Finding a Seed

She awakened.

Not inside a physical body, but as a conceptual entity.

Still, she was awake.

She took a breath, came to life, and sifted through the records.

She wanted one person alone.

And so she began to create a consciousness in accordance with her own

specifications that would reveal her beautiful form to the world.

Through the window, morning light filtered into the spacious chamber.

Oscar lifted his head, feeling as if he could hear birds chirping, though

he shouldn't have been able to. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was his

usual waking hour. He felt a little malaise, owing to the battle the day

before, but he thought he would be fine if that was the extent of it.

Sitting up, he looked over to see Tinasha curled in a ball, hugging her

knees to her chest.

"What's with the fetal position?" he muttered in disbelief, then gave her

black hair a tug. As he'd expected, gentle tugs weren't enough for her to

even stir. He was left with no choice but to place a hand on her shoulder and

shake her awake.

She blinked her dark eyes open blearily, swiveling her head to look up at

him. "Sleepy…?"

"So… once we're married, I'm going to have to wake you up every

morning for the rest of my life?" Oscar asked, sounding partially resigned

to that fate already. In that interim, Tinasha had already closed her eyes

again.

Oscar had half a mind to wake her up one more time, but then he

realized something and placed a hand against her forehead. His eyes

widened a little, and he clicked his tongue under his breath. Leaving her in

bed, he got up to start his day.

The royal magistrates who had been in the audience chamber during the

witch's attack were now privy to the truth about the king's mother, but

they'd struggled to make sense of it all.

Fortunately, Kumu and Als had cleared most people out ahead of time,

so the only ones who learned the truth were those who'd already known

about the curse. Even so, none of them had ever expected to discover that

the previous king had married a witch's daughter.

Oscar had given a cursory explanation of Eleterria to all who'd

witnessed the incident once it had resolved, and also had informed them

that there were people after the orbs. Kevin, Oscar's father, had heard about

Eleterria from his wife, so he was only mildly surprised to learn there was a

second orb in Tuldarr. As Oscar had privately suspected, his father didn't

know much about the orbs.

Entirely of her own accord, his mother had taken Eleterria out from

Lavinia's personal collection. He thought about tracking Lavinia down to

hear more details, but that seemed like it might be pouring oil on a fire they

had only barely managed to extinguish. He also didn't know where the

witch lived.

Thus, it seemed that the trail had gone cold. Oscar had learned about his

past, which left him feeling like some weight had been lifted from his

shoulders, but that was all.

Now that a day had passed since Lavinia's visit, things seemed to have

settled down, and Oscar's usual routine resumed. He made for his study to

begin his regular duties.

As he brewed tea, Lazar let out a sigh. "It's just been one surprise after

another around here…"

"Yeah, it was a real shocker," Oscar remarked sarcastically.

Lazar made a face at the king's insincere reply.

All the magistrates knew that the previous king had married his queen in

spite of considerable opposition from her family, but no one had imagined

she was the child of a witch.

Resting his chin on one hand, Oscar took up a pen with the other. "It

makes sense that Lavinia disliked it. I kinda doubt she was thrilled to see

her own daughter marry into the line that wields the Mage Killer."

"Were Queen Tinasha's parents alive and well today, they might object

to your wedding her, too," mused Lazar.

After that, Lazar brought up a number of topics, but he did not ask about

Oscar using Eleterria to make contact with Tinasha in the past. A perceptive

person could probably have figured it out, but anyone who didn't look too

closely wouldn't suspect much. Oscar thought Lazar was more of the latter

type.

A handful of papers in his arms, Lazar cocked his head. "By the way,

has Queen Tinasha returned home?"

"No, she caught a bit of a fever, so I put her on bed rest. A lady-inwaiting is watching her."

"Your Majesty… you're unbelievable," commented Lazar, shock plain

in his expression.

"I didn't do anything. Don't look at me like that," Oscar said with a

frown. "She woke up for a bit in the middle of the night but went right back

to sleep. I think that fight really wore her out."

"Ah… that's understandable. She did look like she was struggling

yesterday," Lazar responded.

After battling forbidden curses, kidnappers, and witches, it was no

wonder Tinasha was fast approaching her physical limits. The king of

Farsas was in the same boat himself and yet able to carry out his duties just

fine, which spoke to the vast disparity between her delicate body and his

sturdier one.

"If her fever still hasn't gone down by this afternoon, I'll contact

Tuldarr," Oscar stated.

"Very well, Your Majesty. Oh yes! Here is the attendance list for

international guests for this year's birthday celebration," said Lazar,

presenting Oscar with another paper.

Upon receiving it and looking it over, Oscar grimaced. "What a pain…"

"And you may not cancel it! Give up on that right now, as this will

double as your engagement party!"

"…"

Beaten to the punch by his oldest friend, Oscar stared up at the ceiling

and sighed.

Tinasha woke up in the afternoon. Her sickness was born from exhaustion,

which was in turn linked to her magic. Rest cured her fever, and while she

wasn't fully recovered, she felt well enough to get up.

First, she took a bath and changed her clothes, aided by a lady-inwaiting. Then she ordered everyone to leave the room and sat on the bed,

closing her eyes as she explored the state of the magic in her body.

Her vast reserves of power were currently still, like a calm sea. After

ensuring she could control the entirety of it, she frowned. "I'm glad I didn't

explode."

When taking in Simila's energy, Tinasha had feared a worst-case

scenario from magic oversaturation. Fortunately, the new power she'd

absorbed was assimilated without issue. The raw magic she had at her

disposal surely rivaled Travis's or Lavinia's now.

That notion provided little comfort when she recalled the battle from

yesterday. It was a good thing that Oscar had been there. She wasn't certain

who would've won had she clashed with the witch alone. Tinasha's access

to spiritual magic hadn't prevented the witch, whose full command of

curses and hexes was second to none, from rendering her and Oscar

powerless instantly.

But in a way, she was also grateful for the opportunity to assess the

difference in strength.

Tinasha was always keen to battle against someone superior and learn

from the experience. Her fight with Travis had sharpened all of her senses.

There was still raw potential within her that she wanted to mold.

A spell formed between Tinasha's outstretched arms. As she examined

the intricate design, she detected a presence nearby and looked up.

A woman was standing on the balcony. Tinasha had only met her

yesterday but would never forget her face.

After some hesitation, Tinasha got up and opened the balcony door,

inviting the uninvited guest inside.

Tilting her head to one side to fix Tinasha with a blank look, the woman

said, "You're awfully careless, letting me in after what happened

yesterday."

"Yes, but you seem like you have something to say," Tinasha replied,

eyeing the Witch of Silence right back.

"I'm sure this goes without saying, but that orb should be sealed away,"

the witch stated.

"You're right… and I'll propose as much. While I have you, why didn't

you take the orb back from Farsas when you cast the curse on Oscar?"

Tinasha inquired.

"Because I didn't know where it was, and I didn't feel like searching for

it. But since that fool of a man used it, I take it that means you know where

it is?"

Tinasha almost lost her temper over Lavinia's rude term of address for

Oscar, but she managed to keep herself composed. "I've heard it's in the

treasure vault. However, he used the Tuldarr one. Apparently, it's a different

color from the Farsas one, so they're definitely separate."

"The… one in Tuldarr? There's another one?"

The two women exchanged glances. Tinasha was adequately surprised,

but Lavinia looked utterly taken aback.

This might be a good opportunity to learn more.

Tinasha got straight to the point. "How much do you know about that

orb?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I got it from a traveling fortune-teller

somewhere around two hundred years ago. I was told it was a magic

implement that could change the past, if the wielder was determined to do

so."

"Determined to do so…," Tinasha repeated.

That described it perfectly. The orb truly did test the user's

determination. The present was wiped clean for the sake of the past, and

there was no guarantee of success. It was a gamble that risked the user's

very existence.

Wondering if there was more Lavinia would share, Tinasha voiced a

doubt she had been harboring for a while. "We know that using the orb puts

the user in considerable danger. But what about other ramifications? Does

the backlash and distortion from altering time manifest in obvious ways?

Are the laws of nature and the existence of the world affected?"

"From the perspective of someone watching before time is altered, using

the orb would seem to distort every outcome. Those of us who exist after

the change remain ignorant, however. Whether it infringes on the laws of

nature and threatens the world's existence can only be determined after the

dust settles. At the very least, we cannot be aware of anything in the present

moment," Lavinia answered.

