I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Side Story 24

***

The young ladies gathered on the terrace with Lady Hynt were utterly astonished. Margaret was scaling the spire by climbing a rope. The spectacle was enough to shock not only them but everyone gathered in the square.

“Can a noble lady do that? It’s not very dignified,” one remarked.

“Oh dear, Lady Sane, you’re so behind the times. How will you cope with an era of change with such outdated views?” another retorted.

“What did you just say? Are you done speaking?”

“No, I’m not done. Does Lady Sane have higher status or beauty than Lady Floné? It’s honestly funny that you’re talking about dignity,” the other replied with a sarcastic smile.

“How dare you…!”

The situation even escalated into a quarrel.

While opinions among the nobles were divided, most citizens in the square erupted into wild cheers, applauding Margaret.

‘How can a person change so drastically?’

Margaret was once a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her love, known for her audacity towards anything other than loving Enoch. But she had changed.

She altered her attitude, her way of thinking, and then acted on it. Lady Hynt knew how much effort it took for someone to change that much.

‘I knew she was a woman of action, but…’

Lady Hynt’s hobby was writing. However, becoming a novelist was out of the question for a noble lady, so she had hidden her talent due to her parents’ opposition.

‘Yes. I’ve decided. I’m going to write again.’

Margaret’s climb had an unexpected effect.

***

The summer night sky was filled with colorful fireworks, and people cheered in excitement. The ignition ceremony that marked the start of the festival was a huge success. However, the anticipated moment of Enoch’s proposal was nowhere to be seen, as he was preoccupied with handling another matter while Margaret descended from the spire using the rope.

Enoch caught a man attempting to flee down the spiral staircase.

Thud!

With a swift kick from Enoch, the man hit the wall of the spiral staircase and collapsed. The man wore a wizard’s robe similar to the one Kayden always wore, except his was gray instead of Kayden’s blue, indicating his lower rank as a wizard. He was the scientist who developed the fireworks Margaret had ignited and a former wizard.

Dragging the man by the scruff of his neck, Enoch hauled him back up to the observatory platform and threw him to the ground. As the nearby guards moved to intervene, Enoch raised his hand, indicating he would handle it himself.

“New era, my foot! I never wanted a new era!” the man shouted, his voice echoing against the stone walls.

“Who put you up to this?” Enoch asked, pressing the sole of his shoe against the man’s chest, pinning him down as he struggled.

“Why did you get rid of magic?! Do you know what I went through to get here?! I am a great wizard!!! I’m different from you ordinary fools!!!” the man yelled, flailing like a child throwing a tantrum, tears streaming down his face.

The guard standing beside Enoch, ready to draw his sword, shouted, “Silence! How dare you threaten His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince?! Your actions are treasonous!”

“Do you know who developed those fireworks?! It was me! I did it! I didn’t become a wizard to create some pathetic fireworks!” the man ranted, finally spewing curses. “The great Lord Jenas will be furious! A world without magic is the end! The end is upon us!”

Madman.

Voices from around them muttered the word as if in unison.

In the current era, the name “Jenas” was practically taboo.

Thwack.

Enoch’s boot connected sharply with the man’s ribs, causing him to cough up blood.

Cough.

With an expression devoid of sympathy, Enoch looked down at the man and said, “There’s no need to hear any more. Take him away.”

This appeared to be a solo act by the man, with no apparent mastermind behind it.

“Nonetheless, save some for me to interrogate,” Enoch added, lifting his foot.

“Yes, Your Highness!” the guards responded, dragging the man down the stairs. Reporters eagerly followed, their eyes alight with the prospect of a story, fervently documenting the scene.

With the commotion settled, only two reporters, Enoch’s aide James, and a few others lingered on the platform, casting curious glances as Enoch turned to them.

“Enoch! Are you alright?” Margaret called out, rushing over after untying the rope, her concern palpable.

Enoch instinctively wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, and let out a sigh of relief. Then, without warning, he lifted her into his arms.

The onlookers gawked in surprise as Enoch spoke to his aide, James, “I’m leaving first; take care of the rest.”

“Yes, Your Highness! But wait, the festival speech…!” James’s voice trailed off in a futile protest as Enoch carried Margaret down the spire.

The suggestion for Margaret to perform the ignition had been Enoch’s idea, and he bitterly regretted it. He no longer wished to leave her in such a precarious situation.

Bang! Boom!

