“So is the problem that it takes a long time?”

Adelia shook her head at Ariana’s question.

“No, it’s the opposite. It doesn’t take that long, so you have to see and feel countless human memories in a short time. It’s difficult to handle the storm that hits all at once.”

“It sounds like a scary magic… I thought it would be nice if we could see a criminal’s memories to reveal their crimes, or revisit memories with someone we miss.”

“That would be nice, but seeing other people’s memories is even more difficult. Sharing others’ emotions and sensory memories is quite terrible and challenging.”

Although she had never used memory magic to share others’ emotions and senses, Adelia already had two sets of memories coexisting within her. The initial confusion and chaos she felt was something she couldn’t tell others about.

To hide a shining secret, one had to either curl up to hide it or shine even brighter than the secret.

Adelia put on a bright smile over her bitter face.

“Still, new magic is always fascinating. Thanks to it, I was able to give Your Highness a good gift.”

“Hehe… After hearing your story, it’s an even better gift. I’ll cherish it dearly.”

Ariana said with a fluttering smile. When seeing that spotless smile, it seemed as if all secrets would fade away. Adelia finally couldn’t resist and ended up spending quite a bit more time hugging Ariana.

* * *

After visiting Ariana, Adelia headed to the palace bestowed by the Emperor.

The Luce Palace, meaning ‘light’, had been used by high-ranking women of the imperial family for generations. Located between the main palaces, it was convenient for moving around and conducting various activities.

Upon arriving at the palace, Lawrence, with a flushed face, greeted Adelia. He had been running with his long legs but slowed to a leisurely walk as he approached Adelia, pretending to be composed.

Adelia covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled at his obvious behavior.

“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Princess. Did you have a good trip?”

Lawrence bowed slightly, placing one hand on his chest. His voice, a note lower than usual, resonated deeply.

Although on the surface he seemed to be imitating a gentleman, the youthful feeling in his voice couldn’t be hidden.

Adelia added a spoonful of mischief to her arched face. She cupped one cheek with her hand, supported her arm with the other, and slightly closed her eyes. Then, letting out a small sigh, she said,

“My, our Prince has become a gentleman while I was away. Oh dear, I guess the gift I bought won’t be necessary?”

“A gift? You bought a gift for me?”

At the mention of a gift, the Prince’s eyes wavered. The hand on his chest slowly came down. His plan to tease Adelia by pretending to be a gentleman was pushed aside by the gift.

Adelia’s blue eyes sparkled between her slightly closed eyelids.

“Hmm… I bought a gift for a cute prince, but you’ve become a mature gentleman in a week, so the gift…”

“Hehe, what are you saying, sister? I’m still the same.”

Before Adelia could finish speaking, Lawrence laughed mischievously, his eyes wrinkling. He had returned to his impish, playful face.

Adelia chuckled and patted his head.

“Now that I look closely, you’re right. I heard you decorated the palace while I was away.”

“It’s where you’ll be living. With my brother gone and Father busy, I had to do it. I personally inspected and selected every single palace servant.”

Lawrence puffed out his chest and spoke in a proud voice.

He looked like a large dog who had done a good job and was waiting for praise.

“Thanks to you, I’ll be able to stay here with peace of mind. You’ve worked hard.”

“This much is easy.”

“Would you like to have a cup of tea with me as a token of my gratitude? We can talk, and I’ll give you your gift too.”

“Sounds good. Then, let me introduce you to the palace.”

Lawrence extended his hand towards Adelia to escort her. His large hand, covered in calluses typical of someone who handles a sword, looked exactly like Lucian’s.

Adelia placed her hand on his and smiled brightly.

“It’s my honor.”

Lawrence and Adelia went around the Luce Palace once. Lawrence chattered away beside her about what he had done, and Adelia didn’t hold back on praise, smiling all the while.

“The palace is so beautiful. I like it.”

“I thought you wouldn’t like anything complicated, so I kept it simple.”

“It’s exactly to my taste. I knew you’d do well.”

Lawrence had offered to help with Adelia’s busy work first. Trusting the eye of a imperial family member, Adelia gladly entrusted everything about the palace to Lawrence.

He took charge of decorating the palace, arranging the servants, and dividing the areas.

Only after walking around the place did they arrive at the office, which he said he had paid the most attention to.

“This is definitely my favorite place of all.”

“Of course. I paid special attention to it since you’ll spend the most time in the office.”

He had removed all complex patterns to prevent eye strain and filled the room with bookshelves for neatly organizing documents. The plants placed here and there purified the air, creating a refreshing atmosphere.

And there was a large outdoor terrace attached, which was good for Adelia to sneak out at night.

Adelia looked around the room with a faint smile and sat down on the sofa in the center. At Lawrence’s gesture, the maids quickly brought tea and refreshments.

Adelia beckoned to one of them. A young-looking maid swallowed hard and approached.

“Did you call for me, Your Highness?”

“There’s a gift for the Prince among the luggage I brought. Could you bring it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

The maid bowed her head and quickly left the room with small steps. Soon, she returned with a box containing the dagger bought from the trip.

The box was wrapped in cloth, and inside were the dagger and soft fabric. This was not only to protect the dagger during transport but also to prevent anyone from guessing what the gift was at a glance.

Fortunately, Lawrence just stared blankly at the box, looking curious.

“You may leave now.”

At Adelia’s single word, the palace servants and guards bowed and left the room.

Seeing them pass by like the wind, she covered her mouth with one hand and exclaimed.

“They’re really fast. It must be convenient.”

Lawrence’s ears perked up at the small voice that was almost a whisper to herself. He raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction and sipped the tea placed in front of him.

Before Adelia arrived, the Prince had firmly warned the palace servants:

— Sister doesn’t like noise, so stay out of the way as much as possible. But make sure the guards are firmly in place for safety, and move quickly to avoid any troublesome situations.

It was a quite difficult and demanding order, but compared to catering to other royal family members, this was relatively easy.

Lawrence put down his teacup on the table with a thud and crossed his legs. He neatly placed his hands on top of his crossed knees and smiled shyly.

“I was worried because time was short, but I’m glad you like it more than I expected.”

“I really like it. Since the Prince has given me such a nice gift, I should reciprocate, right? Please accept this.”

Adelia handed over the box that the maid had brought earlier. Lawrence placed his hand on the box, staring at Adelia as if asking for permission to open it. She responded with a faint smile instead of words.

Only then did Lawrence unwrap the cloth covering the box and open the curious box.

“It’s a dagger?”

“That’s right. I bought it thinking it would suit you well. What do you think?”

“I love it”

Lawrence took out the dagger from the box. His red eyes were full of interest and curiosity as he looked at the dagger. He examined the scabbard from various angles and drew the blade to swing it, looking very enthusiastic.

“I’ve never seen this decoration method before. It’s like they’ve carved a rainbow into pieces. The colors are vibrant, but not too flashy, making it elegant rather than gaudy.”

He chattered away excitedly, his eyes sparkling like a fish in water.

Even Lawrence, who usually acted maturely bearing the heavy burden of being a royal, could show a glimpse of the innocence typical of his age when encountering something he liked.

Adelia looked at him with narrowed eyes and a pleased expression.

‘Children are most lovable when they appear as they should at their age.’