AME 37

CH:37

Alesia shot up in bed. The wet towel fell to the floor with a soft thud, but she had no time to care.

“Why are you getting up?”

As soon as her consciousness returned, the world around her became vividly clear. It wasn’t a dream. The Kaon Ferdinand she was looking at was real.

How? Why? Why are you here? She had a hundred questions, but she was quickly distracted by Kaon.

Kaon Ferdinand calmly picked up the fallen towel and began folding it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, without hesitation, he dipped it into a bowl of water—one she hadn’t even noticed—and wrung it out with practiced ease. Every motion was fluid, like water flowing.

Instead of voicing the barrage of questions in her head, Alesia asked just one.

“That towel… did you do it?”

“No.”

Kaon denied it immediately, without a second of hesitation. She was puzzled by the quick response, but he added almost immediately,

“The maid probably did. I just came back from an inspection—when would I have had time to do that?”

“An inspection?”

This time, Alesia responded right away. She thought it was still morning, but if he’d already gone on an inspection, that meant it was evening.

She was now the only mage remaining in Ferdinand. The tower mages had left the territory as soon as their contracts ended, even before the new year began.

When she tried to sit up and check the time, Kaon gently pressed down on both her shoulders. He didn’t seem to apply much force, yet she couldn’t budge. Alesia had no choice but to lie back down.

“Nothing happened. Our knights aren’t that incompetent.”

Alesia bit her lip. She felt pathetic—unable to even manage her own health properly.

If Ingelos suddenly called her back ahead of schedule, she would have to hope that Kaon would speak up and object on her behalf.

She was already struggling to prove her worth, to solidify her place here by appearing perfect. And yet, here she was, so miserably weak.

Maybe, as her cousins always said, she really was born lacking. The self-doubt she had always tried to push away now overwhelmed her in an instant.

“Why do you try so hard?”

At that moment, a cool towel was placed back on her forehead. As she looked up, she met Kaon’s gaze. His face in the dim light looked conflicted.

“You don’t have to go that far. It’s not like it’ll change much anyway.”

“…”

Alesia stayed silent. Why was he asking her that? That was more confusing to her. If she worked hard, wasn’t that a good thing from his perspective? Why did he need to know the reason?

The reason was simple—because she had to leave a good impression. That was the only way she could buy more time in this place, until the day she could finally escape her wretched family.

And…

‘Because they need me here.’

Ferdinand was the first place where someone had ever said to her, “Thank you for your hard work,” and “We appreciate you.” For someone who had always been treated like a fool who couldn’t do anything, that meant everything. It was here that Alesia realized someone might actually want her.

Every day she spent in Ferdinand was meaningful. It wasn’t a life of hiding in fear of being noticed and hurt—it was a life moving forward.

Kaon Ferdinand could never truly understand how monumental that change was. He had never lived a life like hers.

“No one really notices though.”

“…But I do.”

Alesia answered firmly.

“I know. So it’s okay.”

Alesia had always lived with determination. She did everything she could just to survive. Even when she was told over and over to just die already, she never gave up.

She had put in the effort to awaken her magic, studied ancient magical texts for days to fit into the world of mages, and read every spellbook she could get her hands on—even while being beaten for being too bold.

No one might have recognized her efforts, but she knew them herself. So while she might be ashamed of her lack of talent, she was never ashamed of her efforts.

“I just… try my best. Hoping it helps in some way.”

And now, she knew one more person knew about her efforts. She might never hear those words again, but they were unforgettable.

Kaon Ferdinand, you said it too—you know.

Alesia closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to ask him to say it again.

Spring arrived again after a chaotic winter. A gentle breeze came through the open windows, brushing against his cheeks.

Kaon stood outside the office, looking at Joseph after being summoned by Leonidas for the first time in a while. His eyes silently asked if Joseph knew anything.

Joseph simply shrugged. “Even if you look at me like that, I really don’t know anything. I haven’t heard a word.”

“…I’m pretty sure you said the same thing when I heard about the engagement.”

“Did I? Well, then I was just as sincerely devoted to you then as I am now.”

“You…”

He’s the kind of guy who could survive anywhere, Kaon thought, shaking his head and knocking on the door.

“Leo.”

“Come in.”

The curt reply came, and when he entered, Leonidas looked up from a pile of documents. He had recently returned late last night from Ashuto, a territory in the northwest.

“Did you lose weight?”

“Not sure.”

“Looks like you did.”

Like Ferdinand, Ashuto was also plagued by monsters. However, Ashuto was smaller in size and had fewer mage problems thanks to the count’s son being a member of the mage tower.

Leonidas had taken over his father’s duties as acting head of house and continued the relationships with other territories. The long journey had clearly worn him down, sharpening his already serious expression.

“You should rest.”

“No time.”

Though Kaon’s voice was gentle out of concern, Leonidas responded coldly.

“The royal court banquet is soon. You need to prepare.”

“Is it that time already?”

“Yes.”

Every spring, when the sun started to warm the air, King Gaios would host a grand banquet. Unlike the regular court events, this was one all the nobles were expected to attend.

Leonidas handed over an invitation stamped with the royal seal—confirmation that the event was drawing near.

“Princess Odely will be returning too.”

“Princess Odely?”

The current king had a son and a daughter. He was especially doting on his daughter, Princess Odely.

To such a degree that when she wished to study abroad before coming of age, he vehemently objected. But when the princess locked herself in her room and refused to eat, the king gave in and prepared an entire escort party within three days.

That had been two years ago. And now she was already returning.

“What a circus this’ll be.”

Kaon was already annoyed at the thought. Banquets, where people watched each other and schemed with every breath, were the last place he wanted to be.

“This year, the young lady will attend as well.”

“…Alesia too?”

Kaon barely managed to suppress the instinctive scowl that almost crossed his face.

“Everyone knows you’re engaged. Not bringing her would be stranger.”

“Well… I guess that’s true.”

He reluctantly agreed. With most of the noble class attending, it was the best chance to present a desirable image.

Since the king had been turned down by both Ferdinand and Ingelos, he was likely in a bad mood. Kaon and Alesia had to at least pretend to be on good terms at the banquet.

“Everything fine with her?”

“What? Oh, yeah. All fine.”

Kaon forced a smile. The past few months while Leonidas had been gone had been anything but uneventful. If anything, too many things had happened, including things he wished he didn’t know.

But he couldn’t tell Leonidas any of it. It felt wrong to hide it from his sister, but saying anything would only make things worse.

Leonidas gave him a look, then nodded.

“She seems to be adjusting better than I expected. I hear she goes on inspections daily.”

“Yeah. She even collapsed from overwork.”

Kaon frowned, recalling that winter day. Even after that, Alesia kept working diligently.

When he heard she asked Morris for basic physical training to improve her stamina, he was speechless. Seeing her sometimes sprinting around the estate gave him a strange, indescribable feeling.

“Only two years left, huh.”

“What? Oh… yeah. Two years.”

He had briefly lost focus thinking of the tiny girl running with everything she had. Clearly, they were talking about the time left until the wedding.

Half a year already?

Kaon was a little surprised. That it had already been half a year—and yet only half a year. So much had happened that it felt like years had passed, and yet at the same time, the months had flown.

He wondered if one day he’d blink, and two years would be gone.

When that day comes…

Would Alesia still be by his side? Or would she return to Ingelos and disappear from his life?

Even if she tried her best, Alesia was not a true mage, and thinking of family interests meant he should want the latter.

But for some reason, that wasn’t easy.

That part of himself frustrated him most. And Kaon swallowed down a heavy sigh.