The Kingdom of Alexandria.
A sovereign nation whose territory stretched vast and wide, its borders meeting directly with the elven lands surrounding the World Tree.
Over the past fifty years, Alexandria had grown at a remarkable pace. In the economic sphere above all, its achievements were frequently cited as one of the great miracles of growth in the history of the Vanaheimr Continent.
The heart of that rise was the Magitech Guild, born from the Magic Tower. The Guild carried forward a vision that scholars had come to call the perfect harmonisation of science and magic.
Alexandria's advancement did not rest on the Magitech Guild alone. Open diplomatic relations with the various non-human nations along its borders had driven its growth well beyond that of the four great powers of the Vanaheimr Continent.
A decade past, the Magic Tower formally elevated Alexandria to the rank of a major continental power. Though it occupied the lowest standing among them and still lagged behind the four ancient powers in military strength, the achievement was remarkable by any measure.
***
I set down the final page of the document I had just finished reading.
"The Crown Prince of Alexandria."
Amid steadily mounting political pressure from the Adlerkrone Empire and the Stahlreich Empire, a significant accord had at last been reached three years ago between Alexandria and the Thronheim Empire.
The political alliance between the two powers was sealed through a bond of matrimony.
Crown Prince Louis d'Alexandre.
And
Princess Catarina von Kaiserdrake.
Their betrothal ceremony had taken place two years prior. The formal wedding was set for the following year, precisely when Princess Catarina reached her fourteenth year, in accordance with the age of majority established by the Temple of the God of Light.
I exhaled slowly, taking in each piece of that intelligence one by one.
"This is troublesome. Not only the Saintess — that man will also be entering the Imperial Academy."
There was still a considerable stack of documents on the table I had yet to touch.
Alongside the Saintess, several other figures of considerable influence had also registered at the Imperial Academy this year, precisely as Grace had said.
The Imperial Academy was the finest open institution on the continent. Its reputation surpassed every other seat of learning.
Unlike academies of magic that concentrated solely on sorcery, Auror academies that cultivated aura, or the Spiror of the elven people which specialised in a single branch of mastery, the Imperial Academy offered excellence across nearly every field of study.
Its status as an open institution meant that anyone could be admitted, provided they were capable of passing its rigorous series of examinations. Even nobility from foreign kingdoms were welcome to apply. Naturally, the higher the rank of a visiting noble, the greater the political stakes that accompanied their presence.
"Nana will not be long."
Without warning, fragments of memory splintered through my mind.
One by one the pieces came together until a complete recollection formed.
Discovered sooner than expected.
The Kage Bunshin I had left at the manor had apparently been destroyed by Charlotte. My elder sister had attacked it without a moment's hesitation, as though she had not a trace of mercy to spare. She must have been furious upon realising it was nothing more than a copy.
But without my actual presence at the manor, my Aunt would undoubtedly be worried.
I created a new Kage Bunshin at once and sent it back, along with a message asking my elder sister not to destroy it again.
I set aside the image of Charlotte's no doubt irate expression.
I returned to the documents, working through their contents while waiting for Nana to arrive.
There was still a fair amount of time remaining.
And today, I intended to spend it with Grace.
Every so often Grace stirred in her sleep. Whenever that happened, I quietly adjusted her position so she would not slip from the sofa.
Concerned that reading too deeply would cause me to neglect her, I chose to sit on the floor with my back resting against the side of the sofa.
For a moment, I studied her peaceful face.
In sleep, she appeared entirely unlike the woman who ruled the Guild each day with an iron grip. There was no sharpness at the corners of her eyes. No cunning smile poised to cast a lure. Only pure stillness, without armour, without calculation.
Strange.
It was precisely this face that I found most difficult to disregard.
My attention returned to the pages in hand.
"High Elf."
•
•
•
"I shall take my leave, Mister."
"Yes."
Before Nana turned to go, I called after her.
"Nana, there is no need for you to wait outside the My Lady study."
"Mister Raven, that is..."
She hesitated, holding back words she had not yet spoken. Her gaze drifted toward the sofa behind me, as though hoping Grace would wake soon.
"There is no need to worry over the My Lady. Until evening, I will be the one keeping her company. Make use of your free time to rest, or do as you please."
"Very well, Mister. I hope you will look after the My Lady carefully. She has missed you greatly for a very long time."
I smiled.
The sincerity in her words carried no trace of performance. Nana had been at Grace's side for many years, and so I understood well why she held such concern for her mistress.
"Of course. I will not disappoint your My lady."
My answer seemed to ease whatever lingered of the worry in her expression. A smile of quiet relief spread across the young woman's face.
"Then I shall withdraw. I hope you enjoy the midday meal with the My Lady, Mister."
I gave a slow nod, concluding our brief exchange.
The moment the door closed from outside, stillness reclaimed the room.
All that remained was the steady rhythm of our breathing.
The magic clock on Grace's writing desk read half past twelve.
It was time to wake the woman.
"Grace."
I called her name several times.
No answer came.
She was sleeping far too soundly, as though the noise of the outside world could no longer reach her.
Had she truly not slept well last night?
