to move forward. A chance to be with the person you love for the rest of your life.

 Chapter 106

    Everything was happening at once but was that enough reason to refuse such an opportunity? I decided it wasn¡¯t worth it to miss it.

    ¡°Then charge me the highest interest,¡± I said, smiling like a fool. Kaichen looked at me speechless and then chuckled.

    ***

    Julius thought he knew Kaichen better than anyone else. His first encounter with him was at the age of six. Julius had first met him when he wandered the streets to beg for money. He saw an old man fall to the side of the road. It had been a good day for Julius, he had gotten a hot loaf of bread, so he decided to help the old man and split his bread in half. The old man had looked at him strangely, albeit gratefully and asked for his name. He had shown him the nket which had his name embroidered on it. It was the only thing he had; he had been wrapped in the same nket and abandoned when he was a baby.

    ¡°It¡¯s Julius,¡± he had responded.

    ¡°You must be hungry yourself. Why did you share the bread with me?¡±

    ¡°If you are too hungry, you stuff yourself up with food until you throw up. So, I thought it better to share it with you than to throw up. Besides, you look hungry too.¡±

    ¡°But you could have kept it for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I know but what if it gets spoiled? It is better to share it with someone rather than have it thrown away.¡±

    Julius sighed as he recalled these memories as though they happened just yesterday. The old man had been Hamal, the master of the magician¡¯s tower and Julius¡¯ teacher. He still couldn¡¯t figure out which part of his small conversation had impressed Hamal so much.

    Hamal had disappeared after that. He had then reappeared after quite a while and shared a piece of bread with him. Hamal had asked Julius if he was willing toe with him. To Julius, it had been a good opportunity. He wouldn¡¯t have to beg for food anymore. He could always work for Hamal to repay his kindness and look forward to a decent life. It was better than the life he had at that moment anyway. But Julius had been surprised to see that the ce they had arrived at was a tower that nobody could enter easily.

    Kaichen, who was said to have been there since he was a baby, had bronze skin, indifferent golden eyes, brilliant blonde hair that he had seen for the first time in his life, and arger body than his peers. That was when he had seen Kaichen the first time in a robe that matched his build. Kaichen had afforded a passing nce at him then turned away, indifferent as ever. Julius slowly found out that Kaichen was a disciple to Hamal from a very young age. He was also very foolish by Julius¡¯ standards. He had never gone out of the tower.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know this?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the world I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t know this, do you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You act like you know everything, even though you don¡¯t know any games?¡±

    ¡°Julius, you don¡¯t even know how to read magic forms, do you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I have never learned it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never learned games, either.¡±

    Julius hadughed when he saw Kaichen getting annoyed. It was even funny that he thought games were something to be studied. Julius remembered Kaichen¡¯s red, flustered face. Bart opened the door and entered Julius¡¯ room disrupting his thoughts of the past and bringing him to the present. Julius¡¯ mood worsened. He knew Bart came bearing bad news.

    ¡°He says that if the empire sends its knights, then we will see who is the actual idiot,¡± Bart said.

    ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± was Julius¡¯ only reply.

    ¡°He¡­ he was trying to pick a fight. Almost provoking us to send the knights.¡±

    ¡°That psycho!¡±

    ¡°He reiterated that it is natural for a teacher to step forward in matters concerning his disciple.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Julius¡¯ had a splitting headache and Kaichen was making it worse. He was being absurd. Julius wasn¡¯t one to frown too much but today his face only had worry and stress written all over it. Bart noticed this. He lowered his head.

    ¡°When did the Archmage take a disciple, Your Highness?¡± asked Bart. ¡°And if he did, why not me?¡±

    ¡°Is that important right now?¡± Julius replied, a bit annoyed.

    ¡°He is the only one who earned the surname Tenebre. He was the best disciple of the great sage. He is gifted! Every researcher wants to meet him at least once in their lifetime.¡±

    Julius didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I wanted to be his disciple!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Julius was surprised at Bart¡¯s words. Julius himself had been the disciple to Hamal, the great sage of the magic tower. And yet, Bart cast him aside and instead was whining about Hamal¡¯s other disciple.

    He was at a loss for words. Julius didn¡¯t mind. Kaichen was indeed respected by magicians and even schrs. It was understandable everybody wanted to learn from him. An outstanding Archmage who had reached the peak of magic at such a young age. Julius wondered if Kaichen would follow his teacher¡¯s footsteps and do something extraordinary to receive the title of the Great Sage. Julius knew that Kaichen could achieve it. He had no doubt about that. He is ridiculously strong and wields a cane that is as good as an iron sword.

    And he even managed to break that. Julius clicked his tongue. He sighed. His small request to have Kaichen break the forbidden time magic in Acrab had led to this. He had thought that Kaichen¡¯s love had turned into hate and that was that. But never had he imagined that Kaichen would react this intensely. Bastard is even trying to provoke the Imperial pce to a fight!

    ¡°Stop whining unnecessarily,¡± said Julius. ¡°Kaichen is not someone who can manage a disciple.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ he did take a disciple, didn¡¯t he?¡±

 Chapter 107

    ¡°Do you happen to know anything about Countess Alshine?¡± Julius asked.

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t? Dalia Alshine, Count of Acrab, the city of craftsmen,¡± Bart replied.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°The drunkard. The crazy woman who throws her life away in gambling. The unbloomed ck Rose. The Fallen Crow. She is known by a lot of names.¡±

    Julius was quiet.

    ¡°In High society, Countess Alshine is seen as a prey. People like whining and yapping about her sorry circumstance. And now she had been epted as the sole disciple of the Archmage. Everybody is talking about it.¡±

    Julius was lost in thought. Although she wasn¡¯t in a very good condition right now because of the poison and themotion in Acrab, it was obvious that she was powerful and beautiful enough to be called the flower of the empire. Perhaps if she regains her health and assimtes with other nobles¡­

    Her friendly attitude made her very diplomatic. She was indeed attractive and many would be lining up as suitors to court her when things return to normal. Julius wondered what kaichen would do then.

    Kaichen will want to keep her hidden in Acrab. No, he would take her with him to his house in the middle of nowhere and keep her hidden from the public eye. Julius had teased Kaichen about falling in love with her. It seemed Kaichen really had. He had fallen in love with her so deeply it was almost annoying.

    ¡°Maybe he will take another disciple. He took in someone like her, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s worth a shot!¡± said Bart in all earnestness.

    Julius burst outughing. Kaichen taking any other disciple than Dalia? Fat chance of that happening!

    ¡°Quit it, Bart,¡± said Julius. ¡°Kaichen dislikes people. He treats them all like annoyances in his life.¡±

    ¡°But the Countess¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess there are always exceptions to everything.¡±

    ¡°But that is very difficult to believe. Why her?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Kaichen is human after all.¡± Julius knew. Kaichen had been alone so long that maybe he wanted someone by his side now. He wanted to hold onto her as long as he could. Julius shook his head.

    ¡°This conversation is over, Bart,¡± said Julius. ¡°What did His Majesty say?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty seemed perplexed and confused,¡± said Bart. ¡°He must be afraid that if he chooses to send the knights then the Magic Tower might step into the fight.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± said Julius. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter to the magicians whose side they are on. Kaichen is a very important asset to them. They will undoubtedly step in, afraid to lose Kaichen.¡±

    Julius knew that if the Imperial pce sent the knights, this scuffle would turn into a full-fledged civil war. Julius got up from his seat, pressing his throbbing head. ¡°I should see my sister,¡± he said.

    ¡°She will pretend that she has no idea whatsoever about this.¡±

    ¡°But she surely wouldn¡¯t want a civil war,¡± said Julius. ¡°She would want to avoid this fight with the Magic Tower too.¡± Julius saw the ring on the middle finger of his right-hand flicker.

    Bart¡¯s eyes twinkled. He knew who was calling. Julius infused the magic into the ring. ¡°Kaichen, what in hell do you think you are doing?¡±

    [I have to meet princess Akshetra.]

    Julius was speechless. He knew kaichen was always straightforward and didn¡¯t bother with the pleasantries but in a situation like this, it would have been great to receive some exnation.

    ¡°What in the crazy hell are you talking about?¡±

    [I don¡¯t want to waste my time with the Imperial Pce. I decided that it would be best to negotiate with the main culprit.]

    ¡°Do you think that would be so easy?¡±

    [I think it¡¯s easier than convincing the emperor that it¡¯s poison, and not an epidemic that had spread in Acrab?]

    Julius frowned. Kaichen was right but still¡­

    ¡°And what other crazy things do you have nned, if I may ask? Was it not enough that you received the call from the Imperial Pce on behalf of the countess? That alone has caused quite a stir.¡±

    The official call from the Imperial Pce must be received by the ruler of the specific territory, or in their absence, their spouses or children or next of kin could take their ce. Countess Alshine was unmarried, she had no children of her own and no blood rtives present. Technically, she should have received the call herself.

    It was exactly why Julius had gone personally to inform countess Alshine about the state of Acrab when she was staying at Kaichen¡¯s house because there was no one, not even countess Alshine herself, at Acrab to give a call from the Imperial Pce. Kaichen receiving the call on behalf of her was a very big deal. Julius wondered if Kaichen knew about the kind of trouble he had caused.

    [Dalia was not able to receive it. There was no one else. The knights would have been sent to ughter all the people in Acrab. Am I wrong?]

    Julius sighed. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Julius knew that the call had been just formality. The knights would have been sent to Acrab anyway. But Julius also knew that it was princess Akshetra, not the emperor, who had caused this situation. Julius called her ¡®sister¡¯ but he didn¡¯t share the sentiment the word afforded.

    ¡°Do you think you can have a conversation with her?¡±

    [Weren¡¯t you also on your way to see her?]

    ¡°Yes¡­ but.¡± Julius sighed. ¡°I will meet her and talk to her about it. You can¡ª¡±

    [No, I¡¯ll take care of it]

    Kaichen still looked indifferent and cold like he always did. But Julius noticed that it was different this time. Julius could feel that there was anger in him. He had never seen Kaichen like this. Julius could see that Kaichen was so angry to the extent that he couldn¡¯tprehend how he was feeling.

    ¡°Bart, you are dismissed,¡± said Julius. Bart hesitated. He seemed to want to say something to Kaichen and then lowered his head and left.

    Julius sat down on a chair and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°What are you so angry about?¡± They might have just met as disciples to the same teacher but they had grown up together. Julius considered Kaichen a brother. And despite what Kaichen said, he cared for Julius too. He never refused when Julius needed help. They were brothers and they knew when something was bothering each other.

 Chapter 108

    Maybe that was why Julius felt annoyed at Kaichen. He was trying to deal with everything alone without asking for help. Julius always asked Kaichen for help but Kaichen always hesitated. He never asked for help if he could solve something alone, no matter how difficult it might seem for him.

    ¡°Maybe you need to rein in your self-indulgence,¡± said Julius. ¡°I am always the one who has to clean up after you.¡±

    Kaichen eyebrows were raised so high they almost disappeared under his hair.

    [I don¡¯t think you, of all people, can say such a thing. Did some part of your brain get damaged? That brain of yours that forgets your own deeds which I have to cover up is really appalling.]

    ¡°What? Did you forget? What happened in the past when you used your barrier magic and ordered me to ask for help from the teacher? I told you I could fight, but you took care of it all by yourself as you pleased!¡± Julius shouted at him.

    Kaichen looked shocked at Julius¡¯ outburst then burst outughing.

    [You were deeply stabbed in the side with a sword and were bleeding excessively. You wanted to fight! What do you think would have happened if I had let you? Do you think you would be sitting here all high and mighty?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [You were an idiot. You wanted to use your sword instead of using magic. That¡¯s why you got injured in the first ce. You would have died! What were you thinking wielding your aura without any protective magic? You are too reckless for your own good.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [And as far as I know, the teacher also chastised you for being reckless. The way I see it, I was cleaning up your mess and saving your life in the process. You cleaning up my mess? Don¡¯t make meugh.]

    ¡°Ugh! Damn you! You always win, don¡¯t you?¡± Julius shook his head with a smile. There was no winning with him. ¡°Why did you pick up a fight with the imperial family anyway? Did it even cross your mind how awkward you have made my situation?¡±

    Kaichen sighed.

    [I¡¯m sorry about that. The ipetent emperor wouldn¡¯t listen to you, and the ignorant princess wouldn¡¯t back down, so it was necessary to pose an appropriate threat.]

    ¡°Oh ho,¡± mocked Julius. ¡°And you posed that threat believing firmly that the magic tower would actually step forward for you?¡±

    [Well, as long as I have my status there hasn¡¯t changed, it was very likely that they would.]

    ¡°You cocky bastard.¡±

    [The imperial family is not yet ready to go against the magic tower. The princess also knows that, so I am hoping this will work and everything will end here.]

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t killed Antares, it would have provided us with leverage,¡± said Julius. ¡°He would have been enough to overthrow my sister.¡±

    [I couldn¡¯t¡­ stand him breathing after what he did.] His answer was brisk. But his eyes still had rage in them. Julius could only sigh.

    ¡°So, Is Countess Alshine awake?¡±

    [Not yet]

    ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with my sister. When would be a good time?¡±

    [As fast as possible]

    ¡°Okay.¡± Julius heaved another weary sigh. The loss of losing Antares was great. However, Julius thought that this way wasn¡¯t all bad either.

    Although they are close like brothers, Kaichen rarely interfered in the conflict regarding the throne. When Julius asked for help, he helped. But that was it, He never initiated or stepped forward overtly regarding matters of the throne. He was the Archmage. His every moved was watched by the empire.

    He was affiliated with the Magic Tower of the Kalhai Empire but Kaichen was sought after by every magic Tower in the whole continent. Someone like him who kept a low profile suddenly decided to confront Princess Akshetra. For Julius, there was nothing better than this. This would be a warning from the Archmage himself.

    Is it because of the countess? Julius smiled. She wasn¡¯t ordinary to say the least. She had managed to convince this unyielding man to ept her as his disciple. She was truly something else. Julius felt his irritation subside. He unfolded a nk sheet of paper and dipped a quill in the ink bottle.

    So, if I lure countess Alshine to my side, Kaichen will be a bonus. In the past, before bing the Lord of Acrab, Count Alshine, Dalia¡¯s father, was said to have been third-generation nobleman of the empire. Beautiful ck roses had bloomed in Acrab.

    Julius wondered why such a great family ran only a remote city on the eastern edge and lived so quietly. It was history. But he was curious. If what he had learnt in his study of the empire¡¯s history was true, then Julius hoped Countess Alshine could once again be the ck Rose of the empire. Only then will Kaichen attain his full potential.

    Julius wondered if Countess Alshine was more than what met the eyes. If he could win her over, he could win Kaichen over too. Julius pondered how he could win the favour of the elusive countess.

 Chapter 109

    A few dayster, Kaichen arrived at the pce. After exchanging greetings (mostly by Julius) and a curt nod from Kaichen, they headed to the Rodren castle where the princess stayed. It was by far the most impressive part of the pce.

    When they entered the garden, a strong scent tickled their noses. The colourful and dazzling snapdragons clustered around the pce. Julius was familiar with this so he passed by without a thought. Meanwhile Kaichen sighed at the unfamiliar scenery.

    ¡°Is the princess colour blind?¡± He asked. He pressed his temple and walked along.

    Julius didn¡¯t say anything. He hoped the princess wouldn¡¯t hear of this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But maybe she likes it like this. With too many colours.¡±

    Kaichen had asked it without malice. He was genuinely curious. The bombardment of colours in the garden really left anyone reeling. After passing the colourful garden, they were escorted by a maid into the drawing room, where Princess Akshetra was already waiting.

    The drawing room was entirely made of ss with a view of the garden outside. Kaichen grimaced but restrained himself from showing his dissatisfaction.

    ¡°I greet the imperial princess,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Sister, how have you been?¡± asked Julius. She hadn¡¯t turned around to look at them even when she knew they had entered the drawing room. She looked so beautiful that she was almost inhuman.

    ¡°You must be busy and yet you came by to greet me,¡± said Akshetra. She meant it. She had thought only Kaichen wasing to see her. She hadn¡¯t known Julius would have apanied him.

    Julius smiled and sat down on the sofa. ¡°I came because Kaichen is very shy,¡± he said. ¡°I apanied him so that his shyness wouldn¡¯t be taken as rudeness. Would that be a problem?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± said Princess Akshetra. ¡°You are always wee. I know that you both have learnt under the same teacher and grew up together. You are practically brothers, isn¡¯t that true?¡±

    Julius smiled politely. But he knew she meant it as a mockery of him who had grown up outside of the pce. He was an outsider. Akshetra was very talented at making an insult seem like apliment. And Julius had believed that for the longest time. He had looked up to her as a kind sister who epted and weed him. It didn¡¯t take long before that illusion broke.

    ¡°Julius said you wanted to see me?¡± She turned to Kaichen.

    Kaichen¡¯s title demanded respect. No matter how powerful one was, everyone treaded carefully when conversing with Kaichen. No one spoke to him as informally as the Princess had just done. Even the emperor was afraid of Kaichen and what it would mean for him to pick a fight with the Archmage. Julius was amazed at Akshetra. She was a woman afraid of nobody. She indeed was born to be a monarch.

    ¡°I will not tarry around. I know everything.¡± Kaichen didn¡¯t beat around the bush as usual. He was curt and straightforward. ¡°I hope you will stop at this. There is no need to drag this forward.¡±

    Akshetra raised the corners of her lips in a smile. That smile sent a chill down Julius¡¯ back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?¡±

    Kaichen was calm. ¡°I know about Acrab.¡±

    Akshetra¡¯s smile deepened. Julius instantly regretted apanying Kaichen.

    ¡°Are you talking about the epidemic?¡± asked Akshetra. ¡°Or, are you talking about the fact that you almost incited a fight against the Imperial family?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly a fight,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°I had no such intention. But I realized that the decision of the Imperial family to send knights to ughter innocent people wasn¡¯t a very diplomatic move as well.¡±

    ¡°And are you qualified enough to point fingers at the Imperial family?¡±

    ¡°The people have the right to speak,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°And as rulers, the Imperial family must listen to the voice of the people they govern. But is the Imperial family really listening?¡±

    ¡°You do know there will be no end if you start listening to every little thing that people ask of you?¡±

    ¡°I think as leaders, that is a ridiculous thing to say,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°The point is not about where things begin and end. I guess you already know and admit that the Imperial family¡¯s decision here is not feasible. You must already be aware that there is no epidemic in Acrab.¡±

    They looked at each other unwaveringly. Either of them not wanting to back down. Kaichen was calm and collected. Julius sat awkwardly between this battle of wits. But he knew that Kaichen had won this particr battle.

    ¡°Indeed, everyone deserves praise. You¡­ what a waste.¡±

    Julius flinched and looked at Akshetra.

 Chapter 110

    She looked at Kaichen regretfully. She had an excellent eye for spotting potential in people. She should have seen through Kaichen¡¯s ability and his extraordinary talent. It was natural for those who had ambition to want powerful people on their side. Akshetra was no different. Kaichen, on the other hand, had not taken a side yet. Julius was worried. It would be a great damage to him if Kaichenplied with the princess.

    There is no way Kaichen will turn his back on me, thought Julius. But what if he did it for Countess Alshine?! He is a madman in love. He could do anything. Julius stared at Kaichen who waspletely unaware of his friend¡¯s concerns. Kaichen would never turn his back on his friend. He had had so many opportunities and yet he had stayed.

    Julius thought, not for the first time, that Akshetra was more worthy than him to take the ce of the emperor. If he hadn¡¯te across her cruelty he would have happily stepped down and let her be the ruler.

    Kaichen knew Akshetra and how cruel she could be if she wanted to. But Julius still worried. He knew his friend wasn¡¯t someone who bothered about other people. If Akshetra gave him what he wanted, Julius thought he might turn sides. It wasn¡¯t that Julius didn¡¯t trust Kaichen. It was just that he knew Kaichen was a very practical man. Besides, people did crazy things for love. Julius¡¯ worries were understandable.

    ¡°There is nothing to regret,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°Unless you continue harming Acrab then you will face the full force of my power.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to fight me too?¡± asked Akshetra.

    ¡°That depends on you.¡±

    Akshetra¡¯s easy smile disappeared from her face at Kaichen¡¯s words. It was a warning. The coldness in her stare to freeze the air in the room, and yet Kaichen did not budge.

    ¡°I am telling you for thest time,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°Please take your hands off Acrab.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I already told you,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°I will do everything in my power to defend it.¡±

    Julius was shocked. He turned to look at Kaichen. He had thought that he followed Kaichen needlessly. But now, his heart soared. His worries were put at ease. Kaichen would never join Akshetra.

    He felt foolish and selfish to be feeling happy at a time like this. He felt thankful to this madman and countess Alshine. Kaichen would never join hands with someone who had been involved in harming Countess Alshine.

    It also meant that Acrab and Countess Alshine had suffered too much of a damage for kaichen to feel so strongly about it. The countess suffered from the poisoning, as did half of Acrab. She had been trapped in time magic before that. She must have gone through unimaginable pain. Julius was surprised to find her still sane after going through so much.

    ¡°It is funny that you are provoking me for a fight,¡± said Akshetra. ¡°I wonder why Acrab is so precious to you. Why are you obsessed with the ce?¡± She smiled again. ¡°What are you hiding there?¡± Akshetra¡¯s cold blue eyes shone. She tapped the armrest of the sofa with her fingernails. ¡°Or, are you trying to protect something? Someone?¡± Akshetra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Countess Alshine is safe, is she not? Even though the time magic made her suffer so much, she is alive and well in her estate. That, in itself, is very fascinating.¡±

    Aksetra¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°I will do as you want. If the epidemic does not continue to spread, them the empire is safe. There will be no reason for me to target Acrab.¡±

    Akshetra raised a hand and propped her chin on it. ¡°Only¡­ Countess Alshine and her estate has suffered so much damage. Whatever should I do to help?¡± she asked, in mock worry. ¡°I heard the countess has been having a difficult time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a rumour,¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Hm,¡± she said. ¡®I think it¡¯s true. I heard she finds it hard to manage hernd.¡±

    ¡°It is not bad to the extent that the Imperial Princess has to worry.¡±

    ¡°But the fact remains that my ¡®mistake¡¯ has posed a great threat to Acrab, isn¡¯t that so? I mustpensate for the damage.¡±

    ¡°There is no need,¡± said Kaichen, refusing to back down.

    ¡°Are you the Lord of Acrab?¡±

    Julius didn¡¯t like where this was heading. He saw Kaichen clench his fist. ¡°The countess might, of course, ask for help,¡± he interrupted hurriedly. ¡°I would like to meet her personally and apologize to her for all this mess. I can apologize on behalf of the whole family.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julius. ¡°It won¡¯t look good if you went out of your way to apologize to the people of Acrab. It may undermine the dignity of the Imperial family. Leave that to me.¡±

    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t want to burden you, little brother,¡± she said. ¡°Won¡¯t the dignity of the Imperial family be undermined if the Crown Prince himself is seen apologizing to the countess?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Julius, trying to diffuse the situation. ¡°I can¡¯tpare myself to you! I will also take care of thepensation. I will make sure I give a proper reward on behalf of you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Akshetra looked displeased at Julius¡¯ intervention but she couldn¡¯t risk taking on the trouble and having her name smeared.

 Chapter 111

    ¡°Countess Alshine is still recovering from the damage she suffered in the time magic,¡± said Julius. ¡°It would be better to give her some time.¡± Kaichen looked at him. Julius slightly shook his head at his friend, gesturing to him to not interrupt. ¡°I think it would be better to decide on a ceter. It would also work to reiterate the generosity and gratitude of the royal family towards the people. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Akshetra pondered that for a while. She nodded. ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be too long till we get to meet the countess.¡±

    Julius smiled brightly. He told her that he would take care of the arrangements as well. After bidding farewell, Julius almost dragged Kaichen out of the Rodren pce. It was only after they passed the snapdragon did Kaichen shake of his arm from Julius¡¯ grip.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°What is it now?¡± asked Julius, seeing his friend ring at him. ¡°Do you want me to call the countess here right now and serve her on a tter to the imperial family? You know how my sister is! She has already noticed that you are going out of your way to protect the countess.¡±

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Look, what are you trying to do? Are you trying to protect the countess or are you dering to the world that she is yours?¡±

    Kaichen sighed and lowered his head to look at the ground. ¡°Did I make it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°Kaichen, you took her in as your disciple when you have taken no disciples at all in the past. You then epted the call from the imperial family meant for her. You are being really reckless with your words with my sister. Who wouldn¡¯t notice it?¡± said Julius. ¡°I know, right now, that¡¯s the only thing that matters to you. You want to keep her safe. But you need to tread carefully.¡±

    Julius let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Kaichen was victorious but he had almost shown his weakness. Anybody could use that against him.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Julius. ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad. We have avoided it for now. But she will definitely want to meet the countess. Till now, she was a medium so the magicians were after her to study her. But now my sister has her sight onto her. I am sure the Momalhaut will target her more than ever. We will have to be prepared.¡±

    The connection between Akshetra and Momalhaut was a known fact but they didn¡¯t really have concrete evidence to convict her. She was the Princess and she was powerful. She had taken the reins of the kingdom when the emperor had been useless in his duties. Even if the emperor cared for Julius, he only took advice on matters of the kingdom from his sister. She could always confront Julius and he wouldn¡¯t have anything to fight her with. It was a disadvantageous fight.

    Themotion in Acrab hadn¡¯t done so much damage. The craftsmen were disappointed but they wouldn¡¯t revolt against the empire. The majority of them were Kalhai Empire citizens. If this had happened somewhere else like Garten where the majority of the citizens were people of the Old Kingdom, it would have been a disaster.

    Momalhaut¡¯s power would have increased significantly. The thought sent a shiver down his back. He pped Kaichen yfully on the back. ¡°Come on. There is no way out of this. The only way out is through. We need to be strong enough to not be defeated even if we have to go against them.¡±

    ¡°You just make sure the countess bes stronger too. So, she won¡¯t be swayed like before.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t continue. Julius knew his friend had intended to say more but now he looked like he wanted to run and hide somewhere where no one could reach him. He must want to hide her somewhere safe.

    ¡°I will give you some time. Just prepare for any possibility. Countess Alshine is already receiving attention from some powerful people.¡±

    Juliusughed out loud hearing Kaichen sigh in frustration.

    * * *

    Kaichen ended up giving me the key to his safe, Julius told me everything. He told me he was trying topensate me for the damage caused by Princess Akshetra. Acrab required money to recover. In addition to thepensation from the imperial family, Julius wanted to give me the funds from his personal safe.

    However, Kaichen had refused. He was of the opinion that a teacher was responsible for his disciple¡¯s life. So, he offered his key which was how it ended up with me. While telling me this, Julius tried to hold back hisughter but Kaichen scowled. I awkwardly thanked Julius before themunication was cut off. Julius had wanted to talk with Kaichen a little more but Kaichen had refused.

    After a short, tired sigh, Kaichen asked me about my ns for the future.

    ¡°I have to manage thend first. I don¡¯t want the people of Acrab to suffer even more,¡± I had told him.

    ¡°After that?¡±

    ¡°I want to learn proper magic from you. I don¡¯t want to be helpless ever again.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ When Acrab bes a better ce then I want to livefortably.¡±

    Kaichen nodded. He had left saying he would be back soon. He disappeared with his teleportation magic. I stared at the empty spot where he had been moments before.

    ¡°Well, I never thought he would cherish his one and only disciple this much.¡± I wondered if this was how it felt to be recognized and acknowledged. It was great to receive Kaichen¡¯s approval but it felt a little awkward. I had different feelings for him.

    The more he acknowledged and cared for me as his disciple, the more difficult it felt for me to confess about the feelings I felt for him. Sometimes, it felt like he was drawing a line which I couldn¡¯t cross. Well¡­ there is time. I will approach him slowly. Maybe he has never been in a rtionship before.

 Chapter 112

    If I get too close too fast, he might run away from me. So, I decided to take it slowly. Themotion passed in Acrab without any significant damage, all thanks to Kaichen. I even had enough funds now to get Acrab back on its feet.

    The reward from the state was 2,000 gold coins. The overdue bill from the count of the neighbouring state was 1,000 gold coins. When I have set the merchant¡¯s organization back up again, I will make sure I build a new path that doesn¡¯t cross from his territory. The toll was too expensive to pay every time.

    It was a ridiculouslyrge amount but the owner of the estate could charge the toll as they saw fit. Unfortunately, Acrab was in no position to oppose neighbours at this time. He knew this and took advantage of the fact that when the merchants crossed the Mencar Mountains, they had to feed themselves and rest in his territory.

    It was because of him that the merchants in Acrab had dwindled because they hadn¡¯t been able to carry on with their businesses. A group of bandits had settled on the Mencar mountains. That problem had to be dealt with, as well. I made a mental list of the things I needed to do:

    First, rid the monsters around the mine.

    Second, get rid of the bandits in the Mencar Mountains.

    Third, put an end to the wickedness of the Count beyond the mountain range.

    I got up from my seat and paced my room. I tried to supress the anger that surged within me. With magic, I can easily get rid of the monsters and the bandits. They weren¡¯t such great problems. Kaichen could teach me how to. If not, there were alternative solutions. I just need time to figure them out.

    ¡°The problem is him.¡± I left the mansion thinking about the count whose name I didn¡¯t even remember. I wanted to meet Las. He would know. After paying the toll fee, I will have exactly 1000 gold coins left. With that, could hire employees to manage the estate.

    Dalia went too far to fire everyone. It was surprising that Acrab was still functioning. There was no one taking care of estate management, tax management and administrative work. It was lucky that Acrab hadn¡¯t faced economic copse. Of course, all employees in the past had been greedy and selfish but they had still done their work to keep Acrab functioning. But now, there was no one managing anything.

    When I opened the door to Las¡¯ tavern, he ran to me with a startled look. ¡°Miss! I mean countess! How are you feeling? I saw you. You didn¡¯t look too good but I didn¡¯t know you were poisoned!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s alright now. Teacher helped me immensely. And why are you calling me ¡®Countess¡¯? Just call me whatever you call me usually. It¡¯s awkward.¡± I pulled out a barstool and sat down.

    Las shook his head. ¡°I have to address you properly. I heard about the things you did for Acrab.¡±

    What did Kaichen tell them exactly?

    ¡°I heard that you only came to your senses yesterday,¡± said Las. ¡°Why are you out and about? You should be resting.¡±

    ¡°I have a favour to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°Alright. But first a ss of orange juice!¡± Las hurried into the kitchen. I could feel the gazes directed at me. Las¡¯ tavern, which functioned as a restaurant in the day, had several people already sitting on the tables. They looked at me eagerly. It felt strange and awkward to acknowledge them. It still felt like they would spit at me if I greeted them.

    Las set a ss of orange juice on the countertop. ¡°So, what do you need from me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know when merchants cross the Mencar mountains, they rest in a ce which falls in the territory of the neighbouring lord? What is his name?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about Count Vega?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t remember much these days, so can you tell me a little bit about Count Vega?¡± At the mention of the count¡¯s name, as scowled.

    ¡°Even your memory¡­,¡± he said sadly. He sounded like Angle. What did Kaichen say to these people about me? I thought it would be troublesome to ask that so I just smiled.

    ¡°When you cross the Mencar Mountains, you can see Vega Territory right away. Count Sheliak Vega is the lord.¡±

    ¡°In the past, I assumed there was no toll fee for merchants travelling from Acrab. Do you have any idea why they have suddenly asked us to pay the toll?¡±

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t help it,¡± said Las. That surprised me. I thought he would curse at the count for putting such burden on Acrab. But Las had aplicated expression on his face. ¡°Because of the sudden appearance of a group of bandits in the Mencar mountains, Acrab¡¯s business faltered. In the past, merchants crossed the mountain and rested in the count¡¯s territory where they spent their money, contributing to their economy. But now, the best thing the newly appointed count could do was charge a small amount of toll as the number of merchants travelling there dwindled. I think he was trying to save the Vega economy for the future. But I heard that he was very apologetic about it and charged only a very small amount.¡±

 Chapter 113

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Acrab has the benefit of tax exemption because it is the city of craftsmen but Vega doesn¡¯t have such privilege.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember,¡± said Las. ¡°Count Vega sent hired mercenaries for mine development here for Acrab. But he could no longer function on trust alone so he cancelled it. Things aren¡¯t going well in Vega too.¡±

    ¡°Did he carry on the deal based only on trust with my predecessor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Count Vega and Count Alshine, your father, were very good friends.¡±

    I sighed. I guessed that Count Vega couldn¡¯t trust Dalia who inherited the title so he must have taken the mercenaries back.

    ¡°He asked us for 1000 gold coins as the toll fee. Is that supposed to be a small amount?¡±

    ¡°Ideally, the ie generated by Acrab should have been a lot higher. Since, this city is a hotspot for craftsmen who frequently travel in and out of the city, the economy should have flourished. Since the number of merchants dwindled, he must have calcted the toll based on the supposed figure of ie. For an estate asrge as Acrab, 1000 gold coins won¡¯t even be enough expense for a year. Count Vega is asking for only that much even when it has been decades.¡±

    ¡°One year¡­. So, is Count Vega asking for that amount of money to save his own estate at least for another year?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I felt hopeless. In order for Vega estate to earn an ie, the merchants needed to be able to pass the mountains again. For that, the merchant organization needed to be set in ce. The current merchant organization had been halted because the min development had stopped because of the bandits in the Mencar mountains. The bandits were a problem.

    Neither Acrab nor Vega had the power and the resources to evict them from the mountain. The business faltered because of this hurdle. Vega had withdrawn when Arab suffered, understandably so. It must have been difficult for them to manage the mine development alone and to hire mercenaries in our stead.

    ¡°If we manage to get rid of the bandits in the mountains, will Vega be willing to resume trade rtions with us again?¡±

    ¡°I believe that would be a plus point. We might be exempted from the toll fee of the Vega estate like in the past. But hiring mercenaries for work might prove to be tricky. The Mercenary Association needs to believe that Acrab is still thriving.¡±

    ¡°I thought Vega had lent us the mercenaries for the mine development.¡±

    ¡°Vega was sort of a middle ground. They hired the mercenaries from the Mercenary Association and lent them to us.¡±

    ¡°Why though? Why didn¡¯t we hire them directly?¡±

    Las looked at me sadly. ¡°Miss¡­ I mean Countess, your memory truly isn¡¯t back, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I urged him to answer first. ¡°The former Countess Alshine, your mother, was the only daughter of the head of the Mercenary Association.¡±

    I was shocked. This was my first-time hearing about it! I didn¡¯t really have Dalia¡¯s memory so it was expected.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t approve of your father. So, they eloped. The head of the Mercenary Association saw it as slight to his honour. He saw your father as someone who stole away his precious daughter. So, he didn¡¯t want to do any business with the Alshines.¡±

    So, Count Alshine couldn¡¯t hire mercenaries. He had no choice but to turn to his close friend for help. The head of the association agreed to deal with Count Vega, secretly caring for his daughter¡¯s well-being. But her parents died in a carriage ident. The head of the Mercenary Association might have broken off the deal with Count Vega in grief and anger.

    Doesn¡¯t he care about his own granddaughter who has to manage the estate all alone? Maybe he hs no affection for a granddaughter he has never met. I guess blood isn¡¯t really thicker than water in this world. I sighed. My head started pounding.

    ¡°If you try to patch things up with the head of the Mercenary Association, you won¡¯t have to depend on Count Vega to hire mercenaries for you. The mine development would resume without a problem. Also, if you can manage to get rid of the bandits in the mountain, then you can just pay the toll and use the path. It would benefit both Acrab and Vega.¡±

    ¡°So, that was why you said there was nothing the count could do. He got involved without knowing too many things rted to us.¡±

    I was ashamed. I had called Count Vega ungrateful. Sheliak Vega had to take over the title in a hurry because his father had died a few months ago. That was why the toll bill was sent to me so suddenly. Maybe I should have a meeting with him. A proper conversation to sort things out.

    First, I decided to pay the toll fee because it seemed Vega was in need of it. As Las said, 1000 gold coins wasn¡¯t much of an amount to run an estate. It would help the estate for only a year. Was Count Vega looking for other alternatives to earn more money to help his estate after a year?

    There is no choice but to help each other out. Before I received thepensation from the royal family and Kaichen¡¯s key to his safe with permission to borrow funds, I was driven to the edge with stress. Sheliak must be feeling the same right now.

    ¡°Umm, Countess,¡± said Las, as I set the empty ss down on the countertop. ¡°Did you really be a magician?¡±

    It was a very random question in the light of all the things happening now. It wasn¡¯t just Las who wanted to know as well. The eyes of the people inside the restaurant shone as they looked at me expectantly.

    ¡°Yes, I became the Kaichen¡¯s disciple.¡±

    ¡°I heard Acrab was involved in forbidden magic. Is it true?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ it was.¡±

    ¡°Are there any consequences for us because of that?¡±

 Chapter 114

    ¡°No, because forbidden magic only affects the medium.¡±

    Lars made a surprised face, then suddenly said with a distorted face,

    ¡°Then, as rumored, the Countess¡­¡­ Did you be a medium? They say that if you be a Medium, you¡¯ll end up as a total wreck¡­¡± It has not been announced properly so I didn¡¯t know there was already a rumor going around. Kaichen and Julius said that everything became known unexpectedly, but they did not say that it had spread throughout the empire.

    ¡°Teacher helped. I was away for a while, right? That¡¯s when I got some treatment.¡± I spat it out as if it was a trivial matter, but Las¡¯ expression was still distorted.

    ¡°We¡­ really without knowing anything¡­¡±

    ¡°No! No, of course, you didn¡¯t know. Because I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± His tears were about to start pouring out, so I groaned and stood up. I heard the information I needed, so there was no need to stay longer.

    ¡°Miss¡­ No, Countess¡­¡±

    ¡°Then Las, I¡¯lle again!¡± I squinted and looked at Lrs, but it seemed like he was going to hold onto me, so I waved and hurried out of the restaurant.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± But when I left the restaurant, I was taken aback to see the locals of Acrab buzzing around me. No wonder I could feel so many eyes on me when I came to the store. They must have gathered one by one to see me.

    ¡®This is not good.¡¯ There is no one that I¡¯m unfamiliar with. I remember the names, faces, family rtions, and everything else of over three thousand Acrab residents. Even what I did to them. It can never be pleasant to be surrounded and looked at by them like this.

    ¡°Hu¡­ Huu¡­¡± When I took a deep breath as much as possible and said ¡®It¡¯s okay¡¯ in my mind many times, Jenny, who I was familiar with, approached me, wrangling her hands.

    ¡°Countess¡­ You know, dad is healthy now.¡± When I looked up, I could see Jamie standing awkwardly holding Jenny¡¯s younger brother. I gently patted Jenny¡¯s head and smiled.

    ¡°Good for you Jenny, you don¡¯t have to worry about your dad anymore.¡±

    ¡°Dad said it was all thanks to the Countess,¡± Said Jenny and took a flower out of her arms. The flower that was crushed in the child¡¯s arms was a small dandelion flower. Seeing the pretty yellow flower, I carefully epted it and sent Jenny back.

    Holding the flower that the child had given me in my hands, I nced at the people gathered around me. My eyes throbbed as if they were telling me not to forget. My heartbeat uneasily and my breath became rapid.

    The friendly gaze towards me was burdensome. I had be better but it was still too much for me. Besides, just a few days ago, I had to witness a terrible memory vividly. I came out thinking that it would be okay, but when I was surrounded like this, my body showed signs of anxiety. ¡®Ah, this is really annoying.¡¯ Isn¡¯t this what it¡¯s like to not be able to do as you want? When I wondered if I was going to repeat the same thing as before, golden magic shed in front of me.

    ¡°Why are you out already?¡± It was such a sweet remark that I doubted if it really was the voice I knew. Kaichen appeared in front of me in an instant and reached out to me staring at my face. He ruffled my hair lightly and said slowly,

    ¡°What a stupid expression.¡± It¡¯s because I was so surprised. I held the dandelion flower that Jenny gave me in one hand and looked up at him quietly. Kaichen looked at me without saying a word, then patted the top of my head and turned his back. At that time, the gazes of the people surrounding me were blocked. It was thanks to Kaichen¡¯srge body.

    ¡®What is this exactly?¡¯ I was surprised at how Kaichen, who disappeared and suddenly appeared, knew I was here, but I was even more surprised at how he didn¡¯t mind receiving attention on my behalf even though he didn¡¯t like to appear in front of people.

    ¡°I believe I told you not to act like this.¡± At Kaichen¡¯s brief words, the gathered crowd flinched and tensed up.

    ¡°B-but¡­ We wanted to say thank you,¡± said someone. I stared at Kaichen¡¯s wide back and thought hard about what the hell happened.

    ¡°I told you to say thank you through a letter.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°I also said that there are no buts.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you guys want to make the lord who has barely recovered fall ill again?¡± The surrounding air cooled down. The people gathered seemed to have a lot to say, but one by one, they reluctantly left. Over Kaichen¡¯s shoulder, I could see Jenny waving her hand lightly. Exactly what did Kaichen tell to the people of Acrab? Raising my head, I couldn¡¯t contain my curiosity and looking at Kaichen¡¯s back I asked,

    ¡°Teacher, what did you say to people?¡±

    ¡°Not much¡­ I told them to not bother you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The lord needs stability, so I told them not to say thank you or apologize or anything.¡± As I blinked my eyes and tilted my head, Kaichen suddenly looked at me again and put his hand on my head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but you¡­ you find people here ufortable.¡± Then he turned his head. When I didn¡¯t respond to him saying that he did it for me, Kaichen twitched his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Should we go?¡±

 Chapter 115

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Following his lead as he walked, I thought about how to organize my mind full of confusion. But, I could only think about it, but it was hard to actually find a way. Kaichen had be apletely different person and it was to the extent that I kept asking myself if he had gone crazy. Kaichen, who had been silent for a while, asked me as if he had suddenly remembered something.

    ¡°I heard that in order to revive the territory, the mines that have stopped must be redeveloped. Have you thought of a way?¡±

    ¡°In order to subdue monsters, I have to hire mercenaries, but there is aplicated history with the Mercenary Association, so hiring them directly will be difficult, so I¡¯m still thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°Did you say there are many monsters in the mine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so after learning magic from you, I think I¡¯ll do subjugation myself.¡± I sneakily told him to teach me some attack magic, but Kaichen didn¡¯t say that he would teach me, he just quietly nodded his head.

