Draw the Dirt

With a weary sigh, Isaac sank back into the couch. “Just two more days…” he groaned, draping an arm over his eyes.  

Though Wildianu’s face remained impassive as ever, he could feel Isaac’s exhaustion through their connection. “The princess has been getting quite… bold with her advances.”

The “princess” Wildianu was referring to was the princess of the Kingdom of Solevia, one of the foreign royals currently visiting Ridill.

The Kingdom of Solevia was Ridill’s southern neighbor, and its royal delegation was currently in the capital on a diplomatic visit to strengthen relations between the two kingdoms and finalize several trading agreements.

The princess’s elder brother, the Crown Prince of Solevia, had taken charge of the negotiations with the King, and from everything Isaac had heard, the talks were progressing smoothly. Accompanying the Crown Prince was his younger sister, Princess Vivienne, who, from Isaac’s perspective, seemed to be enjoying a leisurely vacation while her brother handled all the diplomatic work.

When they first arrived in Ridill, Princess Vivienne had initially set her sights on the Barrier Mage while her brother was occupied in meetings with the King. Unfortunately for her, Louis politely but firmly dismissed every advance by informing her that he was already happily married.

And that was perhaps her only redeeming quality - she respected the boundaries of those who were already married.

But the moment Isaac arrived on the evening of their first day, Louis had all but announced to Princess Vivienne that, unlike himself, Isaac wasn’t. From that point onward, she had directed all of her charm and attention to him.

Isaac knew that Louis Miller was just waiting for him to give into the princess’s relentless attempts to seduce him.

“I really don’t want to join the dinner tonight…” Despite the silent protests, Isaac rose from the couch and straightened his vest. The King expected him to do his duty, and so he would, as Felix Arc Ridill.

He may never be hailed as King, but he would strive to ensure that those who met him remembered the kindness of Prince Felix.

After giving himself one last look in the mirror, he called for his familiar. “Let’s head out, Wil.”

──── ୨୧ ────

“Ah… Just looking at that scumbag’s face irritates me…”

The Sages were currently at the Jade Chamber. All the Sages were in attendance except for Bradford Firestone, who was currently in the northern area suppressing a horde of lesser dragons. Although it was only Louis who had been officially summoned, Mary had insisted that the rest of the Sages remain at the palace as well, just in case circumstances changed and someone needed to take his place.

“Yes, yes, yes…! All handsome guys are detestable, but I will tolerate you this time, Barrier Mage… Finally, an ally…!” 

Ray Albright, the Abyss Shaman of the Seven Sages, is the master of curses with over two-hundred cursed seals engraved all over his body. He is an eccentric, purple-haired young man who hates anything that emits “radiance”, and that includes handsome men like Louis Miller. 

“I cannot wait for that conniving knave to give in to that princess’s flirty whims…”

Every time Louis spoke, Monica visibly cowered beside him. A chilling aura seemed to radiate from Louis, and she could feel every bit of it. 

Mary simply giggled from Louis’s other side. “There, there~... Louis dear, you’re scaring poor Monica~.”

All of a sudden, Louis's mood shifted. The bloodlust that had been radiating moments earlier had vanished. He turned to face the cowering Silent Witch with an impassive look. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you. Come with me outside,” he said calmly as he stood up and walked out of the Jade Chamber.

As for Monica, she was about ready to faint. At this point, she was convinced that the moment she stepped outside, her life would be over.

Seeing Monica’s terrified face, Mary offered her a bright, reassuring smile. “Now, now~... don’t make that face, Monica dear~. I’ve heard that your servant asked Louis for a favor. That’s probably what he wants to talk to you about.”

Monica’s eyes widened in realization, her fear dissipating as she understood what Mary meant.

‘My necklace…’

Monica immediately rose from her seat and hurried after Louis. Stepping outside, Monica spotted him standing near the corner where the corridor curved into the main hallway.

Hearing the door open, Louis turned to Monica with a slightly raised eyebrow. “I figured you’d rather the others didn’t know about what happened to you.”

