Chapter 9.1

Sir Alec let go of Rosaline’s hand the moment they reached the bottom few steps of the ballroom staircase.

“I’m afraid my haste led me to act rudely. My sincerest apologies.”

Maybe it was because they’d almost broke out into a full on run, her chest ached slightly. Rosaline shook her head as she drew in a steady breath.

“No, really, it’s fine.”

Even if she had stayed in the ballroom, she wouldn’t have been able to join the mingling.

…She’d have had to watch who Synox Aphlenta spent time with directly.

The man that was always one step away from political entanglements, had appeared in tonight’s banquet full of nobles that were part of the Crown Prince’s faction.

Rosaline didn’t struggle to guess why. There was only one difference between tonight’s ball and any other.

Aria.

Alec led Rosaline out into the palace gardens and said,

“I receive funding from many patrons, so I often find myself engaged in conversations. It would be impolite to keep a lady at my side and yet give her none of my attention.”

He meant that was why he brought Rosaline away from the ballroom.

Rosaline asked the man who’d been quietly smiling throughout,

“Do you conduct research at the imperial palace?”

“Yes.”

And Alec briefly told Rosaline about himself.

Born a commoner, he was raised in the Magic Tower. While the Tower provided for its mages’ upkeep, it could not afford to fund expensive research.

So upon reaching adulthood, Alec looked outward. He associated with nobles who had an interest in magic and secured their sponsorship to continue his research.

“Strictly between us, but that’s why I became an Imperial Mage. Had I tried funding my experiments without support from the state, I’d likely have ended up penniless.”

When Alec cracked that joke, Rosaline couldn’t help but laugh, feeling that her old shyness momentarily eased.

“What kind of research do you mainly pursue?” She asked.

“Ah, I specialize in utility magic. For instance… a ring that pulls objects to its wearer.”

Alec showed her the ring and snapped his fingers toward a balcony where a couple was engaging in public displays of affection.

In an instant, the curtains dropped fast, and the navy silk tie that held it flew off and fluttered in the night sky.

Alec caught the silk ribbon and plucked a few flowers blooming in a cluster in the garden, tying them together with the ribbon.

He handed the bouquet of calendulas to Rosaline and tapped the silver pendant hanging from his neck.

“I’m designing a necklace that reveals the way back to your registered home, no matter where you are.”

As he spoke, glowing golden petals unfurled over the dark ground. A luminous trail, leading all the way up to his laboratory in the Imperial Palace.

Just like so many nobles Alec had worked with before, Rosaline Rensier watched his magic with entranced eyes.

“That’s amazing.”

Not as amazing as the glass conservatory in the Rensier townhouse, though. Alec smiled without a word.

The Rensier estate was home to a greenhouse said to be enchanted personally by Synox Aphlenta. Rumors about it abounded among mages, but few had ever seen it with their own eyes.

Alec had only laid eyes on it himself after visiting the Rensier household in his capacity as an investigator of the imperial palace.

Built of crystal, gold, and intricately carved marble, the greenhouse was reinforced with spells of staggering strength.

Ordinary people wouldn’t notice it, but to a mage capable of sensing magic, it was a breathtaking sight.

It seemed even to be tied to time magic, a field researched by the former head of House Aphlenta.

Still, what captivated the public eye were the showy spells, no matter how small, and a gentle personality.

Alec was well aware that, for a mage, he had an unusually pleasant temperament. And he put that charm to good use. By the time he was older, there was never a time he couldn’t pursue the research he wanted due to a lack of funds.

But there was one thing he wanted to confirm from Rosaline Rensier. Alec spoke.

“Miss Rensier, forgive my forwardness, but have you experienced any recent changes in your constitution?”

“I was actually hoping to ask you something about that.”

Rosaline dropped her gaze in embarrassment.

“Is there… by any chance, a way to receive mana without physical contact?”

“Hmm…”

He had a feeling the conversation was heading in that direction. After a brief pause, Alec asked,

“Do you wish to avoid receiving help from the heir apparent?”

The heir apparent. That was how mages referred to Synox among themselves.

Rosaline looked slightly startled as she asked,

“…How did you know that I received his help?”

“Mages can detect traces of magic that’s been infused into someone. You could erase them if you tried, but… in this case, it seems you didn’t.”

He raised his hand, holding it just shy of her skin, and pointed gently to several places on her face.

“Here. Here. And here, too.”

One of those spots was near her eye. At that subtle gesture, Rosaline recalled the last kiss she’d shared with Synox in the greenhouse.

When she had been blinded, both literally and physically, Synox had kissed the corners of her eyes.

Rosaline flushed and turned her face away slightly. Alec, sensing her discomfort, offered a reassuring tone.