‘Not even a Swordmaster can fathom such depth… It is a deep and dense level of power that, if anyone tries to discern it, they fall into an inescapable void.’

Emperor Deorte had once experienced such a feeling; it was when he was just beginning to learn swordsmanship and feel mana. It felt exactly like when he, who was very sensitive to mana, had first seen the Empire’s best Swordmaster who was teaching him swordsmanship.

Deorte wouldn’t feel that way now if he saw that Swordmaster again, because he was actually much more powerful than most Swordmasters now. However, someone as skilled as Deorte was again feeling the endless depth of power that he had felt from his swordsmanship teacher when he had first started to wield a sword as a young boy. This could only mean one thing.

Davey, who was still in his teens, was at a level that even Deorte, one of the best Swordmasters in the continent, could not fathom. If this was true, there was a high chance that the unknown huge burst of light that flashed in the banquet hall the day before had been Davey’s doing. The reason behind his actions were simple: it was probably to prevent Aeria from being put in a predicament.

‘I quite like that about him.’

“I may have to wait and see about him.”

Deorte actually began to think that Davey might succeed in curing Aeria.

* * *

Aeria felt a sudden urge to sleep as soon as Davey touched her. After having slept without even dreaming, she slowly woke up as she felt the warm sunlight through her bandages. She could also hear the birds chirping.

‘How long has it been?’

Even while she was asleep, Aeria remembered one thing: it was a story about someone. She didn’t know who it was about, but it was about someone who seemed strangely sad yet happy at the same time. Although, she didn’t know how that memory was so vivid while she had been dreaming. She floated through her dreams whenever she heard that story and voice.

“Groan…” Feeling refreshed from a burden having been lifted off of her shoulders, Aeria slowly got up. She could feel that something had changed. She smiled without even realizing it, she lightly touched the bandages that were covering her eyes. “This is…”

“Oh! Your Highness! You’re awake!” One of the ladies-in-waiting came in and shouted in surprise.

“Hup?!” Aeria reflexively covered her face with the hand she was touching the bandages with. She knew that she didn’t want to show this face to anyone, so she reflexively covered her face. A sudden sadness welled up in her heart, because anyone who actually mattered had already seen her hideous face. She cried out, “M—Mask!”

“It’s alright, Your Highness!”

“Eren…da?”

“Yes, it’s me! Your Highness, it’s me, Erenda!”

“How…long was I asleep for?” Aeria asked quietly with a hoarse voice.

The girl named Erenda replied with a teary face, “You slept for…two days straight.”

“Two days?”

Having slept for two days, Aerie hadn’t had anything to eat or drink at all. However, she felt so refreshed, as if not lacking any nutrition. She hoped for a second that this feeling wouldn’t go away, even if she was mistaken.

“Are you able to get up?” Erenda asked Aeria.

“Yes… I feel light.”

“Hehe… I think that prince is really amazing,” Erenda said.

“Prince?” Aeria tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, the person who treated you, Your Highness. Apparently, he is Prince Davey… Davey O’Rowane, the Rowane Kingdom’s First Prince.”

“Davey… O’Rowane…” Aeria uttered his name in a bit of shock, then lowered the hand she was covering her face with. “Is that so…? His name’s Davey…”

Aeria could not forget Davey; he was the man who had stopped her when she had decided to commit suicide after becoming pessimistic about her pitiful situation; the warm-hearted man who had the faint scent of dogwood. The person who had captured her attention at once and had left a deep impression was the person who had developed the cure for her disease. He had now saved her twice from a difficult situation.

‘How could such a coincidence happen?’

“Erenda, can you help me get up?” Aeria asked.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Erenda smiled brightly and helped Aeria up by the hand. As Aeria got up and examined her surroundings, Erenda commented, “Really… I didn’t expect Your Highness to be this beautiful.”

“Beau…tiful? Me?”

‘Beautiful.’

There was no word as unsuitable and awkward as ‘beautiful’ for Aeria, who had suffered from a horrible disease for years. She was hideous and it wouldn’t have been strange for her to be called monstrous.

“Of course! Even the Five Beauties of the continent can’t match up to you! Really, I was dumbfounded when I saw your face as I was changing your bandages,” Erenda answered in a bright voice.

Aeria smiled bitterly. Erenda was calling her beautiful, but she herself could hardly believe it.

‘Right, since Erenda is one of the surprisingly nice ladies-in-waiting.’

“Actually, Prince Davey left you a letter,” Erenda said.

“A letter?”

“Yes, he told me to pass it to you once you’re awake,” Erenda said while fussing over Aeria.

