“Oh my God, your highness is giving me a gift too?”
“Of course. Once the baby is born, it’ll practically be my niece or nephew.”
Did the family tree even work that way? But in a fantasy world like this, why not? I thought it would be good for my child to have the title of nephew or niece of the emperor, so I just nodded happily.
“Here, look. It’s a pure gold bracelet with a magic effect so that it won’t hurt even if it touches the baby’s delicate skin.”
Inside the pearl-colored box she held out to me was a very pretty bracelet. A tiny gemstone, the size of a baby’s pinky nail, hung on a very thin string. At first glance, I thought it was a ruby, but upon closer inspection, the inside of the gem was literally sparkling. It seemed as if a tiny bit of light had been planted inside the gem. And the light seems to be moving around?
“It’s called a flare stone.”
“Pardon? A Flare Stone… If so, no way…”
I vaguely recalled reading about it in a book about dragons.
In this world, all matter is composed of six elements: water, fire, wind, earth, darkness, and light. There are also beings called ‘spirits’, which are invisible to the human eye but are servants of dragons. They look like fairies and are said to have all kinds of abilities.
Usually, a fire spirit can control fire, a water spirit can create water from thin air, and so on. Each of these spirits had a different stone in which they rested, depending on whether they were more energized by the sun or the moon.
The former is called a flare stone. The elements that rested inside it include fire, earth, and light.
The latter is Moonstone, and it included water, wind, and darkness elements.
But people said this is now a story that only remains in legend.
I gasped slightly and stared at the gemstone in the bracelet she held out, wondering if I could see the spirit with my own eyes.
“The spirit inside this flare stone is asleep. In fact, it’s been asleep for a very long time.”
“I see.”
“Put this bracelet on your baby, then hold the flare stone to your lips. Then the spirit will wake up and protect the baby.”
I was deeply touched. So the royal family had access to treasures as legendary as Flare Stones! As expected, I did a good job of getting the princess to be on my side early on. It was a wise move, even if I thought twice and thrice about it.
“May I ask what kind of spirit it is?”
“Of course. It’s a secret, but I’ll tell you.”
I pricked up my ears with great anticipation. Would it be fire, earth, or light?
“There is a spirit of light within this. It’s the perfect spirit for a descendant of the sun god.”
“… … !”
“Even if you give a flare stone as a gift, the spirit will not wake up unless it synchronizes with that person’s soul. But since the baby would have the blood of the sun god, the spirit will definitely be awakened.”
Princess-unnie continued speaking sweetly.
“It will become a spirit that will protect your child for the rest of his life.”
“Ah……”
Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. To receive such deep affection and attention. Everything was so precious. I was grateful and deeply moved not because of the valuable items they gave but for their thoughtfulness and genuine care.
“With gifts like these, my child will practically be the strongest from birth. Could any child be more blessed?”
“Probably not. I have no plans to have a child of my own.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. So raise that child well.”
…? What? Did I just hear her correctly? The princess, who is destined to become the emperor, said she has no intention of having children. And she wants me to raise mine well? Why?
“Your Highness, could it be…?”
“Shh. It’s not something I’ll say out loud yet.”
“… … .”
No way.. Could she be thinking of designating my and Lacius’s child as her successor?
When she unifies the world and eventually steps down from the throne, would my child inherit that shining crown?
‘This is unbelievable.’
I held my breath, utterly speechless, and saw that Ziontin had a similarly frozen expression. Naturally, as it was a secret, she would remain silent about it as well. Such a frightening and dangerous tale was not something you would ever speak out loud of while the baby was born and growing up.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to borrow some bells.”
After dropping such a bombshell, the princess carried on as if it were nothing. Pressing down on my pounding heart, I managed to respond.
“Please take it. I have no need for it anyway.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
“You gave my child a flare stone; I should be the one more grateful.”
Honestly, a bell that could control others had no value in my hands. I wouldn’t use it anyway. Some might say it’s foolish to hand over such power, but this was a matter of personal conviction.
I wanted to respect the freedom of others as much as I love my own freedom. To me, having something like that in my possession is just dangerous with no benefits at all. Leaving it in the hands of princess-unnie would be for the best.
“Please take good care of yourself.”
The princess, holding the bell, affectionately pinched my cheek before letting go. She’s trying to meet Rekiel. Somehow, it felt like she was about to reunite with someone she hadn’t seen in a long time, and I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
‘They said that in order for the path leading to Rekiel to be open, you must have the three treasures and authority to one of them.’
Does that mean she’s collected all the treasures? Could it be that these treasures are, in fact, refers to dragon’s treasures?
Pushing aside my curiosity, I bid farewell to Her Highness.
A week later…
Lacius and I departed for Shay Island together, spending blissful days that passed like a breeze.
And before we knew it, it was time for the birthday banquet.
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