Episode 36
A fleeting thought crossed my mind, poking at me: Will this really go as I hope? But I forced myself to feign ignorance and turned away.
That’s when it happened.
“Wait a moment.”
Sionel stopped me, after all.
I let out a faint sigh, unable to ignore his call completely, and turned my head toward him.
***
Evgenia’s face appeared no different from usual.
But Sionel could tell.
She doesn’t like that I called her, does she? She’s trying to keep a neutral expression, but…
The faint wrinkle on her brow was evidence enough.
Even if there were no visible signs, how could he not know?
Just moments ago, she had openly interrupted him mid-sentence.
Sionel gave a bitter smile, already accustomed to Evgenia’s disregard for him.
There was a time when he thought it might be better if she vented her anger at him, as she did with their father, or snapped at him, as she did with Alexis. But he had abandoned such foolish thoughts long before Evgenia had even come of age.
Recently, however, Sionel found those lingering hopes surfacing again, accompanied by a sense of injustice.
What exactly did I do wrong…?
Compared to the past, when she outright opposed the family, Evgenia’s attitude had softened significantly.
Yet, she still kept her distance from Sionel, as if his mere presence made her uncomfortable.
At such times, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth he didn’t want to admit: among her family members, the one Evgenia avoided most was none other than him.
Was I some kind of tormentor to Evgenia in a past life?
As far as he could recall, Sionel had never hurt Evgenia or given her any reason to dislike him.
On the contrary, he’d even tried to appear kind and attentive, despite being criticized as aloof and cold-hearted. He had made efforts to act warm toward her, though it didn’t suit him at all.
But all he got in return were looks of disdain, to the point where he found himself entertaining absurd thoughts about past lives.
Eventually, his unresolved feelings led him to avoid Evgenia entirely.
Even so, despite his frustration and hurt, he wanted to celebrate his precious sister’s marriage.
Of course, it would have been even better if Evgenia were marrying someone she truly loved—someone she genuinely wanted to be with. But since that wasn’t the case, he felt an even greater urge to look out for her.
“Why did you call me?”
Evgenia’s curt tone snapped Sionel out of his thoughts, and he involuntarily swallowed dryly as he met her disinterested gaze.
He replied in his most detached tone.
“The carriage you’ll be riding in hasn’t arrived yet.”
“The carriage? Looks like it’s right there,” Evgenia said, glancing at the five carriages nearby with a puzzled expression.
She thought they had planned to bring four carriages for luggage—had they increased it to five?
Her question was soon answered by Sionel.
“While it would be ideal to acquire most necessities once you arrive, some of your regular items are hard to come by even in the capital. So, at least four carriages are necessary for your things.”
Evgenia raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was subtly criticizing the underdeveloped state of the Rudion duchy. But his next words made her understand.
As the Basilian princess, everything she used was undoubtedly rare and expensive.
That meant the four luggage carriages remained as planned, and one additional carriage was meant for her travel. But why…
Wait. Sionel had said something earlier.
“The carriage you’ll be riding in.”
No way.
“You’ll be spending at least two days in a carriage. Even though you’re married, you’ve only just begun to get to know the Duke of Rudion. It’d be uncomfortable for both of you to travel together in the same carriage, wouldn’t it?”
“……!”
Evgenia’s eyes widened. She had naturally assumed she would be riding with Euclid.
Sionel didn’t notice her reaction right away.
He had no intention of revealing that he had purchased the carriage with his personal funds, as it might ruin the mood. However, he couldn’t help but feel nervous, worrying whether Evgenia would like it.
She had graciously accepted the dowry so far, so if she didn’t know this was from him, she might be pleased.
After all, Evgenia preferred solitude and enjoyed her time alone, even outside of family.
Believing she would be happy about it, Sionel glanced at Evgenia.
‘…Huh?’
Anyone observing would assume she was angry, but in Sionel’s eyes, Evgenia appeared deeply flustered.
‘Could it be that she realized I was the one who sent the gift?’
Sionel, equally taken aback, struggled to keep calm, though there was no reason to suspect her awareness. He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued speaking as if nothing was amiss.
“Incidentally, the Mage Tower has just released a new model of magic carriages. They gave our Basilian Duchy an exclusive first notice.”
“…”
“I figured since a few of the carriages you used are being sent to the Rudion Duchy, it wouldn’t hurt to purchase some new ones.”
Evgenia appeared lost in thought, her expression unreadable, as if something didn’t sit right with her.
Just as Sionel tensed up, Evgenia finally spoke.
“So, where is the carriage I’ll be riding in?”
“Ah.”
Sionel let out an unconscious sigh of relief.
Given how sharp and intelligent his younger sister had been since childhood, he suspected she might have already figured out his intentions. No, in fact, the odds were high that she had. However, judging by her reaction, she seemed inclined to feign ignorance.
‘She really has changed, hasn’t she?’
Sionel felt the tension in his stiff shoulders ease, and a soft smile appeared on his face.
“The Mage Tower promised to deliver it on time. It should be… Ah, there it is.”
Sionel’s gaze shifted behind him.
Two magic carriages, infused with advanced magic such as lightweight spells and durability charms, were entering the plaza. One of them was veiled under a large cover, seemingly to conceal its appearance.
The door of the leading, standard-model magic carriage opened, and a man stepped out.
“I tried to arrive on time, but it seems I’m a bit late.”
Though dressed in a clean black suit that didn’t quite align with the Mage Tower’s usual style, the man’s haughty expression and demeanor unmistakably revealed his identity as a mage. And, of course, his striking rainbow-colored hair marked him as anything but ordinary.
“I didn’t expect the Master of the Mage Tower to come in person,” Sionel remarked, visibly surprised.
Though the Basilian Duchy had long traded with the Mage Tower, he had only encountered the Tower Master a few times. Naturally, the man’s unique appearance was unforgettable even after a single meeting.
“As the Basilian Duchy is one of the Mage Tower’s most valued VIPs, I was curious about the reaction to this ambitious new product. Also… I wanted to congratulate an old friend on his marriage.”
Speaking in a somewhat leisurely tone, the Tower Master directed his gaze toward Euclid.
The Basilian Duke blinked in surprise at the unexpected remark and asked, “You two are friends?”
Euclid nodded awkwardly.
“We’ve had exchanges with the Mage Tower for a long time.”
With Euclid’s explanation, Sionel’s curiosity was resolved.
The Rudion Duchy, being descendants of their first Duke, a renowned mage, often produced children with extraordinary magical abilities. Consequently, the family maintained close ties with the Mage Tower.
Even though the current Duke, Euclid, wasn’t known as a mage, Sionel recalled that both the late Duke and Euclid’s predecessor were reputed for their magical prowess.
‘Though none have surpassed the first Duke…’
It wasn’t surprising that the Rudion and Basilian Duchies were the Empire’s only two ducal households. They had been the founding supporters of the Empire and the first Emperor.
While the Basilian family provided financial backing, the Rudion family’s first Duke served as the Emperor’s closest mage ally.
In fact, it was the Rudion Duke who had not only tracked down the Empire’s nemesis, the vicious dragon that had grievously wounded the Emperor, but also disposed of its remains.
Thus, a personal connection between the current Rudion Duke and the Tower Master felt entirely natural.
However—
“You’re not the same age, are you?”
“Why would you think that?”
The Tower Master responded, having keenly caught Sionel’s murmured suspicion.
Unsurprisingly, Sionel’s expression turned icy.
“Do you really not know?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I did.”
“…”
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
thanks for the chapter