Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 84

To the Teacher, From Vanessa 84

The King wore a moderately sized crown. Studded with countless clear, sparkling jewels, it looked extravagant against his hair.

Unlike his crown, his attire looked extremely comfortable, and Vanessa couldn’t describe it without feeling irreverent.

“We’re quite familiar. You can look up and just follow me.”

The King took the lead and began to stride forward.

Vanessa wanted to grab someone and pepper them with questions as she hurried along.

*What on earth is going on? Why am I here? Why would the King personally summon a mere low-ranking official?* But there was no one to ask.

“Is this your first time in the First Castle?”

The King’s voice boomed while Vanessa was debating whether to answer.

“Answer!”

“Yes!”

“Oh, I see. Well, there’s hardly any reason to come here. Only ministers or members of the Joint Council visit. Come and hang out more often. I miss young people. I’m tired of fighting with old men.”

Vanessa gestured to Jaro, who was walking beside her, silently asking what this was all about. Jaro smiled gently.

“Which way was it?”

“The opposite way, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, right. It’s too confusing here.”

The massive corridor that appeared again seemed half-submerged in darkness. It looked designed to keep light out. As the King strode forward, faint lights began to turn on.

“Do you know anything about the Valder family?”

“Yes?”

Vanessa, completely unaware of the King’s intentions, answered nervously, and the King chuckled.

“Valder is a name that has been with Priba since its founding. The name has never been absent from the Joint Council’s list, and it has weathered every crisis that has befallen Priba. Therefore, it is customary for the heir who will bear the family name to greet the King.”

At the end of the dark corridor, where the light had risen, a huge door came into view.

“So, I’ve been watching Gideon Sol Valder for a very long time.”

The door was excessively large, even in front of the tall King and Vanessa. On the deep navy door, resembling the night sky, were three magic circles made of lines that sparkled like stars. However, each of the three circles partially overlapped, making them appear as one.

“What do you think this magic circle is?”

Vanessa felt a sense of foreboding at the sudden change of topic. She stepped closer and carefully examined the magic circle.

“Power flowing through blood, guarding and protecting?”

“That’s right. Only I and my bloodline can open this door. Well, you *could* break it, but you’d be caught before you managed to.”

With the King’s powerful touch, the door opened silently. The thickness of the door, which she glimpsed as she passed, was as thick as a man’s head.

The two, and the servants who followed behind, silently walked inside. What they saw was another corridor. However, the air flowing inside was somehow chilling.

“After losing his parents, being betrayed by his relatives, and even his great-grandfather passing away, he changed a lot.”

The omitted subject was obviously ‘Gideon.’

“I was amazed at how cleanly he finished the family matters after that. At that age! I remember he was barely twenty. But what was regrettable, from my perspective, was that he had no ambition or desire to achieve anything. Of course, I wasn’t his parent, so it was very convenient as a king.”

*Easy to use.*

The King smiled, but Vanessa couldn’t. She was busy thinking about how much Gideon had to bear. She felt bad.

“But just when that child had finished settling the family and became peaceful, the former commander of the Special Task Force [an elite military unit] started making a fuss about quitting. He said he wanted to rest now? I acknowledged that feeling. But as I was looking for a magician as powerful as him, well, there was one perfect person!”

*Someone with great power but no will to defy me.*

“Combining the title of Duke and the commander of the Special Task Force. What do you think of the Duke of Priba?”

When the King asked, Vanessa finally managed to speak after much deliberation. She was having a hard time juggling her racing thoughts and trying to maintain a calm facade. She didn’t know if he knew about her relationship with Gideon or not.

“It seems… a lot. Because it’s hard enough to handle just one thing.”

“That’s right. And I got beaten up everywhere as soon as I issued the appointment.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened at the rough language. The servants just sighed as if it were everyday life.

“The nobles under him and the entire Valder family rose up. Ah, think about it. What if the master of Priba’s top family, who has no successor, is appointed as the commander of the Special Task Force and dies? Ah, it’s a complete mess. It would also have an impact on me. But the Duke didn’t really resist.”

Vina Dom kicked the heavy door that appeared again. It was as if he didn’t even want to wait for the servants to open it. He was a king who hated cumbersome things.

But behind the door was another door. At the King’s gesture, the huge doors were opened in order.

“He was such a person. Knowing he was such a person, I thought he would be suitable for the position of commander of the Special Task Force. It’s an honorable position, but one that requires many sacrifices. Also, you must be the best in skill, but you must be fair. Aren’t there one or two people who get hurt? It’s not easy to put someone in that danger.”

Vina held up the only light shining in the darkness, the lamp placed next to him. Vanessa still didn’t understand the King’s intentions and just quietly followed. Something sparkled in the darkness.

“But it was really strange.”

Vina Dom Priba made a laugh that was unlike a king. The big, joyful laughter spread and echoed in the dark, wide space.

“When I say I’m going to use someone, the Duke refines them so that they can be used. He doesn’t refuse. He’s someone who makes them useful if they’re not.”

