“Duchess….”
“I’m no longer as lonely or afraid as I was before. Thank you so much.”
I held Princess Angela’s hand tightly. Carrying such a secret all alone must have been incredibly difficult for her.
“Whatever that thing is, I no longer consider it my sister. It’s not human. What you said through my husband earlier is correct.”
“You mean, it’s not human, and it’s certainly not a god either?”
“Yes, I’ve thought the same thing.”
“…To be honest, I’ve believed that Princess Eva has created an entirely new form of life. I’ve even found some evidence to support this.”
“Created life? Is that even possible for humans to do?”
“That’s precisely what’s so terrifying.”
Princess Angela’s face grew grim.
“If that’s the case, then her previous words make sense. Saying that she no longer needed ‘trivial inventions made by humans’—doesn’t that mean she’s created something that surpasses human capabilities?”
“There’s no telling what kind of being she might have created.”
I spoke in a meaningful tone.
“Perhaps… she created a life form that transcends humanity itself.”
“For humans to create a life that surpasses them… If that were to go wrong….”
“If even Princess Eva can no longer control it, it could bring disaster to the world.”
“Then what should we do now?”
“I plan to start by investigating artificially created life forms.”
“I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, Duchess. Let’s do our best together moving forward.”
We still hadn’t uncovered the truth about Princess Eva’s identity, but it was comforting to know I now had an ally.
The fact that I was no longer facing this fear alone brought me immense relief.
“Sometimes, even if it seems reckless, there are moments when you have to muster up courage. Let’s be brave together.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“To dream the impossible dream, to love the unlovable, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear the unbearable sorrow, to reach for the unreachable star.”*
*Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
I recalled what Ghieuspe had once said to me.
‘There’s always a reason behind a change in behavior.’
Princess Eva had transformed the brave Princess Angela into someone frightened and timid.
What kind of remarkable invention could she have created?
***
The next day, the male protagonists and I gathered in the study. A book was open in front of each of us.
The Duke’s study contained a vast collection of resources, and since no records were kept of what was read here, it was the perfect place for conducting research.
“I’m not really one for books,”
Raffaelo said, as he read through the thinnest book he could find.
“I’m terrible at anything that requires brainpower.”
“That’s just an act. Otherwise, how could you have become an officer?”
“Well, that’s true.”
In fact, it seemed like the person who was truly bad at using their brain wasn’t Raffaelo, but someone else.
“Ugh, do I really have to read such a difficult book?”
“I told you, you need to improve your comprehension skills to get into college. I always tell science students not to give up on math, but that doesn’t mean you can just give up on your language skills.”
As usual, I rambled nonsense, and as usual, Arkhangelo didn’t care.
“Can’t you just summarize it in three sentences?”
He already figured out the principle of ‘three-sentence summaries.’ Arkhangelo really seemed like someone far removed from books.
“The limits of life forms that humans can create, the side effects, the power they hold, and how to defeat them. That’s roughly what we need to investigate.”
“Just hearing that makes me tired….”
So, we spent quite some time reading books and researching legends.
“What about alien abduction theories? Like Princess Eva tortured aliens and created androids from them….”
“Seraphina, that’s a bit far-fetched….”
“It makes sense, though.”
“Take a look at this. The genius opera singer Johan Totti is said to have made a deal with the devil to obtain the best voice, but as a price, he was cursed to sing for eternity without dying. Maybe Princess Eva also made a deal with the devil?”
“Well, I’m not sure about that.”
“Simone, why do you always dismiss my theories!”
After spending several days immersed in books, I was starting to feel exhausted.
Of course, there were individuals who stood out even during this time, and one of them was Ghieuspe.
Without showing a hint of fatigue, he quietly focused on reading books.
“Wow, Ghieuspe….”
While Simone and Raffaelo left to buy new books from the bookstore, and Arkhangelo disappeared, saying he wanted to sleep first, I approached Ghieuspe, who was still absorbed in his reading.
“How do you manage to focus so well?”
“I learned it at the magic tower….”
“Oh, sorry.”
Damn, I almost said something I shouldn’t have.
“Anyway, I think your ability to concentrate is incredible. I want to work hard like you, Ghieuspe.”
I believed in the saying, ‘knowledge is power,’ and I wanted to study more to learn as much as I could.
Had Ghieuspe internalized the mindset of a magician?
Come to think of it, my father once told me before I left the capital.
“Never let incomprehensible things remain incomprehensible. That is the mindset of a magician. Everything in this world has a reason, even things you don’t understand. So, always keep a curious attitude and explore.”
“I’m trying to follow the mindset of a magician too, but it’s not easy.”
“Hm….”
Ghieuspe blinked, as if deep in thought, and then slowly spoke.
“To be honest, I can’t understand everything either. There are many things in this world I don’t comprehend. At the magic tower, I didn’t just learn new knowledge; I learned how ignorant I am. But I also gained the attitude of constant inquiry.”
This sounded oddly familiar. Like something you’d hear in graduate school….
“When the mindset of a magician feels difficult, try changing your perspective.”
Ghieuspe began speaking to me earnestly.
“If you can’t figure out the essence of something, approach it from its surroundings. If you can’t reach the core, target the periphery. Eventually, the form of the subject will reveal itself.”
“Oh, targeting the periphery. That’s helpful advice.”
“The mindset of a magician doesn’t mean stubbornly clinging to one thing. Sometimes, you have to know how to take a detour.”
“That makes sense.”
“And you must always recognize that all information is organically connected.”
Ghieuspe’s advice was quite helpful to me.
“Alright, then I won’t try to figure out its true identity all at once. I’ll investigate suspicious points one by one. Once the information comes together, the answer will reveal itself someday.”
“Yes, we can do it.”
***
“Ahhh….”
A woman’s anguished voice echoed from within the study.
“I hate science…. Maybe math is better…. Guys, studying science is important, of course, but if you’re in the sciences, shouldn’t you at least be good at math first?”
“Seraphina, what are you even talking about?”
“Things like that….”
Hearing the groaning woman’s voice, Angela’s expression softened.
‘She’s trying so hard for my sake….’
Angela could never forget the sight of Viviana standing up against the automaton that day. She seemed so much braver than Angela, who was filled with cowardice.
And now, she was trying once again to save her from Princess Eva….
‘I can’t just sit by and do nothing.’
However, actively helping her was a different matter.
Meeting Princess Eva again, who had changed so suddenly, was the most shocking event in her life.
It was so traumatic that it even changed her personality.
Just imagining being involved again with the person who had caused her such terror made her shudder.
Angela only wanted to live peacefully with her loving husband.
But….
‘Is this really okay?’
From birth, she had been taught the responsibilities of royalty—that a royal has a duty to protect their country.
Yet here she was, having fled to this place while ignoring it all. She had turned a blind eye even when rumors of the Kingdom of Boleno falling into disarray reached her ears.
‘Is it truly alright for me to do nothing like this?’
Hiding behind her people as a royal….
The thought brought an unbearable sense of shame.
‘…Yes, I’ve grown a lot.’
The Angela who had fled the Kingdom of Boleno at fifteen was now nineteen. Living at the Lithman Dukedom, meeting various people, she had learned courage and responsibility.
“You’ve always known that, one day, you’d have to face it.”
“……….”
“To protect what you love, you must steel your resolve.”
At last, Angela made up her mind and clenched her teeth. She began to think about what she needed to do.
‘First, I need to find out what happened to my sister.’
Her sister seemed like an entirely different person now.
Was it simply that her personality had changed due to her great inventions? Or had she truly lost all memories of who she once was?
To uncover the truth, Angela decided to write a letter to Princess Eva.
