Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Prince's Invitation
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Darsi stared intently at Marso.
'In the place I thought I returned to for your sake, you're the one extending a hand to me instead.'
An unexpected emotion surged forth at the unforeseen proposal. Elation or joy. A novel feeling toward someone who was thinking of him for the first time in his life.
'Happiness.'
As he recalled the word so distant from himself, only Marso's face came to mind one after another.
The image of Marso in his head gradually overlapped with the one right before his eyes.
Just staring at her made heat rise in his body. Light seemed to emanate from the face that had already been so lovable.
'I want to touch her closer.'
Grasping those two hands extending toward him, and those lips that had spoken for his sake...
'What am I thinking?'
Snapping back to his senses, Darsi swallowed hard. It was because breathing felt suffocating.
He had buttoned his collar all the way up for perfect attire. Now he undid the buttons.
Exhaling a slow breath, Darsi finally realized for the first time that they were in the same bed.
Even the usual events that unfold when a man and a woman share a bed flashed through his mind in an instant.
He heard a sharp crack in his own reason.
Emergency.
Marso was the result of human connections he had forged with his own power. He wanted her to be happy for the rest of her life.
A relationship where they wished happiness for each other. Their current bond was utterly ideal. Even if it teetered on a precarious line, they did not view one another as romantic prospects.
'Anything more is not allowed.'
Better the present than instinctive emotions destined to lead to ruin someday. Anything beyond this should neither be desired nor occur.
"I know it's not an easy matter for you. So let's meet again soon and talk it over."
Taking his silence in another sense, Marso continued with regret. Darsi, struggling to regain his mental equilibrium, failed to even notice.
From the moment he realized his heart was churning, everything about Marso became acutely conscious.
Her breath, her breathing sounds, the flicker of her eyelids when she blinked, her pupils, the bridge of her nose... And at last, his gaze settled once more upon.
'I've never lost myself like this, not even in the heat of battle.'
Her lips.
He was going mad. Darsi groaned inwardly. Escaping this place came first.
He needed time to think.
"Yeah, let's talk later. I'll head out for today."
Darsi shot up from his seat and hurriedly left the room.
It was a blatant flight, embarrassing even to himself.
Darsi couldn't give a proper answer to my words. His figure fleeing the room was heartbreaking.
'Must be hard for him to respond.'
Recalling the dazed look in his eyes followed by his flustered expression, it seemed like painful memories had surfaced.
Knowing his current circumstances might make it awkward to reply, I didn't try to hold him back.
We would meet again anyway.
And until then, I decided to do what I could on my own.
The reason Darsi demeaned his own happiness was tied to the mages. He must have persecuted and attacked them under Emperor Kies's orders.
I was planning to start a magic tool business, which would naturally provide opportunities to communicate with mages.
"...Couldn't this help the mages too?"
In the original story, it only covered Ryan commercializing magic tools and living happily with Resuan, without much focus on the mages.
It was obvious even without seeing it. There was no way Ryan, of Emperor Kies's bloodline, would have taken good care of the mages. They must have been exploited for their magic tools.
But I could change that.
After Darsi left, I sent people to gather information on mages like him, since I knew so little about them.
Thanks to that, I confirmed several important facts.
The imperial family periodically purged mages. This was common knowledge and an accepted reality.
Aside from those who pledged loyalty to the emperor, held key administrative posts, or had blended into noble society, the perception of most mages was extremely poor.
Even excluding historically recorded mage rebellions, the general view was just that.
How could it feel good to be treated like criminals when they had done nothing wrong?
Mages were people with pride in their abilities.
They rebelled against the imperial family that refused to acknowledge them. They had defied Emperor Kies to that extent.
Even most recently, their resistance had been fierce. It had continued for quite some time. The imperial family always won, but the mages always reemerged.
This fact was somewhat surprising.
Emperor Kies despised mages but did not try to eradicate them completely.
