—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“What in the world is going on?”
Allen wondered, trying to make sense of the situation.
Leo had clearly played a prank on Lux, but was that even allowed, considering she was the Imperial Princess?
Judging by Lux’s expression, it seemed to be a rather serious prank.
Deciding to break the awkward silence, Allen waved his hand and asked.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Ah… I’m fine.”
Lux replied, startled.
She flinched slightly, a reaction he wouldn’t normally see from her.
Allen felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.
What kind of prank did you pull, Leo?! he thought, exasperated.
“Um… are you alright, Professor?”
Lux asked, her voice laced with concern.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. No problem.”
Allen replied with a reassuring smile.
Lux seemed to relax, letting out a small sigh of relief.
Her reaction confirmed his suspicion that Leo hadn’t revealed the truth about the curse.
Perhaps Leo didn’t even know.
Either way, it was for the best.
It was better for Lux not to know that he had taken on her curse.
“First… I should thank you. Thank you for waking me.”
Lux said, bowing her head politely.
A wave of bitterness washed over Allen.
He had hoped to completely eradicate the curse, but it was so deeply intertwined with Lux’s soul that removing it entirely would have required tampering with her very essence.
He had been forced to settle for extracting a portion and weakening it.
“Don’t mention it. I did it because I could. Don’t worry about it.”
Allen said.
“But you’re still my lifesaver.”
Lux insisted.
“Well, I can’t deny that. But more importantly…”
Allen trailed off, deciding to offer some comfort.
He slowly approached Lux and placed his hand on her head.
“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
Even for a brief moment, the pain had been hellish.
Even he, accustomed to pain, had nearly cried out.
To think she had endured such agony… Just like he had fought to survive on the battlefield, Lux had been fighting her own private war.
“I… I want to say I’m fine, but… honestly, I wanted to die.”
Lux confessed, her voice trembling as she lowered her head.
The warmth of the sun felt like the scorching heat of hellfire.
The cool breeze felt like sharp blades against her skin.
Even tears, a natural response to the pain, brought more agony.
The constant, unpredictable torment, the inability to even breathe freely… Tears welled up in Lux’s eyes.
Allen gently pulled her into a hug.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to completely erase it… but I wasn’t strong enough.”
“N-no… It’s okay… Thank you… so much…”
Lux sobbed, her body trembling in his arms.
Holding her like this, Allen was struck by how small she felt.
Such a small body, enduring such hellish pain… What kind of scum cursed her like this?
His hatred for the Heretics flared anew.
After a while, Lux pulled away, sniffling.
“…I’ve made a fool of myself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous… It’s okay to cry. Anyway, according to Aerius, your curse is significantly weakened. She said it’s like it went from being almost an adult to a newborn.”
It would take even longer for the curse to regain its former strength.
This meant Lux would be fine until she graduated from Minerva.
“G-graduate?”
Lux echoed.
“Yeah. I don’t know what will happen with the midterm exams after that mess, but you need to graduate. It’s a pain to repeat a year.”
It was always best to graduate on time.
Although, as a princess, she probably doesn’t need to graduate, he thought.
Still, since she had made it this far, it wouldn’t hurt to finish.
As Allen nodded to himself, lost in thought, he heard Lux mumble something.
“…I wouldn’t mind repeating a year… if I could stay with you, Professor…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. I… I should graduate.”
Her tone was strangely stiff, but perhaps it was due to her weakened state.
Allen smiled and patted her shoulder.
“Good. I’ll see you at Minerva then. And if the pain becomes unbearable, let me know. It’s better than taking those painkillers.”
Now that he had done it once, it would be easier next time.
Of course, taking on her curse meant a greater burden for him, but his body was abnormally resilient, almost inhuman.
“Yes. Thank you… for everything.”
Lux replied.
“Of course. It’s my duty as a professor to look after my students.”
“…Student?”
“Yeah? Why?”
“Nothing…”
Lux’s expression darkened.
It wasn’t the pain, since she would have told him.
Perhaps she was just tired.
It was probably best for him to leave.
“I’ll see you at Minerva then.”
“Yes. Be careful going back.”
Lux said, waving weakly.
Watching her, Allen exited the room.
She seems more tired than I thought.
I’m glad I left, he thought, nodding to himself as he left the White Rose Palace.
Suddenly, he winced, feeling the aftereffects of the curse.
“…I should go to the Mages’ Tower first.”
He muttered.
He had planned to head straight to Minerva, but seeing his hand tremble involuntarily, he decided to address the curse first.
This was different from the curses he had encountered while fighting barbarians.
This was truly a vicious curse, so meticulously crafted that it made him wonder what kind of twisted mind had created it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Should I have stopped him…?”
Lux murmured, staring at the closed door.
If she had been brave enough in that last moment…
She briefly imagined a future with Allen, then shook her head.
“Not yet.”
She whispered.
Aside from her status as a princess, she had nothing to offer.
In fact, she carried the burden of a curse.
With such formidable rivals, she needed to become a better person to stand beside Allen.
Lux channeled her magic, a pure white light blooming from her fingertips.
“No resistance. At this level…”
The curse had prevented her from freely using her magic.
Any significant exertion of magical power had triggered excruciating pain.
But now, thanks to Allen, the curse was weakened, and she could wield her magic as she once had.
Her magical capacity was vast, even acknowledged by Sagittarius.
Perhaps she could even aim for top of her class again.
“…One step at a time,” she murmured.
She hadn’t had any grand ambitions when she entered Minerva.
She had enrolled simply because her older brothers, the first and second princes, had graduated from there.
She hadn’t even considered forming friendships.
The fawning professors had only annoyed her.
But after befriending Amy, Ariana, and Sena, thanks to Sena’s persistence, she had begun to experience the joys of student life.
What she had once considered a waste of time had changed.
And that change had culminated in meeting Allen.
She was intrigued by him as a person, and his unconventional teaching methods fascinated her.
The curse, the only obstacle in her path, had been dealt with, albeit temporarily.
She could finally look forward to the future.
A future with Allen…
Lux blushed, remembering Allen’s smile.
This feeling was new to her, a foreign emotion she hadn’t understood before.
But now, she knew.
“I… I like Allen.”
She whispered, finally acknowledging her affection.
“…Can I hide it?”
From her observations, Amy, Ariana, and even Sena clearly harbored feelings for Allen.
A duke’s daughter and a Saintess – their backgrounds were no less impressive than hers, even as a princess. And they were undeniably attractive.
This meant she needed to hone her skills…
“Wife material.”
She murmured, recalling a term from a romance novel she had once read out of curiosity.
She hadn’t expected to compete with them in this way, but she had no intention of losing.
She was, after all, the Empire’s only princess.
Her only regret was the memory that had surfaced after using
It had felt incredibly precious, but now, she couldn’t recall it at all.
Only a faint sense of longing remained.
“I should focus on my studies.”
She decided.
It was better to look forward than dwell on the past.
Whether it was aiming for top of her class or a place beside Allen, she would give it her all.
“…Hee hee.”
She giggled, unable to suppress her smile.
Dreaming of the future felt surprisingly sweet.
She was a student now, but things would be different soon.
Her beautiful red eyes sparkled with newfound determination.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[What a hopeless romantic…]
