Chapter 60

After Sinat’s sudden confession,

Kalen couldn’t help but spend some time in a daze.

It would have been better if Sinat had resolved things quickly, but she wouldn’t allow that.

“Sinat.”

“Just a moment, Kal!”

“Sinat.”

“Umm, just wait a little!”

“…Sinat.”

“Huh? Grandfather called me!”

“Me?”

No real conversation was possible.

To confess her feelings and then not receive a response – what kind of attitude was that?

Yet it was difficult for Kalen to make up his mind, so all he needed was to talk with Sinat.

But thanks to Sinat always finding excuses and avoiding him, it was an impossible task.

Ultimately, the two of them reached an unspoken agreement.

Kalen needed it to gather his thoughts amidst multiple complex decisions.

Sinat, on the other hand, needed time to prepare herself for Kalen’s response, having confessed too hastily.

While it was certainly a problem for Sinat to confess so suddenly then claim she wasn’t ready,

Sinat’s actions were somewhat understandable.

Firstly, she felt she had been saved by Kalen despite her already having feelings for him.

Secondly, the sunset that day was extraordinarily beautiful.

In such an atmosphere, there wasn’t a noble lady who wouldn’t confess her heart, especially with her beloved by her side.

Initially, Sinat had only asked Kalen to guard her.

She invited him to the hill behind the small cottage, her favorite place, for that very reason.

Because stating her business outright felt awkward, she needlessly dragged out the conversation, which was the root of the trouble.

Unable to control her growing feelings,

Sinat ended up revealing her innermost thoughts, succumbing to the atmosphere.

And yet, she hadn’t been prepared.

Naturally, hearing his response terrified her.

Somewhere, she had once heard this before:

Confession is merely a way of confirming feelings when both parties’ emotions are nearly certain.

From that perspective, it wasn’t strange that Sinat avoided Kalen’s reply.

Kalen was originally a man with little expression, so much so that ‘cold’ was an apt descriptor.

It was difficult to confirm if he shared the same feelings based on his attitude alone.

Thus, without explicit agreement, the two reached a silent consensus.

Just not yet.

Kalen had held Sinat by this thought.

At least, until he knew what kind of person he was, he asked her to wait for his answer.

His constitution, his inner world, the old rulers of the elemental realm.

He had a rough grasp, but the core was missing.

No, it was rather more confusing.

Therefore, he had to understand.

That’s why Kalen asked Sinat to wait for his response.

The next head of the Drannus family could not lightly fraternize with someone of unclear origins.

Additionally, in a situation he didn’t fully understand, Kalen was in no position to take responsibility for Sinat.

Moreover, the power of the fourth tier could not be wielded recklessly.

At the very least, unless he had the strength to surpass the patriarchs of the four great families or block all the hands reaching out to him and to Drannus, it was impossible.

Therefore, without understanding each other’s feelings,

It turned out to be a win-win situation for both.

Sinat returned to her original self from that point onward.

Resting her head against Kalen’s chest and leaning her body on him was Sinat’s favorite position.

“…Isn’t this too close?”

Felicious wrinkled her eyes while still gazing at Kalen and the embraced Sinat.

Tia-se covered her eyes slightly with her wings but still peeked with eyes full of interest.

“Felicious and Tia, come here too. It’s surprisingly comfortable!”

“Absolutely not. Being on Kalen’s hand already requires enough courage.”

As Kalen watched Tia-se enthusiastically agreeing with Felicious,

he began to wonder how the concept of modesty worked in the elemental realm.

While their actions were very restrained, their words subtly suggested otherwise.

He wondered how those actions were perceived.

The two elementals perched obediently on his hand were merely endearing.

“Anyway, are you okay now?”

“Yeah. Still, we should keep trying.”

Just because they failed the third tier doesn’t mean it’s over.

Before receiving the title of patriarch,

Even after receiving the title,

The effort continues indefinitely.

By now Kalen should have calmed down.

Sinat decided today to start working again to surpass the third tier.

The traitor’s shadow had long vanished, so it was fine not to worry about it.

With that thought, Sinat slightly lifted her head.

Kalen was in a position where he couldn’t see her.

But she could gaze at him to her heart’s content, even if only his neck and jawline were visible.

With Kalen by her side, there was nothing she feared.

Sinat lowered her head again and reached out to Felicious nestled on Kalen’s hand.

“Please don’t push yourself like you did that time.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Felicious.”

Regardless of the kidnapping, that time was definitely exhausting.

When she came to in the beginning, she assumed it was due to overexertion.

This time, she was resolved not to repeat that mistake.

“It’s more convenient since you can speak now. Alright, let’s focus.”

“Yeah.”

Blamia visited Eliana and Serasie for family matters.

Other than Kalen himself, the person who could protect them was none other than Kalen.

With a finger, Kalen brushed Tia-se’s head while observing the communion between a girl and an elemental.

“Sinat…”

“Yup?”

The contract between an aptitude-bearer finding and successfully sealing a pact with an elemental is considered the beginning of the second tier.

