Chapter 6
“Ha ha.”
Leopold deliberately let out a dry laugh. Otherwise, his already tenuous reason felt as though it would burn away entirely.
Eliza Waluer was vulnerable to affection. Like a hedgehog, once she lowered her quills, she readily revealed her soft side…….
“Do I have anyone besides you?”
She would say things like that without a care, making him pour all his affection upon her as she lay there with all her defenses down.
“After doing that, you’re thinking of abandoning me?”
Leopold clenched his teeth tightly. He had carefully stayed by her side to hide her more vulnerable nature from others, despite how careless her guard was compared to what one might expect.
But who had slipped through that opening?
Obsession slowly filled the blue eyes as he stared at the place his master had left behind.
***
Magic was a privilege granted to the chosen. But there were occasionally those who, despite not being chosen, coveted that power and practiced sinister sorcery.
Using magic privately was subject to severe punishment. Moreover, if it was black magic, anyone exposed for practicing it was subject to execution by beheading.
Therefore, Eliza intended to report Hagen’s black magic.
To the person who could bring him down most quickly and most powerfully.
“……I can meet him, right?”
Eliza lightly touched the portrait she had painstakingly obtained.
The man with black hair tied to one side, cascading like a waterfall at night, was the First Prince of this kingdom and the most likely heir to the throne.
He was someone who could immediately propose punishment against a noble family.
Eliza chose the Crown Prince as someone who possessed definite authority while still being accessible.
“Please let him be close to Her Majesty the Queen, Your Highness.”
Eliza stared intently at the vivid red eyes visible even through the portrait. They were eyes like ripe pomegranate seeds, identical to those of the current Queen who had given birth to him.
Eliza had just barely managed to obtain an invitation to the tea party hosted by the Queen.
If, for the sake of displaying harmony within the royal family, the Prince would visit even once…….
On the eve of the tea party, Eliza went to bed, repeatedly murmuring the Crown Prince’s name as though in prayer.
Perhaps thanks to that.
“I am Magnus Elian. Let us dispense with the formalities.”
Eliza was able to encounter the man from the portrait she had taken out and looked at until it was worn.
The Crown Prince, who dominated the surroundings with his heavy presence the moment he appeared, approached the seat beside the Queen.
Eliza stared at him with piercing intensity.
Today, she absolutely had to create an opportunity to speak with that man.
“It is truly a pleasure that you have stopped by despite being so busy. Would you care to stay for a while, Prince?”
“Of course.”
The visit had clearly been discussed in advance, but the Queen pretended to be delighted, and the Prince readily accepted his mother’s proposal and took his seat.
They were figures so proper and dignified that they upheld the dignity of the royal family to the point of excess.
“How fortunate the royal family is to have Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Crown Prince care for each other so deeply!”
“It is truly reassuring that the heir to this kingdom is someone like Your Highness.”
One after another, those around them showered praise upon the Queen and the Prince.
Eliza curled her damp, sweaty palms beneath the table. The Crown Prince was looking around, nodding appropriately.
‘Did our eyes meet?’
The moment she met his red eyes, Eliza flinched. However, his gaze merely passed over her for a moment.
She lowered her gaze for a moment and took a deep breath. There was no need to be so nervous. She certainly possessed information that would interest that man. All she had to do was seize a single opportunity.
‘……Should I call this a privilege?’
Remembering the original work left a bitter taste in her mouth. She cursed it for making her realize the cruel reality, yet the information that could also hold on to her lifeline was contained within it.
After calming herself for a moment and savoring the fragrance of the tea, the Prince suddenly rose from his seat. Everyone’s eyes immediately turned toward him.
“Are you leaving already, Prince?”
“Unfortunately, I have an appointment. I hope everyone enjoys their time.”
The Crown Prince smoothly withdrew from the gathering. Watching for the right moment, Eliza stood up as though she were going to attend to something.
And once the eyes of those around her were no longer upon her, she began running toward the direction in which he had disappeared.
The heels of her shoes struck the floor with a heavy thud. Fortunately, because few people in the royal palace behaved this undignifiedly, she was able to catch up with the Crown Prince, who had left first.
“Stop. State your identity…….”
“Ah, I’m dizzy!”
Having quickly approached the Prince, Eliza abruptly threw herself forward as though she were staggering.
A nearby knight caught her body in confusion. Eliza was embarrassed, but it was necessary to keep him from leaving even for a moment.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince had stopped and was looking at her.
“I’m ashamed to have caused such a disgrace…….”
“Take her back properly.”
His breath had not even settled from running, yet the man immediately turned away from Eliza’s flushed cheeks, reddened from her shortness of breath.
Eliza had no time even to be stunned by his decisiveness. Before the knight could even help her straighten herself, the Crown Prince was already about to stride away.
Desperate, Eliza shouted.
“I know what you’re looking for!”
The Crown Prince, Magnus, did not stop walking. Standing firmly on both feet, Eliza called out clearly to his back.
“The Saintess!”
Only then did Magnus stop. Eliza looked at him anxiously.
The knight’s expression hardened as he tried to restrain her.
“Young Lady. You must not do this.”
“When and where, and how you can meet her. Whether you are looking for her or not. I happen to know a great deal about that.”
Her voice was clear and melodious, but to the knight, it sounded like nothing more than empty words.
She was not the only woman who approached His Highness the Prince without even hesitating to pretend to collapse.
No lady had ever run this far, so it was novel, but the knight had a duty to stop her in order to protect the royal family.
“You should return now…….”
“Lady Waluer.”
However, the Crown Prince turned around and called out to her.
At Magnus’s gesture, the knight returned to an upright position. The man’s jet-black head drew closer to her even beneath the sunlight.
This time, the man was clearly looking at Eliza. The vivid red light within his deep-set eyes was calm like a certain stone rather than a flame.
“Young Lady, you certainly…… have something very refreshing to say.”
“Yes. I thought you might be interested in this sort of story. I know a great deal about the Saintess.”
One day, a divine revelation was secretly delivered to the kingdom. It stated that the one who took the Saintess would become king.
The First Prince, upon learning of the divine revelation, initially kept the heroine by his side for the sake of the throne, but eventually fell into true love.
The male protagonist of that story was this very man, Magnus Elian.
“What Saintess are you talking about?”
“A woman who brings glory and honor to the protagonist.”
The title of Saintess itself was not unfamiliar, but Saintesses were not usually described in such a way.
That fact kept Magnus in front of Eliza once more.
“……I heard that street performances about the Saintess have become popular with such a story. I thought perhaps it might be a subject that would interest Your Highness.”
“Is there an actress I might know?”
“I don’t know whether Your Highness knows her, but I know her very well. Very well indeed.”
Eliza did not avert her eyes from the man’s gaze for even a moment. As long as she knew about the divine revelation, her assumption that the Crown Prince would search for the Saintess proved correct.
Although she had to speak indirectly because there were ears listening, Magnus understood her intentions well enough.
“Will we be able to meet again?”
“Your Highness is a benevolent person, so I imagine you are also interested in charity.”
A deep shadow fell around the eyes beneath his straight forehead as he silently waited for her next words.
He had a neat and flawless impression, enough to make one believe he was the protagonist of an epic poem. Faced with his air of someone who had never known defeat, Eliza instead felt her stomach twist.
“I heard that Lady Graham’s charity party is excellent.”
Fortunately, this time Eliza succeeded in producing a smooth smile. A delicate red stroke formed a graceful curve across her finely lined face.
“I sincerely hope to see Your Highness again.”
Magnus Elian gave no particular answer.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
