Unnamed Memory - Volume 4 - Chapter 7

7. Song of the Spinning Wheel

One afternoon, as temperatures edged higher and higher by the day, a woman floated upside down from the ceiling in the king of Farsas’s study. Her long black hair was bound in a ponytail, and she was dressed in the same type of simple, light clothing that a child might wear. Even so, this was unmistakably a royal of Tuldarr. Her head hanging listlessly, she asked the room’s owner, “It’s…so hot… Can I make it cooler in here?”

“Sure, but is it really that bad?”

“This is basically my first time being outside of Tuldarr…,” Tinasha reminded him, using magic to lower the temperature in the room somewhat. She descended to the floor in a lazy spiral.

Farsas and Tuldarr were neighbors, but the capital of Farsas was much warmer than that of Tuldarr, which was located farther north and at a high elevation. Moreover, Farsas was a naturally warm country. For someone raised in a cooler place like Tinasha had been, it was rough. The refreshing drop in temperature made Lazar look up from the documents he was sorting.

His eyes on his paperwork, Oscar said, “Since you’ve come and joined us on land, make some tea.”

“I admire you for being able to drink hot tea in this weather,” Tinasha replied. The tea things were already laid out alongside the wall, so she set to the task. Next to those implements sat a pitcher of cold water, which had been placed there for her benefit several days ago.

More than two weeks had passed since the conflict with Druza, and Tinasha had spent it commuting between her own country and Farsas. Roughly two-thirds of that time—about ten days—she’d been in Farsas. She returned to Tuldarr once every three days to prepare for her coronation.

However, she hadn’t departed for her homeland at all this week. Realizing this, Oscar cocked his head at her. “You’ve been hanging around here a lot lately. Did something happen with your analysis?”

“Uh… I’m a little stuck. There’s a part I just can’t make sense of…”

“Oh?”

“You could say this is a bit of a break for me. Maybe it’ll help me come up with something,” she said, then lifted off into the air again. She turned around several times in the air, knees bent.

Oscar smiled, not looking up from his papers. “You could just give up.”

“I won’t! Just wait a little longer,” she insisted.

“Well, if it doesn’t work out, you’ll have my child, right?”

“Yes. Once I’ve imprinted on the baby that their father has a terrible personality, I’ll hand them over to you.”

“You’ve got a hell of a personality yourself,” Oscar retorted.

Lazar frowned, sensing something loaded beneath the surface of these playful jokes.

Tinasha was destined to become the queen of a neighboring nation. From a diplomatic standpoint, she would want to avoid giving birth to the next heir of the Farsas throne. Surely Oscar understood that, too, but it did nothing to assuage the worries of the king’s attendant.

Tinasha dropped back to the floor again and started to pour perfectly steamed tea into cups. She placed a cup of the light-crimson liquid on the study desk and stared intently at Oscar. “If it’s a girl, I would keep it.”

“I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl,” he answered.

“That’s unexpected. But it wouldn’t be up to you.”

While they were definitely joking, the topic was still straying into rather specific territory. Alarmed, Lazar waved his arms in the air. “B-but you’re still analyzing the curse!”

“Yes, I am! I had almost forgotten! I’m working very hard on it!” Tinasha cried.

“Got it, got it. Do your best, then,” stated Oscar dismissively, reaching out for his cup and taking a sip. A pleasant scent wafted up from the steam. He set his stack of papers down for the moment and looked to Lazar next to him. “Heard anything interesting lately? I could use some exercise.”

“Even if I had, I wouldn’t offer aught that would tempt you to sneak out,” Lazar admitted primly. “But if I must, I’ll tell you that there’s rumors of a strange religious cult in the city.”

“A cult?” Oscar replied, his interest piqued.

Lazar gave a simple explanation of what he knew.

About a month ago, a faith worshipping a new deity—not one of the existing gods—had formed in the city. It steadily gathered believers while taking root in town.

“A new god? What kind?” Oscar pressed.

“Evidently, only believers find that out. It seems to be a religion that prizes power above all else,” Lazar answered.

“Dangerous ideas, then,” Tinasha remarked coolly, now seated in a chair.

Farsas enjoyed freedom of religion, but most people believed in the same deities of antiquity, such as Aeti. People worshipped the statues of those gods in the castle cathedral and at the eastern temple.

Tuldarr, on the other hand, was an atheistic nation; as might be expected from a country of mages. Its castle cathedral had an altar, but no statues or idols were present.

Oscar rested his chin in one hand, sounding displeased as he asked, “Should we investigate this?”

“Nothing suspicious has occurred. At most, those around the cult consider it a mere nuisance,” Lazar pointed out.

“I see…,” Oscar responded, finishing his tea and setting down the empty cup. The liquid had cooled quickly, most likely due to the lowered temperature in the room. Tinasha, however, got up and reached for the water pitcher, still feeling hot.

As she poured for herself, she recalled something and said, “Oh, right, I have plans with Legis tonight, so I’ll be heading back to Tuldarr.”

“Did that slip your mind until just now?” Oscar questioned skeptically.

“I—I didn’t forget, exactly… I learn a lot when I’m around him. His disposition is fairly different from yours, but he has the makings of a fine king,” she explained.

Oscar, having just been indirectly judged, frowned. It was partially because he didn’t care for how close Tinasha was to Legis, but that was a trivial concern. The thing that vexed him more was how she spoke of Legis like he’d be king, when she was the one currently set to rule Tuldarr.

“You’re talking like Legis is going to rule,” he remarked.

“Is that what you got from that?” Tinasha replied with a devious grin. Though she had been asleep for four hundred years, physically she was still nineteen years old. Legis was currently twenty-three, meaning that there was no way he could become king after her, barring unforeseen events.

Oscar found that suspicious but decided not to press the issue further. Tinasha was, after all, a young queen who had abdicated once before. No one could say what would happen in the future, and the same went for Oscar, who was a youthful king himself.

Tinasha took a sip of water from her cup, then her eyes bulged with shock, and she poured the contents of the cup back into the pitcher. After observing that, Oscar asked her, “What is it?”

“Nothing, just… It’s poisoned,” she answered, sounding unconcerned. Both men blanched upon hearing that. Oscar kicked his chair back as he stood up and ran over to her. He grabbed Tinasha’s chin in one hand and used the other to try to stick fingers down her throat to force her to vomit.

She rushed to stop him. “W-wait, wait! Magic potions don’t work on me!”

“…So you’re really fine?”

“I am,” Tinasha assured, the man’s fingers half in her mouth, her eyes watering.

Oscar trusted that and released her. The young woman massaged her neck. “The magic in my body is so powerful that it disintegrates normal potions, even enchanted ones. An ordinary person would die if they drank that, but it was nothing more than foul-tasting water to me.”

“That’s good, then… No, no, it’s not,” Oscar replied.

That pitcher was there specifically for Tinasha. Oscar had never touched it, and neither had Lazar, the two only partaking of tea. If things had gone badly, they could have had an international crisis on their hands.

But Tinasha, the victim of the lethal-poisoning attempt, folded her arms calmly. “There’s no end to the list of reasons why someone might want to kill me. I can’t make a guess, but based on the fact that they used a magic potion, this must be someone who thinks I’m an ordinary princess.”

“I’ll investigate. In the meantime, keep up a defensive barrier around yourself at all times,” Oscar instructed.

“All right,” Tinasha agreed.

“Sorry about this,” the king muttered, patting her head lightly as he issued orders to Lazar. Though the other man paled when he heard them, he set to the task immediately. Once the door closed behind him, Oscar sighed. “If you’re not opposed, it would be best if you stayed in Tuldarr until we know who’s responsible for this.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you, so I’ll come back tomorrow,” Tinasha said, offering him a smile with her eyes narrowed.

The sight of it tempted Oscar into drawing her into his arms. But instead, he pinched her cheek.

“Ow! What was that for?!” she yelped indignantly.

“No reason,” he replied.

Narrowing her eyes at his irrational behavior, she glared at him as he smirked back at her.

As the sun was setting, Tinasha used the transportation array that linked her rooms in each castle to return to Tuldarr.

Oscar was gravely concerned over the attempted poisoning, but Tinasha had been living with the danger of assassination since she was young. To her, it was nothing to fuss over. There were a multitude of reasons for someone to kill another.

After changing her clothes, Tinasha went to the reference library where Legis was waiting for her.

Today she had agreed to help him look through the materials that were not for loan and put them in order.

Many materials were for in-library use only, and the two planned to go through the most prohibited of all—those related to forbidden curses. Only the chief mage and royal family members of Tuldarr were allowed to peruse those volumes. While there weren’t very many, Tuldarr had still accumulated a few over the course of its nearly nine-hundred-year history.

Any new additions were placed with the rest, but they had not been sorted or organized.

The matter with Druza the previous month made Legis realize the importance of these tomes, thus he had persuaded the king and obtained permission to read and sort them.

Tinasha reached the reference library, dismissed the guards, and entered.

At a cursory glance, the reference library was a book-storage room lined wall-to-wall with shelves. She crossed the chamber packed with volumes and documents and touched a door on the far wall. It reacted to her royal contact and soundlessly opened inward. Beyond it stood Legis, his back to her and an old scroll in his hands.

He noticed the door opening and turned around. “Sorry to make you come here. I thought it would look a little suspicious for me to do this alone.”

“No, not at all. I’m curious, myself, so let me help,” she reassured him.

The two spread out the forbidden curse materials on a large desk. After Tinasha skimmed through all fifteen books, she said, “These seven detail countermeasures, and they look like they could be useful depending on the situation. I’ll set them down in writing later. This one, this one, and this one… I think we should destroy. They’re too dangerous. Also, these two assert a fundamentally incorrect interpretation of the rules of magic. We can destroy those as well. As for the last three, they aren’t anything threatening, so we can leave them alone.”

Nodding, Legis sorted the volumes as Tinasha advised, then locked the materials marked for destruction in a magically sealed box. After obtaining the king’s permission, these would be eradicated.

Tinasha picked up the most recent addition of the fifteen, a document from fifteen years ago. Written by a Tuldarr mage, it delineated a large-scale curse that could be used to target a major city.

In Tinasha’s eyes, however, it was nothing but impractical theorizing. The only one who could craft a spell like this alone would be her or a witch. And any who became a mage that powerful wouldn’t need a spell written by someone else. The nature of curses also meant one couldn’t be invoked by multiple spell casters.

“I acknowledge their enthusiasm, though…,” Tinasha whispered to herself with a faint smile as she helped Legis stow the documents.

The truly dangerous spells couldn’t be found scribed anywhere, even in a secluded place like this.

There were no written accounts of the magic and incident that had nearly brought disaster to the country four hundred years ago. Tinasha had witnessed it firsthand, however. She understood that so long as there were those who sought vast power to overturn the established order, a forbidden curse could arise at any moment.

She, perhaps better than anyone else, knew that such things could never be allowed.

After leaving the reference library, Tinasha and Legis sat down to dinner.

King Calste was out on an inspection of the territory annexed from Druza, so the two of them were alone at the long formal dining table.

Seated directly across from her, Legis asked, “How’s Farsas?”

“Hot. I can’t believe it isn’t even summer yet there,” she said with a sigh, shaking her head. Legis laughed.

Internally, Tinasha was relieved to see his reaction. She would never dream of telling Legis she had been poisoned that afternoon. It could mean her being banned from returning to Farsas. Tinasha smiled, though it was a rather shallow one.

Legis changed the subject to recent events in Druza. However, discussing the wyverns apparently made him think of something. “Oh yes, were you the one who gave that dragon to the king of Farsas?”

“I did, because Nark was originally his to begin with,” Tinasha answered reflexively. She realized her slip of the tongue when Legis’s expression changed to one of wary suspicion. Tinasha prayed Legis would let it slide. Unfortunately, he did not.

“What do you mean by that? I thought that dragon was something you brought with you from four hundred years ago. You told us that you were waiting for the ‘Akashia swordsman,’ but why him in particular? Records state that a king of Farsas from three generations ago visited Tuldarr, but he couldn’t get past the door underground.”

The questions kept coming, and Tinasha hung her head in shame like a child caught playing tricks.

She and Mila had discussed her reason for waiting until this era in particular in front of Legis before, but they had omitted the part about the man from the future. It had never been explained to Legis in full.

All he knew was that for some ambiguous reason related to settling a debt, Tinasha had waited until this time period. Legis thought she was aiding Oscar purely because he happened to be the one who woke her up.

Legis’s gaze, while not piercing, remained steadfastly trained on her. Making up her mind, Tinasha had everyone else cleared from the room. Solemnly, she began to speak. “I’m not sure if you’ll believe this, but…he saved me when I was young.”

“What?”

