CH 25

“No,” I replied, covering the magic stone with one hand, the tips of my fingers tingling just from the light touch I’d given them as I picked it up.

“A magic stone with a magic formula alone is sufficient for it to be useful. However, it’s much better to use it with pure silver, gold, and other gemstones like crystals.”

The Crown Prince held out the small dagger hanging from his waist.

“Do you want to try holding it?”

I was deeply moved as I gripped the dagger tightly in response to the Crown Prince’s words.

It wasn’t the dagger that moved me.

Even though I may be frail, I was deeply moved by the Crown Prince of a foreign country’s boldness and trust in offering me a sword.

I touched the tip of my nose, and gently looked at the Crown Prince.

A mesmerizing person. It made me feel proud and secure for no reason.

“I didn’t know the prince would like the dagger so much. Next time, I’ll gift you a sword. Something very light.”

As I fondled the dagger with delight, I noticed a gaze that regarded me as an obsessive dagger enthusiast.

“It’s not like that, but…”

I felt a bit awkward.

I lowered my gaze to the dagger.

A red magic stone was embedded at the end of the hilt. The hilt itself was made of iron, but its weight was barely noticeable, which surprised me.

Let’s see.

Strong-willed consideration

This sounds like a decent name for a magical item, and I like it.

As I looked closely, it seemed that the long-winded words of the formula were of the old1‘고릿적’ is a word that means ‘a certain moment or time in the old days’. The ‘고리’ there is from Goryeo. So, it’s like from the Goryeo era. methods, while recent formulas were relatively simpler.

“The inside of the magic stone is somewhat translucent, right? It has pure gold attached to the bottom. If the entire blade were made of gold, the magical effect would increase two or three times, but it would easily get lost or bent even before using it.”

“By that point, the value of gold would likely exceed the price of the magic stone.”

The Crown Prince responded to my words, saying that it was the correct answer.

“That’s why the Empire has devised a method of amplifying the magical effect of the magic stone to an optimal level by attaching a mineral to some parts of the magical tool. The magical tools sold to commoners utilize common minerals to lower the market price and ensure a steady supply.”

Ah, I see.

What was the form of the magic stones used in Lindbergh again?

I think rather than shaping them into magical tools, it seemed like they were using the magic stones in their natural form.

“What effect does that previous one have?”

I asked the Crown Prince, returning the dagger to him, referring to the purple magic stone from earlier.

“It has the effect of summoning me if there’s a threat to the prince’s well-being.”

“What?”

What is it, a genie in a lamp? No, is it Adrian Heineken, the fairy of the magic stone?

Will he suddenly appear if I rub it?

“How do you use it?”

By rubbing it? The Crown Prince chuckled, seemingly aware of what my expectant gaze was about.

“If the prince exhibits certain levels of abnormal physical responses, I have arranged it so that I can automatically become aware of it.”

I was already feeling uneasy about going to Lindbergh all alone.

“How do you make it? Can I learn it too?”

With the formulas being primarily in Korean and the process being a matter of engraving, I could make a few convenient items myself once I knew the process.

The Crown Prince gave me a meaningful look.

“Do you want to learn?”

“Yes!”

“If you return safely from Lindbergh, I will teach you how to read the formulas. Even skilled magicians2I forgot if I was using the word magician or wizard. Hahahaha… hesitate to process magic stones because they don’t know how to read the formulas.”

“Can it be done even without magic?”

The Crown Prince made a strange expression as I, who had never even felt a trace of magical power, expressed concern.

“Why does the prince think you don’t have magic?”

With a twitch of his eyebrows, the Crown Prince approached me closely and firmly grasped my hand.

I wasn’t really happy that my body reacted before my mind did.

As soon as my hand that had been tingling from just the brief touch was firmly held, my heart started pounding wildly and all my senses focused on that point.

Is it okay for my body to react like this?

More importantly, Crown Prince, is it acceptable for you to hold my hand like this when we’re not even dating!

“Why do you think you don’t have magic? It’s common knowledge for those with traits to possess magic.”

Ah, right.

I am an omega, and perhaps a magician.

The Crown Prince’s eyes gleamed with cunning.

“I-I’ve never used it before. I have never even had an instance where magic manifested by chance.”

Sweat started forming in my hand that was being held, and it felt like heat was radiating from it. The bulging veins on the back of the Crown Prince’s hand, which covered mine, made me somewhat envious. My gaze, which kept slipping away, suddenly met the Crown Prince’s as he spoke.

“Just as unrefined magic stones are nothing more than useless rocks, magic needs to be honed and polished to visibly manifest magic. The prince has simply never learned magic until now. Perhaps the delayed manifestation is also because of that.”

Ah, I see.

The Crown Prince subtly caressed the back of my hand.

My spine tingled, and I felt as if blood was rushing to my lower body, so I gathered my knees together.

