Chapter 2

The thirteenth prince who liked alchemy and the alchemist’s daughter made a good match. They quickly became friends.

Ethea could teach Lyle a few alchemy recipes he was curious about, and Lyle helped Ethea with her chores. Despite his initial impression of laziness, he was diligent and quick. Sometimes, he was so helpful around the house that Ethea wondered if he was really a prince or a secret servant.

Of course, their little relationship was a strict secret from everyone, including Javir. Lyle used wigs and artificial lenses to disguise himself as a milkman or vegetable delivery boy, so no one suspected a thing.

They made various things with alchemy together.

“If you add this fur, mercury, and these other ingredients, ta-da! It becomes a squirrel figurine. It’s made from cheap materials, so it won’t last long, but it’ll be a cute decoration for about ten days.”

“Wow! Amazing. How did you do it? It looks so finely carved, like a sculpture.”

“The fur is from a squirrel. The rest of the recipe is a secret. I still need to dig deeper into the mold theory.”

The fun didn’t stop there.

They ate lots of delicious things together. Lyle raided the palace kitchen and brought her plenty of tasty pastries, and Ethea made him home-cooked meals.

On holidays, Ethea would come up with the excuse of buying materials for her father and sneak out to watch performances with him.  

On some days, they would even carry out acts of revenge. There was an administrative officer from the Military Affairs Bureau whom Lyle absolutely despised, so they carried out a bold prank by smearing bird droppings on the man’s wig.  

No matter what they did together, it was always enjoyable. Yet, at the same time, Ethea couldn’t help but worry. “The longer the tail, the more likely it is to get stepped on,” as the saying goes. Her concern prompted her to speak to Lyle.  

“Don’t you think someone might catch us doing this someday?”  

“Don’t worry. I’m more meticulous than you think.”  

“Hmm, is that so? Well, I guess that’s why we haven’t been caught for months.”  

“And even if we do get caught, so what? I’m not afraid of anything.”  

He was brimming with confidence. When Ethea didn’t respond, he glanced at her expression and asked,  

“What about you, Ethea?”  

“Well, I don’t know…”  

Ethea hesitated to answer because of Javir. Javir disliked it when Ethea had male friends, or even when she spent time with friends her own age. His reasoning was that socializing would distract her from her household duties. For that reason, she was afraid of Javir finding out about this relationship.  

＊ ＊ ＊  

It was one day when Javir had gone on a business trip to the central region.  

Before leaving, he had assigned Ethea a massive task: refining a special metal used in alchemy. Although the quantity wasn’t large enough to produce weap*ns or farming tools in bulk, it was still a burdensome task to handle at home. Ethea found the work tedious and wanted to run away somewhere far.  

Not long after Javir left, Lyle came to visit. It was as if he had memorized Javir’s schedule.  

“You’ve got a lot of work today, huh? Let me help. I’ll use this chance to learn how to refine that metal from you.”  

Ethea knew she shouldn’t get too comfortable with him, but the workload was overwhelming, and she was grateful and happy he had come.  

The metal refining room in the house was hot. Lyle, forgetting that his friend was a girl, casually took off his shirt and began working. Ethea, feeling awkward at first, eventually joined in wearing a sleeveless top.  

That day, Lyle talked more than usual.  

He told her about the time he gave a group bath to the flying squirrels he kept in his room at the Imperial Palace (cuter than ordinary squirrels but dirtier than rats), stories about his only friend in the palace, the mage Seisil, and how he and Seisil discovered an alchemy recipe to create squirrel figurines, only for them to crumble into dust after a single day.  

“That’s funny.”  

Anything he talked about was amusing to Ethea. She realized that even those living in the Imperial Palace could get bored, and that a prince was just an ordinary boy like her.  

“I’m glad you find it funny.”  

After chatting for a while, he wiped the sweat trickling down his neck. Then, he silently looked at Ethea. His gaze, heavy with the room’s heat, felt different. Perhaps because he was shirtless, Ethea found herself feeling self-conscious. Somehow, the atmosphere had shifted from their usual lighthearted chatter to something more serious.  

“Ethea.”  

“Yeah?”  

“I wish you’d always smile like that.”  

“Huh?”  

“And there’s something I want to do.”  

Maybe it was the unusual atmosphere, but his words sounded strange.  

‘Something he wants to do? Why is he being so serious about it?’  

Ethea tensed up.  

“What is it?”  

“Let’s make a vow.”  

“A… vow?”  

“A vow of friendship.”  

Drawing closer, Lyle clasped both of Ethea’s hands tightly.  

Isn’t this the kind of gesture lovers make before confessing their feelings?  

Flustered, Ethea averted her gaze. His hands felt hotter than the flames in the refining room, and her heart started to thrum unexpectedly.  

“A vow of friendship…”  

In short, he wanted them to be serious friends, but why was her heart racing like this? It was embarrassing and awkward. They were already good friends—did they really need a vow?  

Lyle continued speaking. Every word he uttered made Ethea’s heart react.  

“I like you so much.”  

Thump.  

“I have a friend in the palace, but it’s not the same as you. You’re irreplaceable to me.”  

Thump, thump.  

“When I go back, all I can think about is you. These days, whenever it’s time to say goodbye, I feel like I can’t stand it anymore.”  

Thump, thump, stumble.  

Barely managing to keep herself upright, Ethea called his name.  

