Chapter 6

In the hour when darkness and silence dominate the sky.

Emilia quietly advances down the corridor alone.

She doesn't encounter anyone, and only the sound of her boots tapping the floor echoes. The place is the headquarters of the magicians, the Moon Palace. Emilia, wearing a dark blue robe with silver embroidery, which only magicians are allowed to wear, sweeps the hem as she walks through the deepest corridor, where only a select few can enter. Her expression cannot be discerned, as her face is hidden by the deep hood. The emblem on her chest, adorned with a blue gem indicating her status as a magician, sways as she moves through the empty corridor.

The surroundings are enveloped in darkness. In Emilia's hand, a small lamp is held, faintly illuminating her feet. The light is not from a flame. In the center of the lamp, where a flame should be, there is a small round stone. It is a magic light stone that emits light when infused with magic. Since it cannot be used without magic, it is not yet widely available to the general public, but it is very convenient, especially on such a dark night.

Emilia walks slowly, illuminating her feet. She passes through the long corridor and takes a slight detour. Suddenly, the view opens up, and she steps outside to the night sky.

(Today is a hazy moonlit night...)

Looking up at the sky, the moon is rising.

The moon is hazy and gazes down at Emilia faintly.

My other name, "Hazy Moon"

(Today, the moon is fitting for this day...)

On the night when the story reaches its conclusion.

Coincidentally, the moon that governs the dark night is a fitting one.

Emilia shifts her gaze from the sky back to the ground. Surrounding Emilia are many plants. The neatly planted herbs and flowers sway in the gentle night breeze. This is the botanical garden attached to the Moon Palace, where plants used as mediums for magic and plants collected for academic research are cultivated.

Emilia proceeds further into the botanical garden along the gravel path and finally stops.

She arrives at a small building made of glass.

Emilia places her hand on the door and gently pushes it open without making a sound. As she steps inside, a warm breeze gently caresses her cheek.

Emilia slowly raises her left hand to her chest and whispers a small magic incantation. As if in response, a faint light appears in her hand and then spreads through the air, illuminating the building. The faint light gradually lights up the magic light stones placed throughout the building.

Illuminated by the small lights, the view reveals a vast expanse of plants. Lush leaves, newly sprouted buds, blooming flowers, and unopened buds. There are trees bearing fruit and others that have already lost their leaves. Not only those planted in the ground, but also vines hanging from the ceiling and flowers floating in glass globes filled with water, a variety of plants fill the space. The place, where herbs, flowers, and trees are densely arranged, is a small greenhouse managed by Emilia.

The plants here were chosen, planted, and raised by Emilia herself.

As a magician, Emilia had a particularly good affinity with the power of "Earth," which deals with plants. It is unclear whether this is due to her bloodline as a member of a family that handles plants, or if it is completely unrelated. It is not well understood. However, she loved plants that would grow beautifully and magnificently in response to her care, and they were a source of comfort when she was troubled or confused.

For Emilia, having a good affinity with the power of "Earth" was a joy.

As a senior magician, Emilia used her privileges to obtain a small greenhouse.

The greenhouse, located slightly away from the botanical garden attached to the Moon Palace, was somewhat neglected, but Emilia tidied it up and began to cultivate plants with her own hands. She obtained and cultivated various types of plants, from commonly available herbs to rare ones. Using the plants collected there, she conducted research in a private room reserved for senior magicians at the deepest part of the Moon Palace. She studied the medicinal properties of plants and extracted their active ingredients to combine with magic and study their reactions. It was a busy and challenging time.

"This leaf seems to be more vibrant than before... Maybe it's because I changed the soil."

Emilia gently touches the leaf to check its condition. She is relieved to see that the herb, which was wilting when she obtained it, is now thriving. She then moves her gaze to the flower planted next to it and observes its condition. She repeats this process, checking each plant one by one as she moves deeper into the greenhouse. By the time she finishes checking, she reaches a small space at the back of the greenhouse.

A small table and two small chairs are placed in the midst of the plants. Several books are stacked on the table, and two comfortable cushions are placed on each chair. Emilia slowly approaches and stops there.

The greenhouse of the senior magician "Hazy Moon."

This place, located at the back of the greenhouse, is a small resting area surrounded by plants.

How many times has Emilia been healed here? Sometimes during the frustration of research not going well, sometimes during the sadness of family or fiancé issues. It has been a place where Emilia could relax and calm her mind, free from interference from others.

The gentle sunlight filtering through the glass walls and the warm room where she spends peaceful moments.

How many times has she dozed off here? How many times has she spent hours reading, turning the pages of books?

Emilia reaches out to the book that was left open on the table and closes it with a soft thud.

She recalls the days spent in this place, one by one.

And the last thing she remembers is—him.

Now, what Emilia lingers on is—him.

In the middle of the day.

He suddenly appeared in front of Emilia, in the midst of her never-ending story.

When she saw him, she was so shocked that she gasped.

He protected Emilia with his strong arms and saved her.

And through his actions, Emilia's unfinished story came to an end.

She recalls his jet-black hair and sharp eyes like obsidian.

The first time she met him was in this place—

***

It was a few weeks before Emilia's fateful moment—

The long, freezing winter was coming to an end, and the first signs of spring were beginning. That day, the warm sunlight announced the arrival of spring, enveloping the surroundings.