    ¡°Do you know what kind of monsters there are?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had about 100 middle-level mercenaries repel them once a week, so I don¡¯t think there are any powerful monsters. ording to the report, it seems the monsters that act as a group are inhabiting it.¡±

    ¡°Then there is a high probability that there will be rock monsters too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re tough-skinned and tricky, but they¡¯re going around alone, so they are worth the fight. The materials they drop after being knocked down are also quite expensive.¡±

    Even in the Mercenary Association, subjugating the monsters in the Acrab Mine would have been a good ce to work. Although the association head broke the contract because he was petty, the materials that came out of monsters after defeating them were all expensive magic materials.

    It is said that the previous Count Alshine gave the mercenaries all the materials that came out after subjugating the monsters in that way to build trust. Then what? The president of the association is petty!

    After all, Acrab is a production city. Killing monsters and things they dropped was used not only as a magic material but also as a production material, so handling it right away was advantageous. I grumbled about my rtionship with the Mercenary Association, the bandits of the Mencar Mountains, and Count Vega.

    ¡°At the end of the day, everything was messed up because of my parents who eloped. I want to talk to him, but it will take some time. Grandfather¡­ so, I have a feeling that talking with the head of the Mercenary Association will not work.¡±

    He was a man who pushed his granddaughter to the edge of a cliff just because his daughter died. Even if I didn¡¯t see him it was obvious how much of an old-fashioned mind he would have. I was more troubled by the hunch that he was not someone I could deal with only by talking. Besides, as before, I couldn¡¯t even sign a contract through Count Vega, so it was just frustrating.

    ¡®As expected, I have no choice but to do it myself.¡¯ I nced at Kaichen. Judging from his actions now, he seems like he will do anything, so I think he will teach me a few attack magic.

    ¡°If you teach me so that I can subdue monsters, I think I will be able to solve it for now¡­¡± When I spoke ambiguously, Kaichen said with an expressionless face,

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you magic. But it¡¯s dangerous for you to start subjugating monsters right away, so I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did you say bandits from the Mencar Mountains? His Highness the Crown Prince said that their sudden appearance was suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± I couldn¡¯t even respond to his mouth dropping statement, so Kaichen looked at me and said the same words as before,

    ¡°Again, what a stupid expression.¡± His low-pitched voice, contrary to what he said, was extremely sweet. It was so warm, so hot, it was so dazzling that I closed my eyes without realizing it, and it felt like blood was rushing to my head. It is said that when a person changes suddenly like this, they are going to die soon.

    ¡°Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you so nice to me?¡± Kaichen flinched and stopped walking. And the eyes looking at me seemed to say, ¡®Yeah, she is this kind of person.¡¯ Blinking my eyes wide, waiting for an answer, he answered with a short sigh,

    ¡°Because you are my disciple.¡±

    ¡°Are you this nice to anyone if they¡¯re a disciple?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, since you¡¯re the only disciple I have.¡± Kaichen said and started walking again. As we walked together on the familiar road to the mansion, I asked, ignoring my tickling heart.

    ¡°Then will you be this nice to your next disciple?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡±

    ¡°Yes? You will be, right?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of having a new disciple.¡± After saying that, Kaichen looked at the mansion. We had arrived before we knew it and then turned to me. My body winced by itself.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and go in and rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You are my only disciple, and you will always be. I have no intention of making any disciples other than you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bothersome.¡± After answering lightly, he opened the door that no longer made a squeaking noise and pushed me in.

    ¡°What about you, teacher? Aren¡¯t youing in?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would take care of it instead?¡± You mean you¡¯re doing that right now? I reached out to grab him, but Kaichen mmed the mansion¡¯s gate shut.

    ¡°Go in and rest. I¡¯m telling you again, you need to take aplete rest.¡± I nodded unconsciously at his fierce words. Then Kaichen disappeared, scattering golden magic. His eyes were surprisingly warm.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s his first time having a disciple?¡± There is no way to know, but I think I can revive Acrab more easily than I thought.

 Chapter 116

    It is only natural for time to pass. No matter how much magic stops the world, you can¡¯t force the flow of time or life to stop.

    Akshetra opened her eyes gently. She looked at the garden full of flowers, which were forced to bloom by magic in a myriad of colors. She tore down all the walls of the imperial pce and reced them with windows so that the garden can be seen from anywhere ¨C the bedroom, office or living room. For her, the most enjoyable time was quietly sipping a cup of tea and admiring the gorgeous snapdragon garden. However, her fun time didn¡¯t feel enjoyable recently because the n she had thoroughly devised went awry.

    ¡°Asta.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Asta, her loyal right-hand man, answered straight away. He was standing upright with his back against the study door, silently guarding it. Akshetra, who didn¡¯t need to look at him to know how he was standing, tapped on the table and said, ¡°Come here and sit.¡±

    It¡¯s been over ten years since she forced him to sit across from her and drink tea. Asta walked over like a well-made doll and sat across from her. The way he fixed his eyes on the table and slightly bowed was the same as before. Akshetra wondered how he could be exactly the same. She pondered over whether the time was only flowing for her.

    ¡°Asta, do you see this as aplete defeat for me?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend like it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was a failure because you didn¡¯t gain anything,¡± Asta replied hesitantly. Akshetra smiled at his honest reply. The flowers in the colorful garden hurt her eyes, but she didn¡¯t take her eyes off them because she liked to think while looking at the dazzling colors.

    ¡°You know, it turns out I gained something.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you curious?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Akshetra let out a short chuckle. Asta still had his eyes fixed on the table, not looking properly at her face even once. He could look at the colorful snapdragons outside the window, even a little, but Asta never did anything on his own except for certain actions. She was satisfied that she was the one who made him act like that. Well-made doll. For Akshetra, Asta was such an existence. A loyal servant who does anything for her and carries out his duties without the slightest distraction.

    ¡°The future has changed.¡±

    ¡°The prophecy¡­ is wrong?¡±

    ¡°Prophecy¡­ Yes, you can call it that.¡± She tied her blue hair up, so the nape of her neck was exposed. ¡°Someone also might have changed the future I decided.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Does that mean that there is someone who sees the future like Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe someone knows the story¡­ it could be. Do you remember? The original future we talked about.¡±

    When she looked at Asta with curious eyes, he answered, ¡°Dalia Alshine, the lord of Acrab, bes a medium of time magic, and Kaichen Tenebre saves Acrab, but Countess Alshine, who is a medium, has already gone crazy and is taken to the Magic Tower to study the time magic.¡±

    ¡°And what has changed now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The process was the same, but the results changed. Countess Dalia Alshine did not go crazy and did not go to the magic tower.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. And now, she became a disciple of the Archmage Kaichen Tenebre, and she survived and calmed down themotion I had made.¡±

    Of course, the Acrab epidemic was hushed up by Kaichen¡¯s reckless response, but the damage was serious. It was even more so because it was something she had been preparing for a long time.

    The reason why she left Guarten alone and chose Acrab was that in the not too distant future, Acrab would be a city connecting Julius and the eastern continent. ¡®I did it despite the loss, but only because¡­¡­ It all changed just because Dalia Alshine survived without going crazy.¡¯ In the first ce, the woman should have been dead by now. Akshetra, as she habitually tapped on the table, observed Asta in front of her.

    It is difficult to change fate. It was especially difficult in this world, where all fates were decided in the novel. Akshetra recalled her childhood, which was already more than a decade ago. When she first took possession of this woman¡¯s body, she had the thought ofpletely changing her destiny. However, by the time she possessed her body, Akshetra had alreadymitted irreparable sin.

    She put her hand on ck magic and sacrificed many lives to increase her magical power. It was the only way to increase magic power in a short time. In order to take away the pure magical power that everyone possesses, Akshetra did an ominous sacrifice as if it was nothing. It was at that point that she possessed Akshetra¡¯s body.

    It was not difficult to adapt because Akshetra¡¯s memory remained intact. In addition, she knew the ending of the novel and read all the extra stories. It was once a popr web novel and was even published as a paper book. It wasn¡¯t her taste, but she still read it, however, who would have thought that she would possess someone inside the story. For a moment, since she knew all the stories, she wondered if she could undo everything then when the novel still had not unfolded. Of course, it was only for a moment.

 Chapter 117

    ¡°If I die in the distant future, what will you do?¡± When she asked Asta while recalling the memories, he answered unshakably.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it. Because if Princess dies it means that I have already died.¡±

    Asta¡¯s words made her feel a little better when he said that if Akshetra died, he would have already died protecting her. It was unconditional loyalty that was close to brainwashing. Askhetra knows her own future.

    Julius eventually bes emperor, and Akshetra, whomitted all kinds of evil acts, is brutally stoned to death in front of the people of the Empire. It would be better not to know such a future, but it was a novel she had already read. The ending of the viiness was refreshing, and the death of the cruel Akshetra gave the readers a catharsis.

    However, after bing that woman, she realized how unreasonable the world was. Just because he was chosen as the main character, this world flowed exclusively around Julius. The good-natured protagonist made her sick to her stomach. A guy who can¡¯t do anything suddenly bes the main character! Sess was already his and failure was Akshetra¡¯s. Living with a fixed destiny was boring; however, it was not in her nature to give up and do nothing, even if a clear death awaited her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just watch my right-hand man die, can I?¡±

    ¡°Princess¡­ Did you really see the future where you will die?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, the future has already changed. Dalia Alshine should have been dead already. The future has already changed because of her. Yes¡­ I¡¯ve just confirmed that I might not die too, so I can¡¯t think of this as a huge loss.¡±

    A possibility. Akshetra felt that way when she thought about Dalia Alshine. Even if the events changed a little, the fate of the character did not change. That¡¯s what Akshetra thought before this incident happened. The path of the viin required countless efforts.

    It is surprisingly difficult. Good deeds are rather easy. All one had to do was help others or do what they wanted without thinking. Good deeds did not require any special ¡®ability¡¯ and it could be done without money. In particr, it was so easy to be a good person in a world where you clearly know what will happen in the future. She once thought about living like that, but it didn¡¯t go her way.

    ¡®I did my best.¡¯ But destiny made it so that Akshetra Kalhai must be a viin. It means that as the viin of this novel, she had to do the work given to her. So, she prepared more thoroughly than the original Akshetra and honed her abilities even more.

    I know I can¡¯t beat Julius, the swordmaster, and Kaichen, the Archmage, even if I do my best. They were crazy people with no weaknesses. So she thought not to try to win by force, but to create a situation that can¡¯t be helped and drive them into a corner.

    She made the emperor, who could not forget his beloved empress, addicted to drugs, and turned him into a puppet. She has be the perfect princess: kind on the outside, cares about the people, and can do anything be it politics, economy or culture.

    In the original work, Akshetra often expressed her anxiety outwardly and couldn¡¯t hide her temper, so many people murmured about her, but this was not the case now. Many people look up to her. The nobles are dissatisfied with the emperor¡¯s choice to make Julius the crown prince, who cared more about the people than the nobles.

    Since the great flow of fate could not be changed, she has changed it little by little. However, the forbidden magic case of Acrab. To give an ordeal to Count Alshine, who was not moving ording to her will, Akshetra disguised Momalhaut as a band of thieves and blocked the path of the Mencar Mountains.

    In addition, Dalia Alshine had a love-hate rtionship with Kaichen Tenebre, so she thought she was a good prey to torment Julius. That¡¯s why he killed Count Alshine and his wife, who tried to join hands with Julius, and disguised it as a carriage ident. It is only at the end of the story that Akshetra¡¯s atrocities are revealed. In the end, all the misfortunes in this world were caused by Akshetra.

    ¡®However, that woman is alive.¡¯ That¡¯s how fate changed. The fate of the character did not change no matter what she did. Akshetra couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Even though the long-prepared event went to waste, her heart was pounding and she felt good because she saw a possibility.

    ¡°Asta, I always thought that I was the only one who could see the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But, thinking about it, it turns out it¡¯s not necessarily like that. Besides me, there may be another person who can see the future.¡± She smiled. It was chilling.

    There is a possessor besides herself. Just bing aware of that possibility made Akshetra happy with this failure.

    How can I express this feeling, this joy? What exactly is the excitement that makes my head twitch? What is it that I really want? ¨C Asked Akshetra herself and the corners of her mouth went up automatically.

    ¡°I have no intention of dying, Asta.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°I have to work hard to be victorious in this unreasonable battle.¡± She pushedplicated calctions and thoughts into a corner for a while. Her body heated up with an unexpected shudder. She smiled, reached out and stroked Asta¡¯s hair.

    Her precious doll.

    A child who will someday die at the hands of Julius while defending Akshetra. A child who will not betray her no matter what. Asta, a loyal right-hand man and the only man Akshetra has ever truly opened her heart to.

 Chapter 118

    ¡°Asta,e here.¡± Asta silently got up from his seat. Akshetra stroked his cheek. His skin was so soft it was hard to believe it belonged to a man. Her fingertips lowered to his neck.

    ¡°Mm.¡± It felt like her lower body was already quivering. She stuck out her tongue and moistened her lips. She ced her hands on the nape of his neck. He hugged her without a word.

    Contrary to how soft and pretty his face was, the body that embraced her was broad and muscr. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a hot breath. She bit his earlobe gently. Her body trembled. Akshetra lowered her head and whispered in his ear. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±

    Her voice did not hide her passion. Even though it was midday and the sun was high up in the sky dazzling her colorful garden, she did not care. She wanted him. Asta opened the door connected to the study and carried her inside. There was only onerge bed in that antechamber.

    It was ced there so one could rest if one was tired from working in the study all night. But Akshetra had another use for it.

    ¡°Mm¡­.¡± Akshetra teased his neck. She did not hide her arousal. Laying down on the bed, she watched Asta breathing raggedly. She pulled him and he leaned over her without hesitation. Their hot lips met. Asta expressionlessly followed her guidance. His soft tongue slid between her hastily opened lips.

    ¡°Haah.¡± His thing was already touching her thigh and it was bing hard. Generally, Asta was unyielding and unaffected by anything but when Akshetra initiated this, his defenses fell apart. She quite liked that. His tongue, which was familiar to her mouth, teased the roof of her mouth.

    His soft, moist tongue made her impatient. Asta rolled his tongue and rubbed the tip of her lips. Akshetra dly obliged. As they kissed, he shuddered and lifted the hem of her dress.

    ¡°Haah.¡± She exhaled through her slightly opened lips. Asta pecked and sucked on her lips and lifted her slightly. He looked at her questioningly as though asking for permission. His lips twitched. He was falling apart. Akshetra smiled.

    ¡°Just do it,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Asta always apologized for no reason at all whenever they were in the middle of something like this. His lips came down rougher than before. His tongue was frantic inside her mouth, going in and out. Akshetra stroked his head as if praising him for the act.

    His kiss became deep and hurried. His tongue went wild inside her mouth. His movements became chaotic. He raised the hem of her dress up to her pelvis and pulled off her underwear. The hand that caressed the inside of her thigh made her gasp.

    ¡°Mm¡­ ahh.¡± With one of his hands tightly sping her waist to him, Akshetra spread her legs wide apart. Asta moved closer but his lips still coveted her mouth. His hand on her inner thigh moved closer to her sensitive parts now that her legs were open.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± He yed with her mouth and sucked at her lips. Their breathing came in gasps. His fingers which stroked her thigh suddenly plunged inside her.

    ¡°Hng¡­ ahh!¡± Akshetra m*aned. Asta¡¯s breath was hot on her skin. His eyes were red. His hands sent her reeling. He moved his fingers inside her as he chewed on her lips softly, careful not to hurt her.

    His finger stroked her between her legs and trailed to her erged cl*t. Akshetra shuddered and held him close as he squeezed and rubbed at her most sensitive part. His fingers moved more vigorously and the heat in her body rose to an extreme. He slid another finger inside her, digging deeper.

    ¡°Uggghh! Ahhh!¡± Her legs trembled. She couldn¡¯t withhold her m*ans any longer. Asta leaned over her and buried his face on the nape of her neck. His arms sped her waist tightly against him. His fingers inside her opened her up. Her juice flowed out.

    ¡°Ahh-ah! Uggnhh!¡± Her m*ans came in waves as liquid gushed out of her lower body. Asta¡¯s lips touched the nape of her neck. He licked it and kissed and sucked at it. But his fingers never stopped. His lips soon trailed to her ear and he slid his finger out from within her.

 Chapter 119

    ¡°Princess¡­,¡± whispered Asta. His face was buried into her neck. Akshetra felt his hardness and desperation in his voice. She stroked his hair.

    ¡°I told you, just do it. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± Whenever they did this, Asta always asked for her permission even when she had already given it. He always asked her if he could. He always restrained himself even when their bodies were ovepped and heated. All his ministration of caressing, kissing and ying with his fingers were to widen her entrance to receive him. She was already familiar with him. Even when his member was hard and about to burst, he held back asking her for her permission.

    He moved and positioned himself at her entrance. He entered her in one swift motion. ¡°Aaaah, Hnng.¡± She felt fulfilled as his thick member filled her insides.

    Asta groaned and loosened his arms around her waist. He lowered his body and raised her slightly. His eyes lowered to where they were joined. It was a l*wd sight. But his eyes always filled with worry at the sight and a hint of affection. He always made sure he was careful not to hurt his master. Akshetra hoped he would let go and move but she waited for him to befortable.

    ¡°Asta,¡± she whispered his name, trying to urge him on. His eyes slowly rose to look at her. His gaze was full of l*st.

    ¡°You can move now,¡± she said. Asta grabbed her thighs gently. Akshetra¡¯s waist tightened with anticipation.

    Asta¡¯s emotions overflowed in his eyes. Akshetra smiled. This was the only ce where Asta let down his guard and his defenses fell apart. Asta bit his lower lip and pushed his thick member inside her fiercely. When the tip hit her insides, she gasped and shuddered. She felt satisfied with this familiar feeling. Her waist quivered. His manh*od moved roughly inside her and slid out a little.

    ¡°Ohh, ahhh! Yes!¡± His blue eyes looked dreamy. She trembled with pleasure and the feeling of him inside her. Her lower body let out fluids to lubricate the entrance. A low m*an flowed from Asta¡¯s lips. The sound made Akshetra ecstatic and it gave her strength.

    ¡°Ngghh!¡± he m*aned.

    ¡°Hah, Ahhh! Ahh!¡± Akshetra wrapped her legs around Asta¡¯s waist and stretched out her hands. Asta leaned down and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he dug deep into her, a feeling of pleasure overwhelmed her.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Ahhh. Asta¡­ harder! Harder!¡± She hugged him tight. Asta trembled. His movement became rougher. He shut his eyes as he moved. Beads of sweat dotted his skin.

    ¡°Ahh, Ahhh! Haaahhh!¡± Her whole body trembled in pleasure. She m*aned at the sensation of being pounded, veins bulged on Asta¡¯s neck. His jaws stiffened. There was no way to slow down now. His thrusts increased in rhythm; their bodies crashed together. His face didn¡¯t show much emotion but he wrinkled his forehead and clenched his teeth and gr*aned in pleasure.

    Her rtionship with Asta wasn¡¯t in the original story. This rtionship they had was entirely her own creation. Destiny flowed around Julius as he was the protagonist. She could do anything as long as it didn¡¯t change the flow of the story around him.

    Akshetra closed her eyes as her body headed towards climax. She thought of her future. If Dalia was a possessor like her and she managed to be a disciple to Kaichen, then perhaps she had a chance too. Then the end of the novel probably might have changed. She looked forward to meeting Dalia Alshine one day.

    It is natural for time to flow. But there was a difference between knowing it and fighting for one¡¯s goal rather than plunging into the fight unknowingly. Akshetra didn¡¯t want to die. She wanted to be the emperor. The obvious ending was boring and unfair.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Princess¡­ hahhh. Ahhh!¡± As though he knew her mind was wandering, his throbbing member thrust even harder. When she was about to climax, she called out his name.

    ¡°Asta! More! Ahhh!¡± As his manh*od pierced her, Akshetra let out a sweet m*an.

    * * *

    <strong>Two yearster.</strong>

    Rattle¡ª rattle¡ª I was not used to the rattling of the carriage that shook vigorously, so I held back my vomit that threatened to erupt.

 Chapter 120

    I knew my face had turned pale. I opened the window of the carriage. The cold winter wind made my nose tingle. But if I didn¡¯t get any fresh air, I was afraid I would throw up my breakfast this morning.

    ¡°Countess, are you not feeling well?¡± asked Angel. I waved my hand lightly. I should have just used teleportation magic instead of being stubborn.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to go by carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It would be convenient to go with you by teleportation magic, but I wanted to try a carriage trip.¡±

    ¡°Why would you do something so bothersome?¡±

    ¡°Traveling is a hassle but it¡¯s nice to watch the scenery through the window.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I will go by carriage this time. Teacher, you can go first.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to go without you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will be ufortable in the carriage.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I will be staying at inns throughout the trip, which might not be clean. I know you don¡¯t like sleeping in ces like that.¡±

    ¡°It takes a long time to go by carriage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡­? It takes two months to reach. Are you telling me that¡­¡±?

    ¡°I won¡¯t bete, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Kaichen had stared at me for a while, first surprised and then annoyed. Then he disappeared after saying, ¡°Do as you like.¡±

    The reason I needed to travel to the Imperial Capital was because of Julius. He suggested that I go up to the capital and help him. It had been two years since the incident at Acrab. The summer passed smoothly and now it was time to wee the second winter, which was almost over. Then spring would arrive. Kaichen had been patient and generously helping me all this time.

    He had carried out the extermination of the monsters all alone for the redevelopment of the mines. He had set up a permanent barrier for my safety so that I could move throughout Acrab and the mines. He had set up such barriers on almost ten mines and informed me that the monsters won¡¯t be a problem for the future. The miners were shocked at first and then ran to the quarries to collect minerals which they hadn¡¯t done for such a long time.

    ¡°It can¡¯t block strong monsters, so you¡¯ll have to send subjugation squads periodically,¡± he had said. Monsters were an anomaly and could not be eradicatedpletely. It wasn¡¯t clear why they spawned every once in a while.

    At Kaichen¡¯s words, I created a Knights Order from the Alshine County in charge of subjugation of monsters in the future. About fifty people were selected from the city¡¯s security guards and moved to Alshine Squad. I gave Knights an annex in Alshine County, which was spacious enough to be used as their lodging. The annex had been empty and huge which I turned into a drill hall. I wondered if it had been built for exactly this purpose before from the way it was designed.

    There were only about fifty people for now but it made me feel proud that a proper order for Knights of Alshine County was finally a reality. Juliusughed heartily at the news but sent some paperwork and instructions for proper training.

    ¡°I know you like to drink and cook and work at your tavern but I must request you to work for the county as you did before.¡± I handed the papers and the training manual to Las and entrusted him with the training of the Knights.

    Las used to be the greatest of knights in the past. He hesitated but my persuasion worked. Kaichen had been reluctant to entrust the training to Las as themander of knights but when I told him there was no one as suitable and capable to do it in the whole of Acrab, he relented. Things were going very smoothly.

    Kaichen moved to deal with the problem at the Mencar Mountain, where Julius joined him. They suspected that the robbers were in fact the remnants from the Momalhaut group. That day, a ck smoke filled the air above the mountains.

    Ignorant fools! I quietly organized the papers on my desk and went through them, sorting out the important things to be taken care of. I realized now when actually running the estate that if I hadn¡¯t spent the hundred years reading about it and building up my skills, this work would have overwhelmed me. If I, an ordinary person, was suddenly asked to manage and of almost three thousand people without any experience, I would have balked. Not everything worked as easily as made out to be in fiction.

    ¡°Teacher, if a lot of peoplee to Acrab, we will need to strengthen the security. We also need to build a lot of inns for the visitors.¡±

    ¡°There is no point in building more inns than necessary.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±

    ¡°The visitors will figure it out themselves if they visit here for the time being.¡±

    In that regard, Kaichen really was not much of help. Kaichen had lived in the Magic Tower all his life. No one couldpare with him in his knowledge about magic and research but he was not a person who interacted much with people. So, he had no idea about estate management. He was cynical and skeptic. For him, it was hard to coexist with many people at once. Any conversation about it went something like this:

    ¡°So, setting up a craftsman¡¯s association in Acrab can be a starting point for artisans to work together to coborate and create better works. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why craftsmen who have already been recognized for their abilities should cooperate or coborate. Personal productivity is enough, so why would they need to work with others?¡±

    ¡°They are great on their own, but when they work with others and mingle their crafts, they might produce something unique.¡±

    ¡°Why should they do that? If the other person makes something that is not satisfactory, they will only feel the difference in their abilities and it won¡¯t benefit them, will it?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ maybe. But if they seed in working together and mixing their crafts, they might produce interesting results. They can use each other¡¯s creativity to do better.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you have to do things which you aren¡¯t sure of? What a waste of time.¡±

 Chapter 121

    I stopped asking Kaichen for advice on estate management after that. But whenever I did something rted to it, he would always help even if he didn¡¯t agree or understand it. Whenever I needed him, he would always be there. He frowned a lot while teaching me magic but never gave up. The genius who had a natural aptitude of learning magic didn¡¯t know how to teach it to others, but that never stopped him.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you know this? Move your mana, take it out like this and take it in the air. All you have to do is mix it up properly ande up with a form.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­ I don¡¯t know how to do it. And you need to exin the process to me.¡±

    ¡°Oh god! Being stupid also has a limit, you know. Didn¡¯t you say you were a genius? You can¡¯t even do this! Move your magic as much as you move your mouth. Maybe you will learn then.¡±

    Kaichen had no mercy while teaching. He was a very strict critic. He was usually so sweet to me. But when he taught magic, all the sweetness disappeared. If I hadn¡¯t learnt to gather my mana and mastered control, I would have never been able to learn from him. I didn¡¯t think Kaichen could ever teach anyone at all. He sucked at exining the process.

    His exnations were so unhelpful that I went back to the books. I read and read and fished for information so that I could do better. It took a crazy amount of time to understand and apply myself.

    ¡°Countess? Shall we take a break?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mimi. Just give me a second.¡± I pressed my temples and waited for the nausea to abate. I tried not to think about things to calm my motion sickness. Angel sat next to me and Mimi sat on the seat across. She tapped on the carriage door to let the driver know that we were stopping. Even when I opened the door and got out of the carriage, the world still tilted.

    Angel got a chair out of the carriage and set it up for me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you have motion sickness,¡± said Mimi. ¡°If I had known, I would have prepared some medicine.¡±

    If I had known it myself, I would have prepared a huge box of medicine. I couldn¡¯t even say it aloud. Mimi ced a damp handkerchief on my closed eyes. It felt cool and fresh.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled. The original Dalia didn¡¯t suffer from motion sickness. In fact, women from aristocratic families have traveled by carriage since their childhoods. There was no way Dalia would have motion sickness. At least that was what I heard when Mimi mumbled to Angel.

    Healthy punks! Not everyone was an aristocrat. They got to eat good food, wear good clothes, and have doctors at their beck and call. But they also had too many etiquettes and rules to abide by.

    Even Dalia seemed to have lived a life that did not deviate much from such routine. Mimi had nagged me so many times when I had forgotten the social etiquettes. I made excuses that my memories weren¡¯t back. How could I tell her that I wasn¡¯t the original Dalia and didn¡¯t have her memories at all? Our conversation went something like this:

    ¡°Oh my god! Countess! How can youe out dressed like that?!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why? Can¡¯t I evene out to the garden?¡±

    ¡°Not in your pajamas!¡±

    ¡°There is no one here.¡±

    ¡°No one?! There is an Archmage living with us! And Angel is here too!¡±

    At the Willow house, I had practically lived the days out in my pajamas. But I couldn¡¯t really tell her that lest Mimi got a heart attack. Kaichen had seemed shocked at first but he had gotten used to it. They were just loose-fitting shirts and pants. What was so vulgar about that? But Mimi was relentless.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times. The countess is a noblewoman and we aremoners. We can never eat together.¡±

    ¡°Why not? No one is watching anyway.¡±

    ¡°It will be a habit! What will you do if guests arrive at the mansion and Angel makes the mistake of sitting down at the table with you?¡±

    I hadined. Who would evene here? But her worries made sense in hindsight. I never ate together with Angel from that day forth. I made snacks and shared them with Angel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell, Mimi,¡± I would whisper. All the rules and regtions were very tiring. I couldn¡¯t even remember half of them most of the time.

    I acted so freely that it asionally shocked Mimi. But I needed to be careful, especially since Julius had called me to the capital. I needed to be aware of the etiquettes followed in their world. The Imperial Capital was supposed to be so huge that people frequently traveled by carriages. I was already feeling dizzy with such a short travel. How will I be able to take a carriage every time I went out?

    Dalia¡¯s body was the same as it always had been. How was it that just because the person in this body had changed, the motion sickness had be this severe? It was iprehensible but I had no choice. I regretted epting the offer to visit the Imperial Capital.

    It was so astonishing that all these thoughts arose just because of something as ordinary as motion sickness. But one could only understand it if one suffered from it. The feeling of being inside a rattling carriage where the world keeps tilting sideways and you feel like you can¡¯t hold the food down. That was the worst feeling in the world.

 Chapter 122

    The bracelet on my wrist chimed. Even with my eyes closed, I knew it was Kaichen and allowed my mana to flow into it.

    ¡°Teacher,¡± I acknowledged. I had a handkerchief over my eyes and forehead and couldn¡¯t see him but I knew that his holographic figure must have appeared in the air.

    [Are you sick?]

    He must have had another reason for calling. I hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ motion sickness. I am also surprised. I didn¡¯t even know I had motion sickness.¡± He had asked me toe with him through teleportation magic. I was embarrassed.

    [Where are you?]

    Kaichen had consistently asked me the same question for two years. When themotion in Acrab had subsided, he had imbued the bracelets with all sorts of magical protection. He had put some magical features into it too. Communication was one of them.

    Any magician would covet an essory like this. It was more of a weapon than an essory. Kaichen had made Acrab his home in these two years but he had been away frequently to take care of Julius¡¯ affairs. He had almost always contacted me through the bracelets.

    ¡°Teacher, did you take care of your business? You already there, right?¡± I knew he had arrived. I was just trying to change the subject.

    [I am asking again. Where are you?]

    ¡°I¡¯m on the road.¡±

    [Tell me the coordinates.]

    ¡°Do you intend toe and get me? If you keep doing things for me, I might be dependent on you!¡±

    Kaichen was always there for me whenever I needed him. He had to help Julius, and he always helped me. I wonder how he did everything! If I had known I would be putting so much burden on him, I would have managed the estate while I was trapped in the time magic. I regretted reading endlessly that time but not applying myself properly. Regrets clouded my mind. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered though. They world would have returned to the same estate no matter what I did to improve it.

    My magical ability had increased drastically. The mines were in development. Acrab was recuperating and regrowing. Acrab¡¯s craftsmen had be smarter. They joined the Acrab Craftsmen Association and created their own trademark for stability and security.

    I had suggested it in the first ce. But I had been worried at the beginning. I didn¡¯t know if the entric craftsmen would entertain the idea of signing up. But they had surprisingly obliged. Maybe the economic copse of Acrab had shown them the dangers of working alone. I had taken up the position as the president of the association and proceeded with the branding.

    I had chosen a thorned ck rose as the logo, which, I might add, looked rather fetching. I reorganized and changed the emblem of Acrab Merchant Organization, too. It was much easier to manage it under the association. The sales would be made under the brand of Acrab as a whole while crediting individual craftsmen. My n was sessful and the craftsmen worked on their crafts diligently when they didn¡¯t have to worry about sales and copse of the estate.

    [Dalia¡­]

    Kaichen sounded annoyed. It was nice to hear him call out my name. I smiled at the thought that he must be frowning at me. I had been so busy these two years that I had not found any time to spend with him and confess about how I felt about him. The little time we had was spent with him strictly teaching me magic. Other than that, Julius needed him and he would always be gone. Their rtionship was only that of a teacher and a disciple at the moment.

    ¡°Teacher, will you pick me up if I tell you where I am?¡± I pouted. If this went on, I would really get very dependent on him.

    [How brazen¡­]

    Even though heined, he always granted my requests. I knew he would always listen to me. It was refreshing and I felt morefortable with him.

    Themunication was cut off. I hadn¡¯t told him the coordinates yet. I regretted not telling him. Who knows when he will call back?

    ¡°Why are you so stubborn and make everyone exhausted?¡±

    I was so startled by the voice that I jumped up from my chair. The handkerchief that was on my face fluttered down. I frowned at the sudden sunlight now hurting my eyes. My mouth fell open as I saw Kaichen standing in front of me, brighter than the dazzling sunlight.

    ¡°Teacher! How did you know where I was? I haven¡¯t even given you the coordinates!¡± He nced at the bracelets on my wrists. Perhaps these essories weren¡¯t only meant for protection. Kaichen did not deny it. I hadined before about something like this, and he had promised to use something like this only for emergencies. I never thought the bracelets could also be used for real-time location tracking.

 Chapter 123

    Do I no longer have any privacy? I stared at Kaichen. He had appeared here at the blink of an eye just because I was sick. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to confront him. This was too amusing.

    ¡°There is really nothing that teacher doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    Kaichen took a step forward with a frown. He was not as flustered by my actions like he used to be. The years we had spent time together had made us feel morefortable with each other.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look good.¡± Kaichen raised a hand and ced it on my forehead. His hands were so hot against my cold skin.

    ¡°Teacher, your hand is so hot,¡± Iined.

    ¡°It¡¯s your body that is turning cold.¡± He pulled something out of thin air. It was a purple potion vial. ¡°Drink this. It will help with motion sickness.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to pick me up?¡±

    ¡°Drink this first anyway.¡± Kaichen looked at me with concern as I drank the purple potion in the vial.

    Mimi approached us just then with eyes wide open. ¡°Countess! Did you bother Mr. Kaichen again?¡±

    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t. He came on his own.¡±

    ¡°I told you not to bother him for the smallest things! You are the Lord of Acrab. You are Countess Alshine. You can¡¯t be childish every time!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t call him!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t act childish either?¡±

    I averted Mimi¡¯s gaze as she red at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I came here to check on all of you.¡± Mimi stopped her nagging when Kaichen stepped up. He was not only my saviour but also the whole of Acrab¡¯s.

    The nickname of ¡®Drunkard Dalia¡¯ still stuck with me. So, it was sometimes difficult to gain the trust of some people to establish my authority and dignity. It would take time for her to establish herself after what happened.

    Kaichen told Mimi to pack everything and prepare to leave. He picked up a stone from the ground.

    I nced at him. ¡°Are you going to move everything together?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said simply, ¡°Or, do you want to leave them here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ it¡¯s just that I am worried you might have difficulty moving everyone together¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Kaichen smirked as he drew the magic circle on the ground with a branch he had picked.

    ¡°Teacher, where is your wand?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it anymore.¡±

    ¡°But how? What happened?¡±

    ¡°It broke so I threw it away.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I had read that when Kaichen was studying with Julius, they had created their own wands. Every magician did that. Julius made his into a sword,ying the groundwork for harmony between swordsmanship and magic.

    Kaichen had chosen a huge stem of the yellow rose. He was teased a lot for it. Kaichen had never used his wand publicly because of that. At least that was what I had read.

    But how did it break? What did he use it for? I frowned and looked at Kaichen who was still drawing the circle. Kaichen was so dazzling that the crooked, simple branch looked like a sacred magical wand in his hands.

    ¡°Will you tell me how it broke?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­ weak. Couldn¡¯t handle so much magic.¡±

    ¡°But you made it.¡±

    ¡°I made it when I was young.¡± He threw the branch away as he finished the drawing. I had really wanted to see him use his wand. But it was unbelievable that there was any power in the world that could break a magic wand; maybe he used too much force. Was Julius ever in such a crisis that Kaichen had to use too much force that it ended up breaking his magic wand?

    Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what is happening anymore. The story has changed too much. During thest two years, Acrab has flourished and I have regained my life. I should have died, going by the original story. So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that things had changed for Kaichen too.

    ¡°Are you going to make a new wand?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°You might need it! Even if you are the strongest, you never know when you might need a wand!¡± Kaichen was silent.

    ¡°Sorry. Did I overstep?¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind being the best and not needing a wand?¡±

 Chapter 124

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind your suggestion that I might have need of it in the future,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I burst outughing. Kaichen¡¯s lips twitched and he flicked a finger at my forehead. I was smiling like a fool.

    ¡°Rather than thinking about a wand for me, think about what kind of wand you would use.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to have a wand.¡±

    I had never thought about making a wand. ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it. It might be difficult to carry around every time,¡± I said.

    ¡°You can make it just big enough to fit in your pocket.¡±

    ¡°But then that would look boring!¡±

    ¡°Do you think magic wands are for fun?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can make in any way you want. It is formed ording to an individual¡¯s aptitude.¡±

    I smiled and removed his hand which still covered my face. ¡°Is that why the Crown Prince¡¯s wand is a sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mana represents a person. So, the wand is formed ording to that.¡±

    I almostughed at his words. That meant his heart was as pure as the yellow rose which hadn¡¯t bloomed yet. Does that mean his golden magic is pure as well? His wand was also said to be veryrge and heavy. It seemed as if things that are really pure are never really light. And now his wand was broken and he was empty-handed.

    ¡°Then, teacher, let¡¯s make it together!¡± I could make it now since I could control my mana on my own. And Kaichen had broken his. He needed to teach me to make a wand anyway, so it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to make it together.

    ¡°No,¡± said Kaichen abruptly.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected him to refuse outright. I pouted and grabbed the hem of his robe.

    ¡°It¡¯s bothersome.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying it¡¯s bothersome and make a wand with me. Yes?¡± Looking up at him, I pleaded. Kaichen clicked his tongue and turned his head away. I could see his bronze skin reddening. He was always weak to my suggestions. He still hated interacting too much with people, but I was always his exception. I noticed that a yearter than we met.

    He didn¡¯t get angry or annoyed at me for touching him directly. It didn¡¯t matter even when he was in a messy ce. Kaichen seemed like someone who cared for his disciple more than expected of him. He certainly seemed like the type of person who likes to take care of others. Was that why he didn¡¯t mind cleaning after Julius? Maybe that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to have a disciple before.

    ¡°Mr. Kaichen! Everything is ready!¡± Mimi came running just when Kaichen was going to say something.

    I did not get an answer from him as Mimi came over running and sweaty. I could always askter. When we reach the capital city, Heulin, I will be able to spend more time with Kaichen. Thinking about that, I let go of the hem of his robe.

    * * *

    Imperial Capital Heulin. It was a huge city full of historical buildings of the Kalhai Empire as well as considered the headquarters of all important associations. It was a city that was aptly called- ¡®heart of the empire¡¯. So, it was obviously a residential area for powerful nobles. I would have wondered about how they managed their own estate while they stayed here, but something simr had happened to me. So, now I know.

    ¡°If I leave, who will manage Acrab?¡±

    ¡°You can just hire someone and put them in charge. Is Acrab suffering from a manpower shortage to such an extent that it cannot hire someone like that?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. But¡­¡±

    ¡°You can leave someone in charge and check the important documents yourself using transfer magic. It is expensive, but you can also have a teleportation magic circle installed toe and go.¡±

    ¡°Is that ¡­what everyone does?¡±

    ¡°All the nobles living in Heulin are like that.¡±

    Julius had notughed at me but he had looked at me pitifully and exined the system of leaving a deputy in charge. He asionally nced at Kaichen standing silently next to him as though wondering what Kaichen was teaching me if I didn¡¯t even know this much. So, I had entrusted the management of Acrab to the vice president of the Acrab Craftsmen Association, then left for Heulin.

    Honestly, it¡¯s time for Acrab to spread its wings, so I wanted to manage Acrab myself. I had not wanted to go. But the people of Acrab and those I had put in charge had told me not to worry and to go ahead. I hadn¡¯t known they had been so eager to send me away. I felt a little bad but I wasn¡¯t nning to live my whole life in Acrab, so I agreed.

    Julius, who called me to Heulin, said he would prepare everything as long as I agreed to visit. I had consented happily, but now that I had arrived, I regretted everything.

    ¡°Oh my! I never thought I¡¯d live in the capital in a house as big as the Alshine estate of Acrab..¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a pce, Countess!¡± eximed Mimi. I sighed deeply looking at how excited Mimi and Angel were. I only wanted a quiet life with a simple house. This was fit for a queen. All thanks to the courtesy of the Crown Prince.

 Chapter 125

    The mansion that Julius had prepared had a unique structure of magnificent, shiny white walls and roofs made of ck stones. As I looked up at the mansion in awe, the door swung open and an old man with greying hair greeted me.

    ¡°Wee, Countess Alshine. I have been waiting. I am Baristan and I will be serving you henceforth.¡± Even though Baristan had rushed out in a hurry to greet them, he didn¡¯t even break a sweat. His gesture of courtesy was perfect. Baristan scanned our travelling party.

    Due to therge magic circle and teleportation magic, the barrier in the mansion was shaken. Kaichen excused himself to take care of it and appeared after a while. Baristan¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of him. He was surprised and immensely delighted.

    ¡°Greetings to Lord Tenebre the Great Archmage¡± he greeted Kaichen respectfully.

    ¡°Baristan,¡± Kaichen acknowledged with a nod, ¡°did His Highness send you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will be serving the Countess.¡± Kaichen approached me. He looked at me questioningly as if asking why I was still outside.

    Baristan was the butler Julius had sent for them. Although he looked old, he was very capable. Of course, I know Baristan. He is an excellent butler who has served Julius from the time he first entered the Imperial Pce. It was only natural for Julius to trust Baristan. He perfectly did his job and had spent his time with Julius teaching him etiquettes befit the Crown Prince of the Imperial Pce.

    Perhaps he would be perfect to teach me some etiquette. Since for thest two years, I had practiced and failed to grasp the whole concept. Maybe Baristan was who I needed.

    ¡°Please enter.¡± Even though we had arrived much earlier than the scheduled time, Baristan did not seem flustered. He apologized for not being able to prepare a grand wee for us. As expected, he was very experienced in his job. I understood the importance of experience and how people always wanted experienced workers in the job.

    ¡°Baristan, these are Mimi and Angel. My servants. I usually take care of myself so I don¡¯t keep a personal maid.¡±

    ¡°I will be careful not to interfere with your way of life.¡± Baristan beamed.

    Although I had taken the medicine Kaichen had given me for motion sickness, I still felt a little queasy. Baristan, who was instructing my staff about the system in the mansion, noticed my paleplexion at once and guided me to the bedroom.

    ¡°This is your bedroom, Countess,¡± said Baristan. ¡°The next room is where you can work. Opposite to that is the study.¡±

    ¡°There is a study in the bedroom too?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yes. There is a small reading area as well. The space which connects to the first floor is also empty so I turned it into a ce where you can conduct your magic research. If you need anything, please let me know without any hesitation.¡± He was verypetent. Baristan briefly exined the structure of the mansion to me, who was honestly exhausted.

    ¡°Please have a rest,¡± said Baristan and left. He had told me that he would be back tomorrow to exin the details. He was very clever. I wanted to jump into bed at once and go to sleep but I couldn¡¯t. I had something else to do.

