Chapter 26: The Archmage, The territory and the upcoming trouble.

[LUCIELLE’S POV — LATER — NEAR THE HOT LAKE]

"I can sense the energy coming from here; this...THIS IS TRULY A MANA-STONE, LALKE!"

Aurelius stood at the edge of the enormous underground lake, staring into the glowing blue water with an expression I had never seen on his face before, hands spread wide as he found heaven on earth.

Which probably is correct.

The usual smugness was gone, the irritating little smile was gone. Even his habit of speaking as though he personally owned the entire universe had disappeared.

Instead, his eyes were shining, and then, to make things even more ridiculous, flames suddenly began curling around his body, of course metaphorically.

I blinked.

"...Why is he on fire?"

Nobody answered me. Cedric was staring at Aurelius; the knights were staring at Aurelius. Cassian was staring at Aurelius. I was staring at Aurelius. Meanwhile, the Archmage seemed completely unaware that he had transformed himself into a human fireplace.

The flames surrounding him grew brighter, radiating enough heat to melt the frost around his boots... Maybe we are seeing too much, but we are feeling the things here.

The cold air of the mountain slowly warmed around him, steam rising where the snow touched his magic. Aurelius took another step toward the lake, his eyes practically sparkling.

"This is truly a treasure land..."

He sounded like a man who had just discovered laboratory heaven. Then he turned toward Cassian with an expression so enthusiastic that I immediately became suspicious.

"I am willing to work here for the rest of my life."

There was a brief silence. Cedric slowly raised his hand. "Sir...what about your position in the Imperial Palace? You are the Archmage."

Aurelius turned back toward the lake. "I SHALL RESIGN IMMEDIATELY!"

Cedric’s hand slowly dropped; nobody reacted, not because we weren’t shocked, we were simply too tired to be shocked anymore.

Aurelius pointed dramatically toward the glowing lake. "Who would be foolish enough to leave a territory containing newly discovered mana stones? These stones haven’t even been properly classified yet! Do you understand what this means?"

Cedric looked at him cautiously. "That...we have discovered a laboratory for you in a water?"

"Exactly."

Aurelius turned around so quickly he almost lost his balance, but yet he didn’t mind. He looked at the lake again, and for a moment I genuinely thought he was going to cry.

"This is a treasure that could change the entire magical economy of the empire! I shall bury my soul here."

I stared at him, then I slowly turned toward Cassian. "Is he proposing to the mountain?"

"I believe so."

I nodded.

"That makes sense."

Apparently, everyone had a type; some people liked beautiful faces, some liked strong bodies, and Aurelius liked glowing rocks.

Who was I to judge?

Aurelius suddenly approached Cassian. "Grand Duke, allow me to remain here."

Cassian glanced at him. "You have an Imperial position."

"I told you...I can resign."

"But the crown prince..."

"Oh...I can resign him too."

. . .

. . .

He looked back toward the lake; this man had lasted approximately five minutes before deciding that his entire career could be exchanged for shiny rocks.

Honestly, I respected the dedication. Cassian finally sighed. "We will discuss it after we return to the manor."

Aurelius’s face immediately brightened. I looked at Cedric. "He’s not going to let this go, is he?"

Cedric shook his head. "No, Your Grace."

"Thought so."

Cassian then adjusted his hold around me. I looked down...right. I was still being carried. My foot was injured, and apparently Cassian had decided that walking was now completely forbidden.

I glanced at him.

"Are you planning to carry me all the way back?"

"Yes."

"You don’t have to."

"I still will."

He looked down at me as though the answer were obvious. Unfortunately, I could not say no. I settled against his chest instead, letting his jacket keep me warm while the others began preparing to leave.

As we turned away from the lake, I glanced over Cassian’s shoulder. Aurelius was still standing there, still surrounded by his flamy aura. Still staring at the mana stones and still looking like he had just discovered the purpose of his existence.

And suddenly, another thought entered my mind.

