The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 26
“The books you requested, young master.”
It was the voice of an old servant. Yozeph, his expression slightly softened, got up to open the door himself and received the books. Maili rested her chin on her hand and watched the series of events.
“Ah, good work. Punctual as always.”
Yozeph flipped through the pages briefly and casually thanked the butler. If the butler had brought it himself, the book was likely a rare or unique edition, Maili thought.
From the moment he received the book, Yozeph seemed oddly captivated by it, as if itching to read it right away. Curious about what kind of book could grab his attention like that, Maili sneaked a glance at the cover—but it had none.
‘Huh?’
No, it seemed to have no cover at first, but then words suddenly appeared on it. Maili stared at the book in a daze.
“The… Origin of Stars…?”
“Huh? What? You know this book, sister? You need magic to read it.”
Yozeph’s eyes lit up with curiosity. Ignoring his reaction, Maili asked,
“Hey, do you know much about archmages?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s actually the topic I’m researching right now. There are so many undiscovered facts. Lately, it’s about how the mana operation of archmages intertwines with the steeply declining structure of ancient magic…”
“Forget that. What about when there’s another archmage while one already exists? Has that ever happened? Two archmages at the same time—not just when the title is passed down as someone’s lifespan ends.”
Yozeph put on a mysterious pair of glasses and answered.
“Well… it has happened. Just once.”
“Really?”
Maili’s face brightened as if she were about to say something.
“I actually found out yesterday—”
“They were dead.”
“…What?”
“That second archmage. By the time they were discovered, they were already dead.”
Maili’s pupils quivered. Yozeph let out a sigh.
“Sister, don’t. Seriously, just don’t.”
“What? How do you know what I’m planning?”
“I was going to pretend not to notice out of respect for your resolve, but wasn’t your question just now a little too obvious?”
Maili pressed her lips into a straight line. The boy, still youthful in appearance, sighed deeply again.
“If a second archmage exists, the Imperial Family will undoubtedly try to claim them, and the archmages will fight back to take them. A second archmage… Getting involved in that is a suicide mission.”
“It’s not.”
“What do you mean it’s not—”
Yozeph opened his mouth, ready to launch into a lecture, but closed it again when he saw Maili’s expression. Her eyes burned with fierce determination as she looked at him.
“What I’m planning—it’s not ‘getting involved.'”
Maili suddenly stood up, grabbed the sword resting in a corner of the study, and skillfully drew it, inspecting its sharp edge.
“I’ve been a part of this from the very beginning.”
Yozeph let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief.
“Is that the signal for ‘unstoppable’…? Good grief…”
He placed his hand on his forehead, knowing all too well her unstoppable, tank-like nature once she made up her mind. There was no choice but to help his one and only sister.
****
Roina waited persistently. She waited to be left alone once again in the luxurious prison known as the Crown Prince’s bedroom. For the brief moment Ethan stepped away. Right before the Crown Prince returned, during the time he went out to greet him personally. It was only about five minutes, but that was enough.
Roina hopped down from the sofa. The pendant hanging from her neck swung unsteadily. She tugged at the choker with a displeased expression. This dog collar, practically a slave’s brand within the Imperial Palace, was something she desperately wanted to discard.
‘Damn it….’
The disappearance of the contraceptive magic—at this rate, pregnancy was only a matter of time. That was absolutely unacceptable. If she became pregnant, escaping from this place would become even more difficult, if not impossible.
Because Roina had been relentlessly studying the binding spell around her neck, she was able to recognize it immediately. She knew with certainty that she had a talent for magic. That was why she believed she needed to find an archmage.
‘That man with the golden eyes.’
He was undoubtedly the archmage she had been searching for. Roina was firmly convinced of it.
She approached a pillar, her gaze once again brushing past the ceiling fresco.
It was a common tale. A wicked golden dragon had oppressed and ruled over people, only to be defeated by a hero who saved the world. Afterward, Saint Marteyn protected the Empire… and so on and so forth. It was such a cliché that Roina didn’t pay it much attention.
With indifferent eyes, she glanced past the fresco and walked quickly. She soon reached the pillar she had noticed before, the one that felt out of place—the old pillar that clashed with its surroundings. It was hidden in a blind spot, barely noticeable.
Voom, voom, voom….
Thump, thump, thump….
The vibrations emanating from the pillar and the strange resonance of her heartbeat that matched the pulsing vibrations formed an uncanny harmony. Her heart raced.
This pillar was clearly calling out to her.