    ¡°Teacher, do you have anything to say to me?¡± I asked Kaichen. He had followed me to the bedroom as if that was the most normal thing in the world. We often did magic research together in each other¡¯s bedroom in Acrab so it was not very strange. But here, there were many eyes watching.

    ¡°We should pick up where we left off.¡± I turned to him. I thought he had already made his answer clear. Kaichen narrowed his eyes, probably thinking that I had forgotten about our conversation from a while ago.

    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so? When I explicitly asked you if we could make a wand together, I clearly remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Dalia,¡± said Kaichen, interrupting me.

    ¡°Yes, teacher?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense ande here.¡± He sat down on the sofa so casually as if the bedroom was already familiar to him. He extended a hand to me. I stared at his outstretched hands and grabbed it.

    Kaichen looked surprised. ¡°I thought you wanted me to hold your hand¡­,¡± I smiled awkwardly and let go of his hand. Isn¡¯t it natural for someone to hold a hand if it is offered? It wasn¡¯t because I was dying to hold his hand, anyway.

    Feeling guilty for no particr reason, I sat across from him. Kaichen stared at his hand that I had held. Did he hate it so much? Was it because of his mysophobia? Maybe he wasn¡¯t asfortable with me as I had thought. Eventually, he clenched his hands into a fist and sighed.

    ¡°Keep in mind that you can¡¯t show this kind of careless behaviour in Heulin,¡± said Kaichen.

    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean careless? I am a very meticulous and serious person,¡± I reasoned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be frivolous.¡±

    ¡°Oh my! When was I ever frivolous?¡±

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± My name from his lips was pleasant to my ears. Although he was frowning, he looked handsome. Iughed and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°I am not a child so you don¡¯t need to worry so much. I won¡¯t do anything as frivolous as holding hands in front of others.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t follow someone carelessly even if they promise you things,¡± said Kaichen solemnly.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t follow them even if they offer me candy. I promise.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t gamble either.¡±

    ¡°It has been a long time since I quit.¡±

    Kaichen instructed me with a serious face as if I was a child and he was my parent. Even before we had embarked on this journey, he had told me exactly the same things thirty-six times. I had counted, of course. I had even memorized his tone of voice when he said it.

 Chapter 126

    Julius, who saw him interrogating me, always teased him. ¡°Are you the father of the countess?¡± Kaichen always ignored him. I honestly didn¡¯t mind Julius¡¯ meddling at this point.

    ¡°Teacher, if I am in danger, you told me to call you, right? Will youe running every time I call?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. I am your disciple so you should treasure me.¡±

    ¡°No, you will be spoiled.¡±

    ¡°But you said it was okay.¡±

    ¡°That was then.¡±

    ¡°It was a few hours ago¡­.¡±

    Kaichen raised his eyebrows at me. I smiled softly and leaned forward. ¡°Teacher, so how do we create a magical wand?¡±

    Kaichen sighed and swept his hair away from his forehead. He always gave in, in the end. He is so adorable. Even with a cold, indifferent face, everything he did looked cute.

    ¡°The wand can¡¯t be willed into the shape you want because it is created by condensing your mana. However, if it is any constion, it does respond to your thoughts and personality. You just can¡¯t order it to be a certain way.¡±

    ¡°Correct. People have different personalities just as mana have different colors. The form of the wand is the representation of one¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°What did your wand look like?¡± I already knew what it looked like, but I pretended not to. I wanted to hear him say it. But Kaichen mped his mouth shut and turned away.

    ¡°It was¡­ normal.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, are you lying to me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t lie!¡±

    I restrained myself fromughing out loud at his serious expression. How much does he hate to be caught lying? I would have thought that he would be inept to lie but looking at him now, it seemed he was a natural. Or, does he really think his wand was normal as anybody else¡¯s?

    When he makes a new wand again, I would see its form anyway. I listened to him attentively as he exined the process of wand-making. I suddenly remembered what my own mana looked like. It was ck, heavy and gloomy. It even felt as thick as a jelly. The concentration of my mana was higher than an average person¡¯s.

    ¡°Teacher, what do you think my wand would look like?¡± I asked him as I leaned back and summoned my mana on the palm of my hand. It was as ck as the night on a new moon day in the absence of any star.

    ¡°Why is my mana ck? Is it¡­ contaminated because of some mixture?¡± I blurted out the questions I had been biting on to. It was the mana that had been collected over the course of a hundred years. It was ck from the beginning, but considering what happened within that time, I thought the word ¡®contaminated¡¯ was an apt way to describe it.

    ¡°ck doesn¡¯t change no matter what color it is mixed with. It¡¯s not contaminated, it¡¯s a color that never gets contaminated.¡± I never thought I¡¯d hear an answer. I hadn¡¯t expected an answer at all. But my heart pounded at his answer. It made me happy. My heart soared.

    ¡°Teacher, my heart just pounded.¡±

    ¡°A pounding heart is a sign of good health.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m saying that my heart¡­ fluttered.¡±

    ¡°Fluttered? Which part?¡± He tilted his head and observed me. That is his reaction at being told that my heart fluttered? I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°When you said that it¡¯s a color that never gets contaminated.¡± I sighed. Really, one needs to be straightforward with a guy as dense as him.

    ¡°I was just stating the obvious. Don¡¯t say that your heart flutters so easily. Don¡¯t you know that those words and actions are frivolous? I am saying this again. You shouldn¡¯t act carelessly in Heulin.¡±

    You frustrating jerk! I pouted in displeasure.

    ¡°I am only frivolous and open with you, Teacher.¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. I sighed again. ¡°So, tell me. What do you think my wand would look like?¡± I changed the subject because I knew there would be more nagging if I went on.

    Kaichen¡¯s lips twitched. He seemed like he wanted to say more. But he sighed and let it go, He looked at my mana floating in the air on the palm of my hand.

    How can I not like him when he is like this? I had assumed that he would be a pretty tough person to deal with, considering that he hated to interact with people and had mysophobia. But I realized that there was no better man than him. He cared about me; he was indifferent to everyone except me. He treated me as though I was someone special to him. I can feel the difference in how he treated others and how he treated me to the point that it made my heart tremble.

 Chapter 127

    Bing his disciple was the best thing I did. I am so proud of you, Dalia, I said to myself. Even if I couldn¡¯t win his heart, I would be happy to be his disciple and stay close to him. There is nothing more I hoped for. I smiled as Kaichen looked at me.

    He crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°I think anything will suit you well.¡±

    ¡°What kind of answer is that?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t really answer it for you. It depends only on you.¡±

    ¡°What if the wandes out as a simple wooden stick?¡±

    ¡°Then that would be the most appropriate form for it.¡±

    ¡°What if it looks like an absurdly big pir?¡±

    ¡°You will have to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    He answered her matter-of-factly like a teacher would. In the end, he told her that everything would be okay. But he was lost in thought. Why was he thinking so deeply if everything would be alright? I remembered that Kaichen would have to make a new wand for himself as well.

    ¡°Then, as a demonstration, please make yours first.¡±

    He went very quiet.

    ¡°I will watch and learn. I think my mind will be at ease if I can watch you do it, then I will be able to ept however mine turns out.¡± I smiled sheepishly at him. The nape of Kaichen¡¯s neck had turned red.

    He nodded reluctantly. I was so surprised. He agreed? I couldn¡¯t believe it! My cheeks burned in embarrassment. But it was alright. Kaichen had agreed.

    As I was about to get close to him to watch him make a wand, he raised his hand and stopped me. He avoided my eyes but gestured for me not to move too close. His earlobes were red now.

    Is he¡­ embarrassed? I wondered. I sighed in disappointment and sat down again. Suddenly, his hand was on my face. He stroked my cheeks gently and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Do you even know what it means to ask a magician to make a wand together?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ no. What does it mean?¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°I have never heard of it being done before,¡± I said, hurriedly. ¡°I know that the magic wand is the most important and precious thing for a magician because it allows you to take control of your own magic and push it to the next level.¡±

    I thought about it. I had learnt a lot about magic and magicians in these two years. I was even certified by the Magic Tower but my knowledge was still weak. Kaichen had taught me magic forms, theories, and various kinds of magic. But that was it. The only magicians I had ever met were Julius and Kaichen.

    ¡°A wand is very precious¡­ two people only make their wands together if they can trust each other entirely. It¡¯s because if you get attacked while making a wand, then you will be caught defenseless.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so it means that two people trust each other if they agree to make wands together!¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s expression darkened. In the original novel, he and Julius made their wand at the same time. Their teacher exined it to them. They had to then go into separate rooms and make their own wands behind closed doors.

    Maybe this meant more to Kaichen. I tried to think what else it might mean but nothing came to mind. I groaned.

    Kaichen chuckled. ¡°You always put me in such trouble.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m a fool for thinking too much about it.¡±

    I looked at his sad smile. He did not say anything more. He sat upright and closed his eyes. With his golden gaze now covered, it felt different.

    Kaichen stretched out his hand as though he had caught an invisible ball in the air. The golden magical light erupted from his open palm and engulfed my mana that was floating in the air. Kaichne¡¯s mana was dazzling as always. No matter how many times I saw it, it left me breathless every time.

    A spell floated out from Kaichen¡¯s house. I had never heard of it before. I looked at him in shock, admiration and surprise. It was like a fairy-tale.

    The purest magic flowed from Kaichen¡¯s hand. One needed meticulous control and focus to handle so much mana. At such a time, a magician is entirely defenseless to attacks. If someone attacks, you can¡¯t even use your hands to fight.

    I could understand why agreeing to make a wand together was so special. It meant two people needed to have faith and trust in each other. I realized that I might have put Kaichen in a difficult position. I might have crossed the line as his disciple. Even so, him trusting me enough to be defenseless with me made my heart flutter again.

 Chapter 128

    Well¡­ some lines in life are meant to be crossed. Maybe I had acted selfishly but him agreeing to do this really made me happy. I looked at him, mesmerized. His eyes were closed and his body was wrapped in warm, golden light. It was like a halo surrounding him. I looked at him as his eyebrows furrowed leading to crease lines forming on his forehead. Maybe he was displeased with something.

    Kaichen¡¯s original wand¡­. I had read that Kaichen¡¯s original wand had been big and sturdy. There was a rose bud at the end of it and the vines entwined together. It looked like a long, mystical wand. I had never actually seen it. I am sure it suited him very well. Kaichen appeared cold and indifferent but he looked like a man who looked good with roses.

    Ah¡­ but I think petals would look better on Kaichen than flower buds. I recalled the Willow House. There had been yellow rose bushes everywhere. I imagine Kaichen standing in the middle of fluttering rose petals. He looked beautiful. I imagined the yellow petals to be gold instead. Dazzling gold petals surrounding Kaichen. I smiled like a fool.

    Kaichen clicked his tongue. He opened his eyes and red at me angrily. I flinched as if I had been caught thinking about something that I shouldn¡¯t have.

    ¡°You! D*mn you!¡± Kaichen cursed. He looked so angry. He closed his eyes again.

    What¡¯s wrong? I wondered. Was there some kind of problem making his wand? Have I done something? I was scared but I didn¡¯t know what I had even done.

    It¡¯s alright, I convinced myself. Don¡¯t be scared. Maybe other times, I am stupid and reckless and do something I am not supposed to. But this time, I had done nothing at all. I just sat here looking at him. I didn¡¯t even move from my ce. For a fleeting moment, everything shed white in front of me. As everything slowly came into view, I realized why he had cursed at me. I knew why he was so angry.

    ¡°Wow¡­,¡± I murmured. The mana in Kaichen¡¯s hand had lit up and manifested into golden, fluttering rose petals surrounding him in golden light. As I sat there, enchanted, Kaichen looked furious.

    ¡°What kind of things were you even thinking about?¡± roared Kaichen.

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking of anything in particr! I just¡­,¡± I stammered as I looked at those golden petals that fluttered around him. I had imagined him standing in the middle of fluttering petals. I was just thinking about how beautiful he looked! I didn¡¯t really think it woulde true!

    Kaichen watched at the fluttering golden petals in dismay. He frowned at them and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. He appeared dissatisfied and embarrassed at the same time.

    No way! It hase true! My thoughts! I looked at Kaichen who was still rubbing the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache. His reaction told me all I needed to know.

    ¡°Teacher¡­ these petals¡­ did these petals be your wand?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to him. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that these petals have be your wand just because I¡­ thought about them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ did I make a big mistake?¡± I asked. A magic wand cannot be made again unless broken. It was sort of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. For the ¡®purest mana¡¯ to be harvested and condensed in a wand, it took a lot of mana and a lot of energy. It permanently consumes the mana that could be used for something else. No one could waste their mana they had spent months umting.

    Kaichen might be able to make another wand but even he wasn¡¯t as reckless as to waste all the mana and break his own wand to make a new one. I was wracked with guilt. I had ruined everything. I hadn¡¯t known this would happen otherwise I would have never¡­

    ¡°Teacher, I am sorry,¡± I said sincerely.

    Kaichen looked like he wanted to give me an earful but stopped himself. His tightly mped mouth did not open. He red at me then got up from the sofa and stormed out of the room.

    ¡°Teacher, please¡­ I¡­.¡± I tried to grab him but my hands only met air. The golden rose petals fluttered a moment and disappeared. As the petals, and the man himself disappeared from the room, I felt empty.

    But in my defense, he should have told me! He should have told me that my thoughts might shape the form of his wand. I would have been careful if I knew. I wasn¡¯t even thinking about the wand. I had been only thinking about him!

    I sat on the sofa and tried to process what just happened. I couldn¡¯t help feeling bad about it. It was all my fault! But seeing Kaichen so worked up made me smile. I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, I burst outughing.

    ¡°Hahahaha! Rose petals for a wand!¡± I couldn¡¯t stopughing. A magic wand was serious business. It was something used in an emergency when you needed more power. When I imagined Kaichen in a battlefield, wielding the powerful rose petals, I couldn¡¯t help butugh myself to tears.

    ¡°I am really going crazy.¡±

 Chapter 129

    Iughed so hard that I had a stomach ache. Kaichen¡¯s expression when he looked at thepleted wand kepting to my mind. So, this was how it felt making a magic wand together. I didn¡¯t know all the details but I realized that each other¡¯s thoughts and feelings definitely influenced the shape and form of the wand.

    Iughed and rolled over on the sofa until I couldn¡¯t breathe. The ring on my hand lit up. It served a simr purpose to Kaichen¡¯s bracelets. The ring was my mode ofmunication with Julius.

    I restrained myself, regained myposure and epted themunication.

    ¡°I greet the Crown Prince of the Empire,¡± I said while trying to tame my tangled hair fromughing too much on the sofa. Julius waved away the formalities with a friendly smile. It would charm anybody. But to me, it was a smile from a man who narcissistically knew how handsome he was and didn¡¯t fail to announce it to the world.

    [Did something good happen?] He looked at my face because I was still smiling. If it was to tease Kaichen, he would join ine,e hell or high water. I thought about how to tell him the story of what had transpired.

    ¡°I made a wand with Teacher.¡±

    [Hmm? A wand? You didn¡¯t make it¡­ together, by any chance, did you?] I had thought Julius wouldugh but he only frowned.

    ¡°Yes, we made it together.¡±

    [What?! You¡­ who suggested it? Of course, you! He would never¡­]

    ¡°Yes, I suggested it. Teacher told me his wand was broken. He also said that it was time for me to make one. So, I asked him if we could do it together. Is it forbidden?¡± I asked.

    I was beginning to think I had done something big without knowing. Kaichen was reluctant when I had suggested it. I hadn¡¯t thought much of it because Kaichen was always so uptight. But seeing Julius being this serious, it was beginning to worry me.

    [There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. It¡¯s not forbidden. But¡­ It is a serious matter. Not everyone does it. Did you suggest it knowing what you were asking of him? Do you know what it means?]

    ¡°Does it have to have a meaning?¡± I asked. Julius¡¯ reflection in the air was distorted. I couldn¡¯t make out whether he was frowning or smiling. He sighed and looked at me in sympathy.

    [You are really clueless, aren¡¯t you? If I don¡¯t tell you, you probably would never know what it means to ask a magician to make a wand together. I assume you know how very precious a magic wand is for the magician?]

    ¡°Of course. It is almost a lifetimemitment. You can¡¯t modify or change the shape of your wand and you have to stick by it whether you like it or not. Making it is as hard as trying to pick a star from the sky.¡±

    Julius nodded at my answer. [Correct. A lifetimemitment, as you said. It is something you stand by for the rest of your life. A magic wand in that sense would be like a closepanion.]

    ¡°Apanion?¡±

    [Yeah. That is how precious it is. A wand is made from a magician¡¯s mana so it is a part of himself. Having it or losing it could make a difference of life and death to the magician.]

    ¡°Ah. I guess making a wand together requires utmost trust in each other.¡±

    [It¡¯s more than that. Offering to make a magic wand together with another magician is a proposal asking them to be with you for the rest of your life.]

    ¡°What?!¡± My mouth dropped open in shock. I thought I had heard him wrong so I looked at Julius, imploring him to say more. He just smiled like he was having fun watching his younger sister get herself in trouble because of her stupidity. That smile annoyed me.

    ¡°P-proposal? I must have misheard you. Did you say a proposal?¡±

    [I did. You heard me correctly. A proposal is what it is.]

    I was too shocked to respond.

    [I invited you to Heulin so that you could socialize here with others. I never expected you to propose to Kaichen. You, Countess, are a bundle of surprises. So, what was the result? Did you create a wand sessfully?]

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ only the teacher got to make his wand and then he stormed off in anger,¡± I stammered. What the hell did I do? That was why he kept asking me if I knew what it meant!

    [Making a wand together means mixing each other¡¯s mana. Kaichen must have controlled the flow of mana since you are inexperienced in that field. So, the person who remained would have to channel their thoughts in the hope of shaping the wand.] Juliusughed. [By the look on your face, you must have thought of something ridiculous.]

 Chapter 130

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me! No, what you said just now¡­ The same magic wand?¡±

    [Yeah, the same magic wand. Would it be used as a marriage proposal for nothing? It¡¯s because two magicians share the same wand.]

    My mouth fell open. I closed my eyes to restrain my anxiety. I extended my hand forward. Kaichen had said that whenever you want to use your wand, you just need to think about it while using your mana and it would appear in your hands. It was Kaichen who had made the wand, I hadn¡¯t really done anything. However, when I clenched my outstretched hands, ck rose petals fell from it and began to scatter just like it happened with Kaichen. F*uck!

    [Hahaha!] I could hear Julius¡¯sughter. Thatughter wasn¡¯t much different from my own a while ago when I was rolling on the sofa and giggling my head off.

    ¡°Really¡­ if only I could have known about this before¡­¡±

    I never, never would have suggested it. Why did Kaichen even agree to it? He should have told me! Being taciturn had its limit! A marriage proposal¡­ even if I was clueless, there was no way in hell he didn¡¯t know about it. So why had he epted? Why? How far is he nning to go for me, his disciple? That b*stard!

    He should have a limit even for his disciple. I felt like I was wrong about him being the perfect lover. If he did this much for his disciple, I would go crazy with jealousy!

    [Hahahaha!] Julius was stillughing. He wheezed. [Fluttering flower petals? I guess it¡¯s the same for Kaichen, except with golden flowers. It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t see it! You really don¡¯t disappoint.]

    Please, I wish I could disappoint you. I hated to see himugh while holding his stomach. He was practically breathless fromughing. To think that he is the main character¡­ such a waste! I wanted to cut off themunication. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t Kaichen. I was a powerless countess, while he was the Crown prince. I could not do something so rude.

    But unlike Kaichen, I need a wand! A wand is absolutely necessary for precise mana control. Although I had a talent for controlling mana that was superior to that of an average magician, it was difficult because the concentration and amount of my mana were higher and stronger than that of an ordinary person. To bnce it, I needed a wand! But will I always need to show my flying petals every time I want to use my wand?

    It was unbelievable that now Kaichen¡¯s mana and my mana had taken the same form. He had told me that the mana takes the form it is meant to be. Which part of these fluttering petals match him? The lonely ck petals fluttered in the air around me. They looked so opposite to Kaichen¡¯s which was golden and warm. Mine looked like something dreary out of a fairytale.

    [Is that why Kaichen isn¡¯t answering me? I understand that you didn¡¯t know the meaning, but you should be more careful with your words, Countess. Unlike Acrab, Heulin is a dangerous ce where a single world can ruin the whole family.]

    ¡°Then why did you call me to such a dangerous ce?¡±

    [There was no choice. I had to invite you. If you came here, I knew Kaichen would follow you.]

    I remembered Julius contacting Kaichen every day. Kaichen spent his days in Acrab to help me with the estate. I did not even care to hide my bitter expression anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m more precious to my teacher than Your Highness. Because his love for his disciple is great.¡±

    [I have spent many years with Kaichen. I¡¯ll still have the upper hand.] Julius teased.

    ¡°In any case, I hope you will provide protection if I am in such a dangerous situation as you described? You invited me here, after all.¡±

    [But your teacher will protect you even if I don¡¯t.]

    ¡°Still, the power of Your Highness is absolute in the imperial capital. I n to walk with my head held high knowing that the Crown Prince got my back.¡±

    [Haha! If you really think that¡¯s true, then you don¡¯t know anything about Kaichen.] Julius muttered as though he was amused.

    I couldn¡¯t believe he said that! There was no one who knew more about Kaichen than me. I spent thest two years learning from him. I even knew about the type of food he liked and disliked, the clothes he feltfortable in and what he hated the most in other people!

    Julius used to talk about his past with Kaichen. The fights they fought together and quests theypleted with each other. But I had read the original novel, so I knew about these already. Julius might actually be my biggest rival. In fact, Kaichen rarely showed any interest in women in the book that readers often shipped him together with Julius.

    ¡°Stop clinging to the teacher. Why don¡¯t you just get engaged, Your Highness?¡±

    [Because women are fighting over me so fiercely. I am here keeping the peace.]

    Don¡¯t make meugh, you yboy! I knew Julius didn¡¯t want tomit. He had always gone around with everyone and refused to settle down. Of course, in the book, he would eventually meet someone he falls in love with. But right now, his love life was like a hurricane. However, it wasmendable that he didn¡¯t seek to hurt the women he spent time with. He always made his stance clear and let them choose to be with him of their own free will.

 Chapter 131

    However, that was the original Julius I had read about, the one I was talking with was a little different. This was the biggest change from the original story. He should have at least three women he was close with ording to the original novel. I had asked Kaichen about it. From what he told me, Julius had been the same yboy he was in the original novel, but now he had stopped being promiscuous since his coronation as the Crown Prince.

    It¡¯s strange. The Ruler of the Back-alley World, the Queen of the Night, a princess from the eastern continent, and the precious daughter of a duke should be the ones hounding him. There was a fierce battle between enthusiastic readers about who he would be with. Other things were fun, but seeing Julius entangled with women with very different personalities was simply exciting. The heroine was a matter of particr concern among the readers. I didn¡¯t know who he would end up with, so even I used to say, ¡°Just be happy with your Kaichen.¡±

    The three formidable women weren¡¯t just romantic interests to Julius, they were very strong supporters of the Crown Prince. They all were fierce and powerful. Their assistance was essential for Julius to seed as the emperor.

    [Everyone in high society is waiting for your debut. A ball will be held for your uing birthday, so the stage has already been decided.]

    ¡°Huh? Why wasn¡¯t I told anything about this? A ball?!¡±

    [I did tell Kaichen about it. You are to attend the ball in ten days¡¯ time.]

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about it.¡±

    [There is no way he forgot. Which means, he deliberately withheld the information.] Julius shook his head. [It is clear what he was thinking.]

    ¡°That he doesn¡¯t like crowded ces like the ball?¡±

    [No, because¡­ forget it for now. Anyway, you must attend, so be prepared. It would be better if you are apanied by Kaichen.]

    ¡°Will the teacher want to apany me?¡± There was nothing better than to attend a ball by the Archmage Kaichen¡¯s side to establish a solid foothold in high society. But Kaichen hated balls and crowds. Maybe that was why he didn¡¯t tell me about it.

    Julius grinned wickedly. [He will attend. Show him the dress you¡¯re going to wear for the ball. No, rather I¡¯ll send you a dress myself.]

    ¡°A dress?¡±

    [Yes.]

    ¡°Oh,e on. Why should I show my dress to the teacher?¡±

    Julius looked at me like I was a fool. He shrugged. [Well, he is a teacher who cares about his disciple, so if he wants to protect you from other men¡¯s nasty gaze, won¡¯t he step in?]

    I imagined Kaichen¡¯s displeased gaze. It was possible. He kept nagging at me endlessly to not be so frivolous. He might follow just to make sure I don¡¯t trample on my dress and fall face down.

    When I said this to Julius, he nodded. He told me to keep some things in mind while staying here in the capital then cut off themunication. I stared nkly in the air for a while. It felt like so many things had happened in such a short amount of time. Even though the only thing I ever did was to watch Kaichen as he made his wand.

    A marriage proposal? Proposal to make a wand together means¡­. It was so shocking. I now understand why he had looked so resigned and stormed off.

    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m a fool for thinking too much about it,¡± he had said.

    He could have just told me what it meant. If he had told me, would I have canceled the proposal? I did want to be with him for the rest of my life. I was sure I didn¡¯t want anyone else to be with him. I had assumed we would be living as a teacher and disciple all our lives. But¡­ if possible, I do want to be the person he loves and would want to love him back. I wanted to tell him I liked him.

    But how is the rtionship between me and Kaichen now? It¡¯s not like we have something going on, but I can¡¯t say that we are an ordinary teacher and disciple, either. It¡¯s somewhat hard to pin down. He seems to cherish me too much¡­.

    That was the problem. I didn¡¯t know if he cherished me because I was his first disciple or because¡­

    ording to Julius, as a loyal informant, Kaichen devoted himself to research as a devotee of magic. Even when Julius indulged in courtships, Kaichen did not participate. He had never held hands with someone. When I thought about my previous life where I loved dating, I assumed it would make me his senior in such things. I had more experience in that regard.

    ¡°I¡¯m stressed out!¡± I hated being confused. I had never made a move, but he was always so busy, and I didn¡¯t even know if he liked me. I liked the current friendly Kaichen to the aloof and mean one he had been in the past, but I was afraid that if I made a move and he didn¡¯t like it, I would lose the friendship we presently have. Love made me a coward.

    ¡°I should sleep for now.¡± trying not to think of my throbbing head and my grave mistake of the day, Iy down on my bed. The pillow smelled familiar.

 Chapter 132

    I raised my head and smelled it again. It was my favorite scent. The cool, wood scent that I so liked. The one I made in Acrab constantly. The fragrance came from the pillows here.

    I turned and looked around the room. The structure of the bedroom, which I had not noticed before, certainly felt familiar. It looked like my room I had tried hard to decorate in the Willow House. It was no wonder Kaichen had seemed so at home here

    ¡°No way¡­¡± I foolishly smiled, shook my head and snuggled into the nket. My heart was pounding. It¡¯s not really what I think it is. There was no way. Did Kaichen decorate this room for me? That was just unbelievable, not to mention impossible. But the bedding smelled of the fragrance I so loved. I recalled the many times I had grumbled to him that I wanted to go back to Willow House¡­

    ¡°You always put me in such trouble.¡±

    Kaichen was right. I did put him in so much trouble constantly. I had insisted on making a magic wand together. Was that what troubled him? Then why didn¡¯t he just say so?

    I thought about it. He could have refused. But he didn¡¯t. Does he like me too? That was crazy! There were so many questions and no straight answers. My heart fluttered like a middle-school girl with a crush. I bit my lips and closed my eyes. Just entertaining the notion that this might not be one-sided made me tremble.

    No, no. It¡¯s Kaichen. Just¡­ since I¡¯m his disciple, maybe it¡¯s because he thinks of me as his favorite disciple. Like a coward, I kept thinking about anything but that. It was a defense mechanism. Because if I was only assuming things and he did not like me back, I did not want to get hurt.

    * * *

    The next day, I went out to see the most spectacr city in the Empire. Angel and Mimi, who were supposed to go with me, refused outright. They said they wanted to learn from Baristan on how to serve their master better. Angel¡¯s eyes twinkled with admiration as he followed Baristan. He said he wanted to learn everything so he could be a good servant and make his siblings proud. I was so proud of him that I told him I was going to give him a gift when we returned to Acrab.

    Angel was ecstatic. But when he noticed that Baristan, standing next to us, cleared his throat, he said, ¡°I am fine, Countess.¡±

    He was so innocent and adorable. Mimi worked even harder from the maids here. She was a quick learner and was very meticulous with her work.

    Mickey also seems to be doing well in Acrab. I used to find it very distressing to be near the two of them. But I have gotten used to it now. Mimi¡¯s loyalty definitely helped with my trauma.

    When both refused to go sightseeing with me, Kaichen and I were the only ones standing at the front door and looking at each other awkwardly. I felt flustered. I hadn¡¯t slept well thinking about what had happened. I wanted to get some fresh air and organize my thoughts. Why did I have to face him alone right now?

    I let out a groan and nced at him. He didn¡¯t even look at me. Perhaps he felt awkward because of yesterday¡¯s incident too. I shouldn¡¯t havee out so early. Maybe he hated seeing me right now. He looked reluctant.

    ¡°Teacher, if you don¡¯t want to go, I can go by myself,¡± I offered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the way,¡± he said bluntly.

    ¡°I am good with directions. I have a map.¡±

    ¡°No, you are not.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Even if I lose my way, I can ask people around me.¡±

    Kaichen sighed. ¡°I told you not to follow people you don¡¯t know.¡±

    I had heard him say that many times. His voice sounded so cold that it was scary to look at him. I just lowered my head.

    Why was this soplicated? I didn¡¯t want to leave this hanging. It was ufortable enough. If I leave like this, I will be even more confused than before. I had decided to go out for fresh air, but this hinted at another unpleasant experience.

    ¡°Teacher, are you still mad at me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You are trying not to look at me.¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Teacher?¡± Kaichen did not turn his head to look at me. He didn¡¯t look at me at all. I moved closer to him. I was stubborn, too. In the end Kaichen gave in and red at me.

 Chapter 133

    ¡°I told you that I¡¯m not angry.¡± He was frowning and his eyebrows furrowed. But he didn¡¯t look angry. Rather, he looked a little sleepy. Then why is he avoiding me?

    ¡°Is going out a hassle for you?¡±

    ¡°I hate crowded ces.¡±

    ¡°Then you could have stayed at home¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. Since he wasn¡¯t angry, everything was fine. I ced my hands on my waist and said, ¡°Then pleasee with me even if you are tired.¡±I grinned and grabbed his hand. ¡°I really want to have a good time today.¡±

    Kaichen flinched and turned away. I thought he would shake my hands off, but he didn¡¯t. This is why I am so confused about how he feels about me. His hand was burning hot. My heart pounded.

    ¡°Teacher! Look at that building! The architecture is so exotic.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, look! I have never seen this type of food before. It smells so good!¡±

    ¡°Teacher! Let¡¯s go over there! A crowd is gathered there. Maybe something interesting is going on.¡±

    Heulin was a ce of spectacr sights. It was a city five timesrger than Acrab so we could look at only a few good ces today. The western square was a street with thergest market where merchants from the continent gathered. So, we went there.

    In the Kalhai Empire, Kaichen was a celebrity. There was no one who didn¡¯t know the blonde, golden-eyed, bronze-skinned man who had the title of Golden Archmage. So, that was why Kaichen always disguised himself when he went out. But his disguise was so sloppy. He had only changed the color of his hair and eyes.

    Shouldn¡¯t you cover your face? I wondered. Every person we passed turned and looked at him intently. Some followed us tenaciously. His dazzling appearance was even more prominent when people didn¡¯t know he was the Archmage.

    After walking for a while, I asked, ¡°Teacher, you know that people are looking at you, right?¡± Then, ¡°Do you also know you look handsome?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk and eat your snack.¡±

    I munched on bread and sausages I had bought from a while ago from one of the stalls. He pulled me to a corner so people wouldn¡¯t bump into me. My legs hurt from walking all day, so I obediently followed him and squatted down to sit in a corner. I noticed even more people ncing at Kaichen.

    ¡°Look, Teacher. Everyone is looking at you.¡±

    ¡°Just eat.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was like this in Acrab¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to eat.¡±

    ¡°You definitely seem to be enjoying the attention.¡±

    ¡°Dalia,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m eating. I¡¯m eating.¡± I took arge bite of the bread just to prove it. It certainly wasn¡¯t like this in Acrab. The only difference was that, here, he had changed his hair color and eye color. And yet, women looked at him. I had thought his title was what made people pay attention to him. But that wasn¡¯t the case¡­

    Those gazes seem to covet him¡­

    I felt the food I ate boil in my stomach. There were so many foreigners in this ce. The atmosphere here with too many foreign people seemed free-er but quite tant.

    No matter how much Kaichen ignored his surroundings, he might not really be entirely oblivious to how many people wanted to be with him. He isn¡¯t enjoying this, is he? I seethed. I was suspicious of even him who had spent his life in reclusion and avoided women. My shallow heart was pounding with dark jealousy. I felt the sausage bread getting stuck to my throat.

    ¡°Teacher, were you this popr when I wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ I knew you would be popr, but this is¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ well, I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose,¡± I mumbled.

    Jealousy, having no ce to go, turned into a whimper and ran to Kaichen. I felt pathetic. I was jealous but I couldn¡¯t even flirt with him openly because I was afraid to lose the fragile teacher-disciple bond we had. As I mumbled my insecurities, Kaichen merely grinned.

    ¡°And what are you going to do if you win?¡± Kaichen grinned.

    I sulked sitting on the ground. I didn¡¯t want to lose him to someone else. If maybe someday he introduces some he likes to me, I can¡¯t just congratte him on it. But I couldn¡¯t possiblypete with all these brilliant women, either.

    Until dawn, I had imagined that maybe Kaichen might also like me. But that was all that had been, my ¡®imagination¡¯. Kaichen hadn¡¯t ever given me a sign he liked me. Maybe some pretty woman might appear and steal him away from me.

 Chapter 134

    Maybe I should approach him as a woman now and not just a disciple. But¡­ that¡¯s¡­he has already seen a lot of my terrible sides! I wanted to disappear. Drunken Dalia, Dalia the gambler¡­. I couldn¡¯t do anything about that. Kaichen¡¯s first impression of me was terrible. I showed him all my ugly sides that I don¡¯t even know if I could approach him romantically as a woman. It might not even work. Why Dalia? Why did you have to live like that?

    ¡°I will win and hog the teacher to myself,¡± I continued. ¡°There is still a lot to learn and a lot to do together. What should I do if someone else takes away all your time? She would just be a third wheel.¡±

    ¡°You are greedy. I¡¯m sure you already have had enough of me though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough!¡± I said. I was still squatting on the floor and looking at my food. I raised my head to look at him. The sunlight cast a shadow on his face making it difficult to know his current expression. ¡°I know I am greedy but it¡¯s still not enough,¡± I repeated shamelessly.

    I wanted to be by his side all day. Even if Julius called him, I didn¡¯t want him to go. I didn¡¯t want Kaichen to catch anyone¡¯s eyes. I wanted to lock him away, just for me. I had a petty mind and a greedy conscience. My desire to have him all to myself was so strong that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to confess. There was nothing I was good at, and I couldn¡¯t even act coy like an aristocraticdy. I had already shown him my most brazen side. All I had left was to wish for this teacher-disciple rtionship tost. Because other than that, I had nothing. I am a fool. I stood up and sighed wearily.

    ¡°Well¡­ whatever it is, you decide, teacher.¡±

    In the end, it was a one-sided thing. No matter how much I wanted to cling to him, I couldn¡¯t. If he refused, I couldn¡¯t force him. There was nothing I could do. A teacher can abandon a disciple at any time, but a disciple cannot abandon a teacher. The rtionship that connects Kaichen and me is that of a teacher and a disciple, and if that breaks, there is no reason for him to be with me anymore. Even Julius showed an interest because Kaichen cared for me as his disciple. If that was broken, it was goodbye to Julius too.

    It was ironic that I became his disciple to finish the novel properly. So far, it was going ording to n but why do I feel so miserable? I wasn¡¯t satisfied with bing just his disciple. I wanted to be with him¡­ as his lover. My feelings were the problem.

    ¡°I told you that I¡¯m not going to take any other disciple than you.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ even if you don¡¯t, there are other ways you can be together with a person.¡± I wanted to tell him that he could have a lover. Any lover he wanted, in fact. I fidgeted with my fingers and nced at him. But I didn¡¯t look at him for long. I was embarrassed for being like this. But I am his disciple, can¡¯t I be a little childish if I want to? I rationalized and tried to convince myself.

    Kaichen raised his hand and wiped my lips. ¡°If you keep talking while you eat, you will get everything around your lips like this.¡± For a moment, I was startled by his feathery touch. ¡°Under no circumstance, Dalia,¡± he said, ¡°Do I intend to keep anyone by my side except you.¡±

    I stared at him. My mind was nk. His voice sounded hoarse. Kaichen smiled at me and licked his finger with which he had wiped the breadcrumbs from my lips. I was stunned. The way he licked his finger was too suggestive. My heart fluttered and I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt heat rushing to my face.

    I stood up and lowered my head hoping he wouldn¡¯t see how flushed I was. I was bbergasted. It was embarrassing enough that he had to wipe breadcrumbs off my lips. I couldn¡¯t even eat elegantly. But did he have to lick his finger? He has mysophobia! I stood there with my head spinning. Kaichen put a hand on my head gently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me where you want to go next.¡±

    You don¡¯t like going out. You hate being the center of attention. You hate crowds. You don¡¯t eat food from the streets because it¡¯s unhygienic. Why would you do what you did just now? So many questions swirled in my mind. Was it because I was his favorite disciple? No. Did he just think of me as a kid¡­?

 Chapter 135

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow people you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the way.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk while eating.¡±

    Things he said to me were like someone would say to a seven-year-old. I thought he was being considerate of me since I had no memories of my past, but these things weren¡¯t something you said to a twenty-four-year-old adult!

    D*mn it! Does he really just think of me as a kid? My pride was a little hurt. I felt pathetic. But one thing was clear, he cared about me in his own way. He cherishes me. However, the way he feels about me might not be the way I feel about him. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. What was I thinking? To even think he would like me as a man would like a woman¡­ ¡®

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± I eximed.

    His hand on my head slid down and stroked my hair gently. ¡°I know.¡±

    I clenched my fist and shook off his hand. ¡°I am saying that this is how you treat a child. I am not one!¡± I said fiercely. Kaichen¡¯s eyes widened for an instant. Then he smiled sincerely. It almost seemed like his warm brown eyes returned to its original gold. It must have been an illusion, but it felt that way in that moment. His gaze was so intense that I felt my shoulders shrink. Why is he looking at me that way?

    ¡°Of course. There is no kid in this world who can be as stubborn as you.¡±

    ¡°What! I am a twenty-four-year-old adult!¡±

    ¡°Alright. Where do you want to go next?¡± He smiled and held out his hand for me to take. ¡°I will buy you something delicious to make you feel better.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Come on,¡± he said.

    My fluttering heart zed like a me. I was happy to have him all to myself at least in this moment. Even if it was just a teacher-disciple rtionship, it was enough for now. From the moment I was saved by him, I was destined to flutter like a g in the wind. The dark emotions that filled my head flew away at his smile. I smiled back and took his outstretched hand. A familiar heat passed through my hand.

    ¡°I think I will only feel better if you buy me cotton candy.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Cotton candy it is.¡±

    * * *

    Kaichen ushered her into a restaurant with a great view overlooking the entire west square.

    ¡°Teacher, Heulin¡¯s night is twinkling with magic lights.¡±

    ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s pretty. But when I think about how they are made by squeezing the blood out of magicians, it makes me queasy.¡± Dalia shuddered. He fought the urge tough.

    ¡°It¡¯s notpulsory.¡±

    ¡°I guess not. They store the mana and use it, right? Then you would have to recharge it every day, but who does that?¡±

    ¡°Because ofck of control, beginner mages who can¡¯t use their mana properly do these things for a living, to make money.¡±

    ¡°Then, fortunately, mana is not taken away recklessly.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t pull out mana to the point where it¡¯s physically damaging. The magician releases their own mana. Taking it by force is no different than taking their life.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ how should I say this¡­ it reminds me of a human battery from which mana is being pulled out. Maybe they are kept underground, bound and gagged.¡±

    ¡°Battery?¡±

    ¡°Mana charging device.¡±

    Kaichen smiled at Dalia who often said terrible things effortlessly. He had thought she was mesmerized by the lights when she gazed out with so much focus. It hadn¡¯t crossed his mind she might be thinking of something so macabre.

    ¡°Teacher, look! Is that the pce? As expected, it is the shiniest one here. Very shy. Are those normal magicmps?¡±

    ¡°Each pce in the Imperial Pce has a different color.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really fancy, but it hurts my eyes. The colors are all jumbled together. It looks tacky,¡± she said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone tell His Highness that whoever is controlling the lighting isn¡¯t doing a very good job of it? Don¡¯t tell me people think that¡¯s beautiful. It looks¡­ cheap. The Imperial Pce shouldn¡¯t look like that.¡±

    Kaichen was stunned. He mped his mouth shut. No one really thought the Imperial Pce was beautiful. But it was a great building, and the Empire was proud of it. Kaichen remembered that Julius often looked at the colorful pce with bleary eyes and said he wanted to die in shame. However, the current emperor¡¯s only hobby was to experiment with colorful lights. The ¡®tacky¡¯ lights of the Imperial Pce were the emperor¡¯s will. No one could question it.

    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s hobby.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­,¡± she said and covered her mouth with her hand, looking guilty.

    Kaichen burst out inughter. She was so honest. He liked that about her. It worried him that she might find it difficult to adapt into the high society where everybody was expert in the art of subterfuge, whether she would be able to hide her honest opinions and feelings. But he didn¡¯t want her to change.

    ¡°I know I am greedy but it¡¯s still not enough.¡±

    His heart had skipped a beat at her words. He thought she had said it as a joke at that moment. Even though he knew her desires weren¡¯t the same as his, he secretly harbored hope. Maybe¡­

    For now, he would be what she wanted him to be: her one and only teacher she could lean on. He felt like he was the one who wanted to hog her for himself. Dalia said she was worried that she might lose, and someone might take away his time. And yet, he was the one who was

 Chapter 136

    It was like that today as well. He saw so many men looking at her as she walked down the street. Her smile and her enthusiasm caught the eye of men and women alike. Whenever he saw someone staring at her longingly, he gritted his teeth and hid her without her noticing. Then continued when he was sure they were gone. He found his own behavior ridiculous especially since he himself was infested with the dirtiest and ugliest desires.