The fireworks Margaret had ignited continued to light up the night sky in brilliant hues.

Cheers of joy and excitement erupted from the crowd in the square, who seemed to have forgotten the earlier danger to Margaret. When Enoch emerged from the spire’s entrance on the first floor, holding Margaret in his arms, the roar of the crowd grew even more deafening.

Cradling Margaret in his arms, Enoch scanned the audience. The sheer intensity of his gaze quieted the cheering masses.

Eventually, as the final fireworks faded, the square fell silent, as if the rapt attention of the entire crowd had shifted solely to Enoch and Margaret

The scene was so striking that journalists and officials from various countries were quick to capture it, scribbling down notes and snapping photographs.

“Citizens of the Langridge Empire,” Enoch began, his voice firm yet not overly loud, cutting through the silence.

He didn’t shout, but the clarity of his words resonated, echoing across the vast space.

“The festival begins now.”

It was both an announcement of the festival’s opening and a declaration marking the dawn of a new era.

***

Boom, pop!

In Enoch’s arms, I gazed up at the night sky. As the first firework I launched concluded, the main fireworks festival commenced. The dark sky was continuously adorned with beautiful explosions of color.

Wizards, having cast aside their wizard robes, succeeded in developing fireworks without magic. Therefore, this festival held profound significance in various ways.

“I’m glad it was a success.”

If Enoch hadn’t noticed that the man who set up the final fireworks on top of the spire had tampered with the ladder, by now…

I shook my head to dismiss the thought.

I understand the despair felt by the wizards. How could they not despair after losing their jobs, futures, and the careers they had built up in an instant?

Therefore, Enoch and I must strive even harder. We need to continuously work on institutional improvements to address the issues that confront us.

“Please hold my hand!”

“Bless us with good fortune!”

“Long live the future emperor!”

People who had been cheering enthusiastically now reached out to us, prompting an increase in the number of stationed knights to manage the crowd.

In the end, Enoch and I decided to return to the Floné mansion together.

“Don’t worry about us, just go,” Yuanna said, gently pushing Enoch and me forward with a reassuring expression, knowing that I had nearly died due to the broken ladder.

So, we bid farewell to Yuanna, Ruzef, and Arthdal and promptly returned to the Floné mansion.

‘I wanted to enjoy the festival with everyone.’

I felt a tinge of disappointment, especially since it had been a long time since I last saw Yuanna.

Perhaps sensing my disappointment, Enoch suddenly stopped as we crossed the garden towards the entrance of the mansion.

“If you feel it’s a shame, perhaps watching from the garden isn’t a bad idea. It’s a pity we can’t enjoy the festival,” Enoch suggested.

“Sounds good. Without the crowds, it might even be better here. Though it’s a shame we can’t enjoy it with everyone,” I replied, resigning myself to the situation.

Seeing Enoch’s apologetic expression, I realized my words weren’t meant to make him feel guilty.

“Don’t worry. The Saintess said she’d be staying at the Floné mansion for the rest of the week. The festival still has several days left,” I reassured him, gently taking his hand.

Enoch’s hand was warm. I suddenly remembered waking up on the remote island, knowing nothing.

Back then, even though Enoch disliked me, he reached out when I was scared. Enoch was always kind. I liked him for being that kind of person.

At that time, I never imagined our relationship would develop like this.

I slowly led Enoch to the middle of the mansion’s garden. The fireworks were more visible from where I had set up a small tent.

“I actually like it better this way, being alone with you,” I admitted.

As I looked up, our eyes met. His golden eyes gazed at me with a beauty that rivaled the stars.

More beautiful than the fantastic fireworks painting the night sky.

I gently touched his cheek with my hand.

Enoch always seemed to think he loved me more. But that’s a misconception. It was me who longed for this moment to come.

“I love you,” I confessed, after much deliberation. There were no words more perfect than this simple declaration.

His starlit golden eyes, filled with countless emotions, seemed to glisten with unshed tears.

“I always hesitated, fearing that the moment I spoke those words, all my emotions would spill out and vanish. My love has never been light,” I admitted.

Though I always longed for Enoch’s love, I never regarded it lightly.

“Margaret,” Enoch called my name, then closed his mouth tightly, as if suppressing an overwhelming emotion.

I finally expressed the confession I had kept hidden for so long.

“Enoch, will you marry me? I’ll make you happy for the rest of our lives.”