If I tried to predict a week later, a beef steak I would eat in a month was drawn, and if I tried to predict a month later, I saw the future of a date with Benny a week later.
The near future was better, but even that was limited to about 10 seconds.
Beyond that, I wasn’t even quite sure when the thing that popped into my head was going to happen.
‘I think this ability was more useful in the past.’
I groaned.
I was much more accustomed to black magic now than when I was young, but the prophetic ability that saved me from death seemed to deteriorate as time went on.
“Because black magic feeds on earnestness.”
That was what Garrou told me.
“Actually, it is the same with the power of all gods. When you’re in danger of dying, it awakens to protect the host. Well, this only applies to cases like you and me who have been born with tremendous magical powers…”
“…Do I have to be on the verge of death?”
As I was gently stroking my neck, Pedro shouted from under the terrace.
“Lily, come down and eat something!”
He handed over the emperor’s spy to his subordinates, and before I knew it, he had a lot of alcohol and meat in his hands.
I answered, one beat later.
“I’ll be right there after I change my clothes!”
When I saw Pedro’s smile, I was relieved. I hurried to the dressing room.
‘Okay, let’s not do anything unnecessary.’
‘Let’s believe in the House Bauner. Everything is going well.’
By repeating that, I let go of my unexplained anxiety.
In any case, predicting 10 seconds of the future was unnecessarily accurate.
***
I changed into a rose-red dress, went down to the flower garden, and was immediately unable to contain my embarrassment.
Pedro’s men were all becoming dogs, even though they hadn’t exactly turned into beasts.
To be precise, they were lying around here and there because they were drunk.
What was even more surprising was that Pedro and Hugo were humming together in front of the beer table.
“Bro, Brother?!”
It might be understandable for Hugo, who was weak in alcohol, but it was the first time I had ever seen Pedro drunk.
I hurriedly ran and supported Hugo, who was about to fall over.
My long hair, which had grown to my waist, swept over his weak body.
“…Lily…”
Hugo looked up at me with a red face and burst into tears.
‘What the hell is going on here?’
I couldn’t believe both princes got drunk together before the wedding.
While I was very flustered, Hugo hugged me tightly.
“Don’t get married. I beg of you…”
Hugo hung on desperately.
He must have been crying before I came as his eyes were red through the thin-rimmed glasses.
“Hugo, Brother…”
“Huu… Hic.”
“You reek of alcohol.”
“Hic… Ugh.”
I felt sorry for Hugo, but I had no intention of comforting him.
He developed a habit of drinking alone since the day Benny and I had our reception, but I learned that if I let him cry enough, he would come back to normal.
‘He’s going to regret it after he comes to his senses this time.’
The wizards from the nearby academy murmured with bewildered expressions.
It was not strange for them to be in a big shock when they saw the cool and intelligent archmage kneeling on the wet floor and crying.
“Damn it… It’s the first time I’ve lost to alcohol.”
Pedro hiccuped and hit the table.
As my eyes took in the countless empty glasses in front of him, I found a hand full of calluses and stopped my gaze.
“Would you mind clearing the table?”
The tall man put down his empty glass and called for a servant.
He spoke politely, as if he was dealing with a nobleman rather than a servant.
“…Benny.”
Even after winning a drinking bet with the knight commander, my fiancé looked as if he had just drank glasses of cold water.
Benny, dressed in a pure white formal suit, approached me while wearing the gloves he had put by the table.
Strangely, Benny didn’t even smell of alcohol.
A man as white as a sheet white paper. Only when I was around did he seem to be a little colored by the world.
But when I took my eyes off him, he went back to being colorless and odorless.
Maybe he didn’t want to be assimilated into the world from the beginning, but he was acting for my sake.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
Benny bowed his head, as straight as a folded letter.
“I had to stop along the way… The first prince said that if I am the princess’ fiancée, I must win the bet.”
His silver hair, wet with snow, glistened in the color of a transparent lake.
I stared blankly at the young man as beautiful as a marble statue, and sighed.
“I know what’s going on.”
I didn’t have to see it to know it.
Pedro made a bet on Benny for fun, and Hugo, who had been waiting for the day to bother Benny, joined the excited knights.
‘And the result is this.’
I looked around the knights slumped on the floor like harvested rice with my forehead pressed.
Then, I stood firm in place.
At the edge of the garden stood a handsome man.
