Chapter 25
Thud.
The sound of the door closing marked the beginning of a heavy silence.
Kaon didn’t say a single word as he passed through the grand hall, ascended the stairs, and arrived at the room—crossing the wide courtyard where flames poured down like starlight. No, he couldn’t say anything.
While everyone else was mesmerized by the stunning spectacle, Kaon had eyes only for Alesia.
Her silver hair shimmered in the night breeze like scattered light, her eyes were serenely closed in silent prayer, and her small lips moved wordlessly.
Kaon swore he hadn’t missed a single second of it.
That was how he noticed, once again, that the natural mana surrounding her remained completely still and undisturbed as she chanted her spell.
Yet immediately afterward, Alesia cast magic. Despite there being no detectable flow of magical energy, flames ignited in midair.
According to the arrogant mage from the Tower, that was impossible.
“Kaon? Is something wrong?”
As he stood with his back to her, struggling to calm the turmoil in his head, a worried voice reached his ears. Kaon clenched his eyes shut.
He knew this wasn’t right. He knew he couldn’t just keep thinking things over by himself. He had to say something. He knew things would be clearer if he just asked directly.
He knew—but the words wouldn’t come out.
What if it wasn’t a misunderstanding? What if what he saw was real? What if Alesia wasn’t actually a mage, and Ingelos had deceived Ferdinand with some kind of trick no one else knew about?
What if Alesia had been…
“Stop right there.”
Kaon shook his head abruptly, as if to cast out the thought. Even imagining the worst made his heart plummet in fear.
It was strange. He had reached the elite ranks of knighthood at the age of twelve precisely because he had no fear.
Even with a sharpened blade flying at his face, he had never lost focus—praised as a born swordsman with nerves of steel.
So why was he hesitating now, over something like this? He couldn’t even understand himself.
It’s nothing serious. Just talk it out.
Taking a deep, silent breath, Kaon slowly turned around. Alesia’s face, as she looked at him, was filled with concern.
“Alesia.”
“Yeah, Kaon? What’s wrong? You look pale—are you feeling sick?”
Ah. Hearing that gentle, caring voice, Kaon suddenly realized why fear had sealed his lips.
Kaon liked Alesia.
He didn’t know when it had started. Maybe it was the day she walked up to him at the royal ball and offered her hand. He didn’t want to admit it, but maybe Jeraff’s ridiculous claim that he’d fallen for the daughter of Ingelos at first sight was… right. Damn it, maybe it was right.
Maybe he was just like his father, who had fallen head over heels for his mother at first sight. Maybe he was paying the price for mocking his father’s love-struck antics.
He didn’t know. But he did know this one thing:
Kaon really, really liked Alesia.
The little girl who had to tilt her head way back to look him in the eyes, who always tried so hard no matter what the task, who managed to live brightly and confidently in a land full of people who disliked her—that girl, he liked her so much.
And that was why he was afraid. Afraid of facing a truth he didn’t want to know. Afraid of losing her because of it.
“I have something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
He had so many questions, but his lips just trembled without opening. Alesia waited patiently.
Maybe it’s better I found out first.
Kaon clenched his fists. If he was the one who discovered it, maybe he could handle the matter without causing a scene. That was the only upside. Drawing a deep breath, Kaon finally asked:
“Alesia, are you… really a mage?”
Her eyes blinked in confusion—then froze.
Looking back, there were probably better ways to ask. Subtle, tactful ways to lead someone to confess the truth on their own.
But Kaon had never been good at beating around the bush. He had a natural talent for anything physical, but not for talking.
Baroness Robere had always told him that eloquence was an essential virtue for nobles. But as a young heir of a knightly house far removed from the social scene, that never meant much to him.
What mattered to knights wasn’t words, but action. Words could only earn limited trust, but action—action always convinced others.
So Kaon believed he had made the right choice. Until now.
“Haha! Kaon, what are you even saying?”
Alesia suddenly burst out laughing. After a moment, as if he’d told a funny joke, she asked again:
“So if I’m not a mage, what do you think I am?”
She sounded genuinely curious. Her tone was gentle—like she was humoring a child who believed in fairy tales.
“What do I think you are…?”
Kaon faltered. He hadn’t expected this reaction.
He thought Alesia would be shocked, maybe flustered. Then eventually she’d tell him the truth—or explain if it was a misunderstanding.
