★★63. Happy endings are the best★★
Sylvia moved briskly as she toured the partially restored castle.
“Magician!”
Spotting Naomi running towards her while holding her dress, Sylvia waved her off.
“Princess! Don’t run!”
Naomi, who had previously rushed to her immediately upon seeing her brought by Felix, had taken a grand tumble in front of Sylvia. Naomi, startled by the sight of Felix flying off to find Sylvia, had burst into tears from shock and sadness. That memory was vividly strong, prompting her current caution.
“Please don’t run!”
Seeing Naomi about to stumble again, Sylvia lifted her into the air with wind magic. She gently lowered Naomi in front of her and sighed deeply.
“Did you not learn from last time when you fell badly? You could have just called me.”
“To see you, one must be able to find you. Aren’t you too busy? The Crown Prince is really too much. A lady needs her lady’s time! How can we not even share a cup of tea together? If he knew how much I wanted to see my benefactor, he could never treat me this way!”
Naomi spoke rapidly, while Sylvia chuckled. The protagonist of the original story was so different from her character in the novel that it had initially taken Sylvia by surprise. Watching her express so much affection naturally made Sylvia fond of her.
“I was actually thinking of taking a break. Shall we have something to eat together?”
“Really?”
Naomi’s emerald eyes widened in delight.
“Hmm, where should we eat? How about over there?”
Sylvia pointed to the garden, and Naomi nodded without hesitation.
“Anywhere is fine!”
Entering the garden, Sylvia used plant magic to create a table, chairs, and even a privacy screen. Naomi clapped at the instantly finished tea table setup.
“You’re amazing!”
To Naomi, who lacked magical powers, Sylvia’s magic seemed truly magnificent. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Sylvia smiled broadly and took a seat. Naomi, following suit, looked at the empty table and then around. However, the palace staff had been sent away, leaving no one in sight.
“Oh, what do we do? There’s no one around to serve us tea.”
Naomi pouted, looking adorably frustrated. Sylvia burst into laughter and said,
“Why look for palace staff when I’m here?”
She then made fruit grow right there. She took out chocolate from her dimensional bracelet, floating it in the air to melt it with a gentle flame.
Strawberries, kiwis, gold kiwis, green grapes, red grapes, bananas, pineapple, apple mango, oranges, grapefruit, watermelon, and more were cut into bite-sized pieces and placed on a freshly made wooden bowl. Handing a wooden skewer to Naomi, Sylvia said,
“Once the chocolate melts, dip the fruit in it. Just wait a moment.”
While watching the chocolate melt, Sylvia ground coffee beans she had prepared in advance with wind magic. She poured the freshly brewed coffee into wooden cups and placed one in front of Naomi.
“This will be infinitely addictive. It looks like it’s melted, shall we try?”
Sylvia demonstrated by dipping a strawberry into the fountain of chocolate on the table, twirling it before popping it into her mouth.
“Mmm!”
She hummed in pleasure, eyes crinkling with a smile.
“I’ll try this.”
Naomi dipped a green grape into the chocolate fountain, twirling it like Sylvia before eating it.
“Mmm, delicious!”
The sweet flavor filled her mouth, complemented by the sourness of the grape bursting inside. After a silent moment of enjoying various fruits dipped in chocolate, they sipped their coffee.
“This tastes a bit different from last time.”
At Naomi’s remark, Sylvia smiled softly.
“If the last coffee had a strong acidity, this one is richer and has a stronger bitter taste.”
“It seems so.”
Naomi nodded, savoring the warm coffee before changing the subject.
“I heard the Crown Prince of the Corpora Empire is coming, right?”
Indeed.
This was also why Naomi, having been in the Capitis Kingdom for over a week, was still at the palace. Originally, she and Karl intended to stay for about three days before leaving, but they ended up seeing the imperial envoy who had come to the palace.
Karl asked Felix why the envoy had come, and Felix had casually explained. Since it was already known, Felix didn’t think much of it.
“Magician, is it true that the Crown Prince has been crowned?”
Naomi, who had heard from her brother, asked Sylvia. The coronation was indeed a significant event, but Naomi had a different curiosity.
“So, does that mean you will become the first Empress of the Capitis Empire?”
Laughing and covering her mouth with her hand, Naomi looked at Sylvia, who replied somewhat embarrassedly.
“Um… I’m not sure. I’m more worried than anything. Well, Feli did say something about it…”
That night, after returning to the palace, Felix had casually mentioned it to her before they went to sleep.
“You will become the empress.”
I felt his earnest heart, and it was pleasant, but now I was worried. How could he place a commoner like me on the throne of the empress…
Well, leaving everything aside, Sylvia had no thoughts of leaving Felix’s side. Knowing he loved her and loving him in return, she wanted to be by his side for life, no matter what position she might hold.
She decided to stick by his side and take responsibility for him, just as Felix had said.
“When will you stop calling me magician, Princess?”