Aurelius was the fourth male lead.

The fourth fish of Lily Eisenhart’s romantic aquarium. If he stayed in Ashcroft Territory, who was going to run off and save Lily every time she somehow managed to walk directly into danger?

That woman had a talent for finding trouble; she could probably trip over a flower and accidentally uncover an ancient forbidden curse.

Lily would encounter danger. Aurelius would normally appear dramatically. But now? He would probably be here, standing beside the lake and yelling at someone about mana classification.

Would the story actually change if one of the male leads stopped following his original route?

Then I looked at Cassian, the supposed villain of the novel and the man who, according to the original story, should have been heading toward destruction.

He wasn’t; he was carrying me. He had nearly thrown himself off a mountain after me. He had wrapped his jacket around me because I was cold and he was currently worrying about my injured foot.

I stared at him for a moment.

. . .

Well, the villain wasn’t exactly following his script either. Maybe that was fine.

The Crown Prince could have Lily. Aurelius could have his mana stones, and Cassian and I could simply stay here, become ridiculously wealthy, and live quietly.

It sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan, a very intelligent plan, and a plan with absolutely no flaws whatsoever.

I snuggled closer against Cassian’s chest; his arm tightened around me automatically.

’He’s really warm...’

Maybe the original heroine could have her heroes. I had no intention of fighting over them. I shall accept myself, who already have a husband

A handsome one and annoyingly protective one. A husband who carried cookies under his cloak and jumped into a lake because his wife had fallen into it.

Honestly, the original novel could keep its male leads. I was beginning to suspect I had gotten the better deal.

I closed my eyes as Cassian carried me away from the lake; behind us, Aurelius was still staring at the glowing mana stones as though they had personally proposed marriage, and somewhere in the distance, the original plot was probably having a nervous breakdown.

I closed my eyes, wrapped around my husband with warmth.

***

[CASSIAN’S POV — LATER — ASHCROFT MANOR — EARLY MORNING]

Mia opened the chamber door quietly as I stepped inside without making a sound. Lucielle was still asleep in my arms.

Her head rested against my chest, her body warm beneath the thick cloak I had wrapped around her during the journey back. She had barely stirred since we returned to the manor. The exhaustion from the fall, the cold, and the fear had finally taken its toll.

Mia hurried forward and pulled the blankets back. "Your Grace, allow me."

I carefully lowered Lucielle onto the bed; she shifted slightly, her brows drawing together for a moment before relaxing again. Mia immediately tucked the blankets around her.

"I shall bring hot water for Her Grace."

Mia bowed and quietly left the chamber, and silence returned.

I remained beside the bed. I should have gone to change. I should have summoned the physicians; there were a hundred things that required my attention, yet I couldn’t take my eyes away from her.

Lucielle slept peacefully now, completely unaware of the thoughts tearing through my mind; her hair had fallen across her face. I reached out and gently moved it behind her ear.

She looked so peaceful and so beautiful. And yet all I could see was the moment she disappeared over that cliff.

My hand stopped.

For that single instant, when I saw her falling, the entire world had gone silent. I had thought...no. I refused to finish that thought as my fingers curled against the edge of the mattress.

If something had happened to her... I would have torn that mountain apart with my own hands. I would have destroyed every stone that had stood beneath her feet.

The mountain, the lake, even the entire territory. Nothing would have mattered.

Nothing.

Not the Empire, not the Crown, not the consequences, and not even the gods. No one was allowed to take my wife from me, not even nature itself.

I looked at her again; my expression softened. "You frightened me, beloved."

She didn’t hear me; her breathing remained slow and steady. I brushed my thumb gently across her cheek. "I never want to see you beneath that water again, never."

I had always known that Lucielle was important to me, but yesterday had made something painfully clear. She was no longer simply my wife by title; she had become the center of my world, and I didn’t know when it had happened.

