Chapter 1 (Part 3)

Meia bit the tender flesh inside her mouth and spoke, suppressing her anger.

“If by any chance the royal family says it’s okay to change the fiancée, then change it.”

Meryl stopped crying at Meia’s words and started to show a happy expression.

“Thank you, Meia.”

Meryl wiped her tears and rejoiced as if the breakup was already decided.

“Would you believe me if I said the Crown Prince also fell for me?”

“It’s a world where love alone can’t sustain you.”

“Don’t you know the saying that love can save the world?”

“The position of Crown Princess and Empress is not to save the world.”

“Anyway, thank you for yielding the position of fiancée.”

Meryl says it’s yielding, but from her perspective, it’s robbery.

“It hasn’t changed yet.”

She thought of the royal elders who had adored her for a long time.

But her heart was uneasy.

I have to trust, but why do I feel so uncomfortable?

She vowed not to doubt, but the words of her magic teacher, Puring, came to mind.

<That’s why the “what if” is so tricky. What if everything is fine? What if the storm doesn’t come? But if you don’t prepare for that “what if,” you will end up hurting yourself.>

<Ah, if only I had prepared for the storm. Falling into self-reproach and regret would be more damaging, wouldn’t it? What I want to tell you, my lady, is that you are more important than any expensive treasure. So, if you have doubts about the “what if,” you must prepare.>

<Then, Master, is there a way to know when a storm is coming?>

<Suspicion.>

<Suspicion?>

At that time, Meia took Puring’s words lightly.

A single doubt arose towards those she trusted without question.

‘I have ten years of shared history. I must trust.’

She knows that the thought of having to trust is itself suspicion.

She already doubted. She had no choice. Luman and Meryl’s actions were too confident, as if the breakup was already decided.

She thought that a storm might soon hit the calm waves.

She must prepare. To avoid getting hurt by the storm.

The suspicion only grew.

Meia receives numerous invitations and letters every day.

But she did not receive the letter she was waiting for. It was a letter from Empress Ellermin.

It’s been over a week, and no letter from Ellermin has arrived. Normally, she would receive a letter asking for her opinion on the tea party preparations or inviting her to the palace, but nothing came.

The letters suddenly stopped. This was the first time this had happened.

Why hasn’t she sent a letter?

“Did you send a letter?”

“Yes, I did. But there’s no reply.”

Yudy looked at her with undisguised concern.

“Meryl went to the palace, didn’t she?”

“…Yes.”

“This situation makes me strongly think the engagement might be broken off….”

Yudy and the maids who served Meia were restless at the endlessly delicate and fragile Meia’s words.

They knew well how Meia had studied fiercely since childhood to become the Empress.

“Yudy.”

“Yes.”

“Is Agnita still in the ravine?”

“Yes, I worry if she’s eating well.”

“Tell Agnita to return to the duchy.”

“Understood.”

Meia looked at her reflection in the mirror and spoke pitifully.

“Could they really take my place, which my parents left for me, to make Meryl the Crown Princess?”

Smiling bitterly, Meia glanced through the remaining invitations.

And she stopped at one invitation. The envelope read ‘Olivia of Ferzen.’

“I should attend Lady Olivia’s tea party.”

“What? Lady Olivia’s tea party?”

Meia smiled.

“Yes, I want to see Lady Olivia.”

To prepare for the possible storm, there was no better place than Lady Olivia’s tea party.

Olivia of the Ferzen family.

Olivia was called the second-in-command in the social circles among young ladies. The reason for this was partly due to family differences, but also because she had never once taken Meia’s place as the flower of the social circles.

“Are you really going?”

Yudy asked worriedly.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about, Yudy.”

Meia lifted the corners of her mouth.

“I think something very enjoyable will happen at Lady Olivia’s tea party. And I’m curious.”

Meryl mentioned ‘Meia’s breakup’ every time she met people.

Moreover, she spoke as if she would become the new fiancée, which didn’t feel good.

But she decided to use this to her advantage.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

“It’s Puring, my lady.”

“Come in.”

The person who entered the room was an old Mage with long white beard and hair.

“My lady, you look well today.”

Puring, Meia’s magic teacher and one of the six great Mages of the Mage Tower, spoke while examining her complexion.

