The Wind Calms the Fire - Chapter 61

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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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Episode 61
“I… when I met Her Majesty the Empress, did she say anything to you?”
Veronica Velua watched Rhea’s hesitation for a moment before responding.
“Tell me exactly what you’re curious about.”
“When I met Her Majesty the Empress and asked for her help, I referred to the Crown Prince as my… true spouse. I wondered if you might have heard about it.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
“Did you mention that to the Crown Prince?”
Veronica watched Rhea’s flushed face and trembling eyes with silent amusement.
She spoke as if she’d missed the obvious.
“Oh dear, I should have passed that along to him. When the opportunity comes up, I’ll tell him soon enough…”
“No! That’s not it!”
Rhea waved her hands frantically.
“I spoke carelessly that day in my desperation. If His Highness heard those words, he’d be taken aback.”
“Why would you think that? Even if a marriage doesn’t begin with affection, once a couple is wed, they become true spouses.”
“That’s just…”
Rhea couldn’t find the words, her expression conflicted.
She couldn’t think of how to explain it at all.
Veronica thought it amusing.
It was clear that feelings were beginning to bloom between them toward each other.
After all, there’s nothing quite as entertaining as watching clumsy romance unfold before your eyes.
“Princess, since your betrothal to both of them is now public, many will take interest—particularly in you.”
“I see.”
“You must move your residence.”
Veronica delighted in the way Rhea’s eyes widened, like a mischievous child playing a prank.
All things in this world grow stronger through hardship.
Wouldn’t separation only deepen their longing?
“If you continue to stay here, Princess, there will be talk that you lack propriety. It would be as though you were living together before you’re even formally betrothed.”
Veronica wasn’t deliberately trying to keep them apart.
Since the betrothal was under the Empress’s auspices, all controversy must be eliminated.
“Ah… I see. I hadn’t thought of that. I do have a house I purchased in the 5th District…”
Veronica shook her head.
“I’ve already arranged a place for you to stay, Princess. You know her. Lady Barel has graciously agreed to receive you as her guest.”
Libia Barel.
The woman who had sent Veronica to Rhea.
Rhea nodded and answered readily.
* * *
That afternoon, Rhea visited Carrion’s study.
The two sat across from each other on the sofa, surrounded by an awkward silence.
Carrion spoke first.
“You must have been quite startled when I brought up marriage in front of His Majesty that day.”
Rhea let out a small laugh.
“It’s strange—we’re only now able to talk about it. I never thought we’d go so long without the chance.”
Her soft response put Carrion at ease.
“It was my mistake to act without your consent, Princess. I thought that announcing it before everyone would make it easier for His Majesty to give his blessing.”
Carrion didn’t reveal his true reason.
If he said he’d thought of his mother in that moment, she might be displeased.
“I’m fine with it. It’s in the past now. Everything worked out well in the end. I heard from Veronica that you went to great lengths. Thank you.”
“I only did what was necessary.”
‘This man is kind. So this is what kindness can look like.’
Until now, Rhea had measured kindness against her brother.
Aren spoke kindly and acted kindly. Consideration was woven into his very being, and his nature was thoughtful.
Compared to Aren, Carrion seemed like an indifferent, cold man.
Yet he never betrayed trust and quietly offered his hand.
This man was undoubtedly kind.
“Could you explain to me in detail what you mean by a change in my seizures?”
Carrion hesitated, uncertain how to answer.
It seemed the seizures no longer occurred even without her treatment.
If he revealed this fact honestly, there would be no reason to kiss for treatment.
But he chose honesty.
“There are no seizures. I’ve simply been developing some insomnia.”
He held a conviction to live differently from his biological father.
So he had disciplined himself thus far, and intended to continue living that way.
If he lied with impure intentions, he would be no different from his biological father—a man he absolutely refused to resemble.
“I’ve been losing sleep for several days, and I thought contact with the Princess might help. I apologize if my earlier request was presumptuous.”
