Yohan came to the restaurant looking like a mess. Due to a fever that had kept him tossing and turning all night, his complexion was at its worst.
He ended up wearing the same wet, cold, sweat-soaked clothes he wore all night because his freshly washed clothes didn’t arrive in time. The clothes themselves were luxurious, but given the current state, they looked shabby.
“Oh my, Yohan. You don’t look well again today,” Ella said, waving her fan gently as she showed a concerned expression looking at the pale child.
“Well… my condition seems to be getting worse lately,” Yohan replied.
Sitting in front of him, Duchess Medes and Young Lady Medes, Mariel, both wore awkward expressions.
The fact that the eldest son of the Hyrad household was an ever-persistent patient was a widespread rumor across the entire continent. However, they didn’t expect Yohan to be in such a disheveled state.
“Um, I apologize to all the guests, but… If Yohan finds it too difficult, even during the meal, would it be okay for him to go and rest?” Ella asked Duchess Medes, as if genuinely concerned for Yohan.
The duchess nodded emphatically as if it were a matter of course.
“Yes, of course. I, too, understand how tiring such public gatherings can be for someone with delicate health,” Duchess Medes said with a gentle smile, speaking softly to Yohan.
“Feel free to go to your room anytime if you want to rest. Don’t worry about us.”
“…Thank you,” Yohan gracefully replied before taking his seat.
Even if he looked quite pale, his manners were graceful. The quiet dining room echoed with his subdued breath.
Ella, looking at the awkward exchange between the Medes mother and daughter, flashed a victorious smile. She had purposely told Tezen to arrive a bit later. In this situation, it was evident that Tezen’s appearance would undoubtedly make him look much better compared to Yohan.
‘But those eyes… they still give me chills, really.’ Ella frowned as she observed Yohan’s chilling expression.
It was only natural for her to feel uneasy about Yohan’s presence—he was the eldest son of her husband’s previous marriage, not her flesh and blood. However, beyond that basic reason, there was something about Yohan that made Ella feel bad and uncomfortable.
Those eerie violet eyes seemed to harbor something very dark within them, something that wouldn’t disappear even when firmly locked away inside the tower.
‘He manifested as a wizard at the age of five,’ When five-year-old Yohan cast his first incomplete spell, it seemed as if Ella’s surroundings were darkening. Unable to pass on the position of the duke’s heir to Yohan in this state, Ella quickly made up her mind to conceal the child’s talents.
The Duke of Hyrad remained unaware that Yohan was a wizard. It was because he had gone to war when Yohan was only two, even before Tezen had come into the world.
In the letters sent to the front lines, Ella only conveyed brief messages, assuring that the children were doing well and that Yohan was, at worst, a little sick. Ella even went as far as instructing a servant to forge letters, mimicking Yohan’s handwriting, knowing that the Duke of Hyrad wouldn’t recognize his son’s penmanship.
‘And yet, my Tezen’s mana is the same…’ Fortunately, only Ella and the family physician knew the truth about Yohan’s exceptional magical prowess.
The physician—who already had an inappropriate relationship with the duchess—followed her orders and disguised Yohan’s magical pain as a chronic ailment.
~
“Having such extraordinary magical abilities can become poison in situations like this. If you leave such immense mana unattended, the body will gradually weaken on its own. The consequences can be severe without proper treatment and a Shinsu at critical times. If left unattended for an extended period, the organs will suffer damage, eventually rendering them incapable of using magic properly.”
~
After saying so, the household physician suggested that simply leaving Yohan would naturally weaken his condition.
For Ella, it was an incredibly easy task. If not for the bloody law that mandated at least one member of each noble family to participate in the war, she would have effortlessly disposed of Yohan long ago.
But she couldn’t know if or when the duke might meet his end. Death was not something one could escape, even if they were a high-ranking noble or a powerful wizard.
Actually, Duke Medes, despite being a skilled warrior, had mysteriously disappeared on the battlefield a few years ago.
“Excuse me, are you really okay?”
Seeing Yohan trembling and struggling even to swallow water, Mariel cautiously spoke up.
“If it’s too difficult for you, we’re perfectly fine; you can go inside now.”
True to her reputation as the “Empire’s Flower,” Mariel was remarkably beautiful even though she was only 16. Her flowing blonde hair and lovely pink eyes closely resembled those of Duchess Medes. With her fair skin, harmonious features, and kind demeanor, Mariel already had the potential to make any man’s heart flutter.