To Puring, Meia’s father David was a benefactor. His death was shocking, but he felt obligated to protect and care for his benefactor’s daughter.

Normally, Puring would visit on scheduled days to teach Meia magic, but since the death of David and Violet, he couldn’t leave Meia alone and decided to stay at the duchy to take care of her.

“If you need to go to the Mage Tower, please go. Master, I am fine now.”

Puring was a great Mage of the Mage Tower before being her magic teacher. Meia knew that the Mage Tower needed him.

Puring sighed deeply and spoke.

“A letter has arrived from the Mage Tower. I need to work at the tower for a while, so I came to say goodbye before leaving.”

Sitting in front of the vanity, looking at the mirror while being groomed by the maids, Meia waved her hand, signaling them to leave with a nod.

The maids, understanding her gestures, quietly backed out and closed the door.

Confirming that the maids had left, Puring stroked his long white beard and began to speak.

“They say the Mage Tower is short of Mages because the Sirius Empire took all the Mages above the third circle.”

“The Sirius Empire? Are they going to war? They have the war-crazy Duke Rockbellion, so why would they suddenly hire Mages from the Mage Tower? I’m curious about their thoughts.”

“They say Duke Rockbellion of the Sirius Empire is conducting a territorial war.”

“They have plenty of land, money, and military power… they’re doing all sorts of things. But there’s no reason for the Mages to go… unless the compensation is good.”

“As expected, you are astute. The reward is the magic stones from Duke Rockbellion’s estate in the Sirius Empire. So, everyone is clamoring to go. The Duke’s estate is hiring every Mage who applies.”

Magic stones are stones containing mana and come in two forms.

One is red magic stones. The other is blue magic stones.

Their uses differ, but the common point is that they are extremely expensive.

Mages take on commissions from the Mage Tower to earn money to buy magic stones. With the commission fee being magic stones, it’s no wonder Mages are flocking to the Sirius Empire.

“The reward is indeed grand. I would go too.”

Puring carefully examined Meia’s complexion again.

Although she was smiling, there was an emptiness in her tone.

She hadn’t shown any signs of struggling after losing her parents recently. Instead, she acted nonchalant to reassure people.

But Puring knew.

‘Inside, she must be incredibly sad.’

“Do you understand, my lady?”

“Understand what?”

“You are someone who can make good use of both victory and defeat.”

Meia gave her attention to Puring reflected in the mirror rather than to herself.

“I have a question.”

“Please ask.”

“What would you do if everything you’ve done so far becomes meaningless?”

Puring pondered why Meia was asking such a question.

Everything she had done so far was solely studying to become the Empress.

If that study became meaningless, it meant the study to become the Empress was futile. But Meia would never give up the position of Empress.

Wrinkles formed on Puring’s forehead. He anticipated something he didn’t even want to think about.

“My lady, there’s no such thing as everything you’ve done becoming meaningless. To achieve the results of everything you’ve done in the flowing time, you must make an effort. But if you say the successful results from the spent time are ‘meaningless,’ it’s disrespectful to time.”

“Disrespectful to time?”

“Time always watches over us. And time always gives results to those who make an effort.”

Meia listened attentively to Puring’s words.

“We can say we live within time. Whatever we do, we need time. Eating, laughing, sleeping, training, all these require time. Time gives ‘results’ to those who make an effort over time.”

Meia slightly lifted the corners of her mouth at Puring’s words.

“Efforts made over time never disappoint. If you feel disappointed, you will surely see the light in the future after time passes. Like the works of the painter Shardik, which gained recognition over time.”

“I was disrespectful to time. Thank you for your wise words before you leave.”

“My lady, if by any chance you want to avoid the storm, please come to the Mage Tower anytime. An old Mage’s stories are always delightful.”

Meia chuckled at Puring’s sly words.

Puring took a brooch out of his robe sleeve and handed it to Meia.

“What is this, Master?”

“It helps with teleportation and allows you to go above the first floor of the Mage Tower.”

“Thank you, Master.”

To go above the first floor of the Mage Tower, you needed a Mage’s registration card or a great Mage’s brooch.

“Please come to the Mage Tower anytime. I would be delighted if you would come.”

“I understand, Master.”

And Meia thought.

‘If by any chance the engagement is broken. Going to the Mage Tower might not be a bad choice.’