I was surprised to find Heim waiting for me at dinner time. I was very uneasy in this situation because an unrealistic boy, who was completely impossible to grasp, had appeared next to me. Heim walked beside me like a shadow, unbothered.
‘What the hell is he, he’s scary.’
I assumed that a bad guy would be preferable to a strange guy. It was far more uncomfortable than Niel, who openly treated me as a subject.
“Sister.”
“Oh.. Huh?”
“I can’t really see your future. Keep up the good work.”
“Okay—Thank you?”
“When I die, you carry on Evgeny.”
I could see why Niel ignored every word Heim said. I’m confident in saying, ‘My body is collapsing,’ but it wasn’t easy to respond to a child who said nothing but negative things.
If he truly is the one who can predict the future, I suspected he was making a fuss while losing all motivation by thinking about his dark future.
“Elsia.”
“Ah, Prince.”
I met Ixion and Aiden on the stairs as I walked with Heim.
“Did you get a good rest, Young Lady?” Aiden was the first to speak to me, and he was smiling.
“Yes. Did the Prince and Sir Aiden get enough rest?”
“We stayed at the Marquis very often, so it was comfortable.”
The group naturally became mixed up as we had a light conversation. Ixion was about to stand next to me as we walked together when Heim, who was at the end of the hallway, stepped in between the two of us.
“Heim?”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise because it was an unexpected move. Heim smiled as he held my arms.
“Not yet.”
“About what?”
“I mean this guy. Not yet.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ixion also seemed unable to say anything about the child, who was no bigger than his shoulder, despite the fact that he was 19 years old. However, I just stared at my arm, which he was clinging to with disapproving eyes.
I looked at Heim with ridiculous eyes, and he only said what he had to say, as if he didn’t care.
“He doesn’t understand the situation, and he isn’t aware of his own feelings.”
“Hm?”
At this rate, I hurriedly covered Heim’s mouth in case he was dragged away for insulting the Imperial Family, but Heim did not stop.
“You can’t do it unless you do it yourself.”
Aiden could be heard whispering to Ixion in low voices.
He seemed to know without having to listen. ‘He was a lot sick, so I guess that’s what it meant…’ It’d be like that. In fact, Heim clung to me to hear what the two of them were talking about.
‘What’s the matter with this kid? I’m not the type who is popular with children.’
******
Niel was having fun and was the last one to arrive at dinner. He expected Mela, Elsia, Ixion, and Aiden, but he had no idea Heim would show up.
It was right next to Elsia.
Niel, who has shown the Wizard’s talent since he was a child and has witnessed almost all of the tower’s growth, had no special bond with his brother.
But, in any case, he just wanted him to be okay because he was the estate’s successor. Heim, on the other hand, was too frail from birth and would continue to make depressing statements.
One of them was that his father and body would harden, but after Marquis Evgeny fell last summer, Niel became more hesitant to Heim. Because the curse that never ends included himself.
“You’ll only scatter words you don’t mean, and your heart will eventually burn because of a woman.”
Niel didn’t realize he was living a lighter life with antipathy every time he heard such a nonsense curse.
Of course, not everything Heim said was right.
Heim had predicted that Evgeny would collapse completely before the fall. Rather, the Marquis Evgeny discovered the Prince’s assassination plot and made a significant contribution.
He attempted suicide several times, claiming that he was going to die anyway or soon. Niel, an individualist, didn’t care much, but he was puzzled that such an odd child liked Elsia. He was forced to sit across from Heim and begin eating, thinking that he should pay him some attention later.
“Niel, you’re a little late.”
Niel was eating his appetizer leisurely when he suddenly choked. This is due to the fact that he has never spoken to his mother so kindly in his memory.
“I understand you visited the Wizard Tower, but why did you visit the monster subjugation site?”
“Well, sending Elsia alone is a bit much— I’m also Evgeny, right?”
“Yeah, it’s only Evgeny when it’s convenient for you, but—” Mela spoke softly again. “Isn’t there a girl you’re interested in? Why are you there?”
In fact, Niel was never assigned to the subjugation monster team with that intent, so when he tried to answer no, he realized he needed to give another reason.
Elsia caught a glimpse of him. Elsia was smiling, but she drew a small X with a fork without Mela’s knowledge. Her red eyes were sending a clear message to stop talking nonsense.
‘Yeah, I’m not the crazy guy here saying I’m watching you turn into an evil monster.’
Niel gently nodded his head.
“There is, in fact, only one reason. It’s a completely new thing for me. Nonetheless, I’m a valuable member of the subjugation team. I’m not bothering anyone.”