“To make a long story short…he was the one who traveled through time first. Backward, that is…”

Legis’s eyes grew wide. Indeed, he must have found it difficult to believe. No rule of magic even suggested returning to the past was possible. It wasn’t an issue of magical power—the act was simply impossible. Not even high-ranking demons were exempt from this law.

Tinasha went on, “As Oscar is now, he has no memory of that. When he saved me, it altered the course of history… He left Nark in my room. Evidently, I was originally the one to give it to him. That me isn’t the one who exists now, so I don’t have any memory of that, of course.”

The young woman winced a little as she elaborated, and Legis shook his head. After a little while, he summarized the astounding story he had just heard. “The king of Farsas met another version of you and received the dragon from her…and then after that, he traveled to the past and gave the dragon to your younger self?”

“Yes.”

“Is our king of Farsas really the same person as the one who did that?” Legis asked.

“I understand your doubt, but he truly is. Nark knows it, and I do, too,” Tinasha stated.

With a long sigh, Legis readjusted his sitting posture.

If this was true, it would shake the very foundations of magic research.

Any mage would laugh this story off as a fairy tale. However, the person telling Legis this was one of the most renowned queens in Tuldarr’s history.

“Have you told him…?” Legis inquired.

“No. It doesn’t have anything to do with his current self. He’s already gotten mad at me once before—told me not to look at him with such a faraway gaze,” Tinasha admitted, her eyes turning the tiniest bit lonely and distant. That separation encompassed four hundred years.

That unforgettable time now only existed as fragments inside the young woman’s mind.

After dinner, Legis parted from Tinasha and walked back alone through the hallways, refusing a guard escort.

He couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

Tinasha had revealed that not even she knew by what method Oscar had gone back in time. She herself had only been half convinced until waking and meeting him again.

And yet she had smiled when she said, “It’s possible that it was my previous self who undid his curse. That alone makes coming here worth it.”

Legis could only agree. He never dreamed Tinasha had been through such an astounding experience—nor that Oscar had always been so dear to her. Her casting aside everything and sleeping for centuries was all connected to him.

“Can I really compete with that?”

Legis smiled, his eyes downcast. There was a twinge of bitterness mixed into his expression.

Curiously, he didn’t feel annoyed. So long as she had a happy smile on her face, that sufficed. She was the legendary queen he had admired since he was a boy. When he met her in the flesh, he was surprised by her soft, open smile. In real life, she was quite adorable, and he found himself attracted to her.

And besides, the fight hadn’t begun yet. All she had was one memory from early adolescence. It wasn’t even one Oscar shared. That wasn’t enough yet for him to give up.

“Putting that aside, the idea of another version of her…”

Tinasha said she’d had to sleep for four hundred years to meet the Oscar who existed now.

So then how did her previous self meet his?

Considering how much magic Tinasha had, it was possible for her to use a magic sleep to survive for centuries. Even if she hadn’t employed stasis, Tinasha had a woman’s body, well adapted to magical power. It was conceivable that she could stay alive for well beyond a normal lifespan.

However, Legis only knew of one name for such a being. This symbolic word set apart women whose immense power made them feared and shunned.

As he pondered more and more, he closed his eyes even as he walked along.

That was when he felt someone touch his back, though he hadn’t sensed any people nearby.

Suspicious, he whirled around instinctively. He started to concentrate magic in his right hand.

Yet a spell never materialized. He was plunged into the dark of night without even catching a glimpse of the face of the person behind him.

While she was still in the study, Tinasha ran a test to determine who had created the potion she had unwittingly imbibed. But the result was created by an unknown person.

That at least told her that whoever made the potion was not in the castle, but it was still unacceptable that someone could have dosed a drink provided by the castle so easily. Oscar launched a strict investigation into who had prepared that pitcher of water and who had set it in the room.

“A lady-in-waiting named Claris prepared the water and brought it in. She is thirty-six this year and has no family. She came to work in the castle five years ago,” Lazar reported.

“Did she seem suspicious?” Oscar asked.

“Well, she claimed to know nothing, but she was acting evasive…”

“I’ll meet with her myself later,” Oscar replied, making no secret of his unhappiness with the contents of Lazar’s account.

While Tinasha’s stay in the castle was not public information, someone had still targeted this heir to the throne of a neighboring country. If this lady-in-waiting proved to be the culprit, an execution would await her no matter her reasons.

“Oh yeah, I haven’t seen Tinasha around. Is she all right?” Oscar asked. At almost the same time, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was her, Oscar told the person to enter, but he was surprised to find Tinasha’s mystical spirit there instead of the woman herself.

“Lady Tinasha says to tell you she will not be returning today. This is confidential, but Prince Legis was attacked last night and is currently in a coma. She’ll be there in Tuldarr awhile to heal him,” Mila informed them.

Oscar and Lazar paled. In the span of one day, both heirs to the Tuldarr throne had been attacked.

“Do you know who did it?” Oscar questioned.

“No. Lady Tinasha was extremely angry and may tear the fugitive limb from limb when she finds them,” answered Mila. With a wave of her hand good-bye, she disappeared.

In shock, Lazar murmured, “I wonder if the same people are responsible for our case.”

“If they are, they have freakishly good execution,” Oscar remarked.

While Tuldarr and Farsas shared a border, the castles were still quite far apart. The distance wouldn’t be much for a mage who could use teleportation, but the attacks still came virtually back-to-back.

“What the hell is going on…? I thought all these mysterious plots had ended along with the Druza situation. Is it something else?”

Oscar rested his chin in one hand, pulling a face as he contemplated what in the world was happening.

Legis’s assailant had enchanted him with two spells, one to induce sleep and another to keep him that way. The combination rendered him comatose.

Cursing the long-gone attacker, Tinasha set about stabilizing his physical condition and analyzing the spells. Because they were blended together, she had to inspect both simultaneously.

Calste, who had rushed back once he heard of his son’s accident, asked her, “How is it going, Lady Tinasha? Will you be able to work it out?”

As she continued her analysis, Tinasha answered, “I plan to have the pattern of the spell keeping his body comatose drawn out by tomorrow. At the longest, this will take three weeks. It might take less time if we catch who did this, though.”

“I’ll heighten our security. However, at present we’ve had no reports of an intruder…”

“This was carried out so well that someone on the inside may be involved. Do you know what projects Prince Legis was involved in recently?” she asked.

Calste brought a hand to his mouth thoughtfully. “The biggest would be the forbidden curse… The others are all on the smaller side. I’ll research everything and draft up a document.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Tinasha responded.

After Calste left the room, the only ones remaining were two guard soldiers, Tinasha, and the unconscious Legis. Even in repose, his face exuded his noble upbringing. She glanced at him. “So long as you’re a member of the royal family, this sort of thing is unfortunately to be expected…”

She tied her ink black hair up into a messy ponytail and held her left hand out over Legis’s body.

A spell configuration made of red threads floated up into the air.

Glaring at the array some unknown person had crafted, Tinasha began her incantation.

After Oscar finished his work for the morning, he went to the room where the lady-in-waiting suspect was being held.

Claris shrank back to see that the king had come in person, bowing her head low.

Oscar got straight to the point. “Do you know why I’m here?”

“I-if this is about the poison, I don’t know anything…,” the woman muttered, her face cast down as she trembled in fear.

Eyeing Claris coldly, Oscar drew a chair over and sat down. He stared right into her eyes.

After inhaling deeply, the young king stated seriously yet calmly, “It’s not public information, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know, but I’ve asked that woman to do something very important for me. Her efforts concern the continued existence of the Farsas royal family. That’s why I keep her with me.”

“S-something very important…?” repeated Claris.

“Yes. Over the past fifteen years, everyone else has concluded it to be hopeless. She’s the only one who’s working hard to solve the issue. If an unfortunate event befell her, it wouldn’t just have a negative effect on Tuldarr. It would destroy the Farsas royal family.”

Claris’s jaw dropped. It sounded like a joke, but his gaze bored into her with its sincerity. It was also clear from his eyes that he was deeply displeased. A dawning sense of horror jolted through her whole body.

The blood drained from Claris’s face, and she clapped both hands over her mouth. She fell to the floor, whimpering. “I-I’m so very sorry. I never dreamed that would be the case…”

“Where did you get the poison?”

“A man in town I’d never seen before… He told me that Princess Tinasha is actually a witch and that she’s trying to seduce and deceive Your Majesty… He also explained that because she’s a witch, the poison wouldn’t kill her…”

Annoyed, Oscar clicked his tongue. He hadn’t thought Claris would have acted alone, but if she didn’t know who the mysterious instigator was, their trail would soon run dry. “Why did you believe a tale like that? I know she’s far from normal, but she’s not a witch. She’s a queen of Tuldarr.”

“I’m very sorry…” Claris sniffled, then broke into a sob and covered her face.

Who was the man who gave Claris the potion, and what was his goal? Did he know it would have no effect on Tinasha, or had that only been a lie to manipulate Claris? The more he thought about it, the more his head started to hurt.

“Doan will come to take your full testimony, so tell him everything. Even though you weren’t trying to kill her, that poison is still a lethal one. I hope you understand what that means for you,” Oscar said.

“O-of course…,” she whispered.

For a second, the king cast her a pitying look, but those feelings dissipated instantly.

Even if Tinasha consented to him pardoning her, some things should never be forgiven so ambiguously. He knew very well what his duty and his responsibility entailed.

After that, a written report about the man who deceived Claris was drafted based on her admissions.

He wore a mage’s robe pulled low over his eyes and said he hailed from Tuldarr. He called Tinasha the fifth witch who was sealed underneath the castle. Claris believed him after he showed her proof that Tinasha’s birth records were not in Tuldarr, despite her princess status.

“Well, of course they’re not. How did Legis explain it to foreign nations?”

“He asserted that Tinasha was a distant relative in the royal family tree and that her rich magical powers were why they made her heir to the throne…,” answered Lazar.

“And I suppose that if anyone looked into the matter, they’d discover there is no actual distant relative like her,” Oscar mused. He was about to say that Legis should have falsified some records but then remembered the prince was in a coma and held his tongue.

Doan continued with his report. “Claris stated she never saw the man’s face clearly. He spoke to her in the market and appeared to know she worked in the castle.”

“For now, scour the town for anyone matching that description. And check with all working in the castle to see if they’ve encountered suspicious characters lately,” ordered Oscar.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Doan replied, departing to see to the task.

With that enigmatic man at large, and no other leads, this case would end with Claris’s execution.

A new turning point for Farsas came four days after Tinasha was poisoned.

A week after Legis had been ensorcelled, Tinasha was poring through his responsibilities as she worked on her analysis of the enchantment. In just the past week, she had gone through more than fifty cases and projects he was involved in. She thought the link to his assailant might be among them.

Although she had taken over the things Legis was actively working on, the mages who worked under him were digging up information on the projects he had already completed. One of these, a man named Renart, came to report to Tinasha that he had completed his inspection.

“There was one suspicious thing. Last year, we had a change in chief mage. Evidently, His Highness had begun a second investigation of the new one,” Renart explained.

Tinasha, who was mid-analysis, asked, “Was there something strange there?”

“I think he was in the process of checking as much. The new chief mage is a man named Lobros, and it’s possible that His Highness suspected him of embezzling public funds. He was keeping tabs on Lobros’s research expenses since becoming chief mage,” Renart replied.

Tinasha paused in her work and crossed her arms. She turned around to face Renart. “So Legis didn’t find any proof of embezzling?”

“It appears that way. I probed the matter myself, and nothing seemed outright corrupt,” he answered.

“Give me your personal opinion. What kind of person is Lobros?”

“Short,” Renart responded flatly.

Tinasha couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Renart’s subdued, apathetic personality made a very good impression on her. She had interacted with him many times over the past week, and she judged him capable and trustworthy. Tinasha had some comfort in the fact that at least she had found a good person to work with.

The future queen of Tuldarr brought a hand to her chin and flashed a smile full of the intimidating air she didn’t normally reveal. “I’ve uncovered something good, too. I would have noticed it sooner had I prioritized my work on the enchantment.”

“Which one is our top priority?” Renart asked.

“I would say both are. Let’s set a little trap. No one’s made any moves since Legis was attacked, so we can assume our enemy is on their best behavior. Let’s shake things up a bit—until they have to act,” proposed Tinasha, grinning fearlessly. Renart nodded.

Until now, all they had done was weather the attacks that came.

From here on, however, they would flip offense and defense. Tinasha had no intention of being lenient on scheming or anyone who approved of it.

Tinasha gave Renart several instructions, then started laying a trap of her own.

Five days before Tinasha began preparations for her counterattack in Tuldarr, a strange guest visited Farsas Castle.

