She watched as the bird grew smaller over the nighttime city sky, then reread the letter from Wayne. It included a lot of nagging, but all of it was out of concern for Lacey.
That’s just like him. A smile naturally formed on her face.
∗ ∗ ∗
“Seriously, I thought I was getting attacked by demonkin. Do you have any clue how I felt? It was dreadful!” Wayne continued his rant. “I opened the window in the middle of the night and all of a sudden something came hurtling at me. It streaked right past my cheek and stuck into the wall. You know what it was? Your fault, that’s what! I know I’m the one who used magic to send a message first, but you have way more magical talent than me, so if you cast the same spells, they can be disastrous! Understand?!”
“S-Sorry...”
“Anyway, most people wouldn’t be able to replicate an original spell they’d seen for the first time right on the spot.” Wayne grumbled this last part. Lacey just stood there, shoulders scrunched apologetically.
Lacey had repeated her wish in her response to the letter Wayne had sent. She was hesitant to follow what was written in the reply that came the next day, but she went to the palace anyway per his request. The letter had been accompanied by a writ of permission issued under Wayne’s name since the soldiers on guard weren’t particularly familiar with Lacey’s face.
She’d set foot in the palace a few times before, but its resplendence was her polar opposite. It made her feel like she was going to vanish, but Wayne came to her rescue, and now she was walking next to him.
At the moment, he wasn’t using concealment magic like he’d been when they had met up in town. His true face was completely visible to people besides Lacey, and it attracted lots of gazes. While they weren’t focused on her, it still made her nervous. She shrank back.
“Lacey?”
“Uwehhh...”
“What are you doing? Anyway, are you really sure you want to burn it?”
He was talking about Lacey’s wish.
Lacey had asked Wayne to burn her staff. He’d turned down the request last time, but she thought that if she asked again, he’d yield—albeit with a heavy sigh. Things were turning out like she’d imagined. Casting a large-scale spell in the middle of town would be frowned upon, so he’d called her out to the palace instead.
Of course, she wanted to answer. She was going to hold out her staff to him and nod...but her head was frozen in place.
She knew it had to be done. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She stopped in her tracks and stared at her feet. Wayne was a busy person and had made time just for her, so she felt all the more ashamed.
She had to express herself clearly.
Just as she was about to say Yes, please, she heard a voice like the jingling of a bell.
“Oh my.”
There was a pause of a few seconds, during which Wayne swiftly reacted. He placed his fist over his heart and stood up straight.
“I haven’t seen you lately, Wayne. Not since your victory parade, I believe.”
“Indeed. I see you are in good health, princess.”
It was Alicia Castile, first princess of Croix. Her lovely features were framed by lustrous pink-blonde hair. Even the slightest gesture from her was beautiful, and she looked dazzling just by standing there. This wasn’t the first time she and Lacey had met. Even so, Lacey involuntarily backed off and stared at the other two.
The nation’s hero, Wayne, and its princess, Alicia, radiated with dignity. Somehow, it made Lacey feel terribly shy and out of place. It was like an entirely different world. She surreptitiously moved back one step at a time, about to beat a quick retreat, when Alicia tilted her sweet head. “And who is this here?”
Wayne was silent for a moment, then answered. “One of my companions on our quest to slay the Demon King. I’m sure you’re familiar with the name ‘The Dawn Witch’?”
“Oh! Oh my! Isn’t that marvelous?” she said, affecting surprise, but Lacey and Alicia had definitely seen each other before. Thus Lacey was completely befuddled as to why Alicia had placed a hand to her lips and was laughing lightly. All Lacey could do was clutch her staff and make herself smaller. “You look much different than the portraits!”
Wayne narrowed his eyes and gave the princess a skeptical look. “On a different note, Your Highness, what are you doing here without any attendants?” They were on palace grounds, but still, it wasn’t appropriate for a member of the royal family to walk around unaccompanied.
Upon hearing Wayne’s remark, Alicia’s pupils dilated. Then, she gently placed a white-gloved index finger to her lips and smiled.
∗ ∗ ∗
“What was that all about?” scowled Wayne after the princess had excused herself and swiftly vanished.
“She’s so pretty...” Lacey murmured.
“I beg to differ,” Wayne spat. “And what was that gesture supposed to mean? ‘It’s a secret’? As if I care that much.”
“Wayne, she’ll hear you! Be careful...!”
“She’s long gone. You wouldn’t guess it, but that princess is fast on her feet.”
It definitely looked like she was used to running away. Lacey nodded. Why was that? “But are you sure it’s okay to just let her go?”
“Not my job. More importantly, what do you want done about this?” He returned to the previous subject.
Lacey had come all the way here to have him burn her staff. This time she’d express herself clearly.
“P-Please blurn dit!” she blundered. Her tongue had twisted magnificently. Lacey could feel herself turning red all the way to her ears. She thrust her staff out at Wayne, gripping it with both hands, and shoved her face downward. In a word, she was thoroughly embarrassed.