Never Saved You - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Translator: Yonnee

—

“It’s simple. I’ll give you a clue to find your memories each time you do me a favor.”

“For example?”

“Magic Tower Siren,” Ophelia said, the words rolling off her tongue naturally. “The tower is completely shrouded in mystery. Whether it be its location or the way it looks, or even which group it belongs to—nobody knows.”

“Of course. There’s not much information about it or the mages that’re associated with the tower. But why the tower all of a sudden?”

At Alei’s question, Ophelia lifted her indifferent gaze.

“Alei, why do you think no one has recognized you no matter how far across this vast continent you traveled?”

“I’ve either lived in seclusion or I’ve been extremely unlucky…”

Could it be?

Alei trailed off.

His golden eyes, wide with surprise, flitted towards Ophelia, who in turn closed her eyes and nodded.

“You’re from the magic tower.”

And you’re the Lord of that tower.

It would have been better if she knew how he rose to that position, but all she could tell him was what she knew.

Ophelia wordlessly stared at Alei, who was still reeling. She tapped her finger.

She didn’t have the power to move two people, but at the very least, she could restore the memories of Alei, who had left home.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg.”

“…”

“I thought you’d ask me more questions once I mentioned that you’re from the tower, but do you trust me?”

“…I was mulling over what to ask first. I never thought I’d be from the tower.”

Caught off guard, Alei put a hand over his mouth, leaning down as he exhaled.

Ophelia understood why he reacted this way. It was what she expected.

“No wonder. The tower… Not much is known about it.”

That’s because the temple had long since suppressed the mages, classifying them as heresies. Since then, the mages of the tower had secluded themselves from the outside world.

Because of their isolation, a lot of people were even doubtful of the tower’s existence.

Apart from that, Alei was from the east, where wars often took place.

This meant Alei was someone who could perfectly misunderstand himself as a person who lost his family and even forgot his memory due to the violence of war.

‘And he opened his eyes for the first time after losing his memory in a vague place. It was in a forest on the border of the Milescet Empire and the Eastern Allied Nations.’

Because his surroundings conveniently filled in the blanks, Alei stopped looking for any other explanation.

He believed that he must be from the east.

So he wasn’t too surprised by this information.

But he shouldn’t be so stunned forever, so Ophelia went straight to the point.

“I know you want to ask a lot of questions, but it would be difficult to continue without our promised give and take. I want to ask you a favor once we arrive at Ladeen. What do you think? Can you do that for me?”

“…What am I supposed to do?”

“Nothing much. It’ll be simple for you.”

And it was important to Ophelia.

Ian would be drifting onto the shores of Ladeen in three days.

There was only a month left until King Kschent would send a proposal to the Milescet Empire asking for a princess’ hand in marriage.

She had to finish all her preparations before then.

* * *

Roughly speaking, Ophelia’s plan went like this: she would help Alei with his memories, then she would ask that he take her with him to the tower in return.

But of course, she knew that bringing back his memories was easier said than done.

Alei didn’t exactly lose his memories. To be more exact, they were sealed.

‘Right now, Alei would be happy even with just regaining his memories…’

But Ophelia wasn’t satisfied with that.

There were two conditions. First, Alei must regain his memories. Second, he must become the tower’s master. If both conditions couldn’t be fulfilled, then her whole plan would fail.

Yet at the end of the day, since Ophelia couldn’t wield magic, she wouldn’t be able to unlock the seal on Alei’s memories, so she needed someone’s help.

Even so, it didn’t need to be someone who walked on two legs.

“Ophelia.”

She directed her gaze towards the voice that called her, and as she turned her head, her red hair fluttered along.

Recognizing the owner’s voice, Ophelia answered.

“Alei. You’re not late.”

“I was told not to be tardy.”

Certainly, he said this with confidence.

And now he was here to fulfill his end of the deal as she mentioned in the carriage bound for Ladeen.

—If you walk along Ladeen Fortress’s rear garden, you’ll find the beach. I’ll see you there once the lights have been put out. Don’t be late.

—Is that your favor?

—I’ll let you know the rest of it when we’re there.

—Then it doesn’t matter. You’ll let me know anyway.

By the end of his words, his eyebrows had furrowed briefly, but Ophelia decided to pay it no mind.

Anyway, Alei came on time.

Ophelia slipped down from the boulder she was sitting on. The skirt of her dress had dragged along the boulder and her thighs were momentarily exposed, but it should be fine since it’s nighttime.

After she came down, she brushed off her skirt.

“Are you tired, Alei?”

“Is there a reason for me to be tired?”

“You had cast a lot of spells earlier.”