Oscar attempted to turn them away at the door initially, but then he thought of something and admitted the visitor to the audience chamber. The king made no attempt to hide his amused expression. Before him stood Minister of the Interior Nessan, Chief Mage Kumu, Als—who had taken over the duties of the recently retired Ettard—as well as Doan the mage and Lazar. All of them stared suspiciously at this sudden arrival.

The woman swept into a graceful curtsy, a seductive smile on her lovely face. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Majesty. My name is Delilah. Upon learning of the witch’s curse that afflicts you, I felt I simply must come. Please find a place for me at your side. I have the power to withstand the curse.”

Everyone except for Oscar reacted to that with looks of alarm and dismay.

Delilah fixed her chestnut-brown eyes on Oscar, appearing well aware of her charms—from her long, curly red hair to her voluptuous curves—and how to utilize them.

With a shallow grin, the king met her gaze. “How did you know that? That knowledge is supposed to be classified.”

“I come from a family of fortune-tellers. We are never wrong,” she replied.

“How fascinating. Then why have you chosen now to come?” Oscar questioned.

“Last month, my mother did a reading that told her I was to be the one to fulfill that role. In truth, I intended to come here sooner, but we are a family of travelers. It took some time to arrive here,” Delilah explained.

Oscar hummed noncommittally in response. He looked the woman up and down appraisingly. She bore his brazen gaze with a smile.

“Kumu, can you tell how much magic she has?” asked Oscar.

“I can see she has a considerable amount, but I can’t say whether it’s enough to stand up to the curse… I believe the princess of Tuldarr would know,” Kumu answered.

“That’s too bad. She’s busy right now,” Oscar muttered.

He hadn’t seen Tinasha in several days, which was enough to leave Oscar feeling that they hadn’t met in quite a long time. Mila occasionally came to check on him, but things in Tuldarr didn’t seem to be progressing. Tinasha was constantly tending to the comatose Legis.

Resting an elbow on the armrest and his chin on one hand, Oscar said to Delilah breezily, “Well, it’s your word. Even if you can’t bear the curse, I trust you’ll take responsibility for your claim. We’ll make up a room for you. Live there as you please.”

Oscar’s advisers’ jaws all dropped in shock when they heard his decision. Panicked, Lazar raised a hand. “W-wait just a moment. Princess Tinasha is…”

“Shut up and stay quiet,” Oscar commanded in a tone that brooked no refusal, and Lazar did just that. The king narrowed his eyes at his other advisers. “I have decided. There should be no objections, right?”

Ordinarily, their lord did not act this overbearing. While the group was baffled by his uncharacteristically unilateral decision, they bowed their heads in assent.

Flashing a confident smile, Delilah sank into a bow. As Doan took in her alluring figure, he thought with dread of what would happen when Tinasha returned. A chill ran up his spine. It was obvious that the beautiful princess was very attached to Oscar. He didn’t want to think about what it would be like when that attachment turned to jealousy.

Looking around, he saw that Als appeared to be feeling much the same. The advisers all exchanged glances and sighed to themselves.

Ordinarily, anyone without permission could not so much as stand in front of the door to the Tuldarr magical reference library that housed nearly every book and text on magic. It was one of the places in the palace that was off-limits.

Inside that repository, Chief Mage Lobros kept his inner anxiety from showing through. The guards stationed in the hallway had simply bowed and said nothing when he entered the room. Lobros was one of the few who only had to show their face to enter.

He surveyed the empty chamber and moved to the door at the back. Beyond that were the even more important texts…including the ones on forbidden curses.

Gingerly, he touched the chill surface of the closed entrance and gave his name. “I am Lobros, chief mage of Tuldarr, and I request passage.”

In response, the door slowly swung open. He swallowed nervously. Lobros had taken on the title of chief mage a little under a year ago, but this was the first time he had gone past this door.

Normally, no one was allowed into this room alone without permission, not even the chief mage, which is why Lobros’s face was tight with tension as he tiptoed in. He used magic to light up the dark room.

“…Okay.”

After checking to make sure the door had shut behind him, Lobros opened up a transportation array.

Several seconds later, a white hand reached in from the other side of it. He got ahold of it and pulled the person to him.

A petite young woman emerged from the half-closed portal. She surveyed the bookcases lining the room and snorted. “This is the reference library where they keep the information on forbidden curses?”

“It is. Do it fast. They’ll get suspicious if I’m in here too long,” Lobros warned.

“Then you have to help me, too,” she insisted accusatively. Lobros resented that tone but started to rifle through the shelves nonetheless.

Before long, they uncovered what they were after—the texts marked PENDING and placed next to the forbidden curse materials labeled FOR DISPOSAL and tightly sealed up. She picked up one of them.

Unmitigated glee oozed from her face. “This is it… How dare they hoard away such a sublime text all this time…”

“It’s meaningless, which is why I set it aside,” came a sudden voice as cold as ice.

Lobros and the woman frantically scanned the room. A man and a woman had appeared against one wall—Tinasha, the next queen, and Renart, a well-known, sharp, and able mage.

Tinasha flashed Lobros a smile. “Under normal circumstances, you would not be able to open up a portal from inside this room. I made some adjustments just for tonight. Did they come in handy for you?”

“P-Princess Tinasha… Whatever are you doing here?” he stammered.

“I won’t allow you to try to talk your way out of this. It would be a waste of time. Recognize the position you’re in.”

Her grin was overpowering, and Lobros fell to his knees with a groan. Renart stepped over to him and grabbed his arm. “Chief Mage Lobros, we will interrogate you in detail later about the attack on Prince Legis and about your infiltration of the reference library. Oh, and about the funds you embezzled.”

Renart slapped sealing ornaments on the other man. Having been thoroughly exposed, Lobros hung his head.

Tinasha, however, had already lost interest in him. She turned her attention to the young woman who had broken in.

The woman licked her lips lightly, then smiled despite her nerves. “How did you know? Did Lobros’s idiocy give it away?”

“No. The enchantment you put on Legis… After a lot of analysis, I’ve discovered that it possesses the same characteristics as that forbidden curse designed to be used against an entire city. Are you related to its author—or perhaps his disciple?” said Tinasha.

“My grandfather wrote this document. His whole life’s work and research was confiscated by the palace. In the end, he died of a broken heart!” the woman cried.

“Someone should have warned him while he was pouring his life into this…,” muttered Tinasha, dumbfounded.

Immediately, the woman screeched indignantly, “It would be so easy to destroy another country with that spell! My grandfather made that so we could fight back against Tayiri, where mages are persecuted! But you people sealed it up and persecuted him! He was the one thinking of Tuldarr above all else!”

After her tirade, she stamped her feet on the well-polished floor. The woman’s furious antics forced a cynical smile to appear on Renart’s face. “I’m from Tayiri, but I’ve never wished that it be destroyed. And besides, if Tuldarr used a forbidden curse, our own political position would only worsen. I appreciate that he was thinking of the country, but surely you can admit his methods were warped?”

Tinasha grinned when she heard the concise argument. The woman seemed to falter for a moment but still refused to accept it. “I’ll use this to prove that it’s power that holds the real meaning here.”

“While I’d like to say you’re free to try…,” Tinasha began, straightening up from where she was leaning against a bookshelf. As the woman’s eyes darted around irritably, Tinasha stretched out a hand toward her. “We’re dealing with another matter entirely. The fact is that you attacked Legis. Now reveal your spell.”

“I refuse! Not for a prince who was trying to erase this magic!”

“It was set aside as pending, not for disposal, because it can do neither harm nor good.”

“Shut up!” the woman shrieked as an intangible shock wave struck the room. Bookshelves lurched dangerously. However, Tinasha, Renart, and even the cowering Lobros were protected by a barrier and thus unharmed.

Tinasha gave a little sigh and closed her eyes. Then, very slowly, she opened them again.

A bright light flickered in those abyssal orbs, powerful enough to subdue others. Her lips split in a smirk that revealed the strength of her magic. “I don’t really care if you refuse. I’ll simply break the curse normally, then. You’re an excellent curse maker, but I’d wager that means you’re not cut out for a one-on-one fight.”

“What are you…?”

“Since we’re all here, I’ll educate you on what it truly means to have strength,” Tinasha said. No sooner had she done so than an overwhelming blast of magic materialized.

The woman let out a voiceless scream as pure power descended on her.

“Lobros tended to get carried away easily, so when he was drunk at a tavern in town, he let it slip about the embezzlement to a woman sitting nearby. She’s been blackmailing him to get information about the castle goings-on,” Renart reported.

Without turning to face him, Tinasha smiled grimly. “She had something on Lobros and was waiting the whole time for her opportunity to take back her grandfather’s forbidden curse texts. And then she heard that Legis wanted to organize some of those writings.”

“It’s obvious based on what happened with Druza that his main aim would be to destroy them, not just sort through them. In any case, she wanted to stop Prince Legis,” surmised Renart.

“She has good technique, but the way she went about it was sloppy. It makes all her prudence up until that point meaningless,” Tinasha remarked.

“It sounds like she didn’t factor Your Highness into her calculations. With the whole palace in chaos over the prince’s condition, she decided there wouldn’t be much in her way once Lobros slipped into the reference library. Well, all this really happened because word got out that the forbidden curse texts might be destroyed soon,” Renart concluded.

“You did excellent work. Thank you.”

“It was my honor,” Renart responded, and Tinasha smiled as she sensed that he had bowed his head.

Still facing the scrying bowl, Tinasha picked up a large bag of documents. Inside it were all the forbidden curse texts. “Nothing good will come of having these around. Ultimately, I don’t think we should keep the ones I set aside as pending, either.”

There was a touch of self-deprecation in her words. Then she set the bag ablaze in her hands.

As Renart watched, stunned, the flames burned only the bag and its contents away, until they shrank into nothing. With a wave of her hand, Tinasha caused the bits of ash that had fluttered to the floor to vanish.

“Ten days until the analysis is done. After that, I believe it’ll be another week until Legis is recovered. Which should be no problem at all. I’ll be with him during that time, so pass all his work to me,” Tinasha commanded.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ll let Calste take care of the guilty parties. Compile a report on them, along with what happened to Legis. Oh, and there’s one thing I want you to look up.”

“What is it?” Renart inquired.

“Lobros insisted he wasn’t the one who leaked the information about destroying the curse texts; someone told him about it. It’s possible he was simply trying to talk his way out, but find out whether there was another person involved.”

Tinasha thought back to the attempted poisoning in Farsas. If there were other assailants yet to come, she couldn’t leave things be.

Renart bowed in acquiescence and exited. Tinasha let out a deep sigh.

It had taken longer than she would have preferred, but it seemed this matter was resolved. Had the woman who’d attacked Legis never learned of Lobros’s embezzling, she may have been able to live out her life in peace, even if she’d resented the Tuldarr government.

People meeting one another, and their fates intertwining, could be truly perilous at times. If Tinasha hadn’t met him when she was young, she may have lived an entirely different life. Things could have happened the way he told her they would—him begging for her to marry him four hundred years later.

“…No way.”

Just the thought of it made Tinasha giggle. Putting aside the Oscar of the past, the current Oscar only thought of her as a meddlesome cat. She was sure he wouldn’t marry her even if she asked.

As though in response to that, her cheeks puffed up. Suddenly, she found herself wondering how Farsas was doing. Tinasha had been away for a while.

Oscar had a defensive barrier against magic placed on him. If he received any sort of magic attack, she would know right away. She hadn’t sensed any changes, which must have been proof that all was well.

If Tinasha wanted to go, all she had to do was teleport over.

Yet she couldn’t. She knew this was to be the distance between them once they were both rulers of their nations.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s not like I want him.”

As Tinasha whispered those words to herself, the beautiful shape of her lips twisted a little.

In the Farsas Castle lounge frequented by the mages, the aroma of tea always hung in the air.

Taking a break there with two of her colleagues, Sylvia wore an uncharacteristically sour face. “I hate her.”

“Don’t say that so openly. What if someone overhears?” Doan chided her, frowning as he looked over some documents.

It had been two weeks since Tinasha, princess of Tuldarr, had departed Farsas for her homeland and hadn’t returned.

The woman Sylvia spoke of so resentfully was Delilah, who had virtually replaced Tinasha since her arrival.

“I mean, she’s condescending, always looking down on us! Who does that woman think she is?!” cried Sylvia.

“The royal mistress,” answered Doan.

In frustration, Sylvia raked her nails down the table, making a terrible screeching noise.

Kav looked up from his book. “But she has a lot of magic. She really might be a higher class of mage.”

“Magic alone doesn’t decide superiority among mages!” Sylvia protested, roughly thumping a fist.

The two men suppressed a sigh at Sylvia’s fit. It was true that Delilah swanned about like she outclassed everyone else, flaunting the king’s favor, but it didn’t bother either of them because that was expected behavior from a royal favorite. Kav and Doan exchanged glances, as if to say that maybe Sylvia was only so upset because she was jealous.