Perhaps it had been the first time she looked at me like I was her husband. It had happened gradually, so quietly that I hadn’t noticed until the thought of losing her became unbearable.

I looked down at our hands; her fingers rested loosely against the blanket. I gently took her hand, warm and alive.

I tightened my fingers around hers, and then another thought surfaced.

She had changed; before the lake, she had always kept a certain distance from me. She questioned everything. She watched me carefully. Sometimes she acted as though I were a dangerous beast she had accidentally married.

But after yesterday...she had clung to me, she had cried against my chest, and she had trusted me, and when I told her to stay beside me...she hadn’t pulled away.

My gaze lingered on her sleeping face.

"Have you finally begun accepting me, Lucielle?"

The question left my lips quietly; there was no answer, only her soft breathing.

I smiled faintly. I wanted to believe that the distance between us was finally disappearing. I wanted her to choose me.

Not because she was my wife, but because she wanted me.

My thumb slowly traced over the back of her hand, and if that day ever came... I would make certain she never regretted choosing me.

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

I looked toward the door.

"Your Grace, it’s me."

Cedric.

I carefully released Lucielle’s hand only long enough to pull the blanket higher around her shoulders.

"Come in."

The door opened. Cedric stepped inside and bowed. "Your Grace."

"What is it?"

"Archmage Aurelius has returned to the manor and wants to speak to you."

I frowned slightly.

"Already?"

"Yes."

I glanced toward Lucielle; she was still asleep. "Then he can wait."

Cedric nodded. "I understand."

He hesitated and then asked, "Your Grace...do you believe the Archmage truly intends to resign from the Imperial Palace?"

A cold smile touched my lips. "We cannot trust an Imperial snake simply because it claims it has found a warmer nest."

Cedric’s expression tightened. "Then until he formally resigns..."

"Do not tell him anything important."

"Understood."

Cedric hesitated again. "And if he does resign?"

I leaned back slightly. "Then we will decide how much trust he has earned."

Cedric nodded; he turned to leave but stopped at the door. "Your Grace...if Archmage Aurelius truly remains in Ashcroft, do you think the Crown Prince will permit it? After all, this territory is a gift from His Majesty himself."

My expression darkened; that’s right...this territory was given as a price to the Ashcroft family. It was a barren land with few villages before we settled here. I wonder how Imperial is going to react.

"The Crown Prince has no reason to interfere with Aurelius’s personal choices, but that does not mean he will ignore what is happening here."

My gaze shifted toward the window; the snowy mountains were visible beyond the glass. "Our territory has already changed."

The discovery of the mana-stone lake alone was enough to attract attention, and now we had white fox beasts.

A natural mana source. An archmage suddenly interested in remaining here and a territory whose resources could potentially rival the imperial lands.

The empire would hear eventually, and when it did...they would come.

"We cannot hide everything forever."

Cedric sighed. "If Ashcroft were independent from the Empire, we wouldn’t have to worry about any of this."

Silence.

I looked toward the window again because he was right. There had been times when I had imagined Ashcroft standing entirely on its own.

No Imperial interference.

An independent Ashcroft, a land ruled by its own laws, and a land where no one could reach Lucielle without my permission.

The thought was appealing, more than appealing; it was dangerous because after everything that had happened, I no longer wanted to simply protect Ashcroft.

I wanted to make it untouchable.

And if the Empire attempted to put its hands on my territory...they would learn exactly why the North had always feared the Ashcroft name.

"Leave," I said quietly.

Cedric bowed.

"Yes, Your Grace."

The door closed and silence returned. I looked back at Lucielle; she shifted in her sleep, her fingers moving across the blanket until they found the place where my hand had been.

My eyes softened... I immediately placed my hand beneath hers; her fingers curled around mine instinctively. I stared at our joined hands.

Whatever happened next from now on, one thing had already become certain.

Ashcroft was no longer simply my territory.

It was her home, and I would never allow anyone to take that away from her, not even the Empire.