For a very long time, the emotion of "confusion" had been a stranger to Elisha.
She was quick to grasp every situation presented to her, and whenever she encountered something unknown, she would promptly acknowledge it, soon transforming the recognition of ignorance into the certainty of knowledge.
The definition of confusion: a state of being jumbled, dizzy, and devoid of order.
Problems have formulas, speech has syntax, and emotions have cause and effect. While she might not fully grasp emotions, she viewed this too as merely another path toward establishing the order she needed to learn.
There was a time when she believed this without a shadow of a doubt.
At least, until she left the imperial palace.
‘This is strange.’
It was a confusion she had never felt before—not even when she witnessed the chaotic Shillan Plains, nor when she stood by and watched the death of the former emperor, Bernhard.
Yet, Elisha knew more clearly than anyone that this emotion was indeed "confusion."
And it was a feeling that had blossomed because of the one person who had been closest to her for the past few years, the one she thought she understood better than anyone else.
‘I never once disliked that child.’
Erich dislikes her. That was the conclusion she had reached after watching him for years. Whenever their eyes met, he would either frown or look away.
Even after he became the Crown Prince, he hadn't properly associated with her, and he had made all sorts of excuses to delay the State Marriage.
‘To think he never disliked me.’
Perhaps that statement was a lie. Erich was a person who could whisper falsehoods without blinking an eye if necessity demanded it. He was a child who had been raised that way.
But what reason would he have to lie to "Lucy Forte"?
She could not even begin to guess what had gone wrong or where she should even start to fix it. The unfamiliar emotion she faced seemed to be gnawing away at her reason.
Elisha inadvertently furrowed her brow.
She didn't like this. This kind of feeling is…….
“Miss Lucy Forte?”
At that very moment, someone’s voice drifted into Elisha’s ears.
“You are Ms. Lucy Forte, aren't you?”
Immediately after, the woman standing before her spoke with a gentle smile. Elisha finally came to her senses and stared straight ahead.
Swept up in Erich’s words, she had forgotten for a moment, but this was the magic research department. It meant she was not alone.
“I’m Sophia Delphin from the magic research department.”
I’m the one who called you here.
Sophia continued cautiously, watching Elisha with eyes full of concern. Elisha, too, took the hand Sophia extended and spoke politely.
“I am Lucy Forte of the Imperial 1st Magic Knight Division.”
“You don’t look so well. You aren’t sick, are you?”
“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Soon, Elisha looked at Sophia with sharp, clear eyes. Sophia glanced at the door behind Elisha before nodding lightly.
She thought she had seen the Emperor’s uniform for a second. That wasn't her business, nor was it a realm she should concern herself with.
“You’ve likely already been informed, but an item arrived for you. I checked the recipient, and it was addressed to ‘Lucy Forte.’”
Sophia then withdrew her gaze from the door and began to walk. Elisha followed behind her, slowly observing her surroundings.
Because she usually only frequented Erich’s laboratory, this was effectively her first time stepping directly into the Erebna Palace.
Since Dante Renard, the only person she had befriended, was not part of the research department, perhaps that was to be expected.
After all, neither she nor Erich would leave their posts unless necessary.
“I didn’t open it because it’s not right to touch other people’s belongings, but I did run an explosives check just in case.”
Sophia said as she continued to walk. Elisha nodded absentmindedly, her eyes constantly scanning the area.
The brightly opened interior reminded her more of a banquet hall than a laboratory. On the other hand, the mages had set up small barriers like partitions between them, likely in preparation for the event that magic might go out of control while manifesting formulas.
Though the mage inside wouldn't be safe, of course.
“Personally, I’ve been wanting to meet Ms. Lucy Forte. All of us in the research department have.”
I’m glad I finally got the chance.
Sophia chattered on, unbothered by Elisha’s silence. Elisha thought she was just like Gabriel and rolled her eyes.
As Sophia had said, the gazes of every mage in the room were directed at her. It seemed the rumors had spread far and wide after the banquet.
Dante Renard had mentioned a few times that "if even the mages in the magic research department know, it’s as good as the whole imperial palace knowing."
“Most of them are hoping you’ll transfer to this department, so you can just ignore them. They’re all greedy people, so they’re always creating magic; they don’t have the ability to manifest themselves.”
Since there aren’t many mages who can manifest the magic they create, they probably find Ms. Forte all the more desperate to have.
Soon, Sophia stopped at a certain spot and turned back to Elisha. Elisha stopped as well and looked at the desk Sophia was leaning against.
“This is it, the package that came for you.”
“…….”
Elisha reached out and lifted the small box placed before her.
Judging by the size, it was likely an accessory or an artifact, but the problem was that there was no one who would send her such a thing.
It was the same when she was Elisha, but "Lucy Forte" had even fewer personal connections to speak of.
Excluding Dante Renard or the people from the knight order, who had no reason to send a package.
‘She said it wasn’t an explosive.’
Finished with her thoughts, Elisha began to unwrap the package immediately. Sophia watched her with wide, surprised eyes.
“Are you sure you should open it right away?”
“Didn’t you say it wasn’t a dangerous item?”
“That may be, but what if it’s something secret?”
“Who would send a secret item without giving the recipient a heads-up?”
That’s true, now that I think about it.
Sophia nodded slowly. In the meantime, Elisha had already removed the wrapping and opened the box.
Inside the box sat a single puzzle piece and a paper card. Instead of putting the box down, Elisha picked up the card resting next to the puzzle.
[You should be here by now, but it seems you’re slower than I thought, so I’ve decided to offer some help.]
The sender was not written, but Elisha immediately recognized the owner of the package.
There was only one person who would say such things to her.
‘Primavera.’
The elegant handwriting, much like her enigmatic smile, seemed to reveal her personality completely. Elisha narrowed her eyes as she tucked the paper card back into the box.
To say she should be here by now—had Primavera already anticipated what she was trying to research?
It was the very moment Elisha brought her finger to the puzzle piece.
A faint light bloomed from the piece, and soon, black smoke enveloped Elisha’s body. Elisha immediately conjured a magic circle in the air, but—
‘What are you doing here?’
She flinched and trembled at the voice that suddenly rang out.
It wasn’t fear she felt. Rather, it was the feeling of encountering someone she had missed.
Yes, longing.
A voice she had heard many times, a voice that was somehow familiar…….
‘I told you it was dangerous to wander around alone like this.’
Once again, a voice drifted into her ears.
Elisha turned her head to scan her surroundings.
The black smoke that had bloomed from the puzzle piece had completely surrounded her. It was as if she were entirely cut off from the outside world.
Is this mental-type magic? She knew there were Artifacts that generated smoke to block the vision of whoever touched the object. But this was her first time experiencing magic that caused auditory hallucinations like this.
Could it be that Primavera was also related to "them"?
Perhaps the reason she knew information about them was also…….
‘Go back to your bedroom quickly before you draw unnecessary attention.’
At that moment, the same voice echoed again from behind Elisha.
Elisha inadvertently turned around to look in the direction of the sound, then froze at the words that followed.
‘That’s right, good girl.’
The low voice of a man speaking as if there were a young child nearby.
And the faint, small whimpering of a young girl.
As if soothing such a child…….
‘Let’s play by putting the puzzle together, just the two of us, today.’
‘Okay.’
Elisha could do nothing but blink blankly, unable to take any action.
She knew whose soft voice had followed the man’s. It was a voice she couldn't possibly fail to recognize.
That voice, that voice was.
‘Princess Tenebris.’
‘Yes, I like that.’
It was Elisha’s own voice.
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