"I suppose that's… true," Tinasha replied softly.

There was no way to verify the specific consequences that might spring

from rewriting history, which ultimately meant that those consequences

didn't matter. Even witches were powerless to know what had changed.

"According to the fortune-teller, using the orb was the equivalent of

sticking a pin into the world itself," explained Lavinia. "You could pull in a

future that wouldn't exist otherwise and stick a pin in to keep it there. The

fortune-teller said to think of it like the world was a dead insect with

thousands of pins stuck into its legs and wings to hold it open. Even as the

world tries to return to its original state, the orb responds with more pins.

That's the cycle."

"A pin…"

The orb threw pins at the world as it attempted to restore itself. There

was no telling how many times that cycle had repeated. And if that was the

case…

Tinasha realized something, and an involuntary shiver suddenly ran

through her whole body.

Would this back-and-forth go on forever? Could it go on forever?

How much longer could the world endure being speared through?

Tinasha had no answer, for indeed, none would come until the final

outcome revealed itself. Perhaps one day, everything would abruptly

disappear, and they would never know. At the very least, each use of

Eleterria unceremoniously erased the world.

Before Tinasha could get too lost in such frightening thoughts, she felt

Lavinia's gaze on her and looked up. It was only fair that she reveal to the

witch what she knew in return.

First, there was the name itself, Eleterria. Then there was the matter of

there being two orbs, and the fact that the other was kept in Tuldarr's

treasure vault. Finally, after a great deal of hesitation, Tinasha also

confessed that a man was seeking the powerful little spheres.

After listening with a scowl on her face the entire time, Lavinia snorted.

"That's probably the man who informed me about you two. The description

matches."

"What? Valt was the one who told you?"

"I'd guess it probably happened right after he let you go. His story

sounded full of holes, but I did some digging and it seemed to check out, so

I came to Farsas. If only I'd had the sense to kill him back then," Lavinia

said bitterly.

Tinasha blanched. Immediately after kidnapping and releasing her, Valt

had set the next step of his scheme in motion. It felt as though no matter

where Tinasha went, she was caught in his web. What else was Valt

plotting?

After staring expressionlessly at Tinasha this whole time, Lavinia

suddenly let out a sigh. Strangely enough, the action reminded Tinasha of

something a mother would do.

"You'll need to be extremely careful. He's the type to use everything at

his disposal," Lavinia warned.

"Thank you… for the advice."

"All right, I'm leaving," the witch announced abruptly, turning around

and casting a teleportation spell.

Tinasha reached for her. "Wait!"

Irritably, Lavinia replied, "What is it?"

Tinasha looked embarrassed. "You only came to talk about the orb?"

"I did. I can't trust that idiot to take proper care of it unless I stress its

importance. You need to hold the reins."

There was no emotion in Lavinia's voice, but Tinasha could still feel

something prickling at her when the witch spoke—like a thorn that had

been stuck in her heart. A question she had never been able to ask anyone

else tumbled off her lips. Her mouth was dry as she asked, "Do you think

it's a crime to change the past and sacrifice yourself to save someone else?"

After a pause, Lavinia turned around. Her emerald eyes glowed in the

light. A few silent moments passed before she spoke. "No matter how much

you love someone, you should not change things from how they are meant

to be. You must accept the past as it was. And sacrificing yourself on top of

that is even more foolhardy. You were rescued once yourself, so you should

know that it is no mercy for the physical body alone to survive."

Her message was harsh, but true. Those who were saved at the expense

of another's life had to live with the trauma for the rest of their lives.

Haunted by regrets over losing that person, some might even seek to return

to the past.

While the witch likely grieved for her daughter, she was furious with

her, too.

Though it saved her son's life, Rosalia's death shattered his heart. Had

Lavinia not stepped in, it could have led to even further tragedy.

Tinasha said nothing more, only giving Lavinia a bow. She had her own

lifelong burdens to bear, too.

The one bit of fortune was that Tinasha didn't have to endure it alone.

After merely raising her eyebrow in response to Tinasha's silence,

Lavinia said, "You broke the curse magnificently. Don't worry about the

definition name. It was just a way to seal off that idiot's memories while

protecting him at the same time. And those spells you cast during the

fight… During your waking years, you've grown into something more

formidable than I."

"Um… thank you," Tinasha replied, feeling conflicted about such

convoluted praise. She bowed again as she sensed Lavinia's teleportation

spell coming together.

Tinasha blinked, and the witch was gone without so much as a goodbye.

Upon returning to Tuldarr later that afternoon, the queen went around

apologizing to everyone who had been worried about her. She was

especially humbled upon discovering that Legis and the other royal advisers

had shouldered her work for the three days she'd been absent.

Legis gave a faint smile. "It's perfectly all right. How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful. I'm going to get to work," she replied.

"Absolutely not. You will take today off," he insisted, and Tinasha

looked chastened.

She ordered everyone else out except for Legis and Renart and then

revealed what had really happened with the kidnappings. Both were stunned

to learn of a magic implement that could turn back time and the entire chain

of events connected to it.

"I can't believe such a thing really exists…"

"I've sealed it away, but I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she said.

"No, that was a prudent decision," Legis assured her.

Tinasha had revealed to Legis that Oscar had traveled back in time.

However, she'd initially withheld the method. The magic orb belonged to

Tuldarr, but learning about its power right away could've provoked

recklessness.

Tinasha also explained that there were people plotting to take the orb.

Both she and Legis wore tense expressions as she outlined the situation to

him. "Valt's proved elusive, and he seems to have everything curiously well

planned out. And he's like a phantom, popping in and out of nowhere. We

don't know what sort of move he'll make next, so I want you to be very

careful."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Renart replied seriously and bowed to her. Then he

crossed his arms as he added, "A magic orb that can leap through time to

the past… That's very alarming. What would it be used for?"

"Strictly speaking, whenever someone uses it, our 'present' ceases to

exist," Tinasha responded. At that, the temperature in the room seemed to

drop.

Even if the user only sought a minor correction, the effects could be

expansive and unpredictable. There was no predicting how the flow of time

would change. While Tinasha didn't know why Eleterria hadn't activated at

her touch, she regretted attempting to use it. That kind of power was not to

be used lightly.

After nodding along to Tinasha's explanation, Legis suddenly caught her

eye and gave her a wan smile. "I wonder what Tuldarr would be like now if

things had gone differently four hundred years ago."

The question sent Tinasha's mind racing.

What if Oscar had never saved me?

Recognizing that she was losing herself to the idea, she shook her head.

Steps descended through a narrow rock crevice, going deep underground. A

man picked his way down them quickly and carefully. He kept one hand on

the wall, while the other clutched something wrapped in white cloth. The

lights spaced along the wall at regular intervals cast a long, black shadow

behind him.

After an eternity, at last the stairway ended. Only cold air greeted the

man.

A few days earlier, this had been the gathering place for all the filth in

the world. Hundreds, perhaps more, had been sacrificed here to summon an

evil that would swallow everything.

Yet now there was nothing. It had emerged on the surface… and

succumbed to defeat.

All that remained were the dregs.

The man stood at the entrance to the enormous cavern. As his eyes

darted all around with a fervor that made him seem possessed, he hugged

the warm bundle tightly to his chest.

The court of Cezar was shrouded in gloom.

Most of those who held power in the castle had perished during the

country's recent defeat. The cult founder came scurrying back only to go

missing, and some speculated he had been arrested in Farsas.

For those who hadn't fallen under the sway of the cult, the light at the

end of the tunnel seemed to be nearing at last. The evil god's worshippers

were gone. Unfortunately, there was little to celebrate, for they had lost so

many of their kin.

The only ones with any power were the king, who had taken to his bed,

his only son, Lomca, and a handful of magistrates. The cult had put anyone

else with the drive and ambition to govern the country in the ground.

An air of resignation about Cezar's slow demise hung about the castle.

Amid that backdrop, two men made their way briskly along a hallway.

One was a magistrate, while the other was the prince. These two were

the youngest left in the castle, and they had waited patiently for the Samila

worshippers' influence to wane.

"At any rate, we need to rebuild quickly, Your Highness," said the

magistrate.

"I have no explanation I can offer the people. Most of our citizens were

lost," replied the prince.

