CH 59

Alei always hated himself whenever this fissure—this feeling of discord—made itself apparent in him.

He turned into a narrow-minded person, the kind that he loathed because he would easily lose his rationality. If this much didn’t amount to shameful conduct, then what else could be called shameful conduct?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t open his mouth and speak first because he still couldn’t calm down. But even so, what happened a while ago was Alei’s mistake.

“I know it wasn’t something that I should have sent me off into a rage, and I know I was too much, but I— I can’t understand it at all… I hate that you shuddered like that, so…”

Even though he knew that he did something wrong, he couldn’t admit it.

It was awkward for him to do so, as if he was baring his feelings right then. It felt like his face was burning up. Perhaps he didn’t know, but to Ophelia’s eyes, he’d look bright red.

Apart from that, he was showing such a hideous side of himself. But whenever he stood in front of Ophelia, Alei felt as though he could not control himself.

Eventually, Alei turned his gaze towards the ocean.

But Ophelia wondered if he’d ever know that he was red all over, until the back of his neck and the tips of his ears.

She continued to watch him. While the wind blew past, she tucked a lock of her red hair behind one ear.

As she was faced with the unfamiliar confession, she paused for a while because she didn’t know what to say, but her lips finally moved and asked a question.

“So then, it’s difficult for you to say my name, but you’re still calling me the same way persistently, right?”

“…I thought you’d admonish me.”

It was inherently impossible for a mere mage to call an imperial princess by her name casually, so he was sure that Ophelia would rebuke him for it and try to address this.

“At first, I just couldn’t trust you so I spoke sharply out of turn, but I didn’t think that you’d just let me continue calling you that way…”

“That’s why you kept doing so.”

He felt uncomfortable because he knew it was impertinent for him to call her name like that. But even as he felt this, it was his pride and stubbornness that compelled him to call Ophelia by her name persistently.

“Would it be better for me to correct it?” Alei asked.

“No, I’m used to it now. I like that you call me Ophelia.”

To be exact, Alei also called Ophelia by her name in the past.

The reason was simple.

Ophelia herself was uncomfortable to be called ‘princess’.

That title constantly reminded Ophelia of where she came from—that she was an illegitimate princess who was not recognized entirely.

So, she tended to allow people close to her to call her Ophelia.

—Just call me by my first name, Alei. Don’t we have a good enough relationship?

—May I really? I hope you’re not thinking of condemning me for lèse-majesté later on.

The first person who was allowed to call her like this was Alei.

Perhaps that was why.

“Just call me by my name.”

The reason she felt like this was because…

No. Maybe it was because Alei showed how sincere he was towards her.

Alei treated her so honestly that she wanted to forget about what happened in the previous life, that he did nothing wrong.

And it’s because the way he treated her now much resembled the pure goodwill Ophelia had for Alei before.

One example was when they would feel angry when the other was being treated carelessly by someone else. And even the part where one would feel so insignificant when holding the other dear to them.

Ophelia often felt that way as well. So, she held Alei’s hand. On that shore where grains of sand shuffled at the low tide, the sea breeze blew by as she spoke.

“Alei, I’m glad that you have the same thoughts as I do.”

I’m glad that you care about me that much. I’m glad that we feel the same way.

“…You also think the same way?”

“Why would I not?”

When Alei asked first with a frown on his lips, Ophelia replied with a forced smile.

She already knew her own incompetence.

If the other person was someone who could soar through the sky, someone who could calm the ocean’s tides at once, it was natural for her to be faced with her own incompetence.

“Think about it, Alei. Everyone says you have a natural talent for magic, but on the other hand, I don’t have the aptitude for anything. So wouldn’t it be easy for others to think that I’m merely trying to scrounge off from you?”

Truthfully, the way she put it wasn’t very different from what he felt, so there’s nothing he could say even when he heard her say this.

When she said this, Alei was conflicted.

“Who thinks like that? I didn’t even think that you’re just trying to scrounge… No, I didn’t mean to use such a terrible word—”

“Thank you for thinking that way.”