“Oh, I wonder if Princess Tinasha will be coming back anytime soon…,” moaned Sylvia.

“Stop saying such frightening things,” Doan warned.

“Why?” Sylvia retorted.

Instead of answering, Doan gave an exaggerated shrug. The king had told him to be careful, because if Tinasha got angry, she’d destroy everything in her path. That said, the one most likely to be the source of that rage was the king himself.

That called into question why Oscar had invited Delilah in. None would deny she was a voluptuous creature, but the king wasn’t the sort to be swayed by that. What exactly had swayed his opinion?

Kav, who was unaware of the finer details surrounding everyone’s circumstances, spoke optimistically. “Personality aside, she’s a better match for the king than Princess Tinasha, don’t you think?”

“You’re being rather glib, too,” remarked Doan.

“What about her is a good match?! Do you really think a traveling fortune-teller is worthy of the king?” hissed Sylvia.

“I mean, there’s no way His Highness could wed the queen of another country,” reasoned Kav.

The conversation was jumping from one extreme to the other. Delilah had only wormed her way in because of the curse on the royal family, but Tinasha was in the process of breaking that spell. If nothing interrupted her progress, the king’s problem would be no more. Doing anything to jeopardize that would not bode well for ending the curse.

However, according to Oscar, he didn’t intend to mention Tinasha’s efforts to Delilah. At the moment, the king’s advisers had no idea what he was thinking and could only silently obey.

“Well, His Majesty’s still young. It’s not really something to get upset over,” Doan stated, sounding as if this conversation had grown vexing. Ending things there, he stood up.

At the same time, Lazar was in the Farsas study, handing documents to his king with an unhappy look on his face.

He said nothing, simply gazing at Oscar dispiritedly. The king ignored his friend at first but eventually couldn’t bear it and set down his pen. “Why are you acting so annoying? Stop looking like that.”

“Your Majesty… Unfortunately, I cannot approve of your keeping that woman near you. What are you thinking?” Lazar pleaded.

“Good question.”

Lazar, Oscar’s friend since childhood and royal attendant, knew that his king was not starved for choices of women to marry, let alone play with.

So why would he choose now to suddenly keep a woman like Delilah in his company? If this was about an heir, him waiting for Tinasha to break the curse was the best course of action. And if he wanted a mistress, Lazar thought selecting a more tight-lipped woman of obvious good lineage a prudent decision.

“Don’t tell me…you’re doing this to anger Princess Tinasha on purpose?” Lazar asked, horrified.

“If I were, what would I do after she destroys the castle? I’m not that much of an eccentric,” Oscar countered.

“Then, in that case, you don’t have very good taste. I feel sorry for Princess Tinasha, toiling away on your curse,” admitted Lazar.

“Do you want me to get together with her or separate myself from her? Pick one,” Oscar said flatly.

“I’m hoping for a middle path!” Lazar exclaimed.

The king set down his documents and leaned against the back of his chair. Sighing deeply, he crossed his legs. “For now, just leave it alone. She’s still busy curing Legis and won’t be back for a while.”

This morning, word had come that Tuldarr captured the culprits.

But in the end, those arrested had no connection to the man who tried to poison Tinasha in Farsas. At present, Tuldarr was investigating whether anyone else was involved but didn’t know if that would turn up any leads.

Still looking unhappy, Lazar set a cup of tea before his king. The taste was considerably different compared to the tea Tinasha made; Oscar sipped at it silently. When he noticed that his attendant was still looking at him reproachfully, Oscar broke into a sly smile. “Well, she does feel better in my arms than Tinasha, who’s way too bony.”

“You are the worst!” Lazar shouted, gathering up the documents Oscar had processed. As he headed for the door, he gave his candid opinion. “In any case, sort this out quickly! Before you send Princess Tinasha into a fit of rage!”

He slammed the door shut, and Oscar burst out laughing. Then he abruptly stopped and muttered, “It would be best if it gets sorted before she comes back.”

The king’s voice sounded terribly cold and regal.

Delilah crept along a deserted corridor deep within Farsas Castle, then stopped before the door to a room.

She was granted a fair number of privileges as the royal favorite, but several places were off-limits. This room, guarded by an airtight anti-trespassing barrier on the door, was one of them.

Delilah hovered an ivory-white hand just before the elaborate, delicate spell.

At her fingertips, a spell illuminated—

“What are you doing there?” came the sudden voice of a man.

Delilah pulled her hand back, turning around slowly and confidently.

There stood Als, the youngest general of Farsas. Delilah’s red lips broke into a smile, and she didn’t falter in the least. “Oh, I was just curious about what’s in this room…”

“That chamber is for our guest from Tuldarr, although she’s currently in her home country. No one can enter without her permission,” Als said.

“Is that right? I’m so very sorry,” Delilah apologized, and she turned to stroll away with fluid, graceful movements.

Suspicious, Als watched her go until she was out of sight.

With the criminals in custody, Tinasha worked on analyzing the enchantment on Legis while carrying out daily royal duties.

Though she did have Renart to help her, the speed and accuracy with which she carried out these tasks was extraordinary. Those who knew nothing of her origins and had derided Tinasha as “a girl whose only merit is her magic” were forced to reevaluate her.

In a council room with documents fanned out all around her, Tinasha made some tea and offered Renart a cup with a smile. “I did all kinds of work like this in the past, but the Traditionalists hated me and decided whatever I did was sloppy.”

“I suspect that, to them, it was less sloppy and more Reformist,” Renart replied calmly. He had gained Tinasha’s trust, and she had recently revealed her true origins to him. “It’s because you started to accept mages from Tayiri that my mother and I are alive today. Thank you.”

His nonchalant expression of gratitude brought a chagrined, embarrassed smile to Tinasha’s lips. Because Renart was born with magic, his mother fled Tayiri with him when he was very young and settled in Tuldarr. If he were still living in Tayiri, he would have been facing a lifetime of oppression.

Asked to take the throne in two eras now, Tinasha reflected back on her reign. “Four hundred years ago, the ruling family’s absolute power was considered very important, especially since the system was for the strongest to inherit the throne. But I don’t know what it’s like now. Druza has split apart; I don’t think we need to threaten other countries.”

“I think that’s what strength does. Showing off too much during peacetime will lead to unnecessary vigilance. However, we don’t know when something will happen,” Renart said.

“That’s true. But from a broad scope, it’s dangerous if a country’s power isn’t something that can be nurtured more extensively. Tuldarr’s mystical spirits and Akashia of Farsas are precarious absolutes that rely on the might of individuals and their bloodlines. We need to prioritize strength that’s stabilized throughout the populace instead of expecting a select few to have all the power… We’ve grown beyond the Dark Age, so I believe we can change the shape of the nation as well.”

What people referred to as the Dark Age was an era of devastating warfare that began over a thousand years ago and lasted for seven centuries. Nearly all the major nations surviving to this day had been forged amid those conflicts.

Tuldarr’s mystical spirits and Farsas’s Akashia appeared during that period as well—cores each country gathered around. Yet nowadays, when both were established as Great Nations, such artifacts seemed useless to Tinasha.

There would still be skirmishes requiring Akashia, like the recent incident with Druza, but she expected that the future would be different now that nations had agreed to the treaty forbidding the use of extreme magical power in war.

In awe of how she always had her eyes set on the horizon, Renart bowed his head. “I am at your service for whatever you may require, my queen.”

Tinasha winced at his proclamation.

Time periods were always alive with change as long as there were people to set that change in motion.

Delilah, dozing lightly on a bed in a dark room, felt a tapping on her ivory shoulder that drew her back to reality. She glanced up to see a man at the bedside staring down at her. “You can’t sleep here. Go back to your room.”

From her position on her back, she gazed up into his eyes, the color of the sky just after dusk. “How cold. It’s already been two weeks.”

“That doesn’t matter. I can’t rest with someone in the bed with me,” he countered.

“Has that been the case with all your other girls?” Delilah asked.

“Mm, you could say that,” Oscar answered. The only exception was the extraordinary mage from Tuldarr. She had fallen asleep on her own and appeared so defenseless that Oscar had regarded her as merely a cat in bed with him and let her stay. Although for a cat, she took up too much room and refused to get out of bed the next day, which were annoying qualities.

Delilah gave the young king a searching look.

If he was standing there, that meant he must have gotten out of bed while she was sleeping. For a moment, anxiety over what he may have been doing during that time flashed through her mind, but he wasn’t wearing his sword, which for him meant he considered himself off duty. At the very least, Delilah had never seen him wear Akashia while they were spending time together. Surely, that was proof he wasn’t on his guard.

Very slowly, Delilah sat up in bed. She pulled her gown on to cover her sweetly scented bare skin. Her red lips, visible even in the darkness, formed a smile. “Oh yes, the other day I got lost in the castle. I found a room I couldn’t go into. General Als got very mad at me and said it belonged to someone from Tuldarr.”

“Ah, Tinasha’s room? That area doesn’t belong to Farsas, even though it is part of the castle. There’s all sorts of incomprehensible magic implements in there, so of course no one can go in,” Oscar replied dismissively, sitting down on the bed. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t working, but he didn’t seem to hold any interest in anything. Delilah had never seen him smile except for when they had met in the audience chamber. He didn’t seem like the type to be indulgent with women. However, that was all conjecture on Delilah’s part.

She cozied up to him, blinking her soft and purposely coquettish brown eyes up at him. “What kind of person is she? I’m very curious.”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about. She’s going to become queen of a neighboring country. It’s best to curry her favor, so I allow her in and out; that’s all. You two wouldn’t get along.”

“Really?”

“You’re so persistent. Turn your interest elsewhere. If there’s anything you want, I’ll give it to you,” Oscar stated.

Delilah’s eyes grew wide at his unprecedented offer. Then she flashed him a radiant smile.

Winding her soft arms around his neck, she pressed herself against him and whispered, “No, there’s nothing. All I need is to be here with you.”

“How admirable,” Oscar praised in a calm, gentle tone.

Yet despite his words, the king only stared over the top of her head into the mirror, his gaze devoid of emotion.

A month had now passed since Tinasha stopped coming to Farsas Castle. Sylvia had about reached the limit of her patience, because all day long Delilah strutted about the castle, bossing around the soldiers and mages. She was beautiful and exuded sensuality, so the men weren’t particularly bothered by it, but it did not go over well at all with the women. Delilah’s mocking attitude toward them made it very difficult for Sylvia to keep her cool.

On one particular day, while Sylvia was fuming as per usual, Doan and Kav were determined to steer clear of the subject as they carried spell books through the castle hallways.

Outside the glassless windows, the weather was lovely. A blue sky studded with white clouds seemed to go on forever.

Distracted by the pleasant sight outside, Sylvia narrowly missed bumping into someone as she rounded a corner. At the last second, Doan yanked her back. She rushed to apologize and bow to the other person, but her face immediately stiffened when she saw who it was. Standing there was none other than the person she least wished to see, Delilah.

Delilah stared at all of them, especially Sylvia, before snorting. Winding one curly red strand of hair around her finger, she threw out her chest proudly. “I understand you must be very busy, but I would appreciate if you looked where you were going.”

“…I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t you think the king would be terribly sad if something was to happen to me?” Delilah purred.

Sylvia very nearly said that he wouldn’t. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back and bowed her head. Doan and Kav exchanged discomfited glances.

Delilah continued to press her point with Sylvia, who still had her head bowed low. “You don’t think very much of me, evidently. It’s written all over your face. I’m shocked you can serve the court like that. Or do you perhaps have a male patron of some sort? I’m ever so jealous of the cute types.”

“…”

Kav could virtually hear Sylvia’s blood vessels popping. She snapped her head up, face flushed with anger.

As she was about to fire back some choice words, Doan and Kav dropped their books and rushed to pull Sylvia’s arms behind her. Kav slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sylvia, don’t. You know you shouldn’t.”

“If you have something to say, by all means let me hear it,” Delilah needled.

Furious, Sylvia drove her elbow into Kav’s belly. He doubled over in pain, while Sylvia straightened up and glared at Delilah. Shaking with rage, she opened her mouth to speak.

“I am—”

Before she could go on, however, a clear, bright voice came from behind them. “Doan, it’s been so long. You too, Kav and Sylvia.”

All three whirled around. Standing there at the window was one very rare mage, smiling. There was a mystical spirit accompanying her.

The skirt of the formfitting mage’s robe Tinasha wore fluttered in the breeze. Her legs, visible from beneath it, were so slender they looked breakable. She turned a carefree smile on her friends. “Doan, did someone try to get into my room while I was away? There are signs of attempted tampering with the barrier… Ah, what’s happening here?”

