The Emperor's Secret Cabin
Even for the sake of completing his magic, Elios had never been more bewildered than at this moment. While spending time in the imperial palace as usual, Leon had suddenly shown up. That alone was surprising enough, but the question he asked upon finding him left Elios even more flustered.
“You’ve experienced loving someone so intensely that you’d know, right? What the hell is this thing called love anyway?”
“…”
The man feared by all the nobles as their greatest terror had just posed a rather unfitting question: what is love? Had he developed feelings for someone? That was the first thought that came to mind, but considering the Archmage’s personality, it seemed highly unlikely. It felt more like he was simply trying to understand something he had never experienced before.
Whatever the case, there was only one thing Elios could say in response to that question.
“Even if I tried to explain it in words, it wouldn’t be something that can be explained. If love could be fully expressed through mere words, it wouldn’t be love at all. Besides, love differs from person to person, so each individual’s definition of it is bound to be different.”
“But there must be some common thread, right?”
“If I had to pinpoint it, perhaps it’s the desire to be with that person every single moment? Honestly, it’s difficult to put into words. It’s just something you feel the moment you realize it.”
“Hmm… This is tricky. I’ve never had this much of a headache while creating magic before.”
“Magic, you say?”
When Elios asked, Leon answered.
“You know that spell I made for the Emperor last time? I kept wondering why it kept producing errors. Turns out it’s because I don’t understand the emotion of love itself. Magic is originally created under the assumption that you clearly understand the concept. So I figured I should understand it properly and make it right this time.”
“Ah, so that’s why you came to me.”
“Yeah. But even after hearing all that, I still don’t really get it.”
Leon scratched his head and continued pondering. He had come to the most likely candidate among the princes, but it didn’t seem like he would gain much insight even after listening. Then who else should he go ask?
‘Hmm… Should I go see the Emperor?’
The Emperor was known as quite the romantic himself. He claimed that one true love was enough and had taken only a single woman as his wife, fathering the current imperial children with her. That made him a considerable lover in his own right. Above all, since Leon had known the Emperor’s wife in his own way, he understood better than anyone how deeply affectionate their relationship had been.
‘Alright, let’s go.’
At first, it had simply been a spell made at the Emperor’s request. But in the end, it was still magic, and it had piqued his interest. For the sake of properly completing a spell, the Archmage was willing to do anything. Leon took his second step on the journey to perfect his magic.
I left Elios immediately and headed straight for the Emperor. Since we were in the same palace, it didn’t take long at all.
“You want to know what love is?”
“Yes.”
“In all my years, I never imagined I’d hear those words from you.”
The Emperor let out a chuckle as he looked at me. It was the kind of fatherly smile that said, Look at this kid, he’s finally growing up, and it grated on my nerves like nothing else.
“That’s an incredibly annoying smile.”
“Calling the Emperor’s smile annoying? How utterly disrespectful.”
“It’s not related to the budget or a request, so why should I bother with formalities? You get plenty of that crap from those shit-smelling nobles anyway.”
“What a foul personality you have.”
The Emperor burst into hearty laughter and met my gaze.
“So… you want to understand love?”
“Yes. It’s to fix that spell I mentioned before.”
“Honestly, wouldn’t it be fine to just ignore it? Is there really a reason to go this far?”
“Does a mage need a reason to research and perfect his magic?”
Normally I’d suck up to him, barking like a dog for budget money or biting when necessary. But setting all that aside, I was a mage. Mages were people obsessed with magic, and reaching this level required being even more insane than the rest.
“A mage doesn’t need any particular reason to complete his magic. If you started weighing reasons like that, you wouldn’t do magical research at all. You’d just take the money, shoot off some spells, and rake in more cash.”
It was pure curiosity. My interest. That was all. And for a mage, curiosity and interest were the very reasons for living—the driving force behind everything.
“There’s only one thing in my head. I want to complete this magic. Everything else can go fuck itself. It’s thanks to that core nature of mine that I’ve made it this far. Do I need any other reason?”
“No, I suppose not.”
The Emperor nodded.
“Just as you say, a mage completing his magic doesn’t require any special reason. That’s precisely why I can trust you more than anyone else.”
With a grin that curled the corners of his mouth, he rose from his seat.
“Then I suppose I must help resolve your dilemma as well. Aren’t we close friends?”
“I don’t recall ever thinking that.”
“That’s fine. I’ll think of us that way.”
The Emperor laughed heartily and began walking.
“Will you follow? I’ve just thought of a way to answer your question.”
The Emperor’s steps were remarkably light, as if he were simply going out for a stroll.
“Where are we going?”
“To a place that can resolve your question.”
