* * *
The peace shattered with the arrival of an uninvited guest.
The door burst open without warning, and Elyrion froze in place, staring at Ashard and Eren, tangled together affectionately on the bed.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Realizing his blunder, Elyrion hastily slammed the door shut.
From outside, Melody’s nagging toward her brother could be heard loud and clear.
“What the hell is he doing barging in here this early…”
Ashard trailed off, but his expression made it obvious the rest of the sentence was a curse.
Eren shared the sentiment entirely.
It would be one thing if they were unaware of Elyrion and Melody being here, but knowing and still staying in bed wasn’t an option.
Irritated by the disturbance, Ashard sat up abruptly.
As Eren tried to follow, Ashard quickly supported his body.
“Call for me if you need help.”
“…I can manage this much on my own.”
“Still, call me. It’s hard enough waiting that full week as it is.”
Hearing Ashard’s blatantly honest intentions made Eren duck his head, face flushed.
He didn’t voice it, but deep down, he agreed.
“B-but are you really going out there like this?”
“Why are you suddenly shy now? You were clinging to me shamelessly yesterday.”
Well, that was only because the prince kept doubting him, so out of frustration…
Eren bit his tongue. Even he knew that excuse sounded pathetic.
Sometimes keeping your mouth shut was the smarter option.
Quietly, Eren wrapped his arms around Ashard’s neck.
Lifting him with ease, Ashard carried Eren toward his office.
When they entered, Elyrion, aware he had overstepped, couldn’t lift his head properly.
Ashard gently set Eren down on the sofa across from him and sat beside him, speaking in a low, measured tone.
“So? What business brings you barging into my house at this hour?”
“…I was concerned about the Count’s condition.”
Sensing Ashard’s sour mood over Elyrion’s intrusion, Melody quickly interjected in a careful voice.
“It’s alright now, Princess. You don’t need to worry anymore.”
Clearly still feeling guilty, Melody visibly relaxed only after Eren offered a reassuring smile, signaling he was truly fine.
After a brief pause to gauge the mood, Melody nudged Elyrion with her elbow — evidently thinking now was her chance to mend the situation.
Feeling Ashard’s sharp gaze from the side, Elyrion hesitated but finally opened his mouth.
“I was out of line yesterday, Count.”
It was a simple acknowledgment of his wrongdoing — no grand apology, just a flat admission.
Eren had only met the prince once, but even so, he could tell Elyrion was someone who understood his position and how to act accordingly.
Born a royal, accustomed to having no one above him, Elyrion’s bearing, in some ways, made him more suited for the throne than Melody.
Though he admitted fault, his guarded eyes hadn’t softened — the same wary gaze he’d shown since learning Eren was from Epentel.
Suddenly, Eren understood why Melody believed Elyrion was better suited for the crown.
The prince’s scrutiny wasn’t pleasant, but Eren had no intention of easing his guard either.
After months of surviving as a noble, Eren knew people like Elyrion didn’t lower their defenses unless they chose to.
“No need. I should’ve been the one thanking you sooner. I appreciate what you did yesterday.”
Elyrion casually dipped his head, as if it were nothing.
Watching Melody seated opposite him triggered a sudden realization — he’d nearly forgotten in all the commotion over their unexpected visit.
“Is it really safe for you to be wandering around alone like this?”
Just as Ashard had taken charge of monitoring Julius, Melody was tasked with keeping an eye on Helid.
That responsibility had led to her lessons taking place in the palace and even the temporary suspension of her duties as heir to the Fridit family.
Catching his meaning instantly, Melody nodded as if to say there was no issue.
“It’s fine now. That’s no longer necessary.”
“What do you mean…?”
“They requested to be monitored themselves.”
Even though he heard her clearly, it took a second for Eren to process.
They asked to be monitored?
Ashard and Melody had been stuck close together precisely because they couldn’t openly state the situation was surveillance.
To be fair, from the Trovien Empire’s perspective, they were heroes who had expanded the empire’s territory.
Traitors in Epentel’s eyes, perhaps, but considered contributors in Trovien.
That explained why the populace didn’t strongly oppose them.
Naturally, some nobles argued they should still be watched, given what they’d done in Epentel.
But after the Empire promised to preserve their titles, overt surveillance wasn’t possible.
Keeping them nearby under the pretense of mansion repairs had been the compromise.
But if they volunteered for it…
The Empire’s biggest headache had conveniently solved itself.
Eren was curious about the reason but chose not to ask.
The silver lining was that Julius would likely leave the mansion soon.
“We didn’t use ordinary artifacts this time. They’ve had magical sigils inscribed directly onto their bodies — impossible to remove.”
“Magical sigils?”
“Since it’s a magic formula developed by my brother, no one but him can break it.”
Melody didn’t exactly sound like she was complimenting him, but Elyrion’s shoulders lifted proudly as if he took it that way.
His expression stayed indifferent, but it was obvious—the corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly.
Maybe hearing that made him want to show off, because Elyrion snapped his fingers.
In that moment, an intricate magical formula began to appear in the air.
‘Huh…?’
It looked exactly like a magic formula should—anyone seeing it for the first time would’ve gawked in awe.
Of course, I wasn’t much different.
It sparkled like a star-filled sky, dazzling and elaborate.
But that wasn’t the point.
Once Eren realized what Elyrion’s so-called “magic formula” actually was, a bitter expression crossed his face.
There was no way he couldn’t recognize it.
Before possessing this body, he’d solved that exact type of problem to the point of nausea.
‘Wait… This magic formula… is math…?’
The magic floating in the air was a cubic function problem.
For Eren, who’d solved South Korea’s killer exam questions hundreds, thousands of times, this was practically common sense.
“The answer is 16.”
There was no need to work it out by hand.
Something this simple could be done mentally.
As soon as he spoke the answer, the formula shattered into pieces in midair like it had never existed.
“H-How did you…?”
Elyrion’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He wasn’t the only one.
Melody and Ashard, standing beside him, also stared at Eren in shock.
‘Is this really that surprising?’
Even if he looked like this now, Eren had been accepted into one of the top engineering schools through regular admissions.
Not that explaining that would help them understand.
Instead, he grabbed the parchment and quill from the table and scribbled down the formula’s full solution.
It was a simple problem once you understood the principle.
Within less than a minute, Eren set the quill down.
Elyrion, who had been frozen from the shock of his magic being broken, picked up Eren’s solution.
His eyes scanned the paper slowly, his eyelids twitching faintly from suppressed panic.
‘It’s… flawless…’
Seven years of studying magic formulas, and never once had he seen such a perfect solution.
Ever since Elyrion began applying his magical talents, the entire field of magic had revolved around him.
It wasn’t enough that he’d invented his first formula at just nine years old—it was more refined than spells developed over centuries.
The reason artifacts were so common across the Trovien Empire?
All thanks to Elyrion.
His designs were so intricate that even other magicians couldn’t hope to imitate them.
Which meant… no one in the empire—no, the entire continent—could break his formulas.
Until now.
* * *
