Chapter 5

“There’s magic on my handkerchief?”

“That’s what His Highness Textus says.”

It was their usual weekend tea party and Aurora tilted her head as Felix spreads out the handkerchief she embroidered and gave to him as a present for the flowers he brought before, his eyes met her gaze.

The handkerchief was embroidered with Felix’s initial done in a flowery design and a carefully sewn up emblem of the Clavis House. Now that she’s got a lot of time in her hands after the engagement, with the excuse 「Clavis-sama might come here」 to reject tea parties, Aurora is now living a slow paced life of doing embroidery.

“My mother wanted to frame it up but I think it’s something to be carried around and used so I didn’t give it to her. Then, after having swordplay at the Order of Knights, the His Highness passed by as I was wiping my sweats and said,「This handkerchief is imbued with good magic」”

“The cloth and thread I used for embroidery were normal materials though it has been known for its good quality to be given as a present. But I don’t know what you meant by good magic.”

“It’s a different kind of magic that’s supposed to be contained in a magic tool.”

Felix frowns like Aurora, he doesn’t know much about it.

“Although I’m a knight and a magician, my knowledge is lacking unlike the His Highness who studied magic.”

His Highness Textus was a famous magician. Like Felix, he trained himself as a Magic Knight but he had too much magic powers than instead of swords, he use magic as a weapon.

Felix couldn’t possibly ask for His Highness to see Aurora’s magic himself nor could he observe her magic since he’s just a normal magic knight.

“I think it’s not on the cloth and the threads you used but you yourself have magic powers.”

“…But I’m not a magician…”

“You have magic powers.”

“Then, please watch and observe me while I doing embroidery.”

“Although I’m not sure entirely sure about it, the House of Porta was said to be a branch of the House of Flos.”

Earl Flos, known as the “Magic Earl” was formerly the noble with the most number of magic lands in Welbum Kingdom, it was a family of magicians. Aurora is the 5th generation separated from the House of Flos.

The reason for the House of Porta’s separation from the main House at that time is simply because they got tired of using magic, and through the times the House of Porta hardly have any offsprings with magic. It continues even to their daughters and sons and with the exception of Aurora and his brother who seemed to have acquired the magical abilities of their ancestors.

“I don’t know how to put magic into tools. Was I doing it unconsciously?”

“I also don’t know how to put magic into tools. Why don’t you try doing it again?”

Felix explains to Aurora that magicians usually draw a magic circle before putting magic in the tools.

“A Court Magician can simply touch a tool to imbue magic but this is an advanced technique. If you were at the same level as those of the Court Magicians, just by being next to the magic tool puts magic power in it.”

—Hmm, Aurora touched the handkerchief she had embroidered. She had no idea about magic.

“I feel nothing when I touch it.”

“I’m also at loss as I didn’t even notice until I was told.”

“Do you want to see what I’m embroidering, right now? I’m trying to do what I’ve done before, I’m not of thinking of anything while doing this embroidery.”

Felix took the embroidery hoop that Aurora handed him and observed it, his eyes traced the embroideries along with his fingers.

“What’s this design?”

“These are the recently popular arabesque patterns from the far eastern continent. It look just like those magic circles.”

“You are very skillful.”

He stared intently at the embroidery and hold it up while deep in thoughts, his silver hair fluttered in the wind as usual.

“I don’t feel any magic from this embroidery… It must be like those magic circles that the magicians wrote.”

“Does one really need magic power to make the magic circles work?”

“That seems to be the case. To make it work, first is to create a magic circle, and then you put magic power in the tool to trigger the magic.”

“So in order for the magic to take effect, I have to finish this embroidery first?”

“That may be the case.”

“Then once I get this embroidery done, shall I deliver the cloth and thread that I used to sew up to His Highness? He might observe something else.”

“No.”

Felix suddenly stood from his seat and his eyes met her gaze. The look in his eyes hit her with uncomfortable feelings, her stomach churned at that moment.

Her fiancee’s eyes were very beautiful. Those purplish blue eyes looked almost like a blooming chrysanthemum which was bad for her health. Had she not turned her sight on the chair, Aurora who had no interest for beauty might have been enchanted.

“E-Err, Clavis-sama?”

“There’s a way to get things done easier.”

As Felix continues, Aurora comes to her senses. Felix returned to his seat and straightened his back.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You should visit the Order of Knights on the day His Highness comes to inspect.”

＊＊＊

Wearing an Imperial Guards uniform, Felix appeared before Aurora oozing with appealing masculinity. Aurora couldn’t agree anymore at those ladies screaming.

His dark red cloak and purple uniform worn by the knights was customized with silver embroidery. The long sword hanging on his waist has an amber colored strap wrapped in a glistening silver sheath. Long fingers, muscled chest, and silver hair plaited neatly flowing behind him—Felix’s beauty was the picture perfect example of a knight.

(But for some reason he seems to be in a bad mood.)

Aurora sighed as she look at Felix’s silver plaited hair swaying left and right. Felix today has the image of Ice Knight, so cold that one would be injured if they touched him but that in itself highlights his incomparable beauty.

(He was wearing his usual expression when he came to pick me up this morning…)

Did something happened after they entered the Order of Knights?

(Was it because I didn’t bring my maid with me? But if I did so, she’ll make a fuss…)

Aurora creased her eyebrows as they entered the place, she recollected the scene of when she left the evening party that’s still fresh in her memory.

