The Mythical Path of a Princess from a Destroyed Kingdom

After bidding farewell to the official, Maginus went to sit in the gazebo in the nearby garden and idly looked around, while instructing the servants to keep an eye on the activities in the eldest prince's study.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, the waiter quickly came to her side. Upon learning that the guest had left, Maginus immediately went back to the study and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in, I can smell the rich rose scent in your hair from afar, Maggie."

A deep, resonant voice came from the room. When Maginus opened the door, she saw a strong man with a slight beard. His powerful physique and the scars on his face gave him a fierce first impression.

Upon seeing her, the man revealed a gentle expression that seemed out of character. Before Maginus could even approach and bow, he patted her head with his large hand and said, "What brings you to see me today, my dear sister?"

He was the eldest prince, Cadenus. Although he appeared very fierce, he was a kind person among the people and nobles, and he was also the brother that Maginus was most willing to be close to.

"Teacher Santi stopped teaching us, so I had time to come see you today, Brother Wang."

The red-haired princess smiled and took the eldest prince's hand in her own, feeling its roughness, but she didn't notice the slight worry in Kadenor's eyes.

The eldest prince led Maginot to a chair and continued working at his desk, asking her why she had come: "Ha~, you must want something, so you came to my study to find me."

Maginus rarely comes to the office area to bother the people who manage the country, unless he suddenly wants something and then rushes here to report it first.

Seeing that Kaden had seen right through her, she swung her legs, clad in white stockings, as if her feet weren't touching the ground, and said in a low voice with feigned seriousness, "Actually, it's like this, I feel that everyone's attitude towards me has changed a lot lately..."

Kadenuo, who was writing something, stopped writing. A look of sadness flashed in her eyes as she braced herself for her hidden secret to be discovered. Then, she relaxed because of her sister's misguided direction.

“Brother King~~,” Maginus said coquettishly, “Tell me quickly, is Father King planning to find me a betrothed?”

"..."

Kadenor was silent for a while, then sighed: "Since you've found out, I won't hide it from you. In fact, it is true. Father and Mother think you're almost of marriageable age, so they're planning to secretly arrange a marriage for you first."

Sure enough!

Maginos was overjoyed to have discovered the truth, and asked curiously, "What kind of person are Father and Mother planning to find for me?"

"...I haven't decided yet. Do you have any good candidates? I don't think Father would disagree with the little ones who are in class with you."

The eldest prince pondered for a moment and asked a question in return. The first person that flashed through Maginos's mind was not Inser, but Susan. Then she shook her head and said, "I'd better listen to my father, mother, and queen. After all, I have to do something for this family."

The Kingdom of Nesery and most of the continent of Knoil still practice polygamy, and the king of this country, her father, has two female lovers, a queen and a princess.

Aside from her two mothers, Maginos wasn't sure if her father had any lovers, but she was certain he did when he was young.

The royal family consisted of three princes and four princesses. Maginot and the eldest and third princes were born to the queen, while the second prince and the remaining princesses were the children of another queen.

Of the four princesses, apart from the eldest princess who has real power and influence and herself, the other two have already married two counts respectively.

As far as Marginus knows, her royal family has not engaged in any infighting or power struggles as rumored elsewhere.

Hearing Maginot say this, the eldest prince reached out and stroked her hair as usual: "Little one, don't think about those things. If you really have someone you like... well, as long as they're not some weak commoner or anything like that, your father should agree to it... probably?"

"So, Brother Wang, don't tell me things you're not even sure about yourself!"

……

After exchanging a few words with Cadeno in the study, Maginus rose, bowed, and left, reminding him before departing, "If there is any news, brother, you must remember to tell me immediately."

"Of course, you are my most beloved little sister."

Watching Maginus leave the study, Kadenor looked at the drawing on the desk. It was a map of the Kingdom of Nesery, marked with some red dots.

Remove this map; the next one is the same, except that there are more red dots. It's quite obvious that these red dots are gradually encroaching on the territory of the Kingdom of Nesery, until they stop advancing on the last few maps.

Looking at these things, Kadenau's sigh grew heavier: "We really should think of a way to send Maggie away. If we want her to live, an engagement with a distant country would probably be a good option."

……

The carefree princess was unaware of what would happen next. Upon learning that her father had not agreed to the marriage, she walked briskly down the corridor, still hoping that her father would grant Inser's request.

After all, she prefers people around her whose character she knows well to strangers.

Looking out the window at the setting sun, Maginos walked toward the dining room. Feeling a little lonely with her parents and siblings not around, she asked a waiter to bring dinner to her bedroom. After eating, she left her maid behind.

With the help of her maid, she removed her heavy dress and tight-fitting corset. Her straight back relaxed, and looking at her fair skin in the mirror, she twirled around a few times with a touch of narcissism. Then she opened the bathroom door and soaked in her small bathtub, which was already filled with hot water.

