Chapter 6

“Quite an interesting person.”

“Hah…”

That was all he had to say after barging into the room. Ermite let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it.

He had warned him not to get curious about Iberia, fearing he might take an interest in her. Yet, it seemed he had gone out of his way to confirm her for himself.

“Don’t covet her.”

“She’s going to the Mage Tower anyway. Even if I wanted to take her, I couldn’t.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The Crown Prince recalled the moment he had read Iberia’s magical power. His initial evaluation of her as “not bad” had skyrocketed in an instant.

It was a unique ability of the Imperial Family: the power to sense the nature of a person’s magic through physical contact. Ever since awakening this ability, he had been assessing the magic of everyone he met.

Of course, there were exceptions where it didn’t work, but those were rare cases.

One thing was certain: he had never encountered magic like Iberia’s before. At least, among those whose magic he could read, none possessed anything similar to Iberia’s.

“If you don’t know, then that’s fine. More than that, I’m worried about how you’ll handle the aftermath. You know, His Majesty…”

“I’m aware of that part. Rest assured, I won’t side with His Majesty.”

Ermite tilted his head slightly to the right as he continued speaking. Without a hint of a smile, he wore an expression of feigned curiosity like a mask.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Of course, I’m busy. It’s my final year at the Academy. Even so, I made time to grant your request.”

“Let’s be clear. Didn’t you receive compensation for that?”

The Crown Prince didn’t respond and left the room. Ermite sat down in his chair, lost in thought.

The expression Iberia had shown earlier kept lingering in his mind. She had looked as if she were about to cry. Perhaps she had already been crying.

Come to think of it, her face had been paler than usual. Something was definitely wrong.

Ermite rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The smile he often wore in front of Iberia had vanished without a trace.

What more could he do for her? There were so many things he worried about, so many things he wanted to do with her, and so many things he wanted to give her.

***

Not long ago, he had made a sort of deal with the Crown Prince.

A bigger rumor overshadows a smaller one.

It was a simple and straightforward method.

Ermite wasn’t worried. His steps were unhesitant. After a polite knock, Ermite stepped into the room.

The man inside, who had sensed his presence earlier, took off the glasses he had been wearing. They were probably similar to the ones Iberia used. After all, he had never heard of the Crown Prince having poor eyesight.

Ermite closed the door and leaned against it with a slouch.

“I’m getting engaged to the Princess.”

“And why are you telling me this?”

“You should know. Aren’t we family?”

“Hah.”

His pale blue eyes reflected disbelief. Even as Ermite saw this, he continued speaking nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry, it’s not real.”

“…”

“I’ll need your help.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

As expected, he wouldn’t miss an opportunity. Truthfully, the Crown Prince likely didn’t expect much. Ermite boldly asked:

“Do you want something big? Then you don’t have to help.”

“Just maintain your current attitude. That’s all I ask as payment.”

He was essentially asking Ermite to help him maintain his current position and ascend to the throne. It wasn’t something the Crown Prince needed to ask for, but his growing unease amused him.

Finding his own anxiety amusing, the Crown Prince let out a small laugh. It was a laugh directed at himself.

Ermite was perceptive. He understood the meaning behind the Crown Prince’s words.

Even so, Ermite widened his eyes in feigned surprise. He even covered his mouth shyly with one hand. His demeanor was far too cheerful for someone seeking a favor.

“Are you telling me to continue living as an insufferable lunatic?”

“So, what is it you need me to do?”

The Crown Prince didn’t bother pointing out Ermite’s subtle use of casual speech. Setting his pen down completely, he turned his body fully toward Ermite. Tilting his head slightly, Ermite spoke with a light smile and bright eyes.

“Step in.”

“…”

“Declare that anyone spreading rumors about Iberia will be charged with defaming the Imperial Family.”

Ermite’s eyes curved gently.

In the dimly lit room, the light faintly illuminated Ermite’s face. The subtle angle of the light cast a shadow down his nose. He was someone who knew how to make full use of his greatest weapon—his face.

