A Blend of Romance and Fantasy Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The next day, after receiving word from Leonard Blake, I went straight to his room.

I had barely settled onto the sofa when he appeared—

—with Ignis in tow.

“Looks like he’s calmed down a bit?”

“I nearly died trying to calm him all night.”

That explained the faint shadows under his eyes.
For a moment, I wondered exactly how he’d managed it—but decided not to ask.

“So… how did Ignis turn into a human?”

“I don’t know.”

“He says he doesn’t know.”

Leonard pressed his fingers to his temples, clearly exhausted.

“If I had to guess… during the contract transfer, the summoning itself was judged dangerous. Something stronger—mana or divine power—interfered.”

“That would make sense. This palace is layered with barriers from Erdan and Aurora.”

“There’s proof. Ignis, show her.”

“No.”

Leonard didn’t argue.

He simply lifted Ignis, turned him around—

—and exposed the back of his neck.

Pink letters glowed faintly against pale skin.

“Hey! Don’t touch me!!”

“…This is divine magic.”

“I said don’t touch me!”

Ignoring the protests, Leonard set him down again.

I leaned closer, studying the mark carefully.

“…This is Elysia’s Prayer.”

Both of them looked at me.

“It’s a divine technique granted about two hundred years ago to Saint Bianchista by Elysia. A binding-type ability.”

I crossed my arms, thinking aloud.

“Divine power isn’t as rigid as magic. Knights, priests, shrine maidens—they all use different forms, but the source overlaps. Rare techniques like this… are special cases.”

Leonard’s expression sharpened slightly.

“So the barrier triggered it?”

“The color is pink… which means royal divine power. Likely my brother’s.”

“…But?”

“He can’t use this technique. It’s exclusive to saints. And Aurora’s divine power is gold.”

Silence.

I frowned.

“…I don’t know.”

Leonard exhaled slowly.

“…Then we should ask Aurora.”

The Saintess’s Answer

Aurora confirmed it the moment she saw Ignis.

“It’s definitely divine power.”

She folded her arms, eyes flicking between Leonard and me.

“But first—explain.”

Leonard answered calmly.

“I tried to transfer Ignis’s contract to the princess for protection. Something interfered.”

Aurora turned to me.

“Is that true?”

“…Yes.”

Ignis stood there, sulking, arms crossed like a tiny tyrant.

Aurora studied the mark again.

“…Charlotte. This might be your divine power.”

“Me? That’s impossible.”

“Late manifestation happens.”

“No, it doesn’t—at least not to me.”

Not after everything.

Not after—

The Test

Aurora brought out a Luminous Stone.

A crystal that reacted to divine power.

Simple.

Brutal.

Final.

She held it out.

I didn’t take it.

Because—

A memory surfaced.

Why don’t I have divine power?!
Am I not part of the holy bloodline?!

My fingers trembled.

“Charlotte,” Aurora said gently, lowering the stone. “We can stop.”

“…No.”

I exhaled slowly.

I wasn’t a child anymore.

I reached out—

—and took the stone.

Don’t expect anything.

I had tried this dozens of times.

Always the same result.

Nothing.

But this time—

Light exploded from the stone.

Brilliant.

Radiant.

Pink.

Exactly like Erdan’s.

“Charlotte!”

Aurora’s voice broke into a smile. The shrine maidens gasped.

But I couldn’t move.

“…Is this a dream?”

The stone slipped from my hand.

Leonard caught it.

Then—without hesitation—he placed it back into my palm.

His hand covered mine.

Warm.

Steady.

When I looked up, he was watching me.

“…I don’t understand,” I whispered.

He gave a small, quiet smile.

“…Neither do I. But congratulations, I guess.”

“…Just say it properly.”

“…Congratulations.”

It was absurdly gentle.

And that made it worse.

The Mark

Aurora suddenly leaned closer, grabbing my hand.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“…Charlotte. This isn’t the royal crest.”

My breath caught.

“All royal divine power bears the lion crest,” she said slowly. “Yours… is different.”

“…Different how?”

“…It’s a flower.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Cold.

Leonard’s gaze shifted.

Just slightly.

But I saw it.

Because I understood.

This symbol—

Wasn’t Singcester’s.

It belonged to the Blake Empire.

More than that—

It was tied to the priest from Song of Sky, Fire, and Moon.

Our eyes met.

Leonard shook his head—subtle, warning.

I hid my hand instantly.

“…We should tell my brother,” I said quickly. “And deal with Ignis too.”

Aurora hesitated.

“That’s true, but—”

“More importantly,” she added brightly, “pink means royal divine power! It’s hereditary!”

That wasn’t the problem.

The symbol was.

The crest reflected the meaning of the divine power.

Singcester’s lion symbolized strength and wisdom.

Mine—

Was something else entirely.

The Dragon Problem

Leonard stepped forward, cutting through the tension.

“So. Charlotte’s power triggered the transformation.”

Aurora nodded.

“Yes. The contract activated a defensive spell.”

“Then there’s no danger to her.”

“That’s not the issue!” Ignis shouted.

“I’m still human! Fix it!”

Leonard barely glanced at him.

“The contract restricted your form. Just change back.”

Ignis froze.

“…I can’t.”

Aurora blinked.

“…You’re a dragon.”

“Yes.”

“And you can’t use magic?”

Ignis shrank slightly.

“…I never learned.”

Leonard answered for him.

“He’s an orphan. Dragons learn magic from their kin. He didn’t have that chance.”

For once—

Ignis said nothing.

A Quiet Shift

The room fell silent.

Between divine power that shouldn’t exist—

A crest that shouldn’t belong—

And a dragon that couldn’t return to himself—

Something had clearly gone wrong.

And not just once.

I looked down at my hand.

At the mark I had hidden.

At the power I was never supposed to have.

And for the first time—

I felt it.

Not relief.

Not excitement.

But something far worse.

A quiet, creeping certainty—

That the story I thought I had finished…

Had only just begun.