Clang, a knife slamming into the plate. Ixion appeared to be cutting excessively.
Aiden was fanning himself next to him, his face worried.
‘What is this?’
Niel unintentionally frowned at the unusual atmosphere. Mela smiled and turned the subject naturally.
“Make every effort to avoid causing trouble for the Prince. You were discharged early the last time because of a woman problem—”
“I’ve been unusually quiet lately. It’s true.”
“Well, I understand, Neil— how about you, Elsia?”
“—Yes?”
Elsia asked back with her red eyes wide open.
‘You know how to be surprised. You put on a brave face about bigger things.’
Niel thought she was a rabbit when he saw her sitting diagonally. For a while, he forgot to eat and rested his chin on his back hand. She was even more stunning than when he first saw her.
And, as beautiful as it was, it exuded a black magic energy.
‘Dangerous things are supposed to be beautiful, but I’m not sure what happened—based on Elsia’s personality, she doesn’t seem to have used black magic. Even if I try to find out more, there is no longer an Artise royal family—’
He was well aware of the evil nature of black magic. Because the devil never makes a bad deal, the cost is enormous. But Elsia, whom he sees every day, wasn’t exactly good, but she wasn’t evil either.
‘Ah.’
Niel blinked and shifted his gaze.
‘Have I ever thought about someone this much every day? Because she’s a research subject?’
Mela spoke gently to Elsia while Niel continued his thoughts alone.
“Come to think of it, I don’t know your ideal type. I don’t even know what kind of man you like. Don’t you have any romantic situations that you dream of?”
“Yes? Huh—Romantic?”
“Yes. Before I was this busy, reading romance novels was my hobby.” Mela said in a word of excitement. “Now that I’m old, I wonder what young people think.”
“I haven’t given it much thought, but I’ll do so now.”
Elsia quickly became lost in thought.
She raised her head and began to speak.
“Personality, appearance, character, relationship, wealth, honor, reputation, etc. Of course, the better it is better, so let’s talk about something special—”
What is this? There was silence on the table. I didn’t even hear the sound of a fork. Elsia’s indifferent words followed slowly, breaking the silence.
“I’m terrible at playing musical instruments, so someone who was good at music looked cool to me. I remember thinking once that it would be nice to have someone who could play when I was depressed or struggling—”
“Yes, that’s right! So, Niel, what do we do with a girl like Elsia?”
Niel replied sullenly.
“It would be nice to have a reasonable conversation, jump right into a depressing topic, and even play the piano. It’s my wish that I can help you get through these difficult times.”
“B-by any chance—”
Aiden asked carefully.
“Are you good at playing the piano?”
“Of course, I’m good at the violin too. I’m also a good singer.”
Elsia continued, clueless to Aiden’s sudden change in expression.
“Oh, and I can’t write. It would be nice to be able to write well. Is it possible for someone to write a poem for themselves?”
“This is also simple.” Niel shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll carry all the magic I can on a roll of parchment and write about what I can do for you.”
Mela smiled at Niel, as if he had done a great job. “I see, Niel. You did an excellent job.”
‘What? That’s strange.’
Niel took an instinctive look around. Mela couldn’t have been more pleased with herself.
‘Elsia doesn’t seem to have any thoughts, and Aiden and Ixion seem to be in a very bad mood—’
“Yes, Niel.”
“….Yes.”
“If a man wants to win Elsia’s heart, so be it.”
‘No, it’s not.’
Niel thought without even realizing it.
‘I doesn’t want to do that to Elsia—’
He glanced at Elsia. Elsia was eating quietly without saying much.
Perhaps it’s because the black magic energy that overflows from her is unsettling in and of itself, or because she’s his only friend. He couldn’t imagine how he’d seduce her.
Heim, who sat across from him, looked at him and whispered in his mouth as he picked up his fork to resume his meal.
‘Brother, you can’t do that.’
“What are you saying?”
‘You can’t.’
He gave a disapproving glare and casually looked at Heim’s nodding.
“Uhm—”
Ixion and Elsia, who sat across from each other, were having a light conversation.
‘Do you see what I mean?’
Oh, he wondered why he didn’t know. Niel set down his fork because he had suddenly lost his appetite.
Although he is unfamiliar with Ixion, he has often seen him on the battlefield or at banquets, but he has never seen him with that expression on his face.
Ixion used to visit Elsia every day while he was in the subjugation monster site. He was uninterested in the two’s relationship, so he had no idea. It was because he was only interested in himself.
‘Then all this conversation is—’
Niel had a strange sense of betrayal when he looked at Mela. Mela had a very pleased expression on her face as she encouraged the two to talk.
