LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 78
Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Whether or not the Crown Prince’s words were hypocritical, they were currently advantageous to me. So, I decided to ride along for now.
Not that I was such an excellent actor that I could convincingly feign a frightened expression. I simply kept my mouth shut and stayed still.
“Frighten her? Nonsense?”
To my irritation, Rio Bright, the Archmage of the tower, spoke as he tucked his long hair behind his ears.
By the way, the reason I was annoyed wasn’t because of his rude words or attitude. It was because of that endlessly flowing hair. Couldn’t he at least tie it back?
“I have no intention of harming a noblewoman. You can rest assured on that point.”
“It’s not that you don’t intend to harm her—it’s that you can’t. Afterall, Elsie is a member of House Delkis.”
“……”
At Amelia’s words, the corner of the Archmage’s lips twitched slightly.
In the novel I’d read, Rio Bright’s pride was notably high. He had consistently clashed with Harvey-Hyung, whose immunity to magic was a constant thorn in his side.
Of course, part of that conflict was due to Harvey harboring unrequited feelings for Amelia after spending years by her side.
Here, however, Harvey hadn’t become Amelia’s escort, so that particular scenario didn’t apply.
“Also, I’m curious how you plan to examine Elsie’s abilities. I assume you’ve thought this through before making such claims?” Amelia asked.
“Oh, I’ve already considered that.”
The Archmage’s face lit up as he responded to Amelia’s challenge.
“Though magic doesn’t work directly on Lady Delkis herself, I thought it might be interesting to experiment on the animals she interacts with—”
“I’m against that.”
I cut him off firmly.
“These are creatures I’ve spent over a decade with. They trust and follow me. I won’t tolerate anyone treating them carelessly.”
“……”
The Archmage seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
If the experiment he planned for my wolves wasn’t harmful, he would have had more to say. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“I can understand that,” the Crown Prince chimed in. “I, too, own a wolf gifted by Lady Delkis. Even setting aside the value of a Northern Wolf, the thought of trading its life for anything is inconceivable.”
He fixed the Archmage with a steady gaze.
“If you’re thinking of offering monetary compensation, I’d advise against it. The bond isn’t something that can be broken with money, nor should you lie about it.”
“……”
The Archmage turned his gaze back to me.
His eyes gleamed with a greed I had never encountered, not even in my past life.
I’d never imagined receiving such a look from a man—or a woman, for that matter. Not that I’d ever been popular enough to entertain such scenarios.
“Very well. If that’s your stance, I won’t press the matter.”
He withdrew his gaze quickly.
“But perhaps you’d at least attend the lessons. Even if you have no interest in learning, you could join for the sake of your escort duties.”
In the novel, he had come up with all sorts of excuses to push Harvey away. It seemed that mages, by nature, were desperate to obtain whatever they desired.
“I…”
I glanced toward Amelia.
The truth was, I wanted to attend the lessons.
Not because I sought to learn magic—I was incapable of using it—but because I wanted to understand the offensive magic typically employed by mages.
Though Amelia had assigned me the role of escort to pull me off the battlefield, I took that role seriously in my own way.
Even if Amelia were to marry in the future… if, at that time, I proved indispensable as her escort, perhaps I could stay by her side.
Like the maid who commuted daily to our estate, I dreamed of remaining by Amelia’s side, protecting her for the rest of my life.
Marriage had never been part of my plans, anyway.
For that to happen, my skills had to be exceptional—not just in Amelia’s eyes, but to everyone around her. Regardless of the opponent’s abilities, whether it was swordsmanship or magic, I had to be capable of protecting her. Only then would I have a valid reason to stay by her side.
“I… want to learn magic.”
When I finally answered, the Archmage’s face lit up.
“A wise choice! Even if you can’t use magic directly, learning its principles can only benefit you. And who knows? Perhaps your unique physiology, different from that of typical Delkis people, might actually respond to magic— ahem.”
His excited rambling ceased abruptly as he realized Amelia was glaring at him sharply.
“In any case, I am honored to have so many distinguished attendees for my lessons.”
The tense atmosphere eased slightly with the Archmage’s words, bringing some semblance of normalcy back.
“Elsie.”
Ignoring the Archmage entirely, Amelia approached me at the side and spoke softly.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“…Is there any reason I shouldn’t be?”
Even if the Archmage coveted my abilities, the likelihood of him causing me harm was close to zero.
Magic wouldn’t work on me. Attempting to kidnap me by force would be the kind of reckless move only someone ignorant of the Delkis people would attempt. Moreover, it would be equally difficult to mess with my wolves—they were officially registered as my property.
Unless Amelia’s family, the Grand Ducal House of Grattanmount, or my family, the House of Delkis, completely severed ties and withdrew their protection, attacking me now would be utterly foolish.
“If you don’t want to attend, I can drop out too.”
“No, that’s unnecessary. There’s no harm in attending the lessons. Besides, being near the Archmage might yield useful information. Besides, he is one of the top magicians in this country, even if I don’t particularly like him.”
“That’s a commendable attitude,” the Crown Prince commented.
“…Haven’t you learned that it’s rude to interrupt a conversation between two ladies?” Amelia shot back.
“Well, I can’t help overhearing when I’m standing nearby. Besides, your relationship intrigues me. Do you always speak like this when alone?”
“There’s no reason to answer you,” Amelia retorted.
It was remarkable how the Crown Prince could intrude on a private conversation, and equally impressive how Amelia could so brazenly brush him off.
In a way, it felt reminiscent of the original story. In the novel, Amelia had always been bold, whether dealing with the Crown Prince or the heir to the throne. That boldness, however, had often veered into haughtiness, leading to her downfall as the villainess.
…In the novel, she had tried to avoid her bad ending by adopting a more humble demeanor.
Could this be risky?
If Amelia were to follow a similar path to the original story for any reason, she would inevitably face ruin.
And that was something I never wanted to see. I’d rather watch her marry another man than witness her downfall.
“Oh dear, I thought we were familiar friends from childhood,” the Crown Prince remarked.
“I apologize, Your Highness, but I recall seeing you only a few times during my childhood. And back then, you weren’t the Crown Prince but merely a prince. As your status has changed, so should our relationship. Continually approaching a baron’s daughter like this might lead to unnecessary rumors.”
“I don’t mind such rumors. Besides, won’t this kingdom soon become a foreign land to me? A little gossip won’t matter. I’ve lived a life ‘too’ far removed from such things thus far. While His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen aren’t concerned, it seems the Emperor, who has named me as Crown Prince, seems to worry about the future of the empire without an heir from me. Isn’t it bleak?”
Amelia’s expression turned one of exasperation at his words.
“Your jokes are in terribly poor taste.”
“I assure you, I’m not joking.”
No, this was seriously dangerous.
What was Amelia thinking, picking a fight with the Crown Prince? Even if he would eventually be a foreigner, power was power. With the empire as our neighbor, his influence couldn’t simply be ignored.
Moreover, their voices were growing louder, and the people around us were beginning to glance our way, catching on to the argument.
I thought it would be best to intervene. Scanning the area, I noticed Adele wearing an expression nearly identical to mine.
Adele had been standing nearby, unable to follow our conversation but clearly thinking it would be good to stop the argument.
“A-Adele, are you planning to continue attending this class?”
I hastily addressed her, shifting the focus away from Amelia and the Crown Prince.