Chapter – 18
“What is happening?!”
The shadows exchanged glances, their eyes trembling.
“With His Highness’ personality, I knew he would keep someone useful close!”
“But an engagement?!”
“Do they really… match that well?”
Even they knew there was no way Evren had fallen for Lirian Tillard.
That kind of soft, romantic thing? Absolutely impossible.
That’s just how the Tarandians are. There’s no room for affection!
Still…!
Elias ignored the eager, curious looks of his subordinates.
Evren had already given his orders.
“Do not spread the story about the mark carelessly.”
It was better if fewer people knew that his heart—his essence—was out in the open. Even the most loyal person could be tortured by an enemy, which would be disastrous.
Elias turned his gaze to Jeanne.
“Jeanne.”
“…Yes!”
“You will be assigned to guard the lady.”
…Leaving it to a man could be dangerous.
The shadows’ eyes glittered at Jeanne.
‘Wow, this is amazing! This is amazing!’
The work itself was dangerous but mundane. Yet suddenly, something this interesting had come up!
Elias nodded toward Margaret, who was stunned.
“Margaret.”
“Yes… me?”
“You will serve as the lady’s maid. Teach her the controller duties.”
“Yes…!? But—!”
Margaret flustered, panic flashing across her face.
“Sir Elias, you should reconsider… How could you—assign one of Tillard’s humans—?”
“Lady Lirian has calmed the prince’s rampage.”
“…!”
It was an absolute declaration. No matter the many talents or reasons someone had, this was the one reason a controller was needed.
Rampage. A powerful individual’s life was at stake.
“So henceforth, treat her with respect and attend to her well.”
“…Yes.”
Margaret finally lowered her knees in a bow.
“Lady, please… take care of her going forward.”
“Yes, of course, Margaret.”
“…!”
Margaret widened her eyes.
What the heck? They just met today, and yet…
They already knew her name?
But Lirian had already drifted away, calm as a butterfly.
“That woman couldn’t possibly have actually stopped the prince’s rampage.”
After twenty years of incompetence, it was impossible to suddenly awaken. She must have used some underhanded trick—maybe even dark magic in the worst case.
“I’ll have to drive her away, even if I have to use rough methods.”
That was her genuine intent.
Of course, Lirian knew all the controllers’ names.
Someone had prepared a stage for Iris to shine in social circles.
“I’ve organized all their names and faces myself.”
She also anticipated how the controllers would react.
A newcomer would never be welcomed.
“I didn’t exactly plan on barging in either.”
Margaret did serve her.
But she kept her lips tightly sealed and refused Lirian with her entire body.
Being a noble lady, she maintained proper decorum, leaving no fault to pick at.
“Her passive-aggressive attacks are something else.”
Lirian decided to ignore it.
After all, she’d only be here for a year.
If she could leave safely before then, it would end sooner.
“No need to report every little thing to villains or Sir Elias.”
However, she had forgotten one thing.
She would have a bodyguard assigned.
“Please take care of me, Lady!”
“Uh… yes.”
So Sir Jeanne became my guard?
“Her skill is already known, so I’m grateful.”
Every time Jeanne greeted Lirian so casually, Margaret emitted an aura of humiliation from head to toe.
As if she had been betrayed.
Well, surely before Lirian arrived, they had spent a long time knowing each other as colleagues.
“Hmm, Sir Jeanne.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“You don’t have to worry about anything beyond guarding me.”
“Eh? Oh… ah—!”
Jeanne smiled knowingly. She understood this awkward tension perfectly.
“Don’t worry, my lady. They just haven’t seen your skills yet.”
“It’s not like my skills are anything grand.”
“But! You stopped His Highness’ rampage, and also this!”
Jeanne raised her fist.
It was to show the ring Lirian had hastily repaired.
“If they had seen you fix this, they would have immediately bowed their heads.”
“That was really just emergency repair, though.”
If done properly, it should have been filled with the same metal…
But Jeanne shook her head.
“Even with a controller, one must always be careful around a power user.”
“…”
“You may not realize just how much of a help it is to have someone like that watch over you.”
Controllers often envy power users.
Their physical abilities and powers far surpass those of ordinary humans.
But they too have their own hardships.
“If it triggers incorrectly while sleeping, even slightly, it’s immediately dangerous.”
Powers circulate in the body like blood.
But is it realistically possible for a controller to stick with them 24/7?
That’s why artifacts are like inhalers for asthmatics to the powered ones.
It was also why Iris could be praised without setting out on expeditions because she disliked monsters.
“Now, you must eat all of today’s meal!”
“Ugh… I ate all the fruit already.”
“Shadows don’t consider fruit as a meal. Eat a little more!”
Lirian awkwardly nodded.
She had often clung to others before.
But she could hardly recall ever being cared for first.
Let alone having a proper dedicated guard?
She didn’t even remember such a thing.
So, it felt nice.
“But don’t get too used to luxury.”
Good dreams always hurt a little when you wake up.
Eventually, they arrived at the Aeterna Temple.
Wherever it was, the temple was immaculate, pure white.
The priests came bounding down the stairs like rolling balls.
“T-The servants of the gods are here to see His Highness the Prince. What brings you to this place?”
“There’s someone in my party injured on a mission. I request treatment.”
“Yes, Your Highness. But the person beside you—?”
“That’s my attendant. She wishes to use the Measurement Artifact.”
“…A Measurement Artifact at this age…?”
The priest glanced at Lirian, who wore a veil, suspiciously.
Why would a fully grown adult need a ‘measurement’?
Usually, powers manifest around age three.
At the latest, they’re done by age ten.
A priest in the frontier wouldn’t know Lirian’s face.
“But adults being measured is extremely rare.”
Her awakening was highly valuable information.
It wasn’t something to casually leak—even to a priest who wasn’t on their side.
The villain had been bold in making the offer.
“Can you at least do it by estimation?”
Hopefully, she’d remain safe as the Emperor. Please.
So Lirian recalled her past.
Running the workshop, performing skits to obtain loans.
“Oh, priest! I beg you…! Allow me to perform one hundred and eight prostrations before the relic, so my younger sibling may enter university!”
Even in Fernies’ era, nobles were fiercely invested in their children’s education.
When entrance exams came in the spring?
“Families all over the country would go crazy…”
The priest, briefly skeptical, soon smiled warmly.
“Ah, sister. You know that’s superstition… Even if you pray to the relic, university admissions are based on grades…”