    While suppressing that l*st, he responded to the voice calling him ¡®Teacher¡¯. He wanted her to call him over and over again. He wished that she would continue to seek and need him like that. He wanted to kiss the plump, soft lips that brushed his fingertips when he wiped the breadcrumbs from her lips. He looked at her with desire in his heart.

    His desires did not know any end and only became darker and darker as time passed. No matter how difficult each day was for him, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from her. She didn¡¯t know how obsessed he was with her.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Dessert has arrived. Hurry up and eat, it won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡± Dalia even held up her fork to Kaichen.

    Kaichen now knows that Dalia doesn¡¯t like sweets very much. She grasped his taste and made sweet desserts every time, but he noticed that she rarely touched them. She just watched him eat with a big smile. He swallowed augh and picked up his fork.

    A loud voice came from the entrance. ¡°I said I want the seat with the best view! I can pay you, so why are you holding me back?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, Miss. All tables with a view are already booked. There are simply no seats avable. I am afraid you will need to wait¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you even know who I am? Get out of the way!¡±

    ¡°I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you double the money, so clear one table as soon as possible.¡±

    Kaichen, who hated suchmotion, frowned. But Dalia was curiously ncing at the entrance.

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher,¡± she said half-heartedly without even looking at him. Her attention was focused on the entrance.

    ¡°I think I told you not to get distracted while eating.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s dessert left.¡±

    ¡°I gave it to you, Teacher. You can have my share.¡±

    ¡°I am not eating it.¡±

    ¡°But you like this sweet.¡±

    ¡°I already said that I don¡¯t want it.¡±

    Only then did her eyes waver from the entrance and focus on him. Her deep ck eyes were full of doubt and confusion. Her eyes seemed to question why he was acting like this suddenly. But Kaichen mped his mouth shut and didn¡¯t say anything. Dalia slowly lifted her fork and took a bite of the dessert. She rested her chin in her hands and looked at him.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t eating it because it¡¯s not very sweet, right?¡±

    It was absurd, but he didn¡¯t answer her. She tapped the te with her fork. ¡°Teacher, you know you¡¯re more like a child than I am,¡± she began, to Kaichen¡¯s incredulity.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your taste is like that. You are a very picky eater, and you like everything sweet, just like a child. Even now, you areining about the food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just aware of what I like and dislike,¡± he exined.

    ¡°Adults can tolerate things they don¡¯t like.¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to tolerate something when I don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t like something, I don¡¯t have to put up with it, alright?¡±

    Perhaps because his voice was sharp, she looked at him perplexed. She then mmed the table andughed out loud. ¡°Then, does it matter if someone else gets hurt because Teacher can¡¯t put up with the things he doesn¡¯t like?¡± she said.

    Kaichen frowned. ¡°The point of the conversation is different. There is a difference between expressing what I like clearly and hurting others,¡± he said.

    ¡°How is it different?¡±

    ¡°Asserting your opinion while hurting or bothering others in the process is childish. It¡¯s like a child having a tantrum.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then you can clearly express what you like, but you are an ¡®adult¡¯, so you try to make sure you don¡¯t trouble or hurt others in the process.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kaichen looked at her questioningly.

    The corners of her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Then, as an adult, bothering others and continuing to argue would be very impudent. What a shame!¡± said Dalia so loudly that everybody could hear it even from across the room.

    ¡°What?!¡± As if she knew it was meant for her, a sharp voice responded from the entrance.

    Kaichen sighed inwardly. It urred to him that Dalia had involved herself in a fight. He had thought she was bbering, but she had meant it for the noblewoman who was making a fuss.

    Although it seemed that she doesn¡¯t normally care at all about other people¡¯s affairs, Dalia always stepped forward in these kinds of situations. In the past two years, the same had happened countless times in Acrab. It happened so often that people gossiped about it. Rumors were that since she had stopped drinking and gambling, she now let off steam by picking unnecessary fights.

 Chapter 137

    To think she used to be even more rude and insulting than the noblewoman outside, thought Kaichen. Kaichen was no longer surprised. After two years together, he had learned quite a lot about Dalia. She had be apletely different person from the woman he had met as a child. Even if it was assumed that she had changed, thisplete change was too drastic. Even the doctor suggested that she had developed apletely different personality.

    When Dalia was young, she was so rude. She didn¡¯t even consider themon people as humans. If someone was not of noble blood, she didn¡¯t mind mistreating them. But now¡­ she jumped at every change to defend themoners. She went so far as to fight the nobles even if it meant she would be at a disadvantage. He wasn¡¯t surprised by her picking fights with others because he had spent the majority of his time cleaning up the mess.

    ¡°Dalia¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher. But I feel like she is ruining the atmosphere.¡±

    She didn¡¯t look sorry at all. She smiled innocently. Kaichen ran his finger through his hair and sighed. I am really going to go crazy one of these days¡­. When she smiled like that, he could not ever go against her. The mole around her eyes became lost somewhere as her eyes crinkled. He liked to see her smiling like that. He was enamored by it physically and mentally. He felt something stirring in his lower body. He endured it for the past two years. Dalia was unaware of the sweet pain she caused him.

    Soon the heels came clicking on the floor. ¡°You!¡± said a sharp voice. ¡°You were saying that to me, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Kaichen thought he recognized that voice. He had heard it somewhere before. He was used to taking care of the mess that Dalia created by getting into fights. But this was Heulin, not Acrab. Everything got troublesome in Heulin.

    Kaichen looked at Dalia once more. It was a gaze that was meant to warn her to shut it, but she looked right back at him and narrowed her eyes, as if to say, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    For the past two years, he discovered how pathetic and helpless a man in love was. His desires and l*wd thoughts piled up every day and he couldn¡¯t express it. At this rate, he thought he would lose his reason and pick a stupid fight like Dalia. He practiced swordsmanship at night to get rid of his thoughts. He had developed a hobby of practicing swordsmanship at night for these two years.

    Like a fool, he couldn¡¯t control himself and did everything for her. She asionally told him to stop doing everything for her lest she be dependent on him. She would tell him that she is developing a bad habit of relying on him for every small thing. But he was the one who had picked up the bad habit and couldn¡¯t stop himself from doing everything for her just to see her smile.

    Julius would look at him, shaking his head and say only one thing. ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Kaichen thought so too. He was a coward who couldn¡¯t confess to her but lingered near her all day so that someone else wouldn¡¯t sweep her away from her feet. What made that possible was the ¡®Teacher and Disciple¡¯ thing that existed between them. He always covered his obsession under the fa?ade of being a warm teacher who does things for his favorite disciple. He was definitely insane.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly saying it to you. But why did you feel like it was directed at you? Are you guilty of it?¡±

    He was brought back to the present by Dalia¡¯s voice. This was not the time to be lost in thoughts. Kaichen watched without intervening. Not yet anyway.

    ¡°Do you even know who I am? I know you said that to me! How impudent! How dare you?¡±

    ¡°I never took your name or even looked at you. I guess you know deep down you were being childish, so you feel guilty all by yourself. I think it is impudent when someone barges into a restaurant, argues with the staff, and thinks money can solve everything. Oh, when you list down the things, I guess it fits you perfectly.¡±

    ¡°You really want to die? How dare amoner speak like this?!¡±

    ¡°No one wants to die. In fact, I want to live a long and full life. Also, I am not amoner if that is what is offending you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know which vige you slithered out of even if you are a noble without learning proper etiquettes. But you are making a big mistake. Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I really don¡¯t. You have asked me twice now, but I really don¡¯t know who you are. Are you supposed to be famous around here?¡± Dalia smiled mockingly at the woman.

    The woman clenched her fists and trembled in barely contained rage. She did not back down even in the face of such tant insult. Dalia sat calmly in her seat and smiled even when the woman looked as though she would lunge at her any minute.

 Chapter 138

    Exactly where does that boldnesse from? He had watched her fight with so many people now. Her words were thrown so sharply but always so calmly. Even Julius, who was known for his shamelessness sometimes, got flustered watching her fight with others. He used to say, ¡°Oh god, so embarrassing¡­ Kaichen, is this how you feel when I act brazen and shameless? I am so embarrassed right now.¡±

    He should have known about her boldness from the moment she opened his door without knocking when he took her to the Willow House. The woman didn¡¯t know how to feel conscious or embarrassed. It was hard to tell if she was ashamed of herself because she became even more bold and confident when that happened as though that would make it any less embarrassing. It wasn¡¯t such a bad trait. In fact, she always appeared so confident and sure of herself that it was hard not to be amazed.

    Kaichen, realizing that he was unknowingly defending her, clicked his tongue. He had long lost his objectivity when it came to Dalia. He decided it was time to stop this fight before it got disastrous.

    ¡°Lady Sorel?¡± someone called.

    Kaichen remembered why the voice had sounded familiar. He had heard it before.

    ¡°Oh my, Sir Petral,¡± a soft smile appeared on her face.

    Dalia¡¯s eyes widened as the woman¡¯s demeanorpletely changed. Kaichen narrowed his eyes as a memory surfaced in his mind. The dinner date was ruined, and it seemed it was bound to get more ufortable.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ they said no window seats were avable, so I was just asking for some understanding.¡±

    Kaichen hoped the woman would move along without lengthening the fight. He didn¡¯t know if he could control Dalia. She was called the Fighter of Acrab, after all. He saw Dalia narrow her eyes at the woman¡¯s tant lie.

    ¡°Oh, it seems like a lot of people came to eat out today because it¡¯s such a nice day,¡± said Sir Petral.

    ¡°I think the customer here is leaving because she said they are almost done eating,¡± said Lady Sorel.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? That¡¯s very considerate,¡± said the man politely. He acted as though there hadn¡¯t been a fight here just seconds ago. Although he dressed neatly, it was clear that his body was battle hardened. Even from his words, it could be deduced that this man was a man of authority. He was a handsome man with dimples on his cheeks. He smiled at Dalia as though to thank her for yielding her seat. Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He was familiar.

    This annoying woman¡­ He didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this situation. He did not pay much attention to others and did not engage in their businesses. When people remained in his memory, it was mostly because he had not had a good encounter with them. As he remembered more, he became ufortable.

    Kaichen didn¡¯t like balls or parties. He hated crowded ces. But he sometimes had no choice, especially when it rted to Julius. This woman was the reason he had stopped attending such eventspletely.

    ¡°Oh, my goodness! Mr. Kaichen, do you know how much I have missed you? This girl¡¯s heart burns because you don¡¯t show yourself at all.¡±

    ¡®If you are not feeling well, you should see the doctor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ho! You still have a good sense of humor! Come on, don¡¯t be like this, let¡¯s go out to the terrace and talk about things we couldn¡¯t finish talking about.¡±

    ¡°Talk about things we couldn¡¯t finish talking about? I don¡¯t remember us having a conversation?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Kaichen, there are a lot of eyes watching. Please don¡¯t embarrass this girl too much.¡±

    That ball was the one he had hated the most. And not only because of Lady Sorel. Julius hadn¡¯t been able to establish himself as the Crown Prince and Kaichen himself was mostly addressed as the Archmage¡¯s disciple. People used to ignore his title as the Archmage. Now, he had be such a person that people could not make light of him so easily but back then things had been different¡­

    The smell of perfume made his eyes water and his nose sting. The woman who threw them at him made him very stressed. He didn¡¯t like being grabbed by the arm even then. They touched him as they pleased, and he hated every bit of it.

    It was especially difficult when Lady Sorel had attended every ball he was in, pretending as though it was just a coincidence. In the aristocratic social circle, rumors spread fast, and it put him in a very difficult spot. He put a stop to what he endured for Julius as a friend right there.

    ¡°Do not approach me with the smell of an animal in heat. It¡¯s dirty and filthy.¡±

    Lamia Sorel. She was the only daughter of Marquis Sorel, one of the leading families in the empire with both wealth and power. She was so arrogant that she took any kind of rejection as a slight to her honor. When Kaichen had uttered those words to her in that ball, she had burst into tears. He had gotten so ufortable that he had just left. But rumors had spread that he had been unable to control himself and harassed Lady Lamia Sorel.

 Chapter 139

    It was absurd and untrue. He didn¡¯t go out of his way to exin. He didn¡¯t feel like he needed to. He had done nothing. Kaichen stopped going to parties and balls after that day. After he surpassed his master and achieved the title of Archmage, the rumors slowly disappeared. But Kaichen never forgot that day.

    Thest person he ever wanted to see in his lifetime was in front of him. More so, she was acting up against Dalia, the person he cherished the most.

    This is going to be a pain in the neck. Lamia hadn¡¯t yet looked at Kaichen. If she did, she would make it worse by digging up past resentments.

    ¡°Will you please get up now if you are done eating?¡± said Lamia Sorel, pretending to be polite in the presence ofpany, ¡°It¡¯s so considerate of you. I can even reward you for your kindness.¡±

    Dalia rolled her eyes. Kaichen noticed that she had been unusually quiet until now. Her eyes twinkled and the corners of her lips curled up. Kaichen sighed inwardly. That look meant more trouble. Something surprising and unexpected happened when she looked like that. Her cheeks were turning red like a child who had found an interesting toy.

    Tsk, of all things¡­ It seems that her curiosity was piqued. At times like this, he knew she never gave up. Instead, he gave up on the idea of stopping her. He will have to figure out how to clean up this mess with the daughter of Marquis Sorel.

    In the end, people supported those who were close to them. If Dalia picked a fight, he would back her up. I have nothing to say even if they call me a crazy bastard. Kaichen smiled. He shook his head and watched Dalia preparing for her next move. She had a very evil smile on her face. It was fitting. I, a madman, in love with her, the absolute madwoman.

    *

    At first, I assumed that the woman shouting at the entrance was just a haughty noble. When she came up to me, I saw that she was quite pretty. God was good at bncing things. He bnced her beauty by giving her a rotten personality. I didn¡¯t even know who she was. I was just enjoying the fight when I heard a man approach her.

    ¡°Lady Sorel?¡± he called.

    ¡°Oh, Sir Petral.¡±

    I thought I had been struck by lightning. I remembered these characters from the original novel. Lamia Sorel, the only daughter of Marquis Sorel. She had been involved in that nasty debacle with Kaichen when he had called her ¡®an animal in heat¡¯ and ¡®filthy¡¯. I nced at Kaichen, but he appeared so carefree as though he didn¡¯t mind the situation at all.

    ¡°Will you please get up now if you are done eating? It¡¯s so considerate of you. I can even reward you for your kindness.¡± I was not fooled. That backhanded politeness reeked of nothing but humiliation. She was trying to act nice and polite because of the man beside her. He seemed to be her new toy.

    I never thought I¡¯d meet them like this! Unlike Lamia, who was a negative character, the man beside her was a knight who was loyal to Julius. Chushinick Petral was Julius¡¯ guard and absolutely loyal to him. He had a gentle and kind temperament.

    I can¡¯t believe that such a man suddenly appeared as Lamia¡¯s partner in a ce like this. The original novel was already twisted but this was absurd! Still, he wore a ring with the emblem of Julius¡¯ empire, so perhaps he was still the same person. I had recently heard vaguely that they were recruiting the Crown Prince¡¯s escort officers.

    Hmm¡­ This is going to be fun. Chushinick, a simple young man who became the Crown Prince¡¯s guard, and an arrogant Marquis¡¯ daughter. I didn¡¯t know how they ended up together, but I wasn¡¯t going to take this sitting down. I also needed to get revenge for the time rumors used Kaichen of harassing her when he had done nothing.

    I smiled and thought about how to lead the current fight to victory. I didn¡¯t even look at Kaichen. Besides, he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping me.

    Did he really not remember her? No matter how indifferent Kaichen was to others, it was hard to believe that he didn¡¯t remember this woman. It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t remember, I decided. I felt better knowing Kaichen didn¡¯t remember any woman at all.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said politely. ¡°Maybe you got the wrong person. I haven¡¯t finished with my dinner. I am just about to order dessert, actually.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°I think you must be mistaken.¡±

    ¡°What about?!¡±

    ¡°I never intended to leave out of consideration. Rather, I am a little offended that you so rudely interrupted my precious time when I am not even done eating.¡±

 Chapter 140

    I blinked and pretended to be very hurt. Chushinick looked at Lamia and then at me in shock.

    ¡°Lady Sorel? What is this¡­ Is she speaking the truth?¡± The trembling voice was already suspicious of Lamia. I hadn¡¯t really said anything wrong.

    ¡°N-No. Sir Petral¡­ I only meant¡­¡±

    ¡°Lady Sorel, did you really say that?¡± Chushinick¡¯s face hardened. Lamia couldn¡¯t remember all the words she had said. She always blurted out things and couldn¡¯t remember afterwards. She didn¡¯t even remember most of the conversation she had a while ago.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I asked you out for a meal because it was beautiful to see you saving poor children and distributing bread to the hungry.¡±

    ¡°Sir P-Petral!¡±

    ¡°If she speaks the truth, I am very disappointed,¡± said Sir Petral. Chushinick didn¡¯t seem to think that I might have lied. He was an honest and simple man who rarely doubted others.

    Lamia taking care of the poor and distributing bread to the hungry almost made meugh. She must have put on a show to catch Sir Petral¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No! She¡¯s lying! Sir Petral, you don¡¯t trust me?!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ why would this person lie¡­.¡±

    As expected, Lamia yed to the fact that I didn¡¯t have evidence as well. Seeing us im two different things, Chushinick was suddenly confused.

    What an indecisive punk! Being nice sometimes can mean being na?ve and foolish, which was true in the case of Chushinick at the moment. He was swayed easily. I could see that he still looked a little confused but now he stared at me, and I knew he had decided to trust hispanion.

    Ugh, you idiot, I cursed inwardly. I lowered my head and tried to maintain myposure. I bit my lip to restrain myself from shouting at him.

    ¡°And¡­ why would I lie when I was just sitting here and having a casual dinner?¡± I intended to go all out since my opponent was Lamia, born and bred in high society and well versed in the art of deceiving people.

    ¡°Sir Petral, I only wanted to spend time at dinner with you and wanted you to enjoy your dinner with a great view¡­ so I took the initiative to ask them for their understanding. I didn¡¯t mean¡­.¡±

    Tears dripped down Lamia¡¯s cheek. Chushinick¡¯s face hardened. Even though I knew she was just putting on a show, I almost believed her! I was shocked. I had only seen this happen in fiction. But now I saw it with my own eyes. How could you not believe such an act?

    Seeing Lamia sniffle and wiping away at her tears, Chushinick was restless. He gritted his teeth. He was a loyal servant to Julius. He was just and honest and he felt it his responsibility to protect the vulnerable. At this moment, he thought Lamis was vulnerable.

    What will he do next? I asked myself. I was curious and a little amused. As expected, Chushinick walked a few steps closer to me.

    ¡°I think there was a misunderstanding,¡± he said. ¡°Could you please apologize for the rude remarks you made to Lady Sorel?¡±

    I tried to show him the real face of Lamia and he turned right around and demanded an apology from me. I was obviously in no mood to apologize for something I did not do.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong to apologize for. I have been sitting here and eating my food when yourpanion decided to intrude and demand I leave the table.¡±

    ¡°It is wrong to misunderstand a situation.¡±

    ¡°I think you didn¡¯t hear me. I didn¡¯t misunderstand her demands either.¡±

    I did away with my polite and nice outlook and answered indifferently. I didn¡¯t think being nice would help any longer. Chushinick narrowed his eyes at my change of tone as if he thought he was deceived by me. He was a handsome man when he smiled but when he frowned, he looked menacing

    ¡°Please, can¡¯t you see she is crying? If someone requests for understanding, you must be polite about it even if you refuse. Didn¡¯t anyone ever teach you basic aristocratic manners?

    Unbelievable! I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Maybe or maybe not. But I have been taught not to intrude on other people going about their business especially in a public ce.¡±

    Chushinick went red in the face. Maybe he didn¡¯t expect me to be so shameless. He approached me threateningly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop now?¡± Kaichen, who was just watching from the sidelines, finally intervened. I was pretending to be fine, but I was actually intimidated by Chushinick, who seemed to be taller and bigger than me.

    Chushinick and Lamia now recognized the existence of Kaichen across from me. He had not said a single word till now. Their heads turned at the sudden interruption.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t kids¡­ I don¡¯t think two people trying to corner one is the right thing to do.¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s voice was calm but icy. I got a chill down my back although he didn¡¯t really appear to be doing anything threatening.

 Chapter 141

    Why is he so angry? I realized Kaichen was suddenly in a very bad mood. Unlike me who fights more with words, Kaichen was sensitive and prickly. He didn¡¯t tolerate nonsense. He wasn¡¯t easily offended, and he hated fights because it was a nuisance. I was actually surprised to see him stepping in as if he was ready for a fight. It was scary when he was really offended or angry.

    ¡°I know this might seem discourteous. But I do insist that there is a much more polite way of turning down someone who was only requesting for some understanding,¡± said Chushinick.

    ¡°If you know this is discourteous, and you have already been turned down, why are you trying to drag it out when someone has clearly refused your ¡®request¡¯?¡±

    Chushinick seemed at a loss for words.

    ¡°You talked about basic aristocratic manners. Where did you learn the manners of a nobleman whoes to a public ce, barges in and demands someone leave from the table when they aren¡¯t done with their food?¡± said Kaichen.

    ¡°Is it okay for someone to intrude on other people¡¯s time and ¡®request¡¯ for an understanding and drag it out if they refuse? Forcing them to ept a reward for your ¡®request¡¯ and demanding they be polite as they refuse is something done by aristocrats?¡± asked Kaichen icily.

    Chushinick was speechless. I thought they would recognize Kaichen but I was surprised none of them did. He had only changed the color of his hair and eyes. How was it possible that they didn¡¯t recognize him at all? He looked the same anyway. Chushinick clenched his fists as if his pride had been hurt by Kaichen¡¯s words. But Kaichen wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding so only one person should apologize?¡± he continued. ¡°How do you know there has been a misunderstanding? You just arrived now. Have you even considered the fact that maybe you don¡¯t know the whole situation? Or are noblemen exempted from thinking critically?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too harsh?¡± said Chushinick, raising his voice.

    It was intimidating enough for me, but Kaichen didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I had heard that you were a loyal and trustworthy hound by the Crown Prince¡¯s side. But you just seem like a silly bear cub that sways where the wind blows.¡±

    ¡°What?! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡¯ thundered Chushinick, no longer able to restrain his anger.

    I stepped in, not wanting to make Kaichen angrier. ¡°Look, you came here insisting that there was a misunderstanding. But we were never really asked to show our understanding in the first ce. She barged in here and started shouting at us,¡± I said, trying to exin the situation.

    ¡°Are you lying again?! I can¡¯t trust your nonsense anymore!¡±

    ¡°Ha, you really are so rude. Calling me a liar when this woman barged in and demanded we leave the ce!¡±

    ¡°Lady Sorel wouldn¡¯t do something like that!¡± Chushinick, who had already fallen for Lamia¡¯s tears, refused to listen. I felt frustrated. I wanted to take back my opinion of him. He wasn¡¯t honest and just, he was just gullible andcked a brain. Kaichen was right. He was just a silly bear cub.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be able to understand humannguage, so that¡¯s enough,¡± said Kaichen to Chushinick.

    ¡°T-Teacher,¡± I stammered.

    ¡°Dalia,¡± said Kaichen firmly. My shoulders drooped and I stepped aside. I had started the fight because I couldn¡¯t stand injustice. But maybe I had also wanted to avenge Kaichen for Lamia¡¯s lies of the past. It was a fight I had started but ended up getting Kaichen involved.

    As things got messier, I clutched at Kaichen¡¯s sleeve. This wasn¡¯t Acrab. This was Heulin. I had no power here. Marquis Sorel was an important noble who was powerful enough to leave a dent on Julius¡¯ power if he wanted. As my excitement and mischief faded, my heart felt heavy.

    I have been so foolish! I felt guilty and sorry for dragging Kaichen into this. He always took care of my mess. He is the Archmage and he has a disciple like me, who always creates trouble.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make that face,¡± he said.

    ¡°I should have just let it slide,¡± I said regretfully.

    ¡°And if you had?¡±

    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t have been a fight like this.¡±

    ¡°Even if you had held back, that woman would have gone to another table and done the same thing,¡± he said.

    I thought he didn¡¯t remember her, but it seems he did. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little knot of jealousy in my stomach.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher. I get in trouble every time¡­ I am so pathetic.¡± For the two years we had been together in Acrab, Kaichen had always been by my side. Maybe that was why I had be so dependent and taken everything for granted.

 Chapter 142

    When I realized I liked Kaichen, I was happy to have him by my side. I was even imagining a future with him. That future didn¡¯t seem impossible if we continued like this. Julius¡¯ struggle for the throne had already begun, and he had to fight Princess Akshetra, who was a real viin.

    If we wanted a happy future, Julius had to be the emperor. I could only dream of other things if his story wasplete. He is the main character, after all. That was what I had decided but I depended on Kaichen far too much. The bitterness lingered in my heart. This was Heulin, not Acrab. This was a ce where there were fierce political wars and people deceived each other. I had to be careful.

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about useless things.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t ever change.¡±

    I felt like I had been caught doing something wrong. I tried to smile. Kaichen raised his eyebrows and took my face in his hands. It seemed as though he was telling me not to give him a fake smile. I stopped smiling and lowered my head.

    ¡°Just, stay by my side, alright?¡±

    ¡°But I am by your side, as usual,¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°But you are making a stupid face.¡±

    He flicked a finger lightly at my forehead like he always did. He then didn¡¯t say anything more and turned his back to me to watch Chushinick and Lamia who were in a conversation a little distance away. He folded his arms and watched. Kaichen stood there appearing stern and intimidating. Whoever said magicians were physically weak was wrong.

    Kaichen had practiced swordsmanship unfailingly for the past two years. Every night he would be out with his sword swinging it murderously like a madman. I stared at Kaichen¡¯s back, which was so broad that it covered Chushinick and Lamia from view.

    ¡°So? Do you intend to duel me?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think I will only be able to see His Majesty the Crown Prince tomorrow when the Lady¡¯s honor has been restored.¡±

    Kaichen epted the duel with a brisk nod.

    Foolish Chushinick¡­, I thought. You might not live to see the Crown Prince tomorrow.

    The sudden news of a duel caused a stir in the restaurant. Kaichen was in disguise, so it seemed people didn¡¯t really know who he was. But they knew Chushinick Petral, a famous knight who was the Crown Prince¡¯s escort and guard. To duel with such a knight seemed no less than a suicide mission. They stared at Kaichen sympathetically.

    Kaichen didn¡¯t care much about it. Chushinick saw Kaichen without a sword, so he gave him time to prepare. They decided to meet in the square right in front of the restaurant an hourter.

    ¡°You should be more careful with your words, Countess. Unlike Acrab, Heulin is a dangerous ce where a single world can ruin the whole family.¡± I recalled Julius¡¯ words. I am so sorry Julius. I made trouble even though you warned me.

    ¡°But your teacher will protect you even if I don¡¯t.¡± Julius had said that before. Could he see the future? His words hade true. Kaichen had stepped in to clean my mess¡­ again. We moved to the square after a while.

    ¡°Teacher, are you really going to fight with a sword?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. It¡¯s a duel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been two years since you started learning swordsmanship! I heard that Sir Petral is the Crown Prince¡¯s knight¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll lose?¡±

    It didn¡¯t really seem like that. I had seen him practice like a madman. But swinging a sword alone was different from dueling a person.

    ¡°No, but I am worried that you might get hurt. I can¡¯t live with myself if you get hurt because of me¡­¡±

    I thought what I said was very cringy. He was the Archmage, after all. He smirked and took out his sword from the subspace.

    ¡°Hm¡­ you should worry a little. After all, you said you want to be greedy and have me all to yourself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you one thing.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ what?¡±

    Kaichen lightly swung his sword once. I saw Lamia and Chushinick approach. She had a triumphant smile on her face. Kaichen¡¯s face darkened as he watched her.

    ¡°You won,¡± he said. ¡°And you will continue to do so¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t properly hear the second part because his voice was so low it was only a mumble. Kaichen looked at my stunned face, smiled and walked to the space to duel.

 Chapter 143

    What? What do you mean, I won? I recalled our conversation from the street earlier that day:

    ¡°Teacher, were you this popr when I wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ I knew you would be popr, but this is¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ well, I mean¡­.¡±

    ¡°What? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose.¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do if you win?¡±

    I was shocked. What did he mean by that? Was this the continuation of ourst conversation? I pressed my lips together. My mouth was dry, and my heart fluttered. I was lost in my thoughts when I heard Lamia¡¯s small cry. I looked up to see that the fight was already over while I had been spacing out and Chushinick knelt on the ground.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Is Kaichen so strong in swordsmanship?

    ¡°Sir¡­ L-Lord Petral!¡± Lamia shrieked.

    I noticed that she corrected herself when addressing him. ¡®Sir¡¯ was correct because he was the Crown Prince¡¯s knight. However, she wanted to hide the fact that he was a knight because he had just lost a duel to someone who wasn¡¯t even a knight. Since he became the official escort of the Crown Prince, the title ¡®Sir¡¯ was of course correct, but since he lost the duel, she seems to want to hide the fact that he is a knight. Lamia¡¯s sudden change of title made Chushinick even more miserable. Everyone knew who he was anyway. I felt sorry for him.

    ¡°If you want to serve the Crown Prince, you must first learn to discern people and situations,¡± said Kaichen. ¡°The Imperial pce is in a worse state than what you are feeling right now. If you don¡¯t learn to question who you trust, it will be most damaging.¡± Kaichen casually threw his sword back into the subspace.

    Chushinick looked shocked. He must have figured out who Kaichen was. Lamia, who was flustered in the situation, turned pale.

    Kaichen passed them indifferently and approached me. He wasn¡¯t even out of breath. He didn¡¯t look like he had just won a fight. A cold, stern face that doesn¡¯t even feel the joy of having won¡­

    He walked to me and dusted off his clothes. ¡°I guess now you can live peacefully with yourself.¡±

    I slowly recalled what I had said to him before the duel. ¡°I can¡¯t live with myself if you get hurt because of me¡­¡±

    He looked so casual. It was as if there had been no interruption and he was continuing without conversation. I wasn¡¯t prepared for words that gripped and made my heart flutter like this. I felt the heat rise to my face.

    ¡°Teacher, when you said that I won¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ so, does that mean¡­¡±

    My mouth was dry. The words didn¡¯te out easily. How could I ask if that meant he liked me? If it ended up being just my misunderstanding, I would just die. It might even affect the rtionship we have now. I didn¡¯t want to ruin everything. It didn¡¯t seem like Kaichen liked the original Dalia.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to bring it up. What if I get rejected? That would make everything ufortable and awkward. It made me anxious. I was afraid to voice out my thoughts.

    ¡°So, does that mean I can hog the teacher all for myself?¡± I asked jokingly. I couldn¡¯t do it. At least this way, he would think I didn¡¯t want to share him as a teacher with anyone else.

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He looked displeased. Is he still angry about the restaurant?

    I definitely thought his anger would abate after the duel. Instead, he sighed and reached out a hand and stroked my hair. His gentle hands made my heart flutter again. I blushed to my roots.

    ¡°Yeah, if you want.¡±

    ¡°I told you¡­ not to treat me like a child,¡± I murmured and turned away. I couldn¡¯t look at his dazzling face and intense gaze. I took a deep breath and turned to Chushinick and Lamia.

    Lamia was still pale. She looked around and seemed to want to leave the ce as fast as possible. She must be embarrassed facing Kaichen after so many years. What was worse was that she had made a scene in front of him and Chushinick had lost miserably as well.

    Chushinick, on the other hand, was so shocked that he did not stand up even when Lamia urged him. There were people gathering around the restaurant because of the duel. Perhaps he was stunned that he had picked a fight with the precious friend of his master¡¯s whom he had vowed to serve with all his heart.

    ¡°Teacher, you revealed your identity on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You could have pretended until the very end, but you nagged him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you are just showing off now.¡±

 Chapter 144

    As I chuckled, covering my mouth with my hands, Kaichen frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve never done that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I guess you have always been smug,¡± I replied.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The Crown Prince will be nagging you now.¡±

    ¡°If he is someone who will be crushed just because he has been humiliated like this, he is not going to be of any help to His Highness anyway.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ but¡­¡±

    He had just been chosen as the Crown Prince¡¯s escort. He must have been happy until he was defeated so brutally. Anyone would feel embarrassed if they were humiliated before they even got to enjoy their new title. But Kaichen didn¡¯t mind trampling on the growing sprout.

    I opened my bleary eyes and nced at Kaichen. He was still very upset from the restaurant and the duel. Normally, it wouldn¡¯te to this, because it was bothersome for him to get involved, but this time he had involved himself in the mess I had created instead of taking care of it after like in the past.

    Kaichen crossed his arms as if he didn¡¯t like the way I was looking at him.

    ¡°Do you hate Lord Chushinik that much?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think he deserves to be the personal guard of the Crown Prince?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­ let the Crown Prince choose who he wants to keep by his side.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°I understand you want to protect His Highness, but this is more than necessary. If you don¡¯t allow him to choose his people, when is he going to be independent from you?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? You¡¯re not happy that there¡¯s someone else around His Highness without your permission. That¡¯s why you were so angry in the restaurant.¡±

    His dearest childhood friend. Kaichen ran around not being afraid of water or fire to help Julius since childhood. I was convinced this was the reason he had been so upset..

    ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s the only thing you could think of?¡± he said.

    I blinked at him owlishly. ¡°Yes? Why?¡± I answered, at a loss.

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll be just wasting my breath.¡±

    ¡°Even if the teacher talks about it for a week, it won¡¯t be as bad as me talking throughout the day. If talking like this was wasting your breath, then I would be dead already.¡±

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± I said cheerfully.

    Kaichen looked stern. He raised his chin a little and said, ¡°If you keep rambling, I¡¯ll leave you behind.¡±

    ¡°Ah! You can¡¯t do that! My leg hurts.¡± I smiled cheekily and grabbed Kaichen¡¯s sleeve. Kaichen nced at my hand holding the sleeve of his shirt, but he didn¡¯t tell me to let go of it. I wanted to hold hands with him like in the day, but there were many eyes around and it would be awkward to hold hands while returning with mobile magic, so I swallowed my desire. My fingers twitched.

    ¡°E-Excuse me!¡± called a voice. The area was now very crowded because of the duel. Lamia hurriedly ran towards us. She looked disheveled and embarrassed. Behind her, I could see Chushinick standing there in bewilderment.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s been a while. I didn¡¯t recognize you properly and behaved disrespectfully. I am very sorry,¡± Lamia said.

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°I heard that you oftene to Heulin, but I was heartbroken that I couldn¡¯t see you for a long time. What a fateful coincidence to meet like this¡­¡±

    My eyes widened at the absurdity. A while ago she was being very bold and fighting over nothing. But now she was here pretending to be shy and timid. I was appalled at her shamelessness.

    I thought that if she found out that it was Kaichen, she would be ashamed and hide in a corner, but I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this. Was she trying to get Kaichen once again? If that¡¯s really the case, she is a real piece of work.

    It¡¯s not like anything happened between the two. Lamia was trying to court him in the past and Kaichen had brutally rejected her. It was not something that could be mended by trying again.

    If it was me, I would not have been able to converse with him so boldly after the incident. But seeing her, it seemed like she had either forgotten about it or buried it deep inside. She looked like she was having a shy reunion with her ex-boyfriend.

    ¡°You know there¡¯s a birthday ball for the Crown Prince, right? I heard you¡¯re staying in Heulin, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be there! Anyone will want to be escorted by Mr. Kaichen.¡±

    Not everyone, just you.

    Lamia intertwined her slender hands together and blushed, looking up at him. ¡°I-If it¡¯s okay with you, you can send flowers to the Marquis Sorel mansion with an invitation¡­ Oh, my! What am I saying.!¡±

 Chapter 145

    Kaichen didn¡¯t even say anything, but she blushed bright red. I could feel my hands clenching tightly at Kaichen¡¯s sleeve. Sending flowers?! I didn¡¯t feel good. I felt awful. From the moment I knew who Lamia was, the uneasiness had risen in my chest. My heart felt heavy.

    ¡°Never mind. I know that Mr. Kaichen hates such procedures and formalities. I will be happy to just see you attending in person.¡±

    If I put everything that had happened so far aside and look at Lamia, she almost looked innocent and pretty. But I knew she was spouting nonsense. I didn¡¯t want to point fingers and let her be with her own lifestyle without judgment. But if her target was Kaichen, then it was an altogether different story. As if she was determined to test my patience, Lamia covered her mouth and smiled, then gently touched Kaichen¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Oh, my! I said something embarrassing again¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh, Teacher? You have got something on here.¡± I tilted my head and brushed at the ce where Lamia had touched Kaichen¡¯s arm a while ago. It was rude, I know. I pretended to clean Kaichen¡¯s arm as though her touch had somehow tainted him. Lamia¡¯s eyes widened as she watched me. I felt petty because she sneered instead.

    I gently pulled Kaichen away and hid him from Lamia¡¯s sight. Lamia calmly took a step to the side and stood next to Kaichen again. It was childish, but I took another step in front of her and obscured her view.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    I squared my shoulders and said, ¡°I was afraid that dust would get on my teacher.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re talking?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking to yourself?¡±

    ¡°W-What?!¡±

    ¡°I mean you were chattering by yourself. I didn¡¯t hear anyone else speak¡­ just you.¡± As I smiled softly, Lamia¡¯s face turned red, but she didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°We have a lot to talk about since we met after a long time. Would you please step aside?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Do youck the ability to understand words?¡± she asked in mock politeness. ¡°Do you want me to repeat it once again?¡±

    She sounded so polite. She was like a different person altogether from the one in the restaurant. Maybe because I called Kaichen ¡®teacher¡¯ and she knew I was with him; she was being polite. But even if she had turned the intensity of her rudeness down, she was still the same person.

    ¡°Oh my! You have me all figured out, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You even know about the abilities I¡­ck.¡± I smirked at her. She looked enraged. I knew she would have shouted at me then, but she nced at Kaichen. I turned to Kaichen. He looked indifferent so I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about.

    I was annoyed at being unable to shake off Lamia. Kaichen did nothing wrong, but I felt annoyed at him for standing there silently. ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s head back,¡± I said, trying to keep the vexation from my voice.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let us go.¡± I red at Lamia while emphasizing the word ¡®us¡¯. I grabbed Kaichen¡¯s arm and pulled him with me. Kaichen flinched but I had no intention of letting him go. Lamia¡¯s eyes widened in fury as I pulled Kaichen with me. I nced at her smugly.

    Look, I can do this, too. This is the privilege of a disciple. Lamia¡¯s face turned red and she clenched her fists.

    ¡°Teacher! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about, but he followed me stiffly. His arm was so stiff as I pulled on it. I realized he was feeling ufortable. I felt conflicted. Was this too much? I felt a little regret at acting so hastily because I wanted to win against Lamia. But Lamia was still staring. I didn¡¯t want to let go of his arm in front of her. I hurriedly dragged Kaichen through the crowd and headed for a dark alleyway.

    ¡°Dalia!¡± I thought that I had done something wrong from the way he called my name.

    ¡°Yes, teacher?¡± I said nervously.

    There was not a single person in sight. It seemed that I kept walking even after we left the square and entered the alley. It wasn¡¯t until I came back to my senses that I realized I was still holding onto his arm. I let him go and looked around. I couldn¡¯t raise my head to look at Kaichen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ seemed like your acquaintance, but I was too rude.¡±

    ¡°She is not my acquaintance,¡± he said without hesitation.

    ¡°Then why did you keep listening to her talk, pardon my words, crap?¡±Jealousy really makes people so ugly. I felt embarrassed.

    ¡°I was just listening in to know how far she would ramble on.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because she didn¡¯t seem to be in her right mind.¡±

    ¡°And would you have listened to her till the end?¡±

 Chapter 146

    ¡°I guess, I should send some medicine to the Sorel Mansion.¡± The corners of my lips rose instinctively at the voice.

    I felt so angry and jealous knowing that Kaichen did not care about Lamia. I didn¡¯t have his heart, so I was worried that I might lose this man to another woman one day. I was extremely anxious; I couldn¡¯t even confess to him for the fear of our existing rtionship falling apart.

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep fighting with that woman?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Because I hate that she is obsessed with you. I swallowed the answer that came to my mind automatically. When he seemed to rx in the dark alleyway, his golden eyes shed.

    I looked him in the eye and said, ¡°Because I want to win¡­ I already told you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡± I can¡¯t lose, no matter what.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As I closed my eyes and sighed, I realized the depth of my feelings once again. It felt more natural to like this man than to breathe. I didn¡¯t want him to be looked at and touched by any other woman. I want him for myself. I want his heart. I had to admit that my shallow desire to be loved by him had grown to the point where I could no longer control it.

    Kaichen slowly turned his head around to look at me. It was hard to see what kind of face he made under the dark alleyway.

    ¡°Even though I already told you that you won,¡± Kaichen said. His voice was lower than usual. Then he grabbed my hand. In the blink of an eye, we reached the mansion.

    Returning to my familiar room, I watched the heat disappear from my hands. My mouth curled up at the lingering warmth at the fingertips.

    ¡°Teacher, I had a great time today,¡± I said, feeling light.

    ¡°Go and rest then.¡±

    Kaichen hurriedly disappeared as if something urgent had happened. I wanted to properly say goodbye to him but he was already gone. Feeling regretful, Iy down on the sofa. I recalled what had happened today and realized that it was more enjoyable than I had expected. I thought the day would be very ufortable, but it turned out to be unexpectedly fun.

    ¡°We had a proper date.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean to go out alone with him, but it ended up being just the two of us. We roamed the streets, ate snacks, went to interesting shops, looked around, and enjoyed entertainment together. We sat on a bench and had a light conversation, and we walked hand in hand. We ate dinner at a restaurant with a nice night view. There was a bit of a fuss, but all in all, it was a great date.

    ¡°Or¡­ am I the only one who feels that way?¡±

    I was a coward who dared not confess because I was afraid our rtionship would break. However, at times, Kaichen¡¯s words and actions gave me hope. It confused me. At times, it made me want to blurt out that I liked him. His warm, soft smile constantly undid me.

    You won. His softly spoken words echoed in my ears. Even though I already told you that you won. My heart was pounding. I could hardly stay still, so I jumped out of my seat. While pacing back and forth in the living room, I bit my lip a little, opened the window and sat on the railing. I looked at the garden, immersed in my thoughts.

    If Kaichen felt the same way as I did. If he felt like he couldn¡¯t confess just like me¡­

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s absurd. But¡­¡±

    If he really did feel the same way, I wanted to confess as soon as possible. I wanted to go on dates with him. I wanted to hug and kiss him. I wanted to hold hands with him¡­ thinking so made my heart fill with happiness and desire.