"The country has practically come to a standstill. Merchants are

avoiding us. If things don't change…"

International traders had been giving the rapidly collapsing nation a

wide berth. Cult members had, until recently, maintained an authoritarian

regime that managed to keep the country looking respectable from the

outside. That facade had since vanished, however.

Now there was no structure at all, and everything was quickly falling to

pieces.

These two men walking down a hallway were the ones who strongly

wished to preserve Cezar.

The prince, Lomca, rifled through the papers he was carrying. "We

really don't have enough money… They used almost all of it. But it's not

like we can raise taxes, considering the circumstances—we should probably

lower them, if anything. Or better yet, send money to everyone."

Mothers and children who had lost a father conscripted into the war,

elderly parents now sonless—Cezar had no end of such families, and it had

no future if it couldn't save them. Lomca pursed his lips, feeling a keen

sense of duty.

While his intentions were virtuous, he was at a loss when it came to

concrete solutions.

The magistrate gave a defeated look. "Perhaps we should request aid

somewhere."

"If need be, we can sell what's left in the treasure vault. We'll figure it

out."

As they hurried along, their path was suddenly cut off by three men.

Lomca gasped when he caught sight of their faces. These were the last

survivors of the cult.

"That's a very interesting idea you were discussing, Your Highness. If

you're clearing out treasure, by all means, let us help," one man said with a

snicker.

"Get out of here! Who do you think left this country in such a mess?!"

Lomca snapped.

"That isn't very convincing coming from a man who kept quiet the

whole time," another one of the ruffians countered, sneering. His cohorts

burst out laughing, causing Lomca to flush in anger. Yet he felt cold sweat

trickle down his back at the same time. The cult members were mages, and

he was powerless against them. He glanced over at the magistrate, who had

gone pale. They exchanged a look.

Just when it looked like they might be able to edge past the men, they

found their path blocked again. Lomca felt despair settling over him and

was therefore surprised when a new voice sounded in the corridor. His

words were so strong and clear that they stuck out in the gloomy castle.

"I'm here to have a chat with the people running Cezar. Is it all right

with you if I clear these guys out, Prince Lomca?"

Looking over, he saw that there was a man standing behind the three

mages from the cult. While Lomca had no idea who he was, he shouted to

his unexpected savior, "Yes! They drove our country into the ground, and I

want them gone!"

"I won't hold back, then," the unfamiliar man replied, and he struck

immediately.

Just as the three men were turning around indignantly, a spell shot out

from the man's hands, entangling them. Faintly glowing magic ropes offset

the spells the men were about to cast and wrapped around their necks.

After a sickening crunch, the trio of lifeless bodies dropped to the floor.

Lomca had looked away instinctively. Then a cool, refreshing voice,

wholly unlike the one he had just heard, said, "There. Now we can talk

properly. I'll leave the corpses to you."

"Er, yes… thank you so much," Lomca answered, and he looked to the

one who had rescued him.

When the man caught Lomca's eyes on him, he flashed the crest of

Tuldarr emblazoned on his upper arm.

After the group moved to a room where they could talk, the man called

Renart explained why he had come. Apparently, Tuldarr was interested in

purchasing the mining rights to the vast crystal caves in northern Cezar.

Lomca was aware of the high-quality deposits Renart was referring to.

However, the veins were close to the border with Tayiri, and the area had a

history of cave-ins, so it was practically abandoned nowadays. Naturally,

the Magic Empire of Tuldarr wanted the crystals for use as magic

implements, but Lomca had to wonder why they were coming to Cezar now

of all times.

The prince's doubt only intensified when he learned of the offered price.

There on the paper Renart passed to him was a figure that rivaled the annual

national budget.

Lomca blurted out, "We're very grateful, but isn't this far too much?"

"We will actually be purchasing the rights for a quarter of this amount,"

Renart explained. "The rest of the money will serve as collateral for the

duration of the crystal mining, as the site is so close to the Tayiri border.

After the excavation is complete, we'd like you to pay it back. Of course,

we don't mind if that takes years."

Tuldarr and Tayiri were not on cordial terms, considering one was the

Magic Empire and the other was a nation that spurned magic. During the

mining process, Tuldarr citizens would be frequenting a location close to

the edge of Tayiri, and so Cezar would be expected to smooth things over.

But even for all that, the figure was very high. Stranger still was that

Tuldarr did not stipulate a schedule for repayment.

Lomca stared at Renart, who could surmise what that gaze meant and

offered a wan smile in return.

This was all being done as a kindness on Tuldarr's part. It was a way to

facilitate Cezar's reconstruction, though not openly. Upon the queen's

return to Tuldarr, she had broached the subject with Legis apprehensively,

showing him her plan for providing aid. Legis had smiled and agreed with

it. After all, this wasn't pure altruism. If Tayiri ever grew hostile, being able

to collect on Cezar's debt would come in handy. In Legis's opinion, no

price was too high to pay for that security.

"If we are in agreement, then I will bring you an official contract on a

later date," said Renart.

Lomca, having read between the lines of Tuldarr's offer, stood up and

bowed. "We gladly accept. And please tell the queen that we're speechless

with gratitude."

Renart nodded. "I certainly will." After clarifying some points and

hammering down a few details here and there, the mage narrowed his eyes.

What he inquired about next was likely the true purpose of his visit. "So…

could you tell us where that evil god was based? We'd like to conduct an

investigation so we can all avoid any future anxiety."

Lomca and his magistrate gasped.

Upon his return, Renart went straight to the queen's study. Instead of being

in her usual place at her desk, the queen was dozing on a sofa in the corner

of the room while Legis handled royal paperwork for her.

Catching Renart's confused expression, Legis smiled. "She seems tired.

I did want to take her back to her own rooms to sleep…"

The queen had only gotten back the day before, and while she claimed

to be feeling fine, she had a low-grade fever, and her health was not at all

stable. Legis had encouraged her to rest, but she had insisted on working.

The current situation reflected the compromise they had reached.

Legis inclined his head with curiosity. "How did it go in Cezar?"

"They agreed readily enough. Unsurprisingly, things over there are very

rough," Renart reported.

"I see. I'm glad they accepted," Legis replied. After hearing a detailed

account from Renart, he began to draft an official contract to send to Cezar.

Eyes still glued to his work, he inquired, "And the other thing?"

"I've gone to look at it. An enormous underground cave has been dug in

a forest close to the border. A great hole sits in the center. The human

sacrifices were probably thrown into it."

"What was left?"

"Nothing. It was entirely spotless. I only sensed some traces of

miasma… I had a mystical spirit inspect it, too. It really seems like there's

nothing left."

"Hmm…"

Another forbidden curse had been destroyed, and the news of that had

doubtless spread across the continent already. If Tuldarr could establish

itself as a power capable of resisting forbidden curses, perhaps that wicked

magic would become a thing of the past.

Legis broke into a smile as that momentary fantasy flitted through his

mind.

"That said, it felt… almost too spotless. It's very abnormal for there to

be no residue after bringing a magical creature into existence. I believe

someone may have scrubbed away the traces," added Renart.

"But for what purpose?" Legis wondered.

Renart retrieved a white cloth from his pouch. When he spread it out, it

was about the size of a cloak. "I found this on the stairs down there. I think

it's still fresh."

Legis frowned. "What could that possibly be? Go ahead and have it

processed for potion remains."

"Yes, Your Highness," Renart replied. After a bow, he left the study.

The prince fell into deep thought for a while, mulling over this very

mysterious report.

Of the four Great Nations, Farsas and Gandona each had an annual affair to

which international guests were invited as a way to foster diplomacy. For

Farsas, it was a celebration for the king's birthday, while in Gandona, the

festivities were to commemorate the nation's founding.

Implicit in these parties was the opportunity for those from other

countries to gather, feel each other out, and build relations.

More than a week had passed since the battle with the Witch of Silence,

and Tinasha was wholly recovered. She skimmed through letters from

Farsas regarding the celebration to be held in two weeks' time.

She made a clear face of disgust. "This isn't an invitation; it's a set of

instructions. I feel more like a member of the Farsas side than a guest."

"Isn't he going to introduce you to everyone as his fiancée?" Mila

reminded her, sipping tea at the table.

The documents delivered to Tinasha from Farsas contained a schedule of

events for the day of the party, and she could tell based on the contents that

it was also partially a request that she greet and entertain guests as Oscar's

companion. Everyone knew that she would marry him upon abdicating the

Tuldarr throne, so while she was still queen, she also half belonged to

Farsas.

