Liliana and Riley walked through the courtyard. They hadn’t ventured far from the manor before the night enveloped them, leaving only the moonlight to guide their steps. The prince used magic to illuminate the nearby lamps, instantly transforming the atmosphere into something dreamlike. His escorts kept their distance—close enough to intervene if necessary, yet far enough to allow the pair to speak without fear of being overheard.
“I’m glad I came to the banquet,” Riley said, his smile radiant. “It’s been so nice to see you again.” A passerby might have assumed he was merely being polite to Liliana, but she knew his words were sincere.
Liliana nodded; it was too dark to write a response.
“I only hope the feeling’s mutual.”
The most Liliana could manage was an ambiguous smile. Riley didn’t comment; he merely chuckled at the sight and continued escorting her around the courtyard, stopping only when the manor disappeared behind the trees.
“Lady Liliana... I asked the duke about your voice.”
At first, Liliana was confused. Then she realized what was on Riley’s mind—the supposed unlikelihood of her voice ever returning. Abram had given them very different accounts, to the point that, had she not eavesdropped on their conversation, she might never have understood the prince’s intentions. She looked up at him, blinking a few times to keep her true emotions hidden.
Wearing an uneasy smile, Riley reached into his pocket and produced a bracelet—a wonderful piece adorned with tiny jewels and small flowers. It looked as if it could complement nearly any outfit.
“I brought this for you. I didn’t want to draw attention away from Clyde’s debut, so I thought it best to give it in private, away from prying eyes.”
Riley held out the bracelet and, after a moment of hesitation, placed it in Liliana’s hand. It seemed fragile at first glance, but a closer inspection revealed its fine craftsmanship. The prince then retrieved the accessory and slid it onto Liliana’s left wrist.
“It’s magical,” he explained. “You can use it to speak to anyone with the receiver, in a manner similar to telepathy.”
Liliana stared at the bracelet in surprise, and Riley smiled at her evident interest.
The purpose of magical devices was to allow people to wield magic otherwise beyond their reach, even with an incantation. Generally, though, such devices only broadened one’s capacities by a small margin. And since humans were incapable of using telepathy—Liliana being the rare exception—the bracelet was nothing short of a national treasure.
“Speaking of which...” Riley drew another bracelet from his pocket, similar to the first but plain and unadorned. “This one’s the receiver. I won’t be able to hear you without it. It only receives, mind you—I’ll still need to respond out loud. As it stands, we’re the only ones who have these, so there’s no risk of anyone eavesdropping on you.”
Riley smiled mischievously, clearly eager to put the bracelets to the test.
This hardly seems necessary, though I can’t deny I’m curious. And it’s not as if I can refuse.
Despite the prince’s comparison, the bracelet seemed to function differently from Liliana’s own telepathy. She was conflicted: The chance to examine a new form of magic was undeniably tempting, yet growing closer to the prince could make it all the harder to relinquish her status as his potential fiancée. Perhaps she should decline the gift altogether—but wouldn’t that invite suspicion?
Having made up her mind, Liliana gave a small nod of approval. Riley sighed in relief and fastened the plainer of the two bracelets around his wrist.
“Go on. Say something.”
“Can you hear me, Your Highness?” Liliana asked, shaping the words in her mind as if attempting to speak them.
The crown prince’s face lit up. “Yes, I can. Great. It works, then.”
“This technology is incredible. I’m most grateful for your thoughtfulness. Magical items of this nature must be exceedingly rare.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s someone in the Ministry of Magic who loves developing new tools. These bracelets weren’t the most reasonable request, but that certain someone was more than happy to make them.”
Liliana wondered to whom Riley was referring. From his phrasing, she could tell it wasn’t Nicholas Bergson, the Minister of Magic, and Petra had mentioned that development wasn’t her specialty.
“May I thank them in person someday?”
I really want to know who made these tools. It can’t have been the minister, right?
“All right,” the prince replied casually. “I’ll introduce you.”
Liliana sighed in relief. Evidently, the bracelet didn’t transmit all her thoughts to the wearer of the receiver—only those she deliberately chose to send. Its creator was merciful, if nothing else, sparing her the humiliation of having every idle thought laid bare.
Mind you, such a tool would be even more effective at extracting confessions than your average torture device. Or would removing its restraints cause it to stop working altogether?
Liliana shot a sidelong look at Riley, unconsciously touching her bracelet. Was he aware of the tools’ potential? He simply resumed escorting her, and they walked leisurely through the moonlit courtyard.
“These bracelets could prove extremely dangerous, depending on how they’re used,” the prince said in a low voice. “I made a magical contract with the mage who crafted them, forbidding any mention of their existence. Technically, I shouldn’t even have told you this much, so I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us.”
“As you wish.”
Liliana was relieved to hear he had considered the potential dangers before commissioning the bracelets. Evidently, he was taking his education as future monarch seriously.
“I do wonder, though—was it not possible to make communication work both ways?” she asked. It did seem rather impractical that Riley had to respond aloud.
“That was the original plan,” the prince said with a shrug. “Unfortunately, the spells clashed with each other.”
The artisan had tried several approaches but never managed to make the telepathy work in both directions. Liliana didn’t know much about magical devices, but she could imagine how difficult the task must have been.
As her curiosity about the bracelet’s spells showed, the prince joyfully revealed his true intent. “For all our conversations, it feels like I don’t really know you. Let’s change that, if you’re willing. Consider it preparation for what’s to come.”