The Heart of the Enemy
“Even though you could, you didn’t do it on purpose. How vexing.”
“I offer my sincere apologies for the inconvenience I caused you.”
“I’m vexed, but there’s no need. I saw it for myself—I lack any sense of propriety. Your Majesty, the King of Eruh, is beside you?”
The emperor finally addressed my father as the king.
“I was listening right here.”
“What a rare daughter you have. Your son and daughter are both outstanding talents. I envy you.”
“You have every right to. My son and daughter must be truly outstanding.”
“Alas, it seems that is indeed the case…”
The emperor sighed from the bottom of his heart.
The breath he exhaled carried weight.
That was only natural. Every one of the emperor’s children had been so fixated on power that their own abilities had been neglected.
In my previous life, the reason Rua had been chosen as successor was exactly because of this background.
“Either way, I will formally apologize. The fact that I disturbed your kingdom and tried to absorb it is the truth.”
The emperor lowered his head slightly.
“I will accept it. As you said earlier, it also means you have evaluated Solea highly.”
“I am grateful. I look forward to the arrival of the prince and princess of Solea at the academy as soon as possible. The envoys have already been sent, so they should arrive soon. May the next time we can reach out for something more pleasant.”
The conversation with the emperor ended there.
With the tension finally lifted, Father slumped into the chair with a thud, and I shook Rua’s shoulder gently.
“Rua, if war had broken out because of what you said, what would you have done?”
“Uwaaah… It didn’t. I knew it wouldn’t.”
To confront the emperor himself in psychological warfare—and with complete conviction.
Even though she was still young, Rua was Rua.
Before the envoys arrived to depart together, I selected the attendants who would accompany us to the empire.
Ten knights and ten pages.
The knights had been chosen by Clifford, and the pages were Dilice and the other servants who had always served me and Rua; they agreed to follow us naturally.
Tower Master Shien insisted on going himself, even threatening to leave his post to another mage, but the other mages of the tower refused to allow it.
Once the selection of the attendants to take us to the empire was complete, we finally had a completely free period.
I returned to my room and collapsed onto the plush bed as if throwing myself onto it.
The bed enveloped my body like it was breathing me in.
When I buried my face in the soft pillow, my heart grew soft as well.
In the short time since my regression—a mere month—a great many things had happened.
I had made my father see me again, and I had advanced my relationship with Rua.
Theoretically possible miracle body that allowed me to wield mana freely had become reality.
The greatest harvest had been capturing all the empire’s spies hiding in Solea.
Lying on my back once more, my master floated in mid-air, lying there.
Next to him, a plate filled with snacks floated as well, and I heard the crisp crunching as I picked one up.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, my master swallowed the snack still in his mouth before asking.
“Time has opened up. What have you been doing while I was gone?”
“There’s nothing I absolutely must do. Not in Solea.”
“In Solea? Does that mean there’s something to do somewhere else?”
If I had been left alone to rest without a thought, the master’s words had thrown my head into a whirl again.
What could I do for the future?
What could I do right now?
“Master.”
“Yes?”
“Going to other places in this world and coming back—it doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“Of course not. You didn’t need to ask something so unnecessary.”
“Could you take me to the Reichland Empire?”
My master straightened up and landed lightly on the floor, plate still in one hand.
“It’s nothing. Shall I take you right now?”
“Please. Wait, just a moment…”
I hurriedly tried to retract the words, but my master had already flicked his fingers once.
The world before my eyes unfolded into a vast city.
Reichland, the largest city in the world and the capital of the Reichland Empire.
In an instant I stood on the central avenue of the heart of the Reichland.
Countless buildings piled so high they obscured the scenery.
I felt anew the immense difference in national power between Solea and the Reichland.
‘Wait, this isn’t the time to be admiring.’
“You shouldn’t have said something like that. I have to return.”
“Aah.”
My master now had another snack in his mouth.
This time, without flicking his fingers, he returned me to my room in the blink of an eye.
I truly felt the master’s ability was immense.
I opened the door and spoke to the guard waiting in front of the gate.
“Prince, what is it?”
