Chapter 17: A Hand Extended in the Palace.

“Amelia.”

Amid the frozen silence that gripped everyone, Sarju was the first to move.

He stepped forward and picked up the bag Julius had left on the podium.
Then he called her name—softly, but clearly—while she remained seated.

“Let’s go to the palace.”

“Eh…? The palace?”

“Est-niisan can surely restore these.”

Second Prince Est specialized in wind magic.
Marie had used wind magic to dry the bag earlier, but if someone of Est’s caliber—capable of advanced spells—applied himself, restoration might indeed be possible.

But going to the royal palace for that reason, and meeting a prince face-to-face… it felt impossibly overwhelming.

“N-no, I’ll rewrite everything properly by tomorrow—”

“Rewriting this much would be exhausting. Besides—I also have something I’d like you to see.”

As she wavered, he extended his hand.
She couldn’t possibly ignore it.
Quietly, she placed her hand in his.

He gently pulled her to her feet and led her out of the classroom.

Behind them followed the red-haired knight—Kaido, she believed he was called.
He cast a pitying glance toward Amelia.

But even if she had stayed behind in that classroom, she wouldn’t have known what to do.
Perhaps being taken away like this was a mercy.

And so she walked through the academy grounds, hand in hand with Sarju.

She knew every eye was on them.
Yet what occupied her mind far more was the warmth of the hand holding hers—she couldn’t focus on anything else.

Before long they boarded a carriage bearing the royal crest.
She realized they were heading straight for the palace.

Amelia, a provincial noble, had never attended even one of the dance parties held at the royal palace.
She never imagined her first visit would be under circumstances like these.

They passed through the castle gates, heavily guarded by knights.
Beyond lay magnificent gardens stretching on for some distance.
The flowers in full bloom were breathtaking—many varieties she had never seen before, and some that shouldn’t even be blooming in this season.
Further in she glimpsed not only flower beds but herb gardens and greenhouses as well.

“Sarju-sama… that garden…”

“Ah—I’ve been allowed to use a portion for research. When I alter the soil, it seems to affect flower varieties and blooming seasons to some degree.”

“I see… that’s incredible…”

She couldn’t help staring intently.
They were only flowers and herbs for now—but if the same principle could be applied to grains, it would be revolutionary.

“I’ll show you around sometime. I’d especially like to hear your thoughts on new grain varieties.”

“New grain varieties… Does that mean you were involved in developing the cold-resistant wheat as well?”

Sarju nodded at her question.

“Yes. That’s why I was so curious about yields and pest damage. I’m sorry for putting you through all this. I never meant to cause you pain.”

“No—it’s all right. Really… compared to what happened…”

Emira had suffered far greater consequences.

“Amelia.”

Sarju called her name gently, as though to chide her.

“No matter how small the malice, you must never grow accustomed to being treated unjustly. If anything happens—tell me immediately. I’ll handle it however I can.”

“…Thank you.”

Ever since enrolling, she had been exposed to the malice of strangers.
Worse—it had all stemmed from the fiancé she once believed she had a good relationship with.
The pain had been unbearable at times.

But she had also met people like Sarju and Julius—people who treated her with such genuine kindness and concern.

Life wasn’t all misfortune.
Her mother used to say that.
And perhaps it really was true.

Before long the carriage arrived at the royal palace proper.

Kaido alighted first to confirm the surroundings were safe.
Sarju followed, then turned and offered Amelia his hand once more.

“Ah—thank you.”

Servants and maids lined up to greet Sarju.
To her surprise, they bowed politely to her as well.

Overwhelmed by the sheer scale and splendor of the palace she was seeing for the first time, Amelia stepped inside alongside Sarju.

The wide corridors gleamed brilliantly.
Soft, luxurious carpets cushioned every step.
Sunlight poured through tall windows, illuminating paintings and artworks on the walls—all, of course, magically preserved against deterioration.

Sarju had already informed the attending servants that he wished to meet with his brother Est.
The request was granted immediately—they were to proceed straight to Second Prince Est’s quarters.

Second Prince Est and Third Prince Julius shared the same mother.

In fact, the current king had only one concubine—and she was a cousin of the queen consort, mother of the Crown Prince and Sarju.

With both paternal and maternal ties binding them, it was only natural the four royal brothers were so close.

“Sarju. Bringing a lady with you—now that’s rare.”

A voice suddenly called from ahead.