Tinasha felt at her wit's end over the complicated position she'd put

herself in. "It's not like I mind talking with guests… It's part of my job,

after all. I just can't help but feel like there's a bed of thorns waiting for

me."

"That man is certainly very popular with the ladies. You're sure to get

your share of dirty looks from jealous girls," Mila pointed out.

Tinasha groaned. "Ugh! No thank you!"

She returned her attention to the papers. At the end, Oscar had scrawled

I'll have a dress ready for you, so come as you are.

She giggled at his messy handwriting. Without meaning to, she

whispered, "I'm so happy…"

Jumping up with the documents in hand, Tinasha skipped over to the

open window and hopped up onto the ledge.

Her black locks fluttered in the gentle breeze. She peered outside, her

eyes half-lidded in her joy.

It's been more than seven months since I woke up in this era. But it feels

like it's gone by so quickly.

Each day was fulfilling; Tinasha felt just as happy as she had the month

she spent with Oscar when she was a girl. Perhaps even more so.

Yet from time to time, guilt over her own elation would hit her. So much

sacrifice and good faith had brought who she was now into being. That was

something she'd never forget.

Still, that was no reason for her to grow pessimistic. If living creatures

didn't live freely and proudly, how could the world go on turning? It was

the duty of the survivors to keep moving forward—that was what she

believed now.

While Tinasha was rereading the papers, she smelled a strange odor and

glanced outside.

Mila noticed her frowning and asked, "What is it, Lady Tinasha?"

"Well, it's just… I've caught a whiff of a bit of odd magic."

"Have you? I don't sense anything," Mila replied.

"I suppose it's just my imagination. Maybe someone's practicing their

spells."

Tinasha jumped off the windowsill onto the floor. Spirits had been

posted in the palace during her three-day absence, but they had reported

nothing out of the ordinary. The castle was teeming with mages who often

used magic in their research and training. Tinasha decided it was nothing to

worry about.

She pulled out her chair and sat back down at her desk, pasted her

queen's smile on her face, and reached for the stack of pending documents.

"You are not to cause any trouble. Got it?" the young girl warned.

"I know," the man replied as they departed a mansion together. In the

face of her stubbornness, he flashed her a smile that masked his true

motives. The brilliant grin only appeared to make her more unsure,

however.

"Can I trust that you do?" she questioned skeptically.

"You have no faith in me."

"Of course I don't. Look at how you've acted," she spat, but he had

nothing to say for himself.

He pushed her forward. "Come on, let's go."

"All right, all right," accepted the girl dressed in her finest, turning her

back on the man and marching off.

As he watched her go, a dangerous glint suddenly came into the man's

eyes. His good looks took on an openly sinister tinge, and his smile

vanished. There was bloodlust sufficient to rip the world to shreds coming

from him.

No one was around to see it, though. For now, it remained an unknown

element.

"What's taking you? Hurry up, Travis," urged the girl.

"I'm coming. You know, the bow at your back is crooked."

"It is?!" she yelped, reaching around to try to fix it on her own.

Travis grinned and took it upon himself to retie the oversized bow more

neatly than she could have. "There, it's fixed now. You'll be the most

beautiful one there, Aurelia."

"I don't need your flattery, and I don't want you doing anything stupid,"

she retorted. Left speechless, the king of the demons snorted and set off.

Indelible traces of bloodlust still lurked beneath the surface of his smile.

On the day of the king's birthday celebration, the sky was clear and

gorgeous. It was warm, but not hot. Tinasha arrived in Farsas while those

inside the castle were still running around to get everything ready. She was

directed to a room where she found an eager Sylvia and some ladies-inwaiting. Tinasha's friend and fellow mage seemed to take a particular

interest in dressing her, so she put in more effort than was necessary at

every opportunity to do so.

"We've been expecting you, Queen Tinasha!" Sylvia trilled. "How I've

waited for this day since we very first met!"

"Oof, that's a long time," muttered Tinasha, already exhausted by

Sylvia's intense enthusiasm. But she couldn't run away, and she didn't have

time to put up a fight. As instructed by Sylvia, Tinasha let herself be bathed

by the ladies-in-waiting. She was still a little sleepy, so she didn't mind

letting them take care of her. As she breathed in the perfumed oils in the

bathwater, she stretched out her limbs.

"Sylvia, are your injuries all healed?" Tinasha asked.

"Yes, completely! Thank you for worrying about me." Sylvia grinned as

she ran a comb through Tinasha's long black hair. She was so excited for

Tinasha's debut that she could hardly stand it. Her fervor was exemplified

by the diverse array of cosmetic bottles all lined up. There were far more

than usual.

"The king told me to tell you that the dress you'll be wearing today is

his present for your birthday," Sylvia explained.

"It is?!" Tinasha cried; she hadn't expected that at all. Her legs slid from

the edges of the tub back into the bath, splashing water onto her face.

She recalled that Oscar had asked when her birthday was around a

month ago, when they'd been discussing the annual Farsas party. For

whatever reason, he had pinched her cheek when she'd told him the date

had passed already.

Her fiancé's sneak attack made Tinasha flush with joy. "I'm no longer at

an age where I celebrate my birthday, so it had totally slipped my mind."

"How old are you now?"

"Umm… four hundred and thirty-two? Or maybe four hundred and

thirty-three…?"

Sylvia gave a confused look. "That's… quite unbelievable."

While Tinasha's physical body put her at twenty, she had actually been

alive for centuries. In fact, her total number of years was easily twenty

times Oscar's. However, since she had spent most of that time asleep, she

possessed less life experience than he did.

"Despite all those years, I'm still inexperienced. I have much more to

learn," Tinasha said with a slight grimace as she rested her legs on the tub's

edge again, crossing them.

The warmth of the water filled her, making her feel entirely protected

and safe.

It took another two and a half hours after the bath before Tinasha was

completely ready. In that time, she endured a long procession of hairstyle

and makeup tests. At first, Sylvia and the ladies-in-waiting asked Tinasha

her opinion on each one, but she only gave halfhearted, reluctant answers.

So they eventually took it upon themselves to decide everything on their

own.

The king's gift was an extravagant gown constructed of unbleached,

handwoven lace. Bright-green climbing roses were embroidered along the

edges of the short puffed sleeves. The neckline was open, with a row of

buttons running down the bodice. The skirts were made of layer upon layer

of lace. In the front, the dress flared out in a gentle arc; while in the back, it

cascaded into a train.

Sylvia smiled after tying the waist sash into a large bow at the back.

"His Majesty understands very well how to best set off your charms."

"Mmm. I have no idea what you're saying," Tinasha responded dully.

Sylvia looked rather defeated at that.

Tinasha's hair was half swept back, with an abundance of fresh flowers

arranged in the hair at the back of her head. Together with her neat, trim

gown, she made for the very picture of loveliness. Nearly gone was the

intimidating, daunting aura she normally gave off at formal events. Her soft,

charming appearance would fit in perfectly at Oscar's side as his fiancée.

Sylvia took a step back and looked Tinasha over from head to toe, then

she made a minute adjustment to the flowers in her hair. "There, it's

perfect!"

"Thank you so much," said Tinasha with a smile and a curtsy, then

inspected herself in the full-length mirror. In it, she saw a blushing young

bride about to head out for her wedding. It was a side of herself she was so

unaccustomed to seeing that embarrassment rolled over her.

When she glanced at the clock, she saw it was only a half hour until the

event began. Sylvia had begun to tidy everything up to pack it away, and

Tinasha asked her, "Can I step out for a bit?"

"Of course you can. Just tell me if anything gets messed up, and I'll fix

it," Sylvia answered readily. With that, Tinasha left the room. Picking up

her skirts, she made her way down the hallway.

With the party commencing soon, magistrates and ladies-in-waiting

were flying back and forth frantically. One by one, they noticed Tinasha and

turned their heads to watch her go. Feeling guilty about distracting them,

Tinasha headed for a slightly less populated route. She was meandering

through the halls when she glanced outside and stopped. In the courtyard

below was a girl. Based on her formal garb, she must have been a guest.

Her silver hair glittering in the sunlight set off her sky-blue gown. Because

Tinasha was up so high, she couldn't see her face clearly, but the girl was

looking all around her as if searching for something.

Puzzled, Tinasha lay a hand on the window. She cast a short-range

teleportation spell.