On a peaceful afternoon, Emilia, wearing her magician's robe, was tending to the plants in her private greenhouse. As a student at the academy, Emilia had little free time. Still, she visited the Moon Palace after school or on weekends to work as a magician. Recently, with her fateful moment approaching, she had been very busy with various investigations and research.

Naturally, the time she spent tending to the plants had decreased. Today, she was determined to make up for it and focused on her work. She carefully examined and touched each plant, immersing herself in the task.

When she tried to check the flowers on a tree slightly above her, Emilia suddenly stopped. The hood of her robe was making it difficult to see. It was fine when she was only looking at her hands, but it became very hard to see when she looked up. She felt a bit annoyed that the hood would fall off if she tried to lift her head. Besides, it was a bit warm, and she could feel her face getting hot. She raised her hand to her face.

Since it was a greenhouse, and today the early signs of spring brought warm sunlight pouring through the glass, it was indeed warm.

"I'll have to adjust the temperature of the greenhouse as it gets warmer..."

The plants are not affected yet, but if it gets much warmer, some temperature adjustments will be necessary. Recalling the cultivation environment of previous years, she thought about what she needed to do next.

Still, it was a bit warm. The heat and the work made her even hotter. Wearing the robe made her feel even more stifled. Emilia hesitated.

Heat and work efficiency—she placed her hand on her chin and tilted her head. After a bit of thought, she quickly made a decision.

Since no one else was in the greenhouse—Emilia gently touched the cumbersome robe she always wore to hide her face and let the hood fall off.

Her dark gray, long braided hair swayed, and her amethyst-like purple eyes became visible.

She hung the robe on a chair in the rest area to keep it clean and turned back to the plants to continue her work.

***

She pruned the branches and leaves of a low tree.

The sound of the silver pruning shears clicked rhythmically.

In the middle of this, he appeared in front of her—

"Hey, are you 'Hazy Moon'?"

Startled by the low voice suddenly speaking from behind, Emilia turned around quickly.

Her purple eyes widened—

There stood a man.

He had jet-black hair, sharp eyes like obsidian, and a strong, handsome face. He was tall, and his well-built physique was evident even from a distance. He was wearing what seemed to be a knight's uniform, but without the jacket and in a rather disheveled state. Despite this, he did not look sloppy, thanks to his dignified appearance and confident demeanor.

Emilia was surprised by the sudden appearance of this person.

(Who...?)

She had no memory of ever seeing him. If she had, she would remember such a striking person. Besides, she had no acquaintances among the knights.

Emilia tried to calm herself, despite her inner turmoil.

This was the greenhouse managed by the senior magician "Hazy Moon." Few people visited, and those who did were limited. Why would a non-magician, who looked like a knight, be here?

If he came looking for "Hazy Moon," what could his purpose be?

Emilia's wariness towards the unfamiliar man in front of her intensified.

"What is your business...?"

She felt her words were a bit stiff, but she looked straight at the man. Their eyes met, and his sharp eyes seemed like those of a predator that had spotted its prey, making her want to flinch. She tried to muster her courage. Depending on his response, her approach to this suspicious man might change. Emilia focused her consciousness on the magic flowing through her body, trying to remain unnoticed.

The man, who had met Emilia's gaze, averted his eyes, looking a bit flustered. He glanced around restlessly and ran his hand through his hair. His previous composed demeanor seemed like a lie, and Emilia wondered what was going on as she continued to observe him.

Then, his gaze returned to Emilia, and their eyes met again.

"...That fruit."

"Huh?"

The fruit he mentioned was likely the one Emilia had been tending to just now. Next to her was a tree with lush green leaves and many small red fruits.

"Is this it?"

"...Yes."

"Um... Is there something wrong with it?"

"...It looks delicious."

Emilia stiffened at his words.

Indeed, the red fruit, with its flawless surface, looked very fresh and appetizing. Since it was a fruit she had nurtured, she felt a bit proud, but now was not the time to think about that. What mattered was not the fruit.

He said it looked delicious.

A mysterious man had appeared silently in front of Emilia, and his words, free of any ominous intent, left her speechless. Considering his sturdy build and the disheveled state of his knight's uniform, he might have just finished training. Knight training was known to be grueling, and it was natural to be hungry after such intense exercise. Perhaps he had ended up at the greenhouse because he was hungry.

The moment he looked calm and composed turned to unease when Emilia asked him what he wanted, perhaps because he hesitated to admit he was hungry.

Thinking this, her fear of him lessened a bit.

"Excuse me."

Emilia gently touched the red fruit.

"This fruit cannot be eaten."

The tree that bears these red fruits is called a Ruko tree. The small fruit may look delicious, but it is not edible. When the fruit ripens a bit more and turns purple, it is picked from the tree. After adding salt and crushing it, it becomes a medicinal ointment.

He would be disappointed.

Seeing a delicious fruit but not being able to eat it is very sad.

Unfortunately, there were no fruits in the greenhouse that were ripe enough to eat.

But... there was one thing she could prepare.

Emilia made a suggestion to him.

"But, would you like some tea?"

Finding him a bit amusing, Emilia couldn't help but smile a little.

The man's eyes widened when he saw her expression, but Emilia didn't notice—

Emilia waited for his response.

Actually, a tea set was always kept in the rest area of the greenhouse. It was for her own use. She enjoyed a cup of tea or herbal tea during breaks from work or while reading. Although there were no fruits, she could quickly offer him some tea