Aurelia knew that repairing the relationship between the two of them would require time—an indispensable element.
But that didn’t mean she had to just foolishly wait for El to come to his senses and come looking for her.
Feelings are always mutual; as long as El took one step toward her, she only needed to take ninety-nine more to win him over.
The accident that happened this time was a great opportunity. If she used it as a starting point, surely the ice between them would thaw quickly.
Aurelia sat on El’s lap, her soft waist pressed gently against his chest. From this angle, all El could see was her snow-white neck, and he could smell the subtle fragrance in her hair.
A sudden knock on the door interrupted the romantic mood between them. El hurriedly motioned for Aurelia to get up, and quickly tidied his clothes to avoid any trace of suspicion.
Unexpectedly, Aurelia simply said, “Come in,” giving them no time at all to cover up.
A gray-and-white figure entered—it was Vita. She had cut her long bangs, revealing a pair of clear, enchanting dark blue eyes, in which seemed to hide the whole starry sea.
With a simple smile on her face, the lively girl seemed to shine. Anyone who saw such a Vita would unconsciously be affected by her mood, unable to ignore this beautiful girl.
El was no exception, at least in the right setting.
But right now, El could still keep his composure, yet the flush on Aurelia’s face hadn’t faded, and her dress was still wrinkled from earlier.
Even the most innocent person could guess they had been up to no good in the office.
Light.
Words.
“El……senior, are you free now? I wanted to talk with you about……”
Vita’s smile gradually faded, her expression stiffening, and those expressive eyes lost their sparkle as if the light had gone out.
El-senior, how could he…… Seeing this, her heart shattered, so much so that she couldn’t even finish her sentence.
“No, better not trouble El-senior after all.”
With that, she dashed out, as if a few sparkling tears fell in mid-air.
“Hey, wait a minute, Vita.”
It must be about transferring to the Knight Academy. Cielsa moved quickly. El wanted to stop Vita, but she didn’t seem to hear him at all.
Forget it, better take care of the matter at hand first… El said helplessly, “Then, Miss Godefiel, could you come with me to repair the monitoring crystal?”
Compared to being distant, this form of address was just El being a little awkward.
Aurelia was delighted at having chased away a little fox spirit, paying no attention to the relationship between Vita and El.
“Of course, Young Master of the Regis Family.”
“It’s just…incredible.”
El was amazed by Aurelia’s alchemical skills.
Aurelia dismantled the interior of the monitoring crystal, using Mana to materialize the intricate Alchemical Array within.
The complex array of the monitoring crystal spanned multiple fields: recording images, sensing Mana fluctuations, recognizing Spiritual Power down to the individual, and even including advanced Prophecy magic. That’s not even counting the technology relating to ley lines.
She had never touched such an alchemical creation before, but using her understanding and her deconstruction of other monitoring crystals, she deduced the various Alchemical Arrays inside and completed their restoration.
El had only ever touched the most basic parts of alchemy. In “the Sage” Anthony’s words, his talents simply weren’t in this area. But even he could see just how exquisite Aurelia’s alchemical skills were.
***
In just two months, Aurelia had transformed from a powerless mortal into a Master Alchemist—a feat truly unprecedented.
Incidentally, the materials for the crystal’s repair came out of Aurelia’s own pocket, though she could always get reimbursed.
“I’ve already cross-checked all the existing Crystal Cores to ensure there will be absolutely no problems. Now you can rest easy, right?”
“Mm, thank you for this.”
“This is a trade—don’t forget our date. If you ever run into real trouble, remember to ask me for help. And I don’t mean this sort of minor thing.”
Although Aurelia very much wanted to mend things with El, haste makes waste. Besides, El had been busy lately; she couldn’t disrupt him at the wrong time.
So, after a simple farewell, she left.
“If it really comes to that, I will. And…”
Aurelia paused in her steps.
“This morning’s Refreshing Potion—thank you, I really liked it.”
“Hehe, your words are enough for me. I’m happy too. Actually…before I gave it to you, I worried whether you would even accept this gift.”
Her eyes arched into a crescent, the smile at her lips dazzling to behold.
El was stunned. The ever-proud Aurelia actually felt nervous over him. Unknowingly, she had already changed because of him.
Before El even entered the Royal Academy, he had heard tales of the Duke Godefiel’s only daughter.
Aurelia was stunningly beautiful, showing wisdom and maturity far beyond her years since childhood.
