My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 135
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 135
As soon as it occurs to me that the curse might have been lifted, I jump to my feet. I'd better go confirm it right now.
"Mother, Father!" I put my shawl back on and rush to my parents' office.
Bang, bang, bang!
My knock is interrupted by a loud banging sound from inside the room. It's accompanied by a sharp sound like something breaking. This doesn't sound like something to be heard in a normal home.
"...." I feel uneasy. Not because I'm worried about my parents' safety, but because I'm afraid I'd see something I shouldn't.
"Skyla, our only child, the cutest, most adorable, sweetest little girl in the world!"
"When did you get back? We thought you'd be back much later!"
A moment later, my father opens the door, breathing heavily. Behind him, my mother clears her throat and smooths her tousled hair.
"...Hello." After one look at the situation, I try to shut the door again.
My father grabs me in a hurry. "Skyla, don't go!"
"It's not what you think it is!"
I roll my eyes at their protests.
"Then what is it? What excuse do you want to make for yourself right now?"
"What do you mean, Skyla, you can hear our thoughts anyway, can't you?"
My mother shoves me into the room. I feel like I'd been hit over the head with a hammer. Right now, in the back of their minds, they're probably thinking about how I feel about this situation, or pleading their case.
But right now, in this room, I can't hear a single sound coming from them, whose mouths are tightly closed.
"I can't…."
"What?"
"I can't hear what Father and Mother are thinking."
My parents glance at each other in confusion.
"What does that mean, my dear?"
"Does it mean the curse has been lifted?"
I nod as hard as I could. I can't hold back my smile. It's quiet. Silent and still. I can't hear the sound of someone's voice over the top of my head.
Finally…!
Finally, the d*mn curse is broken!
Finally, I don't have to watch my parents whisper their love to each other in real time right next to me again!
I think I can sprout wings from my back and take to the sky at any moment. I fight back the urge to pump my fists and jump up and down in a fit of joy. My parents, on the other hand, are still dumbfounded.
"Are you sure, Skyla, you can't hear what your dad and I are thinking in our heads right now?"
"Yes, I'm sure!" I nod vigorously once again. After that, I explain to them.
Of course, I leave out the fact that Viscount Artisina is a prince from the neighbouring kingdom, and that his grandmother was a witch.
Instead, I blurted out that the Viscount, who happened to be a mage, had helped me find a way to break the curse.
"Skyla, let's give it a try. Can you hear what I'm thinking in my head right now?" My father asks, after I finish explaining.
I shake my head, not even bothering to try. I can't hear anything. His mouth closes, all I hear is an unacquainted silence.
"Are you sure? I was just thinking, 'I hope my Skyla doesn't read too many books'!"
"...I'm not talking to Father from now on." I leave the room.
When I got back to my room, Phoebe was waiting for me. "My lady, your bath is ready."
She keeps glancing at the shawl around my neck. But I can hear no more of what she thinks.
* * *
The rest of the day is uneventful.
Luckily, the marks around my neck completely disappeared after a few days. I had a hard time wearing sweaters and shawls to completely cover my neck.
Phoebe continued to look at me suspiciously, but never said anything else. But she must be questioning inwardly as to why I kept covering my neck… I have no way of knowing now that I can't hear her.
And the shawl, made from the fur she had worked so hard to harvest from the hunting grounds, was safely finished. "This is for you, my lady. It comes from my heart." She politely offers me the shawl.
"Oh, yes, thank you…." I can't say her heart's mixed with Viscount Artisina's fur, so I accept the shawl without another word. I'm just gonna use it in dire situations.
"Well, I'll be off." With a quick nod to me, she went back to her work. I don't hear her excited chatter anymore.
This peace is nice, but also a little awkward. I wonder if I've grown accustomed to her frantic reactions to everything I do. I'm still unfamiliar with Phoebe who leaves after a few short words.
Then Lady Aronia brings out the velvet dress as promised.
"It's very thick and well cut. I'm sure it will keep me warm all the way to the North."
"Yes, it is. It'll be worn by no other than Princess Skyla Kaerun."
She blushes slightly at my compliment and nods.
I wonder what she's thinking. But at the same time, I think it's better not to know. She's probably tapping away at a calculator in her head, working out how much money she's going to get.
When I head to the dining room for a quick lunch, Lancer is there. "Do you want to join me for lunch?" He asks, smiling broadly.
"You know… this is my house, right?" There's nothing flattering about asking the homeowner to lunch at their own house. I grumble, but sit down across from him. With one hand on his chin, he smiles at me.
"...Stop smiling."
"Why?"
"You're handsome as you are, but with that smile, you look too handsome."
My heart is pounding so hard because of you, it hurts, so stop smiling. I mutter to myself and stare at Lancer.
His smile never falters.
"...You really don't listen." I pinch his cheek and tug. He gently grabs my wrist and plants a kiss on the back of my hand.
After the meal, I leave for the palace to meet with the Crown Prince. As I promised to see him once a week to report on Lancer.
"We will be leaving for the North the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, that's right."
We share tea in silence. There's been a subtle undercurrent between us ever since Princess Julia's birthday party. I know that he's wary of Lancer. I could hear it whenever he saw him.
Each time, I repeat that my relationship with Lancer is merely that of a childhood friend, and that it would never be a love affair.
But in the end, it came to this.
I even ended up declaring that I was going to marry the Crown Prince. And now, I want to marry Lancer.
"How are the preparations going?"
"It's going well."
"That's good. As I'm sure you're aware, the North is known for its cold. Be sure to pack a thick coat and other things that will keep you warm."
"I understand."
As I drink tea with him, the conversation is dry and businesslike. We'd met to talk about Lancer, but the subject had been left out of the conversation. I wonder what he's thinking right now. He must be making plans again.
The Crown Prince is the opposite of Lancer.
Lancer would never try to fool me; he's the kind who would lunge forward and face me ahead without hesitation.
But the Crown Prince is cautious. He thinks about all the possibilities before he does anything, and he devises all sorts of schemes to get what he wants.
So even now, he might be racking his brain, trying to figure out how to tear me and Lancer apart.
It used to be that I could just listen to what the Crown Prince was thinking and respond accordingly. But not anymore. Now that the curse has been lifted, I no longer have the upper hand. I suppose it's unfortunate that I can't hear his thoughts at times like this.
Funny how I used it like a blessing when it was convenient, and then treated it like a curse when I didn't need it.
"Then we will meet at the palace in the morning. Princess Julia said she'll arrange for a carriage, so don't worry."
"Yes."
With that, we go our separate ways. I never find out what else he has planned. I can only hope everything is okay.
As I sit in the carriage travelling back to the Kaerun Duchy, I'm lost in thought. If the Crown Prince doesn't approve of my relationship with Lancer, what can he do about it?
Maybe he'll kill me.
The thought of such a drastic idea makes me feel better. Even if the Crown Prince had used cunning schemes to remove Carberry and tried to use the Artberry to drive a wedge between me and Lancer, he would never touch a human life.
I make up my mind. I devote myself to preparing my luggage for my journey north. Time passes as quickly as a stream. A few days of preparation goes by in a flash. And finally…
The day I've been anticipating has arrived.