Magic was very convenient and useful for many things. Its usefulness has made many people dependent on magic, so because of this, magic sometimes impairs rational thinking.

For example, for aristocrats or royalty.

Those with high-purity magical power prioritized magic over tools or machinery when in a hurry, even if tools or machines would be much more efficient. Usually, such judgments were made when reason was clouded, and emotions took over.

That was the case with Skylar now.

Upon hearing the news that Ariel’s car had been wrecked, he immediately rushed out with contemplation. He acted hastily without confirming the facts beforehand.

Abandoning everything he was doing and leaving the imperial palace, he used teleportation magic instead of using a vehicle.

Not only did he go to the scene himself without even thinking about sending an investigator, but he used advanced spells that couldn’t be used multiple times a day. Moreover, since the type of magic he used was completely opposite to his, the consumption of magic power was draining. It was a spell he couldn’t use twice.

However, with his mind paralyzed, he couldn’t make rational judgments.

The only thing he found when he arrived was a vehicle that seemed to have stopped due to a broken engine on the way back to the imperial palace and a driver who seemed as though he was in a daze.

He fell into fear when he couldn’t find Ariel.

At the same time, his insides were burning, fearing that she might have been hurt. Skylar wasn’t in his right mind. Since he was unable to use the wrecked car and there was no way for him to teleport once more, he knew he had to run.

“Where did she go?”

“Yes? The Princess of the County…”

“Yeah! Where did she go?!”

“She has gone to the Count’s residence…”

Skylar, who yelled at the driver, ran to the Count’s residence without even listening to the whole answer. As a result, he sprinted a distance of over five kilometers.

He would have normally stopped to contact the imperial palace—whether to send a functioning vehicle or to make a call to the Count’s residence. In the first place, he wouldn’t have come to the scene by teleporting, which he could only do once. He would have sent investigators and handled it.

It should’ve been done that way this time, too, but unfortunately, his mind was failing to make a wise choice.

Throughout the whole time he was running, he kept thinking of the damaged door and broken windows of the car. His heart tightened when he thought of Ariel, who must have experienced that impact firsthand.

The driver’s words that she was safe didn’t even reach him.

He felt like he would lose his mind if he didn’t make sure with his own eyes that she was safe.

Thanks to this, the reputation of the imperial family was the least of his concerns. His clothes were drenched in sweat, his hair was disheveled, and he was running around in a hurry, unable to keep his body straight. However, maintaining his dignity wasn’t important to him right now.

He ignored the Countess’s greetings and the Grand Prince’s words as he entered the mansion.

He was completely rejecting the existence of others.

To him, everything else around him felt blurry.

He didn’t mind about his choked breath or his airway that was in so much pain that it tasted like blood. He also didn’t even mind the dizzy headache due to the lack of oxygen. The only thing that mattered to him was Ariel’s safety. In this moment, that was all that mattered.

She was the only one he could clearly see.

Blue eyes swayed as they captured a girl wearing a party dress.

She seems fine. She looks okay. She isn’t not hurt.

Despite repeating these thoughts over and over, Skylar’s heart couldn’t easily calm down. On one hand, he couldn’t understand himself in this state. Although he wanted to stop, he couldn’t control it.

Even in the eyes of others, he was strange now.

“Hey, Skylar. What’s wrong with you?”

Lexius called out to him, but he didn’t respond. He fixed his gaze on one spot as he was breathing heavily.

Ariel flinched at the sight of his eyes pouring out intense emotions.

“Your Highness?”

When she finally opened her mouth, he, who had been frozen in place as if he had lost his soul, also opened his mouth.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

Those were the words that escaped his lips after a long pause. Even though he was looking at her with his own eyes, he asked unsurely.

 
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