DTSML 10

Chapter 10

I blinked at Adrian, who had suddenly adopted such a serious air.
The tension was palpable, as though he was about to start a fight depending on the answer he received.
Meanwhile, Alferen remained perfectly composed despite the pointed question.
“Probably for the same reason you bought a whole mountain of things for Deli.”
“What?”
Adrian looked like he was one step away from transforming into a bloodthirsty demon.
“Let’s just say it’s out of concern for a friend’s younger sister.”
The two of them held each other’s gaze for quite some time.
Why are they fighting over a potion…?
I had no idea what to do with the tense atmosphere when Adrian suddenly relaxed and grumbled,
“Well, I suppose our Deli is so adorable and lovable that anyone would want to take care of her.”
Excuse me? Me?
I tilted my head in disbelief, but Adrian continued.
“Then can I use whatever’s left?”
So that was your goal all along?
No wonder he’d been acting so serious…
Honestly, there was no saving this man.
When I shook my head in exasperation, Alferen muttered in his usual indifferent tone,
“Do whatever you want.”
“Woohoo!”
Adrian cheered and swiftly snatched up the potion.
He was so irritating that even I couldn’t help frowning at him.
The three of us were chatting aimlessly when Adrian suddenly asked,
“By the way, can you stay here much longer? Isn’t there an aristocratic council meeting today?”
“I was just about to leave.”
Alferen smiled faintly as he rose from his seat.
His gaze lingered on me for a brief moment. He looked almost reluctant to leave.
“Deli, let’s pick up our conversation from earlier next time.”
At the mention of breaking off the engagement again, I stared at him blankly before asking,
“Are you really serious about it?”
“That depends on your answer.”
Alferen smirked and ruffled my hair.
“Get some rest.”
At his quiet whisper, I could only stare dazedly at his retreating figure.
It seemed Alferen was genuinely considering breaking off our engagement.
It was that easy?
If I’d known, I would have tried this method ages ago!
Adrian, who had been watching me intently as I stood there dumbfounded, casually asked,
“What were you two talking about to make you look like that?”
“It’s none of your business, Oppa. And give me that potion.”
Having his potion confiscated, Adrian pouted miserably.
“That’s so mean, Deli.”
I casually ignored him as he whined beside me, wearing a meaningful smile.
At last, there were signs that my prison ending was about to change!

On a peaceful, leisurely afternoon, Empress Consort Rosaria paid a visit to Nanael, who was elegantly sipping her tea.
“What brings you here? I’m honored by such a rare visit. Does that mean my brother has no plans today?”
She was referring to her mother, who spent every day attending to her older brother, Cesare.
Despite Nanael’s sarcasm, Empress Consort Rosaria pressed her lips together and stared at her daughter.
The maids standing nearby quietly withdrew under the pressure of her gaze. The moment they were alone, Rosaria abruptly slapped Nanael across the face.
Smack!
“You pathetic girl.”
After spitting out those words, Rosaria tossed something onto the table.
Nanael had been about to protest after being struck out of nowhere, but when she saw the document lying on the table, she let out an incredulous laugh.
It was a notice of annulment.
“You’ll soon find out what price you’ll have to pay for what you did today, Princess.”
Alferen’s earlier warning suddenly came back to her, and everything finally made sense.
“So this is what you meant?”
The backlash was far greater than she had anticipated.
Nanael found the situation absurd.
Even she had never imagined that he would change his position so completely, as easily as flipping his hand over.
Does he not care even if Father dies?
Or has he already found another way?
All sorts of thoughts swirled chaotically through her mind.
Rosaria continued her interrogation.
“Didn’t I tell you to watch your behavior? No matter how much leverage we have, your opponent is none other than Duke Ainluke! At a time like this, you should be helping your brother, not causing trouble! How exactly do you intend to resolve this mess?”
She then swept Nanael’s beloved tea set off the table and sent it crashing to the floor.
Crash!
Despite the deafening sound of shattering porcelain, Nanael calmly savored another sip of tea.
She acted as though none of this had anything to do with her.
And she knew perfectly well that her composure would only provoke Rosaria further.
In a cutting tone, Nanael murmured,
“So you really did come here because of my brother. Then again, you rarely bother to show your face unless it has something to do with him.”
“Stop talking nonsense. More importantly, go to the Duke right now and beg for his forgiveness.”
“What exactly have I done wrong?”
“Whatever it is! Didn’t you say that man was absolutely essential if you wanted your brother to become emperor?”
“I’m not the one becoming empress anyway.”
Nanael’s sarcastic remark provoked an immediate outburst from Rosaria.
“Nanael! If your brother doesn’t become emperor, we’re as good as dead! Do you not understand that? Where do you think everything you enjoy comes from?”
Rosaria began trembling violently, as though she were having a fit.
Having once been a princess of a fallen kingdom, her mother was obsessed with power.
She acted as though her life would be over if Cesare failed to become emperor.
After witnessing her mother’s neuroses for so many years, Nanael could hardly suppress her disgust.
“Fine. I’ll apologize, all right?”
Nanael answered halfheartedly, finished getting ready, and headed for the Magic Tower.

The Magic Tower served as both a strategic command center jointly established by the imperial family and House Ainluke and a research facility for mages.
It was where new magic circles were developed, mana was studied, and potions were manufactured.
By tradition, the position of Tower Master was given to the most magically gifted member of House Ainluke.
Thus, no one had objected when Alferen, renowned as a prodigy since childhood, became the Tower Master.
“Welcome back, Tower Master.”
When Eden Maker, his chief aide, greeted him, Alferen continued reviewing the documents in his hands as he asked,
“What are the experimental results?”
“The purification rate still can’t keep up with the rate of contamination. As expected, maintaining purification without holy water is…”
Eden lowered his head and trailed off.
Six years ago, the previous Duke Ainluke had sustained severe injuries and fallen into a coma.
Ever since then, Alferen had been working tirelessly to find a way to completely purify a corrupted mana core.
A mana core.
It was the vessel that stored mana and, in many ways, the equivalent of a mage’s heart.
Unfortunately, the previous Duke Ainluke’s mana core had been damaged during a subjugation mission, and he had yet to regain consciousness.
Alferen glanced at the potted plant in his study.
The blackened, withered tree radiated an ominous aura even at a glance.
It was a plant corrupted by demonic energy, one of the research samples.
“Eden. If the imperial family cuts off our supply of holy water, how long can we hold out?”
“Hard to say. Considering the unpredictable variables that could suddenly accelerate the contamination, I doubt we could last even six months.”
“Then we’ll have to succeed before that.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t let anyone into the laboratory today. I’ll be extracting a new sample.”
With those words, Alferen left the study.
Only Alferen and Eden had been conducting this research in secret. The other mages were not even permitted to approach it.
That restriction had become even more stringent after the previous duke collapsed and the imperial family began interfering excessively with the Magic Tower.
“What on earth is he planning?”
Eden was deeply worried about Alferen.
It was only natural for him to worry, seeing someone so young spend all his time shut away in the Magic Tower, doing nothing but research.
Later, while Eden was training a new mage, an unexpected visitor arrived.

By late afternoon, I had finally figured out my answer and headed straight for the Magic Tower, where Alferen was.
An opportunity like this didn’t come around every day.
My future was at stake, so I couldn’t afford to waste any time.
I stopped by a nearby café and bought a generous assortment of café mochas and desserts to melt his heart, then made my way to the Magic Tower.