Chapter 119
Affection
The pulse spreading from her heart gave her unparalleled certainty.
‘In exchange for changing fate so that this person doesn’t die from a monster bite, I received one year.’
His survival must be beneficial to the future Adamant desires.
<Alter the course of a future that once was. A future where all upon this land hath been consumed by fire.>
…What kind of future did God see?
‘Of course, after he died, the imperial family was naturally thrown into chaos.’
It wasn’t just that the pressure on the Arcturus family that increased.
The entire capital became disordered as the imperial family focused on gathering surviving branch family members for the next successor. And when the capital is in disarray, those who once revered the imperial family inevitably harbor other thoughts.
As a result, Freesia also heard news of those who made ‘unsavory’ claims from distant provinces being executed.
Each time, House Arcturus’s knights were deployed to suppress the disturbances.
‘No matter how hard they tried, people were constantly worried that it wasn’t decreasing at all.’
All of this stemmed from the death of the emperor’s grandson.
The prince tilted his head slightly as he faced Freesia, who froze mid-sentence with a subtle look of surprise.
“Madam?”
“…! I-I apologize. I am deeply moved by Your Highness’s kind words.”
Freesia hastily corrected her speech and posture.
If the emperor was like a tree twisted with many knots, the prince was like a tree whose branches swayed gently in the breeze.
Soft and tranquil, yet unyielding like a mighty tree.
The prince smiled warmly.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to take a look around the inner garden of the academy first? The Duke and I will join you shortly, so please feel free to explore.”
“…! Yes, Your Highness.”
Listening to his gentle suggestion, Freesia understood the true purpose of the ‘invitation’.
‘The tour is a pretext.’
The real reason was the conversation between the prince and Izar. Her presence was merely to provide a cover for their discussion.
But just before leaving, Izar grabbed Freesia’s wrist. When he whispered in a subdued voice, her shoulders involuntarily tensed.
“Don’t wander off anywhere else. Stay only in the inner garden.”
“….”
“Do you understand?”
“…Yes.”
She couldn’t misinterpret the subtext beneath his words.
Don’t cause any more embarrassment.
With a heavy heart, Freesia followed the academy attendant.
Her subdued demeanor caused Thea and Van, who accompanied her, to show concerned expressions, but she couldn’t pay attention to them.
However, when she stepped out to the inner garden, her eyes widened at the people waiting for her.
It was one thing for Albireo Deneb to be there.
“May blessings be upon you, Madam. Have you been well?”
“May blessings be upon you as well. Yes, thank you for your concern. Who is the person next to you?”
A woman with chestnut-colored curly hair and violet eyes was staring intently at her beside Albireo.
Not only her eyes, but she hardly blinked, resembling a curious cat. With such features, she could guess which noble family from the capital she belonged to.
“May Adamant’s blessing be with you. Are you perhaps the daughter of the Alpheratz family?”
“…! Yes, I am Viela, Madam. Have you had any acquaintance with our family?”
“We’ve met before. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
In truth, she had guessed, but it turned out to be correct.
‘Alpheratz is an old family with a legacy in magic, right?’
However, in her past life, Freesia had no interactions with them at all. The reason was Electra’s sneering remarks.
<Unlike Antares, who is engrossed in social gatherings, this family lives among book dust. Tsk, they might only be able to provide a dowry for their daughter.>
<Even though she has abilities, why send the only daughter to the academy? Such power should belong to the male heir. They should quickly marry her off and have her bear children.>
Who would have thought she’d meet the subject of such ridicule like this? Life was indeed unpredictable.
Albireo good-naturedly pointed out the scenery.
“Well then, until the people who should come out do so, shall we show you around outside the building?”
The guidance from him and Viela was more enjoyable than she had expected. Above all, it was pleasant to see the people here shining with a clear purpose.
‘How nice.’
While living as a shepherdess, she had spent her life serving her biological mother, and she had been pretending to be a noblewoman due to others’ circumstances until now.
The only person she could rely on was Izar.
‘But what if there had been something different in my life?’
However, just then, Albireo spoke in a low voice, snapping her back to reality.
“Do you remember the story about the person who identifies powers that I mentioned before?”
“Oh, yes. Of course.”
Albireo glanced at Viela and smiled.
“Actually, Lady Alpheratz has outstanding skills in that area. That’s why I asked her to accompany us today.”
Hearing the compliment, Viela had a contented expression like a well-fed cat.
“If you need, I can check it for you right now!”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“If you mention any signs or phenomena, it will be easier to understand!”
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