    I will ask him to escort me to the ball. Julius said he would send me a dress. He said that if I wear it, Kaichen will have to go with me to the ball¡­

    Not just attending together, but if he escorts me as a partner¡­ I will confess then. I will tell him that I like him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him in the Willow House. Yes, cowardly Dalia. Stop being so afraid and do it!

    I clenched my fist, making promises to myself. The most important thing, which was to make a social debut, was already forgotten. I came up with multiple scenarios of how I would confess to him.

    I can¡¯t make a mistake. I need to have a n. I ran to my desk and sighed for hours. Sadly, I had no experience of confessing. My heart, which had been pounding, plunged to the floor the moment it drew another future where Kaichen rejected me. Just thinking about it made me depressed and hopeless.

    It was only after the thirty-fourth time of repeating my n, that I folded the paper and put it in a drawer. I went to wash up. After that, the weeks passed quickly.

 Chapter 147

    Kaichen was in a bad mood. It had already been a week since he went out to show Dalia around Heulin. Rumors spread in the social circles about the duel with Sir Chushinik Petral that day. He wasn¡¯t one to dwell on rumors, so he ignored them. But Julius nagged him for more than half an hour everyday about it.

    What were you thinking? A duel for Lady Sorel?! To be caught up in such a cheap scandal just days before Countess Alshine¡¯s social debut! I can already see it: a fierce love triangle with the Archmage in between!

    It was true that ¡®Lamia Sorel¡¯ was the cause of the duel, but he sided with Dalia. His stomach twisted when he thought of a woman who would have spread such a rumor. Be it past or present, she was the very same woman. It was an absurd scandal. It wouldn¡¯tst long. Right now, there were more important issues to attend to.

    Kaichen wondered why he felt so awful. He stared at Dalia¡¯s bedroom door as if he was going to break it. Exactly what¡¯s the problem? Did she hear about the scandal? Did she misunderstand? But why?

    There were countless questions, but Dalia¡¯s bedroom door remained closed. It had already been a week. For some reason, Dalia had locked herself inside. He had no choice but to hang around in front of the door. At first, he wondered what kind of research she had fallen into but he realized that she was avoiding him on purpose when he saw that she didn¡¯t bump into him even when eating.

    Did she notice? On the way back, when she had linked her arms with him his rationality was on the verge of breaking. His whole body trembled at the close contact. He thought he might have an ident if he stayed like that, so he hurriedly left.

    ¡°D*mn.¡± Even though he only guessed the possibility, he felt awful. As if dying to express his feelings, whenever he stood in front of her, his heart pounded, and it showed its presence. He couldn¡¯t even breathe. As expected, it might have been a little burdensome.

    He sighed and ruffled his hair. He felt fortunate that there was a ball today. If not, Dalia would avoid him forever. He thought he was lucky to get to see her even for a while. He stood at the front door of the mansion and waited for Dalia.

    White walls and ck roof. As he looked at the mansion, he thought of Dalia. She had named it the ¡®ck Mansion¡¯ because it looked gloomy. It was sorge that it was hard to believe that it was the residence of the Countess of the countryside territory, who was just about to make her social debut.

    It is not too far from the Imperial Pce and is properly separated from the active city center, so it is convenient to move and isn¡¯t very noisy, making it one of the most expensive streets in Heulin. The ck Mansion was a mystery site of Heulin. The person in charge came and went, but the owner of the mansion was never seen, so it was questionable whether someone really lived there. Kaichen looked at the mansion calmly andughed as he thought of the rumors about the mansion that Julius had once told him about.

    The ck Mansion was owned by Kaichen. Hamal, the teacher, had received it along with the title of the Archmage from the previous emperor. Kaichen, who had to frequently visit Heulin because of Julius, used the mansion as a temporary residence because he could not sleep in an inn. Juliusined about using the mansion as a temporary residence, but Kaichen had no intention of returning it to the Imperial Pce. When Dalia was invited to Heulin, he had given up the mansion without hesitation when Julius said he needed to find a ce for her.

    ¡°You are going to give away the teacher¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°It is technically my house.¡±

    ¡°But sometimes the Teacher uses that mansion when hees to the Imperial Pce.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to stay as a guest.¡±

    ¡°Staying as a guest in his own house? Ha! The teacher will faint if he hears that.¡±

    ¡°He is the kind of person who will justugh it off.¡±

    ¡°You really are crazy. That¡¯s why it is said that you shouldn¡¯t be kind to people. They will give your house away if you do.¡±

    Julius had hesitated, but he went through the procedure faster than anyone else and changed the owner of the mansion to Dalia. Dalia did not know that the original owner of the ck Mansion was Kaichen. She only thought that it was ¡®too great of a house¡¯ that Julius had found for her, and Kaichen did not mention it. She was usually unnecessarily brazen, but she was quite hesitant to ask for help when she needed it.

    Kaichen had a hard time understanding Dalia. She pretended to be pitiful to get help with unimportant things, but never said a single word when she really needed help. Especially regarding financial difficulties, she would never ask for help.

    She didn¡¯t even use the high bank key I gave her.

    She used the money that Julius gave her aspensation generously, while she never used the key, he gave her. She carried it with herself with care but didn¡¯t use it. Is it that bothersome for her?

 Chapter 148

    He felt lost. He would do anything for her. But he constantly felt worried about whether what he did might burden her unnecessarily. He worried about every little thing. He sighed and turned away.

    The garden was neatly arranged for easy maintenance. There was an old tree and small wildflowers that were blown away by the wind. It was difficult to manage the flowers, so briefly it felt neat and modern but if you looked closely, it felt too simple. It lookedpletely different from the garden they used to take a walk together in Acrab.

    The ck roses must have bloomed in Acrab. He remembered Angel working hard with his small hands. He used to watch Dalia, who sat on the bench and watched Angel do his work.

    The ck rose will be a new symbol of Alshine County. It has not been used for a long time, but the original emblem of the Alshine Family was the ck rose. Dalia knew this but her words had a different meaning. Rather than her family, she wanted Acrab to prosper; rather than the glory of the family, she hoped that all of Acrab¡¯s territories would enjoy a prosperous life. So, she used the ck rose, the symbol of her family, as a symbol of the whole of Acrab.

    Dalia was not greedy. Although she imed to be one, she was the least greedy person he had seen in his life. She was a giving, and sometimes na?ve person.

    Kaichen sighed. Even when I have nothing to think about, I think of her. Is this a disease? It was funny how natural and normal it felt. Just before his thoughts drifted in another direction, a carriage arrived. It was a one-of-a-kind carriage in the whole Empire made for Dalia by the artisans of Acrab.

    The carriage was engraved with the coat of arms of the Alshine Family. The ck carriage, which was beautiful enough to turn people¡¯s heads, matched with the mansion. It suited Dalia perfectly, too.

    ¡°Teacher, have you been waiting for a long time?¡±

    He had been looking at the carriage while thinking everything suited Dalia when he heard her voice. He hadn¡¯t heard her voice for a week. His heart raced.

    He wanted to ask her if he had done something wrong for her to avoid him for so long. He turned round to face her and ask her that when he was rendered speechless.

    Kaichen bit his tongue involuntarily. He was so startled that he thought he would end up saying something stupid.

    Dalia usually wore shirts and trousers. She said she liked feelingfortable. She would usually sit on the floor crossed-legged and trousers were morefortable to do that. She lookedpletely different today. She smiled at him, and his mind went nk.

    Have I ever seen her in a dress? No, did she ever wear a dress ever before this?

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I wore a dress in two years, so I feel a little awkward.¡±

    Kaichen forgot to blink. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Is it weird? I knew it looked weird!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The voice that answered was heavy.

    I¡¯m going crazy. He was mesmerized by her. He forced himself to look away and chewed the insides of his cheek. Dalia looked dazzling. Even if it was his first time seeing her in a dress, it was pathetic to be so stunned.

    Is it because I haven¡¯t seen her for a week? She looked pretty. His back was stiff. His throat was dry.

    Dalia blinked and looked up at him. ¡°Then is it pretty?¡±

    Do you even need to ask that? Kaichen could hardly respond. He wanted to tell her she looked beautiful, but he couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t form coherent words. He clenched his jaws.

    Damn it. He felt like the blood was flowing to his face. He felt panicked. He felt himself heating up. He felt flustered. He wanted to keep looking at her, but he couldn¡¯t even make himself stare at her directly.

    ¡°Is it not pretty?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Then is it pretty?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°We arete, just get on.¡± He couldn¡¯t even tell her that she looked pretty because he felt flustered and hot. Dalia only stared at the carriage door he had opened and did not move. He felt her gaze and he tried hard not to lose his footing.

    Damn, am I going crazy? Calling himself a madman, he tried to calm himself. Dalia suddenly approached him.

    ¡°Teacher, are you blushing?¡±

    ¡°What?! No!¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ your face looks redder than usual. Do you have a fever?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He could feel the heat on his face. It was somehow a relief to him that all the blood and heat flowed to his face and not to the lower part of his body.

 Chapter 149

    ¡°Are you¡­ feeling shy?¡± Dalia continued teasing him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you are feeling shy. Is it because I look pretty?¡±

    She smiled. It was a smile he had seen a million times every day but today it made him even more flustered. He was worried that his body might react to that smile and cause problems.

    ¡°Teacher, do you have to escort me so that no one else can touch me because I¡¯m so pretty today?¡±

    He had meant to do that. He thought she would have asked but she didn¡¯t so he let it go. But now that she had asked, he felt his stomach churn up. Julius had sent her that dress. He wondered if Julius had told her what he nned while she was avoiding him. That bastard!

    She has been worrying me for the past week, and now she is asking why I am escorting her. Does this woman not even know what it means when a man waits for her at the carriage? Why do you forget the social etiquettes so much, Dalia? Kaichen was speechless looking at her, appearing all pretty. He wanted to embrace her. He just nodded at her question without thinking.

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    He smiled, seeing her so lively.

    I¡¯m such a fool. I¡¯ve been a fool for a long time, but now I¡¯ve be a fool who can¡¯t even think properly. I¡¯ve admitted to being crazy, but now I have to admit to being foolish and stupid. If you like someone, you may have to give up being a rational human being. The strange thing was Kaichen didn¡¯t hate feeling like this as he had expected.

    Even magic research could not reveal anything about it, and no antidote could be made to get rid of this addiction. I don¡¯t even think I want to get rid of it in the first ce.

    He was annoyed that Julius had chosen that dress for her instead of him. She doesn¡¯t usually wear dresses like that¡­ will she befortable in it? Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°Do you feel that it¡¯s too revealing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ Isn¡¯t that how all dresses are?¡±

    ¡°How do you know if you haven¡¯t worn one in years?¡±

    ¡°Teacher, how do you know how dresses normally are?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you seen many dresses?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then, have you met a lot of women wearing them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you know?¡± Dalia raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°That¡¯s just what I think.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dalia narrowed her eyes but didn¡¯t say anything more. Perhaps she was upset because she pouted her lips. He didn¡¯t know why she was upset. Is it because I said it¡¯s too revealing or because I pointed out that she hasn¡¯t worn one for many years? Kaichen felt a prick of his conscience. I should have shut up. He held the carriage door open and suggested she get in

    She looked at his outstretched hand and smiled. She took his hand and got into the carriage.

    She smiled all through the process. She must have forgotten that she had been upset a moment ago. He was a little worried if she could handle the ball because she was such a child.

    I shouldn¡¯t leave her side today. Of course, he was worried about her and the nobles who dominated the social world, but he married more about young aristocrats who were out to have fun and who might covet Dalia. Ironically, the reason why she was receiving so much attention was because she was his disciple, which upset him even more.

    ¡°Teacher, you can¡¯t leave my side today. I am nervous.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Kaichen replied indifferently. He had intended to stick by her side anyway. She looked pretty and she was na?ve regarding the social etiquettes, he couldn¡¯t really leave her alone. Kaichen vowed about a dozen times to protect Dalia from those dung flies at the pce ball.

    * * *

    When the carriage headed to the Imperial Pce, I stole a nce at Kaichen. He looked so handsome ¨C dazzling, even. I had never seen him in anything else except his magician¡¯s robe. He looked like apletely different person.

    When I first left the mansion door and saw Kaichen standing in front of the ck carriage, I thought my heart would just stop beating. I even made up my mind not to make sillyments and tried taking a deep breath. The moment I saw him from afar, I had to stop walking and gather my thoughts to calm myself. It wouldn¡¯t be a waste to watch him all day like this.

    I don¡¯t know what he was thinking about, but his thick eyebrows were stiff.

 Chapter 150

    The gold embroidery on the ck robe and the insignia wrapped around one shoulder covered only one arm. I don¡¯t know if it was made on just one side of the robe. The same gold embroidery was engraved on the red insignia, making it look more like a double garment. The most shocking thing was that there were no buttons.

    But how? I wondered. Is it made with some kind of magic? I understood that the front opened like a gown, but I could see no strings or buttons to close it. It stretched till his knees but the material didn¡¯t look very stuffy. The cor that wrapped around the neck was also embroidered with gorgeous gold, creating the illusion that his whole body sparkled.

    It was an outfit that only Kaichen could pull off. It looked ascetic because it covered his body without any gaps. It was more suitable for a priest than for a magician. No, those clothes would be too shy for a priest. Yes, ascetic. That word was most appropriate.

    That outfit that didn¡¯t expose anything, yet it looked the sexiest in the world. He was dressed like a neat freak who disliked contact with anyone. That made me even more intrigued. It is said that the more something is hidden, the more curious one is about it.

    I sound like a pervert. I was flustered. It had been worthwhile to avoid Kaichen for a week to be greeted by this. I had been dying to meet him because I had avoided him long enough. Is it natural to drool at a handsome man? It was such an embarrassing thought that I wondered what kind of a person I really was. A person could look this sexy without revealing too much.

    On the other hand, my dress was very revealing, as Kaichen had pointed out. I was really surprised when I put on the dress for the first time. The upper body was tight and the waistline was emphasized.

    The dress had a deep V-shaped neckline and was decorated with a gorgeous gold belt. The ornament in the form of a round ring holding the dress on the shoulder was also of gold, specially made to match the jewelry on my wrist. The dress was made of soft satin, with one shoulder hanging from the same material as a cloak, and the other hanging from the arm in the form of a sleeve. Above all, the bottom of the dress was unique, like a rose blooming below the waist.

    The front was a bit open so whenever I moved, I could feel a cool breeze on my leg. It wasfortable to move in. But definitely¡­ It¡¯s a little racy. I didn¡¯t know what dresses aristocratic women wore for a ball in this world. I wasn¡¯t really interested in finding out either. So, I wore whatever Julius had sent for me.

    I nced at Kaichen. He was truly gorgeous. When the carriage reached our destination, he got out and held a hand to me. He looked even more dazzling in the sunlight. I smiled softly and took his hand.

    As I descended from the carriage, Kaichen whispered, ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The shock stiffened my body. And I almost stumbled. The hand which held mine tightened.

    He leaned close to me. ¡°I said that you look very pretty today.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even hear him well over my pounding heart. ¡°A-All of a sudden? You didn¡¯t even answer when I asked you.¡± I was so startled that I forgot to even speak. I blushed bright red. I could hardly look at him. I could only stare at the tip of his chin. I didn¡¯t dare look up at him.

    ¡°I wanted to answer properly.¡± I slowly raised my gaze to see him smiling slightly. Is heughing at me?

    ¡®Hah, he really is crazy¡­¡¯

    It was apliment that I might never hear again. I couldn¡¯t make myself look into his eyes. My heart was beating so fast. My face was burning. If I looked at him right then, I might just explode. I felt like I might bleed from my nose likest time. My head and body felt like separate beings. I thought I was malfunctioning.

    ¡°If you give outpliments suddenly like this, I can barely handle it,¡± I said jokingly. Our hands were still sped. I could feel Kaichen¡¯s warmth. I clenched my teeth, took a big breath, and exhaled. I gathered my courage and opened my eyes. Because I had to do more than this today.

    ¡°Teacher, you really look handsome today. I know you always look handsome but today, you look gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m sure you know it.¡± His gaze looking down on me was intense. I couldn¡¯t handle it. I lowered my eyes. I was proud of myself for handling it like I did, anyway. Calm down, I told myself, calm down¡­

 Chapter 151

    I heard him chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    My heart raced at his cocky answer. Have I ever loved someone so much in my past life? Kaichen is a character in a novel, and Dalia, whom I possessed, is also a character in the novel, but this is reality at least for the both of us at this moment. Why am I obsessed with him?

    ¡°Hm¡­ I have always been really pretty, too. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t dress up, but I am beautiful. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t brag about it.¡± I felt so embarrassed after blurting that out that I wanted to disappear. Then I heard hisughter.

    ¡°I know that too,¡± he said.

    I gave up on saying anything more. If I kept at it, I might make a bigger fool of myself. I had worked hard for this the entire week. I didn¡¯t want to ruin it. My n was meticulously based on the information gathered through Julius. I couldn¡¯t fail even before I started. I¡¯m going to confess today and put this to an end, for better or for worse!

    I had a good hunch about today. He told me I was pretty and escorted me despite hating crowded ces.

    When I had told Julius that I intended to confess to Kaichen, he hadughed for a while and then gave me serious advice to put my n into action. As the main character, he had a big heart. I felt a bit sorry for thinking that he was a little arrogant. Thanks to Julius¡¯ help, the n to ¡®confess sessfully to Kaichen¡¯ began today.

    As we walked down the road to the ballroom, I racked my brains to break the ice. I should say something¡­

    ¡°Teacher, I heard the party will end around evening.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, on his whim, he suddenly moved the time to lunch and said he wanted to finish it early.¡±

    ¡°Right, His Highness¡­ He is so capricious.¡± I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.

    ¡°Well, yes. And it cost double the budget, too.¡±

    ¡°It cost twice as much because they used the most gorgeous West Amelia Pce, instead of the ballroom in Senil, the crown prince¡¯s pce.¡±

    I smiled awkwardly and decided to shut my mouth before I said something stupid. Julius had changed the timing and the venue for me. He felt that the Amelia Pce would be the perfect ce to confess to Kaichen. Amelia pce was said to be the prettiest at sunset, so the ball would also be finished in the evening.

    It was a bit strange to insist on ending the ball even though I said we could get out on our own. But Julius had insisted, and I had agreed with a big smile. I was very grateful for his burdensome positive attitude at the time, but I started to have some doubts after hearing Kaichen¡¯s words.

    ¡°Hm¡­ a yellow rose garden will work well, right? There is a very nice yellow rose garden in the Amelia Pce¡¯s backyard in the Imperial Pce. It¡¯s a ce His majesty loves, so by magic, roses bloom all year round. I think it would be better than going to Kaichen¡¯s house and making roses bloom by magic.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the Imperial Pce. How could I use the Imperial Pce for personal reasons? Amelia Pce¡­¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s the pce my mother used. No one is using it now. But it¡¯s true that going without any business is a little¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, see? So, it¡¯s better we go to the Willow House¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can announce a birthday ball at Amelia Pce?¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I can ask my father. If I tell him that I want to spend my birthday at my mother¡¯s pce, he won¡¯t say no.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s troublesome for you¡­¡±

    ¡°No, because I am willing to help for the sake of my friend¡¯s love.¡±

    On second thought, I think it wasn¡¯t for the love of his friend. Maybe he just wanted to watch us and have augh. Damn, I feel foolish now. But it was toote to make changes to the n. As Kaichen said, it cost twice as much, and the time had been changed just for my sake. So, the n must seed.

    ¡°Teacher, you really can¡¯t leave my side today.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Kaichen said. It was a relief. It would be troublesome if something came up and he left on short notice. It would ruin everything. This confession was supposed to happen at sunset. I was so nervous that my palms started sweating and I tried to distract myself by thinking about other things. We finally reached the entrance of Amelia Pce.

    ***

    What I felt while reading the scene about the entrance to the ball in the novel was a kind of catharsis.

 Chapter 152

    The banquet hall, which was buzzing, suddenly became quiet and everyone focused on Dalia. When a woman has been neglected and deemed invisible and shows up dressed beautifully, people find her even more exquisite than before. The main character entering a ball is no less than a hero¡¯s appearance in a movie. It is very important and shows more about a person¡¯s position, appearance, and current atmosphere at once.

    The reason I suddenly thought of this was because I heard a shout from a servant who served drinks.

    ¡°Oh my, that person is¡­!¡±

    ¡°She is more beautiful than I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, she is with Sir Tenebre¡­¡±

    When a hall is filled with countless people whispering and gossiping, the room sounds like a roar of overwhelming sound. I could see them holding their fans to shield their mouths, but I could still hear what they said.

    Kaichen, who was used to such whisperings and numerous gazes focusing on him, walked casually forward. But I wasn¡¯t so lucky. I felt ashamed. I still didn¡¯t feelfortable being looked at by so many people.

    ¡°Oh¡­ wee, Countess Alshine!¡±

    Julius wasughing and talking with people around him, but when he saw me, he greeted me amiably. Even more eyes now focused on me. It was umon for the Crown Prince to greet someone first with their title unless the Crown prince felt close with them. Naturally, many people were curious.

    ¡°Kaichen, you¡¯re here, too! Tomorrow the sun will rise in the west.¡± Julius pretended to be surprised to see Kaichen even though he knew all about my n.

    Kaichen let go of my hand and bowed respectfully to Julius. ¡°I greet the Crown Prince. May the Blue Dragon be with you.¡±

    It was a greeting that I had read so many times in the original novel. I tried to curtsy to pay my respects. ¡°Subject of the Empire greets the Crown Prince. May the blue dragon be with you.¡±

    I lowered my eyes slightly, and bent my knee at a certain angle, as was proper. It was the most difficult etiquette I had had to learn so far. It was also the most annoying. Everything had to be done in moderation otherwise it would be taken as an insult.

    ¡°May the breath of the blue dragon reach you,¡± Julius responded.

    I had read about that response a lot in the original novel, too. However, hearing it for the first time, in person, felt different. Just as well, because my legs were cramping. I straightened my knees and stood up straight.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough curtsy. It feels awkward,¡± said Julius with a smile. He approached Kaichen and patted him on the shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve seen you here!¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a decade.¡±

    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s already been that long! I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to celebrate my birthday, though. Is it because of Countess Alshine?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Juliusughed loudly at his brisk answers. However, Julius was the only one having augh at the banquet hall. Everyone had gathered around them now and they all looked at Kaichen as though they were either shocked or surprised to see him here. The murmur grew louder and louder. Although I was very sure Julius knew about how the atmosphere had changed, he pretended as if everything was alright.

    ¡°Thanks to the Countess, I get to see a friend who¡¯s so adamant to not attend birthday balls!¡±

    ¡°Thanks to me?! I feel like Teacher is just afraid to let me outside because I might make a fool of myself. I guess I have to work harder to prove my capabilities,¡± I said, trying to be friendly.

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched, but he did not respond. I think it was because he knew that those words were meant for others to hear. It was good to practice on what I nned to say with Julius.

    While in my own world, reading novels and watching anime, I wondered what was so rude about talking directly or doing away with unnecessary etiquettes. It was, for obvious reasons, so difficult for me to remember everything in this world. Julius, frequently, shook his head and mumbled that I was impossible. He eventually gave up on teaching me and told me to speak as little as possible at the banquet. That was fine by me!

    ¡°I think that just being Kaichen¡¯s favorite disciple is already a great fortune for the Empire, but you¡¯re working even harder! You are too greedy.¡±

    ¡°If I want to be of help to Your Highness, shouldn¡¯t that be the case?¡± we had a friendly conversation while also making sure we leaked enough information for the guests to put two and two together.

    The goal was to convey that I was Kaichen disciple, chosen by him, and also someone close to Julius, who himself is a disciple of the magic tower and a magic swordsman, not to mention, the Crown Prince of the Empire. It was also tomunicate that I was a person of significance and not to be trifled with. Julius had said this would make my social life a little easier in the future.

    After a while, the man, who had been talking with Julius, slowly approached us. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t hog her all to yourself and introduce her to us, too. Everyone is curious.¡± He was neatly dressed and wore sses. He looked very intellectual and schrly.

 Chapter 153

    Julius smiled at him and turned to others. ¡°Of course! I was so happy that I forgot myself, please forgive my rudeness. This is Countess Alshine who is making her bted debut into this social circle. Please say hello and make her feel like one of us!

    With Julius¡¯ approval, those who were hesitant to approach me now made their way towards us. The first person to speak to me was the schrly man who had spoken to Julius.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you here, Mr. Archmage. I really wanted to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°I thought we saw each other very often at these gatherings.¡±

    ¡°You disappeared every time after saying hello, so we didn¡¯t really¡­ talk.¡± Kaichen looked at him, then shook his head and looked at me.

    He watched the people now approaching us, he stepped closer to me. ¡°I apologize Bart, but I think I will not be able to talk to you at length today, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you ufortable talking to me?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just don¡¯t have the time right now.¡± With that said, Kaichenpletely turned away from Bart.

    Julius aide, Bart, grimaced. He looked at Julius furiously. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to say anything more.¡±

    Julius smiled and shrugged as if telling Bart that it can¡¯t be helped. I knew that having to greet nobles was very troublesome, especially for Kaichen. But Julius had done his best to help me, so I wanted to help him too. I needed to help Julius seed in taking over the Empire as an emperor. Only then would the novele to an end, and I could spend some time in peace and quiet.

    ¡°Teacher, I am fine. You don¡¯t need to reject everyone else. It¡¯s something I have to deal with, anyway.¡± I smiled softly. Of course, I didn¡¯t mean it. I was morefortable when he was by my side, but I couldn¡¯t be so selfish.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you have to handle it alone.¡±

    I smiled and nodded at the words he uttered indifferently. It certainly helped me feel more at ease. I had Kaichen by my side. And Julius, the Crown prince, was helping me. I had nothing to fear. I did see Julius sneering at us as though he was watching something amusing.

    Since I got the main character of the novel and his friend as my helpers, I suddenly thought that this was the perfect life a possessor could have. And I was going to confess to one of them, at that.

    ¡°Hoho! So, I¡¯m seeing Countess Alshine for the first time. I have only ever heard of you in rumors.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more beautiful than what I was told.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I failed to recognize such a beautiful person! I¡¯m just sad that I¡¯ve wasted my precious time not knowing how beautiful you are.¡±

    The next to approach us was a gray-haired man and two young, dashing men. I bowed respectfully and greeted them.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Dalia Alshine. Please forgive me for not recognizing you as it has only been a week since I have been in Heulin.¡±

    The old man waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t Acrab where the pinnacle of the empire¡¯s technology is gathered? If it¡¯s the countess, the lord of that ce, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll soon adjust to Heulin. Oops, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. Where are my manners? I¡¯m Drenis Manuvell.¡±

    He was an old man with striking features. His eyes were bright blue and razor sharp. If not for the gray hair and wrinkles, he didn¡¯t look like he was old.

    ¡°These are my sons, Daiman and Duran.¡±

    The men greeted me softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s Daiman.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Duran.¡±

    Daiman and Duran were very simr. The former had light green hair and thetter dark green. While Daiman was good-natured and looked strong like his father and Duran looked mischievous with soft lips. Well, indeed. They are sons of Drenis Manuvell.

    Drenis Manuvell was Julius¡¯s closest and most powerful ally. Naturally, his sons, Daiman and Duran, were also very close to Julius. They were good-looking and great swordsmen. So many young aristocrats were jealous of them.

    Still, Kaichen is more¡­ I stopped myself. I realized that whenever I saw other men, I had this habit ofparing them to Kaichen. I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°So, you are the fortunate sons of Duke Manuvell. It is an honor to meet you.¡± I smiled.

    They were aristocrats so they knew how to charm people. They were like two copies of Julius himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, too. And Mr. Archmage as well. It has been a while,¡± said Daiman.

    ¡°Yes. It is such an honor to see you here,¡± said Duran.

    The two greeted Kaichen, who was standing quietly beside me like a statue. Duke Drenis was talking to Julius a little further away from us. So, they came here to get close to Kaichen. All the people of the Kalhai Empire, as well as Julius, admired and respected Kaichen.

    They all saw him as a formidable figure who could not be touched. So, it must really havee as a shock to know that he had taken me in as his disciple. Perhaps it gave them some hope that if they try hard enough, they could reach Kaichen, after all. Maybe with such an expectation, they wanted to make contact with him.

    However, Kaichen was a person who never showed interest in anybody. Although most people knew Kaichen was in Acrab for a while, no one went there looking for him. That would have been reckless. Kaichen hated when people did that. But today, he had officially made an appearance at the banquet. It was my social debut, and the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday. This was the perfect opportunity. And everyone in the banquet knew it. Their gaze was fixed on Kaichen.

 Chapter 154

    It was a pity. I felt sorry for Daiman and Duran. Kaichen will just ignore them like he had done with bart.

    ¡°It¡¯s been very long, Daiman. You¡¯ve grown up well, Duran,¡± said Kaichen. This surprised me. Kaichen was kind and friendly to them. Perhaps they had known each other for a long time. But it was not only me who was caught off guard. Daiman looked shocked and Duran¡¯s mouth fell open. I realized that this was their first time being acknowledged by Kaichen.

    ¡°So, both of you have received your titles?¡± continued Kaichen, surprising everyone even further.

    Kaichen¡¯s question stirred up the surroundings. Everyone seemed shaken by the fact that Kaichen had acknowledged them and was open for conversation. Well, no one is as surprised as the two of them, I thought, watching the expression on their faces. It was as if they couldn¡¯t believe Kaichen could be this friendly.

    ¡°I just tried to add a little more effort on top of your brilliant teaching.¡± Daiman lowered his head slightly as if he was feeling shy. His cheeks seemed to have turned a bit red.

    I looked at Duran with my eyes narrowed.

    ¡°We still have a long way to go to be of help to His Highness. If you teach us, I think we can improve even more.¡±

    Like their appearance, their personalities were alsopletely different. Daiman had probably met Kaichen before, and Duran was only now getting acquainted properly.

    ¡°Efforts never betray you.¡± The answer this time was a little brisk. I didn¡¯t know why there was a sudden change and Kaichen was actually participating in a conversation! I stole a nce at Kaichen then shrugged. Perhaps he was turning a new page in his life and making an effort for a social life. But as he engaged in conversation with Daiman and Duran, other people approached us slowly.

    ¡°I hope to see you more often, Countess Alshine, Lord of Acrab.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been hiding this beauty. Countess Alshine is so humble, too!¡±

    ¡°You are so beautiful I thought I had gone blind for a moment, Countess.¡±

    There were some who approached me with glittering eyes and ulterior motives. I smiled awkwardly, not sure what to say. I nced at Julius wondering if I should ask for some help since I didn¡¯t want to deal with so many people. But he was engaged in what looked like a serious conversation with Duke Drenis.

    Sighing inwardly, I looked at the viscount who had been rambling in front of me for ten minutes now. ¡°Was there a restaurant like that in Heulin? I¡¯ll have to remember and visit there once.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll be d to show you around if you want.¡±

    He looked like he could be my father. Age difference didn¡¯t seem to matter in this world. He looked proud of himself. I narrowed my eyes. He definitely seemed to be flirting with me.

    He was half bald, and his breathing was unstable, probably because he had been rambling nonstop. He looked stupid because he wore so much jewelry. Is he a nouveau riche? These are overly expensive essories for his title.

    Unlike the aristocrats who kept their distance because of Kaichen and Julius, the viscount had no such qualms. I hadn¡¯t even agreed to his offer of visiting a restaurant together, and he was already busy making ns about it. Maybe he had other titles which made him powerful enough to push the conversation even when people weren¡¯t interested.

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll show you the restaurant with a view of the western square! If we go in the evening after sunset, we can see a very nice night view.¡±

    His words reminded me of the restaurant I had gone to with Kaichen. The encounter with that woman and the duel were still fresh in my mind. My lips curled into a smile without realizing it.

    ¡°Do you like that kind of ce?!¡± The viscount had taken my smile as an affirmation. He was excited now. I winced and faltered at his loud voice. But he had already moved on to other arrangements of what we would do when we got there: eating, chatting and watching the view.

    This is troublesome. I wondered how I should reject the offer while sounding polite at the same time. I had learnt polite ways of refusal from Kaichen and Julius beforeing here. Kaichen, especially, had told me to reject offers of private meetings like the one viscount wanted. They said that nobles usually ask for a date by introducing themselves at a ball and then sending a letter. So, I hadn¡¯t paid it much mind because I thought I would have time to think of a reply after receiving the letter. They had told me that nobody would brazenly approach me and openly ask for a private meeting unless the people were already intimate and knew each other well. But the viscount was not following proper etiquette.

    I pondered on a proper reply. ¡°She has already been there. So, I think she doesn¡¯t n to visit it for a while.¡±

    Kaicen was suddenly next to me. He looked at the viscount.

    ¡°M-Mr. K-Kaichen?¡± The Viscount stuttered and took a step back in surprise. He bowed his head in respect as though it was such an honor to have met Kaichen here.

    ¡°That was¡­ I was just wondering¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon me, please let me rify.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°She already visited that restaurant with me.¡±

 Chapter 155

    The viscount¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t only him. Everyone around had fallen silent and now looked at us. I looked at Kaichen with my eyes wide open. Was I imagining things? Or did he put particr emphasis on ¡®with me¡¯?

    ¡°However, we are still d for the extra information you provided. Perhaps we will visit the restaurant together again,¡± said Kaichen with a stiff face. Perhaps he had sensed Kaichen¡¯s hostility, the viscount scurried away.

    Goodbye, Viscount. I had heard that stress is worse for hair loss. I hoped he would lose the remaining hair on his head for how ufortable he had made me. I was relieved that the conversation was finally over. Now that Kaichen was by my side again, the ones who had approached me beforeplimenting me on my beauty had scattered away.

    Indeed¡­ No one can stand before this handsomeness. It was a very good shield. I sneakily moved closer to Kaichen.

    ¡°Teacher, how do you know sons of Duke Manuvell?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°I met them briefly in the past,¡± he replied.

    ¡°He said something about you teaching him, but Teacher you said that I was your first and only disciple.¡±

    ¡°I only answered Daiman¡¯s question once.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Seems like that became a lesson for Daiman, then. So, in the end, you taught him something even if you didn¡¯t know. Doesn¡¯t that make you his teacher too?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But it seems like Mr. Daiman had the intention of learning from you.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± asked Kaichen, eyebrow twitching.

    I grinned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I am jealous. I guess I am not the first disciple of yours like I thought.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? I can¡¯t even be jealous?¡± Kaichen smiled and nudged his chin forward telling me to go on.

    ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t leave my side, and yet¡­ Why were you greeting them so warmly? I thought you were sick. Hm¡­ was that on purpose?¡± I continued.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°After hearing them drool about you teaching them, I thought I was deceived. You said I was your first andst disciple.¡±

    ¡°And I stand corrected. That was the truth.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like that to me. You were so kind and weing to your other ¡®students¡¯. You don¡¯t even know them that well if what you say is to be believed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kaichen smirked. I pretended to be upset but he just looked at me and grinned. He pulled me to the terrace where tables wereid out. There was no one else there. Julius was still talking to Duke Drenis.

    Everyone was either dancing or chatting with their friends. It was a very informal gathering. It was my first time attending a ball. I found it full of unfamiliar and fascinating things. But it was not much different from what I had imagined. The only thing was that it was even more shy than I had expected.

    ¡°So was I,¡± said Kaichen out of the blue.

    ¡°What?¡± I said as I tilted my head to take a gulp of juice to quench my thirst. Although we were taking a break from the crowd in this corner, many eyes were still on us. I thought I was well adapted by now with him speaking out of context but that seemed to be untrue.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked again. Kaichen took the empty juice ss from my hand and handed me another one.

    ¡°I was jealous, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe more so than I expected.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It was very unpleasant.¡± His words had shocked me so much that I identally dropped the ss in my hand.

    Kaichen caught it before it smashed on the floor. But the juice from the ss sshed on him. Kaichen looked at me without wavering. He was his easy, confident self.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, looking at me with concern. ¡°Do you not feel well?¡±

    Why am I so on edge? I nodded at him. His intense gaze on me made my heart race. I blushed bright red. The man didn¡¯t know when he dropped sudden bombs to give me a heart attack.

    ¡°T-Teacher¡­ the juice. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry. This will dry in a second.¡± He ced the ss on the table and picked up a tissue to wipe at his robe. While he did that, his eyes were on me. It never left my face. His golden eyes did not waver, and I felt even more flustered than before. His intense gaze made me feel naked.

    ¡°Dalia.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said in a hurry. My mind wasn¡¯t working. His hand reached out to me and my shoulders stiffened. He tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel very well, we could head back,¡± he said.

    I almost nodded at his suggestion and then vigorously shook my head. Head back?! No way! I have to keep my wits if I want to be able to go through with my ns!

    I looked up at him. Kaichen was still trying to arrange my messy hair into ce. Iughed. ¡°Teacher. I am alright. But you have to stay by my side no matter what. I don¡¯t want creeps to approach me again.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 156

    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t like it when Teacher is displeased.¡± I closed my eyes in shame. His fingertips brushed my cheek light.

    As I stared at his deep golden eyes, a thought crossed my mind. Can I take it as a good thing that he gets jealous when others approach me? Is that because he is protective about his only disciple or that he doesn¡¯t want other men to covet me? I sincerely hope it¡¯s thetter.

    ¡°Also, it¡¯s been a long time since I have been out of the mansion. Let¡¯s stay a while,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to be swayed by his charm, not today. Kaichen always said things that made my heart flutter. It was my turn to shake him. There were only a few hours left until my confession.

    Kaichen let out a short sigh and removed his hand from my face. ¡°If we stay longer, Princess Akshetra will arrive.¡±

    That did dampen my excitement for my ns a bit. Since it was the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday, it was obvious that Princess Akshetra would attend. I forgot all about it because I had been busy preparing my confession ns.

    So, I can finally see the mastermind behind everything. For Julius to be an emperor, Akshetra absolutely needed to be defeated. After considering that she might be the real viin of the novel, I had racked my brain trying to remember anything from the original novel.

    In Blue Dragon¡¯s Protection, Julius, she was the rightful heir to the throne with the most screen time in the story than anyone else. The only thorn in her way was her birth. She had no choice but to confront Julius, who had a legitimate birth status. The moment the stupid and indecisive emperor withdrew from politics, Akshetra had put a lot of effort, more than anyone else, to take care of the state affairs from the time she was a child.

    It was also due to the fact that there was only Akshetra to rely on since the child of the empress was assumed dead. Beautiful, smart, andpassionate, Akshetra was strong enough sometimes to make necessary cruel decisions without hesitation. She considered herself capable of being an emperor. Her followers did not doubt her strength.

    Then, there had been news that two disciples of the Magic Tower traveled around the empire rescuing and helping those who struggled. They were well known in the empire and Akshetra had helped them thinking that they would be a great help to the empire in the future. Then one day, it had been revealed that one of them was the Empress¡¯ son who was assumed to be dead. Akshetra¡¯s position was shaken. She had worked hard for her title. Julius had returned as a prince.

    The people of the empire naturally weed the fact that the person who had been helping them generously as a disciple of the Magic Tower was their Prince. They knew that such apassionate person would definitely turn out to be a great emperor. People felt that he was the rightful heir. Akshetra¡¯s benevolence wasn¡¯tcking but the people knew the difference between helping someone directly and directing help. That was what I remembered from the original novel.

    Akshetra, who thought that her position would be taken away if Julius returned to the pce, became anxious and joined hands with Momalhaut. The assassins were sent to kill him, but the assassination attempt was ruined by Kaichen, who protected Julius with his monstrous mana and magical powers. Julius realized the true meaning of his identity through a series of events and made a big decision.

    ¡°I heard that my sister took care of the state affairs on behalf of His Majesty. If she is a great person and justifiably capable of holding the title, I wonder if I should step down. I want to travel the world with you and help those who are struggling anyway.¡±

    ¡°She is a person who wants to kill someone so that she doesn¡¯t lose her position. I don¡¯t know if she is someone you can talk to.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t know unless I meet her. I want to have a conversation with her.¡±

    So, Julius met with Akshetra, who sent assassins to kill him. Despite his expectations, Kaichen was right, and Julius himself went to the imperial pce to meet the emperor and im his position. Contrary to Julius¡¯s n to return as the prince, the emperor, who loved the empress dearly, foolishly and blindly appointed him as the crown prince immediately.

    Having been stripped of her title so easily, it would have made Akshetra angry, justifiably so. However, Akshetra had been calm and meek unlike the first time Julius met her. Julius thought she was suddenly like an entirely different person.

    Although Momalhaut was the culprit behind the Acrab incident, there was a rumor that they had acted under the orders of Princess Akshetra. These were the things Julius had told me when I asked him about the princess. I felt sorry for her rather than angry. She had worked hard to build a perfect life and it was taken from her the moment Julius appeared.

 Chapter 157

    It¡¯s all due to the indecisive emperor making such a decision. However, even if he had not been chosen as the Crown Prince, Akshetra would not have left him alone. Akshetra knew that her mother had tried to kill Julius as soon as he was born. Right from the start, Julius and Akshetra weren¡¯tpatible.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I was thinking about the Princess. I heard that she¡¯s a very scary person.¡±

    Just the news of her arriving here made my shoulders feel stiff. I felt my fingertips turn cold. It was the tension before meeting the main viin in the original novel and also the person who nned all the terrible things in Acrab.

    As if he had noticed my stress, Kaichen said briskly, ¡°Well, she is someone that shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever met her?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How is she? Is she beautiful?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t guess what she thinks.¡±

    If Kaichen found her intimidating, she must really be something. Taking a deep breath, I tried to picture Akshetra in my mind. ¡°So, is she beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Is that important?¡±

    ¡°It is! Because I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°She is¡­ pretty, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± My eyes narrowed. I couldn¡¯t believe Kaichen found her pretty. If that was so, then princess Akshetra was bound to be formidable in all aspects. Because Lamia Sorel hadn¡¯t even caught the attention of Kaichen but if Akshetra was considered ¡®pretty¡¯ even for Kaichen¡­

    My stomach churned. I know I asked the question and I should have been prepared for the answer but it still made me feel bitter. I scowled and kept my mouth shut.

    Kaichen tilted his head and looked at me. ¡°Why are you so upset?¡±

    ¡°I am not upset.¡±

    ¡°The scowl on your face tells a different story. Tell me.¡±

    As I pursed my lips, I heard augh. I felt pathetic because he was teasing me. I sighed and brushed at the hem of my dress. ¡°Did you think she was pretty when you saw her?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you know that she is pretty?¡±

    ¡°I added all the faces of the women I¡¯ve seen so far, then decided that she was on the prettier side.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d keep asking.¡±

    I just couldn¡¯t believe my ears that hepared her to all the women he had met before and decided she was pretty! What the hell is this?! I knew he was a magic freak but Kaichen sometimes really says crazy stuff. Does he think he can calcte everything like a magic form? I felt a little depressed.

