“Raphael!”

“I’m sorry. I’m not doing this to tease you. Look here.”

As I frowned and glared at him, Raphael bent forward and revealed his shoulder. I quietly observed what he was doing.

“Can you see this?”

His fingertip pointed just below his collarbone. Upon closer inspection, something that resembled letters was faintly glowing.

Due to my habit of examining wounds, I unconsciously brought my hand closer to that spot. Raphael flinched momentarily. Realizing my mistake, I quickly withdrew my hand and spoke with a questioning look.

“I can feel magic.”

“There’s a mage in the royal palace. He activated this mark, and even the representative of the nobility and the bishop of the temple came to check it out.”

I had heard about this before. There were people outside the academy who could use or control magic. However, it wasn’t considered a particularly impressive ability, so they usually lived like ordinary people.

“It must have been engraved a very long time ago.”

“Yes, they say it was made right after I was born. Apparently, it’s my name engraved in ancient script or something.”

“It doesn’t fade, and there are witnesses too. That’s a very clever method. Alright, that’s enough now; hurry up and get dressed.”

As I spoke in admiration, Raphael began to put on his clothes with a proud expression, as if he had just received a compliment.

I quietly watched him for a moment before my expression hardened slightly. Having a younger brother like Jayden taught me that such mischievous tendencies needed to be corrected each time for them to even pretend to listen.

“By the way, Raphael. You’ll learn this in the future, but just in case, let me tell you: whether you know someone or not, you shouldn’t just hug them like that, and you shouldn’t casually expose parts of your body to anyone. Unless maybe you have a spouse later on.”

Raphael stared at me blankly. He didn’t seem to appreciate my unsolicited advice. Unable to take back what I’d already said, I quietly waited for him to respond.

“If it’s someone who’s going to be my spouse… is it okay then?”

Faced with a response so different from what I expected, I stared at him with a bewildered expression, unable to find words.

Shouldn’t you avoid doing that even with someone who’s going to be your spouse? I couldn’t do that… No, wait, Leopold and I had a bad relationship, so maybe that was an exception. Come to think of it, for a normal couple, it might be okay…

In the end, I offered an ambiguous answer.

“Well, if you’re going to get married… still, make sure to get permission before marriage.”

“Okay. I’ll definitely get permission.”

I wondered if he truly understood. His grinning face didn’t seem trustworthy at all.

“I’ll be going now. I snuck out for a bit to see Hazel, so I need to head back. There are so many procedures to go through. There’s a party in the evening, so I’ll see you then! I’ll come to pick you up.”

He blurted all of this out in one breath and then left.

***

It was quite late at night. Aaron couldn’t leave his study as he was mentally organizing the report from his subordinate. The empire had started deploying troops to the border for an unexpected reason.

‘They say they’re looking for a silver-haired healer with purple eyes.’

To think they would deploy armed soldiers all the way to the border just to find one person. Could it be that, rather than Raphael, this healer had caused a significant problem in the empire and fled all the way here? But the woman seemed far too relaxed for that. She definitely didn’t look like someone on the run.

Besides, unless they were fools, they would know the influence the Denhaph Empire had on the duchy. If they were truly fleeing, it would be wise to head to a third region, not the duchy. If the empire made a request, the duchy would do whatever it took to immediately capture and return the fugitive.

‘But, Your Excellency, there’s one strange thing. They say the commander-in-chief is Duke Leopold Lawrence.’

He had no idea why the lord of that far northwestern region had come all the way down here. Although he was familiar with the important noble families of the empire, he couldn’t know all the information in real-time.

After pacing around his study for a while, he moved to his desk. Then he picked up his pen and slowly began to write a letter. The recipient was Duke Leopold Lawrence.

***

He rode and rode his horse, heading toward a place that was both his destination and not his destination.

Leopold knew this feeling all too well – those times when a day felt like an eternity.

Even with his eyes open, everything remained pitch black. All that he perceived felt so unreal, as if he were endlessly walking through a nightmare from which he couldn’t wake.

He had endured countless moments trying to reach someone who didn’t exist. He had overcome immense despair, betting everything on an impossible hope.