Dressed in black like a shadow in the colorful flower garden covered in snow on a spring day, he caught my eyes immediately.
The man strode towards me. Even though that was all he did, my veins swayed to the sound of his footsteps.
Four years had passed since I heard the promise to spare me, and my heart still raced when I saw him.
“…….”
The man stood tall on my right side.
His young face, unchanging from my childhood, momentarily crumpled.
“Did you leave the bride unattended on the eve of the wedding to make a bet?”
Alan scolded Benny in a heavy voice.
Benny immediately lowered his gaze.
“I made a mistake.”
The atmosphere became increasingly harsh. I hurriedly laughed before things got worse.
“Du… No, Dad. It’s the eve now.”
Alan’s cheeks trembled at the word ‘Dad’.
I was nervous that he might be offended, but I couldn’t help it because there were so many people around us.
“Everyone is trying to entertain the guests. He’ll be sober by tomorrow morning. Isn’t that right, Benny?”
“I’m not sure because it’s a strong alcohol…”
I put my arms around Benny when he was answering so honestly.
He felt the signal and immediately changed his words.
“If I rest well until tomorrow, I will be able to participate in the wedding safely.”
Benny naturally grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.
Alan furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at our clasped hands.
Somehow, it seemed that he was more annoyed with Benny and I than the idea of having a drink in broad daylight.
“Nike.”
“Yes!”
As soon as Alan called, Nike popped out of the bushes.
At this point, he looked more like a fairy, not a spirit.
“Take care of these idiots.”
Alan gestured at Pedro and Hugo, who were lying on the floor.
Nike answered ‘All right!’ bravely, and along with other employees, they worked on the two princes.
As Hugo was being dragged away, he muttered to me to not get married.
Then, the tables filled with empty glasses were cleaned up, and the guests retreated in search of other sights to see.
The flower garden, with only the three of us left, was very quiet.
The pale Benny and the dark Alan.
Between the two contrasting men, like pieces of chess, I gripped the rosy red dress tightly and looked around.
Alan had been angry for some reason since this morning. Maybe it was normal.
Like last year’s reception, this wedding was an event that I begged for.
‘I wanted to help the Bauner family.’
Alan always seemed displeased, perhaps because he didn’t want to use the duke’s private affairs in rebellion, but he always allowed it when I asked for it.
Although I was grateful for his kindness, I kept worrying about whether he was yielding too much to me.
“It’s cold.”
Then Alan’s blunt words warmed my back.
I blinked like an idiot, not knowing what had just happened.
“Huh…?”
I touched my shoulder and caught a thick cloth in my hand.
It was not just a feeling. Alan took off his cloak and wrapped it around me.
“Go inside, both of you.”
Alan gave Benny a stern command and turned away.
Benny pulled my hand, but I stood still and watched the back of the man disappearing out of the garden.
Alan’s body temperature still remained in the black cloak.
It seemed that the warmth would blow away if I moved even a little.
It was a hand with mesh gloves that suddenly rose on my shoulder that made me retreat, which was stiff like a stone statue.
“Lilietta, do you enjoy being snowed on?”
I turned to the side where the voice came from and was surprised again.
A tall beautiful woman stood in front of me.
Her black hair, which was neatly put up with one strand delicately trailing down, was intensely beautiful.
The copper-colored skin and golden eyes were alluring like an exotic snake, and the black lace choker and mesh gloves that covered the forearm made the dazzling golden dress stand out.
It was a face I hadn’t seen before.
She spoke kindly to me, but if I had seen such a beautiful woman, I couldn’t have forgotten.
As I tried recalling, she, who was taller than a young man, grinned and raised her bangs.
Smooth black hair fell off the scalp. Her hair was a wig.
“You, you, don’t tell me…”
“Sshh.”
The woman brought her fan over her mouth and winked at the bushes.
When I turned around, I saw high-ranking young men stalking us without courtesy.
It seemed that they fell in love with this woman at first sight and followed her.
“I’ll go in first, Princess.”
As the woman left, the young men rushed out and a lot of questions poured out.
“Princess, who is that lady?”
“Is she married? If so, with whom?”
It’s good to be friends with other nobles to gather rebel forces, but the problem was that they were being too curious.
“What’s that young lady’s name?!”
“Ga…”
“Ga?”
“…Garods.”
I pinched the roses on my shoulders and gave them a name that they wouldn’t find anywhere else in the empire.
