Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“I don’t know the name of these yellow flowers. Do you?”

“I’m not familiar with this variety either. They might be flowers that only grow on this island.”

“Hmm, then it was a good idea to lure you here.”

Muttering to himself softly, Mikael began weaving flowers following Jaina’s lead.

“These yellow flowers are too small, it seems difficult to make a bouquet with them.”

“You’re right. But I still want to try something. They’re so pretty.”

“Is that so? Then make another impressive one like before. This genius magician will also present you with a splendid bouquet.”

“Okay.”

Jaina pondered deeply before plucking the yellow flowers, turning them this way and that as she arranged them.

Beside her, Mikael diligently fiddled with the flowers, mouth agape. However, he struggled to shape them as desired.

‘Flower arrangement isn’t so simple after all.’

He had only thought of gathering and bundling the flowers, but it seemed the arrangement differed based on color, size, and shape.

In the end, after attempting to follow Jaina’s flower arrangement and plucking ten flowers, Mikael realized it didn’t suit him and decided to give up.

‘Do I lack aesthetic sense?’

Mikael’s face scrunched up in displeasure. His plan had been to present Jaina with a bouquet she would like, while simultaneously one-upping Rosian.

However, it seemed being a genius magician didn’t necessarily equate to having skilled hands or an eye for beauty.

‘Come to think of it, the wardrobe staff did snicker when looking at the outfits I chose… Ah, I’m out of my element.’

With no choice but to irk Rosian instead, Mikael turned around.

“Hey. Aren’t you curious about what kind of flower bouquet Jaina gave me…?”

But the Rosian who had been standing dazed behind him was nowhere to be seen.

He was already beside Jaina, weaving flowers.

“The flower bouquet looks adorably tiny, made by Miss Jaina’s small hands.”

“Thank you. But Your Highness’s skills are no less impressive.”

‘This… this… after how hard I searched to find this place…’

Seeing Rosian converse so amicably with Jaina made Mikael’s stomach churn, and he could no longer hold back.

Raising his chin, he took out the Leshanne flower bouquet Jaina had given him from his subspace pocket and approached the two.

“Hey shorty, do you remember this?”

“Oh… that’s the flower bouquet I gave you long ago? It’s still perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, all thanks to my preservation magic.”

Holding the bouquet with a smug expression, Mikael reached out towards the yellow flower bouquet Jaina had just made.

“Now hand that over too. It’ll just wilt quickly no matter who you give it to, that fool Prince.”

Since his words weren’t wrong, Rosian could only tilt his head sulkily without retorting.

In the end, after receiving the yellow flower bouquet from Jaina, Mikael smiled brightly like a victor.

“Hey, jealous? If you’re jealous, you should learn magic too. Oh, but you can’t since you’re a swordsman. Then train diligently. Who knows, my aunt might even give you a preservation artifact.”

As Mikael gloated triumphantly, Rosian shut his mouth and turned away.

‘Haha, was I too harsh on the kid?’

But Mikael’s moment of victory intoxication was short-lived.

“Then instead of receiving, let me give you this.”

“Huh?”

Rosian, having turned his back, slipped a ring made of yellow flowers onto Jaina’s small hand with a bright, sunny smile.

“It suits you, Miss Jaina!”

Jaina looked down at the adorable flower ring on her finger, opening her eyes wide.

“After making me a flower crown before, Your Highness truly has skilled hands!”

“Just tell me if you need anything else. Or we can make it together.”

“Then could you help me make a new one right now?”

“Of course!”

Mikael’s face contorted in an instant, making his earlier smile unbelievable.

‘Why does it feel unsettling, of all things a ring?’

Mikael felt increasingly displeased watching Rosian fawn over Jaina. Moreover, this fool could effortlessly do what he had failed at…

‘How dare this weakling overstep with shorty? I’ll make him beg for his life until we return.’

Thus, as soon as they returned to the beach, Mikael implemented his second plan.

“Alright, kids. If we’ve come to the beach, we must go into the water at least once, right?”

When Mikael snapped his fingers, the waves gradually grew stronger.

In an instant, a wave taller than an adult crashed over the two of them.

“Miss Jaina!”

