Chapter 18

"Well then, Maribeth. I'll be heading out."

"Leaving so soon?"

"You know I can't stay for long and I got what I needed plus the book you gave me. He might start to wonder where I went"

"When is your next visit here? This old bone is feeling lonely in this halls."

"It won't be long--I think, Wilhelm might as well come here--sooner. A lot sooner to be exact."

"Really?"

"Yes, and I'll be here after a few weeks."

"That's wonderful! Now I have something to look up to"

"Wait for me okay? Goodbye, Maribeth!"

"Goodbye, Tina"

Maribeth smiled at her before she broke another crystal and was teleported back to Wilhelm's room.

Celestine headed downstairs she was excited to tell him what she had found. She was impatient and hurriedly skipped some stairs on her way down but Wilhelm was about to climb upstairs.

"Where have you gone to?" He asked as he interlocked his arms. Celestine was smiling hard and couldn't help but giggle. Then, from a few steps above him, she jumped with open arms.

Her hand grabbed the neckline of his clothes. They were about to fall and Wilhelm was surprised by it. He quickly cast wind magic that served as a cushion as they approached the floor.

"Since when?" She asked, her eyes were sparkling.

"Can you not do something dangerous?!"

"When did you start writing this?" She showed him a book and he pretty got the gist of where she went.

He clicked his tongue and let out a heavy sigh.

"Was it Maribeth? Or the Dean?" Either of the two are the only people who know about the book. It was left in the library for as long as he can remember.

"Maribeth did!"

"God, I couldn't believe she sold me out... Did you read?"

Celestine nodded energetically and said, "So when did you start writing this?"

He groaned inwardly, "Get off of me first!" he demanded.

"Not until you tell me first!" She started shaking him, "Tell me, when?"

He looked away, "It doesn't concern you when I wrote that..."

Celestine smiled with eyes wide open, opened the book, and started reading a certain page passionately,

[ Golden strands of hair follows as she gracefully as she walks---]

"Stop! For goodness sake! Don't read it out loud!"

[--Eyes that reflect the depth of the Blue Ocean--]

"Ahh! Stop!! Stop it!! Don't you dare!" He covered her mouth with his hand forcing her to shush but Celestine wouldn't allow it and started shaking her head to get the hand of her mouth and to continue,

[--Why do I keep glancing at her by the distance?--]

"You little!"

Wilhelm was being more aggressive in covering her mouth, the man forgot that he could just use his magic to shut her up, Celestine was trying her hardest to read the remaining parts.

[ What forced me--- mpft--- keep watching--- mpfttt---]

He finally managed to keep her quiet but the position was him on top of her pinning her down, his hand on her mouth and the other supporting his body to not fully press itself to her. Celestine smiled smugly, her eyes were half-open because of the teasing smile.

She couldn't help it when he was blushing before her again. Red as a ripe tomato. She would have loved to read the rest, it was a book he wrote about her. He started writing it when she became his student. It was to keep track of the details that Celestine lacked and exceeded in terms of learning.

It also described everything he sees and feels. Putting his thoughtsand feelings into a series of words inside the book. Some were notes about her likes and dislikes. In other words, it was a book written for one person.

But why did he leave such a thing inside the library? It serves as a memory of their stay inside the academy, a reminder that she was the first to acknowledge him as an instructor. The author of the book was left anonymous and there was no name mentioned of who it was for.

The only people who know about the book are the one who supervises the library. Which is Maribeth and the Dean. Those old folks knew how Wilhelm passionately wrote them. His foreign feelings for her.

"I'll roast that old hag when I see her..." He tried to confiscate the book but Celestine had a good grip on it. "Let go of it!" He said.

"No! This is mine!"

"Hah?!"

"Maribeth gave it to me!"

"But I wrote this!"

"You didn't sign the book! You don't have any right to claim it!"

"You know too well that I wrote this because--because!"

"Because?! Whatever do you mean?!" She played the forced ignorant role.

"You--you asked when I wrote this! And that old hag knows it too!"

"When?" She asked.

