Alessia bolted upright. The towel fell to the floor, but she didn’t pay it any mind.
“Why are you up?”
Once she fully regained consciousness, her surroundings became clear. It wasn’t a dream after all. The Kaon Ferdinand standing before her was real.
How? Why? Why is he here? She had more than one question she wanted to ask, but she was immediately captivated by Kaon.
Kaon naturally picked up the towel that had fallen and started wringing it out. Not only that, but he also dipped it into a water basin, squeezing it with force. Every movement was as fluid as flowing water.
Instead of the myriad questions swirling in her mind, Alessia asked just one thing.
“Did you do all this? The towel?”
“No.”
Kaon denied immediately. Puzzled by the swift response, Alessia was about to ask further, but Kaon added quickly, “It must have been the maid. No time for that after the inspection I’ve been through.”
“An inspection?”
This time, Alessia asked directly. If an inspection had been conducted, it meant it was evening, not the morning she thought it was.
Alessia was the only mage left in Ferdinand. The mage from the Tower had left the territory before dawn after the contract period ended.
Trying to check the time, Alessia forced herself to sit up, but Kaon gently pushed her shoulders back down. It was clear that she couldn’t move much, so Alessia had to lie down again.
“Nothing happened. Our knights aren’t that incompetent, you know.”
Alessia bit her lip. She felt so inadequate for not even being able to take care of herself properly.
If Ingelos were to request for her to return early, Alessia hoped that Ferdinand would step forward to oppose it.
She had appeared so pitifully low in comparison.
Actually, like her cousins said, maybe she wasn’t cut out for anything. The self-loathing she had been trying to ignore overwhelmed her in an instant.
“Why are you trying so hard?”
At that moment, the damp towel was placed back on her forehead. Looking up at the cool sensation, Alessia saw Kaon gazing at her. His face looked complicated through the darkness.
“You don’t have to go to such lengths. It won’t make that big of a difference.”
“…”
Alessia remained silent. Why ask that? That was what intrigued her. Did he even need to know the reason?
The reason was simple. She needed to show herself. That way, she could buy time here until the day she could escape from her tedious family.
And…‘Because you need me.’
The first place to ever say “good job” and “thank you” to her, the one that treated her like an idiot who couldn’t do anything her whole life, was Ferdinand. Here, Alessia realized for the first time that someone might actually want her.
Every day spent in Ferdinand was not meaningless. Rather than living a life of constant evasion and fear of encountering hardships, she could live a life where she could progress and contribute to something.
Kaon Ferdinand would never understand how great a change it was. He had never lived a life like Alessia’s.
“It’s not like people would greatly appreciate your efforts, let alone know about it.”
“…I do.” Alessia spoke again, with determination in her voice, “It’s okay, and that’s all I need.”
Alessia had always lived her life diligently. She always strived to survive somehow. Even when she heard dozens of remarks wishing her dead, she never backed down.
The effort she put into harnessing her magic, the days and nights she spent studying to fit into the world of mages even a little, the effort she made to read spellbooks as they came, despite being told not to complain…
Even if no one acknowledged the efforts she made, she knew them herself. So, even though she felt embarrassed about her lack of ability, she wasn’t ashamed.
“Because I work hard at anything, I thought it might be helpful, even just a little…”
Furthermore, Alessia now knew that one more person was aware of that fact. Although she wouldn’t be able to hear those words again, they would remain unforgettable for the rest of her life.
‘Kaon Ferdinand, you knew too, didn’t you?’
Suppressing the desire to seek confirmation once again, Alessia quietly closed her eyes.
***
The chaos of winter had passed, and it was once again the time when the spring breeze returned. The mountain wind blowing through the open windows lightly brushed past their cheeks.
Summoned by Leonidas after a long time, Kaon stood outside the study and looked at Joseph. In his eyes, there was a hint of wanting to be informed in advance if there was anything Joseph knew, but Joseph just shrugged.
“Even if you look at me like that, I really don’t know anything. I haven’t heard anything.”
“…You said the same thing when I heard about the engagement news.”
“Did I? Well, then I can say with confidence that I’ve been faithfully serving the Young Master with an honest heart, both then and now.”
