The Evil Queen's Beautiful Principles - 4

 The Princess and the Apprentice Maid 2

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Instantly, a strange power drifts from her.

...Ah, that's it.

“Alicia, you have a strong magical power, don’t you?”

A dense, choking feeling of magical power.

I can imagine that if someone without magic power was here, he or she would have easily fainted.

"Uh, yes. Oh, no... Yes, it is."

The fact that she prevented my magic, the fact that she didn't want to release her magic, and now she’se obviously upset... So that's why.

“I don't know how it works, but... Maybe it's that. I've never felt so much pressure from someone else's magic.”

I've never felt so much pressure from someone else's magic, partly because I have so much magic of my own.

But now I'm feeling it constantly.

“Ah, um…Princess Luxeria. Is it still a problem if I work here?”

“...Yes.”

“What…!?”

“No is no. I will never allow it.”

“But why? Surely it shouldn’t be a problem if I can block your magic?”

“My magic grows stronger by the day. Even if you can block it now… Who knows about the future. …One day, you too might…”

I was starting to get heated.

And so I said something that I didn’t need to say.

“I had been thinking about that earlier. …Your magic, Princess Luxuria, isn’t just about hearing voices of the heart?”

I knew it. She realized.

…But it was too late for regrets now.

“Besides, Princess Luxuria, you said that it was magic that affected the heart. Not just that you can hear voices. And…while many people would dislike having their voices heard, it would not put them in actual danger. I think. But you seem to think that you are a danger to others. So there must be more to your magic?”

I let out a deep sigh.

…She really was quite perceptive.

Even though it was poised as a question, she seemed very convinced. And so there was no way to hide the truth now.

“Yes, that’s right. It is so. My magic is more than just ‘hearing voices.’ It affects the heart as well. In other words, my magic…can control the hearts of others.”

Such magic should not exist.

I had thought about this for a long time.

However, in spite of my wishes, it grew stronger every year.

And the number of ‘voices’ I heard also increased.

“Back then…I could not sleep for days on end. It was very frustrating. Even when I closed my eyes and covered my ears, I would still hear the voices. From morning until night. …Time had nothing to do with it. And when my annoyance reached its peak, I covered my ears and shouted, ‘be quiet.’”

“...You just shouted?”

“Yes, I shouted. That’s all. But without thinking about it, my voice carried magic energy. …And an unlucky maid who heard me collapsed.”

That time…I stood and watched in shock as she fell.

There was no sign of anything happening.

She just suddenly fell as if having fallen asleep.

“Thankfully, she woke up the next day. And so I was relieved, thinking that it was okay. I was so relieved… But after that, she would not respond when people talked to her. She had vacant eyes and would seem to be staring into space. No one knew what this change that had come over her was, and the doctors gave up. …At first, it was just a small feeling. And then I grew more and more frightened.”

…Was it my fault? Was it because I had shouted for silence?

This bad feeling entered my mind.

But surely it could not be… But maybe…

“And so I shouted. ‘Return’. …And then, the servant returned to how they used to be.”

That should have been a joyous thing, but it was now clear that my magic was at fault.

“After an inspection, they found out that my magic, which they assumed was just about ‘hearing people’s thoughts,’ was actually about affecting their hearts. …Brainwashing and putting people into a trance is easy. I could even make someone go mad if I am not careful.”

And it was someone who was still a child who had this frightful magic.

On top of that, there was so much magic energy that made the magic difficult to control.

“Because of this incident, my father decided to keep me isolated. …After hearing this story, you must agree that it was the right decision? Even I was afraid of myself. What if I was to lose control…and destroy someone’s heart. This time, I had brought her back, but what if the next person was not so fortunate? …The possibility frightened me so much that I couldn't sleep. And so my father saved me. …And so I am eternally grateful to him.”

I looked at Alicia again.

…I thought that her face would be tense with fear, but she was surprisingly calm.

“...As I said earlier, my magic grows stronger by the day. Even if you can stop it now, one day, you may not be able to… And you will be in danger. And so you cannot be here.”

“...Can I ask you a question?”

“What?”

“...Will you have to leave this tower one day, Princess Luxuria? In order to be the next ruler.”

“Is that what my father said?”

“Yes. He said that it is decided.”

“...Indeed. In this country, the eldest inherits the throne, whether you are male or female. And so I…will have to leave here one day. I must learn how to control my magic before that time comes.”

“And how will you know if you can control it?”

“I…”

“...You won’t be able to know if you are alone. But you still have to learn to do it. In that case, surely you should practice it now. And so I can help you learn to control your magic, Princess Luxuria.”

…What she was saying made sense.

I did have to learn to be able to control it.

Even if my parents were to have another…girl or boy, as long as I was alive, I would have to succeed my father.

And so, it would help a lot if she were to be here and help me practice.

…Such justifications filled my mind.

But more importantly…I felt broken.

After all, this has never happened before.

Someone knew about my magic, and did not move away.

I had thought that no one aside from my father and mother would ever accept me.

“...Very well. It appears that I do need you. And so you are hired.”

“Thank you… Achooo!”

Alicia sneezed loudly.

…Well, it was quite dusty here. If anything, it was impressive that she had held it back for so long. I thought this with a chuckle.

There was then a loud crash, and I hesitantly turned around.

The rest of the shelf had fallen, and it was now in a terrible state.

“...Well, I know you only just arrived, but could you get to work?”

“...Yes. I will clean it up right away.”

Alicia smiled at my request.

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