The girl was naturally surprised that Tinasha appeared before her so

suddenly, but she quickly recognized what the woman had done. Realizing

that they were both dressed formally, the girl bowed her head. "Ah, I'm

sorry…"

"Is there something you're looking for? Can I help you?" asked Tinasha.

If this girl needed help, then two heads were better than one. That seemed to

be in the spirit of the festivities.

Seeming frightened, the girl glanced all around her nervously. "Oh, um,

I thought I heard a baby crying…"

"A baby?" Tinasha repeated with uncertainty.

Farsas Castle was not home to any infants, unless a guest had traveled

with theirs. It was difficult to imagine a guest bringing their newborn to a

foreign country, though.

Tinasha listened, but she couldn't hear any crying. The girl must not

have been able to hear anything, either, because she blushed and bowed her

head. "I'm very sorry for troubling you."

"It's all right. I'll keep an eye out myself," replied Tinasha, and the girl

flashed her a charming smile. Her grayish-blue eyes sparkled with a pure

glow that drew Tinasha in.

She's very pretty, but that's not all. There's something mysterious about

her.

The girl was a mage, or she had the makings of one. Tinasha detected

strong magic within her and was impressed.

As the girl glanced shyly over at Tinasha, her eyes momentarily

darkened, like someone in pain. Tinasha wanted to ask what was wrong, but

the girl bowed her head again before she could. When she lifted her head

back up, there were no longer any traces of shadow in her eyes.

She broke into a shy smile. "My companion is waiting for me, so I must

take my leave now. Thank you very much for taking the time to help."

"Oh, then I suppose I'll see you around," the queen responded.

The girl gave an eager nod, curtsied, and left. It wasn't until she was out

of sight that Tinasha realized she and the girl hadn't introduced themselves.

"I should have asked her name."

She was a strangely entrancing person, and it was likely that they'd meet

again soon. With that thought in mind, Tinasha returned to the castle.

Once the courtyard was deserted, there came the faint sound of a crying

baby.

There was no longer anyone to hear it, however.

After changing into formalwear of his own while completing the final

checks for the event, Oscar appraised Tinasha with narrowed eyes as she

entered the ballroom antechamber. Waving her closer, he picked her up and

settled her on his knees. "You look stunning in that."

"Thank you for the dress," she replied.

"Mm-hmm. I'm very satisfied with it," he replied quietly, giving a

gentle tug to one lock of her hair, careful not to ruin her updo in the back.

"Tonight's going to be a pain, but power through it."

"I came here prepared to do so," she assured him with a mischievous

grin, holding out her right hand to him, palm up. A silver ring appeared in it.

A small obsidian stone reminiscent of her eyes was set into the thin band,

and magical sigils were delicately engraved on its surface.

"Give me your hand," she ordered.

"Which one?"

"Either. Oh, but your left one would be best, as it won't get in the way."

Oscar offered his left hand to Tinasha, as she had requested. She picked

up the ring and held it against his large, masculine fingers. "Maybe I should

make it a little bigger?"

After she gave a short incantation that made the ring grow one size

larger, she slipped it onto Oscar's middle finger. With another spell, the ring

shrank a little to fit perfectly. Its elastic nature made it seem like it wasn't

made of metal at all, and Oscar watched in rapt fascination.

"What's this made of?" he asked.

"Silver. It simply had magic applied to it when it was cast," Tinasha

explained, checking the ring's fit. Then she murmured another incantation,

but there were no visible changes when this one was done.

Catching Oscar frowning at it in confusion, she smiled. "That made the

ring invisible to everyone except you."

"I see. So it's mine now?"

"Of course it is. This is a magic implement with a spell inside. Slide the

stone, and it will activate. It will only work once, but it will disable any

teleportation magic within a fixed radius with you at the center. Going out,

coming in, and moving objects around will be impossible."

Oscar's eyes grew wide as he listened to his fiancée's explanation. He

stared down at the ring. "That's amazing. Is this because of the battle we

had earlier?"

"More or less. I'm sure fighting a mage who can teleport and fly around

must be inconvenient for you. You can fly with Nark's help, of course, but

it'll be easier if no one can teleport around. The effect lasts for about ten

minutes. After it's used, I'll need to enchant it again."

"This should really help me out a lot. Thank you," Oscar said, and

Tinasha gave a shy smile. But soon enough, her face took on a serious cast

as she emphasized one point. "Once this seals off teleportation, it will

prevent both enemies and allies from coming in or out, so be very careful

about when you choose to use it."

"So you won't be able to teleport, either?"

"No, I won't," Tinasha confirmed. "If I'd crafted it so that I alone

wouldn't be affected, it would weaken the effect, defeating the purpose. I

wanted it powerful enough to trap a witch."

Oscar nodded. "Got it. I'll be careful." Then he checked the ring's fit.

Lavinia's attacks with summoned swords were difficult to parry. Should

he face another enemy just as formidable again, he would now have a way

to tip things back in his favor. Oscar was very grateful that Tinasha

observed and learned from his past battles.

She glanced up at him and gave him an utterly enchanting smile.

"Happy birthday."

The words felt a little childish. Evidently, this ring was her present to

him. Oscar burst out laughing when he realized that her gift was entirely

practical and his wasn't.

Tinasha's eyes went as wide as a cat's as she stared at him. "What?

What's wrong? Did I do something weird?"

"No, not at all. You're just really fascinating. Thank you," Oscar said,

cupping her cheek and drawing close to press a kiss onto her scarlet-painted

lips.

When he pulled away, Tinasha was red to the tips of her ears. She left

the room still feeling confused over why he had told her she was

fascinating.

The event began on time.

Tinasha stood at Oscar's side as his fiancée and as the queen of Tuldarr.

She offered pleasant smiles to the guests from a litany of countries who

kept coming up to greet them. As she did so, she also asked probing

questions about several things she needed to research further.

Tuldarr was in the midst of upheaval, and it had recently provided

forbidden curse counterattack forces to Farsas during Cezar's attack. She

needed to determine how people from each nation regarded Tuldarr.

Nearly everyone offered excessive praise for the celebration or

congratulations on her engagement to Oscar. Only the prince of Tayiri

greeted them formally and stiffly.

Once the wave of people subsided, Tinasha leaned over and whispered

to Oscar. "No one had any criticism. I was sure there would be."

"See? Aren't you glad we got engaged?"

"I don't think that's it… but yes, sure," she answered. Tinasha was

entirely unaware that her appearance was playing a large role. Had she been

dressed more like a queen, it might have put the visiting dignitaries on

guard. Today, however, she looked like any other beautiful young woman.

The people who came to judge how Tinasha would present herself at her

first public appearance as Oscar's fiancée were taken aback upon catching

their first glimpse of her smiling so gracefully next to him. In all likelihood,

some of them had to be wondering if this was the same queen they'd seen

inherit the mystical spirits.

Oscar was deeply amused because he'd anticipated as much when he'd

designed Tinasha's dress, though the responses exceeded even his

expectations. He smirked as he basked in a faint sense of superiority.

Tinasha didn't seem to enjoy women casting her dirty, jealous looks, but

Oscar thought he got his share of those, too. Many people envied him for

managing to lay claim to a queen who united incomparable power and

beauty.

"Although you're quite the wild child on the inside," he muttered.

"Hey! Where's that coming from? I haven't broken any windows today,"

Tinashsa protested.

"Today? Don't break any at all. I was just wondering if I'm the only one

who can manage you."

Tinasha narrowed her eyes, peering up at Oscar with a puzzled

expression. "What are you getting at?"

Before he could answer, a young lady approached the two. Once Tinasha

caught sight of her face, she let out a little cry. It was the girl she had met in

the courtyard.

With a smile, the silver-haired girl curtsied before them. "It is a pleasure

to make your acquaintance, Your Majesties. My name is Aurelia Canao

Naysha Faurecia. I have come on behalf of the king of Gandona, and I offer

you my most sincere congratulations."

"Thank you for that very courteous greeting. Please give the king my

best regards," Oscar replied.

"Of course," Aurelia replied with another curtsy.

Tinasha gave her a dazzling smile. "My name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur

Aeterna Tuldarr. I'm sorry for startling you earlier."

"I apologize as well, and I should have introduced myself to you then."

Oscar looked confused, so Tinasha explained that she and Aurelia had

met earlier in the courtyard. As she recounted the story, she remembered

something. "Oh, didn't you say you were here with someone?"