Whether he knew it or not, the Crown Prince pulled me close as if he were about to envelop my body.

Not only did a pleasant fragrance emanate strongly whenever the Crown Prince approached, but I even had the illusion that the colors of his irises were changing in various hues.

“The pheromone effect and magic are similar in nature. It’s easier to acquire them when someone helps rather than enduring it alone. If you’re born with a good temperament, you’ll grow explosively.”

I assure you that if Carl had a good temperament, he would explode like a firework with just a little stimulation.

His lips pressed closely into my ear.

It felt like they would touch if I moved my head just a little.

“Inside and outside, both apply. And perhaps I’m the only one who can do it.”

The Crown Prince whispering in my ear, though it may sound exaggerated, truly seemed like a devil.

I pressed the tip of my nose to the nape of his neck and breathed in, the sound of his voice against my eardrums so seductive that my shoulders repeatedly rose.

What’s inside and what’s outside? What difference does it make?

Even this perverted behavior, when done by a good-looking guy, is simply the temptation of a devil.

No, the problem lies with my body, which is trembling uncontrollably just from this trivial act.

I haven’t given a definite answer to marrying the Crown Prince, nor do I feel any emotions other than friendship and trust. So, is it alright to let my body simply follow its desires in this ambiguous state?

It’s evident that there is lust and passion in the Crown Prince’s gaze towards me, sometimes as fresh as a first love.

I wondered if it was directed towards Carl Lindbergh’s exterior shell or if it also included the person within, which is me.

The voice whispering in my ear seemed to urge me to let go of everything and submit.

No, don’t go after it.

In the end, not knowing what to do, I struggled, and then abruptly stood up, moving away from the Crown Prince’s side.

It felt like if I stayed any longer, I would kiss his lips.

Then, I would truly be crossing the river of no return.

The Crown Prince, smacking his lips while looking at his empty hands as if disappointed, pouted his lips again.

Stop doing that!

Whether it’s being seasoned, naive, mature, or childlike, just choose one thing to do.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Uh, it’s Elizabeth’s snack time. I’ve seen that you’re doing well, so I’ll return now.”

“… Why is the prince personally taking care of the dog’s snacks?”

The Crown Prince asked, bewildered by my half-hearted excuse.

“Because she’s a bit picky…”

“She didn’t seem like it…”

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes.

He saw through me.

She’ll walk up to anyone and wag her tail in greeting.

Because of that personality, she would even follow the past good-for-nothing Carl Lindbergh.

Just like Marco.

“Anyway, I’ll go back and check on her now. See you later.”

“Just a moment.”

“Yes?”

The Crown Prince, who stopped me and stood still, asked, “How about we start being comfortable with each other now?”

“What do you mean by comfortably?”

I asked in confusion.

“Let’s not bother with unnecessary formalities and just be friends, as the prince mentioned before.”

He said he would now call me ‘Carl,’ and asked me to address him as ‘Adrian’ as well.

He also suggested that we abandon formalities unless in public.

There was no reason to refuse, so I agreed, and the Crown Prince smiled, revealing his neat teeth.

Ah, the Crown Prince must have been very lonely.

It felt like his previously formless loneliness was becoming palpable and drawing near me.

Instead of opening the door to leave, I sought a clear answer from the Crown Prince.

“P-Promise me that you’ll teach me the technique to process magic stones. No, I ask of you.”

“As much as you want.”

With those words, there was no doubt that the distance between us was getting closer.

I retraced the path with joy.

Skills were something to cherish, and the more difficult and scarce they were, the more valuable they became.

Perhaps because I lacked any particular talent, my vision was only starting to clear now.

If the real partner of the Crown Prince appears, I might have to leave the castle, so I need to prepare for that possibility.

Unknowingly, my seemingly light footsteps slowed down.

Since earlier, there has been a tightness in my chest.

Not long after the prince had left, Belfry knocked on the Crown Prince’s door.

Adrian was savoring the prince’s pheromones that were gently floating in the air.

With the kind of behavior Carl was displaying, he was not happy to send someone like him, who could potentially experience his heat by just the slightest mistake, to Lindbergh, yet the person himself remains unaware and continues to wander around clueless.

So far, the only Omegas he had met were his mother and Duke Hendrick who were already mated, so Carl was essentially Adrian’s first Omega.

And it was the same for him.

To Carl Lindbergh, Adrian Heineken was the first proper Alpha he had ever met.

But every time Adrian saw Carl calm, he felt pathetic for feeling excited.

Carl’s urge to flinch and avoid was a survival instinct.

Duke Hendrick had said that Carl Lindbergh was remarkably composed even with an opponent right in front of him who could bite his neck and take away his freedom at any moment.

But dislike was still dislike.

Not that he wanted him to rush in like a moth to a flame.

No, now he was hoping for him to rush in like a moth.

Could it be that Belfry’s repeated statements about the prince being suspicious don’t seem to register in his ears?