"I--you!---Arghh!! You're such--such an annoying woman!"

Wilhelm teleported Celestine back to her room in Meltiz. He couldn't stand it anymore, he could imagine old hag Maribeth laughing at him.

Celestine used the teleportation crystals that she possessed but the moment Wilhelm saw her use the crystal he'd send her back instantly.

"Did I go too far? Damn, I teased him too much..." She was surprised that he teleported her without consent. Now she can't use the remaining hours she had. With that being said, she lies on her bed, grabs a pillow, and starts reading the book again.

"With this, I got the evidence that I need, I've finally confirmed his feelings for me"

Wilhelm failed to retrieve the book but for now, the thing he needed was a piece of silence. Celestine on the other hand was overjoyed and thrilled by the contents of the book.

.

.

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"Lady Maribeth! The Blue Magician wanted to speak to you!" Said one of the librarians. The old lady expected it to happen, she couldn't help but grin.

"Wilhelm my boy, what made you visit today?" Maribeth expected to see Wilhelm enter the library with a calm expression.

"The book."

"What book?"

"'My' Book..."

"Oh, 'that' book~"

"Yes, Maribeth... 'That' book."

"It got to where it belonged. You did share your plan of giving it to 'her' no?"

"But I never said that 'you' will."

"What's the harm? I know it's not my place to butt in but you're taking too long... Haven't you heard of the news?"

"What news?"

"The invasion on the middle continent"

Wilhelm recalled about it. "I've heard."

"You do know that--" Wilhelm used his magic to isolate their conversation. "--Celestine is a princess. Not just your ordinary princess but the Lightning Princess. It won't be long before she'll be sent to the battlefield. You're already lucky enough that she was a princess from Meltiz or she could've been married the moment she reached eighteen."

"Their marriage depends whether the partner the Royals choose is worthy enough. As of now she had a deal with her father about her marriage which is why they still haven't wed her off. You're keeping her waiting for years now. I pity Tina."

Wilhelm bitterly agrees with what Maribeth said. Wilhelm started to show his disappointed expression.

"I know... but I'm afraid"

"What are you even afraid of?"

"That if I were to tell her... I'd be tied with responsibilities within their kingdom."

Maribeth placed her hand over her head. Wilhelm must be joking that's what she believed that he wasn't.

"You're hopeless."

"I know..."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes..."

Maribeth almost had a headache listening to him. She sighed and decided to help him out.

"What if she were to be married to another man? Can you stomach that?" She asked.

Wilhelm never had these kinds of talks. Most of the time he was alone doing research or reading books. Even his friend Tepht would not mention those topics, Lagus would only talk about interesting kinds of stuff, and Wilhelm never has he thought of love or marriaeg as something interesting.

"I think you should start to act... My brother Julius told me that the hero has taken a liking to Celestine--"

"What?" And there he has it, a feeling of uneasiness.

The old lady sighed, "Tina is beautiful, with a face like hers it can't be helped if she were to have a flock of admirers waiting for her to accept their proposals."

"Imagine, if the hero were to gain achievements during the battle, a reward would be offered by the kingdom for their service and for summoning them. If he asked for Celestine's hand in marriage the king would consider it. Don't tell me you didn't think of it?"

"No. I--I haven't..."

"Then it's time for you to consider it. Wil, I don't want you to regret not being able to act enough and lose her. I've watched the two of you grow in this very place and I know what she means to you."

"I--I'll keep that in mind... Thank you, Maribeth."

"Wil, don't take her for granted."

.

.

.

"Your Highness, The hero asks for your guidance. He was having trouble with his advancement in magic" Said one of the servants.

"Where is he?" Asked by Celestine as she turned around to face the window.

It has been a couple of days since her trip to Wilhelm's house in Reolona. After the events that had happened, she had been busy with her work in their kingdom.

Celestine Vann Meltiz is the second princess of the Meltiz Kingdom and the instructor of the summoned hero of their kingdom. With her status as a high-ranking mage who graduated from the Magic Academy of Gressaia the Kingdom of Magic.

