Chapter 117
I shook my head in disbelief as I watched Adrian charging ahead, his gaze fixed solely on what lay before him.
At that moment, Jasmine murmured in her usual composed manner.
“Why would I oppose it?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected retort, Adrian could only offer a stupefied response.
“Pardon?”
Jasmine’s expression as she regarded her son was no different from any other time.
She spoke with biting sarcasm.
“If anything, I’ve been worried because you’ve shown zero interest in women. You need to produce an heir, after all. Our family’s son can’t turn out to be gay, now, can he?”
Adrian’s face went blank, as if he’d been struck on the head with a hammer by Jasmine’s words.
It was a predictable reaction—he must have anticipated some clash with his mother.
‘As expected, my mom operates on a whole different level.’
Far from opposing the marriage, she was already fretting over future Peris babies that hadn’t even been born yet.
Then again, in the original story, there were those ridiculous rumors circulating that Adrian and Alferen were dating, so her concern wasn’t entirely baseless.
Still, when I’d mentioned dating Alferen, the family had thrown an absolute fit.
It irked me a little that for Adrian, things flowed so effortlessly from romance straight to marriage.
“So, you’re giving your permission to date with marriage as the premise?”
“I’m not that closed-minded. Of course, I’ll need to see her for myself. I’ll invite her home soon, so keep that in mind.”
As Mother rose from her seat, Father followed suit.
“If your mother approves, then I have no issue with it.”
Adrian, who had braced for opposition from the family, wore a dazed expression.
“Was it always this straightforward?”
“Who knows. Maybe it’s because you’re the male lead?”
“What are you even saying?”
“Forget it. I’m suddenly feeling a surge of resentment toward this universe, so just stay out of it.”
I brushed past him with a prim air and added one final jab.
“I’m having my wedding first. No yielding on that.”
* * *
As I’d anticipated, it wasn’t long before contact came from the Crown Princess.
On the surface, it was a letter that began with ordinary well-wishes.
But the true message lay in the note tucked inside.
It expressed a desire for a clandestine meeting, complete with the specified time and location.
What struck me as odd was the stipulation to bring Alferen along.
And so, the appointed day arrived.
I set off for the rendezvous with Alferen.
Switching midway to a carriage devoid of any family insignia made me feel like I’d stepped into the role of a secret agent.
‘Ever since I got involved in the original story, life hasn’t had a single boring moment.’
At least having Alferen by my side eased my tension somewhat.
Her choice to meet outside the imperial palace likely meant spies had already infiltrated her quarters.
I stole a glance at Alferen, who appeared perfectly composed.
“Do you have any idea why the Crown Princess insisted you come with me?”
“After Father awoke, I reached out to Labernin. I requested to view the records from the accident site six years ago. I suspect that’s the reason.”
Alferen’s face betrayed his discomfort with my decision to assist the Crown Princess.
“She’s probably already pieced together that you’re a summoner.”
Deep down, I’d been prepared for this.
I couldn’t keep my identity as a summoner hidden forever.
‘Besides, Labernin would understand my powers better than most.’
The Crown Princess hailed from one of the four great ducal houses—Labernin.
As the family once renowned for summoning, they undoubtedly possessed extensive knowledge of the summoning arts.
She must have sensed the power in the rosario I’d given her and thus sought this discreet encounter.
Now that the power was out in the open, I wanted to put it to even better use.
In the process, aiding the Crown Prince and his wife while thwarting the Empress would be the perfect outcome, wouldn’t it?
‘Still, he must have been worried since I sent the rosario on my own without discussing it.’
To Alferen, unaware of the original story, my actions likely seemed reckless.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand. Her Highness’s condition seemed dire, so I had no other choice.”
In response to my apology, Alferen fixed me with an unwavering stare.
Feeling a pang of guilt, I fidgeted with my fingers and tentatively asked.
“Do you think I was sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“You’re the kind of person who pours affection especially onto fragile souls. Once you know you can help, you go all out to do so.”
Alferen locked eyes with me and gently brushed my cheek.
