Ruins (1)

Ruins (1)

I fell into thought while looking at the ruins rights certificate received through the butler.

‘The most important thing now would be extracting ancient magic from here.’

Unfortunately since Rumi didn’t go to the ruins in the novel.

Information was quite lacking as things like what happens inside the ruins or what needs to be prepared didn’t appear at all but.

‘… Even considering this, I have ownership and wealth.’

Even without information, methods existed to deal with these things.

‘For example things like hiring professional personnel, or easily clearing it by bringing excessively good items.’

Since using such things might make it possible to clear the ruins more easily, it wasn’t a big worry.

Therefore before the Heaven God cult secretly infiltrates and steals the ruins’ rewards.

I decided to clear out the things inside before that and decided to enter there as quickly as possible.

Sien couldn’t hide her bewilderment looking at the splendid bouquet… no rather things closer to funeral wreaths that came for her.

She hadn’t even imagined she would receive flowers as a gift.

Around when she was carefully stroking with her finger while looking at the flower gift received for the first time since age 7, a pure white letter placed in the center caught her eye.

‘A letter…?’

Though recently communication magic books had developed so letters were hardly written anymore.

Receiving a letter like this makes her feel somewhat strange.

When she picked it up thinking someone strangely romantic must have sent this to her.

[Lercier Deren]

I can see the name written there.

Since it’s such an unbelievable name written there, I momentarily failed to control my expression and muttered absentmindedly.

“… Lord Deren?”

It’s surprising enough that Lord Deren, who always harshly rejected me, sent a letter, but it’s even more unbelievable that he sent such beautiful flowers.

That’s why at first, I thought my father might be playing a prank.

‘But no matter what, he’s not the type to play such a prank… It’s probably right to assume Lord Deren sent it.’

Lord Deren sent it…

Considering his usual behavior towards me, he would have sent death threats rather than gifts like this.

I can’t even begin to guess what kind of change of heart led to this behavior.

So, feeling more puzzled and uneasy than happy, I’m tilting my head in confusion when.

The maid who brought Lord Deren’s gift says playfully.

“They say people change when they’re about to die… I wonder if he’s had some kind of change of heart?”

I know it’s a joke and a saying.

But strangely, those words echoed in my ears, and I reacted emotionally, unlike my usual self.

“Dying…? Lord Deren?”

Noticing my reaction, the maid seems to realize something is off and waves her hands in surprise.

“No, I don’t mean he’s really dying, it’s just a saying…”

I know, but my mind is a bit shaken.

I didn’t want to imagine a future where Lord Deren dies at all.

So, I was pacing around restlessly when the maid urgently spoke to me.

“How about reading the letter first? Maybe Young Master Deren’s feelings for Miss Sien have returned now.”

My whole body freezes at those words about feelings returning.

If that’s true… No, I should check first.

Deciding to confirm the facts before getting unnecessarily excited, I slowly open the letter to see.

[Nice to see you]

“……?”

Words with completely unclear intentions were written.

‘What on earth did he mean by sending this?’

Is it really because he’s glad? Or is it hinting at a new beginning? Or could it be that he sent the wrong letter?

Thinking I might have missed something, I spent an hour staring at the letter, which wasn’t enough.

I even neatly disassembled the stationery and scanned it thoroughly, or used the heat of fire to check for hidden letters.

I tried every method to figure out what the letter meant.

But no matter what I did, I couldn’t interpret the meaning contained in it.

“… Deren would be very disappointed if he knew this.’

He must have sent it with some important meaning.

To think that his fiancée can’t even interpret it after seeing it.

Thinking that even she would lose any affection she had if she were him, she lay on the bed.

“Miss Sien! I’ve been thinking hard too, and could ‘Nice to see you’ be like asking for a date?”

“… A date?”

“Yes, yes. The phrase ‘Nice to see you’ itself means it’s good to meet. I think it might be an indirect way of saying he wants to meet.”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, look. He even sent such beautiful and gorgeous flowers. Especially these roses, which symbolize burning love… No matter how I look at it, it seems like a date!”

Is that so?

Come to think of it, it does seem that way.

To be more precise, rather than it being logically correct, there was a stronger desire for it to be true.

Since there was no way to clearly verify this otherwise… I just decided to believe it as it is.

“A date.”

An activity I hadn’t done even once since childhood.

In fact, even when I was young, it was just playing together without knowing what it meant, so this would be my first proper date.

As a result, like a child the night before receiving a big gift, I was pacing around the room feeling unusually excited in my heart.

Then I realized there was one big problem remaining.

“… Clothes.”

The point was that I had absolutely no clothes to wear on the date.

Not in the sense that I had few options or nothing fashionable, but literally no clothes suitable for a date.

‘Until now… I’ve only lived as a knight.’

I never expected such consequences from completely excluding these things from my life.

I hurriedly asked the maid for advice on what to wear.

Hearing this, the maid glanced at me and waved her hand, saying,

“Miss. You don’t need to buy new clothes. It’s best to just leave your armor and sword behind and go in your Academy uniform.”

“……?”

Blinking my eyes at those incomprehensible words.

The maid smiled and said.

“That’s the prettiest at your age, miss!”

“My age… Aren’t you about the same age as me?”

“That’s why I’m saying it.”

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand what she means.

Since there’s no one else to consult besides the maid, I decided to wear it as she suggested for now.

‘Still, I can’t just wear the school uniform all the time. It would be good to buy a few outfits for going out.’

Thinking that it might not suit me, but at least wanting to dress similarly to others, I decided to try, even if it feels awkward.

*

A massive ruin.

The Heaven God Cult would grow incomparably stronger than before through the ‘ancient magic’ obtained from this place.

The speed was so fast that, based on the last part I read, it was described as having almost caught up with the Lercier Family.

‘As a result, Rumi, who is just a student.’

Not only at the Academy but also in various places, she ends up in unreasonable situations and suffers tremendously.

‘The descriptions that came out then were so pitiful that the comment section went crazy.’

Recalling such memories, I took out an artifact from my possession.

[Mana Detector]

An artifact that alerts when a certain amount of mana exists nearby.

It also has an additional function of roughly guessing what’s there.

It’s an extremely rare and valuable artifact that even most nobles can’t see.

Fortunately, it was secretly taken from the Lercier Family’s warehouse where it was stored.

I rationalized to myself that since everything would become mine once I became the head of the family anyway, I was just using it in advance as I activated it.

‘Well then, shall we go in?’

With those final words, I slowly began to move my feet.

*

‘Maybe I should have brought someone with me.’

At first, I thought about calling in ruin experts or security personnel to explore this place.

But considering the influence of ancient magic, I decided it would be better to handle it alone rather than calling others.

‘There are too many variables, after all.’

There’s no guarantee they won’t betray me when they see ancient magic, and no assurance they won’t go around blabbing about it to the Heaven God Cult later.

So I concluded it would be better to explore alone.

I decided that if things didn’t work out, I’d call for help then, as I looked around.

‘A library? Or a museum? It feels familiar yet strange, like a mix of the two.’

As I thought about how excessively grand it looked due to the medieval-style design mixed in, I continued forward.

In the distance, I noticed a ghost glowing with a blue light, wandering around.

‘… A ghost?’

Wondering why such a thing was here, I approached it out of curiosity.

The ghost, startled, shouted at me.

“Eek! A ghost!”