After emerging from the bath, Maginos had her maids help her dry off. She then put on her nightgown, snapped her fingers, and used her magic to create a warm breeze to dry her still-damp hair before collapsing onto the bed.

Chapter 4 Psychic Power, Magic Power, and Life Force

“Aa ...

As the new morning dawned, Maginot awoke from another nightmare, gasping for breath and filled with confusion. The nightmare was exactly the same scene as before, in which…

"Hey, what are the scenes like in your nightmares?"

She found that even when she tried to recall the nightmare, she still couldn't remember the details. She watched as the maids rushed in with panic, raising their hands to indicate that she was alright, while she muttered to herself.

After estimating the time, and looking out at the dimly lit sky, Maginus, who had been awakened by a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep, got out of bed, shaking her groggy head as she tried to review her magical knowledge. She had just sat down in a chair when she remembered that her teacher had already left.

"Today is a day for rest... Emily, do you have any invitations to a tea party?"

Wearing her pajamas, she asked the maid standing to the side. The maid left the room and soon returned with a large stack of letters, including invitations from the noble ladies she had attended classes with.

It seems that although the students who attend classes with her want to avoid her, they still chose to try inviting her in this matter.

However, Maginus was unwilling to put her face against them; if they wanted to avoid her, then so be it.

As her gaze swept across invitation after invitation, searching for the tea parties she could attend that day, Maginus's eyes were suddenly drawn to Inser's rose envelope. Her eyes lit up immediately, and after reading it, they were even more impressed.

“Very good. Tell the others that I’m going to Inser’s estate for a tea party this afternoon.”

"Understood, Your Highness."

After the maids left the room, Maggie lay back down on the bed, tossing and turning with her pillow in her arms. When she realized she couldn't fall asleep, she got up again, took out her notebook, and started studying magic.

Invisible magical threads began to form from her fingertips, and a small flame quickly ignited in her hand. Before the spell was complete, she extinguished it, somewhat afraid that she might set the house on fire.

He propped his cheek up with one hand and flipped through his notebook with the other to review some basic knowledge.

Various forms of energy exist in this vast universe, and they can be transformed into each other through certain means. However, only three types are most widely accepted by the bodies of fragile flesh-and-blood beings.

Soul energy, spiritual energy, magical energy, and life energy, also known as psionic energy, magic power, and life force, are the basic energies of the world, and they can influence each other.

Living organisms have these energies to varying degrees, though some may not. However, Teacher Santi said she didn't know, as she herself was just an ordinary mage.

Of these three, spiritual energy and life force are present in every living being but are extremely difficult to mobilize, while magic is relatively easier to mobilize and can therefore produce all sorts of magical phenomena, but it is equally difficult to control and possess.

Magic is a general term for the means of calling upon magical energy, and those who can do this and are proficient in it are called spellcasters. Spellcasters have different focuses, and therefore spellcasters are divided into many different professions.

For example, priests and druids worship the universe and gods to gain basic spellcasting abilities, and the magic they use is also called divine magic.

Warlocks who inherit magical control from their bloodline, and mages who master magic through research and wisdom, all wield magic known as arcane magic.

Besides these, there are many other spellcasters, bards, warlock sorcerers...

Of course, on the continent of Knoil, not just anyone who knows a few spells can be called a spellcaster.

Just as a merchant may be skilled in buying and selling goods and also know some farming techniques, and a farmer may be skilled in farming and also be able to sell his wares, some non-spellcasters may also acquire the means to manipulate magical energy or learn some magic.

"As for non-spellcasters, they are basically people who explore life force."

Santi said to Maginus, "However, this is just a better way of saying it and a general term. Since life force is difficult to mobilize when it is not affected by magic, many non-spellcasters actually do not know the principle behind their actions."

Warriors, assassins, barbarians...

Their training, in the eyes of the spellcasters conducting the research, was an exploration of life force, but it was difficult to make any progress, and even if they did, there were rarely any outstanding phenomena.

Compared to life force and magic, psionic energy is much more mysterious. Although those who use it are also called spellcasters, those who do not study it know very little about how psionic energy is used.

If you really want to understand, you'll probably have to ask those spellcasters who specialize in studying psychic powers...

Recalling her teacher Santi's words and reviewing past knowledge, Maginus drifted off to sleep leaning against the table as the sun slowly rose.

……

When Maginus was awakened from her nightmare again from the table, it was already around ten o'clock in the morning. Inser had already received the news that she was coming and expressed his welcome.

She then did some trivial things and calmly waited until it was about two o'clock in the afternoon before boarding the prepared carriage to go to Inser's mansion.

"Susan, would you like some snacks?"

Sitting in the carriage, Maginot picked up a piece of cake with her fingers and held it to the captain of the guard's mouth. Susan took the cake, opened her mouth, and ate it in one bite, while reminding him, "If you're going to have afternoon tea, I don't recommend eating cake now."