I was surprised to find Heim waiting for me at dinner time. I was very uneasy in this situation because an unrealistic boy, who was completely impossible to grasp, had appeared next to me. Heim walked beside me like a shadow, unbothered.
‘What the hell is he, he’s scary.’
I assumed that a bad guy would be preferable to a strange guy. It was far more uncomfortable than Niel, who openly treated me as a subject.
“Sister.”
“Oh.. Huh?”
“I can’t really see your future. Keep up the good work.”
“Okay—Thank you?”
“When I die, you carry on Evgeny.”
I could see why Niel ignored every word Heim said. I’m confident in saying, ‘My body is collapsing,’ but it wasn’t easy to respond to a child who said nothing but negative things.
If he truly is the one who can predict the future, I suspected he was making a fuss while losing all motivation by thinking about his dark future.
“Elsia.”
“Ah, Prince.”
I met Ixion and Aiden on the stairs as I walked with Heim.
“Did you get a good rest, Young Lady?” Aiden was the first to speak to me, and he was smiling.
“Yes. Did the Prince and Sir Aiden get enough rest?”
“We stayed at the Marquis very often, so it was comfortable.”
The group naturally became mixed up as we had a light conversation. Ixion was about to stand next to me as we walked together when Heim, who was at the end of the hallway, stepped in between the two of us.
“Heim?”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise because it was an unexpected move. Heim smiled as he held my arms.
“Not yet.”
“About what?”
“I mean this guy. Not yet.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ixion also seemed unable to say anything about the child, who was no bigger than his shoulder, despite the fact that he was 19 years old. However, I just stared at my arm, which he was clinging to with disapproving eyes.
I looked at Heim with ridiculous eyes, and he only said what he had to say, as if he didn’t care.
“He doesn’t understand the situation, and he isn’t aware of his own feelings.”
“Hm?”
At this rate, I hurriedly covered Heim’s mouth in case he was dragged away for insulting the Imperial Family, but Heim did not stop.
“You can’t do it unless you do it yourself.”
Aiden could be heard whispering to Ixion in low voices.
He seemed to know without having to listen. ‘He was a lot sick, so I guess that’s what it meant…’ It’d be like that. In fact, Heim clung to me to hear what the two of them were talking about.
‘What’s the matter with this kid? I’m not the type who is popular with children.’
******
Niel was having fun and was the last one to arrive at dinner. He expected Mela, Elsia, Ixion, and Aiden, but he had no idea Heim would show up.
It was right next to Elsia.
Niel, who has shown the Wizard’s talent since he was a child and has witnessed almost all of the tower’s growth, had no special bond with his brother.
But, in any case, he just wanted him to be okay because he was the estate’s successor. Heim, on the other hand, was too frail from birth and would continue to make depressing statements.
One of them was that his father and body would harden, but after Marquis Evgeny fell last summer, Niel became more hesitant to Heim. Because the curse that never ends included himself.
“You’ll only scatter words you don’t mean, and your heart will eventually burn because of a woman.”
Niel didn’t realize he was living a lighter life with antipathy every time he heard such a nonsense curse.
Of course, not everything Heim said was right.
Heim had predicted that Evgeny would collapse completely before the fall. Rather, the Marquis Evgeny discovered the Prince’s assassination plot and made a significant contribution.
He attempted suicide several times, claiming that he was going to die anyway or soon. Niel, an individualist, didn’t care much, but he was puzzled that such an odd child liked Elsia. He was forced to sit across from Heim and begin eating, thinking that he should pay him some attention later.
“Niel, you’re a little late.”
Niel was eating his appetizer leisurely when he suddenly choked. This is due to the fact that he has never spoken to his mother so kindly in his memory.
“I understand you visited the Wizard Tower, but why did you visit the monster subjugation site?”
“Well, sending Elsia alone is a bit much— I’m also Evgeny, right?”
“Yeah, it’s only Evgeny when it’s convenient for you, but—” Mela spoke softly again. “Isn’t there a girl you’re interested in? Why are you there?”
In fact, Niel was never assigned to the subjugation monster team with that intent, so when he tried to answer no, he realized he needed to give another reason.
Elsia caught a glimpse of him. Elsia was smiling, but she drew a small X with a fork without Mela’s knowledge. Her red eyes were sending a clear message to stop talking nonsense.
‘Yeah, I’m not the crazy guy here saying I’m watching you turn into an evil monster.’
Niel gently nodded his head.
“There is, in fact, only one reason. It’s a completely new thing for me. Nonetheless, I’m a valuable member of the subjugation team. I’m not bothering anyone.”