If I tried to predict a week later, a beef steak I would eat in a month was drawn, and if I tried to predict a month later, I saw the future of a date with Benny a week later.
The near future was better, but even that was limited to about 10 seconds.
Beyond that, I wasn’t even quite sure when the thing that popped into my head was going to happen.
‘I think this ability was more useful in the past.’
I groaned.
I was much more accustomed to black magic now than when I was young, but the prophetic ability that saved me from death seemed to deteriorate as time went on.
“Because black magic feeds on earnestness.”
That was what Garrou told me.
“Actually, it is the same with the power of all gods. When you’re in danger of dying, it awakens to protect the host. Well, this only applies to cases like you and me who have been born with tremendous magical powers…”
“…Do I have to be on the verge of death?”
As I was gently stroking my neck, Pedro shouted from under the terrace.
“Lily, come down and eat something!”
He handed over the emperor’s spy to his subordinates, and before I knew it, he had a lot of alcohol and meat in his hands.
I answered, one beat later.
“I’ll be right there after I change my clothes!”
When I saw Pedro’s smile, I was relieved. I hurried to the dressing room.
‘Okay, let’s not do anything unnecessary.’
‘Let’s believe in the House Bauner. Everything is going well.’
By repeating that, I let go of my unexplained anxiety.
In any case, predicting 10 seconds of the future was unnecessarily accurate.
***
I changed into a rose-red dress, went down to the flower garden, and was immediately unable to contain my embarrassment.
Pedro’s men were all becoming dogs, even though they hadn’t exactly turned into beasts.
To be precise, they were lying around here and there because they were drunk.
What was even more surprising was that Pedro and Hugo were humming together in front of the beer table.
“Bro, Brother?!”
It might be understandable for Hugo, who was weak in alcohol, but it was the first time I had ever seen Pedro drunk.
I hurriedly ran and supported Hugo, who was about to fall over.
My long hair, which had grown to my waist, swept over his weak body.
“…Lily…”
Hugo looked up at me with a red face and burst into tears.
‘What the hell is going on here?’
I couldn’t believe both princes got drunk together before the wedding.
While I was very flustered, Hugo hugged me tightly.
“Don’t get married. I beg of you…”
Hugo hung on desperately.
He must have been crying before I came as his eyes were red through the thin-rimmed glasses.
“Hugo, Brother…”
“Huu… Hic.”
“You reek of alcohol.”
“Hic… Ugh.”
I felt sorry for Hugo, but I had no intention of comforting him.
He developed a habit of drinking alone since the day Benny and I had our reception, but I learned that if I let him cry enough, he would come back to normal.
‘He’s going to regret it after he comes to his senses this time.’
The wizards from the nearby academy murmured with bewildered expressions.
It was not strange for them to be in a big shock when they saw the cool and intelligent archmage kneeling on the wet floor and crying.
“Damn it… It’s the first time I’ve lost to alcohol.”
Pedro hiccuped and hit the table.
As my eyes took in the countless empty glasses in front of him, I found a hand full of calluses and stopped my gaze.
“Would you mind clearing the table?”
The tall man put down his empty glass and called for a servant.
He spoke politely, as if he was dealing with a nobleman rather than a servant.
“…Benny.”
Even after winning a drinking bet with the knight commander, my fiancé looked as if he had just drank glasses of cold water.
Benny, dressed in a pure white formal suit, approached me while wearing the gloves he had put by the table.
Strangely, Benny didn’t even smell of alcohol.
A man as white as a sheet white paper. Only when I was around did he seem to be a little colored by the world.
But when I took my eyes off him, he went back to being colorless and odorless.
Maybe he didn’t want to be assimilated into the world from the beginning, but he was acting for my sake.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
Benny bowed his head, as straight as a folded letter.
“I had to stop along the way… The first prince said that if I am the princess’ fiancée, I must win the bet.”
His silver hair, wet with snow, glistened in the color of a transparent lake.
I stared blankly at the young man as beautiful as a marble statue, and sighed.
“I know what’s going on.”
I didn’t have to see it to know it.
Pedro made a bet on Benny for fun, and Hugo, who had been waiting for the day to bother Benny, joined the excited knights.
‘And the result is this.’
I looked around the knights slumped on the floor like harvested rice with my forehead pressed.
Then, I stood firm in place.
At the edge of the garden stood a handsome man.
