Chapter 127 

Alexa’s mind was spinning furiously.

‘Were we… really at that stage?’

Yes, it was true they had confessed their feelings to each other. It had been confusing, strange, and impossible to pinpoint exactly when it started, but Alexa had definitely opened her heart to Ysildus. She had no intention of denying what happened that day.

Still, she couldn’t recall hearing anything like ‘let’s date’ or ‘let’s be lovers.’ There hadn’t been a clear confirmation from him. Wasn’t he acting just a bit too natural, as if everything between them had already been decided?

Certainly, undeniably…

‘I’m older and I’ve seen more… so why does he seem like the experienced one?’

Alexa looked up at Ysildus with a dazed expression, her mind going completely blank, so much so that she couldn’t even remember why she had come to see him in the first place.

“What brings you here?”

Ysildus casually shifted the topic.

“That, uh…”

“Ah, did you come because you missed me?”

His blue eyes were practically urging her to say yes. Her heartbeat was loud enough to echo in her ears. Surely, the sharp-eared wolf could hear it even better than she could, especially with how close they were standing.

Alexa grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him away. It wouldn’t stop the sound of her heart pounding, but it was the best she could do. After creating just enough space between them, she drew in a deep breath.

‘Get it together, you idiot!!!’

Just as she felt a bit more composed, Ysildus opened his mouth again.

“You did come because you missed me, right?”

Then he smiled, a soft, blooming smile like petals fluttering through the air. All her deep breathing? Completely useless now.

“Alexa.”

Why is he calling me like that… Why…

With her cheeks now flushed red, Alexa eventually nodded.

“I guess… I did kind of miss you a little.”

Ysildus closed the gap she had so painstakingly created and leaned in, murmuring softly. 

“I missed you too, Alexa.”

“Ugh… uh…”

Unable to endure any more, Alexa tilted her head back slightly and scrambled to remember her original reason for coming.

“A-and! I have a favor to ask!”

“A favor?”

“Yeah! Um, at the Mage Tower… did you ever bring back something that might be a relic of the Red Clan?”

“Oh.”

Ysildus smiled brightly. The day he swept through the Mage Tower, he’d gathered all documents and records related to the Red Clan. It had been in preparation, just in case something went wrong with Alexa, he’d wanted to have possible solutions on hand. Everything was now safely stored in the main residence’s vault.

“Of course I did. But Alexa.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not even fully recovered yet. What are you planning to do?”

“Well… I was thinking maybe I could figure out a way to break the Oath Seal, so I wanted to study it…”

“Ah.”

Ysildus absentmindedly played with her wrist, then looked at her like he wanted to devour her whole as he said, “Tell the steward. He’ll guide you. You can take whatever’s there.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hm.”

“I don’t need permission from the Head of the house? I mean, the Grand Duke.”

“It’s fine. My father already approved everything.”

“Thanks, Ysu!”

Alexa beamed, her smile radiant and sweet enough to make one’s heart ache. She was never the type to sit still, always moving forward, always finding what she could do and throwing herself into it. Ysildus had already anticipated that she might bring up the Oath Seal. If things ever got truly dangerous, those watching over her would step in.

‘Once the Oath Seal is broken… who will be the one most heartbroken?’

In that moment, the person who came to Ysildus’ mind was the prince he had chosen: Jeremiah. He knew exactly how Jeremiah looked at Alexa. He tolerated it only because Jeremiah posed no threat. Even if Jeremiah were to become Emperor of the Empire, could he compare to Thersion? Thersion had chosen the current Emperor, and that meant it could just as easily choose another.

Unaware of all those tangled complexities, Alexa’s face shone with pure goodwill, and that image embedded itself deeply in Ysildus’ eyes. He poked her cheek lightly.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Alexa.”

“I won’t!”

“If you get sick again or something…”

“If I do?”

“I’ll be really sad.”

“Ysu…”

A look of guilt crossed Alexa’s face. 