She has proven her strength and capability and is admired by many not to mention her being a princess with gorgeous traits, she has many suitors waiting for her to accept their proposals but her heart is already spoken of. Celestine has fallen in love with a man who is difficult to obtain, a powerful magician who is well-known in the Association of Magic. Wilhelm the Blue Magician.

With the opportunity to build up a connection with the man, Celestine seized the chance to not just try to have a friendly relationship but a romantic one. She was captivated by his extraordinariness. For many years she had faith that one day she'd win his heart but never did she think that it'd be too soon.

"Ah! Princess Celestine! Good day!" A man not more than his mid-twenties greets her, he has hay-colored hair and green eyes and has a lean build like that of a knight. For someone who has potential for magic, he had trouble understanding its concept.

"Good day, Hero. One of the servants told me that you seek for my guidance?" Celestine greeted back and showed a polite smile. The man was mesmerized by the smile, she was so beautiful that he was left in awe. He took about a few seconds to respond.

"Ah-Yes, about my lessons. I've learned the basics of magic and I would like to ask you what to do next."

Celestine blinked her eyes. If she were not assigned to guide him she wouldn't bother going to the training grounds just to teach him what's next after the basics, there were a lot of magicians present in the area and he could have asked them about it but the man specifically called for her.

Hanz Nacht the hero of Meltiz arrived in the kingdom after the summoning. According to his evaluation, he has a talent for Wind and Earth Magic. Something different from Celestine's expertise but her father the king still assigned her as his tutor.

She wanted to refuse but there were a lot of nobles present during that day and it was not possible for her to refuse the 'king'. Her father knows that she would refuse if the two of them were to talk it out alone thus, he took advantage of it.

And now, Celestine had another work. Her Father the king realized how much free time she had. Considering that all she does is manage some paperwork and conduct research with the Royal magicians. The territory management which includes political, military, trading, and other affairs was managed by her siblings.

Research is her main duty, it includes all the affairs inside the kingdom, she conducts investigations into problems and finds the most efficient way to solve them but since she finishes all her work ahead of time, people think that she has a lot of free time compared to her siblings, which is true.

She doesn't leave the palace unlike her siblings do, and her workplace doesn't force her to travel throughout the kingdom. Just giving her documents to solve counts as her job. To some, it sounds like easy work but it isn't. No work is easy, she just made it sound easy.

"Hero, the next part after the basics can be taught by Julius our head magician. I was assigned by my father to guide you but Julius can teach you more about Wind and Earth Elements. But don't fret, I'll observe your practice for an hour, and during my observation, you can expect me to give out some advice"

That made Hanz happy, the man plainly had an eye for Celestine. It was so obvious that everyone present there could see it.

"There he goes again, the guy really loves to call for the Princess. Well, who could blame him, being taught by the beautiful and sweet Lady Celestine is an honor a mage in Meltiz would want to experience." Said the mage on the corner.

"Good day to you Lady Celestine." An old man approached, his beard was long and he was shorter than the rest.

"Good day to you too, Julius. The Hero seems to have finished learning the basics, do me a favor and teach him what to do next" The old man laughed.

"Well, well, well. I wouldn't refuse you even if I knew that you were supposed to be the one to teach Hanz"

"Oh Julius, you do know that I have paperwork piling up after I went to Reolona and teaching is not something I'm great at. I believe that I can only give suggestions as a form of guidance."

"The student of the Blue Magician giving out advice is more than enough, leave the rest of the work to us."

Hanz didn't like the sound of that, he wanted to monopolize the time he had for learning with Celestine but the girl didn't want to waste her time teaching him when the magicians they have around were more suitable for the position.

'Ugh, I'll have to talk to my father about this. I did boast to Wilhelm that the summoned hero was under my care but now that it come to this I finally realized that I have no interest in teaching and what's more... I don't like his eyes, he surely has a thing for me.'

'They resemble the eyes of my suitors. Damn this, I wouldn't have considered the idea of refusing the job given to me but I--I just can't! I don't want him to grow his interest in me that's why I need to avoid him as much as I can!'

. . .