Clang, a knife slamming into the plate. Ixion appeared to be cutting excessively.
Aiden was fanning himself next to him, his face worried.
‘What is this?’
Niel unintentionally frowned at the unusual atmosphere. Mela smiled and turned the subject naturally.
“Make every effort to avoid causing trouble for the Prince. You were discharged early the last time because of a woman problem—”
“I’ve been unusually quiet lately. It’s true.”
“Well, I understand, Neil— how about you, Elsia?”
“—Yes?”
Elsia asked back with her red eyes wide open.
‘You know how to be surprised. You put on a brave face about bigger things.’
Niel thought she was a rabbit when he saw her sitting diagonally. For a while, he forgot to eat and rested his chin on his back hand. She was even more stunning than when he first saw her.
And, as beautiful as it was, it exuded a black magic energy.
‘Dangerous things are supposed to be beautiful, but I’m not sure what happened—based on Elsia’s personality, she doesn’t seem to have used black magic. Even if I try to find out more, there is no longer an Artise royal family—’
He was well aware of the evil nature of black magic. Because the devil never makes a bad deal, the cost is enormous. But Elsia, whom he sees every day, wasn’t exactly good, but she wasn’t evil either.
‘Ah.’
Niel blinked and shifted his gaze.
‘Have I ever thought about someone this much every day? Because she’s a research subject?’
Mela spoke gently to Elsia while Niel continued his thoughts alone.
“Come to think of it, I don’t know your ideal type. I don’t even know what kind of man you like. Don’t you have any romantic situations that you dream of?”
“Yes? Huh—Romantic?”
“Yes. Before I was this busy, reading romance novels was my hobby.” Mela said in a word of excitement. “Now that I’m old, I wonder what young people think.”
“I haven’t given it much thought, but I’ll do so now.”
Elsia quickly became lost in thought.
She raised her head and began to speak.
“Personality, appearance, character, relationship, wealth, honor, reputation, etc. Of course, the better it is better, so let’s talk about something special—”
What is this? There was silence on the table. I didn’t even hear the sound of a fork. Elsia’s indifferent words followed slowly, breaking the silence.
“I’m terrible at playing musical instruments, so someone who was good at music looked cool to me. I remember thinking once that it would be nice to have someone who could play when I was depressed or struggling—”
“Yes, that’s right! So, Niel, what do we do with a girl like Elsia?”
Niel replied sullenly.
“It would be nice to have a reasonable conversation, jump right into a depressing topic, and even play the piano. It’s my wish that I can help you get through these difficult times.”
“B-by any chance—”
Aiden asked carefully.
“Are you good at playing the piano?”
“Of course, I’m good at the violin too. I’m also a good singer.”
Elsia continued, clueless to Aiden’s sudden change in expression.
“Oh, and I can’t write. It would be nice to be able to write well. Is it possible for someone to write a poem for themselves?”
“This is also simple.” Niel shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll carry all the magic I can on a roll of parchment and write about what I can do for you.”
Mela smiled at Niel, as if he had done a great job. “I see, Niel. You did an excellent job.”
‘What? That’s strange.’
Niel took an instinctive look around. Mela couldn’t have been more pleased with herself.
‘Elsia doesn’t seem to have any thoughts, and Aiden and Ixion seem to be in a very bad mood—’
“Yes, Niel.”
“….Yes.”
“If a man wants to win Elsia’s heart, so be it.”
‘No, it’s not.’
Niel thought without even realizing it.
‘I doesn’t want to do that to Elsia—’
He glanced at Elsia. Elsia was eating quietly without saying much.
Perhaps it’s because the black magic energy that overflows from her is unsettling in and of itself, or because she’s his only friend. He couldn’t imagine how he’d seduce her.
Heim, who sat across from him, looked at him and whispered in his mouth as he picked up his fork to resume his meal.
‘Brother, you can’t do that.’
“What are you saying?”
‘You can’t.’
He gave a disapproving glare and casually looked at Heim’s nodding.
“Uhm—”
Ixion and Elsia, who sat across from each other, were having a light conversation.
‘Do you see what I mean?’
Oh, he wondered why he didn’t know. Niel set down his fork because he had suddenly lost his appetite.
Although he is unfamiliar with Ixion, he has often seen him on the battlefield or at banquets, but he has never seen him with that expression on his face.
Ixion used to visit Elsia every day while he was in the subjugation monster site. He was uninterested in the two’s relationship, so he had no idea. It was because he was only interested in himself.
‘Then all this conversation is—’
Niel had a strange sense of betrayal when he looked at Mela. Mela had a very pleased expression on her face as she encouraged the two to talk.
