"Will he return soon?" Adrian's words synchronized with the appearance of a magic circle in the room. Thomas and Rohmund, both wielding staffs, and an unfamiliar woman materialized.
"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed..."
"Oh, stop complaining. It's fine; I just wanted to catch a glimpse of Lady Clara's daughter."
"Indeed, she's Clara's daughter, but she's also my daughter."
"Whatever. I don't care."
Amidst the argument, a man, presumably the father, and a woman with gray hair and red eyes behind glasses stood there. This must be Miss Cassandra Nightshade.
While the two argued, Rohmund, with a weary expression, stood beside them, shoulders slouched.
"As usual, you guys. Do you even realize who you're in the presence of?"
Suddenly shifting from their casual demeanor, Adrian spoke with the king's authority. The three immediately knelt and apologized in unison.
"...Hpph!"
Seeing this, Althea, standing next to Adrian, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Looking at Althea laughing, Adrian said, "Really, grown-ups quarreling in front of a lovely girl like this... come on, Miss Althea."
"Uh... hehe... yeah!"
Althea, looking up at Adrian, laughed, her tension released, presenting an angelic smile.
"... An angel... Seriously, an angel," muttered Miss Cassandra softly.
… She was a follower of Lady Clara; seeing Althea's smile is irresistible...
As Rohmund thought this, Thomas, who had stood up, approached Cassandra, standing where Althea couldn't see her, and smiled, addressing Althea.
"Now, Althea, let's start the ritual. And let's leave here quickly."
"Yes... Your Excellency."
Surprisingly, Althea felt no anxiety about the ritual. She attributed this newfound peace to the tea party with the king and the exchange between her father and Adrian.
"Your Excellency, what should I do to perform the 'ceremony'?"
"Oh, right... Adrian, is it okay to perform the ritual here?"
"Yeah, no problem... In fact, it's better to do it here where no one else can see. And in case of failure, it's better to be fully prepared now, right, Miss Cassandra?"
"W-Well, sure!"
While Cassandra was captivated by Althea, she was suddenly asked a question. Trying to hold back her emotions, she stammered out a response.
"It's fine. I won't fail. It's for my daughter...!"
Hey! She's not yours!
Thomas asserted, realizing this was not the time for arguments.
The cleanup after the tea party was finished, leaving only the throne in the room. Althea lay in the center.
"All right, Althea, let's begin. Cross your hands over your stomach, close your eyes, and breathe slowly."
"Yes."
Althea closed her eyes quietly.
"Don't tense up. Breathe slowly... That's right, you're doing great, that's my daughter."
Whether reassured by her father's words, Althea's breathing calmed. After confirming this, Thomas, standing next to Althea, raised his staff and began chanting a spell.
Though the spell couldn't be clearly heard, Althea, who was nearby, felt a sensation as if being drawn into a comforting fluctuation. While feeling this sway, she drifted into a pleasant sleep. Simultaneously, Thomas finished his incantation and thrust his staff into Althea's chest, or so it seemed.
At the same time, the room was enveloped in light, gathering at the top of the staff and flowing through it into Althea's chest.
All the light in the room focused on Althea's chest, and the ritual concluded successfully.
"...Too bad. If you had made a mistake in the chant, I could have continued..."
Cassandra, looking resentful, looked up at Thomas and said, "If that happened, Althea would have been kept in the royal castle."
While lost in thought, Althea heard a small voice.
"... Angel... A real angel."
Cassandra whispered while Althea was staring blankly.
… She was a fan of my mother, and there's a 'dog and cat' relationship between Father and her...
Lost in thought, Althea observed as Cassandra, with a blushing face, suddenly said, "I feel embarrassed being stared at so closely..."
"Uh... I'm sorry. Um, the confirmation is okay. Please."
Bowing her head, Althea apologized. Cassandra, looking at the men nearby, said, "So, everyone, please step away from Althea for a moment and face that way. And absolutely do not turn around, okay?"
The phrase 'absolutely do not turn around' was said in an unexpectedly commanding voice.
Confirming that the men had turned around, Cassandra crouched next to Althea, smiling.
"Althea, right? I'm Cassandra Nightshade. I work at the magic department of this great nation. Nice to meet you. May I check if the ritual your father performed was successful?"
Lost in thought, Althea was watching when Cassandra, with a smile, said, "I'll be able to hear it up close, and then it's my turn to continue the flow of our 'contract.' ...It would be nice if you fail. I really wanted to be close to you, Althea.
...
Why don't you fail?!"
"Breaching the boundaries, aren't we?," Thomas replied with a sharp tone as he glanced at Cassandra with hostility.
"Well, well, Thomas. Since Cassandra is involved now, we'll have to hear about the future together. Be patient for a while. ...Althea, you can stay by your father's side."
Being told this by King Adrian with a wry smile, there was nothing else Thomas could do but back down.
"Now, it seems the ritual went well. We just need to observe for any side effects for at least a year. Well, after a year, side effects are unlikely."
While looking at everyone, Adrian suddenly turned towards Althea.
"Althea, do you know that the sooner magic is activated, the stronger it is?"
"Yes."
"...Now, the five of us here, including Miss Cassandra, promise not to disclose that you've activated magic until you measure your magical power. Thomas will handle the selection. Understood?"
"Yes."
"If the information leaks, bad people may target you in the future. Therefore, Althea, to prepare for any eventuality, you are prohibited from leaving the western borderlands, specifically your father's territory, until you turn ten. If possible, try not to leave the mansion even within the premises."
"...Huh?"
And so, at the decree of the king, Althea, who had activated her magic at the age of five, was forced to spend the next five years confined mostly within her father's estate in the territory.