‘Well, wouldn’t it be embarrassing to be a man with such an appearance right now…’ Ella subtly glanced at Yohan, but he didn’t give Mariel a second look. Despite her beauty and kind demeanor, there was no particular interest in his expression.
However, he seemed pleased to hear the suggestion to go inside. He slowly placed the cup down.
“Well, I apologize, but I don’t think I’m feeling well, so I’ll take my leave now—”
Click— Just then, the door opened, and Tezen, impeccably dressed, entered. A momentary glint appeared in Ella’s eyes at the sight of him, filled with delight.
“I apologize for being a bit late.”
In contrast to Yohan, Tezen’s voice sounded confident, and his strides were energetic. Nestled in his arm was a pink ribbon-adorned squirrel Shinsu.
“I had a headache due to a mana outburst, so I took some time to receive comfort from my Shinsu,” he added.
Tezen and Ella had arranged this dialogue beforehand. Naturally, even the slight delay was part of the plan.
Normal people didn’t require a divine creature due to the lack of mana; thus, the conversation naturally shifted towards Tezen and his adorable Shinsu, subtly highlighting Tezen’s excellence compared to Yohan.
Ella had a secret plan to discreetly eliminate Yohan once the war ended. To avoid rumors circulating that she killed him to prevent him from inheriting the title of duke, she intended to continually emphasize Tezen’s prowess as a wizard externally. Since everyone knew that the mana of young wizards was unstable, there wouldn’t be anyone urging Tezen to demonstrate his abilities.
And, in case the duke returned and someone dared to say, “Actually, Lady Ella abused young Master Yohan,” she refrained from laying a hand on Yohan. As Tezen was two years younger than Yohan, any mischief on his part could be dismissed as “mischievous pranks from children.”
‘Actually, it would be nice if the war was over, and he just came back dead…’ But the future was unpredictable, and from Ella’s perspective, she had to move as cautiously as possible.
Therefore, showcasing Tezen’s superiority during a meal with nobles like the Medes household was a good strategy. Although it was a way to soothe Tezen at first—who had been visibly upset for not tormenting Yohan the day before—the more Ella thought about it, the more it seemed like a rather good decision.
“Is it a divine creature? Oh, my.”
Mariel, who had been looking at Yohan with concern, immediately shifted her gaze to the squirrel. The squirrel, adorned with a large pink ribbon, blinked its eyes cutely.
“It’s my first time seeing a Shinsu! Aren’t they quite rare in the Empire? I heard they are quite hard to acquire.”
Mariel expressed genuine admiration, elegantly turning the phrase “extremely expensive” into “hard to get.” The duchess also added her thoughts while looking at the squirrel in amazement.
“To need a Shinsu, your mana must be quite impressive… Young Master Tezen does resemble Duke Hyrad. The duke would often contemplate purchasing a divine creature.”
While Duke Hyrad didn’t need a Shinsus specifically, since he was a powerful wizard, there was still some plausibility to the idea.
Mariel couldn’t take her eyes off the squirrel as she spoke,
“How does the soothing work? I’ve heard it involves contact. Oh my, if I had known we would see a Shinsu today, I would have studied in advance.”
Tezen, gently stroking the squirrel’s head with the ribbon, replied,
“I think it varies for each Shinsu, doesn’t it? My squirrel touches my forehead. Then, after a while, the pain gradually subsides, and I feel better.”
Crack— Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed, and the glass in front of Yohan shattered. Only then did the people present realize that Yohan, who had bid farewell and claimed he was returning, was still sitting there.
“Yohan, be careful.” Ella, having achieved all her objectives, commanded with a solemn tone, “It seems it won’t work after all. You’re not in a condition to receive guests. You should return. Thankfully, the guests have all been understanding.”
In reality, Yohan hadn’t intentionally shattered the glass. It was the result of his emotions shaking, and the uncontrollable mana erupted haphazardly. The magic of young wizards was inherently unstable.
While a maid rushed to clear the shattered glass, Yohan spoke with a solemn expression.
“No.”
His purple eyes were fixed on the squirrel nestled in Tezen’s arms. The voice that had been feeble and indistinct earlier suddenly became clear.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll continue the meal here.”
Ohh shiii— 👀