Chapter 2.1

In a quiet, deserted alley, there was a small shop. Outwardly, it looked simple and small, but this shop had something special that set it apart from others.

That was the fact that the shop’s owner was a mage.

Her name was Celia. Wandering from one empire to another, she mostly ran a shop selling potions, and on the side, she granted wishes as a second job.

She hadn’t been settled in the Orgin Empire for long, but perhaps word of mouth had spread, for there were now bothersome cases where people came one after another to make wishes. Because of this, and since Celia disliked dealing with people, she cast spell on a tree to handle communications.

“I wonder what kinds of wishes are written today.”

[My mom said she picked me up from under a bridge. Please help me find my real mother.]

[I want to become rich.]

[Please help me make my love come true.]

Perhaps because rumors had spread, people of all ages, from children to adults, made all sorts of wishes. Whether commoner or noble, everyone wrote their wishes with the hope that they would come true.

There were all kinds of wishes, so just reading them was rather amusing.

Huh?

Among the various wishes she read, one in particular caught Celia’s eye.

[Please help my first love come true. Claire Mansfield.]

The content itself was nothing special. There were quite a few people who wished for similar things. However, there was a different reason why this wish especially caught Celia’s attention.

Oh, my.

It seemed like an ordinary wish, but the story behind it felt unique. She didn’t know the full story, but with spell, she could roughly sense the situation. If she got involved, it seemed like something interesting might happen.

Celia tore the paper hanging from the tree with her hand.

“This time, I choose you.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she looked at the paper.

**

“A letter has arrived for you, Miss.”

Mary came over with a letter, tilting her head in curiosity.

“From whom?”

“Well, it just says it’s from the Wish Tree Mage, but there’s no sender written other than that.”

“A mage?”

At the mention of the Wish Tree, Claire hurriedly tore open the letter she was handed.

[Congratulations. It has been decided that your wish will be granted. If you come to the Wish Tree at noon tomorrow, I will listen to your wish in more detail.]

“Oh my goodness!”

She had written it lightheartedly, never expecting it would actually be granted.

She had no expectations at all, so she was surprised, but at the same time, she felt a bit uneasy and cautious.

Is it really okay for someone to manipulate people’s hearts with spell?

She had written her wish sincerely, but honestly, it was more of an impulsive act, so her worries came first.

That’s why Claire kept agonizing until the promised time, wondering if she really should meet the mage. After much deliberation, she decided to meet her at least once, thinking she should at least hear how the wish would be granted.

The next day, when she went to the tree, a young woman with pink hair was standing there.

“Are you the mage, by any chance?”

Claire already knew that the mage had pink hair, so she approached the woman first.

“Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Celia.”

Celia greeted her with a faint smile.

Since she was granting a wish with no strings attached, Claire thought the mage would have a kind impression, but the woman’s demeanor was the exact opposite—cold. Just feeling the way Celia’s eyes quickly scanned her made chills run down Claire’s spine.

“I am Claire, the daughter of Earl Mansfield.”

Without showing her feelings, Claire introduced herself with a bright smile on her face.

“I know. You wrote that on the note.”

Just as she’d sensed from Celia’s cold impression, her tone was blunt as well.

“I was surprised that you chose to grant my wish among so many. There must be many similar wishes, so it’s an honor that you picked mine.”

“Let’s hear that kind of thing after your wish has been granted. For now, let’s talk a bit. What’s the name of the person you like?”

“Helion of the Radner family….”

“Eek! Go away! I’m working here.”

Just as Celia was about to write it down, she suddenly brushed her shoulder and shouted. A crow had perched on her shoulder.

She tried to shoo it away, but the crow flapped its wings as if it had no intention of leaving.

“Are you all right?”

Surprised, Claire looked back and forth between Celia and the crow.

“Yes. He lives with me, but whenever he’s bored, he tries to land on my shoulder. Crow, I told you not to come when I’m talking with a guest!”

The crow, having been scolded, narrowed its eyes, then lightly tapped the back of Celia’s head before flying up into the tree.

“That little…!”

After glaring at the crow for a moment, Celia turned back to Claire with a businesslike smile.

“What were we talking about? Oh, which family was it again?”

“The Radner Ducal family.”

Can I really trust this?

Seeing the mage bickering with a crow, Claire wondered if she could really trust someone so different from her first impression. But she quickly shook her head.

Isn’t it too much to doubt someone who’s granting her wish out of pure goodwill, with no price attached? She scolded herself for being suspicious.

“Will you make me a love potion, perhaps?”

Still, she thought she should at least hear what kind of help she’d be getting.

“I don’t use that kind of potion.”

“Then how will you help me?”

“I’ll make a special potion for you, just not a love potion.”

“Is it something like a love elixir?”

At the mention of a love elixir, Celia gave a little laugh.

“So you’ve heard of love elixirs. This is a little different from that.”

Then what kind of potion is it? 

Her question wasn’t answered, but Claire felt she’d only get vague replies if she kept asking about the potion.

“Will there be a chance to secretly give it to him?”

Claire changed the direction of her question instead.

It seemed impossible to secretly give a potion to a man she could barely even see. If she suddenly tried to hand it over, it would only look suspicious.

“I’ll create an opportunity for you. For now, just wait. You’ll get a message. See that? Through that crow.”

Celia tapped her chest twice lightly, as if telling Claire to trust only her.

“Ah… yes.”

When she looked up at the crow perched in the tree, it had a smug expression, as if it knew it was being talked about.

After seeing them bicker just a moment ago, Claire felt a little uneasy, but she still wanted to trust the mage.

It should be… fine, right?

* * *

After meeting Celia, Claire’s daily life flowed as usual.

When would she contact me? Was it taking so long to make the potion?

With no word from Celia, Claire became more and more anxious as she waited.

She wasn’t trying to nag, but she was curious when she’d get a message. The longer it took, the more likely those two would actually get engaged.

She sincerely hoped the message would come before the engagement ceremony….

Two weeks later, Claire finally received the potion from Celia, through the crow. They arranged to meet, and Claire went to see her.

“Here, just drink this.”

Without any greeting, Celia immediately took out a small bottle filled with purple liquid.

“Oh, so I have to give this to him to drink?”

The color was so strange that Claire frowned as soon as she saw it, reluctantly taking the bottle.

“No. You have to drink it.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Claire had assumed only Helion would be drinking the potion, so she blinked in surprise and asked Celia, who answered briefly and matter-of-factly.

Stunned, Claire silently stared at the bottle in her hand.

What would change if I drank it?

“Why do only I have to drink it? Doesn’t the other person need to?”

“I’ve already taken care of that, so he doesn’t need to. I have a special way of granting wishes.”

“Did you meet him separately?”

“Yes.”

Is it okay to use spell secretly? Wouldn’t he notice right away?

No matter how much she thought about it, Claire couldn’t understand, so she tilted her head.

“Won’t he find it suspicious if you use spell?”

“Not at all.”

“Then what kind of measures did you take?”

“I have my ways. I am a mage, after all.”

She still felt a bit uneasy, but seeing Celia’s confident expression, Claire wanted to trust her.

“When should I drink this?”

“It doesn’t take effect right away, so it doesn’t matter when. You can drink it now if you want.”

“Can I ask what kind of effect it has?”

“Just think of it as something that will firmly hold onto your heart, in case you start to hesitate.”

“So I don’t really have to drink it, do I?”

“It’s up to you. But if you don’t follow my instructions, don’t blame me if your wish doesn’t come true.”

There was a subtle hint of threat in her indifferent tone.

After hearing that, how could she not drink it?