She knew how long those five years she’d spent bedridden had felt for the people around her. She used to be a veterinarian, caring for sick pets was hard enough. But she hadn’t even been able to move… the ones who’d watched over her must’ve suffered immensely. That was why she was trying harder, smiling more, eating better.

“I won’t let it happen again.”

“Good.”

Only then did Ysildus let go of her. Alexa rubbed her wrist, still warm from his touch, and stepped back.

“Steward.”

“Yes, Lord Ysildus.”

The steward bowed deeply, having appeared from who knows where. Alexa tilted her head in curiosity, but then again, these people were wolves, of course they moved quickly.

“Take Alexa there. To the Black Room.”

“Yes, sir.”

The so-called Black Room was a place filled with Thersion’s countless treasures.

“Well then, I’ll be off. See you later, Ysu.”

Alexa hurried along after the steward. Ysildus watched her retreating figure for a long time.

* * * 

In the face of the Black Room’s overwhelming grandeur, Alexa was left speechless. She’d thought she had a pretty good idea of Thersion’s wealth, but clearly, she’d only scratched the surface. So this was what he’d meant about needing to remodel early…

“What you’re looking for is over here.”

“…Okay.”

Alexa followed the steward’s lead and found a small box.

‘As I thought.’

Just as she’d expected, a smartphone lay inside. The symbols written in the center of the Oath Seal had been a clue. Alexa gripped the phone tightly. She hadn’t held one in so long. The cold, unfamiliar feel of the machine pressed into her fingertips. This would be the Pandora’s box she was about to open.

And really, it wasn’t strange to find a phone here. From the moment Alexa had stepped into this world and taken the protagonist’s place, everything had already been strange. She glanced around at the rest of the items and gathered only what seemed immediately necessary.

“I’ve got everything! Let’s go, Steward.”

“Hmm… My Lady.”

“Yes?”

“You were told you could take anything you wished from here.”

“Yes, and this is what I want?”

The steward looked strangely disappointed. Alexa tilted her head again. What was the problem?

“…Are you sure there’s nothing else you need? There’s so much here…”

He gestured toward a glittering heap of gold and jewels.

“All those beautiful and exquisite things, and yet your eyes go only to… that strange old relic…”

“Uh…”

Alexa parted her lips, unsure of what to say.

“It’s just…”

“That tiara over there would perfectly enhance your charm. And those earrings, they’d bring out the beauty of your eyes. That gown, with just a few adjustments, would accentuate your elegance. And that silk, it’s incredibly rare and would suit your hair wonderfully.”

The steward was practically giving a speech at this point. Now that the Black Room had been opened, he seemed determined to shower Alexa with every item that suited her.

“But I already have more of that kind of stuff than I know what to do with!”

“…You truly have so little greed. You only have one dressing room…”

“Which you had extended, didn’t you, Steward?”

Alexa shook her head. Living in this sea of wealth and claiming to be modest, if she were truly frugal, she would’ve refused it all and gone to Eneroff instead. Or better yet, left this place entirely. What part of her was considered ‘modest’?

“Sigh. Lady Alexa, you’re too kind for your own good,” the steward said again, clearly reluctant to let her leave empty-handed. 

Seeing the look on his face, Alexa quickly made a break for it.

“I’m really fine!!”

The steward watched her vanish with a benevolent smile. After all, once she married Ysildus, everything in this room would belong to her anyway. There was no need to be stingy.

Thersion’s wealth was currently at its peak, and Alexa had played a huge role in helping accumulate it. With a lighthearted smile, the steward locked the door, already dreaming of the day Alexa would become the true mistress of the Black Room.

* * * 

Brillia and Jeremiah were waiting when Alexa returned with the smartphone.

“What kind of item is that?”

“Hmm… It looks exactly like that square thing drawn in the center of the Oath Seal, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it does. But Alexa, how do you know about stuff like that?”

“Oh, uh. From a book! I think I saw it while digging through texts about the Oath.”

Alexa quickly made something up to avoid suspicion, then fiddled with the smartphone. It looked like it had no power, so she tried infusing it with mana, just in case.

“Ah!”

Brillia gasped. The phone lit up.