    A shout announced the arrival of Princess Akshetra.

    So, I can finally see her. To survive, toplete this novel and to live peacefully, I just have to defeat the main viin. Because whether it is animation, novel, manga, or real life, the flow of the story is already set.

    The sound of heels echoed through the banquet hall. The cold silence enveloped the hall. The first thing I saw was a silver dress that gave off a mysterious aura which was barely visible to others. Because of the halter-neck style dress, her pretty shoulder line was visible, and the rich blue hair was tied up and fixed with corsage very elegantly. Akshetra clearly was elegantly beautiful which was never excessive.

    It¡¯s not too shy¡­ But it¡¯s not too in either. Above all, her power and dignity were apparent. She had the same hair color as Julius, but her appearance waspletely different, and unlike him who looked a little easy, Akshetra¡¯s cold expression overwhelmed the audience. The man who calmly escorted her was also surprisingly handsome, but he was somewhat overshadowed by Akshetra¡¯s indomitable presence. He must be Asta, the aide of the princess whom I had only heard rumors about.

    Her blue eyes looked around. Her sweeping gaze stopped abruptly where I stood. Our eyes met. She looked me in the eye and her lips curled up in a smile.

    I flinched. A chill ran down my spine. Perhaps she sensed my uneasiness because her smile grew deeper. She slowly turned and walked towards Julius.

    It must be a coincidence¡­ I looked at Akshetra¡¯s back, unsettled. No matter how much I tried to convince myself, I knew it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Akshetra had looked for me after entering the banquet hall. She had smiled at me as though evaluating me. It seemed as though she already knew about me. It gave me goosebumps. I lowered my head and rubbed my arms to warm them.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± asked Kaichen.

    ¡°N-No.¡±

    I¡¯d rather be cold than unsettled like this. People getting chills and goosebumps had seemed like just fictional tropes used in novels and cartoons because I had never felt that way. Maybe because I had never seen Julius very serious even if he was the Crown Prince. Only Kaichen had been the one who had ever made me feel chilly. I had thought it was because he was special to me but¡­

    Akshetra was different. The chilliness was a human instinct. It was like a warning that she was dangerous. Just eye contact had made me so scared even though I had ovee my fears a long time ago.

 Chapter 158

    What kind of person is she in reality? Is she really the Princess Akshetra I had read about?

    I did feel that this was how meeting an emperor would feel like. I gritted my teeth and supported myself by grabbing the hem of Kaichen¡¯s sleeve. I hadn¡¯t even started a fight with her and I already felt like I had lost.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Julius.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sister.¡±

    The two exchanged formal greetings with a friendly and benevolent smile. On the surface, it looked like they were just brother and sister who were on good terms. But the truth was, they were already in a battle against each other. After the greeting and wishes were exchanged, Akshetra nced at me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to introduce her? Countess Alshine, whom you two adore so much. I think I¡¯ve waited a long time for this.¡± Even though her voice wasn¡¯t that loud, Akshetra¡¯s words had a huge impact.

    She was the center of aristocratic power and the princess who is supported by the nobility. Her showing an interest in me changed the way other nobles viewed me in that banquet hall.

    I was not a fan of receiving so much attention. I clenched the hem of Kaichen¡¯s sleeve. A frightened mouse would have looked braver than me at that moment.

    ¡°I thought you had forgotten. I never¡­ thought you would still remember.¡±

    ¡°No way. I have been looking forward to this meeting for so long. How can I possibly forget? Above all, if you look at the recent progress of Acrab, I have no choice but to be impressed. I guess you think I¡¯m too out of touch with the times, Julius.¡± Akshertra¡¯s words sounded like a jest at a nce. But what she meant was that she had eyes everywhere, and she knew everything. Hiding me from her wasn¡¯t going to work.

    Kaichen frowned at that. My mouth was dry. I looked at Kaichen and then at Julius, then back at Kaichen. It was inevitable. I took a deep breath, let go of Kaichen¡¯s sleeve and stepped carefully forward.

    I mustn¡¯t be afraid. I can¡¯t back down even if I¡¯m scared. This woman¡­ She is Julius¡¯ enemy. Therefore, she is my enemy. She was thest boss that I had to defeat in order to seed in what I had nned.

    I lifted the hem of my dress slightly, bent my knees and bowed my head. ¡°I greet the Imperial Princess. May the blue dragon continue to bless you.¡±

    ¡°The honor is mine. I am finally able to meet you, Countess Alshine. Till now, I only knew you from the rumors I heard.¡±

    Princess Akshetra looked at me as though she was highly amused. ¡°Please raise your head. I have been wanting to see you since that day two years ago.¡±

    That day two years ago¡­ Does she mean from when Acrab was under time magic or when there was an epidemic? Anyway, I couldn¡¯t ignore the words of the imperial Princess, so I raised my head and straightened up.

    Princess Akshetra was even more icy when close. Her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. These were the eyes that trusted no one.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor that Princess has bestowed her attention to someone as insignificant as me.¡±

    ¡°If you, whom Julius and the Archmage cherish, are insignificant, then who in the world is significant?¡± she chuckled.

    Why is she being like this? I was already so nervous. My body was stiff, and I felt awkward, more so than we had first arrived and had to make stupid conversation with everybody.

    ¡°You are too kind,¡± I said with an awkward bow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the development of the Acrab has been remarkable. You seem to possess extraordinary capabilities.¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to the teacher¡¯s help.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You are the lord, and you operate thend. No matter what unique management method you have used, you made sure yournd has prospered. If you weren¡¯t capable, that wouldn¡¯t have been possible. Be proud of yourself.¡±

    ¡°I still have a long way to go. I will do my best to live up to yourpliments.¡±

    ¡°The sudden change in these two years¡­ Was there any other reason?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there rumors about Acrab¡¯s Lord? Like being a drunkard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say that I wandered a lot in the shock of the death of my parents. But after receiving Teacher¡¯s help, I decided to live up to my role and do my duty.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I see. I guess the trigger was the influence of forbidden magic, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    My lips dried up. It was just a normal conversation, but I somehow felt like she knew that the original Dalia had died, and I had possessed her body. Her eyes looked at me curiously as though she saw someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be here.

 Chapter 159

    Of course¡­ the original Dalia was supposed to be dead at this point. Akshetra¡¯s eyes made me ufortable.

    ¡°Haha! Sister,¡± interrupted Julius. ¡°Countess Alshine only entered the social world today, so please give her a little rest.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I am being inconsiderate.¡±

    Julius had noticed me getting distressed and came to my rescue. Akshetra smiled at me and walked slowly towards the nobles who approached to greet her. I quietly bowed my head as she left.

    ¡°Please set aside some time for a proper conversation. Enjoy the rest of your time, Countess.¡± I stared nkly at the back of the princess Akshetra.

    ¡°My sister is very interested in you.¡±

    ¡°W-Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think it¡¯s probably because you survived the forbidden magic. And the fact that you became Kaichen¡¯s disciple. One way or another, you are at the center of the social world right now.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to be at the center. Excessive attention is bound to lead to disaster. I just wanted to work and help by hiding in the shadow of Kaichen. However, bing a disciple of Kaichen caught more attention than I had expected.

    ¡°The Princess¡­ she is more charismatic than your Highness,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I thought I was being crushed by the pressure.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Everyone who sees her for the first time says so. But I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    I trembled. I guess the main character is called the main character for a reason. Julius seemed very unaffected by the Princess.

    ¡°How about you teacher?¡± When I peeked at Kaichen standing beside me with an expressionless face, Julius smirked.

    ¡°Kaichen was about to start a fight right away, let alone be overwhelmed.¡±

    All I could do was curl my tail and tremble. It felt a little unfair. But Julius was the one who would face Akshetra head-on, so it must be for the best. I just need to be careful¡­

    From afar, I watched Princess Akshetra greet the nobles, then nced out ofrge window. The thrill of meeting with the viin hadn¡¯t taken long but it already felt as though hours had passed. I sighed. Kaichen handed me a ss of orange juice. My mouth was dry after meeting Akshetra. I drank the juice in onerge gulp.

    ¡°Shall we head back?¡± Kaichen asked again. Golden eyes, examining myplexion, made my tight lungs inte again. It was as if I could breathe freely again, and my stiff body rxed. Ah, it¡¯s those eyes¡­

    ¡°Teacher, I want to take a walk.¡± I led Kaichen out of the banquet hall and headed for the backyard. Apletely different kind of nervousness enveloped my body now. It was so cold that my breath steamed. As soon as we entered the backyard, the air turned warm again.

    Looking at the beautiful yellow rose garden in full bloom, I could see why Julius strongly rmended it. It¡¯s a really pretty ce.

    The yellow rose was not a very significant flower with meaning in thenguage of the flowers. However, it always reminded me of Kaichen. His warm golden eyes and hair. His brilliant gold aura and magic. They always reminded me of a golden rose. Kaichen¡¯s house also had yellow rose bushes, and the willow tree also had yellow leaves. At sunset, yellow petals and willow leaves looked golden. So, I wanted to confess my feelings in the yellow rose garden that symbolized him to me.

    He doesn¡¯t particrly like yellow. It¡¯s just that his magical power is simr to yellow, so he¡¯s familiar with it. It¡¯s okay though. It suits Teacher well. But¡­ will it make him happy?

    A yellow rose garden and flying rose petals. Between them Kaichen looked like a picturesque painting. Aside from the desire to make a memorable confession, I chose this ce because I wanted to see him between the yellow roses. Even if the confession went downhill and I got rejected, I would still have a beautiful memory to hold on to.

    As I walked silently through the rose garden, Kaichen sighed beside me and touched the robe he was wearing. I was curious about how it was locked all the way to the end of the neck without any buttons. But now I saw that it did have a button! The button looked like a small golden bean, so it was hard to see because it ovepped with the embroidery. Perhaps it was because the backyard, which was managed by magic, was hot and stuffy, he loosened the front of his robe. Unlike me, he had too much body heat.

    Inside the robe, he was bare skinned. I couldn¡¯t not hide my smile. I felt like a pervert with a very dirty mind. That said, Kaichen looked fabulous.

    ¡°Teacher, it seems that your body has improved a lot since you started practicing swordsmanship. You are like a sculpture now.¡±

    ¡°And I see you have be even more brazen to say such things without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    ¡°You should be embarrassed instead.¡± He swept away the bangs that covered his eyebrows. The weather was unbearable, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He was really sensitive to heat.

 Chapter 160

    When he swept away his hair and looked around, I found him too hot. There was no end to his charms.

    The fear and nervousness I had felt when I met Princess Akshetra at the banquet had all disappeared. My heart pounded. My throat was dry and there were butterflies in my stomach. Everything felt hot and stuffy even though the weather wasn¡¯t that hot to me. I moistened my lips and nced at Kaichen. Why was he so mesmerizing?

    ¡°What?¡± he asked as he felt my stare on him.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said as I felt my face heat up.

    The fragrant scent of roses drifted in the wind. I thought I had pulled Kaichen here a little earlier than expected but it was just as well that the sun was beginning to set. There were broken statues and dpidated fences in this area. Many were abandoned. I jumped up and sat on a wall that was fairly intact.

    I tried to calm myself and rxed my body. As I sat down cross-legged and looked at him, Kaichen looked back questioningly as if to say, ¡°What are you up to this time?¡±

    ¡°Teacher, show me your magical wand.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please! Show me. I haven¡¯t seen it since that night.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But why? We made it together.¡±

    Kaichen arched his eyebrows and looked up at me. When our eyes met, I smiled. He frowned.

    ¡°You can show me yours first.¡± His tone was full of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Mine is not pretty.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t made to be pretty.¡±

    ¡°I know. But please. Just once. I won¡¯t ever beg you to show it again.¡± I put my hands together and pleaded.

    Kaichen let out a short sigh. He scowled but I knew that he was going to ept my request.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    He gestured with his hand and glowing golden magic spread around him. The beautiful golden rose petals floated in the air. The view was so beautiful in the sunset that I was in a daze.

    I slowly reached out and plucked a petal from the air. Usually, I wasn¡¯t able to hold another person¡¯s magic. But maybe because we had made it together, the rose petals blossomed on my palms. Kaichen looked at the fluttering rose petals and grabbed one just like I did.

    When I had asked him to make the magic wand together, I didn¡¯t know what it might mean. If I had known that it had a romantic meaning, I would have asked for his feelings first. I wouldn¡¯t have taken it so lightly. I wanted to ask him now. I wanted to know why he had agreed to my request so easily even when I had no understanding of what I was asking of him. Why was he so kind to me?

    Many questions swam in my mind, but they couldn¡¯t escape my throat. I had held on to them for two years now. But I was going to take a leap of faith today. Although I am satisfied with being his disciple and him, my teacher, it would break me if he ever found a lover. I would regret not asking him, at least.

    I didn¡¯t want to be like that. I wanted to tell him the truth. He was my savior and the meaning of life. So, I decided to just go for it and tell him outright.

    I stared at Kaichen, who was holding the petals in his hand, wondering what he was thinking right now. Although his clothes were now disheveled and his chest was bare, he still looked elegant and stoic. He looked so in control of himself. He looked dark and tall and regal with the sun setting behind his back.

    Those eyes always shined kindly when they looked at me. I desperately hoped that my expectations were not misunderstood. Seeing him holding a single rose petal and slowly gazing at me, I threw the petals in my hand towards him.

    ¡°Teacher.¡±

    The sky was painted scarlet by the setting sun. The beautiful yellow rose garden and his golden petals looked dazzling. Kaichen looked like a masterpiece in the middle of it all.

    ¡°I think I like you.¡±

    He was silent. ¡°What?¡±

    Oh no¡­. Seeing him furrowing his brows, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I like you, Teacher.¡±

    Kaichen listened to my words and stood there with his eyes widening. His lips were slightly open as though he was shocked. I wasn¡¯t expecting such a reaction. I didn¡¯t know what I expected. I thought he would politely reject me, or ignore me, or even get angry. But he was¡­ shocked?

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me,¡± he said after a long pause.

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±

    ¡°Are you teasing me?¡±

    ¡°How can I joke about something like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher. Look at me.¡±

    His lips were tightly shut now, and he was looking at the floor. I called him, but he avoided my gaze.

    ¡°Teacher, please.¡±

    He finally looked at me. He seemed agitated. When I looked into those golden eyes, it warmed me to my heart. I felt fear but I also felt anticipation.

    ¡°I like you, Teacher!¡± I blurted out before the courage I had gathered ran out. I poured out everything I had been holding within my heart. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean it in a way of respect or admiration or as a teacher. I like you like a woman likes a man. R-romantically.¡±

 Chapter 161

    Kaichen didn¡¯t respond. I wondered if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. He only understood research and magic, after all. I wondered if I should exin everything. God, this will be embarrassing!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are understanding me,¡± I continued. ¡°My heart races just by looking at you. I feel like I am losing my mind whenever I see you.¡±

    Kaichen still didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Oh god! Is that not enough? What I mean is¡­ I want to hold hands with you. I want to kiss you and hug you. I want to be intimate with you as a romantic partner¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Kaichen spat out. His chest was heaving. His brown skin was red now.

    I was scared that I had said too much and made him angry. His eyes looked wild. He closed them and breathed deeply. Had I made him furious? I felt strangely warm. I didn¡¯t know if that was because I was scared or ashamed.

    Did I not exin clearly even then? The way he avoided my eyes and didn¡¯t respond made me feel that I wasn¡¯t clear with my words.

    He was a man who had lived his life buried in magic and books without ever interacting with a woman. So, I thought he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. I didn¡¯t know how to convey my feelings. When I had asked Julius on how much I should say while confessing, he had encouraged me to make it as clear as possible because Kaichen could be a little dense in that regard.

    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t know how to exin¡­,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like when animals¡­ mate. I want to be like that with you. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Dalia!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Just shut your mouth!¡±

    I did as I was told. I blushed bright red and kept quiet, not having the courage to continue further. I hoped this time my message was understood. Kaichen¡¯s copper-coloured skin was as red as a ripe apple.

    I confessed and took Julius¡¯ advice to make it as clear as possible. I thought Kaichen wouldn¡¯t have an idea about what romantic partners meant but his reaction was more intense than I had expected. The golden petals fluttered aggressively as though in sync with his emotions. The garden seemed to sparkle because of the sun that reflected off his magic.

    I was d I would still have this beautiful memory to look back on. I would remember Kaichen in the middle of it all, looking like an exquisite painting.

    Even if I was rejected, I would hold on to this memory. It will be painful and sad, but I had no intention of leaving his side. I would learn magic from him as his disciple and never mention it again. I had done my best. At least the truth was out.

    I wanted to know what he felt. Kaichen was still staring at the floor, his eyes narrowed. He then looked at the petals in his hands and then looked at me. He took a deep breath. I was confused. He didn¡¯t look like he had heard me. But he chewed his lower lips, and his chest was heaving. His fists were clenched, and he was breathing deeply. I knew I had angered him.

    ¡°Teacher, it took me all the courage I ever had to make this confession. It hurts my heart that you are so quiet. Please say something¡­ anything.¡±

    ¡°You are so shameless. Where do you evene up with these words?¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡­ but did you understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to say it very clearly in case you don¡¯t understand my meaning.¡±

    ¡°I would have understood it fine with even a few words.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ you only know magic. I didn¡¯t want any confusion.¡±

    Kaichen raised an eyebrow and approached me. He looked up at me sitting cross-legged on the wall with fierce eyes.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How do you know that I only know about magic and nothing else? How can you be sure of that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ What else do you know then?¡±

    My throat was dry. Kaichen looking at me with that intense gaze made me feel nervous again. Like the reddish sky, Kaichen¡¯s warm gold eyes burned with passion. I flinched at his gaze. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡°The things that go on in that mind of yours appall me,¡± he said slowly.

    ¡°Well, I just wanted to convey my feelings very clearly.¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°Look, I just wanted it to be nice so that I will have a beautiful memory to remember you by even if you reject me.¡± I chuckled, sheepishly.

    Kaichen burst outughing. I was stumped. Did he not understand me? Does he think of this as a joke?

    The hope and expectation of him liking me back was slowly reced by disappointment in my heart.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be just a memory to you.¡±

    ¡°So, then are you going to avoid me from now on? We could pretend like this never happened.¡±

    Kaichen frowned. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°I mean, is there any other choice? After rejection, we can only try to ignore each other. I knew that there was no chance that you might like me back¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    I looked at him, speechless. ¡°Teacher¡­ do you like me too?¡±

    Now it was his turn to look cornered. He avoided my eyes.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± I wished it would be the answer I wanted to hear. I tried to calm my pounding heart. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming. Then I asked again.

 Chapter 162

    ¡°Teacher, do you like me too?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I stilled for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Really? Like romantically?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You like me not as a disciple but as a man likes a woman?¡±

    Kaichen sighed. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I jumped off the section of the wall I was sitting on. I walked to him and took his hands in mine. I wanted to hold onto something. I felt like this was all a dream and he would vanish if I let go of it.

    When I touched his hand, Kaichen stiffened. ¡°Teacher, are you sure? You like me in a way you can be intimate with me? Like, if I wanted to spend the night with you¡­¡±

    Kaichen scowled and covered my mouth with his hand. ¡°Are you sure you can just casually say something like that?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t finish my words. But he wasn¡¯t rejecting me. I looked at him with tears in my eyes. Kaichen lowered his hand from my mouth. My heart was so full. I hugged him tightly. He froze but his warmth told me that this was reality.

    ¡°Please tell me this is not a dream.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡±

    I had thought that this would blow up in my face and I would ruin everything we had. I had thought that his kindness towards me was just because I was his disciple. I tried so hard to convince myself that the asional affection he showed me meant nothing more. But my intuition was correct. Kaichen felt the same way about me! My anxious heart was filled with relief.

    ¡°Teacher, please can you say it just once for me?¡± I buried my face onto his chest.

    I felt him sigh above my head. I was still hugging him tightly, but he didn¡¯t push me away.

    ¡°I like you, Dalia,¡± he said, stroking my hair and wrapping me in his arms.

    I knew that those whispered words held great weight, but it took so much heaviness away from my heart. Iughed in joy. His hand stroking my hair was so gentle. His other hand which wrapped around me was warm.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I am so happy that I am scared. I feel like I am going crazy, and this is not real. I feel like I am going to die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I know you will protect me so nothing like that can happen.¡±

    ¡°You are shameless.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s my specialty.¡±

    I raised my head and smiled. Kaichen looked at me and returned the smile. There was so much love and affection in those eyes, and it tickled my heart. How was I stupid enough not to figure out that those warm eyes held feelings for me too? Even if I die now, I have no regrets.

    To realize that both of us had feelings for each other and we hid it, this must be how happy endings feel like.

    * * *

    Kaichen looked up at the sky. The night sky, with the twinkling stars and the moon shining bright, looked beautiful. The night sky always looked like that every day but today it felt beautiful. Everything felt peaceful. Usually, Kaichen wasn¡¯t really a sentimental person but today was special.

    ¡°I like you, Teacher.¡±

    He had been too stunned to speak when she had said it. Those were the words he had longed to hear. And she had used all sorts of words and metaphors just so he could understand her.

    ¡°I want to hold hands with you. I want to kiss you and hug you. I want to be intimate with you as a romantic partner¡­¡±

    He chuckled. Who in the world confesses like that? It sounded so absurd. But she had said it with so much sincerity.

    Dalia was certainly bolder and more courageous than him. Unlike him, who hadn¡¯t even tried because of the fear of being rejected by her, she had just blurted it outright. She had done it even when she was scared out of her mind that he would reject her.

    She didn¡¯t know how impossible that was. She didn¡¯t know how his heart pounded whenever he saw her. The way his desire sometimes tried to overpower him so that he could hug her just once. I didn¡¯t even have the courage to tell the truth.

    She looked unbearably beautiful. He hoped that she would keep calling him with that voice of hers which drove him crazy. Her smile always made him feel like a fool. He recalled her hugging him tightly out of the blue. Her warmth and her scent that she always had about her.

 Chapter 163

    He wanted to caress her cheeks and touch her soft lips. Dark desires reared its head within his heart. He had to be patient. He had held it for two years. He had to consider her feelings. Dalia, tired after the eventful day, fell asleep on the way home. He looked at her and heat rose in him. F*ck! He wondered why his lower region wouldn¡¯t follow its owner¡¯s will. His heart was still pounding from her confession.

    At that moment, the ring he wore on his finger shed. It was amunication from Julius. Kaichen hesitated as he looked at the twinklingmunication device. He felt ufortable epting it today.

    However, he needed to know about Dalia¡¯s social debut and what others were nning. He had no choice, so he epted it. Julius¡¯ face appeared in the air, grinning. It was very clear that he knew about what had happened today.

    Kaichen frowned. ¡°What is it?¡±

    [How do you feel? Did anything nice happen today?]

    Seeing the grin on his face, Kaichen knew he was already aware. He ignored Julius. ¡°Any news about the princess?¡±

    [No different than usual. I added more people to keep an eye on her. Tell me, what happened today?]

    ¡°What is the nobles¡¯ outlook?¡±

    [Everyone wants to know more about Countess Alshine. Maybe the invitations will be pouring in from tomorrow. So, how do you feel now that the countess confessed to you?]

    Kaichen sighed and pressed his temples. ¡°Why the hell do you want to know?¡±

    [Why do you think I moved the party venue and time at thest minute? Isn¡¯t it obvious?]

    ¡°So, you helped her.¡±

    [Ady wanted to confess her love to my dear friend. What do you think I should have done?]

    ¡°Why does it bother you that much?¡±

    [Because I can¡¯t watch my friend grow old alone. Finally, someone who really likes you, who is strong enough to keep you on your toeses along. Shouldn¡¯t I have helped?]

    Julius gasped and ced his hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt. Kaichen knew Julius had done it as much for the fun as for helping his friend.

    [I¡¯m sorry though. It was supposed to be after the ball was over, but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon. I wanted to be there to watch!]

    ¡°You have some problematic interests.¡±

    [To act ording to my friend¡¯s best interest is my priority.]

    ¡°You need to find another hobby.¡±

    Kaichen nced at the ring as if intending to cut off themunication, but Julius smirked.

    [Well, it seems my hobby, or anything you can call it, has done its job. Looking at you now, it was not in vain.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [Thank meter.]

    ¡°And why would I do that?¡±

    [Well, you didn¡¯t tell the countess you liked her. She had no inkling. And yet, she decided to confess to you. It must have been such a pleasant surprise for you and her.]

    Kaichen realized that Julius had not told Dalia about how he felt about her. Julius must have kept it a secret. Julius had known about it for two years now and Kaichen had frequently been the object of ridicule. So, Dalia took a gamble all on her own¡­

    ¡°So, you hid how Dalia felt about me for this little game of yours¡±

    [Um, that¡¯s¡­] Julius wiped at his chin, with a troubled expression. Then he smiled mischievously. [I thought it would be fun, to be honest. I was absolutely not intending to see you happy after her confession¡ª]

    Kaichen cut off themunication abruptly. He did not want to hear Julius talk anymore.

    If he had known she had feelings for him, he would have confessed first. Dalia knew nothing about how he felt, and she still did it¡­

    He felt that Dalia was braver than he could ever be. When he had said he liked her too, she had tears in her eyes. He felt sad knowing that she had been so scared that he might reject her. It seemed that everything he had done for her hadn¡¯t been enough tomunicate how he actually felt towards her. He was a coward. He wasn¡¯t courageous enough to tell her truthfully, so he had tried to express his affection in his actions.

    ¡°Teacher, what is this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought this was your favorite.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I made it because you are always cooking for me and I wanted to make something for you, too.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to! I am fine.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to make it properly. If you don¡¯t want it, you don¡¯t have to eat it.¡±

    ¡°No! I want to eat it. Thank you, teacher.¡±

    Dalia had eaten every crumb of that burnt toast. She had said she loved it. After that, she had locked herself in her room for two days saying she needed to study. He wanted to make more of her favorite food, but he didn¡¯t want to disturb her.

 Chapter 164

    Dalia worked so hard on her research that after two days of going at it, she looked pale and skinny.

    ¡°Research is great, but you need to take breaks in between.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ perhaps I should. I have been too focused¡­¡±

    ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s because your body is weak. I should at least make some invigorating food to feed you with.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°I will exercise a lot! Invigorating my body is my specialty. I will take good care of it so don¡¯t worry, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°I am really very healthy. I already feel so strong! Haha!¡±

    Kaichen was not a good cook. There were not many things that he couldn¡¯t do. So, he felt that cooking was something he could do well, too, like everything else. He felt that it was rewarding to watch someone enjoy the food he made. It was an expression of his affection.

    ¡®T-teacher, what is this training?¡±

    ¡°This is not a training.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is it?!¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted to get some air.¡±

    ¡°I did say that¡­ But floating like this in the sky? It was not what I¡­ expected.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wished you could fly?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yeah¡­ that was indeed what I said.¡±

    ¡°Do you not like it?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that. I just¡­ it¡¯s my first time doing something like this, it¡¯s a little scary. Just hold me tighter, please.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you fall.¡±

    Dalia quietly murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s stop this hugging and flying into the sky without any safety harness.¡±

    When she told him to stop, he listened to her and immediately let go. Although, every time she shrieked and trembled, his arms came around her tightly. She was afraid of heights. But secretly, he loved how she felt in his arms when he embraced her. Thinking about it, he felt like his actions weren¡¯t much different from the wicked thoughts he always had.

    Kaichen sighed. ¡°You drive me crazy.¡±

    Using one hand, Kaichen wiped his face. He could not help but smile. Every time he closed his eyes, only her face came to his mind. He wanted to express his feelings to her, but he didn¡¯t know how.

    Today, she looked exceptionally beautiful. Her smile enraptured anyone who looked at her. He wanted to imprint that smile in his mind. He wanted to keep it for himself. He wanted to hide it somewhere only he could see. He wanted to hold her, envelop her in his arms.

    Dalia¡­ Dalia, you wouldn¡¯t understand. You confessed to me first, but with this, you are forever mine. I will never let go of your hand.

    Kaichen closed his eyes and opened it slowly. He looked up at the night sky and smiled. You came to me¡­ you chose me. He had dealt with magic his whole life and yet, Dalia felt like the most magical person in the entire world. It was a beautiful feeling.

    *

    I woke up feeling like everything that had happened had been a dream. On the way back home, I had fallen asleep. Mimi, as usual, had woken up early and was bustling around the mansion. It was more noisy than usual.

    ¡°Are we having guests over?¡± I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes. I yawned.

    Mimibed my frizzy, tangled hair. ¡°ording to Baristan, those guests are here to invite you to their party after seeing you at the ball yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Just thinking about it sounds so bothersome.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but this is a necessary process of being a part of Heulin. It is good to make connections and establish yourself as Countess Alshine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to do that.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would do it for the sake of the Crown Prince, if nothing else?¡±

    Mimi was quick-witted and she knew the purpose with which I had arrived here. I let out a sigh as she brought out clothes for me to wear. ¡°You never know. You might even find friends who you might actually like. Don¡¯t be so pessimistic even before you try, Countess,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really¡­ interested in making friends.¡±

    ¡°If you continue to be this alone, you will soon feel very lonely and bitter,¡± said Mimi worriedly.

    As I watched her, I put on my clothes and checked my reflection in the mirror. My usualfortable shirt and pants were my favorite attire to wear in the mansion. Nothing was particrly different from Acrab here. If anything had changed, it was my debut in Heulin and my rtionship with Kaichen.

    ¡°Why are you smiling like that?¡± asked Mimi.

    ¡°Huh? Like what?¡±

    ¡°Like that! That exactly looks like the smile you had on your face when you won big in gambling once in the past¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you even talking about? You know I don¡¯t gamble anymore. You said I will feel lonely and bitter, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. All you do is stay all day in the mansion or lock yourself in and do your strange research¡­¡±

    ¡°I am not lonely. I have Teacher.¡± When I thought of him, my lips curled up in a smile.

    Mimi narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you saying that you have Mr. Kaichen so you don¡¯t need to worry about your difficulties in making new friends?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mimi,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks to Teacher, I can skip this once on socializing and start another time.¡±

    ¡°God! Countess and Mr. Kaichen¡­ you both will just say everything is good and do nothing about it.¡± Mimi shook her head.

    During these past two years, Mimi had seen and heard us and could easily figure out my feelings. She was the closest to me, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that she knew how I felt about Kaichen.

 Chapter 165

    But Mimi nagged me about it. ¡°What kind of attitude is that towards the person you like?! Your shamelessness knows no bounds!¡±

    But what does she want me to do about this shamelessness? I hurriedly walked out of my room to hide my embarrassment. Mimi looked at me as though I hadmitted a heinous crime. She followed behind me. I told her about the confessionst night but told her to not tell a soul about it.

    Mimi gasped. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±

    I walked with a spring in my steps and my heart fluttered. ¡°Has Teacher eaten yet?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, he overslept. So, he went out without eating.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ really?¡±

    My heart, which was swelling and fluttering, spiraled down. So much for the eagerness and excitement, I felt disappointed now.

    I shouldn¡¯t have slept yesterday. I tried to suppress my frustration at myself. Should I at least have kissed him? I reminded myself that all was not lost. I could still have tea with him and spend the rest of the afternoon with him after he is done with work. My heart soared again.

    ¡°Oh, I hope you didn¡¯t forget. Count Vega is visiting this afternoon.¡±

    It seemed I was destined to be away from him today. My excited heart dropped in discontent again.

    ¡°What? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing about it!¡±

    ¡°I told you a week ago. You were clearly focused on¡­ something else. You must not have been listening to me at all.¡±

    Was it today already? Can¡¯t I even enjoy my sessful confession with a date with my boyfriend? With a tinge of regret, I wondered whether confessing on the day of my social debut was the right thing to do. So many people kept interrupting my happiness. I let out a sigh and headed to the drawing room.

    The drawing room was crowded with servants from each family standing in line. Why don¡¯t the nobles use a convenient and easy method of delivering letters?

    Taking a deep breath, I sat down on the sofa, and the attendants came forward. Each knelt down and offered me the letter with the official family seal that they had been tasked with delivering. The letters looked very fancy and rested on a cushion. A cushion huge enough for a dog to snuggle in. Such a shame that nice cushions like these were only used for letter deliveries.

    Since I couldn¡¯t enjoy my momentary happiness, I felt very cranky. I sighed and waved my hand. Angel, who had been standing on the far left, walked forward with a velvet cushion. The way he walked was different from when he was in Acrab. He had been serious when he said he would be the best attendant when he was learning from Baristan.

    I could tell that Angel, who was standing by my side, was working hard, and seeding at whatever he was doing. Just looking at Baristan¡¯s face was enough to tell how proud he was of Angel and how well he was doing his job. I picked up the envelope on the cushion he had brought. The envelope had a familiar seal stamped on it.

    This is the seal of the Duke of Manuwell whom I saw yesterday. I tilted my head to have a closer look. The Duke of Manuwell was already a family of close rtions with Julius. Since I had made it clear that I supported Julius, there was no need for the duke to send me an invitation as we were on the same side. I opened the invitation letter.

    ¡¸Congrattions on bing the new ck Rose of the Empire. Would you honor me with an opportunity to enjoy some refreshment, Countess? I would be infinitely grateful. I also have an unfinished story I want to share with you.

    -Duran Manuwell Dream. ¡¹

    Green hair, blue eyes, and a warm temperament. Those traits were very appealing to women. I recalled him as one of the brothers who had immediately turned his attention to Kaichen after greeting me formally. He ignored me the moment Kaichen arrived, and now he wants to meet for refreshments? How am I supposed to respond to that?

    I read it again to see if there were any implied hidden meanings between the words. I was not very good at this kind of social mind games. I lost interest after a while and put the envelope with the letter on a tray next to me.

    Angle soon approached me with another letter.

    ¡¸I fell in love with the Countess Alshine. We hope that you will visit us so that we can relive the memories of the day of the ball.

    -Leden Ebinail Dream¡¹

    I put the letter into the envelope in a daze. It was the first time I had heard this name, so I couldn¡¯t remember his face. I greeted a lot of people at the ball. I only remembered some of them. Maybe they hadn¡¯t introduced themselves properly.

    I sighed as I looked at the servants of each family who were still kneeling and waiting. Until I read the letter and gave a reply, they must stay that way. They won¡¯t be allowed to return without a reply, even if it meant kneeling and waiting the whole day. If I epted their offer, the butler would give them a ck rose emblem as a sign of the Alshine family. Is that really the best courtesy one can show to someone who delivered the letter?

    If I don¡¯t send a reply, they will assume that I ignored them deliberately.

    The etiquette that the nobles followed were very cumbersome. If a message was ignored, it was difficult to know whether the receiver read it or not. Thinking about it, I felt that it must feel very bad and uncertain to expect an answer when someone ignores a message entirely.

 Chapter 166

    Sympathizing with the poor servants, I read the remaining letters as quickly as possible. Then, I got up and went into the office to pen replies. They were all letters of polite refusal because I didn¡¯t feel like sending ack rose emblem with these invitations. I didn¡¯t know the senders properly enough to meet them personally.

    It was not until after all the servants were sent back that we could finally have a quick lunch. I ate a hearty lunch since I had slept in and had skipped breakfast. Mimi, recalling the sick and pale Dalia of the past, watched with great satisfaction as I ate with gusto. It was quite burdensome to have her watch me as I ate but it had been going on for two years, so I was used to it.

    After my stomach was delightfully full, I hurried to the drawing room where Countess Vega was already waiting for me. Oh, how I wanted to take a leisurely walk while digesting my food! I opened the door to the drawing room, still longing for a quiet life where no one would visit me.

    Countess Vega* was the lord of a neighboring estate between Acrab and the Mencar Mountains. Once a horde of thieves appeared in the Mencar Mountains and an unfortunate incident urred in Acrab, so the rtionship between the two estates had almost been damaged. But thanks to Kaichen¡¯s handling of the mines and the thieves, I was able to patch up the alliance between the two estates and make peace with Countess Vega. In order to maintain a good rtionship among estates, it was essential for the two parties to provide assistance in times of need. Fortunately, everything was smoothly resolved.

    *T/N: the trantor has made an error regarding the gender. The only heir to the Vega family should be a female, hence we have changed it to Countess Vega. Apologies to the readers!

    Countess Vega, like me, had inherited the title of ¡®Count¡¯ early after losing her parents. Because of Acrab¡¯s situation and deteriorating economy of her own estate, she had had to turn his back on Acrab. Lars had felt sorry for her. Dalia was in a pitiful state too. But Vega¡¯s estate didn¡¯t have a fixed ie, so she had suffered great loss in keeping her ce afloat.

    Vega¡¯s estate and Acrab had always been on good terms in the past. So, Countess Vega and Dalia signed a contract to discount the total rates for amodation and restaurant fees used by the merchants moving into the estate instead of charging tolls. With that alone, Acrab saw significant profits. Vega also enjoyed an ie as the merchants, who had been discouraged from traveling due to high toll charges and the bandits, were finally able to move through Vega to Acrab which earned the estate a profit.

    As far as I know, there haven¡¯t been any recent problems regarding the merchants. So why is she here?

    This was the second time I was meeting Countess Vega, whom I had mostlymunicated through letters. The first, of course, was when we exchanged contracts and signed them. At that time, we barely had time for a proper conversation as there was so much to do to fix the problems in our own estates.

    It was surprising that Countess Vega hade to visit me in Heulin. Last time we met, we had hastily departed after signing the contract. Countess Vega was a person with brown hair, warm green eyes, and a gentle smile. It was easy to lower one¡¯s guard and feel safe in her presence, but she could actually be very cold-blooded and practical when needed. Her voice, which was firm and striking, was different from her gentle and warm appearance.

    ¡°Wee, Countess Vega. I didn¡¯t know you wereing to Heulin.¡±

    Perhaps she was in deep thought because she was startled by my words even though I had opened the door rather loudly before entering. She jumped up from her seat and bowed hastily to me.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve informed you in advance. I¡¯m sorry for visiting on such short notice.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. Please sit down. Just moments ago, I was hoping to find a ce to sit and rest with a cup of tea. It seems like I can finally have that.¡± I smiled. I gestured for her to sit back down. Countess Vega looked relieved.

    Mimi served tea and cookies, which I had made for Kaichen. The chocte stuff cookies looked so velvety and moist that I had almost named them ¡®identally Moist Chocte¡¯. I had made it while recalling the sweets I had eaten in my previous life.

    I lifted a cup of tea to my lips and exchanged formal greetings with Countess Vega. She looked as though she had something difficult to talk about. She was troubled.

    ¡°Our parents were close friends. We can¡¯t guarantee that this will be true for us, but we¡¯re still neighbors. So, if ever you need assistance, just let us know,¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I can help with everything. But even if there is a problem I can¡¯t help with, I am still willing to listen. Seeing how we both had to take on the estate after our parents passed away and had our own share of problems, I can definitely listen.¡± I gave her a patient smile. Countess Vega nervously sped her hands as if she had made up her mind. Her sped hands were trembling slightly.

    ¡°Countess¡­ I know you are favored by Your Majesty-¡±

    I blinked in surprise. Favored? It sounded absurd to me, so I opened my mouth to say something, but Countess Vega wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°-Considering the selfish requests I made with Acrab in the past,¡± said Countess Vega hurriedly. ¡°I know that it is shameful of me to request something again¡­ but I have no one to turn to.¡±

 Chapter 167

    She lowered his head, trying to suppress whatever she was struggling with.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. Besides, we already cleared everything. Countess Vega, please feel free to speak your mind.¡±

    Most people who are fidgety and restless have reached the edge of their rationality. I remembered the fear that shed through her eyes ¨C it was the same fear I felt when I was trapped in time. She was helpless and she was desperate for any solution at all. I slowly got up from my seat and approached Countess Vega. I had no experience inforting people. But I tried my best to pat her on the hand. Maybe if someone had been there tofort me when I needed it the most, I would have turned out different.

    ¡°Sheliak, it¡¯s okay. It will be better to talk it out. You can talk to me.¡± Perhaps it was because I had called her by his name, Sheliak looked a little relieved. She took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡ªI have a dear friend. We grew up together. He is my closest friend. He is the very esteemed son of Viscount Hoiore in the north. He was not very fortunate when it came to physical health, so he often stayed at our estate to recuperate. He always did his best to help me in difficult times. I haven¡¯t been able to contact him for three months now.¡±

    ¡°Do you fear that he may be hurt or extremely sick?¡±

    Sheliak shook her head. ¡°If he was sick, his butler would have called me. However¡­ there hasn¡¯t been any sort ofmunication at all. No matter what means I use to contact him, I can¡¯t reach him. Magicmunication doesn¡¯t work. And any messenger I send doesn¡¯t return.¡±

    I patted her trembling shoulders. ¡°The ce Hoiore resides in, it protects people from the icy mountains, doesn¡¯t it? It is also a border area. It is unlikely to lose contact entirely that way¡­¡±

    ¡°Right?! That is what I thought too! But it¡¯s been like that for three months now. I don¡¯t have many friends and those that I did tell, didn¡¯t take me seriously. Everyone said that he might be deliberately avoiding any kind ofmunication with me¡­¡±

    I did not have to know more to understand that this person Sheliak talked about was her lover. It was no wonder she was restless and on the brink of falling apart with worry. It was obvious that people expected it to be a simple break-up if the other person avoided contact so suddenly.

    That exnation was strange though. If it was the case, magicmunication would be rejected but, in this instance, it didn¡¯t work at all. There was no way a magicmunication would be inessible, unless¡­ someone tampered with it deliberately.

    Something is not right, I thought.

    Sheliak was frowning and trying to hold back her tears. ¡°I think something is amiss. If there is a problem in the north, it is bound to blow up. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoiore Estate is a cold ce all year round,¡± continued Countess Vega. ¡°He always came to Vega estate in winter because the cold is especially extreme during that time. Those winters were too harsh for him¡­ if anything happens to him, I¡­¡±

    She was usually so stoic and emotionless. Getting all soft and vulnerable for the people one loves seemed to be a universal thing. If I was in her ce, I would be the same. Perhaps my constion wasn¡¯t really working because Sheliak burst into tears. She must have been truly desperate and barely holding himself together, came all this way to plead with me even though we weren¡¯t close at all.

    Sheliak was a provincial aristocrat who did not have a proper mansion in Heulin, so I let her stay in my mansion for the time being. Shee declined profusely, so I tried to convince her that it was only for the purpose of finding out more information regarding the case. Fortunately, that seemed to work. She bowed deeply and thanked me for my kindness.

    I was also a provincial nobleman just a while ago. Had it not been for Kaichen and Julius, I would not have even set foot in Heulin, let alone own a mansion. Therefore, having connections was important.

