CH 13

“That’s true too, but lately I’ve been wanting to visit the palace more. After all, it’s where brother Nita works. I wanted to see how you work,” I said with a proud smile.

“…Didn’t you just say you wanted to see where I work?”

“Oh, of course. But I’m also curious about where Father works.”

“The Magic department is in the west wing, so it’s a bit far from here. Let’s start with the nearby Royal Guard headquarters…”

“If it’s to the west, then this direction, right?” I said, letting go of Nita’s arm and walking ahead.

“…….”

Nita followed behind with a hesitant expression.

We arrived at the Magic Department not long after.

Two knights standing guard saw Nita and saluted.

“Oh, Sir Nita.”

A middle-aged woman with glasses spotted Nita as he walked by.

“Viscount Blaise, long time no see.”

“Indeed. What brings you here, and who is this young lady…?”

Her gaze shifted towards me.

“This is my younger sister, Eila.”

“Eila, huh? My, you’ve grown so much. Do you recognize me, or were you too young to know….”

“I remember. Viscount Sion Blaise. You’re my father’s secretary, and you’ve been to the ducal residence a few times before.”

I smiled brightly and spoke.

“That’s right. My, how clever you are.”

Sion exclaimed in admiration.

Whether it was due to the effects of reincarnation or not, I had vivid memories from when I was younger.

Especially from the age of eight, when I became aware of my past life, I remembered it as clearly as if it were yesterday.

“Eila wanted to see where Father works.”

“Oh, really? The Chief Magician is currently away on a business trip, so he’s not in the palace right now… Oh, but since you’re family, I assume you already know. Silly me.”

As Sion was Father’s secretary, she would naturally have access to his workshop.

Sion blinked slightly, looking a little perplexed.

“Huh? Oh, well, it is possible, but…”

“Eila has a natural talent for magic, just like Father.”

“Oh, really, you can’t fake blood after all.”

“And of course, there are exceptional cases like me, a mutant.”

“Oh, my, hoho.”

They looked at each other and laughed.

Feeling anxious, I spoke again.

“To be honest, I’ve been studying on my own, but there are certain parts where I’m stuck. I thought there might be some hints in Father’s workshop.”

“Yes? But all the spellbooks in the workshop are probably encrypted….”

“That’s okay. I learned magic from my father, so I know most of the codes he uses.”

“Uh….”

Sion still seemed hesitant.

“It’ll be fine. Even though Father can be strict, he’s endlessly doting on Eila. There shouldn’t be any issues. If he says something later, just drop my name.”

As Nita intervened, Sion adjusted her glasses and smiled.

“Alright, I understand. Then come this way.”

“Great!”

I was so excited that I hugged Nita and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you, big brother!”

“…Uh, yeah.”

Blushing, Nita glanced around, avoiding eye contact.

Following Sion, I entered Father’s workshop.

The workshop in the magic department was about half the size of a mansion in the capital and filled with a substantial number of magic books.

Forgetting that Nita was by my side, I immediately began exploring, starting from the nearest bookshelf.

“Eila?”

“…….”

“Eila.”

Feeling a light touch on my shoulder, I turned around abruptly.

“Oh, yes. Big Brother, what is it?”

“Well, I have to go to work soon. Will you be staying here?”

I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I was so focused on finding a way to undo the seal.

“Oh, sure. I’ll be waiting here.”

“If I were to take you back, I could only manage it during dinner time. Can you wait until then?”

“Yes. Oh, I’ll wait until your work is done and leave the palace.”

“Until then? But It’ll be quite late by then…”

“That’s okay, I can stay here and read.”

“No, still…”

I turned my head back to the spellbook.

Nita sighed lightly and left the workshop.

***

“I found it!”

Without realizing it, I shouted in excitement.

“This is it! I’m sure of it!”

In the bottommost drawer of the desk, there was a document recording the seal and unlocking spells for the barrier.

Judging by the content of the spells and the arrangement of the runes, it was undoubtedly what was written on the iron bars where Clyde was trapped.

Overjoyed, I jumped up and down with the document in hand.

“Wait, I can’t just carry this as it is….”

I unfolded the document and started copying the runes onto an empty scroll using magic ink.

(TL/N: Strong longing to return home quickly.)***

However, to avoid unnecessary worries and suspicions, I had to wait for Nita as we had agreed.

Since I had found the incantation much faster than expected, I still had a couple of hours left until our promised dinner time.

Following Nita’s suggestion, I decided to wait inside the workshop, but I couldn’t stay still. My body was restless, and I couldn’t contain my excitement.

I told Sion that I would go to the restroom and leave the magic department.

“Finally, I can rescue Clyde. Finally…!”

My heart was so full of excitement that I felt a lump in my throat.

The days I had spent searching for a method to break the seal flashed before my eyes like a lantern passing by.

As I looked around excitedly, I saw a garden-like area.

“Oh, this must be the famous indoor garden of the palace.”

Even though it was indoors, it was as spacious as our own garden at home, with a glass ceiling spanning the entire area.

It was more like a botanical garden than an ordinary garden.

With all the seasonal flowers in bloom, it was clear that magic was involved.

I strolled through the garden, inhaling the fragrance of the flowers and the moist air.

‘This place is truly beautiful. I wonder if I can visit again someday.’

Perhaps if I followed in my father’s footsteps and joined the magic department, I would be able to come to this garden every day.

As I entertained this thought, a strange sense of unease crept in, realizing that I had never once considered what my life would be like after saving Clyde and changing the future. Until now, I had solely focused on surviving. Magic had been nothing more than a tool for executing my plans.

‘I definitely have talent in magic. It seems to suit me quite well… Maybe I should seriously consider my future path?’

Just then, I heard quick and heavy footsteps. It wasn’t just one person; there were several.

Soon, I could hear snippets of conversation among the knights.

“Have you searched inside the garden? Did you find anything?”

“Not yet. If even a single flower bed is damaged, Her Majesty the Empress…”

The conversation faded as they moved away.

“Roger!”

Soon, knights could be heard entering the garden from all directions.

‘What’s happening? Could they be looking for me?’

Though I doubted it would be the case, my instincts kicked in, urging me to take action.

I wandered around for a moment before ducking behind a nearby rose bush.

However, someone was already in the hiding spot I had intended to use.

He was a boy with golden hair as bright as the sun, dressed even more flamboyantly than I was.

As our eyes met, he quickly grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.

“Shh!”

He pressed a finger against his lips.

“…….”

Despite my confusion, I did what I was told.

We crouched side by side, and soon we could hear the sound of knights patrolling the area.

“Did you find him?”

“No, he’s not here either.”

“Keep searching!”

“Where on earth did he go?”

“Your Highness the crown prince! Where are you? Your Highness!”

The noise of footsteps and hushed conversations echoed loudly, then gradually subsided.

“…….”

I widened my eyes and turned to look at the boy by my side.

“…Your Highness the crown prince?”

The boy smiled awkwardly.