DLRV 26

Lilia stared gloomily at her barely touched teacup, then suddenly raised her voice toward the duke’s back.

“I’ll bring it to your study later, Father!”

But the duke seemed too engrossed in his serious conversation with Frizian to even notice her.

Watching the two of them walk away with a lingering look in her eyes, Lilia sighed.

“Looks like you’re both worried about Annelie, Mother.”

“She’s always had a strong sense of pride, even as a child. Once she made up her mind, there was no changing it.”

At the sound of Annelie’s name spoken so directly from the duchess’s lips, Lilia’s perfectly curled lashes trembled slightly.

Cradling her teacup in both hands, Lilia absentmindedly traced the rim with her fingers and muttered to herself.

“I thought being chosen by the divine would make her act more maturely… but I guess there’s still some bitterness left.”

The duchess sipped her tea in silence. Her face appeared calm as usual, but Lilia could easily tell that her mother’s thoughts were on Annelie.

On the day Annelie was executed, the duchess hadn’t been able to bear watching. And when news broke that Annelie had returned to life, the duchess lost sleep for days. Lilia couldn’t help but sense that her mother still carried a deep sense of regret.

Lilia gently reached out and placed her hand over the duchess’s.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I’m sure deep down, she still misses her family too.”

The duchess inhaled deeply at her daughter’s kind reassurance. She slowly withdrew her hand and wrapped her fingers around her teacup once more. With her usual warm smile, she looked at Lilia.

“Yes.”

The warmth that had briefly filled Lilia’s hand vanished in an instant, and her eyes flickered. But she quickly smiled and spoke in a cheerful tone.

“Now, where was I? Oh, right, I was talking about Lord Maxell…”

* * *

“It’s been a while, brother.”

Heinley frowned as he walked toward the end of the long corridor, pretending not to notice the man standing there.

He came to a stop, lips pressed into a thin line, and slowly turned around. He had expected they might run into each other in the main palace, but the reality of it was far less pleasant than he had imagined.

Standing before him was his younger brother—and the Crown Prince of the empire.

“Looks like you just finished greeting His Majesty. How’s Gelbern these days?”

“It’s the same as always.”

“I was surprised to hear you personally requested permission to leave. You’ve supposedly been holed up in the library this whole time.”

“There are books there that can’t be found anywhere else.”

At that reply, Maxell let out a faint chuckle. With his slightly wavy blond hair and striking blue eyes, he looked every bit the storybook prince.

Even before he was named Crown Prince, rumors had it that half the noble ladies of the empire secretly adored him.

Heinley remembered when Maxell became Crown Prince—and then got engaged to the second daughter of House Roam.

They made a perfect pair. There was nothing more to say. What stung more than losing the political struggle was how utterly suited they were to each other.

Annelie had stood proud and composed, as if born to occupy that place. She was arrogant, too—but it suited her.

He had probably thought then, I could have been the one standing beside her.

And in the end, how powerless he must be to have let that chance slip away.

That shame and regret were what kept him buried inside the palace walls.

“I heard Annelie was spotted near Gelbern. That was during the time you were staying there, wasn’t it?”

“So they say.”

“And apparently the search parties from House Roam and the temple lost track of her too?”

“As you know, I was in the library the entire time.”

“I thought you, of all people, would’ve taken an interest in news about her.”

Heinley said nothing. Maxell studied his older brother for a moment before turning his head. Through the large corridor windows, the setting sun painted everything in deep crimson. The light stretched long shadows across the marble floor.

“His Majesty wants to bring her into the royal family. Did you know?”

“I did.”

“He’s probably considering adopting her, but… you never know. He might view your long-standing infatuation in a noble light. If anyone would go that far, it’s the emperor.”

Maxell’s tone was flat, almost indifferent. Heinley quietly looked at his brother’s profile as he gazed out the window.

“You really think she’d want that?”

“His Majesty’s will carries more weight than her desires. Even if it didn’t, Annelie’s lived her whole life trying to enter the royal palace. There’s no place that suits her better.”

“And what about you?”

At that sudden question, Maxell turned to him. Heinley was still part of the royal family, even if he’d lost the battle. Maintaining a calm and emotionless expression was second nature to him.

“If she were to become my fiancée, would you be fine with that?”

“Do I look like someone suffering from a boyish crush, like you did?”

“Just imagine it.”

As a faint smirk curved Heinley’s lips, Maxell’s expression grew tense.