    The sun was already setting by the time I persuaded her to take a rest and showed her room. It felt like the day went by so quickly because I had sleptte. Today was the only day that felt wholesome and happy. I felt it was very unfair that the day was ending fast, and I didn¡¯t have the time to spend it with Kaichen. But I was very curious now to investigate the incident in the north.

    Since Kaichen still wasn¡¯t back, I decided to stop by the Magic Association. By today, my face was familiar to everyone in Heulin after the ball, so I used some appearance altering magic that Kaichen had taught me.

    ¡°Can I use the telmunication contact?¡±

    Heulin¡¯s magic association was huge. Although it was a bit far from the Wizard tower, it was in the most densely popted area and was the headquarters of the association.

    Magic marbles floating in the air illuminated the inside of the association building. The magic marble, which stored all the sights thate into view as images, acted like a sort of CCTV. It was a veryplicated form and consumed a lot of magic power, so it was usually installed only in the room where the aristocratic family kept their wealth in a safe.

    In the Magic Association, however, the marble balls were everywhere, almost in every room. It almost felt as though they fulfilled the function of showing off rather than of security.

    ¡°Prices vary depending on distance. Where do you want to contact?¡± The friendly association staff asked me.

    ¡°Viscount Hoiore of the North.¡±

    ¡°All of the Northern Territories are currently unreachable due to unstablemunication conditions.¡± The answer came automatically.

    ¡°Is there a reason?¡±

    ¡°It is a sudden anomaly, and we are currently investigating it. Unfortunately, we will have to wait to find out. My apologies.¡± It was an expression of sincere apology for not being able to show off her proud magical abilities.

 Chapter 168

    Seeing the employee overflowing with pride with her work, I nodded lightly. Sheliak had mentioned that she had tried and failed to establish contact with the North for almost three months now. However, the fact that the investigation has only just begun meant that something had blocked the information and investigation process until now.

    Maybe that¡¯s why Kaichen went out this morning.

    The North was mostly covered with icy mountains. It was an extremely coldnd where crops did not grow all year round. But the northerners had an important job of preventing the savages called the Yetis from moving south. It wasn¡¯t mentioned in the original novel, but I remembered Kaichen emphasizing the information when he was teaching me about the Empire.

    Maybe it wasn¡¯t in the part I read¡­

    I left the Magic Association with a bad taste in my mouth, feeling ufortable at this new unexplored territory that I knew nothing about. I headed to the Mercenary Association. There were all kinds of snow beasts and other monsters in the North. Mercenaries with strength and abilities were needed. It was a nice opportunity for the mercenaries to make some money as well. Perhaps the Mercenary Association might know something about the situation. Sheliak did say that people who went there hadn¡¯t returned. But I felt that no matter how extreme the situation might be, the roads would be well-maintained or at least would be more essible than in the past.

    ¡°North? Ah, you can¡¯t go there right now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard there¡¯s a huge snowstorm? No onees back alive.¡±

    ¡°If no onees back alive, how do you know there is a snowstorm in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Ah! Now that you mention it¡­ you¡¯re right!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unverified information.¡±

    ¡°Maybe someone saw it from afar! Snowstorms can be seen from a distance!¡± yelled the mercenary in annoyance. Seeing him being impatient and rude, I walked out into the street.

    It was such amon trope that I had seen a million times in novels, dramas and even in movies! Usually, suspicious things like these foreshadowed a major uing event. It was like a side quest from an NPC. I¡¯m working on a pre-investigation quest that makes me wander around town before the full-scale quest progresses! I looked up at the sky dazed by how natural this all felt. It was indeed suspicious. Thest few years had been so peaceful that I had begun to wonder if there was an ident waiting to happen just around the corner. It made me uneasy. It felt like someone was controlling me without me knowing about it.

    Akshetra is probably behind this as well.

    She will obviously be controlling the current situation. The thought made me queasy. Is it really possible for Akshetra to predict my every action?

    But why? I tilted my head and looked up at the sky. The street was bright with magic, so it was hard to see the stars in the sky. As I walked towards the mansion, I heard a familiar sound. I stopped walking and turned around. My fingers were cold. I saw a few people gathering at a spot. Wandering musicians yed their instruments to entertain the people who walked the streets. I rushed through the crowd, my mouth dry. It felt like an auditory hallucination. My heart pounded. I clenched my teeth till my jaws were sore.

    How is this possible?! The National Anthem at a ce like this¡­

    At first, I thought I heard it wrong. I never imagined that the familiar song which started with the East Sea and Baekdu Mountain could be yed with a harp. Perhaps in my previous life, I would have admired the sound and moved on. But not here!

    This was a fictional world. Korea¡¯s National Anthem shouldn¡¯t even exist here. I looked at the musician who was ying the harp. She wasn¡¯t an exceptional performer but she smiled shyly as people apuded her performance.

    How? How does she know this song?

    I stared at her nkly. I grabbed her hand as she was about to leave. ¡°Please, wait.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, puzzled.

    ¡°That song¡­,¡± I said, wondering how to exin. ¡°I loved the song you yed. Did youpose it yourself?¡±

    The woman smiled as if she had heard that question many times before. ¡°A kind person introduced it to me once.¡±

    ¡°Could you tell me who it was?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I do not know. However, this song was given to me as a gift because she liked my performance. It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I-It is. Could you at least tell me how she looked? Anything you can remember!¡±

    The woman frowned. Maybe she thought I was strange. I hurriedly took out a gold coin from my ouch and handed it to her.

    ¡°It might be someone I know. Please.¡±

    The woman¡¯s hand shot out and took the gold coin in delight. ¡°She was wearing a robe like you. I couldn¡¯t see her well. However, her harp ying was as good as mine. Her fingers were thin and slender as though she grew up as a refined youngdy. She was very polite to the man she was with.¡±

    The woman looked dazed as she remembered meeting thedy with the man. Then she shook my hand off of her as though she had nothing more to say.

 Chapter 169

    ¡°There is probably no other man who looks that pretty. But that¡¯s all I know. She showed up so suddenly, gave me a song, and then disappeared.¡±

    The woman hurriedly walked away as though she expected that I would grab her hand and question her again. I clenched and unclenched my fists trying to make sense of the information I had received. The tune from the harp was clearly the national anthem. It was a song that did not belong in this world. It was possible that a mad writer might haveposed the national anthem and the tune must have been yed by the bards of the Kalhai Empire, but that sounded far-fetched.

    Considering that no literature rted to Korea had been published so far in this world, the possibility was close to non-existent.

    Then how did the woman y the national anthem so urately?

    My breathing came out ragged. I felt goosebumps on my skin. It felt as though I was standing on cracked ss that would break anytime. One wrong step and I was done for. I felt chills all over my body. I tried to warm my trembling hands in vain.

    Someone other than me¡­

    I had never considered it before. Now, I was sure that there were other people beside me in the novel who weren¡¯t from this world, either. And they might already know about my existence. Otherwise, the musician wouldn¡¯t have been ying the national anthem. The other person had made her existence known to me through this. She was probably sending me the message that there were other possessors in this world beside me.

    Since when did they know? I had very little information. My opponent was far more superior to me.

    She knew of my existence, and she probably would have noticed the point at which I had possessed the body of Dalia. The reason she had made her existence known was probably because we were walking on different paths.

    But why?

    The main character was Julius. This was a novel. Whatever the woman had intended, this was bad news for me. I felt cold sweat run down my spine. I was trembling. It felt like I would be imprisoned for a hundred years once again without any escape. Why do I feel so scared? It¡¯s supposed to make me feel good knowing that there was another possessor like me.

    ¡°Dalia?¡±

    I raised my head at the sudden voice. Contrary to his indifferent expression, his eyes were warmly looking at me with concern. I had used magic to change my appearance but even then, he recognized me at a single nce. He came closer, looked at my pale face, and slowly covered my cheeks with his hands. I was frozen stiff, but I felt warmth spread from my cheeks to my whole body. Maybe I was just scared that the other possessor would ruin my happiness.

    Why are you doing this now?

    Perhaps she knew something about the ending of the novel that I didn¡¯t. I was afraid that person would take Kaichen away from me. I slowly closed my eyes. I raised my hands and ced it above his hands on my cheek.

    ¡°Teacher.¡± A weary breath escaped my lips. My shoulders were stiff with fear and anxiety. And yet I can¡¯t tell you about it. The only thing I can tell you is how much I love you. But beyond that¡­ I can¡¯t.

    ¡°Where have you been all day?¡± I asked. Kaichen only looked at me with concern and didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Today is ourmemorative first day as official lovers but I didn¡¯t even get to see you all day! Were you just teasing me yesterday and didn¡¯t mean anything you said?¡± At my words, Kaichen stroked my cheek. His warm touch pierced through my bleak and depressed heart.

    ¡°Something came up.¡±

    Feeling the warmth that embraced my cheeks, I grabbed his hand and sped it into mine. I remembered that time when I had held his hands and he had run away. Even now, I felt him flinch and shiver, but he didn¡¯t run away. I felt d that he didn¡¯t. It made all this feel a little bit more real.

    ¡°I also had something to do. I was just heading back to see if you were already there. Did youe looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you miss me because you couldn¡¯t see me all day?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I was rendered speechless at his honest answer. His hands became hot. The warmth lingered on my skin.

    ¡°If you answer that honestly, I will feel shy.¡±

    ¡°Good. You need to be a bit shy.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ but if I was shy, there would be no progress between us.¡±

    I raised our sped hands as evidence. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°True,¡± he said reluctantly.

    It was so funny to see him hesitantly ept it that I burst out intoughter. Kaichen was all mighty and proud and didn¡¯t express his emotions beyond his research on magic. But, deep down, he was shy and innocent and couldn¡¯t really hide his emotions from me. Kaichen would never know how happy that made me feel.

    ¡°Did you go and meet His Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. For a bit. I think I should take a visit to the North.¡±

 Chapter 170

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at his firm rejection. It must be because he thought the journey might be dangerous.

    ¡°Teacher, the second son of Manuvell sent us an invitation to a tea party today.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about Duran?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I also have received numerous invitations that expressed desire to spend time with the beautiful Imperial ck Rose.¡±

    ¡°Therefore?¡±

    ¡°I rejected them all but¡­¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s expression, which had increasingly turned sour, rxed a bit. Trying not tough, I said softly, ¡°If you leave for the North alone, I will be very bored. Maybe it will be a good idea to ept the invitation from Duran Manuvell since he is such a close ally to His Highness.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I have already turned down the invitation. But maybe I can hold a tea party and invite them all?¡±

    ¡°Dalia.¡± Kaichen frowned softly.

    I smiled happily. ¡°Yes, Teacher?¡±

    He clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°Why do you always choose to do everything I tell you not to?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Do you forbid me to have tea with Duran?¡±

    ¡°I have told you not to get close to strange men.¡±

    ¡°Duran Manuvell is no strange man.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a strange bloke.¡±

    Kaichen then went into the instructions he had given me countless times beforeing to Heulin. He was adorable.

    ¡°If I follow you to the North, Teacher, I wouldn¡¯t even need the tea party to keep me upied.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s very cold there?¡±

    ¡°You get cold easily.¡± Kaichen sighed.

    ¡°I want to help.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    ¡°I want to check something there. I received a request from Countess Sheliak.¡±

    Kaichen looked displeased. His eyebrows were knitted with worry. When we were almost at the mansion, he stopped walking.

    ¡°The Hoiore Estate in the North is currently out of bounds. There is a possibility that magic cannot be used there.¡±

    ¡°I must be thoroughly prepared then.¡±

    ¡°You still insist on following me?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Wherever you go, I will follow you unconditionally.¡± Kaichen finally smiled and stroked my hair.

    I felt like I was being treated like a child again, but it seemed like an expression of his affection, so I epted it happily. If magic truly couldn¡¯t be used in the North, it would hurt him more than me. For someone who has dedicated his whole life to learning and researching about magic, how will he cope if it is suddenly taken away from him? Maybe he was worried that if he lost his magic, he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect me. His concerns were apparent in the way he stroked my hair.

    But I can¡¯t let him go alone. If someone is truly behind this, they might be targeting Kaichen for sure. He might be in danger. Even more so if another possessor stood by Akshetra¡¯s side and helped her with whatever she nned. I needed to find out and for that, I must follow Kaichen to the Hoiore Estate. Even if my actions were part of their n, I had no choice but to follow him. They already knew that my biggest weakness was Kaichen.

    * * *

    Akshetra silently listened to the nobledies who spoke openly while still being cautious of her gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a brazen woman, you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God!¡±

    ¡°How can you do such an unscrupulous thing with an Archmage on your back?¡±

    ¡°You must have been really upset.¡±

    Lamia, daughter of Marquis Sorel, inted her cheeks as if she was furious, andined sheepishly. Others listened to her attentively and sympathized with her. Lamia twisted the events of that day as though what she said was the only truth.

    It¡¯s like watching a y, thought Akshetra.

    Looking at them with happy smiles on their faces, Akshetra felt that she was no different. She put down her teacup. ¡°I understand that you are upset. Countess Alshine¡¯s magical abilities have not been proven yet, but since the Magic Association has recognized it, she must be a wizard. If you blindly confront her, you¡¯re not going to see anything good.¡±

    Akshetra¡¯s insinuation was clear. She didn¡¯t want any of them toy a hand on Countess Alshine. At least, not yet. Lamia was flustered. She lowered her head.

    ¡°Of course, Princess,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that people don¡¯t know how she really is and are paying attention to her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably just curiosity toward something new,¡± said Akshetra.

    Lamia smiled. This was immensely boring but having tea parties with Lamia, who was from one of the most influential families in the Heulin social circle was very important to Akshetra. It was only about once a week, and Akshetra had made some good connections. It was all thanks to the eager youngdies who attended her tea party.

 Chapter 171

    Most noble families supported Akshetra, but she made an effort to ensnare the social butterflies and treated them special so that they went out and praised her as the Princess. It ultimately built her image while cing her in the position of authority.

    ¡°However, there is a rumor that the Archmage and Countess Alshine do not just have a regr teacher and student rtionship.¡±

    ¡°I heard that rumor too. It¡¯s a special rtionship, so the Archmage escorted the Countess to the ball.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be!¡± Lamia, who had been rejected by Kaichen in the past, retorted. Her face turned red.

    ¡°Kaichen just cherishes her because she is his very first disciple. Have you ever seen him take an interest in a woman?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ the way he looked at her at the ball was more than just looking at a disciple. It was clear to everyone who saw it¡­,¡± said Devte, daughter of Marquis Talley.

    She loved reading fairy tales and romance dramas, but now she seemed to be satisfied with the brewing drama between the Archmage and his disciple.

    ¡°Devte! Do you only look at the revered Archmage with such probing eyes? That¡¯s indecent!¡± said Lamia.

    Lamia was overreacting but Akshetra watched them with amusement. It was easy to understand that Archmage and his disciple had something special between them.

    No way¡­ Kaichen. I never thought¡­

    Akshetra knew that Kaichen in the original novel hated Dalia Alshine, but he couldn¡¯t hate herpletely because she was also his first love. The present Dalia wasn¡¯t the old Dalia. Is that why Kaichen expressed his love, took her in as his disciple and helped her a lot? Akshetra wondered. It was probably not going to go the way it had in the original novel.

    The rtionship between them had probably changed after Dalia¡¯s survival and Acrab¡¯s renewal. With that alone, the novel had moved into a new direction. Akshetra liked the current developments.

    ¡°This is very strange. Why is Lamia reacting like this? Don¡¯t tell me you still have feelings for the Archmage.¡±

    ¡°What are you even talking about?!¡±

    As the situation gradually turned into a childish battle, Akshetra intervened with a low hollow cough. The twodies flinched but they kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be arguing about their rtionship, whatever it may be,¡± said Akshetra. ¡°Countess Alshine¡¯s debut in the social world was a sess, anyhow. Aren¡¯t you two supposed to be active too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±

    The twodies took their leave and left in haste.

    Thinking that she might not have seen him, Asta came out of the shadows and poured a cup of tea for Akshetra.

    It didn¡¯t matter to her if Dalia was active in the social world. No matter how active she was, no matter how strong she was, she was nothing. Akshetra took a sip of the tea and tilted her head.

    ¡°So, did you notice?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she grabbed the musician and questioned her, as expected.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she did.¡±

    ¡°Princess, is it necessary that we let her know we are watching?¡±

    Akshetra nced at Asta. Unlike his neat and muscr appearance, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, his thin jawline and long, rich eyshes, he looked prettier than the girls who just had tea a moment ago.

    ¡°It is certainly more fun that way,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know your opponent with certainty, there is no point dealing with them.¡±

    ¡°Princess, isn¡¯t your opponent Prince Julius?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In the end, he is. However, I am curious about that child. She went out of her way to help Julius.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°She has certainly grabbed my attention now.¡±

    Akshetra took another sip of the tea and put the teacup down on the table. ¡°How¡¯s it going with Hoiore?¡±

    ¡°It is going smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Asta, there is such a saying: ¡®Give me the flesh and take the bones¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°In Acrab, we gave away our flesh. The damage was great. Julius has not yet cleared the path to the eastern countries, but as soon as Countess Alshine¡¯s power grows, he will reach out. It¡¯s not far.¡±

    ¡°Shall we prepare?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make it impossible for him to reach out. However, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to be prepared just in case. You can¡¯t be satisfied with just one n. That child¡­¡±

    Akshetra slowly rose from her seat. ¡° Kaichen is like a bone in the meat. We will have to remove that bone if we want to reach Julius.¡±

    Akshetra smiled deeply, gripped the hem of her dress and left the pce. Asta followed her.

    ¡°If the bone is gone, no matter how much stronger Julius is, he will be soft.¡±

 Chapter 172

    I never had a direct experience with extremely cold weather. Every winter, in my previous life, I had watched the news with headlines like, ¡®a cold wave thates once in a year might hit the country this time!¡¯ or ¡®The cold Siberian high pressure ising down and it¡¯s expected to be freezing this winter¡¯.

    Even in my previous life, cold weather was my weakness. As soon as I watched news warning about any sort of cold climate, I would put on the heater at work or the boiler at home.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Kaichen had told me to stay in Heulin. He had warned me that the weather was extremely brutal. But I had persuaded him to let mee along. He had asked Baristan to prepare for the journey. I hadughed because I thought he was being too paranoid¡­ until now. I had even unpacked half the things because I felt they weren¡¯t needed. Of course, I had made sure Kaichen hadn¡¯t noticed but he had. He had swept the things I had unpacked and carried them in his bag.

    I thought it would be okay to wear just one paddedyer, but it wasn¡¯t! I had to wear more than eightyers of padded clothes to withstand the cold. It was even difficult to walk. It felt as though I couldn¡¯t breathe under so much weight.

    Maybe this is the end of the world¡­

    We moved to the northern border by magic. After that, magic didn¡¯t work. We couldn¡¯t even take horses. It was impossible to travel on horses because of the heavy snowstorms.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. The climate at this time of year doesn¡¯t really allow so much snow to umte.¡±

    Julius, who had calcted the distance to Hoiore, pointed out the suspicious happenings. This might be one of the strange snowstorms that Sheliak and the mercenaries were talking about.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Julius asked me cautiously as though he felt sorry for the state I was in. I was trembling like I would drop dead any second.

    No, I am not alright! I can¡¯t stand it! I wanted to shout and cry and break down. But I was the one who had insisted oning along. I knew that I was the biggest burden out of the party. Julius and his escort, Sir Chushinik, definitely the weak link in the chain. I knew I was slowing them down so I couldn¡¯t cry orin. I would endure.

    But how I wished I had some kind of serious warning about how cold it would be. I hadn¡¯t expected it to be this cold! I took a deep breath and smiled but I felt as though my facial muscles were frozen in ice. I must have looked pitiful because Julius took one of his manyyers of robe and draped it over me.

    ¡°I am f-fine, I am fine,¡± I said. ¡°Your Highness, if you g-give me your robe, y-you will b-be c-cold.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s colder to see you trembling, Countess.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, I think Kaichen worries too much about you.¡±

    He nced at Kaichen¡¯s back, who stood in front of me, trying to block as much cold air as possible from reaching me.

    I had promised to be of help, but now I just felt depressed because I was slowing everybody down. I awkwardly put on a mask to protect my face. When we entered the northern border, magic didn¡¯t work, just as Kaichen had feared. It wasn¡¯t that the magic had disappeared, but something blocked it in this region.

    ¡°There is a house there.¡±

    The house Kaichen found was empty. Perhaps it belonged to someone who ran away from the snowstorms. Kaichen entered the house. He found some wood and started a fire in the firece. Usually, he would have just used magic but here it simply didn¡¯t work. I staggered into the house. Out of the fierce wind, I finally felt like I could breathe. I never knew how it felt to be sore until now. It was so difficult even to take one step further, so I just stood there. After Kaichen was sure that the fire would burn properly, he walked to me. He took off my mask. I would have done it myself, but I couldn¡¯t even feel my hands.

    I let out a shivery breath. Kaichen frowned. He took off the robe that Julius had draped on me and untied my shawl. Under normal circumstances, Kaichen taking off my robe, even though I had many moreyers of them, would feel almost intimate. But at that moment, I just wished I wouldn¡¯t drop dead with my clothes.

 Chapter 173

    ¡°I am s-sorry, T-teacher,¡± I blurted out with difficulty.

    The words didn¡¯t roll off properly. My tongue was numb. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to bite my tongue. But Kaichen patiently took off anotheryer of my robe and helped me sit down near the fire. He took out a nket he had brought with him and wrapped it around me. It was soft and warm. I sniffled. Kaichen, being very patient and kind, was making me sentimental. I felt like if I shed a tear, my nose would run a lot.

    ¡°I feel like a fool,¡± I mumbled. I expected him to nag at me.

    ¡°Shh,¡± he whispered and wrapped the nket tightly around me up to the tip of my nose.

    Where the hell did you learn to be so kind? My heart was pounding. Did he do this intentionally to make my heart pound faster so the blood would circte faster? No matter what he intended, my face burned with embarrassment. No¡­ you weren¡¯t a character like that.

    It wasn¡¯t just me who was astonished, Julius¡¯ mouth hung open looking at us. ¡°The cold must be making me hallucinate,¡± he said. It was strange to see such drastic change in his friend.

    ¡°Chushinik, do you know where we are now?¡± Julius turned to his escort.

    ¡°I think it may be the beginning of the Hoiore Estate.¡±

    Julius unfolded the entire map of the northern territory. Kaichen went out to explore the few remaining private households. I stayed by the firece. I felt depressed. I felt so ipetent and useless.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. If I wanted to be of use, I needed to be able to move my body. So, I waited patiently by the firece.

    ¡°What is the situation outside?¡±

    ¡°Nothing special.¡±

    ¡°Even if there were any traces, they would all have disappeared in a snowstorm this severe.¡±

    ¡°I think I might be able to find out why we can¡¯t use magic.¡±

    ¡°Is it possible?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can only try.¡±

    Kaichen shook his head humbly. Since magic was out of operation, there was no way to find out quickly. When I felt my body did not have even the slightest bit of magical power, I felt dispirited, and when I could finally feel it, I felt crushed by something huge and couldn¡¯t budge. Kaichen said that if he could only figure out what the block was, he could try and activate the magic again. Perhaps Kaichen was affected more than me and Julius. He was after all an Archmage with monster-like magical abilities that he could no longer use.

    There are no magic controls like those found in manga in this world. Maybe the cause is tied to that.

    I tilted my head, put my thoughts behind me, and got up. I folded the nket Kaichen had given me that kept me warm and rubbed my hands. I headed toward the kitchen. In the snowstorm, it was impossible to make a convenient trip anywhere for food. The only food we had was dry meat jerky. I had been eating like that for a long time, so I knew how it felt.

    But I am different now.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to cook indoors since I felt warm now. I had brought along some ingredients and tools for cooking. It might not be possible to make fancy meals, but I could manage some simple, nutritious and warm meals. It was better than dry jerky after all. Just a bowl of stew would do wonders to the present situation.

    ¡°Your Highness, why do you need to deal with this personally?¡± I asked.

    In no time, I had prepared warm stew, and everyone had filled their stomachs. I didn¡¯t feel useless anymore. I was drinking a ss of warm milk when suddenly the question appeared in my mind. It was a little strange for the Crown prince himself to embark on a dangerous journey like this with only one escort.

    Julius could have withheld answering. But he spoke easily, as though he trusted me and didn¡¯t feel the need to keep a secret from me. ¡°Where do I begin to exin? I heard about snowstorms in Hoiore three months ago.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± It was around the same time that Sheliak had lost contact with Viscount Hoiore. She had mentioned something about unusual snowstorms.

    ¡°Every year in the North, snowstorms cause considerable damage. Especially since Hoiore has its back to the icy mountains at the northern tip, there can even be avnches on bad years.¡±

    It was the fate of the snowy city. Residents of Hoiore adapted to the disasters and lived there anyway.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we send relief supplies before winter every year so that they have resources. When the snowstorms start, no one can travel to Hoiore.¡±

    ¡°Ahh.¡±

    ¡°Three months ago, I got a call asking me why I didn¡¯t send relief supplies this time.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t send it?¡±

    ¡°I did. Hoiore is an important estate. I can¡¯t make that kind of a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Julius sighed. ¡°Before I could have it investigated, snowstorms hit the north. Communication was cut off entirely.¡±

    Julius¡¯ face was full of worry. His heart went out to the people of Hoiore who might have had to endure the snowstorms without relief supplies. I took a sip of the warm milk.

 Chapter 174

    The importance of Hoiore was a known fact to all the citizens of the empire. The same could be said about snowstorms.

    ¡°Did someone steal the relief supplies?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is an act by Momalhaut,¡± Julius answered with a grave look on his face.

    Julius was said to have been investigating this for the past three months; about why the relief supplies had yet to arrive, and why the news hade directly from the lord of Hoiore.

    ¡°The people who I thought were on my side were actually Momalhaut¡¯s spies. They skillfully intercepted information and stole the supplies right under my nose.¡±

    It was the consequence of putting too much trust into people he thought were his own. Julius was honest and just, causing him to have firm trust in those who had once given him faith. Although he did not trust easily, once that trust had been earned, he wouldn¡¯t doubt it.

    He was such a typical protagonist. Of course, such honesty and integrity makes him an easy target for betrayal. However, I don¡¯t hold that against him.

    ¡°If this had happened to me, I would¡¯ve hit him,¡± I said, trying to offer any semnce offort. However, feelings of doubt lingered. ¡°Why did they steal the relief supplies? Does Momalhaut gain something from putting Hoiore in danger?¡±

    ¡°There is something big to gain.¡± The answer came from Chushinik, who had been silent and unnoticeable so far.

    ¡°What do you mean by big¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s public appeal.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I tilted his head at the irrelevant answer.

    Chushinik sped his hands together and had a rather serious look on his face. It made the atmosphere even heavier, but it was fine since it suited the conversation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this but¡­ there was a time when His Highness Julius wandered the empire as a disciple of Matabju and rescued the people before he regained his position as the crown prince.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡±

    It would seem better to say that I¡¯d read it, instead of hearing about it. It was the first part of the original work ¡®The Protector of the Blue Dragon, Julius¡¯. Julius, the main character, travelled through the empire with hisrade Kaichen as a disciple of the Great Wizard and made a name by saving the people.

    The incident that started it all¡­

    My eyes widened suddenly at what hade to mind.

    Chushinik nodded as if my thoughts were right. ¡°It was when His Highness aided the northernnd Hoiore during a snowstorm, that he made his name known to the Empire and began to gain the trust of the people.¡±

    Suddenly, I remembered the chapter in that novel. Many incidents had happened under that chapter.

    Natural disasters could not be prevented by human power, but Julius magically paved a path for those trapped in the snowstorm and made houses out of snow with magic to keep themselves warm until the rescue team came.

    Of course, Kaichen also contributed greatly, but Julius, who ran to help without hesitation, made more of an impression on them. It was also natural that Julius was the one to persuade Kaichen into rescuing people in the first ce. The people were more likely to notice someone who would willingly sacrifice himself.

    It was surprising that an unknown wizard was a disciple of Matabju, but soon after, it was revealed that he was the only prince of the empire who was thought to be dead long ago, and everyone began to sing praises for him.

    It was well-known that the benevolent and charitable princess Exchetra had been devoted to the Empire for a long time. However, rather than the elusive Exchetra who was out of reach, the devoted Julius, who could be seen and touched, caught the eye of the people. It was the moment when Exchetra¡¯s stable throne was shaken.

    ¡°You just need to reveal that Momalhaut stole the supplies from Hoiore. It¡¯s not as if public support for His Highness is only limited to the north¡­¡±

    ¡°Although the climate of the northern region is extreme, it is also rich in resources as they have rare medicinal herbs and beasts in the snow. There are also more people living there than you think.¡±

    ¡°¡­So what? What does that have to do with the public¡¯s support for His Highness? It¡¯s true that it¡¯s not everything, you know.¡± His brows wrinkled at the ridiculous words.

    The milk in my hands turned cold. Kaichen took the ss of milk from me. It was cold, so if I drank it, it would only make me freeze. I just fidgeted and didn¡¯t ask for it back.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but half of the people who supported me were locals who were rescued,¡± said Julius with a bitter smile.

    It was then when I realised what he would lose if everything went wrong.

    ¡°Providing relief to areas that need this kind of help is also what strengthens their support,¡± Julius continued.

    ¡°Then¡­ if it goes wrong in Hoiore and the truth is revealed to the Empire, will trust for His Highness fall?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That is probably what they¡¯re aiming for.¡± He bit his lip hard.

    Princess Exchetra was frustratingly capable. Whether it was regarding the incident in Acrab, or anything else, she nned and executed everything thoroughly without leaving a single gap. If Julius were to lose the public¡¯s support, she wouldn¡¯t miss that small spark ¨C she would ignite it.

 Chapter 175

    However, a new problem came to my mind. It was clear that this n was devised with the help of another transmigration. It was difficult toe up with such a n without knowing Julius¡¯ past, who supported him, as well as his personality in great detail.

    ¡®Then, this n must be for Julius to leave for Hoiore and fail in his quest¡­¡¯

    ¡°Your Highness is still going to Hoiore despite knowing all of that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The people are waiting for help,¡± was his straightforward answer.

    What a frustrating protagonist. Even with knowing what he would lose if he failed, he was willing to step into a ce where neither telekinesis nor magic worked.

    Gnawing on his lips, he looked back at Kaichen. By humbly epting the situation, it meant that Julius had already been aware of it. If so, it meant the same for Kaichen.

    ¡®Only me. It was only me who didn¡¯t know.¡¯

    My sense of helplessness came rushing back. This mysterious snowstorm, the northern region where magic didn¡¯t work. We were knowingly walking into a trap for the people enduring the cold and waiting for rescue without relief supplies.

    ¡®Because he¡¯s a righteous protagonist¡­¡¯

    I tried to think. This rescue mission could not fail. Support for Julius came from the public. Without support from the public, his position would be shaken. Most of the nobles supported Princess Exchetra. The people knew her to be kind and benevolent. So, if the public¡¯s support was lost, the scales of power would be tipped over to one side.

    ¡®That can¡¯t happen.¡¯

    Julius had to be the emperor. Just like in the novel I read, ¡®Julius¡¯ Tale of Bing Emperor¡¯.

    Although I didn¡¯t know how he became an emperor, Julius bing one had toe true. As Kaichen helps Julius be emperor, I will stand by Kaichen¡¯s side doing the same. Hiding in Kaichen¡¯s shadow, inconspicuous as possible; that would be my first n.

    ¡®But we¡¯ve been caught.¡¯ I had been discovered. Another transmigrator. Hiding was useless and trying to do so would only look ridiculous. My cowardice wasughable.

    ¡°Could you¡­ exin a little bit more about the Hoiore situation?¡± I asked. It was no usementing over things that happened. I had to help somehow.

    We were treated like chess pieces on the board. Our enemies must be arrogantly looking down at us from above, moving the chess pieces to their dance. My mind went cold as if I was hit by a violent snowstorm.

    But no matter who the rival was, I had a hundred years¡¯ worth of knowledge and experience. Above all else, being an otaku from my past life couldn¡¯t be underestimated either. I¡¯d also umted knowledge through several disaster films.

    Desperately pulling myself together with clenched fists, I felt Kaichen sigh next to me. I ignored Kaichen, who was telling me to stay still through his eyes.

    * * *

    The northernnds of the Kalhai Empire were vast. The end of the northern region was full of icy mountains. Beyond that, wild people called ¡®yetis¡¯ lived there, who often invaded the south.

    Hoiore, a city smaller than Acrab, was on the eastern end. The entire northern estate was also named such. Although it was called the Hoiore ¡®territory¡¯, there was only a small piece ofnd akin to a baron¡¯s estate.

    ¡°Still, the entire northern region belongs to you, right?¡±

    The Viscount of Hoiore, who had to fight the extreme cold, was a nobleman far from any power struggle in the capital. He had to protect the people and look out for yetis. Fortunately, the Empire sent relief supplies every winter in praise of Hoiore, who protected the border. They were not poor either, for they used herbs, animal fur, meat and bones found in their precious mountains as resources.

    Even if the city was small, they had everything they could need.

    It was also a ce where mainly cold magic wizards were stationed, so it was strange that a situation like this had urred. Thus, it was strange why no one knew anything until themunication was cut off and telekinesis stopped working.

    What terrible situation could have happened?

    With numerous thoughts, we gradually got closer to Hoiore. The closer we got to the city, the more I couldn¡¯t open my eyes due to the worsening snowstorm. It came to the point, I couldn¡¯t move my lips or my limbs and soon enough, my feet gave beneath me. Kaichen had to drag me along using a nket as a sled.

    ¡°Ha, I¡¯m embarrassed¡­¡± I mumbled.

    Then I wondered, what was this nket made of so that it didn¡¯t even get wet? Why was it waterproof?

    Without showing any signs of difficulty, Kaichen wrapped me in the nket and tied it up tightly so I wouldn¡¯t fall off. He dragged the nket like a sled and would turn around asionally to check on me.

    I could hear Julius boisterousughter. ¡°This is really amazing! The Count really likes Kaichen, doesn¡¯t she? She doesn¡¯t want to be Kaichen¡¯s disciple, does she?¡±

    Julius¡¯ teasing made my face flush in shame. It was because we didn¡¯t look like lovers to anyone. I do like Kaichen! But what could I do? I couldn¡¯t take a step further in this biting cold.

    When I caught Kaichen¡¯s gaze, who looked like he was feeling sorry for me, I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to hide in a mousehole.

 Chapter 176

    If only that d*mn Julius hadn¡¯t keptughing at me for looking like a corpse, I could¡¯ve pretended not to know how it felt to be lying down like one. Righteous little bastard! That bastard didn¡¯t seem to get cold. I hate looking at Munchkins*.

    *Munchkins is Korean ng for characters that look weak/short but are actually strong.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I get cold easily. Please stop teasing me,¡± I said.

    Although the Kaichen scolded Julius for guffawing, he didn¡¯t seem to realise that it pushed me to an unbearable world of shame.

    Oh, I¡¯d like to forget everything, even for just a moment. It would be nice to reach Hoiore once I opened my eyes¡­

    After a week of walking, we were finally able to reach Hoiore. Sadly, I still remembered everything. I had an unnecessarily healthy brain.

    As soon as I got close to Hoiore, the snowstorm that was covering my eyes disappeared as if it was an illusion. Ba-dump. As I nkly stared up at the grey sky, my heart pounded strangely. It was an unfamiliar yet overly familiar sensation. Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with Kaichen on the way here.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t any obstruction magic that stopsmunication magic and telekinesis at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Something like Master¡¯s barrier exists?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡±

    ¡°Forbidden magic.¡±

    Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

    My body that had been sliding steadily came to a halt. Kaichen must¡¯ve stopped walking.

    I felt my stomach twist. This sensation, this energy, this feeling ¨C I couldn¡¯t forget it even if I wanted to.

    ¡®In time magic, those types of magic couldn¡¯t be used.¡¯

    That was true. No matter how hard anyone tried, it was impossible to contact the outside if you were on the inside. I wasn¡¯t locked up for a hundred years to not know that. My eyes fluttered shut. I could feel Kaichen¡¯s gaze on me.

    He probably also realised this was something he had seen before.

    Hoiore was under the influence of time magic, a forbidden magic. It was suffocatingly silent, without a trace of snowstorm. It was as if time had stopped. Hoiore, surrounded by a ranging snowstorm, was still.

    *

    The time magic that took ce in Acrab was the work of Momalhaut. When I found out that Princess Exchetra was behind it, I wasn¡¯t surprised. It was even unsurprising that someone would still use this forbidden time magic. What if it was a beginning instead of an end? And someone was just testing out the possibilities?

    I shuddered at this horrifying thought, but when Kaichen and I studied time magic at the Willow House, he had said,

    ¡®So, time magic is going to be easier to use now?¡¯

    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy. Those who manifest the magic will inevitably run out of mana. It¡¯s not normal, and if you let the medium be, they will definitely die.¡¯

    ¡®Momalhaut¡­ wouldn¡¯t care about that.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, that makes it easier. If you don¡¯t mind the medium dying, then you just need to find someone with a moderately strong mind.¡¯

    ¡®Then¡­ Master said that time magic requires the desperate desire of the medium for the predicament to change. Is it possible that there¡¯s another time loop out there somewhere that repeats a full day, like the one I¡¯ve experienced?¡¯

    ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t say it isn¡¯t possible. If there is someone who has the same desires as you, it could happen again.¡¯

    ¡®I wish¡­ something like that wouldn¡¯t happen.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Time magic is aplex, and even stealthy magic but some people can notice it. It was from His Highness Julius that I heard that time magic had manifested in Acrab.¡¯

    At that time, Kaichen said that it was beyond his ability to identify the manifestation of magic. Just like how I couldn¡¯t use telekinesis, Kaichen didn¡¯t work well with time magic. Not working well with magic was a different story from destroying magic itself.

    Kaichen was just not sensitive to the movement and waves of magic. Because of that, he didn¡¯t notice the huge amount of time magic that controlled the area. Acrab¡¯s time magic was also discovered by another wizard specialising in sensing magic. The wizard had been the one who had first noticed it before reporting it to Julius.

    ¡°Dalia.¡± Before I knew it, Kaichen appeared in front of me, on one knee. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    I got up slowly with his help. When the snowstorm that hindered my vision disappeared, the cold that made my bones ache disappeared as well. Without the biting wind, it felt like I was alive again. I nodded lightly as he supported me.

    ¡°Master, you didn¡¯t know, did you?¡± I said.

    I waited for an answer, as I beckoned him to help loosen the scarf that was wrapped around my neck. Kaichen skilfully loosened my scarf and took off my thick coat to make it easier to move around. I couldn¡¯t take it off myself because my tight clothes made it difficult to move my arms. Even after almost a month of getting dressed and undressed by him, a traitorous blush still crept to my cheeks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was not until my body became lighter that I heard an answer. He seemed quite upset that he wasn¡¯t able to notice it.

    ¡°I also didn¡¯t know,¡± I gently said.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the snowstorm,¡± he answered.

    Kaichen told me that I worked well with time magic. If I used it, I¡¯d be better at it than anybody else. And yet, I still didn¡¯t notice.

 Chapter 177

    What was the point of being good at time magic? It was forbidden magic, and there was always a price to pay. Even though a wizard could manifest magic through a medium, dying from using too much mana was part of that price.

    ¡°You mean, someone purposely created an artificial snowstorm to avoid being caught?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance of it.¡±

    Kaichen simply threw the coat he¡¯d taken off me and roughly took his hat off. The sun shined brightly on the snowy field where no footprints were present.

    ¡°What a shame. It¡¯s a beautiful view.¡±

    Behind Hoiore Castle, there was magnificent scenery of an icy mountain. Trees covered in snow lined the walls. The castle stood tall in the centre. It had a simple yet modern feel, with spires reaching towards the azure sky. It was a beautiful city with a calm atmosphere.

    ¡°It looks like a city from Europe¡­¡± I mumbled to myself.

    After appreciating the scenery, which was not quite appropriate for the situation, Julius came over after a brief conversation with Chushinik.

    ¡°This is time magic¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Chushinik was a swordsman down to his bones, so he couldn¡¯t feel anything, but Julius, who had learned high-level magic, noticed immediately. Maybe he could feel time magic even better than Kaichen.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Julius gazed ahead. ¡°As I thought, they won¡¯t stop,¡± he said with a resigned voice.

    Chushinik offered him a sympathetic nce. ¡°Now that they know how to do it, they will keep doing it again.¡±

    ¡°I have a headache,¡± Julius sighed, pressing his forehead while asking everyone to move closer.

    I walked through the snowy field, seeing breathe out of every exhale. Kaichen linked his arms with me to prevent me from falling. With his help, I was able to reach the gates of Hoiore without looking ridiculous.

    ¡°Look.¡±

    I let out a breath as I looked at the surroundings. Like I¡¯d seen from afar, Hoiore clearly had the familiar sensation of time magic within its walls. The strange and suffocating silence made me wonder if anyone even lived there.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    While looking around, a short scream suddenly came from Chushinik. Julius immediately ran over to him.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he anxiously asked.

    Julius, who was fond of those who were loyal, liked Chushinik very much. In the original story, he was called the Crown Prince¡¯s excellent and faithful hound, and that said it all. Julius, who showed affection freely, was someone you just couldn¡¯t hate.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Meanwhile, Kaichen was still Kaichen. He didn¡¯t show warmth despite the situation. He asked with straightforwardness that was probably colder than the snow on the ground.

    ¡°I tried to open the gate, but I bounced right off,¡± Chushinik exined with a sheepish grin.

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know because you didn¡¯t learn magic.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°When time magic is activated, it envelops the space around it like a barrier. If it isn¡¯t destroyed, you can neither go in, nor get out.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier.¡±

    Apart from Chushinik, Kaichen, Julius and I were skilled at magic. We forgot to tell him beforehand since we thought this wasmon knowledge. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t seriously injured, but I still felt a little sorry.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for trying to get in without thinking, Your Highness.¡±

    Chushinik wiggled his butt and stood up,ughing good-naturedly. Julius smiled as he patted him on the shoulder and told him what to watch out for in detail. It was pathetic that Chushinik fell for Lamia, but the fact that he was a kind, handsome man didn¡¯t change, so seeing him like this made me smile.

    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Kaichen suddenly interrupted beside me.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You almostughed, you know.¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that¡¯s the case.¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°It looked like a happy scene.¡±

    Kaichen¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he tilted his head. ¡°What is there to be happy about?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ uhm¡­ you also grew up well.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t even the one who raised me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying I feel like you¡¯ve grown up. That¡¯s why I was smiling!¡±

    Iughed nervously. Unlike the first time where I thought everything was wrong, I was just happy to see characters slowly developing like the original! Kaichen was now leaning on one leg, staring at me with his arms folded.

