Chapter 29: The Prince and the Herbalist Witch

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Afternoon – Library

During her part-time job at the library, Aster finished arranging the books. With nothing left to do, she found a quiet corner and reread a fiction novel titled “The Prince and the Herbalist Witch” to distract herself from overthinking. She had already finished it once, but returning to it again felt easier than sitting alone with her thoughts. But even as she read, her thoughts kept drifting back to one thing.

‘…I missed the chance to thank him. Just saying “thank you for saving me” shouldn’t be that difficult,’ she scolded herself internally.

Then she remembered how Randall had looked earlier that day — quieter than usual, more intense than normal.

‘It’s not that easy.’ She sighed softly. ‘I wonder what he’s thinking. He seemed… deep in thought today.’

Another thought followed soon after. Her necklace.

‘Did it really shimmer?’

Her fingers instinctively brushed over it beneath her clothes. 

“I still have to figure that out too…” she murmured. ‘If only I could ask Lord Ranley about it. He’d probably know… but I’m still not even sure if he was really the boy who gave it to me back then.’

 

Eventually, curiosity pushed her up from her seat.
She began scanning the shelves for books on relics and magic in Crescentis.

After a few moments, she turned back toward her table and froze.
Randall was there…sitting where she had left her book —reading it.

Aster’s breath caught.

 

‘My book!!…’

 

Her mind short-circuited.

‘Wahh—?!How am I supposed to take it back from him?’

Her face instantly warmed as she watched him calmly scan the pages.

‘But wait… this is my chance.’ She hesitated.

‘This is my chance to approach him…
But—How?’

 

「What actually happened before Aster spotted Randall at her corner.」

 

During the time Aster was busy organizing books in the library, Randall who was still at odds with Wren didn’t want to remain in their shared dormitory just yet.
After training in Martial and Chivalric Arts, he had taken a quick shower and left without a word, leaving Wren behind. Wren, choosing not to escalate their argument, simply let him go, hoping Randall would cool off and come to his senses on his own.

 

Randall went to the stables and rode out on horseback to clear his mind.
But Wren’s words kept replaying in his head.

 

“You neglected the Princess of Helios—the one you were meant to be engaged to before the Duke of Helios’s betrayal. You never once sought her out. Instead, you made a promise to some unknown villager.”

 

Randall shook his head.

“But here you are, repeating the same mistake and getting involved with Miss Aster when you know you’re about to be engaged to Lady Vanessa. You threw away the girl you were meant to have, only to chase after another you can’t have. Do you enjoy breaking hearts?”

Randall clenched his jaw and tugged the reins sharply.
“Hiyaah-!!” The horse slowed.

 

He exhaled and shook his head.

‘Why does he make it sound like I’m some kind of philanderer?’

He dismounted and led the horse toward the riverside, irritation still lingering in his chest.

‘It’s not like I chose to feel this way. I mean, yes—I made a promise to that girl in the village that we’d meet again, but it’s not like I proposed to her or anything.’

His brow furrowed.

‘But I did give her my necklace…’

He stopped at the riverbank and crouched down, resting one arm on his knee. The other hand hovered near the water. The horse drank quietly beside him as he stared at his reflection in the water, lost in thought.

‘Why did I give it to her?’
The answer came quickly—too easily.
‘So I could say I lost it. So I’d have an excuse not to give it to the princess I never wanted to be engaged to in the first place.’

He exhaled sharply, guilt creeping in.
‘Was that all? But that girl I met… what happened to her? And why do I always go back to that place, hoping I’ll see her again?’

He had been young then. How could he have known what he felt was love? They had only met once, yet he remembered how natural it felt… how he had been himself, unguarded and at ease.

Then the incident with Helios happened—his first real failure—and because of it, Crescentis severed ties with Helios.

 

His reflection wavered on the surface of the water. Frustration flickered across his expression.

Without thinking, he struck the water with his hand and his reflection shattered into ripples.

 

“But how was that my fault?” He muttered.

“And did I keep returning there simply because I felt obligated to keep my word? Was it just about proving I was a man of honor?”

 

Everything felt tangled—duty, expectations, promises he didn’t fully understand.

The lines between what he felt and what he was supposed to feel were starting to blur.

Then, faintly, another thought surfaced.

 

Aster.

 

His reflection rippled again as her image crossed his mind.

 

‘But with Aster… what do I feel for her?’