On days when I completely crumbled, I embraced the enormous sense of loss I had kept close, as if it were you. Helplessly swallowed by it, I resolved to follow you… But then, I thought of you again – you, who could have lived happily without suffering because of someone like me.

Ironically, after enduring such hellish times, when we met again, all that harshness seemed trivial. Perhaps that’s why I had become selfish, daring to think that someone like me could make you happy.

His thoughts, which had been endlessly chasing the galloping horse, soon turned to regret, self-reproach, and guilt. It felt as if he had returned to the time after Hazel’s death.

If this entire process was simply an extension of the punishment he deserved, he would gladly accept it. But if Hazel’s pain had to be a prerequisite…

No. That was absolutely unacceptable.

Jayden, who had arrived first, waved from afar. It seemed to be the spot where the handkerchief was found. Leopold stopped his horse.

A dark red puddle, larger than a palm, came into view. Feeling like he might truly lose his mind, he clenched his teeth so hard he could bite through flesh. He repeatedly told himself not to jump to any conclusions, as nothing had been confirmed yet. Nevertheless, he could do nothing about his sinking heart.

After ordering a search of the surroundings, he approached the blood puddle. Kneeling on one knee, he ran his bare hand over the dirt ground. The rough, cold sand grains held no trace of Hazel whatsoever. Of course not. The wind here blew from the southern desert. The sand carried by the wind constantly covered all traces in the wilderness.

‘Where have you disappeared to?’ he thought. ‘Leaving me alone like this again, where on earth have you gone?’

Standing up, he closed his eyes. He tried to picture Hazel somehow, but for some reason, even the afterimage was faint.

Before long, he sensed a presence behind him.

“My lord, we’ve completed the search, but there were no notable findings,” a soldier reported, his voice full of vigor. It meant it was time to leave this place.

***

As soon as the afternoon tea time ended, several maids flocked to my room. It was for the evening party Raphael had mentioned, and they chattered incessantly while dressing me up.

They spoke of how much of a troublemaker Raphael had been since childhood, how the palace had been like a house of mourning for years after his disappearance, and how surprised everyone was when they saw him enter the palace with me.

They said that while many people had claimed to be the missing prince, no one had caught attention quite like the real Raphael.

“I heard he worked as the healer’s assistant. Didn’t you know anything about what happened in the duchy?” one of the maids asked, tightening the sash around my waist.

“No, I was so focused on my research… I only recently learned that he had lost his memories,” I answered, feeling somewhat apologetic.

Another maid excitedly said, “It’s a blessing that he’s returned safely even now. Honestly, I was so worried that the Marquis might become the heir—”

“Lily!” The oldest-looking maid quickly cut her off.

The maid named Lily, looking sheepish, hurriedly explained, “I mean, it’s fortunate that the prince will become the heir again.”

“By ‘Marquis’, do you mean Aaron Rumatera?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s right. How do you know?” Lily’s eyes widened in surprise.

I recalled my memories. “I heard that name several times on the way here. He even came to greet me. But why shouldn’t he become the heir?”

“Well, it’s not that he shouldn’t, but…” Lily glanced around nervously before continuing with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Oh, whatever.’ The other maids shook their heads like they were used to this, no longer trying to stop her.

“He’s really scary, you know. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. I’ve heard quite a few people have died silently because of him. If he becomes the next king, it probably won’t be easy for us to work in the palace.”

He certainly had left a sharp impression. The thin, upturned mustache, sunken cheeks, and the prominent cheekbones in contrast, along with upward-slanting eyes. If not for his luxurious attire, some might have thought him a con artist.

“Anyway, it’s all thanks to you, healer! I heard His Majesty might bestow a great reward!” another maid exclaimed.

The room filled with giggles and agreements of “That’s right, that’s right.” Infected by their laughter, I found myself slightly raising the corners of my mouth as well.

“I don’t need any rewards. It’s enough if Raphael can live well with his family,” I replied.

Suddenly, silence fell. Had I said something wrong? Confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, I looked around at the maids’ faces, who were oddly flushed.

“What’s wrong with all of you?” I asked cautiously, glancing around, seemingly trying to gauge the mood.