After waiting until the sun had dipped slightly in the sky, an elderly man with streaks of white in his hair, wearing a bow tie, finally emerged from the mansion. He stood straight and tall, exuding an air of competence.
“I apologize for the wait. I am Saville, the steward of the Domorax family. Please, come in. We’ll talk as we walk.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the hospitality.”
Led by Steward Saville, I finally set foot inside the Domorax estate.
As we walked along the gravel path in the garden, Steward Saville explained things to me in a courteous manner.
“It is true that our family is in need of magic users. As you can see, we manage an enormous estate and vast lands, and no matter how much manpower we have, it’s never quite enough. That’s why the current head of the house, Lord Morgan, has prioritized recruiting magic users. However, most mages are employed by older noble families, and they are not easily swayed. Even attempts to recruit from foreign lands have been unsuccessful, leaving us in a difficult situation.”
Hearing this, I felt a sense of hope that my magic might be useful to them. I took the opportunity to promote myself.
“Until recently, I worked at the royal castle, lighting all the rooms. I specialize in light magic and can fine-tune it according to the needs of each room. I can customize it however you’d like.”
“Ah, is that so? Light magic, you say? That’s the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. Hmm…”
Steward Saville appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. I started to worry that he might say they didn’t need light magic, but he invited me into the mansion, so it seemed I was wrong.
The Domorax estate was just as magnificent as the royal castle. As expected from one of the kingdom’s most prominent noble families, their wealth and status were leagues beyond that of my own house.
Following Steward Saville, I walked down a dimly lit hallway. Glancing around, I noticed the candles placed near the ceiling, wondering why they were positioned so high. Before I had time to dwell on it, we arrived at our destination.
The oak doors opened to reveal a room furnished with lavish decor that could easily be mistaken for a salon—but there were no windows. The room was lit only by the candles placed in the corners and near the ceiling. In the center, seated at a desk, was a young man with silver hair.
“Lord Morgan, this is Lady Aurelia, a user of light magic. She has come a long way after hearing of our recruitment,” announced the steward.
The young man called Morgan smiled suddenly. He had reddish-brown eyes, fair skin, and a refined, though slender, face.
Morgan, the Duke of Domorax, spoke with excitement in his voice.
“Light magic. Is that true?”
I nodded.
“Yes, would you like me to demonstrate by lighting something?”
“Then, please light this lamp,” he said, gesturing toward a shaded lamp on the desk.
“Understood, may I borrow it for a moment?”
I approached the lamp on the desk and extended my right hand, chanting a spell.
“O small light, Lux Minor.”
The lamp softly lit up. Given the intentionally dim atmosphere of the room, I made sure not to make it too bright.
As I stepped back, Morgan casually pulled the lamp closer, examining it intently. Watching him, Steward Saville asked,
“Lord Morgan, how is it? Are your eyes all right?”
“Oh yes, I’m fine. It’s strange—there’s no heat, and it doesn’t hurt my eyes.”
Hearing the word “strange,” I tilted my head in curiosity, but Morgan then smiled brightly at me, clearly excited.
“Aurelia. Please, would you stay at the Domorax estate? We need your abilities.”
Although his offer was convenient for me, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was being so warmly welcomed. There must be more to it.
“Before you accept, let me explain. Since birth, I’ve been sensitive to sunlight. I can’t go outside without covering my skin and wearing sunglasses. I’m also sensitive to heat, and I get burned easily. I can’t leave our lands with their cool climate.”
Morgan confessed that he was even uncomfortable with the heat from candles.
The distant placement of candles and the dim lighting within the mansion were all for Morgan’s sake. Considering his condition, my light magic would indeed be useful. Unlike sunlight, it doesn’t burn the skin or eyes, and it can be adjusted to various qualities of light.
“In that case, I believe I can be of service. Magic light doesn’t produce heat, and I can adjust the intensity. Please leave it to me.”
And so, I began working at the Domorax estate. Now I could send money home to my family—what a relief.
* * *
Meanwhile, back at the royal castle.
The castle had become shrouded in darkness, with everyone walking around at night carrying lamps and candelabras. There had already been a close call when someone bumped into a table, almost setting the carpet on fire, and the atmosphere was tense.
The situation eventually forced the king to summon Chancellor Waldnaise and ask about the recent events.
“Waldnaise, what is going on here? Why has the castle become so dimly lit?”
“Your Majesty, I’ve been waiting for you to ask. You see, the cause of all this lies with Prince Hugues.”
“Hugues?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. First, Princess Philia, his fiancée, broke off their engagement.”
“Ah, that. I tried questioning Hugues, but he claimed ignorance, which has been giving me a headache.”
“There was a reason I couldn’t speak on this matter without being asked directly by Your Majesty.”