    ¡®It couldn¡¯t be¡­ is he jealous?¡¯

    Come to think of it, even at that time in the restaurant, he strangely overreacted to Chushinik. But I couldn¡¯t dare say he liked me back then. I merely thought he was just angry at Chushinik for treating me rudely. Then, at the next moment ¨C

    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re seriously adorable,¡± Kaichen suddenly said. Gone was the hard stare, only to be reced with a helpless look. ¡°Don¡¯t smile when you think of a guy.¡±

    I fought the urge to smile. ¡°I¡¯m smiling while thinking of Master, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t smile?¡±

    I nced up at him with wide, blinking eyes. Kaichen pursed his lips, and covered my face with his hand, threatening to push me away violently.

    ¡°¡­Not now.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know why I had to get Kaichen¡¯s permission to smile, but his reaction was cuter than I thought.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Fine, just do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°No, I have to listen to the Master. Why? Why can¡¯t I smile?¡±

    ¡°Go away.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why master! Why aren¡¯t you looking at me?¡±

    When I followed him and continued to pester him until his ears turned red, he suddenly grabbed me.

 Chapter 178

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±

    I smiled. He squished my cheeks together, making me look ridiculous. ¡°¡­ Tch. Cheeky.¡±

    Kaichen then put his face near me and mumbled something. Face flushed and ears red, he let go of me and walked away with long strides. My heart pounded erratically as heat rushed to my face. What he had murmured in a low voice continued to ring in my ears.

    ¡®I¡¯m going crazy¡­ how do you manage to charm me like this every time?¡¯

    Even though the snowstorm had stopped, the air was still cold, yet my face was so hot that I thought steam would rise from my body. Jealous Kaichen was cute, but when he looked at me with barely repressed irritation, he looked unberably sexy.

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy!¡± Julius suddenly said from the side. He wasughing until he was wheezing. By the rotten look on Kaichen¡¯s face, he must¡¯ve heard Julius. ¡°Can you believe how crazy he is these days?¡±

    I looked at him, frowning. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡±

    ¡°¡­This is why people say love drives you crazy. Turns out there were two crazy people, not one.¡± Julius shook his head quietly and walked forwards.

    Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong. Love was bound to make me crazy since I couldn¡¯t think of anyone but him. I couldn¡¯t live for anyone but him.

    *

    ¡°I thought I could use magic if I came closer, but it still won¡¯t budge.¡±

    Julius touched the tightly closed gate. His hand couldn¡¯t even reach it, as if it was blocked with an invisible barrier. I smiled bitterly at Julius. It was a familiar sight. I¡¯d been experiencing this for hundreds of years. I¡¯ve always felt hopeless being blocked like that.

    I stretched out my hand.

    ng.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Naturally, I thought my hand would be blocked like Julius, but it went in smoothly as if I was dipping my hand in water. I pulled my hand out and took a step back, surprised. My eyes widened and my mouth hung slightly ajar. I caught Julius¡¯ gaze as he looked back and forth and the gate and me with an expression simr to mine.

    When I first stepped foot into this ce, the air felt familiar around me. It made me realise that Hoiore was trapped in time magic.

    Swallowing, I clutched the metal once more. My hand reached it.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­ I think I can enter through here.¡±

    Kaichen had said before that I had a talent for time magic. Since I¡¯d been a medium before, I¡¯d surely be more familiar with time magic than anyone else. And perhaps, that was why the time magic that enveloped Hoiore didn¡¯t reject me.

    As if it thought that I was a part of the time magic.

    *

    ¡®I¡¯ll go in,¡¯ I thought as I looked around the fields of snow basked in sun. The quiet Hoiore where the snowstorm stopped. ¡®Perhaps I could use my magic skilfully here.¡¯

    The thoughts grew stronger as we approached the Hoiore castle. The familiar yet heavy air, which I did not want to think about, was not much different from Acrab back when the days repeated, whether they were a hundred or just one.

    Weid thick nkets on the ground and sat on them. The silence was heavy with our grim expressions.

    ¡°You know there¡¯s no other way.¡±

    Like Chushinik, Julius and Kaichen couldn¡¯t cross through walls or open gates. But I was able to get into Hoiore. It was like a bridge on a cut-off road. Kaichen won¡¯t allow this, and Julius couldn¡¯t bring himself to ept it, so we couldn¡¯te to an agreement.

    ¡°I could destroy the magic from the inside,¡± I offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s too uncertain.¡±

    ¡°My magices from time magic. It doesn¡¯t work here, but it will. Inside.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dalia.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure of it. I used magic inside Acrab too.¡±

    Although I couldn¡¯t usemunication magic or telekinesis since I didn¡¯t know much about them, I was able to use the basic magic that I¡¯d learned casually.

    The mana umted in twisted time was different. Kaichen had said that my mana was very dense, unlike normal mana. Since I had umted it for a hundred years, I told Kaichen that my mana would exceed his. Although it seems far-fetched, since I can¡¯t use magic as skilfully as Kaichen.

    Regardless, I had an advantage of using strong magic with a high concentration of mana.

    ¡°It could be dangerous. More importantly, you¡¯ve never even destroyed magic before¡­¡± he said.

    I exhaled a shaky breath. ¡°I could try now.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Kaichen turned to look at me. Worry and helplessness was etched in his face, as if he knew that I wouldn¡¯t listen to him if he tried to stop me. He knew me better than anyone else: in my stubbornness, I wouldn¡¯t give in.

    ¡°Do you even know how to destroy magic?¡± asked Julius in a heavy, defeated voice.

    I understood Kaichen stopping me because he cared about me, but I didn¡¯t understand why Julius was against it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve learnt it from Master before,¡± I answered.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what type of time magic is being activated here,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If anything happens on the inside, we can¡¯t help you.¡±

    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±

    ¡°And yet you still want to go in?¡±

    I nodded in response to his serious question. ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter 179

    Frankly, it was impossible not to be afraid. Time magic wasn¡¯t something you wanted toe into contact with if you could help it. And ever since I crossed the northern border, I continuously felt my heart beating strangely. As if it was beating in time with the magic that was spread out around Hoiore.

    How could I not be afraid, entering an unknownnd without knowing what kind of time magic there was and if I couldn¡¯t destroy it?

    ¡®I could get trapped in time magic again.¡¯

    My heart sank in fear. The unthinkable answer to that question made my fingers curl. I hung my head instinctively, not wanting anyone to see my terrified expression.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright. Kaichen¡¯s here. If anything goes wrong, he¡¯lle and save me for sure.¡¯

    It was faith. Faith that he would not give up on me. On the other hand, without me, no one could have gotten in.

    However, Hoiore wasn¡¯t as involved in time magic as Acrab. That was an arrow that Princess Exchetra sent to Julius. An arrow to mark the beginning of war.

    He had to destroy the time magic in Hoiore in order to save everyone. That way, the misunderstanding about the relief supplies could be resolved and he wouldn¡¯t be stuck in the clutches of the princess.

    I have decided¡­ I breathed deeply and lifted my head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± I firmly said.

    As I stood in front of the gate, Kaichen, who had been silent, approached me. His golden eyes, which was darker than usual, filled me up and made me swallow my words. There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I couldn¡¯t bear to, and my words were stuck in my throat.

    I smiled and hugged him tightly. I leaned my cheek against his wide chest, heard the faint thump, thump beating of his heart through his thick clothes.

    How long would he have to run for it to be this loud?

    I felt him sigh at the top of my head. Kaichen gently stroked my hair. Just as I was about to tell him not to treat me like a child, I immediately got cut off as he hugged me from behind until it felt like he was suffocating me.

    ¡°Come back safely,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If things get difficult¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Call for me earnestly¡­¡± He dipped his head down and whispered, ¡°I will find you at any cost.¡±

    My anxiety and fear disappeared at his words. Yes, this man will surelye to rescue me. That was also what I thought back then when I waited for Kaichen. My rtionship with Kaichen had changed, but the fact that he would alwayse to my rescue gave me courage.

    Forgetting that Julius and Chusinik were watching, I hugged Kaichen tightly andughed like a fool. If it wasn¡¯t for the situation we were in, I would have hugged him by the neck and kissed him right away. He licked his lips as he looked down at me regretfully.

    My growing courage would disappear if I kept stalling, so I smiled broadly at Kaichen and ran to the gate with all my might.

    I entered through the gate with a ssh. I wondered if I was about to drown in the cold, but it was just the sound of entering the area under time magic influence, and I was fine. I wasn¡¯t even wet.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    I thought of what I would do if I ended up being sent to another ce, but it wasn¡¯t much different from Acrab¡¯s time magic. The ce I was standing at was just through the castle gates. But it was filled with a creepy stillness that wasn¡¯t much different from the outside.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Turning my head slowly, I saw a guard yawning. On the other side, a guard was standing awkwardly without hiding the bored expression on his face. They looked strange as if they were going to move at any moment, but they didn¡¯t budge, as if they had hardened.

    Swallowing, I entered the city. Winter birds looked like they were flying in the sky, children looked like they were running around, and I could also see merchants carrying fresh fish. It was so lively that it could¡¯ve passed off as a well-made movie set.

    I bit my lips and rubbed my arms.

    ¡®Time has stopped.¡¯

    I knew thatmunication magic and telekinesis couldn¡¯t be used. Magic couldn¡¯t move because time had stopped. But¡­ why was it impossible to use magic outside Hoiore? Isn¡¯t that outside the area of time magic? It was still an unsolved mystery.

    If it was like Acrab, then the only thing that would be able to move freely in Hoiore would be the medium.

    I ran around recklessly, hoping for an answer if I came across a medium.

    Fortunately, just as I had expected, I could still use magic in Hoiore where time had stopped. It was only then when I realised that my magic was the same as time magic. Polluted, ck magic akin to a ce where time intertwined endlessly.

    Perhaps Kaichen had noticed that, and told me that I had a talent for time magic. He knew that my magic wasn¡¯t all that different from the product of time magic.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use telekinesis.¡¯

    Sincemunication magic and telekinesis couldn¡¯t be used inside time magic, I couldn¡¯t use them directly either. But on the bright side,munication magic can still be used if it was created by someone else.

 Chapter 180

    It seemed that Kaichen really studied me thoroughly. I smiled bitterly. It was a relief that it was him, and not anyone else, that knew me in detail. Even if everyone in the world knew about my terrible secrets, I only wanted Kaichen to understand. Even if he found out more secrets about me that he couldn¡¯t make sense of easily, he would understand me far better than other people would.

    ¡°Huuf.. huff..!¡±

    I ran through the eerie streets, but I couldn¡¯t find the medium. The eyes of the people followed me as I ran in cold sweat. It felt like a scene from a horror movie.

    ¡°Where am I..!?¡±

    I ran around for a long time looking for a living person, but even the rats in the alleyway were still, and there was not even a shadow of the medium. There was no wind, so I took off my thick clothes that were soaked in sweat. The sun was so warm that it was hard to believe that it was the cold northern region.

    Wiping the sweat dripping down my chin with the back of my hand, I tried to calcte when the time magic had been activated. It must have been around three months ago. The snowstorm had started around that time, around the beginning of winter, which exined the warm weather.

    ¡°Haa¡­ hah¡­ where is he hiding¡­¡±

    My poor stamina did notst long, and I shortly slumped to the ground. I nced around.

    The simple architecture was beautiful. All the buildings were made of solid wood and had spires akin to castles. Though I passed through a crowded street, it felt like there wasn¡¯t anyone there. I couldn¡¯t afford to leisurely admire its beauty.

    ¡®This air is ufortable too, due to time magic,¡¯ I noted. Although it seemed no different from the outside, having been trapped in simr time magic for about a hundred years, I could distinguish the subtle differences.

    As I sat on the floor to catch my breath, I heard a rustling sound from a distance away. I turned my head and heard the sound of footsteps moving away, prompting me to subconsciously raise my mana.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the stamina to run anymore! I let out a ck beam of light which flew like an arrow and caught the person trying to escape. The only person who could move in a stopped world was a ¡®medium¡¯.

    I let out a gasp as I looked at the man in the trap. He was terrified and pale, but he looked so pretty that the moment I saw him, my mouth hung wide open. His silky blonde hair, pale skin, and doe-like light brown eyes made him look like a prince from a shoujo manga.

    ¡®So a man like this truly exists¡­¡¯ If he hadn¡¯t been wearing an outfit that barely revealed his upper body, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was mistaken for a woman.

    ¡°Who¡ªwho are you?¡±

    Unlike his refined appearance, he had a husky voice. I simrly remembered the moment I saw Kaichen save me. I didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been stuck in frozen time, beautiful I was him, I would¡¯ve been rejoicing in tears to see a person who finally moves. Maybe, I would have grabbed that person by the leg and sobbed.

    I spoke as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m here to save Hoiore.¡±

    The medium shivered and bowed his head at my words. Was this person as moved as I was when I saw Kaichen, who appeared like a ray of hope between the two sides of the sky? I remembered running around, crying like a crazy woman as I rejoiced in the rain.

    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ I expected¡­ this day wille.¡±

    However, unlike me at that time, this man didn¡¯t seem so happy. He sounded perplexed, and his shoulders sagged as if he was shocked and was sapped off his energy.

    ¡°How much do you know about the current situation? Do you know¡­ that you¡¯re a medium of time magic?¡±

    Not much was known about forbidden time magic. It was taboo even for wizards, and there was no way regr people had ess to this information. But it would be a little different for mediums. There was a high chance that a wizard had approached him and exined it properly for the magic to manifest.

    Since I didn¡¯t have Dalia¡¯s memories, I didn¡¯t know the magician who had approached me or if I had even been attacked. If I had the memories, I would¡¯ve known about Anteresse¡¯s existence earlier and prepared for it.

    ¡®First of all, he looks fine. He hasn¡¯t gone crazy, right..?¡¯

    I squatted and lowered my head to make eye contact with the man as I released the trap. ¡°I asked you too suddenly, right? I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re the one who suffered the most from this magic¡­¡± I said soothingly. The man still didn¡¯t look me in the eye.

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name? I need your help to destroy this magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    I took a deep breath as I looked at the man who continued to keep his mouth shut. It was frustrating, but I could tolerate it when I thought of how he had had to endure it alone in such a suffocating ce. It would be confusing if I suddenly asked for help, so I introduced myself first.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a dangerous person. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of me, but my name is Dalia Alshine, Lord of Acrab¡­ I¡¯ve been stuck in time magic before, so I know how you feel.¡±

 Chapter 181

    ¡°Dalia Alshine¡­?¡±

    The man barely reacted. Muttering my name, he slowly raised his head and stared at me. His clear, light brown eyes were as bright as a child¡¯s.

    ¡°You¡­ Do you mean that you¡¯re the Count Dalia Alshine?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, hopeful that he was speaking, ¡°do you know me?¡±

    His eyes widened, mouth opened and closed as he hurriedly grabbed my hand. ¡°I¡ªI have a favour to ask of you. I¡¯ll do anything, so please hear me out!¡±

    I forgot to shake my hand out of his grasp as I heard his unexpected words.

    ¡°A favour¡­?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ I need to say something¡­ I need to tell someone.¡±

    The man said as tears suddenly fell from his eyes. I felt sorry for him that I unconsciously wanted to offer him a handkerchief that I didn¡¯t even have. He wept for a long time. I didn¡¯t know whether he was crying so much from suppressing his emotions for a long time or because he forgot how it was like to cry out loud.

    * * *

    The man¡¯s name was Walter Hoiore, the esteemed son of Hoiore. He was the reason for Sheliak¡¯s worry. At the moment, I felt quite befuddled because I didn¡¯t think that the person from that request would be a medium of time magic.

    After crying for a long time, Walter calmed down. He took me to the castle, where I sat awkwardly, unable tofort him. Yeongju Castle was thergest wooden castle I had seen from afar, and it felt solid enough not to be shaken by a snowstorm.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know it was built of wood because of its white appearance¡­¡±

    Looking around curiously, my expression stiffened as I saw people hardened like mannequins all over the castle. Just by looking at the frozen people who had lively expressions, I could tell what the atmosphere in Yeongju Castle was like. As the only person who could move around, Walter must have suffered a lot.

    ¡°I apologise for showing you an unsightly side of myself.¡±

    The living room had afortable firece; it was cosier than the outside. This seemed to be his hiding ce. Walter skilfully poured some tea for me as he bowed and continued apologising to me.

    ¡°No, I know how you feel,¡± I said, stopping him.

    Walter looked at me sympathetically. ¡°The Count has also suffered from time magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve heard of it, right? Two years ago, there was amotion about how forbidden time magic had manifested in Acrab.¡±

    News about time magic was buried due to the epidemic, but with my status as a wizard, rumours spread secretly, and everyone in the empire found out. Because of this, Kaichen and Julius had announced that Momalhaut was studying forbidden magic. Acrab was a ce damaged by time magic, and I, the lord, became a medium. Thanks to the great wizard Kaichen, I was able to avoid bing a viin.

    ¡®That¡¯s why it is said that The Kaichen sympathised with me and made me his disciple.¡±

    The wizards didn¡¯t easily believe it. They wanted to take and study me. It was unusual to live with a healthy mind after bing a medium of time magic like this. They wouldn¡¯t be able to find a research subject like me in their entire lives, so one could imagine how greedy they were.

    The reason that greed couldn¡¯t continue was because I was Kaichen¡¯s disciple. Under Kaichen¡¯s protection, I could avoid my fate as an experimental subject.

    ¡°Then the Countess has also¡­ you were trapped in time magic like this?¡±

    Walter asked, sping his hands tightly as if in prayer. In the back of my mind, it was still a bit strange that he didn¡¯t react much when I said I was going to rescue and help him earlier. Perhaps, being locked in a haunted ce like was debilitating.

    ¡°It was a little different for me¡­ Hoiore seems to be trapped in a time-stop magic, right?¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    ¡°In my case, the day repeated endlessly. I lived the same day over and over again.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°How long have you been trapped in here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ three months.¡±

    As expected, it matched the timing of the snowstorm. Princess Exchetra used Momalhaut to unleash time magic on Hoiore and create a snowstorm so that no one would notice.

    ¡®The relief supplies might have been used as a means to gather people from the North into the city.¡¯

    The realm of time magic was limited. Since it wasn¡¯t possible to cover the entire northern region of Hoiore, there was a high chance that the people living away from the city would¡¯ve noticed immediately if something went wrong in the city. Then, information would surely leak from the North, so they stole relief supplies before winter, forcing people to head to the city to get supplies on their own.

    How many things did she consider just for this? She was a frighteningly meticulous woman.

    ¡°Was it your choice to be a medium? Or were you pressured into it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°If it was your choice, I won¡¯t me you.¡±

    Even though I asked him, just by looking at the distressed look on his face, the answer was clear; this was probably his choice. Dalia was also deceived by Momalhaut¡¯s sweet words and agreed. It was all to escape from her painful reality. I didn¡¯t know what caused the man in front of me to take Momalhaut¡¯s hand, but it must have been something grave.

    ¡°It was my choice¡­ If I had known¡­ it was something terrible¡­ no, no¡­. still, I¡­¡±

    The way he hung and shook his head looked unsettling.

 Chapter 182

    ¡®¡­ time magic changes depending on the medium. This is the connection between the medium and time magic.¡¯

    Kaichen¡¯s words came to mind. Creating time magic ultimately depended on the medium¡¯s earnestness. Unlike Acrab, which repeated ¡®today¡¯ in hopes that ¡®tomorrow¡¯ wouldn¡¯te, time in Hoiore stood still from three months ago.

    ¡®Time stopped¡­ was there a moment he wanted tost forever?¡¯

    When I confessed to Kaichen and he told me he returned my feelings, I wished that moment wouldst forever. It was a memorable moment filled with happy feelings. In contrast, Walter was confused and tearing out his hair in agony. He didn¡¯t seem to have stopped time with such feelings.

    ¡°Hnghh¡­ I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡­ I-I badly¡­ wished for something I couldn¡¯t want¡­¡±

    Tears fell from his eyes as if he still had more to shed. We should¡¯ve had a proper conversation, but I didn¡¯t think we could talk like this, so I handed him a tissue from the table as I spoke.

    ¡°Sheliak came to see me and was worried because she couldn¡¯t reach you. You¡¯ve been out of touch for three months,¡± I said, trying to turn the subject.

    ¡°¡­She-sheliak¡­?¡± Walter bit his lip, winced as raised his head.

    Even if he was tear-stained, he was still handsome. With bloodshot eyes, he rubbed his face to wipe off the tears. ¡°Was she¡­ very worried?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ was Shelly very worried?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ she was worried enough toe and ask me, even when we¡¯re not that close. She was crying and saying winter in Hoiore would be too harsh for you. I came here because of Sheliak.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    When I spoke about Sheliak, I noticed that Walter¡¯s reaction immediately changed. I thought it was a good way to spur him on, so I told him everything that she divulged to me. To be honest, I didn¡¯t have a lot to say since I didn¡¯t speak much with Sheliak, but that aloneforted Walter greatly.

    His eyes to the tip of his nose were red. I could also see his chin quivering as he held himself back from crying.

    ¡®He¡¯s a crybaby, this man.¡¯

    He was theplete opposite of Sheliak, who seemed like someone who wouldn¡¯t bleed tears even if she got stabbed. To think these two were childhood friends¡­ it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what their childhood would have been like.

    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. Like Shelly said, winter here is unbearable. Recently¡­ my health has deteriorated to the extent that without the medicine prescribed by the doctor, it¡¯s difficult to even go for a walk,¡± he suddenly said.

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°The doctor told me that I had less than a month left.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s difficult to endure each day, even when it¡¯s not winter. It was¡­ very, very¡­ painful,¡± he said, speaking with difficulty. ¡°The fact that I only have a month left¡­ and I couldn¡¯t even tell anyone. I couldn¡¯t go to my beloved Shelly and tell her that I¡¯d see her soon. If I went to see her like this¡­ I¡¯d die right in front of her eyes.¡±

    I continued listening solemnly. I couldn¡¯t even lift up my cold cup of tea.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to feel that pain. But¡­ I missed her. I felt like dying a little more with every passing day. And as the days go by like this¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going insane.¡±

    My nose prickled as I vividly imagined the man, sentenced to death by terminal illness, longing for the woman he loved.

    ¡°Just a little¡­ If I had gotten a little better, I¡¯d take responsibility for her. Just a little¡­ I asked her to wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that why you epted Momalhaut¡¯s offer?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because I thought I¡¯d be able to live!¡± hemented, despair in his face. ¡°They showed up a few days before I was going to die¡­ They said I could go back in time to when I was healthy¡­ I must¡¯ve been an idiot to be fooled by their sweet talk. But¡­ I had no choice but to believe them.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t think that he was an idiot. If I were in such a situation, I¡¯d grab anything if I were given the chance to live by Kaichen¡¯s side. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate, even if it was a piece of rotten rope.

    ¡°I was destined to die anyway. I was born with a weak body and was told that I wouldn¡¯t live long since I was young. But¡­ I got greedy. Wishing for happiness¡­ isn¡¯t a sin¡­¡± he continued to mumble.

    How much had he med himself for three months?

    Like myself, Walter must¡¯ve suffered with nightmares seeing the unmoving citizens of Hoiore. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to breathe properly with the overwhelming guilt. Even if he tried to rationalize the situation by saying there was nothing he could do, he couldn¡¯t have turned his eyes away from the harsh reality.

    He only wished for happiness that anyone would want, peace that anyone would enjoy.

    ¡®What a pitiful man¡­¡¯

    Now I understood why he hadn¡¯t been d to hear that I hade to save him. If time magic were to be broken and time could flow, Walter¡¯s time, which had stopped flowing, would end. He was someone who should¡¯ve died three months ago.

    Walter was alive, purely because of time magic. Thanks to time bing still since that day, the disease that ate his body hadn¡¯t progressed. The disease didn¡¯t worsen, but he didn¡¯t get better either.

    ¡°If time stopped like this, I wouldn¡¯t have to die,¡± he said. ¡°I thought about it this way. If I had known the truth of this magic, I would¡¯ve thought a little differently,¡± heughed at himself, feeling foolish.

    I looked at him in sympathy. How could I call him an evil person when I was no different?

    I repeated the same thing every day like a parrot, and even if I became closer to the citizens of Acrab, everything wouldpletely reset the next day. I could still talk to the citizens of Acrab, but in Hoiore, he couldn¡¯tmunicate with anyone, not even for a day. He spent those three months mute and alone.

 Chapter 183

    Could I say that his time was shortpared to the one hundred years I went through?

    I couldn¡¯t know which was more painful. Even though I only wandered around for a brief moment to look for Walter, the medium, I couldn¡¯t forget the chilling sensation I felt. It was meaningless topare this horror to my hundred years.

    ¡°Do you remember the person who came to you?¡± I said, trying to get to the matter at hand.

    ¡°I remember.¡±

    He rose from his seat and took out a scroll from a drawer from the other side of the drawing room and held it out to me. Two portraits were revealed when I opened the scroll.

    ¡°These are the faces of the people who came to find me,¡± he said.

    I became quiet for a while. ¡°Did you draw this in advance?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Once I realized that I had been deceived, I thought someone would eventuallye to save Hoiore. I drew this so I wouldn¡¯t forget them¡­ It¡¯scking, but for me who¡¯s only been living in this mansion¡­ painting is my specialty.¡±

    His smile looked dimmer, so I rolled the portraits up without another word. I put it into my bag so it wouldn¡¯t get crushed then drank some cold tea.

    ¡°As for the Countes¡­¡± he suddenly turned to me, ¡°how long were you in time magic? I heard that the time magic in Acrab onlysted for a day¡­ Being here made me think about it. Perhaps time in this ce flows differently from the outside.¡±

    I smiled at him. ¡°The esteemed son of Hoiore is smart,¡± I said, nodding.

    ¡°You can just call me Walter. Aren¡¯t we bothrades of time magic?¡±

    He said it like a joke, but I couldn¡¯t find humor in it. Calling usrades of time magic¡­ it was a ridiculous thing to say. Walter seemed to have realized the same way when he saw my forlorn expression. He cleared his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It wouldn¡¯t have been a good memory.¡±

    Walter who had cried out his sorrows and secrets finally was more at ease than before. I couldn¡¯t me him. I spoke in a simr conversationalist tone.

    ¡°Everyone asked me how I was able to stay sane, but they didn¡¯t ask me how long I spent in it. You¡¯re the second person to ask me this directly,¡± I said.

    ¡°Who was the first?¡± he asked curiously.

    ¡°It was my master.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Walter nodded silently, as if he remembered that I was a disciple of the great wizard Kaichen.

    I didn¡¯t know what came over me, but I blurted, ¡°I spent a hundred years.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What?¡±

    ¡°I spent a hundred years in Acrab¡¯s time magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, right?¡± I said, words came spilling out of my mouth the next second, ¡°¡®Tomorrow¡¯ doesn¡¯te and ¡®today¡¯ repeats itself like a reset button no matter what I did. I spent a hundred years without growing old or dying.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°Have you ever tried to die here?¡± I asked.

    Walter flinched in surprise, his eyes widened in shock. Then, he slowly shook his head.

    Of course, I smiled bitterly. Walter, who had stopped time to live, would never do something likemit suicide. No matter how painful he felt, he wanted to live. He wanted to live and see his beloved, even if it was just one more time.

    I seemed to have scared him so I continued in a rtively light tone. ¡°It¡¯s time magic¡­ Everything would stop the moment it activated. But have you thought that you would die if you were wounded enough?¡±

    Walter remained silent.

    ¡°I thought time magic itself was difficult to interpret, but a person wouldn¡¯t know unless they tried it.¡±

    Smiling, I put my teacup down. The air from the firece warmed up the drawing room and made me feel drowsy.

    ¡°Walter, I¡¯m someone who¡¯s lived the same day for a hundred years. Unlike you, I really wanted to die during that long time,¡± I said. ¡°But now, I don¡¯t want to die. Not anymore. I have a reason now. I can understand why you would also fight to live.¡±

    There was a sharp intake of breath. Walter turned his gaze down and sobbed. Perhaps it was from relief that someone who finally understood his feelings finally appeared after three months of ming himself.

    I leaned backfortably on the sofa, giving Walter time. Kaichen would¡¯ve nagged me to sit upright. I smiled at the thought. However, to see him, I needed to solve this problem first. I muttered to myself as I leaned my head back and stared at the antique ceiling.

    ¡°Everyone from the northern territory is gathered here in this city, right?¡± I said.

    Walter huped. ¡°¡­ You knew about it?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°All the private houses I saw on the way here were empty.¡±

    Walter stayed silent before speaking weakly. ¡°If this magic is destroyed, then I¡­ will die.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±

    However, if it wasn¡¯t destroyed, then the people of the North were simrly doomed to a life like this. Walter knew that, and he continued to suffer in conflict with himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to sacrifice yourself for them,¡± I said, looking at him resolutely.

    ¡°¡­Why? Didn¡¯t you say you came to save the city?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I had the same experience as you.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°The decision is up to you. If you¡¯re going to continue this magic, you¡¯ll have to be prepared to bear the guilt. If you¡¯re going to destroy it, you¡¯ll have to be prepared to die.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Walter shouted furiously at my blunt words. ¡°Don¡¯t try to make me feel guilty! Isn¡¯t it the same as saying I¡¯m already dead even if I¡¯m still breathing.. If I were to save them, I would die! No more¡­ no more! I wouldn¡¯t be able to see Sheliak!¡±

    I looked at him cidly. ¡°But even if you don¡¯t destroy the magic, you can¡¯t see Sheliak either, right?¡± Walter remained silent. I continued, ¡°Do you hold any hope that you¡¯ll be able to see her when you can¡¯t even leave this ce?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If I¡¯m alive won¡¯t she be able to see me!¡±

    People became foolish and desperate in the face of death. Either because they were scared, or they were in a hurry. I raised my head and looked straight at Walter.

    ¡°No one can enter this ce,¡± I slowly said.

    ¡°But, you-¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I¡¯m a victim of time magic ¨C just like you. That¡¯s why I was able toe in. But¡­ Sheliak isn¡¯t one, right?¡±

    Walter didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re asking me to sacrifice myself.¡±

    ¡°I said that it was your choice,¡± I replied. Then in a hardened voice, I asked, ¡°Then, do you want Sheliak to experience being trapped in time magic just so she cane here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±

    Enraged, Walter jumped out of his seat and mmed his fists on the table. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He was terrified just thinking about it.

    ¡°Such, such¡­ such a terrifying thing¡­ how could she¡­¡±

    I watched sympathetically. I, too, once held a little, fragile hope that someone woulde to rescue me. But besides that, I had extraordinary mental strength thanks to my advantage of a second life. I had maintained time magic for a hundred years without breaking because of it.

    However, Walter was different. Born weak and with only a few days left to live, he was unstable, both in mind and body. Even if he didn¡¯t have a few days left to live, he¡¯d be as bad as the other mediums if the time magic was broken.

    He spoke as if he had a choice, but his pale face and his ragged breathing whenever he was furious showed that his mental and physical strength were at their limit.

    I gauged the situation at hand. Three months. That was the limit of time he could maintain with his mental power.

    Walter was still in a deadlock. He was torn and confused, unwilling to give himself up. I slowly rose from my seat and soothingly patted him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Walter,munication magic and telekinesis are currently impossible in Hoiore. Do you have any idea how worried Sheliak is?¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­Hahhh¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I lie to her and remain mum about you?¡±

    Tears fell from Walter¡¯s brown eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to say my goodbyes to her first¡­¡± he mumbled.

    Indeed, a mention of a special person can change someone¡¯s mind. Walter swayed back and forth, his spirit was crumbling, but his words were sincere. He wanted to die valiantly without regrets before he died.

    ¡®From the very beginning, he held out until someone came to save him¡­¡¯

    My nose prickled unconsciously. For some reason, it felt personal. Walter must¡¯ve waited eagerly just like I had waited for Kaichen every day, preparing portraits of criminals, and preparing myself to say goodbye. No matter how much I wanted to live, I didn¡¯t want to live in a frozen ce just to achieve immortality.

    Iposed myself and approached him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking this, but¡­ after telling her your goodbyes, is it alright if I investigate you as a medium?¡± I asked.

    Walter nodded his head.

    Fortunately, the video-storing magic I learned from Kaichen to use for pranks, finally had a purpose and could be used for Walter. I turned around, walked to a corner, all the while trying to hold back my tears as Walter said his goodbyes.

    After he said his farewells, I temporarily ced the video in themunication seat ring given to me by Julius. Walter looked at me.

    ¡°What should I do next?¡± he asked in a tight voice.

    I coughed loudly and held out my hand. ¡°I¡¯m not as gentle as Master, so I¡¯m not very good at it, but I¡¯m going to take a look at your body. Rx and don¡¯t move even if you feel strange,¡± I said.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    I grabbed his hand after telling him to lean backfortably on the sofa. Walter¡¯s hands were as cold as mine. It felt a little strange since I had only ever held Kaichen¡¯s warm hands. I closed my eyes slowly and poured my magic into Walter¡¯s body, erasing other thoughts.

    ¡®Pour in the magic and feel it naturally. If he¡¯s affected by time magic, there should be something dark and listless, just like I had¡­¡±

    My brows scrunched in concentration as my magic attempted to infiltrate Walter¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Walter let out a short moan at the unfamiliar sensation, but not to the point that it felt intrusive.

    ¡®Ah, found it! It¡¯s the time magic crystal appears when a person bes a medium. Judging by the fact that it¡¯s so small¡­ the size seems proportional to the time spent in the time magic space.¡¯

    I initially rejoiced. Then I felt something strange when I examined his body, as I recalled the time I examined my own body with Kaichen at the willow house.

    ¡®Oh? What is this? It¡¯s a familiar sensation¡­¡¯

    The closer I moved my mana, the worse he felt.

 Chapter 185

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    As I approached it, Walter let out a painful groan. I opened my eyes as I retracted the mana. My face was drenched in sweat as the magic required delicate control.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Walter asked as if I was the one who groaned. I saw him pressing down his chest at what seemed like a familiar pain. I slowly spread my palms and thought about what I had felt ago; if it was a mistake or not. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯vee to the North and felt like I was being stabbed in the back.

    Walter¡¯s disease was caused by poison!

    ¡®Exchetra, you really are a terrible person.¡¯

    Seeing me tremble, Walter anxiously asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Ah-¡±

    I opened my mouth and immediately closed it again. He epted his death and even said goodbye to the woman he loved. It was painful to make such a decision. He wanted to live a little longer and see the person he loved alive, so he dabbled in forbidden time magic.

    But it turns out that the disease he suffered from was not something natural.. but caused by another person¡¯s malicious agenda?

    I felt nothing short of furious. Even I couldn¡¯t ept this horrid truth.

    Walter said that his health had suddenly deteriorated. If he hadn¡¯t been weak from the beginning, he would¡¯vee to the suspicion that he was poisoned. But Walter had a weak constitution from birth. No one would doubt that this man was slowly dying from poison. It was just pure evil!

    I clenched my fists and asked, ¡°Walter, who was the person who said you only had one month left to live¡­ was it your doctor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been responsible for my health since I was little,¡± Walter said, looking confused.

    ¡°Then what about other doctors¡¯ opinions?¡±

    ¡°There was no need for that. After I was told the day I would die, I gave up on everything.¡±

    I got goosebumps. Although it was understandable, it was still a foolhardy decision. A proper doctor would instantly know that poison was the cause of Walter¡¯s sudden deterioration, were they given the chance to examine him. It should¡¯ve been called an unknown disease, such as the poison epidemic that spread in Acrab.

    ¡®The ingredients are slightly different, but it¡¯s definitely poison.¡¯

    I also hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the poison, so I was still taking medication asionally and receiving treatment from Kaichen. The tonic wasn¡¯t as serious as life-threatening as poison, but it definitely contained lethal ingredients ¨C it was poison made up of five ingredients.

    ¡®But Anteresse is already dead¡­¡¯

    I bit my bottom lip. Even though Anteresse died, the only exnation was that he had a disciple of someone with simr poison-making abilities.

    ¡®Could it be cured? No¡­ it¡¯s toote.¡¯

    Walter would die the moment time magic was destroyed. Even if he only had a few days left, his body was already weakened from being a medium of time magic. He couldn¡¯t hold out much longer. His time had already expired.

    The frustration I felt was unbearable. If I¡¯d known earlier, I might have figured it out and saved his life! Made scapegoat for time magic.. How insidious could a person be?

    I gnashed my teeth and trembled. To win Julius¡­? Taking it this far just to seize the throne? Ha! The benevolent and well-liked Princess Exchetra? If someone said such a thing, I would spit on their faces. An unbearable anger filled my chest.

    When I saw time magic reappear, when I saw Walter who was in pain as a medium, and when I found out that he was actually dying from poison.. It was horrifying to know that all of this happened due to one person¡¯s n.

    ¡®Acrab could¡¯ve simrly be an experiment,¡¯ my mind suddenly connected the dots.

    Kaichen was right. Princess Exchetra conducted a huge experiment in Acrab. It was to investigate how to manifest time magic and how well the poison worked. Exchetra thought she had a perfect win, and she used Acrab and me as a stepping stone to further her plots for the throne.

    ¡®She¡¯s terrible. She only sees people as toys¡­¡¯

    ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Count¡­?¡±

    Walter asked worriedly as he saw me trembling. Yet, I could only hear his voice hazily as I was consumed in an all-burning anger. I closed my eyes tightly. Suddenly, I lost my temper as horrific memories of me experimenting on people flooded my head.

    My body trembled. In the corner of my mind, there was no difference between me and her. What a hypocrite I am!

    ¡°Count Alshine!¡±

    I opened my eyes and looked at Walter. He looked at me with serious eyes. It wasn¡¯t until I was snapped back to reality that I realised my body was tight and I was holding my breath, biting my lips until they bled.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I took a deep breath and exhaled. In times like these, I had to keep my head straight. ¡°I remembered a bad memory,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of a hundred years¡­?¡± Walter softly asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you destroy the magic and gain freedom?¡±

    I epted the handkerchief that he offered. Pressing my lips to the clean, white handkerchief, I shook my head.

    ¡°My body was free, but I also escaped with sins that I have to bear with for the rest of my life.¡±

 Chapter 186

    ¡°¡­ I asked you something unnecessary.¡±

    When I saw Walter bowing his head in apology, I felt was fully brought back to reality. I couldn¡¯t return the blood-stained handkerchief, so I shoved it into my pocket. I nodded, beckoning for him to go outside, and he walked slowly as if he had entered the castle for the first time.

    ¡°How would you feel if you couldn¡¯t die?¡± I asked him as we walked along.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy. I could marry Shelly,¡± he smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. If you got married now, I¡¯d give you a lot of congrattory money.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I was surprised by the news of Acrab¡¯s prosperity. It¡¯s a shameless request, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you could look after Shelly in the future. Umm, you might hate these words, but I¡¯m asking a favour from you as arade of time magic.¡±

    ¡°What a terriblerade.¡±

    Walterughed loudly at my disgusted expression. It was the first sincere smile andugh I¡¯d seen and heard.

    A feeling of regret pressed against my chest. ¡®If only I had noticed the changes in Hoiore a little earlier¡­ No, even if I had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Walter.¡¯

    In order to save him, he had to know at least four months before he was set to die. During those times, I was learning manners and etiquette from Heulin to Acrab so that I wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes. It was a rxing and peaceful time.

    Why did I have to suffer from guilt and thoughts like ¡®I could¡¯ve saved him?¡¯ I had too much of a saviourplex. I couldn¡¯t alter reality that was already set. And yet¡­

    I came back alive from time magic. It left a good precedent and gave them research results. And now Hoiore was affected by it and Walter had to die like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Walter.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for the Count to feel sorry for me. In fact, you helped me say goodbye, so I should be thanking you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, if I had been here a little earlier¡­ maybe I could¡¯vee to help you.¡±

    ¡°If the Count had been friends with Shelly, it wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    Please be her friend from now on.

    Walter spoke those words softly. He was only worried about the woman he loved until the very end.

    The garden of Yeongju Castle was covered with snow that glittered in the sunlight. It was just as beautiful and dazzling as Walter¡¯s tinum blonde hair, and it made my eyes sting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Sheliak. As yourrade in time magic, I¡¯ll keep my promise to you,¡± I solemnly said.

    ¡°Then I rely on you.¡±

    ¡°Walter¡­¡±

    He shut his eyes tightly. Although I didn¡¯t exin anything, he just stood in the garden, looking at me as if he knew what I was going to do. I reached out towards Walter, who had his eyes closed. He was only five steps away.

    There were many ways to destroy magic. A spell from a magic circle would mean a magic circle would have to be destroyed; a spell triggered by chanting could be destroyed by a corresponding magic or deflected by a stronger spell.

    However, there was only one way to destroy this type of forbidden magic: it was to wrap it with mana from the outside, or to break it from the inside. Kaichen broke the time magic in Acrab from the outside. So, there was no damage to me as a medium, but destroying magic from the inside was a different story.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a wizard, but I¡¯ve thought and guessed about a few things while I was stuck in here. I¡¯ve also heard about Acrab,¡± Walter said with a strained smile. I remained silent.

    ¡°When I saw youing inside without destroying the magic from the outside, I was somewhat convinced that this was the only way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Walter¡­ In the end, I forced you to make a sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve died anyway. You just made things stray back to their original course.¡±

    My chin trembled. ¡®You weren¡¯t meant to die¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t say those words to him.

    I reached out and clenched my fists and immediately ck petals fluttered around the area, contrasting against the beautiful white castle. In the midst of its splendour, a man stood ¨C its lonely prince.

    I couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡®Master, please help me. It¡¯s difficult, I¡¯m having a very hard time.¡¯

    I slowly closed my eyes. ck magic poured out from the petals of the ck roses and reached out towards him. They found the small crystal deep inside of him, which surrounded Walter with mana. Everything was easy; it was a road I had walked on before.

    ¡®No¡­ for me it was out of a selfish choice.¡¯ Walter stopped time for Sheliak. I must treat this instance thoughtfully.

    Toe up with such an insidious and meticulous n, I knew what Exchetra was hoping for at the veryst moment. I wouldn¡¯t give it to her.

    Changrang-

    My mana shattered the crystal in Walter¡¯s body. There was no sound, and yet a huge energy twisted and turned, as if released. It was what I¡¯d felt once before. I could feel a huge force from the outside, but I was confused as to why my mana was being absorbed by the twisted power of time magic.

    Finally, a cold wind blew against my skin. Time that was frozen began to move once again. There was the sound of familiar noises, of civilization. When I opened my eyes, I saw Walter lying on the ground.

    Time had returned for everyone, but I couldn¡¯t move, as if my own time had stopped.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!