Instinctively, Rosian pulled Jaina’s body towards him, shielding her from the wave.

But after the wave passed, Rosian realized his action had been unnecessary.

“Rosian, are you alright?”

Jaina had enveloped them in a defensive barrier with her magic.

“Mikael.”

As Jaina turned to look at Mikael with a reproachful gaze, he slowly applauded, as if he had done it on purpose.

“You pass. Your reaction speed was good, and you cast the barrier at the right moment. Everything was excellent. Truly befitting the protégé of a genius magician.”

“Uh, huh?”

As the two of them stood dumbfounded, Mikael pulled Jaina away from Rosian and spoke.

“Hey, who are you to try protecting whom, you weakling? While you’ve been fooling around making flower crowns and rings for other girls, she’s been learning wind magic from me. Your help is unnecessary.”

“Sir Mikael. His Highness has been…”

Jaina, aware that Rosian had recently been learning swordsmanship from Elia, tried to explain to Mikael, but Rosian swiftly stopped her.

“It’s alright, Miss Jaina. What brother Mikael says isn’t wrong.”

Rosian looked straight into Mikael’s eyes as he spoke.

“You’ve always disliked me, haven’t you, brother? You say I have no talent.”

“Speak properly? It’s not just a lack of talent, but also no perseverance.”

“Then teach me once. That magic control you pride yourself in. I’ll succeed impressively.”

Magicians and swordsmen handled magic power differently. While magicians drew external magic power to utilize, swordsmen accumulated and used their inner magic power.

Hence, swordsmen tended to sense magic power relatively slower compared to magicians.

No matter how talented with magic power he was by inheriting his mother’s bloodline, it was nearly impossible for the swordsman Rosian, having only learned swordsmanship superficially, to control magic power instantly.

“Hoh, you think manipulating magic power is that simple?”

“Don’t go back on your word later, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll acknowledge you if you can at least move while standing on a wooden plank on the waves.”

Surprisingly, Mikael readily agreed to teach Rosian magic control.

Ordinarily, he would have protested with ‘Why should I teach you?’, but this too was part of his plan.

Seeing Mikael’s slightly upturned lips, Jaina tilted her head quizzically.

‘Something feels ominous…’

And Jaina’s premonition proved correct.

“Okay, give it a try then.”

The moment those words ended, Mikael snapped his fingers, as if he had been waiting.

Suddenly, the weather darkened, and storm clouds began gathering in the distance. It felt like an entirely different location.

“This is…”

“Since I’m a ‘sky’ attribute magician like the kid, changing the weather is easy for me.”

Sky attribute magicians basically knew wind magic, and high-level ones could arbitrarily change the weather or cause lightning to strike a clear sky.

Rumble!

Along with the thunderclap, the waves gradually grew violent, and lightning began striking from the sky.

Observing this scene, Mikael looked at Rosian with a mocking sneer, as if asking if he would still persist.

Glancing between Mikael and Rosian, Jaina shouted.

“Sir Mikael, are you telling him to maintain his balance on the raging waves of this thunderstorm?”

“Yeah. It should be a piece of cake if he can control magic power to that extent, right?”

“But that would only be simple for you, Mikael…”

However, Jaina’s words were cut off by Rosian.

“Then, I’ll try.”

“Your Highness?”

Unlike usual, Rosian’s face was slightly tense, though he nodded firmly with clenched fists, exuding determination.

Jaina opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

Even Mikael seemed taken aback, his expression one of bewilderment.

‘I thought he would back down reasonably at this point… Is he really going to do it?’

Jaina looked at Rosian with concern as she spoke.

“Your Highness, Mikael is just playing a mischievous prank. So…”

But Rosian shook his head and resolutely stood his ground.

“No, I’m alright, Miss Jaina. I will definitely succeed, so don’t worry.”

“So you’re still the imperial grandson? Very well, go ahead and try. I don’t expect much, but I’ll wait for a day.”

With those words, Mikael turned away.

“Shorty. Let’s go inside.”

“But…”

Jaina couldn’t bring herself to leave, glancing back towards Rosian. However, he only smiled brightly and waved his hand.

“Miss Jaina, don’t worry and go inside first!”