“I am going out for a moment. So if anyone comes looking for me, please tell them I am out.”
“You are going out? Then shall I call the servants?”
“No. There is no need. Just do as I say.”
“Yes, I understand.”
No one would believe I had used spatial magic to go to the empire alone, but if I returned, trouble would follow.
Therefore, if I must go to the empire, it was best to do so as quietly as possible.
After speaking to the guard and closing the door, my master reached for his fingers as if to flick them before I could even speak.
“Wait! You should prepare to go out, right?”
I changed my clothes and packed my travel allowance.
When I met his gaze, which had been fixed on me, and nodded, the Reichland appeared before my eyes once more.
My master now wore ordinary travel clothes instead of his usual sky-blue robe.
“Why did you summon me here when you were going to come anyway?”
“From the moment the envoys depart for the empire, eyes of surveillance will be fixed on both Rua and me. The only time we can move completely secretly is now.”
“I can help you anyway. Why are you already trying to be secretive? In any case, buy me that thing.”
What my master pointed at was the pastries a young woman was selling at a stall.
Since this was the empire, the street pastries were still beautifully arranged and vibrant.
The pastries themselves and the woman keeping the stall looked somehow out of the ordinary.
A large sign stood right beside the stall.
“Cafe Lyonnaise Central Avenue Branch”
The name sounded too grand for a stall.
“Understood. Then may I ask one more favor?”
“If you can eat delicious pastries, I’ll grant you any wish.”
“I don’t have much mana left, do I? So, Master, could you lend me just a little of your mana?”
“I refuse.”
The refusal was so firm that my pupils trembled.
“Eh? You used spatial magic three times in an instant, but then why…?”
“Buy the pastries first. That is my condition.”
You claimed to have transcended everything, yet you still cling to your obsession with pastries.
It was like watching an immature child.
The image of Rua’s clever and endearing face flashed through my mind.
“You ask too much of your sky-like master. If I give you something, there should be something in return. What kind of childish mindset is this?”
My words had not been wrong.
Seeing the master slightly displeased, I quickly smiled and let the matter drop.
“Of course I can buy you pastries as your master. Come, let’s choose!”
“Please come this way. Welcome to the Cafe Lyonnaise Central Avenue branch. Oh my…”
The stall woman clasped both hands together and covered her mouth the moment she saw me.
Her eyes were fluttering.
Since my regression I had not been able to look in a mirror, but had my master been playing a prank on my appearance?
“I didn’t do anything like that.”
“If that’s the case, it’s fortunate. I was thinking of buying some pastries.”
The stall woman kept her gaze locked on me and would not let go.
I did not know why she could not recover her senses, but I had no choice but to call out to her.
“Owner?”
“Yes? Yes! Thank you for coming. The pastries freshly made this morning at the shop are ready for you to choose to your heart’s content!”
“Choose, please.”
My master was excited as he selected the pastries.
“From here, all the way to here, give me everything.”
My master pointed with his finger to the left end of the stall, then to the right end.
The stall woman’s eyes widened.
“You intend to buy all of these?”
“I didn’t say I would buy them. She will.”
“But buying all of them would require money…”
“It’s fine. She is the prince.”
“What are you saying?”
The stall woman looked back and forth between me and the master, then suddenly understood something and her expression grew gloomy.
“So you have a lover, Your Highness.”
“A lover? Who?”
“The customer.”
“I have a lover? Where…?”
I glanced beside me to see my master was there.
Only then did I realize what the stall woman had mistaken.
“We are not in a relationship.”
“But you called him Your Highness?”
“There is a complicated story behind it. So, what is the total amount?”
“Four hundred and fifty silons in total, but if you buy them all at once I will discount them to four hundred. Thank you very much!”
The stall woman bowed her waist repeatedly.
But my expression had already hardened after hearing the price.
Four hundred silons was four silver coins of one hundred silons each.
It looked small by weight alone, but in reality it was an immense sum.
The amount to stay two nights in a luxurious high-end inn and still have enough left to order expensive dishes at a fine restaurant until my stomach was full.
“With this much, you can spare it for me, right? Don’t you think?”
My master winked at me.