The same afternoon they arrived at Ladeen, worked just as hard as he did in the previous life and dealt with all the filed complaints.

One of the requests was to calm the waves, and even this time, Ophelia was astounded once again.

He put the sea to rest with one single gesture. But it wasn’t as surprising as the first time because she had expected it.

As though nothing happened, there wasn’t a hair out of place.

“I’m fine. Perhaps it’s you who is more fatigued.”

She was the one worrying for him, but again, that concern was redirected back to her. Ophelia glanced at him with curious eyes. With his distinctive stern expression, he opened his lips.

“I saw it back then. The lord was bothering you.”

“Ah.”

Ophelia caught on to what he was trying to say.

Hydar Ladeen, the Feudal Lord of this territory, greeted her with a questionable welcome. And from the past, she remembered that his excessive kindness continued until she had found Ian.

Since Hydar was a relatively attractive man who had southern charms and a sturdy body, Ophelia might have fallen for him if she were so easily tempted by kindness.

However, she had met many people like him—those who were easily swayed by the surname attached to her. She recalled how he acted as though he had a crush on her, smiling and waving his hand like that.

“It’s only because I’m an Imperial Princess that he’s paying attention to me. And the Feudal Lord knows that I was sent here on an inspection.”

“Why were you sent here as one?”

“Because I supposedly need a husband.”

Alei immediately frowned, but Ophelia didn’t see this because she was taking off her shoes, which she left by the boulder.

Ophelia stepped barefoot on the sand. She lifted the hem of her dress’ skirt and tied it up as she continued talking in a soft tone.

“Because I’m a princess who is past marriageable age, my father, the Emperor, wants to sell me at a high price somehow. At the same time, he wants to pacify the countryside nobles who are being a nuisance. Hmm, I’m done tying it.”

“…So the Feudal Lord is thinking of marrying you?”

“Who knows. Maybe he does. Or maybe he wants to see an innocent princess fall foolishly in love with him.”

Ophelia tapped the edges of her tied dress and fixed its shape, then she straightened her back.

It’s already been more than a year since she started travelling as an inspector. During that time, Ophelia realized that she was in no position to be welcomed anywhere.

In the venerable and solemn Imperial family, a half blood was a problem. However, an illegitimate child became more of a problem when noble blood became mixed with common blood.

No one ever saw her as ‘Ophelia’.

She was just a maid’s daughter, an Imperial Princess.

‘That’s why Ian was so special to me.’

At first, she thought that Ian was just like Hydar, but Ian saw her as her true self.

No. That’s what she thought.

Ian certainly didn’t see her as an illegitimate child or a princess, but he was looking at her under a different label.

His savior.

That’s why after it was revealed that she wasn’t truly his savior, he had immediately abandoned Ophelia.

Well, it didn’t matter now.

That was enough dawdling. Ophelia didn’t realize it, but since a while ago, she had been tugging gently on Alei’s hand.

“Come here. Never mind that for now. It’s the favor I have to ask of you.”

“…Are you finally telling me now?”

“Because it’s the right time now.”

They had walked over a quarter of the way along the coastline, and they didn’t stop until the waves had reached their toes.

“What you did earlier during the day, when you calmed the waves… I want you to do something similar.”

“But the ocean looks calm,” Alei said, but he paused for a moment. “Is that why you asked earlier if I was tired?”

“Was it obvious?”

“A little.”

There was a hint of indignation coloring his voice, but Ophelia was frank with him.

“I’m not asking you to calm the ocean. To be exact, can you pour mana here? Over a wide range. As wide as possible.”

“What good would it be for you if I pour mana here?”

“There are things that can only be seen at this time of the year. They’re like tiny jellyfish, but they shine when mana touches them.”

Laffel was a sea creature that was visible only at night.

The reason it was only visible then was simple—because it would stay invisible if it wasn’t illuminated.

Those creatures reacted to magic stone powder or anything that contained mana, and it was the sight that made her open her heart to Ian that fateful night.

Ophelia and Ian were ordinary people who had no means to do magic, so the magic powder that he brought only showed a portion of the ocean that’s the size of a blanket where the Laffel were.

“Like this?”

If there was someone who could lull the ocean to sleep with just a simple gesture, then it was a different story. Watching as the sea began to glow at once, Ophelia sighed with contentment.

Deliberately coming here after the fortress’ lights had already been turned off, Ophelia picked a time when there were no other people around. She wasn’t sure if there were any other people who sneaked out to see this, but who was going to believe this sight?

With the sea as dark as the night sky, and like white daisies on a flower bed that would sway in a summer breeze, the dream-like iridescence glimmered far and wide.