TFLMLD 82

Chapter 82

The Person Who Likes Me and the Person I Like

As imperial authority began to stabilize to some extent, more and more nobles raised the issue of the empress. Since their own interests were intertwined with it, such actions were only natural. Still, the piles of marriage proposals stacking up in the emperor’s office had gone far beyond the limit.

“Have they all gone senile and started running wild?”

Macaron swept all the proposals lying on the table into the brazier at once. Every time he saw documents related to marriage, his head filled only with thoughts of Calypse. The last thing she had left behind was none other than divorce papers. That final memory still haunted him even in his dreams, tormenting him. Staring blankly at the ashes burning to dust, Macaron returned to his seat and buried himself in work.

The emperor’s office was filled with nothing but cold, frigid air. Even after ascending the throne, Macaron continued to overwork himself, immersing in work to the point of self-destruction. It was true that there were many duties to handle early on as an emperor. But the reason he drove himself so mercilessly was entirely his own doing.

None of his subordinates were ignorant of why he obsessed over work like this. Especially Momont and Aint, who had watched him for a long time, grew increasingly anxious as they observed him. In the suffocating silence, Momont reluctantly opened his mouth first.

“Duke Evelyn has submitted multiple requests for an audience in just one day.”

At the mention of Evelyn’s name, Macaron frowned.

“As you ordered, we cut them off, but recently she has been stirring up the elders.”

“Stirring up?”

“They say… she declared she will become empress within a year.”

Macaron let out a dry laugh and flipped over the hourglass.

“How shall we handle this?”

The endlessly crumbling sand fell downward as though heralding someone’s doom. Stroking the glass, Macaron muttered in a low voice:

“Leave her be.”

“…Your Majesty? But wouldn’t it be better to summon her and give a stern warning at least?”

“That’s only for when you care. A runaway foal should be left to climb until it reaches the cliff’s edge.”

“…Do you have some plan in mind?”

Macaron wanted nothing more than to shove Evelyn off the cliff immediately. As emperor, it would be easy to devise any number of ways to make that happen. Yet the throne carried its own weight. The higher one climbed, the more eyes followed every single move. The throne was both the seat looking down upon all and the seat that must endure everyone’s gaze.

For now, Macaron lacked sufficient justification to bring Evelyn to that point. But so long as he didn’t touch her directly, there would be no problem. By pressuring House Reflere, he would slowly tighten the noose around Evelyn’s neck. She might think stepping down was the end, but for Macaron, that was merely the beginning.

“What about the matter of their commercial rights?”

“For now, all imperial contracts with Reflere’s trading rights have been sequentially severed. We’re also imposing inspections on their import and export goods with suffocating strictness.”

Whatever had happened that day, he could ask Calypse. It wasn’t too late to smash the hourglass afterward.

The problem was that Calypse had vanished into hiding in some place impossible to find.

Macaron lifted his head. His face was much thinner than before.

“And Calypse?”

“We are searching with all our strength, but still nothing…”

“Have you exhausted even the shadow corps’ investigations?”

“Yes. Even after deploying the Shadow Knights, she couldn’t be found. Perhaps she has left the empire…”

Macaron pressed his broad hand to his forehead, his expression dark. By now, most would have given up, but he showed no sign of surrender.

“What about hiring large-scale magicians?”

“All the towers except the southern one have agreed to cooperate. But Duke Meringue is so elusive that we haven’t been able to contact him…”

Momont trailed off, bowing deeply.

“If she is still within the empire, they should be sufficient.”

There was still some hope. But if even large-scale magicians failed to locate her, then the likelihood she was no longer in the empire would rise sharply. If Calypse had crossed the borders, then close cooperation with foreign nations would be necessary.

If she ended up in a country hostile to us…

In that case, finding Calypse would become a far more distant dream. Shaking his head against that dreadful thought, Macaron refused to dwell on the worst. Yet inside, his heart burned black with anguish.

“Where are the magicians now?”

“They are waiting for Your Majesty’s orders.”

After bowing, Momont handed Macaron a list of the magicians. Gazing down at it, Macaron’s face was heavy with conflict.

“Begin large-scale magic casting next week.”

“Where shall we start the search?”

“Conduct it across the entire empire simultaneously.”

In truth, wide-area magic required overturning numerous territories, employing extraordinarily complex spells. The cost of just one such magician was astronomical. Typically, large-scale magicians were hired by fledgling lords seeking to improve their lands or wealthy nobles wishing to increase productivity. Even then, they were so expensive that even the richest usually only hired them for a few estates.

