Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 85

To Teacher, From Vanessa 85

Vanessa diligently analyzed the magic circle.

Such opportunities didn’t come easily. A magic circle of Bam Vandalu! Even in old books, only traces remained, which she had tried her best to decipher.

However, it was so difficult that she could barely decipher half of it, and cold sweat poured down. There were things she couldn’t understand at all….

Bam Vandalu’s achievements numbered well over double digits, just from what she could roughly remember. He revived magic that the Edirne Empire had almost lost and made it possible for ordinary people to awaken magic, which had been the exclusive domain of nobles.

And that wasn’t all. He was the one who created new formulas and magic and further developed the crafting of magic stones. If she were to go into the minor details, her mouth would ache.

But among all of that, his most famous achievement was putting a giant, mountain-sized black monster to sleep, saving the entire continent. Even with Bam Vandalu’s power, he couldn’t kill the monster, so he finished by putting it to sleep, but that was enough for him to be called a hero.

*Then*, these magic circles must be to keep the monster from waking up again, but why is this kind of content included? Peaceful sleep and beautiful songs.

As if caring for the monster….

Vanessa stared at the magic circle without rest, but her eyes started to hurt, and her back ached, so she engraved the structure in her mind as much as possible.

Glancing at the attendant standing far away, he smiled as if he knew what Vanessa was going to say.

“Not allowed, right?”

“Yes. Any tools such as paper are not allowed.”

In the end, Vanessa trudged out of the water.

The bottom of her pants was all wet, but she couldn’t dry them, so she roughly squeezed them. Magic was forbidden inside the royal palace except in permitted areas.

The king’s attendant held up a lamp instead and walked ahead, then cautiously spoke.

“Don’t be surprised when you go out.”

“Yes?”

“Haha.”

Perhaps because he was the king’s attendant, his words were as ambiguous and difficult as the king’s. Vanessa just followed him powerlessly.

Bam Vandalu’s magic circle, Special Forces, someone trying to destroy it, then the monster—no, but Gideon, what about the Magic Department—ah, this is all so annoying!

Naturally, her footsteps thumped on the floor.

Watching the magician who seemed to be seething inside, the attendant held back a laugh. Most of those who were suddenly dragged in by the king had that kind of expression.

After passing through numerous doors, the last door closed behind Vanessa. The huge door closed without a sound, and it soon looked like a blocked wall.

The attendants busily moved and disappeared as soon as they came out of the hidden space, and Vanessa was left standing blankly in a place she didn’t even know whose room it was. She didn’t come out the way she came in.

There were many disordered places in the room, but the furniture that filled it looked very precious.

Vanessa carefully opened the door and came out of the wide and chaotic space.

There was a curtain at a moderate distance, and the moment she unknowingly pulled it aside, she heard a very fierce voice.

“Didn’t I refuse? I already said I would pay the price.”

“That’s ridiculous, I’m the king. Does it even make sense for the commander of the Special Forces to refuse *me* in the first place? Then find a replacement!”

“Isn’t there a greater magician than her?”

“There probably is. But there aren’t any *useful* ones. Are you saying that as soon as you set foot in Fydom upon hearing that news, you came to my king to get angry? It’s not even funny.”

The king winked at Vanessa, who was visible behind him, then mouthed the words as Gideon turned his gaze away in annoyance.

‘Hey, look. This is what a duke’s antics look like to the king.’

The man clearly had rushed up from the place he had been dispatched to. The wounds he couldn’t hide were visible outside the clothes he barely managed to dress with courtesy. Vanessa glared at him from behind.

The king smiled and slammed the desk, getting up.

“I! Need to rest for now. I don’t have time to listen to the duke’s complaints…. Tonight, my chef will be serving a terrine [a type of pâté] that he has put a lot of thought into….”

The king subtly walked around the desk and tapped Gideon’s waist. But he only looked coldly at the king. The king grinned.

“I don’t know if you even know this longing?”

“I will find a replacement myself. What we need right now is someone to help with the work appropriately anyway.”

“Ah, of course. Bring someone who pleases me. But I don’t know if it will be up to the duke.”

The king gestured leisurely. Following that hand, Gideon turned his gaze and met Vanessa, who tilted her head crookedly. The strength drained from his expression in an instant.

“That won’t do. Our magician is angry.”

The king chuckled and approached Vanessa, whispering.

‘Give that rude guy a good scolding. Look at his manners towards the king!’

Then, unkingly, he ran away very quickly. The sound of the door closing was heard, and silence flowed between the two people left in the king’s office. Gideon barely opened his mouth.

“Vanes-”

“I don’t think we should do this here.”