“Lyle…”  

Because of her family’s financial struggles and endless chores, Ethea hadn’t had any friends since she was a child. But now, she had a friend. Not just any friend, but one with a handsome face, a charming voice, and a knack for saying sweet words.  

Although it was a confession of friendship, it felt as exhilarating as a love confession.  

“I’ve made up my mind. Ethea, I want to make you my best friend. Will you let me? Will you look at me the same way?”  

Ethea felt dazed and nodded several times. She already felt the same way.  

“I feel the same. I do feel a bit sad when you go back to the palace.”  

“Ethea.”  

“But is this vow of friendship all there is to it?”  

When Ethea asked, he grinned.  

“No, just wait.”  

***

The next day, although Ethea didn’t have to go to school, the task of refining the special metal still loomed over her. She woke up at dawn, her heart fluttering from Lyle’s confession the night before, and began her work.  

But as soon as morning broke, Lyle showed up at her house.  

“Good morning!”  

“Is it okay for you to come two days in a row?”  

“Why wouldn’t it be?”  

Lyle was carrying a bundle in both hands. Ethea teased him when she saw it.  

“Are you moving somewhere?” 

“Yep, here. To your house.”  

“…?”  

“Surprised? Just kidding. These are supplies. I secretly borrowed them with some help from my friend at the Mage Tower.”  

Lyle began unpacking the items from the sack. Ethea recognized some of the tools. When she asked, he explained that they were materials for a secret recipe combining magic and alchemy.  

“To make a vow of friendship, we need a token. We’re going to make one now.”  

Ethea had no idea what kind of grand token would require such elaborate materials. But since it was Lyle, she trusted him. She thought he would undoubtedly create something amazing.  

“Just wait and see. Something amazing will be made. With this, you’ll be able to be happy.”

H-happy?  

Ethea felt a strong sense of unease at his choice of words.  

“When you say it like that, it sounds scary. What exactly are we making?”  

“I can’t tell you. I’ll explain everything later. Just know that it’s going to be something more amazing than the dust stars in the flask. Oh, and we’ll need blood. Yours and mine. Just one drop each, so we only need to prick a finger. Is that okay?”  

“Uh, yeah. But, um…”  

Ethea didn’t feel like his explanation was enough, so she kept asking. What kind of extraordinary token of friendship was he planning to make? Would it end up being something too burdensome?  

But he silenced her, saying they needed to be quiet now. The atmosphere was so serious that Ethea didn’t ask any more questions.  

At the same time, she felt sorry for Lyle.  

According to rumors, the Crown Prince was deeply wary of his siblings. “Wary” was a polite way of putting it—it was essentially elimination. Assassinations, poisonings, staged accidents, or marrying them off to royal families of other continents—there were many methods. Anyone who stood out more than the Crown Prince usually met a grim end.  

Lyle’s carefree attitude, his tendency to roam outside the palace, and his lack of interest in academics were all likely due to his fear and anxiety about his older brother. Perhaps he sought refuge in his friendship with Ethea. She decided to be a good friend to him.  

And so, the creation of the token of friendship began.  

Lyle handed Ethea a needle.  

“You draw my blood, and I’ll draw yours.”  

He looked as solemn as someone preparing for a sacred ritual. Feeling inexplicably nervous, Ethea nodded.  

“All right.”  

They faced each other and entrusted their fingers to one another.  

Drawing a drop of blood in one go wasn’t easy. Ethea had to prick him several times before she managed to draw blood. Feeling guilty, she kept apologizing.  

“Sorry, I’m not very good at this.”  

“It’s fine. It’s kind of thrilling, actually.”  

“You… sound like a pervert.”  

“Heh.”  

Unlike Ethea, Lyle didn’t hesitate. He picked up the needle to draw blood from her finger, but Ethea’s hand trembled slightly. Noticing this, he gently held her hand, pressing her palm to steady it.  

“Look at me, Ethea.”  

“Huh?”  

“Did you know?”  

“Know what?”  

“You’re really pretty today. Pretty enough to be my girlfriend.”  

“What? …Ouch!”  

Lyle casually dropped a line that sounded like a confession, then pricked her finger in one swift motion. A large drop of blood welled up at the tip of her finger. Only then did Ethea realize he had distracted her on purpose to ease her fear before pricking her finger.  

“Haha! Ethea! You were so cute just now, with your eyes all wide, staring at me. Come on, be honest. You were nervous, weren’t you? Because of what I said? Huh?”  

“Shut up…”  

“So gullible. So simple. Tsk, tsk.”  

“You little…!”  

“Shh, shh! We’re in the middle of a sacred friendship ritual! Miss Parazia, please refrain from causing a scene. Focus, will you?”  

After some minor commotion, they combined their blood drops in the flask and added the remaining ingredients. Then, Lyle drew a magic circle he had learned somewhere. It was a complex circle and took quite some time to complete.  

Once the magic circle was finished, he began chanting a spell. The language was unfamiliar, likely the language of magic. However, the last phrase he added sounded suspicious.  

“…Lead Ethea to happiness.”  

“You, why do you keep saying happiness, happiness…”  

Before Ethea could finish her sentence, a strange phenomenon occurred outside the magic circle. A strong golden light began to envelop the entire house.  

“Lyle… Lyle!”  

Frightened, she called his name, but there was no response. Before she could hear his answer, her consciousness faded like smoke.