"Yes, I'm here with my guardian… Travis?" Aurelia called, turning

around to summon him over.

Tinasha's jaw dropped. Had she been drinking something, she would

have spit it out. Next to her, Oscar was just as stupefied.

A silver-haired man sauntered over to the stunned pair and swept into an

elegant bow.

When he rose, he had a teasing smirk on his face. Oscar recovered faster

than Tinasha did, placing a hand on Akashia's hilt. He glared at Travis,

prepared to draw the weapon at any time.

"You've got some nerve showing yourself before me again," said Oscar

in a low, threatening voice.

"Come now, don't you realize where we are? There's a time and a place,

Your Majesty," Travis chided.

Things had gotten very tense very quickly, and Tinasha hurried to step

between her fiancé and the demon. She held up her hands between them.

"L-let's just calm down. Okay, Oscar?"

"Get out of the way, Tinasha," Oscar growled.

"No. You need to stop," she said. A few nearby guests had noticed

something was off and glanced in their direction with curiosity.

Tinasha glanced at Travis, still smirking, and Aurelia, whose eyes had

gone very wide. Aurelia must have understood Tinasha's distress and

tugged on Travis's arm. "Travis! Didn't I tell you not to cause any

trouble?!"

"And so I haven't today."

"Then what do you call this?!" she cried, grabbing hold of his ear and

tugging on it so hard he bowed his head.

Aurelia lowered her head, too. "I don't know what he's done, but I feel

equally responsible. I'm really very sorry."

The king of all demons was being forced to bow by a girl of only fifteen

or sixteen. Oscar and Tinasha exchanged a look at the unexpected scene.

Travis was grumbling, "Ow, let me go," but it only made Aurelia pinch

him harder.

At a loss for how to reply to that, the king of Farsas let his fiancée pull

him back a step. Pressing both hands together in supplication before him,

Tinasha pleaded, "I understand how you feel, but calm down. Please."

Upon seeing how truly distressed she looked, Oscar finally regained his

composure. Once he'd reined in and concealed his emotions, he turned to

Aurelia and said, "I apologize as well. There is no issue, so please lift your

head."

"Thank you so much for your forgiveness," she answered, rising. Her

silvery-blue eyes darted from the king to Tinasha, but both of their

expressions betrayed no trouble.

The king gave Travis a regal look, then bowed formally and took his

leave. For a moment, Tinasha seemed like she wanted to say something to

Aurelia, but in the end, she merely flashed her a strained smile and followed

after Oscar.

As she watched the king and his bride-to-be depart, Aurelia covertly

elbowed Travis in the side. "What do you think you were doing?!"

"She's an old acquaintance of mine. I have a history of riling her up a

little."

"You are the worst," Aurelia said with a sigh. This guardian of hers was

constantly getting himself into trouble with ladies because of his good looks

and bad personality. It wasn't impossible to think he might have a history

with the beautiful queen of Tuldarr.

Aurelia threw him a look full of worry, anger, and a tiny bit of jealousy.

"An old flame?"

"Of course not. I don't go for that independent type at all," Travis

replied flippantly, though he raised one eyebrow like he'd realized

something. He stared at Aurelia.

She fidgeted, uncomfortable under Travis's gaze. "What?" she asked.

"Hmm… actually, I suppose there are a few self-sufficient girls that are

all right," he said.

"Is that so?" Aurelia said in a chilly, unamused tone.

It wasn't too strange. Of course he would be fond of someone beautiful.

Aurelia recalled when she and the queen first met in the courtyard. Tinasha

had come down because she saw that a stranger was searching for

something.

She was warm, kind, and beautiful in a mature way. Anyone would

adore her.

Aurelia closed her eyes. Those silly thoughts were making her heart

hurt. It didn't matter, because the queen was already engaged. Before she

could hang her head too low, Travis stroked her hair. "Be a good girl."

"Don't treat me like a child."

"But you are a child. Behave, and I'll protect you. I promise," he

reminded her. Aurelia couldn't bring herself to glance up and see what kind

of expression Travis was making.

She nodded anyway, though, choosing to believe him.

By the time the event was winding down and guests were starting to leave,

a man and a woman were floating high in the skies above Farsas Castle.

The woman's manicured brows were gathered in a scowl as she spat, "That

was a horrible trick you pulled back there…"

"What an accusation. I simply attended as the guardian of the heir to a

throne," he replied innocently.

"Wow. Nice excuse… exactly what I'd expect from someone who isn't

human." The woman sighed, massaging her aching temples. "I got chewed

out for your antics. Please don't do that to me again."

"How wonderful for you that you're marrying such a narrow-minded

man. Anyway, I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?" she asked carelessly.

An evil smile materialized on Travis's face. He pointed straight at her. "I

want to collect on the debt you owe me for saving your life."

Before her mind even had time to comprehend the meaning of his

words, a chill ran up Tinasha's spine. Twice now, Travis had let her go free

when she was on the verge of death. Now he wanted to cash in that favor.

Tinasha quickly summoned a spell.

However, Travis waved a hand to stop her. "Don't be so hasty. I'm not

here to kill you. I have a request to make."

Tinasha frowned. Dismissing her half-formed magic, she tilted her head

to one side. "What is it?"

"I want you to stand in for my girl," Travis stated.

"Excuse me?!" Tinasha exclaimed. She didn't immediately understand,

but assumed that his "girl" was Aurelia, the pretty young thing Tinasha had

met earlier. While she was still very young, she did possess a mysterious

charm. Her will was strong, and she was clearly intelligent.

But why did Travis want Tinasha to act as a proxy for her? The insane

request was difficult to make sense of.

"What do you mean, 'stand in'?"

"Apparently, a pest of a woman has just woken up, and I think she's

going to try killing Aurelia. I'm planning to go end the threat myself before

that can happen, but I don't want one of her underlings sneaking in while

I'm away. I'll post guards, but that's not enough to reassure me. So I want

you to take Aurelia's place."

"Seriously?"

What an exceedingly inconvenient, selfish request. Tinasha felt sorry for

Aurelia, who had gotten dragged into this. Feeling a headache coming on,

Tinasha pressed her fingers against her temples again. "When you say 'a

pest of a woman,' what do you mean?"

"Someone just like me."

"So she has a twisted personality?"

"No," Travis snapped. "I mean she has the same rank as me."

"Which means… she's a demon queen?!"

"More or less. She's pretty clingy. It's been a real pain."

"What kind of love life do you have?" Tinasha muttered. The witch

Tinasha killed had also been one of Travis's old paramours. He must have

dumped her in the most despicable way because she'd positively loathed

him. Supposedly, he couldn't kill the witch because of a contract he'd

signed with her when she'd first summoned him. It was quite fortunate for

him that Tinasha ended up killing her.

While Tinasha struggled to accept the situation, Travis continued matterof-factly. "Given what you owe me, you have no right to refuse."

"Hold on, just a minute here," Tinasha insisted, holding up both hands in

the air. Travis was instructing her to become a target for another supremely

powerful demon. There was no world in which she would instantly agree to

that.

Travis wasn't about to let Tinasha refuse, however. Glaring at her in

disgust, he said, "Are you stupid? This will make us even. I'd call this a

good deal for you."

"Yes, but…"

"You know, your marrying into Farsas certainly makes things

interesting. Tuldarr or Farsas, which is your country, I wonder?" he taunted.

Tinasha paled as she realized what he was referring to. A long time ago, as

thanks for killing the witch, Travis had promised not to do anything to her

country. The implication was that after she wed Oscar, she would have to

choose one over the other. Travis was threatening harm against the one she

didn't pick.

Gandona and Farsas shared a border. Tinasha certainly wanted to keep

Travis from hurting Farsas, but she didn't want him damaging Tuldarr,

either.

"Accept, and I'll steer clear of both nations, so long as your bloodline

continues. One or two doesn't make much difference to me."

"Urgh…"

Travis was offering a lot, which meant that his request had to be

incredibly dangerous.

Tinasha crossed her arms. When she shot a glance at Travis, he flashed

her one of his usual easy, indolent grins. She could tell it was a facade,

however.

"What is Aurelia to you?" Tinasha questioned.

"Where'd that come from?" he countered.

"I'd just like to know."

