Successful Stage
Kael is late.
The lecture would begin in forty minutes.
It was time to leave.
Just then, a sharp knock sounded at the door.
“Kael?!”
She dashed over and flung it open.
But the person standing there was not the one she longed to see. It was her maid, Mary.
“It is time to depart, Princess Reina.”
“...Yes. Let’s go.”
Did something happen to him?
Since the day they had truly come to know each other, he had never once broken a promise. Because of that, anxiety bloomed in the princess’s chest.
He definitely said he would come fetch me.
With a heavy heart, she descended the stairs step by step. Perhaps it was because she had imagined walking beside him that the loneliness she had felt since her younger sibling’s birth struck her especially hard today.
Even though after meeting Kael she had barely felt that emptiness at all…
She reached the second floor. As she prepared to head down to the first, a figure came sprinting up from below.
Black hair. Black eyes. The very man she had been waiting for—Kael.
“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was a little late, wasn’t I?”
“Hmph! You certainly were.”
The worry that had gripped her while he was missing vanished the instant he appeared. What flooded in instead was irritation rather than joy.
Couldn’t you have come even a little earlier?
Two hours ago. Or even one hour ago. Then they could have spent at least a few moments together… The fact that this clueless man had no idea how she felt made him utterly infuriating.
Yet the moment Kael moved, her wounded heart melted away like snow in spring.
“I was late because I went to buy these.”
Kael held out a bouquet. Crimson blooms, pure white petals, soft pink and vivid blue—all gathered in perfect harmony. The sight seized her eyes and nose, sending her heart pounding all the way to its deepest chamber.
“The instant I saw it, it made me think of you, Princess…”
“Kael…”
Reina seized his hand and pulled him into a shadowed corner. She threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.
Chu. Mwah. Chu. Chu.
Lips met lips. Saliva mingled. As though pouring every burning emotion in her chest into him, the princess sucked on his mouth with passionate hunger.
He responded for a moment, then pulled back.
“Princess, if we keep this up we’ll be late… mmph.”
Who cares about some stupid event right now?
In this moment, nothing mattered more than the feelings blazing inside her.
On the way to the academy the bouquet I had bought because it looked pretty had set her heart ablaze. Reina pressed her lips to mine and came at me with bold aggression.
She pushed her tongue inside, hands roaming wildly over my cock and chest. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but we really would be late at this rate, so I gently pried her off and calmed her down.
“Princess, if we keep this up we’ll be late… mmph.”
Our princess was properly fired up today.
I indulged her a little longer. That seemed like the quickest way to settle her down.
Ten minutes later, when I finally pulled my mouth away, she looked at me with glassy eyes.
“Um… Princess?”
“Why did you stop?”
“We’re going to be late.”
She checked the time.
“There are still thirty minutes left, so let’s keep going for twenty more!”
Oho! The princess is extra feisty today. Think she’d let me have her ass if I asked?
…You never know.
I gripped her shoulders with both hands.
“Princess. Your makeup is completely ruined. You’ll have to redo it.”
“Ah… that’s true…!”
Only then did she realize why I had stopped. She stared at the mess around my mouth, then dragged me straight back to her quarters.
Her maid Mary, witnessing the whole thing, clutched the back of her neck.
“Good heavens… Princess!!!”
She looked back and forth between us, muttered, “So you finally caused an accident,” and immediately sprang into damage control.
Fifteen minutes later we were sprinting toward the stage. A childlike, blissful smile lit up Reina’s entire face.
“Did you handle the preparations properly?”
“Do not worry. I liquefied the magenta ore, sprayed it across the stage floor, and mixed the soil above and below.”
“What?! What if the princess is seriously injured?!”
When the old man roared in shock, the woman answered while sweating bullets.
“Th-that won’t happen. Since this is an official event, it will begin with minor spells and escalate gradually.”
“…Hmph. We’ll observe the situation. I had better station priests nearby just in case.”
The old man clicked his tongue and vanished into the darkness.
Watching him leave, Alchemy Professor Aria ground her teeth.
You sly old raccoon. If you break your promise again, I won’t stay silent.
After parting from Aria, the old man—Pellermil—immediately ascended to the VIP seating area. He greeted the high nobles one by one, slowly making his way toward the center.
At that exact moment, a loud announcement rang out.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
The noisy stands fell silent in an instant. A handsome man with platinum-blond hair and blue eyes raised his hand in greeting. Forty-nine years old this year, yet appearing no older than his mid-thirties thanks to magic, he was Kravis de Kshanberg, ruler of the empire.
He spoke to the crowd.
“Enjoy yourselves.”
A single short sentence. That was all.
The audience erupted in cheers. The stands quickly grew noisy once more.
Still the same as ever.
The current emperor was lazy. He had been that way since childhood, and even at nearly fifty, a person’s fundamental nature refused to change.
Pellermil approached the emperor and offered a deep bow to him and his four wives.
“Pellermil Hardrens greets Your Majesty.”
“Yes, yes. You have worked hard indeed.”
The emperor beckoned him closer, then smiled and asked in a low voice.