“Picture her standing beside me, swearing eternal love before the gods. Imagine her in my arms, smiling because of me. Kissing me, looking only at me, moving for my sake, and granting her name to no one but me—Annelie Roam. All the things you may have once had… but can never have again.”

A dark shadow passed over Maxell’s face, wiping the smile clean off.

The sunset outside cast harsh shadows through the window, sharpening the chill in his expression. But Heinley only smiled more brightly.

“Oh, that’s right. You’ve got that innocent little Lilia Roam.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Maxell’s warning was low, almost a growl, but Heinley only scoffed.

“You should be careful with yours. Stop calling ‘the second daughter of House Roam’ by her given name, Annelie. She might very well become my fiancée soon.”

Maxell’s tightly pressed lips trembled.

Heinley stared at him in silence. Back in Gelbern, Annelie had said he reminded her of Maxell. That had stung his pride more than he cared to admit. Is that the face I showed her? The thought alone was unbearable.

Suppressing his bitterness, Heinley softened his tone.

“An engagement with Annelie Roam… I’m thrilled. Thank you for making such a possibility real for me. As expected, the crown prince of the Empire is generous—even to a defeated rival. Thanks to you, I think I’ll sleep soundly tonight.”

He gave an exaggerated bow before turning on his heel.

His footsteps echoed loudly through the otherwise silent corridor.

Maxell watched him go with a cold gaze before turning the other way.

The warm light that had dyed the hallway red was gone. Shadows crept in from the windows as night settled over the palace.

* * *

“This is seriously over the line.”

“You think so too, Lady Annelie? I mean, how could anyone manufacture this many illegal magic tools…?”

“This is only half of it. Are you sure you checked properly? Half of these are defective?”

Xenon shut his mouth at my annoyed tone. He opened and closed his lips like a fish before finally letting out a groan and pressing his forehead.

“The real problem is that half of them actually work! These kinds of illegal artifacts haven’t even gone through basic safety inspections!”

“Well, of course not. They’re illegal. They wouldn’t be certified.”

“…It’s clear you and I have different definitions of what ‘a problem’ means.”

Xenon shook his head, defeated.

“I know you probably paid a fortune for all this, but I recommend discarding the ones I set aside. Don’t think about the money. Use one of these incorrectly and you could lose an arm or a leg. Especially this one—it’s an explosive that channels mana. If someone tries to use it, they’ll lose their arm before they even throw it.”

“I’m not worried about the cost. Just tell me which ones are actually usable.”

Xenon gave up on explaining why certain artifacts were defective and quickly pushed them aside. He pulled out the remaining ones and laid them out.

“Legally distributed artifacts are required to carry the maker’s seal. It’s more than just a signature—it’s a final step in stabilizing the magic. Illegal ones lack that, which means they’re inherently unstable.”

“I know.”

“I’ve sorted out the ones that at least seem functional. They should activate properly, but don’t expect them to perform exactly as described. These over here are for offense, and these on this side are support-type artifacts.”

Let’s start with the offensive ones.

I scanned the items, then picked up the bracelet nearest to me. It was plain and bulky, designed with no regard for aesthetics. Just looking at it made me not want to wear it.

“That one’s imbued with three attack spells. Judging from the runes, it looks like a fire-type. The actual output might differ a little from what’s written in the specs.”

“Is it area-based?”

“Most likely. Fire spells tend to have wide-range effects by nature, even when they’re not meant to. Try not to use it in confined spaces. You might end up putting yourself in danger, Lady Annelie.”

I nodded and strapped the bracelet onto my right wrist. Then I picked up another one—this one much thinner, like a strand of string. It was adorned with a single round green gem.

“This one’s a shield, right?”

“Yes, exactly. Surprisingly high-level for a shield spell, too. Among everything here, this is probably the most usable item… though unfortunately it has a limited number of uses. I’ve been wondering who made it.”

“Can it block strong attacks?”

“Yes, it can. Compared to the others, this one was crafted with real care. If you see an arrow flying your way, don’t hesitate—use it immediately.”

“Even this fire spell?”

I raised my right wrist and glanced at Xenon. Holding the shield bracelet in my left hand, I clarified:

“I’m asking if I can survive alone by casting this fire spell in a tight space… then using this shield to protect myself.”

Xenon finally understood my question—and paled.

“…Did you really have to imagine such a scenario?”