Seeking Hans’s counsel was always the best choice when I had concerns.

“Come in.”

Hans, accustomed to my sudden visits, let me in without any sign of surprise.

We sat at a table by the window where the moonlight poured in. The room brightened considerably with a candle lit.

“What’s the matter this time?”

“I’m feeling troubled.”

“What about?”

Hans asked patiently, without pressing.

“Somehow, after meeting Selena… I feel a bit empty.”

I confessed my feelings honestly.

“Hmm.”

Hans seemed to be pondering, letting out a small sound.

After a moment, he spoke.

“Maybe you’re still tied to the life you had as Anais.”

“……”

It was an unexpected remark.

I thought I had fully adapted to my current life, but I was still lingering in the past.

‘After all,  if I had really wanted to start afresh, I wouldn’t have sought out those I was entangled with before.’

It was hard to let go of the attachments.

Watching me, Hans smiled.

“Now, live your life as Camilla, truly.”

“……”

A life as Camilla.

I smiled and nodded.

* * *

“What do you want to be when you grow up, Camilla?”

During a usual lesson, Irmin asked me.

I responded as  if it was the most obvious thing.

“I’ll become the Grand Duke’s wife.”

“No, I mean a profession.”

“Too busy being a hostess to think about a profession…”

“Don’t you have any interest in magic? It’s more than 20 years before Owen will take on the title of Grand Duke.”

I just wanted to relax. The plan was to live a leisurely life with some support from Irmin and just studying enough.

“……”

Irmin seemed lost in thought again. It was always unsettling when he got like that.

“Camilla, how about we visit the Mage Tower?”

“Huh?”

So sudden? I looked at Irmin in surprise, feeling baffled. Irmin’s eyes were sparkling.

“I wish Camilla would show as much interest in magic as her talent! The Mage Tower is full of interesting things.”

“……”

Admittedly, I had never been there.

‘What’s the Mage Tower like?’

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious. Having never even imagined it, my curiosity was piqued even more.

“Then shall we go for a visit?”

Brightened by my response, Irmin’s expression lit up.

“Great, I’ll arrange it!”

He was visibly excited.

‘Is it that delightful?’

It was surprising that an adult could smile so genuinely. I couldn’t begin to fathom what magic meant to Irmin.

* * *

The tour date arrived sooner than expected, a testament to Irmin’s drive.

Arriving at the entrance of the Mage Tower, it was indeed tall as one would expect from a tower, but it wasn’t as gloomy as I had imagined.

“The building is bright.”

“It’s even prettier inside. The Mage Tower Master loves to decorate.”

A Mage Tower Master who enjoys decorating… that was hard to imagine.

Once inside, I understood what Irmin meant.

‘It’s bright…!’

It was very cozy, radiating more warmth than a typical household.

The first floor was arranged like a reception hall, seemingly serving a purpose similar to a large building’s lobby.

Meanwhile, someone appeared out of thin air. It was teleportation magic.

“Have you arrived―?”

It was a petite woman, smiling broadly, giving off a very friendly impression.

“Hello, Lala.”

“Ahaha. You still call me by that cute nickname.”

The small woman, called Lala, interacted with Irmin familiarly.

The woman crouched down to meet my gaze.

“Hello, you must be Camilla. I’m Laila, the Mage Tower Master here―”

This person is the Mage Tower Master?

She felt more like a kindergarten teacher than a Mage Tower Master. Her voice was soft, and she seemed very skilled at handling children. It was apparent, even from a brief interaction.

“…Hello.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from His Highness. It’s the first time His Highness is raising a disciple, so I was quite surprised too.”

“That’s understandable…….”

“Our Mage Tower also brings in children with magical talent to nurture them―  if it weren’t for His Highness, we might have taken you in. Too bad―”

“Not a chance.”

Irmin interjected playfully. His obsession with me was indeed profound.

‘The Mage Tower teaches children too?’

Curiosity led me to inquire.

“Isn’t there an academy for that?”

“Yes, normally magic is taught at the academy. The Mage Tower only takes in those who can’t attend the academy for various reasons. They’re usually from commoner or orphan backgrounds.”

The Mage Tower… it’s an incredible place, isn’t it?

It was practically a sanctuary for nurturing the future mages.

“Would you like to meet some friends of yours, Camilla―?”

“No, thank you.”