Recalling how she had sulked and said she wished to sleep in my lap, it was very likely so.
I decided to let her rest a little longer.
Before long, however, her eyelids began to stir.
"Ian."
Her voice was faint, barely more than a whisper, still carrying the roughness of sleep.
Her eyes remained closed, signalling that her awareness had not yet fully returned.
After murmuring my name several times, she slowly opened eyes that still looked heavy.
Her gaze was full of confusion.
"Ian."
"Yes, Grace."
"How long was I asleep?"
"Two hours."
"How long?"
"Two hours."
That answer made her sit upright at once.
The last traces of drowsiness left her face, replaced by bewilderment and then a small surge of alarm. Her eyes swept across the quiet study before finally settling on me.
"Why did you not wake me?"
"You were intoxicated, Grace. Besides, your body looked very tired."
"Intoxicated?"
"You do not remember?"
Within seconds, a flush crept steadily across both her cheeks.
"I remember... but I..."
In all likelihood, what had come to her mind was the brief kiss she had given just before falling asleep.
I did not take issue with it in the least.
However it had come about, it was my first kiss.
And truthfully... I could still feel the softness of her lips.
"Set that aside for now. Tell me, does your head still ache?"
Grace gave a slow nod.
"Stay where you are. Do not move. I will fetch you a glass of water."
"Very well."
~~~
Some time passed.
Grace looked considerably better after filling her stomach with a bowl of warm soup and several other dishes. The two of us shared one trait we had never spoken of directly: a small appetite. As a result, we were unable to finish the various dishes Nana had prepared.
The last traces of the wine's influence had faded from her face. Though she still looked a touch pale, her condition was far improved from before.
She appeared uncertain, as though she wished to break the quiet that had settled between them yet did not know where to begin. I leaned back comfortably against the sofa and returned to working through the pages of a new report.
"Mm... Ian."
"What is it?"
"I am sorry about the kiss. I truly lost all restraint because of the wine."
"It is no matter, Grace. There is no need to feel guilty."
"But... I overstepped. You are not yet..."
"Of age."
I finished the sentence she had left hanging. She was right, for this year at least. But come the following year, I would reach the age recognised as adult under both the law of the Empire and the religious statutes of the Temple of the God of Light.
"Forgive me, Ian."
Her sincere apology sat strangely in my ears. She had committed no grave offence. There was no reason for her to wear such a miserable expression.
"I have no objection whatsoever, Grace. So long as we do not venture further than that, there is no need to trouble yourself over it."
Her fingers absently tugged at the hem of my shirt. I glanced down briefly, noting the upper portion of my shirt that had lost a button under the force of her grip earlier.
"Ian."
"Speak, Grace."
"Is your age truly as young as they say? You are not someone who has lived multiple lives, are you?"
I laughed quietly before I could stop myself.
What an amusing thing to say. Living multiple lives? That was the sort of worn-out premise found at the opening of novels, a convenient device to send a protagonist back to the beginning of their story.
"Guess."
I chose to play along. There was no harm in easing Grace's worry with a light jest she had invited herself.
She pouted and turned her face away.
"This is no time for jesting. I am serious, Ian."
I raised both hands, placed them on Grace's shoulders, and turned her gently until we faced each other. The sudden movement clearly caught her slightly off guard. Silence settled between us once more.
The small dark mark beneath her left eye seemed all the more captivating at this distance. For some reason I could not account for, I had kept returning to it all day, drawn by something I could not explain in any logical terms. I had always known it was lovely. Yet it was strange to realise how powerfully it held my attention, as though there was something there I had not yet fully understood.
Without further hesitation, I pressed a quiet kiss to her lips.
Grace's eyes went perfectly wide. She startled faintly, taken entirely off guard by something she had not anticipated at all. The colour in her cheeks deepened until it spread to the very tips of her ears. She fell utterly silent, making no effort to return a kiss that had arrived without warning.
The feeling was exactly as before.
Warm. Soft. And faintly sweet.
I ended the brief kiss and regarded her calmly.
"That is in return for yours earlier. We are even now, are we not?"
"Even?"
Grace shook her head quickly, moving to deny it.
"You did not wish to cross the boundary you had set for yourself, yet you had already crossed it under the influence of wine. You were the one who began it, Grace. I only balanced your boldness in kind. Whether it came about through spirits or otherwise, it has already happened."
"Ian, that..."
"So then, Grace..."
I rested my palm against her cheek, feeling warmth seep slowly into my fingertips. My thumb moved in a soft stroke along the left side of her face.
"There is no need to feel guilty. I do not consider it a mistake."
I paused briefly.
"Besides, that was my first kiss. And you once said that the first always holds something rather special, did you not?"
"Ian."
"Yes, Grace."
Grace leaned her face further into my palm. Her eyes closed slowly, as though she wished to savour the warmth of that touch entirely before she said something that made me question my own hearing.
"Once more."
"What?"
"I have not yet felt it properly."
"I do not follow."
"The kiss just now."
I regarded her for a moment.
Her eyes were still closed. Her lips parted slightly, waiting in a way that made no effort to conceal what she wanted.
"As you wish."