Then, as a child of Ferdinand, he wouldn’t be able to pretend nothing had happened, but he would do everything he could to help her. Because he liked her.
“So? What do you think I am, Kaon?”
But Alesia was calm. Too calm. So much so that Kaon began to feel like the foolish one for even asking.
His gaze dropped. Her small hand came into view. And then his eyes were drawn to her index finger—the ruby ring she always wore.
At the first court banquet where they met, she wore no ring. Kaon had replayed that moment countless times in his mind—he remembered clearly.
She first wore that ruby ring the day she visited Ferdinand. Since then, she’d never taken it off.
He hadn’t paid it much attention at first. The ring was flashy and tacky, but that was all. It was mildly annoying, but not worth thinking deeply about.
Until today.
The moment Alesia finished her chant, Kaon had seen with his own eyes an immense burst of magical energy erupt from the ruby.
It was that ring. I’m sure of it.
It was like watching a knight swing a sword without drawing it—a surreal sight.
The magic that shook the calm mana hadn’t come from Alesia—it came from the ruby. He hadn’t imagined it. He’d seen it, plain as day.
“…”
He had seen it—but he couldn’t answer her question: If I’m not a mage, what do you think I am? Not because he didn’t have an answer—but because he couldn’t say it.
If he pointed out that the magic came from her ring, he would also have to explain how he knew that.
To those who couldn’t see it, magic was a mysterious and wondrous thing. They couldn’t sense mana or its flow—so they had no idea how magic even worked.
But Kaon could see it. He had been born with a rare ability that even most mages lacked.
And no one knew.
Only his mother had known. She had made him promise to hide it forever.
“Kaon, no matter what you see today, you must never tell anyone. Okay? Promise me.”
“I can’t tell anyone? Not even Dad?”
“That’s right. Not even your father. Just pretend you can’t see anything. Understand?”
He hadn’t understood why back then. But he learned as he grew older. That ability typically appeared in those with strong magical bloodlines. But Ferdinand had none. Neither did Kaon’s mother—at least, supposedly.
If anyone found out, they would assume she had been unfaithful—that Kaon wasn’t truly Ferdinand’s child. And as a former tenant farmer’s adopted daughter, she would have no way to defend herself.
Though… she was hiding something, wasn’t she?
The memory brought a bitter smile to Kaon’s lips.
In any case, he had kept her promise all his life. Even after she became Duchess, even when gossip ran rampant through the nobility.
But if he told Alesia now—I saw the magic come from your ring—that would undo everything.
And that wasn’t even the worst of it.
If this reached Ingelos, it would go straight to the royal family. And from there, the entire kingdom would hear of it. Kaon’s ambitious uncle, who pretended to support him but secretly hoped to steal the title for himself, would waste no time in acting.
His mother’s final wishes would be for nothing, and Ferdinand would fall into greater conflict than ever.
Should I blame the mage from the Tower instead? Pretend he made a false accusation?
But she could simply deny it—and that would be the end of it.
Too reckless.
Kaon regretted it. He should have approached this more carefully. Without a plan, he had rushed in—and now he looked like a fool.
“Kaon, how about this?”
Just then, Alesia, who had been silently watching him, spoke up.
“I’ll show you magic right now. If you see it again, maybe you’ll be convinced?”
It was a simple, naive offer. Just watching wouldn’t solve anything—but Kaon had no better option at the moment.
“…Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”
Swallowing a sigh, he nodded. If nothing else, he might learn something new.
“Okay then.”
Alesia laughed lightly, as if the issue had been resolved, and began to chant in that incomprehensible ancient tongue.
Kaon focused on the ruby ring. No signs of activity yet—but he was sure the magic would come from there again.
A few moments passed. Her soft incantation came to a sudden halt. But this time, the ruby emitted no magical energy.
What’s going on?
Kaon lifted his head—and froze.
“Kaon.”
Alesia was staring straight at him, her left hand raised high in the air.
“I clearly lifted this hand…”
“……!”
“…but you’re still staring at my ring.”
She stepped forward. So close her forehead nearly brushed his chin—but she didn’t seem to care.
Her red eyes looked the same as always—yet now held a chill he had never seen before.
“Kaon Ferdinand.”
She called his name in a flat, emotionless voice, then slowly lifted her right hand.
Her index finger—wearing the ruby ring—hovered in the air, then pointed directly at Kaon’s eyes.
“You can see, can’t you?”