“…Surely…”
Even if you threw him into the middle of nowhere, he wouldn’t starve. Kaon knocked on the door with a nod.
“Leo.”
“Come in.”
With a brief response, Leonidas, who had just taken her eyes off the documents, appeared into view. Leonidas had left for the Asciutto territory in the northwest two months ago and had just returned to Ferdinand late last night.
“Have you lost weight?”
“I don’t know.”
“It seems so.”
Asciutto was a territory where demons also dwelled, just like Ferdinand. However, unlike Ferdinand, where the situation was much more dire, Asciutto was in a much better position because the son of the Count of Asciutto was under the jurisdiction of the Magic Tower, so they didn’t have to worry about employing a mage.
His sister had taken over as the acting head of the household as soon as their parents passed away. This meant that she was also responsible for taking over her father’s diplomatic responsibilities. The two-month journey seemed to have taken a toll on her, as she appeared even sharper than before due to the weight loss.
“Do you want to take a break?”
“I don’t have time.”
Although he was worried about his sister, he couldn’t speak gently. Leonidas was firm.
“The court banquet is coming up soon. You should start getting ready to attend.”
“Is it already that time?”
“Yes.”
When the spring sun warmed up, King Gaios would hold a grand banquet every year. Unlike the regular palace banquets, this was a big event where prominent nobles were required to be present.
Leonidas handed him an invitation. The invitation stamped with the royal seal indicated that the time was near.
“Princess Odelle is also coming back.”
“Princess Odelle?”
The current king had a son and a daughter, and he particularly adored his daughter, Princess Odelle.
To what extent? Well, when the princess, who was not yet of age, expressed a desire to study abroad, the king vehemently opposed it. But when the disappointed princess locked herself in her room without eating or drinking, he arranged for a retinue for her within three days.
That news was two years ago, and now it was already time for her return. Kaon keenly felt the merciless passage of time.
“It’s going to be chaos.”
At the same time, just thinking about the bustling banquet annoyed him already. Sitting around, watching each other’s every move, was not Kaon’s style at all.
“This year, Alessia must attend too.”
“…Even Alessia?”
For a moment, Kaon almost let out a habitual “Her too?” but managed to control his expression.
“She’s clearly aware of the engagement, so it would be odd not to bring her.”
“That’s… true.”
He reluctantly agreed. Since it was an event where most nobles attended, it was the best opportunity to present themselves as desired.
The king had been rejected by both Ferdinand and Ingelos, so he had to attend the banquet to maintain a good relationship. As if the two had really come to an understanding.
“And how’s your relationship with her?”
“Huh? Oh, um, it’s fine,” Kaon forced a smile at the sudden question. “Nothing unusual.”
In the past few months, or rather, since the day Leonidas left Ferdinand, a lot had happened. It was a dizzying time, as he even found out things he shouldn’t have known.
However, there was nothing he could tell Leonidas. It was best to keep quiet, even though he felt uneasy about deceiving his sister.
Leonidas, who had been silently observing her younger brother, nodded slightly.
“It seems the lady is adapting better than expected. She goes on inspections every day.”
“Ah, she… fainted once because she was sick.”
Kaon furrowed his brows at the sudden memory of winter. Since that day, Alessia had been diligently doing her duties.
He had been quite surprised when he heard about her collapsing due to lack of stamina and had even pleaded with Maurice to provide her basic physical training. Occasionally seeing Alessia, who was struggling, made him feel indescribable emotions.
“Only two years left now.”
“What? Ah, yes. Two years left.”
Kaon corrected himself quickly, momentarily losing focus as he thought about the small girl who ran determinedly. It was undoubtedly about the remaining time until his marriage with Alessia.
“Already half a year has passed?”
Kaon was a little surprised. It was surprising that half a year had already passed, and it was equally surprising that it had only been half a year.
He felt like he had experienced so much that it felt like years had passed, yet on the other hand, he wondered if it had really been that long already. If he blinked once, would two years have passed by?
“When that time comes…”
Would Alessia still be by his side then? Or would she return to Ingelos, ending their relationship?
No matter how hard Alessia tried, she was ultimately not a real mage, so considering the family, he should hope for the latter. But for some reason, that wasn’t easy. Feeling ridiculous about himself, Kaon swallowed a frustrated breath.
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