The Crown Prince leaned back and crossed his legs.

“Why don’t you use that face on Iberia Del instead of me?”

“Well then, I’ll take that as your agreement.”

Without answering the Crown Prince’s remark, Ermite left the room. He paused briefly and turned back toward the Crown Prince. A smile lingered on his lips as he spoke.

“Oh, and don’t get curious. Don’t covet her either.”

Didn’t he realize that saying such things only made others more curious?

The Crown Prince didn’t bother pointing that out. Ermite surely knew. He was simply revealing how much he desired Iberia Del.

Turning his back, the Crown Prince thought to himself: Wasn’t it Ermite who had acted in a way that sparked rumors about him and Iberia in the first place? Indeed, love seemed to make people act strangely.

Once outside, Ermite brushed his bangs into place.

Iberia had always been weak to his face. For now, the only things he could rely on were his decent status and his face, so he had to take good care of what he had.

He noticed a group of students gathered near the dormitory’s main gate. By then, the smile had vanished from his face.

At the Academy, it was rare to find anyone who wasn’t talking about him and Iberia. In truth, it was partially intentional, and he didn’t mind the rumors… but…

‘Iberia is struggling because of it.’

Ermite slowly approached the students.

“So, Iberia Del is…”

“Hello.”

“Eek!”

Ermite didn’t smile. He merely raised one eyebrow slightly, as if displeased. His expression was far from friendly, and the students froze under his gaze.

That annoyed him too. He made no effort to ease the tension. Breaking the awkward silence, Ermite spoke.

“Why so startled?”

“N-no, it’s nothing…”

“I’m engaged.”

Cutting people off was surprisingly easy. It was even more so when it meant not having to listen to bothersome words.

Ermite smirked. The students’ eyes widened. They looked ready to spread the news as soon as they heard who it was. That was exactly what he wanted.

In a clear voice, he spoke into the quiet space.

“With the Princess.”

“I-Iber…”

“Don’t even mention that name.”

Though he was smiling, it was a chilling warning.

It was rare for him to directly order or forbid something. Telling them not to mention Iberia’s name in rumors was an exceptionally rare statement.

It wasn’t due to any complex feelings. He simply disliked the idea of Iberia’s name being passed around by others.

As Ermite turned to leave, he added one last remark. Just in case these students misunderstood and refrained from spreading the engagement news, that would be inconvenient.

“You can talk about the engagement.”

After glancing at the students’ faces one last time, Ermite turned away with a cold gaze. He felt no need to wait for their response.

Now, all that was left was to wait for the results.

***

A few days later, rumors about the engagement between Young Master Nesferos and the Princess spread throughout the Academy.

As always, Ermite achieved his intended outcome.

He may have seemed reckless, but he wasn’t someone who acted without a plan. Everything had already been agreed upon. He had even spoken with the Princess back when they were at Horetin Academy.

Ermite remembered the Princess saying she didn’t wish to marry.

Among the various options, this was the cleanest if executed. A rumor about an engagement was far less distressing for Iberia than rumors claiming he had beaten someone to death.

If necessary, he could create another story by canceling the engagement later. It was the best solution.

Yes, it had all made sense—until now.

“But if I sit next to you when you’re engaged to the Princess…”

Iberia, despite glancing nervously at Ermite, spoke firmly.

Suddenly, everything felt wrong. Iberia was shrinking back, avoiding his gaze. That annoyed him even more.

“I’m not going to do it.”

“What?”

“You think I could actually go through with it?”

A crooked smile tugged at Ermite’s lips.

Whenever he stood before Iberia, he felt like a child. He had to hide his emotions. He had to treat her gently so she would feel comfortable with him.

He knew this in his head, but it didn’t come easily.

Iberia’s eyes wavered. Ermite lowered his gaze halfway, then spoke softly with a smiling face. Her expression had already stiffened awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“…Okay.”

Ah. Truly, nothing seemed to go as he wanted.