Villainous Lady, The Obsession Begins

I gently stroked Palos’s head.

“Isn’t there a party tonight? Let’s eat a lot of delicious food then?”

Even though I would see them again in a little while, I felt regretful. After suppressing those feelings and saying goodbye, I stepped outside and the director and the children who had gathered there bowed to me and went inside. 

They looked so cute all dressed up, although I felt sorry for keeping them waiting for too long. But then, out of nowhere, someone who didn’t seem to fit in with the cute children suddenly appeared.

“Minuelle.”

“Oh, my gosh!”

Almost defenseless, I was so surprised that I almost jumped and grabbed my chest.

‘Ah, damn it. I shouldn’t have sent Ramande after all.’

Unfortunately, there was a support request for Ramande today as well. He insisted on accompanying me no matter what, even pushing me to come in the afternoon if I was worried.

“Ugh.”

As I exhaled, my upper body sank down.

“Minuelle!”

In the next moment, I was in Esadien’s arms, feeling the cool unique scent of him. And without hesitation, Esadien knelt down and put his ear on my chest.

“It’s a relief. The heartbeat seems to be normal…..”

As Esadien took a deep breath and lifted his head, he swallowed the last syllable like a gust of wind. I couldn’t see his face directly, so I don’t know for sure, but it must have been an amazing expression.

“Take your hands off me, sexual harasser.”

“I, I’m really worried….”

“I’m fine. Stay away.”

However, Esadien didn’t seem to consider getting up as he snuggled closer. It felt like he was adding more strength to the arms wrapped around my waist.

“Hurry!”

“….Okay.”

Finally, he slowly released his hold and let go.

‘I have to scream to make you listen to me.’

But even his hands and face were away, but he stood close. I felt almost as if I was being held in his arms because of the scent of Esadien and his intense gaze that did not even blink.

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer than three steps.”

Esadien’s face became slightly distorted and he stepped back a little further. Could it be considered three steps with the wobbly steps of a baby just starting to walk? Considering Esadien’s usual stride, it wouldn’t even be half a step.

“Is that three steps?”

As I growled, his timid rebellion returned.

“…Shouldn’t it be based on your standards?”

I wondered if he was teasing me, but I was too tired to continue arguing with him.

‘I would rather die than suffer.’

“No, why do you suddenly appear like this, Your Highness? Aren’t you busy?”

If you’re free, why don’t you sign the engagement annulment letter?

“Today, I have come as a guest instead of Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

That cannot be the reason why you appeared in front of me like this.

‘I guess the psychological distance has narrowed because of what happened last time.’

Esadien crossed his arms defensively and struggled to open his mouth to speak to me as I had the thought.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Minuelle, what is your ideal type?”

“….What?”

What a load of crap this is. Nowadays, Esadien is truly unpredictable.

“Why are you suddenly asking about my ideal type?”

“I want to be a man that you like…..”

“……”

This was so shocking that I couldn’t find words to say. I like someone with a pretty smile, charming, and pretty eyes. It’s also nice if they use polite language smoothly. I hope their voice is low and soft, and they can sing well.

It would be great if they could cook well and make dishes like moist and tender pork belly or chicken breast.

Above all, they must be someone who can share my values and beliefs.

But even if he fit all of these things, can I still call that person Esadien? Would he truly be happy if he had to sacrifice so much for me?

“That’s just… acting.”

My sympathy for him reached its peak. Was everything he showed me at the temple just an act?

A sense of betrayal, which I didn’t expect, suddenly surged up like a bamboo shoot after rain.

No matter how much he wanted to escape from Second Prince and needed protection from the Grand Duchess’ family, it wasn’t worth it. The Crown Princess would protect him now.

“Why do you even want to do that?”

Esadien silently bit his lip, his expression resembling that of an abandoned animal. The sense of betrayal began to fade away, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but sigh, thinking about what would happen if he were caught by someone worse than me.

“Do you not think that I might just play along and then throw you away? You should be grateful that I’m suggesting we break off our engagement politely, Your Highness.”

“I don’t want to break off the engagement. I want you.”

“There will certainly be someone better for you. Even Lady Celeste fell for you, so why don’t you try meeting someone else?”

“That’s what you said. But now, even when I see her, I don’t feel excited anymore. That’s how I feel when I see that woman. I don’t feel any emotions.”

As soon as I heard him say he didn’t feel excited anymore, memories of our past encounters at the temple suddenly flashed before my eyes. I remembered the time I stumbled on the stairs and he caught me, the time he showed me his injured hand and I offered him a potion, the time we both laughed and said the same thing at the same time.

