I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 188

Being held like this, I sometimes feel a little shaken.

Maybe getting married wouldn’t be so bad. As I nod off to sleep, Tess’s time to leave approaches, which I find regrettable.

“Euseniel, I’ll come again later. Or you could come to the palace too.”

Tess brushed the corners of my eyes while whispering affectionately.

I was still not fully able to respond, so I just kept breathing heavily as Tess chuckled softly. He soon disappeared with his laughter.

Knock, knock.

“Miss.”

As if waiting for the signal, Laura’s knock came through.

I wanted to just stay lying down, but the thought of having to go down for breakfast suddenly made me sad. I used to enjoy the lively atmosphere at breakfast.

Ah, if I say I won’t eat, Father will rush up here worried I’m sick. Then he’ll shout about how he opposes marriage, insisting he needs to take care of me.

“Come in.”

I forced my still-fluttering body to get up.

* * *

Since coming to Alin, there were things I had quit.

“Weathering, I’m going to stop learning magic.”

Weathering paused, his hand mid-way through shuffling papers.

“…Why?”

“It doesn’t seem right.”

“What doesn’t?”

“Us getting together.”

Weathering Blest, a renowned scholar and senior wizard from the collateral line of Lantia, beloved cousin of the current Duke. No bad rumors, and handsome to boot.

Without me knowing, he had become a sought-after bachelor in the social circles.

The fact that Weathering had danced with ‘some woman’ caused quite a stir.

That ‘woman,’ a former assistant to the scholar, was now suspected of having had a previous affair with him.

The empire was shaking, crumbling, reviving an incident where the Emperor had been brought to his knees.

The woman who had disturbed the Emperor and the woman seen close with the senior wizard were one and the same.

Me, Euseniel Hardland.

Despite the social season ending, I was thankful for the lack of official events as I sent declines to the numerous invitations I received.

In this situation, I did not want to continue being linked with Weathering.

“If it’s because of the rumors floating around.”

Surprised that Weathering, who was usually indifferent to social circles, mentioned ‘rumors’, I was caught off guard by his tone.

“I’m fine. I really don’t care about that.”

Weathering spoke urgently, I can see the emotion evident in his voice. It seemed, if anything, to have deepened, which was troubling.

“I’m not okay, though. I don’t think I can handle it.”

As I was about to explain my reasons, Weathering spoke first.

“Euel, I guess I’m not included in your desires.”

“What?”

He removed his glasses and rubbed his temples.

“I once told you, if you want something, you should just take it. If you have the ability, you can handle it.”

I nodded slowly. His words had once opened a path for me, and I hadn’t forgotten.

“Euel, you have the power to quell rumors quietly. You know that if you either deny them or just stay quiet, things will settle down, right? No one can force you into any relationship with me.”

Weathering’s knowledge of our family and the current situation was surprisingly detailed for someone who claimed to not have interest in social affairs.

“But wanting to avoid personal meetings means you don’t want to deal with that hassle.”

“…”

“I see. To you, I’m just that, Euseniel.”

I didn’t avoid his gaze but couldn’t respond.

What he pointed out was similar to a past choice I made, prioritizing another world over Tess. It was a stark reminder of how clearly I set my priorities.

Weathering Blest knew too much about me.

Perhaps hoping I would deny it, he gave me a moment to answer, but I remained silent throughout. He was the one to continue the conversation.

“So, are you planning to self-study magic and only consult the Archmage for what you don’t know?”

“That’s the plan.”

Weathering swallowed audibly, then stared out the window for a long time. I didn’t break the silence.

After a lengthy pause, he finally looked at me again. His voice was slightly husky.

“I hope you won’t stop your studies. It would be a shame to waste your talent.”

“I’ll continue studying. We might even run into each other at academic events.”

“That’s good.”

Weathering faintly smiled.

“Should I refer to you as Lady Hardland from now on?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

Ethyl, who had liked me, and Aden, who had proposed to me, still call me Euel.

“We’re friends, so maybe Euel is fine?”

“Well…let’s go with that.”

Weathering was good at separating personal and public matters, so there shouldn’t be an issue. Since we won’t be meeting privately much, there wouldn’t be many occasions for him to call me Euel.

Weathering put his glasses back on and soon returned to his usual appearance.

“Being a senior wizard has been more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Why? You’ve been getting more commissions, and the research funding has increased.”

“It’s only now that I mention it, but the real reason I pursued becoming a senior wizard was to get closer to you.”

Want to read more? Up to [24] advanced chapters are available on Patreon: