Chapter 4

"Has the barrier been broken?"

While working in my office, I received an unexpected report. The magician standing before me nodded slightly.

"Yes. Currently, we are having available magicians work on emergency repairs, but that is only a temporary measure. Therefore, I would like to request that you immediately provide a magic power injection, Your Highness."

His words were polite, but I could feel a prickly thorn in them. The discomfort brought by the thorn made me frown.

"What do you mean? This has never happened before."

"It's because you broke the engagement, and Miss Claudette is no longer here."

One of my attendants, who was working in the same room, interjected as if it were nothing. The mention of Claudette's name made me even more displeased.

"There's no way the barrier would break just because one person left. Besides, she was a failure."

"It's simply that we haven't been able to fill the gap left by one person. Even a failure was doing the work assigned to her."

"Has it been a month since the engagement was broken, and you still haven't been able to replenish the staff?"

I hinted that it might be a problem with the magician corps not being able to replenish the staff. However, the magician's response was a look of exasperation.

"Miss Claudette's magic power was substantial, so we were also replenishing it from other sources. To fill the gap left by her alone, we would need to hire about ten ordinary magicians."

I gaped at the magician's explanation. It was the first time I understood just how much magic power Claudette had possessed.

"Without the replenishment of magic power, the barrier is starting to fray. I would like to request that you address Miss Claudette's assigned part as soon as possible."

"Understood. I will send Lady Amalie, who is now my fiancée, to handle it."

The attendant decided this on his own and dismissed the magician from the room. I was not pleased with his response and shouted at him.

"What do you mean by that!"

"Since Lady Amalie is a better match than Miss Claudette, we need to make sure she does her job properly."

"But Amalie is busy with the education of the crown princess."

"The education of the crown princess. Taking a day off won't be a problem. The magic power injection is just a matter of following the correct procedure, so I'm sure the capable Lady Amalie will finish it quickly."

His casual mention of her being capable made me fall silent. Indeed, she had always said she was better than Claudette, and it was a well-deserved evaluation from those who knew her. The decision to switch fiancées was made based on the judgment that, as a countess's daughter, Amalie was more capable in social settings.

"Understood. I will go with Amalie to perform the magic power injection."

"Understood. Please return here when you're done."

"What do you mean?"

I had planned to finish early and spend some quality time with Amalie, but I was being reprimanded. The attendant sighed exaggeratedly.

"Your work for today is not yet finished."

"Hasn't the workload increased recently?"

"It can't be helped. The tasks that Miss Claudette was responsible for are still left undone."

Hearing Claudette's name again, I clicked my tongue.

"She's always getting in the way."

"I don't think she's getting in the way. It's your work, Your Highness. Once Lady Amalie can handle the same amount of work as Miss Claudette, everything will be back to normal."

"Ugh..."

I wanted to say something in response to the attendant's remarks, but I couldn't think of anything. Amalie had been receiving education at the castle for about half a month. Even if she was as capable as they said, it was impossible for her to handle everything immediately after such a sudden change. I was angry at the attendant for not understanding this.

"Your Highness, have a good trip."

His cheerful farewell irritated me, and I left the room without a word. I headed to the prince's palace with my guards. The prince's palace was connected by corridors, and unauthorized persons were not allowed to enter.

Amalie was incredibly beautiful and had a body that aroused men's desires. After getting rid of Claudette, I held a simple engagement ceremony. To ensure a solid marriage, I took her virginity. It was a blissful moment, being united with the one I truly loved.

Since then, she has been living in my palace as a de facto princess. The sweet life was comfortable, and I was satisfied with our life together.

I walked quickly down the palace corridor to the room I was heading to. I quietly entered the room to surprise Amalie, but no one was there.

Amalie was supposed to be studying in this room. I hurried out into the corridor and caught a passing servant. The servant shrank back apologetically.

"Hey, where is Amalie having her lessons?"

"Amalie dismissed all the teachers, so there are no lessons."

I received this confusing answer.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I don't know the details..."

The servant, who had no knowledge of Amalie's situation, shrugged helplessly. Despite my frustration, I told myself it was pointless to take it out on the servant and asked where she was now.

"Today, she is enjoying tea in the salon. I heard it's a special tea that was specially ordered."

"Tea..."

An indescribable feeling of displeasure welled up inside me. I had not entrusted her with the public duties Claudette used to handle, thinking she would be busy with her studies. Yet, she was drinking tea leisurely without studying. Moreover, she had not informed me that she had dismissed the teachers.

"Calm down. She must have been so capable that she didn't need the teachers' guidance."

I said this to myself, trying to believe it strongly. Then, I went to the salon to find Amalie.

The salon was a comfortable space, with a well-maintained garden visible outside and a spacious interior. The furniture was all of high quality. As soon as I entered the salon, Amalie noticed me.

"Your Highness! You're back early. Is something wrong?"

"Amalie, what happened to the teachers?"

"Um..."

Her eyes, which usually sparkled when she looked at me, darted around. I felt my emotions about to explode, and I clenched my fists tightly. Amalie looked apologetic.

"I already knew what the teachers were going to say... I'm sorry for acting on my own."

"You don't need to review, then."

Amalie had always said she was more capable than Claudette. She had handled conversations well in social settings, so I was sure she was fine. I felt relieved and smiled.

"Understood. If that's the case, I would like you to come with me now."

"Where to?"

"To my office. Oh, before that, I want to introduce you to the magicians."

Amalie's face lit up.

"I'm so happy!"

"The magicians said they want to meet you as soon as possible, so I'm sure they'll be pleased."

"Then, I'll change clothes."

"You don't need to change. It's an informal setting, so you can stay as you are."

I held out my hand, and Amalie happily placed hers in mine. Seeing her bright face lifted my spirits. This was one of the differences between her and Claudette. I had never felt the urge to offer my hand to Claudette for anything other than duty.

I gently traced her palm with my fingers, and she looked at me with a seductive gaze. The alluring look made my blood run hot.

"Calm down, I can't rush to the bedroom here."

"If we finish the work quickly... can I get a reward?"

"Sure, I'll think about it."

While chatting with Amalie about trivial matters, we headed to the magician's building together.