“And what exactly is that?”
“To understand the emotion of love, the best way is to experience it yourself. But since that would be difficult right now, observing the sight of lovers who truly love each other should suffice. That’s where we’re headed.”
His words only made things more confusing.
“You’ll understand once we get there.”
Though the Emperor’s words weren’t exactly trustworthy, I followed anyway. If he could speak with that much confidence, there probably wasn’t any reason not to believe him.
After walking for a while, we arrived at a place that, unlike the grand imperial palace buildings, was a rather plain and worn-out wooden cabin that looked more like a storage shed.
‘There was a place like this?’
Moreover, magical barriers were set up all around it. They weren’t dangerous—just a form of misdirection. The kind of barrier that prevented ordinary people from noticing the building’s existence. Of course, such barriers were completely useless against me.
“It’s right here.”
The Emperor gazed at the building with a deeply nostalgic expression before stepping inside. I followed him in. The interior, just as the exterior suggested, was modeled after a simple wooden cabin with everything made of timber.
“This is a place my wife and I built together,” the Emperor said, looking around with longing eyes. “My wife always preferred simplicity. She found joy in small things. She actually liked sleeping in a humble place like this far more than in the vast imperial palace. What do you think?”
I slowly scanned the interior of the building. It was clearly old, yet well-maintained over the years. The furniture was all made for two, making it obvious at a glance that only two people had lived here.
“It’s overflowing with romance. I can tell you two shared a very romantic love, but does any of this have anything to do with my purpose right now?”
“It does. Because what you need to see and feel from now on is right here.”
He smiled and handed me something.
“There’s one fact that isn’t known to the outside world, nor even inside the palace. My wife possessed a special ability. You must have sensed it too—that she was a bit unusual.”
At the Emperor’s words, I recalled the person he referred to as his wife. Honestly, I hadn’t seen her for very long. At most, about a year. It was around the time I had been possessed for three years, right when I was just starting to build a rapport with the Emperor. Back then, I hadn’t yet been appointed Archmage, but my relationship with the Emperor wasn’t all that different from now.
So whenever I visited the palace, I would occasionally see a certain woman. None other than the Emperor’s wife. At the time, she had been terribly frail, but she always wore a gentle smile.
—Could you look after my husband in my place? He’ll be very lonely.
—Our children are so stiff and lacking in charm. I’m sure he’ll feel terribly lonely. I’m counting on you, Leon.
It had been little more than a passing connection, yet she remained clearer in my memory than anyone else. Even while frail, she always smiled and carried something different from ordinary people. At the time, I hadn’t known what that something was. I hadn’t been particularly interested, either.
Perhaps that was why, now that I was recalling those old memories after such a long time, I could recognize—as the Emperor said—that she had indeed been rather special.
“She wasn’t just unusual. She was special. Even in her final moment, she left this world with a smile.”
“That she did.”
For a brief moment, a bittersweet smile appeared on the Emperor’s lips.
“For now, take this.”
The Emperor handed me a notebook of moderate size.
“My wife wrote in her diary every day. She mostly wrote about herself, but she would also record other people’s love stories that weren’t her own.”
The Emperor’s eyes grew wistful as he looked at the notebook in my hands.
“When I asked her why, she said that by listening to the stories of those who truly loved, and by writing them down so others could read them, she hoped someone would see them. You wouldn’t know this, but before she passed away in her sickbed, she called me aside and said something.”
He pointed at the notebook.
“She told me that if a day ever came when Leon grew curious about love, I should give this to him and have him read it here. That way, he would eventually come to understand. Those were her words.”
“Did the Empress also carry the imperial bloodline?”
Anyone listening might think she could foresee the future. The Emperor gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“My wife was the cherished daughter of a marquis family. I fell for her at first sight and snatched her right up.”
“You’re trash.”
“I won’t deny it. At first she felt burdened and refused, but in the end she accepted me after seeing my sincerity. So it probably wasn’t an imperial ability. I don’t know the exact details myself, but it doesn’t really matter. Whether she had an ability or not, the one I loved was my wife.”
“Good grief, I might actually shed a tear listening to this.”
“You? The world must be ending. To think a man with not a single speck of emotion would shed tears.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
After our brief exchange, I ran my hand over the surface of the notebook. It was clearly well-maintained at a glance.
‘I’m curious, so let’s take a look.’
The fact that she had left it for me, the idea that she had recorded the love stories of others who truly loved—it was all intriguing. Her ability and the stories were full of mysteries, but that only stimulated the curiosity I possessed as a mage.
I carefully sat down and opened the notebook. And then—
[To the one seeking love]
My vision warped violently.