The only thing illuminating the darkness was the lamp in the King’s hand. As Vanessa took a step, she heard a splash. *Splash?*

Shallow water was spread out below. In magic, water is traditionally used to protect something. But this is inside, so why is there water like this?

“But you know.”

Suddenly, the King thrust his face forward. Vanessa was startled and tried to lower her head, but the King just smiled.

“He refused! He said he didn’t like it. He didn’t even say why, he just said he didn’t like it and left. He didn’t even tell me I *could* leave. Isn’t that really funny? That Duke!”

“What are you talking about?”

Vanessa finally asked because she couldn’t follow the King’s words at all. The King answered cheerfully.

“Vanessa Rose of the Magic Department. I tried to appoint her to the Special Task Force, but he said he didn’t like it.”

Vanessa gave an ambiguous smile. It was something she had never heard of.

“Because I’m lacking—”

“As I said before, the Duke trains those who are lacking so that I can use them. He has no mercy… Ah, don’t say this. Please keep it a secret, Rose. No matter what, he’s not a teenager anymore, but a sinister Duke. Anyway!”

The King walked into the deeper darkness. He gestured to Vanessa, who was hesitating while looking at the water.

Eventually, Vanessa followed, and her pants were soaked and heavy with water.

“Why did he refuse? No matter how I look at it, it’s not because you’re lacking. I’ve seen the documents to the point of being sick of them. I don’t need a *great* magician, I need a *good* magician. There was no one as good as you. Ah, don’t worry, I’m not making fun of your skills.”

Something sparkled in the water. Vanessa quickly stepped back when she saw a line sparkling near her feet. A connecting line.

*Ah, this is part of a huge magic circle.*

‘There are traces of the Night Vandalu magic circle in the royal castle.’

The low voice she heard in the cave flashed through her mind.

“I heard that you also did Special Task Force training together. Rose, do you know *why* the Duke refused?”

Vanessa only moved her lips. Somehow, her cheeks flushed. The King said mischievously.

“Huh, geez. At this age!”

Vina Dom Priba glanced at the woman’s face and secretly smiled.

*Ah, I’m sure. I’ll reduce one of Priba’s worries. I won’t hear that the Duke has problems with his ‘production capacity’ anymore. If I hear that rumor even after today, I’ll have to consider that there’s a real problem.*

“You’re making me a very bad person. But do you know what the Duke offered me in exchange for refusing you?”

“I don’t know. What price did he offer?”

The quiet space was only filled with the sound of water splashing occasionally. When Vanessa asked quietly, the King clicked his tongue.

“When you go out, why don’t you slap that handsome face of his? Anyway, let’s just say it was too great a price to tarnish his reputation. It wasn’t even funny, so I called you directly.”

“I’m not a burden that the Duke has to bear or someone he has to protect. I don’t need a price like that. If you just tell me what you want me to do, I’ll just do it.”

When Vanessa said bluntly, the King smiled.

“That’s why the Duke is stupid for not knowing that. Well, I’ll give you time to cancel the deal. Don’t worry.”

*Now I have to talk about work. I can’t hide it as the Duke wants. Rose, isn’t she a flower about to bloom!*

The King opened his mouth.

“Do you know what this is?”

Vanessa realized that she was really burdened by facing the King. The topic of conversation jumped here and there, and she had to be on edge for every word. It was very tiring.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh my, you’re even good at lying. I’m really good at seeing people.”

Gideon… You told me to keep seeing the magic circle a secret… You should have told His Majesty that he was an exception… Vanessa finally answered gloomily.

“Is it the Night Vandalu magic circle?”

“That’s right. It’s already been reported to me that you fell into the cave with Gideon. You can’t hide anywhere.”

The King chuckled. Just when Vanessa thought the King’s laughter was good to see, the King erased his expression and bared his teeth.

“Night Vandalu did not reveal the location of the magic circle to anyone. Because there would definitely be those who wanted to destroy it. He loved Priba more than anyone else and loved the laughter of children coming from the land.”

At Vina’s gesture, Vanessa began to examine the magic circle in great detail.

It was really perfect. When a magic circle becomes large in scale, the composition that fills it tends to become disorganized and clumsy, but the magic circle in front of her was as beautiful as a painting.

Straight lines and circles. Smooth letters like flowing water and magic that was densely packed without a gap. He was said to be an unparalleled genius.

“But these days, it seems like there are some bastards targeting the magic circles.”

From afar, the servants coughed loudly. Vanessa didn’t even have the energy to be surprised.

“I have to catch those bastards. As you know, I am the guardian of Priba.”

The King smiled at Vanessa and handed her the lamp.

“Look as much as you want and come out. But you can’t dare to refuse. Neither can the Duke!”

The King strode away. Vanessa was left alone in the darkness with a small lamp.

“Haa…”

Vanessa took a deep breath. *Ah, headache.*

‘I tried to appoint her to the Special Task Force, but he said he didn’t like it.’

‘Let’s just say it was too great a price to tarnish his reputation.’

*Ah, Gideon. I won’t let you get away with this.*