“I just hate the thought of you putting yourself in danger.”
“Aw, come on. If things look risky, I’ll stick to you like glue!”
Using a pretend rehearsal as my pretext, I nestled deeply into Alferen’s embrace.
“My lover is the Master of the Magic Tower—what’s there to be afraid of?”
As I spoke in a voice laced with coquetry, Alferen’s stern expression crumbled.
“You’re right. I’ll protect you. I won’t let even a single fingernail come to harm.”
The way he grasped my hand firmly, as if sealing a vow, filled me with an immense sense of security.
When it came to long-range destructive power, no one could rival him.
“And now, I can wield Ordel’s power fairly well, so I can at least safeguard myself.”
Moreover, I was no longer merely a powerless extra.
I’d formed a contract with the magnificent Fairy King, Ordel.
I squared my shoulders and struck a pose of exaggerated confidence.
“You protect me. I’ll protect you. Sound good?”
“Quite reassuring.”
Alferen let out a soft chuckle and ruffled my hair.
Before long, the carriage came to a halt at the designated spot, and Alferen remarked, as if detecting something.
“A silence spell has been placed here.”
“Ooh, now I really feel like a bona fide secret agent.”
Shielding my unusually buoyant self, Alferen stepped inside first.
The Crown Princess rose from her seat as if she’d been eagerly awaiting us.
“Welcome.”
The rumors of her illness proved true—her complexion was pallid.
At least the rosario draped around her neck seemed to have temporarily stalled the curse’s effects.
As I offered a light curtsy, the Crown Princess greeted me with genuine warmth.
“I’m sorry for dragging you all this way. Today, before my role as Crown Princess, I’ve summoned you because there are things I must say as a member of Labernin.”
With a resolute expression, she posed her question to me.
“There’s something I need to confirm first. Was it you, my lady, who awakened Davin Ainluk?”
Even after experiencing the rosario’s potency, uncertainty lingered on her face.
Given that the lineage of this power had long been severed, it was only natural she wouldn’t fully trust the artifact alone.
Having already resolved to be forthright with both Alferen and the Crown Princess, I didn’t deny it.
“Yes. It was my doing.”
“I knew it… So that’s how it is. Truth be told, I was stunned when you mentioned giving me this rosario. After all, it’s a summoner’s artifact.”
For generations, the Labernin family had safeguarded an immense collection of ancient records to master defensive magic and sealing arrays.
They maintained a dedicated archive, and the pivotal details of sealing rituals were said to be passed down orally exclusively to direct descendants.
‘Moreover, Labernin has been a summoner lineage through the ages.’
At some point, the power ceased to be inherited, leaving them reliant solely on formations, yet they remained the empire’s foremost authorities on summoners.
Knowing this, I’d sent the rosario to the Crown Princess.
To foil the Empress’s schemes, the imperial family’s assistance was essential.
“I never imagined I’d witness that power firsthand. I’ve only ever encountered it in the records.”
The Crown Princess clutched the rosario delicately with trembling hands.
The gravity of what she was about to reveal was palpable in her tense demeanor.
“What I’m about to share is a tale handed down solely to Labernin’s direct line.”
The mention of it being restricted to the direct line made me snap to full alertness.
I hadn’t anticipated her divulging such a crucial family secret.
“You’re likely aware that Labernin was originally hailed as the renowned summoner house.”
“Yes. I’ve heard they were celebrated as a family beloved by nature.”
“Indeed. If one foolish ancestor hadn’t attempted to exploit nature, we might still be carrying on that legacy.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that…”
“Unlike other supernatural abilities, the summoning arts place immense emphasis on forging bonds with entities from other realms. It’s a force rooted in symbiosis rather than slaughter. …Yet one of our ancestors rejected this principle and sought to command those otherworldly beings like slaves.”
The Crown Princess’s face twisted with evident discomfort as she recounted the ancestor’s transgression.
“At first, it appeared to succeed. Thanks to it, Labernin grew even wealthier and more powerful. But it was no different from slitting open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs. From that moment onward, no child born into Labernin possessed the talent for summoning.”