Vanessa frowned.

“Let’s talk outside.”

Vanessa turned back, glancing at Gideon, who seemed very tired. Vanessa wanted to stab her own eyes for feeling sorry for him again.

*This* is not the time, it’s time to get angry. Get a grip!

But Vanessa didn’t know the way out.

“By the way, where is this?”

“…It’s one of His Majesty’s offices. Did you see Bam Vandalu’s magic circle?”

As she walked to where Gideon was leading, she saw a corridor that she seemed to have seen before. Only then did Vanessa try to walk away, seething, but Gideon told her it was the opposite direction.

“It’s a place deliberately designed to be confusing.”

“…….”

As Vanessa turned around and walked in the opposite direction with a sulky expression, Gideon gave a bitter smile from behind.

“When did you come up?”

“I just came up.”

“You didn’t come up in a hurry without even resting, did you?”

Vanessa tried to speak calmly, but she became more and more heated.

“That’s right, I came up in a hurry. Because His Majesty said you called for me.”

Without even having time to take care of herself, she had rushed here to leave her in safe Fydom. Gideon spoke as if that wasn’t a problem at all.

Vanessa looked at the ceiling to cool down at the man’s face, who didn’t seem to know what the problem was. The eyes of the people drawn in the ceiling painting were ambiguous.

“Come to think of it, were we not in a relationship?”

When Vanessa finally met his gaze and spat out the words bluntly, Gideon looked embarrassed.

“That’s not true. What are you talking about?”

“Gideon is not my patron, teacher, or my parents. Why are you protecting me from behind and making me look like a fool? You said you were going to give something to His Majesty in exchange for protecting me?”

Vanessa put strength into each and every word. She put a little more strength into the word ‘fool.’

Gideon quietly lowered his eyes.

“You have never wanted to come to the Special Forces, and you don’t need to come.”

“Why? Do you not trust me very much?”

“That’s not it. Why do you take it that way when I’m worried about you?”

Gideon spoke sharply, but Vanessa still didn’t loosen her expression. Only the attendants far away were restless, looking at the two of them. Because there was someone caught in their gaze.

“Go fight outside. Is this my house here?”

The king, who had been secretly hiding and watching the fight, popped out of the next hallway. Gideon, who already knew, looked coldly at the squatting king, but Vanessa was horrified and surprised.

Fighting in front of the king in the 1st Star [likely referring to the royal palace or capital]!

Unlike Vanessa’s thoughts, the king, who was enjoying the spectacle, grinned. Gideon Sol Balder fighting with his lover. And that too, because he was caught trying to protect her on his own! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

“I’ll prepare the carriage for you. Take that and go to Balder Castle to fight. I’m going to see all sorts of things.”

“Are you still not gone?”

At his cold question, the king snorted.

“I secretly stayed to see the duke grovel. Now that I think about it, I think I don’t want to see it, so I’m going to send you to Balder Castle. Do you want to do more here? Well, I’m fine with it.”

“No! Thank you for the carriage. I will use it well and send it back.”

As Vanessa answered urgently, the king clicked his tongue regretfully.

“You’re the only one I can talk to. I hope to hear good news tomorrow. Even if it’s the weekend, I welcome such news.”

Vanessa hurriedly grabbed Gideon’s clothes. Gideon, who had been dragged along obediently for a while, silently looked at the white hand that grabbed his collar. He tried to hold her hand, but Vanessa snatched her hand away.

At the sight of the man’s pale face, Vanessa blurted out in surprise.

“No, your hand is hurt.”

The man reached out his hand again without saying anything. There were many wounds on his large hand that were just healing, and her heart ached. He must have worn gloves, but why was he so injured?

In the end, Vanessa sighed and carefully held his hand.

“Let’s go to the castle to continue fighting for now, and let’s get out of here quickly.”

In front of the 1st Star, there was no one in sight, only the guards standing far away, and only the carriage with the purple curtain that she had ridden earlier was in place. It seemed to be a consideration for Vanessa, who wanted to cover her face.

Gideon first opened the door and curtain of the carriage and dismissed the servants. Vanessa jumped out and ran into the castle first.

“Welcome. A carriage with the royal crest, are you coming from the 1st Star?”

“Yes. By the way, is there a good place to talk? A quiet place that is difficult to approach carelessly.”

Peres was momentarily embarrassed by Vanessa’s burning eyes. *Why* are you asking this? But before he could answer, Gideon came in and led Vanessa away.

“Is there anything you need prepared?”

Peres followed anxiously at his seemingly subdued expression, but Gideon shook his head without saying anything.