When El was still playing house with Cielsa, Aurelia was already learning to manage the family’s Alchemist’s Guild.
Mention the Godefiel family, and what first comes to mind is their nation-rivaling wealth, followed by their alchemical skill.
As if favored by the gods, genius alchemists were always born to this family. They monopolized many alchemical technologies, controlled patents, and raked in vast taxes.
As the Duke’s heir, Aurelia had always been burdened with high expectations. Everyone, intentionally or not, compared her to the Duke.
“Miss truly is exceptionally bright. At your age, His Grace barely understood business at all.”
That was the Chamberlain’s assessment when she was just seven.
The family’s Guest Elder, Lafayette, a renowned Master Alchemist, deemed her talent peerless and believed she would lead the Godefiels to even greater glory.
But good fortune did not last. During further studies in alchemy, Aurelia discovered she could not mobilize the Spiritual Power within her soul no matter what.
Spiritual Power is the foundation for professionals—when combined with Life Force, it forms battle aura; when merged with external Aether, it becomes Mana.
This meant Aurelia was cut off from all extraordinary abilities and would spend her life as an ordinary person.
This news caused an uproar in the circles of nobility. For a commoner, lack of talent was nothing strange.
But for the scion of a grand noble house to possess no aptitude at all—if the Duke this generation weren’t a woman, they would surely suspect her of having been cuckolded.
Those around her, though disappointed, still tried to comfort Aurelia. Individual ability wasn’t everything; the Godefiel family’s power would not wane for it.
Aurelia would still be the future Duke of the Western Province, and even master-level professionals would have to treat her with respect.
But the disparity was too much for Aurelia to accept.
In contrast was the eldest son of the Eastern Duke, Karen Fitzyat, who perfectly inherited his family’s legacy—“Empire’s Thunder,” “King’s Right Hand”—praise never ceased for him.
When Aurelia was mentioned, people would fall silent by tacit agreement. She was the elephant in the room; even praise for her business wisdom might sting the sensitive girl.
Life at the academy was the same. Aurelia was cold by nature and out of place among her peers.
Her grades were outstanding, her status noble, but her inability to use magic made her especially conspicuous.
Many at the academy looked down on her talent, yet feared her background. Over time, Aurelia was isolated, but she didn’t care, and continued to diligently study as she pleased.
El understood her suffering—he too bore the weight of family expectations. His father died early, and as the family’s only son, his burdens were even heavier than Aurelia’s.
The same kind of disappointment. El was lauded by the Sage as a magic genius, but one day his Mana stagnated.
His magical attainment could be called upper-gold level, but his Mana remained stuck at the very start of silver.
But El did not give up. At the academy, he studied all sorts of knowledge under the professors, hoping that one day what he learned would resolve his Mana issue.
El was gentle, courteous, and erudite—he had already been appointed as the Regis Count by law, and his appearance was flawless. After enrolling, he quickly became a prominent figure at the academy.
Yet, at the very first sight of Aurelia, he fell for her.
Dazzling blonde hair, a face as exquisite as porcelain, a white lace dress that showed off her graceful curves.
These were attractive, but not enough. What truly captivated him were Aurelia’s eyes—like ancient, unmelted ice, yet within, he saw a clear lake, a beauty tinged with brokenness.
He could read Aurelia. She was proud—because she was heir to the Western Duke. But she was also fragile—because she couldn’t use magic and was at odds with everyone around her.
Pain.
Afterward, things were simple: they grew to understand one another, to love, to become inseparable.
El delved even more deeply into his magical studies, hoping one day to solve Aurelia’s problem—often staying late into the night at the library.
Aurelia accompanied him. El’s profile in the lamplight enchanted her, and she would prepare Refreshing Potions for El to make things less arduous.
They became each other’s confidants. On the hill behind the academy, shoulder to shoulder beneath the stars, they made their wishes.
El promised to become a master-level magician, to surpass his mentor, the Sage Anthony, and to be Aurelia’s support in the future.
Aurelia held his hand, fingers intertwined, saying, no need, El, it’s not necessary—so long as we can be together, nothing else matters.
But all that ended three months ago. Aurelia became a Master Alchemist; he thought the distance between them would only grow, yet suddenly, it seemed she had never changed.
El patted his face, pulling himself from his memories.
Time to go find Vita and help her with her problem.