Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 17
Fiancée of the Wizard
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Translation by burnt.marshmallows
Editing by Team Foxsunes
I wonder why. I felt like I had been forced to stand at the very edge of a sheer cliff. I stiffened up. If that man’s hand that was holding onto mine hadn’t been there, I would have fallen from the cliff just like that. That was the kind of chilling sensation it felt like.
Even though I hadn’t been told anything, not just my hand, but my entire body had stiffened up. The Princess spoke quietly.
「ーA forced abortion. 」
Those were the words that bore that chilling sensation. It might have been a miracle that I was able to keep myself from crying out loud. I understood the meaning of that word. But I didn’t understand. It wasn’t a joke. Something like that.
「Who’s gonna like something like that happen?」
That man said out loud, resolutely. There wasn’t just anger in those words of his. There was also a determination to not let anyone overrule those words. It was probably thanks to those words that I was able to somehow stay there without fainting.
Of course, I felt the same as that man. It was only natural. Who would ever do something like abortion even if someone wanted them to? The one who was inside my belly, was our precious baby. It was a life that we would protect no matter the cost.
Having somehow kept my calm without falling apart, I waited for the Princess to continue speaking. She nodded. I mean, the Princess nodded. [TL Note: Filmina corrected herself for not using polite language when referring to the Princess when she first said that she nodded.]
「Yes, of course I, too, had no intention of letting that happen. However, right now, based on how they are acting, they would be capable of placing pressure on the White Lily Court by quoting the pleasant-sounding words 「By the name of the Goddess」. Pathetic. They really should be ashamed of themselves. 」
The Princess’s tone sounded as if she really wanted to click her tongue. She really sounded very annoyed. The Princess was always overflowing with composure and would deal with any problem calmly. How she acted now was unimaginable considering how she usually acted. It seemed that was just how angry she was for us. I was really glad. It gave me the feeling that we were saved. As I trembled with gratitude, the Princess let out a sigh to calm herself down. Finally regaining her usual composure, she put on a firm smile.
「Filmina, please leave the Royal Capital for a while. As to where you should go……let’s see. I think the Schtorenvihein region would be a good choice. Your safety would be guaranteed under the name of the「Hero」. Based on what I have heard, you had planned to send the demon boy in question there in the first place, am I right?」
「Y-yes.」
「Officially, we will just announce that you are receiving treatment by getting a change of air. I am sure that more unnecessary rumors are going to spread with you leaving with the Royal Capital, but that is something that we can’t do anything about. We’ll settle the matter before you come back. Heinrich, please be sure that you intend to do so.」
「As you wish. If it’s our princess’s wish, I will fulfill it no matter what.」
With his right hand on his chest, Heinrich gave an over-exaggerated bow. Exasperation was not the only look in the Princess’s amber eyes. With a complicated look in her eyes, the Princess looked at Heinrich, before clearing her throat once to regain her composure. This time she turned towards that man.
「Agedilus, please go together with Filmina. That Magic Seal probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but we can’t overturn the fact that we 「Had you fit with a Magic Seal」. Please bear that in mind.」
「Yeah. Got it.」
That’s right. Prompted by the Princess pointing it out, my eyes fell on that man’s wrists. That man nodded nonchalantly, but his wrists had been fitted with several silvery white bangles. They would knock into each other every time that man moved his hand. Those bangles, which made a pitiful clank sound, could only be removed using a special method.
I had seen those bangles before. I could never forget it. At that time, it wasn’t just used as an ornament. It was a while after we had gotten married, when I had met Celves, the person who had put a curse on me, in the Blue Iris Court. His wrists had been fitted with the bangles too.
As the name「Magic Seal」suggests, it was an ornament used to seal a person’s magic. I heard that the temple had gotten them made by some specialized silversmiths with a unique technique to be used to seal the magic of demons and Magic-Users. And it wasn’t just in the shape of a bangle. They came in many different shapes, like rings and necklaces, as well as earrings.
However, the reason for using them was always the same. They were known for being used on people with powerful magic that they weren’t used to using. Those people usually wore them until they were able to control their magic. Another use was for those who committed crimes using their magic. They would wear these ornaments so that they would never be able to use their magic again.
In the case of Celves, he was the latter. Hence he was fitted with the bangle style Magic Seal. And this man was wearing the bangles for a similar reason. It had been officially announced that that man had placed Noct in the mansion「just to keep the demon under surveillance」, but it goes without saying that there were people who weren’t convinced by that. The suspicions that that man had been communicating with demons had by no means been cleared up. That man was fitted with the Magic Seal as a compromise to keep those people quiet. Until his innocence was proved, that man was not allowed to take them off.