Amelia looked up.
A tall young man with golden hair the same shade as Sarju’s approached, raising a hand in casual greeting.

He wore practical training clothes and carried a wooden practice sword—likely returning from drills.

“Brother.”

At Sarju’s address, Amelia realized this was Crown Prince Alexis—the eldest of the four brothers.
She hurried to perform as elegant a curtsy as she could manage.

When she introduced herself, Alexis nodded in understanding.

“I see—Lady Renia.”

Like Sarju he was strikingly handsome, but his taller frame and evident training gave him an imposing air.

(That’s right—His Highness the Crown Prince specializes in offensive fire magic. I’ve heard he’s also a first-rate swordsman who combines blade and spell in combat.)

Yet the gaze he turned on his younger brother was filled with warmth.
It was easy to see how deeply he cared for his siblings.

“So—where are you headed?”

“To Est-niisan’s quarters.”

When Sarju explained he wanted the documents restored, Alexis looked intrigued.

“That restoration magic sounds interesting. I’ll come along.”

And so—accompanied by both the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince—Amelia set off to meet Second Prince Est.

She walked on in a daze, never imagining things would turn out this way.
Behind her, Kaido watched with visible sympathy.

And then—

“Alex-niisan, Sarju. Where are you going?”

They encountered Julius, apparently just returning from the academy.

“To ask Est-niisan to restore these documents.”

“The magic sounded fun, so I tagged along.”

“Ah—then I’ll come too.”

Now accompanied by three princes, they continued toward Est’s quarters.

Along the way, Julius mentioned he intended to proceed with dissolving the engagement.
Alexis nodded as though it were only natural after hearing the full story.

“This is quite the group. I was told only Sarju would be coming.”

Second Prince Est—long black hair like Julius’s, gentle in demeanor—blinked in surprise when he noticed the small young woman standing among his tall brothers.

Since Est’s personal chambers would be too cramped for such a gathering, they were instead ushered into a reception room in the royal residential wing.
A maid prepared and served what looked like extremely expensive tea.

While Sarju explained the situation to Est, Amelia simply stared down at the amber liquid in her cup.

To her dismay, Kaido—the knight guard—was apparently not permitted to enter the royal family’s private quarters.

If even he wasn’t allowed in, how could someone like her possibly belong here?

She barely suppressed a sigh and looked up—only to find four princes right in front of her.

Crown Prince Alexis—the eldest.
Lustrous golden hair, sun-kissed skin that lent him an air of mature allure.
A magnificent, dignified heir to the throne—yet the eyes he turned on his brothers overflowed with affection.
Incredibly kind.

Second Prince Est—gentle and almost ethereal in appearance.
Soft-spoken and courteous even toward the daughter of a provincial earl.
He showed respect and loyalty to his eldest brother, kindness and firmness to his younger siblings.

Third Prince Julius—bright, cheerful, and approachable.
Yet—as Amelia had witnessed multiple times—he never overlooked injustice or cowardice.
Despite sharing the same mother as Est, they looked little alike beyond hair color.
His commanding build actually resembled Crown Prince Alexis more.
Both likely took after their royal father.

And fourth—Sarju.

He resembled his beautiful legitimate mother most closely.
His features were sculpted perfection—yet at heart he was less a prince and more a passionate researcher.
Even now he stared intently at the documents Est had just restored.

“Lady Amelia.”

Crown Prince Alexis spoke gently, gazing fondly at his youngest brother.

“If it isn’t too much of a burden—would you help Sarju?”

“Yes—of course.”

If the data from the Renia Earldom could be of use to Sarju’s work, she would be delighted.
She nodded firmly.

“Thank you. Feel free to use this room anytime. I’ll issue you a palace entry pass later.”

“N-no, that’s far too much—”

She had only intended to assist him at the academy.

Even high-ranking nobles were rarely granted frequent access to the palace.
With a pass, she could come here alone.

“Sarju has always had a tendency to lose himself completely in magical or botanical research—forgetting to eat or sleep. We can’t leave him unattended like that.”

Alexis spoke with a wry smile.
Est and Julius nodded in agreement.

“It would put our minds at ease to have someone nearby. I’m asking you as well.”

Perhaps there was no particular reason it had to be Amelia.
She simply happened to be someone Sarju trusted—and someone willing to help with his research.

That was exactly why she could nod.

“Yes. If I am acceptable, I will do my very best.”

She answered with a smile.