Tinasha broke off after noticing Kav on the ground, Sylvia with her mouth wide open, and Delilah standing beyond them. She cocked her head in confusion.

Doan felt a chill run down his spine. He had known Tinasha would return soon, but he never anticipated she would run into Delilah right away. It was inevitable that they would meet eventually, and he had prayed he would have nothing to do with it, if at all possible.

However, Doan summoned all his emotional strength and pasted a smile on his face as he picked up his books and walked over to her. “It’s been a long time. I heard that things have been resolved in Tuldarr. Nothing about your barrier rings a bell, but I’ll look into it. Actually, would you like to have some tea? Come on, let’s go.”

Doan spoke so rapidly Tinasha couldn’t get a word in edgewise as he attempted to herd her far away.

However, Tinasha frowned, peering at Sylvia over Doan’s shoulder. “What’s wrong with Sylvia?”

“Princess Tinasha…,” Sylvia muttered, all her energy gone now that the princess from Tuldarr had returned. Her eyes soon welled up with tears.

Shocked by her friend’s emotional state, Tinasha rushed over to her. She was about to ask for more details when Delilah cut in. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize you. Are you a mage?”

For a moment, Tinasha glanced over at Delilah suspiciously, but then she broke into a wan grin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Tinasha of Tuldarr.”

Delilah’s eyes widened.

Both of them were beautiful, but their dispositions could not have been more dissimilar.

While Delilah was very clearly on her guard, Tinasha’s inherent air of nobility remained unshakable. She did not have to answer to anyone, and her composure and coolness had been honed over the course of many years. She wore the face only one raised as royalty could possess.

Delilah crossed her arms and puffed out her ample chest, then addressed Tinasha in a pompous tone. “Well, well, well. So you’re the princess of Tuldarr. Judging by the look of things, you appear to be quite close with this mage girl here. Perhaps you should choose your friends a little more carefully. Apparently, she’s the sort to cozy up to anyone in a position of authority, not just men.”

Her words were laced with barbs, and Sylvia’s face turned bright red. She wasn’t about to fight back in front of Tinasha, though.

Dumbfounded by Delilah’s snide warning, Tinasha looked from her to Sylvia, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Tinasha turned back to Delilah.

Her dark eyes narrowed. When she spoke, her voice was like ice. “I am at a loss to understand what you’re trying to say. Who are you to tell me what you think without even introducing yourself? If you lack even the most basic of manners, no one will want to listen to your opinions. Assuming, of course, that they’re not as misguided and laughable as what you just said.”

Tinasha’s scathing criticism came delivered in a soft tone. The impact was such that Delilah was unable to speak for a moment. Tinasha ignored her and looked to Doan. “Who is she?”

I didn’t want you to ask me! Doan screamed internally.

Still, he answered reluctantly. “Her name is Delilah… She is the king’s…”

“Oscar’s what?”

“Why did you stop there?” came a man’s voice from around the corner.

Doan wished fervently and honestly that he could run away from this place at top speed. Glancing over, he saw that Kav seemed to be entirely thrown by the worsening situation. Behind Tinasha, the color drained from Sylvia’s face.

When the man rounded the corner, his eyes grew wide when he caught sight of the black-haired woman. “Tinasha, you’re back.”

“It’s been quite some time,” she replied, lifting a hand in greeting. She hadn’t seen the king of Farsas in a month.

He grinned at her, same as ever. “How’s Legis doing?”

“Fortunately, he’s recovered. Evidently, it was too unconventional for me to be doing his job, so I’ve been dismissed,” Tinasha responded.

“Too unconventional? You’re going to be queen,” Oscar pointed out.

“I intend to create a very different sort of country,” she replied matter-of-factly, and Oscar burst out laughing.

It was then that Delilah, who had been half forgotten, grabbed Oscar’s arm in a clear bid to garner his attention. Mila, who had merely watched this entire time, let out a low whistle when she saw that.

“Your Majesty, you were so right. I don’t think I’m going to get along with her at all,” Delilah cooed, gazing up at Oscar kittenishly.

Tinasha gaped at Delilah, then looked at Doan and Sylvia. Pale-faced, Doan nodded, while Sylvia shook her head, still on the verge of tears. Their diametrically opposing reactions gave Tinasha a vague sense of what was going on.

Unsure of how to react, Tinasha glanced back over at Delilah. “Well… If I were the type to get along with you, it might call my character into question. Thus, for my part, that’s fine with me.”

“Excuse me?! Your Majesty, say something to her!” Delilah cried.

“Don’t you say a word, Oscar,” Tinasha warned him, then turned to Delilah. “I don’t choose my friends based on how high status or powerful they may be. That has no bearing at all when it comes to my social life. Or perhaps you labor under the delusion that a powerful man by your side will elevate your own status? I don’t mind if you parade around on someone else’s authority, but I won’t remain silent should you insult my friend.”

Tinasha stood dauntless and firm as she criticized Delilah, whose gorgeous face twisted angrily. Unable to offer a retort, her lips quivered in rage.

Sensing she wouldn’t have to fend off a counterstatement, Tinasha broke out in a rare type of beguiling grin. With the eyes of a queen, she stared Delilah down. In the face of such a soul-binding smile, Delilah was struck breathless, forgetting even her outrage.

A shivery sort of allure held her captive. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from its irresistible gravitational pull.

Oscar sighed as he looked down at Delilah, pale and caught in Tinasha’s thrall. He used his free hand to wave at the black-haired mage. “Don’t overpower her. That’s my woman you’re talking to.”

“In that case, keep her caged up. Anything could happen when she wanders free with no collar and chain,” chided Tinasha.

“I’ll think about it,” Oscar said with a dry smile, then led Delilah away. Now back to her senses, Delilah tossed a triumphant smile at Tinasha as she passed. Tinasha kept calm, not gratifying the other woman with a reaction.

Once they were out of sight, Doan finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Still, he knew it wasn’t over the second he saw Delilah toss that smile over her shoulder. All the blood drained from his face.

“Who was that rude woman? I would very much appreciate if you could tell me all about her,” Tinasha stated imperiously, her tone brooking no refusal.

“Ah. I see. She’s the royal mistress.” Tinasha spoke in a voice as cold as ice, and Kav ducked his head instinctively.

They had all retired to the lounge, compelled by Tinasha to explain about Delilah. Floating in the air, Mila smirked in amusement. “What? So you got rejected again, Lady Tinasha?”

“Mila, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. Do you think I have feelings for that irritating man?” Tinasha replied, all smiles as she glanced up at her spirit.

The smirk froze on Mila’s face. “Ah-ha-ha-ha… Never mind. Don’t get mad for real.”

“Oh, I’m not,” assured Tinasha.

A porcelain vase placed against the wall shattered with a high-pitched noise. Tinasha clicked her tongue at that development, then summoned a sealing earring into her hand and put it on.

The spirit girl quickly dodged in midair. “I-I’m going to go check on Legis!”

Mila disappeared, leaving the three mages behind.

Don’t rile her up and then just run away, Doan and Kav both thought.

They needed to pacify Tinasha before she blew up the castle. Doan, who understood best what was really going on, started by indirectly referring to the reason Delilah was welcomed into the castle. “I mean, His Majesty has that to contend with, doesn’t he? She said she can manage it.”

Doan had to word things awkwardly to skirt around classified subjects, but Tinasha managed to glean his meaning. She tilted her head to one side, her shapely eyebrows knit. “That’s…impossible, at her power level. She’d die.”

“What?! R-really?”

“Really. No ordinary level of magic can endure something like that. I’m a bit abnormal, so I could, but half my magic was something I acquired. No matter how great a mage you are, it’s impossible if all you’re armed with is the power you had at birth,” Tinasha confirmed.

Delilah had received special treatment this whole time because it was believed she could survive Oscar’s curse. It would be an entirely different story if that turned out to be a lie. Was she tricking the king knowing it would put her own life in danger, or had someone else deceived her?

Once he grasped the facts, Doan leaped to his feet. “I’ll go tell His Majesty.”

“Don’t you think he knows? It’s his excuse for so blatantly indulging her.”

“Princess Tinasha…”

With the way she was talking about Oscar and falsely accusing him, she either didn’t trust the king at all or was incredibly angry with him.

Doan propped his arms on the table to support himself as his body grew weak.

Smiling, at least outwardly, Tinasha went on. “Or is it some sort of roundabout concern for me? Implying I don’t need to work on breaking the curse anymore? I am having a hard time with it. How kind of him.”

“W-wait, please…”

Cracks appeared in five windowpanes, one after another. Sylvia watched it happen, shrinking away apprehensively. Tinasha summoned another sealing ornament and put the ring on her finger, but it did nothing to stem the tide of magic in the room.

Tinasha’s smile had remained unwavering, but now irritation flashed in her eyes for the first time. She gave up on grinning and pulled a sullen face. Carelessly, she raked her black hair back. “I don’t even know what to say… It’s all gotten so ridiculous. I’m leaving. I can’t look at his face.”

There was no doubting whom she was referring to. Tinasha took a moment to call up a spell, then vanished from the room.

In the lounge after the storm had gone, the three mages all exchanged glances, each of them wearing a different expression.

The castle city of Farsas was visible far in the distance to the south.

Tinasha had teleported away without using an incantation to a place high in the sky, where she hovered motionless looking down below her.

Here, where there was nothing but open, rolling plains, she could go unnoticed by anyone even if some of her magic leaked out.

She yanked off the sealing ornaments and dismissed them. As she did, a bolt of lightning flashed across the clear sky.

Observing her magic as it ran amok, Tinasha cursed him. “He’s really so…incorrigible…and annoying!”

Unable to hold them back, the words burst out of her, sounding even to her own ears like the cries of a child.

The heat running through Tinasha seemed to change color and erupt into flames. She used one hand to gather up the magic leaking out of her in bits and pieces. That vast power instantly formed a huge, sparking ball of light. Holding it in her hand, she eyed the castle in the distance.

If she wanted to destroy the structure, she could, even from here. Wiping it out would take only a moment.

She had the power to do so. Her lip curled.

“…So stupid,” Tinasha mumbled, feeling all the more overwhelmed now that she’d voiced her vexations.

Trying to wield her strength in childish anger only made her look foolish. So did the fact that she was the kind of person to lose her temper over something like this. Foolish—and pathetic.

Tinasha thought she already knew he had no interest in her. And she couldn’t do anything about him going for another woman instead of waiting for her time-consuming curse breaking to be done. Letting a thing like that wound her was absolutely immature.

Despite understanding as much, it didn’t change how mortified Tinasha felt.

“Oscar, I hate you!” she grumbled like a spoiled kid after extinguishing the ball of light in her hand.

The gripe wasn’t meant for the present Oscar, but the one she had met many years ago. Back then, he often waxed poetic about his wife, the other Tinasha. He seemed to cherish her from the bottom of his heart. But what did that mean for her current self? The only way for her to interpret this was that she lacked the qualities to attract him.

“He promised he’d make me happy…” Tinasha bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. She knew it was misguided for her to lash out at Oscar’s past self, but her heart ached so much when she remembered what he had said to her. In the end, she was nothing but a coddled little girl.

I didn’t come here because I’m in love with him and want him. There’s no way I’d desire someone like that.

Even so, Tinasha felt a little lonely, as if she were the only one out of place in this era. She had nowhere and no one’s arms she could return to.

If the young woman could conquer this loneliness…would she become something else?

Tinasha shut her eyes, lost in childhood fantasies.

As her fertile imagination raced, a man suddenly spoke, snapping her from her reverie. “What do we have here? That’s a good look on you.”

His voice hummed in the air, and her eyes flew open in surprise.

Tinasha was high enough in the air that no one else should have been able to reach her. Yet there before her floated a man—a silver-haired, black-eyed, terribly beautiful fellow. There was an ethereal and inhuman quality to him, with a teasing smile plastered across his face.

“Travis…,” Tinasha muttered.

The man snorted and looked askance at her. “I guess it’s been four hundred years. Oh, but you were asleep, so perhaps it’s like yesterday for you? Not like that’s a significant amount of time for me, either.”

“It has been a while… What are you doing here?” Tinasha asked.

“I came to get a load of your gloomy little face,” he replied, his expression that of someone gleefully rubbing salt in someone else’s wounds. Tinasha scowled.

Travis had conducted himself this way four centuries ago, as well. To the demon king, who was fond of humans and loved to meddle in their affairs, Tinasha’s suffering was nothing more than a delectable snack for him to feast on with some wine.

However, he was the one who suggested Tinasha go into stasis and chase after Oscar. She was grateful to him for that.

After some time smirking as he savored Tinasha’s sullen face, Travis swept both arms out dramatically. “Whatever is the matter? You used a magic sleep to see him, but he won’t look at you in the way you desire? You poor thing.”