"I just wanted to go and talk to Inser." The princess shook her head.

Susan was also in the carriage. As mentioned before, in addition to being the head of the guard, she was also Maginus's personal bodyguard. The two had actually known each other since they were very young.

She was a daughter of a fallen noble family, selected by Queen Maginos when she was choosing a guard based on various factors such as age, gender, family background, and strength.

He first became Maginus's personal bodyguard, and later, due to his increased strength and improvements in all aspects, he was gradually promoted to captain of the guard.

Inser, on the other hand, was the daughter of Duke Rutti. Due to certain political and family factors, she had always been protected in the capital.

The three of them should have been good friends, but because of Inser's feelings for Maginus, and because she also saw Maginus's inner feelings for Susan, she became very hostile towards Susan.

However, the two women did not quarrel in front of Maginot; they were very peaceful and serene.

Chapter 5 Small Interests

Sitting in the swaying carriage, Maginos peeked out from behind the curtains at the bustling street. People were crowding around the luxurious carriage, and some were whispering among themselves as they looked at it.

Apart from the glimpse revealed through the carriage curtains, she could only learn about the outside world from reports or Inser's accounts.

"Susan, is what I saw really just a part of the streets in the wealthy neighborhoods, and also the poor working-class streets and chaotic slums?"

“Your Highness, you have asked this many times. It is true. Miss Luti even secretly brought the bard’s painting to the palace for you to see, didn’t she?”

Recalling that time through Susan's words, Maginot felt uncomfortable all over. Susan brought over two paintings, one of a working-class street and the other of a slum.

If the house in the first picture was much more dilapidated than what she saw on the street now, that was certainly true in Maginos's imagination; the second picture, however, sent a chill down her spine.

Is that really a place where people live?

Dirty, dilapidated, lifeless, and filled with despair...

Maginus sighed, knowing it was not something she could concern herself with. She had asked her brother and father why they didn't want things to get better there, but they just shook their heads and didn't say anything more, seemingly indifferent to the slums.

She could only sigh about it; there was nothing she could do about it.

As she drew the curtains, Maginos swung her legs, clad in white stockings and black shoes, as her thoughts gradually drifted away.

……

After a short while, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Susan got out of the carriage first and stood by the door, raising her hand as if to lift her up. Maginus stood up from the chair, letting her knight support her soft hand, and carefully got off the carriage.

“Maggie!”

As soon as she stepped down the steps, Inser, who was waiting nearby, pounced on her and hugged her, rubbing his face against hers forcefully when Maginus wasn't looking.

However, what the young lady felt was not the princess's chubby cheeks, but rather a very rough hand. When she opened her eyes, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in them.

Susan stared at her expressionlessly, her hand resting between her and Maginot's cheeks.

"Alright~ Inser, let me go now."

At this moment, one or two noble ladies who had come to attend the tea party were getting out of their carriages. Maginus was quite shy about Inser's actions and gently pushed her body with his hand.

Inser was very disappointed, but obediently let go of Maginos, glared at Susan in secret, and then took Maginos's hand and walked towards the garden.

Upon entering the garden, the noble ladies there immediately rose and bowed upon seeing Maginus, at least outwardly showing respect: "Your Highness."

"Please stand up, everyone, don't be so formal."

With polite smiles, Maginus sat down with Inser. After the noble ladies warmed up each other up a bit, they began to talk about some trivial matters of daily life.

Someone who's not present likes a particular guy, their opinion on the new play in the theater, the latest work of a famous bard, what cosmetics everyone uses...

Maginus maintained a smile, mostly listening attentively, occasionally saying a few words, neither distancing himself from nor getting too close to these noble ladies.

……

Taking sips of black tea every now and then, the afternoon tea slowly came to an end in this harmonious atmosphere. Maginus, keenly aware that the mood was beginning to waver, then made the final decision:

"Alright, shall we call it a day?"

"What do you all think?" Inser asked, and the many beautiful young women nodded and then bid farewell to Inser, the host, and Maginus, the person of the highest status.

Once everyone had left, Maginus relaxed a little. As she stood up from her chair, she pulled Inser aside and whispered, "Inser, I need to go to the restroom."

Inser nodded, beckoned two maids to accompany her, and before leaving, she said to Susan, "You two, don't start arguing."

After Maginus walked away, the young lady's gaze fell on the knight who stood motionless to the side. After a stalemate of staring at each other for four or five minutes, she snorted coldly: "Wild dog."

"It's better than you, you madman. Humph, if Her Highness the Princess knew what you've done..." Susan retorted in a low voice, her eyes flashing with disgust and revulsion.

"What, do you have any evidence? Besides, you don't seem at ease yourself."

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Inser's expression changed slightly, and she lifted her skirt and ran towards her mansion, looking very anxious.

By this time, Maginot had washed her hands and was walking back to the garden. The only sounds in the quiet corridor were her footsteps and those of the other two maids.