WBSML 06

Chapter 6

“Haha.”

Leopold deliberately let out a dry laugh.

If he didn’t, the already thin thread of his rationality felt as though it might burn away completely.

Eliza Waluer was vulnerable to affection.

Like a hedgehog, once she lowered her quills, she quickly revealed her soft side……

“Don’t I have anyone but you?”

She would say things like that without a care, letting down all her defenses and lying there completely unguarded, allowing him to shower her with affection.

“And after doing that…… you were thinking of abandoning me?”

Leopold clenched his teeth.

He had carefully concealed her overly trusting nature from others, staying by her side and shielding her so that no one could take advantage of those gaps in her defenses.

But who had managed to slip through them?

Slowly, obsession began to fill the blue eyes staring at the place where their owner had disappeared.

Magic was a privilege granted only to the chosen.

But there were occasionally those who coveted that power despite not being chosen, resorting to vile forms of sorcery.

Using magic privately was subject to severe punishment.

And when that magic was black magic, anyone caught practicing it was subject to execution.

Therefore, Eliza intended to report Hagen’s black magic.

To the person who could bring him down the fastest and most decisively.

“……I can meet him, right?”

Eliza’s fingertips lightly touched a portrait she had obtained with considerable difficulty.

The man in the portrait had black hair cascading like a waterfall at night, tied loosely to one side.

He was the kingdom’s First Prince and the most likely heir to the throne.

He was someone capable of proposing immediate punishment against a noble family.

Someone with unquestionable authority, yet still accessible enough for her to approach.

That was why Eliza had chosen the Crown Prince.

“Please, Your Highness. I hope you’re close with Her Majesty the Queen.”

Eliza stared at the vivid red eyes in the portrait.

They were identical to those of the current queen who had given birth to him, red like fully ripened pomegranate seeds.

Eliza had only just managed to obtain an invitation to the tea party hosted by the Queen.

If, for the sake of displaying harmony within the royal family, the prince happened to visit even once……

The night before the tea party, Eliza went to bed repeating the Crown Prince’s name like a prayer.

Perhaps that was why.

“I am Magnus Elion. Let us dispense with the formalities.”

Eliza finally encountered the man from the portrait she had looked at so many times that she had nearly worn it out.

The Crown Prince dominated the room with his heavy presence the moment he appeared and approached the seat beside the Queen.

Eliza stared at him with piercing intensity.

Today, I must find a way to speak with that man.

“You must be busy, yet you’ve taken the time to stop by. It’s wonderful to see you. Will you stay for a while, Prince?”

“Of course.”

The visit had clearly been arranged in advance, but the Queen acted delighted, and the prince readily accepted his mother’s invitation and took his seat.

Their manner was so proper and dignified that they seemed to embody the very definition of royal decorum.

“How fortunate the kingdom is to have a Queen and Crown Prince who cherish one another so deeply!”

“I find it incredibly reassuring that the heir to this kingdom is someone like His Highness.”

Those around them showered the Queen and Crown Prince with praise.

Under the table, Eliza clenched her sweaty palms.

The Crown Prince nodded appropriately and surveyed the room.

‘Did our eyes meet?’

For a moment, Eliza’s gaze collided with his red eyes, making her flinch.

But his gaze merely passed over her.

She lowered her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

She didn’t need to be so nervous.

She certainly possessed information that would interest him.

All she needed was to seize a single opportunity.

‘……Could this perhaps be called a privilege?’

Remembering the original novel left a bitter taste in her mouth.

At times, she cursed it for making her aware of this cruel reality.

And yet, the information that could serve as her lifeline was also contained within it.

After calming herself and savoring the fragrance of her tea, the prince suddenly rose from his seat.

Everyone’s attention immediately turned toward him.

“Are you leaving already, Your Highness?”

“Unfortunately, I have another engagement. I hope everyone enjoys themselves.”

The Crown Prince smoothly withdrew from the gathering.

