Chapter 20
Let’s be strangers now
Episode 20
The first time Dante Renaud encountered her was at the beginning of spring when he was ten years old.
A girl who sat beside the Prince, rolling a candy around in her mouth, freely wielding magic he had never seen before.
‘If it is for the revival of Cardion, then Lady Elisha is truly….’
Even as his father, Lesto Renar, murmured in a somewhat bitter voice, Dante’s gaze was fixed solely on the young girl.
So that’s what a real genius looks like. She’s seriously cool.
Inside Dante Renaud’s small head, there was no jealousy toward her, nor any sense of deprivation that the position he believed was rightfully his might slip through his fingers.
He was simply fascinated and impressed.
She looks even younger than me, but she can do that?
‘Father! I—I want to become friends with that girl!’
Unaware of Lesto Renar’s burning inner turmoil, young Dante Renaud spoke with a bright, excited face while swinging his father’s hand back and forth.
However, he did not get to meet Elisha in person that day.
Lesto Renar had taken his hand and left the Imperial Palace immediately.
It was only much later that Dante realized why his father had turned back so abruptly.
Even though the Renar family’s standing was being threatened, his own son was chirping, ‘I want to be friends with her!’ It must have been incredibly frustrating.
But such things didn’t matter to Dante Renaud at all.
To Dante Renaud, wealth was more important than honor, and a comfortable, fun life was more important than wealth.
Therefore, from that day on, Dante Renaud had only one goal.
To become friends with the girl named Elisha. And after becoming friends with her….
Time passed, and at the age of eleven, Dante Renaud became an official Imperial Magician, an exceptional feat for his age.
The appearance of another genius did not mean the previous genius lost her abilities, so perhaps it was an expected result.
The boy who entered the palace with such fluttering dreams finally met the girl in person….
‘You want to see Elisha?’
The ten-year-old Erich asked, looking at the new Imperial Magician before him.
He had come to take a look because he heard a boy his own age had joined as a rookie, which was quite unusual.
But to suddenly ask for Elisha?
‘Is there a reason you’re looking for her?’
Erich asked again, sounding as if he couldn’t understand at all. In fact, he really didn’t.
What possible reason could there be to seek out that personality-disordered girl of his own accord?
‘I want to talk to her….’
The eleven-year-old Dante answered shyly. Erich fell into even deeper confusion.
The entire time they were together, he would be subjected to all sorts of sharp-tongued remarks; and because those remarks weren’t wrong, he wouldn’t even be able to argue back, leaving him with nothing but sorrow.
Even his own tutors avoided long conversations with Elisha.
And he wanted to talk? With that Elisha?
‘You’re a bit of a strange person.’
Erich murmured soon after, his voice thick with sincerity.
Dante didn’t understand the comment and simply blinked his violet eyes blankly.
‘Do you, by any chance, enjoy pain?’
‘No, I hate being hurt.’
‘Then why?’
Erich asked vacantly, his face showing he truly, genuinely did not understand.
It was because he felt a sense of pity for the boy in front of him.
If he wasn’t the type to enjoy suffering, why on earth would he seek out Elisha?
A girl who didn’t even hesitate to use her sharp tongue on him, the Prince….
‘I heard Lady Elisha is so skilled in magic that no one in the Empire can match her, even though she’s young. And she looked like that when I saw her from afar, too….’
‘You want to learn magic from her?’
‘If I can.’
‘You really have an incredible passion for learning.’
To even think of learning magic from Elisha.
Erich murmured in a voice filled with pure admiration. At that, Dante scratched his cheek bashfully and added:
‘They say if you work hard while you’re young, your later years will be comfortable. I thought it would be best to learn as much as I can while I still have the energy….’
Of course, I don’t want to suffer for long even while I’m young.
Having finished his sentence, Dante gave a beaming smile. Erich became sincerely curious about the boy before him.
Until now, he thought Elisha was undoubtedly the strangest person he had ever met.
But looking at this guy, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
Maybe all geniuses were eccentrics?
Since he wanted it, he would let him meet Elisha, but….
‘Be careful.’
While heading toward the Library of the Main Palace where Elisha spent most of her time, Erich offered a piece of heartfelt advice.
The boy was a strange fellow, but he seemed to have a fairly naive side to him.
‘What should I be careful of?’
Just like now.
Erich let out a small sigh as he looked at the boy who was quite a bit taller than him.
‘Just… everything.’
‘…?’
‘Especially, don’t touch Elisha when she’s concentrating on something.’
Even I don’t mess with her then.
It was blood-earned advice based on his experiences thus far.
‘Okaay….’
Dante’s response upon hearing Erich’s words was lukewarm at best.
If anything, he wore an expression that suggested he couldn’t understand why the Prince was going that far.
The moment Erich saw that look, he neatly folded away his plan to save the sacrificial lamb.
He’ll figure it out on his own.
‘I’m not going in with you.’
When they finally arrived in front of the library, Erich signaled toward the door with a light tilt of his chin.
At this hour, Elisha would almost certainly be analyzing the magic formulas he had given her.