With an air of gravity, Waldnaise proceeded to explain to the king what had happened—how Prince Hugues was caught in a secret rendezvous with Lady Solange, the daughter of Marquis Aflia, and how Aurelia, the light magic user, had been unjustly dismissed after witnessing the scene.
The king was, of course, furious—directing his anger toward Prince Hugues.
“So, what you’re telling me is that Hugues dismissed the light magic user without cause, which has led to the castle being plunged into darkness?”
“That is correct, Your Majesty. By the time I learned of this, she had already left the capital. I’ve also heard recently that she has been employed by the Duke of Domorax.”
“The Duke of Domorax? Hmm, I can’t exactly ask for her to be returned now, can I?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Magic users are the greatest treasures that nobles employ and never part with. Yet, due to his own misconduct, Prince Hugues has let her slip away.”
Whether Prince Hugues was aware of it or not, the outcome was the same. Waldnaise answered this calmly.
The enraged king issued an order to the guards.
"Bring Hugues here! And Dacia as well—make her reveal the names of the officials who gave the orders!"
As the guards rushed out in a panic, Waldnaise hit the king with yet another harsh reality.
"Your Majesty, should you wish to hire a new light magic user..."
"Oh? Is there a way?"
"Well, in the neighboring Kingdom of Chartner, they granted the title of Count and lands to a light magic user they employed. Additionally, in the Republic of Quendoni, such a mage was received as a state guest."
What this meant, essentially, was that it would be nearly impossible to find a replacement quickly.
Light magic users were exceedingly rare to begin with. The Kingdom of Lucrece had been able to employ Aurelia at the royal castle without ever realizing how valuable she was—except, perhaps, for Waldnaise and Aurelia's immediate superior, Count Brenante.
"Why wasn’t she more highly valued before?!"
"We have lived in peaceful times, Your Majesty."
Waldnaise remained indifferent, watching the king, who alternated between frustration and anger, as though thinking it might be good for the king to face some consequences for once.
Thus, Prince Hugues and Queen Dacia were summoned and promptly commanded to find a new light magic user. Both were expelled from the royal castle together.
* * *
Even in a dimly lit room, one can still enjoy the seasons.
I arranged a large vase of white lilies and placed it on the table.
I then cast a spell.
"Light for the flowers, Lux Flori."
The white lilies began to glow faintly blue. The magical sight made Morgan’s eyes sparkle like a child’s.
“Amazing. The flowers look as delicate as glasswork... I’ve never seen them in such intricate detail before. In the nighttime garden, the flowers are always closed.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I replied, feeling a surge of happiness from Morgan’s joy.
Morgan’s study was now softly lit, from the shelves to the carpet and even the patterns on the walls, all enhanced by my light magic. It wasn’t too bright, nor too dim, and Morgan was delighted that he could now easily read the letters on his documents. Up until now, he’d been forced to guess at the words or move close to the flickering flame of a lamp to read quickly—or even have Steward Saville read aloud to him.
“Aurelia, can you make glass and gemstones glow as well?”
“Yes, I can.”
“It’s more beautiful that way, and people can appreciate it. I want to show off to everyone that you can do such things.”
This was the first time anyone had ever told me they wanted to show off my magic.
Up until now, my magic had been treated as something ordinary. People would say, “So what if you can use magic? You can’t even bake bread or carry luggage. And as for noble education, how could a lady like you ever get married?” These were all facts—I couldn’t do any of those things.
But Morgan praised my light magic and enjoyed it. He appreciated it not just because it was useful, but because it made him happy. That made me want to use my magic even more.
A soft light illuminated Morgan’s silver hair, making it look mystical and radiant.
“Aurelia, there’s so much I want to ask of you. Please stay here with me forever.”
“Oh, thank you. I’m honored you would say such a thing.”
“It’s no metaphor, and it’s not flattery. I’d be lost without you.”
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of Morgan’s words.
It was only later that I realized what he truly meant.
“You’ve taught me how to enjoy light. I never imagined something that caused me so much pain could be this beautiful. When people see me illuminated by your magic, they cheer and praise me. Even someone like me has found a renewed hope in life, all thanks to you.”
So, he wanted to be with me always.
Thus began my romance with Morgan. Though it involved numerous complications, including spies sent to take me back to the kingdom and Prince Hugues’ meddling, as well as the entire Domorax family coming together for a grand wedding, everything somehow worked out in the end.
Frankly speaking, all those details were rather trivial, so I’ll skip them.
After all, Morgan is calling for me.
“I’m coming! The butterfly hairpin you gave me yesterday is glowing beautifully.”
Until the day my fingers can no longer make words glow—I am the magic user in service to the Domorax family.
It won’t be long before the title of Duchess is added to my name, and my children will soon use light magic to amuse their father as well.
[The End]
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