“I’ve been hearing rumors about Reina all the way to the palace. They say her magic is astonishing. A talent that appears once in a century, or so they claim… What is your assessment?”
The chancellor gave a benevolent chuckle.
“She surpasses the rumors by a wide margin.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. Once you witness your daughter’s performance today, I believe you will be quite astonished.”
A satisfied smile spread across the emperor’s face. He had been uneasy about her virtual expulsion from the palace, but learning she was thriving outside filled him with pride.
“It was wise to invite the foreign dignitaries as well. Very well. You may withdraw.”
“As you command.”
Pellermil bowed once more, then retreated. On the way he offered a light nod to a woman with golden hair and crimson eyes. She returned a deep, meaningful smile.
It must go well.
The ideal outcome would be for the princess to suffer nothing more than moderate embarrassment without serious injury.
Descending from the stands, Pellermil scanned the crowd again. The number of nobles gathered to watch Reina’s lecture was easily double the usual turnout. They must have come after hearing the rumors.
Since I’ve dragged out all these heavy-bottomed aristocrats, I hope the results are satisfactory.
He lifted his gaze. The emcee had stepped forward and was making introductions. Behind him stood the Third Princess, her assistant, and his own granddaughter.
“Haa…”
Bella… that headache of a girl is here too.
The chancellor shook his head and returned to his seat.
“Princess, are you ready?”
“…Yes.”
A magic demonstration before the emperor himself. No—a stage on which she would teach the children of countless nobles. Even Reina was tense, and the students waiting to be taught had gone rigid.
Honestly, even I felt a little nervous; how could the young ones not?
Still, she’s the same as always. I like that.
I turned my head. Bella was grinning from ear to ear.
Then shall we loosen the tension and deal with the problem at the same time?
I strode forward without hesitation. Everyone on stage turned to stare at my sudden movement, but I ignored them, dragging the heavy sack I had brought along.
Lifting it high into the air, I invoked the spell.
"Bloom and scatter."
⟨ Scatter ⟩
Countless glittering particles shot skyward before raining down across the entire stage. Beautiful blue and sky-blue powder sparkled in the light as it drifted gracefully to the floor, like fairies dancing through the air and sprinkling magic dust.
The children’s nervous eyes sparkled with curiosity. Even Reina’s stiff expression softened into a small smile.
I turned toward the emperor, the nobles, and the commoners in the stands, offering a theatrical bow.
“To His Majesty the Emperor and all the distinguished ladies and gentlemen who have graciously taken time from your busy schedules—thank you from the bottom of my heart. The Practical Magic class now begins!”
I followed it with a burst of fireworks magic. The spell activated instantly, without the slightest delay.
Mission complete!
Kyahaha! Perfect. Now let’s sweep everything clean!
The trap Aria had prepared was neutralized. The tension gripping the children and Reina had completely dissolved. A successful conclusion to the class was now all but guaranteed.
The audience rose to their feet, showering the princess and the students with thunderous applause. Even the emperor himself was among those clapping.
Wow. I’ve never seen the emperor’s eyes look so alive.
Who, the emperor?
Yeah.
Once the class ended and people began to disperse, Reina headed off for a private dinner with the emperor. Bella, spotting acquaintances, went to greet them.
I remained on the now-empty stage, watching the crowd scatter with a faint smile. One problem successfully resolved.
Huh? Big sis is here too! Did she come because she missed me?!
Beres shouted excitedly. I turned and saw a woman with rich wine-red wavy hair standing beside Osphel, gazing at me.
Rinnel Renatri. She was smiling at me with open affection.
I gave her a slight nod of gratitude.
To neutralize the magenta ore, cyan stone found only in the southern Emerald Sea was required—an extremely rare mineral. I had gone to Rinnel to obtain it, and fortunately she had provided it.
That much is worth an entire building in the capital district. She really is generous.
Of course! She’s our big sis! But why did you show her your face?
Meaning, why reveal my identity.
“There was no special reason. Scattering that much cyan stone was going to expose me anyway. Besides, you heard her earlier—she was already planning to attend. I simply showed her my face and called it the price of a house.”
I had briefly worried I was making a mistake, but the moment I met her, those concerns vanished. The way she looked at me after I lowered my hood could only be described as dripping with honey.
No kidding. Her eyes earlier looked like she wanted to devour you whole. Even when you said you were busy she kept begging for “just once,” so you ended up giving it to her before coming here, right? Hehehe.
Rinnel waved her hand gracefully. Just before disappearing from view she winked and blew me a heart-shaped kiss.
Kyah~! Big sis~!! Aslan, you’re just going to stand there? She’s seducing us so openly!
“We already did it once earlier. Hold back. We don’t know when Bella might pop out swinging that sword of hers.”
Y-yeah, that’s true.
The stage was now completely empty. I glanced at the floor. The blue stones had already lost their luster and turned a dull gray. Retrieval was impossible.
With only the cleaning staff left, I slowly walked away, thinking it was finally time to enjoy the festival.
Beres cheered loudly.
Oh yeah! Big sisters, wait for me—I’m coooooming!