Ever since he met her, he had stopped thinking about returning to that village. It was as if something he had been searching for had quietly shifted toward her instead.

‘Am I just projecting what I felt back then onto her? Why do I feel at ease when I’m with her?’

 

He exhaled again, recalling their first encounters.

‘At the market… I was just amused by how she disguised herself as a boy.

When I saw her again at the academy, I was intrigued.

But the more I watched her, the more I was drawn to her.

Is this just curiosity?’

 

Then he remembered their debate during History class.

‘Right… aside from Wren, she’s the only one who’s ever challenged me head-on. The only one who makes me think differently.’

 

Aster’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Even now, we don’t know if dark mages are still lurking in the shadows. And Duke Lucian… he was a renowned Light Mage. Would he really be so reckless as to throw away his reputation to aid those who practice forbidden magic?”

 

‘She’s right.’

Back then, he had been too young to question anything. But now…
There was something he could do.

‘I need to find out the truth.’

His expression hardened with resolve.

‘What really happened with the dark mages? Why were they working with the Duke of Helios? What was their purpose? And where did the Duke disappear after the attack? Something didn’t add up.’

Without another thought, he mounted his horse.

There was only one place to start.
The library.

 

~˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆🕮⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖ ִ~

 

By the time Randall arrived, the academy library was still filled with students.

He moved through the shelves, scanning titles on magic, relics, and historical accounts of mages, pulling out a few books before heading deeper into a more secluded corner—only to find Aster seated by the window, quietly reading.

 

Randall paused.

For a brief moment, he considered approaching her.
But Wren’s words echoed faintly in his mind.

“Here you are, repeating the same mistake and getting involved with Miss Aster when you know you’re about to be engaged to Lady Vanessa.”

 

His thoughts were still tangled.
This wasn’t the right time.
He turned his gaze away, about to leave—but then Aster stood up.

She carefully closed the book she had been reading and left it on the table before walking off toward another section of the library. The space was large enough that she passed by a different aisle, never once noticing him.

 

Randall remained still, his gaze drifting back to the table—to the book she left behind.

A quiet curiosity stirred.

‘What is she reading?’

Before he could think twice, his feet moved on their own. He walked over and stopped at her table, setting his books down before picking up the one she left behind and flipping it open.

 

“The Prince and the Herbalist Witch”

 

His eyes scanned the pages.

 

‘This is what she reads?’

Without thinking much of it, he took a seat, his attention lingering on the words as he absentmindedly turned a page.
He simply assumed she had left it behind and wouldn’t be coming back.

 

「And that was when Aster saw him.」

 

Aster debated whether it was the right time to approach Randall.
‘He looks peaceful right now… What if I disturb him?’ She thought.

The afternoon light spilled through the windows, blending his silver hair with the golden glow.

He looked less sharp than he had this morning, when he seemed troubled about something. Now, he looked almost like a fairy—just as she had described to Aunt Sally earlier.

‘If I don’t go now, I never will.’

Taking a quiet breath, she walked slowly toward him.

Randall was so absorbed in his reading that he didn’t notice her at first. His posture was straight as always—one hand resting lightly on the page, the other lazily supporting his chin.

‘Why is my heart suddenly pounding? I just need to say thank you and leave.’

Her thoughts scrambled, making her dizzy.

She stood just behind him, only a few centimeters away, still trying to find the right words— when Randall’s fingers paused mid-turn of the page. As if sensing her presence, he turned slightly, catching her off guard. His eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Miss Aster,” Randall said calmly.

Aster froze, her face heating up at being noticed before she could even speak.

“L-Lord Randall..! I—I’m sorry, I just— I wasn’t following you or anything… it’s just that I… I left my book here earlier, and I went to find a few more, and then—uh…”

Her voice trailed off as her gaze dropped to the book in his hand.

Randall’s gaze followed.

“…Ah,” he said, closing it. “This must be yours. The title caught my attention… I didn’t expect to get so absorbed.” He tried to hand it back to her, but then realized she had a stack of books in her arms.

Without a word, he reached out and took the books from her, easing the weight from her hold before placing them neatly on the table.

 “Then I’ll leave you to it,” he said calmly.

He took his books and moved as if to leave.

Panicking, Aster instinctively reached out—grabbing his sleeve.

“Please don’t go yet.”