But to unleash them across the whole empire at once?

Momont wondered if he had misheard. Even now, the magicians harbored resentment toward the emperor. Adding this burden would surely deepen their hostility. Yet, staring into those smoldering crimson eyes darkened to ash, no one dared voice objection.

“…As you command.”

At that time, in Duke Meringue’s territory, spring had blossomed with petals fluttering in the air.

“…Don’t tell me this is your doing, Marin?”

Flowers blooming in the dead of winter—it was strange, yet all the more beautiful for that. As I gazed upon the surreal sight, my thoughts drifted restlessly.

If Kai and Coral could see this, how delighted they would be.

And inevitably, those thoughts flowed further until they reached Macaron. Luckily, it seemed Marin hadn’t noticed. Smiling brightly at me, he replied with practiced ease:

“When magicians see a beauty, flowers bloom like this.”

“Then what—if they’re in a bad mood, do they call down lightning?”

Exchanging such trivial jokes as I boarded the carriage lifted my gloom just a little.

All the way toward the capital, I looked at the flowers, while Marin… looked only at me. It was only after a long while that I realized it.

“…Why are you staring like that?”

The moment I asked, I regretted it.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

No matter how many times I heard it, I couldn’t get used to his way of speaking. Letting out a hollow laugh, I turned my head and stared out the window. Then, out of nowhere, he spoke again:

“By the way… how old are you?”

Come to think of it, we still didn’t know each other’s ages. All I knew about him was his name and occupation. Seeing the curiosity on Marin’s face, I didn’t feel like answering so easily.

“How old do I look?”

He actually pondered seriously for a while before giving a textbook guess.

“Um… twenty?”

Objectively and subjectively, my face hardly looked twenty. I shrugged, and he frowned, reconsidering.

“Hmm… not twenty, then? But you’re definitely younger than me… twenty-two?”

Like a mischievous boy, Marin watched my expression closely. Since I neither confirmed nor denied, just smiling, he took that as agreement. He really seemed to believe I was twenty-two.

If he knew my real age, would he faint?

Age, after all, was the foundation of seniority—and a weapon as powerful as a nuclear bomb. Thinking of Marin politely calling me “noona” and treating me with extreme respect made me chuckle.

“I’m twenty-seven.”

As expected, Marin was speechless for a while. His shocked face finally produced words:

“You’re joking… you’re really…?”

“It’s true. Want proof?”

When I even showed him my identification, he could only rub his face in silence. Was my being older really such a world-shattering revelation?

“And you, Marin? How old are you?”

“…”

“Come on, be honest. You know what happens if you lie about age, right?”

I gave him a wicked look, and he recoiled in surprise.

“How can you say something so scary so casually?”

“Then hurry and tell me. Don’t even think of lying. You are younger than me, aren’t you?”

Instead of answering, Marin kept asking me again and again to confirm my age. For a fleeting moment, his expression fell completely. Well, having to call someone you thought younger than you “noona” would wound anyone’s pride.

When our eyes met, he forced a clumsy smile, as though trying to cover it up. Still, he couldn’t speak for quite some time. Snapping my fingers in front of his dazed face, I finally drew his emerald eyes back to me.

“So? How old are you?”

His gaze wavered, unfocused, then suddenly firmed with decision.

“…Twenty-seven.”

“The same age? You and me?”

Avoiding my eyes, he stared off into space and muttered barely above a whisper:

“…Yes.”

But why did he look so deflated earlier?

It was suspicious… but surely he wouldn’t actually lie about his age.

And if he did… how badly must he have wanted to avoid being my junior? I didn’t press further. Soon after, Marin regained his earlier confident expression.

“Since we’re the same age, how about we drop formal speech?”

I felt uneasy about it, but in the end, we agreed.

“…I guess so.”

“Great! Let’s go eat.”

Marin already seemed perfectly used to speaking informally, as though we’d been friends for ages. Compared to him, I was slower, but gradually, I too adjusted.

We ate, we walked through streets with beautiful scenery, and slowly, I grew accustomed to life with Marin. At times, guilt crept in when I caught myself enjoying things.

But I convinced myself that, as time passed, even in Macaron’s mind, my lingering image would fade. That he, and the children, would be fine without me. All I could do was rationalize and endure.

What I had to do was struggle, claw, and survive each and every day.

Yes. This is how I’ll live.

That was how I consoled myself.

Just as gloom can spread like infection, so too can the brightness of cheerful people draw others into their warmth. In that sense, Marin was an invaluable friend.

He took away the worn-out sorrow from me, and I received from him his radiant energy.