He conducted purges but never killed them all, always sparing some under one pretext or another.
He could have wiped them out entirely, yet he always left embers behind.
The press and chronicles described it as regrettably letting them slip away, but I knew that wasn't true.
Beneath Emperor Kies was Darsi. With Darsi's abilities, he could have massacred the mages easily.
In fact, I had heard he had used not only his brainwashing powers but also his skill in crafting magic tools to create various weapons embedded with magic crystals.
Of course, he hadn't done it alone; it was a collaboration with other mages.
Like a torturer doling out hope, the emperor provided just enough time and opportunity.
As if wishing for the surviving mages to rebel again.
Because of this, conflicts between a few mages and Emperor Kies—or rather, between most mages and the throne—continued endlessly.
'Why?'
This was an unsolved mystery.
But no one but the emperor himself would know.
I would have to ask Darsi later if he knew anything, but for now, all I could do was harbor the question.
In any case, despite spending quite a sum, there was little information on mages themselves or the magic crystals they could process.
Most details seemed to be imperial secrets passed down covertly. In other words, known only to Emperor Kies.
Since Darsi was someone who could speak with the emperor, he might uncover the truth later.
There was another problem entirely.
'I need to find the mages.'
Emperor Kies hadn't cut off their lifeline completely, but prolonged exclusion had wearied many mages. Much like me.
Rather than fight, they chose to hide and live quietly.
Eventually, they began retreating to places only fellow mages could know.
Lately, their numbers seemed to be increasing.
There were plenty of rumors about people relieved that the mages were finally leaving their regions.
It seemed they had gained some ally helping them. Good news for the mages, but it made things harder for me.
"To meet mages, I suppose I'll have to go into the forest...."
I wanted to meet the mages and form legitimate contracts with them.
My goal was to create magic tools together.
Using the few mages integrated into society was an option, but it didn't sit right with me for some reason.
Perhaps because of my own experiences, I wanted to reach out to those who were exhausted instead.
If I had the money for it, of course I should.
No matter how special mages' abilities were or how they lived secluded in forests among themselves, they still needed to earn money.
Money was necessary to survive.
Most mages didn't even receive proper wages.
There was no way society would treat those shunned by the state decently.
But if they contracted with me, things would change.
One concern nagging at me was that helping them could put me at odds with the imperial family.
Naturally, I had thought this through.
'My life won't be in danger.'
Even the imperial family couldn't kill me outright. The times Ryan had posed any real threat to me could be counted on one hand.
Sure, people would emerge to check me, envy me, and spread rumors, and there might be some disadvantages...
'But that's all, right?'
That wasn't much of a threat. Compared to what I'd endured so far, it was a piece of cake.
And wasn't that all? Having Darsi made my heart feel secure.
Recalling his face brought a sense of calm.
"Lady Marso, a letter has arrived."
"Leave it here and go."
Ever since Pitol said those words, interest directed at me had exploded. Especially from families who cherished and loved the arts.
Many from troupes they sponsored wanted to try the same thing and begged to meet me.
That went to show how successful Pitol's play had been.
Interest in magic tools was rising too, so it was killing two birds with one stone for me!
Appearing alongside Darsi must have helped...
In any case, it was a triumphant comeback.
Most letters contained invitations to balls or tea parties.
'It is about time to attend tea parties again.'
You never know what lies ahead. I had thought I was done with high society, yet here I was returning. But the burden felt lighter than expected.
To the nobles of high society now, I was less a potential friend and more a prospective customer.
Which events should I attend?
As I examined letters stamped with each house's seal, I tilted my head.
Huh? A name I absolutely shouldn't see here.
I took a knife and sliced open the top of the envelope.
"...What is this?"
Confirming the sender inside, I was stunned.
"...Has he lost his mind?"
It was a letter from Ryan.
What reason could he have to write to me? I half-expected a threat, but no.
The letter was an invitation to a ball hosted by the imperial family.