Randall paused, slightly surprised. Aster herself looked even more startled at what she had just done. Realizing this, she slowly loosened her grip but didn’t let go completely.

“I—I mean… I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Lord Randall…” she said softly, eyes lowered, unable to meet his gaze.

Randall, noticing her nervousness, tried to put her at ease.

“Why don’t we sit first,” he said, “so we can talk properly.”

His voice remained composed—almost distant—but not unkind.

Aster hesitated, then nodded and sat down.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts.

“I—um… I actually just wanted to say thank you.”

Randall blinked. “For what?”

“For saving me. I heard it was you who stopped the wild horse… and even the one who brought me to the academy’s clinic,” she said. “Again… you’ve saved me several times now. I hope I can return the favor someday.”

Randall looked at her without expression.

“It wasn’t a favor,” he said simply. “I did what I thought was right. You don’t have to feel indebted.”

Aster smiled softly. “Still… thank you.”

Randall fell silent, unsure how to respond.

The quiet stretched. Feeling awkward, Aster spoke again.

“Um… you can sit here, if you’d like. It’s a quiet corner, after all.” She gave a small, nervous smile.

“I was actually about to go home, but I really wanted to say thank you before I left.”

Something in her words made Randall pause. He didn’t want her to leave just yet, so he spoke without thinking.

“…About the book,” he said casually, trying to continue the conversation. “I didn’t expect you to be the type to read novels.”

‘That came out wrong’, he thought, mildly irritated at himself for speaking without considering how it might sound to her. He glanced at her briefly, as if to gauge her reaction before adding,

“I mean… I thought you were only interested in history.”

Aster froze.

“T-that’s…” She quickly clutched the book to her chest. “I do like history. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy stories. It helps me forget things… and ease my mind.”

“Specifically…romance fiction?”

Her ears turned red instantly.

“It’s not just romance,” she said quickly. “Stories like this make you feel something. They remind you that even people bound by duty still have hearts.”

That caught his attention.

“I did notice it has some political elements,” he said. “I didn’t get to finish it, but I’m curious how it ends.”

Aster relaxed slightly and sat more comfortably.

“It’s about a prince who gave up his throne to be with the person he loved,” she began, suddenly more animated.

“An herbalist girl who lived in a cottage deep in the forest found him injured and nursed him back to health. They spent their days together, living peacefully away from everything… but eventually, he had to return to fulfill his duty.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

“He promised he would come back for her and that he would marry her. But when people found out about her, they called her a witch—someone who bewitched the prince. Because she was someone who didn’t belong to their world… she was criticized and rejected.”

Her voice softened, but there was a quiet warmth in it.
“In the end, the prince chose her anyway. They left everything behind and lived quietly in the forest… just the two of them, along with the animals.”

She smiled, almost like she was seeing it herself.

“I guess… sometimes people choose to live for peace, not for rank.”

Randall didn’t respond immediately.

‘A prince who gives up his throne.’ He thought.

“…Do you think something like that could happen in real life?” he asked.

Aster let out a small laugh and shook her head.

“Of course not. It’s just fiction. People can only dream.”

Something in his gaze dimmed. Randall’s voice lowered slightly.

“If you were her… would you really be happy letting the prince give everything up for you?”

The question caught her off guard, but her answer came without hesitation.

“No,” she said quietly. “I wouldn’t allow it.”

Randall stilled. Her words settled over him heavily, but he looked at her steadily as she continued.

“The throne doesn’t belong to him alone,” she said. “It belongs to the people. If he abandoned that responsibility just for me… I’d feel like I took something important away from everyone else.”

She looked up at him, earnest.

“True love isn’t choosing yourself over the world. Sometimes… it’s knowing when to let go for the good of others and everyone around you. Doesn’t that count as true love too?”

Randall’s gaze lowered.

“I suppose,” he said.

But it didn’t sound like agreement. Aster, feeling the tension and awkwardness from his short response, tried to lighten the mood.

“Ah—um—here,” she said quickly, holding out the book. “I’ve already finished it, so you can borrow it if you’d like.”

She let out a small, nervous laugh.

“Then maybe you can tell me if it’s the kind of story you’d believe in.”

Randall took the book, his fingers brushing hers for a fleeting moment. Aster’s breath hitched. She blinked and quickly pulled her hand back, warmth rising to her cheeks.

“…Thank you,” Randall said quietly, unaware of her reaction. “I’ll make sure to return it.”

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