Chapter 1:
The Confined Princess
ONE DAY, ROUGHLY EIGHT YEARS before the marriage ceremony, Father made a sudden announcement.
“Listen up, Luxeria. From this day forward, you are to remain in this tower.”
Anyone else would surely have despaired at those words…but I wasn’t about to protest. Instead, I felt so happy I could have danced on the spot.
“Yes, Father!”
Oh dear. I must calm myself. I forced my lips into a frown and lowered my head.
Back then, I was still the crown princess—the only child of King Philip, the 37th ruler of Ausgrid. How did the heir to the throne wind up sentenced to confinement in a tower, you might ask? Could it be that someone wanted me out of the way to claim the throne for themselves? Surely someone out there felt threatened enough to craft such a sickening plot. But no, that wasn’t it.
So was I on bad terms with my parents? Absolutely not; that was preposterous. My mother and father spoiled me so intensely, I was all but guaranteed to become the sort of haughty, selfish princess you read about in stories. Why, then, did I end up relegated to a tower?
It was because of my magic.
Magic was a supernatural power that defied all logic. With the mana flowing in your body, you could use magic—and make the impossible possible. For example, you might move an object without touching it or light things on fire.
There were many different types of magic, but each person could only use one. Unfortunately, of all the magic out there, mine was the most dangerous and difficult to handle. I also had ten times the power of any normal mage—I couldn’t control my magic whatsoever. What was the point of having such immense power if I couldn’t use it properly? It just made me more dangerous. I assumed my father had no choice but to confine me so I wouldn’t cause others harm. In fact, I was relieved that he’d made this decision.
The next day, I moved into the tower right away. That said, I had nothing to bring but myself. The tower was already furnished, and I hardly needed any clothes since I wouldn’t be going outside.
Upon stepping inside for the first time, I said, “Oh…”
The whole place was dark and gloomy. Dust piled on the floor, and the furniture looked as old as the tower itself. Some of it was even broken. My heart sank at the thought of living here.
No, home is where you make it. Home can be anywhere!
I had to change my perspective. Though the tower was incredibly dusty and dingy, it was the perfect place for a fresh start. This was where it all began… My new life, here and now.
“Okay, let’s get started!”
Mind made up, I got to cleaning.