Dressed in black like a shadow in the colorful flower garden covered in snow on a spring day, he caught my eyes immediately.
The man strode towards me. Even though that was all he did, my veins swayed to the sound of his footsteps.
Four years had passed since I heard the promise to spare me, and my heart still raced when I saw him.
“…….”
The man stood tall on my right side.
His young face, unchanging from my childhood, momentarily crumpled.
“Did you leave the bride unattended on the eve of the wedding to make a bet?”
Alan scolded Benny in a heavy voice.
Benny immediately lowered his gaze.
“I made a mistake.”
The atmosphere became increasingly harsh. I hurriedly laughed before things got worse.
“Du… No, Dad. It’s the eve now.”
Alan’s cheeks trembled at the word ‘Dad’.
I was nervous that he might be offended, but I couldn’t help it because there were so many people around us.
“Everyone is trying to entertain the guests. He’ll be sober by tomorrow morning. Isn’t that right, Benny?”
“I’m not sure because it’s a strong alcohol…”
I put my arms around Benny when he was answering so honestly.
He felt the signal and immediately changed his words.
“If I rest well until tomorrow, I will be able to participate in the wedding safely.”
Benny naturally grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.
Alan furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at our clasped hands.
Somehow, it seemed that he was more annoyed with Benny and I than the idea of having a drink in broad daylight.
“Nike.”
“Yes!”
As soon as Alan called, Nike popped out of the bushes.
At this point, he looked more like a fairy, not a spirit.
“Take care of these idiots.”
Alan gestured at Pedro and Hugo, who were lying on the floor.
Nike answered ‘All right!’ bravely, and along with other employees, they worked on the two princes.
As Hugo was being dragged away, he muttered to me to not get married.
Then, the tables filled with empty glasses were cleaned up, and the guests retreated in search of other sights to see.
The flower garden, with only the three of us left, was very quiet.
The pale Benny and the dark Alan.
Between the two contrasting men, like pieces of chess, I gripped the rosy red dress tightly and looked around.
Alan had been angry for some reason since this morning. Maybe it was normal.
Like last year’s reception, this wedding was an event that I begged for.
‘I wanted to help the Bauner family.’
Alan always seemed displeased, perhaps because he didn’t want to use the duke’s private affairs in rebellion, but he always allowed it when I asked for it.
Although I was grateful for his kindness, I kept worrying about whether he was yielding too much to me.
“It’s cold.”
Then Alan’s blunt words warmed my back.
I blinked like an idiot, not knowing what had just happened.
“Huh…?”
I touched my shoulder and caught a thick cloth in my hand.
It was not just a feeling. Alan took off his cloak and wrapped it around me.
“Go inside, both of you.”
Alan gave Benny a stern command and turned away.
Benny pulled my hand, but I stood still and watched the back of the man disappearing out of the garden.
Alan’s body temperature still remained in the black cloak.
It seemed that the warmth would blow away if I moved even a little.
It was a hand with mesh gloves that suddenly rose on my shoulder that made me retreat, which was stiff like a stone statue.
“Lilietta, do you enjoy being snowed on?”
I turned to the side where the voice came from and was surprised again.
A tall beautiful woman stood in front of me.
Her black hair, which was neatly put up with one strand delicately trailing down, was intensely beautiful.
The copper-colored skin and golden eyes were alluring like an exotic snake, and the black lace choker and mesh gloves that covered the forearm made the dazzling golden dress stand out.
It was a face I hadn’t seen before.
She spoke kindly to me, but if I had seen such a beautiful woman, I couldn’t have forgotten.
As I tried recalling, she, who was taller than a young man, grinned and raised her bangs.
Smooth black hair fell off the scalp. Her hair was a wig.
“You, you, don’t tell me…”
“Sshh.”
The woman brought her fan over her mouth and winked at the bushes.
When I turned around, I saw high-ranking young men stalking us without courtesy.
It seemed that they fell in love with this woman at first sight and followed her.
“I’ll go in first, Princess.”
As the woman left, the young men rushed out and a lot of questions poured out.
“Princess, who is that lady?”
“Is she married? If so, with whom?”
It’s good to be friends with other nobles to gather rebel forces, but the problem was that they were being too curious.
“What’s that young lady’s name?!”
“Ga…”
“Ga?”
“…Garods.”
I pinched the roses on my shoulders and gave them a name that they wouldn’t find anywhere else in the empire.
