Fazel’s words were blunt, but his actions were affectionate. He took my hand and shifted his hips slightly closer to my side.

“Let’s walk like this.”

Fazel grumbled, but he understood my feelings and accepted them. I found him endearing, so I leaned my head against his shoulder.

“Okay.”

Now it was practically a real engagement. We’d confirmed each other’s feelings, so there’d be no separation. My heart soared with happiness.

That’s why I never anticipated that fate would change and the parting would come not between Liliet and Fazel, but between Fazel and me.

* * *

In the prison, Nertian was gasping for breath. Days had passed, but the pain hadn’t disappeared. The agony tearing his body to shreds continued, and he’d screamed so much his voice had gone hoarse.

“Save me.”

He’d said it countless times already. When bastards entered the ducal family, he’d tormented them. Their bodies and minds shattered, their mana would strangely start to run wild, and Nertian would feel relieved confirming they weren’t heirs.

The bastards were disgusting to look at. They were people he didn’t even want to deal with. However, the reason Nertian personally stepped forward to torment them was to show that they’d go berserk and couldn’t become heirs.

Aegis didn’t know, but Nertian did. Among the bastards, those who could withstand the mana would become heirs. His mother’s family knew this and called the bastards to the ducal house so they’d be destroyed.

That’s right. It wasn’t the Duke who first approached Suran, but the Duchess. Saying didn’t she have something to receive from the Duke?

Of course, Suran refused. 

However, the Duchess approached Fazel and swayed him. Fazel learned only then that his biological father was the Duke. He hadn’t known until then because Suran hadn’t told him.

Fazel pestered his mother to go meet the Duke. That’s how Fazel came to the ducal house, just as the Duchess and Nertian wanted.

But Fazel didn’t break easily. He endured, seemingly wearing sturdy iron armor. He didn’t bat an eye, as though he’d already anticipated this kind of torment.

So they realized ordinary bullying wouldn’t work. Nertian grew anxious. Then he discovered Fazel felt lonely and dug into that. The result was a huge success. Fazel slowly broke down inside the prison.

But his mana didn’t run wild. It was strange. Nertian grew anxious and beat Fazel. He thought if he did that, Fazel would fall into despair and his mana would go berserk.

But even then, he was fine. Then one day, Suran appeared and took Fazel out. Suran told the Duke she owed him no debt, then said her son wouldn’t want to be here, so she’d take him.

The Duke didn’t object this time either. Back then, he thought it was because Fazel was insignificant, because he was a bastard, because he himself was solidifying his position as heir.

Thinking about it now was laughable.

“Father, you knew.”

He’d seen the possibility that Fazel might become the heir. So perhaps he’d decided to keep him alive. He didn’t know what they’d negotiated when he came with Lady Louelle, but they must have decided to keep Fazel alive.

Even now, Father looking after Fazel was possible because he was a backup heir.

“I don’t want to die!”

He’d been born with a conspicuously strong body. Even when Father made his mana run wild, he’d survived.

“Father needs to know.”

He stood up and screamed to let them know he was alive. Then the iron door opened and Aegis entered.

There was no warmth in his eyes. He merely looked at Nertian like looking at an insect.

“Still not dead. Your body is sturdy, at least.”

So he should become the heir. Nertian grabbed Aegis’s pant leg and pleaded.

“Please spare me. I’m more suitable as heir than Fazel!”

Aegis bent his knee.

“That might be true. There’s no guarantee Fazel has a sturdier body than you.”

He grabbed Nertian’s head.

“You should have tried harder.”

Aegis’s words were utterly dry. He didn’t seem like someone in the position of father.

“Since you’re my son, I’ll free you from suffering.”

Aegis released his mana extensively, letting it flow in. Then the mana dug into Nertian’s blood vessels. Blood burst out from his pores like a fountain.

Nertian could no longer speak. Aegis looked at the dead Nertian and smiled slightly.

“Fate will go to Fazel.”

Aegis’s hand trembled. Soon, if he didn’t properly decide on an heir, he too would be devoured by mana. Using Nertian’s death as an excuse wouldn’t be bad either. After thinking that, he left the room.

The servants who entered to remove Nertian’s corpse turned their heads at the horrific sight.

* * *

After taking the warp twice and riding the carriage for another half day, I was looking out the window, bored with reading, when I saw a beach in the distance.

“Wow.”

It was a purple beach. They said special magic was cast on the sand, making the beach glow pale purple. It was such a unique color I thought it would remain in my memory for a long time.

I shook the sleeping Fazel awake.

“Fazel, look at the beach. I think we’re almost there.”

Fazel rubbed his eyes.

“We’re there? And why the beach?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

Fazel approached the window and looked at the beach.

“It’s beautiful.”

He didn’t describe it elaborately, but it meant he liked it too. I moved beside him and looked at the ocean together.

“They said the imperial family sometimes requests to come here too.”

Liliet’s family were commoners, but they owned mysterious villas and objects, so they occasionally had audiences with the Emperor. Meaning they were a special family. 

