Chapter 12

Avgenia couldn’t tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

The experiment was so successful it ended in failure, which was bad. The mages were running everywhere to fix it.

But somehow, the situation would be resolved. The Mage Tower’s reputation was at stake, so most of the mages were out minimizing damage, and so far there were no reported casualties. Once things calmed down, the Imperial Family would launch extra relief efforts. If the mages managed the water flow well, the central and southern rivers of the continent would recover a bit by now.

By the next morning, the rain that had poured down like the sky was broken had started to let up—so it was only a matter of time.

‘The problem is, we can’t return to the Imperial City.’

The thunder and lightning that had shaken the sky had long since quieted. Only the gentle sound of rain echoed in the Mage Tower Master’s reception room as Avgenia waited for the mages’ emergency meeting to end.

Because the Master and mages couldn’t properly host guests the previous night, dinner was postponed and Avgenia’s group had returned to their rooms to rest. The special guest rooms, said to be near the Master’s quarters, were protected by layers of magic, so they were perfectly quiet—ideal for forgetting the chaos and sleeping well.

That quiet now settled over Avgenia and Alexei the next morning.

“Um, Lexie.”

As her aide, he had come to fetch her, but Alexei had been silent all along. Avgenia finally forced herself to speak, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

“Did you sleep well? The bedding here is so soft and nice. The bed is wonderful, too.”

“…Yes.”

‘You asked me earlier too, didn’t you?’—Alexei might have added such a rebuke, but instead, he just replied briefly, causing Avgenia’s eyes to roll.

Anyone seeing this might think he hadn’t slept and was answering reluctantly.

But now that she looked, the dark circles under his eyes suggested he really hadn’t slept well.

‘He must have been so tired yesterday that he’d fall asleep immediately, and with the magic, he wouldn’t hear any outside noise. Why didn’t he sleep…’

Ah.

Was he so restless at night, missing the beloved left behind in the Imperial City?

Avgenia only half-guessed Alexei’s situation and couldn’t ask anything more, just biting her lips.

Meanwhile, Alexei, regretting his inadequate reply, chewed the inside of his mouth in secret.

How could he have slept well?

He’d have preferred the sound of thunder tormenting his ears. Lying in that silence, his own breathing the loudest sound, with only a wall between him and Avgenia sleeping next door—he felt that reality acutely. It wasn’t just a wall; there were brick walls, layers of plaster, silk wallpaper, soundproofing and protective magic between them, but still, the fact that he was using the room right next to Avgenia was pure agony.

In other words, he was so aroused it was hard to bear.

So, Alexei’s night was stained with fantasies about Avgenia and the salty scent of s*men released in silence.

But none of this was Avgenia’s fault.

Just the fact that she had, in retrospect, given him a gracious invitation made his imagination of Avgenia in bed more vivid each day—that was the real problem…

‘How can she talk about how nice the bed is to me…’

And so, as if apologizing in secret, he brewed tea, poured it… As usual when attending Avgenia, he started serving her with utmost care. He had to focus on that, or he wouldn’t be able to calm the presence that kept making itself known again.

‘Even after all that calming until morning, d*mn it…’

He had to stick with Avgenia all day, and unlike in the Imperial City, he couldn’t escape to other tasks. 

‘Please, just the 3 minutes and 32 seconds optimal for Gron Mountains highland tea leaves, please, water at the perfect temperature with warming magic, please, sugar cubes with edges sharp as if cut by a knife…!’

“Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve had tea brewed by you, Lexie.”

Unaware of all this, Avgenia just smiled and accepted his kindness.

He brewed the tea just right, filled the cup to the exact height, and, knowing Avgenia’s habit of adding sugar in the morning to raise her blood sugar quickly, dropped in three sugar cubes: plop, plop, plop.

Why be so habitually kind? Even if they were soon to drift apart, perhaps it was because their years as friends ran deep… Thinking that far, Avgenia let out a casual remark.

“The Duke will be pleased.”

Not wanting to see how Alexei’s expression changed, Avgenia sipped her tea before continuing.

“He must have been so annoyed that you worked as my aide.”

“Well, Father supports the First Prince.”

At Alexei’s longest reply of the day, Avgenia’s eyebrows rose slightly.

For once, a normal answer?

For Alexei, replying carefully was one way to ignore the heat between his legs.

She didn’t know the reason, but was glad anyway. Avgenia quickly seized the chance to continue the conversation.

“And he’s worried about your late marriage. The rumors from the Senate are going around.”

“Baron Luchin, the acting lord, is getting old, so he just wants me to go down soon.”

“I see. But…”

Avgenia glanced at Alexei’s face over her teacup. He still didn’t look near her face, but at least they were having a conversation about recent events for the first time in a while.

Maybe that’s why, without thinking, Avgenia blurted out something a bit off-topic.

“Whoever she is, good for you. They say the Duke would carry his daughter-in-law around if he got one.”

“Daughter-in-law?”

So, it was about that mysterious young lady who had become Avgenia’s biggest concern lately.

Maybe that annoyed him, as Alexei’s eyebrow arched sharply. Beneath it, his blue eyes seemed to say, ‘Why are you curious about that, Your Highness?’

‘Why not? Can’t we ask each other things like that?’

‘What are we, anyway…?’

Losing confidence, Avgenia fiddled with the rim of her teacup, quickly trying to cover her slip.

“Well, you’ll find out soon.”

“…I suppose so.”

The conversation was a bit awkward, but at least Alexei was more cooperative than expected. Having barely spoken privately with him lately, Avgenia even found herself thinking—

‘Maybe this is a good thing…?’

It was supposed to be a bleak three-day business trip, her last with Alexei.

‘Once we return to the Imperial City and pick a successor, he’ll hand over everything and resign. Then he’ll go straight to the Ramantus estate…’

Would he invite her to the wedding? If the mysterious young lady told him to cut ties with his promiscuous childhood friend, Lexie, ever gentle, would surely obey.

And since the head of the First Prince faction was Ramantus, she’d never be able to be this close to Alexei again.

‘Until my sister safely ascends the throne, I’ll have to keep my head down, and even afterward, unless Nikolai is purged, I’ll be at odds with Ramantus forever…’

It was a scary thought to have about her seven-year-old half-brother, but that was reality.

So, after this trip, she’d have to become distant with Alexei.

But with the teleportation circle at the tower broken, they had a few extra days. And not just any days, but days with no schedule at all.

Maybe they could reconcile?

They hadn’t exactly fought, but maybe they could ease the awkwardness…

Yes.

So, in the end, it was a good thing.