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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“……”
“……”
We walked through the Imperial Palace in silence for a while.
It couldn’t be helped.
I wasn’t brazen enough to chat casually after such an embarrassing moment.
Fortunately, Lux seemed equally speechless, so perhaps I had successfully landed a blow.
I decided to count it as a mental victory.
“Here is the Procyon Treasury.”
Lux stopped, pointing to a door.
It seemed she wanted to pretend the previous incident hadn’t happened.
I accepted this truce and examined the indicated door.
“This is it?”
It was surprisingly ordinary.
I probably would have passed by without a second glance if not for Lux’s indication.
There were no guards, nothing to suggest it held treasures.
“Is this some kind of strategy? Making it look ordinary so no one suspects it’s a treasury?”
“I’m afraid not. The Procyon Treasury isn’t that carelessly guarded.”
Lux smiled, grasping the doorknob.
“Only Paltz, the Chamberlain who manages the Imperial family’s affairs, and direct descendants of the royal family can enter. If anyone else opened this door, they would find an ordinary storage room, but…”
She opened the door, revealing an unexpected sight.
“…if someone with permission opens it, the path to the Procyon Treasury appears.”
The area around the door remained unchanged, still part of the palace, but beyond the threshold lay a seemingly endless cave.
A miniature gate?
No, that was impossible.
Gates were intentionally large and ornate because they were the only way to connect spaces.
“What is this…?”
Lux, sensing my astonishment, explained with a smile.
“It’s magic from the mythical age. You could say it’s the origin of the gate.”
“The origin?”
“Yes. The Magic Tower studied this and created the gate we use today.”
I nodded, absorbing this new information.
Mythical age magic explained everything.
The Empire truly lived up to its reputation.
“Shall we begin?”
Lux, her expression bright with anticipation, started forward.
“Why are you more excited than I am?”
“This is my first time seeing the Procyon Treasury as well.”
“So even royalty can’t do everything.”
“Of course not. In fact… there are more inconveniences than you might think. It’s a privileged complaint, I suppose.”
Her tone held a hint of melancholy.
I reached out and placed my hand on her head.
“Don’t say that. Everyone has their burdens. Royalty isn’t exempt from unhappiness.”
“You seem very comfortable putting your hand on women’s heads.”
“Ah, s-sorry…”
I tried to remove my hand, but it remained stuck.
Lux was holding it in place with her magic.
“I didn’t say to take it off.”
“Oh? Uh… okay…”
“So, how many women have you dated?”
She suddenly hit a nerve.
As I nursed my wounded pride, she pressed her attack.
“Do you have a girlfriend now?”
“No.”
“Meaning you don’t have one now?”
“No, I just don’t have one.”
“So you had one before?”
“No, I didn’t… I’ve never had that kind of sweetness in my life.”
It was true.
I had been single for decades, across both lifetimes.
Why were there tears in my eyes…?
“Hmm~”
Lux hummed, a pleased expression on her face.
Unable to let her savor her victory, I quickly counterattacked.
“Have you ever dated anyone?”
“Would you like me to have?”
“……”
That wasn’t the response I expected.
I was speechless.
Lux turned, meeting my gaze.
“Answer me.”
“…No. I’d… prefer you hadn’t.”
Her face, so close, looking up at me with those sparkling eyes… the power of the so-called “best angle” was overwhelming.
“Hee hee, why~?”
“…Just because.”
“Well… I don’t like it, but I’ll let it go for now.”
Was this her true personality?
This mischievous, almost devilish side hidden beneath a facade of innocence… she was truly formidable.
But I couldn’t risk pointing it out, fearing her next attack.
I pointed to a large door that had come into view.
“We’re here. That’s the Procyon Treasury, right?”
Lux nodded.
“Halt. Halt. Identify yourselves or be attacked.”
“State. Your. Purpose.”
Two golems blocked our path.
Their shimmering, teal bodies identified them as Mithril Golems, the strongest type.
And they could talk?
I wondered which mage had created them.
Perhaps Capricorn?
“Lux Stella Sirius, Princess of the Sirius Empire.”
“Colonel Allen, Commander of the Special Task Force.”
I quietly repeated Lux’s words.