He withdrew one hand from his pocket. Resting in the palm of his hand, the hallway lights caught the gentle gleam of Monica’s peridot necklace and Elias’s golden earring.

“...Oh, um, th-thank you for this, Sir Louis…” Monica murmured, carefully taking the necklace and earring from his outstretched hand. 

“I must say, that is quite an expensive jewelry you have. I didn’t know you were even into accessories.”

Of course, Monica could not say that this came from Isaac. Knowing Louis’s hatred for him, she knew that he wouldn't hesitate breaking it in front of her. Instead, she smiled awkwardly and said, “This, um… L-Lana and I… w-we picked it out together…”

“Just try not to get yourself attacked again, or that’ll break,” Louis said as he turned and started heading towards the hallway. “I’ll be taking my leave. Oh, and make yourself available sometime this week. I’ll be paying you a visit, my fellow Sage.”

Monica could only stand there in silence, watching as Louis turned the corner and disappeared from view. Her gaze then fell to the peridot necklace resting in her hands, and before she realized it, a gentle smile bloomed across her face.

Truthfully, she was relieved that the necklace didn’t break. It was one of her precious treasures, after all. Her gaze remained fixed on the peridot, her eyes tracing the intricate magic formulas Louis had imbued into the gem. .

‘Ahhh, Sir Louis’s barrier formulas are so perfect…!’ she thought happily as she skipped her way back to the chamber.

On the opposite hallway, a tall figure stood in silence. The moment the door to the Jade Chamber clicked shut, the figure silently slipped away.

──── ୨୧ ────

Monica let out a small yawn as she headed towards the front gates of the royal palace with Elias trailing a few steps behind her. Thankfully, the past two days had passed without incident while the foreign visitors remained at the palace. That meant she spent those two days blissfully locked away in her room, reading.

With the foreign dignitaries leaving today, Louis and Isaac remained to see them off while the rest of the Sages were dismissed. Monica was supposed to leave with Raul Roseberg, the Witch of Thorns, and head for the Highown estate. However, he still had to tend to the palace gardens, so he promised to join them later that afternoon.

“...I wonder how Nero’s doing…” she mumbled to herself as they walked along the stone path that led to the gates where a carriage was already waiting for them.

“I’m pretty sure he has consumed all that meat I left for him.” 

“We should get something for him before we head back home…”

“As you wish.” 

“...And maybe we can pick up some –”

“–ce Felix, not here…”

Monica stopped, turning to Elias. “...D-did you –” But before she could even fully turn, her words fell short as she happened to spot two figures a short distance away, under the shade of a tall tree.

She could clearly recognize Isaac anywhere regardless of what he wore as he had the golden ratio, but there was someone else with him, clinging onto him with their face dangerously close to his. She couldn’t quite make out their face as most part of it was obscured by the shadow, but basing from the long hair and that pink skirt, it was probably one of the foreign visitors from Solevia.

Suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable, she turned away and made the motion to leave, but before she could, she heard an angry shout call out.

“What are you staring at?! Leave!”

Monica flinched at the sharp voice. When she looked back, she found Isaac staring at her, all color gone from his face.

“L-Lady Everett…?”

She quickly grabbed Elias’s hand and walked away as fast as she could. A dull ache settled in her chest, leaving her strangely uneasy. “...I-I-I’m sorry…!”

“Wait - no - Lady Everett… wait!”

“Prince Felix!?”

Monica heard the rush of footsteps towards her. Not wanting to face Isaac just yet, she released a strong gust of wind towards his direction, forcing him to stop in his pursuit. They quickly climbed into the carriage, and before Isaac could reach the gates, their carriage started rolling away.

As for Isaac, words could not describe how angry he was right now. He had every intention of putting that spoiled princess in her place after she had the audacity to proposition him in front of the King. It was as if the girl had been born without an ounce of shame in her body.

And now, whatever patience he had left was gone. She had insulted the only Sage he truly admired. To make matters even worse, she had caught him in such a compromising position. He wanted to explain, to make sure she understood what was going on. But she pushed him back with her wind magic.