I wasn’t particularly keen on meeting children my age. I knew communication would be a challenge. Since I was at the Mage Tower, I preferred to thoroughly explore it.

Hearing my response, Laila chuckled.

“Camilla is quite mature, isn’t she?”

“Isn’t she? Sometimes I wish she’d act her age a bit more.”

It was necessary to be mature. A sense of guilt pricked me.

“Then let’s start with the workshop. It’s probably the best place for a tour. Is that alright with you, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

Irmin gave Laila a smile.

I’d seen him smile countless times, but this was different.

It was a smile filled with affection, as  if he found the other person endearing.

‘Ah.’

I realized it immediately.

‘The person he likes is her.’

Unexpectedly, he wasn’t very good at hiding such emotions.

I had only been at the Mage Tower for five minutes and had already gained significant leverage. It was as  if I had caught Irmin’s weakness.

‘This is getting interesting.’

The prospect of seeing various sides of Irmin made me look forward to what was coming.

* * *

“Here is where the mages work in the workshop―”

Since we had teleported here, I had no idea which floor we were on. But the view from the window made it clear we were quite high up.

The workshop was exceptionally clean.

‘Working in such an environment would be enjoyable…’

Just as I thought, the faces of the working mages didn’t look displeased.

“Everyone― His Highness, the Crown Prince, is here.”

At Laila’s call, the mages who had been working and chatting turned their gazes towards us.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince!”

“Look, there’s a child with him.”

“Your Highness, it’s been a while―!”

Why is the atmosphere so warm and friendly?

Their attitude was surprisingly casual for dealing with the future emperor. Although mages of the Mage Tower were indeed a sort of detached existence regarding social status, their freedom of demeanor was beyond what I had expected.

“I haven’t been able to visit much recently. Have you been working well?”

“Yes, we’ve even developed a new magical tool!”

Irmin interacted with the mages comfortably, seeming even more at ease than when he was at the royal palace.

“Is the child with you the one you’ve been teaching lately?”

“Yes. Camilla, say hello.”

“Hello, my name is Camilla.”

“How adorable.”

The mages looked at me with a warm fondness.

They all seemed to have such pleasant personalities. Perhaps it was the influence of working under Laila, whose aura was similar.

Very harmless and cozy. It even felt welcoming.

‘I thought mages of the Mage Tower would be quite somber…’

Apparently, that’s not always the case. It was a moment of stark realization about how entrenched my prejudices had been.

“Alright―  if you’re done greeting, get back to work. Camilla is here on a tour, so carry on as usual―”

“Yes!”

The mages promptly responded and scattered back to their respective stations.

“You can look around freely, just don’t touch anything dangerous. Feel free.”

“Okay.”

With Laila’s permission, I began to walk around the workshop.

It seemed to be a workshop primarily for creating magical tools. There were many fascinating items.

I would walk, stop to look at something, then continue walking and stop again.

“Hmm? Are you curious about this?”

Noticing my gaze fixed on one item, a mage working on a magical tool approached me.

It was a small orb, about the size of my fist. They were arranged by color and looked quite beautiful.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not at all. Want to try holding it?”

The mage kindly took out one of the orbs and handed it to me. It was a purple orb.

I held it with both hands, expecting it to be heavy, but it wasn’t as weighty as I thought. It was light enough for me to hold without any trouble.

“This is a Vision Orb. It’s a pretty common tool.”

“Ah….”

So a Vision Orb is like a camera, I presumed.

As I looked at it intently, the mage chuckled, seemingly finding me cute.

“Do you like it? Want me to give you one?”

“Isn’t it expensive?”

“Just speak well of me to His Highness. I want to make a good impression.”

The position of being the Crown Prince’s disciple proved to be quite useful.

So with the gifted Vision Orb in hand, I continued my exploration.

“…….”

Then, my gaze inadvertently drifted towards a certain spot.

It was where Irmin and Laila stood, engaged in conversation against the wall.

While I was exploring, the two were conversing. I couldn’t hear them from this distance, but I could see their expressions.

Irmin said something, and Laila responded. Then they both burst into laughter. They seemed to be getting along very well.

“…….”

Despite how annoying Irmin could be, I couldn’t help but grow fond of him.

Seeing him so genuinely happy made me feel something.

‘I want to help them.’

Really. It was a problem how naturally kind-hearted I was.