Chapter 24

A heavy silence descended upon the two after the door closed.

Kaon didn’t say anything as they walked to their suite. Couldn’t.

While everyone was captivated by the fire shooting upwards into the stars, he only saw Alessia.

Fluttering silver hair stark against the night sky, closed eyes and slowly moving lips.

He didn’t miss a single second.

Thus, he now knew that he had not been mistaken. The mana in the atmosphere was stable and did not undergo any changes.

But shortly thereafter, Alessia used magic.

According to the arrogant mage from the Tower, that was impossible.

“Kaon? What’s the matter?”

He struggled to clear his thoughts and not respond instinctively to the worry in her voice. Kaon knew that he had to say something, but he couldn’t open his mouth.

What if there was no misunderstanding? What if Ingelos cheated Ferdinand by not sending a true mage?

The truth was…

He shook his head. The worst-case scenario was too terrifying to imagine.

It was a strange thing, this fear. At twelve, he’d been able to rise to the rank of an elite knight because he was very good at managing his emotions.

Even if a sharp blade flew straight at him, he did not lose concentration. He was praised for having been born with the composure of a swordsman.

His hesitation at the present moment was inconceivable.

‘It’s not a big deal. We can just talk about it.’

Kaon inhaled deeply and turned around. “Alessia.”

“Has anything happened? You look pale… Are you sick?”

As soon as he heard the gentleness in her voice, he realized why he was so afraid.

Kaon liked Alessia.

He didn’t know when it all started. Or maybe he did and just didn’t want to admit it. Because ever since she reached out to him that day at the ballroom…

Joseph was right. It was indeed possible for him to fall in love with the princess of Ingelos at first sight.

‘Damn it.’

Maybe he was too much like his father, blinded by appearances. Perhaps this was the price of disparaging the former duke.

Kaon sighed. He really, really liked Alessia.

He liked that she was small enough to have to look up at him, that she tried her best at everything in a land full of people who didn’t like her, and always had a smile on her face and friendly words to say.

If he faced the truth, he might lose her.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

‘I’ll take it as a good thing that I figured it out before anyone else did.’

In other words, Kaon might be able to solve the problem without making a fuss.

“Alessia, are you… a mage?”

***

There really must have been a better way. A skillful way to ease the truth out of the other party without asking outright.

Kaon was, unfortunately, not good at that.

His physical prowess was admirable, but he had no talent in using his words.

Baroness Robert often emphasized that eloquence was an important virtue for the nobility, but he’d never thought it would apply to him, a knight who was far from society.

What mattered to the knights was not words but actions. Trust gained through words was limited.

Kaon had believed in his choice wholeheartedly. Up until now.

“Ahaha! Kaon, what are you talking about all of a sudden?” Alessia burst into laughter.

“But what if you’re not a mage?” he asked openly.

“What do you think?”

Kaon blushed. He didn’t expect the situation to turn out this way. Deep inside, he still hoped that it was all a big misunderstanding.

But he couldn’t ignore the truth of the situation even if he liked her.

“Hm, Kaon? What do you think?” Alessia was calm, so much that he felt like an idiot.

His gaze lowered, his attention snagging on the ruby ring on her index finger. He remembered that she hadn’t been wearing it during the banquet where they first met.

Kaon remembered these moments with her clearly because he’d gone over them in his head dozens of times.

The first day he saw that ring was when Alessia arrived in Ferdinand. And from then on, he never saw her without it.

It was remarkable in its old-fashionedness, but it wasn’t serious enough to think deeply on.

He only took notice of it again today. The moment Alessia finished chanting, a tremendous amount of magical energy was released from the ruby.

‘It was definitely that ring.’

Kaon had never seen such a sight in his life. It was as strange as a knight moving as if they had a sword in their hand but didn’t.

The magic that disturbed the atmospheric mana was not from Alessia, but the ruby ring. It was not an illusion, nor his misunderstanding.

“…”

He couldn’t speak. If he pointed out that he knew that she used the ring to control magic, that would reveal that he was able to see the flow of mana.

To the eyes of non-mages, magic was simply a strange and wonderful phenomenon. They didn’t know how magic manifested into the world.

Kaon was an anomaly. He didn’t know how he was born with an ability that only a few mages had, but it was his reality.

The only person who knew about it was his mother, who’d urged him to hide it for the rest of his life.

“Kaon, you mustn’t tell anyone what you saw today, got it? Promise your mom.”

“Not even Dad?”

“Yes, not even your father. Live as if you don’t see it, alright?”

At that time, he couldn’t understand why he had to hide it, but he naturally learned as he grew up. The Ferdinands possessed no mage’s blood, and his mother was also incapable of using magic. If Kaon’s ability was revealed, she would be suspected of infidelity.

‘We’re all hiding something.’

Kaon briefly swallowed a bitter smile at the memory.

In any case, he’d lived his entire life following his mother’s instructions. Now, if he told Alessia that he saw the magic come out of the ring and not her, all his efforts that far would go up in smoke. That alone was bad, but that wasn’t all.

If the story were to be passed on to Ingelos, it would soon reach the royal family, and then the whole kingdom. His uncle, who pretended to support him in order to oust his sister, would be determined to go ahead and become the duke on his own.

There were far too many things at stake if he exposed himself.

Then, should he frame it as the mage from the Tower being suspicious of her?

No, that wouldn’t work.

‘I was too hasty.’

At this rate, with all his mistakes and lack of planning, he would end up ruining their relationship and becoming a stranger to her.

Alessia, who had been silently watching him, spoke first, “I’ll show you magic right now. If I do that, will you be convinced?”

It was a simple, naïve proposition, but there was nothing else he could do.

“…Yes, I think so.”

“Well, then.” She smiled cheerfully and began to mumble under her breath.

Kaon stared at the ruby ring. There were no signs yet, but he was certain that the magic would come from there.

After a short time, Alessia’s voice stopped, but there was no magic anywhere.

‘What?’

He raised his head.

“Kaon.” Alessia, left hand still raised to the sky, looked at him intently. “I raised this hand…”

“…!”

“You’re only looking at my ring, aren’t you?” She stepped closer, her forehead close enough to almost touch the tip of his chin.

Their eyes met, and Alessia’s were as red as they’ve always been, but they presently had a cool glow that he’d never seen before.

“Kaon Ferdinand.” She raised her right hand, the ruby ring flickering in front of his eyes. “You see it, don’t you.”