Oh, he was absolutely livid.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him. “Prince Felix!” And when he felt a smooth hand close around his, he snapped and swatted her hand away.

The Solevian princess was shocked. Her and Prince Felix were quite intimate just moments ago. Then that wretched hooded figure appeared and had the audacity to stand there and stare at them. Her mood soured, and she called them out so her and the prince could have some privacy. Now that they were gone, they could finally pick up where they left off. They were so close to kissing!

So why was he looking at her with eyes cold enough to make hell freeze over?

“…P-Prince Fel –”

“Shut up.”

The icy edge in his voice seemed to seep into her bones, making her shiver in fear.

“Not only did you disgrace me in front of His Majesty, you had the audacity to speak to one of the Seven Sages with such disrespect?” 

The princess flinched. She had heard of the Seven Sages. But in all honesty, how was she supposed to know that that person was a Sage? 

Lowering her head in apology, she said, “I-I’m terribly sorry, m-my prince. I didn’t mean to –”

She heard him scoff. “‘My prince’? What, are we delusional now? Just because I’ve tolerated all of your shameless actions does not equate to me being accepting of you, princess.”

The princess’s hands trembled in anger as she tried her best to keep herself in check. ‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?!’

“And for the record, princess,” Isaac continued with a sneer. “I only accepted your invitation today because I’ve got a few things to tell you.”

The princess kept her head down as Isaac leaned close to her ear. Every hushed word that he spoke in her ear made her eyes widen a fraction, fear slowly reflecting in her eyes. 

“I hope I made myself clear,” he said as he straightened, his lips tugging into a smile so bright that it sent a chill down the princess’s spine.

The princess turned and walked away from him, her eyes and cheeks burning from both anger and fear. 

Isaac simply stood there and watched her leave. And after a little while, he sighed heavily.

Wildianu wiggled in his breast pocket. “...Don’t you think you went a little too harsh on her, Sir?”

Isaac let out a dark chuckle as he made his way back to the palace at an unhurried pace. “I don’t think so. I imagine her older brother would be very interested to learn that she’s been granting baronial titles in exchange for having her counterfeit artwork smuggled out.”

“Wouldn’t getting involved like that be considered meddling in another kingdom’s internal affairs?”

“No, it wouldn’t. Not when her smuggled goods have reached Ridill. We’ve gathered a good amount of paper trail enough to have the Crown Prince start an investigation once they reach Solevia.” 

“...I see. Are we heading back to Erin?”

“Not just yet. I do have some things I need to do first.”

“More paperwork?”

“No. We’re heading to Southerndole in a few days.”

──── ୨୧ ────

The Silent Witch, Monica Everett, and the Thorn Witch, Raul Roseberg, were currently at the Highown estate doing more paperwork for the magical imbuement project sponsored by the House Highown. 

Ridill strictly regulated the magical enhancement of plants and fertilizers. Before they could begin any practical work, the two Sages had to ensure every calculation was accurate, as infusing mana beyond the approved limit was forbidden.

“...Um, I think this covers everything,” Monica said with a sigh. Setting her quill aside, she handed her paper to Raul, who began reviewing her calculations.

Raul quickly skimmed through the numbers, fully confident in Monica’s computation abilities. “This looks good.”

Cyril arranged all the papers that Monica worked on. “Should I tell my father that we can start preparing the field?” 

“You can. I’ll start working on the fertilizer as well. I’m pretty excited about this!”

Monica turned to the window. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, staining the evening sky in shades of purple. 

“Good evening.”

They all turned towards the voice and found Marquis Highown standing by the archway with a small smile on his face. 

“Father, good evening.”

“...G-G-Good e-evening…”

“Good evening!”

Cyril stepped forward as he handed over the papers to the Marquis. “We believe we can start working on the fields now, Father.”

The Marquis quickly eyed the papers and nodded. “Thank you everyone for your hard work. I will let you know when the fields are ready. For the time being, I’ve had guest rooms prepared for you both upstairs. I don’t think it’s safe for anyone to return home at this hour.”