The carriage ran along the beach a bit more. Not far from the beach was a villa. The carriage in front of the villa had the Jennell family crest drawn on it.

Caslan seemed to have arrived too. Fazel and I got off the carriage and walked slowly. Caslan, who’d been looking at the villa, waved his hand.

“Long time no see.”

He looked carefully at me linking arms with Fazel.

“You two are still close.”

“Of course we’re close.”

I spoke matter-of-factly, and Fazel asked Caslan.

“Why, jealous?”

“Not jealous, but…”

Caslan looked between us.

“Seeing you two makes it seem possible to get married and live lovey-dovey.”

I’d heard Caslan’s parents had a political marriage. Because of that, their relationship was awkward. And his father kept several mistresses, so his mother suffered a lot emotionally.

I asked Caslan.

“Did you find a girl you like?”

According to fate, he’d fall in love with Liliet.

“Who knows.”

Caslan gave an ambiguous answer to my question, neither affirming nor denying. I had no intention of pressing him, so I tried to enter the villa.

“You can’t go in.”

Caslan picked up a nearby pebble and threw it. Then a barrier appeared, revealing a ward.

“Oh?”

“We can only enter when Liliet comes.”

I see. I looked up at the sky. The sun was still shining on us.

“It’s not time yet. We agreed to gather by 6 o’clock, but there’s still 30 minutes left.”

We had to wait here in the heat for 30 minutes. Caslan was already sweating.

“Let’s wait in our carriage.”

Caslan shook his head.

“The carriage is hotter.”

“There’s a temperature control device in the carriage.”

Caslan walked to our carriage. Seeing him act faster than he spoke, I smiled slightly.

“That guy’s problem is his impatient personality.”

Fazel also walked to the carriage with me. After 30 minutes, the carriage carrying Liliet arrived. Since it was around 6 o’clock, it wasn’t as hot outside as expected. Liliet was startled to see us already there.

“Why did you come so early?”

“We were excited, so we left early.”

I smiled brightly. It was also thanks to driving the carriage fast because there weren’t many people on the road.

“I should have come a bit earlier. But I couldn’t help it because I was preparing.”

Liliet said that and showed us what she’d bought. The carriage was full of meat and vegetables. The marbling on the meat was art.

“I prepared things you all like.”

What Fazel, Caslan, and I commonly loved was meat. Meat with lots of marbling! Since Liliet didn’t dislike meat with marbling either, we often grilled meat when we gathered.

I hugged Liliet tightly.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

“Louelle, welcome! But Fazel’s not jealous, is he?”

Fazel made a serious expression.

“Does Louelle like women?”

“Fazel!”

“Anyway, as long as it’s not a man, it’s fine.”

Liliet and I laughed.

“Then if Fazel comes to like a man, does Louelle have to accept it?”

When Caslan thought about it seriously, Fazel shouted.

“Do you have to wonder about that? Anyway, you can’t even take a joke.”

Liliet liked this serious side of Caslan. I glanced at Liliet. Liliet’s eyes sparkled toward Caslan, just like I looked at Fazel.

“First, let me show you around the villa.”

Liliet released the barrier and went inside. The servants would take care of organizing the luggage, so Fazel, Caslan, and I toured the villa with Liliet’s guidance. Purple flowers bloomed inside the villa.

A purple beach and a garden with purple flowers blooming. How romantic.

“This was a place the first family head’s wife loved. Her eyes were purple, so he decorated it like this.”

I nodded at that story. In the novel too, he seemed to be a family head who loved his wife that much.

We toured the villa, unpacked in our respective rooms, then gathered in the living room. Curious about the purple beach, I wore a wide-brimmed hat and a cool dress. Fazel appeared without socks. Liliet had been wearing a cool dress from the start, so nothing changed, and Caslan brought a wide-brimmed hat.

“Caslan, it suits you well.”

Liliet smiled and spoke to Caslan. Then he shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“I put effort into buying this hat.”

A wide-brimmed hat with feathers—not everyone could pull it off. It suited Caslan’s face well. I stroked Fazel’s head.

“Aren’t you wearing a hat? The sunlight will be harsh.”

Fazel shook his head.

“It’s stuffy. I’ll just cast magic to block the sunlight.”

Is that why mages don’t wear hats much? 

I nodded at his words. Fazel and I paired up, and Caslan and Liliet stuck together and moved. When we arrived at the nearby beach, I walked to the shore where small waves rippled.

Big waves would be dangerous, but they said only small waves hit here, so it was fine. I held hands with Fazel and dipped my feet in the seawater. A cool sensation seeped into my toes.

The purple bottom seemed to seep into the water. One spot was deep purple, and the pale purple spreading beside it was pretty.

“There’s a magic stone that changes color embedded there. But that place is deep and dangerous, so don’t go in.”

I nodded.

“There’s another reason not to go in, right?”

Fazel pointed to what glowed purple.

“I feel strong mana there?”

“They say attack magic was set up against intruders, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. It’s magic that was cast long ago.”

“I see. I feel the mana.”

Fazel said. At his words, Liliet looked at Fazel with new eyes.