He truly had come to rub salt in her wounds, and Tinasha hung her head dejectedly. Feebly, she argued back. “No, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting anything from him…”

“Don’t try to act like it doesn’t bother you. That only makes you look even more pitiable,” Travis stated.

“Ugh…”

Perhaps he’d been watching all along, or maybe he had the power to learn about the situation now that he was on the scene. Travis laughed mockingly. “You need only kill that woman, right? You could turn her to charcoal in a flash.”

“Humans can’t do things like that…”

“Who else does things like that but humans? We certainly don’t,” Travis said, sniffing cynically. His assertion was oddly persuasive, and Tinasha struggled to respond.

It was truly outrageous. People had infinite reasons for killing one another.

However, Tinasha disliked the notion of murdering for her own lust. No matter how powerful the emotion was, she didn’t want it to lead her astray. If that could happen, she’d rather have no feelings at all.

The young woman bit her lip as Travis eyed her appraisingly. “Do you not have your mystical spirits or whatever anymore?”

“I returned them when I abdicated the throne. I only have Mila left, though she’s in Tuldarr now,” Tinasha answered.

“Hmm,” Travis responded disinterestedly. With a grand flourish, he offered a hand to Tinasha. It was fairer and prettier than most women’s. When Tinasha looked at it, Travis smiled. “If you don’t want to kill her, then you could always die, yes? Because it’s too painful to live?”

“What?” Tinasha questioned, stunned. The man’s words had been too blithe and abrupt, leaving her dumbfounded. Tinasha’s body moved instinctively to weave a spell, however. Travis didn’t joke about things like that. He did everything seriously, and it was all play to him. She had learned that firsthand.

Immense magic amassed at his fingertips, enough to change the whole atmosphere. Carelessly, he flung it at her.

“Ngh!”

The energy, powerful enough to eradicate anything, rushed violently at Tinasha. She let a defensive barrier take the hit.

Yet the spiral vortex of magic washed her away, barrier and all. She let it ferry her some distance back from Travis.

Shivers chilled her body. Her heartbeat thudded out of control.

Travis smirked, amused.

The second wave came from the right. If taken head-on, the attack would tear Tinasha apart; she eluded it by turning aside.

Travis mocked, “Come on, face me and take it. It’s no fun toying with a defenseless girl. Or are you just suicidal?”

“I still have a few things I need to do, so I don’t want to die…,” Tinasha stated, a spell coming to life in her palms. A mighty cruciform sword took shape in midair and slashed at Travis.

But with a light wave of his hand, he dissolved it. “Are you underestimating me? If you haven’t made any progress in four hundred years, then let me blast your guts open,” Travis hissed, his smile a lurid gash on his face.

Licking her lips nervously, Tinasha dashed through the air.

She recited a short incantation. The direction of the wind changed. Offsetting the formless power that assailed her on all sides and swallowing it up, she sent it back. The wild winds howled and grated harshly.

I never thought I’d end up having to fight him again.

Centuries ago, Tinasha had suffered a crushing defeat at Travis’s hands, and that was with all twelve of her spirits. Glancing down at her blood-drenched state then, Travis had decided that she was interesting, so he would let her owe him, and he healed her.

Now the time had come to settle that debt, and there was no way Tinasha would resign herself to death by his hands. She still hadn’t repaid Oscar for anything nor told him anything. She wanted to keep living.

For just a second, Tinasha closed her eyes.

The moment lasted an eternity. When she opened them again, she found herself on a battlefield.

“I will decide when I die,” the young woman declared, composing an impossibly intricate spell. Tightly interwoven white strands of magic swelled and multiplied, the spell terrifying in its sheer density.

If this power came from her very core, then it would stand as proof. Tinasha would rise above this. She would hold her head up high.

Trusting in herself, Tinasha let the energy fly.

When Delilah returned to her room, she burst out in an irrepressible smile.

Upon meeting Tinasha in person, she was certainly overwhelmed by her beauty and charisma, but Delilah was the one the king had defended in the end. He chose her over that pretty princess. That was absolutely good enough.

Delilah sat on her bed and set the vanity case she brought to the castle with her on her lap. She opened the box and inserted a thin nail file into the gap behind the mirror pasted to the underside of the lid. The gap widened, and a scrap of paper fell out. She unfolded it, spread it out, and saw that a magical sigil was drawn there.

Holding her hand over the mark, she murmured her incantation.

“Let my voice carry, tied to a single wing of old.”

Once infused with her magic, the sigil glowed. A spell configuration rose to the surface of the paper.

After several seconds, an old man’s voice spoke from above the mark. “Delilah? How are things going?”

“Perfectly. I’ve won the king’s favor,” she informed him smugly.

Her contact seemed to fall into thought for a short while. Seeking confirmation, he asked, “What’s happening with the Tuldarr princess?”

“I met her, but she won’t be a problem,” Delilah replied.

“It doesn’t look like the poison worked. Drive her away if possible. And if you can, destroy that spell she’s in the middle of analyzing, too.”

“I can’t break into her room. If you really need that done, send some help,” Delilah complained petulantly.

The man snorted. “Impossible. Fine, just drive her away, then. Do you think you can get into the treasure vault?”

“I think so, if I request it of him. He told me I can ask for whatever I want,” Delilah bragged.

“Be careful. If you make it in, look for the box. It contains an orb inlaid with a tiny sigil.”

“All right.”

Delilah could control men as she pleased. However, this was her best one yet. She wanted to stay here forever if possible. His power and sweetness were melting her soul.

Still, she had to do what she was here for. Forgetting that spelled death no matter where Delilah fled. The old man was threat enough, but there was also that other man.

Abruptly, there came a knock at the door.

With a faint smile, Delilah quickly ended the call and folded the paper back up like it was. She slid it behind the mirror, shut the lid, and returned the box to its spot on her vanity table.

With an air of innocence, she called back, “Yes, what is it?”

“It’s me,” said her lover before entering. He stared right at her. “What were you doing?”

“Nothing at all, just thinking of you,” Delilah lied.

Oscar gave a low laugh. Delilah frowned when she noticed Akashia belted at his waist.

“Are you heading out somewhere?”

“No. I’m not going anywhere,” the king assured, unsheathing the sword. He leveled the tip of it at Delilah.

She was left stunned and frozen by this turn of events. Only his voice was gentle as he murmured, “You were very, very careful. I didn’t think it would take a month for you to slip up. Because of you, Tinasha’s upset. I might have to replace all the windowpanes again.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

“Did you not realize we’ve been watching you this whole time? Kumu’s been tracking your calls,” Oscar revealed.

Delilah instantly paled, clapping both hands over her open mouth. Excuses that might get her out of this ran circles through her mind.

I have to say something. I can’t back down here.

Mustering all her energy, she turned her soulful, pleading eyes on Oscar. She reached both hands out in supplication. “Your Majesty, they used me and threatened me. My feelings for you are real.”

“Whatever you’ve got to say, you can say it to Als,” Oscar declared, stepping aside. Now that he wasn’t blocking the door anymore, Delilah could see that Als and some soldiers were standing ready. The woman was aghast as she realized what that meant. “Arrest her. Put some sealing ornaments on her, too.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Als, and he came in to grab Delilah by the arm.

As Oscar sheathed Akashia, Delilah shouted at him, “Wh-what do you think you’re doing to me?! You’re doomed without my help!”

“We’ll manage. Later, I’ll find out who put you up to this, but I’ve got someone who can break my curse. She’s even offered to bear my children if that doesn’t work out. A strange one, to be certain, but she’s a hell of a woman. That’s enough for me.”

Delilah’s eyes grew so round she couldn’t open them any further.

At the same time, Als inhaled sharply. Until now, he had never heard Oscar speak a positive word about Tinasha. This whole time, he was never able to work out whether Oscar really did think so little of her or if his insults disguised an attraction.

Still, knowing the truth changed nothing.

Oscar’s and Tinasha’s positions made it difficult for them to be together. If Oscar really did manage to make her his, it would be once breaking the curse had proved impossible. Aware of how complicated everything was, Als cast his eyes down.

The soldiers dragged Delilah out of the room as she made strange keening noises. Before they departed, Als turned back to bow good-bye to his king, only to find him gazing out the window with a faraway expression.

Tinasha ached all over. She had far too many injuries to count.

A short incantation stopped the bleeding on her leg. Without a moment’s delay, she teleported a few steps to the right.

Immediately after, a great black maw passed through where she had been moments earlier. The spray of magic kicked up stung her with lingering waves of pain. Tinasha traced a bloody finger through the air.

“I call upon the primeval waters, a torrent of life and death. Engulf everything and dominate what once was.”

Upon the spell’s completion, four thick pillars of water sprung up around her. They surged into a roaring whirlpool, though Travis remained unfazed. Tinasha pointed at him. “Go!”

The liquid columns rushed at the man from every direction at terrifying speed. All at once, he vanished amid the deluge.

As she made sure he wasn’t reemerging, she began a new spell.

“Let my voice reverberate. I define it as a symbol of my wishes. May a breath of wind be deemed a blessing. For the manifestation of…”

“Don’t use a double incantation right in front of my face,” said a voice from right behind her.

In a panic, Tinasha cut the recitation short and ducked. She teleported a distance away.

“Ow!”

In a delayed reaction, searing pain lanced through her left arm. She looked down to see that a chunk of flesh was missing from the limb. Bone was visible. Though it hurt something fierce, Tinasha stanched only the bleeding and numbed the pain. Torn flesh would take time to restore, and she didn’t have that luxury at the moment.

Travis loitered in the air, a bored look on his face. His left hand was dripping with wet crimson.

“You don’t have any of your spirits, do you? Don’t leave yourself wide open like that,” he drawled.

“Yes, but…”

As Mila had pointed out once before, Tinasha had only ever fought in the rear guard. Aside from doubling her incantations, she didn’t know what else to do.

Regardless, she was up against the virtually all-powerful demon king. His magic was in an entirely different league, not to mention his combat skills. Forget about winning—Tinasha couldn’t even survive a head-on challenge like this.

I need to think…

Controlling her breathing, Tinasha sought after an idea.

Even as she did, countless blades of wind bore down upon her from all sides. The relentless, inescapable hail of attacks continued to buffet the young woman.

There wasn’t the smallest pause in the onslaught.

Taking a sharp inhale, Tinasha deftly weaved through the storm, each strike missing her by a hairbreadth.

I should be able…to make it even more precise and well honed…

She focused her mind. Her thoughts cleared.

Tinasha got ahold of all the paths of her magic. She sensed them quite distinctly, whether they were behind her or above her.

All her years of experience started to catch up to the future, always one moment ahead.

“…Sing.”

A spell exploded out.

It was made up of infinite lines of magic woven together, beautifully intertwined as it expanded. Though each and every strand was so fine it was almost invisible, the spell still deflected all the wind blades. Tinasha was utilizing the minimum amount of power to defend against a storm of attacks.

Travis whistled. “Did you finally get serious? Your moves are better than they were last time.”

Not only that—they were superior to what they’d been several minutes ago. Tinasha was transforming into someone who existed purely to fight, not in the vanguard or in the rear.

Travis eyed the woman with amusement before muttering, “But you’ve still got a ways to go.”

Then he launched an invisible net toward her.

She noticed it and leaped out of the way, but it pursued her as if possessed by a will of its own.

“…Ngh!”

Beams of light erupted from Tinasha, tearing the net apart. Unfortunately, it stitched itself back together in an instant and resumed pursuit.

It caught her foot, slicing right through the skin and getting ahold of her bone.

“AAAAAAHHHH!”

Burning pain wrecked her concentration. Tinasha panicked. The net kept twining around her body; she writhed as terrible agony devoured her.

Travis jeered, “What, over so soon? How dull. My loss for getting my hopes up. Should I make your little crush pay for the rest?”

With pain bleaching her mind, Tinasha only barely managed to hear Travis.

Anything was preferable to that.

“Ah…”

Energy emanated out from all over her body, powerful magic without a spell. It burned up the net, which vanished.

Wounded all over, Tinasha glared at Travis, her abyssal eyes glinting murderously. “I won’t let you get anywhere near him.”

“…That’s a good expression. I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. But you’ll die with all that blood rushing to your head, you know,” he taunted.

“I will rip you apart!” Tinasha cried, cloaking her right arm in magic and leaping at him.

The power around her hand turned into a giant black sickle, which she used to slash at him.

However, Travis evaded the scythe hurtling toward him by dodging neatly to the side.

The sickle scattered into pieces.

Launching herself higher and teleporting away, Tinasha began an incantation.

The sight of her racing through the sky on her bloodied limbs was abnormally beautiful.

Kumu, who had been tracking Delilah’s communications, soon identified a building in the city as her partner’s location. Oscar flashed a derisive smile when he heard that report. “So it was that shady cult, huh? Got it. Head straight there and arrest the whole lot of them. Don’t let a single one escape.”