‘Is that so…’

Aeria couldn’t help but smile, thinking about the red-eyed man who had stopped her pessimistic self from committing suicide because of her pitiful situation. The man with the cozy scent of dogwood who had comforted and reassured her many times, and the man who had spoken to her as if reading a fairy tale while she was asleep. Aeria wanted to trust and have faith in him, even if just a little.

“Erenda… These bandages… Do you think I can take them off?”

“Yes! He left saying that I can undo the bandages when you wake up. I will undo them for you.”

“I’m nervous…”

“It’s okay! You really are beautiful!”

Aeria felt anxious, wondering if the treatment had worked properly. She worried that she was just hearing what she wanted to hear even though she wasn’t cured.

“You will be shocked when you look in the mirror. Hehe!”

Unlike Erenda, who looked delighted, Aeria immediately quivered without being able to put aside her anxiety.

With Erenda’s careful touches, the thick bandages that were covering her eyes slowly became undone. Then, Aeria slowly and carefully opened her eyes. She was worried that she was still hideous, or that there wouldn’t be a big difference, or whether the treatment had actually worked; perhaps it was because of those endless worries that made her take centuries to open her eyes.

Aeria frowned as light entered her eyes. She hadn’t seen light in a long time. Then, she began to see her reflection in the mirror. She gasped softly, “Oh…”

“Do you want me to read the letter?” Erenda stared at the silent Aeria in confusion. She quietly grabbed the small note and whispered it to Aeria.

-I have prepared a gift. Please attend tonight’s banquet.

Tears began falling from Aeria’s clear and bright eyes. She read the short message that reminded her of his smile. “Sob… Weep… Sob!!” 

Unlike her weeping, which sounded very sad, Aeria had a wide smile on her face.

* * *

“Big Brother, what put you in a good mood today?” Winley asked with a bright smile

Davey stayed silent and chuckled.

“What have you been doing: Didn’t you come here because of the auction that happened yesterday? Well… The Red Moon didn’t appear though.” Illyna didn’t hide the fact that she didn’t understand Davey. She wondered why he didn’t attend the auction, which had been his main reason for coming to the banquet.

“That doesn’t matter anymore.”

Illyna tilted her head in confusion.

“You were wondering what I was doing in the meantime?”

“Yes! Yes! I wonder what put you in such a good mood.”

It seemed like Yulis, Winley, and Illyna were very curious about Davey’s absence over the last few days. He hadn’t given them a proper explanation yet.

-It should be about time.

“Hmm. Since it has come to this, I’ll show you something nice.”

“Something nice?”

Davey nodded when Winley stared at him in confusion.

‘I have to keep my promise, since I said I would give her a gift.’

Davey left the crowd with a smile, and headed toward the side of the banquet hall where the grand piano was located. He asked, “Can I borrow the piano for a moment?”

“Pardon? Oh… Your Highness?”

“Don’t worry. I know how to play a little.”

The performer, who was playing a never-ending calm song, slowly nodded even though he was taken aback by Davey’s abrupt interruption. They were in no position to say anything even if royalty or a high-ranking member of nobility suddenly did something crazy. Frankly put, they just had to follow orders. Although these performers were invited to make this banquet shine, they had no choice but to stop if someone gave such a straightforward request.

Davey could feel everyone in the hall staring in his direction, because the orchestra had stopped playing once the pianist stopped playing. The sudden interruption to the calm music had drawn everyone’s attention. Ignoring their stares, Davey sat right in the middle of the piano bench and swept his fingers over the keys. The piano that decorated the banquet hall was of amazing quality, having been meticulously taken care of.

-Do you know how to play music as well?

‘Except for singing. My singing is like a serenade from hell.’

Davey chuckled quietly and turned to the crowd after pressing on the keys. Nodding at the three people who were staring at him in surprise, he started to play with grace and familiarity. Short tunes with a strong vibrato began resonating throughout the hall.

‘Music is said to comfort someone. And…’

“Princess Aeria El Lyndis is entering!”

Davey’s present to the girl who was going to come in through the door was a new and somewhat mysterious type of magic spell that did not exist in this world.

‘The song I will play… Hm, let’s go with a variation on the Canon. In a slightly fast tempo.’

Thud.

As Davey slowly pressed on the keys, the door slowly opened, and a girl wearing a beautiful blue dress walked in. She looked very different from what everyone had expected. As if she had broken out of her shell, the mask that used to be on her face was gone, and the dress that used to cover every inch of her skin was no more.

As she walked in through the door, Davey could hear people from the crowd gasp. He whispered, “Now, it’s time to wake up from the nightmare, princess.”

It was a little cringey, but it wasn’t that bad.