Chapter 190
But it was said that every single direct imperial descendant – every heir of the Mage Abrixa – without exception had purple eyes.
From a genetic standpoint, this made no sense.
Even if both parents had purple eyes, their child wouldn’t have a 100% chance of inheriting them. Moreover, the imperial family didn’t practice incest like Egyptian royalty. Yet there was one variable that prevented her from drawing conclusions:
Magic.
In this world, there existed an incomprehensible power called magic, and the empire’s first emperor, Abrixa, was the first mage. If he had taken some magical measures, it wasn’t impossible to conclude that all direct descendants of the imperial family would be born with purple eyes.
Jaha barely suppressed the urge to ask the man before her what this ring really was—and just who he was.
If the worst-case scenario she was considering turned out to be true, she couldn’t afford to alert him with even a hint of wariness. Giving him time to prepare would be insanity.
“Won’t you spare me a moment? I’ve asked the kitchen to prepare some delicious desserts and tea.”
“Alright. I was just about to take a break anyway.”
With a faint smile, Jaha closed her book.
Before long, a servant arrived with a serving cart. Sipping the well-brewed tea, Jaha studied his eyes.
The technology of this world didn’t seem advanced enough to produce contact lenses, but what if magic could change eye color? Or, even if not outright change it, perhaps an illusion spell could make them appear different.
‘But even if briefly, could magic sustain such a thing for so long—day and night without fail?’
She had seen his eyes countless times, waking and sleeping in the same bed. Even in the haze of half-sleep, his eyes remained blue.
If it wasn’t their true color, could he really maintain the deception without a single slip? Even lenses had to be removed after eight hours. No matter how incredible magic was…
“How stupid. Magic can bring someone back from the brink of death, their skull shattered and their soul halfway across the Yeon River. You think such a grand, almighty power couldn’t fake a mere eye color?”
A gloomy voice sneered in her head.
Startled, Jaha set down her teacup.
‘What does that even mean?’
“You really don’t remember a thing? That shattered head of yours—we pieced it back together with magic and dragged you back to life.”
A high-pitched, grating laugh filled her mind. A chill ran down Jaha’s spine as she crossed her arms, gripping her elbows protectively.
Just what is this voice?
Am I really showing symptoms of schizophrenia?
Am I actually losing my mind?
No. I’m scared. I don’t want to lose my sanity!”
She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling uncontrollably, when Rikanan’s voice reached her.
“Jaha? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, I just… suddenly had a scary thought.”
In her panic, she blurted it out—and immediately regretted it. If he asked what she was thinking, how would she answer? But he didn’t ask anything. Instead, he stood up and pulled her into an embrace.
“It’s okay, Jaha. Nothing happened.”
Was there something calming about human warmth? The fog of fear slowly lifted. And as her rationality returned, an odd feeling settled in.
Nothing happened, so it’s okay. Was that really the kind of comfort people normally offered to someone gripped by terror?
Of course, if taken to mean “So there’s no need to be scared,” it wasn’t entirely unreasonable—but something about it felt off. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
“I’m better now. Thank you.”
She gave his firm chest a light push, and he obediently withdrew, sitting back down across from her.
Jaha took a sip of warm tea, then resumed her earlier train of thought—about changing eye color with magic.
‘What if he’s wearing a magical artifact?’
Her gaze shifted to his ear. A plain, unadorned ear cuff rested on the curve of his right ear.
“The ear cuff I’m wearing is a magical artifact that prevents pregnancy.”
Given how many times they had been together without issue, its effectiveness was beyond doubt. And the gloves he always wore—if the claim that they were enchanted with purification magic was true, it would explain why they never got dirty, no matter the situation.
‘Then, could there also be a magical artifact that changes eye color?’
Jaha mentally reviewed the items he never removed, even when going to bed.
The ear cuff, the gloves… and… nothing else came to mind. That left the possibility that a single artifact could hold multiple enchantments.
In an era where a single smartphone could hold hundreds of functions, why would a magical artifact be limited to just one spell?
For example, what if that ear cuff not only prevented pregnancy but also carried an illusion spell?
“What are you staring at so intently?”
He set down his teacup and asked. Apparently, she had been glaring a little too obviously.
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