Those memories almost made me lose my focus, but I repeated to myself like a mantra that I had to push them aside and move on.

‘I am more determined than a pumpkin! And this man is a statue!’

Even though there was turmoil in my mind, I remained calm on the surface, swallowing my pain. Esadien’s eyelids trembled slightly, even his eyelashes sparkled under the light.

“But when I see you…my heart races to the point it hurts. But when I can’t see you, it hurts as if I will die.”

Esadien, who spoke like that, was unbearably pitiful. But just because something is pitiful doesn’t mean that you can accept changing yourself to please the other person.

“There’s a saying like this. It might be helpful for Your Highness.”

Essadien stared at me with a painful expression.

“This too shall pass.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“You’ll believe it. I didn’t think so either.”

“Minuelle!”

“Don’t call my name. The conversation ends here.”

“Don’t go…”

Trembling hands reached out to me as if pleading, but I instinctively pulled away.

“If you appear again next time… I will ignore you, Your Highness.”

It was my first time in the magician’s lab, so I looked around, but there was nothing particularly different from a regular professor’s office.

The bookshelves with glass doors were filled with books and scrolls. I couldn’t see anything like a bubbling cauldron of magic potion or dried rat tails, even if I closed my eyes and looked carefully.

‘Uh, my magic school dream….’

The book I loved the most when I was young was a novel set in a magic school. It was unrealistic to try to apply that memory to reality, I thought to myself. Brasidas, who had handed the tea, spoke in a calm voice.

“Looks like something is bothering you.”

“Yes? Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

I quickly covered my mouth with the teacup, but the truth was that Brasidas was right. Even as I looked around his laboratory, I couldn’t get Esadien’s pitiful appearance out of my head.

“How was Palos doing?”

“He was worried about his future life, but I think he’ll do well.”

“Is that so? He’s a clever kid.”

Brasidas chuckled. He seemed to say, “My student is already growing up so fast.”

“I’ve been doing some research on the magic that we saw last time. It’s been bothering me a bit.”

In the blink of an eye, the topic had shifted as if it had jumped through a magic gate to another place.

“Do you mean the magic that leads you to find the caster?”

“That’s right. I thought it was just an old method that was no longer used at the time… but something seemed suspicious, so I did a little research.”

Brasidas’ face quickly changed to that of a professor. Suppressing the feeling that I should immediately take out a pen and paper to write down his next words, I waited for him to speak.

“It was a magic used by the school that disappeared a long time ago. They mainly focused on the areas of hypnosis, illusion, and curses.”

“I suppose they were buried with it?”

It was magic that Brasidas would dislike. Quite literally, isn’t it reckless and dangerous?

“I believe so. It happened over fifty years ago. However, I heard that its legacy has continued in the underworld.”

Aah.

“Then they must have joined forces with Second Prince or the Church of Fire.”

“Considering the fire within you, it’s possible, but what about Second Prince?”

“Because he has a bad relationship with the Third Prince.”

I may have said it briefly, but like someone who has lived for a long time, Brasidas seemed to have noticed everything included in it.

“Before that, I have swept away twice. Once…”

I wanted to say I’d been kidnapped twice, but I hesitated.

Two people stood behind the masked man suspected to be the Second Prince. One person had used a scroll, and the other had shot out flames.

“Magician, only magicians can use scrolls, right?”

“That’s right. Although the magic formula is inscribed, mana must be injected to activate it.”

But were both of them actually magicians?

“Then, could I possibly absorb the fire created by magic?”

“Fire created by magic?”

“Yeah, well…. It’s like a fireball.”

“Fireball?”

At the questioning look, I realized my mistake. There didn’t seem to be such magic here.

“Something this big appeared on your hand….. it was bigger than my head?”

“It’s a sphere made of fire. You have to block the surrounding air to make it, and you have to maintain it when you move it. Impressive.”

After that, he kept muttering something, but that was all I could understand. Seeing me confused, Brasidas laughed.

“Hehehe. Anyway, it’s easy to spew flames, but shaping it like a cookie is a difficult task.”

I wondered if it meant that he was an incredibly skilled magician, but his words were not over yet.

“If it was someone who can control fire.”

The one who controls fire!

….Then they must have used the power of the spirits.

I clenched my fists tightly. The news that someone from the imperial family had joined forces with the Church of Fire was not good at all.

“I may have lived long, but you’re the first person I’ve met who has the power of the spirit within their body.”

“Well then….”

“I can’t give you an answer, but I can help you with the experiments.”

“E-Experiments?”

My face turned blue at the eerie word, but Brasidas seemed to enjoy it for some reason.  My mother’s words, who said all magicians were experimental freaks, ran through my head.