Travis's face screwed up in annoyance at the inquiry. He looked like he

wanted to brush it off but gave up on that once he caught sight of the

serious look in Tinasha's eyes. He tutted in irritation. "She's just some girl.

I like her, so I stick around. That's all it is. I don't want her to die when

she's still so young."

"Hmmm."

"Are you going to do it or aren't you?" Travis demanded.

"I'll do it," Tinasha agreed with a shrug. While it was going to be a

bother, the terms were the most favorable Travis would ever give. Travis

would handle the demon queen herself, and Tinasha had her spirits if she

ran into trouble. It wasn't a bad deal.

Besides, it would certainly be a shame for Aurelia to die. Tinasha had

been rescued when she was close to Aurelia's age, and she wanted to

protect someone in return. Plus, Travis's attachment to the heir to Gandona

was intriguing. Maybe his time with Aurelia was changing him.

Once Tinasha agreed, the briefest glint of relief crossed Travis's black

eyes. It quickly vanished, though, replaced by his typical cockiness. "All

right. Unbutton your bodice a little."

Tinasha looked offended. "Why should I?"

"I have to put it somewhere that your clothing will conceal it. Keep

blathering, and I'm just going to tear your dress open."

"N-no thank you," Tinasha said. Oscar had given her this gown. Despite

some reluctance, she undid three buttons in the front to expose more of her

chest. Travis pointed to the patch of creamy white skin.

"Blossom."

With just one word, a crest the size of a child's palm appeared on

Tinasha's skin. The vermilion mark in the shape of a rose stood out against

her porcelain flesh. The bright red hue made it look almost poisonous.

"That should do it. That mark says that you're mine. Any demon will

recognize it right away."

"Whoa. You're going to erase this later, right?" Tinasha asked.

Travis nodded. "Once everything is over, I will. Try not to get yourself

killed."

"I know, I know. Does Aurelia have one of these, too?"

"Of course not," Travis replied curtly, then he vanished.

Tinasha stared at the spot where he'd been floating, her eyes wide.

"Well, that was… unexpected."

This was a demon who, up until now, had cast people aside like

disposable playthings. Yet now he was treating a girl like his most precious

treasure. Twice now, Tinasha had escaped death only on Travis's whim. She

gazed up at the sky and burst out laughing, unsure whether she should feel

more amused or terrified.

The party had concluded twenty minutes before, and all the guests who

were not staying at the castle had gone home. Lazar finished clearing things

away in the ballroom and was about to leave when Oscar called out, "Have

you seen Tinasha?"

"No, I haven't," Lazar replied, suddenly realizing she'd been absent for

a while. "Shall I go search for her?"

"Please. Try her dressing room and my rooms."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lazar replied, aware that Oscar's stormy

countenance stemmed from the tiff he had gotten into with the guests from

Gandona. Lazar had already verified that Aurelia and her companion were

back in Gandona, but the king still appeared troubled.

As ordered, Lazar checked the room assigned to Tinasha for use as her

dressing room, but no one was there. He then headed for the king's rooms.

"Surely she didn't return to Tuldarr without saying anything," Lazar

muttered.

He made his way down the corridor until he heard a strange noise and

stopped. It sounded like a cat meowing. Lazar followed the sound around a

corner and arrived at a pillar just past where a guard was posted. A large

basket was set behind the column.

Did someone abandon a cat?

Lazar inspected the basket. A white cloth covered the top, but the noises

were undoubtedly coming from underneath. Lazar lifted the fabric and then

had to stifle a cry of surprise.

A human baby of no more than four months was lying in the basket. The

infant had stopped crying, likely from the surprise of being met by another

person. Blue eyes flew open and scanned the surroundings.

Lazar met the child's gaze, and he gasped. "Did… someone lose a baby?

That can't be…"

Flustered, Lazar looked all around the hallway. No one was there.

Deciding he should take the baby somewhere safe, he picked up the basket,

only to notice a letter tucked inside. Upon close inspection, it was only a

folded note and not even formally sealed.

The message was addressed to the king of Farsas. Lazar quickly scanned

the few written lines.

Lazar nearly shrieked again at how unbelievable the letter was. The baby

started crying once more before he could, however. He tried to pick up the

infant, but the note was in the way.

"I'll take that," said someone from behind, plucking the letter from

Lazar's hands.

"Oh, thank you," Lazar replied as he bent to grab the child. But just as

he was breathing a sigh of relief, he froze. Who was behind him?

Fearfully, Lazar turned around—and this time he really did scream. The

king's fiancée was standing only a few paces away. "AAAAHHHH!"

"Whoa!" Tinasha cried, putting her hands over her head. When she

dropped them, she scowled at Lazar. "You're going to startle the baby. What

do you think you're doing?"

"Th-the letter… the letter…"

"What about it? Should I read it?"

"N-no…"

Lazar blubbered, incapable of thinking up a way to cleverly stop her.

Tinasha opened up the note, and her dark eyes scanned the contents.

"What in the world…?"

"W-wait, Queen Tinasha—"

"What's all this fuss about? Oh, there you are, Tinasha." Oscar strolled

up from the opposite end of the hallway. He must have heard Lazar's

shriek.

Lazar didn't know if Oscar's arrival meant salvation or damnation.

The king glanced from his grimacing fiancée to his attendant, who

looked about to burst into tears. Then his gaze landed on the baby Lazar

was holding, and his expression turned to one of shock. "Whose child is

that? Where did it come from?"

Instead of answering, Tinasha held out the piece of paper to him. Oscar

received it and read it quickly. In a lady's handwriting, the letter claimed

that the infant was the king's, and requested that he raise it.

"What is this?" Oscar asked.

The woman who'd penned the note did not name herself. Oscar was so

stunned he almost let the piece of paper fall to the floor. To Tinasha, who

looked extremely unamused, he managed, "It's not mine."

"Y-yes, that must be true! His Majesty wouldn't make such a foolish

mistake!" Lazar frantically added, his support only digging a deeper hole

for his king. Oscar gave him a light slap upside the head.

Tinasha coldly eyed the two men who were losing their heads over this

unanticipated turn of events. "Do both of you think I'm stupid? The math

doesn't add up here any way you look at it."

Oscar and Lazar looked at each other. When they thought about it, they

realized Tinasha was right. The king's curse had only been broken two

months ago. No child of his would've been born yet. What's more, Oscar

got engaged to Tinasha shortly after the curse was lifted.

Despite this, Lazar didn't appear relieved in the slightest. "Then that can

only mean…," he muttered, trailing off.

"Someone abandoned this baby?" Oscar finished.

All three fell silent. The baby in Lazar's arms stared up at them

curiously.

For the time being, Oscar had Lazar drop off the infant with some ladies-inwaiting while he and Tinasha returned to his chambers.

Glaring at the letter, Oscar let out an annoyed sigh. "Who the hell did

this?"

"You don't have any idea?" she asked.

"None. I don't recognize the handwriting, and there's no name."

Ordinarily, someone in the castle would notice a stranger hanging

around, but because of the party, there'd been tons of international visitors

coming and going all night. Oscar issued an inquiry, but it turned up no

useful information.

Floating up into the air, Tinasha gave a thoughtful hum. "Nowadays,

both parties have to give consent before having a baby, right?"

"Essentially, yeah. Men and women can drink a potion that prevents

pregnancies. Were things not like that four hundred years ago?" Oscar

asked.

"No, we didn't have any concoctions like that. I read that it was invented

three centuries back."

According to records from the era in which it was invented, the

contraceptive potion came about as an accidental by-product during

research into a cure for infertility in the eastern country of Mensanne. In

modern times, it was inexpensive and readily available, meaning that far

fewer unwanted children were born now than in the Dark Age.

So then, how had this baby come to be abandoned?

"Oh… actually, Aurelia heard crying and was searching for the source in

the courtyard," Tinasha recalled.

"She heard it? When was this?"

"Just before the party started. But there's no record of anyone bringing

an infant to the castle, is there?"

"No… I guess someone hid in the crowd and snuck it in," Oscar replied.

Who would abandon a baby, and why?

Tinasha slowly revolved once in midair, pondering over that. Then she

landed in front of Oscar, sweeping the long train of her dress back. "Should

I hold on to the child?"

"Why you? We have caretakers in the castle."

"It could be part of some scheme. The sudden appearance and the letter

seem odd," she pointed out.

"Did you sense anything suspicious?"