But it was something that couldn’t be expected from other people.

Ophelia knew those people very well, what they would say if they came to know of her plans.

“You don’t know how relieved I am that you think that way.”

Because you’re the one I chose. You probably don’t know how fortunate it is for me that it’s you.

At Ophelia’s words, Alei tilted his head to the side, perplexed.

“That makes you relieved? It’s only natural that I think that way.”

“Yes, it’s a relief.”

Otherwise, she would have needed more time to coax him.

Swallowing these words, Ophelia recalled Yennit.

The mage’s expression wouldn’t give anything away so obviously, but Yennit couldn’t hide that she was wary of Ophelia when it came to her eyes.

“Alei, you said that you left Yennit and Cornelli behind.”

“Yes. I think it’s time to go back.”

“Yes, let’s go back. I think you’ve calmed down enough.”

She wondered what those two were talking about.

* * *

“There’s something fishy about that woman.”

“Who?”

“Who else do you think? Ophelia Milescet. That woman who’s with Lord Alejandro.”

Yennit slammed the desk and gave her clumsy friend a hard look.

Taking out them from his bag, Cornelli put on his spectacles over his eyes. With those round glasses over his round face, he looked more like a person who knew nothing about the world and was too trusting.

“I think she seems fine.”

On top of that, he even said these silly words with not an ounce of wariness in his tone.

Yennit felt frustrated to some extent. Did Cornelli’s vigilance against outsiders vanish because he only stayed inside the magic tower thus far?

‘No, rather than that, he really just has this personality.’

Unlike Yennit, who continuously heard from other people that she was smart since she was young, Cornelli Deurang was a simple young man who was characteristically round and easy-going about everything.

Cornelli fluttered about without taking notice of the gravity of the situation.

“If she’s someone by Lord Alejandro’s side, then she must be a good person. Actually, her first impression on me wasn’t that bad either.”

“You dolt. How can you be so trusting? More than anything, Lord Alejandro said that his memories aren’t fully intact yet.”

“Ah, I think that’s true, too. Seeing that he doesn’t know anything about the magic tower…”

“Yeah, and the tower’s punishment is meant to be lifted in one go. Isn’t it weird that some of his memories are back?”

Yennit’s eyes glinted sharply, full of unresolved doubts and suspicion.

“But that person is undeniably Lord Alejandro.”

“I’m not trying to say he’s not Lord Alejandro, Nelly.”

Throughout their conversation with Alei, Yennit had a nagging feeling that he remembered less than he claimed.

Of course, he did remember a lot of things. His unrivaled competence with magic formula composition and stuff related to spells was apparent. Thanks to this, Yennit didn’t think that Alei might be a fake.

“I’m talking about the possibility that Lord Alejandro might be lying.”

“But is there a reason for him to do that? You can feel it too, Lord Alejandro didn’t use black magic.”

“It’s still possible that he’s hiding it. If it’s Lord Alejandro, he could do it while not letting anyone know.”

At Yennit’s words, Cornelli snorted.

“You’re always so cautious about everything that it’s become a disease, Yeni. I get that you met Lord Alejandro for the first time in a long while and you’re suspicious of him, but this is ridiculous. Last time, you just saw a shadow of a cat and thought that a demonic beast had come to invade the castle.”

“That’s it, that’s exactly it!”

“Yes, that. You kinda need to calm down. We at least already met Lord Alejandro. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it’s not that simple. Of course, I think it’s a ridiculous thought, but…”

Yennit spoke up at first, but then she gradually lowered her voice.

“Ophelia Milescet. When I met her in the forest.”

She was sure. That woman had inside her mana that was not of a human being.

t/n: we’re now exactly halfway through the main story! how’s the novel for you guys so far? still invested in ophelia’s journey? still mystified by alei’s condition? still think that ian’s horrible—or, maybe redeemable? still waiting for more scenes with ariel? 

i’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below~ if you also have the time to drop a review down at novel updates, that would be super great~