I didn’t know the Mithril Golems’ command structure and couldn’t risk antagonizing them.
“Identification. Confirmed.”
“The Princess may not enter. Only Allen. Is authorized.”
Lux didn’t react, simply nodding as if this were expected.
“Will you be alright waiting here?”
“Affirmative.”
“Provided no hostile actions are taken.”
Assured of their compliance, Lux turned to me.
“I’ll wait here. Choose something good.”
“I will. I’ll be back soon.”
“Take your time. I have nothing else to do today.”
“The longer I take, the worse the choices get.”
I shrugged and stepped forward.
The Mithril Golems issued a warning.
“Authorized time: One hour.”
“Only one item may be taken.”
“Touching an item constitutes a choice.”
“Choices are final. Choose wisely.”
“Understood.”
The rules were simple enough.
I nodded.
The Mithril Golems moved to the edge of the door.
“Opening the door.”
“Remember the warning.”
They inserted their massive arms into pillars flanking the door.
Rumble…
The doors groaned open, shaking the ground.
This level of security was impenetrable.
As I admired the thorough precautions, the doors stopped moving.
““Enter.””
Ignoring the golems, I waved to Lux.
“I’ll be back.”
“See you soon.”
What treasures lay within this incredible vault?
I maintained a calm facade in front of Lux, but my heart pounded with anticipation.
“Time is passing.”
“Entering now is advisable.”
“I know, damn it.”
Their nagging broke my reverie.
Golems had no sense of occasion.
Still, it helped calm my excitement.
With a lighter heart, I stepped through the doorway.
“Perhaps I’ve changed his opinion of me, even slightly.”
Only after Allen was out of sight did Lux reveal her true thoughts.
The only others present were the Mithril Golems, bound by their programming.
“He… called me beautiful…”
She had received countless compliments on her appearance, but hearing it from Allen felt different.
A pleasant warmth spread through her chest.
She didn’t understand her fascination with him.
Was it the hope that he could lift her curse?
The fact that he treated her as a student, not a princess?
Or his willingness to risk his life for his students on the Island of Wisdom?
Whatever the reason, she cherished this feeling.
“I hope he finds something good.”
Lux gazed at the closed doors.
Then, it hit her.
“Gasp…!”
A searing pain gripped her chest.
A burning sensation spread from her toes, the telltale sign of her curse.
“Ha… ha… Sob…!”
The pain was unusually intense today, bringing tears to her eyes.
She sank to her knees, unable to stand.
Her pristine white dress gathered dust from the floor, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
“Ah… ahhh…!”
The curse wasn’t just physical pain.
It also brought a torrent of negative emotions, flooding her weakened mind.
Anger at her undeserved suffering.
Resentment towards those who offered no help.
Jealousy of others’ happiness.
She knew it was irrational, but the pain, like shards of glass piercing her lungs with every breath, made it impossible to think clearly.
And that was the curse’s purpose, she knew.
“I wanted… to wait…”
She had wanted to see what treasure Allen would choose.
To witness his joy and celebrate with him.
But now, it seemed impossible.
If you can’t bear it, use this magic…
Aerius had warned her that if she lost consciousness, the curse would be complete.
Even Capricorn, the Empire’s greatest mage, couldn’t predict what would happen then.
So, she had been given a last resort.
Its effect was simple: to stop the caster’s life force.
Or rather, to drastically weaken it.
“Ha…”
Just as magic drew power from mana, curses fed on life force.
The logic behind
was simple: no life force, no curse.
“Will I… see him again…?”
Her body grew weak.
As consciousness faded, she heard a boy’s voice.
You… can run away…
A forgotten memory from her past resurfaced, clear in her hazy mind.
“Allen…”
Why had his name piqued her curiosity?
Why had she been drawn to him?
On the verge of unconsciousness, she finally understood.
My prince charming…
Would he remember their childhood promise?
Would he come to save her?
Why had this memory surfaced now, of all times…?
She buried her resentment and slipped into darkness.
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[man im kinda drunk rnnn but this seams pretty bad right? canit imagine anythng good comes from this shitsa]
Thank goodness I thought the childhood friend would be another girl.
As much as I would have liked an older love interest, we have four students, the beast girl and even enemies after him. It’s enough.