It was an understandable punishment, but I knew that I should be happy that it ended with something like this. It was only because he was in the position of the Royal Palace Head Magician, and because he was well-trusted by the Princess that he got away with only this. It was much better than getting apprehended by the Royal Knights.
With this man’s magic sealed with the Magic Seal, he could no longer do as he liked, so the people could rest at easeーis what was said, but in reality, it wasn’t like that. The moment the bangles had been placed on Celves, the black color of his hairーin other words, the proof of his magic, started to come off. However, nothing had changed about this man’s hair. The shiny, pitch black hair remained exactly the same. And from what I saw, it didn’t matter even when two or three bangles were added. He was completely fine even with a countless number of bangles placed on both his left and right wrists. It seemed that this man’s magic really knew no bounds.
That was all the more why other people feared this man. Even though there shouldn’t be anything dangerous about this man or the baby in my belly at all. They were both very precious and dear to me.
Why can’t people understand that? I did not know how many times I had repeated that question. I squeezed my hand tight as I bowed my head down.
「I really am so sorry that we’ve caused so much trouble for the Princess……」
「Filmina. If you say anything more, I’d be very very angry alright?」
「What?」
I looked up after hearing those unexpected words. What I saw was the Princess’s beautiful, adorable smile. As I was busy being charmed by her smile, the princess deepened her smile mischievously.
「In regards to the current issue, I am doing this because I want to. Of course, it is true that we can’t lose our capable Royal Head Magician just because of some worthless rumors. But more than that, I’m very happy that I’m able to do something for my precious friends, you know? I could even say that my authority as Shrine Maiden Princess was kept just for this.」
Do you understand? The Princess asked with a sweet, gentle smile on her face. A warmth started to rise from the bottom of my chest and around my eyes. 「How envious.」I somehow managed to swallow back my tears thanks to Heinrich teasing words. As I remained seated, I bowed down again, but even deeper this time.
「Thank you, very much/」
「You’re welcome. Agedilus. Don’t you have anything to say to me?」
「…….You have my gratitude.」
「Good.」
The princess nodded, satisfied, before a look of curiosity harbored in those amber eyes of hers. She adorably tilted her head slightly, like a small bird.
「So, Noct, right? What kind of boy was he? Setting Filmina aside, Agedilus. For you to leave a demon in your mansion, there must have been a suitable reason right?」
The Princess asked. It was as if to tell him to just spit it out already, without having to say it out loud. The man lifted one of his eyebrows up, and closed his eyes for a long time, as if deep in thought.
「Um, Edi? Is that so?」
If it was as the Princess said, then it would mean that there was another reason for letting Noct stay that I didn’t know of. I couldn’t help but be interested. As I questioned him right after the princess, that man gave out a small sigh, as if he had resigned himself. He then opened those thin lips of his.
「I guess. The biggest prerequisite was that I had determined that he was a demon who would not harm humans. Noct had declared that he had never hurt any humans until now, and that he would not do so in the future as well. At that moment, an agreement had been formed between us. If he broke his promise, he would receive a befitting penalty. With that promise as a condition, I let him stay, having determined that he would not cause any harm. 」
At the back of my head, the purple light of the magic circle that that man had drawn with his magic the night that Noct came appeared in my head. Thinking about it, this man did say stuff like「condition」and「contract」. No wonder this man accepted Noct as fast as he did, beyond my expectations. That magic had appeared to me as something that was cast very easily. To think that it was such important magic. I was yet again made to see just how abnormal he was.
Not knowing what to say, I just kept silent. Tap. With her thin finger, with nails that looked like tellinacean [3. TL Note: A type of pink colored mollusk], the Princess hit the table.
「Agedilus, that can’t be all, can it? Stop putting on airs and just say it out.」
「……I haven’t confirmed it, but I was thinking that that kid…….Noct, might not just be a normal demon.」
This was rare for this man. He spoke as though he were trying not to assert anything. But as he had just said, It was probably because he had no proof. But I wanted to here more about it, even if it was just an assumption.
「Edi, what do you mean by……」
I didn’t get to finish my question. Dong! The pendulum clock that was at a corner of the room rang loudly.
Including me, the four of us in the reception room looked in the direction of the pendulum clock. It seemed that quite a long amount of time had passed without us realizing it. 「Princess Clementine.」Heinrich called out to the Princess. The Princess then nodded and looked at that man.
「It’s too bad but that’s all the time we have. Agedilus, please submit a written letter of apology to me, including the continuation to what we were talking about, so that the Black Lotus Court will stay in order even during this time when you are gone. This is an order. 」
「As you wish.」
That man bowed once. Following suit, I took another bow. 「Send my regards to Yulifalet too. Take care of your health. 」Tears started to well up in my eyes again, hearing the kindness in the Princess’s words.
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