"Will he return soon?" Adrian's words synchronized with the appearance of a magic circle in the room. Thomas and Rohmund, both wielding staffs, and an unfamiliar woman materialized.
"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed..."
"Oh, stop complaining. It's fine; I just wanted to catch a glimpse of Lady Clara's daughter."
"Indeed, she's Clara's daughter, but she's also my daughter."
"Whatever. I don't care."
Amidst the argument, a man, presumably the father, and a woman with gray hair and red eyes behind glasses stood there. This must be Miss Cassandra Nightshade.
While the two argued, Rohmund, with a weary expression, stood beside them, shoulders slouched.
"As usual, you guys. Do you even realize who you're in the presence of?"
Suddenly shifting from their casual demeanor, Adrian spoke with the king's authority. The three immediately knelt and apologized in unison.
"...Hpph!"
Seeing this, Althea, standing next to Adrian, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Looking at Althea laughing, Adrian said, "Really, grown-ups quarreling in front of a lovely girl like this... come on, Miss Althea."
"Uh... hehe... yeah!"
Althea, looking up at Adrian, laughed, her tension released, presenting an angelic smile.
"... An angel... Seriously, an angel," muttered Miss Cassandra softly.
… She was a follower of Lady Clara; seeing Althea's smile is irresistible...
As Rohmund thought this, Thomas, who had stood up, approached Cassandra, standing where Althea couldn't see her, and smiled, addressing Althea.
"Now, Althea, let's start the ritual. And let's leave here quickly."
"Yes... Your Excellency."
Surprisingly, Althea felt no anxiety about the ritual. She attributed this newfound peace to the tea party with the king and the exchange between her father and Adrian.
"Your Excellency, what should I do to perform the 'ceremony'?"
"Oh, right... Adrian, is it okay to perform the ritual here?"
"Yeah, no problem... In fact, it's better to do it here where no one else can see. And in case of failure, it's better to be fully prepared now, right, Miss Cassandra?"
"W-Well, sure!"
While Cassandra was captivated by Althea, she was suddenly asked a question. Trying to hold back her emotions, she stammered out a response.
"It's fine. I won't fail. It's for my daughter...!"
Hey! She's not yours!
Thomas asserted, realizing this was not the time for arguments.
The cleanup after the tea party was finished, leaving only the throne in the room. Althea lay in the center.
"All right, Althea, let's begin. Cross your hands over your stomach, close your eyes, and breathe slowly."
"Yes."
Althea closed her eyes quietly.
"Don't tense up. Breathe slowly... That's right, you're doing great, that's my daughter."
Whether reassured by her father's words, Althea's breathing calmed. After confirming this, Thomas, standing next to Althea, raised his staff and began chanting a spell.
Though the spell couldn't be clearly heard, Althea, who was nearby, felt a sensation as if being drawn into a comforting fluctuation. While feeling this sway, she drifted into a pleasant sleep. Simultaneously, Thomas finished his incantation and thrust his staff into Althea's chest, or so it seemed.
At the same time, the room was enveloped in light, gathering at the top of the staff and flowing through it into Althea's chest.
All the light in the room focused on Althea's chest, and the ritual concluded successfully.
"...Too bad. If you had made a mistake in the chant, I could have continued..."
Cassandra, looking resentful, looked up at Thomas and said, "If that happened, Althea would have been kept in the royal castle."
While lost in thought, Althea heard a small voice.
"... Angel... A real angel."
Cassandra whispered while Althea was staring blankly.
… She was a fan of my mother, and there's a 'dog and cat' relationship between Father and her...
Lost in thought, Althea observed as Cassandra, with a blushing face, suddenly said, "I feel embarrassed being stared at so closely..."
"Uh... I'm sorry. Um, the confirmation is okay. Please."
Bowing her head, Althea apologized. Cassandra, looking at the men nearby, said, "So, everyone, please step away from Althea for a moment and face that way. And absolutely do not turn around, okay?"
The phrase 'absolutely do not turn around' was said in an unexpectedly commanding voice.
Confirming that the men had turned around, Cassandra crouched next to Althea, smiling.
"Althea, right? I'm Cassandra Nightshade. I work at the magic department of this great nation. Nice to meet you. May I check if the ritual your father performed was successful?"
Lost in thought, Althea was watching when Cassandra, with a smile, said, "I'll be able to hear it up close, and then it's my turn to continue the flow of our 'contract.' ...It would be nice if you fail. I really wanted to be close to you, Althea.
...
Why don't you fail?!"
"Breaching the boundaries, aren't we?," Thomas replied with a sharp tone as he glanced at Cassandra with hostility.
"Well, well, Thomas. Since Cassandra is involved now, we'll have to hear about the future together. Be patient for a while. ...Althea, you can stay by your father's side."
Being told this by King Adrian with a wry smile, there was nothing else Thomas could do but back down.
"Now, it seems the ritual went well. We just need to observe for any side effects for at least a year. Well, after a year, side effects are unlikely."
While looking at everyone, Adrian suddenly turned towards Althea.
"Althea, do you know that the sooner magic is activated, the stronger it is?"
"Yes."
"...Now, the five of us here, including Miss Cassandra, promise not to disclose that you've activated magic until you measure your magical power. Thomas will handle the selection. Understood?"
"Yes."
"If the information leaks, bad people may target you in the future. Therefore, Althea, to prepare for any eventuality, you are prohibited from leaving the western borderlands, specifically your father's territory, until you turn ten. If possible, try not to leave the mansion even within the premises."
"...Huh?"
And so, at the decree of the king, Althea, who had activated her magic at the age of five, was forced to spend the next five years confined mostly within her father's estate in the territory.