Knowing that, he had no desire to disturb her and be subjected to those accusing eyes.
So, he would just wait here quietly, and when that new magician got scolded and kicked out, he would offer some hollow words of comfort.
Erich watched as Dante gallantly opened the library door and stepped inside.
And not long after.
‘Your Highness, the Imperial Palace is a very scary place to me….’
I don’t think a fragile person like me can ever survive here.
Whatever he had heard from Elisha, Dante Renaud scurried out of the library with a face that looked ready to burst into tears.
In that moment, Erich had a premonition.
That perhaps he might be able to become friends with this new magician.
Based on a sort of camaraderie—as fellow victims of Elisha’s sharp tongue….
“I finally remembered.”
In the middle of the night, when only the hooting of owls lingered in the air, Dante Renaud suddenly spoke. Elisha lightly ignored his words.
It wasn’t as if Dante Renaud talking to himself was a new occurrence.
“I said, I remembered!”
But it seemed this wasn’t just him talking to himself.
At the words repeated as if demanding an answer, Elisha’s brow furrowed slightly.
At the same time, Dante reflexively hunched his shoulders and swallowed hard.
“I realized the reason why I’m so intimidated by you.”
“…….”
“The memory of our first conversation was etched into my brain as an unforgettable nightmare.”
That’s why I get scared in advance even when your gaze just hardens a little.
Dante spoke with eyes shining like a scholar who had discovered a momentous fact.
Only then did Elisha take her eyes off the documents she was reading to look at Dante.
It was a cold gaze, devoid of any emotion, much like Erich’s.
Dante met her eyes on purpose and slowly let out a breath.
How many times had he been swayed by those icy eyes?
“……And?”
Of course, to Elisha, it was a meaningless look and comment, closer to ‘Go ahead and say it.’
“You probably don’t remember what you said to me when we first met.”
“I do.”
“Wait, you… what?”
“I remember the day I first met you.”
With that, Elisha set the documents in her hand down on the table, took a breath, and began to speak.
“I had already heard the news that a young magician my age was joining the palace. I was looking forward to it in my own way.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up….”
“But then the person in question comes barging in and says, ‘My life has become easy thanks to you, Lady Elisha.’”
Who wouldn’t get angry at that?
She finished her sentence, her topaz eyes shining coldly.
Dante momentarily failed to find an appropriate response and fumbled with his lips.
I said something like that?
“No, wait, why don’t I remember that? I just remember crying because you said such harsh things to me….”
“The part where I said if you intended to stay in the heart of the Imperial Palace with that kind of mindset, I would kick you out myself?”
“…….”
“Or the part where I said with that way of thinking, you wouldn’t be able to protect even one fragile prince and would end up being driven out of the palace on your own?”
“You really….”
You were an expert at speaking the harsh truth. There was a reason Erich kept Elisha by his side even while shuddering at her.
Dante let his gaze drop to the side and gave an awkward smile.
Even just a few days ago, he had almost been kicked out because of a comment he made without thinking.
To think his past self was even worse.
“Back then, I was just young and….”
“I understand. That’s probably why you burst into tears right after I kicked you out.”
“How did you know that part?”
“I couldn’t even concentrate because of the sound of your crying. How could I not know?”
I remember lamenting that Cardion truly had no talent.
Elisha murmured with a low sigh. Dante was overcome with the urge to voluntarily bite his tongue.
‘Let’s take today as a lesson, Dante Renaud.’
Never bring up uncertain memories carelessly. Especially not in front of Erich or Elisha.
“Still, I do feel sorry toward you.”
Right at that moment, Elisha spoke as she picked up the documents she had set down.
Dante looked at her with wide eyes.
“Toward me?”
“Yes.”
“Why on earth?”
Saying my life became easy because of you—even I think that deserved a lashing.
When Dante asked as if he couldn’t understand, she replied, her gaze still fixed on the documents.
“I talked to the Previous Emperor about you. I told him that one talented young magician—me—was enough, so he should kick you out.”
“I didn’t know about that either.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.”
Elisha gave a faint smile as she recalled the memory.
Bernhardt, who had smiled kindly upon hearing her words and knelt down to meet her eyes.
And the gentle yet firm answer that flowed from his lips.
‘Dante Renaud wasn’t chosen simply because he has talent. It is the result of his own hard work to come here.’
‘No one has the right to take away the rewards of hard work, Elisha.’
‘That child has only just begun. From now on, he will experience many things here and undergo changes as much as he experiences.’
‘…….’
‘If Dante truly does not belong here, as you say, he will leave on his own.’
‘So, Elisha, won’t you take a step back and watch over him?’
“Renar, I think you actually suit the Imperial Palace quite well.”
Seeing as you’ve endured until now, even if you say you hate it.
Elisha, recalling her conversation with Bernhardt, suddenly spoke.
Dante looked genuinely horrified.
Though Elisha didn’t care either way.
“More importantly, Renar.”
Soon after, Elisha spoke toward Dante, who was still pale.
“Go to the palace and bring me the books I tell you.”
