“…Forbidden dark magic?”

“Yeah, the coexistence of magic and divine power is dangerous and beyond common sense. The only way to achieve such a thing is through dark magic.”

Dark magic.

At Leopold’s words, Lena’s mind seemed to go blank.

“If, instead of the crystal turning black because of the vastness of magic, it’s due to the coexistence of magic and divine power…”

It implied that she might be related to dark magic.

In an instant, dreams she had in Dumnemis Mansion quickly flashed through her mind.

“I’ll help you.”

Could the mysterious man offering help be related to dark magic? Unbeknownst to her, her palms began to sweat profusely.

“It’s not entirely impossible.”

If it was true that the Fermannis family was cursed because of her, and as a result, she ended up living an immortal life, then the possibility of dark magic was considerable.

Controlling someone’s life. There couldn’t be anything more dangerous and irrational.

Then, Leopold chuckled and lightly tapped her shoulder.

“You seem startled by what I just said. Don’t worry too much. Coexisting magic and divine power is not something mediocre wizards can perform; it’s a type of magic limited to dark magic.”

As he spoke, he looked Lena over.

The woman, who seemed to be chewing her lips out of fear, was now stiffened as if she had become overly tense.

“She seems unlikely to perform dark magic, let alone wield any proper magic.”

Dark magic was a special kind of magic.

The reason it was prohibited was not only due to the dangers of controlling someone’s life but also because it ultimately consumed the caster’s mind, leaving them completely in the depths of darkness.

Despite Leopold’s reassurance, looking at his disciple, who couldn’t relax her expression, he added.

“And, in the first place, there’s only one person who can perform that level of magic.”

“…Who is that?”

“I told you last time.”

Ah.

She recalled Leopold saying when they first met that there was only one wizard who could cause the crystal to turn black.

“What was the name? Certainly, Yu…”

The letters vaguely shimmered in her sight. And just as she was about to recall the name…

Leopold straightened his jacket hanging on the chair and said.

“More importantly, I need to go to the Solar Palace now.”

Suddenly, at the professor’s words, Lena raised her head, meeting his gaze.

“The Solar Palace?”

It was where the emperor of the empire resided.

“Why are you going there?”

“Today is the day for maintaining the Solar Palace gardens.”

With this sudden statement from the professor, Lena nodded as if she understood. She heard that all the gardens in the imperial palace were managed by the wizards of the Crystal Palace.
Particularly, it was said that the gardens of the imperial palaces like Rose Palace where the empress resided or Solar Palace were magically maintained, allowing green leaves to be seen even in the heart of winter.

“Oddly, the trees and flowers in the garden of the Solar Palace wither quickly. It requires more frequent maintenance compared to other palaces. About every two months?”

“Shorter intervals than I expected.”

“Yeah, places like Rose Palace or Lily Palace usually need maintenance once every six months, but Solar Palace is an exception.”

Lena’s eyes sparkled as she listened to Leopold’s words.

“If it’s garden maintenance, does that fall under natural magic?”

She heard that handling withered trees fell under the work of natural mages.

Initially unaware of magical classifications, whether natural or spiritual, everything felt unfamiliar to Lena.

“I’ve never seen natural magic before…”

She heard that natural magic could make flower buds bloom even in the heart of winter.

Moreover, the central part of the Solar Palace, surrounded by a large cherry blossom tree, was said to be filled with a spring-like atmosphere throughout the four seasons.

How wonderful would it be to see the cherry blossoms in the garden now as autumn neared its end?

As long as the current First Prince didn’t become emperor, opportunities to witness such a sight were exceedingly rare.

“I would love to see it, but…”

However, the Solar Palace was the emperor’s residence.

Even though she held the title of a duke’s wife, she was just an apprentice at the Crystal Palace and couldn’t casually visit such places.

Putting aside her regret, Lena bid farewell to Leopold.

“Then, have a safe trip. I’ll be waiting here…”

“Are you coming too?”

Did he peek into her thoughts? Leopold asked her with a hint of a smile.

“Me? Can I come too?”

“There’s no reason you can’t.”

Seeing the professor speak as if it weren’t a big deal, Lena eagerly replied in an excited voice.

“Great!”

Recently, she had been tormented by numerous questions.

Until a short while ago, she felt down at the mention of the word “dark magic.”

But now, Lena, who was beaming with a bright smile, decided to momentarily forget about her past. After all, worrying about it later wouldn’t change anything.

“Just forget about it for now. It’s not like worrying about it later will make a difference.”