“Ah… Can I call you by your name? It’s a bit embarrassing, and I think His Majesty might not like it…”
Naomi instantly fell for her, her benefactor. She was amazed and admired that someone of a small stature like herself could emit such vast magical power.
Though a commoner and not very knowledgeable, she had heard from her brother about Sylvia saving the Caudatium state and later pioneering new lands.
Just hearing about it made one exclaim in admiration. Sylvia, who had accomplished such feats, was also a very beautiful woman outwardly. Her slightly upturned eyes were cute, and when she smiled with her eyes, it seemed like she would melt away. Even the same gender would find her so lovely, so it was understandable why the prince was smitten.
She also heard about the prince fiercely beating the crown prince of the Corpora Empire. And there were even rumors that the crown prince had shouted his surrender because of it.
With magical powers unmatched among existing mages or swordsmen, who would oppose the Capitis prince discussing his empress?
And no one foolish enough to cast her out for being from the empire was expected. Sylvia was a mage with magical powers as formidable as the prince’s.
“Then, may I call you Sylvia?”
Naomi asked, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. Sylvia found it cute that she was the original female protagonist and the princess of the state, even knowing it. It felt like meeting a friend of the same age and gender, which made her happy.
“Of course.”
“Then, call me Naomi, Sylvia.”
“Well… that is…”
Sylvia was about to say that she couldn’t casually call the princess by her name when Felix suddenly appeared behind her. He had come flying to the garden during his break, feeling Sylvia’s magical presence.
Though he pretended otherwise, he was still tormented by anxiety since Sylvia had disappeared once.
His heart, having nearly lost his partner once, would sometimes beat fiercely without reason. Felix had to suffer through intense anxiety, seeking Sylvia whenever it happened.
“Siri.”
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, smiling brightly.
“Feli.”
Sylvia turned her head slightly towards him and smiled broadly, making Felix’s smile deepen.
“You were with the princess.”
“Your Highness, thank you for allowing us to have a good time.”
In fact, it was time for Naomi to return. Carl was supposed to stay for the conference between the empire and the kingdom, being the prince of the state, but Naomi was just staying.
Felix had left the princess there, worried that Sylvia might disappear and fall into despair again, but he felt jealous about it. Whenever there was a chance, Sylvia was always with the princess. The princess followed her around, even during the palace renovations.
Felix sat down on a chair Sylvia had made, not forgetting to place it close to her.
He put his arm over her shoulder and leaned his head against the side of her head. He held Sylvia’s hand that was on the table. Felix opened his eyes slightly at the texture he felt in his hand.
The princess’s hand he had seen during the last escort had not a single sign of hardship, a very white hand.
Even if Sylvia did most work with magic, touching her hand that bore minimal signs of daily life, Felix frowned.
“Your hands have become too rough. Do everything with magic. From now on, absolutely don’t use your hands directly.”
He took her left hand and kissed it lightly on the back of his hand. Then, he looked into her eyes earnestly.
“Got it? I’ll hire palace servants soon. The only thing you need to do is take care of me. Leave the rest to the servants.”
Sylvia, feeling embarrassed by displaying such affection in front of the princess, blushed and grumbled for no reason.
“What do you mean, just take care of you?”
Watching the two bicker, Naomi put fruit into the chocolate fountain. She chewed quietly, observing them.
Naomi felt ticklish every time the two acted like this, her cheeks heating up. Felix’s subtly possessive behavior towards Sylvia felt strangely thrilling.
And she found the prince, showing rich expressions vastly different when dealing with her and her brother, fascinating. The typically cold or bored expression of a powerful ruler evaporated the moment he looked at her.
Sometimes looking like a pure child, other times as if he would devour her, his intense black eyes gave her chills.
Sylvia, noticing Naomi staring at them, turned Felix’s head away with her hand, blushing.
“Do you want some too?”
Sylvia dipped a piece of watermelon in chocolate, trying to divert the attention.
“Ah.”
Felix opened his mouth reflexively at her “Ah.” He liked watermelon, but this was a novel taste with the chocolate.
“Mm, it’s good.”
The sweet yet rich chocolate mixed with the juicy watermelon created a unique flavor.
“Really? Then I’ll give you some more.”
“Okay, Siri.”
He loved all the food she made, but above all, his favorite was the food she fed him directly. His eyes curved into half-moons. Felix suddenly thought he had never felt as peaceful as he did now.
***
After winning the war that had passed like a whirlwind against the crown prince, Felix had sent a letter to the Corpora Empire to declare the founding of the Capitis Empire and to discuss post-war issues. He intended to use this opportunity to firmly establish the borders of the land, which had been ambiguous due to the demonic beasts.
The demonic beasts had largely been eradicated because Felix had captured the king of the beasts, but with the disappearance of the beast king, they naturally dwindled.
Moreover, Sylvia had drawn in an enormous amount of Black Dragon magic, half of it, to create new land through creation magic, making that place now incredibly valuable.
Felix had solid plans to transform the Capitis Kingdom into an empire through the meeting and to draw the borders accurately.