And thus began Monica’s rather unexpected overnight stay at the Highown estate.

──── ୨୧ ────

Monica sat in front of the vanity as Elias stood behind her, gently working through the knots in her hair with a comb.

“At least this time you don’t have to worry about clothes,” he remarked as he looked at Monica through the mirror. However, he could see that her eyes looked a little… listless. “My lady?”

Monica blinked as she heard her name being called out. “...Y-Yes…?”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, sorry. I… I was just thinking,” she replied as she looked down at her dress, suddenly distracted for a moment.

Monica was given one of Claudia’s elegant dresses. As much as she enjoyed how luxurious it felt, the thought of soiling such an expensive garment made her so nervous that she decided to just stay in her room for the night.

“...I hope Nero’s okay…”

“I’m sure he could take care of himself.”

Before Monica could respond, she heard knocks float through her room.

“Monica? Are you still awake?”

It was Cyril.

“Let me get that for you, milady.”

As the door opened, Cyril greeted Elias and turned his gaze to Monica. “I was hoping to speak to you for a bit in the library. Is that okay?”

Monica blinked. “...O-Of course…”

“I’ll be downstairs.” And with that, he disappeared.

Elias closed the door gently behind him. “Maybe it’s for your joint research?”

“...I wonder…”

──── ୨୧ ────

As Cyril waited for Monica, he found himself pacing back and forth through the library without realizing it.

‘...What do I say? Should I just tell her that she can pick as many books as she likes? Knowing her, she’ll hold back. I should’ve just picked the books out myself so she won’t refuse. We do need to make more room for the new books, anyway.’

“...L-Lord Cyril…?”

He looked up and found Monica standing by the archway, a loose cardigan over her nightgown to keep her modesty. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a strange warmth slowly creeping into his cheeks. 

“I apologize for calling you in at this time, Monica.”

Monica shook her head. “It’s… it’s okay. Um, did you need anything…?”

Cyril crossed his arms, his brows furrowing lightly. He still wasn’t sure how to tell Monica that she could pick out as many math books as she wanted. He didn’t want her to feel indebted to him. He only wanted to help as he could still remember seeing her cherished math texts submerged in grimy water, too badly damaged to be salvaged.

Besides, since no one in House Highown ever touched the math books anyway. He felt they would be more valuable in the hands of someone like Monica.

As for Monica, she stood there fiddling with her own fingers as she waited, wondering why Cyril wasn’t saying anything. 

“Um, Lord Cyril…?” 

Cyril sighed. “This is actually about what happened to your house a few weeks ago.” 

She stiffened. Elias said that he didn’t say anything to anyone. Did he find out by chance?

“You’ve already said your thanks, so there’s no need for that. However, while I was helping Sir Fischer, I did notice that you’ve got quite a collection of math books.” 

“Oh, um… y-yes…”

He gestured towards the large bookshelf behind him. “I recognized some of the titles and we happen to have them here. Since no one in this house ever reads these anymore, you’re welcome to take as many as you’d like. We are looking to free up some space, anyway.”

Monica blinked, her eyes wide as saucers. “...E-Eh…? But, w-why…?”

Cyril crossed his arms once more. “You’ve lost most of your books, right?”

She nodded hesitantly.

“Then here. I’ve already asked permission from Father, so take as much as you need.” 

Monica just stood there, her eyes raking each spine with the title. She had been here before, and if she were to be honest with herself, there were so many books that she’d wanted to read. 

“...B-but, isn’t this a bit much…?”

“You’re one of the Seven Sages of this kingdom, Monica Everett! Just because you’re already highly competent in magecraft doesn’t mean you will stop learning more mathematical formulae!” 

“Y-Y-Yes…! I-I-I’ll g-get as much as I want…!”

Though a small part of her still felt reluctant, her eyes sparkled as books floated from the shelves at her command.

Beside her, Cyril couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed in himself. He didn’t mean to scold her like that. But still, he couldn’t help but smile softly as he watched her, his gaze warm and gentle.