As he bowed his head, Rhea fluttered her hands in alarm.
“No, it’s fine. Do you suffer from severe insomnia?”
“The sleep deprivation isn’t so serious that it affects my daily life. Since I normally sleep soundly, this change simply bothered me.”
“That’s certainly understandable. But isn’t it premature to declare the seizures gone for good? They could be temporary. Or has something distinctly changed?”
“I seem to have… made peace with it. Perhaps.”
“My goodness.”
Rhea leaned forward slightly toward him.
“Tell me more specifically.”
Carrion spoke with an awkward expression.
“I simply… had a conversation with it.”
Remembering how he’d once recoiled at the mention of a curse, Rhea chuckled to herself.
“I gave it a name. Perhaps it took a liking to that.”
“You gave it a name? You named the Spirit?”
Puzzled by her surprised reaction, he asked in return.
“Does the Princess’s Spirit not have a name?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Well… when it first awakened, I didn’t understand Spirits. And the more I learned about them, the more I realized they were beings beyond human capacity to manage. I never even considered naming it.”
He had no recollection of discussing Spirit names with Nella.
Nella’s Spirit likely had no name either.
“Did I make a mistake by naming it?”
“I’m not sure myself. I know far less than I don’t know. But if the seizures have stopped, I think that’s a good sign. Giving a name carries meaning, after all. Spirits have personalities, or traits, just like people do. From what I know—”
She stopped abruptly mid-sentence.
She’d almost accidentally brought up Nella’s Spirit.
Just then, Rhea’s gaze met his as he watched her.
His eyes were soft. His expression held no smile, yet somehow he seemed to be smiling.
‘Why is he looking at me like that? It’s confusing.’
She quickly changed the subject.
“I don’t think I can stay here much longer.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m planning to leave by tomorrow morning.”
Rhea explained the circumstances requiring her departure.
Carrion’s expression barely changed, yet he felt the ground crumble beneath him—utter despair.
‘I should have lied and said I needed treatment.’
His convictions could be overturned in an instant.
“Since the place I’ll be staying is in the 3rd District, it’s not really far from here anyway.”
The word ‘close’ offered no comfort whatsoever.
To visit another residence uninvited would be a grave breach of etiquette.
To avoid scandal, Lady Barel likely wouldn’t invite Carrion for some time.
“I can’t have everyone in my party stay at Lady Barel’s Residence, so I’m sending them to a house in the 5th District.”
“They may remain here.”
“No. It’s better to avoid situations that might invite gossip. Besides, we’ll be returning to the Kingdom with the Imperial delegation soon anyway. We won’t stay long in the 5th District house.”
Carrion felt strangely disappointed.
She drew the line so cleanly.
It was exactly the kind of relationship he’d always aspired to.
“Let us marry as a mutual transaction, exchanging what we can offer each other.”
Words he’d spoken long ago came back to him.
She had no desire for a marriage built on affection, so he had agreed.
At the time, he’d believed he thought the same way.
But now he couldn’t quite answer whether he still wanted that.
“Your Highness. Don’t let yourself feel reassured just because you’ve made peace with the Spirit. If you’re satisfied with the current state, the Spirit may act capriciously again. You mustn’t judge a Spirit by human standards.”
He thought he would miss her nagging.
“So you’re saying I should at least talk to it regularly?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Rhea laughed, imagining him speaking to himself.
“See?”
Rhea raised her hand and swept it lightly through the air.
A sharp whistle sang out as wind rushed past.
Rhea’s thick hair lifted and swirled into the empty space above.
A powerful gust struck at Carrion’s face with such force he could barely open his eyes.
An invisible hand seemed to touch every object in the study, sending them rippling in sequence through the air.
The documents on the desk scattered upward in a chaotic flutter before settling back into their places in neat, orderly stacks.
Finally, the curtains billowed violently, then fell still.
“Hmm, well—it was stronger than I expected. The Spirit has quite a playful streak.”
Rhea spoke with an embarrassed expression.

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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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