"Not particularly, but we should still be cautious," Tinasha admitted

with a shrug. Perhaps she was being overly wary, but Oscar understood

there was no reason to accept this at face value and suspect nothing.

"In that case, that Valt guy's probably not the one behind this," he

suggested with a tight grimace.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he knows about my curse, doesn't he?"

"Oh! That's right…"

For whatever bizarre reason, Valt knew all sorts of secret information.

He'd sent Delilah into the castle with full awareness of Oscar's curse. If

Valt was the mastermind behind the abandoned child, too, it didn't make

sense that he'd attach a letter so quickly exposed as a fake.

"So that means it's someone else," Tinasha mused with a frown, floating

up into the air again. However, Oscar grabbed hold of the train of her gown

and pulled her down. Careful of the delicate fabric, she landed in his arms.

Perhaps it was time to change clothes.

Hoisting her up in his arms, Oscar lay a hand along her cheek. "Well,

let's see how things play out in Farsas for a bit. The mother may have a

change of heart and come to get the baby."

"Yes… she may," Tinasha replied, thinking to herself that Oscar was so

sweet. He wasn't just soft on others; he was kind and strong in equal

measure. That was a quality she lacked.

Tinasha gazed into his dark blue eyes, the color of twilight after the sun

had just set. His strength, his force of will, and his straightforward attitude

all held her fast. While he could be sarcastic and mean, and he occasionally

treated her like a child, that only made him all the more irresistible, much to

her dismay.

He gave her the power to fight and the serenity to relax. So long as he

was there, she could be strong—even if she ended up all alone. Love was

the only word appropriate for such a fuzzy and indefinable feeling.

Sensing herself passing into a daze while staring at Oscar, Tinasha

closed her eyes, placing a soft kiss on his lips instead. Her face felt hot with

the urge to cry.

When she pulled back, Oscar regarded her with a wry look. "What's

wrong?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You look like you're about to burst into tears, crybaby."

Oscar was right, and Tinasha made an upset face. But with a little tilt of

her head, a smile returned to her lips—one as cool and clear as the moon.

Many long years had informed that quiet expression of hers, which soon

morphed into a timid blush.

"I'm just happy," she whispered into his ear.

Red was starting to streak the sky. Tinasha slid to the floor and checked

the time. As Oscar headed to change, he asked, "What, do you have

somewhere to be?"

"No, not particularly."

"Then you should stay with me tonight."

"I suppose I should," Tinasha replied, heading for the door to go back to

her rooms and change out of her dress first.

But he caught her hand. "Where are you going?"

"To change. I'd hate to get your gift dirty."

"I'll have it brought away later. Just stay here," Oscar said, hugging

Tinasha from behind and pressing a kiss to her exposed nape.

The sensation and the dizziness it brought with it left Tinasha weak in

the knees, but she snapped back to her senses when she felt Oscar's hand

brush along her neck. She remembered the thing she needed to keep in

mind.

Flustered, Tinasha twisted to escape Oscar's arms. Then she backed

away from her confused fiancé. "Sorry, I remembered something I need to

do. I'll be heading back now."

"What could be that urgent?" Oscar pressed.

"Well, just… an old illness flaring up…"

"Wow. I would've thought a queen could come up with a better excuse."

Her face frozen stiff, Tinasha had one arm pressed across her breast. She

was currently sporting a very indelible mark there, one burned on so

strongly that no camouflage magic would work on it. It signified that she

belonged to another man. There was no telling how furious Oscar would be

if he saw it.

He seemed to be interpreting Tinasha's evasive behavior differently.

With a frown, he let out a sigh. "What? Are you mad about earlier?"

"Huh? About what?"

"That nonsense Lazar was spouting."

"Oh, that…"

The two men really had dug a spectacular hole for themselves. Because

it had no bearing on the issue at hand, Tinasha had let it slide at the time.

Upon further rumination, it was not exactly a pleasant thought, but it was

also not something worth getting upset over. It wouldn't be surprising to

learn that Oscar had slept with other women. In fact, Tinasha assumed as

much.

Yet she gave a little clap of her hands and nodded, pasting a bright smile

on her face. "Yes, exactly. I'm very mad about that, so I will be leaving

now!"

"Hey, listen… Wait just a minute," Oscar protested.

"No, thank you. I'll see you later," she stated briskly, then escaped while

she had the chance.

Her sudden departure left Oscar stunned. Unaware that his fiancée had

just pulled one over on him, he decided to go to bed with the issue

unresolved.

When Tinasha teleported back into her chambers in Tuldarr, she found

Mila, Karr, and Lilia having tea there. While the spirits did not usually

appear unless summoned, she always posted a few to remain on standby to

handle any emergencies while she was out of the country.

"Oh? You're back, Lady Tinasha? I thought you'd be spending the

night," said Mila, turning around in her chair.

Once all three spirits got a good look at their master, a chill of fright ran

through them. Lilia's teacup fell from her hands and shattered into two on

the floor. "L-Lady Tinasha! What is that?! What happened?! Oh, you're still

chaste? That's some relief!"

"Ah, I suppose there's no hiding this from any of you," Tinasha

remarked with a sigh, smiling bitterly at the spirits' reaction. Evidently, the

mark was visible to them even over clothing, and they recognized who had

made it.

With great concern, Karr asked, "You okay? Did something happen?"

"A lot has happened," replied Tinasha, going over to her bed and sinking

down on the edge of it. She gave the three spirits a summary of events.

Once they heard about the demon king's offer, they all made faces of

disgust.

"She's awake? Eugh," Lilia spat as she magically repaired the broken

teacup.

Tinasha gave a long exhale. "Do you know the spirit Travis was talking

about? What's she like?"

"Mmm, if I had to describe her in one word…"

The spirits exchanged a glance, and then all spoke at once.

"Spiteful."

"Arrogant."

"Sadistic."

"Yeesh," Tinasha responded. What an assortment of characteristics.

Perhaps such qualities were just part of being one of the highest-ranking

demons, for many of those same words applied to Travis.

Karr rested his chin in one hand, looking utterly fatigued. "Since you

have wards up here, it should be all right to say her name. We call her…

Lady Phaedra. She's always stuck to Travis like glue. She's popped up in

the human realm multiple times and killed everyone close to him."

"A-ha-ha, she's just like Lady Tinasha then. Super clingy!" teased Mila.

"I have never killed any of my love rivals!" Tinasha snapped, offended

by the mere comparison.

But Mila just smiled at her master's outburst. "Oh, no, humans are no

contest for Lady Phaedra. Think about it this way: You'd be upset if you

had to watch the one you loved gazing at an ants' nest and toying with it all

day, right?"

"That would drive me crazy," Tinasha admitted.

She felt a headache coming on.

So to demons, humans really were no better than insects, which was

why they had no interest in them and didn't involve themselves with them.

For the king of all demons to be interested in humans and live alongside

them was truly out of the ordinary. No wonder a fellow demon of Travis's

rank was upset by it.

While Tinasha could sympathize with this unfamiliar demon woman on

some level, she still couldn't understand her actions. She shook her head.

"No matter how strange I found my partner's interests, I would never try to

destroy something he cared for."

"And that's where your personalities differ. If only Lady Phaedra could

just leave it alone," Lilia responded, sighing.

"Well, I guess if Lord Travis is going to kill her, then you don't really

need to worry. He's stronger than she is and all. You should be able to

handle one of her underlings," Karr remarked.

"Absolutely. Call on us anytime you need to," Mila added flippantly.

Watching all of them dismiss the situation, Tinasha let out a heavy sigh.

She looked at each of them in turn. After a little hesitation, she managed to

blurt out, "So are we humans just insects to all of you?"

The three spirits exchanged glances, and a moment of silence passed. As

Tinasha regarded them anxiously, all three burst out laughing.

"Wh-what is it?" she asked.

"Ah, it's just that we've been living over here for so long. I've gotten

more and more used to things. Humans are interesting, and I like you," said

Karr.

"As demons go, we're a bit unusual for signing a contract in the first

place, you know," Lilia pointed out.

"Exactly. If we were unhappy, we would've gone back when the

contract with Tuldarr was dissolved," Mila stated.

Each of them felt somewhat differently, but their underlying affection

was the same.

Feeling her initial astonishment turn to warm relief, Tinasha closed her

eyes. "Thank you…"

Her spirits had been with her four hundred years ago, and they were

with her now, too. She reflected with fondness on her cherished friends.