“Send someone to the temple at first light.”

“Yes, Cedric.”

“Discreetly. Make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.”

The corners of those red lips curved softly upward.

“She seems to be a person with many secrets, after all.”

***

“What does that…… mean?”

A heavy silence settled over the square wooden table.

“Not holy power…… but mana? How can……”

She couldn’t continue and covered her trembling lips with her hand.

It was the first time since returning that Ella had shown this much agitation.

She didn’t think she had even been this shocked when she first returned to Marian’s body.

‘That’s impossible! Mana……’

The Becarto Empire was a place where the Grand Temple, which worshipped the chief god Solea, held power rivaling the imperial family.

That was precisely why the entire Empire had celebrated with fervor when the national marriage with the saintess was arranged.

The national marriage, known as a contract that was said to be Solea’s oracle.

The Empire’s citizens were hoping for the chief god’s blessing to descend upon the Empire through the marriage.

Because of this, the imperial family needed the saintess‘s title all the more, and they yearned for the crown princess saintess to raise the imperial family’s popularity above even the Grand Temple.

In a place where holy power was revered, the standing of mages who used magic was at rock bottom.

Ella had always found it contemptible, the way they gladly accepted the convenience of mana stones while treating mages as inferior and casting them out.

“Ella, are you all right?”

“Haven…… I think something has gone wrong.”

And she had mana flowing through her in abundance.

A saintess with strong magical energy rather than holy power……

If this became known, the Becarto Empire would surely pile on every false accusation imaginable to bring her down.

‘My plans would come to nothing too.’

A wretched end, dying without accomplishing anything, making Marian’s sacrifice meaningless.

It was the outcome she least wanted to think about.

Haven rubbed her back with a worried hand.

“Ella……”

“Haven, you know who I am. Is this even possible?”

Ella asked again in disbelief. Haven shifted his gaze to Meivia.

He nodded, and Meivia let out a long sigh and spoke.

“Miss Ella, I’ve never encountered a case like this either, so it’s difficult to explain. Holy power and mana are fundamentally energies that cannot coexist in one body. But the energy flowing through your body is unmistakably mana.”

“……How is this possible.”

“The quality of the mana inside you right now is also different from that of ordinary mages. It’s nearly on par with a saintess’s holy power. I consider myself to possess strong mana, but it doesn’t even compare to yours.”

The more Meivia’s explanation continued, the darker Ella’s expression grew.

“……If this fact becomes known outside, the temple and the imperial family will certainly not let it go quietly. Those who already viewed a common-born saintess as a thorn in their side would descend like a pack of wolves……”

No matter how hard Ella thought, she couldn’t come up with a countermeasure. She had barely finished making excuses for her unstable holy power, and now she had an overflowing magical power to hide on top of it.

It was truly one thing after another.

It was only natural that Ella’s usually fast and precise mind ground to a halt.

Reading her worry, Haven asked Meivia first.

“Is there no way? The situation is difficult.”

While Meivia considered, Haven was busy watching Ella’s face.

She had gone white and looked as though she might collapse at any moment. Haven, watching her, looked even more anxious than she did.

Meivia’s silence lasted only a few minutes, but it felt as long as hours.

At last, Meivia’s lips moved.

“……There is no precedent for this, but I believe there is one way.”

At the hopeful words, both of their expressions changed.

Meivia tapped her fingers on the table as though searching her memory and continued.

“There is a spell that temporarily blocks an opened mana channel. When the mana channel is blocked, it’s the same as cutting off the path for magical energy to circulate in the body, so you would only need to regularly discharge the mana that accumulates. The downside is that it can’t be sustained indefinitely. And since it’s a forced suppression, there are side effects.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“What are the side effects?”

Ella and Haven gave different answers.

Their expressions were starkly different as well. Unlike Ella, who looked relieved, Haven went serious immediately.

Meivia looked back and forth between the two and let out a deep sigh.

‘Such different levels of feeling about this.’

It was plain to see even to Meivia. She found herself genuinely worried about Haven’s future.

