Jazlyn realized she still hadn't replaced the broken security devices.
"I'm not usually the kind of person to let things like this slide… Have I really become this lax lately?"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"My lord! It's Calere!"
Just then, Calere knocked on the door, and Jazlyn opened it.
"calere. Today… you're dressed properly."
"Yes! I've decided to start paying more attention to fashion from now on."
"Oh? And what's brought about this change of heart?"
"Well, now that I'm dating, I've realized how important it is to care about what others think."
"It seems like you really like Zeon."
"Yes!"
'Tch...'
Suddenly, Jazlyn felt a pang in her chest, as if something had stabbed her in the stomach. It wasn't physical pain, but the moment she remembered that Zeon was dating Calere, her heart started pounding, leaving her feeling frustrated and suffocated.
Why do I still feel this way about Zeon… like before?
Oblivious to Jazlyn's inner turmoil, Calere enthusiastically continued sharing her love story with Zeon.
"Zeon said I looked feminine. I'm even wearing a skirt today."
'Tch...'
"My lord, you always look so beautiful. Is there a secret to it? If you have any good makeup tips or skincare routines, I'd love to learn from you."
Throbbing, throbbing.
Every time Calere mentioned Zeon, Jazlyn felt like something precious was being tainted.
"Yesterday, Zeon—"
"That's enough."
Jazlyn couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, cutting Calere off. She didn't want to hear any more.
Calere lowered her head in shock.
"I'm sorry for only talking about myself!"
"Stop talking about Zeon already. Are you here to brag about your relationship?"
"No, that's not—"
"Enough."
Jazlyn struggled to keep her rising irritation in check.
'Calere hasn't done anything wrong. So why am I so angry? What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so terrible? And why does my heart feel so… empty?'
Jazlyn couldn't help but think of Zeon.
Excitement.
Just the thought of Zeon filled her heart with warmth, making the world seem brighter. The more she thought about Zeon, the happier she felt, and she wanted nothing more than to be near him, to look at him, to touch him.
No way… Am I in love with Zeon?
"My lord, is today's schedule the same as yesterday's?"
Calere's question snapped Jazlyn out of her thoughts. Despite her annoyance, Jazlyn wasn't someone who let her emotions dictate her actions, so she replied in her usual tone.
"I'll need to change the schedule today. All of my security devices are broken."
"Ah, I noticed that as well. I was going to suggest repairs or replacements to you, my lord."
"Summon a repairman from the Magic Tower. You and I will oversee the repairs."
"Understood."
"And I'm not sure if anything happened to my body last night, so I'll need to go to the church for a checkup."
"I'll arrange for the carriage right away."
"Good. Get everything ready."
After Calere bid her farewell and left, Jazlyn closed the door.
'Why do I feel so… lonely?'
Jazlyn placed her hand over her chest, her thoughts returning to Zeon.
'Just thinking of Zeon makes my heart warm… I originally intended to use him as part of an experiment…'
At that moment, a new idea formed in Jazlyn's mind.
'No. Instead of using him as a test subject, it would be much better to bring him into the family. If I marry Zeon, all of his luck will become mine, won't it?'
It was a clever change of perspective. If she tried to experiment on Zeon, his luck might resist, and the results could be insignificant. Jazlyn had never encountered anyone as fortunate as Zeon. With access to intelligence from across the continent, connected to the royal family, she knew that if she didn't know of anyone else with Zeon's level of luck, then he was truly unique.
I can't waste such a rare talent as an experiment. I need to take him as my husband. Who knows, thanks to Zeon's luck, our child could even become an emperor.
Satisfied with her cleverness, Jazlyn nodded to herself.
For a brief moment, Paris' face flashed in her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
"Ugh…"
Just thinking of Paris made her feel nauseous.
'Why did I ever care about such a hideous and revolting man? That's not like me. Paris only wanted my body, not my loyalty. He's nothing but a parasite.'
The fact that Paris held a gold badge only tightened the knot of disgust in her chest.
'I'll have to keep seeing that Imperial parasite up close from now on… I need to find a way to demote him to a copper badge. No, I'll figure out a way to remove him from the Royal Guard altogether. Once Paris is gone, I'll give his position to Zeon.'
Jazlyn quickly pushed thoughts of Paris aside and focused again on her plans to marry Zeon. Her heart swelled with warmth, and her mood improved.
B'ut it wouldn't be wise to rush into marriage. I should carefully observe Zeon's luck first. If it proves to be as extraordinary as I suspect… I'll make him my husband, no question.'
A small pang of guilt toward Calere crept into her heart, but she pushed it away. Jazlyn wasn't someone who let emotions stand in the way of her goals. Her feelings for Zeon, combined with the practical benefits of marrying him, solidified her decision.
