The Returnee Wants Peace

“This is…”

“It’s m-my father’s secret study connected to the fireplace. Because I don’t use my father’s bedroom, I only di-discovered this place very recently.”

The inside of the fireplace that they entered with Illien was wider than expected. And it was surrounded by dense bookshelves enough to be considered a small library.

Seeing the lived-in feel of the sofa placed in the center, it felt real.

Koko, who had been wandering around inside and outside the fireplace, muttered as if finding it interesting:

“How strange. Structurally, there’s no way such a space could exist… It seems to be a place straddling the cracks of space.”

“C-cracks of space? I’m not sure what you mean, speaking in the form of a bird…”

Without time to properly understand the nuance of the words, Illien continued:

“I confirmed that the fireplace only opens when I move that vase. But I’m ignorant of magic, so it p-probably responds to bloodline.”

“By bloodline, you mean…”

“The bloodline of the Marcia Imperial Family.”

Well, one could think that way.

But Froy, who had followed Rosha into the secret study, whispered in a low voice:

“The imperial bloodline? Actually, I think you might be of the bloodline of , the God of Time you met in paradise.”

“I think so too.”

An emperor who takes pride in being a child of a god wouldn’t likely put such a loose restriction as ‘imperial bloodline’ on this secret study.

It was then.

‘…What’s that?’

Suddenly, a book glowing golden caught Rosha’s eye.

Seeing that others had no particular reaction, it seemed to be visible only to her with [The Guiding Lantern] constantly activated.

“…”

Rosha quietly walked over and pulled out the book with an ominous-sounding title.

It was just a thin, worn book wedged between old era books and ancient magic tomes, but as she was pondering if it had any significance.

An unexpected notification sound rang out.

Ding!

2nd Round – Hardmode confirmed.

This is a ‘path’ allowed only to those who have visited paradise.

“Huh?”

Along with the sudden blue window, there was a creaking sound and one side of the wall opened.

It was the empty space she had inwardly thought was oddly separated between the bookshelves.

“What is this now…”

Everyone in the study stared at the new ‘entrance’ with stiff faces.

If earlier it was a passage inside the fireplace, this time it was a path leading downwards.

Judging by the visible end of the stairs, it wasn’t a very deep place, and it wasn’t too dark either, as if some luminous pearls were embedded.

But the transparent magic barrier blocking the stairs was concerning.

At that moment, before anyone could stop him, Froy moved.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s go in for now.”

“Wait…!”

It said it was a path allowed only to those who have visited paradise.

Who knows what might happen if someone who doesn’t meet the conditions carelessly steps in.

But surprisingly, Froy passed through the magic barrier without any problem and stepped onto the stairs.

“…Huh?”

Koko made a strange sound with wide, startled eyes.

Rosha was equally surprised.

No… it was supposed to be allowed only to those who have visited paradise.

‘Is the blue window lying now?’

* * *

Of course, the blue window hadn’t lied.

Seeing that Cedric and Illien couldn’t come down, the magic barrier seemed to be working properly.

The ridiculous thing was that Froy didn’t know why he was able to pass through either.

“Are you sure you’ve never been to paradise?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t forget such a city.”

Froy, looking perplexed, pointed ahead as he spoke.

A round room in the dark underground.

There, like a hologram, a perfect circular city made of bright light was floating.

It was a three-dimensional map of paradise.

‘So this was what I thought was the light of luminous pearls.’

There was nothing else in the underground besides the 3D map.

But this alone was a great harvest.

Because the moment she took in the 3D map, vague memories of paradise that had been forgotten came to mind.

‘…I remember a pure white tower with very complex magic formulas engraved on it.’

That tower, visible from anywhere in the inner area of paradise, was in the form of an obelisk and wasn’t a structure that people could enter.

At the top, something emitting warm light was floating in large quantities…

That’s where the memory ends.

As she explained her memory while pointing to the center of the 3D map, Froy looked like something was on the tip of his tongue.

“…It’s definitely a place I’ve never seen before.”

He blinked slowly and thought quietly for a moment.

Then he stared intently at Rosha.

“W-why?”

“…”

“Froy?”

“…This won’t do. It seems we’ll have to investigate the books upstairs.”

It was a very strange reaction.

However, since she had no intention of not investigating the Emperor’s secret study, she soon holed up in the secret study with Froy.

Rustle rustle.

Time passes as quickly as the pages are turned.

The study was full of books designated as forbidden, and there were many old era books and theoretical books dealing with abstract concepts.

The purpose was to find clues about paradise, but there was also a certain enjoyment from reading.

“… This seems to be a story about trials. I’m not sure because it’s damaged in places, but that’s the feeling I get.”

“You think so too? I wonder who tore out these pages.”

“The book you just closed looks quite thick, is it worth reading?”

“You mean ? It was mostly full of hypotheses, but it was interesting in its own way. Ah, after reading it my head feels so full, I think I’ll read a novel next.”

This was a conversation that Cassis would have backstepped from without asking or arguing, but the reason Rosha became a magician in the first place was because of her overflowing curiosity for knowledge.

‘I don’t know how I lived before.’

The days of the past when she lived like a doll, intimidated by her uncle, are now barely remembered.

The world has clearly become much harder than before, but Rosha has become much more colorful than before.

Her likes and dislikes have also become clearer.

For her, who likes quiet, the time spent reading books in the study with Froy was extremely peaceful.

The reason why this is better than sitting in the garden basking in the sun or taking a walk alone is probably because there is someone to be with.

‘Somehow… I seem to get along well with him.’

To the extent that she feels this moment could continue forever.

At that moment, perhaps sensing her gaze, Froy, who had been turning pages, met her eyes.

“Looks like you’re about to take a break?”

“Well, yes…”

“Good timing. I had something I wanted to ask.”

“What is it?”

“The Count mentioned in passing that marriage proposals came in quite often even when you were in a coma.”

“Ah… There really were such people.”

People who didn’t care whether the other party was in a coma or not.

‘Of course, Cedric rejected all of them.’

Hearing her answer, Froy frowned slightly as if he had heard an unpleasant story.

Then he continued casually:

“Rather than getting involved with such characters… Would you consider getting engaged to me?”

“What?”

Thud.

Perhaps because she was too surprised, she unknowingly knocked over the pile of books next to her.

As she reached out to stack the falling books again, Froy picked up one of them and said:

“I mean a fake engagement. Like how your brother is having a fake engagement with Her Majesty the Emperor, I was asking if you’d consider doing it with me.”

“Ah…”

She understood the context in which this was said.

It’s rare to know each other this well, so he must be saying let’s cooperate and make things comfortable for each other.

But it was a bit disappointing, to be honest.

‘Why?’

She didn’t know the reason. All she had said in response was just ‘I’ll think about it.’

And so, peaceful days passed like the wind.

Finally, the day of House Aper’s title conferment ceremony approached.