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Meivia answered her superior’s question first.

“The most notable side effect is that residual suppressed mana can cause temporary damage to the blood vessels.”

“Blood vessel damage?”

“Yes. Coughing blood, irregular bleeding, nosebleeds, these can occur frequently and severely. On top of that, you’ll likely suffer from chronic anemia because of it. Fainting will be a regular occurrence.”

“If that’s all it is, I can handle it.”

“Ella!”

Haven cried out in shock at her composed reply. The hands gripping her shoulders trembled faintly.

Ella couldn’t understand his distress. She tilted her head and spoke to him.

“Why, Haven?”

“How can that possibly be all right! Ella, what if you fall and get hurt!”

“Haven……”

“……”

“It’s a far better option than having no option at all. How fortunate.”

Ella placed her hand over Haven’s on her shoulder.

“Until you come back. By whatever means I have to.”

Haven’s brow furrowed further. He looked pained, as though Ella’s words were a whip.

Ella added one final word.

“I’ll hold on, Haven.”

There was some calculation in the words.

‘So do your best, Haven.’

Ella gave a measured smile.

So precise that depending on who was watching, it could look sorrowful. A faint smile.

“Don’t worry about me.”

Her body had never been the concern to begin with. For someone who had been planning to take toho leaves on a regular basis, these side effects were almost welcome.

They were also somewhat less severe than the side effects of long-term toho leaf consumption.

So truly, this was nothing.

The man in front of her, however, looked as though his world was crumbling.

“Ella……”

Haven swallowed the rest and clenched his jaw. The muscle in his jaw stood out as a dangerous sound escaped between his teeth.

Perhaps his own circumstances had come back to him, because Haven dragged a hand down his face and let out a small sigh.

“Hah…… how could I possibly not worry about you.”

He took the hand that had been resting over his and brought it to his lips.

Meivia was in the same space, but Haven no longer seemed to see her.

In truth, that was accurate. Haven’s eyes held only Ella.

Meivia tactfully excused herself. The two of them clearly had more to say to each other, and she headed to the workroom to prepare the magical procedure.

After a somewhat long kiss, Haven’s lips released Ella’s hand.

“My every sense is already turned toward you……”

His red eyes were slowly returning to violet. The fierce beating of his heart remained, but the eyes that had found their original color were steady.

Seeing the change, Ella showed no particular reaction.

“If you care for me, keep that promise, Haven. It’s my only hope……”

“I will. A promise is always kept.”

Ella smiled.

“Right, that’s enough for me to hold on.”

It was the words she had been waiting for, so she could smile as brightly as possible.

***

“Stand here, please.”

Ella stepped into the large magic circle Meivia had prepared in the workroom.

Haven stood guard outside the circle, which was covered in complex inscriptions. He looked composed on the surface, but the way he kept clenching and unclenching his fist made it clear he was quite anxious.

“During the procedure, the side effects I mentioned earlier may occur.”

After explaining the various possibilities, Meivia produced a small dagger.

“May I have your hand?”

“Does she really have to bleed?”

Haven’s sudden interjection from behind drained the energy right out of Meivia.

A faint irritation crossed her expression.

“As I said before, it is absolutely necessary.”

“Keep it to a minimum.”

“Yes, yes. As if I’d do otherwise.”

It was the third time she had heard this, so Meivia let it go in one ear and out the other. She brought the sharp blade tip to the pale, delicate palm.

Flinch.

The cut was a little deep, and Ella’s shoulder gave a slight tremor.

Haven’s hand shot out reflexively toward her.

“Don’t!”

“I’m fine, Haven.”

Ella’s calm voice stopped Haven’s movement more effectively than Meivia’s warning.

He stepped back, and Ella gave him an approving smile.

Watching this, Meivia was at a loss. She felt a little sad that her sharp, clear-headed superior had turned into such a fool.

“……Then I’ll begin.”

Violet light burst from her fingertips in an instant. At the same time, the same color of light seeped from the magic circle where the blood had fallen.