I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 187
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 187
Prince of Asdal wore a white Uniform, while Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid dressed in black, creating a striking contrast between the two men.
With Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s imposing build and the bearing of a war hero, the atmosphere differed greatly from Prince of Asdal, who exuded an ornate, delicate, and graceful presence.
Their personalities were just as opposite—truly, they disagreed on absolutely everything.
“The Duchess mentioned you’d be here.”
When Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid spoke to me warmly, his gaze shifted to Prince of Asdal and turned savage.
“An uninvited guest, I see.”
Prince of Asdal shrugged his shoulder irritatingly.
“The uninvited guest is you. Can’t you see we’re having a pleasant time right now?”
It seemed Prince of Asdal alone was enjoying himself, but if I said anything here, he’d only become more troublesome, so I’d best stay silent.
“Miss!”
This time it wasn’t Vanessa but another Maid who arrived—Mia, Rosemary’s Maid. Vanessa must have stepped away, as Mia appeared to have come in urgent haste.
“The Magic Tower Master has arrived!”
Before Mia finished speaking, a complex Magic Circle with intricate Formulas was drawn on the Floor. Soon, a brilliant light surged from the Magic Circle like a Pillar, consuming my field of vision.
When the light faded moments later, Kaiden stood upon the Magic Circle, draped in a resplendent Mage Robe.
Whether he’d come intending to attend the party or not, all three men were dressed so lavishly that one hardly knew where to look.
“Ah curse it, my eyes are ruined. The Duchess said Margaret was here, so I came, but what are these dark-clad fellows?”
“Lord, are you talking about us?”
“Do you wish to die for insulting the Imperial Family?”
Prince of Asdal and Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid retorted in turn to Kaiden’s curse.
Why had Mother guided all these men here at once? For the first time, I began to resent her.
“Why have you all arrived so early?”
This party was centered on me, and I had so much to prepare—I was swamped!
I clutched at my hair in frustration.
* * *
Mages were elite personnel, and their numbers were few. Being elite, they contributed greatly to society and were extraordinarily busy, making them rare to encounter in daily life.
I’d heard that a thousand years ago it wasn’t so, but as time passed, the number of Mages continued to dwindle—it was unavoidable.
Thus, even with the considerable power Duke Flone possessed, he couldn’t privately employ a Mage.
That’s why Kaiden’s early visit was actually appreciated—we’d arranged for him to set up a Barrier at Duke Flone’s Castle beforehand.
I needed to speak with Kaiden alone about Jenas.
But I felt awkward even discussing things separately with Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid or Prince of Asdal. It was because of the unsettling rumors circulating through Duke Flone’s Castle.
The servants of the Castle had even given them the strange name “Margaret’s Men” and started placing bets among themselves….
“Margaret’s Men? What’s this bizarre and embarrassing name? Who came up with it? And what sort of bet?”
At my question, Rosemary, who’d been playing with Eun-ji on the Carpet, lifted her head. It was surprising to see the dignified and formal Rosemary sprawled on the Carpet.
Eun-ji wagged her tail excitedly while playing with Rosemary, looking up at me alongside her. Both were adorable in this moment.
“They were betting on which of the three men would earn your favor. It looked amusing, so I participated too.”
“What?”
“I favored His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s my personal taste. He seems so composed and elegant, like a refined adult.”
“I’m not interested in your taste.”
“Innis bet on the Lord, didn’t she? Mother favors His Highness the Crown Prince, and Father won’t leave his Room after hearing about it.”
I pressed my temple with my fingers, wincing slightly at the ache. Father didn’t particularly approve of his three daughters discussing men, so it seemed he was just trying to get attention. For some reason, I could even detect Archbishop Luzef’s scent on him.
Still, the party would be held soon enough, and he would reveal his intentions then.
“Miss Margaret Rose Flone. Lord says he will soon cast a Barrier around the Castle and asks that you be informed.”
Vanessa arrived at just the right moment with welcome news. Perfect. Now I could discuss Kaiden and Jenas with them.
I gathered Eun-ji and went out to the Garden of Duke Flone’s Castle with Rosemary. Mother, Innis, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, and Prince of Asdal were already gathered there.
Rosemary spotted Prince of Asdal and rushed toward him with a delighted expression, chattering away.
Though she was being rather persistent, Prince of Asdal responded to her remarks with unexpected kindness and warmth, answering each of her questions one by one.
Kaiden was directing the Mages he had brought and drawing Magic Formulas on the Floor, while Innis stood beside him with burning academic enthusiasm, bombarding him with questions of her own.
Mother maintained her Dignity while conversing beside Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
“How do you cast a Barrier?”
I approached Kaiden and asked while observing the Magic Formula. He was studying the Magic Circle with a serious expression when he glanced at me.
“I’ll cast a protective Barrier and a disarming Magic simultaneously.”
“A disarming Magic?”
“The protective Barrier alone might not be enough. I’m creating a dual Barrier so that Mana cannot be used within it. I’ll dispel it once the party ends, so don’t worry.”
Kaiden patted my head as he spoke. In that same instant, an abrupt silence fell over the Garden. What was that?
When I turned my head, the people who had been staring at me one by one averted their gazes, as if they had witnessed something they shouldn’t have.