The arabesque embroidery she showed to Felix during their tea party was finally finished and Aurora who was escorted by Felix, visited the 1st Platoon of the Order of Knights. The 1st Platoon of the Order of Knights is located outside the royal palace and consists of a head office, cafeteria, bookstore, office rooms, a number of training and weapons stores, large stables, and a dormitory for the knights. The 2nd Platoon is closer to the royal castle or so she heard.

Despite having to come to come here for an informal visit to His Highness Textus, Aurora was dressed magnificently as if she had come to meet an important noble. Acting like a descent fiancee he was, Felix under his mother and sister’s supervision, prepared Aurora a scarlet dress. She was concerned it wouldn’t suit her since it was rare for her to wear a dress with such color and to wear such a ladylike fashion, Aurora in her embarrassment held her face down with mottles of blush on her face.

The knights they would cross paths with would bow to her, Aurora felt that she was at visibly seen as a noble lady. Especially to those young knight, when she gave a simple courtesy, they would flush in red, as if yielding to a lady.

However.

“Umm, Clavis-sama.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Where is His Highness?”

“He’s in the training grounds.”

“How long should we wait?”

“Yes.”

“The Order of Knights is quite large, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

(Clavis-sama is still in bad mood…)

For some reason Felix’s mood turned bad, the conversation doesn’t last longer than usual. Stolid expression and low voice—it was the perfect embodiment of the ‘Noble of Ice’. Naturally, he’s in a bad mood.

While thinking about this, she struggles to chase after Felix’s back. It’s noticeable how Aurora was doing her best to match Felix’s stride.

(Err, Clavis-sama! I don’t mind if you’re in a bad mood, so please slow down!)

—Please don’t leave me in a place filled with men that’s easily swayed by a woman. Aurora rarely walks this fast, how much more to run after him carrying the fan and parasol, not to mention that her heels is starting to hurt.

“Felix!”

Felix stops at the audacious call in before him. Aurora almost ran against his back when he suddenly stops but she breathes out in relief, she finally caught up to him!

“Commander.”

“Are you on duty?”

It was the 1st Platoon Commander, the one who strangely talks in much more familiarity and waves ferociously towards Felix. A very muscular man taller than Felix with a large scar spread over his cheeks, log-like thick limbs and an overall muscular build—it reminded Aurora of a bear.

“What do you want?”

“Wow, you’re in a really bad mood… But you came at the right time, let’s spar!”

“I don’t want to. I have an appointment and I’m here as an escort.”

“But aren’t you here right now? I beg you—who’s this lady?”

The Platoon Commander eyed Aurora who’s still catching up her breath. He scrutinized her figure and Aurora beamed a business smile like the ones she used in the evening party.

“Hello. ”

“Err… Isn’t it a miracle seeing you with a woman?”

“She is my fiancee.”

“Ah, so that’s it. So you came to escort your fiancee?”

Rumors has been running far and beyond a thousand miles, Aurora thought as her eyes looked at the distance. This Platoon Commander is probably Felix’s boss, she mustn’t be impolite.

“Lady Porta, this is Ingelus-dono, the 1st Platoon Commander of the 1st Order of Knights.”

“Yo. Nice to meet you, young lady. I’m Magnus el le Ingelus.”

“How do you do, Ingelus-sama? My name is Aurora el le Porta.”

Aurora folds her parasol with a bow and smiles gracefully just as how she was taught. To daughters of nobility, first impressions are important. Despite avoiding the social circle, Aurora is still prepared for a meeting like this.

“Ah, It’s fine. Feel free to chat with me casually like this.”

When Ingelus smiled, his menacing face changed into that of a young man. Aurora dropped the formalities, it would be unnecessary to continue do so if the Commander himself says it and the business smile was wearing her down.

“Now, aren’t she a very adorable lady? When you mentioned about having a fiancee, I was thinking of a fancy girl, you know?”

“My sister is enough.”

“You used to hate those self-absorbed beautiful women from the social circles… So young lady, is there anything I can do for you now?”

“It seems I wasn’t aware of the right time so we have arrived a little earlier than scheduled.”

“So that’s it, I’ll ask you again, Felix! Just a single round of swordplay. Let’s spar?”

“I don’t want to.”

Aurora absent-mindedly listen to the conversation between the boss and his subordinate—Platoon Commander Ingels was begging him while Felix was refusing him—those repeated exchanges between the two were the contents of their conversation. The atmosphere has fallen below the freezing point.

However, it seems Commander Ingels vetoed his rights as a superior, he doesn’t seem to be ordering Felix because he continues to refuse the Commander. Felix with his serious character wouldn’t refuse the order of a superior at all that’s is why Aurora have a favorable impression on Commander Ingels’.

“Ah—I’m begging you!”

“I don’t want to. We have sparred last month.”

“There you go again being such a pain in the neck!!!”

“Why are you speaking as if this is place is the battlefield?”

This conversation isn’t going anywhere.

“Ingels-sama, Clavis-sama.”

Aurora’s voice almost trembled as if she saw a mirage of her etiquette teacher reprimanding her for intruding the conversation between men. But Aurora is tired of standing, not to mention the fact that her fiancee has an obstinate side and she thinks she needs a man to take charge of this.

Turning her head to the two knights, Aurora smiled the best business smile she could ever have.

“While were waiting for His Highness Textus, I would like to watch your mock battle.”