How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 111

Elizabeth seemed to pause on the other side of the magic. Several seconds passed before she answered with a smile. “Not yet. It was supposed to be decided now, but after you sent the information about the array, breaking the magic became a possibility. My parents think it may be better for me to remove the spell before becoming engaged, so they have discussed postponing the engagement with His Majesty Cowpert Gerden of Bisnis.”

Elizabeth sounded relaxed, and Aisha breathed easier. Before she could speak again, Elizabeth continued, “Aisha, um… actually, I’m… wondering whether I should ask my parents to give me more time to think.”

“More time?”

“Mm. I thought carefully about what you said before! I think… perhaps… after the magic is removed, I could try asking to delay the engagement longer. I… actually want to learn swordsmanship and riding. Because I was sick and couldn’t leave home as a child, I’ve always wanted to travel… Ah! Not with crowds of people caring for me. I mean going out alone, without troubling anyone…”

Elizabeth’s halting words came through the spell. She was introverted and always feared saying something wrong or impolite, which made her nervous and slow when speaking. Her letters flowed more smoothly by comparison. Aisha listened patiently and waited for her to finish. Though Elizabeth was a year or two older, Aisha felt an urge to stroke her head.

Longing rarely entered Elizabeth’s voice. Though she still lacked confidence when discussing postponement, she spoke with unusual urgency, plainly wanting these things very much.

Aisha was happy that Elizabeth had considered her advice. At the same time, she paused and asked in concern, “But what about Bisnis…?”

Elizabeth’s marriage was effectively an affair between two kingdoms and had been arranged in childhood. Canceling it could not be easy.

“Mm… postponing it should be all right. Edward’s side postponed it before, and we’re… not especially old yet,” Elizabeth said after some thought. Then she smiled shyly beyond the magic. “But I’m only thinking for now. I haven’t decided. Even if I do, I don’t know what reason to give my parents. So… I wanted to tell you first…”

“Then… would you like me to ask Mother? If you want to learn swordsmanship, she may be able to recommend a suitable teacher.”

Aisha did not know how best to help Elizabeth and offered the suggestion after some thought.

Elizabeth had developed the desire to change her circumstances, but indecision formed over many years could not be discarded so easily. She seemed to need one final opportunity, one last push.

Yet persuasion alone could not provide that final strength. Elizabeth had to make the decision herself. As her friend, Aisha could ultimately offer only external assistance.

Sure enough, Elizabeth shook her head, then realized Aisha could not see her. Her face reddened in the empty bedroom. “Let’s… not trouble General Killott yet. We still don’t know whether the magic in my wrist can be removed. I’m afraid she might work for nothing. Once the spell is gone and I’ve made a formal decision, could I ask for your help then…?”

“Of course!” Aisha answered decisively.

Elizabeth smiled. “Then… I’ll have to trouble you when the time comes.”

After finishing the discussion of Elizabeth’s engagement, they chatted casually about other things. They were girls of nearly the same age, and Elizabeth was intensely curious about Aisha’s life, so their topics ranged widely. By the time they ended the conversation, more than ten minutes had passed without their noticing.

After saying goodbye, Aisha ended the communication magic and released a soft breath.

Eric had judged her ready to prepare for graduation, but sustaining ordinary magic for an extended period remained somewhat taxing. Still, Aisha cared more about Elizabeth than her own magical reserves.

The princess had not made a definite decision, but willingness to consider trying was progress in itself. Aisha remembered the timid princess huddled in a corner of a cage when they first met and imagined her one day standing with a sword in hand. She smiled in anticipation.

If one of them truly became a mage and the other a swordswoman, perhaps they might even have an opportunity to work together. Of course… ultimately, everything depended on Elizabeth’s own decision. As for what Aisha could do…

She took out the notebook containing the transfer-magic arrays, composed herself, and began studying intently.

…

While Aisha researched the array, mages in Vitas, capital of the Kingdom of Ryan on the opposite shore of the Divine Sea, were studying the same spell. Yet breaking magic that linked two arrays when only one was available was clearly difficult, especially when the spell was entirely unknown. After some time without progress, King Richard and his queen—Elizabeth’s parents—finally issued a reward notice throughout Ryan and even across the world, seeking any mage capable of undoing the magic bound to Elizabeth’s wrist. Success would earn a fortune in gold, enough to tempt people to risk life and limb—a display of the wealth of the foremost kingdom in the Helman Federation.

The world had been bored for too long after the World Tournament. A reward of such scale was rare even in history and became an instant sensation. The lives of princes and princesses were already popular subjects, and Elizabeth had abruptly become famous as a World Tournament invited guest. Though she was actually plain in appearance, most people had never seen her. Newspapers seeking attention throughout the world needed only her role at the tournament to transform her effortlessly into a princess blessed with both beauty and talent yet cursed by tragic fortune.

A young and beautiful princess. A curse-like spell. A king’s reward.

It was the plot of a fairy tale. Naturally, the next step should be a promising young prince from a distant land breaking the curse, after which the prince and princess would live happily ever after. When such a story occurred in reality, it captured attention with ease. Elizabeth became the focus of the entire world. Mages interested in the array poured in from every country, and Ryan Castle had perhaps never been so lively.