Eliza waited for an appropriate moment before pretending to excuse herself as well.

Then, once she reached a place where no one’s gaze could follow her, she began running toward the direction in which he had disappeared.

Her heels struck the floor with dull, rapid taps.

Fortunately, few people would dare behave so undignifiedly within the royal palace, so Eliza managed to catch up with the Crown Prince, who had already gone ahead.

“Stop. State your identity……”

“Ahh, I’m dizzy!”

As she approached the prince, Eliza suddenly staggered and threw herself forward as though she were about to collapse.

A nearby knight hurriedly caught her.

Eliza was mortified, but if she wanted to keep the prince from leaving, it was necessary.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince had stopped and was looking at her.

“I apologize for displaying such an embarrassing spectacle……”

“Take her back safely.”

His gaze immediately left Eliza’s flushed cheeks, reddened from her hurried run, and he turned around.

His decisiveness left Eliza no time to lose her composure.

Before the knight could even help her regain her balance, the Crown Prince had already begun walking away.

Desperate, Eliza shouted.

“I know what you’re looking for!”

The Crown Prince, Magnus, did not stop walking.

Standing firmly on both feet, Eliza called out clearly to his back.

“The Saintess!”

Only then did Magnus stop.

Eliza watched him anxiously.

The knight’s expression hardened as he tried to restrain her.

“Lady, this is inappropriate.”

“I know when, where, and how you can meet her. I know this information very well.”

Her voice was clear and melodious, but to the knight, it sounded like nothing more than nonsense.

She was hardly the only woman who would resort to pretending to collapse just to approach His Highness.

But no lady had ever run after him this desperately before.

It was certainly novel.

Nevertheless, the knight had a duty to protect the royal family, which meant he had to stop her.

“You should return at once……”

“Lady Waluer.”

But the Crown Prince turned around and called her name.

At Magnus’s gesture, the knight immediately returned to attention.

The black hair that remained dark even beneath the sunlight drew closer to her.

This time, the man was looking directly at Eliza.

The vivid red within his deep-set eyes was calm, more like a still gemstone than a flame.

“You certainly have…… a refreshing way of speaking.”

“Yes. I thought you might be interested in this subject. I know quite a lot about the Saintess.”

One day, a divine prophecy was secretly delivered to the kingdom.

The one who takes the Saintess shall become king.

After learning of the prophecy, the First Prince initially kept the heroine at his side for the sake of the throne.

But eventually, he fell genuinely in love with her.

The male protagonist of that story was this very man—

Magnus Elion.

“What Saintess are you talking about?”

“A woman who brings glory and honor to the protagonist.”

The title of Saintess itself was not unfamiliar.

But Saintesses were not normally described in such a way.

That fact was enough to keep Magnus standing before Eliza for another moment.

“……Apparently, performances about the Saintess have become popular on the streets. I thought it might be a subject Your Highness would be interested in, so I wanted to mention it.”

“Is there an actor I might know?”

“I don’t know whether Your Highness knows him, but I do.”

She did not avert her eyes from the man’s gaze for even a moment.

As long as she knew about the prophecy, her assumption that the Crown Prince would be searching for the Saintess was correct.

Although she had to speak indirectly because there were ears listening nearby, Magnus understood her intentions perfectly well.

“Can we meet again?”

“You are a benevolent person, Your Highness. I imagine you must also be interested in charity.”

A deep shadow settled beneath his eyes as he waited silently for her next words.

He had such a neat and flawless appearance that one could believe him to be the protagonist of an epic.

His aura seemed to know nothing of defeat.

For some reason, that only made Eliza’s stomach twist.

“I hear Lady Graham’s charity party is excellent.”

Fortunately, this time Eliza succeeded in producing a smooth smile.

A delicate curve of red traced across her fine features.

“I sincerely hope to see Your Highness again.”

Magnus Elion gave no particular answer.