Meredina bowed upon receiving that order and left the room. Kumu watched her go, then frowned. “Your Majesty… I can sense powerful waves of magic coming from the north.”

“How far north?” questioned Oscar.

“About halfway between the capital and the village of Tennett… It’s…as intense as a forbidden curse,” Kumu answered.

“What did you say?”

The cult situation shouldn’t have involved anyone capable of something like that. Oscar fell into grim contemplation.

“…Where is Tinasha?” he asked after a pause.

“I do not know…,” admitted Kumu.

“I’m going to go take a look. Can you handle the rest?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Kumu, and Oscar dashed from the room. He checked to make sure Akashia was belted on.

Perhaps she was in the lounge with the other three mages from earlier. He ran headlong down the corridor, praying she was there.

“Let my breath be the definition! My words shall form life!”

As Tinasha verbalized the spell, hundreds of vines appeared from within her arms.

Each one was as sharp as a pike and lanced straight for Travis, who snapped his fingers and cast a barrier. The vines stuck against the shield one after another, then stopped. Once every vine was caught, Travis smashed it apart, barrier and all.

“Your attacks have been getting sloppy,” he commented.

Tinasha didn’t answer. She teleported to a new location and began a different spell.

The demon king eyed her coldly. “So this is all you have…”

The instability of the human psyche was at times intriguing and, at others, irritating to him. It was fascinating how people could call upon strength beyond their limits for the sake of another, but they inevitably grew too hotheaded to heed warnings. It was rapidly driving down Travis’s interest in his opponent.

Tinasha’s waves of destruction surged before him. However, he canceled them out with a light wave of his hand. “I’m so bored. Soon I’ll be totally disillusioned with you.”

A massive spell took shape within his hands, brimming with more than enough power to wipe out a single person.

Yet in the distance, he saw Tinasha—who should have been resigned to her defeat—smiling bitterly.

She stretched out a bloodied hand to Travis.

“…Culminate.”

With that word as the final thing wrung from her, a gigantic cage materialized in midair.

It was crafted of a colossal, finely woven spell. As it locked Travis up, it glimmered brighter and brighter by the second.

Shocked, the demon king stared at the magic enveloping him. “You little… A double incantation?”

“I bet you didn’t think I’d try one after you said all that. I used your argument against you. I divided it into seven charms and doubled them, creating one spell configuration,” Tinasha explained while panting.

Travis laughed out loud, highly amused, even as white radiance pressed down on him. “So that fit of rage was all an act? You’ve gotten quite a personality over the years.”

“I couldn’t win unless I tricked you,” Tinasha admitted, lifting her hand up and intensifying the spell. The luminous cage turned into a gigantic sphere, a formidable feat of magic that outdid even the forbidden curse that decimated Ynureid.

Even as Tinasha spoke to Travis, her hands continued to work at her spell. “I owe you a debt. I don’t want to kill you.”

The demon king had nearly destroyed her, but she was only here now because of him. Tinasha hoped this could end with a draw.

Unfortunately, Travis didn’t reply, no matter how long she waited. She vacillated over what to do.

There was little time to keep waiting. Tinasha came to a decision and mobilized the last of the magic needed to complete the spell.

The force of her will traveled through the air.

Then there was a sharp pop, like something rupturing.

“What…?” she muttered wonderingly. The spell wasn’t complete. The magic carrying her will had gotten shot down in midair.

Tinasha looked down at herself. Her lithe form was battered all over, and there was a hole the size of a child’s head through her abdomen.

The moment felt interminably long. Eviscerated organs and severed flesh fell to the earth with a spray of blood. Tinasha tried to cry out, but her mouth filled with blood.

The light sphere encasing Travis lost its spell caster’s magic and disappeared. Wide-eyed as she beheld Travis floating there, Tinasha knew she had lost.

She slumped over. The magic that was supporting her dissipated.

I don’t want to die yet…

Tinasha reached out, grasping after someone.

But then she dropped slowly to the ground like a broken doll.

Travis smiled as he watched her plummet. “You’re on the right track, but you’re just not good enough. You’re still just a tiger cub—can’t even wield your own magic well.”

He stretched lightly, then thought for a moment.

A devious smirk on his lips, he teleported away to pursue the thought that had struck him.

After rushing to the lounge, Oscar was aghast to learn Tinasha wasn’t there. “She’s not? Why? Did she go back to Tuldarr?”

“All she said was that she was heading out for a bit…,” Doan said evasively, which probably meant Tinasha had left in resentment over what transpired with Delilah. But he didn’t think she’d go back to Tuldarr over that. She’d want to be alone until she calmed down.

“…Don’t tell me she went to the northern plains?” Oscar guessed.

Then the air behind him warped. The red-haired spirit girl tumbled in. Once she saw Oscar, she shouted, “Save her! Lady Tinasha is going to be killed!”

“What?” Oscar responded, startled. She was the Witch Killer Queen; who could kill her?

With that thought in the back of his mind, Oscar immediately held out a hand to Mila. “Take me to her!”

The spirit took his hand. His vision swerved, and his surroundings changed.

They teleported to a deserted prairie, one Oscar recognized as the place he had guessed. From his position in the middle of the vast moor, he saw a woman collapsed on the ground…and a man kneeling next to her, who turned around upon sensing their arrival.

Oscar didn’t know the man, who had a face as stunning as a work of art.

However, it wasn’t the man who shocked the young king. It was the unconscious woman covered in blood lying at the stranger’s feet. Her white dress was cruelly torn in many places, and there was not a trace of her sweet beauty. She appeared like one would be after having been crushed underfoot. Oscar couldn’t make sense of this, but he set off at a run before he knew what was happening. Unsheathing Akashia, he raced over.

Travis’s lips quirked up in a shallow grin. “The husband is here already.”

Ignoring whatever that meant, Oscar loosed a horizontal slash with Akashia. The blade moved too fast to be seen and should have decapitated the man, but it only caught through empty air.

Travis teleported a dozen paces behind and shook his head. “You shouldn’t wave that thing around, it’s dangerous.”

“What did you do to her?” demanded Oscar, his voice infused with bloodcurdling authority.

An ordinary person’s knees would have buckled under the force of it, but Travis replied coolly, “Oh, nothing much. I just toyed with her. No big deal, right?”

He spoke of it like they had only played a children’s game, yet there was unmistakable malice bleeding into his tone. Oscar’s blood boiled to hear the way he spoke. Keeping his eyes fixed on the stranger, he said to Mila behind him, “Heal Tinasha. If it looks like she can be moved, get her out of here.”

“A-all right,” Mila agreed.

The way the man spoke, it sounded as though Tinasha still lived. Mila flew to her master’s side, and Oscar stepped in front of both to guard them.

Red-hot rage tinged the edges of his vision. His innards burning with fury, Oscar adjusted his grip on Akashia. “Don’t think you’re walking away alive, you inhuman thing.”

“Oh? You can tell I’m not human? Not bad. Very interesting,” the stranger replied.

“Enough joking around,” Oscar snapped. He exhaled briefly, held his breath, and then raced forward like lightning. As Akashia swooped down on him, the man irritably clicked his tongue. He raised a glowing white hand—but an invisible defensive barrier repelled the rays from it just before they could make contact with Oscar’s arm.

The stranger’s beautiful face twisted in astonishment as the blade loomed closer. “Her barrier? Really?”

Akashia threatened to cut him in two while he complained.

Just before it could, however, the stranger teleported away again. Standing in midair out of the sword’s reach, he stared down coldly at Oscar. “Don’t get carried away and do not underestimate me. I’ll burn you up until there’s not a cinder left,” he spat, the words foretelling death and his tone enough to make a weaker man faint.

Undaunted, Oscar stared up at his opponent. Just as he was about to drop some choice words of his own, Tinasha’s hoarse voice floated over to him. “…I won’t let you kill him.”

“Tinasha!” Oscar cried, turning back to see her sitting up with Mila’s support, her face sickly pale. She glared at Travis with dark eyes filled with heroic determination. “I won’t let you lay a finger on him…no matter what I have to give in return.”

Powerful magic pooled in her bloodstained frame. It was enough might to swallow the entire grassland and completely decimate it.

Her gaze made it apparent she was prepared to trade her life for this. Travis let out a dry laugh when he caught sight of the blazing orbs. “How stupid are you? All this for someone who won’t even look at you? Ridiculous…”

His retort sounded more pitying than scornful.

Still, the look in Tinasha’s eyes didn’t change. Travis glanced at her, then at Oscar, still emanating bloodlust. Exasperation crossed his pretty face…and then, suddenly, he shrugged. “I’m tired. I’ll play with you another time.”

That was all he stated before vanishing. Oscar’s eyebrows shot up at his foe’s abrupt departure. “Who the hell is that guy? What even is he?”

“He’s the highest-ranking demon… I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d killed us all,” Tinasha admitted weakly. Oscar sheathed Akashia and flew to her side. Her visage was still ghastly, and she was still drenched in blood. Curiously, Oscar didn’t find any injuries on her skin.

Turning to Mila, he asked, “Did you heal her wounds?”

“It was more like…they were all closed up by the time I got to her,” the spirit replied.

“Travis must have mended them. He’s good at that sort of thing… I couldn’t have healed the hole in my stomach up this perfectly,” said Tinasha.

“The hole in your stomach?” repeated Oscar, the unsettling remark making him go check and see that, sure enough, there was virtually no fabric between her chest and her lower abdomen. While Tinasha’s body seemed fine, the damage to her garments suggested something had torn clean through her midsection. Her slender legs were completely bare as well, and she was smeared nearly all over in blood and mud. The scene gave the impression that she had been cruelly violated, and an indescribable resentment filled Oscar.

“…Does that man know you’re a spirit sorcerer?” asked Oscar.

“What? I think he knows,” she responded, and Oscar felt like he’d swallowed something bitter. He had only faced off against that man for a few moments, but he seemed the type to harass those he took an interest in. If he knew Tinasha was a spirit sorcerer, he might attempt to purposely diminish her magic.

Should Tinasha lose her chastity, it could have dire ramifications for her coronation. He took off his jacket and covered her thin body with it. As he picked her up, he caught a strong whiff of blood.

“For now, let’s go back to the castle. Can we go directly into your room?” he inquired.

No one else could see Tinasha in this state. Mila opened a transportation array, and Oscar stepped into it with Tinasha in his arms. As he carried her, she looked up at him suspiciously. “Oscar… You’ll get blood on your clothes…”

“So what? Anyway, I’ll marry you if what just happened has ruined your ability to become queen.”

“What?! Wh-why?!”

“I’ll negotiate with Tuldarr. We might get into a dispute over it, but you won’t need to leave.”

Tinasha’s room in Farsas was dim, with cloths draped over the windows because it had been vacant for over a month. While that was a coincidence, it proved very convenient. Oscar brought the wounded woman over to the bed and sat her down there, while Mila dashed into the bathroom. Tinasha was the only one who seemed to be unawares, and she protested, “What? Why would you need to do that? I’m the one who lost, so why would you get involved?”

“I wasn’t careful and let you go off alone. If you’ve lost your chastity, I’m prepared to take responsibility,” he explained.

“But I haven’t lost it! Stop saying such frightening things!” Tinasha shrieked at the top of her lungs, then she swayed woozily from the blood loss.

Oscar wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders. “Really? You don’t have to lie to me.”

“Yes, really… All I lost were my organs. It appears he’s made me new ones.”

“It’s true!” called Mila from the bath.

Oscar breathed an instinctive sigh of relief, and Tinasha turned an indignant gaze on him. “Anyway, you have that mistress, so stop spouting nonsense like that.”

“Mistress? Oh, you mean that woman,” Oscar said. He’d already completely forgotten about Delilah.

His reaction made Tinasha frown and turn aside huffily. “I’ll thank you for what you did and report later about what happened, so why don’t you run on back to her? I don’t want to deal with any more of her tasteless comments.”

“…Lady Tinasha, the bath is ready. Let’s wash off this blood. It has his magic in it, so it’ll turn to poison if we don’t cleanse it fast,” called Mila.

“Th-that wouldn’t be good… I’m coming,” Tinasha replied, attempting to stand. Unfortunately, her legs had no strength, and she nearly fell flat on her face.

Oscar caught her and lifted her up in his arms. “You’re a mess. How could I leave you here?”

“I can do it myself!”

“As for that woman, she’s been arrested. She was never a royal mistress or anything like that.”

“What?” Tinasha balked, eyes wide. Oscar carried her into the bath and set her down inside the tub, filled with the hot water Mila drew.

The spirit girl flung several white cloths at Oscar and said blithely, “Lady Tinasha, you’ve lost so much magic and blood that you can’t move very well, can you? Let him undress you. Fast.”