Elizabeth actively accepted their treatment. At the same time… unease lingered in her heart.

From the beginning, she had known that a darkfolk placed the magic in her wrist, and later learned that the darkfolk was Brandon. Yet Elizabeth had never told anyone except Aisha, not even her parents. She had only told Aisha because of coincidence: when she realized the man was Brandon, Aisha happened to be standing beside her.

Elizabeth herself did not understand her reasoning. Partly, she possessed no definite proof. Both had concealed their identities during the examination in Wold. Elizabeth recognized Brandon only because he searched for her in Dimska by checking the wrists of every blonde girl. There were no other clues.

Although instinct made Elizabeth almost completely certain, others might not believe her. Perhaps Prince Brandon had learned of her wrist through some other channel; perhaps the matter was coincidence. Elizabeth was indecisive and timid. She did not dare trouble others with something she could not prove. But there was another reason as well…

Subconsciously, she felt… that she had better remain silent.

Now, however, the inexplicable situation left Elizabeth restless. She did not know whether to tell her parents. But… she remembered the victory flowers Brandon had given her.

“Elizabeth.”

Edward’s voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

“…What is it? What were you thinking about?”

“Ah… nothing.”

Elizabeth returned to herself and shook her head apologetically.

Even now, she did not understand what had happened to Edward during the World Tournament. At some point, he had suddenly become much gentler with her. Edward had always been an exemplary prince. When someone so charming behaved tenderly, he could easily make another person feel warmed by spring sunshine. Elizabeth had always wished for this, yet… for no reason she could name, she only grew more depressed.

After a pause, she said, “I was only thinking about my wrist…”

“I see.” Edward frowned, but his tone remained gracious. He simply assumed Elizabeth was troubled by the magic. “There is no need to worry. Now that the array is known, someone will certainly break it.”

“Mm. I hope so.”

Elizabeth nodded distractedly.

“By the way,” Edward suddenly said, “you haven’t left the palace much lately, have you? Among the mages who came to see you, were there any… any darkfolk?”

“Huh?”

Elizabeth blinked, surprised by the question.

“There were… but none could remove the magic.”

“I see… Among those darkfolk, there was no one you thought you had met before, was there?”

“…No.”

“Good.”

Prince Edward’s brow relaxed. He nodded gently. “Then… I will visit again tomorrow. Rest early.”

Elizabeth hurriedly said farewell. “All right. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Only after Edward left did Elizabeth finally relax. Since his attitude toward her changed, he had simply taken up residence in Vitas’s royal palace and often came to speak with her. Her parents were pleased. Though the marriage would be political, as parents, they still hoped Elizabeth and Edward might develop genuine feelings.

Inexplicably, Elizabeth felt pressured instead.

She looked out the window. Evening had already fallen. Remembering Edward’s questions, she still found them strange.

Edward seemed wary of some darkfolk, but… why would any visiting darkfolk be someone she had met?

After thinking without success, Elizabeth shook her head and set the matter aside.

…

Several hours later, a dim crescent moon quietly climbed into the sky and hid among the stars, peering down at the brilliantly illuminated land. Inside bright Ryan Castle, Elizabeth sat in her room and brushed her golden hair.

She had persuaded her maid to retire. Elizabeth preferred solitude to someone constantly standing nearby. She had changed into a long nightgown, its thin white sleeves trimmed with soft ruffles. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw that her complexion had grown paler since returning from Wold and spending less time in the sun. Elizabeth sighed softly, rose, and prepared to go to bed.

Suddenly, a tapping sound came from the balcony window. Elizabeth flinched and whipped around. Long curtains covered the glass doors.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The knocking paused, then resumed, still very lightly, as though someone were testing whether she remained awake. Elizabeth froze. She dared neither open the curtain nor move or seek help.

After an unknown length of time, the knocking finally stopped. Elizabeth remained rigid. Several minutes later, she cautiously edged closer. After another long struggle, she swallowed, summoned her courage, and slowly, slowly… lifted one corner of the curtain.

Then she went still.

A pair of black wings filled her sight. The visitor had apparently begun to turn away, but the light revealed when she lifted the curtain caught his attention again. Brandon’s eternally frowning, displeased face turned toward her. Elizabeth immediately hid behind the curtain, but she was slightly too slow. Brandon glimpsed the edge of her nightgown, paused, and turned his head away uncomfortably.

For several seconds, he still did not dare look at Elizabeth. Ever since learning that Ryan’s king and queen were trying to break the spell, he had felt profoundly agitated, and that brief glimpse… only intensified his irritation. Pressing his lips together, Brandon spoke with excessive stiffness born of temperament and mood.

“…I saw your parents’ recruitment notice. The magic inside your wrist had better not…”

He unconsciously looked up. The human princess he cared about… only slightly, of course, merely slightly… still hid timidly behind the curtain and gave no response. Brandon paused. Assuming the balcony glass was too well insulated for Elizabeth to hear him, he raised a hand and tapped near the lock, signaling for her to open it.

Elizabeth was plainly terrified and had trembled ever since he appeared. Understanding the gesture, she stiffened further. After several seconds of hesitation, she reluctantly nodded and reached for the lock…

Click.

Elizabeth firmly locked the window she had previously forgotten to secure.