Only Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid and Prince of Asdal continued staring at us before approaching. Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid wordlessly wedged himself between Kaiden and me, while Prince of Asdal reached out and stroked my head as if observing something fascinating.
I looked up at him with an expression of extreme avoidance, but Prince of Asdal paid no mind and smiled faintly.
“The atmosphere seems to call for it. This situation is quite entertaining. I was right to arrive early, it seems.”
Of course, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid quickly grabbed his hand and stopped him.
In any case, I had thought there would be time to speak with Kaiden once the Barrier was complete, but it took longer than expected.
In the meantime, I, the birthday girl, had to leave as a series of terribly busy schedules awaited me.
I still needed to discuss with Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid and Kaiden the meaningful conversation that Jenas had had….
* * *
Finally, the day before my long-awaited birthday party,
Guests began arriving at the territory in succession. The guest rooms we had prepared for those coming from afar were completely filled.
Even though Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, Kaiden, and Prince of Asdal had arrived at Duke Flone’s Castle early, I had no time for private conversations with them.
However, fortunately, as the day before the party approached, my schedule gained some breathing room.
After dancing practice all day long and collapsing from exhaustion onto my bed, Kaiden came to find me himself.
Still, there were too many eyes and ears, making it impossible to talk in my Room. I ended up moving to the Salon with Kaiden.
With trembling legs, I sprawled across the sofa and let out a sigh.
“Are you very tired?”
Kaiden approached me and placed his hand on my forehead.
“You seem to be pushing yourself too hard.”
“I have to adapt. This is my life now.”
Kaiden sat beside me and quietly looked down at me sprawled across the sofa.
He gently reached out and carefully brushed my hair back, tidying it. His touch near my ear tickled.
“Margaret Rose Flone.”
“Uh, yes?”
Feeling slightly awkward, I stumbled over my words. Kaiden’s low laughter reached my ears, and I finally sat up. My face burned with heat.
“I’m sorry.”
But his sudden apology snapped me back to attention. I blinked in surprise, staring at him.
“I can’t tell you that I like you anymore.”
“…What?”
“Jenas keeps visiting you.”
Kaiden’s eyes grew deep and quiet, his response measured. Shadows fell across his face.
He wore the expression of someone drowning in a loneliness I couldn’t easily comprehend.
“The fact that he visits you every night—that’s something I would normally do. Jenas is constrained to act only within those boundaries.”
“Isn’t that a huge leap? The scope is too vague to begin with.”
“No, I know. It’s because of me.”
“It’s not because of you.”
Despite my firm declaration, Kaiden didn’t seem convinced. He merely gazed at me with a melancholy smile. I found it absurd that such a contradictory phrase as “melancholy smile” could exist, yet that was exactly what his face showed.
“I’m fine, really. What does it matter if Jenas visits? He’s not even a threat.”
Kaiden’s face twisted in anguish. He performed a dry face washing with one hand and exhaled a weary sigh.
“I’m not fine. And Margaret, no matter what nonsense that bastard spouts, don’t take it to heart.”
Kaiden warned me with his words.
“That cursed lunatic has been conducting those damned experiments for a thousand years. You know that, right? He’s completely insane.”
“…Would I believe Jenas?”
It wasn’t about belief—it was about suspicion. Jenas wasn’t the type to fabricate lies. It was more accurate to say I inferred and deduced information I wanted to know through the nonsense he spoke.
I handed him Jenas’s research journal that I had brought along.
“Have you read this?”
“Huh? No.”
“Read it. There are a few lines about Alea Island. And Jenas wrote notes about life forms from beyond dimensions in the margins…”
“Life forms from beyond dimensions? Could that be referring to you?”
“You think so too, right? The life form he was searching for seems to be referring to me, and I wonder if that’s why Jenas is so obsessed with me. I’m not sure exactly what he was trying to do, though.”
At my words, Kaiden fell silent with an even more serious expression. Was Jenas saying something to him? I observed his face carefully, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
“I’ll look into that a bit more.”
The fortunate thing was that Kaiden could control Jenas. I felt somewhat reassured by his response.
“Duke Vilterheim, who had connections with that faction regarding Magic Stones, seems like he would know well. He said he’s attending this party, right?”
At Kaiden’s question, I nodded.
“Since he’s coming down from the Capital, he’ll probably go straight to the Banquet Hall tomorrow.”
Kaiden acknowledged my words and stood up from his seat.
It was completely unlike him. He was really just handling business and leaving.
“Why?”
Kaiden looked at me as if asking what the problem was.
He really seemed determined to distance himself from me because of Jenas.
Kaiden opened the Salon door to leave, but seeing his cold expression, I felt oddly frozen and couldn’t move my feet.
“Margaret?”
“Go ahead. I’ll stay here a bit longer.”
I offered him an awkward smile. Kaiden stared at me for a moment, then acknowledged with a nod, closed the door, and left.
I, who had never properly made a friend in my life, could neither truly understand nor bear such inexplicable, weighty emotions.
Alone in the vast Salon, I stood there aimlessly, lost—unable to fathom what to do with this tangled, dizzying turmoil within me.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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