Then, what defines the third tier?

It refers to the ability of contract attribute mages to wield what is commonly known as elemental magic.

The most important aspect is the communion.

The stronger the communion between the contract-bearer and the elemental, the greater the power they could harness.

There are rare cases where someone reaches a higher tier without much communion due to a particularly harmonious pairing,

but let’s put that aside.

Naturally, contract attribute mages prioritize their communion with elements.

And that communion is achieved through mana.

When elementals choose contract-bearers to initiate a pact, they search for a mana they fancy.

Since elementals themselves lack mana, the contract-bearer’s mana ends up being crucial.

From that perspective, it’s not much different from other magical attributes.

Without hesitation, Felicious delved deep into Sinat’s inner world.

Beyond the physical body.

Close to the origin.

And as Felicious was focusing on the communion with Sinat,

she felt something she hadn’t before during past communions.

“What is this?”

A certain something lodged near her heart.

To understand it, Felicious focused harder,

and it didn’t take long to realize that this was Sinat’s world.

So shocked was she that her concentration broke.

And now,

Felicious shared what she’d seen with Sinat.

“World?”

“Humans call it ‘Heart’s Imagination.’ It’s not something humans can acquire freely… So what happened? How could you create a world in such a short time?”

Kalen interrupted their conversation.

“Heart’s Imagination? Sinat has a Heart’s Imagination?”

“Yes. In fact, it’s so beautiful, it can’t compare to yours.”

Though slightly hurt by Felicious’s remark,

this wasn’t the time for such concerns.

“Can you bring it out? Like how you rode on my back before.”

“It’s a bit different, but yes, I can. That’s originally our domain.”

“Huh?”

While encouraging Sinat with a newfound strength, Felicious began to glow.

Though the light was faint, it was enough to bring someone’s Heart’s Imagination into the physical realm.

While one cannot randomly extract another’s Heart’s Imagination,

Felicious being an elemental, intervening in this process with Sinat, was allowed.

Certainly possible, as evidenced by the burgeoning sunset-colored light around Sinat.

“…”

“Ah…!”

Only then did Sinat grasp the situation.

This sunset was unmistakable.

The room was now completely wrapped in this breathtaking world.

The ridges of a hill layered one on top of another.

The sun, having shone brilliantly, began to transform into a twilight glow.

The emotional impact was as heavy as a lump in one’s chest.

The boy gazed intently where the ridge and the twilight converged,

and the girl watched him affectionately.

This world, frozen like a painting,

A painter renowned as the greatest in imperial history would find it difficult to capture this emotion on canvas.

“…So, it’s Heart’s Imagination, isn’t it?”

Instinctively, the memory of something recent surfaced.

It was the moment they unexpectedly heard a confession.

But upon closer inspection, it was different.

The clothing worn was different, and the faces were slightly younger, though just a touch.

So, there remained only one moment.

Before embedding magic into her body,

the exact moment when Sinat was consoled as she was about to leave.

The two teenagers,

looking back at that time,

sank back into those memories again.

“Beautiful…”

“Agreed…”

Felicious and Tia-se’s appraisal, in turn.

Even though Heart’s Imagination originates deeply in the elemental world,

it was a scene utterly foreign even to them.

A sight so dazzling it seemed to blind.

An immeasurably profound euphoria.

Even peeking at that time was overwhelming.

At that time,

In that place,

With those people,

Felicious and Tia-se learned what envy was for the first time.

Though the heir position brought its fair share of burdens, it also offered many privileges.

Even they felt envious.

And so, Felicious, Tia-se, and Sinat,

were all overcome by an overwhelming thrill.

Meanwhile,

Kalen harbored a slightly different impression.

Undeniably beautiful.

Of course, the beauty was unmatched.

Still, there was something else.

Eliana, Serasie.

Even Sinat.

Why were these mages with such deep aspirations for Heart’s Imagination continuously discovering it?

Especially when every single one featured him, unchanged.

Somehow, Blamia’s warning about concealing himself returned.

Eliana, Serasie, Sinat.

The same boy was painted in all three of their Heart’s Imaginations.

No matter how dull-witted he was, Kalen couldn’t overlook the strangeness.

In a place where political prodigies concealed their powers,

“Kal? Is something wrong?”

Just as Kalen started to feel an eerie sensation.

Bang!

The door flung open with force,

revealing the hurried figure of an elderly man with a speckled beard.

“Kid! What in the world are you…?”

Blamia blinked at the foreign vibes enveloping the room.

Before opening the door and after were like two entirely different spaces.

The room dazzled brilliantly with the sunset glow,

And in her vision appeared the image of the boy and the girl upon the hill.

Just moments ago.

Having faced an unbelievable event in the elite society,

Blamia couldn’t help but doubt her own eyes.

“Heart’s Imagination…?”

The children of Lacatus and Hiart.

In their Heart’s Imaginations was the same boy,

and she had just realized this fact upon her return.

Blamia,

upon seeing her granddaughter’s Heart’s Imagination also depicted the same boy,

closed her eyes in exasperation.

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