chapter 47
Rubiana and Elion entered the toy repair shop on Melville Street and had to wait for a while in the small waiting room.
“Right now, I’m attending to another customer. It should take about 30 minutes,” said the staff member, placing down a teapot and teacup before leaving.
The waiting room was left with just Rubiana and Elion, a bit awkwardly silent.
Elion broke the silence first.
“Have you told your parents about our engagement? I imagine they must have been surprised.”
“Yes, they were surprised. But since they already knew we were dating, they understood without much difficulty.”
“That’s good. I’ll try to postpone the engagement ceremony as much as possible. I hope your condition returns to normal before then.”
“Do you think that’s really possible? The Emperor seemed incredibly determined.”
“…I truly apologize for yesterday.”
Elion expressed his regret with a troubled expression.
“Well, since you’ve agreed to the engagement, my brother probably feels more at ease. So, he might be willing to compromise a bit on postponing the date.”
“….”
Rubiana felt skeptical.
The determination she had seen in the Emperor’s eyes was immense.
In the original story, the Emperor’s sense of obligation toward Elion was described only briefly, almost in passing.
But seeing it firsthand, Rubiana realized just how intensely passionate the Emperor’s feelings were—far beyond her expectations.
“It would be nice if we could postpone the engagement, but don’t push yourself too hard. Otherwise, it might raise suspicion.”
“….”
“Sometimes engagements are broken off. That’s far better than divorces after marriage. So I try to be grateful that it’s not the worst-case scenario.”
After speaking, Rubiana lifted her teacup and took a sip, maintaining a composed expression.
When she had barely managed to say yes to the engagement in front of the Emperor yesterday, she had felt as if the world was falling apart—but not now.
Rubiana knew all too well that life was never easy.
Nothing in life came easily, and trying to stop the Emperor from pushing forward with their engagement would be difficult.
In such a challenging life, it was best to let go of what could be abandoned and focus only on what truly needed attention.
And right now, what truly needed attention was creating a reason to meet Elion daily, exchanging magic, without arousing anyone’s suspicion.
“If that’s what you want, I understand,” Elion said.
“Yes. In any case, the most important thing is not raising suspicion. People need to see us as young lovers in love.”
“…I see.”
Rubiana hesitated for a moment but then summoned courage to speak.
“Um… about that night…”
Even though she thought of it only as a transfer of magic, mentioning that night still felt a little embarrassing and awkward.
“How has your body felt since that night?”
“My body… why?”
Elion looked startled at her question.
Could it be that she experienced the same symptoms he did?
The memory of her on the bed, heated and flushed, kept replaying in his mind. Did his own desperate actions replay in hers too?
“My… body has felt very good since that night,” Rubiana said.
“…What?”
Elion was dumbfounded by the exact opposite of what he had expected.
“I usually feel tired easily, but yesterday I didn’t feel fatigued. I often have restless sleep with lots of dreams, but I slept deeply and without dreaming. And I woke up early feeling refreshed.”
“Ah… I see.”
His mind was in chaos from constantly thinking about Rubiana, leaving him unable to sleep or eat properly.
They had spent the night exchanging magic, yet their bodies reacted in completely different ways.
Elion was confused.
“And you, Your Highness? Did you feel the same?”
“…No.”
Elion shook his head.
“I… felt normal. No slight fever or headache, thankfully.”
“I see.”
Watching Rubiana nod slowly, Elion averted his eyes.
He couldn’t bring himself to speak about how the events of that night kept running through his mind.
His theory that these symptoms were a side effect of exchanging magic was fading.
‘Maybe… it’s just that I became a beast awakened by lust,’ he thought.
It was absurd.
His plan to ask Omar about these symptoms would have to be postponed.
Suppressing a sigh, Elion took a sip of black tea.
At that moment, the parlor door opened, and the staff returned.
“Thank you for waiting. I’ll guide you to the treatment room now.”
Rubiana and Elion followed behind.
As soon as Omar sensed their magic upon entering the treatment room, he greeted them excitedly.
“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you both.”
“It’s been a while, Omar,” Rubiana said lightly, sitting down, while Elion silently took a seat beside her.
Omar’s eyes were covered by black cloth, but the corners of his mouth were smiling widely.
“I don’t know exactly what you two did, but your current condition is excellent. You’ve felt that too, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“….”
Rubiana nodded, eyes wide, but Elion remained expressionless.
Without further delay, Omar used his crystal orb to probe their magic more deeply.
Then, raising his voice almost to the point of shouting, he said:
“Yes! I’m certain. Your magic is fully stabilized. Did you exchange a large amount of magic yesterday?”
“…Yes.”
Rubiana hesitated briefly but answered concisely.
“Oh, I see. That means, in your case, exchanging an excessive amount of magic is more beneficial for stabilizing it than just exchanging a moderate amount.”
Omar smiled brightly.
“How about continuing the method of magic exchange you used yesterday for a few days? I expect your health will noticeably improve.”
“….”
“….”
Rubiana and Elion’s faces stiffened awkwardly at Omar’s suggestion.
Their cheeks and earlobes reddened slightly.
Although their mouths remained tightly shut, their minds were full of thoughts.
Rubiana’s red eyes shone brightly.
‘Still, hearing that our condition is at its best… this is the best news I’ve received yet!’
She remembered Stephanie’s words about encountering a spirit unexpectedly on a day she felt at her best.
‘If I maintain this condition for a few days… maybe my body will return to normal, and I can meet the spirit and form a contract immediately.’
Then she could finally become the true heroine.
As a spirit mage, she would enter the Royal Knights and stand alongside Chad.
Finally, the story would return to its original course.
‘This time, I’ll truly become the heroine!’
Her mind filled with delightful, fluffy fantasies.
But that thought lasted only a moment.
‘Ah… but to maintain this condition… I’d have to keep sleeping with Elion. We’ve already done it once, and now I have to keep doing it? That’s impossible. I can’t. But…!’
Rubiana clenched her hands nervously, closing her mouth tightly.
When no response came from either of them, Omar spoke again.
“Just one week. Try this method for only a week, and return for a follow-up afterward. How does that sound?”
Rubiana and Elion hesitated, swallowing hard.
Sensing the awkward tension between them, Omar continued his explanation.
“I told you from the beginning: there is a gap between your body and soul causing magic to leak. As members of the royal family, inheriting dragon blood and awakening as Swordmasters, your magic has surged uncontrollably.”
“….”
“You both have symptoms unprecedented in history. So my only advice, with confidence, has been to exchange magic regularly.”
Rubiana and Elion nodded calmly.
“This remains true. My advice, which I can give with confidence, is to consistently practice the method that brought your bodies to peak condition over the next week.”
“….”
“….”
Although Omar spoke confidently, the two remained tightly silent, as if they had tasted honey.
Their hesitant eyes wavered.
“Of course, whether you follow this advice is your choice. Please consider it carefully.”
With that, the consultation ended.