Chapter 38: A Vow Sealed in Quiet.

After discussing the future, Julius left first.

Amelia waited for Sarju’s arrival, and together they headed to the academy.

Sarju, slightly delayed as usual, gazed out at the scenery with a faintly dazed expression.

He only showed this face in front of family—and Amelia.

She deliberately said nothing, simply watching over him quietly.

The moment the carriage arrived at the academy, she put into action what she had planned beforehand.

Kaido, the escort knight, was already waiting at the arrival point.

The instant they stepped out, Amelia apologized to him.

“Kaido-sama, I’m sorry!”

“Eh? Wait, hold on a moment!”

The moment they disembarked, Amelia grabbed Sarju’s hand and started running.

She knew full well that against a trained knight, they would be caught immediately.

But Julius would handle it somehow—she had already consulted him and received permission in advance.

Instead of heading to the institute, Amelia ran straight toward the academy building and slipped into an empty self-study room.

“Amelia, what are you—”

Sarju—who had let himself be dragged this far without resistance—finally asked once they were inside and the door was shut.

“You looked a little tired, so I thought you should rest today.”

Resting alone wouldn’t have required coming all the way to the academy.

But knowing Sarju, even if told to rest, he would simply shut himself in the royal castle library all day.

That wouldn’t count as real rest.

That was why she had brought him here—to this empty place with nothing to distract him.

“I don’t recall making such a tired face.”

He gave a troubled smile.

Amelia nodded firmly.

“Of course no one else would notice… except me.”

“Except you?”

“Yes. Because I’m always with you—I can tell.”

“I see.”

Sarju nodded, his expression a complicated mix of happiness and reluctance to admit it.

“In any case, please rest a little.”

She gestured to the chair.

The self-study room was small, with only one desk and one chair.

“What about you, Amelia?”

“I’m fine on the floor.”

With that, she sat directly on the floor.

If she stood there hesitating, he would never rest.

Sitting on the bare floor was hardly ladylike, but back in the territory she had often sat on the ground—sometimes even the dirt—to observe crops.

Right now, her only thought was to make Sarju rest.

Yet to her astonishment, Sarju gracefully lowered himself to sit right beside her.

“Sarju-sama?”

She started to stand in a panic—such a thing was improper—but Sarju leaned his head against her shoulder.

“!”

Soft hair brushed her cheek, sending her heart racing.

She had always wanted to support him, to be useful to him.

But she had thought that desire was limited to his research—that he would never allow anyone into his private world.

Yet now Sarju was gently leaning against her, eyes closed.

“Perhaps I really was tired, just as you said. The institute… is a little noisy.”

“…Yes.”

Everyone there poured their entire lives into magic.

Some were purely fascinated by it; others burned with ambition to achieve something great.

It was a gathering of diverse, passionate people.

When they combined their strengths, better ideas might emerge.

The Magic Research Institute itself was a wonderful thing.

Magic in this country would surely advance even further.

For a continent so heavily affected by weather, it could become a true beacon of hope.

But Sarju was, by nature, someone who preferred to think alone.

What he needed wasn’t the opinions of others—it was a quiet environment.

“I don’t need luxurious facilities or mountains of books. Having Amelia by my side is enough.”

Those words—spoken here, when it was just the two of them—were surely his honest feelings.

He was relying on her.

A quiet joy spread warmly through Amelia’s chest.

“If you say things like that, I might misunderstand.”

She spoke to cover her embarrassment and happiness.

But Sarju lifted his head and looked at her with unexpectedly serious eyes.

“Sarju-sama?”

“I want you to stay by my side forever. Even if you said you wanted to leave, I probably couldn’t grant that wish.”

“…Is that as your assistant?”

She had thought even that would be enough—yet the heat in his gaze made her hope for more.

Her voice trembled pitifully as she asked.

“If that’s what you wish, then yes.”

“And if I don’t wish for that?”

Could she hope for a deeper bond—something beyond being his assistant?

When she had been isolated and suffering at the beginning of her academy life, the first person to reach out had been Sarju.

She respected his research and his character.

But somewhere along the way, the one who had saved her from that pain had come to mean even more to her.

Clenching her trembling hands, she waited for his answer.

Sarju smiled gently.

“At first, I simply wanted to help you when you were in trouble. Then I learned you were the daughter of Count Renis, knowledgeable about magic and crops, and thought it would be good to become friends. But do you remember when I heard that being my assistant must be exhausting?”

“Yes.”

Amelia nodded.

It had been during the conversation about getting a recommendation for the Special Class A exam.

“You told me you were happy to be useful to me, that discussing magic was fun. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. From that moment, I was drawn to you.”

He gently took her hand.

Even though they had held hands while running earlier, the warmth now transmitted made tears threaten to spill.

“Unlike Est-niisama or Julius-niisama, I will likely remain in the royal family. Amelia—would you become the wife of a member of the royal family?”

“…!”

She knew that Est and Julius, upon marriage, would become dukes and subjects.

But Sarju—born to the legitimate line—would remain in the royal family even after Alexis ascended the throne, continuing his research in magic and botany as a royal brother for the sake of the kingdom.

To become the wife of such a man required resolve.

Love alone might not be enough to overcome everything.

“But I lack both status and achievements…”

She was the daughter of a provincial lord—and no longer even the heir.

Still a student, with nothing major accomplished, merely serving as Sarju’s assistant.

Seeing her anxious expression, Sarju spoke.

“If we succeed in developing the new water magic, that will be the greatest achievement of all. Once you accomplish something on that scale, no one will dare bring up status.”