“I’m not a child, and I can undress on my own…,” Tinasha insisted petulantly.

“Aren’t both of you forgetting something?” Oscar asked.

The inhuman spirit didn’t think anything of a man touching her master, and Tinasha was sulking over the idea of anyone treating her like a kid. However, she really couldn’t move—she screamed when she tried to lift an arm.

Oscar passed Tinasha a cloth. “Cover up your front. I’ll be quick in rinsing all this off.”

“I—I hurt all over… The backlash from getting my organs restored is awful…,” Tinasha muttered dispiritedly as Oscar reached around to remove her dress, which barely resembled an article of clothing anymore.

The sight of her skin stained with blood everywhere was awful. Oscar ladled up some water and poured it across Tinasha’s back. Soon the thick smell of blood permeated the room.

He scrubbed at caked-on bits and started checking to make sure there were no wounds underneath. “Does it hurt anywhere? If you have any open cuts left, close them up before the water stings them.”

“I—I told you I can do it myself! And anyway, what’s this about her getting arrested? Did you two have a lovers’ spat?”

“Of course not. This whole time, I was just letting her run free to see what she did. It was already fishy that she knew about my curse,” Oscar explained as he moved Tinasha’s hair out of the way to pour water over her bloodied nape and arms.

Her jaw dropped. “Did you play along because you were suspicious?” she pressed.

“That’s a roundabout way of putting it, but yes. It was probably the same group that plotted your poisoning. Sadly, I caught everyone except the actual perpetrator, just like the first time.”

“Urgh,” Tinasha groaned, pursing her lips as she recalled how she got into it with Delilah not knowing any of that. “In that case, you should have told me sooner… If I’d known, I would have…”

“Not broken any windows?”

“I didn’t break any this time!” she shouted. It was the castle itself Tinasha had nearly blown up, but she had stopped herself. No, all the young woman did was cry about it. When she remembered how she had sobbed like a child, she buried her face in the cloth she was holding. “I-I’m so embarrassed… I want to just disappear…”

“What’s gotten into you now? Also, you’re definitely feeling shame for the wrong thing,” Oscar muttered, throwing water all over the naked form she had so defenselessly revealed to him. Tinasha fussed and wriggled at the sensation. Oscar splashed her with such force that she shrieked slightly.

“Anyway, what happened with that demon person? Explain that,” Oscar said.

“Oh…,” Tinasha replied, an awkward look crossing her face as she reluctantly told him about the capricious demon king.

Oscar listened silently but pinched her cheeks when he learned that this made the second time she was defeated and brought to the verge of death.

“Ouch! What was that for?” she yelped.

“Don’t associate with him anymore!”

“He’s the one who came to me! I don’t know why!” she shouted. That much was likely true. Oscar only had sparred with Travis for a short while, but he could tell this demon king was a slippery one.

“You really are a huge pain to look after. A damn handful and then some…,” he whispered. He’d left Tinasha alone for one moment, and she’d almost died. She got herself into so much trouble that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. It made no sense.

Her back was at last clean and white again, and Oscar softly rubbed the faint traces of lacerations on the smooth skin there. His fingers were rough, and Tinasha jolted, then glared reproachfully at him over her shoulder. “You don’t need to… You can leave me alone. Besides, even if I really had lost my chastity, that wouldn’t be any reason for me to become your wife.”

“…”

The temperature in the warm bathroom dropped a few degrees. “Oops,” Mila murmured as she drew more water.

But Tinasha hadn’t noticed, scrubbing the blood off her knees as Mila rinsed them off.

In a chilly tone, Oscar said, “There wouldn’t be any reason? Then what would suffice, dummy?”

“I-I suppose if my country were on the verge of destruction, then…maybe…”

“Oh? So you want your country destroyed. You’ve got some nerve.”

“I never said that, did I?! What’s with you? Honestly!” Tinasha shrieked.

Oscar pulled her hair back tight in a ponytail, causing her to let out a very feline cry of “Mrrk!”

“In any case, if that man ever comes around again, you get out of there right away. And call for me sooner! I told you I’d come and save you!”

Reflexively, Tinasha ducked her head. A moment later, she jerked her sulky face to the side again. “Thank you very much for your concern. But I’ll settle my affairs myself. You rescued me this time, but you could have messed up and gotten yourself killed, too. Ultimately, you and I have nothing to do with each other…so please leave me alone.”

This was her attempt to push Oscar away and draw a line between them, though it sounded like a small child pretending to be tough.

She bit her lip. Her downcast eyes blurred with tears.

Oscar didn’t respond. Nervously, Tinasha looked up at him—and froze. Anger was clearly visible in his gaze, but it wasn’t the usual cold sort. Blazing emotions raged in his eyes. She almost apologized instinctively but stubbornly held it in.

After glaring at her for a short while, Oscar suddenly broke eye contact and spat out, “If that’s how you feel, then do what you want.”

He turned his back on her and left the bath.

In the quiet tub, Tinasha heaved a deep sigh.

Once again, she looked down at her stomach. It was thanks to Oscar and Mila’s rigorous scrubbing that her body was clean and pale again.

Mila laughed as she replaced the water in the bathtub. “Lady Tinasha, why did you have to go and say that?”

“Say what?”

“If he says he’s going to save you, why not just go along with it and let him? And if you want to marry him, he’s already stated his willingness to negotiate with Tuldarr.”

“But…he’d only end up at a disadvantage in that case. We can’t.”

If not for Tinasha, there would be no reason for Oscar to battle a demon king or marry someone he didn’t even like. She had no intentions of placing such a burden on him. She had come to save him, not add more stress.

Tears stung her eyes as she hugged both knees tight to her chest. Mila grimaced to see her master with such a hangdog look. “In that case, I think you should just tell him that. Aren’t you already familiar with how bad it feels to have your offer of help rejected?”

“…………”

“Besides, it’s not like he gave his aid halfheartedly. That Akashia swordsman… Earlier, he told me to take you and run. Normally, he wouldn’t provoke someone who beat you up. He could have died,” Mila said.

“What?” Tinasha exclaimed, her eyes growing wide with shock.

Mila handed her a new cloth. “I don’t understand either of you humans. You can only live for such a short period of time, and yet you get in your own way.”

“Get in my own way…,” Tinasha murmured.

Ultimately, she didn’t know how she should act around Oscar. While he’d said he wanted to save her, she didn’t feel confident enough to presume upon that kindness.

Tinasha had reminded herself many times that his kindness didn’t mean anything more. No longer was she a child blessed with unconditional love. She didn’t want to rely on anyone and grow weak. If she had to let go of his hand someday, she was apprehensive of the very act of taking it in the first place.

Tinasha closed her eyes, then recalled what he had said to her so long ago. “You can do it.” She’d believed in those words and had gained confidence in herself.

“I’m still all right. I can be strong.”

Slowly, she exhaled, her mind returning to order.

Tinasha had done that thousands of times when she was queen.

She needed to stand on her own. If she couldn’t, then she was unfit to rule. That had ever been the case.

Suddenly, however, the emotions she had so precisely controlled dripped out like water. “But that night, I wasn’t by myself…”

When things were the hardest they had ever been, he was right there with her. She was not alone in the slightest.

Tinasha’s throat grew tight. She buried her face in her knees, and a strong wave of drowsiness swept over her—recoil from her serious injuries finally catching up.

All she wished to do now was let go and sleep. Thinking about this was overwhelming.

She didn’t want to be alone in her dreams, though…

Wet eyelashes fluttered softly.

By the end of the day, all the upper-echelon members of the cult that sent Delilah into the castle were arrested. Relieved, their neighbors gossiped avidly about what that shady-looking bunch could have done to get hauled off to the castle.

After Kumu and Als brought him that report posthaste, Oscar did nothing to hide his irritation at what the investigation uncovered. “So in the end, the mage who gave Claris the poison wasn’t among those apprehended?”

“According to Delilah, she also received orders directly from the same man.”

Upon organizing the findings, the cult’s objectives were revealed to be twofold.

The first was to obtain a mysterious orb said to be inside the Farsas treasure vault.

The second was to kill Tinasha or have her removed from Farsas.

Oscar puzzled over how those two objectives could be related. “Should I go take a look at this mysterious orb or whatever it is? Seems like the sort of thing one shouldn’t touch.”

“I’m not sure… Security is tight around the treasure vault. It’s been that way since the break-in forty years ago,” answered Als.

“Forty years ago, huh? A thief got away without stealing anything?” asked Oscar.

“What was stolen was never determined,” Als clarified.

“Sounds like it’s high time to put things down there in order, then,” decided Oscar, scribbling his signature on a document and handing it to Kumu.

Als continued with his report. “Delilah and Claris’s contact and the cult founder’s opinions clashed a little in regards to Princess Tinasha, it seems. The cult wanted her dead or to destroy her curse-breaking spell, while the man only wanted her kept away from Farsas. Many people heard him say she couldn’t be killed anyway.”

“This part of it makes even less sense. What does it matter whether she’s in Farsas?” Oscar remarked.

“Maybe it’s because they were backing Delilah, but Tinasha’s presence would have thrown a wrench in that,” Als suggested.

“I thought so, which is why I made sure to show Delilah so much favor. Well, Tinasha did tear her to shreds, so I guess she got in the way regardless,” Oscar remarked breezily.

Als felt deeply relieved he hadn’t been present for that.

Resting his chin on his hands, Oscar’s eyes narrowed. “Considering all the time it took, the one man we were looking for escaped, huh? It’s very aggravating how we always seem a step behind.”

“I’ll increase security for people in the castle,” Als promised.

After Kumu and Als left the study, Oscar rubbed his shoulders. “…I’m still so on edge.”

His unsettled mood from the day before hadn’t quieted at all. He suspected that was partly due to a certain disobedient woman.

The mere recollection of her stubbornness upset him. He wished she would lean on him at least a little during her stay here. Both of them were guilty of trying to do everything on their own, but he wanted her to concede a little ground if that pigheadedness meant her nearly dying.

Lazar, on the other hand, hadn’t said a word about the restless mood Oscar had been emanating all day.

He wanted to ask if Oscar had managed to reconcile with Tinasha, but he had a feeling if he did, the king would only vent his anger at him. Lazar realized that while his lord was often annoyed with her, the two of them were still slowly growing closer. This only made Lazar, who was well aware of both of their positions, more anxious.

Still, if he asked Oscar about it, he was likely to hear I don’t feel anything for her, in response.

For now, Lazar prayed that was true. If Oscar fell for her completely but had to let go of her in the end, that would end up causing him the most pain.

Suppressing his emotions as he picked up a sheaf of documents, Lazar looked up at the sound of a knock on the study door.

Standing on the other side was the beautiful mage at the center of this whole thing. Her long black hair was tied up in two ponytails, and she appeared fidgety and embarrassed.

Oscar was clearly displeased as he said, “What is it? Come in.”

“Okay…,” Tinasha answered, shutting the door behind her and walking over to stand in front of his desk. As she hesitated, she stared right at Oscar. Sensing her gaze, he looked over with his head resting on one hand.

Nervously, the young woman began. “I’m incredibly sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have gotten upset with you after you saved me.”

“It’s fine,” Oscar stated curtly, swallowing what he really wanted to say, which was It doesn’t have anything to do with me anyway, right?

Voicing that thought would only lead the pair into another childish dispute. At the very least, Oscar wished to maintain some decorum, whether she did or not.

Tinasha went on haltingly. “Also… I have a favor to ask.”

“Ask away.”

Her dark eyes wavered, gleaming with an alluring light. Oscar narrowed his eyes against it.

Determinedly, she went on. “Um, whenever you’re free is fine, but…would you teach me swordplay?”

Her request was so unexpected that Lazar almost dropped his pile of documents.

As for Oscar, his chin slipped from his hand.

Tinasha flushed as she observed their reactions. “U-um…did I say something weird?”

“No…,” Oscar replied, scratching his head as he gestured at her to come closer. She did, circling the desk until she was standing next to him.

Still seated, Oscar turned to face her. After trying to decide how best to respond, he smiled wryly. “All right. I’m also going to get out of shape doing nothing but paperwork all the time, so it’s perfect. I should be done in another hour, so go prepare and wait for me.”

“Thank you!” Tinasha cried, breaking into a broad smile now that he’d agreed. It looked like flowers blooming across her face. She rushed out of the room, making no effort to hide her childlike happiness.

As he watched her go, he muttered, “Unbelievable… She’s so defenseless. Full of surprises, that one.”

Lazar’s eyes widened to hear the fondness lacing Oscar’s words.

In accordance with his promise to her, Oscar picked up the pace on his work. His irritation from earlier was all but gone, replaced with a mysteriously happy mood.