It would be a waste to let Calere benefit from Zeon's fortune. And if she were to ride on that overwhelming luck, she could become a threat to the empire. 'I'm sorry, Calere, but I have to take Zeon for myself.'
Afterward, Jazlyn went to the church for a checkup, and fortunately, everything was fine. Then, alongside Calere, she watched a repairman from the Magic Tower fix her security devices. The alarm magic had malfunctioned due to a rat gnawing on the mana circuit and battery, while the hidden camera's mana circuit had been damaged during removal. This time, Jazlyn had all the devices replaced with the latest models, ensuring they wouldn't break so easily in the future.
Once everything was taken care of, Jazlyn left her chambers. The loneliness and emptiness weighing on her caused her stress to build, making her head feel like it was about to explode.
I need to absorb the Zeon element soon.
"Zeon element" was a new concept Jazlyn had coined, referring to the happiness and energy she gained from being around Zeon.
As soon as she stepped outside, her bodyguards automatically assembled around her, forming a large group. Paris was among them.
'Ugh. There's that imperial parasite again. I have too many subordinates to just send him away, and dealing with him is such a hassle.'
Jazlyn didn't even spare Paris a glance as she turned to Calere.
"Calere, where is Zeon right now, and what is he doing?"
"He's most likely practicing random magic with Dr. Wily in the training room next to the Royal Guard headquarters."
"Let's go check on him, make sure he's doing well."
"Yes, my lord!"
Jazlyn led her guards toward the training room to see Zeon.
____________
I, Zeon, was jolted awake by the Kazan alarm clock early in the morning. I'd stayed up late last night, so I was still tired, but the alarm clock didn't care about that. I dragged myself out of bed because I had classes to attend in the morning.
During dungeon exploration class, I dozed off on Aris' lap, and during magic linguistics class, I napped on Lena's lap. Now that I was friends with all the academy's heroines, grades didn't matter as much unless I got expelled. It really made me realize how important relationships are over grades. Even if I graduated at the bottom of the class, if I had powerful friends and married well, I could live comfortably, right?
After magic linguistics, I said goodbye to Lena with a kiss, and then brought Susan, the librarian, a new chocolate cake from the café. She was so happy that she promised to provide any library information I needed, free of charge. It felt good to have reliable friends and a solid information source.
Afterward, I headed to the club building for my random magic class.
Grumble.
When I opened the door to the training room, Gopi greeted me with a grin.
"Hey~ Welcome back."
"Where's the teacher?"
"He's sitting over there."
There, at a desk, was a man who looked like a mad scientist. He appeared to be in his early thirties, wearing a white lab coat. The top of his head was bald and shiny, with a few wisps of gray hair on the sides.
"Hehe. Hello?"
"Hello."
"Kuhehe. I'm Dr. Wily. Kkeukkeuk."
I shot Gopi a worried look. Something about this guy seemed… off. Gopi caught my expression and explained.
"Dr. Wily is a genius in random magic. He's a postdoctoral researcher from the Magic Tower, holding both a master's and a doctorate in random magic. Recently, he collaborated with the tower's leader to create a magical tool called the Random Cube."
"Why would someone so accomplished come here?"
I leaned closer to Gopi, whispering so Wily wouldn't hear.
"Jazlyn is working hard to help him secure a professorship at the Magic Tower."
"Ah…!"
That made sense immediately. I'd heard about countless PhDs back on Earth who struggled to become professors and ended up working as full-time lecturers or postdoctoral researchers. Becoming a professor at the Magic Tower, the best magical university on the continent, would be an incredibly valuable career move.
Gopi patted me on the back, encouraging me to work hard, then left the training room.
I decided to trust Jazlyn's judgment and pulled out a chair, sitting down across from Wily.
"Doctor Wily, nice to meet you."
"Puhelhel! Nice to meet you too. Now, let's begin our lesson."
"But… why are you smiling like that?"
"Kikikiki! There have been countless times when random magic has backfired on me. Kelkekel. All that misfired magic accumulated in my body and made me who I am today. But don't worry. I'm still a genius."
"Ah, I see…"
"The thing about random magic is, either the other person is right, or I'm right! That's the beauty of it! Puhahahaha!"
Is it really okay to learn from this guy?
Wily pulled a thick textbook from the bag next to him and dropped it onto the desk with a heavy thud.
Wow.
I was overwhelmed just looking at the sheer size of the book.
"This looks incredibly difficult…"
"Hehe. This is the first-ever random magic book written by Professors Narang. Starting today, you'll be learning from this."
"Oh no! I haven't even learned magic linguistics yet!"
"I know that. Kelkekel. But you'll only be studying material that's already been researched and fully understood. Even a child could follow along. Fuhihihi! And you, my friend, are lucky to be learning directly from me, the author of this book."
Suddenly, I understood something very clearly.
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